Chapter 354

Chapter 354: Jie Yan’s Arrival

After Little Hong left, Fang Lie had nothing to do, so he simply started telling Little Yellow about the wondrous world outside and how terrifyingly powerful demon creatures could become when fully grown.

Hearing that demons could soar through skies, burrow underground, shift mountains, drain seas, and wield near-limitless power, Little Yellow’s eyes grew round with wonder, his face alight with yearning.

Seeing this, Fang Lie knew his plan had worked. These weak little demons, constantly bullied by outsiders, would never let slip any opportunity to grow stronger—even if it meant abandoning their homes or facing dangers.

While Fang Lie was persuading Little Yellow, the monk he’d driven away finally landed in a safe spot.

Strangely, the monk showed no anger. Instead, excitement and smugness colored his expression as he muttered, "Poor fool Fang Lie. Does he know his bounty equals dozens of Flower Demons? Since you stole my Ten-thousand-year-old Yellow Essence little demon, I’ll claim your life as payment!"

He produced a Purple-Gold Golden Bowl containing liquid that shimmered faintly blue. Dropping a bead of heart blood into it, he activated secret techniques.

Instead of dissolving, the blood essence spread across the surface like a spiderweb. The liquid churned until settling to reveal blood threads forming a recognizable face—Jie Yan Chan Master, third disciple of Bai Lian Chan Master!

The face spoke, its voice booming oddly from the bowl: "You found the boy?"

"Senior Uncle," the monk bowed, "this disciple located Fang Lie. He robbed me of a Ten-thousand-year-old Yellow Essence little demon."

"Excellent!" Jie Yan’s voice quickened. "This Major Merit outweighs losing one Flower Demon. Guard that communication bowl—don’t lift the spell until I arrive!"

"Understood."

"It may take days to reach you. Endure it." The face dissolved, the remaining blood essence halved in size as it rolled inside the bowl, emitting faint ripples.

The monk grimaced. "Days? This’ll drain me dry!"

The Purple-Gold Golden Bowl demanded heavy costs—both Magic and Original Essence Blood. Locating targets consumed one drop over three days, but communication burned through it faster. This exchange had wasted half a drop, requiring at least another. Delays might demand two.

Losing multiple drops of Original Essence Blood would cripple his Nascent Soul energy. Yet Jie Yan’s orders left no choice.

Unbeknownst to the monk, Jie Yan stood conflicted in a distant forest, clutching a jade plate where white mist swirled chaotically.

"Frustrating!" Jie Yan glared at the Searching Qi Plate. "Bai Mu Shi Shu’s treasured item tracks anyone under Heavenly Dao laws. Its failure proves this isn’t a natural paradise of the heavens—it’s the Dao palace of an ancient great one who merged with the Heavenly Dao! No wonder weak little demons thrive here."

He paced. "Such a being outshines even modern Semi-Immortals. Their treasures—Dao magic, inheritances, secret treasures—would make sects drool. Fully exploring this place needs a month… but hunting Fang Lie wastes ten days. Barely enough time left for treasure hunting!"

The dilemma gnawed at him. Treasures left by Heavenly Dao-merged masters didn’t decay—they grew stronger, harmonizing with world laws. The rewards could elevate him beyond imagination… if he dared risk missing them.

Generally speaking, the ancient great ones who can merge with the Heavenly Dao usually have life-bound treasures that are almost all Ninth-Rank. Some wealthy scoundrels even possess several treasures.

This means that there is at least one Ninth-Rank treasure hidden in this place. If Jie Yan Chan Master were to obtain it, he would achieve great merits for the sect. He would surely receive various rewards and could defeat two senior brothers to become the Master Bai Lian Chan’s Successor and inherit this lineage of the Dao.

Such a huge temptation cannot help but move Jie Yan Chan Master. Moreover, compared to the Ninth-Rank treasure, Fang Lie, a mere Qi Sea disciple, seems insignificant. If he can truly bring back the Ninth-Rank treasure, it does not matter whether Fang Lie lives or dies.

However, if the Ninth-Rank treasure cannot be found and Fang Lie is still alive, then Jie Yan Chan Master will be in big trouble.

Although he is somewhat confident that he can find the fallen place of this great one within a month, finding it does not mean he can take the treasure. Who knows if the protective restrictions and formations inside are still effective? If they are, let alone him, even his Master would be unable to break in within a month.

Should he take the risk to find the treasure or kill Fang Lie first? This dilemma causes Jie Yan Chan Master much inner conflict.

He stands in place, hesitating for two or three hours before finally making up his mind and heading straight toward Fang Lie.

At the last moment, Jie Yan Chan Master finally clarifies the pros and cons.

For now, anyone who can detect the unusual presence in this place must at least be a Thunder Tribulation expert. Even he, as a Fire Tribulation Immortal, could only guess a bit using the Searching Qi Plate.

So, even if this time does not work out, there will be future opportunities. As long as this information does not leak, he can come back as many times as he wishes.

But Fang Lie is different; this scoundrel will probably only come to the Lost Forest once in his lifetime. His undying nature can only be restrained in this one place. If he misses this opportunity, it will be extremely difficult to kill him again in the future.

Unless Great Thunder Sound Temple is willing to pay any price, even risking a war with Mo Sect, and uses something as vicious as the Puppet That Dies in Place Divine Lightning to kill him.

But that cost would be too heavy; if things go wrong, it could really lead to a Great War, which would not be worth it.

Thus, Jie Yan Chan Master ultimately chooses to prioritize killing Fang Lie. As long as he eliminates this scoundrel, the task will be satisfactorily completed, and a generous reward will await him upon his return.

When he finds the treasures of the ancient great one next time, he can claim another reward. This way, he can achieve both goals.

However, one thing troubles Jie Yan Chan Master greatly. After learning the truth of the Lost Forest, he immediately realizes that the disciples who mysteriously died here in the past likely did not perish due to strange forbidden spells but rather because they exposed too much power and were erased by the laws of the Heavenly Dao in this area.

Even Jie Yan Chan Master, as a Fire Tribulation Immortal, dares not resist the powerful laws of the Heavenly Dao, so he must maintain his current identity honestly. Even when he acts, he cannot use divine skills and treasures that exceed the Golden Pool cultivation level.

As a result, more than half of his abilities are rendered useless. Facing Fang Lie, who can kill two Core Inner Gate Disciples, he feels somewhat uncertain.

Fortunately, Fang Lie is also similarly limited, which fills Jie Yan Chan Master with courage and fighting spirit once more.

After six full days, Jie Yan Chan Master finally finds the monk who carries the message, but he is shocked to see how he has changed.

At this moment, the monk, who was once radiant and robust, now appears waxy and frail, sitting there as if on the brink of collapse.

Jie Yan Chan Master can see that he is clearly suffering from a severe loss of blood essence. He quickly flies over, using his Magic to nurture the monk’s body while feeding him a spirit pill.

Upon seeing Jie Yan Chan Master, the monk smiles bitterly and says, "Senior Uncle, if you had not come soon, my blood essence would have been exhausted!"

"Ah, there is nothing I can do. It’s too far, and I rushed over without stopping!" Jie Yan Chan Master replies helplessly.

"Goodness, how vast is this Lost Forest? It takes you, a Fire Essence Immortal, days to travel?" the monk exclaims in shock.

"No, although the Lost Forest is not small, it is not particularly large either. If I were to travel at full speed, I could probably fly from one end to the other in about three days!" Jie Yan Chan Master explains helplessly. "However, this area is extremely strange, and I dare not use power beyond the Golden Pool, so I can only fly slowly over!"