Chapter 781: From the Mother-in-Law's Inspection

The Great Hall.

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion dismissed his attendants. Only the four of them remained.

“Princesses, it must have been a tiring journey for you both.”“Jiang Fan, serve the tea.”

Jiang Fan nodded and first presented a cup of tea to the South Sea Princess. He wondered if it was his imagination, but he felt that the South Sea Princess’s gaze always carried a scrutinizing look, with a hint of a cryptic smile.

When he brought the tea to the East Sea Third Princess, her gaze frankly swept him up and down. She nodded slightly and said, “His appearance is handsome, and his eyes are bright; he is indeed a fine young man.”

“It’s just that his cultivation is a bit lacking. If he could advance two more levels, he’d be perfect.”

The South Sea Demon Empress nodded slightly. “Yes, I also think he’s good in all aspects.”“Only his cultivation is a bit deficient.”

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion felt puzzled. These two great demon empresses, instead of discussing serious matters, were busy critiquing Jiang Fan? Hearing their dissatisfaction with Jiang Fan’s cultivation, the Pavilion Master naturally wanted to defend him and chuckled, “You two may not know this. Jiang Fan was not raised and trained in Tianji Pavilion, but rather came from a small place, advancing step by step.”

“Limited by resources, his growth has been a little slower. If he had been with Tianji Pavilion since childhood, I’m afraid he would have reached the ninth level of Core Formation by now.”

The East Sea Demon Empress raised an eyebrow slightly. “Really?”

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion took the tea offered by Jiang Fan. A look of pride appeared on his face. “You arrived a little late. The Vajra of Dharma Seal left not long ago. Before he departed, he was very impressed with this disciple of mine and wanted to take him back to White Horse Temple.”

The East Sea Demon Empress’s eyes lit up, a little surprised. “Are you saying Jiang Fan was on the Vajra of Dharma Seal’s list for enlightenment?”

The South Sea Demon Empress gently patted her arm and whispered, “This is good! This is very good! Everyone on the Vajra of Dharma Seal’s enlightenment list is a top-tier individual; there’s no mistake.”

A satisfied expression appeared on the East Sea Demon Empress’s face. “His potential sounds promising. It’s just that he’s too young and needs more tempering.”

A hint of pride once again surged onto the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion’s face. “Princesses, are you aware of the recent situation in Tianji Pavilion’s underground world?”

The East Sea Demon Empress’s eyes flickered, and she spoke tactfully, “I heard it’s much more peaceful than before, and disciples come and go safely, which is very good.”

Jiang Fan secretly admired how adeptly the ‘fake princess’ made nothing sound so appealing.

A trace of awkwardness appeared on the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion’s face. “I’m not afraid of you two princesses laughing at me. In the past decade, if a disciple’s harvest exceeded a hundred, it was considered quite good. The situation has been getting worse by the day.”

These words left both the East Sea Demon Empress and the South Sea Demon Empress unsure how to respond. The situation of Tianji Pavilion was indeed a bit grim.

However, the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion then smiled again and said, “But, as a new disciple, Jiang Fan ventured into the underground world for the first time, and it only took him one day. Do you know how many merit points he earned?”

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion made an ‘eight’ gesture with his hand.

The East Sea Demon Empress said, “Eighty? Then his adaptability is quite good.”

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion shook his head.

The East Sea Demon Empress raised an eyebrow slightly. “Eight hundred? That’s truly impressive, far stronger than the veteran disciples.”

The South Sea Demon Empress’s gaze at Jiang Fan also brightened considerably. But to their surprise, the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion still shook his head.

The East Sea Demon Empress was astonished. “You’re not going to say eight thousand, are you?”

The South Sea Demon Empress also covered her mouth, her face full of shock. “Really?”

That number was simply too exaggerated.

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion smiled without speaking. The East Sea Demon Empress’s eyes began to sparkle. A newcomer achieving a hundred times more than experienced members—this young man’s abilities were beyond doubt. His appearance, potential, and capabilities were all perfect scores. How could she not be satisfied?

Her gaze towards Jiang Fan was full of warmth. “Where do you live? Are your parents well? How many siblings do you have?”

Jiang Fan was puzzled. How did the conversation shift to his family? He looked at the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion in confusion, but the latter’s eyes flickered. He immediately understood what the two demon empresses meant. They were actually vetting a prospective son-in-law!

For a moment, he didn’t know whether to be happy or worried. The good news was that becoming a son-in-law of the Sea Demon Clan would save him twenty years of struggle. The worry was that Jiang Fan’s fiancées and concubines would not be recognized by the Sea Demon Clan. He somewhat regretted clearing Jiang Fan’s name earlier.

He cleared his throat and said, “Jiang Fan, what are your thoughts on the princesses of the Sea Demon Clan?”

“Like, forming a marriage alliance?”

Jiang Fan blinked. A marriage alliance? He looked at the two extraordinarily beautiful princesses in front of him. “Are you referring to them?”

Pfft—

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion nearly spat out the tea in his mouth and quickly said, “Excluding them. You certainly dare to think big.”

Marrying a Demon Empress? Dream on!

However, Jiang Fan couldn’t be blamed. Firstly, the two Demon Empresses had come under the guise of princesses. Secondly, female members of the Sea Demon Clan’s royal family possessed the ability to remain eternally youthful, appearing no different from young people.

Without even thinking, Jiang Fan said, “I am already married.” This was something that didn’t require thought. Forming a marriage alliance with a major clan like the Sea Demon Clan meant they wouldn’t tolerate their daughter being wronged. Moreover, if it were an alliance with the East Sea Third Princess, “Spare me!” The waters there were too deep for him to navigate.

“You’re already married?” The East Sea Demon Empress looked disappointed. The South Sea Demon Empress also shook her head slightly and sighed. For royal Sea Demon clans like theirs, it was impossible to allow a consort to have outside relationships.

“You’re a fine young man. For our first meeting, here’s a small gift for you.” Although their matchmaking attempt failed, she still admired Jiang Fan’s talent. She handed Jiang Fan a crystal ball filled with bubbles. “When you have time, come visit my East Sea. Break this crystal ball, and you can ride a bubble into the seabed.”

This was a valuable item, comparable to a Water-Repelling Pearl. The difference was that a Water-Repelling Pearl could be used repeatedly, while the bubble could only be used once.

“Thank you, East Sea Third Princess.” Jiang Fan accepted the bubble. He had arrived in a daze and left in a daze. He still hadn’t figured out why the East Sea Third Princess had called him in.

Inside the hall.

After this interlude, the East Sea Demon Empress finally got to the main topic and said seriously, “Pavilion Master, the reason why Old Dream Demon Empress and I previously declined your invitation, is because Sanqing Mountain sent word, forbidding our Sea Demon Clan from assisting your continent. Therefore, we couldn’t openly come. We had no choice but to resort to this strategy, secretly joining forces to rush here.”

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion suddenly understood. Then he was puzzled again. “Sanqing Mountain and my Tianji Pavilion have no grievances or entanglements. Why do they want to make things difficult for us?”

The South Sea Old Dream Demon Empress sighed, “The root cause lies with the Firmament Demon Empress. Last time, when the Tiger Demon Emperor’s cave dwelling opened, Xuan Yang Immortal of Sanqing Mountain came here with a group of disciples and friends. The Firmament Demon Empress acted a bit overbearingly and provoked them. Now that the Hellish Fiend Beasts are wreaking havoc, Sanqing Mountain naturally found an opportunity for revenge.”

Upon learning the reason, the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion slammed the table, his eyes filled with anger. “That Firmament! Does he really think our continent is still what it used to be?”

In the past, Tianji Pavilion had cultivators at the middle to late Nascent Soul stage presiding, and later the demon race had the Tiger Demon Emperor. People from Taicang Great State naturally didn’t dare to act recklessly. But now, times had long since changed. The Firmament Demon Empress truly believed he was a local power whom no one could touch. Now, when they saw him in trouble, they kicked him when he was down.

The East Sea Demon Empress waved her hand. “Let’s not dwell on depressing topics. Once the Hellish Fiend Beasts have ravaged the continent, it will be the turn of the surrounding seas; no one can escape. Among our Four Great Sea Demon Clans, all three other Demon Empresses have arrived, except for the North Sea Demon Empress, who is continuously besieged by unknown creatures and truly cannot get away.”

“The West Sea Demon Empress should be on her way at this moment.”

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion stood up gratefully and cupped his hands. “Your three Demon Empresses are truly righteous!” He had thought they weren’t coming because their own foundations weren’t yet threatened. He hadn’t expected their vision to be so broad.

The East Sea Demon Empress waved her hand. “It’s merely the principle of ‘when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold.’ We will temporarily stay at Tianji Pavilion for these few days, waiting for the West Sea Demon Empress. When everyone is here, we will immediately confront the Hellish Fiend Beasts!”

Pausing, the East Sea Demon Empress added, “Also, we have already dispatched powerful individuals from the East Sea and South Sea to investigate the whereabouts of the Hellish Fiend Beasts. Your esteemed Pavilion should also act promptly. From the feedback we’ve received, this Hellish Fiend Beast is exceptionally cunning, and its movements are extremely secretive. Our Sea Demon Clan members find it less convenient to operate on the continent than your human race. Therefore…”

The Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion said, “Don’t worry. We are duty-bound to contribute our strength. I will issue tasks shortly, instructing my disciples to patrol the borders between the human and demon races.”

The East Sea Demon Empress nodded slightly. As if remembering something, a troubled expression appeared on her face, and she said, “Pavilion Master, I have a request. May I borrow the place where you underwent your tribulation back then?”