"That's not right..."
After a moment, Jiang Han's body jolted violently, and his face displayed an expression akin to seeing a ghost!
This is because a bronze tripod vessel suddenly appeared in his mind, having the exact same shape as the missing jade pendant that was also a tripod with two ears.
In his mind, the bronze tripod radiates an ancient and powerful aura, as if it has been through countless years. Jiang Han can even clearly see that more than twenty lifelike monstrous creatures are carved on the side wall of the bronze tripod.
Those monstrous creatures seemed almost alive, with teeth bared and fierce eyes, as if ready to attack and devour anyone in sight.
Tian Shou Ding.
On the outer rim of the bronze tripod, three magnificent characters are inscribed, with a flowing and elegant style that resembles a startled dragon.
With the appearance of the bronze tripod, Jianghan's mind suddenly received an additional piece of information: by killing the beast on the tripod and extracting ten drops of its essence, one could awaken the beast's innate abilities and powers.
This is an extraordinary treasure!
Jiang Han's breathing became rapid; he had seen many beasts and monsters before. There were plenty of them in the Tianhu Mountain Range located north of Jiangji Town.
Known as monstrous creatures, they represent beings with innate abilities, such as those that can release poisons, generate electrical discharges, spew flames, or create water jets.
Even a powerful beast, capable of emitting a single breath, can instantly obliterate even a formidable figure like the Third Elder, who possesses the strength of the Xuanyou Realm.
Of course, it's not just monstrous creatures that possess bloodline abilities; almost every martial artist on the Nine Provinces Continent can awaken their bloodline abilities. Bloodline abilities are the primary means of combat for all martial artists.
As many martial artists advance in their cultivation, they can awaken multiple bloodline abilities.
It is said that the clan leader of the Jiang family possesses a bloodline ability called "Flame Burial," while the senior elder has a bloodline ability called "Thorny Growth."
However, Jiang Han has not heard of the ability of the Purple Mansion Realm to awaken supernatural abilities; the minimum requirement for such awakening is the Xuanyou Realm.
Now that he has obtained the Tian Shou Ding, can he actually directly awaken the bloodline abilities of a beast?
The most important thing is that the Tian Shou Ding has twenty-seven ferocious beasts engraved on it. Wouldn't that mean he has the potential to possess twenty-seven unique bloodline abilities?
Isn't this a bit too extraordinary?
Silver Horn Rhinoceros, Phantom Mouse, Earth Dragon Beast!
Jiang Han carefully examined them and found that out of the 27 beasts, he recognized only 3.
There are quite a few Tianhu Mountains near these three types of ferocious beasts, all of which are Tier 1 ferocious beasts. He has no chance of encountering any fiercer ones, as encountering them would mean certain death.
"Head up the mountain tomorrow morning to see if it's really true!"
Jiang Han suppressed the urge to head out immediately. It was going to get dark soon, and considering his capabilities, venturing into the mountains at night could lead to trouble.
This night!
Jiang Han tossed and turned, barely able to sleep. This was due to concerns about Jiang Li, thoughts about the Tian Shou Ding, and analysis of the current situation, wondering how to proceed from here on.
The next day.
It was still dark when Jiang Han got up. He cooked some leftover cold rice to satisfy his hunger, then hurriedly left with all the savings he had at home.
He first purchased eleven pieces of Tianxiang Fruit and a type of herb from a shop in the town, then left without looking back, heading towards the northern Tianhu Mountain Range.
...
"Big brother!"
Not long after leaving the town, a short and sturdy young man arrived outside the courtyard where Jiang Li was being held. He approached Jiang Long and said, "Just now, I saw Jiang Han leave the town and head towards Tianhu Mountain Range. He also bought eleven Tianxiang Fruits from the shopkeeper, Zheng Shu."
The tall and sturdy young man, Jiang Hu, is the younger brother of Jiang Long.
The two brothers: one is tall and thin, while the other is short and robust. They do not resemble each other at all.
Many people in the town were spreading rumors, saying that their mothers had been beautiful and alluring when they were young, much like a ripe apricot.
Upon hearing Jiang Hu's words, Jiang Long furrowed his brows in surprise and asked, "What is Jiang Han doing in the Tianhu Mountain Range? Is it for the Tianxiang Fruit? Is he planning to lure and kill the Silver Horn Rhinoceros?"
Tianxiang fruit is very expensive, costing one Xuan Stone per piece. After Jiang Han's parents went missing, their family's financial situation was not good. Eleven Xuan Stones would likely be all that Jiang Han had. Tianxiang fruit is extremely delicious, but it does not provide much benefit for cultivation. Its most significant use is to be employed in capturing Silverhorns.
Silver Horn Rhinoceros is a Tier 1 beast with the Bloodline Ability "Furious Power". After unleashing this ability, its strength increases by five times, making it capable of shattering a tree that could be encircled by three people. It is extremely ferocious.
However, the Silver Horn Rhinoceros has a fatal weakness: it particularly loves to eat Tianxiang Fruit. If a sedative is applied to the fruit, it can be easily lured and killed.
The materials on the body of the Silver Horn Rhinoceros are not valuable, and when converted, they are roughly equivalent in value to Tianxiang Fruit. As a result, few martial artists in the vicinity venture to hunt Silver Horn Rhinoceroses. Not only is it a thankless task that requires effort, but there is also a risk of injury if not handled carefully.
Jiang Han left Jiangjiaying early in the morning, and even spent all his savings to buy eleven pieces of Tianxiang Fruit? This behavior was extremely strange, causing Jiang Long to feel perplexed and suspicious.
"Just like that!"
Jiang Long thought about it for a moment and felt uneasy. He turned to Jiang Hu and said, "You should go with Jiang Bao and keep an eye on things. If Jiang Han shows any unusual behavior, just capture him and bring him back. Don't let anything derail Third Uncle's plans. If we manage to win the favor of Lord Han this time, it might lead to my recruitment into Yun Meng Ge. In the future, we will enjoy boundless prosperity and wealth, and all of you will benefit from it!"
"What's the purpose of bringing it back?"
Jiang Hu ran his hand over the thick flesh on his face, his eyes gleaming with malevolence. "The Tianhu Mountain Range is so far away. Why don't we just take care of him right now? Brother, don't you remember how his father once suppressed our lineage?"
"Even if it wasn't his father or grandfather, they wouldn't have risked going into the mountains to be killed by a beast. Simply killing someone in the wild and feeding them to a beast—who would be able to prove that we did it? Besides, the Senior Elder is on the brink of death, so no one else would care about this trivial matter!"
Jiang Long's eyes sparkled, and after a moment of contemplation, he didn't object but instead cautioned, "Be careful, don't get so caught up in the pursuit that you end up getting yourself hurt."
"Is he the one?"
Jiang Hu sneered disdainfully. "Jiang Bao is only in the sixth level of the Purple Abode Realm, while we are both in the sixth level. Even one of us could easily defeat him. Don't worry, big brother. Next year on this day, it will be his funeral!"
Jiang Hu left hurriedly with his sword, and Jiang Long didn't pay too much attention to it.
This world is filled with monstrous creatures, and every year, many people in Jiangji Town are killed by them. Since the only Elder in the family who truly cared about Jianghan is about to pass away, no one will bother to investigate this matter.
...
At this moment, Jiang Han had already entered the Tianhu Mountain Range. Jiang Long was correct in his assumption that Jiang Han was indeed here to lure and kill the Silver Horned Rhinoceros.
He spent every last penny from the family's savings, all in the hopes of making a final push!
He believes that the Tian Shou Ding is a rare treasure that can grant him the bloodline abilities of a mythical beast. Once he possesses these abilities, his combat prowess will skyrocket.
He must elevate his combat prowess to a level comparable to that of a Ninth-Level Practitioner of the Purple Palace within half a month, as this will give him a chance to escape Jiang Jiuzhen with Jiang Li.
It's impossible to stay in Jiangjiacun; if they don't leave, their siblings will definitely be taken advantage of by Elder San.
The Tianhu Mountain Range is vast and seemingly endless, boasting an estimated 500 peaks and 300 valleys. Legend has it that at its deepest point resides a celestial fox that can take on human form and possesses immense magical power.
Jiang Han is only daring to operate within the outermost seven or eight peaks of Tianhu Mountain Range. He is only in the fifth level of the Purple Abode Realm. Against powerful first-tier beasts, he would have no choice but to flee. Only those in the eighth or ninth level of the Purple Abode Realm are capable of killing powerful first-tier beasts.
Jiang Han cautiously made his way to the Black Head Peak, remembering that silver-horned rhinoceroses had been spotted there in the past.
He took out a wooden box from his sleeve, retrieved the Tianxiang Fruit, carefully applied some green sap to the fruit's surface, then placed it in the chosen location before quickly climbing up a nearby tall tree.
Roar – Roar –
It was only a matter of one incense burn time before a massive rhinoceros came charging over. This rhinoceros had three silver horns on its head and was as large and powerful as an elephant.
The Silver Horn Rhinoceros rushed towards the Tianxiang Fruit, swallowed it whole, and then continued to move around nearby, as if searching for more Tianxiang Fruits.
BOOM!
The sedative applied to Tianxiang Fruit has a potent effect; after half a period of incense, the Silver Horn Rhinoceros collapsed to the ground.
Jiang Han, whose eyes lit up upon seeing the tree, quickly scanned the area to ensure that there were no other beasts nearby. Once he was certain, he leaped down from the tree. Holding his blade, he began a furious attack on the silver-horned rhinoceros's neck, ultimately killing it with a single blow.
Next, he quickly extracted the demonic essence core of the Silver Horn Rhinoceros and, using a knife, cut open the core. Inside was a droplet of dark golden blood, which was the primal essence of the Silver Horn Rhinoceros.
Jiang Han channeled the latent energy within his body to encase and rapidly transform the essence of the silver-horned rhinoceros.
"Effective!"
Jiang Han felt a shiver run down his spine. He noticed that the silver horn pattern on the Tian Shou Ding had become noticeably darker, almost as if it were about to come to life.
"Good, good, good!"
Jiang Han was incredibly excited and clenched his fists tightly.
The Black Head Peak is also home to many Silver Horn Rhinoceroses. With good luck, he might be able to successfully kill ten Silver Horn Rhinoceroses in as little as half a day, at which point he would gain access to the Silver Horn Rhinoceros's bloodline ability, "Furious Power."
Time is of the essence!
Jiang Han quickly left, as the smell of blood would attract more ferocious beasts, and he did not have time to engage with them.
After half a day.
After killing a silver horn rhinoceros and extracting its inner essence, Jiang Han felt an overwhelming sense of excitement.
After purifying nine drops of the essence blood of the Silver Horn Rhinoceros, the pattern of the Silver Horn Rhinoceros on the Tian Shou Ding has been constantly changing and becoming increasingly vivid. Now, it is finally time to purify the last drop of essence blood.
"Refining and processing!"
Without any hesitation, Jiang Han chose to directly transmute the essence blood. After a few breaths, the Tianshou Ding in his mind suddenly jolted and emitted a brilliant golden light.
What was even more astonishing was that the pattern of the Silver Horn Rhinoceros on the Tian Shou Ding suddenly flew off the surface of the pot, quickly solidified into a tangible form, and then transformed into a streak of blue smoke that merged into Jiang Han's mind.
At the same time, a series of peculiar energies surged from the Tian Shou Ding and rapidly enveloped Jiang Han's entire body.
Jiang Han stood still, closing his eyes and remaining motionless, feeling the subtle changes within his body, including his flesh, bones, and meridians.
Sa-sa-sa-sa-
After a moment, there was a faint sound of footsteps in the quiet forest. Two figures emerged from the bushes.
The person standing at the very front is short and stocky, with a face full of prominent facial features.
If it's not Jiang Hu, then who else could it be?