Chapter 867: Female Disguise as a Man

He was dressed in luxurious brocade, and from behind, he appeared very slender. A demon scale hung from his waist. From it, a faint, terrifying aura, characteristic of a Demon Emperor's strike, subtly emanated. He was clearly no ordinary person.

Hearing the movement behind him, the youth turned his head, revealing his face. He had an oval face, skin as pure as a pearl, delicate features, and rosy lips. His facial features were very soft. At first glance, one might mistake him for a woman. But a second look at his flat chest confirmed he was undoubtedly a man.

Jiang Fan recalled the East Sea Crown Prince, who had disguised himself as his mother and was ambiguously gendered. He couldn't help but murmur, "Is the Yin energy too strong in the Four Seas? Even the men are developing feminine traits."

The youth glanced at Jiang Fan, then withdrew his gaze and continued looking at his own writings. He seemed disinclined to speak with Jiang Fan. Jiang Fan was quite content with this. He quickly went to the bookshelves and began opening books one by one. He meticulously examined any text-related books. If they weren't, he immediately returned them to their original places.

Both men kept to their own tasks. One held fragmented papers, while the other rustled through books. The vast corner of the library remained exceptionally quiet.

After a little less than half a day, Jiang Fan shook his head in disappointment and gave a bitter smile: "Not in the East Sea, not in the North Sea, and still not on the mainland! No wonder the Pavilion Master hasn't made any progress in decades. Where else am I supposed to look?"

At that moment, something unknown happened outside. The seabed surged with waves. The seawater inside the Treasure Pavilion flowed along with it. The papers on the youth's lap floated around with the current. One of them flew in front of Jiang Fan; he casually caught it, and a line of human script caught his eye.

"Human script?" Seeing human script on the seabed of the North Sea, thousands of miles away, was truly rare. He couldn't help but take another look, and what he read made his expression strange.

"The theory of Datong World, according to verification, originated from Jiang Fan, a former disciple of Qingyun Sect. The location was the Southwest Demon Military Camp, with Concubine Yunxia and others present."

No way. Could this also be investigated?

"Have you also heard of the Datong World theory?" In the moment he was lost in thought, the handsome and delicate-featured youth had already approached him. He asked softly, his voice clear.

Jiang Fan had not just heard of it; wasn't it what he himself had said? "Yes, I've heard of it," Jiang Fan replied. He touched his nose and said, "Do you also want to say that it's nonsense?"

The youth's calm eyes suddenly lit up. This was an extremely obscure topic. He had expected the same answer as always: 'I don't know.' Unexpectedly, the youth before him, not much older than himself, had given an unexpected answer.

"What is its content?" he asked, somewhat disbelievingly.

Jiang Fan said awkwardly, "Isn't it 'Cherish the elders in your family as well as those in others' families; care for the young in your family as well as those in others' families'?" He felt the awkwardness of having written an article and then suddenly being asked who wrote it.

A hint of surprise appeared on the youth's face: "You really have heard of it!" He then shook his head and said: "You might call it nonsense, but I think it can actually be called an ideal. The ultimate ideal for a society of all races. Although it's ethereal and impractical, just as this person said, reaching such an era requires a towering figure to lead everyone forward."

Having said that, he gently took back the paper, his finger tracing over the name "Jiang Fan." A hint of curiosity on his face, he continued: "This Jiang Fan, I initially thought he was a lonely king who had achieved immortal feats and harbored grand ambitions. Otherwise, such compassion for all living beings could not have been spoken. I didn't expect him to be such a young disciple. Oh, you are also human. Have you heard of this Jiang Fan?"

Jiang Fan coughed dryly. Even he, with his thick skin, couldn't help but blush when praised like this to his face. He said: "I think I've heard of him. But I don't know him well."

The youth nodded lightly and said, "I'm about to embark on a journey. If I have time, I'll pay him a visit."

Just then, Mu Ziyu's shout came from outside the hall: "Young Master Jiang! The God Transformation ruins are about to open." So, the earlier disturbance was caused by the God Transformation ruins.

Jiang Fan replied, "Alright, I'm coming." He cupped his hand towards the youth and said, "Brother, I have matters to attend to. Farewell."

The youth, having rarely opened up, stepped forward to walk beside him and said: "I'll see you out. By the way, do you know about the Heaven-Connecting Black Pillar?" he asked again.

Jiang Fan felt puzzled. Has this person not spoken for several lifetimes? Why is he so eager to chat? After a moment's thought, he politely replied: "Of course, I saw it firsthand."

The youth wasn't surprised. Knowing about the Heaven-Connecting Black Pillar was not unusual; the matter had already spread far and wide. "Then, what are your thoughts on the Heaven-Connecting Black Pillar?"

Jiang Fan looked up at the azure sky, pondered for a moment, and said: "I believe the sky above our heads... is not simply the sky. It's an unknown world." How could ancient giants fall from the sky? And how could Heaven-Deceiving Divine Orbs fall from the sky? Why did rolling heavenly thunder fall from the sky when the Primordial Void Ancient Tree's seed germinated?

Considering all this, he felt that the sky he saw might not be the sky as commonly perceived. It should be some existence he couldn't comprehend.

"You think so too?" The youth's beautiful eyes suddenly brightened. He mused: "I also think our sky isn't right. It's sick. It's raining constantly, as if it's crying."

Raining? Jiang Fan looked at the talkative youth before him with confusion. When had this world ever been raining incessantly?

The two continued walking and talking. They discussed various possibilities about the sky. Upon reaching the entrance of the Treasure Vault, the youth smiled gently: "You answered a question for me, so I'll answer one for you. Any question within the Four Seas of the mainland will do. I should be able to answer you."

Such a bold claim? Jiang Fan eyed him skeptically. After thinking for a moment, he decided to try. He took out the Hellish Desolate Beast bronze artifact and said: "You see the inscription on it, right? Do you recognize it?"

The youth looked at it, then nodded slightly: "Hellish script. On this continent, most items bearing Hellish script originate from the underground world of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. You must be from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, right?"

Hell... Hellish script? Jiang Fan's pupils widened. It was the first time someone had revealed the origin of these inscriptions. He excitedly grabbed the youth's shoulder: "You're not lying to me, are you?"

His excitement made the youth cover his mouth and chuckle softly: "That's right, it's Hellish script. I saw some on a tattered bamboo slip. I can barely recognize a few characters." He pointed at the bronze artifact and said: "Look, this inscription, when translated into demon script, means 'realm'. This one, translated into demon script, means 'fall'. And this one translates to 'king'."

Jiang Fan could hardly believe it. A youth he had accidentally met actually recognized the inscriptions! "Is that bamboo slip still around?" Jiang Fan asked excitedly. "I'll trade something for it."

The youth shook his head: "I only want information I haven't heard before. I don't want anything else."

Jiang Fan thought for a moment and said, "Do you want to know about the underground world of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion? A female ghost with a tiger tally. And a cave containing spirit tablets with Hellish script."

The youth showed a thoughtful expression: "A tiger tally symbolizes military authority; why would it be in the hands of a female ghost? And who erected the spirit tablets with Hellish script in the underground world? That's intriguing! Alright, I'll trade with you. However, I don't have the bamboo slip with me, so you'll have to wait a bit."

Jiang Fan's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He said, "Perfect. I'm just about to visit the God Transformation ruins. Wait for me to return. Let's meet at the Treasure Vault entrance in a day."

The youth nodded. But then he called out to Jiang Fan, "Wait. If you go to the God Transformation ruins like this, you'll likely return empty-handed. I'll give you something."