"Holy Sovereign Ningyan, I won't beat around the bush. Jiang comes from the Human Domain. I came to the Myriad Abyss Island partly to find my dao companion Yan Qinghuang, and partly to seek the whereabouts of the ancient Dizang Gate. As it turns out, after searching far and wide, the legacy of the Dizang Gate was right before my eyes all along."
"Oh?" Holy Sovereign Ningyan was slightly startled. Jiang Chen's identity was no longer a secret in the Eternal Divine Kingdom, but for Holy Sovereign Ningyan, this was still news.
Hearing Jiang Chen claim to be from the Human Domain, she was somewhat surprised.
"Holy Sovereign Ningyan, I'm now seventy to eighty percent confident that I can help the True Martial Sacred Ground quell the unrest. However, I have one unreasonable request."
"What is it?" Holy Sovereign Ningyan asked in a deep voice.
"I only seek clues about the Myriad Spirits Divine-Locking Grand Formation. Holy Sovereign Ningyan should know that during the ancient battle to seal the demons, the Myriad Spirits Divine-Locking Grand Formation was what ultimately decided the outcome. That formation has long since lost its effectiveness due to the passage of time, and the original battle didn't inflict major casualties on the demon race. So I'd like to see whether we can find records of how this formation was originally laid out, whether it can be restored, and whether we can find a way to reactivate it."
Jiang Chen said solemnly: "This formation is of paramount importance to the human race."
Holy Sovereign Ningyan stared blankly at Jiang Chen, as though looking at a monster. After a long moment, she gave a bitter smile: "Young Master Jiang Chen is truly far-sighted. But do you really think that, with the current human race's resources and capabilities, there's any possibility of reactivating the Myriad Spirits Divine-Locking Grand Formation?"
"In the ancient era, it took the ten greatest sects pooling their resources and manpower to barely activate the Myriad Spirits Divine-Locking Grand Formation. The scale of that formation was simply enormous, and its scope far too vast. No one in the current human race could bear the burden of activating it. Even if the resources could somehow be scraped together, the formation masters would be an insurmountable hurdle. After all, the divine abilities and power of formation masters in the ancient era far exceeded those of today. Even then, activating the formation consumed almost everything and nearly failed. If not for the fact that three powers operated it together, that formation might never have been activated at all."
It was clear that Holy Sovereign Ningyan had a thorough understanding of the Dizang Gate's legacy. She was remarkably familiar with all these details.
Jiang Chen said earnestly: "Resources, we can figure out over time. The formation master issue, I also have ways to address. But first, I must grasp all the activation details of this formation. The portion responsible for the Dizang Gate in particular is critically important."
Holy Sovereign Ningyan said with a tone of pride: "The Dizang Gate was the overall lead for this formation. The Ancient Danxiao School and that rogue cultivator formation master Pei Xing were merely assisting the Dizang Gate."
This statement was somewhat biased. Each of the three powers was responsible for a portion. The Dizang Gate's portion was relatively more difficult and larger in scale.
So it was understandable—and not unreasonable—for the descendants of the Dizang Gate to feel that it held the leading position.
"Holy Sovereign Ningyan, the situation is urgent. I trust neither of us wants to waste time beating around the bush. Jiang merely wishes to ask: is there any room for negotiation regarding my proposal?"
Holy Sovereign Ningyan pondered: "The legacy of the True Martial Sacred Ground, especially the parts relating to the ancient era, has always been handled with the utmost caution. I cannot agree to your request at this moment. The Sacred Ground keeps its ancient-era legacies under very tight control. Unless the Divine Dao Ancestor personally approves."
"So you're saying that without finding the Divine Dao Ancestor, this matter is non-negotiable?"
"Alas." Holy Sovereign Ningyan actually didn't want to refuse Jiang Chen. Deep down, she truly admired this young man and wished to help him fulfill his grand ambitions.
But the Sacred Ground had its rules.
Legacy items, especially exclusive secrets of this nature, were indeed difficult to share with outsiders at a moment's notice. The Myriad Spirits Divine-Locking Grand Formation was classified as top secret within the True Martial Sacred Ground—the highest level of classified information.
Holy Sovereign Ningyan herself had the authority to view it, but absolutely no authority to bring anyone else to see it.
"It seems Holy Sovereign Ningyan cannot make the decision on this matter?"
"Young Master Jiang Chen, quelling the unrest is an urgent crisis. In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are called for. On this matter, I may be able to negotiate with you on behalf of the Sacred Ground. Even if there are repercussions later, for the sake of the Sacred Ground's future, I am willing to accept whatever punishment the Sacred Ground imposes."
"Oh? Does this mean Holy Sovereign Ningyan agrees?" Jiang Chen's eyes lit up with surprise and delight.
"No, no, no. I merely said I could discuss it with you." Holy Sovereign Ningyan hastily clarified.
"Is there a difference?" Jiang Chen was taken aback. He wasn't thinking that far ahead—he simply wanted to obtain the details of the Myriad Spirits Divine-Locking Grand Formation.
"Yes, there's a difference. Just now, you were the one proposing conditions. Now, I intend to do a bit of bargaining." Holy Sovereign Ningyan's tone carried a hint of playfulness.
"Please, do tell." Jiang Chen was full of confusion.
"The details of the Myriad Spirits Divine-Locking Grand Formation are contained in a set of inherited texts. You want to obtain these records and details, and I can help you figure something out. However, aside from helping the True Martial Sacred Ground resolve its crisis, I have one small additional request."
"What is it?" Jiang Chen asked mildly. If the other party was going to make an outrageous demand, he would be very disappointed.
In truth, he was also testing Holy Sovereign Ningyan's attitude.
Holy Sovereign Ningyan seemed to notice that Jiang Chen's tone was growing cooler, and she smiled slightly: "This small request isn't too much to ask. I only wish to ask Young Master Jiang Chen to agree to one thing—and naturally, it concerns the Heavenly Taiyi Dragon Scale Fruit."
Jiang Chen smiled knowingly: "Could it be that you want to use my hand to increase the value of this Heavenly Taiyi Dragon Scale Fruit?"
"Yes. If the Heavenly Taiyi Dragon Scale Fruit cannot be refined into the Heavenly Taiyi Heaven-Mending Pill, its value will always be limited. Our True Martial Sacred Ground is willing to cooperate with Young Master Jiang. The profits can be distributed accordingly."