Grasping the Evil-Chapter 823: Blessing in Disguise

In the end, the Guibing Ancestral Master still agreed to help Ning Fan forge a Contrary Star Demon Armor.

He was no longer considering the reputation of the Luo Family; just considering Ning Fan’s immense ’background,’ he felt compelled to put in his utmost effort to create a perfect battle armor for him.

Creating demon armor is not something that can be completed overnight. According to the experience of the Guibing Ancestral Master, this demon armor would take at least ten years to be successfully forged.

However, when Ning Fan casually asked if it could be completed before the tomb contest,

the Guibing Ancestral Master immediately pledged with certainty that if the ’God Burning Secret Method’ of the Refinement Realm were used, the Contrary Star Demon Armor could be forged within two years.

"The God Burning Secret Method... burning the refiner’s Spirit to shorten the time for the magical treasure to merge and take shape. This Guibing Ancestral Master is truly going all out to please me... All this, just because he believes I am a cultivator of the secret clans, not knowing that whatever he assumes is false... and I cannot let him know the truth of it all..."

Ning Fan left the Yin Moon Star, heading towards the Divine Tomb, with a gentle sigh in his heart.

This Southern Clan cultivator, he probably has to continue playing the role. Telling one lie requires countless lies to cover it up.

As long as the one being deceived is someone like the Guibing Ancestral Master, Ning Fan feels no guilt in his heart.

Amidst such thoughts, Ning Fan recalled the teachings of the old monster from the past, recalling various past events... That year, his cultivation was still low, and he called himself Black Evil, deceiving the world within Yue Country...

A demon must know how to deceive, or else they cannot survive in the world. To deceive others, one must first deceive oneself. Either subdue the world with power or deceive the world!

Fleeing from the Yin Moon Star, Ning Fan made his way towards the Divine Tomb.

He always felt like there was a shadow following him. Based on the sense of the Gu Command in the Xuan Yin Treasure, that person should be Lv Wen.

After traveling a certain distance from the Yin Moon Star, Ning Fan found an abandoned star and landed on it.

The azure spike flickered in his eyes, and the aura of the Great Dao between heaven and earth was immediately sensed with exceptional sensitivity.

Treading the barren ground, Ning Fan looked up at the boundless void, and said indifferently to a seemingly uninhabited place,

"Daoist Lv, you’ve been following me all this way; is there something you wish to enlighten me about?"

"Haha, Daoist Zhao’s keen perception is truly remarkable, able to see through the place where I, Lv, am hiding. This is not information that could be probed by the Gu Command..."

A tear was immediately ripped in the void above, from which emerged a fat old man.

The old man wore a mink coat and hat, and once he landed on the ground, he waddled over, resembling a comical and ridiculous roly-poly toy.

His slightly squinting eyes smiled, appearing kind but subtly carrying a deeply ingrained gloominess, reminding others that he was not a good-natured character.

This newcomer was none other than Lv Wen.

"There’s no need for the Daoist Zhao title; let me reintroduce myself. My last name is Ning, first name Fan. Ning of ’Ning subdues all beings,’ and Fan of ’never abandoning the mundane.’" Ning Fan still maintained a calm tone.

Lv Wen paused and then meaningfully smiled at Ning Fan, saying, "I understand! I understand! It’s the mission requirements, can’t reveal your identity, right! Ning Fan, yes, Ning Fan. It’s been a decade since I last saw you, Daoist, and you remain just as remarkable. Are you truly a Ghost Profound cultivator? How come I feel it doesn’t quite seem like it..."

"I am indeed a Ghost Profound cultivator; please do not wildly speculate, Daoist Lv."

"Yes, yes, of course! Ghost Profound, it’s Ghost Profound! I understand! I understand! It’s just that your hidden cultivation technique, tut tut tut, is truly impressive!"

Lv Wen looked at Ning Fan with a face full of admiration, and this admiration was genuinely from the heart.

This time, Ning Fan did not actively summon the Ghost Eye. With his cultivation of the Third Calamity of Eternals, at such a close distance, he could vaguely discern that Ning Fan was indeed a Ghost Profound.

Yet Lv Wen stubbornly believed that Ning Fan was an Eternal, and this Ghost Profound was just a disguise. After all, it’s a known fact that a Ghost Profound cultivator couldn’t possibly refine Innate Spirit Armor or achieve Unity of Heaven and Man.

The more he couldn’t discern Ning Fan’s ’Eternity Realm’ cultivation, the more Lv Wen admired Ning Fan.

Ning Fan felt somewhat impressed by Lv Wen’s imagination; he didn’t have to say anything, and this person could rationalize all his unreasonable deeds into reasonable ones...

"Haha, just a token of goodwill, please accept it, Daoist."

Lv Wen chuckled and once again took out an extremely exquisite storage pouch, handing it to Ning Fan.

Ning Fan swept it with his spirit sense, and once again, it contained a trillion Dao Crystals... this truly wasn’t a mere token...

"Accept it! You must accept it, Daoist. If you don’t, it means you’re looking down on me, Lv Wen!" Lv Wen purposefully feigned a stern face, though a smile lingered at the corners of his lips; every expression was perfectly in place.

"...In that case, I shall accept it. I wonder, what brings Daoist here to seek me out today?"

"Haha, Daoist Zhao, no, Daoist Ning... Has Daoist Ning encountered any difficulties in your recent missions? Do you require assistance from me, Lv? If you need anything, please speak up directly; don’t hesitate. Naturally, I wouldn’t doubt the Daoist’s ability to carry out the mission. It’s just that the matters you’re pursuing hold great significance, and it’s often inconvenient to reveal your true cultivation. With my assistance, many troubles could likely be avoided."

Lv Wen’s face was full of sincere expressions, as if he was ready to stand by Ning Fan’s side and follow his commands without hesitation.

"Oh? Daoist Lv truly wants to help me?" Ning Fan’s eyes flickered slightly.

Lv Wen was a gifted Immortal King enforcer; there were many situations where he could come in handy.

"Of course! Does Daoist Ning have anything you’d like me to help with?" Lv Wen asked joyfully upon hearing this.

"Not for the time being, but if I encounter any difficulties, I will definitely seek your help, Daoist."

"That’s good. That’s good. If Daoist has any needs, I will definitely assist you to the best of my ability!"

Lv Wen declared confidently, suddenly remembering something and displaying a hesitant expression, repeatedly mulling over it, before finally sighing without voicing it out.

This expression was not faked.

"Daoist Lv, if you have something to say, feel free to speak directly."

"Uh... I have an unseemly request for assistance. I have encountered some errors in my cultivation recently and accidentally fell from the Fourth Calamity of Eternals to the realm of the Third Calamity. I would like to ask for your help in assessing whether there is any possibility of regaining my former cultivation. I’ve devoured several Plague Cauldrons but haven’t been able to enhance my cultivation..." Lv Wen said, somewhat embarrassed.

He hadn’t mentioned the loss of a calamity’s worth of cultivation due to Senluo; hardly anyone knew about it. Being someone who cared greatly for his reputation, this kind of shameful matter wasn’t something he could publicly share.

He claimed to have made mistakes in cultivation, hoping Ning Fan could help him figure out why devouring Plague Cauldrons wasn’t restoring his cultivation.

If he hadn’t known that Ning Fan had comprehended Unity of Heaven and Man, perhaps he wouldn’t have raised this question.

Since Ning Fan was a cultivator who achieved Unity of Heaven and Man, his comprehension was naturally high, and perhaps he could point the way through his predicament.

"You want me to take a look since devouring Plague Cauldrons hasn’t restored your cultivation?"

"Exactly, would you be willing to lend me a hand, Daoist?" Lv Wen asked sincerely.

Ning Fan showed a contemplative look, seemingly in thought, but within his heart, he smiled wryly.

Having achieved Unity of Heaven and Man, his comprehension level was indeed high, capable of occasional insights beyond what even ancient beings could reach.

However, when it came to step-by-step cultivation experiences, he certainly couldn’t compare to someone like Lv Wen, who had lived for millions of eons.

The word "eternal" in Eternals signifies the necessity to traverse infinite ages.

Some cultivation experiences aren’t understood through mere intelligence but require the passage of extensive time to grasp...

Ning Fan was well aware that he wasn’t qualified to guide Lv Wen in his cultivation.

However, if Lv Wen merely needed help identifying where his cultivation dilemma lay, perhaps Ning Fan could, through his Unity of Heaven and Man insight, spot some issues...

"So, you really don’t want to help me..." Lv Wen sighed disappointedly.

After some pondering, Ning Fan eventually spoke,

"Helping to check is possible, but Ning Fan cannot guarantee that I can definitely identify the root of the problem for Daoist."

"No worries! You are a cultivator who comprehends the Unity of Heaven and Man. If even you can’t see the source of my issues, I doubt many others could," Lv Wen had great confidence in Ning Fan.

"Relax your body completely. Do not resist my Medicine Soul’s power."

With a light remark, Ning Fan released the power of the Five-Color Medicine Soul, letting it enter Lv Wen’s body to scrutinize his condition.

Hearing this, Lv Wen dared not move and was quite astonished by Ning Fan’s Medicine Soul’s power.

It wasn’t the Seventh Grade Intermediate Medicine Soul level that surprised him, as that level was nothing to brag about in the Four Heavens.

What was surprising was that Ning Fan also possessed the legendary Five-Color Medicine Soul!

"Hiss! This old man only knew that there was only one renowned disciple of the Medicine Sect in the Four Heavens, envied by countless Pill Masters for having the Five-Color Medicine Soul. Unexpectedly, Daoist also possesses such a rare Medicine Soul’s power! Indeed, Daoist is no ordinary person! It’s just a pity that the level of Medicine Soul is somewhat low. Perhaps Daoist has been too busy cultivating to bother with focusing on the Dao of Alchemy," Lv Wen lamented with a sigh.

At his words, Ning Fan could only smile bitterly.

It’s not that he looked down on studying alchemy, he simply had no time to cultivate it...

His path of cultivation has been a mere two hundred years, with a bone age of less than a thousand years. How could he find millions of years to master alchemy...

Gathering his scattered thoughts, Ning Fan carefully inspected the injuries inside Lv Wen’s body.

The injuries were undoubtedly caused by Senluo; within Lv Wen’s body remained traces of the Hei Yao Finger’s force...

This force was left intentionally by Senluo, akin to leftover toxins festering within, preventing Lv Wen from recovering his cultivation through consuming the Plague Cauldron.

But this force, strangely, did not prevent Lv Wen from retraining and returning to the realm of the Fourth Calamity of Eternals through other means...

"As expected, I wasn’t mistaken that day; Senluo abolished Lv Wen’s cultivation deliberately, but with good intentions. Although Lv Wen’s realm declined, his strength did not regress. While his mana decreased in quantity, it became denser and of greater quality than before..."

"It seems that Senluo’s force only intended to limit Lv Wen, to prevent him from continuing down the old path of cultivating by devouring the Plague Cauldron alone... That is to say, Lv Wen’s cultivation went wrong; the error lies in the Plague Cauldron itself..."

Ning Fan naturally knew what the Plague Cauldron was; it referred to the special furnace of plague technique cultivators.

Where a Dual Cultivator demon cultivator enhances cultivation through supplementing from the opposite sex, a plague technique cultivator boosts cultivation by crafting and consuming the Plague Cauldron.

Ning Fan wasn’t versed in plague cultivation, but he could vaguely discern that enhancing cultivation by devouring the Plague Cauldron would cause a superficial realm, laden with countless hidden dangers...

"If my cultivation journey relied only on the augmenting Cauldron Furnace, my mana would likely be superficial, riddled with pitfalls. Fortunately for me, supplementing cultivation is merely a means, not everything. But for Lv Wen, devouring the Plague Cauldron seems to be everything..."

Drawing parallels between Dual Cultivation and plague techniques, Ning Fan gradually attained some understanding.

But he could not guarantee this realization was correct, and Lv Wen would need to try for himself.

Ning Fan pondered without speaking, his expression shifting unpredictably.

Minute by minute passed, and gradually, Lv Wen grew somewhat anxious.

"Could it be that Lv Wen’s cultivation will never return to the former realm of the Four Calamities... If so, Daoist, please speak frankly, Lv Wen can accept it!"

Lv Wen looked resigned to his fate, then suddenly felt resentful, "This injury of mine, it’s all because that wretch..."

Realizing he revealed too much, Lv Wen hurriedly covered it up, "No, it’s not that wretch’s fault; this injury resulted from my practice backfiring..."

"Daoist need not disguise the truth. How you were wounded, Ning Fan can naturally see... This is caused by a person, the one who injured you must have severely harmed you with a finger..."

Shaking his head, Ning Fan exposed Lv Wen’s lie.

Upon hearing this, Lv Wen was immediately taken aback, stammering, "Daoist has keen insight; you actually saw that Lv Wen was wounded by finger force..."

"How could I not see. Your wound should be from the Hei Yao Finger, but this finger, I have not mastered, nor can I dissolve it for you..."

Ning Fan recalled how Senluo day by day employed the Hei Yao Finger, extending his finger lightly toward the void.

A faint black light condensed briefly at his fingertip, then dissipated. That one finger was eerily similar to the Hei Yao Finger but ultimately lacked its essence...

"Daoist is truly remarkable! To know that this old man was wounded by the Hei Yao Finger and to even slightly mimic it! That is the ultimate study of the Dark Clan!" Lv Wen’s astonishment grew ever more pronounced.

"The reason you cannot advance by devouring the Plague Cauldron is likely due to the residual finger force within you."

"If the residual force were to be removed, could Lv Wen then continue to meditate on the Plague Cauldron?" Lv Wen asked eagerly.

"I do not advise you to clear away the force; whoever implanted it likely had no harmful intent..." Ning Fan sighed deeply.

Would someone like Senluo truly bestow kindness...? To act benevolent without a word, injuring Lv Wen without deigning to explain, it’s quite fitting of Senluo’s character.

"Impossible, that madman who planted the force on this old man surely intended ill!" Lv Wen snorted coldly.

Ning Fan did not debate further on the matter, merely sighing, "From today onwards, refrain from cultivating through the Plague Cauldron. Explore other paths; you may find unexpected gains. This is Ning Fan’s advice to you. Take this, farewell!"

Having spoken, Ning Fan pulled out a jade scroll, scanning it with spirit sense, inscribing something in it, then turned and vanished without further explanation.

The guidance he could offer Lv Wen was only so much, based on personally witnessing the event where Lv Wen was injured.

Lv Wen stood bewildered where he was, clutching the jade scroll Ning Fan bequeathed him.

Scanning its contents with spirit sense, Lv Wen’s face immediately bore a peculiar expression.

This jade scroll contained the insights and experiences of a Lower-Ranked Fate Immortal cultivating Dual Cultivation.

"Um... Is this an insinuation that I should abandon the Plague Cauldron and opt for cultivating through the augmenting Cauldron Furnace instead? That can’t be right, as a Southern Clan cultivator, Ning Daoyou should know that this old man practicing plague techniques must preserve Han Yuanji, avoiding female proximities..."

After pondering a moment and rereading the jade scroll, Lv Wen suddenly had some enlightenment.

"Analogy and inference, analogy and inference... Could it be that Ning Daoyou is suggesting that plague techniques might draw lessons from Dual Cultivation?"

"Dual Cultivator demons are often weak, finding it challenging to reach the peak after the Second Step. This is because they often rely solely on the augmenting Cauldron Furnace, making their mana superficial and their combat abilities naturally weak... But the person recorded in the jade scroll, apart from supplementing through Dual Cultivation, mastered numerous Cultivation Techniques, becoming exceptionally strong despite being a Dual Cultivator demon..."

"Throughout my life, I have been driven to madness, crafting countless people into the Plague Cauldron to devour, thus gaining my current cultivation, but the mana has also been somewhat superficial... This time, with the realm plummeting, the mana seems more solidified... So this is the meaning of ’Blessings may lie in disguise’..."

"If I can’t consume the Plague Cauldron, I might as well abandon it and seek other means to enhance my cultivation. Could this be the path I should tread..."

Whoo!

Lv Wen suddenly exhaled deeply, and the Heart Demon harbored due to the realm’s fall completely vanished in that instant!

Ning Fan had pointed him in a direction, whether successfully or not, Lv Wen wasn’t sure.

But with Ning Fan’s simple words, he rekindled hope for refining the Fourth Calamity, expelling all Heart Demons.

"Ning Daoyou is indeed this old man’s destined benefactor! If this old man regains cultivation in the Fourth Calamity of Eternals, I must properly thank Ning Daoyou!"

Lv Wen laughed heartily, casting a deep look in the direction Ning Fan departed, then took a leap in the other direction.

He naturally saw that Ning Fan was heading to the Divine Tomb, and as for what Ning Fan intended to do there, he did not inquire.

Of course, if Ning Fan sought his assistance, he would offer his utmost support.

In the past, it was to curry favor with Ning Fan for a word of commendation, but now, it was tinged with sincere gratitude.

(2/2) (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)