sjar Chapter 567 What is your relationship with Jiang Chen? A difficult parting.
Chapter 567 What is your relationship with Jiang Chen? A difficult parting.
Chapter 567 What is your relationship with Jiang Chen? A difficult parting.
Fan Huang gave Jiang Ruo a deep look, signaling her to remain silent. Jiang Ruo moved her lips, as if she had something to say, but ultimately chose to remain silent.
Fan Huang turned to Antares again and said seriously, "My lord, are you willing to accept this deal?"
He understood that the only way to deal with Antares was through transactions; everything else was just empty talk.
Antares was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "You know what it means to me to spare even a sliver of my will."
“I understand, my lord,” Fan Huang replied. “But you also know that I have never forced you to interfere in the affairs of the human race. I only hope that you can protect my disciple at the crucial moment.”
"As for the specifics of how to protect it, I believe you have your own insightful opinions."
Antares's eyes flashed with a thoughtful look, as if he was weighing the pros and cons.
Eliminating enemies is protection, rescuing people is also protection. As long as it doesn't directly participate in combat, it doesn't count as interfering in human affairs.
Antares stared at Fan Huang and asked in a deep voice, "Are you really determined to go to that place?"
Fan Huang nodded, his voice firm: "Time is of the essence, I must go. Even if it means facing certain death, it is my destiny."
“Fate?” Antares sighed. “Yes, your lifespan is coming to an end. If you don’t act now, you may really have no chance. But even if you go, the chances of success are extremely slim.”
Fan Huang did not refute, but simply said, "This is my choice."
Antares was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, I agree to this deal. Give me the Dragon Ball, and I will protect your disciple until she becomes a near-godlike being."
Upon hearing this, Fan Huang was overjoyed and immediately took out an antique-looking box from his bosom.
Jiang Ruo's eyes widened in shock when she saw the box. She had seen it many times before and knew its importance to Fan Huang. Every time she asked what was inside, Fan Huang would always reply, "This is your life."
Now, she finally understood Fan Huang's words. The box contained her hope of saving her life.
The box slowly opened, revealing a crystal-clear dragon ball. Although it looked unremarkable, Antares's eyes instantly burned with fervor.
The Dragon Ball flew out of the box, transforming into a streak of light, and entered Antares's mouth. Antares's massive body trembled slightly, and the entire space shook in response.
The spatial fluctuations rippled outwards like ocean waves, spreading out in layers. Jiang Ruo felt as if she were in the middle of the ocean, her body swept up by the surging waves, completely out of control.
This feeling filled her with horror; she realized that Antares's power was far beyond her comprehension. Such a being was terrifying, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.
If someone really wanted to kill her, they wouldn't even need to lift a finger; a single glance could send her utterly annihilated a thousand times over.
"Such a chilling power actually exists in this world." Jiang Ruo was shocked and felt an unprecedented fear of Antares's existence.
"How many secrets does this world still hold?" Her eyes were filled with curiosity and awe; Antares's existence was completely beyond her comprehension.
Since becoming Fan Huang's disciple, Jiang Ruo, as the only human with the potential to reach the half-step godhood level, has received Fan Huang's meticulous guidance. Fan Huang has a private library, although its collection is not as extensive as the royal treasury, it contains treasures of the human race, some of which are even unknown to the royal treasury.
Over the years, Fan Huang has imparted all his knowledge and experience to Jiang Ruo without reservation, from the basics to the advanced, from theory to practice, pouring it all into her. Although Jiang Ruo found it somewhat difficult, she knew that this was Fan Huang's expectation and trust in her.
At this moment, upon hearing the news of Fan Huang's impending departure, Jiang Ruo finally understood why he was in such a hurry to impart his knowledge to her. Her teacher was going to a place where death was a near certainty, and he might never return.
Fan Huang's voice was filled with emotion and kindness as he said to Jiang Ruo, "I'm afraid I'll never come back after I leave. You must cultivate diligently and strive to reach the realm of a half-step god as soon as possible. The human race cannot be without a half-step god. Fortunately, Jiang Yi is about to be resurrected, and I can sense his soul."
"With Lord Antares protecting you, your safety should be no problem." Fan Huang's words were full of concern and expectation.
After absorbing the Dragon Ball, Antares finally turned its gaze to Jiang Ruo. To it, Jiang Ruo was far too insignificant, having previously barely attracted its attention. But now, a hint of surprise appeared in its eyes.
Then, Antares suddenly brought its massive head close to Jiang Ruo, sniffing her all over with its enormous nose. Each breath was like a howling wind, making Jiang Ruo almost lose her footing.
Although Jiang Ruo felt afraid, she was even more curious and awe-inspiring. She knew that Antares meant her no harm; he was simply curious about her existence.
Antares's voice was deep and powerful: "You have his scent on you."
Jiang Ruo was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "His scent? Who are you referring to?"
Fan Huang also looked puzzled, not understanding who Antares was referring to.
Antares continued, "What is your relationship with Jiang Chen?"
Jiang Ruo's expression turned somewhat strange. Suddenly hearing her younger brother being mentioned, she answered loudly, "Jiang Chen is my younger brother."
Antares nodded, her voice drawn out, "No wonder, no wonder you have that brat Jiang Chen's scent in your blood, so you're siblings."
Jiang Ruo asked curiously, "Sir, do you know Jiang Chen?"
Antares snorted and said with some disdain, "Of course I know him. That kid is no pushover."
Although Jiang Ruo was somewhat displeased, she could only remain respectful in the face of someone like Antares and dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction.
Antares snorted again and continued, "That kid is cunning, but his talent is not bad. As for you, although your combat strength is slightly inferior, your leveling speed is quite fast, which is not bad either."
As soon as he finished speaking, a transparent, illusory figure appeared in front of Antares, a miniature version of Antares appearing in Jiang Ruo's sight.
“This is a wisp of my will. It usually lies dormant in your mental world and only awakens when you are in danger,” Antares explained.
“According to our deal, I will protect you, but I won’t kill anyone for you. So, you still need to be careful and don’t bother me unnecessarily.” Antares’s voice revealed a hint of impatience.
Despite cursing Jiang Chen, Antares still managed to sever a wisp of her will, which transformed into a transparent figure and quietly entered Jiang Ruo's mental world, where she fell into a deep sleep.
Seeing this, Fan Huang breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully said to Antares, "Thank you, Lord Antares."
Antares waved his hand. “It’s just a transaction between us, you don’t need to thank me. However, I know that you’ve been keeping the Dragon Ball hidden for a hundred years.” Fan Huang’s face stiffened, and he said with a forced smile, “Please calm down, my lord. I had no choice but to do this in order to complete the transaction.”
Antares snorted, "Although a hundred years is just a blink of an eye for me, your behavior does make me somewhat unhappy."
“However, since you’re about to leave, I’ll let it go this time.” Antares’s voice carried a hint of helplessness.
Fan Huang was grateful. He knew that although Antares' words were harsh, they were actually quite lenient.
Jiang Ruo looked at Fan Huang, her eyes filled with reluctance and worry, and asked softly, "Teacher, is it really impossible not to go?"
Fan Huang shook his head and said firmly, "I have to take this step. Only by taking a gamble can I possibly break my destiny."
Antares chimed in, "That's right. Going is a nine-out-of-ten chance of death, while not going is a certain death. You've lived for 200 years and your time is up. If you don't take the plunge, you'll truly have no chance."
Jiang Ruo's eyes welled up with tears, and she didn't know what to say.
Fan Huang smiled and comforted him, "Don't cry. You're already a god-level expert. Be strong. Although this journey will be extremely dangerous for me, it's not without hope. Perhaps in the future, when you become a super god-level expert, we can meet again."
"Jiang Ruo, remember this: beneath the stone table in my cultivation room lies a box. When you reach the half-step Godhood realm, you will be able to open it. It contains the deepest secrets of this world." Fan Huang's voice was calm and solemn.
Antares snorted softly, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice: "You humans always like to make things so mysterious. Not only now, but in the last era as well. Why can't you just say it directly instead of making it so complicated?"
Fan Huang smiled slightly and replied, "This is our way; you may not understand." At this moment, Fan Huang's aura became unusually peaceful, as if he had already let go of all burdens and concerns. He turned to Antares and respectfully said, "Lord Antares, may I ask you to see me off on my final journey?"
Antares nodded, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "Since you're about to leave, I'll see you off."
Before he finished speaking, the space around Fan Huang suddenly distorted, and a spacetime tunnel slowly appeared.
Fan Huang bowed deeply to Antares: "Thank you, my lord. If fate allows, we will meet again."
Then, he turned to look at Jiang Ruo, his eyes filled with reluctance and expectation: "Jiang Ruo, you must be strong, work hard in your cultivation, and strive to reach that realm as soon as possible. The road ahead is still long, and you must walk it on your own."
After saying that, Fan Huang did not hesitate any longer and stepped into the space-time tunnel, his figure gradually disappearing into the distorted space.
"Teacher!" Jiang Ruo could no longer hold back her tears. Every moment she had spent with Fan Huang over the past three years played back in her mind like a movie.
She knew that Fan Huang's teachings to her were not only about imparting knowledge and strength, but more importantly, about understanding life and the world. Now, their parting here might truly be a final farewell. But Jiang Ruo believed that as long as she continued to work hard, she would one day meet Fan Huang again.