"That's true!" Lu Fan nodded and smiled, "Manager Zhao is a good person."
"Naturally. Although this old man usually likes to brag, he's thorough in his work. Most importantly, once he accepts a bribe, he's guaranteed to do a good job." Da Tou smiled slightly and took out some beef jerky from his pocket. "I secretly saved this today. Since you're new, I'll give it to you!"
"Beef jerky?"
Lu Fan gave an awkward smile, "Actually, I'm not hungry."
"Are you an idiot? This beef jerky has been infused with spiritual liquid, which will greatly help your cultivation!" Da Tou quickly said, "Most of those who enter the Heavenly Fire Pavilion as杂役 (za yi - miscellaneous laborers) are initial-stage spiritual practitioners, and they're here for this. If they can do this long-term, they'll surely prosper in the future."
"I see!"
Looking at the beef jerky in Da Tou's hand, Lu Fan was slightly surprised. He finally understood what Da Tou had meant earlier.
"How many years have you been working in this Heavenly Fire Pavilion?"
Lu Fan took the beef jerky and began to eat it slowly. He indeed found that spiritual liquid had been infused into the beef jerky. He presumed this kind of beef jerky was for the disciples of the Heavenly Fire Pavilion to consume, but the spiritual energy was limited, so it wasn't anything particularly good.
"It's been three years already."
Da Tou smiled faintly, "Actually, when I first came in, I wasn't a spiritual practitioner yet. I've secretly eaten a lot of things over the past three years, and now I've become one."
"I see!"
Lu Fan nodded slightly. He finally understood how difficult it was for an ordinary person to survive and thrive in the spiritual realm.
"However, I have a prior agreement. You can't just take things from the kitchen as you please. If you're caught, you'll be executed!" Da Tou said frankly.
"In that case, why are you telling me this?" Lu Fan frowned slightly. "Aren't you afraid I'll report you and get you beheaded?"
"I can tell you're not a bad person!" Da Tou waved his hand. "Besides, I've been in the Heavenly Fire Pavilion for so many years, and you've only just arrived. It's unlikely you could report me even if you wanted to."
"Don't worry, I won't do that!"
Lu Fan smiled slightly and took out a Spirit Gathering Pill. "I obtained this by chance. Consider it a meeting gift!"
"This is..."
Looking at the pill in Lu Fan's hand, Da Tou was filled with disbelief. He could sense that the spiritual energy of this pill was extremely potent. Even in the Heavenly Fire Pavilion, he had never seen such a precious item.
"It must be a good pill, so please accept it." Lu Fan smiled.
This item was of little use to him, but it would be of great use to Da Tou. Lu Fan understood this clearly.
"How can I accept this? Such a valuable item, I cannot take it." Da Tou quickly shook his head.
"It's not a rare item. If you don't accept it, it means you look down on me." Lu Fan's expression was serious.
Da Tou looked embarrassed, "But..."
"Alright, stop being so polite with me!" Lu Fan said again.
Da Tou nodded slightly, "In that case, I will accept this pill. But don't worry, I will give you something better in the future. I understand the principle of repaying a drop of kindness with a gushing spring."
Lu Fan smiled faintly and didn't say anything more. He had intended to ask about the specific location of the Heavenly Sea Kingdom, but then he thought that people like them, mere杂役 (za yi), could probably only move around freely in the First Heaven their entire lives. As for places like the Third Heaven, they were simply beyond their reach.
Thinking of this, Lu Fan felt a sense of helplessness. He had to enter the Third Heaven to find the location of the Green Lotus Sacred Fire.
When night fell and Da Tou had fallen asleep, Lu Fan finally got up and headed outside. He wanted to visit the Third Heaven and see if he could find the Green Lotus Sacred Fire there.
"Old man, can you sense how many powerful individuals are within the Heavenly Fire Pavilion?" Lu Fan asked.
"There should be about a hundred to eighty Spirit Emperor powerhouses." The Primordial Old Man smiled faintly.
"A hundred to eighty?"
Lu Fan looked at the old man with a strange expression. "Are you sure you're not bluffing me? The Heavenly Fire Pavilion actually has a hundred to eighty Spirit Emperor powerhouses?"
"What are you thinking, kid? In the entire White Dragon Dynasty, there are three pavilions, two valleys, and one sect. These are all top-tier forces."
The Primordial Old Man said frankly, "It's not unusual for there to be many Spirit Emperor powerhouses."
Lu Fan nodded slightly. Although he was surprised, he knew that the Primordial Old Man would never lie.
After lingering in the First Heaven for a moment, Lu Fan's figure arrived in the Second Heaven. As soon as he entered the Second Heaven, he felt the temperature of the flames, which was very different from the First Heaven.
"I really didn't expect the power of these flames to be so strong!"
Lu Fan frowned. "Won't the temperature of the flames in the Third Heaven be even higher?"
"The cultivation techniques of the Heavenly Fire Pavilion are inherently fire-elemental. The temperature of the flames enhances their cultivation." The Primordial Old Man said directly, "For you, these flames might be an obstruction, but for those who cultivate fire-elemental techniques, they are a great help."
"I see!"
Lu Fan nodded slightly. He now understood why the Heavenly Fire Pavilion was established in a place with so many fiery mountains.
After passing through the Second Heaven, Lu Fan dared not delay. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the Third Heaven. However, in this Third Heaven, there were not many houses, and it was sparsely populated. He couldn't even see the figures of disciples.
"Kid, you have to be careful. The Second Heaven is where many disciples reside, while the Third Heaven is for the elders. If you accidentally run into them, you might be in big trouble." The Primordial Old Man reminded him.
Lu Fan nodded slightly. "Don't worry. I've already used the White Lotus Sacred Fire to suppress my aura. My aura won't be exposed, so I won't be seen."
The Primordial Old Man didn't say anything more. He naturally understood Lu Fan's words.
Lu Fan wandered around the Third Heaven for a long time but still couldn't find the location of the Green Lotus Sacred Fire, which made him frown. If this continued, it would be extremely problematic.
At that very moment, Lu Fan suddenly unleashed his spiritual sense and peered into the Third Heaven. Only then could he find the exact location of the Green Lotus Sacred Fire.
"What kind of scoundrel dares to spy on my Heavenly Fire Pavilion!"
A cold voice echoed in the void. The voice was extremely ancient and soul-stirring.
Lu Fan hurriedly withdrew his spiritual sense, only to find that his spiritual sense had already been severely injured. He couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, and his complexion turned extremely grim.
He never expected that the people within the Heavenly Fire Pavilion were so powerful that they could injure his spiritual sense through the void.
"Hurry up and leave, this place is not safe!" The Primordial Old Man's voice sounded.