Chapter 1028: Old Debtor

He pondered for a moment. Feeling the burning sensation on his face, he quietly deleted the last three sentences. It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. What if the Venerable asked about Jiang Fan, and how the two of them met? Should he mention the embarrassment Jiang Fan caused him in public, or not?

At the border of the Fire Worship Sect, Venerable Xin Nie stood on a mountain with his hands behind his back, gazing into the territory of the Fire Worship Sect. Though the border was right before him, he dared not step in casually.

His communication jade pendant chimed. He looked down, his brow furrowing slightly. “None?”

“All the tribulation disciples from the Three Divine Sect and the Seven Great Teachings are here.”

He replied, asking, “Are you sure they've all been checked?”

Soon, Jiao Huangyin replied, “All nine have been checked. There are no practitioners of Void Current Thunderforce among them.”

Venerable Xin Nie's eyes narrowed. He wanted to personally inspect the scene. But after a wary glance towards the Fire Worship Sect, he could only abandon the idea.

“Jiao Huangyin is reliable in his work. If he's certain there aren't any, then there truly aren't. In that case, perhaps they are among the numerous small and medium-sized sects?” With that thought, he vanished into thin air.

In the Main Hall of the Fire Worship Sect, the thin, short old man with reddish skin glanced indifferently in the direction of Venerable Xin Nie, then withdrew his gaze. “That boy wasn't found?”

The Sect Master in front of him, sweating profusely, replied, “Reporting to senior, we searched for five days, but found no trace. He must have known he committed a great mistake and fled out of fear of punishment.”

The old man snorted, “He got away quickly, I'll give him that! Get ready. The Fire Spring can no longer be contained. Its eruption will be fiercer than in previous years. It is expected to erupt earlier.”

The Sect Master felt a slight chill. Not only was the time brought forward, but the eruption would also be more violent?

At the Martial Arts Arena, completely unaware that he had simultaneously dodged two dangers, Jiang Fan felt an immense heaviness in his heart. The Void Current Thunderforce was a sharp blade hanging over his head. It could manifest at any moment. His quick thinking allowed him to escape this danger, but it was only temporary. There were only so many people undergoing tribulation recently.

Venerable Xin Nie would search for them one by one and eventually come for him. Moreover, at the end of the Ancient Ascension Road, Venerable Xin Nie had sensed Void Current Fireforce, and Jiang Fan happened to be nearby at that time, which already made him a suspect. Now, if the Venerable were to learn of his recent successful tribulation, how could Venerable Xin Nie not suspect him? When that happens, all would be lost. Even with three heads and six arms, facing Venerable Xin Nie's full-blown pursuit, Jiang Fan would find himself with no place to hide in the vast world.

He had to find a way to eliminate this hidden danger.

Unaware of any of this, the nine Nascent Soul cultivators, each holding their warm Nine-Colored Primordial Marrow, left the Martial Arts Arena smiling.

Hua Wuying was also among them, seemingly casually chatting and laughing with Yun Che as they departed. But after only a few steps, she couldn't move. A powerful hand had grabbed her by the back of her collar.

“Where do you think you're going?”

Hua Wuying's small face instantly fell, revealing a smile uglier than a cry. “Senior Jiang, do you have any instructions?”

Jiang Fan chuckled as he lifted her back, a smirk on his face. “You were just denouncing me, weren't you?”

Hua Wuying's face stiffened. She quickly said, “No, it wasn't just me. There was Ma Qingyan, and Yun Che, and Senior Brother Liu from the Myriad Phenomena Void Realm, and...” She loyally pointed out everyone who had spoken up enthusiastically. Everyone had come together to denounce Jiang Fan. She couldn't be the only one left behind. The few people whose names were called froze in place, neither daring to leave nor face Jiang Fan.

The others, whose names weren't called, scattered like those granted amnesty.

Jiang Fan swept his gaze around, then chuckled as his eyes returned to Hua Wuying. Pinching her small cheek, he said, “But you were the loudest, the most enthusiastic, and shouted the most fiercely. You also said you'd tie me up and hang me upside down for forty-nine days. So, are you still going to tie me up?”

Hua Wuying, on the verge of tears, whimpered, “No, I won't.”

“And punch me sixty-four times?”

Hua Wuying's face was distorted by the pinch. She wailed, “No, I won't punch you.”

“And stab me eighty-one times?”

Tears welled up in Hua Wuying's eyes. “No, I won't stab you.”

Jiang Fan scoffed, “A debt-bound fairy, still trying to denounce me? I'll sell you right now!”

Hua Wuying finally burst into tears. “Waaah, Master, I don't want to play anymore, I want to go home. Please come pick me up, waaah.”

Jiang Fan snapped, “Alright, I'll contact your Master right now!” He took out his jade pendant and sent a message to Song Lingyu. “Are you there? Ten days are up. Time to pay your debt. Why aren't you replying? Are you playing dead? I'm going to sell your disciple. If you don't reply, I'm really selling her.”

At the Myriad Tribulations Saint Palace, Madhouse, Venerable San Qian frowned, looking at Song Lingyu, who was sunbathing in the courtyard. “Why aren't you replying to their messages? They sound urgent; it must be important.”

Song Lingyu, holding the communication jade pendant, mumbled awkwardly, “N-nothing. I don't know who's sending these spam messages. Just ignore them.” She pulled the constantly chiming communication jade pendant from her waist and tossed it into her spatial storage device. Only then did her ears finally have some peace.

There was no other way. She couldn't borrow any Sky-soaring Pills right now, so she could only play dead.

Venerable San Qian was puzzled but didn't think much of it. However, he then remembered something and said, “By the way, where is your disciple Hua Wuying? She went out with you; why hasn't she returned?”

Song Lingyu's body stiffened. Her eyes darted, and she put on a melancholic expression, sighing, “What disciple? Someone like me, who finds no meaning in living, how could I have a disciple? Hua Wuying? Who's that? Oh, dear!” Sighing, she walked back into the house.

Venerable San Qian shook his head, helplessly saying, “Oh, she's gone mad again. She's even forgotten her disciple. I hope Hua Wuying is still safe.”

Back at the Fire Worship Sect's Martial Arts Arena, Hua Wuying burst into tears, looking at the countless messages that had been read but not replied to. Her sobbing grew louder.

Jiang Fan's face darkened. “She's really become a deadbeat! The first time I lend something, and you teach me such a harsh lesson? This is outrageous!” He looked at the few people who hadn't left the Martial Arts Arena yet and said, “Hua Wuying is now for sale. You can take her for four Sky-soaring Pills. Anyone interested?”

Ma Qingyan and the others exchanged bewildered glances. Hua Wuying, the foremost female prodigy of Taicang Great Province, had become Jiang Fan's collateral? The world seemed a bit upside down.

Suddenly, a dazzling pillar of fire, accompanied by a tremendous roar, shot into the sky. The fire pillar pierced the heavens, burning away the clouds in its path and vanishing into the depths of the sky. It burned a large hole in the firmament. Multi-colored wondrous flames rained down from the sky. The heat they emitted was even more terrifying! Each flame had the power to incinerate a city. Some of them would turn anything below the Nascent Soul stage into vapor upon contact.

Inside the Fire Worship Sect, groups of prepared disciples rushed out. They charged towards the numerous wondrous flames, each displaying their unique abilities to intercept them. One purpose was to reduce the disaster caused by the Fire Spring's eruption. The second was to use them to enhance their own fire-based divine abilities.

Jiang Fan's eyes narrowed. Speaking of which, wasn't his 'Azure Blue True Fire Art' continuously strengthened by devouring wondrous flames? Looking at the wondrous flames falling from the sky, his eyes gleamed with fervor. This was because two of the wondrous flames were even more powerful than the Asura Karmic Fire he had previously obtained!