Chapter 889: Riding the Tiger, Hard to Get Off

True Spirit Blood?

Yun Tianzhou maintained his faint smile and flatly refused. "That is reserved for disciples who diligently earn merit points," he said. "I apologize, but I cannot give it to you."

Seeing Yun Tianzhou's refusal to give them face, Fairy Qianlan's expression turned cold. "Yun Tianzhou!" she exclaimed. "When the old Pavilion Master let us fend for ourselves back then, we didn't take a single copper coin from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion! Now that we're trying to reclaim a little of what belongs to us, you're putting up all these obstacles!"

Yun Tianzhou smiled faintly. With his hands clasped behind his back, he said, "Senior Sister Qianlan, you seem to have forgotten something. Let me help you recall. The old Pavilion Master summoned the three of us and asked who was willing to inherit the position of Pavilion Master, carry on the ambition of our predecessors, and search for the legendary Ancient Sages. You refused, and Senior Brother Yunhuo also refused. Only I... agreed. Therefore, I accepted the opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. In return, I have guarded this gradually declining Heavenly Secret Pavilion ever since. As for you, you were completely free and could live as you pleased. If you feel wronged, why didn't you take over the position of Pavilion Master back then?"

Fairy Qianlan bit her red lip slightly, momentarily speechless.

Venerable Yunhuo sighed softly, a look of shame on his face. "Junior Brother Tianzhou, your aptitude was actually better than ours," he admitted. "You also wished to explore the outside world more than we did. However, both my junior sister and I refused, and with no one to take over the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, you couldn't bear to see the old Pavilion Master's dying regret. That's why you reluctantly accepted the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. If you had gone to Taicang Great State, with your aptitude, you would most likely be a Three-Aperture or even a Four-Aperture Nascent Soul cultivator by now."

A flicker of regret appeared in Yun Tianzhou's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Let's put the past behind us," he said. "I was originally very happy when you two arrived. Guarding the Heavenly Secret Pavilion alone is truly too lonely."

He shook his head. With a slight wave of his sleeve, he declared, "Everything in the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's treasury belongs to the disciples of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. This is a rule passed down through generations. It has never changed, and it will not change today. You should leave."

Fairy Qianlan's face showed unwillingness, and she involuntarily released the aura of a Two-Aperture Nascent Soul cultivator.

Yun Tianzhou glanced at her indifferently. "Junior Sister," he warned, "do not attempt to fight me in the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. You will die."

As if recalling something, Fairy Qianlan's pretty face subtly changed. She hurriedly withdrew her aura and anxiously looked towards Venerable Yunhuo.

The latter, helpless, cupped his hands again. "Junior Brother Tianzhou," he said, "we have recently encountered some difficulties in our cultivation. We need that bottle of fire-attributed True Spirit Blood. May we exchange it for something? Rest assured, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion will not suffer any loss."

Yun Tianzhou shook his head slightly. "It can only be redeemed with merit points."

"Merit points?" Venerable Yunhuo's face showed difficulty. He understood that Yun Tianzhou was giving them an opportunity to explore the unknown space on the tenth floor to earn merit points. But how dangerous was the tenth floor? The old Pavilion Master himself was severely injured on the tenth floor, which led to his final entrustment.

However, recalling the troubles they faced, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! I'll go explore the tenth floor. Junior Sister Qianlan, what about you?"

Fairy Qianlan gritted her teeth, glaring resentfully at Yun Tianzhou. "You are truly heartless!" she spat. "You have no regard for our past camaraderie! Fine! I'll go to the tenth floor and obtain the True Spirit Blood through my own abilities!"

Yun Tianzhou smiled. "Then I will trouble you, Senior Brother and Senior Sister, to wait one more day. It will only open tomorrow."

*Clap, clap—*

At that moment, the square outside suddenly became noisy. Bursts of cheers and applause drifted in.

Venerable Yunhuo asked in surprise, "Junior Brother Tianzhou, what is that?"

Yun Tianzhou chuckled softly. "It must be an exciting spar that has drawn cheers from the disciples. Such scenes had become frequent recently. It was very much like twenty years ago when he was still a disciple. This kind of atmosphere truly evoked nostalgia."

"What's so exciting about a match between a bunch of junior disciples?" Fairy Qianlan scoffed. "Before you returned, I've already appraised your disciples. The strongest ones are merely Ye Banxia, Li Shangqiu, and Wang Chongling. They've barely reached the peak of the Ninth-layer Core Formation stage. On this continent, they are naturally considered top prodigies, but in my Taicang Great State, they are as common as carp crossing a river!"

Venerable Yunhuo admonished her, "Qianlan, how can you say that? These three, even within the great sects of Taicang Great State, could be considered first-rate prodigies. It's truly not easy for Junior Brother Tianzhou to have nurtured three such talents in such a barren environment."

Yun Tianzhou smiled, but said nothing more. "While their strength cannot compare to the top elites of Taicang Great State," he stated, "there are a few disciples whose future achievements, I believe, will be no worse than those elites from Taicang Great State."

His mind drifted to Jiang Fan, recalling the sight of him bowing deeply and declaring his intention to "carry on the legacy of our predecessors."

"Come, let's go take a look together," he suggested. "Their current spirit and demeanor are quite similar to ours back then."

Fairy Qianlan scoffed with a disdainful smile. She ambled out unhurriedly, following behind the two men. Behind both Venerable Yunhuo and herself, a disciple silently followed. They had each brought a disciple on this trip to witness the Heavenly Black Pillar and broaden their horizons.

The group arrived at the entrance of the main hall. In the square, the disciples who had previously been scattered in small groups of three to five were now gathered in a large circle. They were packed three layers deep both inside and out, and continuous shouts and calls filled the air.

In the center of the crowd, Manager Yunyang's face was flushed with embarrassment and anger. "Jiang Fan!" she called out. "Make your move! Don't hold back because of me!"

She had never imagined in her wildest dreams that merely testing a disciple would turn into an inescapable nightmare. She had asked Jiang Fan to first demonstrate his current cultivation level. Jiang Fan had honestly complied. And, indeed, he was at the Ninth-layer Core Formation stage. Exactly the same as her, his master! She was dumbfounded on the spot!

A month ago, when Jiang Fan joined the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, he was only at the Sixth-layer Core Formation stage! Today, a month later, he was at the Ninth-layer Core Formation stage? What kind of joke was this? When he was at the Sixth-layer Core Formation stage, Jiang Fan already possessed the strength to wipe out the entire Giant Sect and slay several Ninth-layer Core Formation cultivators. Now that he was at the Ninth-layer Core Formation stage, did his strength even need to be mentioned? She was most likely no match for him!

How could she possibly test him now? What made her even more stuck in an awkward position was that Jiang Fan's breakthrough to the Ninth-layer Core Formation stage had instantly drawn everyone's attention. Knowing that Manager Yunyang was testing her disciple Jiang Fan, they all began to egg them on, urging them to fight quickly. They wanted to see if the disciple was stronger or if the master was more formidable. It was difficult for Manager Yunyang to back down now. She could only brace herself and spar with Jiang Fan. If she won against Jiang Fan, it would be one thing. But if she lost, would she still have the face to call herself Jiang Fan's master?

Jiang Fan felt helpless. He had already said, 'Don't test me, don't test me.' Now look what happened? He could only look around and say, "Senior Brothers and Sisters, everyone. I've just broken through to the Ninth-layer Core Formation stage; my realm is unstable, and my strength is still low. I'll refrain from making a fool of myself. Let's disperse, please."

Unexpectedly, You Yunzi was in the crowd. Ever since Jiang Fan was "snatched away," he had been so angry he hadn't slept a wink all night. When Jiang Fan earned eight thousand merit points, he was again so furious he couldn't sleep. Did they think that was the end of it? Two days later, Jiang Fan took on a mission to track the traces of a Hellish Desolate Beast and earned ten thousand merit points, making You Yunzi lose another night's sleep in anger. He had truly come to hate the master and disciple pair of Shang Shiqiu and Manager Yunyang!

Now, seeing Jiang Fan's great progress in strength, surpassing Manager Yunyang, his own master, and Manager Yunyang about to be humiliated, could he possibly let this opportunity slip? He immediately raised his voice and shouted, "Manager Yunyang, surely you're not struggling to control your own disciple, are you? If it's really too much, just concede defeat. As for me, this Deputy Pavilion Master will reluctantly take Jiang Fan in for you."

Who could stand such provocation? Manager Yunyang, brimming with shame and anger, roared, "Jiang Fan! Make your move!"