novelraw Chapter 666: So It Was Him...
Chapter 666: So It Was Him...
Yun Youmu sighed deeply.
His understanding of the Lifedeath Dao Line was superficial, and his comprehension of life and death was extremely shallow, with no confidence in passing the life and death challenge.
If he hadn’t witnessed the formidable nature of the Primordial Five Passes, Yun Youmu might have had some confidence in overcoming them.
But after seeing the power of the previous challenges, his confidence was completely shattered.
He was self-aware; this place of the Primordial Five Passes was not meant for someone like him at the first fracture.
Even Gongyang Zi, Black Fire, or even Hex Shixiu, were not capable of breaking through.
The hope of breaking through might lie with Ning Fan, the lady in red, and the little demoness.
As soon as they entered the passage of life and death, the seven were immediately transported separately.
This challenge was filled with a gray mist.
The mist seemed to have the effect of blocking divine sense. How long it would take to traverse the mist and reach the place to break through was unknown.
Perhaps it would be a few days, or maybe a few months.
Ning Fan walked in the mist, and after a few breaths, he suddenly stopped, his expression changing slightly.
"Dao poison! There’s Dao poison in this mist!"
Dao poison was a special toxin that could only be defended against with Dao power.
The Dao poison here was Lifedeath Dao poison, and only by using the power of life and death to protect oneself can one defend against this poison!
Once Ning Fan discovered the Dao poison here, he wasted no time. With a step on the ground, five hundred black and white energies immediately soared around him.
This was the power of life and death drawn from the Lifedeath Dao Pattern on his Spirit.
With such Dao power protecting him, part of the mist was immediately dispelled, and the Dao poison could not harm Ning Fan.
Fortunately, Ning Fan discovered it early and used Dao power to protect himself in time. His body had not yet been poisoned by the Lifedeath Dao poison, or it would have been troublesome.
If poisoned by Lifedeath Dao poison, one would undoubtedly die within a thousand years unless an Immortal Emperor intervened. There was absolutely no cure...
The little demoness was also transported alone.
Her understanding of life and death surpassed Ning Fan, and she had two thousand eight hundred Lifedeath Dao Patterns, allowing her to notice the anomaly in the mist faster than Ning Fan.
Summoning two thousand eight hundred black and white energies to protect herself, the little demoness did not seem relieved; instead, she appeared somewhat worried.
"I didn’t expect the life and death challenge to be like this. Had I known, I shouldn’t have let Little Fan Fan attempt it... Can he withstand the Dao poison? If not, it would be really troublesome..."
At the same time as Ning Fan, the lady in red also discovered the location of the Dao poison and summoned six hundred black and white energies to protect herself.
Her aptitude was unmatched in the Rain Immortal World and even among the nine worlds.
If it hadn’t been for the harm caused by the Rain Emperor, after ten thousand years of arduous cultivation, she might have already reached the peak of the ninth fracture.
Falling once wasn’t without its benefits; having died once, she had a unique understanding of life and death.
With the power of life and death protecting her, she wasn’t afraid of the Dao poison.
However, in her cold blood-red eyes, a trace of worry also appeared.
"Can he withstand the poison..."
As for Hex Shixiu, the situation was much worse.
Hex Shixiu’s comprehension of life and death was nearly zero, and Gongyang Zi’s and Black Fire’s comprehension was absolutely zero.
Each of them was transported separately, and upon seeing the mist before them, they all sneered.
"I didn’t expect the fifth challenge to be so simple, with only a mere mist obstructing us. While finding the exit might take time, there’s no danger. This challenge is easily broken!"
The three did not know that while they sneered, their bodies had unknowingly been contaminated by Dao poison...
Yun Youmu was extremely shocked, filled with regret.
Only after walking a great distance did he vaguely realize something was amiss in his body.
Upon internal inspection, he suddenly discovered that he had unknowingly been poisoned by Lifedeath Dao poison!
In a hurry, he summoned two black and white energies to protect himself, but his face was extremely grim.
"It’s too late, too late! This challenge is truly vicious; I only have a thousand years left to live..."
...
Three months later, having journeyed through the mist, Ning Fan finally found the exit amidst it.
The little demoness and the lady in red also arrived just in time, almost reaching the exit simultaneously.
Through this passage in the mist, each of the three had their Lifedeath Dao Patterns increased by ten to twenty, which was quite rewarding.
Ning Fan’s count of Lifedeath Dao Patterns had reached 520.
Seeing Ning Fan safe and sound, the little demoness secretly breathed a sigh of relief, while the lady in red’s blood-red eyes flickered without saying much.
Seeing the two women unharmed, Ning Fan also felt a slight sense of relief.
The three of them walked out of the exit together, and in an instant, the mist of the Fifth Trial disappeared completely.
He Shixiu and the others, who were close to the exit, saw the mist vanish, realizing that the Fifth Trial had been broken by someone again.
Upon seeing that it was Ning Fan and the others who passed the trial, He Shixiu’s face twitched. He and his companions, once again, ended up playing a minor role...
Ning Fan glanced at He Shixiu and the others, sighing inwardly.
These people were all poisoned by the Dao, yet they were still unaware.
No, not everyone was oblivious, at least Yun Youmu knew.
Yun Youmu’s gaze was absent, looking lost.
He was poisoned by the Dao, and without the Immortal Emperor’s help, he had only a thousand years to live... A thousand years, where to find an Immortal Emperor...
Forget it, forget it, this is fate, it cannot be forced.
"Fellow Daoist Yun, don’t be discouraged. It doesn’t matter who broke the Fifth Trial."
He Shixiu comforted Yun Youmu with feigned sincerity, thinking Yun Youmu looked bad because he hadn’t succeeded in breaking the trial.
While comforting with words, he cursed Yun Youmu, Gongyang Zi, Xuan Huo, and the others in his heart.
A bunch of useless people, if he had known earlier they were of no use, he would have recruited others!
The woman in the red dress glanced at He Shixiu and the others, shook her head slightly, but said nothing.
The little demoness glanced at He Shixiu and the others, her expression changing slightly, but she didn’t reveal anything.
The Primordial Five Passes have been broken. Now, all that remains is to open the door to the restricted area and retrieve The Immemorial Fisherman’s Raincoat Painting.
Beyond the Fifth Trial, there is a long bronze tunnel leading directly to the underground.
At the end of the tunnel, there is a gigantic bronze gate five ten thousand zhang tall.
There are six keyholes on the colossal gate, which require the Shedding Orchid Key to open.
"Haha, I, He, have not contributed much along the way, and I feel quite embarrassed. Let me handle opening this gigantic door. The reason I arrived a month late was to ask the elders of the sect to refine this item. It is an Immortal Talisman-level Prohibition-breaking Talisman, capable of shattering Fate Immortal Level Immortal Mansion prohibitions and doors with just one slip."
He Shixiu smiled gently like jade, pulling out an Immortal Talisman shimmering with blue light.
The little demoness glanced at the talisman but said nothing more, nodding to indicate that He Shixiu should handle this trial.
In her heart, though, she was speechless. He Shixiu got poisoned by the Dao without realizing it and was being smug, which was rather pitiful.
"Wait a moment, the Prohibition-breaking Talisman is quite precious; if we don’t have to use it, we shouldn’t. The gate to the restricted area requires six Shedding Orchid Keys to open. He Daozi has three keys, Miss Xiao has two, and I have one. Wouldn’t it be better to just use the keys to open the door?"
After Ning Fan finished speaking, he took out a bronze key from his storage pouch.
Upon seeing that the last key was with Ning Fan, the little demoness was slightly surprised before smiling brightly at Ning Fan, her eyes seemingly speaking.
"An inheritor of Ancient Chaos indeed always surprises, the last key was with you... as expected of my Little Fan Fan."
The lady in red had no much change in expression; she was not concerned about how to open the door as long as they could retrieve the painting.
He Shixiu’s smile froze on his face and his expression turned green and red.
Even opening the restricted area door, Ning Fan wasn’t willing to let him take the credit...
Forget it, forget it, open the door and retrieve the painting!
"Haha, I didn’t expect Fellow Daoist Ning to have the last Shedding Orchid Key, wonderful, just wonderful. In that case, let’s use the keys to open the door to the restricted area."
He Shixiu took out three Shedding Orchid Keys from his storage pouch, flicked his fingers, and inserted them into the corresponding keyholes.
The little demoness also took out a key, and with a flick of her dainty finger, she inserted it into the corresponding keyhole.
Ning Fan raised his hand to release the Shedding Orchid Key, and the key flew into the last keyhole on its own.
When all six keys were inserted, the door to the restricted area rumbled open.
Within the restricted area, all that met the eye was a vast expanse of an icy world, thousands of miles of frozen ice and snow drifting for endless miles.
The restricted area was too vast to see any boundaries.
The group flew through the restricted area for several days, yet could not see an end to it, nor did they find The Immemorial Fisherman’s Raincoat Painting.
Ning Fan frowned slightly, feeling vaguely that something wasn’t right about this place, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.
The little demoness and the woman in red also wore serious expressions, feeling something amiss.
"Little Fan Fan... I have a bad feeling about this. I feel we should leave this place as soon as possible." The little demoness said with a solemn look in her eyes.
"I have the same feeling. The mountains and snow here lack vitality, almost as if they are painted." The woman in red said, furrowing her brows.
"Painted!"
Ning Fan was suddenly startled, as if he thought of a possibility, descending to investigate a nearby snow mountain.
Upon investigation, his expression suddenly darkened.
"As expected... Walking like this, we will not find The Immemorial Fisherman’s Raincoat Painting. The moment we stepped into the restricted area, we were trapped inside the painting of The Immemorial Fisherman’s Raincoat... Everything we see is all part of the painting."
"What! We’ve actually been drawn into The Immemorial Fisherman’s Raincoat Painting? How is that possible?" He Shixiu exclaimed in shock.
"Haha, what’s so impossible about that! The Immemorial Fisherman’s Raincoat Painting is precisely a supreme treasure for trapping people inside and deciding life and death! Look at this snow mountain, they’re white now, which means life! Once the white turns completely black, it signifies death! By then, besides me, none of you will survive! In just a few more hours, you will all die within the painting!"
This voice suddenly sounded without any warning, even Ning Fan’s eyes changed slightly.
Not far away, on an ice lake, an old man wearing a white bamboo hat and a raincoat sat alone on a fishing boat, fishing on the ice lake.
Nobody knew when he had started fishing there, he was simply unnoticed by anyone!
His cultivation had surpassed that of an Immortal and reached the level of a Fate Immortal!
"A Fate Immortal! Why is there a Fate Immortal concealed here! Quick, flee!"
He Shixiu, Gongyang Zi, and Black Fire’s expressions changed as they turned around, intending to flee.
Yun Youmu’s eyes flickered as he, too, prepared to escape.
In their view, a Fate Immortal appearing in such a place was undoubtedly an enemy.
Ning Fan, however, did not flee, knowing that if this Fate Immortal were indeed hostile, escaping would be futile.
Moreover, Ning Fan didn’t sense any killing intent from this person; he seemed to harbor no hostility.
Ning Fan was the first to descend to the edge of the ice lake, cupping his fists in respect and greeting the man, "Junior Ning Fan, greets Senior."
Red Long Dress and Little Demoness also landed on the ground, but merely stood behind Ning Fan, saluting the man silently.
"Oh? You few little youngsters do have some guts, unlike those others," the white-robed fisherman pointed at He Shixiu and the others, speaking dismissively.
He Shixiu’s face turned slightly blue, showing some displeasure, yet he dared not express it before the Fate Immortal in front of him.
He feared that offending this person might get him killed right here.
"May I ask what Senior meant by his earlier words, Junior did not understand," Ning Fan inquired.
"Didn’t understand? Then I’ll explain it once more. From the moment you stepped into the forbidden land, you were drawn into the Immemorial Fisherman’s Raincoat Painting and cannot leave... In several hours, another black-clad Fate Immortal will come to kill you all."
"A black-clad Fate Immortal?!" Ning Fan’s eyes changed, unexpectedly learning that there was a second Fate Immortal here.
He Shixiu and the others’ expressions changed dramatically, not expecting that entering this place meant they could never leave and that in a few hours, a black-clad Fate Immortal would arrive here to kill... How did things turn out this way!
They had already passed the Primordial Five Passes, and the forbidden land’s entrance had opened, only to find themselves trapped at the retrieval step, leaving them in a hopeless situation.
"That black-clad Fate Immortal is different from me; he is ruthless, practicing the Dao of Death and will kill anyone attempting to seize the painting. I practice the Dao of Life and seeing you in trouble, I wish to help you. Of course, I have selfish reasons too. That black-clad Fate Immortal wants to kill me, and I want to kill him, yet neither can kill the other... Young Friend Ning, how about lending me a hand, killing him with me?"
"What virtues and abilities does this junior possess to help Senior kill a Fate Immortal... May I ask if there is a way to escape this place?"
Ning Fan did not agree to the request of the white-clad elder; he just wanted to find a way to escape and leave here, unwilling to make an enemy of a Fate Immortal.
He quietly stimulated the Xuan Yin Treasure, discovering it was still usable.
He then quietly activated the Yuan Yao World, realizing it was unusable.
Meanwhile, the distant snow-capped mountains began gradually turning black.
As the blackness appeared, numerous senses of danger surged within Ning Fan’s heart...
He surmised that the elder’s words about not being able to escape were likely true.
The possibility of a black-clad Fate Immortal coming to kill them in a few hours was also probably true.
Even returning the way they came might not help them find the entrance they came through.
If the black-clad Fate Immortal attacked, he could hide in the medium dichiliocosm, but Red Long Dress and Little Demoness would have nowhere to hide, inevitably facing death.
Furthermore, the medium dichiliocosm had a time limit. Ning Fan could only stay inside for a month, after which he would emerge from the Xuan Yin Treasure, again facing attack from the black-clad Fate Immortal.
Ning Fan simply wished to find a way to escape and take the two girls away, unwilling to witness the re-enactment of the scene in the illusion where he watched as the two girls died before his eyes.
"A way to escape, is there one? Indeed, just kill either me or that black-clad Fate Immortal, and you will have a chance to escape. Otherwise, you shall be sealed eternally within this painting until you die!"
"What!" Ning Fan’s eyes sank; must he kill a Fate Immortal to leave...
The white-clad elder glanced over everyone present, looking at Little Demoness, sighing, "If this little one’s cultivation were at its peak, she might indeed assist me, alas, what a pity. Young friend, let me borrow your Demon-Sealing Pouch. I know what you worry about, rest assured, I have no malice toward you, I only desire release... For this battle, just watch from the sidelines!"
The white-clad elder grabbed towards Ning Fan’s waist, causing the shadow of hundreds of orchid petals to float around instantly.
With just one grasp, he took the Demon-Sealing Pouch into his hand.
Ning Fan’s eyes trembled, remembering that the Shedding Orchid Sect mentioned this sort of divine skill, called the Distant Orchid Snatching Technique, a skill for capturing others’ magical treasures.
Could this person be from the Shedding Orchid Sect!
"Young Friend Ning, don’t be angry, I can make a Restrictive Spell, assuring you I mean no harm to any of you present. All I seek is to slay the black-clad Fate Immortal, thereafter finding release. I borrowed your Demon-Sealing Pouch, but it’s not a free use. The things inside, you haven’t fully subdued them, have you? I can help with that. Lend me a wisp of spirit sense, young friend."
After saying this, the white-clad elder indeed proceeded with a Restrictive Spell, signifying that he would not harm anyone present.
Ning Fan frowned.
The way to escape was to kill a Fate Immortal... Either the black-clad or white-clad must die for escape.
The white-clad elder ’borrowed’ the rogue devil, intending to suppress and kill the black-clad by its power.
The rogue devil had fallen into the white-clad elder’s hands, and the white-clad vowed no harm to anyone there.
All Ning Fan could do was to believe in this white-clad Fate Immortal, lending the rogue devil to aid him in slaying the black-clad Fate Immortal.
As for giving him a wisp of spirit sense...
Ning Fan forced out a wisp of spirit sense from his divine sense and handed it to the white-clad elder.
With the strength of the old man in white, there is no need to scheme against him. Taking this strand of divine thought most likely is to help him subdue the rogue devil...
The old man in white accepted a strand of divine thought from Ning Fan and smiled at Ning Fan,
"Old me is destined to cross paths with young friend, yet young friend is unaware. You carry the Sect Master’s token of the Lan Ling Sect - the Thousand Mountains Orchid Snow Painting, and have learned our Shedding Orchid Sect’s secret technique - the Mutual Death Technique. Considering this fate, how could I harm you? Miscreant, come out!"
The old man in white suddenly opened the Demon-Sealing Pouch, and a wisp of demonic aura immediately shot out from the pouch, transforming into a gigantic demonic creature, laughing up at the sky.
"Haha! You finally prepare to use me for the third time! Use me quickly! Once used, the Puppet Thread will break, and I’ll be reborn!"
The little demoness seemed unsurprised that Ning Fan possessed a rogue devil. During her time with Ning Fan, she had already somewhat sensed it.
However, the red-dressed one was shocked to her very core, never expecting Ning Fan to be carrying a rogue devil!
He Shixiu, Gongyang Zi, Black Fire, and Yun Youmu were all astonished.
Rogue Devil! Ning Fan was actually carrying a rogue devil!
A rogue devil is a peak powerhouse of the Demon World, only five exist in the entire Demon World!
How could there be a rogue devil powerhouse with Ning Fan! Where did this rogue devil come from!
Is it the ancestors of the rogue devil of the Demon World, or a demonic powerhouse from the Four Heavens!
"Haha, I’m finally going to be free! Hahaha!"
The rogue devil was incredibly excited.
His greatest fear was that Ning Fan would never use him for the third time, never breaking the Puppet Thread.
He had always been waiting to be used by Ning Fan one more time; after use, he would be free, and Ning Fan would never be able to put him back into the Demon-Sealing Pouch!
His arrogant gaze swept around the area, momentarily stunned by the bizarre scene.
His gaze swept past Ning Fan, past the little demoness and the red-dressed one, past He Shixiu and the others, and finally landing on the Immortal in white!
The Immortal in white was holding a Demon-Sealing Pouch!
It was the Immortal in white who released him!
In that instant, all the rogue devil’s smiles were frozen on his face.
"Immortal, why is there an Immortal here! What kind of eerie place is this! Old man, who are you! What do you want to do to me!"
"What to do? Old me wants to help young friend Ning a little, to subdue you, and slightly borrow your strength. Sit down!"
The Immortal in white’s gaze suddenly turned fierce, and countless orchid shadows appeared in the sky.
He pointed out a finger, a beam of orchid light with Ning Fan’s divine thought thrust into the rogue devil’s Tian Ling.
The rogue devil screamed in pain, clutching his head, rolling violently on the ground, seemingly in extreme agony.
This is the secret technique of the Shedding Orchid Sect, which can forcibly plant a Restrictive Spell on a Master whose cultivation is lesser than one’s own.
But performing this technique requires a special physique, so it is not something just anyone can learn.
Gradually, the rogue devil’s pain began to lessen, no longer struggling.
But his expression was as if he had swallowed a fly, extremely uncomfortable.
Damn it, damn it!
Inside his divine sense, a Restrictive Spell had been planted, and that spell was placed with Ning Fan’s divine thought!
He became Ning Fan’s real magic slave!
Even if the Puppet Thread breaks, he cannot escape Ning Fan’s control!
Ahhh! His hopeful plan for beautiful escape had no chance of being executed!
"Old me truly has a hard life! Growing up in the Demon-Sealing Pouch, never been free outside, born to be someone’s magic slave, damn heavens, can’t treat demons this way!"
Ning Fan’s eyes showed surprise, then joy.
He tried to drive his divine thought and found he could indeed control the rogue devil and command its life and death with divine thought.
The rogue devil problem, which had always troubled him, was easily solved by the senior Immortal before him.
In this light, borrowing the rogue devil through this Immortal was no loss, but instead a gain.
If everything the Immortal said is true, and borrowing the rogue devil’s force defeats the black-clad Immortal, their group could escape...
If the Immortal in white harbors malice, then this would truly be dangerous...
"Husband, this person can be trusted... I think I know who he is, he was proud and strong in life, unwilling to submit even to the Heavenly Dao, least of all would he lie or manipulate. If he says he holds no hostility towards us, then he truly doesn’t."
The little demoness revealed a thoughtful expression and transmitted her voice to Ning Fan.
Then, she disclosed the identity of the Immortal in white to Ning Fan.
"It’s him! He is not a living person!" Ning Fan’s gaze focused.
Seek not eternal life nor immortality, dare to achieve the Dao and renounce the heavens.
So it is him... (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)