Chapter 690: Yan, Deputy Master of the Building

"Jiang Fan, am I destined never to reach the Demon Emperor realm in this life?" Consort Yunxia's Dao heart was somewhat unsettled.

If she hadn't found the Heavenly Demon's Relic, she would have merely been disappointed. But to have the Heavenly Demon's Relic right before her eyes and yet be powerless to obtain it—this immense feeling of helplessness was particularly tormenting.

Jiang Fan chuckled softly. "Not necessarily." He secretly communicated with Little Qilin, "Why didn't you drink this 'Heavenly Demon's Relic'?"

Little Qilin pouted. "This is blood. Why would I drink blood?"

Ah, so the so-called "Crimson Tears of Heaven" was actually blood from a Great Sage realm demon, merely diluted a thousand, even ten thousand times over. Little Qilin was only interested in spiritual treasures of heaven and earth; it genuinely didn't seem to partake in savage acts like drinking blood.

"Alright then. After we leave, you can secretly return and get both horns. They'll be of great use to me!"

While Consort Yunxia was trustworthy, it was better to be safe than sorry. It was best if no one knew about Little Qilin's existence.

"Master, don't worry. I guarantee I'll help you win the beauty!"

As a qualified spiritual pet, one must always understand their master's intentions.

Jiang Fan's mouth twitched, and he gave its head a light, exasperated tap. "Who taught you such bad habits?"

Little Qilin yelped in pain, muttering, "Always picking on the honest ones. That Xia Chaoge called you a philanderer, but you didn't hit her head, did you? Hmph!"

Jiang Fan grinned. An adult doesn't stoop to the level of a small beast!

He comforted Consort Yunxia. "What is meant for you will naturally come. What isn't yours is futile to force. Let's look elsewhere and see if there are any other good things."

Consort Yunxia rubbed her temples. She realized her mindset was becoming problematic. These two horns were best avoided. She nodded, preparing to follow Jiang Fan to search elsewhere.

But suddenly, her gaze shot towards the shadow in a corner of a large hall not far away. "Come out!"

As a demon, and the foremost demon below the Nascent Soul realm, her senses were terrifyingly sharp. Jiang Fan only belatedly noticed and stared at the shadow.

The shadow rippled, and two figures emerged. One was dressed in a fiery red gown, her snow-white chin slightly raised, her eyes slightly downcast. She exuded an air of arrogance and assertiveness. It was none other than Yuan Chen, Venerable Qinghe's female disciple. Beside her was the mysterious man in the bamboo hat, who had once held the silver alchemical scroll!

Jiang Fan was astonished. "You two actually got in too?"

He could enter because he had duplicated a silver alchemical scroll using the Memory Silver Sand. Surely, they didn't have one too?

Yuan Chen sneered. "Shouldn't we be the astonished ones? You're the truly unexpected one. You clearly had your silver alchemical scroll confiscated by the Demon Emperor, yet you still managed to get in! If the Demon Emperor finds out, he'll tear you limb from limb, won't he?" She showed a playful, taunting expression. She had witnessed how the Demon Emperor treated Jiang Fan. The Demon Emperor would never tolerate Jiang Fan and his consort having both entered the inner palace. If he knew, Consort Yunxia might survive, but Jiang Fan would undoubtedly be executed on the spot!

Jiang Fan's eyes darkened. "You're playing with fire!" He had warned Yuan Chen not to provoke him. Now, she dared to threaten him with the Demon Emperor. This woman had learned absolutely none of Venerable Qinghe's caution. She had clearly never suffered any setbacks!

Yuan Chen scoffed. "Interesting! A barbarian from a barbaric land dares to glare at a disciple of the Myriad Calamity Sacred Palace. How incredibly overconfident." Jiang Fan's gaze made her feel provoked. A cold light flashed in her phoenix eyes, and she instantly activated Cloud Shadow Steps. Transforming into a bolt of lightning, she covered a hundred zhang in an instant, descending from the sky. Her feet ruthlessly stomped towards Jiang Fan's head.

"Kneel and speak to me!" Yuan Chen commanded. No one could remain composed before Cloud Shadow Steps. Jiang Fan certainly couldn't!

Just as her foot was about to land, Jiang Fan suddenly extended a hand wreathed in lightning. With incredible precision, he grabbed one of her feet. A cold voice, icy and stern, drifted into her ear. "Poorly trained, yet your temper is sky-high!"

As his voice fell, Jiang Fan exerted force and swung her hard. *Bang*— Yuan Chen was caught off guard, flung like a stick, and slammed violently onto the ground! The heavy impact cracked the ground into a dense web of fissures. Yuan Chen's internal organs were severely shaken. Her entire skeleton felt as if it had come apart, aching to the bone. A mouthful of fresh blood uncontrollably spewed out.

She stared in utter shock. "You... how did you predict my Cloud Shadow Steps? It's impossible, unless you also cultivate Cloud Shadow Steps!"

Jiang Fan held her foot tightly and said coldly, "Your master taught you not to cause trouble when outside. But you haven't listened to a single word!" With that, he swung her up again, throwing her hard onto the ground once more.

Yuan Chen shrieked in panic. A burst of lightning shot from her feet towards Jiang Fan's face, suddenly exploding about a foot away. Jiang Fan promptly released Yuan Chen and dodged. Yuan Chen managed to break free. She scrambled to her feet and transformed into a bolt of lightning, fleeing towards the man in the bamboo hat, seeking protection.

But while the lightning was still midway, an even more powerful bolt of lightning roared, catching up. It was Jiang Fan, who had activated Cloud Shadow Steps, moving faster than her. He stomped fiercely on her shoulder blade. Yuan Chen's shoulder blade instantly shattered. The excruciating pain made her scream as she plummeted from mid-air.

Before she could land, a streak of purple spectral light flashed, heading straight for her heart! Yuan Chen was terrified to the core. Only then did she realize that the young man before her was someone she could absolutely not provoke! Killing her was as easy as killing a chicken!

In her moment of life and death, she shrieked in terror, "Senior, save me!"

The man in the bamboo hat, who had remained silent all this time, finally let out a surprised sound. "Interesting. A mere boy from the barbaric continent is actually more proficient in Cloud Shadow Steps than an elite of the Myriad Calamity Sacred Palace. If Venerable Qinghe hadn't tried to kill you, I would even suspect that you are also a disciple of the Myriad Calamity Sacred Palace."

He slowly removed his bamboo hat. His gaze swept lightly over Jiang Fan. Jiang Fan's body trembled violently. His lightning surrounding him, part of his lightning evasion technique, dispersed, and he fell to the ground. He steadied himself and looked up. When he saw the man's face, his expression drastically changed!

"Jiangshan Yipian Tower, Yan Dao'an?" Jiang Fan gasped sharply! This person was actually the Nascent Soul expert who had once ambushed Venerable Qinghe! He remembered Venerable Six Paths' warning before he left: the people of Jiangshan Yipian Tower were all merchants. They would never do business at a loss. They would surely seek compensation for the losses they incurred from Venerable Qinghe elsewhere. And the Tiger Demon Emperor's cave dwelling was undoubtedly a good place to find such compensation. As a massive commercial organization, they would also find it much easier than others to obtain silver alchemical scrolls. With his methods, it wouldn't be particularly difficult to conceal a silver alchemical scroll from the Sky Demon Emperor.

Consort Yunxia's pretty face also turned pale. Her heart involuntarily trembled. As if sensing her, Yan Dao'an's eyes, bearing a half-smile, turned towards Consort Yunxia.

"My beauty, it seems you can't escape my grasp after all. We meet again."