Chapter 510 - 171: A Good Opportunity for Merit, The Embryonic Form of the World and Its People, Be Gentle with Me

Tantai Qing departed in a flurry of humiliation and anger.

She wasn’t naive enough to believe Jiang Lan was genuinely interested in her body. In a way, the two of them were quite similar—both were solely driven by personal gain.

The fact that Jiang Lan had taught her this Cultivation Technique only confirmed it: he truly saw her as nothing more than a tool for his training, a purely utilitarian arrangement without a shred of emotion.

He might usually wear a gentle, warm, and exceptionally easygoing smile, but if his interests were threatened, he would likely become more ruthless and cold than anyone else, utterly unfazed by his own actions.

A man like that was, without a doubt, the most terrifying kind of person. You could never guess what he was truly thinking, nor could you ever know what lay hidden behind that smiling facade.

Tantai Qing had no illusions that she could wrap Jiang Lan around her finger, as her grandfather had suggested.

However, as long as there was enough mutual interest, they would remain bound together. For her, that was a good thing.

’The matter of the Red Dust Qi is settled for now, but it’s still not enough to forge the foundation for my Heaven and Earth Dharma Aspect...’

After Tantai Qing left, Jiang Lan fell into a moment of contemplation.

Tantai Qing’s agreement had been part of his plan all along.

The woman’s ambition surpassed even Chu Chan’s. The Tantai Family intended to use her to establish a connection with him and, by extension, his maternal grandfather, Li Ran, thereby securing a path of escape from the coming Demon Calamity.

Of course, Tantai Qing was unwilling to be a mere pawn.

She aimed for Sainthood, to forge a glory her ancestors had never known. How could she allow herself to be shackled by her family?

But as things stood, the only person who could help her was him.

’Knowing Helian Wen’s personality, he’s unlikely to have initiated contact with the Helian Family on his own. It’s highly probable that Huangfu Hao is behind this, pulling the strings...’

’What does Huangfu Hao gain from a war between the Helian and Tantai Families? Since he managed to escape the Demon Abyss, he must have a way to fool the three Guardian Families and get back in. Is he planning to fish in troubled waters?’

’If my guess is right, a third party on Immortal Ascension Island has also started to make its move, and they’ve already made contact with Huangfu Hao.’

Jiang Lan mulled this over, then gave an order to You’Er, sending her to Prince Zhong’s Mansion.

During his stay with the Tantai Family, he had sent Kong Xuan and the others to the vicinity of the Demon Abyss to assist Ao Yin with her patrols and to watch for any unusual activity.

This move, of course, was a diversion intended to make those lurking in the shadows believe his attention was focused entirely on the Demon Abyss.

Once Helian Wen made contact with the Helian Family, they would surely learn of his relationship with Tantai Qing and become hostile toward him.

Kong Xuan, Ao Yin, and the others near the Demon Abyss were now bound to run into some trouble.

The Demon Abyss was immense, a colossal scar stretching across the center of Immortal Ascension Island. Its cliffs were as sheer as if carved by a knife, plunging into bottomless depths.

Mountain ranges sprawled on either side, lush with ancient trees and towering peaks. A thick miasma perpetually shrouded the skies above, having not dispersed in millennia.

Viewed from the distant sky, it looked just like an enormous, overturned, pitch-black bowl.

Along the rim of this bowl lay the borderlands of the Demon Abyss. Here, the Four Great Royal Families and the three Guardian Families had established ten cities. These acted as Demon Suppression Passes, encircling the chasm like stars around the moon to keep it contained.

Each of the three Guardian Families controlled three of these cities, while the Four Great Royal Families jointly controlled one. Due to the unique nature of the Demon Abyss, the surrounding Ancient Forest Mountain Range was also a frequent source of rare treasures, Spiritual Objects, and precious mineral veins.

Countless powerful Cultivators and adventurers were drawn by its reputation. Over the long years, these cities grew into some of the most prosperous and bustling metropolises on Immortal Ascension Island.

They easily rivaled the great port cities on the coast, which thrived on commerce and trade.

Yong Su City was one such metropolis, the one jointly controlled by the Four Great Royal Families.

"I haven’t noticed any disturbances from the Demon Abyss, but over the past few days, I’ve seen young disciples from the Helian Family picking fights with the Tantai Family all over the place."

"How interesting. Could it be that before the Demon Calamity even begins, two of the three Guardian Families are going to have a bloody showdown first? Imagine the rivers of blood."

In a tavern by the window, two women gazed out at the bustling street, teeming with people and carriages. One of them, a smile playing on her lips, was none other than Kong Xuan.

Her features were fair and delicate, framing a perfect oval face. Her hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and she favored colorful dresses. A faint, five-colored divine light seemed to emanate from her eyes.

Across from her sat Ao Yin. Clad in silver Soft Armor, she was quietly sipping her wine, her pale gold eyes betraying no emotion.

She wasn’t wearing her hair in its usual ponytail today. Instead, her long silver hair was left to hang loose, falling to her waist. While it lessened her usual sharp, practical look, it lent her the unique regal air of a Dragon-man Race Princess.

Throughout the tavern, the gazes of many Cultivators and other beings were secretly drawn to them, their eyes flashing with awe.

Few, however, recognized them. Immortal Ascension Island was not the Celestial Central Province, after all. They hailed from the North Sea, a land countless miles away—a distance nearly impossible to cross without a large-scale Teleportation Array.

And the only Teleportation Arrays on Immortal Ascension Island had been destroyed long ago, during the great war to seal the Demon Abyss.

In this day and age, the art of forging Teleportation Arrays was long lost. Even a Saint could only open a temporary spatial passage, but it could not be maintained indefinitely.

Many of Immortal Ascension Island’s native inhabitants lived their entire lives without ever leaving the island. They only knew, from the tales of traveling merchants or disciples of great sects, that far across the great ocean lay a vast and endless continent, a place they yearned for with all their hearts...