Chapter 1493: Small Calabria

Ice Heart Great Venerable’s crystal clone calmly made its way towards the dungeon.

She didn't deliberately hide her presence, aiming to give Jiang Fan a chance to react. This was to prevent the encounter from ending too abruptly, which might leave him feeling unfairly treated.

“Bodhisattva said no one in the Central Land is more suitable to hold the Ancient Token than him,” she mused. “So he must have some real skills. I hope he doesn't disappoint me too much.”

Ice Heart Great Venerable mused silently as she descended the stairs to the bottom of the prison. As she neared the end, she suddenly raised an eyebrow, her gaze fixed on the corner for a moment before a silent gasp of surprise escaped her:

“What powerful invisibility! My Heaven-Human Five Declines senses almost completely missed it! In a chaotic battlefield, with complex energy signatures and constant combat fluctuations, I might not have noticed it at all.”

“This must be the holder of the Ancient Token, right?”

Ice Heart Great Venerable finally began to acknowledge Bodhisattva's assessment. This invisibility technique alone was astonishing. However, merely knowing how to hide wouldn't make him worthy of the Ancient Token.

Meanwhile, Jiang Fan, realizing he had been detected under Ice Heart Great Venerable's scrutiny, couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

“I was told the second stage perfection could block the senses of a Transcendent God Realm cultivator, but is this all it amounts to? I originally thought I might even fool a Heaven-Human Five Declines expert, but it couldn't even withstand the senses of a Heaven-Human One Decline!”

Jiang Fan eyed the unfamiliar female venerable before him, narrowing his eyes as he asked, “Are you looking for me, Your Excellency?”

Ice Heart Great Venerable looked at the empty space before her and said, “Holder of the Ancient Token, reveal yourself.”

So, she was here for the Ancient Token? A shiver of apprehension went through Jiang Fan. The red-faced elder from the Fire Worship Cult had warned him that if he wasn't strong enough, he wouldn't be able to keep the Ancient Token. Now, that prophecy had come true. A Transcendent God Venerable from an outer province had indeed come to demand the Ancient Token.

He had painstakingly acquired this token by fighting his way through the Ancient Road to Heaven; how could he possibly hand it over to someone else?

As for revealing himself... Fighting while invisible was clearly more advantageous to him, so why reveal himself?

He calmly took out three top-grade spirit swords, secretly activating them, ready to unleash the Three-Colored Divine Rainbow at any moment. Thanks to the effects of the "Selfless Pure Dust Art," the items in his hands were also invisible, perfect for a surprise attack.

Once prepared for battle, he finally spoke, “You want the Ancient Token?”

Ice Heart Great Venerable calmly replied, “It's useless to me. I merely wish to find a suitable master for it. If you are suitable, then great. If not, I will find someone else.”

Jiang Fan's expression turned slightly cold. “A Heaven-Human One Decline Venerable certainly has a big mouth!” Why should someone else decide the fate of something he had worked so hard to obtain?

Ice Heart Great Venerable lightly raised an eyebrow. “Your mouth is even bigger! You're clearly just an Eight-Aperture Nascent Soul, yet you dare to look down on a Transcendent God Venerable! Should I call that confidence, or sheer arrogance?”

Jiang Fan scoffed. “Why don't you try me and find out?”

Ice Heart Great Venerable calmly replied, “As you wish!”

Her aura exploded instantly, a powerful presence transcending the mortal plane and towering over all beings, engulfing Jiang Fan in that very moment. This scene was identical to when the Evil Crow Venerable had intimidated Jiang Fan long ago. The difference was that back then, Jiang Fan had been so overwhelmed he couldn't move, like a powerless ant. Now, however, times had changed.

“Black Dragon Armor!” Jiang Fan growled.

Dense black snake scales surged from beneath his skin, covering his entire body. At first glance, he resembled a humanoid black snake spirit! The crushing weight, as if ten thousand mountains had been placed upon him, lifted instantly.

“The Black Dragon Great Venerable's snake scales?” Ice Heart Great Venerable was startled, utterly surprised that this person possessed the Black Dragon Great Venerable's armor, known for its ability to escape without a trace!

Jiang Fan's solemn shout was her reply. “Four Symbols!”

At this moment, the Four Symbols of the "Brahma Saint True Spirit Art" converged! A majestic, ten-zhang-tall golden divine elephant. A human-like elephant, crowned and wielding an emperor's sword. An earth-like elephant in the form of a grand bell radiating an ancient luster. And a dense expanse of gray chains.

The divine elephant attacked with all eight arms, the human-like elephant unleashed a horizontal slash with its emperor's sword, and the grand earth-like bell tolled incessantly.

Ice Heart Great Venerable showed a hint of surprise. “What a unique body-refining technique. Both demons and humans can cultivate it. Below the Transcendent God Realm, it truly has few rivals.”

Unfortunately, she was a Transcendent God Venerable. With a tremor of her body, the grand bell that had immobilized her was repelled. The charging divine and human-like elephants were simply flung away by her formidable aura. They couldn't even get close! How could ordinary cultivation techniques possibly contend with a Transcendent God Venerable?

Yet, at that very moment, the mysterious gray chains suddenly stirred, crisscrossing to form a cage. It imprisoned Ice Heart Great Venerable and the surrounding space, severing it from the outside world.

Within the cage, the Transcendent God Venerable aura released by Ice Heart Great Venerable vanished into thin air! Slightly astonished, she quickly tried to circulate her Transcendent God Venerable power, only to her surprise, it was completely empty within her. Even the domain she had comprehended had eerily vanished.

“Interesting,” Ice Heart Great Venerable murmured in surprise. “These chains actually represent order and have erased my power.”

Simultaneously, the divine, earth-like, and human-like elephants surged forward once more. The grand earth-like bell immobilized her physical body, while the divine and human-like elephants focused on offense.

*Rip!*

With a dull tearing sound, a crooked, arm-thick crack was blasted into Ice Heart Great Venerable's body, xuyên through her torso. If she had been a living person, she would have been severely wounded. But the Ice Heart Great Venerable before him was merely a crystal body. Only a few ice fragments scattered, far from shattering.

Jiang Fan couldn't help but feel a touch of surprise. “Who are you?” The last time he had encountered such an odd body was the Confucian paper-doll clone from Hunyuan Province.

Ice Heart Great Venerable calmly stated, “No wonder Bodhisattva thinks highly of you; you certainly have some capabilities. However, if this is all you have, it's not enough.” She swept her gaze, and terrifying spiritual power surged forth like a devastating wave. The Four Divine Elephants successively disintegrated.

Then, her figure vanished from its spot, reappearing instantaneously behind Jiang Fan. She raised her delicate hand and lightly struck Jiang Fan's back. She shook her head slightly and sighed, “It's over.”

However, from an angle she couldn't see, Jiang Fan's lips curved into a faint smile. This was exactly what he had been waiting for!

Just as Ice Heart Great Venerable's palm was about to land on Jiang Fan, the long-dormant Sage's Law within him finally activated!

“To hit is to cherish; to scold is to love!”

A powerful law fluctuation swept out, catching Ice Heart Great Venerable completely off guard, and she was struck head-on. While her cultivation realm prevented her from being completely swayed by the law, she was inevitably affected. The palm aimed at Jiang Fan paused, and she instinctively moved to embrace him.

Seizing this opportunity, Jiang Fan's sleeve revealed a divine wood, which he gripped in his palm. Without turning his head, Jiang Fan thrust his hand backward. This was the divine artifact that had caused the Black Dragon Great Venerable a full day of agony after just one hit! How much more so for this minor Heaven-Human One Decline cultivator before him?