Chapter 1761: New Function of the Moon Realm

Jiang Fan was stunned by the words. He had indeed overlooked this matter. As one of Tianzhou's most powerful forces, the Moon Palace, how could they allow their reincarnated Moon Venerable to have a so-called husband? Even if they didn't kill him, wouldn't they at least warn him to stay away from the Moon Venerable? Yet, no one had ever contacted him from start to finish, which was certainly unusual. But if Sage Cold Moon had ordered them not to disturb Jiang Fan, then it would make sense.

Jiang Fan asked, puzzled, "Senior, when have you been secretly observing me? Why didn't I notice anything at all?"

Sage Cold Moon replied, "I was there during your journey through the Four Seas. I witnessed you free the Four Seas from the Three Clear Mountain's control, saw you in a righteous rage slay the Demon Emperor, and watched you protect all beings during the Linlang hunt. Then, just before the War of the Ancient Giants, I witnessed you fight to the death for Taicang Great State. My overall observation of you is this: you may have minor flaws, but your major principles remain intact. Though cunning and resourceful, you show compassion for the weak and embody a chivalrous spirit. Handing the Moon Palace over to you, I won't have too many worries."

Jiang Fan nodded, feeling that this assessment was fairly accurate. But then he grew suspicious: "Wait, that's not right. How did you witness my activities on the continent?"

The continent was a place where sages were forbidden to enter. How could Sage Cold Moon have spied on his actions from across the continent? Furthermore, after arriving in Taicang Great State, he frequently met with the Grand Wine Priest. Could it be that even the Grand Wine Priest didn't detect Sage Cold Moon hiding nearby? That doesn't make sense. Could Sage Cold Moon have been observing him in some other way?

As he pondered, he suddenly recalled an item and took a fragment of the Moon Mirror from his pocket. This Moon Mirror originally belonged to the Moon Venerable and possessed the miraculous ability to transmit messages across realms. It was hard to guarantee it didn't have other hidden abilities. Moreover, his journey to the Four Seas had occurred not long after he acquired the Moon Mirror.

Jiang Fan asked with surprise and suspicion, "You used the Moon Mirror to observe me?"

Sage Cold Moon chuckled, "What else? Do you think the treasures of my Moon Palace are that easy to acquire without strings attached?"

Jiang Fan's expression drastically changed. Didn't this mean all his secrets had been exposed to Sage Cold Moon all along?

"Haha, are you scared now? The Moon Mirror's scrying ability can only be activated once on a full moon night, and it disappears at dawn," Sage Cold Moon said playfully.

Jiang Fan's expression improved significantly then. In other words, it could only be used for half a day each month, and only at night. He had revealed very little. Still, this left Jiang Fan displeased; no one liked having their actions constantly monitored. He decided to find talismans or some magical artifact to seal the Moon Mirror later.

He snorted softly and said, "No wonder you didn't ask for it back! So you were peeking at us!"

Sage Cold Moon pointed to the token in Jiang Fan's hand and said, "Once it becomes a formal token, you'll also be able to activate the Moon Mirror's scrying function."

Only then did Jiang Fan realize that the token's full name was "Candidate Palace Master Token." He mused, "Are there other candidate Palace Masters?"

Sage Cold Moon replied, "Of course. I need to select the most suitable person from a group of exceptional individuals. Besides you, there are two other candidates. After this Merit Convention, the true future Palace Master will be chosen based on your performances. For the chosen person, the Candidate Palace Master Token will transform into a formal Palace Master Token. For those not chosen, the token will self-destruct on the spot."

Jiang Fan pursed his lips and handed the Candidate Palace Master Token back to her: "You can choose them. I'm not particularly interested in being the Moon Palace Master." He had no time to manage such a vast sect. He didn't even have time to manage the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, leaving all the arduous tasks to the Pavilion Master. How could he possibly manage the Moon Palace, which had no connection to him?

Sage Cold Moon was taken aback. "This is the position of Moon Palace Master!" She truly hadn't expected Jiang Fan to refuse.

Jiang Fan said, "My ambitions lie elsewhere, Senior. Please find someone else more suitable."

Sage Cold Moon's face turned green, then red. She had imagined Jiang Fan would be filled with gratitude, but in reality, she was the one begging him to accept. 'Damn it, is being able to refine a Small Heaven Pill so impressive? Is there no one else who can besides you?' 'Alright, there really isn't anyone else.' She gritted her back teeth, about to swallow her pride and beg him to accept, when inspiration suddenly struck. 'That's right, how could I have forgotten the Moon Venerable?'

A smile appeared on her face as she said, "I forgot to tell you, being the Moon Palace Master comes with a significant benefit. With this identity, you can command everyone in the Moon Palace, including the Moon Venerable."

Jiang Fan's eyes lit up; he was finally interested. He was just wondering how to deal with the matter concerning the Moon Venerable and Chen Siling. If the Moon Venerable relied on her Moon Palace background and refused to even meet him, he would be powerless against her. With the Palace Master identity, things would be different. If he told her to lie prone, she would lie prone; if he told her to lie down, she would lie down; if he told her to strike a certain pose, she would strike that pose.

He asked, "Senior, may I ask if the Moon Venerable's remnant soul can be extracted?"

Sage Cold Moon shook her head. "Theoretically speaking, the Moon Venerable underwent a form of possession and re-cultivation. If her soul were extracted, it would surely turn to ash and vanish." With a helpless expression, she continued, "Strictly speaking, the Moon Venerable is the true master of that body. Chen Siling is merely a new soul that emerged while the Moon Venerable was in slumber. Between them, only one can exist. As for who stays and who goes, that's entirely up to you. If you choose to keep the Moon Venerable, given her past accomplishments, and with an opportunity to accumulate merit, she will surely become a sage in her generation, offering immeasurable help to your endeavors. If you choose to keep Chen Siling, her heart's beloved is you, and she will undoubtedly accompany you for the rest of your life, through thick and thin. The choice is yours to make. But the prerequisite for all of this is that you become the Moon Palace Master. Otherwise, you'll find it difficult to even meet the Moon Venerable, let alone make such a decision."

Jiang Fan thought for a moment, then gripped the token and asked, "Who are the other two candidates?"

Sage Cold Moon broke into a radiant smile; he had finally accepted. Her body began to fade as she said, "I cannot tell you that. Similarly, you must not reveal your identity to the others. Otherwise, if you three were to fight each other, the loss of any one of you would be regrettable."

That was true. Jiang Fan nodded gently and said, "Thank you, Senior. I will perform well at tomorrow's Merit Convention."

Sage Cold Moon, satisfied, transformed into a phantom and dispersed.

Jiang Fan put away the Candidate Palace Master Token and, holding a Dragon-Phoenix Divine Gallbladder, entered the imperial palace. "Caiyi, try taking this."

Gong Caiyi, who had witnessed everything that happened outside, was overwhelmed. "Husband," she said, "leave it for Sister Yu's child." This Small Heaven Pill had alarmed all the sages in Tianzhou; its value far exceeded her imagination.

Xu Youran slipped the jade bottle into her hand. "Xiao Fan won't show favoritism. You should take it first. The sooner you take this kind of spiritual pill, the better it will be for the child."

Unable to refuse, Gong Caiyi, under everyone's gaze, consumed the first Small Heaven Pill seen in the Central Land in a millennium. As the Dragon-Phoenix Divine Gallbladder entered her body, two immense forces, one red and one white, flowed into the fetus. Instantly, a strong, rhythmic heartbeat, like distant drumming, became clearly audible. An unparalleled, powerful life force slowly emanated outwards.

Rebel Bones jumped up, extended a small paw, and touched Gong Caiyi's belly. However, a dense force repelled it. Rebel Bones stumbled back, its eyes wide with shock. "How is this even more exaggerated than when I was in my eggshell?"

Seeing this, everyone's faces showed astonishment. Rebel Bones was the son of the Azure Dragon Demon Venerable, born already at the Demon Emperor Realm. Could it be that Jiang Fan's child, once born, would be even stronger than Rebel Bones?