Chapter 1156: Understanding the Essence of the Wind

Jiang Fan remained relatively calm. The Hook-Judgment Brush had originated from the space within Hua Xin's mind. Hua Xin had controlled this brush in her previous life, so this was entirely expected.

What puzzled him was the identity of the nine strange figures Hua Xin faced. They were completely sacred, with nine pairs of wings. Such beings did not seem to belong to the Middle-earth Realm.

"This wisp of remnant soul has a significant background!" the woman in black exclaimed. "Are you not afraid of incurring certain karma by carrying it with you?" She gazed intently at Hua Xin, her shock slow to subside.

Jiang Fan said, speechless, "This fellow does nothing but eat and drink all day while he's with me. Even immense karma couldn't cling too deeply."

Hua Xin, infuriated, kicked the crystal wall. "You brat! Are you speaking the language of hell because a wild ghost taught you?"

Jiang Fan scoffed, "You are a wild ghost. Besides, you're still holding something back." His eyes darted, and he simply took out the bronze artifact of the Hell Beast. "Senior, is there any special significance to the Hellish script on this?"

The woman in black fixed her gaze upon it, her pupils constricting once more. "This is a sacrificial artifact, capable of summoning a doppelganger of a Hell Realm Lord."

What? Jiang Fan was startled. If he understood correctly, a Hell Realm Lord was an existence on par with an Ancient Sage of the Middle-earth Realm, right? This artifact before him could summon a doppelganger of a Hell Realm Lord?

A flicker of desire crossed the woman in black's eyes, then she said with disappointment, "Unfortunately, this is the Celestial Realm. Even if a doppelganger were summoned, having crossed three realms consecutively, its strength would be weakened to a negligible extent."

Jiang Fan recalled the projections of the ancient demonic mirage and the Chaotic Blood Marquis. The doppelganger projected by the ancient demonic mirage was only at the Spirit Transformation stage. The Chaotic Blood Marquis's doppelganger, projected from an unknown immense distance, was merely at the Nascent Soul stage.

Jiang Fan's heart burned with eagerness as he asked, "Do the projected doppelgangers have independent consciousness?"

The woman in black replied, "No. The summoner can command it to attack once."

Jiang Fan's heart pounded wildly. He asked, "Senior, can the script on that..."

The woman in black shook her head. "Even that remnant soul knows not to tell you. I certainly won't tell you." If Jiang Fan were to bring this artifact into the Hell Realm, wouldn't he be able to summon an uninjured doppelganger of the Realm Lord? For the beings of the Hell Realm, that would be nothing short of a disaster. She glanced at the bronze artifact, a thought of taking it back flashing through her mind. Only after considering their more important collaboration did she dismiss the thought.

Jiang Fan pursed his lips. "Then I'll find a way myself." He might just have to ask his wife, Green Pearl, for help.

The woman in black gave Jiang Fan a deep look. She had thought it would be simple questions, but each one surprised her. "I will answer one last question for you."

Jiang Fan indeed had one more crucial question regarding Hellish beings. He said in a serious tone, "To be frank, I've received reliable information that among our Middle-earth Realm's Great Sage-level powerhouses, there is a hidden Asura."

A Great Sage-level being from the Hell Realm, hidden in Middle-earth during the war between Middle-earth and the Celestial Realm. This was certainly not good news!

"Great Sage level?" the woman in black was slightly surprised. "Then your Middle-earth Realm truly has a huge hidden danger. Because there is only one race capable of hiding among outside beings, remaining undetected, and quietly cultivating to such a realm: the Bloodthirsty Asuras. They are extremely skilled at concealing their aura; it's very difficult to discover them unless they expose themselves. Now, one has actually cultivated to the Great Sage level. Heaven knows how much blood of your Middle-earth beings he has absorbed, and how many Middle-earth powerhouses he has controlled as puppets. Should he suddenly erupt one day, your casualties will be very heavy."

This was exactly what Jiang Fan was worried about! "Senior, is there a way to find him?"

The woman in black shook her head. "You overestimate me. I am merely an Asura King, and the other party is already an Asura Emperor. What's more, he's a Bloodthirsty Asura, exceptionally skilled at hiding. To find him, you'll have to rely on your wits."

Jiang Fan's heart sank slightly. This was truly troublesome.

The woman in black chuckled. "Forgive my frankness. This problem should be for your Middle-earth's Great Sages to consider. You don't need to worry about it."

Indeed! Jiang Fan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Senior, for answering my questions and clearing my doubts."

After speaking, he sat cross-legged beside the woman in black. While she was healing, he took out a small pouch. It was the Breathing Earth he had obtained from the Stone Giant. He took out the seed capable of immobilizing human bodies and buried it within the earth. "I wonder what this thing will turn into when it grows up?" Jiang Fan was somewhat curious.

After putting it away, he took out the Origin Star of Wind. The woman in black, whose eyes had already closed, opened them again and looked at the star in surprise. "The Origin Star, known as the Mother of Wind Giants? It actually ended up in your hands. What do you plan to do with it?"

Jiang Fan replied, "I want to try and see if I can comprehend the origin within it." If he could comprehend it, his illusory flowing wind energy could reach the level of fire energy, achieving mastery immediately. In time, reaching perfection wouldn't be difficult.

The woman in black said, "Shouldn't the origins of your human race only be comprehensible at the Spirit Transformation stage? Only after becoming a Venerable does one's perception of all things in heaven and earth reach a 'divine' level. It's on this foundation that one can comprehend the source of all things and condense an origin. Directly facing a wisp of origin, with your current cultivation level, your perception of all things in heaven and earth shouldn't be enough to comprehend it, right?"

Jiang Fan said nothing more. Holding the Origin Star of Wind, he closed his eyes and sensed. He sent a wisp of his consciousness into the star, experiencing the Origin of Wind up close. As the woman in black had said, the prerequisite for condensing an origin was to comprehend it, to know its true essence. Jiang Fan simply treated the object before him as a cultivation technique. He comprehended it bit by bit.

At first, he indeed found it incredibly difficult, like facing a complete void. It was far more abstruse and difficult to understand than any cultivation technique he had ever seen. An entire day passed, with no discernible effect. Until the rustling sound of leaves gently swaying appeared in his mind. His mind became clearer. He finally gained a hint of understanding of this chaotic wisp of wind origin. "What is wind? It is the path of qi, the direction of the heart; it is present everywhere, and absent nowhere; it is born from motion and extinguished by flow..." His eyes gradually cleared.

Another day passed. The woman in black, who was alleviating her pain, seemed to sense something and abruptly opened her beautiful eyes. She looked at Jiang Fan beside her. Above his head was a tiny blue speck of light, the size of a sesame seed. Invisible currents of air swirled around it. Her pupils widened, and she couldn't help but exclaim in shock, "The Origin of Wind? How could he have comprehended it just like that? How heaven-defying is your comprehension?" For a moment, she even regretted the marriage alliance with that Prince of the West Sea. They should have chosen an excellent female clansman from their village to form a marriage alliance with Jiang Fan! That way, Jiang Fan would be considered one of their own. As a Four-Crowned Asura King, she saw infinite potential in Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan slowly opened his eyes, a hint of helplessness on his face. "Unfortunately, this is already the limit of what I can comprehend."

The woman in black's willow-leaf eyebrows subtly raised. Was he showing off? To comprehend an origin, which is unique to Venerables, was already defying heaven. And he still found it too little? She shook her head, stood up, and said, "I've recovered. Are you ready?"

Jiang Fan quickly rose and asked, "Senior, how do you plan to leave?"