Supreme Emptiness

Jiang Fan touched his nose and said, "I'd better not say."

He almost got Hua Xin killed.

Feeling a bit guilty inside.

And truly couldn't bear to hit her with more disappointment.

Yet Hua Xin gritted her teeth slightly and said, "Just say it, let me give up on it."

"I really want to know, where on earth is that bell hidden, no matter how hard I think, I can't find it."

"I've searched the tenth layer thoroughly, except for the Forbidden Land and the lairs of a few incredibly powerful beasts."

Jiang Fan coughed dryly and said, "Alright."

"You insisted on asking, don't blame me then."

"This bell came about like this..."

He told her the events of that day exactly as they were.

Hua Xin listened.

She was stunned in place: "Are you saying this Hell Soul Bell is in the stomach of a one-aperture Hell Creature?"

"And the reason you got it..."

"Is because you took my Tiger Talisman Yin Marrow, and it submitted to you, obediently gave you the Hell Soul Bell?"

Jiang Fan nodded: "Yes."

Hua Xin said dumbfounded, "So if you hadn't stolen my Tiger Talisman Yin Marrow."

"It would have submitted to me and handed the bell over?"

Jiang Fan cleared his throat: "It should have."

Hua Xin clenched her fists tightly, hair standing on end, smacking the Ghost Soul Crystal fiercely:

"In other words."

"You stole the bell that should have been mine?"

Jiang Fan touched his nose: "Don't speak so distant."

"We're family now."

"Why quarrel over trivial things?"

Hua Xin screamed in frustration: "Jiang Fan!"

"You dog..."

Before her voice could break his eardrums, Jiang Fan swiped a finger across the Crystal Ghost.

Manually muted her.

Then looked at the Double-headed Hellhound and said, "See what you've done."

"Made her so angry?"

The Double-headed Hellhound seemed to understand Jiang Fan's words and widened its eyes.

Wait.

Wasn't she scolding you?

Jiang Fan frowned and said, "Didn't you hear her say 'dog'?"

"If not you, then who else?"

The two heads of the Double-headed Hellhound exchanged a glance and started pondering.

Seems like they were indeed being scolded.

After all, the hellhound is also a dog!

Ding ding dang—

Jiang Fan shook the Hell Soul Bell again.

The Double-headed Hellhound immediately lay on the ground, stuck its tongue out, and wagged its tail.

As if recognizing its master.

No connection to its previously fierce and terrifying appearance at all.

Jiang Fan couldn't help but smile slightly.

"In light of this, traversing the tenth layer shouldn't be a problem at all."

Riding the Double-headed Hellhound should save a lot of trouble, right?

Of course.

Before leaving, he also cleaned out the remaining half-acre of the vegetable garden.

Not a single plant left.

Then he leapt onto the back of the Double-headed Hellhound.

It showed no resistance at all, instead, barked twice happily.

"Chaoge, come on up!"

Xia Chaoge jumped and landed beside Jiang Fan.

With a sweet smile, she said, "Congratulations, Master Uncle, you've acquired another precious artifact."

Jiang Fan teased, "You know too many of Master Uncle's secrets."

"Master Uncle wants to silence you."

Xia Chaoge covered her mouth with a laugh: "What can I do then?"

"There's no one here, shouting at the top of my lungs won't make anyone hear."

"I'll just have to let Master Uncle..."

The sentence wasn't finished, and she realized it was inappropriate.

Quickly she turned away, looking elsewhere with a hint of redness on her cheeks.

Jiang Fan also found it odd.

Almost sounded like he'd do this or that to Xia Chaoge.

He coughed and said, "Hey dog, go in that direction."

The Double-headed Hellhound immediately stood up and sped off towards the array.

Meanwhile.

Forbidden Land.

The old woman stood amidst the ruins beneath the sky's gap.

Her finger lightly brushed a stone.

At her fingertip appeared a thread of lightly golden flowing blood.

Her aged face full of icy coldness.

"You all actually caused the death of Young Master!"

Thud!

Kui Xing fell to the ground in panic, sweat pouring from his forehead.

Unable to even conceive what kind of being was the Young Master, addressed by the Asura King before him.

"Y-Your Excellency."

"It was that human named Jiang Fan who deliberately blew up the Black Crystal."

"I'll take you to find him for revenge!"

The old woman looked upwards, quietly watching the sky, then closed her eyes.

Moments later.

Upon reopening them, the killing intent subsided, peace returned.

Her voice was exceptionally calm: "No need."

"Who caused the explosion doesn't matter anymore."

"Because today, everyone who came here must die."

"Considering you're part of my Asura Clan, I'll spare your life."

"In the future, don't come here again."

Kui Xing was overwhelmed with joy.

He kowtowed repeatedly: "Yes, Senior!"

When he raised his head again, the old woman had vanished without a trace.

She must have gone to seek vengeance for the Young Master.

Kui Xing wiped the sweat off his forehead: "Little People Clan!"

"You should have obediently been my slaves!"

"Now look, you angered the most forbidden presence of the tenth layer."

"All of you must die!"

"Ha ha ha!"

He left the Forbidden Land laughing.

Such was Jiang Fan, riding the hound all the way towards the array.

Encountering several Hell Creature attacks along the way.

But they sensed the Double-headed Hellhound's might and abandoned the idea.

"Truly a good dog."

Jiang Fan couldn't help but praise.

With this dog, traversing the tenth layer was indeed free of worries.

Woof woof woof!

Yet suddenly.

A dog barking sound arose in the distance.

The Double-headed Hellhound beneath him sniffed and immediately ran over.

Before reaching, dust and smoke rolled, vibrations incessant.

Blood-red beams shot by Double-headed Hellhounds crisscrossed.

A dozen Double-headed Hellhounds were besieging an enormous beast, entirely engulfed in blood-red flames.

When they arrived.

The giant beast, with power reaching the Three Apertures Nascent Soul, had already fallen with a crash.

Looking closely.

The beast resembled a wild pig and was a Hell Creature.

Its entire body ablaze with blood-red flames.

Jiang Fan recognized it as Asura Karmic Fire!

The Double-headed hound beneath him appeared to have some vendetta against the massive wild pig.

It dashed forward, fiercely bit down on its carcass, tearing its belly apart.

Jiang Fan looked puzzled.

The Double-headed hound raised its head, muttering indistinct sounds.

Sadly, Jiang Fan couldn't understand.

"Master, it's saying that this wild pig betrayed its companions."

"Led to it being captured by human monks."

"They've been searching for this wild pig to take revenge."

Ah!

Jiang Fan realized.

Seeing the Asura Karmic Fire on the wild pig, he immediately understood where Dharma Seal Vajra acquired the Asura Karmic Fire.

Turns out, this wild pig used a portion of Asura Karmic Fire to hire Dharma Seal Vajra against the Double-headed Hellhounds.

Yet.

Jiang Fan quickly realized something was wrong:

"Little Qilin, how do you understand what they're saying?"

Little Qilin poked its head out, holding the Ghost Soul Crystal, transmitting in Jiang Fan's mind.

"This sister taught me."

"Said it's Hell Language."

Oh.

Hell Language?

What?

Hell Language?

The inscriptions on the bronze artifact he painstakingly sought?

Hua Xin actually knew it?