Chapter 928: Going or Staying

Five minutes later, the Moon Venerable's consciousness returned.

"So soon?" the Moon Venerable exclaimed. "Siling, you're finished; you'll never be happy in this life!"

Chen Siling tidied her clothes and scoffed internally, "You haven't experienced it yourself, so how would you know if it's satisfying? My husband is incredibly potent!"

The Moon Venerable snorted, "Don't worry, I'll never experience him in this lifetime."

Chen Siling rolled her eyes. "Just wait until I become the new Moon Venerable," she thought, "I'll make sure you experience him too!"

"Husband, I'm leaving now," Chen Siling said, cupping Jiang Fan's cheeks, her eyes filled with tenderness. "Be careful."

"The Moon Venerable said the ancient giants learned their lesson last time, and this time, their resurgence will be even more ferocious. You must break through to the Nascent Soul realm as quickly as possible and advance to the mid-stage Nascent Soul. This is because adult ancient giants cultivate at the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm. Without reaching this level, encountering one means certain death."

Jiang Fan's heart tightened. The rumors that ancient giants fed on Nascent Souls were absolutely true. He nodded deeply. "You too," he replied.

After a moment's thought, he took out a piece of the Moon Realm. Chen Siling quickly refused, "I can't take this. The Moon Venerable was the former master of the Moon Realm. Heaven knows if she left any arrangements inside. If she gets even one piece, the few you possess might not be safe."

The Moon Venerable was incensed by these words. "That ungrateful wretch!" she fumed. "Jiang Fan offered it, and she actually refused! How infuriating!"

"Alright," Jiang Fan said, placing the Moon Realm fragment back into his sleeve. "Then how will I contact you?" He could still return to the underground world to look for Xu Youran. However, the location of the Moon Palace Chen Siling spoke of remained entirely unknown.

"Once I achieve success in my cultivation, I will return to find you," she said. "Alternatively, if you reach the Soul Transformation realm one day, you can come to Tianzhou to seek out the Moon Palace."

Is there a Tianzhou beyond the Taicang Great State? Jiang Fan made a mental note.

The two embraced one last time before bidding each other farewell. Jiang Fan watched her until her figure gradually vanished from sight. Only then did he close the stone door and sit somewhat dejectedly on the meditation cushion. With Xu Youran and Chen Siling having both departed, he was the only one left of the trio who had emerged from Solitary Boat City together. However, remembering the fortuitous encounters the two women had, he felt genuinely happy for them.

"You both have incredible good fortune," he thought, "and I, your husband, cannot fall behind!" His fighting spirit was rekindled. He didn't want to imagine a future where he was still a minor Core Formation cultivator while his two wives, one on each side, had already reached the Soul Transformation realm, or even the Great Sage realm.

Dismissing his distracting thoughts, he took out a large chunk of thousand-year spirit meat and bit into it decisively. It melted instantly in his mouth, fresh and sweetly delicious. A vast surge of spiritual energy immediately flooded his Dantian, where it was primarily absorbed by his Golden Core. As the spiritual energy steadily accumulated, his Golden Core slowly grew.

Half a day later, the sun slowly set. The last rays of the evening sun slanted across the ancient main hall of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, painting a scene of quiet desolation. A stone tablet stood in the center of the square, with a few names sparsely carved upon it. These were the Vice-Pavilion Masters and Stewards who had chosen to stay: You Yunzi, Gu Huaxi, Ye Cangyuan, Chen Zhengdao, Lin Yuhheng, Yun Yang, Ning Kun, and Luo Dongcheng.

Of the twenty former Stewards, only four had been willing to remain and assist the Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master in rebuilding. The Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master gazed at the stone tablet, still largely blank and not yet filled with names, remaining silently contemplative.

Gu Huaxi scoffed loudly, "The Heavenly Secret Pavilion has treated them well all these years. Yet now, they're all abandoning it!"

The other three Vice-Pavilion Masters also wore grim expressions. They had anticipated many Stewards would depart, but they hadn't expected so many.

The Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master sighed, "Let it be. Such is the way of the world; humans chase wealth, just as birds chase food. They were drawn here by the underground world, so it's natural they would leave now that it's closed. We can't blame them."

He then looked at the nearly two hundred remaining disciples. A small number, like Wu Manyue and Jian Linyuan, who had other prospects, had already left. These were the ones who remained. However, most of them were also planning to leave, staying only to receive their severance resources.

"Which of the disciples are willing to stay?"

Leng Qingchu and Shang Shiqiu stepped forward and carved their names. Steward Yun Yang's face showed relief, yet also a hint of sadness, as two of his five remaining subordinates had perished, and the other three had departed. Next, Ruan Qingsu came forward, prompting a relieved smile from Lin Yuhheng. Then came Ye Banxia, Ren Guhong, and Wang Chongling. Of the four Mythical Heavenly Talents, only Li Shangqiu, who had been crippled, did not join; the other three did. This brought immense relief to everyone present. Following them were Liu Qingxian, Xia Chaoge, Liang Feiyan, and Gu Xiner. All members of the Zero Team, they carved their names, bringing another surge of relief to those watching. Finally, Nangong Xiaoyun arrived, and the little heifer she led also had its name, 'Xiao Bai,' carved onto the stone.

And that was all. Eleven disciples, plus one little heifer. These were all the disciples who chose to remain. Less than ten percent!

Gu Huaxi glared at Cheng Linfei, a Core Formation eighth-level disciple who was looking down. "Cheng Linfei!" she exclaimed. "Are you leaving too?"

Cheng Linfei's lips moved before he bowed. "Master," he said, "I've been at the Heavenly Secret Pavilion for eight years. I've been stuck at the ninth level of Core Formation for three years now, unable to reach the Perfection Stage. Now, with the underground world gone, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion will have even fewer resources available in the Taicang Great State. I'm almost thirty; I can't afford to wait any longer. Please forgive me, Master."

Gu Huaxi's lips trembled, her expression a mix of complex emotions and shame. You Yunzi, Chen Zhengdao, and Ye Cangyuan looked at several of their long-time disciples whom they usually held in high regard. Their hearts ached immensely. They had all been stuck at the ninth level of Core Formation for many years, unable to achieve a breakthrough. As their masters, they were also anxious, but the Heavenly Secret Pavilion was no longer what it once was, and it had become very difficult for them to help these disciples break through their bottlenecks.

"Pavilion Master, please give us our severance resources quickly," one called out. "Don't delay us from pursuing better prospects any longer."

An older Core Formation ninth-level disciple, not without resentment, spoke up. He, too, had been stuck at the ninth level of Core Formation for many years, originally hoping to push through with the help of the underground world. To his dismay, the underground world was now permanently closed, and he no longer wished to stay even a moment longer.

Hearing this, Ren Guhong reprimanded, "Huang Yuan! Don't be rude!"

Huang Yuan, like Ren Guhong, was a disciple of Ye Cangyuan and a member of the same team. Huang Yuan had never been particularly respectful of Ren Guhong as his team leader, but now he was even daring to offend the Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master.

Huang Yuan shot him a sidelong glance and scoffed, "The Heavenly Secret Pavilion is practically disbanding; what's the point of you sucking up? Can they help you break through to the Core Formation ninth-level Perfection Stage? If I had known the Heavenly Secret Pavilion would come to this, I would have gone to the Taicang Great State ages ago! With my talent, I should have reached Core Formation ninth-level Perfection by now! The Heavenly Secret Pavilion has wasted my years; what's wrong with me speaking my mind?"

Ye Cangyuan's face turned cold, and he was about to make a move, but the Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master waved a hand. "Enough," he said, "let him go." He took out a portion of resources and tossed them to Huang Yuan. "I wish you a bright future," he said.

Huang Yuan snatched the resources, showing no gratitude. He glanced at the disciples' names on the stone tablet and said sarcastically, "And I wish the disciples who chose to stay a chance to glimpse the threshold of Core Formation ninth-level Perfection before they die!" With that, he added, "Farewell!"

Just as he turned to leave, a faint, cold voice drifted from the nearby cultivation hall. "Then I'll take your good wishes to heart," it said.

The next moment, the cultivation hall suddenly began to shake. The glazed tiles on the roof vibrated and rattled, producing a groaning sound. A powerful aura, signifying Core Formation ninth-level Perfection, surged out.