Chapter 1646: Farewell Memory Silver Sand (Early Dawn)

Jiang Fan was slightly surprised. Had the Young Emperor's reputation spread so wide, even reaching the Ancient Demon Realm?

The area fell silent. Liu Bianhuang's gaze, sharp as lightning, scanned the crowd and quickly settled on the crown on Jiang Fan's forehead. His eyebrow arched. "Didn't your Central Land seize an Archaic Token?" he questioned. "Why did an unknown person like you come instead of the Young Emperor?" As soon as he spoke, all eyes turned to Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan scoffed, "Since I'm the one who seized the token, why should he be here?" Liu Bianhuang's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his tone grew several shades colder. "You seized the token?" He scrutinized Jiang Fan, then let out a chilling laugh. "Hmph, hmph, hmph, so it was you all along!"

Jiang Fan frowned, feeling puzzled. Did this person actually know him? His reputation certainly hadn't reached the Young Emperor's level. Then, Liu Bianhuang pulled a handful of silvery-white sand from his spatial storage device, his voice growing even colder. "Young man, do you recognize this?"

Jiang Fan froze upon seeing it. Was this... Memory Silver Sand? He had used a replicated, fake Archaic Token made from Memory Silver Sand to trick the demon mirage's projection into leaving the Central Land, which allowed him to obtain the real Archaic Token. He never imagined he would see that Memory Silver Sand again. Wait! If this person held the Memory Silver Sand, what was his connection to that mysterious Sage-level ancient demon mirage? Jiang Fan felt like he could vomit blood. After all this time, was there still a consequence? And to be caught red-handed by the demon mirage's people in the Archaic Hunting Ground of all places?

"I don't recognize it," Jiang Fan replied without a flicker of emotion, his voice even.

Liu Bianhuang chuckled. "Didn't you just claim you seized it?"

Jiang Fan maintained his composure. "Actually, my sworn brother, Wang Chongxiao, seized it. He couldn't make it for personal reasons, so he asked me to come in his stead. Please don't misunderstand."

A fierce glint appeared in Liu Bianhuang's eyes, and he raised his hand, poised to strike. However, a rumble sounded overhead, seemingly warning him. His expression stiffened, and he quickly retracted his aura, glaring coldly at Jiang Fan. "I don't care if it was you, Jiang Fan, or your sworn brother, Wang Chongxiao, who stole it!" he declared. "My father schemed for sixty years, investing countless resources to transfer a world's magnificent hunt to your Central Land, all to seize that Archaic Token! In the end, his sixty-year plan was exploited by your Central Land's opportunistic intrusion! It cost my father an extra, heavy price to trade for an Archaic Token from the Realm of Sin! You wouldn't have enough lives to repay this debt, not even ten thousand!"

With his opponent so aggressive and openly hostile, Jiang Fan knew that showing weakness wouldn't resolve anything. Why should he cower? "Hmph! What do you mean, 'your father's'?" he retorted. "Anything that arrives in my Central Land belongs to my Central Land! Furthermore, for your father to have the Archaic Token stolen by a junior who was merely in the Core Formation Realm at the time is absolutely ridiculous! If I were in his shoes, I'd never mention it again. Yet here you are, proclaiming it to the whole world, as if your father hasn't lost enough face already!"

A collective gasp rippled through the gathered powerhouses from various realms. "Wait, didn't the Great Dream Demon Lord tell everyone that the attempt to seize the Archaic Token failed because a certain Sage from the Central Land interfered? How could it have been a Core Formation Realm cultivator who intercepted it?" someone whispered. "Which of their stories is true?" another wondered. "Is that even a question? Liu Bianhuang's expression is the answer." Everyone looked towards Liu Bianhuang, whose face, covered in white scales, had turned dark with fury. His eyes were brimming with murderous intent.

Lies might not wound, but the truth cuts deep. Liu Bianhuang, his voice laced with chilling malice, declared, "Jiang Fan of the Central Land! You are dead! Do you know what counts as prey in the Archaic Hunt? It's simple: everything can be hunted! Including participants!" Jiang Fan's heart tightened. So the Archaic Hunt didn't forbid participants from fighting each other. Even before the hunt began, he was already targeted by a Demon Monarch in the Five Declines of Heaven and Man. This was a shocking start!

However, Jiang Fan was no longer the same as before. With the Primordial Heaven Imprisoning Gourd and various other treasures at his disposal, even a Demon Monarch in the Five Declines of Heaven and Man was temporarily not a concern. If truly pushed, he wouldn't hesitate to use one trial activation of the Primordial Heaven Imprisoning Gourd to trap the demon and perhaps even transform him into some sort of Primordial Seed.

"There's no need to fear him." Just then, a gentle voice, as pleasant as a spring breeze, drifted from a distance:

A large white bird—or more precisely, a handsome young man with massive, snowy-white wings—descended. Above his head, five miniature winged figures flitted around him, radiating an incomparably holy light. The Archaic Token had melted into a crown, now adorning his head, displaying his identity: Yun Wanxiao of the Northern Celestial Realm. His arrival stirred another ripple of excitement among the bronze lands.

"It's the Five-Spirit Archangel, the closest to a Great Archangel in the Northern Celestial Realm!" someone exclaimed. "Ten thousand years ago, the Northern Celestial Realm was attacked by both the Hell Tribe and ancient giants, causing the vast Celestial Realm to fracture. Yet, even today, ten millennia later, it remains abundant with talent." "An Archangel is equivalent to our human race's Soul Transformation Realm, while a Great Archangel is akin to the Sage Realm. From what I know, the Northern Celestial Realm is overseen by a pair of Nine-Winged Great Archangels." "They also have over a dozen Eight-Winged and Seven-Winged Great Archangels." "It's said that Yun Wanxiao has long had the opportunity to ascend to Great Archangel, but he's been suppressing his cultivation specifically for the Archaic Hunt." "This time, the first place in the Archaic Hunt can only be a contest between him and Liu Bianhuang; no one else is qualified to compete."

Jiang Fan listened, secretly astonished. So that was the cultivation hierarchy of the Angel race: Angel, Archangel, and Great Archangel, corresponding to the Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, and Sage Realms, respectively. However, he wondered why Yun Wanxiao of the Angel race was helping him. Was he simply trying to oppose Liu Bianhuang?

"Yun Wanxiao! Are you interfering in the matters of my Ancient Demon Realm?" Liu Bianhuang sneered, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes.

Yun Wanxiao landed on a bronze platform beside Jiang Fan, his face still adorned with a gentle, spring-like smile. "The Celestial Realm, Central Land, and Hell Realm have all been ravaged by the ancient giants," he stated. "As our three realms are intertwined, we must naturally assist each other. If you disagree, you are free to ally with worlds afflicted by the ancient blood demons." With that, he cast a benevolent look at Jiang Fan. "Stay with me for now, until Liu Bianhuang departs."

Jiang Fan could hardly refuse such kindness. He quickly cupped his hands and expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Senior Yun Wanxiao!" Yun Wanxiao waved a dismissive hand. "No need to be polite. All three of our realms are currently facing destruction from the ancient giants, so mutual assistance is simply what's required."

"Wait!" Jiang Fan exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. "The Hell Realm and Northern Celestial Realm are also being invaded by ancient giants? But aren't all the ancient giants in our Central Land?" Hearing this, Yun Wanxiao paused for a moment, then replied with a touch of surprise in his voice, "It seems you're not entirely clear on the relationship between the three realms and the ancient giants."