Chapter 1505: Trade

Unsolved Substitute Marriage: Jiang Fan and Xu Yining

The Demon Lord chuckled sheepishly.

He had thought so; Revered Lianjing was already incredibly magnanimous for not resenting him for Jiang Fan's death. Why would she bestow upon him an invaluable domain?

“Then, who is the Great Revered One saving it for?”

Revered Lianjing turned to look at the stone obelisk, her eyes filled with sorrow.

“If Jiang Fan were alive, it would be given to him. If there’s no news of him before the ancient giants descend, then it will be sent to the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, to the person most important to him.”

This could be considered a small compensation for Jiang Fan’s family.

The Demon Lord sighed inwardly; how could Jiang Fan possibly return? He cupped his hands and said, “Yes, Great Revered One, do you have any other instructions?”

Revered Lianjing looked up at the endless sky, closing her eyes for a long time before letting out a prolonged sigh: “The Great State of Taicang is indeed a place of sorrow for me. It is now. And it was once.”

The next moment, she vanished from the spot, only her voice lingering in the air, echoing endlessly.

The Demon Lord looked surprised. “Did Revered Lianjing have regrets in the Great State of Taicang in the past?”

Shaking his head, he looked at the mountain range, a third of which had been destroyed, a truly shocking sight. Then, looking at the stone obelisk, he couldn't help but grip the jade talisman tightly and sigh: “Fellow Daoist Jiang, I have wronged you.”

***

The Great State of Taicang, far western region.

A group of people, weary from their journey, traversed this wild land. Leading them was an elegant middle-aged man, none other than the Master of the Jiangshan First-Grade Tower.

They carried a crystal coffin. Powerful waves of righteous energy emanated from the coffin from time to time.

Suddenly, the Master stopped, sharply raising his head to gaze into the distance. Unidentifiable emotions surfaced on his calm and composed face.

“Master? What’s wrong?” a deputy master behind him asked with slight surprise.

The Master remained silent for a long time before finally smiling with relief: “An old friend has been here. Let’s go. This is my last transaction. Starting today, our Jiangshan First-Grade Tower will also begin preparations to fight against the ancient giants!”

***

One day later.

Inside the stone obelisk.

Jiang Fan slowly opened his eyes, which were clouded with fatigue. He had always considered his comprehension astonishing, capable of grasping Heaven-tier cultivation techniques with ease, mastering one in half a day at most. However, facing the control scriptures of this Thunder God’s Heavenly Palace, he found it unusually difficult. After an entire day, he had only grasped the bare essentials!

The control scriptures were not particularly long, yet as he tried to comprehend them, an indescribable, abstruse force in the ethereal realm seemed to hinder him. This led Jiang Fan to doubt his own comprehension abilities for a time. If the scriptures could be divided into four stages — beginner, minor mastery, major mastery, and complete mastery — he hadn't even reached the beginner stage.

The only fortunate thing was that the superficial understanding he had gained was precisely the ability to freely enter and exit this space. If he wished, he could leave the stone obelisk in an instant. The question was, would he be safe after leaving? The “Six Chapters of Heavenly Thunder” that he cultivated could at any moment regain control over him and forcibly bring him back here. What should he do?

Just then.

The white-robed skeleton moved, its dark, hollow eye sockets turning toward him. It said: “How is your study of the Angelic script progressing?”

Jiang Fan’s heart skipped a beat. This menacing figure had awakened. He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his eyes darting as he replied: “I’ve only comprehended ninety percent.”

The white-robed skeleton’s eyes were deep as it calmly stated: “Ninety percent? You are so intelligent; you should have anticipated that once you fully comprehend the Angelic script, you would be even more unable to leave. Either be trapped here for life, studying the inscriptions on the stone tablet, or, after comprehending the inscriptions, be silenced by me. Therefore, your ninety percent is certainly not the truth. If I’m not mistaken, you have already completely comprehended the Angelic script, and you understood it thoroughly a long time ago.”

Jiang Fan was secretly astonished. Indeed, an old monster who had lived for countless years possessed a mind as unfathomable as an abyss, impossible to deceive. His expression darkened, and he admitted frankly: “Yes, I have fully comprehended it. But if you force me to comprehend the inscriptions, aren't you afraid I’ll tamper with them?”

The white-robed skeleton’s voice was hoarse, harsh, and unpleasant, almost mocking: “You don’t seriously think that the several Revered Ones around me are all willing to help me comprehend the inscriptions, do you?”

Undoubtedly, among the six predecessors of the Myriad Tribulations Sacred Hall, there were certainly some stubborn ones, or those who relied on their comprehension to confront the white-robed skeleton. But judging by their posture of cross-legged contemplation, they had all ultimately compromised. For an old monster like this, tormenting someone was effortless.

Jiang Fan smiled, a hint of mockery in his expression: “As a dying man, do you think I fear your torment?”

The white-robed skeleton calmly said: “A dying man? Do you truly know your own destiny? Rest assured, if I don't let you die, no one in this world can kill you.”

Jiang Fan smiled but said nothing, only mockery in his eyes. Old Man Tianji had once said that even an ancient saint could not change Jiang Fan’s dying fate.

The white-robed skeleton noticed Jiang Fan’s mocking expression. After a moment of silence, the soul within its skull began to throb, seemingly probing Jiang Fan. A few breaths later, its soul flame surged, and its cross-legged body abruptly sat upright. A ripple of emotion entered its eerie voice.

“It truly is a dying fate. Moreover, it is woven from multiple profound karmic causes. Some of these karmic causes are beyond my interference. Young man, you truly have quite a background.”

Jiang Fan’s eyes showed contemplation. This person seemed to see more clearly than Old Man Tianji, as if he had perceived some so-called karmic connections. What exactly were these karmic connections that destined him to die? And who did these karmic connections involve? If he could know in advance and avoid those people, would his fate take a turn for the better?

As he pondered, the white-robed skeleton calmly said: “It appears I truly cannot force you. So, let’s make a deal.” In its perception, Jiang Fan had little life left. Even if it tormented Jiang Fan, Jiang Fan would forcibly endure until the day of his death. It could only entice him with benefits.

And this was exactly what Jiang Fan wanted. His eyes sparkling with shrewdness as he asked: “Senior, what can you offer me?”

The white-robed skeleton replied: “A way to live. After you comprehend the inscriptions, I will make an exception and let you go.”

Jiang Fan scoffed, saying: “These inscriptions are so profound that by the time I comprehend them, I probably won’t have many days left to live. What difference does it make whether you let me go or not?”

The white-robed skeleton calmly asked: “Then what do you want?”

Jiang Fan cupped his hands and said: “Senior, the ancient giants are about to descend. I can die, but I wish to secure a glimmer of hope for the beings of the Central Lands. I humbly request that you bestow divine artifacts and treasures upon us to help us slay the ancient giants.”

The white-robed skeleton calmly asked: “Ancient giants? Those flesh-eating dark beings? Ten thousand years ago, they didn't even exist in this world.” It had already heard from the six previous Revered Ones that a catastrophe of ancient giants erupted every thousand years. “They embody negative emotions such as greed, tyranny, cunning, and treachery. They should be artificially created beings.”

Jiang Fan’s expression changed. Artificially... created?