Meng Fan's face showed a hint of surprise.
Could a single relic have such a significant effect?
Judging by Wu Tian's expression, it didn't seem like he was faking it!
Moreover, since it was the relic of a high monk who failed to ascend during tribulation crossing, it was only natural for it to have some special effects.
"I can lend you this relic to help you cultivate your Divine Soul, but you need to tell me how to improve my Sword Dao cultivation and foundation," Wu Tian said to Meng Fan.
Meng Fan's Sword Dao was far superior to others, and it definitely had its unique aspects.
In Wu Tian's eyes, Meng Fan's secret must be astonishing!
So, he widened his eyes and looked at Meng Fan with great anticipation.
Hearing this, Meng Fan said seriously, "Within the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, there is a Sword God Stele. Once a sword cultivator touches this stele, they can gain insights into the Sword Dao.
The higher the talent, the deeper the insights. It was through comprehending this Sword God Stele that I achieved my current accomplishments!
As long as you lend me this relic first, I'll take you to the Sword God Stele!
In the entire Shu Mountain Sword Sect, only I know the location of the Sword God Stele, so don't even think about playing any tricks."
Meng Fan was lying through his teeth, trying to deceive Wu Tian.
Since Wu Tian was an outsider and unfamiliar with the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, Meng Fan could deceive him without any scruples.
However, it wasn't entirely a lie, more like half-truths!
The Sword God Stele did indeed allow people to gain insights.
But only those with exceptional Sword Dao talent could gain those insights.
Based on Meng Fan's observations, Wu Tian, this big monk, actually had a very strong Sword Dao talent, even stronger than the disciples of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect!
Perhaps, this guy could really gain some insights from the Sword God Stele.
Of course, he couldn't compare to Meng Fan.
No matter how strong this guy's Sword Dao talent was, it couldn't surpass Meng Fan's supreme talent, Sword Dao Transcendence.
"Is this true? You're not lying to me?" Wu Tian looked at Meng Fan, somewhat suspiciously.
If anyone else dared to lie to him, he would have beaten them to death.
But with Meng Fan, he really had no choice.
He couldn't beat him!
"I am a disciple of the Shu Mountain Sword Pavilion, personally taught by Elder Lin. My identity is clear, how could I lie to you?" Meng Fan said righteously, "Besides, if I lie to you, you can go and complain to Elder Lin!"
Seeing Meng Fan's firm and powerful demeanor, Wu Tian started to believe him a bit.
He held the relic in his hand, hesitating whether to give it to Meng Fan.
Meng Fan struck while the iron was hot, "What are you hesitating for? Don't you trust me? If I wanted to deceive you, I could just snatch the relic from your hand. You can't beat me anyway, so why would I need to lie to you?"
This statement connected with Wu Tian's way of thinking.
Wu Tian felt that Meng Fan made a lot of sense, because this was exactly how he usually acted.
"Alright, I trust you! Here's the relic, take me to the Sword God Stele." With that, he handed the relic to Meng Fan.
Meng Fan took the relic, a slight smile appearing on his face.
"Rest assured, the Sword God Stele will greatly benefit you!"
Wu Tian was an impatient person and immediately wanted Meng Fan to take him to the Sword God Stele.
On the way, Meng Fan asked, "To comprehend the Sword God Stele, it costs one hundred Spirit Stones per hour. Do you have Spirit Stones on you?"
Wu Tian frowned and looked at Meng Fan, puzzled, "Didn't you say only you knew the location of the Sword God Stele? Why do we need Spirit Stones?"
"I do know the location, but there's a guard there, and you must pay Spirit Stones to gain insights," Meng Fan said evasively.
Wu Tian complained, "Why didn't you say this earlier?"
Meng Fan replied seriously, "You didn't ask, and besides, isn't it enough that you can gain insights? If you don't have Spirit Stones, I'll give you a hundred!"
"But…"
"No buts. Go and see if it's worth it first. If you think it's not worth it, I'll return the relic to you."
"What do you mean, return it? The relic was only lent to you, you have to return it after using it!"
"Alright, alright, I get it. Just go and comprehend the Sword God Stele first."
***
When it came to being glib, Wu Tian, this big monk, really couldn't compete with Meng Fan, who had undergone nine years of compulsory education.
Soon, Meng Fan brought him to the Sword God Temple.
Then he told the elder of the Sword God Temple that Wu Tian was a new disciple of the Sword Pavilion, taken in by Elder Lin, and paid a hundred Spirit Stones on Wu Tian's behalf.
"I've already paid a hundred Spirit Stones for you. Go and try comprehending for an hour. If you think it's worth it, continue," Meng Fan said to Wu Tian.
"How do I comprehend it?" Wu Tian asked, looking at the massive Sword God Stele with great interest.
"Just put your hand on the Sword God Stele," Meng Fan said casually.
Wu Tian followed the instructions, walked up to the Sword God Stele, and placed his hand on it.
***
After sending Wu Tian off, Meng Fan left the Sword God Temple and returned to the Sword Pavilion to study the relic.
Given Wu Tian's exceptional Sword Dao talent, he should be able to gain some insights from the Sword God Stele, so it wasn't entirely a case of getting something for nothing.
Meng Fan sat cross-legged on his bed, holding the relic in his palm, and began to touch it with his Divine Sense.
The moment his Divine Sense made contact with the relic, Meng Fan's vision went black.
***
At the same time, in his consciousness space, he saw a golden figure.
Upon closer inspection, this golden figure wasn't a Buddha statue but an old monk with a very serene appearance.
Clearly, this was the owner of the relic.
The high monk from the Vajra Temple who failed to ascend during tribulation crossing, as Wu Tian had mentioned!
Seeing this golden figure, Meng Fan felt a bit nervous and apprehensive.
He had been so focused on deceiving Wu Tian earlier that he hadn't asked about the specific process of using the relic to cultivate a Divine Soul.
Now, with this golden figure appearing in his consciousness space, Meng Fan couldn't help but have some bad thoughts.
Wu Tian was a simpleton who didn't think much, but Meng Fan was always cautious and couldn't help but think of the worst-case scenarios.
Especially after the Longquan Village incident, where he discovered that his martial uncle Li Sansi had been possessed by someone from the Ghost Shadow Sect, Meng Fan had developed a fear of the term "possession."
Divine Sense touching the relic, and then a golden figure appearing in his consciousness space.
This scene made the always-cautious Meng Fan suspect that the old monk might try to possess him.
Although Wu Tian had successfully cultivated a Divine Soul using the relic without any issues, Meng Fan was still uneasy.
Following his principle of caution, Meng Fan decided to withdraw his Divine Sense and stop touching the relic.
He planned to let Elder Lin examine it first. Once Elder Lin confirmed there were no issues, he would then use the relic's power to cultivate his Divine Soul.
Being cautious and prudent was a good thing, an absolute virtue!
But just as Meng Fan was about to withdraw his Divine Sense, an unexpected event occurred.
He found that his Divine Sense was suddenly unable to leave the relic, tightly bound to it.
At the same time, his consciousness, or rather his soul, was being pulled towards the golden figure of the old monk.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan