Chapter 1279: Mixed Yuan Prefecture

He immediately took out the Bronze Hellbeast Relic!

Holding it with both hands, he raised it above his head and shouted, "Huaxin! What are you waiting for?"

As a sacrificial artifact from the Hell Realm, it could summon the clone of a Hell Realm Lord to descend and annihilate enemies!

If anything could truly intimidate the Asura Saint Son, it was this artifact!

However, only Huaxin recognized the inscriptions on it. She needed to read them aloud! He wondered if she would be willing to help, because the person Jiang Fan was about to confront was one of her own kind!

Inside the Phantom Crystal, Huaxin stood before the crystal, gazing at the enormous palm covering the sky above her head. A hint of revulsion flickered in her eyes. Hearing Jiang Fan's words, she spoke without hesitation, chanting ancient and obscure Hell Realm script. It was precisely the inscriptions on the bronze relic!

The inscriptions on the Bronze Hellbeast Relic immediately erupted with streaks of black light, which then vanished into the void. Like ripples, they spread towards an unknown depth. The enormous palm, which had been descending upon them, suddenly retracted as if encountering something truly terrifying! Jiang Fan was ecstatic! This move had worked as expected!

Without the oppressive force of the giant palm, the spatial teleportation encountered no further obstacles. With a whoosh, all three were simultaneously teleported away.

However, very soon, the giant palm seemed to realize something and slammed down fiercely again. The three individuals in mid-teleportation were immediately scattered and sent in different directions. Fortunately, the directions they were teleported to were all within Great States, preventing them from falling into the void.

The Asura Saint Son failed to annihilate them. The condensed cyan giant palm disintegrated into boundless yin energy and dark clouds. From within the clouds, a low voice resonated. "I didn't mishear, did I? Wasn't that chanting voice just now the one of that being? But she perished eons ago."

So it turned out, the Asura Saint Son feared Huaxin, not the Bronze Hellbeast Relic! It was this momentary distraction that allowed Jiang Fan an opportunity to escape.

After a long silence, he added, "I hope she doesn't disrupt our Hell Realm's thousand-year plan! As for those mere ants, how dare they investigate this Emperor? I hope you won't regret this!"

With that, the dark clouds of yin energy slowly dispersed.

At the same time, in the Great Wild State, at the Oasis.

True Word Venerable stood before the cracked formation, frowning deeply. "What happened? The State-level teleportation array is destroyed?" She had come to find Jiang Fan, tracking him all the way by sensing the Life-Preserving Lotus. Unexpectedly, after a roundabout journey, her final senses led her back to this very State-level teleportation array. She had used this very teleportation array to come to the Great Wild State. What puzzled her was that the array had been perfectly fine when she arrived, and the spatial channel was completely intact. How could it be destroyed now?

"You little rascal, you didn't guess I was coming after you and intentionally destroy the array on that side, did you?" She was slightly annoyed. "You actually managed to escape back to Taicang Great State! This is outrageous!" What vexed her even more was that this privately constructed teleportation array was now damaged. If she wanted to return to Taicang Great State, she would have to use an official teleportation array. Thinking of this, she pursed her lips slightly, a hint of worry in her eyes. "The Grand Libationer of Great Wild State probably won't meddle, will she?"

Not long after, at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, True Word Venerable cautiously flashed onto the island with the State-level teleportation array leading to Taicang Great State. Then, she discreetly took out a top-grade crystal, hoping to leave unnoticed.

"True Word Venerable, you've come to the Great Wild State, why didn't you say anything?" A voice suddenly appeared behind her. True Word Venerable's expression stiffened. She turned around to see a gaunt-faced woman in her thirties, wearing a moon-white robe, standing behind her. Who else could it be but the Grand Libationer of Great Wild State?

"How could this junior dare to disturb Senior?" True Word Venerable offered an embarrassed bow, becoming extremely cautious. She had heard more than once that the Grand Libationer of Great Wild State was a drunkard prone to drunken rages.

"Oh, it's fine." To True Word Venerable's surprise, the Grand Libationer before her seemed different from the rumors. There were no signs of drinking on her, and she looked quite gaunt, with somewhat dull eyes and a furrowed brow. She seemed to have suffered a great shock, exuding a sense of melancholy as if life had lost its meaning.

"Grand Libationer, are you alright?"

The Grand Libationer shook her head and sighed slightly. "I lost a drinking contest to Jiang Fan from your Taicang Great State. I just... don't feel like living anymore. It's nothing serious, no need to worry."

How badly must she have lost to make the Grand Libationer become so reclusive? True Word Venerable instantly felt a sense of camaraderie and consoled her, "Grand Libationer, that brat is full of schemes and incredibly cunning. I've never heard of him being good at drinking. Grand Libationer, you most likely lost due to his tricks."

The Grand Libationer's eyes refocused, slowly narrowing. "Are you saying he cheated?" She recalled the heart-shaped bronze lock. Jiang Fan gave it to her before they drank. After she got drunk, Jiang Fan took it back. Coupled with the fact that Jiang Fan drank as if it were plain water, she slapped her head, finally realizing everything, and cried out furiously, "Ah! That scoundrel! How dare he trick me! Why don't those old fogeys in Taicang Great State control him?"

True Word Venerable wholeheartedly agreed, saying fiercely, "That guy is absolutely despicable! I came here to deal with him! Unfortunately, he escaped back to Taicang Great State!"

The Grand Libationer held her head, pacing back and forth and muttering curses. She was clearly extremely angry. After a long moment, she gritted her teeth and said, "True Word, help me bring him back to Great Wild State! I'll give you some sap from a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree to help your Yin Elemental Spirit Fish grow."

True Word Venerable was overjoyed. The Yin Elemental Spirit Fish was crucial for her breakthrough to the Second Decline of Heaven and Man, but its growth was extremely slow. It would take another year to mature. The sap mentioned by the Grand Libationer must be quite extraordinary; it might even allow the Yin Elemental Spirit Fish to evolve into its mature form before the Ancient Giants arrive.

"Alright! I'll head back to Taicang Great State right away!" True Word Venerable's heart blossomed with joy. Teaching Jiang Fan a lesson and receiving a valuable gift—it was truly killing two birds with one stone.

The Grand Libationer nodded, then closed her eyes to sense something. Suddenly, she opened them, her brows furrowed in confusion. "He didn't return to Taicang Great State."

True Word Venerable was slightly stunned. "He clearly used the State-level teleportation array leading to the West Sea of Taicang Great State. Could it be that he immediately went to another Great State?"

The Grand Libationer's face showed a peculiar expression. "I don't know, but my senses tell me he's currently in Hunyuan State." She paused, then said, "Coincidentally, you should also return to Hunyuan State. Your father already informed the Grand Libationers of the various states that if you leave Taicang, you shouldn't be allowed to return directly to Hunyuan State." This was also her original intention for stopping True Word Venerable.

True Word Venerable's pretty face turned slightly cold. "Does he have the right to control me? Let him live happily ever after with his vixen and his precious son. Why should he care whether I live or die?"

The Grand Libationer rubbed her temples and said, "Your family matters are none of my business. However, I heard you encountered a Five-Star Giant King while on a mission in the Celestial Realm and almost died there. Your ability to return alive in the end was still due to your father's protection, wasn't it?"