Supreme Hidden Dragon in the City-Chapter 472: Return to Jiang City

After disposing of the female ghost, Chen Fan turned his head to look at Lin Zhendong standing beside him. Seeing his incredulous expression, he called out, "Leader Lin."

Lin Zhendong showed no reaction; his eyes remained fixedly staring at the demon core on the table.

Chen Fan waved his hand in front of his eyes and called out again, "Leader Lin?"

Only then did Lin Zhendong come to his senses, turned his head to look at Chen Fan, and asked, "The Goddess... she’s just gone?"

With a smile, Chen Fan said, "She was no goddess, just a wild ghost clinging desperately to the power within that demon core of yours to eke out an existence. Leader Lin, the way you’re lost in thought, could it be that you miss the taste of that female ghost?"

Lin Zhendong’s face turned red, and he quickly said, "How... How could that be possible, don’t talk nonsense here. I never tasted what she was like; how could I miss it!"

Chen Fan chuckled playfully, but didn’t tease him further. After all, Lin Zhendong was getting on in years, and Chen Fan still needed to give him some respect.

However, the female ghost did remind him of Tong. Compared to this ghost, Tong was much kinder and gentler. He wondered where she had been reborn, and if he counted the time, she should now be a child of one or two years old.

Without dwelling on it, Chen Fan went over to pick up the demon core. Instantly, he felt an overwhelming power surging within it, and he heard the howls of a Jiao Dragon.

"If I’m not wrong, this should be the inner core of that White Flood Dragon. The visions I saw earlier were the scenes it witnessed before dying. This indicates that the great battle must have truly taken place on Earth during Ancient Times. Otherwise, this core wouldn’t have appeared here. One wonders what exactly happened back then to trigger such a catastrophic war."

A touch of emotion arose in Chen Fan’s heart.

Lin Zhendong leaned in and asked, "Chen Fan, since you were able to dispose of that female ghost, you must be able to discern the origin of this divine core, right? This divine core was found by one of my Lin Family ancestors in the wild, an expert identified it as an extraordinary object, and so it has been passed down as an heirloom."

"But we have never figured out what use this divine core has. Only a few years ago, when that female ghost suddenly appeared and claimed to be the reincarnation of Goddess Nuwa, even killing a young man from our family, I realized that this was not any divine core, but a demon core."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "It indeed qualifies as a demon core, as it is a demon beast’s inner core."

A look of confusion spread across Lin Zhendong’s face, "A demon beast’s inner core?"

Chen Fan nodded, "Leader Lin must have read the Classic of Mountains and Seas, which records various terrifying demon beasts. They are not mere fabrications but truly existed in Ancient Times. Only strong demon beasts possess an inner core in their bodies, which contains all their power. The stronger a demon beast was in life, the more valuable its inner core."

"The female ghost must have discovered the inner core by accident and wished to use its power to survive, so she came up with a way to deceive you."

Lin Zhendong seemed to understand but was not quite sure. Although he had reached the Divine Realm and knew the world was far more mysterious and complex than he had understood, the existence of demon beasts still seemed far-fetched to him. However, having witnessed the female ghost, the existence of demon beasts in the world didn’t seem so implausible anymore.

Chen Fan looked at Lin Zhendong and asked, "Leader Lin, this demon beast’s inner core is just what I need. I was wondering what conditions you would require in exchange for this demon core?"

Lin Zhendong laughed and replied, "That thing sitting here with me would only be a headache. I should be thanking you for getting rid of the trouble that came with it, and I have no use for it myself. You can just take it; no conditions necessary."

Seeing how agreeable Lin Zhendong was, Chen Fan said with a smile, "Leader Lin is too generous. The demon beast’s inner core is invaluable, and I cannot simply take it without offering something in return. However, I currently cannot think of anything I could give Leader Lin. How about this: I need this demon core to refine a Formation. Once the Formation is complete, it will generate a constant supply of Innate Spiritual Liquid. If ever you need some, you can take it as you please, how about that?"

Lin Zhendong asked, "Innate Spiritual Liquid? What is that?"

Chen Fan explained, "You can consider it as equivalent to a Thousand-Year Elixir. A small bottle of Innate Spiritual Liquid equals a Thousand-Year Elixir, which greatly aids in cultivation. Once the Formation is complete, we will have a constant supply of Innate Spiritual Liquid, and you won’t have to worry about resources for cultivation anymore."

Lin Zhendong’s eyes grew wide, looking at Chen Fan somewhat incredulously, and asked, "Do you mean to say that once the Formation is ready, it will be like having a constant supply of Thousand-Year Elixirs for my breakthroughs?"

Chen Fan nodded, "That’s one way to understand it."

Lin Zhendong took in a sharp breath, still feeling like Chen Fan was pulling his leg.

As a master of the Divine Realm, he was acutely aware of the difficulty of progressing at that level. Without enough resources and some luck in finding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects, it would be impossible to advance even half a step further in this lifetime.

He had been at the first rank of the Divine Realm for years, always struggling with the lack of suitable cultivation resources, unable to advance.

Throughout these years, he had expended countless efforts searching for something that could help him break through, but to no avail.

If what Chen Fan said was true, then he would no longer have to worry about resources for cultivation!

For a master of the Divine Realm, this was an even more exciting prospect than getting married to a young and beautiful wife!

"You... you’re serious?" Lin Zhendong was still a bit skeptical about the veracity of Chen Fan’s words. After all, such a rare object as described by Chen Fan, once it appeared, would inevitably cause a great commotion.

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Of course, it’s true. The Divine Covenant has set their sights on me. Xiao Zhantian and an elder from the headquarters will come next week to fight for my Formation Core. That’s why I need to refine the Great Formation, as a countermeasure against them."

Lin Zhendong’s expression changed as he exclaimed, "Xiao Zhantian and an elder from the Divine Covenant are coming after you!"

Chen Fan nodded, his tone indifferent as he said, "Leader Lin, there’s no need to be nervous, they won’t be able to trouble me. And you can rest assured, I won’t ask you to take sides; they won’t bring trouble to your door."

Lin Zhendong looked at Chen Fan in disbelief. In the Capital, Xiao Zhantian was the stuff of legends, his strength beyond Lin Zhendong’s wildest imaginations, not to mention there was also an elder from the Divine Covenant. These were not forces just anyone could contend with. Yet, Chen Fan appeared completely nonchalant, as if he hadn’t given the matter a second thought.

Chen Fan’s words convinced him entirely of the existence of Innate Spiritual Liquid; otherwise, the Divine Covenant would never have made such a significant move.

He stared at Chen Fan and asked, "Are you really confident about going against the people from the Divine Covenant?"

Chen Fan nodded, "If I weren’t confident, I would have handed over the Formation Core already."

"If Leader Lin is worried, I can keep our dealings a secret. I promise you’ll have your share of the Innate Spiritual Liquid when the time comes," Chen Fan said.

Lin Zhendong chuckled and said, "No need, I have no regard for those haughty fellows of the Divine Covenant. Compared to them, I’m more optimistic about you. Take the Demon Beast Inner Core as you wish. If the Divine Covenant wants to trouble me, let them come."

Chen Fan bowed to Lin Zhendong in thanks, "Then, I am much obliged, Leader Lin."

Lin Zhendong waved his hand, "What’s there to thank for? We’re friends now; there’s no need for such formalities."

Chen Fan nodded, and to prevent Little Ling from secretly absorbing the energy within the Demon Core, he did not place it within the Heavenly Creation Pearl but carried it with him.

The two of them left the room together.

Suddenly, Lin Zhendong asked, "Chen Fan, I wonder if you have a girlfriend yet? What do you think of my granddaughter? She may be a bit mischievous, but her looks and figure are top-notch. Although she is a bit younger than you, isn’t it the trend now for young people to date those younger than themselves? Some even wait from kindergarten age. Why don’t you try dating my granddaughter Xue? Who knows, you two might be a good match!"

Chen Fan coughed lightly and quickly said, "Better not. Your granddaughter will surely find someone more suited to her than me."

She was a handful; always staging a scene. Anyone who became her boyfriend would certainly have their hands full.

Lin Zhendong seemed a bit disappointed but didn’t press the issue, assuming that Chen Fan was just considering Lin Xue too young.

After leaving the headquarters of the Martial Arts Alliance, Chen Fan returned to Mu Mansion to give a brief explanation and then hurried off to the airport.

He needed to remove the Dragon Vein beneath the Hillside Villa in Jiang City.

He also had to meet with Su Zhenyun and Jian Wanrong. Since Su Qingyan had been taken away, he owed them an explanation.

Three o’clock in the afternoon.

Chen Fan arrived at the Jiang City airport, and after exiting the airport, he took a taxi to the Su Family Mansion.

"Uncle and Aunt must already know about Qingyan being taken away; they must really hate me," he thought.

Chen Fan got out of the taxi and walked toward the Su Family Mansion, prepared to be scolded or even beaten by Su Zhenyun and Jian Wanrong.

Even though it wasn’t deliberate on Chen Fan’s part, Qingyan had been taken away while out with him, making it his responsibility. Parents are always emotional when it comes to their children and don’t always think rationally, a feeling Chen Fan could understand.

As soon as he entered the mansion, he felt a oppressive atmosphere, with the servants listlessly cleaning, giving off a gloomy vibe.

"Is it because Qingyan was taken that it’s like this?" Chen Fan mused to himself. He came to the courtyard of Su Zhenyun and Jian Wanrong, having already checked with his Divine Sense that the couple was indeed at home.

Standing before the living room door, he took a deep breath and pushed the door open to enter.

Su Zhenyun and Jian Wanrong were sitting on the sofa, both wearing rather grim expressions.

When they saw someone enter, they lifted their heads. Upon seeing it was Chen Fan, they were taken aback.

Then Jian Wanrong stood up, her lips trembling, her whole demeanor extremely agitated.

Chen Fan bowed his head, full of self-reproach, "Auntie, it’s my fault that Qingyan was taken. I know that you must be furious at me. Go ahead and hit me, scold me. I will not harbor any resentment."

He braced himself for Jian Wanrong’s tirade.

However, in the next moment, Jian Wanrong stepped forward, took Chen Fan’s hand, and comforted him, "Chen Fan, we’ve heard about Qingyan from my father. It’s not your fault; don’t be too hard on yourself, and don’t do anything foolish. The Su Family is in turmoil right now, and we don’t want to lose you, our good son-in-law, as well."