Chapter 156: One Step to the Sky

Wen Shengnan was startled by her actions. Thinking the medicine bottle was the cause of the problem, she nervously said, "Vice President, Vice President, please calm down. Did I do something wrong?"

How could Chen Luoyue calm down? Her chest heaved violently, and her face glowed with intense excitement. Still holding Wen Shengnan tightly, she shook her repeatedly and exclaimed, "You didn't do anything wrong! You did wonderfully, absolutely wonderfully! I'm going to apply to the President right now to promote you to Five-Star Director! And when I step down as Vice President, you will directly succeed me!"

What? A-Lan and Xiao Chun, standing by, were so shocked their jaws dropped. Wen Shengnan's application for Three-Star Director hadn't even been approved yet. Now she was to be promoted directly from One-Star Director to Five-Star Director, and even become the Vice President's designated successor! And it wasn't just them. Wen Shengnan herself was dumbfounded. She even suspected that Chen Luoyue had gone mad.

"Vice President, what exactly is wrong with you?"

Chen Luoyue finally released her. She picked up the medicine bottle, cupping it in her palm, her eyes sparkling continuously. "Do you know what this is?" Wen Shengnan shook her head. What could it be to make Vice President Chen so crazy? It couldn't be some kind of deadly poison, could it?

"It's the Pathbreaking Powder! The legendary Pathbreaking Powder!" Chen Luoyue exclaimed excitedly. She had only seen it mentioned in an ancient text, which was why she hadn't recognized it immediately. It was a lost spiritual medicine, and no one knew how to refine it anymore.

Wen Shengnan was puzzled. "Pathbreaking Powder? I'm uneducated, what's the use of this powder?"

"To break through Core Formation." Chen Luoyue replied with four words.

Wen Shengnan's pupils gradually constricted until they were pinpoint small. Her body trembled violently, and she stumbled backward, falling onto a stone without feeling any pain. Her mind went blank. "Isn't the spiritual pill for breaking through to the Core Formation realm only created by... only by a Three-Star Soul Master? Jiang Fan, he is a..."

Chen Luoyue quickly covered her mouth and sternly said, "Do you want to expose his identity?" Not to mention whether it would offend him. Once exposed, countless people would fawn over him; would there still be a turn for them? Wen Shengnan realized her mistake just in time. She quickly shut her mouth, but her body was still trembling. "So, the one who's been supporting me all this time is a..." Thinking of this, she felt lightheaded, as if she were walking on clouds.

Chen Luoyue was consumed with jealousy. "Your Wen family's ancestral grave must be smoking with good fortune to have gotten involved with such a powerful figure! When you make it big in the future, don't forget to elevate me." It was hard not to become prosperous when associated with a Three-Star Soul Master! This was also why she promoted Wen Shengnan immediately.

Meanwhile, Jiang Fan, returning with the Pathbreaking Powder, had just stepped onto the mountain gate stairs when Liu Qingxian, who had been hiding in a corner, pulled him aside. She took off the Swift Wind Pearl from her neck, placed it in Jiang Fan's hand, and solemnly said, "This item is too precious; I cannot accept it." After much thought, she had decided to return it to Jiang Fan. The item was simply too valuable. She couldn't bear to keep it.

Jiang Fan was stunned. "Why? Didn't you accept it before? Why are you suddenly returning it?"

Liu Qingxian stammered. It was worth a hundred thousand spirit crystals! Enough to be her dowry. What did Jiang Fan mean by giving her such an item? Unable to understand, she decided it was better to just give it back. "Anyway, I won't take it."

Fine. Jiang Fan didn't insist. He took out two Martial Soul Coins and said, "Let's go to the Martial Soul Hall. I'll do my best to help you defeat Nangong Xiaoyun." To improve Liu Qingxian's strength, efforts were needed in both cultivation realm and martial techniques. The Martial Soul Hall could help complete martial techniques. If Liu Qingxian had any incomplete moves or missing forms, he could find a way to help her study and understand them.

However, Liu Qingxian's attention was suddenly drawn to the two Martial Soul Coins. "How do you have another one?" One of them was indeed hers. But where did the other one come from? Jiang Fan scratched his head. "Elder Li Qingfeng gave it to me."

Liu Qingxian was incredulous. "Elder Li doesn't have a good impression of you! He only has one Martial Soul Coin; there's no way he'd give it to you out of all people, right?"

Jiang Fan thought for a moment. "Perhaps it's because I helped his disciples, Xu Youran and Chen Siling, gain a lot in the Saint Hall, and he's repaying me?" Upon hearing this, Liu Qingxian couldn't help but recall Xu Youran's aggressive demeanor that day, and her beautiful face grew slightly cold. "What, she made great progress in the Saint Hall?"

Jiang Fan nodded. "From Foundation Establishment First Layer to Foundation Establishment Third Layer Consummation, that's quite good."

Liu Qingxian was furious inside. She had worked so hard to help Jiang Fan earn Martial Soul Coins, yet he was helping other women improve their strength! This was outrageous! Glancing at the Swift Wind Pearl in Jiang Fan's palm, she snatched it back defiantly and put it on her neck again. Gritting her teeth, she declared, "This is what I deserve!" No matter what Jiang Fan's intentions were, she was going to wear it! So what? "Let's go! To the Martial Soul Hall!"

Jiang Fan rubbed his nose. What was wrong with her again? Who had provoked her this time?

They arrived at the Martial Soul Hall. This place was usually sparsely visited, as an elder only received one coin per year. However, today, there were other visitors. And they were none other than Nangong Xiaoyun and You Yunzi.

"What's the point of you coming to the Martial Soul Hall? Aren't all your martial techniques already top-tier from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion?" You Yunzi followed behind her, resignedly.

Nangong Xiaoyun, with a bruised and swollen face, retorted angrily, "Who told you not to help me get revenge! If you won't help, I'll do it myself! I memorized one of that scoundrel's incomplete moves, and I'm going to the Martial Soul Hall to complete it! Then, as long as I find someone who uses this technique, I'll be able to track down that scoundrel!"

You Yunzi said helplessly, "It's not that I don't want to help you. You, the proud daughter of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, were beaten at the Azure Cloud Sect – I'm too ashamed to even mention it! How could I possibly announce that to everyone?" He felt quite disgraced. Seeing Nangong Xiaoyun return in such a sorry state, he was indeed angry. He had originally wanted to call Liu Wenchen over and scold him thoroughly. But on second thought, he didn't dare bring it up at all. Wouldn't it be humiliating to talk about it?

"I don't care! I'm going to find that scoundrel! How dare he hit me like that! I'm not done with him! Hmph!" Nangong Xiaoyun stomped her foot, grinding her teeth.

Suddenly, she looked up and saw Liu Qingxian and Jiang Fan standing in front of the main hall, staring at her with strange expressions. Liu Qingxian was astonished, almost not recognizing Nangong Xiaoyun. "Who hit you?" She was surprised. Nangong Xiaoyun had already broken through to the Core Formation realm. Besides Core Formation elders, who could beat her like that? But would Core Formation elders hit her for no reason?

Jiang Fan also looked completely surprised. "Nangong Xiaoyun? Who hit your face?" When he saw her in Yunyang City, wasn't she quite delicate and pretty? Who could have been so ruthless as to leave her bruised and swollen like this?

Nangong Xiaoyun's expression froze, and she quickly said, "Who, who said I was hit? I just fell by accident! Yes, I fell!"

You Yunzi's old face stiffened; they had been seen after all. He awkwardly changed the subject, looking at Jiang Fan with a smile. "Young friend, what brings you here?"

Jiang Fan pointed to Liu Qingxian beside him and said, "I'm accompanying her to cultivate inside."

Nangong Xiaoyun immediately became displeased. In her and You Yunzi's perception, Jiang Fan was an elder-level existence, just appearing very young. His accompanying Liu Qingxian to the Martial Soul Hall clearly meant he was guiding her, didn't it? "Vice Pavilion Master, you guide me too! That's only fair!"

You Yunzi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. However, since Liu Qingxian had abandoned martial ethics and invited an elder from the sect to guide her, he could only set aside his pride and properly guide Nangong Xiaoyun. He was confident that Jiang Fan's comprehension of martial techniques would surely be far inferior to his own.