Chapter 1877 - 1920: Siling Awakens

Jiang Fan looked with satisfaction at the doppelganger before him, or more accurately, it should be called a poison body!

It appeared normal outwardly, yet was infested with poison within. Even its sweat could easily kill a Divinity Transformation Realm at the stage of Heavenly Person Decline.

Its full potential in combat and the extent to which it could poison others awaited real battle testing.

"I hope it doesn’t disappoint me!" Jiang Fan found a set of black robes and put it on the poison body.

Thinking for a moment, he also dug out an old mask from the corner of the Heavenly Thunder Stone, one long unused.

Faintly visible on it were the words "No.1," though blurred.

He had long forgotten the last time he assumed the identity of No.1 Shadow Guard.

It seemed like an eternity ago.

Now, he decided to put the mask on the poison body.

Soon, a figure draped in loose black robes, with hair black as ink cascading like a waterfall, wearing a No.1 Shadow Guard mask, appeared before him.

Jiang Fan took out a bag and put the figure inside it.

This too was a trump card.

Finally, Jiang Fan looked toward the vanished cursed sun-wheel and Merit Divine Stele with a hint of regret.

The body reborn from blood absorbed both the cursed sun-wheel and Merit Divine Stele internally, thus sustaining itself.

"If only I had enough cursed sun-wheels and Merit Divine Stele, couldn’t I create more doppelgangers?"

"Today a poison body, tomorrow a thunder body, the day after a fire body..."

"In this way, with endless doppelgangers, I could face enemies using a doppelganger that restrains them."

Just the thought of it was exciting.

However, it was just a thought.

Cursed sun-wheels and Merit Divine Steles were already incredibly difficult to gather, not to mention the Saint Crystal remains left by Saints after their death, even rarer to find.

Shaking his head, Jiang Fan decided not to dwell further, waving away the poison smoke in the chamber, slowly rising.

Only one day remained.

Tomorrow was the agreed day for the life-and-death battle with the Young Emperor!

The only thing he hadn’t cultivated was the Buddhist Scripture from Buddha Domain, the Heavenly Separation Sutra.

This was a Buddhist Scripture for Body Tempering, requiring the Power of Laws to temper the physique.

But Jiang Fan didn’t even have enough Power of Laws to activate the Tai Chu Prison Sky Gourd, let alone any excess for Body Tempering.

For now, this scripture was beyond reach.

What needed cultivating was cultivated; what needed preparation was prepared.

On this last day, it was best to accompany everyone and solve any unresolved matters.

At this moment, an aura of Heavenly Human Three Decline gradually emanated, growing stronger.

Upon reaching its peak, even the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion trembled.

Jiang Fan’s eyes gleamed: "Someone has surpassed the Heavenly Human Three Decline—a Moon Venerate."

He opened the stone door, instantly moving to the Moon Venerate’s chamber.

True Word Venerable and Green Pearl had already arrived ahead, guarding against the person breaking through within.

Jiang Fan also waited quietly.

Once the aura stabilized and the stone door opened, a figure in flowing celestial garments stepped out, as pure as Chang’e from the Moon Palace.

Seeing Jiang Fan, her face blossomed with a bright smile like peach flowers, then she instantly moved over.

Yet she couldn’t control her body, stumbling, luckily, Jiang Fan caught her in his embrace.

"Siling!" Jiang Fan’s eyes filled with joy. Only Chen Silin could come to him in such a rush.

"Husband~" Chen Silin’s voice immediately choked with emotion: "I thought I’d never see you again."

No one understood the fear and dread of seeing one’s body lose control day by day, ultimately forced into darkness.

She felt like someone drowning, slowly sinking into the sea’s depths.

That sensation of suffocation was a living nightmare.

Jiang Fan tightly hugged her fragile body: "It’s okay now; the Moon Venerate doesn’t dare do anything further to you."

"Once I find a suitable method, I’ll drive her completely out of your body."

Chen Silin just sobbed in Jiang Fan’s arms.

Green Pearl teasingly commented: "Well, here comes another sister."

True Word Venerable dragged her away, helplessly saying: "Afraid you’ll have to call her sister; she’s husband’s concubine from the continent, his second woman."

"Let’s go."

Green Pearl pouted reluctantly: "Since returning from Hell Realm, husband hasn’t spent any time with me."

"After the battle against the Young Emperor, he better make it up to me thoroughly."

"Otherwise, I’ll open the Book of Life and Death, and write he’s impotent for life, hmph!"

With surroundings departing, only two people remained.

Jiang Fan held Chen Silin gently comforting: "I came too late."

Ever since their farewell at Old Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the two hadn’t met until now. Jiang Fan finally had the power to keep the Moon Venerate beside him firmly and force her to release Chen Silin.

Feeling Jiang Fan’s guilt, Chen Silin cupped his face, shaking her head:

"Don’t blame yourself, husband. If not for the Jade Paper Heavenly Book you sent, which greatly enhanced my Soul Power, my soul would’ve been absorbed by the Moon Venerate long ago."

Jiang Fan had given her the Jade Paper Heavenly Book twice.

Once during their farewell, transmitting all the Jade Paper Heavenly Book content he grasped to Chen Silin, urging her to train day and night.

The second time, he entrusted Ji Qingxuan to go to the Moon Palace and deliver the Jade Paper Heavenly Book.

Chen Silin said: "I’m just useless. Even with your help, I couldn’t beat the Moon Venerate and let her gradually control my body."

Jiang Fan’s heart ached, he could imagine Chen Silin’s despair at that time.

No ally by her side, only former disciples of the Moon Venerate.

They coldly watched Chen Silin’s consciousness being suppressed bit by bit until it sank into darkness.

Chen Silin wanted help but found no assistance.

It was unimaginable how she managed to persist through that darkness until now.

Jiang Fan hugged her tightly, as if wanting to melt her into his body.

The once alchemist clan’s eldest daughter, joined him in stepping onto Central Earth’s stage.

Yet the accompaniment he gave her was even less than Xu Youran.

"Siling, bear with it for now. I’ll find a way to restore this body to Sage Realm, and elevate your Soul Power to the corresponding level."

"Eventually, let you directly take over the Sage Realm body."

Perhaps from guilt, Jiang Fan made a vow.

Chen Silin relished being held tightly by Jiang Fan, her heart achieved unprecedented solace.

It’s akin to stepping from a drowning abyss onto the shore.

Even if she were to fall back into darkness, she wouldn’t fear anymore.

"Just being able to see you often is enough, don’t push cultivation too hard, I don’t really care."

"Oh right, husband, don’t forget to thank that friend named Ji Qingxuan."

Chen Silin suddenly said: "After entering the Moon Palace, I was isolated, forbidden to contact the outside world."

"Ji Qingxuan somehow arrived with the Jade Paper Heavenly Book and handed it to me."

"Moreover, she advised me to hang in there, said that someday husband would come for me."

"Thus, relying on the last few Jade Paper Heavenly Book pages, my soul strengthened once more, resisted the Moon Venerate’s absorption."

"And trapped in darkness, it was relying on the belief that you’d come that kept me going. Otherwise, I might have succumbed, allowing the Moon Venerate to merge with me."

Hmm?

Something’s not right!

Jiang Fan’s brow knitted tightly.

If Chen Silin was isolated, it meant she was under house arrest. How did Ji Qingxuan reach her?

The Moon Palace indeed had Sages, Great Venerates, and several Divinity Transformation Realms. How did Ji Qingxuan as a Nascent Soul Early Stage evade detection and reach Chen Silin?

Moreover, Jiang Fan recalled another event that perplexed him greatly.

That was, when Ji Qingxuan went to Heavenly State, before leaving, she gave him a Misfortune Sage’s bone!

The Misfortune Sage’s remains lay within the Forbidden Land!

That place was the greatest treacherous ground in Taicang State, the main battleground for Ancient Giants of this Taicang State.

Without protective origin elements like thunder or fire, even Divinity Transformation Realm dared not to tread lightly, lest they be reduced to extirpation.

Yet Ji Qingxuan not only entered but successfully broke off a bone!

That’s a Sage’s bone; is it so easily broken?

Jiang Fan later visited the Forbidden Land, still skeptical about comparing the bone to the Misfortune Sage’s remains.

The result amazed him: it indeed was taken from the remains, with fresh marks, likely just recently removed.

Combining her delivery of the Jade Paper Heavenly Book today, Jiang Fan was bewildered.

What exactly was going on with the Beihai Long Princess?