Chapter 403: Report! Jiang Fan Uses Connections

Liang Feiyan swayed, lost in thought, and gave a stiff smile. How could things have turned out this way? According to his plan, Jiang Fan was supposed to be lucky enough to receive his patronage. Instead, it was he, Liang Feiyan, who had stumbled upon great fortune by meeting Jiang Fan! This stark contrast made it difficult for Liang Feiyan to accept.

No. How could a disciple with no spiritual roots be like this? Why did Nangong Xiaoyun respect him so much? What made him even more exasperated was Xia Chaoge's sparkling eyes as she said, "Martial Uncle is truly amazing. Chaoge's worries earlier were unnecessary." This made Liang Feiyan feel even more embarrassed, because not only were Xia Chaoge's worries unnecessary, but so was his own presumptuousness.

Jiang Fan humbly replied, "I just happened to know Senior Sister Nangong. It was purely by chance." Everyone muttered under their breath. Many people knew Nangong Xiaoyun, but no one else could subdue her into being such a docile girl!

Just then, another group of people arrived to apply for spirit beasts. They exuded an extraordinary aura, and disciples moved aside wherever they passed. Jiang Fan glanced sideways and saw they were disciples from the Grand Ascendance Sect. He recognized the one leading them: Li Shiqian, the Grand Ascendance Sect's third-ranked disciple.

However, the current Li Shiqian had undergone a complete transformation. During the Grand Ascendance Sect's Grand Competition, she was still at the peak of the Ninth Layer Foundation Establishment. After the tempering of the front lines, she had successfully broken through to the Core Formation realm. She was now leading several powerful disciples, hurrying towards the command center.

She spotted Xia Chaoge immediately and respectfully bowed, "Senior Sister Xia, are you heading out on another mission?" Xia Chaoge's strength was not only preeminent within the Grand Ascendance Sect but was also a transcendent presence across the entire Nine Sects' territory. Since arriving at Sunset City, her performance had been nothing short of astonishing. She had flawlessly completed missions of varying difficulty, time and time again, earning immense glory for the Grand Ascendance Sect.

Li Shiqian was proud and arrogant, yet she was utterly submissive only when facing Xia Chaoge. Let alone jealousy, she couldn't even harbor the slightest thought of comparing herself to Xia Chaoge, because the gap between them was simply too vast.

As always, Xia Chaoge calmly nodded and said, "Mm." Li Shiqian's lips twitched. Xia Chaoge was good in every way, except for being unsociable, as if she didn't belong to the mortal world. But to her astonishment, the next moment, Xia Chaoge turned her head, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and said, "Martial Uncle, waiting idly is still waiting. Please help me write the notes now."

Jiang Fan was somewhat speechless. "Are you really in such a hurry?" Xia Chaoge grabbed his arm and shook it, "Martial Uncle..." Acting spoiled again? Jiang Fan couldn't take it anymore and said, "All right, all right, I'll write it now."

Li Shiqian stood dumbfounded. Who was this woman acting spoiled? She was so unfamiliar! And that man's voice... She followed the sound with her gaze. A face etched into her memory, one that had brought her to the brink of humiliated collapse, came into view.

"Jiang Fan!" she growled in a low voice. Her defeat that day was an indelible disgrace! Jiang Fan gave a faint smile, "I trust you've been well, Senior Sister Li." Li Shiqian clutched her sword hilt, wishing she could cleave Jiang Fan in two with a single strike! How dare he ask if she was well?

"Senior Sister, calm down, calm down!" The disciples behind her quickly held her back. Although Li Shiqian had broken through to Core Formation, she might not be able to defeat Jiang Fan. After all, Jiang Fan had easily defeated Hua Xiangchen, the Senior Brother in the Core Formation realm, back then. If they truly fought, Li Shiqian would only embarrass herself again.

Seeming to realize this, Li Shiqian gritted her teeth and released her grip, saying with a grim face, "Our accounts will be settled, sooner or later!" With that, she stormed off to register her mission with Nangong Xiaoyun.

The surrounding disciples watched with puzzled expressions. Why did Li Shiqian seem to be so wary of Jiang Fan? Liang Feiyan also showed a look of confusion. "Li Shiqian is already in the Core Formation realm. Why is she still afraid of Jiang Fan? Could it be that Jiang Fan is incredibly powerful?" But remembering Jiang Fan's lack of spiritual roots, he shook his head, utterly bewildered.

Nangong Xiaoyun diligently registered the mission, noting Li Shiqian's upcoming task on a silver page. Li Shiqian had no objection to this. But when she noticed Jiang Fan's name prominently displayed on a golden page, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Junior Sister Nangong, has there been a mistake? How could Jiang Fan be taking on a Heaven-tier mission? Is he even qualified with his strength?"

Even Level-1 missions had varying degrees of difficulty. Difficult ones were like Jiang Fan's previous task of escorting flying beasts to the Joyful Union Sect, encountering immense danger along the way. Easier ones involved, for example, eliminating a few specific-level demonic beasts on the front line. Based on difficulty, they were divided into Heaven, Earth, and Black tiers. Heaven-tier was the most difficult but offered the most merit points, a full three hundred. Earth-tier offered two hundred points. Black-tier, which were standard Level-1 missions, gave one hundred points.

The mission to rescue the Taihu Lake patrol team was unpredictably perilous, and no disciple had dared to accept it until now. Its difficulty was, naturally, the highest Heaven-tier. Even disciples at the third layer of Core Formation had to consider Heaven-tier missions carefully. Could Jiang Fan possibly have a cultivation level of the third layer of Core Formation?

Hearing someone question him, Nangong Xiaoyun's fiery temper was about to erupt. Only realizing Jiang Fan was nearby did she forcefully restrain herself and say, "If you're not convinced, then go complain to Deputy Pavilion Master Zhuang." Li Shiqian pursed her lips and dared not say more. How could she possibly provoke this little tyrant? Harboring her doubts, she looked around at the people, only then realizing that Jiang Fan had an extremely good relationship with Nangong Xiaoyun.

"So that's how it is!" Li Shiqian finally understood the reason. "Using connections on the battlefield is truly despicable!" She shot Jiang Fan a contemptuous glare.

An hour later, it was noon. Inside the temporarily erected palace command center, a gaunt old man, with a grim and humorless expression, walked out. He wore full armor, and faint wisps of blood seemed to swirl around his body. This was clearly a manifestation of too much slaughter. The sight made everyone's scalp tingle. How many demonic beasts must he have slain to manifest such an anomaly?

"Deputy Pavilion Master Ye, this is today's spirit beast application registry," Nangong Xiaoyun said obediently, presenting the register with both hands. This person was one of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's Deputy Pavilion Masters stationed here: Ye Cangyuan!

He took it expressionlessly, scanned it, and then said, "There aren't many spirit beasts today, only ten available. We will take the top ten applicants based on mission difficulty, from highest to lowest." Ten? There were easily more than thirty disciples waiting to use spirit beasts!

Xia Chaoge hadn't intended to say much, but seeing Jiang Fan nearby, she still explained, "Martial Uncle, the recent beast tide on the front lines has been exceptionally fierce, and the number of injured spirit beasts has dramatically increased. The available spirit beasts are dwindling day by day. Until reinforcements from the Spirit Beast Sect arrive, the current situation won't improve." Jiang Fan nodded. Nangong Xiaoyun had just been complaining about her spirit beast being injured. It seemed spirit beasts were extremely scarce.

"Nine for Earth-tier missions," Ye Cangyuan announced. "Xia Chaoge, you'll ride the Unicord Spirit Steed! Liang Feiyan, you'll ride the Swiftwind Spirit Deer! Zheng Qing, you'll ride the Fire-tailed Spirit Ram!"

Li Shiqian's face showed unwillingness. She was just ranked on the silver page, specifically as the tenth for Earth-tier missions. However, the mission she had accepted was extremely urgent, and the opportunity was fleeting. If not completed today, going tomorrow would be meaningless. Alas, she was just one spot short.

At this moment, they heard Ye Cangyuan say, "One for a Heaven-tier mission. Jiang Fan, you'll ride the Five-Colored Spirit Steed." Everyone showed expressions of envy. The Five-Colored Spirit Steed was a spirit beast at the fifth layer of Core Formation. Its strength was self-evident, and its speed was as fast as lightning. It was one of the best spirit beasts in Sunset City. Only the disciple with the highest mission difficulty for the day had the opportunity to use it.

Upon hearing this, Li Shiqian's face showed displeasure! Jiang Fan used connections, and he actually got the Five-Colored Spirit Steed? Furthermore, if he hadn't used connections and been placed ahead, Li Shiqian would have been tenth, just enough to receive a spirit beast and complete her Level-1 mission today. Using connections and affecting her mission? How could Li Shiqian tolerate this?

She immediately said, "Deputy Pavilion Master Ye. Your disciple, Li Shiqian, wishes to formally report Jiang Fan for using connections. Please thoroughly investigate his mission and provide justice for everyone!"