Chapter 444

Ye Fan said.

"That'll surely stir up a fuss—someone like the Holy Maiden of Yaochi is famous throughout the world; her arrival will make plenty of young men think they can snatch a swan from a toad."

Pang Bo pondered.

"A toad wanting to eat a swan…"

Ye Fan was speechless for a moment, then nodded. "Indeed, many have arrived."

A young man from an ancient wasteland clan came, and the Holy Son and Holy Maiden of Yaoguang Sacred Place also seemed to have arrived.

He also spotted a few petty bandits—all descendants of great bandits, like Wu Zhongtian, grandson of the fifth-largest bandit lord in the Northern Region.

The fifth-largest bandit lord in the Northern Region: Wu Dao.

The fourth-largest bandit lord was the Green Wyvern King, a renowned powerhouse among the demonic races.

The seventh-largest bandit lord is Tu Tian, who wields an ancient emperor's ultimate weapon.

Tu Tian's grandson, Tu Fei, was also known to Ye Fan; they felt an instant kinship.

"The sixth-largest bandit lord is Liu Feng; he has a grandson named Liu Kou. The eighth-largest bandit lord is Li Heng; his grandson is Li Hei Shui."

Ye Fan spoke, glancing briefly at Jiang Shenwang nearby. "There's also Jiang Huairen, the eldest grandson of the ninth-largest bandit lord, Jiang Yi. His lineage is immense—he hails from the ancient wasteland clan Jiang."

"Hm? Jiang clan?"

Jiang Shenwang's gaze turned toward him.

"Why would someone from the Jiang clan become a bandit lord?"

"Divine King, I don't fully understand it myself, but that branch long ago broke away and became infamous bandits—back then, it shocked everyone to the core."

Ye Fan explained as Jiang Shenwang questioned him.

"The Jiang clan… it seems many things changed after I was trapped in Zishan. I must return and see for myself."

Jiang Shenwang had been here recuperating, but now he was nearly healed. Hearing that a branch of the Jiang clan had wandered out and become bandits, he felt a strange sense of connection to it.

"Fang Yu, thank you these past days—I owe my rapid recovery to your magic power healing. But all things must part; I must return to the Jiang clan to handle some matters. Before I go, I'll give you a treasure—it may prove useful."

Jiang Shenwang rose instantly, his gaze blazing like a torch, piercing across a thousand li. With a single sweep of his hand, he seized a bronze furnace from the rear mountain of a Men Sect called Lihuo Sect.

The furnace had originally been only one inch tall, but under Jiang Shenwang's power, it expanded to three feet, flames roaring from within.

The lid of the bronze furnace shimmered with radiance—though made of copper, it was nearly transparent like five-colored glass, revealing the blazing fire inside clearly.

"Just now, as I meditated and roamed the heavens and earth, I sensed the Lihuo Sect's sacred treasure—the Divine Furnace of Lihuo—was connected to my Jiang clan's Emperor Hengyu. This furnace was his weapon before he became an emperor, born with Lihuo fire, capable of refining beings and objects. Though inferior to ultimate weapons, it remains formidable."

Jiang Shenwang held the Divine Furnace of Lihuo, his expression serene, his gaze fixed within the furnace, as if perceiving the emperor's Dao resonance inside.

"You gave me a juvenile ancient heavenly dragon; I give you this furnace, forged by the emperor before his ascension. You won't be at a loss."

"This…"

Fang Yu had not anticipated such a thing.

He knew the Divine Furnace of Lihuo was in the Lihuo Sect, but he hadn't taken it yet. Now that Jiang Shenwang offered it to him, he had no reason to refuse.

Trading one juvenile ancient heavenly dragon for the Divine Furnace of Lihuo was no loss.

If he could do this, he still had five more ancient heavenly dragon eggs—could he trade them for five more such treasures?

He didn't need ultimate emperor weapons; even ones slightly weaker would do.

"Don't refuse. Even if I give this furnace away, no one in the Jiang clan can reclaim it—I still have authority here."

With a flick of his hand, Jiang Shenwang sent the Divine Furnace of Lihuo toward him.

"If that's the case, I won't be so rude as to refuse."

Fang Yu took the furnace and, with a touch of Crimson Emperor Fire Sovereign Qi, activated it—immediately, its power exploded a thousandfold, as if capable of burning all heavens.

Powerful. Truly powerful.

A treasure used by an emperor before his ascension was unquestionably a Dao Artifact-level item. Though not perfectly matched, emperor treasures below the ultimate weapon tier were likely mid- or high-grade Dao Artifacts.

Fang Yu currently owned only one mid-grade Dao Artifact. Now, with Jiang Shenwang's gift, he gained a treasure rivaling mid- or high-grade Dao Artifact status—a massive windfall.

"If you have time, visit the Jiang clan—you'll all be honored guests."

Jiang Shenwang nodded as he saw Fang Yu had accepted the furnace, then swept his hand, sending three tokens to Fang Yu, Ye Fan, and Pang Bo. The tokens vanished instantly.

"See off Divine King Elder!"

Ye Fan and Pang Bo each received a token, staring at the character "Liang" etched upon it. They exchanged glances.

"The Divine King's already gone? Should've let Xiao Ye Zi hold off on his stories…"

Pang Bo watched as Jiang Shenwang truly departed, feeling a hollow loss.

Having such a perfected Divine King reside here, offering them guidance—that would've been bliss. Now he's gone.

"The Divine King is right—parting is inevitable. He's a senior powerhouse; the fact he taught us at all is rare. What we learned is profit enough."

Ye Fan also felt a tinge of sadness. Losing a perfected Divine King was undeniably regrettable—but such a day had to come.

Jiang Shenwang couldn't stay in Shi Zhai forever, nor could he teach them indefinitely.

"Congratulations, Brother Fang—you've acquired a divine furnace."

Ye Fan's gaze fixed on the furnace, which now radiated terrifying power under Fang Yu's control.

"The Divine Furnace of Lihuo—an emperor's relic—and the Divine King gave it to me. This is truly good fortune."

Fang Yu mused, then nodded.

"Those who must leave will leave. I can't stay in Shi Zhai forever either. Yaochi… I'm starting to find it intriguing."

Fang Yu stared at the Divine Furnace of Lihuo in his hand, thinking of his "second son," wondering whether to trade his third or fourth son for more treasures.

He couldn't possibly raise all seven ancient heavenly dragon eggs—so should he still cultivate?

In fact, those seven eggs nearly fed the Peng Bird egg—he stopped it just in time.

If he could trade ancient heavenly dragon eggs for weapons below the ultimate emperor tier, he could exchange for a few more.

The Eternal Life Realm has the Dragon Realm—ancient heavenly dragons aren't scarce. But good treasures? He's short on those.

"Brother Fang, you too have a day when you must leave? Though this is the truth, there is also much reluctance. People have their sorrows and joys, partings and reunions; the moon has its waxing and waning, its clouds and clarity—such things have never been perfect since ancient times."

Ye Fan listened to Fang Yu, who also seemed to harbor thoughts of leaving, and felt deeply moved.

These past days had truly been wonderful for him. Riding on the coattails of Brother Fang, the senior disciple of Zhuofeng at the Grand Xuan Sect, wherever he went he was respected by others, and he had also obtained no small amount of cultivation resources—his cultivation base could truly be said to have advanced by leaps and bounds.

But in this world, one cannot rely on a single person; otherwise, one cannot go very far.

"Let's go. Before departing, let us visit Qingxiamen together."