Grasping the Evil

Chapter 688: Old Friends Arrive in the Snowstorm

After the chaos caused by the rebellion in Tianjiang, this Sword Ancestor Trial would probably not continue.

Above Ling Wilderness Great Marsh, inside a certain palace, Ning Fan conversed with Ling Emperor for a long time before taking his leave.

He offered Tianjiang as a betrothal gift to Ling Emperor.

He temporarily lent Xudaozi to Ling Palace to consolidate the remaining forces in Tianjiang.

Upon exiting the palace, the deep snow was heavy, and the night dimmed to gray.

Beneath a white plum tree stood a graceful woman, waiting for Ning Fan to leave the palace. It was Little Dugu.

"What did Father Emperor say to you?"

"He talked to me about thoroughly subjugating Tianjiang and then told me many things related to you. Your likes, your personality, your..."

"Hmph, how could Father Emperor tell you everything!" Little Dugu gently snorted, but her eyes showed a hint of happiness.

"I heard from your father that you really detest killing..." Ning Fan looked at Little Dugu with interest.

In his understanding, Little Dugu was not a straightforward person; she was wise, possessed extraordinary combat strength, remarkable swordsmanship, and clear loves and hates.

She was not a paper crane; not a naive woman, and yet she detests killing, which is indeed interesting.

"Hmm, every time I see killing, it makes me uncomfortable, my heart hurts." Little Dugu said quietly, as if she were speaking of something unintentional.

"Your heart hurts? Should I help you check?"

Ning Fan glanced at Dugu’s proud chest, raised his body, and reached over, acting as if to examine the location of her heart.

Little Dugu glared at Ning Fan in annoyance, scolding, "Get lost, little demon Ning! If you want to take advantage of me, can you find a better reason! I’m neither ill nor injured, don’t worry... There’s just a force within my heart that dislikes killing and will protect me..."

Ning Fan’s expression slightly tensed as he recalled the scene from earlier in the day.

When Xudaozi’s Black Crow Technique covered the sky with death aura, even Ling Emperor and others struggled to confront it, yet Little Dugu remained unharmed under its attack.

Was it that mysterious force she mentioned protecting her?

"I was teasing you just now. Now I genuinely want to help check your body." Ning Fan stepped forward, embracing Little Dugu’s soft waist, while his other hand caressed her abdomen, slowly moving upward...

"No... Shameless!"

Little Dugu’s delicate body tensed, her flawless face flushed with red, as she pushed Ning Fan away and fled like avoiding a monster.

"Your master is waiting for you, go see him... Honestly, I’m fine, believe me." The gentle voice of Dugu echoed in the night, pleasingly.

"Are you really okay... If so, I trust you." Ning Fan’s brow slightly relaxed, his spirit wandered, closing his eyes to slowly envision the figure of an incredibly shameless old man.

Indeed, Little Dugu was right; it’s time to find the master and fulfill the promise made years ago.

Without Little Dugu present, Ning Fan’s expressions vanished; his demeanor turned cold and ruthless.

In that moment, he was without disguise, just a person devoid of the seven emotions.

He had said, even without the seven emotions, he was not heartless.

Even if he deceived, even if he concealed, he would still show a smile to those he loved dearly.

In an instant, Ning Fan vanished into the night.

Traveling northward for countless miles, there was an Ice Snow Sword City.

There were many city guards; all Ling Palace Sword Cultivators, seemingly sent by Little Dugu.

It seemed that Little Dugu was faithfully keeping the promise made years ago, helping guard the old monster.

Although the Old Demon Hermit had his own ingenious plan, hiring Sovereign Xia as a bodyguard... Ning Fan had not known about this until Sovereign Xia sent a message.

Snow pressed against the window, in the cold chamber, the old monster sat alone on the couch; Sovereign Xia was not present.

A chessboard was placed on the couch, an oil lamp lit nearby, while the old monster fiddled with chess pieces, playing against himself; an embodiment of a refined person.

In the cold chamber, a breeze suddenly drifted, and a white-clad youth appeared.

The old monster pretended to be profound and mysterious, "Disciple, you’ve come, we haven’t met for years, already reached Shattered Sixth Rank cultivation, not bad, not bad, my painstaking cultivation was not in vain."

Ning Fan was initially startled by the old monster’s put-on act, then at a loss for words.

What was the old monster doing, mimicking other masters, pretending to be a senior expert, acting profound and serious?

It seemed since the day Ning Fan met the old monster, he had never been serious.

"Disciple, still standing there? Come over and play a match with Master. Having withdrawn to the wilderness, disinterested in fame and fortune, staying away from the world. On a snowy night, with a green lamp as company, conversing with a fine disciple by the lamp, playing chess throughout life, truly a delight!"

The old monster’s literary demeanor left Ning Fan at a loss for words.

Ning Fan said no more, sat on the couch, facing the old monster across the chessboard.

The old monster’s scalp suddenly itched, wanting to scratch it but fearing it would ruin his senior expert image, he strongly resisted scratching.

With a flick of his sleeve, all the black and white chess pieces returned to the chess container.

Then the old monster squinted his eyes at Ning Fan and said blandly, "You hold the white pieces."

As was customary in the past, the white pieces moved first; the old monster’s gesture was meant to show he was yielding to Ning Fan.

After all, he was the master and should not take advantage of his disciple.

"If that’s the case, your disciple won’t be courteous." Ning Fan smiled and was indeed unceremonious.

Holding the white pieces, he played ten rounds against the old monster, winning nine rounds, leaving the old monster defeated and fleeing.

With Ning Fan’s chess skills and intellect, even playing against the Heavenly Emperor would result in equal chances.

Against the old monster... it was purely one-sided torture.

The tenth round was nearing its end when the old monster could tolerate it no longer.

The old monster was furious; he could no longer pretend to be a senior expert!

"Damn it! I’m your master; would it kill you to let me win two games!"

Bang!

The old monster decisively flipped the table before the tenth game concluded.

"Now it’s a draw!" he grinned shamelessly.

Ning Fan smiled without speaking; if he hadn’t beaten the old monster in ten rounds, the old monster might continue pretending. The literary old monster gave him goosebumps; it was indeed better like this.

"Disciple pays his respects to Master, it’s been a century, Master looks quite well." Ning Fan scrutinized the old monster’s condition.

Currently, the old monster’s cultivation had recovered to the peak of Void Fragmentation; without a doubt, Wei Xuan and others were aiding him.

As for the magical poison within the old monster, it had long been removed...

Naturally, with Sovereign Xia around the old monster, no poison could get past him.

Regarding Absolute Yin poison, he hadn’t wanted to remove it before merely due to disheartenment and intended to live out his remaining life in Yue Country...

Until the old monster met Ning Fan, another heir of the Yin Yang Evil Vein, seeing hope to resurrect his wife!

Thus, he sought to fight again, only to awaken his beloved!

"Your complexion isn’t that well... With emotions extinguished, reincarnation abandoned, dark thoughts born... What truly happened?"

The old monster looked at Ning Fan, his gaze extremely serious, no hint of shamelessness, his expression full of concern.

"It’s just a minor issue... Master, Moksha Emperor has perished by my hand, you, please accept my condolences." Ning Fan sighed.

"I understand, he chose the wrong path, but it was the path he chose. Once a decision is made, consequences must be faced..." The old monster’s gaze gradually grew cloudy, seeming somewhat lonely.

"By the way, has the Dao Soil been unsealed?" Ning Fan changed the subject.

"Yes, it has been unsealed!" The old monster’s eyes suddenly brightened, saliva spraying as he spoke excitedly,

"Speaking of this Dao Soil, it’s a good thing! Typically, only major forces with a Shedding Void presence can obtain a little; haha, I took advantage of Pure Yang Sect Master’s closed-door cultivation, stormed Pure Yang Sect, snatched the Heaven Evading Coffin, and grabbed an acre of Dao Soil, causing chaos in Pure Yang Sect..."

Recounting his glorious achievements, the old monster was thrilled, seemingly capable of speaking for three days and nights.

Ning Fan shook his head, decisively interrupting the old monster’s nostalgic boast, continuing, "How is the Dao Fruit planted?"

In an instant, all enthusiasm vanished from the old monster’s face, his eyes showing reluctance. He sighed deeply, finally explaining, "Planting the Dao Fruit is similar to farming; it requires sowing seeds... Seeds are sourced from two places, one is the Dao Power Seed, which is difficult to gather. The other is stealing the Immortal Seed within the cultivator’s body as the seed... All cultivators born in the Four Heavens possess an Immortal Seed."

"Immortal Seed?"

Ning Fan suddenly recalled something.

Back in Sinister Sparrow Sect, he had wandered the Myriad Miles, mistakenly entering North Heaven and meeting Tablets Master Immortal Emperor.

Tablets Master Immortal Emperor had been surprised that Ning Fan’s body lacked the Immortal Seed, determining Ning Fan was a lower realms cultivator.

Ning Fan was not a Four Heavens cultivator; his body lacked the Immortal Seed.

Then he must use Yin Yang power to condense the Yin Yang Dao Seed to help the old monster plant the Dao Fruit to save someone?

The words that the old monster said next confirmed Ning Fan’s thoughts.

He handed Ning Fan three dark stones and a jade scroll, explaining,

"This jade scroll contains the specific method for condensing the Dao Seed. This stone is called the Dao Seed Stone, extremely precious. Your cultivation is still low, and you must rely on the power of the Dao Seed Stone to have a chance to condense a Dao Seed... It’s just a chance, and that chance is very slim. The Dao Seed Stone is extremely scarce, and even with my connections, I could only obtain three pieces. You only have three chances to condense the Yin-Yang Dao Seed, and if you fail..."

The old monster showed a bitter expression.

If he failed, the old monster’s century-long wait would have been in vain.

"Rest assured, Master, your disciple will do his utmost!"

Ning Fan took the Dao Seed Stones and the jade scroll and entered the Xuan Yin Treasure.

Three days later, Ning Fan returned to the outside world, his face pale as paper, and sighed deeply to the anxiously watching old monster.

"Failed..."

Condensation of the Dao Power Seed is extremely dangerous, with severe backlash if failed.

The success rate of condensing the seed is very low, with Void Fragmentation cultivators having no more than a one-in-twenty chance of success.

Three Dao Seed Stones, three chances to condense a seed, not a single success...

The old monster seemed to age decades in an instant, closing his eyes in despair, then looked tenderly at the pale Ning Fan and patted his shoulder affectionately.

"You’ve worked hard, go rest and don’t leave any hidden injuries. I wish to be alone for a while..."

Seeing the present state of the old monster, Ning Fan’s heart suddenly ached.

The old monster had waited painfully for so many years just to resurrect his beloved, the key to resurrection being a Yin-Yang Dao Fruit.

Ning Fan was the old monster’s hope, yet now, Ning Fan had failed to meet his expectations.

Ning Fan did not leave; he quietly watched the old monster and suddenly said, "The second source of the Dao Seed is the Immortal Seed. I wonder if I have a chance to condense the Immortal Seed and use it as the seed to grow the Yin-Yang Dao Fruit!"

Upon hearing this, the old monster’s eyes widened momentarily, then he became furious, "Reckless!"

Ning Fan nodded, seeing the old monster’s angry expression, suggesting there might really be a way to obtain a Yin-Yang Dao Seed.

"I will go rest now, Master."

Without further asking about the Immortal Seed, Ning Fan left the cold room, flying toward a snowy mountain peak.

On that snow-covered peak stood a solitary Gold-eyed Sword Cultivator.

"Ning Fan greets Senior Xia." Ning Fan respectfully bowed.

"What is it?" Sovereign Xia’s tone was somewhat indifferent, not even bothering to turn around.

He watched the snowflakes flying in the air, his silhouette somewhat desolate.

A sense of longing surrounded him, slowly intensifying and suppressing.

This made Ning Fan somewhat astonished; could someone like Sovereign Xia really have someone he longs for, and who could that be?

"Uh, junior wishes to ask Senior about how to condense an Immortal Seed." Ning Fan explained.

"Oh? You want to condense an Immortal Seed to gain the half-percent chance of becoming immortal?" Sovereign Xia turned around, his gold eyes looked at Ning Fan with a trace of disdain.

Immortal Seeds are inherently present in Four Heavens cultivators, while lower realm cultivators can condense them after birth.

Those possessing an Immortal Seed have a half-percent higher chance of becoming immortal compared to those without.

But those who become immortal relying on the Immortal Seed are never as powerful as those without.

When the Immortal Seed holder becomes immortal, the seed takes away thirty percent of their cultivation before disappearing...

It’s the price of opportunism, yet for that half-percent chance, many are willing to pay any price, just to condense the Immortal Seed.

Sovereign Xia pondered if Ning Fan was such a shortsighted person, willing to sacrifice Taoist cultivation for a half-percent chance of immortality.

Is immortality truly so alluring that it obsesses people... Hmph, immortality, what does it count for!

Noticing the trace of disdain in Sovereign Xia’s eyes, Ning Fan was taken aback and then explained, "Junior wants to condense the Immortal Seed not for becoming immortal, but to use it as a Dao Seed to cultivate a Yin-Yang Dao Fruit, to save my master’s wife."

"What! Use an Immortal Seed as a Dao Seed! You, you... reckless!" Even Sovereign Xia said Ning Fan was reckless.

Ning Fan’s eyes widened, then he showed a serious expression.

He thought to himself, could this practice hold great hidden dangers? Otherwise, why would both his master and Sovereign Xia call it reckless behavior?

"May I ask, Senior, if using the Immortal Seed as a Dao Seed has any adverse consequences?"

"You don’t know... Although the Immortal Seed is detestable, if a holder renounces it, the consequences are even worse. Everyone only has one chance in their lifetime to possess an Immortal Seed. If you first condense the Immortal Seed and then forsake it, not only will you not increase your chance of becoming immortal, but it will fall half a percent below ordinary people’s! Do you realize what that means!" Sovereign Xia shook his head and sighed.

Ning Fan furrowed his brows; he naturally knew what this meant.

Ordinary people have less than a one in ten thousand chance of becoming immortals. If they lose the Immortal Seed, the chance reduces by half again, essentially making it negative, meaning there’s no chance at all to become immortal.

However, if other methods to enhance the chance can offset each other, then this hidden danger is nothing to worry about.

As long as he can help the old monster fulfill his wish and revive his master’s wife, having a lower chance of becoming immortal is of no concern.

"If you understand the method to condense the Immortal Seed, please teach me this art!" Ning Fan said earnestly.

"I naturally understand this method... but, do you really want to learn it? Aren’t you afraid that losing this half chance will make it impossible for you to become immortal in this life?" The Sovereign Xia looked at Ning Fan with deep meaning.

"So what!" Ning Fan said with pride.

"Well said!" The Sovereign Xia laughed heartily toward the sky; for the first time, he found Ning Fan so pleasing to the eye.

Even though Ning Fan had high aptitude and was destined to be related to him, he only regarded Ning Fan slightly higher and remained indifferent in attitude toward him.

However, Ning Fan’s disdainful attitude toward the path to immortality earned the Sovereign Xia’s admiration.

What is immortality! Too many pursue fame and fortune, abandoning kin and forgetting their roots just to become immortal; what’s so great about it!

Ning Fan, for the sake of his master, was willing to abandon the Immortal Seed, and this action greatly impressed the Sovereign Xia.

Becoming immortal is merely a means, not an end, nor a goal.

If the pursuit of Tao is only for longevity, then this path lacks any real significance.

Too many live their whole lives without ever considering why they are alive.

"Take it!" The Sovereign Xia tossed a jade scroll to Ning Fan, laughed loudly, and transformed into a sword light, disappearing instantly without a trace.

Ning Fan took the jade scroll, clasped a fist in thanks toward the direction Sovereign Xia departed, and subsequently scanned the jade scroll with spirit sense, without a word, his figure flickered, entering the Xuan Yin Treasure.

Ten days later, Ning Fan carried a brocade box, sought out the old monster, handed the brocade box to him, and with a faint smile said, "The Dao Seed is obtained."

The old monster took the brocade box, didn’t even glance at it, placed it on the table beside him, and with cloudy eyes, trembled as he looked at Ning Fan, extremely complex.

No joy, only fury, heartache!

"Little brat Ning, you’re making a mockery of your path to immortality! You’re behaving recklessly!"

Fists clenched tightly, joints creaking, the old monster felt guilt and self-blame.

He feared Ning Fan, because of today’s events, would never reach immortality in this lifetime, ruining his prospects.

"Master has forgotten how he taught me all those years, has he? What you can’t get, you must seize. What you can’t seize, you must snatch forcefully! If you keep seizing along the way, how could there be no chance of achieving immortality? Losing half the chance, what does it matter?"

"But old me has never given you any advantage! Even if I’ve given you something, it’s truly insignificant! You don’t need to go to such lengths for old me!" The old monster’s guilt deepened.

"On a grander scale, you are my master, helping you is natural. On a smaller scale, you are my brother-in-law; I will help for Dugu’s sake..."

Ning Fan deliberately spoke frivolously and flickered his body to escape the place.

The old monster’s originally guilty and touched face turned ashen in an instant!

Brother-in-law, brother-in-law!

How could he forget; he married Little Mei, and Ning Fan was to marry Little Dugu.

Heavens! Calculating it, as a master, he became his student’s brother-in-law!

"Little rascal! Are you trying to cross generations? Damn it, how did old me accept such an impudent lowlife student, even dared to covet the master’s wife’s sister..."

In other words, isn’t the old monster also shameless, daring to covet his student’s wife’s elder sister...

Ning Fan flew to the peak of a snow-covered mountain, gazing at the falling snow, his expression gradually calming.

He had promised; he would carry it out, and now, he had done it.

Could this chance encounter be considered fulfilled?

His figure flickered, appearing within a snowy city.

As the night snow flew, a tavern remained open, its lights dim.

Ning Fan entered the tavern, ordered a pot of wine, sat by the window, gazing at the snowstorm outside, silent.

"Hey, isn’t this Brother Ning? It’s quite destiny that you and I can meet within the Sword World!"

A manic voice suddenly sounded beside Ning Fan.

Ning Fan’s gaze froze momentarily, turning his head to look at the person beside him, surprised, "It’s you? Why are you in the Sword World?"

"Fleeing trouble! Years ago, in my escape, I mixed into the Sword World. Shopkeeper, quickly bring all the good wine you have here, old me wants to drink without returning with Brother Ning!"