Chapter 649: Jiangshan Yipinlou

They... were captured by outsiders!

Jiang Fan's expression showed a hint of disgust.

These foreign divine sects never do good; they only ever cause trouble.

Haimi was startled. "Is that true?" she asked. "Where were they taken?"

However, Jiang Fan waved his hand. "Don't rush," he said. "Their disappearance doesn't necessarily mean they were captured."

Hearing this, Wang Chongxiao showed a hint of surprise. He couldn't help but size up Jiang Fan. "Brother Lu," he asked, "are you very familiar with the Silver Fox Tribe?"

Jiang Fan replied, "I don't know the Silver Fox Tribe well, but I know one of their members, Concubine Yunxia. Anyone who tried to capture people from the Silver Fox Tribe must have paid a heavy price, wouldn't they?"

He couldn't speak for others, but Concubine Yunxia's tribe wasn't easily provoked. Unless the opposing side had someone at the Nascent Soul stage, it would be hard to say who would capture whom.

Wang Chongxiao clicked his tongue. "So this Concubine Yunxia has such a formidable background? No wonder Jiangshan Yipin Tower suffered heavy casualties and only managed to capture two or three minor Silver Fox clansmen in the end."

"Jiangshan Yipin Tower?" Jiang Fan thought. "Another force." It seemed many forces had descended upon the continent, all aiming to slay the ancient giants.

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Jiang Fan's killing intent remained. "Unfortunately," he stated, "I'm not interested in capturing the Silver Fox Tribe. Your reason for me to spare you is invalid. Kill!"

Haimi no longer held back. She struck Wang Chongxiao with a palm, but there was no sensation of impact. The figure of Wang Chongxiao in front of her dissolved into a ball of Yin energy and exploded, leaving behind only a palm-sized iron figure intricately carved with strange inscriptions.

"A substitution puppet?" Jiang Fan recognized it instantly. It was similar to Wu Manyue's substitution jade figure. Wang Chongxiao hadn't been waiting idly for death; he had used their conversation to distract them while secretly activating the puppet.

Haimi exclaimed, annoyed, "Damn it! He even fooled me!" She leaped up and chased him out of the cave.

Jiang Fan wasn't overly surprised. The man was, after all, a cunning disciple of a major foreign sect; it was only natural he would possess some life-saving abilities.

"Lingshu, bring me that iron figure," Jiang Fan instructed. "Don't touch it with your hand." He stared at the substitution puppet, curious about its inscribed patterns.

"Okay, Brother," Lingshu replied. She wrapped the figure in a handkerchief and brought it to him. "What are these inscriptions? Why do they make me dizzy?" After setting down the small iron figure, she also looked at it curiously, but after only a few glances, she felt unwell.

Jiang Fan's eyes showed a hint of surprise. "It's a method for refining Yin Corpses," he stated. To Lingshu, the inscriptions were complex, indecipherable, and made her dizzy. But in Jiang Fan's vision, these inscriptions shifted and transformed into different characters. Upon careful reading, they revealed a method for refining Yin Corpses. Without a doubt, the inscriptions were carved using soul power to prevent easy deciphering, similar to the Thunder Derivation Token. Without cultivating the Thunder Dao to a certain level, one couldn't comprehend the techniques within it.

Lingshu's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Isn't that the Great Yin Sect's secret technique, never passed down?" she gasped. "Wang Chongxiao actually used it as a life-saving item?"

Jiang Fan himself had never anticipated this. He had only been curious about the inscriptions, never expecting to uncover such a profound secret. He immediately studied them carefully. By the time he had memorized everything, Haimi returned empty-handed, her face etched with shame. "Master," she said, "I am incompetent; I let him escape."

Jiang Fan put away the iron figure, a profound look on his face. "He will come back for me," he stated. How could the Great Yin Sect allow such a crucial artifact to remain outside their control? Wang Chongxiao's elders would surely come looking for Jiang Fan sooner or later.

"Alright, let's all sit down and cultivate," Jiang Fan instructed. "The outside world is in utter chaos right now; we'll hide here until the foreign divine sects withdraw." It was obvious how chaotic things were outside. It was best to stay hidden. Conveniently, the abundant spiritual and demonic energy in this place made it an excellent hiding spot.

Seven days later, spiritual energy swirled around Jiang Fan, forming a cloud that hovered above his head. Lingshu, who was cultivating nearby, seemed to sense this and opened her eyes, a hint of surprise in them.

"Huh! Why is there no spiritual energy left here at all?" she wondered aloud. "Has Brother absorbed it all? That's incredible!"

Lingshu's mouth hung open in astonishment. She had spent seven days absorbing the same demonic energy and had only managed to take in a tenth of it. How powerful must a spiritual root be to absorb spiritual energy so thoroughly, like a dog licking a food bowl clean?

Then, she turned to Jiang Fan, an incredulous look on her face. "Just ten days ago, he broke through to the fourth layer of Core Formation," she murmured. "Now, in the blink of an eye, he's about to break through to the fifth. Demon King Haimi, have you ever seen a human cultivate this quickly?"

Haimi, equally astonished, clicked her tongue. "Seen?" she echoed. "I've never even heard of such a thing! At the Core Formation stage, breaking through one layer in a month is considered exceptionally talented. But breaking through a realm in ten days? Unheard of!"

Lingshu's eyes sparkled. "Brother is truly a dragon among men," she whispered.

Haimi nodded slightly. "It's more than just his excellent talent," she mused. "Earlier, during the blood skirt crisis, he could have easily escaped on his own, without a thought for us. Yet, he almost risked his own life to save us. You are his slave, and I am an unfamiliar outsider. You won't find another person in this world as foolish as him."

Lingshu lowered her head. Her kindness toward Jiang Fan had been to please him and obtain the mysterious spiritual liquid that had allowed Liuli to advance from the fifth to the seventh layer of Core Formation overnight. It hadn't been genuine. Yet, Jiang Fan had risked his life for her.

"Brother... he's truly foolish," she murmured softly, her gaze at Jiang Fan now tinged with tenderness.

Tap, tap, tap. Just then, the sound of a small stone rolling down the entrance stairs echoed. The sound wasn't loud, but in the cavernous underground world, it was remarkably clear.

"Who's there?" Haimi's eyes darted like lightning. Lingshu also instantly became vigilant. It was a crucial moment for Jiang Fan's breakthrough, and he couldn't be disturbed.

Just then, a richly dressed young man with an apologetic expression descended the stairs. He watched Haimi warily, repeatedly cupping his fists. "Excuse me," he said, "I came here by accident. I have no ill intentions."

Haimi released her immense demonic power and said coldly, "Leave now, and I'll believe you have no ill intentions!"

The richly dressed young man's face showed difficulty. "Senior of the Demon Race," he began, "the ancient giants have reached this vicinity, and several powerful cultivators from the divine sects are fiercely battling them. It's extremely dangerous outside. Please, allow me to take shelter for a while."

"What?" Haimi and Lingshu both paled. Had the Nascent Soul cultivators of the foreign divine sects, chasing the ancient giants, actually pursued them all the way here?

For a moment, neither knew what to do. They both turned their gaze toward Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan, without opening his eyes, stated calmly, "If you're hiding alone, there's no problem. The question is... are you alone?"