Chapter 692: Entering the Game Personally

She immediately snapped, "Dream on!"

"Once you go in, grab the jade bottle immediately and throw it out. Don't even think about demanding benefits!"

She didn't understand. Jiang Fan was already a dead man; what good would demanding benefits do? Did he really think Yan Dao'an would leave him a way out? What wishful thinking!

Jiang Fan frowned. "If Senior is so certain there's no risk, then I'll take the risk and go." With that, he walked towards the formation.

Yan Dao'an raised an eyebrow, hesitated, and then said, "Fine. I'll give you something to help you last a little longer." If all went well, Jiang Fan should be able to throw the jade bottle out in time. But he feared the "what if." What if Jiang Fan fumbled and couldn't throw it out in time? What if the jade bottle shattered as a result? For safety's sake, it was better to give him something for protection.

With a thought, the spatial storage device in his palm flickered. A dark, finely woven chainmail armor appeared in his hand.

"This is the life-saving armor I used when I was at the Core Formation Stage. It can withstand attacks from a Peak Core Formation Stage cultivator. Moreover, it defends against not only physical attacks but also poison, soul attacks, and other types of assaults."

If it only defended against Peak Core Formation attacks, it wouldn't be too remarkable. But it could actually block soul attacks? Such a treasure was rare. Indeed, this bit of leverage had paid off. He accepted it gratefully.

Under Yuan Chen's envious gaze, he put it on immediately. Yan Dao'an then took out a jade box. Inside was a soft, irregularly shaped fungus. Submerged in water, tiny tendrils extended from the fungus, exploring the jade box. It was a living organism.

"This is the Tai Sui. If you consume it, you can immediately break through to the sixth level of Core Formation. If you successfully retrieve the jade bottle, I will reward you with this Tai Sui."

To motivate Jiang Fan, he simply took out the long-cherished Tai Sui. Yuan Chen became even more envious. She had never even had a chance to consume such a thing. However, the thought that Jiang Fan was sure to die, and Yan Dao'an was merely tricking him into working diligently, greatly improved her mood. She looked at Jiang Fan as if he were a dead man.

Jiang Fan was overjoyed and said, "Excellent! I will certainly not fail this mission!" Without further ado, he approached the indentation.

Concubine Yunxia was filled with worry. With her intelligence, how could she not see that this poisonous mist was a deadly venom even Yan Dao'an feared? If Jiang Fan went in, it would be a near-certain death. Even if he returned alive, Yan Dao'an would not let him go. As she worried, Jiang Fan's voice suddenly appeared in her mind.

"Act according to the situation later. Whether we survive depends on what happens next."

Concubine Yunxia was slightly surprised. What was Jiang Fan planning? Could he possibly have a way to deal with a Nascent Soul cultivator?

Under everyone's gaze, Jiang Fan approached the formation and carefully placed the silver scroll of alchemical scripture into the indentation. Yan Dao'an's expression hardened. He decisively swept his sleeve, pulling Yuan Chen and Concubine Yunxia to a distance to prevent them from being affected by the surging poisonous mist.

*Hum—*

The formation trembled. It then violently disintegrated, shattering into dust along with the silver scroll. The long-sealed colorful poisonous mist immediately surged out like a torrent. Jiang Fan was pushed backward, almost stumbling to the ground. As the impact of the mist subsided, he immediately rushed inside.

Yan Dao'an, who had held his breath, subtly relaxed. "This kid has some tricks up his sleeve." The moment the mist rushed out, he had thought Jiang Fan would be instantly poisoned and die. Unexpectedly, he was quite resilient. It must be the effect of the chainmail armor, he mused. He was somewhat glad he hadn't been stingy. Otherwise, if Jiang Fan died, he would have to use Concubine Yunxia, his valuable asset.

He gazed intently into the hall. Due to the swirling poisonous mist, visibility was blurred, and the exact situation was unclear. He could only make out Jiang Fan staggering towards the jade bottle. With an excited expression, he shouted, "Hold on! Grab the bottle and throw it out!"

Jiang Fan was actually quite at ease. While the poisonous mist was indeed potent, he had undergone tempering with Deity Transformation Stage poison, making his resistance to toxins extremely strong. Coupled with his poison-resistant chainmail, he was only pretending to struggle to lull Yan Dao'an into a false sense of security.

He walked up to the Primal Nine-Colored Marrow. Using his back to block the view from behind, he subtly took out the Nether Poison he had prepared earlier. He poured all of it into the Primal Nine-Colored Marrow.

"Drink up! This Nether Poison can kill a Nascent Soul cultivator; let's see if you can handle it!"

After he was done, he put away the vial that held the Nether Poison and cleaned off any powdered poison that had spilled on the outside of the jade bottle. He left no trace of his actions. Only then did he grasp the jade bottle and, feigning difficulty, turned to walk out.

Yan Dao'an's face lit up with joy. He eagerly waved, "Quick! Come out quickly!" Jiang Fan staggered his way out. Just as he was about to exit the main hall, he finally "couldn't hold on" and collapsed at the hall entrance. The jade bottle in his hand tumbled towards the ground.

Yan Dao'an was startled. He flashed forward, grabbing the jade bottle just in time.

"Haha! Hahahaha! The Primal Nine-Colored Marrow is mine! Something even the Tower Master couldn't acquire is now Yan Dao'an's!"

Yan Dao'an threw his head back and laughed, his face filled with wild ecstasy. Primal Nine-Colored Marrow was a substance that had long been extinct in the Taicang Grand State. A single bottle was impossible to find. Even the Tower Master of Jiangshan First-Grade Tower had mobilized all his resources to search for it. For years, he had not obtained a single bottle. This immense fortune had actually fallen into his hands! How could he not be excited?

Noticing a faint wisp of poisonous mist spreading outward, Yan Dao'an finally suppressed his smile and frowned, saying, "It's a pity that this medicine has existed for too long and is already volatilizing. Otherwise, I could take it back and slowly decipher the elixir recipe. Now, I can only drink it, or its medicinal properties will be wasted."

He uncorked the bottle, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he prepared to drink it. But just as the bottle reached his lips, he suddenly paused. His gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at the seemingly weak Jiang Fan on the ground.

"Kid, you didn't do anything extra when your back was to us, did you?"

Although he couldn't clearly see the situation inside, Jiang Fan had clearly paused for a moment in front of the jade bottle. This made him suspicious.

Jiang Fan's heart sank. Not a single one of these Nascent Soul old monsters was incautious. He sat up weakly and said with a wry smile, "Is Senior implying that I poisoned it? And with a poison strong enough to kill you? Thank you, Senior, for thinking so highly of me."

Yan Dao'an's eyes showed contemplation. Jiang Fan's words were not without reason. Ordinary poison wouldn't kill him at all; it would only thoroughly enrage him. Unless Jiang Fan was a fool, he wouldn't do something so suicidal. As for a poison strong enough to kill him, it was a rarity even in the Taicang Grand State. Jiangshan First-Grade Tower barely had any. Could a minor human martial artist from such a remote continent possess such a dangerous item?

However, as a businessman, risk control was a fundamental lesson. He narrowed his eyes and said, "It's simple to find out if it's poisoned." With a flick of his finger, a tenth of the Primal Nine-Colored Marrow was flicked out of the bottle, hovering in front of Jiang Fan. "Drink it! If you're fine, then I'll believe it's not poisoned."