Chapter 922: Deceiving for Candy

Jiang Fan was startled. Pointing at the rebellious kid, he exclaimed, "You want me to raise it? This guy has been plotting against me since it was in its eggshell! What would happen if I kept it by my side? I have no doubt that if I ever fall into a pit, it wouldn't just refuse to pull me out, it would find a lid and cover the pit!"

Asura King A'Yu smiled. "I naturally have a way to make it obediently follow your commands. Among the legacies left by my old master, there's a method specifically for enslaving others. It can enslave great sages of the human race, true spirits of the demon race, and even emperors of the Netherworld."

It can enslave true spirits? It must be said that the Netherworld's methods are truly domineering and sinister.

Jiang Fan naturally wouldn't refuse. He nodded repeatedly, saying, "Since it can be completely enslaved, what do I have to fear?"

Asura King A'Yu asked, "Aren't you afraid its kin will come looking for trouble?"

Jiang Fan stared at the rebellious kid. "If it had kin, it wouldn't have been trapped under the Ancient Capital of Nine Dynasties for a thousand years." Jiang Fan truly had no reason to refuse an existence that could mature into a true spirit.

"Alright, I'll help you enslave it," said Asura King A'Yu. "However, your wife will first need to learn the enslavement method from my old master's legacy. If you're uncomfortable keeping this true spirit descendant by your side, you can leave it here. It won't cause any trouble."

In other words, it wouldn't happen immediately; it would take some time. Jiang Fan had no objections. He cupped his hands and said, "Then I'll trouble you, senior. And it will be tough on Youran as well."

Xu Youran was already interested in the Asura Emperor's legacy, and hearing that it could also help Jiang Fan invigorated her even more. "Husband, don't worry," she said, "I will do my best to help you enslave this little true spirit."

Upon hearing this, the rebellious kid's eyes immediately welled up with tears. *Oh no! It's over! It's all over! If I had known this, I would have stayed in my eggshell!* it seemed to wail internally.

Jiang Fan smiled and stroked its head. "Didn't you keep calling me 'Big Brother'? Don't worry, soon you'll be able to call me 'Big Brother' forever."

The rebellious kid couldn't hold back and burst into loud sobs. Jiang Fan smiled, took its tiny finger, cut it open, and squeezed out the last drop of true spirit blood he needed.

"Alright, this time I only need your true spirit blood," he said. "I won't take your magical artifact."

The rebellious kid's mood improved slightly, and its crying stopped. Who knew, Jiang Fan then added, "Anyway, both you and your magical artifact will be mine from now on."

The rebellious kid started crying even louder.

With the hidden danger resolved, Jiang Fan felt lighthearted. "Youran, cultivate well," he said, holding Xu Youran's hand in a final farewell.

Xu Youran, with tears in her sparkling eyes, said, "Husband, please be careful in everything."

With reluctance, they waved goodbye and parted ways.

Half a day later, they returned to the teleportation array.

The Pavilion Master of Tianji felt a sense of relief. Standing on the array, he looked back at the tenth level, a faint sadness in his eyes. This was where countless predecessors had fought. He wondered what year it would be before he returned, if ever again in this lifetime.

"To the heroic souls of all ancestors, Tianzhou will surely return here one day!" He bowed deeply, then activated the array.

Jiang Fan looked towards the forbidden area, his eyes filled with blessings.

"Master," the little qilin said, "Sister Huaxin asked me to ask you if you still want to visit the space with the spatial artifact and puppets. If we leave now, there won't be another chance."

Jiang Fan thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "Never mind. Let's leave something for the future. Besides, someone as intelligent as Wu Manyue must know that it will be difficult to easily access the ninth and tenth levels again. Even if there were treasures inside, she has probably already plundered them clean."

Huaxin, receiving the little qilin's feedback, pursed her lips. In a voice only she could hear, she muttered, "What a shame! I had originally hoped to retrieve the other half of the tiger tally through you."

Tiger tallies always came in a pair. Only when combined could they command an army of thousands. Even Netherworld beings, upon seeing a complete tiger tally, would have to obey its command without daring to defy it. This included those from the eleventh level!

On the surface, the still-shaken Deputy Pavilion Master, stewards, and disciples gathered around. Many were injured, and some had perished from touching the black crystals. This exploration had resulted in significant casualties.

The Pavilion Master of Tianji saw this, further solidifying the thought in his mind: Tianji Pavilion had to change.

Since everyone was present, the Pavilion Master of Tianji announced, "I have two pieces of news to share. First, the underground world will be permanently closed starting today. Tianji Pavilion's mission to explore the underground world has come to an end."

Upon hearing this, everyone was in an uproar. A few unassuming disciples quietly moved to secluded spots, mysteriously relaying information to the outside world.

"The other news is that our entire sect will be relocating to Taicang Great Province!" he continued. "Disciples willing to follow me and start anew should remain. For those who are unwilling, I will provide a generous portion of resources from the treasury as a gift. Decide whether to stay or leave before sunset."

This sudden announcement was a huge shock to everyone in Tianji Pavilion. Most didn't even realize what it meant. Only a few understood: the old Tianji Pavilion was disbanding.

Suppressing his emotions, the Pavilion Master added, "Additionally, the merits accumulated from this exploration are still valid. You may use your merits to exchange for desired items from the treasury."

After speaking, he departed first, accompanied by Immortal Ganlan and Venerable Yunhuo.

Jiang Fan didn't dare to delay. He immediately headed to the treasury, where the same steward from last time was on duty. Seeing Jiang Fan, the steward smiled slightly. "It's you again. What do you wish to exchange for this time?"

Jiang Fan took out his Tianji Pavilion disciple token and handed it to the steward. "I don't know how many merit points I have yet. Please help me check first." *In the ninth level, he had explored three cave dwellings, plus the 10,000 merit points for tracking the traces of the Netherworld beasts. That should amount to nearly 20,000 merit points. Having entered the tenth level and traversed so many spaces that predecessors hadn't, his merits should be substantial.*

The steward couldn't help but laugh and cry. "How many hidden spaces did you discover? You can't even estimate your approximate merit points anymore?" He took the token with a smile and placed it on an indented jade artifact. Soon, a string of numbers slowly appeared. It began with a 'one', followed by a multitude of zeros, completely filling the jade artifact and unable to display the entire number.

The steward was stunned. He picked up the disciple token and placed it back, but the result was the same. "Damn it," he muttered, "how did the detection artifact break?"

Just then, the Pavilion Master of Tianji, Immortal Ganlan, and Venerable Yunhuo arrived, having seemingly discussed something.

"Pavilion Master!" the steward exclaimed. "This jade artifact is broken." He immediately demonstrated it to the three.

The three's mouths twitched. The Pavilion Master of Tianji laughed wryly. "The jade artifact isn't broken. Jiang Fan has broken Tianji Pavilion's merit system." According to Tianji Pavilion's rules, a space hundreds of feet in area could be exchanged for three thousand merit points. Jiang Fan had fought his way from the forbidden area to near the array, traversing more than half of the tenth level. Then he fought from the tenth level to the innermost part, traversing the entire tenth level again. How many spaces must he have explored?

He said helplessly, "There's no need to check Jiang Fan's merits. Let him choose whatever he wants from the treasury. Even if he empties it, he'll still have leftover merit points."

Immortal Ganlan, however, grew anxious. She had personally witnessed Jiang Fan taking the rebellious kid's essence blood. Clearly, Jiang Fan also knew the value of this item, and he might have been aiming for that bottle of true spirit blood. Realizing this, she forced a fake smile, like an adult trying to coax a child with candy.

"Jiang Fan," she began, "how about I trade my insights on the 'Ganlan True Fire Art' for the chance to go in and pick items first?"