The cultivator's words stirred many hearts. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't dare offend Pei Jingyuan. But here in the Fallen Dragon Abyss, no one would remember what happened after they left. Killing him here would have no consequences; no one would seek revenge.

Ning Shuang, who had just finished tending to some of her wounds, immediately drew her sword and shouted, "Who dares!"

Jiang Minghuan gently pressed her wrist and said softly, "Don't rush. Find a place to meditate and recover your energy. The Pavilion Master and I will handle this."

Pei Jingyuan glanced at him, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face.

Just moments ago, he was calling me Ayuan. Why has he reverted to calling me Pavilion Master now?

Unable to voice his annoyance to Jiang Minghuan, Pei Jingyuan naturally sought another outlet for his frustration. And someone conveniently stepped into his line of fire.

With a swift strike of Sword Qi, Pei Jingyuan split the man's conical hat in two.

The man was no weakling. Even before anyone else noticed the Sword Qi, he had raised his staff to block it. Yet he was still a step too slow.

As the hat fell, it revealed a bald head and a familiar face.

"Master Mo Jing?" Jiang Minghuan asked, slightly surprised.

Earlier, Pei Jingyuan hadn't recognized Mo Jing's voice at all. However, the Cultivation World possessed countless methods to alter one's appearance and voice, so this wasn't particularly unusual.

Realizing his disguise was blown, Mo Jing chuckled sheepishly. "What a coincidence, huh?"

Pei Jingyuan glared coldly. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Come on, lighten up the mood! Don't be so serious," Mo Jing said, stepping forward.

Pei Jingyuan unleashed a streak of Sword Qi that carved a deep gash into the stone tiles before Mo Jing.

Mo Jing froze, feigning hurt. "What's that for? I'm just looking for my Junior Brother, not you."

Pei Jingyuan replied calmly, "Your Junior Brother isn't here. Go back to Three Treasures Temple and look for him there."

Mo Jing immediately turned to Jiang Minghuan, who cut him off with a question, "Master Mo Jing, what just happened here?"

Mo Jing felt a pang of regret. His Buddha's Son Junior Brother had now become the Sect Leader of the Nine Heavens Sect, making it nearly impossible for him to return to Three Treasures Temple.

He straightened his posture and said solemnly, "A legacy appeared here just now, and everyone is fighting over it."

Jiang Minghuan scanned the surroundings. "Where's the legacy now?"

He was also deeply interested in the inheritance. After all, the Nine Heavens Sect's foundation was too weak. The mass-produced goods they bought from outside were of little use, while the inheritance within Fallen Dragon Abyss should at least be of the Profound Rank.

Ning Shuang spoke up from behind, "It vanished. The inheritance appeared as a sphere of light, circled once, and then suddenly disappeared. It might have entered someone's body."

Jiang Minghuan glanced around, his expression complicated. "You're fighting this fiercely without even knowing who has it?"

Someone coldly suggested, "Why not just kill everyone here?"

The speaker's voice was hoarse and grating, his words stiff and unnatural, as if he hadn't spoken in ages.

Moreover, his skin was gray, and his eyes were entirely black, making him look like a ghost from a horror film.

Jiang Minghuan felt uneasy. Could this also be a Ghost Cultivator?

Mo Jing spoke up, "Sect Leader Jiang, be careful. This person is a Corpse Cultivator."

The man chuckled, his laughter harsh and unpleasant. "Sect Leader Jiang would make an excellent Corpse Puppet. Why not..."

Before he could finish speaking, a golden flash of Sword Qi streaked past, and the Corpse Cultivator's head tumbled to the ground.

Unlike a normal person, he didn't immediately collapse in a spray of blood. Instead, as if nothing had happened, he calmly picked up his head and reattached it.

Hmm, he put it on backward.

Realizing his mistake, the Corpse Cultivator detached his head again and reoriented it.

Once properly reattached, he glanced at Pei Jingyuan and remarked, "Pavilion Master Pei, you have quite the temper."

After that, he fell silent, daring not to utter another boast or even meet Jiang Minghuan's gaze.

It was understandable. Though his Corpse Puppet feared no death, being sliced into too many pieces by this stubborn and foul-smelling sword cultivator would make reassembly a real pain.

Sigh, such a beautiful man, and he has to be a sword cultivator.

If only he could turn both of them into his Corpse Puppets, he could stay home all day admiring their beauty.

Ning Shuang, standing behind, grumbled with disgust, "Corpse Cultivators are like immortal cockroaches—so annoying."

Clearly, she had suffered her fair share of setbacks at their hands.

Jiang Minghuan replied calmly, "Don't worry."

‘Ahhhhh! What kind of bizarre cultivators exist in the Cultivation World? I've really made it now! I'm actually seeing someone's head get chopped off and then reattached! What kind of medical miracle is this? Why did Pei Jingyuan have to cut off his head? Couldn't he just move somewhere else? This is way too intense!’

Pei Jingyuan turned his head slightly, glancing at Jiang Minghuan's composed face as he struggled to suppress his laughter.

He leaned close to Jiang Minghuan's ear and whispered, "There are too many people here. Don't use your talismans unless absolutely necessary."

Jiang Minghuan blinked in surprise, then realized. Oh right, I have talismans!

Sigh, that scene was just too intense. I didn't even have time to react.

It was understandable that he hadn't reacted immediately. Before transmigrating, the most he'd used talismans was during festivals, handing out free Safety Talismans to villagers who came to burn incense, and burning Talismans for Favorable Weather before planting crops in experimental fields. He'd also bury strange talismans in the ground to repel pests and ensure growth.

In short, he'd only ever used talismans for superstitious blessings. He'd never experienced using them in combat.

He thought about the talismans in his Storage Pouch, wondering if Exorcism Talismans might be more suitable.

Exorcism, after all, primarily serves to expel ghosts and spirits, whether from buildings or human bodies.

This Corpse Cultivator before him had his Divine Soul inhabiting a Corpse Puppet. Jiang Minghuan wasn't sure if that counted.

After studying the Corpse Cultivator for a long moment, Jiang Minghuan suddenly saw it lift its head and smile at him.

He immediately turned away.

Too terrifying. Better not look too much, or I'll have nightmares tonight.

Jiang Minghuan glanced at Mo Jing, then at Ning Shuang, and asked hesitantly, "Did you... happen to see Elder Nishang earlier?"

Although he had heard of Elder Nishang's death from both Yun Ning and Jiang Zhou, Jiang Minghuan still clung to a sliver of hope. What if... Yun Ning was just trying to provoke him?

Ning Shuang replied hesitantly, "We encountered her once, but it seemed like something was chasing her. Elder Nishang told us not to interfere and went in a different direction."

Ning Shuang hadn't pursued her for two reasons: first, there wasn't enough time, and second, she had entered Fallen Dragon Abyss relatively early and was unaware of the situation with the Cloud Sect, so she held no particular fondness for its members.

The fact that she had drawn her sword when Elder Nishang was in danger was solely out of respect for Pei Jingyuan.

It was no secret that Elder Nishang had once saved their Pavilion Master.

Although they didn't know why their Madam had suddenly become the Sect Leader of the Nine Heavens Sect, it was clear that the Nine Heavens Sect had originated from the Cloud Sect.

Sect Leader Jiang's question now implied that Elder Nishang was also a member of the Nine Heavens Sect. If so... had she abandoned someone in mortal danger before?

Mo Jing added, "This humble monk also witnessed the pursuit from afar. If I'm not mistaken... the ones chasing Elder Nishang were Ghost Cultivators."

Jiang Minghuan fell silent for a long moment. Based on the information they had gathered so far, Elder Nishang's chances of survival seemed slim.

He turned to Pei Jingyuan. "Should we leave this place first?"

He still wanted to continue searching for Elder Nishang. After all, without finding her body, they couldn't draw any conclusions. However, Fallen Dragon Abyss was too dangerous. Now that they had found Ning Shuang, it was best to leave first.

They could also investigate the situation in Fallen Dragon Abyss further. Who exactly was that Deity Transformation Stage cultivator?

Before Pei Jingyuan could answer, Mo Jing asked, somewhat surprised, "Aren't you going to claim the inheritance?"

Jiang Minghuan was remarkably magnanimous. "Inheritance chooses its own master. Whoever it falls to is simply fortunate. You can't force it. Look at all of you fighting to the death without even knowing where the inheritance lies. What if it doesn't fall into anyone's hands? Besides, something's happened in Fallen Dragon Abyss. Life is paramount. You should leave too. Abbot Chao She has arrived; don't make him worry."

Mo Jing was astonished. "My master actually worries about me?"

Jiang Minghuan, “......”

Seriously, is there something wrong with this master-disciple relationship?

Too lazy to respond to Mo Jing, he turned to Pei Jingyuan.

Pei Jingyuan nodded slightly. Immediately, someone stepped forward and said, "Sect Leader Jiang, please take us with you. We'll repay you handsomely once we're out."

The speaker's voice trembled slightly, unsure if their offer would be deemed worthy by someone who could casually abandon an inheritance.

After all, this was a true powerhouse who could forsake such a treasure.

Jiang Minghuan was about to agree when Pei Jingyuan interjected, "You may follow, but keep your distance. Anyone who dares to launch a sneak attack will be left behind."

Jiang Minghuan immediately felt ashamed. He hadn't even considered the possibility of someone following them for a sneak attack.

I really lack experience in the martial world, he thought.

Pei Jingyuan's words spurred even the wounded on the ground to struggle to their feet, determined to keep up.

Jiang Minghuan glanced at them, then said after a moment's thought, "I have some ordinary healing pills here..."

Before he could finish, someone eagerly interrupted, "I'll buy them! Sect Leader Jiang, is one High-Grade Dao Essence Stone enough?"

Before Jiang Minghuan could reply, another voice shouted, "I'll offer two stones! Sect Leader Jiang, sell them to me!"

"Three stones!"

"Four stones!"

Jiang Minghuan stared in disbelief as they began bidding against each other, unable to get a word in edgewise. Just as the crowd seemed about to erupt into a brawl, he finally shouted, "Enough! I have more than one box!"

These people were absurd. He couldn't recognize their sect affiliations from their robes, except for one female cultivator dressed in black, adorned with numerous silver ornaments, who appeared to be from the southwest region.

The female cultivator approached and took the medicine box from his hand, simultaneously handing him a pouch of Dao Essence Stones. "Welcome to visit our Mystic Gu Sect again, handsome!" she said with a smile.

Mystic Gu Sect! Gu masters! Insects! So many insects!

Jiang Minghuan even saw a black snake twitch on the cultivator's shoulder.

Heavens! I thought it was just decoration!

Goosebumps erupted across Jiang Minghuan's skin as he struggled to maintain his composure. "I'll visit if I have time," he managed to say.

There's no way I'm ever going there. Not even in my next life!

Beside him, Pei Jingyuan looked thoughtful. Ahuan is afraid of snakes?

Jiang Minghuan was indeed terrified of snakes, just a glimpse of one sent shivers down his spine.

Back at the Taoist Temple, his junior brothers and sisters always handled snakes, while he was only responsible for fleeing in terror at the sight of one.

Despite the shock of seeing the snake on the cultivator's shoulder, Jiang Minghuan felt the weight of the Dao Essence Stones in his hand and reassured himself that at least this was a major client.

Indeed, the female cultivator had directly purchased the Cold Jade Muscle Regeneration Powder, exchanging it for a Storage Pouch and a million Dao Essence Stones.

Though the powder was being sold at exorbitant prices elsewhere, Jiang Minghuan maintained his original pricing, refusing to arbitrarily raise the price.

If they could cultivate a more easily grown variety of Dragon Soul Grass later, he would even lower the price.

By the time he was ready to leave, Jiang Minghuan's Storage Pouch was significantly heavier with Dao Essence Stones.

He never imagined he'd actually make a profit in the Fallen Dragon Abyss.

While others came here seeking ancient legacies, he was here to do business.

After securing his Storage Pouch, Jiang Minghuan prepared to leave with Pei Jingyuan and the others.

But as soon as he turned, a ball of light shot toward him with such speed that it left only a luminous trail in the air. Even Pei Jingyuan, standing beside him, didn't react in time.

The light ball struck Jiang Minghuan's forehead with a dull thud.

Before losing consciousness, Jiang Minghuan had only one thought, Is this ball made of stainless steel? It's so hard!