Jiang Chen said goodbye to the leader and the grand elders and went back to his place.
After all the issues had been settled, the next step was to make sufficient preparations to confront Ning Haotianâs challenge.
Project Dark Soldier was on the right track for this. He wanted to improve himself further before returning to the Fire Field, but soon he heard knocks at his door.
Jiang Chen opened the door and saw it was Nan Gong.
Nan Gong was usually at the Sacred Institute, so he hadnât been at the Hero Palace, although many things had happened that day.
Jiang Chen could guess what he had come for.
Nan Gong walked into his yard and said, âJiang Chen, youâve surprised me so many times.â
âNan Gong, please believe me. I didnât want to do that. Everyone thinks they can bully me, so I have to fight back,â Jiang Chen smiled bitterly.
âIâm here for two things. The first is to pass along a message from the leader.â
The leader could show up anywhere, anytime, but he had sent Nan Gong over. It must have been because Nan Gong and Jiang Chen had been getting along well.
Nan Gong took out two rectangular wooden boxes under Jiang Chenâs curious gaze.
He opened the first box, and there was a green leaf in it, like artwork. If one took a close look, one would find the leafâs veins shone like stars. The whole leaf contained a strong vitality.
Although it was just a leaf, Jiang Chen felt like he was looking at a humongous, vibrant tree.
âThis leaf is from a Holy Tree of the Era of the Hero.â
Nan Gong was very serious while introducing the leaf. Even his breaths sounded heavier.
Then he glanced at Jiang Chen and said, âPut it in your mouth. Donât spit it out until youâre exhausted. Through this, the holy pulses in your body will recover.â
Jiang Chen was pleasantly surprised. He hadnât expected the Hero Palace to be so generous.
âAnd this one?â
Jiang Chen looked towards the other wooden box, wondering what was inside.
Nan Gong smiled and opened it under Jiang Chenâs expectant look.
When the box was opened slightly, Jiang Chenâs nostrils flared, and his pupils dilated.
He guessed it was a panacea in the boxâa class-ten breakthrough panacea!
âThe Nine Transformations Elixir will bring you profound changes. Itâs not a panacea you take orally. It should be directly put into your heart. As itâs washed over by your essence blood, it influences your whole body.
âAnother effect is to give you the strength to fight when your strength is already exhausted. It allows you to keep pushing your limits. The Nine Transformations Elixir will be helpful to you even if youâve manipulated the force of your original yuan. If you take other panaceas, theyâll also take effect more quickly.â
Jiang Chen didnât need Nan Gong to introduce the Nine Transformations Elixir to him. He knew its effects perfectly. It was exactly what he needed at that moment.
âThe leader doesnât intend to purchase your method to develop extraordinary meridians or your practice equipment with these two items. Theyâre a reward for being an excellent disciple,â said Nan Gong.
Jiang Chen realized this message was a response to what he had said to them.
âNan Gong, please convey my thanks to the leader,â said Jiang Chen.
âSure,â Nan Gong nodded. He was surprised to see Jiang Chen so calm in the face of these precious things. He couldnât help admiring the youngster in his heart.
âNan Gong, whatâs the second thing?â asked Jiang Chen.
His question reminded Nan Gong. The second thing was a bit more complicated. He started to speak after thinking for a while.
âAll short-term disciples will leave soon. I think youâll go back as well, wonât you? Although youâve joined the Hero Palace.â
âOf course,â Jiang Chen nodded. He had been working hard for this.
âOf course, there is an end to short-term studies. The disciples will go back to their hometowns in the end. Youâre a member of the Hero Palace, so you have the right to choose.
âBut we hope that you choose to stay.â
Jiang Chen was confused. He said, âNan Gong, are you worried I wonât come back again?â
âAfter all, our current practice equipment has all been built by you. You have a Golden Dragon Card, so I donât think you lack any resources. Besides, you still have to kill a guy ranked on the Slay Demon List. If you canât finish that task, youâll be expelled from the Hero Palace,â Nan Gong smiled.
Jiang Chen tumbled to the realization that even if he was expelled from the Hero Palace, it would be a trivial punishment.
As long as he stayed in the Fire Field, the families of Zhao Yajun and the others couldnât do anything to him. After all, a group with great power wouldnât travel that far to go after him.
âWhen you go back, youâll probably be a big shot in your field, but the Dragon Field is where a genius like you could exert your abilities and show your skill.
âThe Hero Palace even plans to make you a disciple of inheritance.â
âA disciple of inheritance?â Jiang Chen was surprised. He had never considered that.
The Hero Palace had a long history, full of all kinds of glory and achievements, but Jiang Chen hadnât experienced it during his stay there, since his level hadnât been high enough.
Only disciples of inheritance could experience the real power of the Hero Palace, and only a few people could become disciples of inheritance.
Even Mo Jianfei was merely a candidate.
âYouâve met less than one-tenth of the strong enemies and talented people in the Dragon Field,â said Nan Gong.
âNan Gong, donât worry about it. Iâll be back.â
Every man struggled upwards. Everyone understood this.
âAll right.â
Nan Gong eased up since Jiang Chen had promised him. Then something occurred to him, but he struggled with whether to say it or not.
âNan Gong, is there something else?â
âDidnât you ask Shi Gandang to pay attention to the news about a Taoist Priest Skywind at the Alien Battlefield?â Nan Gong asked.
âYes. Does he have any news?â
âThe Alien Battlefield has been very chaotic in the past ten years. The communication is very unstable, so much news arrives here with a delay.â
Nan Gong was telling it slowly. When he felt the time was right, he told Jiang Chen the truth. âTaoist Priest Skywind died in a battle three months ago.â
âWhat?!â
Jiang Chen had thought about such a situation, because they hadnât heard any news of Taoist Priest Skywind for more than three years, but Jiang Chen was still shocked when he heard the news in person.
He didnât know much about his fatherâs master, so he wasnât emotionally attached to the latter. What he cared about was what this news meant.
âNan Gong, could you confirm that this information is true? Does anyone else know?â Jiang Chen asked anxiously.
âItâs true. Itâs the most up-to-date information the Hero Palace has. As for other groups, theyâre using different channels, but theyâll get the information as well in the next few months.â
âNan Gong, is it possible to block the information? With the Hero Palaceâs power?â Jiang Chen said anxiously.
âI guess?â
Nan Gong was surprised. He didnât give a direct answer, which meant it was possible.
âThree months. Thatâs the limit to how long we can prevent it from getting out. I can promise you the information wonât be leaked for three months,â said Nan Gong.
It wasnât important to Jiang Chen that he know how they planned to do it.
âThree months?â
This meant he only had three months left. Otherwise, the Black Dragon City would seriously execute Jiang Qingyu!
Iâll just try my best.
No one could help him. Jiang Chen could only help himself.
âEven if I canât rescue my father, Iâll die along with the Black Dragon City!â
The Black Dragon City had been dragging their feet for several months on the matter of compensating him 30 million low-grade yuan stones.
By that time, Jiang Chen had invested billions of upper-grade yuan stones to complete Project Dark Soldier. Even if he couldnât rescue his father, he would make the Black Dragon City pay the price.