Grasping the Evil-Chapter 931: A Calamity, Yet Also Providence
Witnessing the path to the Fourth Step from the Immortal Emperor’s memories was undoubtedly a tremendous opportunity.
This opportunity wouldn’t enhance Ning Fan’s cultivation, but it planted a seed in his heart—the seed to the Fourth Step.
If, one day, Ning Fan cultivates to the pinnacle of the Third Step, due to the insights gained today, he might have a sliver of a chance to step into the Fourth Step!
In this world, few can step into the Third Step to become a Saint.
Even fewer can glimpse the road to the Fourth Step.
Dao, path, Dao, path...
Only with one’s own path, with one’s own set rules, can one step into the Fourth Step...
Ning Fan held his breath, closed his eyes, wanting to delve deeper into the Immortal Emperor’s memories.
Gradually, the Immortal Emperor’s voice echoed by his ears again.
"I miss home... really miss it..."
"Kind Corpse... if I slay all the enemy cultivators from beyond the domain... I’ll return to the Dreamland Realm... bring you home..."
One shattered memory after another appeared in Ning Fan’s mind. These memories were unexpectedly half of the Immortal Emperor’s lifetime memories!
However, these memories were too fragmented, missing the coherence they had before, making it impossible to piece them together.
Ning Fan searched through those memories, trying to find some complete recollections. Suddenly, he found some relatively complete memories.
In these memories, the Immortal Emperor, clad in a black Taoist robe, was sitting in the heavenly rivers of stars. His right eye was bleeding black blood, and the fourth devil star in his right eye was shattered.
Before this, he had been besieged by twelve Saints from beyond the domain. In this battle, he repelled the twelve Initial Saints, but he was also significantly injured.
"Not enough, still not enough!"
"Though I am the first Immortal Emperor under the Immortal Emperor, I haven’t reached the Third Step. Battling the Third Step with a Second Step physique is too strenuous."
"My Dao is immortality, endless life. My Dao is about eternal life, no death. This Dao is missing half... Attempting to enter the Saint Realm with an incomplete Dao is too difficult... I don’t have much time left, the battles beyond the domain are becoming increasingly fierce..."
The Immortal Emperor let out a slight sigh.
There is no strongest Dao in this world; every great Dao has its weaknesses and flaws.
The Dao of Immortality goes against the heavens; even as an Immortal Emperor, not even the Desolate Saint can kill him.
However, the flaw of the Dao of Immortality is significant. Cultivators of this Dao find it hard to become Saints as it is incomplete.
The Third Step Saint cultivates the Power of Reincarnation, and reincarnation implies completeness.
Only by cutting off all one’s flaws and abandoning all defects can one qualify to become a flawless Saint.
Throughout antiquity, there are three methods to become a Saint: Proving by power, cutting three corpses, and achieving sainthood through merits.
Achieving sainthood through merits is the easiest method, and most Saints become Saints this way.
Cutting three corpses is more challenging, with only five or six out of a hundred Saints choosing this path.
Proving by power is the hardest; since ancient times, few have succeeded, and those who did inevitably refined themselves up to the Fourth Step.
Those who dare to prove by power are at least figures of the Celestial Emperor level...
The Immortal Emperor sighed even deeper.
Though he is the first Immortal Emperor under the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign, he has self-awareness, knowing he lacks the talent of a Celestial Emperor. Becoming a Saint is already difficult, and hoping to prove by power leaves nearly no chance of success.
The sainthood through merits method is the most likely to succeed, but even if one steps into the Third Step through this means, they become a weakling of the Third Step...
"Cutting three corpses it is. Even if the hope of becoming a Saint is slim, it must be tried!"
"All my life, I’ve been steeped in killing and sins immeasurable. Today, I will cut out a lifetime of slaughter, to make an Evil Corpse!"
The Immortal Emperor raised his hand and grasped forward. Endless starlight transformed into a sword, which he held and slashed toward himself.
This slash didn’t harm him at all but sliced out a column of surging blood from his body.
The blood gradually coalesced, and after a long while, a youth clad in an animal skin skirt emerged, with an indifferent and cold gaze.
That youth resembled the Immortal Emperor in his young days, identical to when he fled from the Barbarian Clan.
"Yin Mo..." The Immortal Emperor murmured his name as he looked at the Evil Corpse, memories overwhelming him.
He recalled the scene from many years ago when his homeland was lost, and he fled the tribe in panic, so miserably...
Lately, he met the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign, and afterward, the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign unified the Zi Dou Immortal Domain, giving him, a home...
Now, the world knows him as the Immortal Emperor, the name Yin Mo abandoned long ago.
That name, let it be given to the Evil Corpse.
"Evil Corpse Yin Mo, today I have cut you out. From now on, you must follow me to guard the Zi Dou Immortal Domain, do you understand!" The Immortal Emperor solemnly said to the Evil Corpse, eyes full of expectation.
"Understood!" Evil Corpse Yin Mo bowed to the Immortal Emperor, expression extremely respectful.
"Very well." The Immortal Emperor nodded in satisfaction.
The effort of cutting out the Evil Corpse was not small, it seems a period of rest will be necessary before cutting the Kind Corpse.
Cut both Kind and Evil, then cut the true self. By then, the three corpses will merge into one, even with cultivating the Dao of Immortality, there will be a sliver of a chance for sainthood.
"I must become a Saint; only then will I have the power to protect the Zi Dou Immortal Domain. This is my home..."
...
In this memory portion, Ning Fan saw the Immortal Emperor cutting the three corpses.
Proof by power, cutting three corpses, achieving sainthood through merits... These three ancient methods for sainthood have long been lost, barely known in today’s world.
Before today, Ning Fan knew little about becoming a Saint, let alone the specific methods. Now, from the Immortal Emperor’s memories, he learned the three methods of sainthood, even witnessing the scene of the Immortal Emperor cutting his corpse!
Another opportunity!
First, he witnessed the Purple Dou pursuing the Third Step, then he saw the Immortal Emperor cutting his corpse to reach the Third Step... The opportunities gained today are indeed numerous!
The Fourth Step might be distant for Ning Fan, but the Third Step isn’t unreachable.
Currently, Ning Fan has Truth-Transcending Cultivation Level, and one day, he will break through the Shedding Void Stage and Shattered Thought Realm, eventually reaching the Immortal Emperor Realm.
By then, he will also face the bottleneck of sainthood.
By then, the scene of the corpse cutting witnessed today will certainly contribute significantly to his path to sainthood.
"Proof by power, cutting three corpses, achieving sainthood through merits... The Immortal Emperor chose the cutting three corpses method..."
"His Evil Corpse is named Yin Mo... The Immortal Emperor bestowed his own name to the Evil Corpse..."
Ning Fan’s eyes shifted slightly, recalling that the Eye Orb Monster summoned three ancient statues: Evil Corpse Yin Mo, Kind Corpse Daowang, and Self Corpse Immortal.
Earlier, he heard of Evil Corpse, Kind Corpse, and Self Corpse but didn’t understand the significance. Now it all makes sense, with a silent realization.
Back then, the Immortal Emperor cut out a lifetime of Evil Qi to form the Evil Corpse named Yin Mo.
Afterward, he certainly cut out the Kind Corpse, the name of which might be Daowang...
And his true self, the Immortal half...
This might be the relationship between Yin Mo, Daowang, and the Immortal...
Vaguely, Ning Fan recalled the Immortal Emperor’s words echoing in the Heavenly Dao Reincarnation.
’...I cut out the Evil Corpse, but that Evil Corpse betrayed the Zi Dou Immortal Domain and joined the Calamity Master, becoming the Ninth Barbarian God. This is my lifelong regret...’
It seems that although the Immortal Emperor cut out the Evil Corpse, that Evil Corpse eventually betrayed the Immortal Emperor.
Evil Corpse Yin Mo became the Ninth Barbarian God, precisely the elder of the ancient monument on the Ninth Layer of the Tianque...
The Eye Orb Monster seems to have deep ties with Mourning, Yin Mo, and Immortality. He must kill Yin Mo, perhaps due to Yin Mo’s betrayal...
With Ning Fan’s intellect, he quickly deduced some reasons from the Immortal Emperor’s few words. These deductions were indeed very close to reality.
The remaining memories were too fragmented, and Ning Fan could no longer see coherent segments from them. Gradually, the chaotic fragments of memory faded away, and waves of pain from his collapsing physical defense pulled Ning Fan back to reality.
Unknowingly, his body had experienced over 170 collapses, each collapse causing Ning Fan’s Spirit to be injured.
Fortunately, the Immortal Star nourished his Spirit, allowing those wounds to heal quickly. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
This Immortal Power is different from the Starlight Healing Technique but is far more potent than any Demon Starfall healing effect.
As the number of physical collapses increased, the Blessing Power on Ning Fan’s body finally showed noticeable loosening.
After the 186th reconstruction, Ning Fan’s Spirit suddenly surged, almost breaking free from his physical form!
"Hehe, it’s close, it’s close! The Blessing Technique is about to be broken! Kid, you must hold on! You were hit by Yin Mo’s Blessing Technique, which originally meant nine tribulation shadows of Lesser Warden Barbarian should descend, but only three came down. Once you break the Blessing Technique, the remaining six tribulation shadows will descend simultaneously, so be mentally prepared."
The commotion at the bottom of the lake naturally could not hide from the Eye Orb Monster, who saw Ning Fan’s Blessing Technique being successfully broken and couldn’t help but remind.
Ning Fan’s heart tensed, instinctively touching his storage pouch.
The Purple Python Bone within the storage pouch contained a large amount of life force, which he had seized from that Snake-haired Pluck.
Next, six tribulation shadows will descend simultaneously. I don’t know if the life force in this python bone will suffice...
Bang, bang, bang!
Ning Fan’s physical form exploded repeatedly, and his flesh and blood reassembled once more, while the Immortal Star that pierced into his body continually protected Ning Fan, preventing his Spirit from getting hurt.
Thus, even if Ning Fan’s physical defense collapsed many more times, the damage was not significant.
Two hundred times, three hundred times, four hundred times... one thousand times!
After a day and night, Ning Fan’s physical form finally completed a thousand collapses!
At this moment, there was no more Blessing Power whatsoever in his body, and the Blessing Technique planted inside had long perished with the thousand collapses.
Yin Mo Ancestor’s plotting fell through!
As Ning Fan’s thought moved, his Spirit instantly surged out of his body, moving freely. After returning to his physical form, there were no more anomalies.
"Hehe, don’t bother testing anymore. Your Spirit has already returned to normal. Quickly calm yourself and prepare to face the tribulation shadows." The Eye Orb Monster on the lakeshore, panting, reminded.
Manipulating part of the Saint Pattern Formation is not easy. After a day, the Eye Orb Monster was already very tired.
Yet the excitement in his heart was beyond description. He had helped Ning Fan break the Blessing Technique, and his chances of killing Yin Mo were already at forty percent!
Forty percent, it’s not low! If he could help Ning Fan merge the four forces into one, the chances could rise to fifty percent...
Immortal Elder Brother, this time, your little brother will surely avenge you!
The Saint Pattern Formation within the mountain valley finally exhausted its strength. A hundred Dao Crystal Towers all turned to crystal dust, scattering across the ground. The formation light collapsed with a boom, transforming into countless streams of light, vanished, and the countless Barbarian Images in the sky disappeared one after another, leaving none.
The ceremony of breaking the Blessing Technique concluded.
Yet Ning Fan’s tribulation shadow arrived right on time.
A phantom suddenly appeared above the mountain valley, the shadow of the Young Barbarian Statue that Ning Fan formed when he became the Lesser Warden Barbarian!
At the moment this phantom appeared, countless red clouds surged above the mountain valley, covering the sky, making the entire sky a fiery red as if burning.
At this moment, Ning Fan’s fourth tribulation shadow of Lesser Warden Barbarian descended!
The arrival of the tribulation shadow was silent, and as the endless red clouds appeared, Ning Fan’s flesh immediately shriveled, his life force crazily drained, consumed by the Barbarian Pattern within.
The number of Barbarian Patterns increased continuously after absorbing the life force, yet Ning Fan’s aura became more and more withered, increasingly weak.
In just a breath of time, a tenth of his life force had vanished. This fourth tribulation shadow is far more fierce than the previous three.
Without any hesitation, Ning Fan took out the Purple Python Bone and began to frantically absorb the life force within it.
The life force within the serpent bones was immense, consuming only a tenth of it to pass through the third tribulation.
With ninety percent of the life force still remaining, it was more than enough to tackle the fourth tribulation!
A scarlet glow emanated fiercely from Ning Fan’s body, casting an eerie red light over the pitch-black water.
The life force from the serpent bones surged madly into Ning Fan, instantly restoring his withered physical form to its original state.
By the time sixty percent of the life force remained, Ning Fan had already overcome most of the fourth tribulation.
"The Nine Barbarian Tribulations consist of nine in total. From the third one onwards, each successful tribulation allows for the cultivation of a certain number of ancestral-level Barbarian Blood."
"In the history of the Ancient Barbarian Realm, it’s rare for a Young Master Barbarian to pass all nine tribulations through their own strength. Even those from the great ancient Barbarian clans usually could only reach the sixth tribulation. The power of the sixth is enough to make an Immortal King fall, and the seventh, even more formidable... Those who can’t pass the tribulations can only set up a Heaven-Deceiving Formation to slyly avoid it. However, avoiding the tribulation does not allow for the cultivation of ancestral blood..."
"The fourth tribulation is almost over for this one, and the fifth shouldn’t be difficult for him to pass. But the chances are slim for him to get through the sixth..."
"If he cannot withstand the power of the tribulation, I will intervene and set up a Heaven-Deceiving Formation to help him evade it and save him."
The Eye Orb Monster watched the lake with full alertness. Should Ning Fan falter, it would intervene to save him from the tribulation.
In hindsight, when Yin Mo Ancestor plotted against Ning Fan, it suppressed Ning Fan’s subsequent six tribulations due to their peril. This person has designs on Ning Fan and naturally wouldn’t want him to perish carelessly in the tribulation, thus the suppression of Ning Fan’s tribulations.
Starting with the fourth tribulation, the dangers increase. However, the benefits of passing are significant.
Each tribulation passed allows for the cultivation of a certain amount of Barbarian ancestral blood!
Ancestral blood is notoriously hard to cultivate, and even an Eternal Immortal Venerable would struggle to produce a drop without tens of millions of years of arduous cultivation.
In the Ancient Barbarian Realm, common Pluck find it exceedingly difficult to cultivate Barbarian Blood. Only the Young Master Barbarians of the various Barbarian clans have the extraordinary potential to cultivate ancestral blood.
The Young Master Barbarians are the inheritors of various Barbarian tribes, future successors to the Barbarian Ancestors, rarely born, requiring great sacrifices from the tribes for even one to be born. Once born, they can use the nine tribulations to cultivate ancestral blood, laying a strong foundation for becoming the future Barbarian Ancestor.
If not for the Fan Family Fifth Ancestor sacrificing his life, Ning Fan would not have been targeted by the Art of Summoning Barbarians.
Had he not possessed the Power of Calamity Blood, Ning Fan would not have been able to leap to become the eighth generation Young Master Barbarian of the Fan Family through the Art of Summoning Barbarians.
A sequence of fortuitous events led Ning Fan to ultimately confront the Nine Barbarian Tribulations, a tribulation of profound fortune, enough to cultivate ancestral blood.
The fourth tribulation was gradually overcome by Ning Fan, giving birth to yet another drop of ancestral-level Barbarian blood within him!
This was the second drop of ancestral blood Ning Fan cultivated through his own efforts! Sadly, this newly formed ancestral blood was immediately targeted by the domineering calamity blood.
The ancestral-level Barbarian blood within was gradually consumed by the calamity blood, with the red glow of calamity thoughts on Ning Fan’s body becoming more intense and the fierce pressure growing stronger.
A few hours later, this drop of ancestral blood was completely devoured by the calamity blood.
And Ning Fan’s Calamity Blood Level slowly climbed from True Blood One Star, nearing the breakthrough to Two-Star True Blood.
The further one progresses with calamity blood, the more difficult it is to cultivate. Even after consuming a drop of ancestral blood, a full breakthrough to two-star was not achieved, greatly startling Ning Fan.
However, upon introspection, Ning Fan’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
He could sense a significant enhancement in his power from consuming the Barbarian ancestral blood.
The Taicang Calamity Spirit with True Blood One Star could sweep away all under the Realm of Shattered Thought, able to contend with those in the early Shattered Thought stage.
Though just a match for the early Shattered Thought stage, it was more often a losing battle.
At this moment, with the great advancement in calamity blood, Ning Fan could feel his soaring power surging throughout his body.
Surrounding him were swirling Calamity Thought Thunder with one thousand seven hundred strands!
At this moment, relying solely on the strength of calamity blood, he could contend with those in the mid-phase Shattered Thought, with a winning more often than not approach!
Merely passing the fourth tribulation had greatly increased his strength!
If he passes more tribulations and gains more Barbarian ancestral blood, how far could his Calamity Blood Level grow!
Ning Fan’s eyes twinkled with intensity. This tribulation is both a trial and a tremendous fortune, one that can’t be missed!
Just then, the red clouds above the valley suddenly doubled. The fifth tribulation was descending! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
