The fear in Jian Fan’s eyes hadn’t dissipated even after his death and was clearly visible for everyone as they looked at his corpse that laid stiff on the ground. What manner of death could have evoked such expression from a monster who roamed the continent unhindered?
“H-how? Condor Jian Fan is actually dead. W-who killed him?” Long Jiu was unnerved and stammered.
Zhuo Fan sneered, “Is there a need to ask when I was the one who took out his corpse?”
They all looked at Zhuo Fan with a stranger’s eyes. Each guessed as such, but none dared to believe it.
This monster had even escaped the Veiled Dragon Pavilion’s three elders’ joint attack!
“I knew that there was a deep grudge between him and bro Jiu. Since I chanced upon him, I killed him.” Flicking off imaginary dust from himself, Zhuo Fan smiled, “Bro Jiu, please don’t take offense from meddling in your affairs.”
“H-how can I?”
Long Jiu panted and was staring at the corpse with bloodshot eyes, “This monster ruined my eye and my future. I can hardly contain myself from drinking his blood and feasting on his flesh. How can I blame you for taking revenge in my stead?”
“Brother Zhuo.”
Suddenly, Long Jiu cupped his hands, “From this day forth, I shall treat you as a sworn brother. As long as you’re in my domain, you just need to ask and I’ll do it.”
“Sigh, bro Jiu is too courteous. I barely did anything.”
Zhuo Fan dismissed him with a wave, but that little movement stirred his wound and winced. Long Jiu appeared next to him in a flash, “Don’t move brother, here are some Recovery Pills. In three days you’ll be up and about.”
Long Jiu took out a few small bottles and placed them in Zhuo Fan’s hand.
With how caring Long Jiu was, the other elders stared at Zhuo Fan in amazement. Long Kui pouted, feeling her heart dumped in vinegar.
They just wiped out Hell Valley’s men and earned great merit that even the three elders were overjoyed, yet it paled in comparison with Zhuo Fan, who killed two of Hell Valley’s elders.
“Humph, who knows what trick he pulled to get so lucky and snatch their heads. How could a Qi Condensation cultivator ever kill a Profound Heaven expert?”
Long Kui muttered in jealousy, but everyone heard her.
3rd elder glared but then shook his head.
Yet Zhuo Fan laughed, “It is true that it was by luck that I encountered the one-armed elder and got his head, bad luck in fact. Because I had just then killed a Profound Heaven expert and was out of Yuan Qi. But this also made him underestimate me. How else could I have killed the wounded Elder Jian?”
“If it were any other time, wouldn’t the elder kill me with but a wave of his hand? Sigh, last night I had the worst luck. Unlike some people, who only had to lead their men to ensure their safety…” Zhuo Fan sighed as Long Kui’s face flushed red.
“You…”
Lei Yuting giggled.
She was clear on what happened last night. Zhuo Fan was indeed amazing, forcing the elder to act as he wanted. But amazing as he was, such an instance wasn’t going to repeat itself every time.
Zhuo Fan said that just to spite Long Kui.
[I am better and stronger than you. My merit is also greater, all coming from one well-placed hit. While you can only yap your mouth… ]
The three elders laughed as they shook their heads.
They knew that Zhuo Fan succeeded in bringing down a Profound Heaven expert only through special means and not like how he bragged about, killing because he met him.
But the fact remained, him killing two such experts in a single night shook the elders’ core.
“Old Jiu, take care of brother Zhuo’s wound. We will also add a few hundred guards around the premises while I and brother Wu report back to the estate. We must notify Pavilion Lord.”
Long Jiu nodded while Long Kui and Long Jie froze, [Why even 3rd elder is calling Zhuo Fan brother?]
Zhuo Fan adapted to the change on the spot, “Bro San, bro Wu, take care!”
Stumbling, 3rd and 5th elders shook their heads in dismay.
[Old Jiu was right, this kid’s greatest talent is to read hearts.]
After they left, Long Jiu and the others helped Zhuo Fan back to his room. Long Jie and Long Kui left to handle the additional security of the small courtyard.
In bed, Zhuo Fan eased his breathing and asked, “Everyone leave, I have to talk with bro Jiu alone.”
As the people left, Long Jiu was wondering what could Zhuo Fan want to know so urgently.
“Bro Jiu, I have a gift for you.”
“Gift?” Long Jiu only laughed, “Brother, I’m not trying to discourage you, but the Luo clan hasn’t got anything I could take interest in! Or is it that you have another ancient array?”
Zhuo Fan shook his head, “In your dreams! That array alone is worth ten million at the minimum. Do you think they’re easy to come by? But I’m pretty sure you’re going to like this gift.”
Zhuo Fan took out a bag.
Frowning, Long Jiu didn’t understand until Zhuo Fan opened the bag and a crow landed on his shoulder.
“Jian Fan’s Soul Devouring Crow?”
“Correct.”
“Ever since that old guy died, this crow has been without an owner. I’m sure bro Jiu wouldn’t need long to turn it into your spirit animal, always there to protect you.”
Long Jiu’s eyes began to glisten.
The title of Godeye Long Jiu lost all it’s power ever since his eye was robbed. Now that he had the crow, it was as if he recovered his mystic eye.
“Brother, thank you for your kind intention.” Long Jiu’s eye trembled from the heartfelt gratitude.
Zhuo Fan continued, “Bro Jiu, there’s just one thing I am unclear about. Since you trained one eye in Purple Lightning Gold Eye, why couldn’t you do the same for the other?”
“Sigh, brother, this mystic eye of mine was gained through a chance encounter. A once in a lifetime opportunity.” Long Jiu sighed recalling his youth.
“This mystic eye wasn’t cultivated through a cultivation method from Veiled Dragon Pavilion. It was something I found through luck.”
Long Jiu considered Zhuo Fan as one of his closest friends. Thus, he became the first listener to this secret Long Jiu had buried for such a long time, “Brother, do you know of the three danger zones on this continent?”
After Zhuo Fan shook his head, Long Jiu smiled, “You can go anywhere you want across the continent, except for the three danger zones. Regardless of your strength, you’ll find helpless against the dangers in there.”
Zhuo Fan nodded from how serious Long Jiu looked but didn’t take the warning to heart.
“The zones are Lightning Canyon, Ice Mountain and Fire Pit!”
Long Jiu stared at Zhuo Fan in all seriousness, but then laughed in the end, “Never mind, even if you want to go you still can’t. Only if your luck is sky-high will you enter one.”
“Why?”
“Because these zones appear at random. Today, they might be in the East and tomorrow in the West. Regardless of where they descend, it will cause a terrible tornado that draws in all who dared approach, while also trapping them inside.”
[That must be an array which an expert had deployed. If one didn’t know how the array operated, they would have no hope of finding the entrance.]
Zhuo Fan asked, “Then how did you get out?”
Long Jiu nodded with a deep look, “You’re smart, brother. Yes, in my youth I chanced upon the Lightning Canyon.”
“At that time, the tornado swept me away and all I could see was a world of purple lightning. Every single expert there fell under the purple strikes. Just recalling it sends shivers down my spine. Then the oddest thing happened. The strike that was meant for me hit in my eye. While I was unharmed, all that I could feel from my eye was scorching heat.”
Zhuo Fan now understood.
As it was stated in the Nine Serenities Secret Records regarding the Heavenly Emperor’s Purple Lightning Gold Eye, everything was subjected to be destroyed under its gaze, all except the eye. This was why when the purple lightning struck Long Jiu’s eye, he was unharmed.
“Perhaps because of my will to survive, I gave it my all in fighting for my life. I was aware of the purple lightning’s power but still wanted to live. It was at that moment that a man’s voice reached me. He was reciting some method and I, in my confused state, mimicked his words. It shocked me in the end when my eye released purple lightning.”
“It may have been because of the eye that the purple lightning no longer struck me. Finally, when the tornado passed, only I survived. But ever since I was robbed of my eye and because of the frantic situation when I gained it, I no longer recalled the words that man recited and had no way of forming another mystic eye.”
Long Jiu sighed while Zhuo Fan nodded.
Lightning Canyon was a remnant the Heavenly Emperor left behind and contained his cultivation method. [I have to find it. If I add the Nine Serenities Emperor’s legacy with Heavenly Emperor’s, with two of the three ancient Emperors’ legacy in my hands, none can contest me!]
[I didn’t reincarnate in vain!]
[No one would ever imagine that a powerful Emperor Stage expert would leave his remnant in the mortal world. Ha-ha-ha…]
Zhuo Fan wanted to cackle but was sensible enough to refrain since Long Jiu was next to him.