Chapter 48: The Secret Treasure Left by the Master

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Secret Treasure Left by the Master

"My dear disciple, Chu Fan, by the time you read this letter, I fear that we, master and disciple, have been parted by death, our bond in this life severed."

From this opening line alone, Chu Fan knew that these items were the true secret treasure his Master had left for him.

’Is Master’s so-called secret treasure just a book and a Jade Pendant?’

’Then again, Master lived a simple, impoverished life. He truly had no savings. For these two items to be placed here with such care, and for him to tell me to only retrieve them after reaching the Golden Core Realm, they must be incredibly important.’

’Could it be that Master caught the Liger Beast by the Water Pool and placed it there? Was it partly to test me and partly to keep others out?’

’All that business with the earthquake, Ascendant Xingfeng’s Divine Statue, and the Divine Hall... I actually thought Master had discovered some ancient ruins and just lied about leaving a secret treasure!’

’I just never imagined it was all a coincidence.’

’But no matter how you look at it, I still came out ahead.’

As Chu Fan read the letter, he failed to notice that behind him, Yan Ying’s expression had changed as she stared at the Jade Pendant on the stone table. Her body was even trembling uncontrollably.

"Since you have come here, I assume Zhegu Slave has already helped you activate your Chaos Body. The fact that you could defeat those thirteen beasts outside means your cultivation has broken through to the Golden Core Realm once more. However, the Chaos Body is also the Hongmeng Supreme Body. As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. The greater your innate talent, the greater the responsibilities you must bear in life, and the more difficulties and dangers you will face."

"Regarding the matters of the Lingyun Sect, now that you have experienced the lowest point in your life, you can surely see many things clearly. This was a necessary part of your path to growth, even if the price was a bit steep."

"What’s done is done; ultimately, one must look forward. Now, about the Chaos Body. The reason I, as your master, did not help you activate it from the beginning is because your personal fortune was not strong enough to suppress the Celestial Dao’s backlash. Therefore, this Jade Pendant has accumulated the prayers of countless billions of living beings, enough to shield you from that backlash. Wear it always. Bathed in this fortune, it will also double the results of your cultivation with half the effort."

"But you must remember this: the path of cultivation is one of defying the heavens, of seizing the good fortune of heaven and earth. The Celestial Dao will naturally not allow this. When you become capable, you must hold great love in your heart and have compassion for the difficult lives of all living beings."

"Besides the Jade Pendant, there is also a book. This book is a copy I came across by chance, and it is a True Sword Dao Inheritance. My disciple, your aptitude in the Sword Dao is outstanding. If you can fully comprehend this true inheritance, you can become a Sword Dao Saint. However, the path of cultivation is endless and arduous. You must always maintain a heart of reverence and not rush forward seeking quick success."

"Though our bond as master and disciple in this life has ended, in another sense, are you not the continuation of my life and legacy? For the sake of your master’s and your senior brothers’ spirits in heaven, you must live freely, live without regrets, and see the true scenery at the peak on our behalf."

After finishing the letter, Chu Fan heaved a sigh.

The grief of losing his master and five senior brothers had been buried deep in his heart for months.

After reading his master’s letter, his heart felt heavy, yet there was also an indescribable feeling.

According to the letter, his master might have foreseen that he and his senior brothers would face a deadly calamity.

’But how could Master have foreseen it? Or was it that someone within the Lingyun Sect itself wanted them dead?’

’Thinking back on how the Lingyun Sect treated their lineage after I woke up, the latter possibility seems more likely. There must have been a hidden danger within the Lingyun Sect for a long time.’

’It seems there’s more to the story of that battle at the Jade Mine.’

A murderous glint flashed in Chu Fan’s eyes. It seemed he would have to investigate this matter thoroughly.

His gaze fell upon the stone table. Only now did he realize that both of these items were priceless treasures.

’One has accumulated the prayers of countless billions of beings, and the other is a True Sword Dao Inheritance. If either of these were to fall into the outside world, All Sects would probably fight to the death over them, creating rivers of blood, wouldn’t they?’

The gratitude in Chu Fan’s heart was beyond words. He swore an oath to himself that he would cultivate diligently, because for the rest of his life, he would live not only for himself but also for his master and his five senior brothers.

He reached out, about to pick up the Jade Pendant, when Yan Ying’s panicked voice suddenly rang out.

"Don’t touch it!"

Chu Fan looked at her, confused, and held the letter out to her.

"This is what my master left for me. This letter is proof."

"We’ll split it. The pendant is mine, the book is yours," Yan Ying said, her tone reverting to the same imperious, unquestionable air she had when they first met.

"On what grounds? Didn’t you hear what I just said? These things were left to me by my master. That’s why I came to Zao Ying Mountain."

"Then sell the jade to me. You can name any price. Even if you want a Celestial Tier Cultivation Technique or a Celestial Grade Treasure Sword, I can get them for you." This time, Yan Ying’s tone seemed to hold a hint of pleading.

Chu Fan shook his head and said, "Due to my physical condition, this Jade Pendant is extremely important to me. Moreover, it’s something my master left behind. I won’t sell it, no matter what you offer me."

"Do you have any idea what that is? The moment you take it out of here, you will face endless pursuit," Yan Ying said.

"And what is it?" Chu Fan naturally assumed she was just trying to intimidate him.

"This is the Emperor’s Jade Pendant of the Hua Xu Empire. It was the personal artifact of the Grand Ancestor Emperor from over ten thousand years ago and was passed down through one hundred thirty-seven emperors. It was lost over a hundred years ago when the previous Emperor was traveling incognito. To the Hua Xu Empire’s Royal Family, this Jade Pendant is ten, even a hundred times more important than the Heirloom Seal of the Realm."

Chu Fan didn’t know if she was telling the truth or not, but he still frowned and asked, "Even if it is the Emperor’s Jade Pendant of the Hua Xu Empire, what does that have to do with you, a disciple of the Celestial Dao Palace?"

"I..." Yan Ying was struck speechless by his question. She changed the subject, saying, "Can I see your master’s letter?"

Chu Fan thought for a moment. There weren’t any major secrets in the letter, so to prevent her from accusing him of trying to keep both treasures for himself, he handed it to her.

After reading the letter, Yan Ying looked Chu Fan up and down, then said, "I can let you keep the Jade Pendant, but you have to join our Celestial Dao Palace."

Chu Fan shook his head. "Ever since I left the Lingyun Sect, I haven’t thought about joining any other Sect. Unless I create a new one myself."

"If you don’t join the Celestial Dao Palace, believe me, the Hua Xu Empire’s Royal Family will kill you and everyone associated with you—even if they have to flatten the entire Eastern Domain to get the Jade Pendant back."

"Are you saying you’ll tell the Hua Xu Empire’s Royal Family about this? If I were to kill you, wouldn’t that solve the problem?" Chu Fan asked, looking at Yan Ying with a slight smile.

Yan Ying shot him a resentful glare. If not for the fact that Chu Fan had demonstrated strength superior to her own, she probably would have already tried to snatch the Jade Pendant by force.

"Forget it. I won’t kill you. In any case, you helped me in that stone cave, so you could say you saved my life. This Jade Pendant is also extremely important to me, so I won’t give it to you. If the Hua Xu Empire’s Royal Family really does come looking for it one day, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it."

In truth, Chu Fan was already convinced that the Jade Pendant was indeed the heirloom of the Hua Xu Empire’s Emperors. Otherwise, how could it have accumulated the fortune and prayers of countless billions of living beings?

Yan Ying sighed, and Chu Fan had no idea what she was truly thinking.

Chu Fan tucked the copy of the Sword Dao Inheritance into his pocket—though he actually placed it in his ring—and then changed the subject. "Didn’t you say before that the Divine Hall opens once every three thousand years? Why did it get destroyed after opening this time? What did you get?"