Chapter 446: Mysterious Cave Residence

Confirming that both sides were engaged in fierce combat and had no time to spare for him, he quietly took out the Turtle Breath Cloak and put it on. His entire body vanished into thin air.

Only then did he wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, lift his robe, and examine the silver-white armor underneath. He had to admit, this layer of protective armor, with its Core Formation Fifth Level defense, was quite practical!

"You all can take your time fighting," Jiang Fan secretly chuckled to himself. "I'm going to see what kind of treasure that really is!"

Did they really think they could trick him into fighting to the death with such powerful beast kings? What were they thinking? He had only stayed to seize that item amidst the chaos.

Immediately, he took out the scale. Guided by it, he silently made his way to the back of Mount Unreturning.

For hundreds of years, the hundred-zhang-deep cliff had been half-filled with waste earth dumped by the Giant Sect. If any secret cave dwelling were buried at the very bottom, his efforts would be in vain.

Fortunately, the scale pointed towards the cliff face itself, still dozens of zhang above the waste earth.

The cliff was covered in ice and snow, making it incredibly slick and difficult for ordinary people to reach. It was no wonder the Giant Sect had never discovered it. They would likely need another few hundred years to completely level Mount Unreturning before finding anything.

This was no challenge for Jiang Fan. He tied several rough, sharp crystals to the soles of his shoes to prevent slipping, then used his movement technique to ascend the slick cliff face as easily as walking on flat ground.

Before long, following the scale's guidance, he discovered a cave hidden beneath the ice and snow.

"There's something more here after all!" The cave inside was enormous, a dwelling carved out of the mountain's belly with sharp claws. Its interior was simple and spacious, resembling a cultivation chamber. Besides the cultivation traces left on the ground, there was nothing else. Jiang Fan searched all around, but the cave dwelling was empty.

The scale in his palm also stopped working once he entered the cave. "Nothing?" Jiang Fan rubbed his chin, falling into thought. "That doesn't make sense!"

"The creator set such stringent conditions to reach this place; it shouldn't be empty!" he mused. "Either whatever is here is hidden very deeply, or someone got here before me. But judging by the undisturbed ice and snow outside the cave entrance, it doesn't seem like anyone has been here."

After careful consideration, Jiang Fan's eyes flickered. He immediately activated the "Iron Blood True Scripture" and unleashed his Dragon-Elephant Battle Body. As a resounding boom, like dragons and elephants roaring in unison, echoed within him, a responding rumble came from the northeast corner of the cave.

Jiang Fan focused his gaze. The stone wall in that corner suddenly opened automatically, revealing an inner alcove the size of a Buddha shrine. Inside, there was a small beast-skin bundle.

He was overjoyed, yet remained remarkably calm. Instead of rushing forward, he used his Sword Control Art from a distance to carefully lift the bundle.

The moment the bundle left the ground, there was a loud bang! The spot where the bundle had rested erupted with a spray of liquefied black venom. It was dozens of times more potent than the previous poisonous mist. If struck, even a peerless expert at the Ninth Level of Core Formation, let alone Jiang Fan, would instantly be reduced to a pool of toxic sludge.

Cold sweat immediately trickled down his back. "What was this senior thinking?" he wondered. "They clearly intended to pass this item on to a successor by leaving the scale as a guide. But if so, why set such dangerous traps?"

Now, he dared not touch the bundle directly. He retreated to a safe distance and remotely controlled his Sorrowful Frost Sword to cut open the bundle.

As the beast skin unraveled, a translucent, jade-like bone came into view. Etched onto the bone were numerous demon beast characters.

"It seems to be a demon beast cultivation technique?" Jiang Fan was greatly disappointed.

However, he then noticed a small piece of beast skin next to the jade bone, also inscribed with many characters. It contained both demon beast script and human script! Jiang Fan looked on in surprise, seeing the message:

"If you are able to see this letter, it proves that you have endured my trials. The path of martial arts defies the heavens, fraught with countless difficulties and dangers. Without a cautious heart, even with my legacy, you would eventually perish. Rather than letting my lineage end here, it is better for it to remain and await a fated individual."

Jiang Fan suddenly understood. No wonder this senior had designed so many traps; it was to screen for a suitable successor.

What made Jiang Fan feel a bit bewildered was this: it was clearly a demon beast cultivation technique, so what good was it to him, a human? The physical structures of humans and demon beasts were vastly different, which determined the extreme exclusivity of their respective cultivation methods. Humans could not cultivate demon beast techniques.

However, as he read the subsequent text, Jiang Fan's heart jolted. "My father was a human Nascent Soul cultivator, and my mother was a shapeshifting demon race member. Therefore, I inherently possess the bloodlines of both humans and demons. From the moment I was born, I was neither accepted by humans nor tolerated by demons. Fortunately, my parents had profound knowledge, and I happened to possess extraordinary talent, allowing me to integrate the cultivation methods of both races and independently create the Heaven-grade high-level technique, 'Brahma Saint True Spirit Art.' This art is a body-refining technique, cultivable by both humans and demons."

Upon reading this, Jiang Fan was utterly astonished. The senior before him was actually a unique hybrid being with both human and demon blood. One parent was a human Nascent Soul grand cultivator, and the other was a Demon Emperor! What surprised Jiang Fan even more was that this person could independently create a Heaven-grade high-level technique! What an incredible feat! Jiang Fan himself found the Heaven-grade high-level technique, "Three Soul-Slaying Forms," which he obtained from the Primeval Ancient Tree, somewhat difficult to comprehend. How much more challenging must it be to create an unprecedented Heaven-grade high-level technique usable by both humans and demons? The senior's self-proclaimed "divine talent" was truly no exaggeration; he indeed deserved the title.

"Junior, since you have received this legacy, cultivate diligently. This technique is not easy to practice, so be mentally prepared. Furthermore, I once owed a promise to Venerable Wutong. If you succeed in your cultivation someday, could you please go to the Great Desolate Forbidden Zone and tell her... that Lu Jiulin cannot fulfill his promise..."

A gust of wind blew through. The beast-skin letter, having existed for untold ages, crumbled like paper turning to ash, carrying the regrets of time away with the wind.

Jiang Fan fell silent for a moment. "Even a peerless expert as mighty as Senior Lu had unfulfilled regrets," he murmured to himself, repeating the names "Great Desolate Forbidden Zone" and "Venerable Wutong." If the opportunity arose, he would go there.

However, looking at the white jade bone covered entirely in demon beast script, Jiang Fan's face twisted into a wry smile. "Senior Lu, why didn't you engrave a copy in human script as well? I, your junior, truly don't understand demon beast script!"

Having been disadvantaged by his illiteracy several times, Jiang Fan felt it was very necessary to brush up on his knowledge of demon beast script. This had been the case with the silver scroll from the White-Furred Jade Crystal Beast's belly, and now it was the case with the "Brahma Saint True Spirit Art" before him.

With a sigh, Jiang Fan tossed it into his Celestial Thunder Stone space. After ensuring there was nothing else left behind, he prepared to leave the area.

But just as he stood up, he felt a subtle tremor in the cave. Something was nearby! His heart skipped a beat. He quickly put on his Turtle Breath Cloak, found a corner, suppressed his aura and spiritual energy fluctuations, and silently watched the cave entrance.