Waves of brilliant, dazzling light washed over everyone's senses, one after another, like a surging tide.
In an instant, the entire reception hall was filled with a myriad of dazzling treasures. A radiant mist billowed as divine light glowed brilliantly, making it feel as if they had stumbled into a treasure trove.
Spirit Stone and Rare Ore, Elixir and Spiritual Fruit, Divine Weapons, Secret Technique Scrolls... There was everything imaginable, a truly dizzying sight.
The accumulated fortune of the four great families of Yu Yi City over the past several hundred years probably amounted to no more than this.
An elder who had been intensely curious about the Sumeru Rings moments ago began to tremble, his white beard quivering. His breath grew ragged, and his eyes shone with an unconcealable, feverish light.
And these were the treasures from just *one* of the Sumeru Rings.
Su Changkong glanced over and froze. It took every ounce of his willpower to tear his gaze away.
"Young Master Jiang... he really is obscenely wealthy..."
After what felt like an eternity, one of the elders swallowed hard and reluctantly tore his eyes away.
The other elders and the members of the Su Mansion all silently agreed with his sentiment.
Rumor had it that this Son of the Prime Minister had once competed with another minister's son for a famous courtesan in the Imperial Capital's pleasure district. He had literally buried his rival under a mountain of treasures, leaving the man severely injured.
Afterward, the minister had to bring his badly injured son to kneel outside the Prime Minister's Mansion for three days and nights, just to barely obtain his forgiveness.
But as tempting as the wealth was, marrying the Son of the Prime Minister meant she could only ever be a concubine. The position of principal wife, or even an equal-ranked one, was an impossible dream.
For the Su Mansion, securing even a concubine's position for one of their own was considered marrying far above their station.
Yet everyone knew that this was tantamount to pushing Su Qinghan into a pit of fire.
Once she married him, would this rich wastrel actually treat Su Qinghan well?
Anyone could speak pretty words, but anyone with a discerning eye could tell that what he had just said was completely unreliable.
From the perspective of the Su Mansion's collective interests, everyone naturally hoped Su Qinghan would marry him. Even if she was just a minor concubine, she was a concubine to the Son of the Prime Minister!
If, one day, the imperial surname of the Great Xia were to change to Jiang, wouldn't the Su Mansion become Royal Family and Relatives?
"Qinghan, what are your thoughts on this matter?" one of the elders finally asked, his expression warm and pleasant.
Su Qinghan seemed to snap back to her senses. She knew exactly what all her clansmen were thinking.
"I will consider Young Master Jiang's words..." she said softly.
...
"Didn't they say that girl, Su Qingyao, could help you resume your cultivation?"
"Why... didn't you marry her?"
Not long after he returned to the City Lord's Mansion, a cool, ethereal, and pleasant fragrance wafted up from behind him.
Jiang Lan was long accustomed to Li Mengning's ghostly comings and goings, so he just replied casually, "That rumor is false."
"False?"
The presence behind him seemed to grow colder in an instant.
Beneath her light veil, Li Mengning's elegant brows furrowed slightly.
Jiang Lan had no idea where his body's previous owner had gotten that information, but now was not the time to investigate it.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "Mother gave you a Domain-breaking Talisman, didn't she?"
Li Mengning thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I need you to take me to the Blood Red Plateau," Jiang Lan said.
'After weighing my options, I have to intercept the opportunity at the Blood Immortal Sect's ruins. The biggest obstacles right now are my cultivation level and time.'
'Even if I set out right now, it would take ten days to half a month, at best, to reach the Blood Immortal Sect ruins I remember.'
'Besides, what kind of excuse could I use to get away? Compared to that, Li Mengning is a much more suitable tool for the job.'
'She never pried into my business, and when there's nothing to do, she's so unobtrusive she might as well not exist.'
Familiar with the plot, Jiang Lan felt at ease with her, unafraid that she might harm him.
"No."
He had barely finished speaking when Li Mengning refused, adding in a low voice, "It's very dangerous there."
Jiang Lan turned back to look at her.
'The only thing that dissatisfies me about her is that she's a bit stubborn and doesn't listen to me.'
"What... do you need? I'll bring it back for you."
Li Mengning ignored his stare. Her flawless, pale face was hidden behind a veil, making it impossible to read her expression.
"I'm just going to try my luck. Haven't you heard the rumors? Opportunities are appearing all over the Blood Red Plateau. People say that even in broad daylight you can see a radiant glow, with Divine Objects wrapped in spiritual light flying out."
Jiang Lan looked away and said casually, "Lots of Disciples from Sects and Noble Families have already gone to try their luck."
The Blood Red Plateau was a perilous region in the northern part of Danzhou County. It was a land of countless mountains and hills, with sparse vegetation, few ancient trees, and skies filled with yellow sand.
It was said to be the battlefield of some Ancient Ruins where countless people had once died. Perennially shrouded in a blood-colored mist that blotted out the sun, it was infested with Demon Beasts and vicious Demons.
Cultivators who went there for training frequently met tragic ends, and as a result, many Noble Sects considered it a place of certain death.
Occasionally, Loose Cultivators and Disciples from major Sects would venture there to temper themselves and seek opportunities.
In Jiang Lan's memory, the ruins of the Blood Immortal Sect were located on the Blood Red Plateau.
"You can't go."
Li Mengning's brow furrowed, as if she was conflicted about the issue.
But soon, her brow smoothed out, and she added, "I'll snatch the opportunity for you."
"..."
Jiang Lan sighed almost imperceptibly. 'Why is it so much trouble to get her to do anything?'
"Fine, I'll just have Ying take me instead."
He stood up and headed for the door.
A cool, crisp gust of wind carrying her pleasant, ethereal fragrance blew past as Li Mengning blocked his path.
"Don't..."
She seemed deeply conflicted, but seeing the look on his face—one that said he would find someone else if she refused—she could only whisper, "I'll take you... but you have to listen to me..."
"The Blood Red Plateau is very dangerous. I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you."
It was rare for her to say so much in one day. He thought she was usually like a mute, either grunting, nodding, or shaking her head—or simply saying nothing at all.
Jiang Lan chuckled to himself but still agreed casually, "Fine, I'll listen to you."
Only then did Li Mengning nod. With a wave of her small, pale hand, a cyan Jade Talisman materialized. It shimmered with a clear light and pulsed with the aura of space.
A Domain-breaking Talisman. Only the true core Disciples of the most powerful major Sects could possess one. They were exceedingly rare, with incredibly strict refinement requirements and an equally astonishing cost to create.
It was a life-saving trump card. In a critical moment, its light could envelop the user's body, allowing them to escape directly into the Void and travel thousands of miles in an instant.
However, the Domain-breaking Talisman was no match for Lin Fan's Eternal Damnation Sword. Upon sensing the talisman's activation, a sufficiently powerful Cultivator could instantly lock down the surrounding space, freezing the Void and preventing any easy escape.
Lin Fan's Eternal Damnation Sword, on the other hand, could ignore any such lockdown, making it absurdly overpowered.
"Let's go."
Jiang Lan estimated that getting from Yu Yi City to the Blood Red Plateau would require at least two or three Domain-breaking Talismans. Given Li Mengning's status, she should have more than enough.
'Once I'm done with my business, I'll pay her back with a few extra,' he thought. 'After all, these things are life-savers.'
"Hold on to me tightly."
Her crystalline eyes lingered on his face for a long moment before she whispered the words.