Chapter 966: Emperor's Physiognomy Technique

With trepidation, Jiang Fan, supported by Yu Peiyuan, stepped through the red light curtain.

He walked forward, step by step.

By the time he reached the throne, his internal power had recovered sixty percent, thanks to the fifth-grade spiritual elixir.

He could finally see the person on the throne clearly.

It was a Transcendent God Venerable, with a faint halo behind his head and a foul odor emanating from his body, as if he was starting to decay.

He slowly opened his eyes, which were remarkably murky, like those of an elderly person.

Yet, there was an unmissable joy in his gaze:

"Congratulations, you are the champion of the Linlang Hunt."

"You will receive three rewards."

"First, an Ancient Wilderness Token."

"Second, a spiritual elixir from the Sky Furnace."

"Third, the opportunity to learn a set of Corpse Carving cultivation techniques."

Jiang Fan showed no excitement in his eyes; he simply stared intently at the Transcendent God Venerable before him and asked, "Senior, may I ask you a question?"

The Transcendent God Venerable smiled faintly and said, "By the rules, no."

"However, considering that I was once a Venerable of the Central Lands, I will make an exception and answer your question once."

"Go ahead, ask."

Jiang Fan asked, "I heard that you once died and are now alive again?"

The Transcendent God Venerable fell silent, then sighed after a moment, "Another person seeking secrets of resurrection."

"It seems you also carry a wound in your heart and wish to revive someone."

"Just like I did back then."

Jiang Fan's heart stirred slightly. "Then... Senior, were you successful?"

The Transcendent God Venerable looked at Jiang Fan with a complex expression and said:

"Whether resurrection exists in this world, I believe you, like me back then, already have the answer within you."

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Let everything pass."

The candle flame in Jiang Fan's eyes instantly extinguished, and his pupils became dim and lifeless.

A sense of powerlessness crept into his heart, and his last sliver of hope shattered.

Only then did Yu Peiyuan realize that Jiang Fan had come for the secret of resurrection.

He must have recently lost someone very important to him, she thought.

A pang of sympathy pierced her; the answer seemed inadequate for the perilous journey Jiang Fan had endured.

"Senior, then why did you come back to life?"

Yu Peiyuan voiced the question on Jiang Fan's behalf.

The Transcendent God Venerable replied calmly, "I did not die back then; only a wisp of my soul remained."

"My master saved me, granted me new life, and appointed me to manage the Linlang Hunting Ground."

He looked at Jiang Fan again, joy returning to his eyes. "Hurry and choose your rewards."

"The Central Lands originally had no right to host the Linlang Hunting Ground. It was an ancient Great Sage-level demonic mirage causing chaos that caused the hunting ground to mistakenly appear here."

"Take your rewards before everything is corrected."

"There won't be another opportunity like this in the future."

Jiang Fan regained some composure. He looked around at the corpses of powerful cultivators scattered across the ground, examining the complex cultivation techniques inscribed on them, unsure which to choose.

"Senior, could you please choose one for me?"

The Transcendent God Venerable nodded slightly and raised a hand, beckoning.

An unassuming ancient corpse, lying on the ground, floated towards them.

"This individual was a Celestial Realm citizen who participated in the Linlang Hunt and perished here. They cultivated the 'Emperor's Qi Observation Art,' which is a Heaven-grade technique."

"Mastering this art allows one to identify spiritual mountains and blessed lands, absorb the qi of heaven and earth, and even, at its highest level, seize the good fortune of others for personal use. It is a powerful and mysterious art, making it easy to become a great cultivator."

"The drawback is that this method interferes with natural harmony, and cultivators will eventually suffer backlash after reaching the Transcendent God Realm."

Jiang Fan was stunned; this 'Emperor's Qi Observation Art' was indeed formidable.

As for the backlash after reaching the Transcendent God Realm, he wondered, how many people could even reach that realm?

"Furthermore..." the Transcendent God Venerable said with a hint of regret, "this method is selective; not everyone can cultivate it."

"Only those favored by heaven and earth can practice it."

"It's difficult for anyone else to even begin."

"Is that so?"

Jiang Fan was a little skeptical.

He didn't believe his own comprehension wouldn't be enough to master this art.

To his surprise, when he focused his gaze on the Corpse Carving technique, the characters on it gradually blurred!

It gave him no chance to comprehend it.

In all his cultivation up to now, Jiang Fan had never encountered a technique he couldn't comprehend.

The Transcendent God Venerable said regretfully, "It seems this method is not suitable for you."

Jiang Fan, unwilling to give up, asked, "Can I take the engraved technique with me?"

The technique personally chosen by the Transcendent God Venerable must be the best here. Even if he couldn't cultivate it, he could take it back for Consort Yunxia to try.

The Transcendent God Venerable flicked a finger, and the corpse floated towards Jiang Fan. "Take it."

Jiang Fan immediately stored it.

Then he looked at the elixir furnace emitting multicolored mist and asked, "Senior, that furnace..."

The Transcendent God Venerable explained, "Inside are many spiritual elixirs, all fifth-grade, and a few sixth-grade ones."

"However, it will only randomly reward you one. Its efficacy is unknown; it depends on your luck."

"Although I oversee this place, I cannot control the Sky Furnace."

"Sixth-grade?"

Jiang Fan showed a trace of shock and, guided by the Transcendent God Venerable, approached the Sky Furnace.

Sensing the crimson pillar of light behind him, the inside of the Sky Furnace immediately began to rumble, producing the sound of countless elixirs rolling around.

Then,

A vibrant red elixir flew out and landed in front of Jiang Fan.

The Transcendent God Venerable looked at it and said in surprise, "Good luck, it's a spiritual elixir that enhances Nascent Soul Realm cultivation."

"Its effect is similar to that of Dragon Marrow Beads. If your early Nascent Soul cultivation is sufficiently deep, breaking through a realm won't be difficult."

"It's considered one of the finest spiritual elixirs from this furnace."

"Only fifth-grade," Jiang Fan sighed, realizing his luck was merely ordinary.

Suddenly, Jiang Fan remembered something and asked curiously, "Senior, what are Dragon Marrow Beads?"

He had always wanted to ask someone about the plate of appetizer beans he had found in the Transcendent God Ruins.

The spiritual energy in them was terrifyingly abundant; even a Core Formation cultivator risked self-detonation if they consumed them.

But they were items from the Transcendent God Realm, and he didn't know whom to consult for answers.

This senior, however, seemed like a suitable person to ask.

The Transcendent God Venerable smiled. "Dragon Marrow Beads were already extinct in the Central Lands even when I was alive."

"Don't even think about them."

After a pause, he casually conjured a projection of light. "Fine, I'll show you, just for curiosity's sake."

The light converged into a clear image.

It was a tiny, crystal-clear bean, about the size of a pinky fingernail, completely translucent, like a string of jade beads.

Jiang Fan's heart was filled with countless ripples.

Those piled small beans were actually the extinct Dragon Marrow Beads?

He kept his expression neutral, merely bowing and thanking, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

The Transcendent God Venerable shook his head. "No need to thank me."

He then looked at Yu Peiyuan. "Although you are not first place, you successfully made it into the top three, so you have a chance to receive a spiritual elixir."

Yu Peiyuan was overjoyed.

She hurried to the Sky Furnace. Using her talent for sensing good and bad fortune, she suddenly cast a spell at a certain moment.

With a *bang*.

A snow-white rabbit, shimmering with layers of light, was ejected from the Sky Furnace and immediately dashed away!

The Transcendent God Venerable exclaimed in surprise, "A sixth-grade spiritual elixir? *Hiss!* Little girl, your luck is extraordinary!"

He raised his hand and seized the snow rabbit, imprisoning it. As his fingers closed, the snow rabbit transformed into a snow-white elixir, inside which a faint outline of a small rabbit could be seen moving.

"It's an Ancestral Reversion Elixir. If you have a powerful bloodline in your ancestry, consuming this elixir will give you a chance to enhance your bloodline abilities."

"Little girl, you've hit the jackpot. This might even change your destiny against all odds."

Yu Peiyuan was ecstatic and quickly cupped her hands. "Thank you, Senior."

Finally, the Transcendent God Venerable looked at Jiang Fan and said:

"Next, is the most important reward: the Ancient Wilderness Token."

"Possessing this token will grant you the opportunity to participate in the Ancient Wilderness Hunt at some point in the future."

"That is a hunting ground even more grand and vast than the Linlang Hunting Ground."

"The prey there is far more dangerous, starting from the Nascent Soul Realm, and even including beings in the Transcendent God Realm!"