Chapter 1458: Ancestor Blood of All Living Beings

Regardless of whether he could obtain the Ancestral Blood of Myriad Spirits, Jiang Fan had nothing to lose.

He smiled and said, "Thank you, Senior Jinlin."

Grand Venerable Jinlin chuckled, then suddenly slapped his forehead. He took out a black lotus leaf and handed it to Jiang Fan, saying, "This is the reward the Great Wine Priest left for the one who contributed the most. It's yours!" It went without saying who had contributed the most during this outbreak of hellish creatures.

Jiang Fan quickly took it. The lotus leaf felt cool to the touch, and its aura was remarkably familiar. His expression became slightly serious. "A lotus leaf from the Tribulation-Crossing Black Lotus?"

Grand Venerable Jinlin nodded. "That's what the Great Wine Priest fought against."

Jiang Fan gasped. A single lotus leaf could transform into a peerless powerhouse of the Sage Realm? How terrifying must the Tribulation-Crossing Black Lotus itself be? He recalled the lotus root that had begun to take human form, and his scalp tingled slightly.

Grand Venerable Jinlin mused, "You didn't bring the Tribulation-Crossing Black Lotus out, did you?" Given Jiang Fan's prudence and caution, he wouldn't have risked it.

Jiang Fan replied, "I banished it to the void. That's why the interlayered world collapsed."

Grand Venerable Jinlin thought to himself, 'As expected.' He also finally understood why the Great Wine Priest had told him not to worry needlessly. It was because Jiang Fan had already dealt with the Tribulation-Crossing Black Lotus. He gave a wry smile. "The Great Wine Priest didn't make it clear, which led to Grand Venerable Black Dragon and me fighting for nothing." However, looking back, if he hadn't preoccupied Grand Venerable Black Dragon, how would Jiang Fan have had the chance to rescue his daughter? It could only be said that every cause had its effect.

At this moment, Jiang Fan was curiously examining the lotus leaf, and to his surprise, he found two distinct law fluctuations on it. One belonged to the Tribulation-Crossing Black Lotus itself, and the other was likely an inscription from the Great Wine Priest. The nature of the Tribulation-Crossing Black Lotus's law remained unknown. However, the Great Wine Priest's inscription was clearly visible.

"'Always keep a smile on your face?'" The smile vanished from Jiang Fan's face. He looked disgruntled and asked, "What... what kind of inscription is this?"

Grand Venerable Jinlin gave him a sideways glance. "Are you complaining now? Even a casual word from a Sage contains unimaginable power."

Jiang Fan recalled the saying, "To beat is to show affection, to scold is to show love," and his expression softened slightly. Indeed, a Sage's inscription should sometimes not be judged by its literal meaning. When used in specific situations, it could often prove immensely useful. Unfortunately, the inscription on the lotus leaf was not as permanent as the characters carved into Jiang Fan's body. It would likely disappear after a single use.

He carefully put away the lotus leaf. Recalling the thousand-zhang claw mark torn into the interlayered world, he gravely asked, "Senior, do you have any idea how the interlayered world was opened?"

Grand Venerable Jinlin's expression grew serious. If Jiang Fan could discern that the fissure was a claw mark, how could he not? "Grand Venerable Bingxin and I have exchanged views. It was likely done by a Sage from our Central Land. What we don't understand is why, after opening the interlayered world, he didn't take the Tribulation-Crossing Black Lotus, which was the most valuable item within. He merely created a man-made disaster. Such a self-defeating act, harming others without any apparent benefit to himself, baffles us."

Jiang Fan stroked his chin, furrowing his brow in thought. What could the Asura Holy Son be planning? For an existence like that, every action has a deeper purpose. What is he plotting? His eyes flickered. Jiang Fan asked, "Senior, have you guessed which Sage it might be?"

Grand Venerable Jinlin's expression was peculiar. "We can only confirm that it was the work of a strange Sage wielding infernal power."

Jiang Fan secretly nodded; the Grand Venerable's discernment was indeed sharp. To so quickly ascertain the Sage originated from the Hell Realm. After a moment of thought, he revealed what he knew. "To my knowledge, there is an Asura Holy Son among the Sages of our Central Land. He has now reached the Sage Realm."

"What?" Grand Venerable Jinlin was greatly surprised. "Such a thing exists?" His eyes flickered with disbelief.

Jiang Fan sighed. "This Asura Holy Son is from the Bloodthirsty Asura lineage and possesses a very unique talent: disguise. This is why he has been able to remain hidden under the Ancient Sages' noses until now."

Grand Venerable Jinlin's expression grew incredibly serious. "This is truly appalling. Our Central Land actually harbors such a massive hidden danger? If he harbored ill will towards any Grand Venerable, who could escape disaster? Do you have any more information about the Asura Holy Son?" He was now deeply concerned about this. The very existence of this Asura Holy Son was chilling.

Jiang Fan continued, "Currently, I have four suspects. They are Sage Wanyun, Sage Tianluo, Demon Venerable Jiuyou, and Buddhist Venerable Guzen."

Grand Venerable Jinlin's eyes showed contemplation. "Why do you suspect them?"

Jiang Fan explained, "Because the Asura Holy Son became a Sage within the last thousand years. And these are the individuals who fit that criteria."

Grand Venerable Jinlin mumbled the names of the four Sages, then after a moment, said, "We can rule out Demon Venerable Jiuyou."

Jiang Fan's spirits lifted. "How can you be sure? The Asura Holy Son can also disguise himself as one of your demon race."

Grand Venerable Jinlin explained, "If he disguised himself as a Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator, it would indeed be difficult to distinguish. However, he cannot disguise himself as a Demon Venerable. Because for our demon race, a Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator must undergo a bloodline reversion to their ancestor to become a Demon Venerable. No matter how adept his disguise, he cannot conjure a bloodline out of thin air and then ascend to Demon Venerable. Moreover, Demon Venerable Jiuyou is a Sage of our demon race, and his history from birth can be thoroughly investigated. The Asura Holy Son absolutely cannot impersonate him from scratch."

Jiang Fan suddenly realized. Right, the methods of entering the Sage Realm differ between the demon race and the human race. The demon race requires a bloodline reversion to their ancestor to reach that state. This is something the Asura Holy Son cannot disguise. This narrowed down the list even further. Only Sage Wanyun, Sage Tianluo, and Buddhist Venerable Guzen remained! He still felt that Buddhist Venerable Guzen remained the most suspicious. The most dangerous place is often the safest. The Asura Holy Son's ability to remain hidden until now might be due to the Buddhist sect's aura concealing his Asura traces.

"Thank you for clarifying my doubts, Senior." Jiang Fan smiled; this conversation had yielded further insights.

Grand Venerable Jinlin patted his shoulder. "Don't concern yourself with this matter; you might invite trouble upon yourself. I will discreetly investigate them. Besides, I was always going to make a trip to Tianzhou to uncover the truth behind my wife's death!" A hint of cold light flickered in Grand Venerable Jinlin's eyes.

Jiang Fan understood that Liuli had already conveyed Saint Mother Jinshe's dying words to Grand Venerable Jinlin. According to her final message, she had sought out a trusted person in Tianzhou, only to be betrayed. This betrayal had led her to flee to Taicang Great State, gravely wounded, eventually succumbing to the greed of Sanqing Mountain. He nodded. "Please be very careful, Senior." The person who earned the trust of Grand Venerable Jinlin and his wife must hold a significant position and possess considerable strength.

Grand Venerable Jinlin nodded. "Thank you."

Just then, powerful individuals from various states, having received the news, began arriving outside the hall. Grand Venerable Jinlin advised again, "Jiang Fan, prepare thoroughly. Strive to obtain even a trace of the Ancestral Blood of Myriad Spirits. I'm willing to buy it at any cost." He glanced at Liuli, who was standing nearby, his eyes filled with profound guilt.

Jiang Fan understood that Grand Venerable Jinlin wanted to acquire some Ancestral Blood of Myriad Spirits for his daughter to enhance her bloodline. Realizing that Fairy Yunshang and others also needed it, he became serious and asked, "What exactly is this blood?"