Chapter 1248: Seemingly Familiar

He looked towards the source of the sound.

A middle-aged woman in a long black dress was suspended behind him.

She appeared to be in her fifties, but her face was attractive and she wore light makeup. Her figure was well-preserved. She was a beautiful woman with a lingering charm. A pair of shrewd, drooping phoenix eyes were scrutinizing Jiang Fan. There was an air of nobility about her brow, typical of someone in a high position. Behind her head, a milky-white divine halo flickered.

She was clearly a Venerable!

While Jiang Fan was startled, he was also secretly surprised. Hadn't it been said that the ones trapped here were the Grand Wine Sacrifice and the six Demon Gate Lords? If she were a Demonic Venerable, her divine halo should be black, just like the Soul Refining Venerable's.

"Who are you?" Jiang Fan asked in return.

The beautiful woman in the black dress glanced at the path beneath Jiang Fan's feet, finding his identity difficult to fathom. For a thousand years, Venerable Wutong had never received outsiders. Intruders, even Venerables, would be trapped and perish within. Jiang Fan was the first to have the Misty Demonic Liquid clear a path for him.

She revealed a smile and said, "My name is Lian Jing, and I come from Tianzhou. And you, young Daoist friend?"

Tianzhou? Why was this woman in Great Barren Province? And in the forbidden land?

After thinking, Jiang Fan didn't dare say he was merely a sect master. There was no one around, and the other party was a Venerable of unknown origin. An identity without any deterrent power wouldn't do.

"Venerable Wutong is my martial aunt," he declared. "Who are you, and why have you trespassed into my martial aunt's forbidden land?" Jiang Fan questioned, frowning. When out and about, one naturally had to establish their own identity. Besides, he had inherited Lu Jiulin's ultimate skills, making him half a disciple. If Venerable Wutong and Lu Jiulin were fellow disciples, then "martial aunt" wasn't a baseless claim.

Venerable Lian Jing's eyes flickered, somewhat surprised. Venerable Wutong was a Supreme Being who had reached the Five Declines of Heaven and Man. The young man in front of her was actually her martial nephew? Really? But looking at the path of Misty Demonic Liquid beneath Jiang Fan's feet, it was hard not to believe. Besides those extremely close to Venerable Wutong, who else could receive such treatment?

With a shift in her thoughts, Venerable Lian Jing apologized, "So it's Daoist Jiang. I apologize for my disrespect. I accidentally entered your martial aunt's forbidden land and lost my way. Could you please do me a favor, young Daoist friend, and escort me out?"

Jiang Fan felt wary. It was a forbidden land that looked incredibly dangerous; even a blind person would know to keep their distance. And "accidentally entered"? She probably came with some other motive, right?

He looked towards the path he had come from. The nearby section was fine, but the distant path had already dissipated, making it impossible to return the way he came. He shook his head and said, "It's my martial aunt's forbidden land; I, too, find it difficult to leave. I'm afraid I cannot help Venerable Lian Jing."

Repeating her name, Jiang Fan felt it sounded familiar, as if he had heard or seen the name somewhere. But trying to recall, he couldn't remember.

Venerable Lian Jing still smiled and said, "Young Daoist friend, you also cultivate lightning-based divine abilities, don't you? I do as well. I have some surplus lightning energy here; please take it for your cultivation."

A lotus condensed from lightning energy appeared in her palm. The lightning power contained within it was terrifying. It was almost equivalent to all the lightning power of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator undergoing tribulation! Not only could it allow Jiang Fan's Abyssal Heart to cultivate to perfection, the Hell Lotus would also be sufficient to cultivate to perfection! And there would even be a surplus!

Jiang Fan was greatly astonished. What was this woman's background? Was her sect a top-tier one specializing in lightning cultivation? To casually gift such astonishing lightning power! He was extremely tempted. But how could a Venerable's gift be so easily accepted? If he couldn't help her leave, he would be in great trouble.

Suppressing the greed in his heart, Jiang Fan said, "I truly don't know the way out. After I've met my martial aunt, I can plead with her to let you out. As for whether it will succeed, that's uncertain."

Venerable Lian Jing's eyes flickered, a hint of shrewdness sparkling within: "Then, could you take me to see your martial aunt? If I apologize to her directly, it might be more successful."

Jiang Fan suddenly sensed something unusual. He vaguely felt that having him lead the way to Venerable Wutong seemed to be this woman's true intention.

Venerable Lian Jing handed over the lightning lotus and said, "This lotus is still for you. I just ask for your help, young Daoist friend."

Jiang Fan pondered for a moment. Even if he refused, it wouldn't matter, would it? If a Venerable insisted on following him, could he really shake her off? Moreover, with Venerable Wutong present, the woman in front of him wouldn't be able to cause any trouble. So, he happily said, "Venerable, you are too kind. Then, please come with me to see my martial aunt."

He accepted the lightning lotus. Casually, he glanced at Venerable Lian Jing's divine halo. Upon closer inspection, he realized her divine halo was different from any he had seen on other Venerables. On the divine halo, there were actually four flame symbols. His eyes widened in surprise, "Venerable's divine halo seems quite unique."

A hint of surprise appeared in Venerable Lian Jing's eyes. A martial nephew of a Supreme Being who had reached the Five Declines of Heaven and Man actually didn't know the meaning of the divine halo's flames? Considering Jiang Fan was only at the Five Aperture Nascent Soul stage, far from reaching the Spirit Transformation realm, it was normal for him not to understand this. So, she suppressed her doubts and lightly smiled, "This is a symbol used to distinguish Venerables in the Spirit Transformation realm according to their stages of the Five Declines of Heaven and Man. For every decline stage entered, an additional flame appears on the divine halo."

Jiang Fan immediately recalled that the ranking among Giant Kings was distinguished by the number of stars. And the flame marks were the symbols distinguishing the Five Declines of Heaven and Man in the Central Plains. Thinking of this, he suddenly realized, "So that's it... wait!"

Jiang Fan's expression suddenly froze. His pupils sharply contracted! Venerable Lian Jing had four flame marks, so wasn't she a super Venerable who had reached the Four Declines of Heaven and Man? Her strength was comparable to a Four-Crowned Asura King? Which titan from Tianzhou had he truly encountered?

Venerable Lian Jing chuckled, "Compared to your martial aunt, I'm far behind. The Five Declines of Heaven and Man, each decline is a gateway to hell. There are still some in the Central Plains who, like me, have reached the Four Declines realm, but those who can reach the Five Declines stage are few and far between."

The shock in Jiang Fan's heart remained, difficult to calm for a long time. He suddenly felt the lightning lotus in his hand was scalding; this item was not easy to hold! What if his deception was exposed? But he could only grit his teeth and lead the way.

"Thank you, Venerable Lian Jing, for clarifying my confusion," he said. "Please follow me."

Venerable Lian Jing smiled and walked side by side with Jiang Fan. She asked with a knowing look, "Are you here to see Venerable Wutong because she has something to instruct you on?"

Jiang Fan, feeling guilty, retorted, "What makes you say that?"

Venerable Lian Jing seemed to notice Jiang Fan's guilt and narrowed her eyes slightly. She was starting to doubt Jiang Fan's identity. Her eyes subtly shifted as she probed, "With such a major event happening in the Heaven Realm, didn't your master tell you?"

News from Taicang Great Province had already spread throughout the Nine Provinces. The appearance of the ancient Heavenly Pit truly made the cultivators of the Nine Provinces uneasy. Since Jiang Fan was the martial nephew of a Supreme Being like Venerable Wutong, such news shouldn't be a secret to him, right? If he didn't even know this, she would truly begin to doubt his identity.