Chapter 442: Thrilling Mastery of the Stabbing Technique

Black Mountain became excited. Finding that legendary sacred text would be a great achievement!

However, it then grew worried and said, "This cave dwelling is the origin of the Giant Sect, and it's rumored that a late Core Formation elder is stationed here year-round. Can we handle that?"

Xuan Jia only had a sixth-level Core Formation cultivation. The Giant Sect elder was likely at the seventh-level Core Formation.

Xuan Jia chuckled, "Do you think Concubine Yunxia wouldn't have considered a problem you thought of? If this Giant Sect elder were a magic cultivator, with all their magical artifacts and techniques, we would certainly be walking to our deaths by going there. But the Giant Sect is a body-refining sect. Their proud physical bodies pose little threat to us beast kings, who are already known for our strong defenses among demonic beasts!"

Only then did Black Mountain understand. This explained why the beast kings on this expedition were primarily focused on defense! Although Xuan Jia was at the sixth-level Core Formation, its defense was so formidable that even a seventh-level Core Formation elder from the Giant Sect couldn't do anything to it! This expedition was destined for success!

Meanwhile, a small cow was joyfully galloping across the snowy plain. Suddenly, its soul trembled, as if a cold, long sword was held against it, threatening to split it in two at any moment! This feeling, it had only experienced it when being scrutinized by the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secrets!

It turned its head. It was Jiang Fan, on its back, who was practicing some unknown cultivation technique. The space around him subtly twisted. An incredibly terrifying spiritual power suddenly shot out from between his eyebrows.

"Soul Spike!" Jiang Fan let out a low shout. A nearly solidified, index-finger-length transparent spike suddenly shot from between his eyebrows, striking the ice mountain in front. With a bang, the ice mountain instantly shattered into dust! This was a soul attack, yet it could cause such massive physical destruction. One could only imagine the consequences if it struck a person's soul.

Jiang Fan nodded slightly, "After several days of diligent practice, I've finally mastered the Soul Spike. I just don't know its exact power. It would be great if I could find a demonic beast to test it on."

No sooner had he spoken than Little Bai, who he was riding, stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. Jiang Fan barely managed not to be thrown off.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Fan asked, frowning.

Little Bai stammered nervously, "N-nothing. T-the Unreturnable Mountain is just ahead."

Jiang Fan looked up. He indeed saw a snow-capped mountain with its peak flattened. It was precisely the Unreturnable Mountain, the origin of the Giant Sect.

Jiang Fan frowned, "The mountain has been flattened. Is there really anything left to find?" He instructed Little Bai, "You should hide here; there's no need to come with me into danger."

Then he performed his movement technique, skimming across the deep snow like a dragonfly touching the water. He walked on the snow without leaving a trace and arrived at the foot of the Unreturnable Mountain.

"Who goes there?" As soon as he reached the foot of the mountain, several warriors from the Giant Sect leaped out from the side. They aggressively formed a semicircle, surrounding Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan calmly said, "I am Jiang Fan, a disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. I have come to your sect's cave dwelling on official business."

No sooner had he spoken, one of the Giant Sect warriors suddenly exclaimed in surprise: "Jiang Fan? You are Jiang Fan, the disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect?"

Jiang Fan looked in the direction of the voice. He was somewhat startled to find it was none other than Sun Chaozong. His arms had been crippled by Jiang Fan at the Joyful Union Sect's disciple exchange event. A month had passed, and they had fully recovered. However, at that time, Jiang Fan had been wearing a mask, and he was also wearing a mask when he attacked Tie Bubai. Sun Chaozong shouldn't have recognized him.

"Chaozong, do you know him?" one of the warriors asked, slightly surprised.

Sun Chaozong said, his voice full of hatred, "Of course I do! He is directly responsible for my master's cultivation being crippled! When my master left the Azure Cloud Sect, he said it was a junior disciple named Jiang Fan who caused trouble, making the Nascent Soul Jade Talisman's deterrence ineffective. It was also he who suggested to the Azure Cloud Sect Master to cripple his cultivation. Later, my master was assassinated precisely because he had lost his cultivation! He is undeniably responsible for my master's death!"

"What?" The other Giant Sect warriors instantly became furious upon hearing this. They all moved closer. Sun Chaozong was even more enraged: "You caused my master's death, and yet you dare to come to the sacred land of my Giant Sect! This is outrageous! You won't be leaving here in one piece today!"

Jiang Fan calmly took out a bronze token and waved it in front of them. "Look closely! Your Sect Master sent me."

The moment the bronze token appeared, the expressions of the surrounding warriors changed. "The Sect Master's bronze token! Impossible! This is a token awarded to meritorious disciples. How could the Sect Master give it to an outsider like you?"

Sun Chaozong found it even harder to believe. He couldn't believe the Sect Master would allow an enemy into the Giant Sect's sacred land. He reprimanded, "How did you get this bronze token?"

Jiang Fan calmly said, "Are you suggesting that your Sect Master Kong is so incompetent that I stole his token without him even knowing? Or are you saying your Sect Master Kong is reckless and foolish enough to lose such an important token?"

Sun Chaozong was startled. He immediately retorted, "I didn't mean that! Don't talk nonsense!"

Jiang Fan waved the bronze token again and said coldly, "Then why are you dithering? Now, get out of my way!"

Sun Chaozong clenched his fists. He stood there, frozen, daring neither to question the origin of the bronze token again nor to simply let Jiang Fan pass.

"Everyone move aside!" At this moment, a weathered yet incredibly deep and indifferent voice came from the mountaintop. Sun Chaozong and the other strong cultivators immediately looked solemn and bowed towards the mountaintop. "Elder Fan!"

Jiang Fan looked up. He saw a majestic figure standing on the flattened mountaintop.

"Since he holds the Sect Master's bronze token, let him pass. However, he can only stay for one day!"

Jiang Fan's gaze shifted slightly. If he remembered correctly, the Giant Sect's Second Elder was Fan Xingkong, a renowned seventh-level Core Formation body-refining expert. His strength was second only to that of the former First Elder, Tie Bubai. He hadn't expected the Giant Sect to hold their sacred land in such high regard. Yet, the more they valued it, the more it indicated that the place still held value for excavation.

He immediately cupped his hands and said, "This junior understands." He then proceeded along the mountain path to the summit of the Unreturnable Mountain.

He saw a group of Giant Sect disciples, shirtless, shoveling dirt shovel by shovel. The excavated dirt was meticulously inspected. Only after confirming there was nothing else in it was it carried to the back of the mountain and dumped over the cliff. The former cave dwelling had long since been dug out of existence. All that remained was a landscape of pockmarked yellow earth. An uninformed person would think this was a mining operation. It bore no resemblance to a cave dwelling at all.

"Here!" Sun Chaozong handed him a shovel, his tone sarcastic: "Since you're here, why don't you help our Giant Sect shovel a bit? Most of the treasures from this cave dwelling are buried underground. If you want to unearth anything good, you'll have to put in some effort."

At first, Sun Chaozong was still furious. Then he had a thought. It had been decades since the "Iron Blood True Scripture" was unearthed there. What could Jiang Fan possibly unearth in just one day?

Jiang Fan ignored him. He patted the sleeping Little Qilin in his arms. The latter wiggled its rear and mumbled grumpily, "I want to sleep, don't bother me." Jiang Fan took out a Rejuvenation Pill and put it into its mouth. Little Qilin groggily opened its eyes and listlessly held the Rejuvenation Pill in its mouth. But it didn't gobble it down as ravenously as usual. Instead, it closed its eyes again, ready to sleep.

Jiang Fan frowned. Little Qilin was becoming increasingly lethargic. Even its favorite spirit pills no longer roused its spirits. Could something be wrong with it? He'd give it a thorough check once they left this place.

"Don't sleep yet; see if there are any treasures here." Gazing at the desolate landscape, he didn't hold much hope.