Chapter 1443: Fate

"It's actually here!"

The Soul Shadow Demon Lord's face was filled with disbelief.

The Black Lotus of Deliverance was a long-standing legend on Spirit Snake Mountain. It was rumored that its lotus seeds possessed miraculous, heaven-defying properties that could turn decay into wonder.

There were also rumors that it was an ominous flower from the Underworld.

He had thought it was truly just a legend.

He never expected it to be right before his eyes!

What surprised him even more was that Jiang Fan and Yue Mingzhu hadn't picked it!

At this thought, he no longer hesitated.

He decisively flashed to the Black Lotus of Deliverance, grabbed the lotus, and pulled it out with force.

Jiang Fan's expression slightly changed, and he said in a low voice, "Don't pull it!"

However, the Soul Shadow Demon Lord was already overcome by this immense opportunity; how could he care about Jiang Fan's warning?

He channeled all his strength and pulled hard.

Perhaps because the Black Lotus of Deliverance's roots hadn't fully taken hold, it came out far more easily than a Deity Transformation Venerable from Divine Weapon Province could manage, pulling it out in one go.

"Hahahaha! The Black Lotus of Deliverance is mine, just like that!"

The Soul Shadow Demon Lord looked up and laughed excitedly, "I, Soul Shadow, truly have great fortune! Haha!"

"With this Black Lotus of Deliverance, I might even become a Grand Venerable one day!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Jiang Wuya out of the corner of his eye and quickly put the lotus into his spatial storage device.

His heart settled completely.

An unprecedented sense of comfort welled up in his heart.

Although he had cultivated to the Demon Venerable realm and held an extraordinary position on Spirit Snake Mountain, with Grand Venerables Black Dragon and Golden Scale above him, what was his strength, merely at the first decline of heaven and man? Even if Grand Venerable Black Dragon became the ruler of Spirit Snake Mountain in the future, he would never have a chance to distinguish himself.

Because Grand Venerable Black Dragon had several Demon Venerables under his command, all stronger than him.

Now, things were different. With this Black Lotus of Deliverance, his future was filled with endless possibilities.

Jiang Fan's expression darkened.

He couldn't allow the Soul Shadow Demon Lord to take this Black Lotus of Deliverance to the Central Plains.

Just then,

Above their heads, streaks of black and golden light intertwined, unleashing destructive fluctuations.

It was Grand Venerable Black Dragon and Grand Venerable Golden Scale, who had fought their way to them.

Grand Venerable Black Dragon reprimanded, "Why are you still here?"

He was struggling to hold off Grand Venerable Golden Scale, yet Jiang Fan, of all people, had stopped here and wasn't moving!

The Soul Shadow Demon Lord was startled. Grand Venerable Black Dragon had actually come to the interlayer world? Wasn't he undergoing ancestral reversion and supposed to be in secluded cultivation?

But quickly, his heart chilled.

Grand Venerable Black Dragon must not find out that he had obtained the Black Lotus of Deliverance!

Otherwise, how could it possibly be his turn to keep it?

And Jiang Fan, Jiang Wuya, and that girl right before him, all had to die!

A fierce glint appeared in his eyes. Remembering Jiang Fan's previous refusal to give him rabbit fur for healing, a sinister grin spread across his face.

Jiang Fan's actions implied that he had recovered his memory, or perhaps, he had never lost it in the first place.

As long as he told Grand Venerable Black Dragon about this, how could the Grand Venerable spare him?

After all, Jiang Fan knew about Grand Venerable Golden Scale's daughter returning.

And Grand Venerable Golden Scale was right there!

Grand Venerable Black Dragon would instantly eliminate him without needing the Soul Shadow Demon Lord to lift a finger.

He could then seize the opportunity to kill the girl, use his trump card demon treasure to instantly kill Jiang Wuya, and then he would be able to claim the Black Lotus of Deliverance for himself.

A plan quickly flashed through his mind, and he immediately said, "Grand Venerable..."

Only then did Grand Venerable Black Dragon notice the Soul Shadow Demon Lord, and he said,

"You're here too? Even better!"

"Escort Wang Chongxiao out! He has the Black Lotus of Deliverance; not a single bit of it must be lost."

"Otherwise, I'll hold you accountable!"

"What?"

The words of accusation were on the tip of his tongue, but the Soul Shadow Demon Lord swallowed them back forcefully.

His heart was instantly a tangled mess of panic.

No wonder Grand Venerable Black Dragon was in the interlayer world.

It turned out he had come for the Black Lotus of Deliverance, and he was the one who had entrusted it to Jiang Fan to take away.

This meant that if Jiang Fan reported truthfully, not only would he be unable to keep the Black Lotus of Deliverance, but he would also incur Grand Venerable Black Dragon's wrath for coveting it?

"Yes, my lord!"

"Senior Soul Shadow, please escort me out!"

However, what the Soul Shadow Demon Lord never expected was that Jiang Fan didn't expose him!

He was stunned for a moment before uneasily nodding, "Oh, oh, alright, alright."

"Grand Venerable, I'll take my leave!"

His heart pounding, he immediately escorted Jiang Fan and the others away from the two Grand Venerables' battlefield without another word.

As they left, or more precisely, as the Black Lotus of Deliverance was pulled out again, the interlayer world trembled violently once more.

And as they got closer to the exit fissure, the tremors became even more terrifying.

Tearing hums and roars emanated from the spatial barrier, as if the entire world was about to collapse.

An hour later,

With the fissure in sight, the Soul Shadow Demon Lord couldn't resist stopping.

He gazed deeply at Jiang Fan and asked, "What do you mean?"

Jiang Fan met his gaze, activated his Silent Meditation, and replied,

"You have something I need."

The Soul Shadow Demon Lord narrowed his eyes and transmitted his thoughts, "You want to make a deal with me?"

This was within his expectations.

Jiang Fan concealing the Black Lotus of Deliverance for him surely meant he had an agenda.

As for what that agenda was, he had a guess.

Jiang Fan nodded and said, "You can take the Black Lotus of Deliverance. In exchange, I need to know about Ling Shu and Liu Li."

As expected!

Jiang Fan was after information about these two girls.

The Soul Shadow Demon Lord weighed his options.

If he revealed information about Ling Shu and Liu Li, it would be an act of betrayal against Grand Venerable Black Dragon. Once the Grand Venerable found out, it would be a dead end! Fleeing to any great province would be useless!

But if he didn't make a deal with Jiang Fan, then his only option was to kill them to silence them. Currently, Jiang Fan had Jiang Wuya by his side, making it difficult to kill both of them simultaneously.

Moreover, if he killed Jiang Fan, how would he explain it to the Black Dragon clan?

So, after a brief deliberation, he gritted his teeth and said, "They're still alive."

Anyway, monopolizing the Black Lotus of Deliverance was already a betrayal of Grand Venerable Black Dragon.

One more betrayal wouldn't change the outcome.

Jiang Fan's hanging heart finally settled.

He had only suspected the two girls were hostages before, but now that it was confirmed, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He pressed further,

"Where are they?"

The Soul Shadow Demon Lord replied without hesitation, "They are in Grand Venerable Black Dragon's cave mansion."

Jiang Fan realized.

So he had been very close to them at one point.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Fan asked again, "The cave mansion must be very dangerous, right?"

The Soul Shadow Demon Lord replied, "Naturally."

His eyes flickered, and he added, "Besides the dangers, there are also some trapping formations."

"If you get trapped, you wouldn't expose me, would you?"

"How about this, I'll take you there myself."

Jiang Fan's mind was clear as a mirror.

This fellow intended to use the traps in the cave mansion to silence him.

In this way, the transfer lock he had placed on the Soul Shadow Demon Lord would come into play.

If real danger arose, the Soul Shadow Demon Lord could take the blow for him.

However, before that, he had to find a way to leave the Black Lotus of Deliverance in the interlayer world.

He absolutely could not let the Soul Shadow Demon Lord take it back to the Central Plains.

His gaze shifted, and Jiang Fan glanced at Jiang Wuya beside him, a plan immediately forming in his mind.

He transmitted his thoughts, "Then I'll trouble you, senior."

"Once they are rescued, our debts will be settled."

He ended his Silent Meditation.

He then looked at Jiang Wuya, who glanced back in surprise, their eyes meeting.

Jiang Fan's voice appeared in Jiang Wuya's mind.

"Senior Jiang, this concerns the safety of the Central Plains. I need your help with something for Wang Chongxiao."