After receiving Jiang Chen's straightforward answer, the Sacred Ancestor finally handed the special permit over to him.
Jiang Chen didn't stand on ceremony. He tucked it straight into his pocket. The Spiritual Medicine Treasury was one place he hadn't yet visited. The Eternal Sacred Ground's Spiritual Medicine Treasury was surely the highest-grade storehouse in all of Myriad Abyss Island — the treasures within must be exceedingly abundant. Jiang Chen was genuinely looking forward to it.
He returned to his cave dwelling in high spirits and called out, "Brother Vermilion Bird, Brother Dragon — interested in going on a little shopping spree?"
"A shopping spree?" The Vermilion Bird divine beast asked lazily.
"Sweeping through the Eternal Sacred Ground's treasury. How about it — interested?" Jiang Chen tossed the permit up and caught it, adopting the tone of someone luring a child away.
Long Xiaoxuan's eyes lit up. "The Eternal Sacred Ground's treasury — there must be all sorts of things in there. Let's go! Why wouldn't we?"
The Vermilion Bird divine beast merely chuckled, looking at Long Xiaoxuan with an expression that said: you really are still young.
Long Xiaoxuan was somewhat displeased. "Brother Vermilion, if you've got something to say, just say it. Why make that constipated face?"
The Vermilion Bird divine beast clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Young Dragon, you're becoming increasingly uncouth. Don't forget — you're a noble member of the Dragon clan. You can't be so vulgar."
Long Xiaoxuan shrugged. "You become like the company you keep. I've picked up all your bad habits."
"That has nothing to do with me," the Vermilion Bird divine beast grinned. "I, for one, am a refined individual."
Jiang Chen said with exasperation, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you taking shots at yours truly? It seems you have no interest in the spree, so I'll just go get rich on my own. Sigh, kindness thrown to the dogs."
The Vermilion Bird divine beast chuckled again. "Those who take gifts find it hard to speak frankly, and those who eat others' food find it hard to speak plainly. Chen Shao, the Eternal Sacred Ground is being this generous — I'm afraid the goods in question aren't that easy to take, are they?"
"You really are clever. It's not actually free." Jiang Chen then repeated roughly what the Sacred Ancestor had told him. "Brother, think about it — the missions the Sacred Ground has arranged, I'd have to go whether I wanted to or not. But if I go, I can squeeze something extra out of both sides. This is a rare chance to get rich — I truly can't let it slip by."
The Vermilion Bird divine beast said with annoyance, "Under normal circumstances, I'd go even without any reward. But right now, my greatest task is breaking through to the Divine Path. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this day. Do you have the heart to keep me in this torment?"
Jiang Chen said with a grin, "Your breakthrough to the Divine Path is only a matter of time. The fact that it hasn't happened yet just means the right opportunity hasn't arrived. Perhaps after a few more fights — after devouring a few more powerhouses — your Divine Path realm will come knocking uninvited. Besides, Brother Dragon is also in urgent need of building up his strength right now. You have to give him the chance to fight for real. Otherwise, what a waste of his true Dragon bloodline!"
Long Xiaoxuan nodded vigorously. "Let's go. Absolutely, we have to go. There are rewards and there's combat — why wouldn't we?"
As long as it could improve his cultivation and benefit his training, Long Xiaoxuan would never pass up the opportunity.
"Brother Vermilion Bird, going to Shibi Hell Island a few months earlier or later isn't really a big deal, is it? Besides, the path of cultivation isn't necessarily about sitting in a sealed chamber in silence."
The Vermilion Bird divine beast groaned. "You brat! Fine, I'll go on one more rampage with you. But this is the absolute last time. Once it's done, I'm going to Shibi Hell Island, no excuses."
"Don't worry — by then you may have already broken through to the Divine Path and won't even want to go."
"One can hope."
The man and two beasts were just about to set off for the Spiritual Medicine Treasury when someone arrived to visit — a man claiming to be Yan Zhenhuai of the Yan family.
"Yan Zhenhuai?" Jiang Chen paused. If it was Yan Zhenhuai, then this was someone worth meeting. After all, Jiang Chen had a rather favorable impression of him. He also gave a quiet nod of approval — the Yan family was learning to play the game, sending Yan Zhenhuai specifically. At the very least, Jiang Chen did have a certain fondness for the man.
With that, Jiang Chen waved his hand. "Show him in."
Yan Zhenhuai was promptly brought in. Upon seeing Jiang Chen, he didn't appear overly nervous, but greeted him with a wry smile. "I've been wanting to call you Shao Yuan this whole time, but I kept reminding myself along the way that I should address you as Brother Jiang Chen."
"Heh, call me whatever you like — it's not an issue. So, Brother Zhenhuai, what brings you here?" Jiang Chen cut straight to the point. He was still waiting to go on his spree.
"Well, the family has already sent a group of experts to the Endless Prison, but it seems they've run into a bit of trouble."
Jiang Chen's brow furrowed. "It seems the three months you promised me have already elapsed. This whole time, I haven't gone to the Yan family — I've been waiting for you to deliver your report. And now you come to tell me there's 'a bit of trouble'? Are you trying to say the Yan family hasn't managed it?"
Yan Zhenhuai looked somewhat helpless. "The Endless Prison is genuinely hard to talk about. It's far too complex. The family was desperate back then and made promises it shouldn't have. Getting two people out of the Endless Prison within three months — how could that be easy? It's entirely possible that the family's own experts went in and can't come back out either."
"If that's the case, then Huang'er's parents simply don't need to be saved, is that it?" Jiang Chen's tone turned cold.
"That is absolutely not what I mean. The family is doing everything in its power. I've come for two reasons: first, on the patriarch's orders, to ask you to extend the deadline a bit. Second, in a private capacity, to ask Brother Jiang Chen to be magnanimous and let the Yan family off the hook. Knowing Huang'er's gentle nature, she would certainly not want you to suppress the Yan family — even if she's already fallen out with them."