Chapter 620: Memory Silver Sand

"I'll do it!" Han Feidao declared, stepping forward. As the main guest, his performance today had been far from impressive. He had either embarrassed himself while deciphering demon script or failed to recognize the Cold Dragon Marrow Elixir. With the Tiger Demon Emperor's jade box almost fully explored, he felt he needed to assert his presence. Even if his students and juniors said nothing, he was deeply ashamed.

Jiang Fan was pushed aside, a slight frown on his face. Before he could react, Ling Shu approached him. She gently massaged his bumped arm with her slender fingers and gave him a helpless glance. "Brother," she pleaded, "let him have this one." Han Feidao had his pride, and being constantly overshadowed by Jiang Fan would only escalate their tension and lead to a disagreeable parting. Jiang Fan simply said, "Let him be. What is there to argue about? If he wants to open it, then let him."

Han Feidao carefully examined the compartment, ensuring no dangerous substances were spilling out. He then reached in and opened the final section. What lay inside puzzled everyone: a compartment filled with silver water. Despite a full sixty years having passed, the silver water still gleamed brightly as it was exposed to the light.

"What is this?" Hun Yuan asked, his face reflecting curiosity. He casually pulled out a strand of hair and stirred it in the water. The silver water stirred easily, like ordinary sand, emitting no spiritual energy and showing no corrosive or toxic properties.

Liuli looked stunned. "The Tiger Demon Emperor wouldn't leave behind a puddle of useless silver water, would he?" she wondered. "Could it be some sort of spiritual liquid that boosts cultivation?" Everyone gathered around curiously. Ling Shu's gaze shifted, and she playfully suggested, "Brother Hun Yuan, why don't you try a taste?" Hun Yuan's eyes widened. "When it's about copying cultivation techniques, it's always Brother Jiang Fan," he retorted. "But when it comes to testing poison, suddenly you remember your Brother Hun Yuan?" Others might favor outsiders, but Ling Shu was different; she not only favored outsiders but also turned on her own. "Brother Hun Yuan, you misunderstood," Ling Shu said, pouting playfully. "You're one of the Four Prodigies, highly skilled. Capable people do more, right? Oh, come on, just taste it." Hun Yuan rolled his eyes. "Sorry, I can't be *that* capable," he replied. "Let *your* Brother Jiang Fan taste it!" Even though he knew it was a joke, it still annoyed him. Did the preferential treatment have to be so obvious? Jiang Fan chuckled helplessly. "Ling Shu, stop fooling around," he said. "This can't be a cultivation-enhancing liquid. It has no demon energy or spiritual power. It's most likely some sort of valuable material."

As soon as Jiang Fan finished speaking, Han Feidao, hands clasped behind his back, scoffed lightly. "You're not completely clueless," he said. "This is Memory Silver Water, once the Tiger Demon Emperor's favorite."

"Memory Silver Water?" Ling Shu asked, looking puzzled. "I've only heard of Memory Silver Sand. Legend says it can replicate anything; if it touches an object, it can perfectly replicate its appearance, making it hard to distinguish from the original." Everyone looked surprised that such a magical substance existed.

Han Feidao nodded in approval. "You must read a lot to know that," he commented. "Indeed, there is a substance called Memory Silver Sand. The Tiger Demon Emperor once even used it to replicate a spiritual artifact. With it, he successfully tricked a Soul Transformation Realm powerhouse out of a spiritual elixir that helped him break through to the late Demon Emperor stage. Of course, he was then nearly killed by that same powerhouse who pursued him." Hearing such a legendary tale, everyone was astonished. Was Memory Silver Sand truly that magical? It had even deceived a Soul Transformation Realm expert, and the Tiger Demon Emperor had used it to advance to the late Demon Emperor stage! However, they noted, that was Memory Silver Sand, and what they saw now was a mass of water, clearly not the same substance.

Ling Shu, with her sharp mind, then said, "Elder Han mentioned that Memory Silver Sand also belonged to the Tiger Demon Emperor. 'Silver water' and 'silver sand' are only one word apart. Could it be that this silver water is actually that silver sand, which transformed into water for some reason?" Deep appreciation shone in Han Feidao's aged eyes. "Among the demon race, there are two truly intelligent individuals," he began. "One is Priestess Lingyin; for years, most of her actions have been beyond my comprehension, and the few I did understand were astonishing. The other is Consort Yunxia; though not as profound as Priestess Lingyin, she is exceptionally wise and perceptive. Today, I see a third. With more experience, you won't be much worse than Consort Yunxia." It was rare for Han Feidao, known for his strictness, to praise someone so highly. Ling Shu couldn't help but blush. "Elder Han, you're overpraising me," she said humbly. "I would struggle my entire life to be half as good as you." Han Feidao simply chuckled.

Pointing to the compartment of silver water, Han Feidao continued, "Indeed, as you said. This silver water was once that incredibly magical Memory Silver Sand. However, during that pursuit by the Soul Transformation Realm expert, the Memory Silver Sand was corroded by a potent poison used by the opponent. Ultimately, the sand melted into water. I had thought the Tiger Demon Emperor abandoned it, but I never expected him to preserve it so carefully." Everyone felt immense regret. Such magical Memory Silver Sand was now ruined. Ling Shu felt particularly pained. The third compartment, which had held her greatest hopes, turned out to contain something useless. Unable to hide her disappointment, she asked, "Elder Han, can the silver sand not be restored?" Elder Han gave a husky laugh. "The potent poison has fused completely with the silver sand," he explained. "How could they be separated? The Tiger Demon Emperor even traveled to distant lands to consult a four-star Soul Master to try and extract the silver sand, but even that esteemed Soul Master was helpless. This is because once the sand is extracted, the potent poison fused with it would also be released. That was a potent poison wielded by a Soul Transformation Realm expert; how could an ordinary person withstand it?" Knowing that even a four-star Soul Master was helpless, Ling Shu's last glimmer of hope shattered. She looked sad and said to Jiang Fan, "Brother, I've disappointed you. You worked so hard to decipher the demon script and open the jade box, but I can't fulfill my promise of giving you thirty percent of the items." One spiritual elixir had to be given to the Demon Emperor, a compartment of waste liquid was worthless, and a demon cultivation technique was even more useless to Jiang Fan. He had received nothing.

Jiang Fan smiled gently. "If you really feel bad about it," he said, "just give me this compartment of Memory Silver Water. I'll take it back to the human realm; perhaps I'll have a chance to refine the Memory Silver Sand back?" Ling Shu was touched. The item was worthless, yet Jiang Fan accepted it just to comfort her. "Brother truly is a gentle person," she thought, her eyes curving into a smile as she handed the compartment of silver water to Jiang Fan. "It's yours. This is my personal gift to you, Brother. As for the favor of opening the jade box, I will compensate you separately. And as for the Demon Emperor, I don't think he'll mind me taking this waste liquid." Jiang Fan took it and carefully poured the silver water into a jade bottle before placing it in his embrace. His thumping heart made the jade bottle vibrate slightly. To others, this was merely waste liquid. But to Jiang Fan, it was anything but.