Chapter 1054: Xia Chaoge's Gift

Bai Xin ignored him.

However, Huang Ying didn't miss the chance to mock Tong Fei. Proudly, she took out the Dragon Marrow Orb, shook it, and grinned. "Do you know what this is?"

Tong Fei glanced at it, his expression subtly changing. Although he didn't recognize what it was, the pure energy it contained felt incredibly unusual to him. Yet, he stubbornly replied, "What does that have to do with me?"

Huang Ying smiled faintly. "Of course it does. This is called a Dragon Marrow Orb, a legendary divine item that can help even a Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator break through to the next realm."

"How unfortunate! It's such a pity, you could have broken through to the Six-Aperture Nascent Soul stage. But because you didn't attend the sect's founding ceremony, you perfectly missed out."

What? A Dragon Marrow Orb?

Tong Fei was greatly astonished! His heart was filled with regret. The Heavenly Secret Pavilion actually gave away such a treasure at the founding ceremony! The Great Wine Sacrifice specifically asked him to attend the ceremony; how was that making things difficult for him? It was clearly giving him an opportunity. But he had arrived at the entrance and hadn't gone in!

Gritting his teeth, he retorted stubbornly, "Not everyone gets one anyway. Even if I had gone, I might not have gotten it."

Huang Ying's smile deepened. "Oh, but everyone did get one. Even Commander Yang received one. No, wait, once Commander Yang breaks through to the Five-Aperture Nascent Soul stage with this, he'll be Commander Yang, your equal. Oh dear, everyone has one, except you!" She giggled.

Bai Xin pulled her away, leaving Tong Fei with an extremely grim expression on his face.

Yang Yuntao cautiously asked, "Commander Tong, are you alright?"

Tong Fei, consumed by shame and anger, snapped, "Why didn't you advise me earlier?" Not going was a colossal loss!

Yang Yuntao was speechless internally. Jiang Fan had politely greeted you, but you acted so arrogant, completely ignoring him. How was he supposed to advise you then? You only offended those you shouldn't have; it serves you right for not getting a Dragon Marrow Orb.

Inside the sect, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master wore a bitter smile. "The Great Wine Sacrifice only released the news after our Heavenly Secret Pavilion was established." There weren't that many coincidences in the world, especially not such precise, down-to-the-second coincidences as this. He announced the establishment of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, and immediately afterwards, the mission arrived. If it wasn't intentional, it would be hard to explain.

Jiang Fan grumbled, "It's probably because I understand a bit of Infernal script. The Great Wine Sacrifice valued my ability and wanted me to go up there too. Those old geezers, each one is more calculating than the last."

The Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master pondered, "For an operation where even a Venerable failed, for a group of Nascent Soul cultivators like yourselves to go up there would be courting death. However, the Imperial Astronomers still want you to go. I believe they must have some methods to ensure your safety. So, the danger is significant, but it's not a death trap."

Jiang Fan nodded; he had also considered this point. If it truly were a certain death mission, why would the Imperial Astronomers send them? Wouldn't it be better to preserve over a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators as a living force to combat the Ancient Giants in the future? However, the danger was definitely immense. Encountering even one Ancient Giant would be enough to give them a hard time.

He took a deep breath and said, "For the next ten days, I need to raise my strength as much as possible. Everyone in the Heavenly Secret Pavilion should also strengthen their combat power as quickly as possible. There are only two months left until the Ancient Giants descend. Pavilion Master, please take these items and distribute them."

He took out Xuan Xing's black saber and the three low-grade spirit artifacts gifted by the red-faced elder from the Fire Worship Sect. He already possessed a soul-attacking magic treasure, so another one wouldn't be very useful; it was better to leave it for the sect members. The three low-grade spirit artifacts, in particular, could rapidly enhance the strength of the sect members.

As for Xuan Xing's spatial storage device, he immediately took out the Soul Crystal. He saw Hua Xin cowering in a corner, crying, too terrified to move by the three souls at the Seven-Aperture and Eight-Aperture Nascent Soul level. There was nothing she could do; who wouldn't be scared when cornered by three hulking figures?

Seeing Jiang Fan, she looked as if she had found a savior. "Jiang Fan, quickly tell them to leave! Do you want me to die?"

Jiang Fan smiled. "So, can we finally start properly researching the Infernal script now?" Last time at the Fire Worship Sect, this woman had promised so well. But she went back on her word almost immediately.

Hua Xin nodded repeatedly. "Teach, teach, I'll really teach this time."

Jiang Fan casually took out the souls of the Sanqing Mountain Daoist Leader and Xuan Ye. Amidst their screams, he mercilessly pressed them into the Fate-Altering Jade Butterfly. Then, he took out a drop of Soul Transformation Blood. As the Fate-Altering Jade Butterfly gently trembled, a drop of milky-white spiritual liquid dripped from its aperture. The aura emitted by this drop of Heaven-Penetrating Marrow was far more potent than the previous one. He stored it away.

He then looked at Xuan Xing, who was trembling with fear inside the Soul Crystal, and said playfully, "Don't panic. I won't kill you just yet. In fact, in the future, once your Sanqing Mountain no longer poses a threat to me, it might even be possible to find a body for you to possess and cultivate anew. The condition is, you must do two things."

Xuan Xing's soul felt as if it had received a great amnesty, and he hastily clasped his hands. "Please speak, Daoist Jiang."

"First, starting today, you are to urge this woman to honestly teach the Infernal script. If she's disobedient, hit her."

Xuan Xing glanced at the frail Hua Xin in the corner and immediately patted his chest. "Don't worry, hitting women... I mean, reasoning with women, I'm best at."

Jiang Fan nodded. "Second, my Heavenly Secret Pavilion has just been established, and I'd like to borrow your resources. You don't mind, do you?"

Xuan Xing uttered the incantation with almost no hesitation. The reason was simple. There was nothing in this storage device that Jiang Fan absolutely desired and could serve as a life-saving bargaining chip. Not speaking meant death. Speaking offered a slim chance of survival.

Jiang Fan opened it and scanned inside with an expectant look, but quickly grew disappointed. "Does your Sanqing Mountain only have one Spirit Concealment Talisman?"

Xuan Xing's soul gave a bitter laugh. "Only one? Daoist Jiang, that's a talisman refined from the blood of a True Spirit. How difficult do you think that is? We attempted it over fifty times, wasting more than half of the True Spirit's blood, just to barely succeed in making one. Our original intention was to give it to Venerable Zhenyan, hoping she could protect our Sanqing Mountain once during the coming Ancient Giant catastrophe. To our surprise, Daoist Jiang acquired it."

Jiang Fan showed a hint of regret. He then casually handed the spatial storage device to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master. "Pavilion Master, please distribute these. I'll go into seclusion first." He planned to cultivate his soul to the Five-Aperture level before refining the mysterious black cauldron.

Soon, he arrived before the secret chamber, ready to enter. Xia Chaoge quietly followed him and said, "Uncle Master."

Jiang Fan turned his head, seeing her furtive manner, and said, "Are you stealing things or stealing a person..." After speaking the last two words, he immediately felt it was inappropriate. He quickly stopped the topic and said seriously, "What do you need me for?"

Xia Chaoge, with her hands behind her back, smiled radiantly. "Didn't I say I'd give you a gift at the sect's founding ceremony? Close your eyes, no peeking."

Jiang Fan was amused. Still playing surprise games? He closed his eyes and extended his hand, feeling a slight anticipation for what Xia Chaoge would give him.

Xia Chaoge extended a finger and wiggled it in front of him. She confirmed that his eyes were truly closed. From behind her back, each of her hands produced an item. One of them was a Thunder Edict Token. Engraved on it was the sixth lost section of the Myriad Tribulations Sacred Hall, the Yin-Yang Heavens. The other item was a barrel of multi-colored spiritual liquid. It was none other than the mysterious liquid capable of reconstructing the Five Magnetic Yuan Mountains.