Chapter 123: Return to Devour the Starry Sky (Second Update)

On the Platform of Enlightenment, various items were arranged in neat order.

The Void-Concealing Bracelet, a low-grade immortal storage artifact, possessed a space of a hundred miles in circumference. It could also be infused with mana to generate a defensive immortal radiance, making it a rare and valuable treasure.

The Heavenly Dipper Swords, a set of thirty-six low-grade immortal swords, were originally housed within the Void-Concealing Bracelet. This discovery delighted Jiang Fan immensely, though they were useless for the time being; as immortal artifacts, they were far beyond his current ability to wield.

The Jade Lotus Seed, a gift from Lei Zhenzi, was said to be most effective when consumed upon completing the cultivation of the Profound Dao and transitioning to the Nine Turns Profound Technique, allowing one to avoid many pitfalls.

The three immortal talismans were also gifts from Lei Zhenzi. Once bound by a drop of blood, they could be activated with minimal mana. However, Jiang Fan had no clear concept of what "minimal" meant in this context.

The remaining items were spoils of war obtained from killing Black Rose and Mo Shaluo, along with various broken artifacts salvaged from the ancient battlefield ruins.

"These spoils and broken relics..."

A thought stirred in Jiang Fan’s mind. He stepped out of Yuquan Mansion, took out his Silver Seal Token, and used his divine sense to contact Ji Changkong. Dispensing with formalities, he spoke directly: "I killed Black Rose and Mo Shaluo at the battlefield ruins and obtained their spoils. They are of no use to me, along with some broken artifacts found there. Can these be exchanged for anything? You know as well as I do that the items in Baihe Prefecture City are far too inferior."

"You killed Black Rose and Mo Shaluo?" Ji Changkong was incredulous.

"Of course. Do you want them or not?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Of course I do. I’m coming over right now!"

Half a day later, Ji Changkong arrived through the air, descending upon the Dong'an Pavilion of the Jiang family.

"I was handling affairs at the provincial capital, so the journey took some time," Ji Changkong said. "Tell me, how did you manage to kill them? Those two were notoriously difficult characters, especially Mo Shaluo. I’ve clashed with him dozens of times and could never finish him off. I never expected him to fall into your hands!"

"I simply overpowered them," Jiang Fan replied without further explanation.

Ji Changkong did not press the matter.

The items were laid out: Black Rose’s immortal sword, Mo Shaluo’s precious blade, other magical artifacts, and the numerous items recovered from the ruins.

"Black Rose’s body is still perfectly intact?" Ji Changkong was genuinely shocked this time.

"Her primordial spirit remains, though her will has been extinguished," Jiang Fan said. "You can examine her residual memories. If you have the secret techniques for it, refining her into an avatar would be quite something."

"Preserving the primordial spirit while extinguishing the will... you truly are a terrifying individual." Ji Changkong felt a tremor in his heart; his perception of Jiang Fan rose to a new level.

If he could kill those two, what did that mean for him? Of course, he himself had since obtained immortal destiny and was far from the person he had been back then.

"To be honest, the items they carried are of little value, but the intact body and primordial spirit left by Black Rose are priceless treasures!" Ji Changkong began to inspect them. "And these items from the battlefield ruins—most are broken immortal artifacts. Even though they have lost their power, the materials remain, and they still bear immortal runes. These are the truly precious finds, far beyond anything from the mortal world. It is hard for me to assess their worth, but tell me what you need. I will report this to the Human Emperor, and I guarantee you will be satisfied!"

"I have inherited the legacy of the Unborn Sword Sect, and my strongest means is the sword array. I am in need of a complete set of swords," Jiang Fan said. "Of course, the more, the better."

"Very well, wait a moment!" Ji Changkong declared. He performed a technique to summon the Profound Heaven Mirror from above the Prefectural Governor’s Mansion. He pointed his fingers like a sword at the mirror’s surface, creating a vortex that swept up all the items and drew them inside.

A moment later, the Profound Heaven Mirror erupted with light, and an image appeared upon its surface.

It was a middle-aged man of average build, sitting cross-legged on a jade platform. His entire body was bathed in a vast, purple radiance, exuding an aura of immense nobility and boundless power.

"Greetings, Human Emperor!" Ji Changkong bowed hurriedly.

"Greetings, Human Emperor!" Jiang Fan also bowed.

The figure in the mirror was none other than Song Qian, the current Human Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, who suppressed the world with his lone presence, causing all beings to bow before him.

His gaze crossed thousands of miles to fix on Jiang Fan. A faint pressure swept over him.

"The Great Song Dynasty remains prosperous and enduring, suppressing all alien threats precisely because of young talents like you who slay demons and eliminate evil, generation after generation, without end. This is why the people live in peace and contentment. Good, good, very good!" Song Qian nodded. "I have personally inspected your items. Those fragments of immortal artifacts are excellent; they are enough for me to forge one immortal sword. I will give you two choices: a set of forty-nine low-grade precious artifacts, or a pair of high-grade precious artifacts."

"Human Emperor, I choose the low-grade precious artifacts!"

"Low-grade is indeed more suitable for you. If you have a proper sword array, it can unleash power far exceeding that of two high-grade precious artifacts," the Human Emperor remarked. "If you come across any other good things, you may contact me directly through your Silver Seal Token. I will not let you be disappointed."

As he spoke, a stream of light flew out and landed on the Inspector’s Silver Seal Token that Jiang Fan had yet to put away.

Immediately following, forty-nine magical swords flew out from within and landed before Jiang Fan. The image vanished, and the Profound Heaven Mirror ascended, returning to its place above the Governor’s Mansion.

Jiang Fan turned the token over in his hands.

Ji Changkong smiled slightly. "Rest assured, this is merely a method left by the Human Emperor for direct contact; it is not for surveillance. Furthermore, the Human Emperor has directly bestowed upon you the rank of Grand Elder. In the Inspection Bureau, the position of Grand Elder is usually only granted to those who have reached the third step of the Primordial Spirit Realm and have rendered great service; the authority is immense. Within the dynasty, you may mobilize the forces of any branch and access any information. Aside from a few select secrets, almost everything is open to you."

"I haven't even really left the prefecture city yet, and I've already attained the rank of Grand Elder. It’s hard to believe," Jiang Fan said, shaking his head with a smile.

"Your rise has been too rapid!" Ji Changkong couldn't help but sigh. After lingering for a while longer, he took to the air and departed.

Inside Yuquan Mansion, Jiang Fan examined the forty-nine swords. They were all cyan, resembling clear green water, and there was a subtle connection between them.

The swords were named "Heavenly Cyan."

"With this sword array, even if I encounter an Earth Immortal, I should be able to hold my own!"

Jiang Fan pondered, quickly refining the swords and storing them within his Purple Mansion to nurture them.

After staying for a few more days to contemplate secret techniques and adjust his state, his consciousness crossed space and time, descending into the *Swallowed Star* world.

In the Universe-class smart fighter jet, Qin Ming opened his eyes.

Transitioning from the ancient world to the future, he felt slightly disoriented.

He took out a bottle of red wine, poured a glass, and sipped it slowly.

Before he left last time, Qin Ming had slain two Beast Emperors in the East Sea, shocking the world and becoming, without question, the world's strongest warrior. After all, even Hong, who was comparable to a god, could not do anything to them, yet they were decisively slaughtered by him during a global broadcast.

That battle forged his reputation of invincibility.

"It is currently 2057. There are still two or three years before the Golden Horned Beast destroys the world. For this period, things are basically peaceful."

"It seems the Golden Horned Beast has not yet descended upon Earth?"

Qin Ming pondered. He wondered whether he should nip the Golden Horned Beast in the bud. If he did, Luo Feng might lose his greatest opportunity. He knew well that Luo Feng’s possession of the Golden Horned Beast, a Starry Sky Behemoth, was the cornerstone of his heaven-defying rise—something that even the immortal legacy of Babata had to take a backseat to.

He opened the hatch and flew out.

The stars filled the sky, and all was silent.

He looked toward his home. His parents and sister were already asleep, so he did not disturb them. After a moment of contemplation, he transformed into a streak of light and sped away.

"I haven't really taken a good look at this world yet!"

Qin Ming traveled, stopping to admire the vast mountains and rivers.

Any short-sighted ferocious beasts that crossed his path were instantly killed by the genetic energy he released from his body.

He crossed mountains and toured rivers. Qin Ming suddenly realized that the air in this world was very clean.

The sky was blue, the water was clear, and the stars were bright. This put him in an even better mood.

The next day, Qin Ming arrived at the South Pole.

The cold here was no less than that of the North Pole, though today the wind was weak and the sky was dim.

Seeing a group of penguins below, fluffy and cute, he was just about to descend when a massive Emperor Penguin, ten stories tall, suddenly leaped up. In an instant, it arrived beneath him, its mouth agape, ready to swallow him whole.