Chapter 924: Chapter 924

"Lord Musta, my wife knows that Huaxia man... She... she definitely knows where that Huaxia man is. I only ask for a bottle of wine from you, Lord Musta, even if it's only the leftovers after you've drunk it..." The drunkard knelt on the ground in front of everyone, not daring even to lift his head as he spoke. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽

Ding Fan felt an intense urge to kick this man to death. It was already despicable enough that he made his wife sell her body to support him, and now, for the sake of a drink, he was pushing his wife into the fire pit.

"The person you're looking for is right here." Ding Fan coldly said to the man kneeling on the ground like a servant.

The man was startled and hesitated before looking up. When he saw Ding Fan sitting beside Musta, his eyes widened in surprise.

"He's my friend," Musta said coldly to the drunkard kneeling on the ground.

To ensure Ding Fan understood clearly, Musta spoke in Huaxia language.

"I... I didn't realize..." The drunkard seemed bewildered, entirely unprepared for how things had unfolded.

"Mr. Ding, I'll leave the rest to you," Musta turned to Ding Fan and said.

Ding Fan hesitated briefly and then turned to the woman beside him. "What do you want to do? I'll let you decide."

After all, the man was still her husband, and Ding Fan felt it inappropriate to unilaterally decide the man's fate.

The woman listened to Ding Fan's words, and tears immediately started streaming down her face. "I only ask that I never have to see him again."

This woman clearly had suffered too much abuse at the hands of this man.

Ding Fan turned to Musta. "Then send this man to my place."

To ensure Musta wouldn't trouble the woman in the future, the only option was to send the man far away. Yongfan Island was currently in need of laborers, and having him there could save a lot of time.

Musta nodded slightly after hearing Ding Fan's words. "I'll take care of the rest."

Ding Fan nodded back.

Like a short interlude, this matter quickly concluded. Ding Fan gave the woman a sum of money and asked Musta to look after her here.

Even though the woman had been unaware of Ding Fan's identity initially, she had thought of protecting him. Despite being a prostitute, she had a kind heart.

Moreover, Ding Fan recalled the little girl hiding behind the curtain, whose eyes were filled with terror. He felt obligated to lend this woman a helping hand.

"Mr. Ding, please accept this jade plate as a token of my gratitude," the woman said as she removed a small jade pendant from around her neck after receiving Ding Fan's money.

The jade plate appeared unassuming, yet Ding Fan's Divine Sense quickly detected words inscribed on it.

What surprised Ding Fan was that the words were all written in ancient seal script.

A person nearby had already picked up the jade plate and handed it to Ding Fan. He accepted the jade plate and examined it closely.

The front of the jade plate bore only three characters: "Seal Stone."

Seal Stone? Ding Fan had never encountered such a stone in the Cultivation World. Based on the literal meaning, it suggested sealing an entire realm...

Ding Fan thought about it but couldn't make sense of its significance. He then flipped the jade plate over.

The back of the jade plate was covered with densely packed small characters: "Sealed Divine Realm, Immortal Realm, Ghost Realm. Protect the Human Realm from peril..."

Divine Realm? Immortal Realm? Ghost Realm?

What were these realms mentioned here? Could they refer to the Hidden Sects, specifically the Immortal Sect and Ghost Sect? Ding Fan suddenly recalled that the Immortal Sect's exit had been sealed off by the Ghost Sect. The Immortal Sect's people couldn't leave, nor could outsiders enter.

Could it be that the Ghost Sect was using this Seal Stone?

"Where did this jade stone come from?" Ding Fan asked the woman.

The woman replied, "This stone was found near the edge of the forbidden zone in Eastern Ist City." She was very straightforward in her answer.

"The forbidden zone in the east? What is that?" Ding Fan asked, puzzled.

No explanation was necessary from the woman; Smith spoke up from the side.

"To the east of Ist City lies a desolate desert where many caravans and travelers have gone missing over time. Locals refer to it as the forbidden zone, or the 'death zone,' and very few dare venture there."

Upon hearing this, Ding Fan found it intriguing. It seemed the Seal Stone could indeed exist within the forbidden zone.

Currently, Ruan Yuan and Ye Tianshi were scouring the world trying to find out how the Ghost Sect had sealed off the Immortal Realm's passage. If Ding Fan could locate the Seal Stone, it would be a significant contribution to the Immortal Realm.

After all, Ding Fan was now the master of the Spirit Sect. With the Ghost Sect harboring malicious intentions and wielding significant power, Ding Fan needed to ally with the Immortal Sect to stand against them.

"How exactly did you acquire this jade stone?" Ding Fan asked. "Please explain in detail."

The woman said, "I was being beaten by my husband that day, and both my daughter and I lost the will to live. We were prepared to enter the forbidden zone to end our lives but had only ventured a short way in when we discovered a skeleton. I found this jade stone and some scattered gold in the tattered clothes of the skeleton.

After obtaining the gold, I decided to turn my life around and returned with my daughter. However, my husband soon exchanged all the gold for alcohol. This jade stone, though, I never discarded and kept it with me.

Ding Fan pondered her story. "Then, is that skeleton still in the same place?"

"No, after taking the items, I buried the remains to show gratitude," the woman replied.

"Was there anything else besides the skeleton?" Ding Fan probed further.

"The skeleton also had a rusty iron ring. Since it wasn't valuable, I buried it along with the remains."

After hearing her words, Ding Fan's eyes lit up.

People who used ancient seal script were often members of the Ancient Martial Sect. The Mysterious Iron Ring might very well be a storage ring, and it could contain another Seal Stone.

"Do you remember where you buried the skeleton?"

The woman nodded. "I remember. Around the burial site, there's a Stone Mountain. I buried it on the shaded side in the afternoon."

Ding Fan nodded. "Alright, thank you."

Even though all she provided was a general location and Stone Mountain as a clue, Ding Fan was confident he could locate the remains. He trusted his powerful Divine Sense.

After clarifying the situation, the woman was sent away.

With Musta around to look after her, Ding Fan trusted that no one would dare trouble her again.

"Mr. Ding, surely you don't actually plan to enter the forbidden zone, do you?" Smith asked.

Ding Fan didn't see any need to hide it and nodded simply. "I do intend to go."

"Mr. Ding, that forbidden zone is incredibly dangerous. Once, a hundred-strong armed force ventured in, and none of them were ever heard from again. It's truly treacherous," Smith said.

Ding Fan smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I'll only look around the outskirts. I wouldn't gamble with my life."

Smith and Musta, seeing Ding Fan's resoluteness, had no more to say.

After concluding business negotiations, Smith and Musta had planned to host Ding Fan for the evening, but Ding Fan declined, uninterested in a lavish lifestyle.

Having no alternatives, Smith and Musta arranged for Ding Fan to stay in a private room at the nightclub.

The night passed uneventfully. Early the next morning, Ding Fan rose promptly.

After breakfast, Smith and Musta met Ding Fan, bringing the contract with them.

To make it easier for Ding Fan, the contract was prepared in Huaxia script.

Ding Fan read it from beginning to end.

Smith demonstrated his competence as a shrewd merchant. The price was fixed at six billion, including twelve armed combat helicopters, one camp's worth of heavy artillery equipment, and additional portable missiles.

The terms of service explicitly stated that Smith would provide trainers to Ding Fan's location for instruction.

After reviewing all the terms, Ding Fan signed the contract.

Unlike before, Smith now offered to deliver the goods directly to Ding Fan's specified location.

Ding Fan welcomed the arrangement, as it saved him considerable inconvenience.

With Smith's matters resolved, Ding Fan immediately set off for the forbidden zone location described by the woman who had given him the jade plate.

Ding Fan urgently wanted to uncover whether the Immortal Sect's passage had indeed been sealed by this Seal Stone.

The desert was quite a distance from Ist City, so before leaving, Smith handed Ding Fan a map.

After confirming the direction, Ding Fan utilized sword control and swiftly made his way toward the forbidden zone.

The speed of sword control was extremely fast. A journey that would take a car half a day was completed by Ding Fan in less than ten minutes as he arrived at the edge of the forbidden zone.

As soon as Ding Fan reached the edge of the forbidden zone, he suddenly sensed a strong aura of death.

The aura was strikingly similar to the death energy associated with the Ghost Sect.

Ding Fan, having fought extensively with Ghost Sect members, immediately recognized it.

Just as Ding Fan began to extend his Divine Sense to explore further, two men wearing local attire drove up to him in a rugged off-road vehicle.

"Are you an Ancient Martial Sect member?" One of them asked, his Huaxia accent flawless despite his local dress.

Ding Fan nodded without hesitation.

A Magic Artifact concealed Ding Fan's cultivation level, so although he was at the Middle Stage of Golden Core, the two men saw him as having mere Earth Level First Grade cultivation.

The two men were no ordinary individuals. Ding Fan could clearly discern their cultivation with his Divine Sense—they were at Earth Level Grade Seven or Eight.

Additionally, they carried the distinct energy signature unique to the Ghost Sect, affirming their membership.

"What's your purpose here?" The man in the driver's seat asked, his face dark and ominous as he stared at Ding Fan.

"Just looking around," Ding Fan replied indifferently.

"This is not a place where you can simply look around," the man in the passenger seat said before abruptly moving.

The man aimed directly for Ding Fan's Acupoints.

The targeted Acupoints would cause unconsciousness, making it evident that they didn't intend to kill Ding Fan.

Ding Fan, eager to uncover why the Ghost Sect members were here, pretended to be struck and promptly collapsed.

The man showed no suspicion upon successfully incapacitating Ding Fan. He grabbed Ding Fan effortlessly. "Let's bring him to the Helmsman for a look."