Chapter 697: Merit Divine Pearl

A cold chill also shot through Consort Yunxia, from the soles of her feet straight up to the crown of her head. This creature felt far more menacing than even the Azure Sky Demon Emperor.

He decisively hoisted Jiang Fan onto his back and swiftly darted towards the exit. Seizing the opportunity while the Hellish Wasteland Beast in the grand hall was still gnawing on Yan Dao'an's lingering soul, they decisively made their escape.

Meanwhile, Jiang Fan spotted the quasi-spiritual longbow not far away and casually grabbed it. They had barely exited the inner chamber when Jiang Fan felt the spatial barrier behind them tremble violently, as if struck by something powerful. A bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. It was obvious the Hellish Wasteland Beast must have been trying to intercept them. Fortunately, they had acted decisively; even a few moments of hesitation would have meant capture.

"Little Qilin, that's the monster you were talking about, isn't it?" Jiang Fan asked.

Little Qilin, trembling, jumped into Jiang Fan's arms and stammered, "That's it! I went into the grand hall, ate some things, and drank some water. Then I accidentally swallowed a bead, and this thing just appeared out of nowhere. It almost caught me."

Jiang Fan's eyes widened. Little Qilin had actually been to the main hall? From the layout, the twenty-four minor halls were merely ancillary to the main hall. The true treasures should be hidden within the main hall. What Little Qilin referred to as "food and drink" must have been extraordinary treasures of heaven and earth!

"Wait, you said a bead? Where is it?" Jiang Fan was puzzled; he hadn't heard Little Qilin mention any bead before.

Little Qilin pointed to its plump belly. "It's right inside. I tried, but I can't spit it out. It feels like it's grown into my body." It looked troubled.

Jiang Fan pondered: the bead was swallowed, and then the Hellish Wasteland Beast appeared? What exactly was this bead?

Beside them, Consort Yunxia, however, gasped sharply. Her beautiful eyes stared unblinkingly at Little Qilin. She asked in disbelief, "Jiang Fan, where did you get this little spirit beast?"

Jiang Fan replied, "It delivered itself to my doorstep."

Consort Yunxia stumbled, feeling a little dizzy. "De... delivered itself? If I'm not mistaken, it's the little beast the Azure Sky Demon Emperor has been searching for! The current war started by the demon race was also to compel the human race to hand it over."

Jiang Fan's eyes bulged. He snatched Little Qilin up, asking in astonishment, "You mean the war between humans and demons is all because of this?"

Little Qilin blinked its large, innocent eyes and squeaked in a childlike voice, "What did I do? I just ate some stuff, that's all."

Consort Yunxia took several deep breaths to compose herself after hearing this. Both amused and exasperated, she said, "You and your master are truly cut from the same cloth. You both have a knack for inadvertently driving people to their wits' end. Do you know what that bead you swallowed is? That is the Merit Divine Bead the Tiger Demon Emperor used to break through to the Soul Transformation stage!"

"What? A treasure for breaking through to the Soul Transformation stage?" Jiang Fan was stunned.

Consort Yunxia said, her voice filled with regret, "The abbot of White Horse Temple once led many monks across vast oceans specifically to seek this divine bead. After the Tiger Demon Emperor refused, White Horse Temple attempted to convert him. Both sides then engaged in a fierce battle. The battle concluded with several Vajra monks from White Horse Temple suffering casualties and the Tiger Demon Emperor sustaining severe injuries."

Jiang Fan was speechless with shock. The Tiger Demon Emperor had truly been formidable back then. He single-handedly fought the monks of White Horse Temple and sent them retreating in disastrous defeat.

However, Jiang Fan was a little puzzled. If the Tiger Demon Emperor was so powerful, why did he perish while exploring the Nine Dynasties Ancient Capital's secret realm? That ancient giant was, at most, only in the Nascent Soul mid-stage, wasn't it? Even with a sneak attack, it shouldn't have been easy to kill the Tiger Demon Emperor.

The Tiger Demon Emperor's death... There must have been another reason. But none of that mattered now. His gaze intensely fixed on Little Qilin's belly, he asked, "If we dig out the Merit Divine Bead now, will it still be useful?"

Consort Yunxia shook her head. "It's too late. After all this time, the Merit Divine Bead has already begun to merge with its body. If I'm not mistaken, it should have been very sleepy recently. This is precisely because the Merit Divine Bead is merging with it."

Case closed! Jiang Fan had always wondered why Little Qilin had become increasingly lethargic. So that was why!

Consort Yunxia said enviously, "Congratulations, you've acquired a spirit beast with boundless potential. With the Merit Divine Bead, its breakthrough to the Demon Emperor stage will be seamless. Its prospects for advancing to the Soul Transformation stage are far greater than those of ordinary demons. What a truly fortunate little beast." As she spoke, she couldn't help but give a bitter smile. As a demon herself, she knew breaking through to the Demon Emperor realm was incredibly difficult. Yet, Little Qilin's path ahead was smooth and unhindered.

Jiang Fan considered offering her one of the ox horns.

The wall behind them trembled again. The Hellish Wasteland Beast, not giving up, was still attacking the spatial barrier.

"Let's find another place," Jiang Fan said. "I need to heal my injuries first."

Consort Yunxia nodded. Carrying Jiang Fan, she arrived at a secluded mountain valley. After resting for half an hour, his injuries were mostly healed. At this moment, both the Thunder Derivation Command and a Thunder Pill appeared in his palm.

"'Shadow in the Clouds' is at its final layer!" A glint of excitement appeared in his eyes. Once mastered, he would be able to teleport anywhere his eyes could see. Its speed would surpass even that of Nascent Soul cultivators. Of course, the drawbacks were apparent. It was limited by the lightning energy within his body. Such long-distance leaps would undoubtedly consume an immense amount of lightning energy. Even after absorbing Yuan Chen's Thunder Pill, he estimated he could only use it consecutively five times at most. After using it, he would still be caught by a Nascent Soul expert. Nevertheless, at least when facing a Nascent Soul expert, he wouldn't simply have to wait for death. He would have a chance to escape!

So, he closed his eyes and quietly resumed his cultivation. Beside him, Consort Yunxia built a small stove with stones and slowly brewed a pot of tea over a low flame. Occasionally, she would glance at Jiang Fan, then at the deep blue sky. Sometimes, she would reflect on the small moments they had shared. Finally, resting her chin on her hand, she quietly gazed at Jiang Fan. A faint smile, like an unwitting spring breeze across a lake, rippled gently on her lips. This moment had become a picturesque scene. Even years later, traveling under starry skies, she would still recall that secluded mountain valley. There, she had no fox demon clan missions, no oppression from the Azure Sky Demon Emperor, and no weariness from the pursuit of martial arts. Only a pot of tea, her beloved, and her own smiling gaze.

Half a day later, as massive lightning energy surged within Jiang Fan, he slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile on his face. *Heavenly Thunder Six Sections - Shadow in the Clouds* was complete! With this technique, he now possessed a trump card against Nascent Soul cultivators.

Just then, a gentle fragrance wafted by. Consort Yunxia took a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and gently wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead. Her gaze was soft, filled with lingering affection. Jiang Fan felt an unusual stirring in his heart. He was no longer an ignorant youth; he could understand Consort Yunxia's feelings.

Just as he was about to speak, a series of faint explosions echoed near the valley.

"It's Ling Shu!" Jiang Fan suddenly stood up and said, "They're in danger! Let's go quickly and check!"