Chapter 984: The Patriarch’s Relic

That day, he couldn't get close and couldn't clearly see who was undergoing the Boundless Blood Tribulation. He thought it must be an individual of extraordinary talent, unparalleled in potential. Consequently, he never connected it to Jiang Fan of the Qingyun Sect. In his eyes, the Qingyun Sect was a place of poverty and backwardness, a label that even made him feel ashamed to be associated with. How could such a person be nurtured there?

At present, he hadn't even truly looked at Jiang Fan, so he naturally didn't assess his cultivation level and habitually treated him as a peak Core Formation Ninth Level cultivator.

When he decided to leave, no one tried to stop him. Jiang Fan, who was right in front of them, was still more important.

Liu Wenchen said, "Venerable Grand Elders, what are you waiting for? Please announce your decision quickly."

Jiang Fan looked at the Grand Elders, puzzled, "Are you really here for me?"

Qin Wangchuan chuckled, "Otherwise, why would we all abandon the Qingyun Sect and come watch you undergo tribulation? All our Grand Elders have unanimously agreed to entrust you with the Ancestral Master's legacy item. We hope it will aid your future journey to the Nascent Soul realm."

With the entire Qingyun Sect as witness, Qin Wangchuan took out a nine-colored nail from his embrace. Only the upper half remained. The lower half was broken off and missing.

Jiang Fan was surprised to find that after the nail appeared, his Nascent Soul began to throb. "What is this?"

Qin Wangchuan shook her head and said, "We don't know either. According to the ancient texts left by our Ancestral Master, he personally witnessed it falling from the sky. He instructed his descendants to pass it on to a 'true dragon' individual. Now, we have unanimously decided to give it to you."

Something else falling from the sky? Do umbrellas, Heaven-Deceiving Divine Orbs, and even a broken nail fall from the sky?

As he was about to reach out and take it, Venerable Chen Jing, who hadn't gone far, suddenly sensed an anomaly in his Nascent Soul. He turned his head and saw the nail, exclaiming excitedly, "Spirit Aperture Divine Nail! How can it be a Spirit Aperture Divine Nail? This can open the nine apertures..."

He quickly stopped speaking, flashed back, and excitedly said, "The Qingyun Sect actually possesses something like this? Why didn't you say so sooner? Venerable Feng, did you just say you wanted to give this nail to a 'true dragon' within the sect? Isn't this tailor-made for me?"

This was a divine nail capable of opening the nine apertures of a Nascent Soul. After reaching eight apertures in cultivation, opening another one was impossible with ordinary natural treasures or elixirs, unless it was a sixth-grade spiritual elixir. Otherwise, relying on oneself, it would take a minimum of ten years, or even a lifetime, to be stuck at the eight-aperture Nascent Soul stage, unable to open the final aperture.

Eight hundred years ago, a mysterious nine-colored rain fell upon the Central Plains. The raindrops were the very Spirit Aperture Divine Nails he saw now. Overnight, many nine-aperture Nascent Souls appeared. His own master, Venerable Zhenyan, also managed to open his nine apertures ten years ago only by a fortuitous acquisition of a Spirit Aperture Divine Nail.

For years, Venerable Chen Jing had been searching for a Spirit Aperture Divine Nail, preparing for his future nine-aperture Nascent Soul. However, after eight hundred years of consumption, Spirit Aperture Divine Nails had become exceedingly rare. Even if one existed, it would be in the hands of extremely powerful factions.

Yet, he never dreamed that the Qingyun Sect, which he had looked down upon, possessed half a Spirit Aperture Divine Nail? Although it was only half, if he was lucky, there was still a chance to open the nine apertures. Furthermore, with even more luck, if he found the missing half, he would absolutely be able to open all nine apertures!

"Venerable Feng?" Hearing the change in his address to Feng Guchan, from Elder Feng to Venerable, everyone inwardly sneered. "Whoever gives milk is mother!" Earlier, he was afraid of being entangled with them, but now, upon hearing about a benefit, he readily acknowledged them as his poor elders.

Qin Wangchuan cautiously retreated to Jiang Fan's side and coldly stated, "Sorry, this is for our Qingyun Sect disciples. Venerable Chen Jing, since you've already become a disciple under Venerable Zhenyan, wouldn't it be improper for you to ask for this item?"

Liu Wenchen felt comfortable inside. This scoundrel, wasn't he just looking at them with disdain? And now he wants to beg them? Immediately, he said indifferently, "Venerable Chen Jing, if this item were given to you, and Venerable Zhenyan found out, he might misunderstand your entanglement with our Qingyun Sect, which wouldn't be good for you. We won't make things difficult for you."

Venerable Chen Jing felt regret. If he had known the Qingyun Sect possessed such a treasure, he wouldn't have been so distant earlier. Seeing that the rest of the Qingyun Sect members were rejecting him, he could only turn his gaze to Feng Guchan, the only one who had shown him concern.

"Venerable Feng, your disciple truly needs this nail. Please help your disciple, considering how difficult things are for me in Taicang Prefecture."

Feng Guchan fell silent. If Venerable Chen Jing hadn't called him "Elder Feng" earlier, perhaps he would have softened and changed his vote. But now, his heart felt like dead ashes. He then considered Jiang Fan's generous gift of seven precious one-strike Nascent Soul jade talismans, comparing them to Venerable Chen Jing's charitable few bottles of low-grade Dust Heart Pills. No matter how muddled he might be, he could never betray Jiang Fan to curry favor with the heartless Venerable Chen Jing.

"Venerable Chen Jing, you exaggerate. I am unworthy of being your master. Furthermore, this is the Grand Elders' decision. How can an elder like me make such a call? Please don't pressure your junior."

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They had genuinely worried that Feng Guchan might soften and cause trouble. Seizing the opportunity, Qin Wangchuan quickly tucked the Spirit Aperture Divine Nail into Jiang Fan's embrace. Jiang Fan possessed a spatial storage artifact, and with the presence of the incantation, it could prevent Venerable Chen Jing from forcibly taking it. Jiang Fan naturally didn't hesitate and immediately stored it within the Sky Thunder Stone.

Venerable Chen Jing grew anxious. He then shifted his hope to Jiang Fan, saying, "Junior Brother Jiang, this item isn't very useful to you. Give it to your Senior Brother. I owe you a favor."

Jiang Fan was somewhat perplexed. Does Venerable Zhenyan not consider character at all when choosing disciples? How could he have chosen Venerable Chen Jing as a disciple? Furthermore, his martial talent doesn't seem to be top-tier, does it? At twenty-eight years old with a four-aperture Nascent Soul cultivation, he was indeed admirable on the continent. But in Taicang Prefecture, he wasn't among the absolute elite. There were only three Soul Transformation realm cultivators and one Bodhisattva. By any measure, Venerable Chen Jing didn't seem qualified to be a Soul Transformation realm disciple, did he? Was there something about Venerable Chen Jing that he hadn't noticed?

Thinking this, Jiang Fan clearly refused, saying, "Apologies, Venerable Chen Jing. I am neither your junior brother, nor do I wish to accept your favor. Furthermore, this item is useful to me."

Without a change in expression, he released his cultivation realm. Venerable Chen Jing's expression drastically changed, and he said in disbelief, "A two-aperture Nascent Soul? You... when did you break through to the two-aperture Nascent Soul?" Immediately, he recalled the terrifying Boundless Blood Tribulation and gasped, "Was it you undergoing tribulation yesterday?"

Jiang Fan nodded.

Venerable Chen Jing stared at Jiang Fan, a strong sense of defiance rising in his eyes. For the Qingyun Sect to produce one like him was already a miracle. How could it also give rise to someone who experienced the Boundless Blood Tribulation? Recalling his master's words that he was inferior to Jiang Fan, rage immediately surged within him. He said: "Let's fight! If I lose, I'll agree to one of your conditions. If you lose, the Spirit Aperture Divine Nail is mine! Don't refuse; you have no choice!"

He raised his hand and sliced, splitting the Demon Emperor Hall in two with a palm strike of divine power, characteristic of a four-aperture Nascent Soul.

Jiang Fan frowned deeply. He increasingly noticed something was off with Venerable Chen Jing. Having already reached the Nascent Soul realm, after countless trials and tribulations, how could his state of mind still be like this? Furthermore, there was a faint hint that his mental state was not right. A little... insane?