Chapter 981: Mother's Gift

According to his mother's instructions, a five-star Soul Master was required to open the secret compartment. It was clearly stated: a five-star Soul Master, not merely someone possessing the soul power of a five-star Soul Master. This suggested the secret compartment would require certain special abilities unique to Soul Masters.

Considering this, he retrieved an old bamboo scroll. The words "Taiyi Soul Arts" were engraved on it. It was this very scripture that had enabled Jiang Fan to become a four-star Soul Master, allowing him to refine various high-grade spiritual elixirs.

The "Taiyi Soul Arts" accounted for half of his progress in reaching his current cultivation level. With his soul power now significantly increased, he could resume cultivating the "Taiyi Soul Arts."

He immediately began studying the spiritual script on the scroll. Half a day later, his head started throbbing, a clear sign that the subsequent content had pushed his soul power to its absolute limit.

"Is this only enough to barely become a five-star Soul Master? And capable of refining only low-grade fifth-rank spiritual elixirs?" Jiang Fan clicked his tongue in disbelief. His initial cultivation had directly elevated him to a four-star Soul Master. Yet now, even with his Nascent Soul (three orifices) level soul power, he could only just manage to advance to a five-star Soul Master. To become a six-star Soul Master, would it require a soul at the God Transformation realm? He realized he had significantly underestimated the Soul Master cultivation system.

Without time to ponder these thoughts, he eagerly retrieved the black wooden box. It had been buried underground for many years yet remained perfectly intact and incorruptible. Even with his current discernment, he still couldn't identify the box's material.

He opened the lid; the box was already empty, its contents long removed. However, judging by its external volume, there should indeed be another layer at the bottom, though he couldn't find an opening.

Remembering that only a five-star Soul Master could open it, he had an idea. He used his formidable soul power to purify the wooden box. As a result, faint traces of an unknown, moon-white powder were indeed extracted from within.

The powder proved incredibly stubborn. Jiang Fan exhausted all the power of a five-star Soul Master and put in a tremendous effort. It took him a full half-day to completely purify all the moon-white powder. "What kind of impurity is this?" Jiang Fan wondered, gazing at the handful of powder in his palm with a look of surprise. After a moment's thought, he decided not to discard it and found a jade box to store it.

Crack! As the moon-white powder was fully purified, the incorruptible black box seemed to lose its vitality and instantly disintegrated. It dissolved into wisps of black dust, scattering into the air. Jiang Fan was stunned: The black box was gone?

He looked down to find a cluster of moon-white flames where the box had been. It flickered gently, emitting a soft glow, and was delicately encased within a layer of crystal.

"Is this a unique flame?" Jiang Fan murmured, picking it up. The moment he touched the crystal, a soft wave of ripples instantly surged forth, rapidly expanding in all directions and accelerating. In an instant, it swept across Qingyun Sect's territory. In the blink of an eye, it spanned the lands of the Nine Sects. A minute later, it radiated across the entire continent. Within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, it passed through the Four Seas. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it leaped over the Great State of Taicang. Within a quarter of an hour, it had spread throughout the Nine Provinces of the Central Land!

Innumerable ancient, slumbering beings were roused from their sleep. Some reacted with fear, others with surprise, and still others with greed. They all stirred, eager to re-enter the world, but were suppressed by several ancient wills, which quickly quelled the disturbance.

Jiang Fan, however, remained oblivious to this larger impact. He only vaguely sensed that the leaked shockwave was highly unusual. He picked up the crystal and fumbled with it, trying to open it, but the crystalline layer proved exceptionally hard.

No matter how much force he applied, it wouldn't open. "An unopenable crystal flame?"

Jiang Fan was quite curious. He reasoned that his mother, who had left him the seed of the Ancient Void Tree, surely wouldn't have left behind an ordinary moon-white flame. He simply lacked the ability to open it at the moment.

Nevertheless, he had fulfilled his father's last wish.

"Father," he murmured, "it seems Mother has left me many more trials, urging me to continue onward." Jiang Fan lit three incense sticks, burned some paper money, and poured a cup of wine. Finally, gazing at the tombstone, he said, "Your son departs now."

"Once I unravel the mystery of this flame, I will return to share its secrets with you!"

Shortly after,

At the Xu family mansion, Qingyun Sect had already expanded the estate, making it far grander and more luxurious than even the City Lord's manor. Had Xu Zhengyan not repeatedly intervened, the Qingyun Sect might have transformed it into a veritable imperial palace.

Today, the Xu family manor was adorned with lanterns and festive decorations, bustling with activity. All the city's dignitaries were present. Today marked the day Xu Zhengyan took another concubine. In fact, this was already the fifth concubine he had taken in the past two months, all of them beautiful young women.

It wasn't that Xu Zhengyan was promiscuous, but rather that he couldn't refuse. These women had all been bestowed upon him by various elders of the Qingyun Sect; how could he possibly decline? Even his principal wife, Wang Yingfeng, could only smile warmly, welcoming them into the household and daring not to cause the slightest offense. This was because the five new concubines were not merely gifts from Qingyun Sect elders; they themselves hailed from influential families within Qingyun Sect territory, their backgrounds ten to a hundred times more powerful than her own Wang family. How could she possibly dare to boss them around as she used to? She counted herself fortunate that Xu Zhengyan hadn't favored a concubine over her, potentially even dismissing her.

Xu Zhengyan, sporting two bluish-black dark circles under his eyes, said, "Please, everyone, make yourselves comfortable." Just then, the butler arrived to report, "Master, someone has delivered a congratulatory gift."

"The sender left without giving a name," the butler added. Xu Zhengyan curiously accepted the gift, discovering it was a rare spatial storage ring, seldom seen on the continent. Upon opening it, he found various martial arts resources, enough to cultivate practitioners from the Qi Condensation to the Core Formation realms.

These resources were enough to enable the Xu family to cultivate a Core Formation realm master. On the current continent, who else could possess a spatial storage artifact and send it to the Xu family? He accepted it with trembling hands, murmuring:

"My child, the road ahead is thorny. Take care."

At the Chen family. Chen Yuqiu gazed worriedly at the thick ledger before her. "Oh, why are people from as far away as the Spirit Beast Sect and the Joyful Harmony Sect coming to our Chen family to buy Qi Condensation Fluid?"

Liu Qinmin chuckled helplessly. "Our daughter has aligned herself with Jiang Fan. How could they not give our Chen family face?" she asked. "Enough chatter. Finish reviewing all these ledgers tonight. No going to bed until you're done!"

Chen Yuqiu's eyes brightened; she finally wouldn't have to 'pay public grain' tonight. Seeing her daughter's expression, Liu Qinmin felt a surge of irritation and was about to scold her.

Just then, a spatial storage artifact dropped from the sky, landing on the table. Upon opening it, they found various cultivation resources.

And some unusual medicinal herbs. "It's Jiang Fan!" Chen Yuqiu exclaimed excitedly. "Jiang Fan sent these to us!"

Liu Qinmin, as someone from a family of pharmacists, recognized some of the medicinal herbs, her face flushing. "They're aphrodisiacs," she said. "This child, how thoughtful he is!" Then she turned to her husband. "My dear Chen, it's time for your medicine."

Chen Yuqiu's smile instantly froze.

Meanwhile, in a grand, floating hall within the Great State of Taicang, Venerable Xinnie knelt on one knee, his head bowed. Beads of cold sweat trickled from his forehead. Before him stood the phantom image of a youth.

His eyes were wreathed in lightning, and he wore battle armor woven from nine-colored lightning, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was fixed on Venerable Xinnie. Yet, that mere gaze was enough to fill the heart of this supreme God Transformation realm expert with dread.

"Feng Xinnie, you have disappointed me."