Chapter 882: Lingering Spirit

The two chatted for a long time. Jiang Fan gained a lot from the conversation and wished it could continue. However, the Demon Emperor sent someone to urge him to attend the banquet, so he had to say goodbye.

"Let's talk again sometime," Jiang Fan said.

Ji Qingxuan shook her head slightly and sighed, "It's probably hard to get another chance. I plan to leave Canghai and travel the outside world." She had disguised herself as a man precisely for this journey, to avoid unnecessary trouble caused by her striking beauty and figure.

Little did she expect that before even leaving the North Sea Imperial Palace, Jiang Fan had already taken advantage of her. She began to doubt whether her careful preparations were effective at all.

So, she was going to travel? Jiang Fan couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. "Where do you plan to go?" he asked.

Ji Qingxuan's goal was clear. "First, I'll visit the continent," she said. "I want to meet the Jiang Fan who spoke of the 'Great Harmony World'." She paused. Her exquisite eyes turned to Jiang Fan, and she added, "However, after meeting you, I feel there's no longer a strong need to meet that person. Your insights and ideas are probably not much inferior to his."

Jiang Fan gave an awkward smile. "Indeed, there's no need," he said. "Because you've already met him."

Ji Qingxuan blinked. Met him? Then, remembering Jiang Fan's surname... She covered her red lips in surprise. "You are Jiang Fan?" she exclaimed.

"That's me," Jiang Fan replied with a smile.

Ji Qingxuan was amused and annoyed at the same time. She ran over, lightly punched him, and stomped her foot. "You scoundrel! You deliberately played a trick on me!" She recalled how, in the treasury, she had actually asked Jiang Fan if he knew Jiang Fan, right in front of him. A slight blush crept onto her cheeks at the thought.

Jiang Fan was startled. He found his 'brother's' femininity a bit overwhelming, almost more womanly than a woman. Fortunately, Ji Qingxuan made no further moves. She scrutinized Jiang Fan carefully, a satisfied smile gracing her lips. "You truly are the person I've always wanted to meet," she said. "You have the depth I imagined. My wish has been fulfilled, so I won't go to the continent now. I'll go see Taicang Prefecture instead."

As she spoke, she took out the damaged bamboo slip. "This is for you," she said. "I hope we can meet again in the future."

Jiang Fan gratefully accepted it. "Thank you, brother," he said. "By the way, I still don't know which prince you are. How should I address you?"

A prince? Ji Qingxuan lightly covered her mouth and smiled. She offered no explanation. "You can just call me by the surname of the North Sea Imperial family," she replied.

Jiang Fan understood. "Alright, Brother Ji," he said. Both immediately felt something was off. Why did it sound so strange?

Ji Qingxuan pursed her lips, stomped her foot slightly, and said, "Brother Jiang, let me give you a piece of advice. Even with other men, pay attention to your words and actions from now on. Don't touch or grope indiscriminately. Goodbye!"

Watching her slightly annoyed figure leave, Jiang Fan was speechless. "I haven't even brought up your mother!" he muttered. "And you're lecturing me! How absurd."

He scratched his head. Then, he followed the young palace maid to the banquet.

At the feast, everyone was very happy. The Demon Emperor and Empress seemed particularly delighted, asking Jiang Fan many questions over drinks. For instance, the Empress asked him where he lived, how many cave dwellings he had, and how many siblings. Jiang Fan was already accustomed to such inquiries. The Sea Demon race seemed especially fond of asking about people's family situations.

However, it was the Demon Emperor's question that left Jiang Fan puzzled until he left Canghai the next day.

"What did he mean by 'sublimating brotherly relations'?" Jiang Fan muttered to himself as he rode his flying sword. He shook his head. He stopped pondering and sped towards the continent.

"I haven't been back to the continent in a long time; I wonder how things are there," he thought. "Have Yunxia and Haimu reached the Demon Emperor realm? Have the powerhouses of Taicang Prefecture dealt with the matter of the Sky-Connecting Black Pillar? And how are the people in the Heavenly Secret Pavilion progressing with their cultivation?"

He pondered as he traveled. By the time he had sorted out his thoughts, he could already see the coastline of the continent in the distance. A wave of relaxation washed over him.

But suddenly, a warning sign flashed in his mind. A strong sense of unease enveloped him. Without a change in expression, he subtly clutched a protective luminous pearl. At the same time, he quietly scanned his surroundings. Yet, there was nothing unusual, neither in the sky nor in the sea. Was it just an illusion? Jiang Fan considered this but didn't let his guard down.

Secretly, he took out the heavy-pupil crystal hanging from his neck. Placing it over his eyes, he scanned his surroundings once more. This time, his pupils contracted as he made a discovery. Far behind him, a figure was moving through the air, secretly tailing him! The person was in stealth, making them invisible to the naked eye. If not for the palpable murderous intent that the person couldn't conceal, Jiang Fan might not have realized he was being followed.

As he focused and clearly saw the other person, Jiang Fan's expression darkened slightly. "Venerable Evil Pupil!" he muttered. "Not surprising at all! When it comes to underhanded deeds, the Three Sages of Taicang are truly unmatched!"

"Fortunately, I have my innate heavy pupils, otherwise I wouldn't have known you were so close."

Jiang Fan didn't show any unusual signs. He pretended as if nothing were amiss and continued on his way. He secretly monitored the other's movements while confirming that the spiritual arm crossbow on his wrist was ready. The arm crossbow was a hidden weapon, suitable for taking opponents by surprise. In a direct confrontation, it could easily be anticipated. Whether it could injure him depended on whether he could be caught off guard.

Whoosh— His flying sword skimmed the surface of the sea, steadily speeding towards the continent. Before long, he finally reached the shore. Meanwhile, Venerable Evil Pupil, who had been maintaining his distance, suddenly accelerated. Earlier, he had hesitated to act while within the North Sea territory, fearing the Demon Emperor might be secretly protecting Jiang Fan. But seeing Jiang Fan reach the shore alone, he felt completely at ease.

Jiang Fan's heart pounded as he felt the approaching unease. He still feigned composure, silently calculating the distance of his pursuer, planning to suddenly turn around and catch him off guard when he was close enough.

Boom— But just then, a thousand-zhang cloud hand, emanating strong yin energy, swept across the vicinity. Immediately after, a powerful demonic energy erupted. Experts at the Nascent Soul level were actually fighting! Jiang Fan was particularly familiar with that demonic energy. The Firmament Demon Emperor! "Has this guy stirred up trouble again and been confronted?"

Jiang Fan's gaze shifted, his eyes covered by the heavy pupils, and he glanced at Venerable Evil Pupil behind him. The latter also sensed the fluctuations from the Nascent Soul level battle and stopped over the sea.

After a brief thought, Jiang Fan decisively rode his sword towards the battleground. Seeing him move, Venerable Evil Pupil gritted his teeth and quickly followed. He still felt that Jiang Fan must have gained something else in the God Transformation ruins. Even if not, the blue seed given to him by Biluo and the Golden Cloud Spirit Boat from Venerable Seven Sounds were treasures.

Soon, Jiang Fan flew over a mountain. He saw two powerful individuals engaged in battle. One was indeed the Firmament Demon Emperor, who appeared rather flustered. The other was a mysterious person enveloped in yin energy, surrounded by at least a hundred yin corpses at the ninth level and completion of the Core Formation stage. Under their combined siege, with the mysterious person occasionally intervening, the Firmament Demon Emperor was overwhelmed and found it difficult to cope.

"I told you, your disciple Wang Chongxiao's stuff isn't with me!" he shouted. "I've never even heard of that so-called Mountain and River Cauldron!"