Grasping the Evil-Chapter 966: Slave of the Third Immortal Venerable
At the bottom of the Obliteration River, past memories flow like water, quietly traversing the riverbed...
The starry sky was that of the Northern Heaven Immortal World, and the location was the main sect star of the Black Demon Sect - the Yin Yang Star.
One day, above the Yin Yang Star, a spatial rift suddenly tore open, and a bloodied, ragged black-robed elder fell from the sky, crashing right into the Demon River beneath the Black Demon Mountain of the Yin Yang Star.
The disheveled elder who fell from the sky was none other than Wu Laoba, who had been treasure hunting in secret places. However, due to various mishaps, he was severely injured, and his mana was sealed. After falling into the Demon River, he couldn’t even hold his breath, nearly drowning.
At that moment, a fierce-looking youth in black was meditating on the riverbank. Just as Wu Laoba was about to drown, it was this black-clad youth who fished him out of the river.
Thus, Wu Laoba decided to properly thank the black-clad youth.
He had many good things on him, but they had all been refined with his Black Fortune. Giving them to the youth might end up harming him.
After pondering it over, Wu Laoba finally discovered traces of the machinations of a powerful Immortal Emperor on this black-clad youth and immediately thought of a way to repay him.
Ordinary people couldn’t see the calculations on the youth, but Wu Laoba, being a descendant of Black Fortune, had deep knowledge of fortune and was able to see through it.
"In the Southern Heaven Immortal World, there is an Immortal Emperor known as Fate Wielding. This emperor has a great reputation in the South and is always seen as a kind old man. However, we old monsters who are Immortal Venerables understand his true nature. This emperor is incredibly cunning and has calculated low-level cultivators throughout the four heavens and nine worlds. Since my cultivation, I’ve encountered many cultivators he’s schemed against, but because I didn’t want to get involved in their karma, I never helped anyone."
"Today, this young man saved me, so I’ll repay him. If his fortune continues down this path, it will surely be taken by the Fate Wielding Emperor unless he, like me, practices Black Fortune magic to have a slim chance of survival. Haha, this boy meeting me is his luck, but it’s also the beginning of his life’s misfortune!"
Ah, I forgot to ask for the name of this little benefactor.
"Little benefactor, may I ask your name?"
"I am Han Yuanji, a man destined to become the next Ancestral Emperor of the Northern Heaven. Remember this name; in a thousand years, it will resonate throughout the Northern Heaven!" His tone was exceedingly arrogant.
"Well, well, you little jerk have quite the audacity, dreaming of becoming the next Ancestral Emperor of the Northern Heaven... Haha, if you become the Ancestral Emperor, I will become an Immortal Emperor; hey, what are you doing..."
Plop!
The black-clad youth turned and kicked Wu Laoba back into the river.
"Glug glug... you little brat, you’re asking for death! Glug glug... how dare you kick me! Glug glug... do you even know who I am! Glug glug... fine, fine, I admit defeat. Please, pull me out of the river. I’ve already drunk a bellyful of river water; I’m really going to drown, I beg you, my young master!"
"Hm! You dared to mock Han’s dreams, so you deserve to drink a few more mouthfuls!"
Though the rebellious black-clad youth said so, he still pulled Wu Laoba out of the water. Subsequently, Wu Laoba aided the black-clad youth.
A bond of karma was thus formed...
However, Wu Laoba only ever met the black-clad youth once and didn’t have a deep connection. They never crossed paths again. If he hadn’t nearly drowned in the river once more, Wu Laoba wouldn’t have recalled this somewhat similar incident.
Ning Fan was slightly speechless; he never expected that Wu Laoba had once had a karmic connection with the old monster.
It couldn’t be mistaken, that fierce-looking, spiky youth shouting about becoming the next Ancestral Emperor of the Northern Heaven was his master—Han Yuanji?
To speak of it, that black-clad youth was indeed very handsome, vaguely bearing many features of the older Han Yuanji, with the only difference being the lack of that inherent sleazy aura.
Time truly is a ruthless butcher’s knife, capable of turning a beautiful young man into a sleazy chrysanthemum face.
And what Ning Fan never expected was that the old monster had also been calculated by the Fate Wielding Immortal Emperor, yet thanks to Wu Laoba’s help, he ultimately cultivated Black Fortune and escaped the Fate Wielding Immortal Emperor’s schemes.
This Wu Laoba actually did a favor to his master.
Ning Fan sighed deeply; because Wu Laoba had done a favor for his master, Ning Fan couldn’t even think of killing Wu Laoba.
However, he couldn’t easily let this person go either. This person had plotted poisonously against him, and if he were directly released, he would surely become a future threat!
The Obliteration River could strip memory, and Ning Fan saw fragments of Wu Laoba’s interaction with the Sect Master of the Pill Sect in that river.
"Who would have thought the Sect Master of the Pill Sect founded an ’Anti-Ning Alliance’ to deal with me. Though I am willing to spare Wu Laoba for the sake of my master’s relationship, I cannot guarantee that Wu Laoba won’t hold grudges and turn against me."
The human heart is treacherous, and from a glance, Wu Laoba is not a good person. If he is given a second chance, how should he be dealt with if he develops a desire for revenge?
"Wu Laoba, do you remember Han Yuanji?" Ning Fan suddenly asked toward the Obliteration River.
"Han Yuanji? Which Han Yuanji... let’s not talk about that anymore. Rain Monarch, oh Rain Monarch, have mercy and spare me. If I survive this calamity, I am willing to serve you as a bull or horse!" Wu Laoba, who was already resigned to his fate, suddenly heard Ning Fan’s question, and a spark of survival ignited, causing him to plead.
Wu Laoba vaguely remembered almost drowning back then, but he couldn’t recall the name of the black-robed youth who saved him.
That wasn’t surprising; Wu Laoba was unlucky all his life and encountered many disasters. Countless people had saved him, including juniors and even mortals; how could he remember them all?
Wu Laoba couldn’t care less about Han Yuanji or whoever he was; his only thought at the moment was survival!
The Rain Monarch was terrifying! Wu Laoba had roamed freely for years, and no one dared to kill him because he had reached the Eighth Level Black Luck, which even a Quasi-Saint would find troublesome due to its influence.
Thus, he had lived for so many years without anyone daring to kill him. Wu Laoba was facing someone who didn’t fear his Black Luck for the first time.
Only Ning Fan dared to touch his Heaven-Opening Stone casually, to kill him forcefully, without fearing the revenge of Eighth Level Black Luck!
How to beg the Rain Monarch to spare his life?
"Rain Monarch, please, if you are willing to spare me, I am willing to give you the Heaven-Opening Stone, Four Emperors Arhat Pine and Yin Yang Square Seal!"
Compared to his life, these three treasures were nothing. As the current Sect Master of the Heiyun Sect, his Eighth Level Black Luck was something even a Quasi-Saint had to fear a little. If he lacked any heavenly material treasures, he could easily demand them from major powers, and as long as it wasn’t too outrageous, most major powers would agree to his requests!
"..." Ning Fan ignored Wu Laoba, still thinking about how to deal with him.
He definitely couldn’t kill him. With the old monster’s nostalgic nature, killing the benefactor would chill his heart, even if this so-called benefactor couldn’t remember who the old monster was...
But if he was released, how could he ensure Wu Laoba wouldn’t seek revenge?
Seeing Ning Fan’s delayed reply, Wu Laoba assumed his offer wasn’t high enough to move Ning Fan.
Cursing Ning Fan for his greed, Wu Laoba gritted his teeth and continued,
"Hehe, does the Rain Monarch find these three treasures insufficient? How about this, if the Rain Monarch is willing to spare this humble Taoist, I am willing to hand over the accumulated wealth of the Heiyun Sect from the Northern Heaven spanning tens of millions of years! Along with the previous three treasures, it should be enough to make up for my prior offenses, right?"
"..."
Ning Fan remained silent. Compared to the sect’s accumulation of the Black Fortune Sect, he was more interested in finding a foolproof plan to eliminate the potential major threat of Wu Laoba’s future retaliation.
In this world, even master and disciple can turn against each other, and father and son can become enemies. Faced with someone as ruthless and unpredictable as Wu Laoba, if there was nothing to hold him in check, Ning Fan simply could not trust this person.
Seeing Ning Fan still silent, Wu Laoba became anxious, thinking that this Rain Monarch was too greedy. He had already offered up all the sect’s accumulated wealth of the Black Fortune Sect, something even an Immortal Emperor would covet, yet Ning Fan was still unsatisfied and unwilling to set him free.
He really wanted to see what kind of greedy master could produce such an insatiable disciple! He hadn’t heard that the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor was so greedy...
Must he give up his soul and pledge it as a master before he would spare his life? Damn it, the soul is such an important thing, how could it be...
Wu Laoba was cursing inwardly when suddenly he froze, uh, yeah, isn’t there still that solution!
Although the soul is important, if it could save one’s life, what couldn’t be handed over!
"If I give up my soul and make him my master, he surely wouldn’t be willing to kill me! My strength isn’t weak, and I possess the eighth level of Black Luck, which even the secret clans must fear me by three points! Isn’t Ning Fan troubled by the Dark Clan’s affairs? If he could accept me as a servant, it would be greatly beneficial to him. Such a proposal, he surely wouldn’t refuse!"
Wu Laoba’s thoughts raced, increasingly convinced that this was the right solution. All his life, he had been yielding. He didn’t have much resistance to being someone’s servant. Once he made up his mind, he immediately said to Ning Fan,
"Enough, enough, I admit defeat! I am willing to offer my soul and serve you as my master. In this way, can you spare me a way to live?"
Ning Fan’s eyes flickered.
He had indeed overcomplicated the issue; to deal with a cold-blooded devil like Wu Laoba, his consistent method was indeed to use life as leverage, wasn’t it?
If he took Wu Laoba’s soul, Wu Laoba naturally dared not harbor malicious intent again, and all problems would resolve themselves.
Of course, Wu Laoba was kind to the old monster, so Ning Fan naturally wouldn’t truly treat him as a servant. He would still show due respect. What Ning Fan needed was merely a check to restrain Wu Laoba from misbehaving.
"Good! If you give up your soul, I can spare your life!"
Seeing hope for survival, Wu Laoba immediately showed joy, fearing that Ning Fan would go back on his word, he hurriedly opened his mouth and spat out his turtle-shaped soul.
That soul was then taken away by Ning Fan. From this moment on, Wu Laoba’s life and death were at Ning Fan’s mercy. Wu Laoba’s whole life could be considered as having officially fallen into Ning Fan’s hands.
After dispelling the Obliteration River and clearing the battlefield, dismissing the Black Cat Dao Soul, Ning Fan collected the Four Emperors Luohan Pine and the Liangyi Square Seal, then descended back into the ancient temple with Wu Laoba, who had returned to his original form. The two stood one behind the other, establishing a master-servant relationship.
Wu Laoba was thick-skinned, feeling no shame in acknowledging a master to save his life. In the cultivation world, the weak submitting to the strong is normal. Ning Fan was the only nemesis he had encountered in his life; serving him was no disgrace!
"Moreover, I’ve heard some things about this Ning Fan. It is said that his character is incomparably strong and unyielding. If he found himself in my situation, he would never submit to an enemy as a servant, but would fight to the death for the sake of pointless pride. Hehe, my ability to endure humiliation and preserve my life is something this Ning Fan boy can’t match. In this aspect, he is not as good as me!"
"Though Ning Fan’s strength surpasses mine, he lacks the ability to intimidate the secret clans. It’s only by relying on the prestige of his master, the Ancient Chaos that the secret clans slightly fear him. But I can make the secret clans cautious of me with my abilities, in this regard, Ning Fan is no match for me."
"I was able to cultivate an Eternal True Body during a tribulation, which Ning Fan couldn’t do, another way he falls short of me!"
"I am feared in the cultivation world, while he is hunted by everyone in the cultivation world, hehe, he is still not as good as me!"
"I have a mustache, while the Ning Fan boy doesn’t even have a beard, hehe, he still falls short of me!"
"Looking at it this way, there’s hardly anything this Ning Fan surpasses me in, hehe, he really is quite pitiable..."
The more Wu Laoba thought about it, the more pleased he became, looking at Ning Fan with a sympathetic gaze. Just on spiritual triumph, there were indeed not many in the cultivation world who could match Wu Laoba.
"I wonder if Senior Mu Song is satisfied with this junior’s strength?" Ning Fan respectfully saluted towards Mu Song, asking neither humbly nor arrogantly.
He had been brought by Xiang Mingzi and had consecutively won three rounds. He felt that he hadn’t embarrassed Xiang Mingzi, and even a formidable force like Mu Song would not dare underrate him.
"Hehe, my young friend has consecutively won three matches and blocked the first change of the Liangyi Square Seal with a cultivation of Eternity’s First Tribulation, and moreover has a Heaven’s Dao Soul following. What qualifications do I have to be dissatisfied with my young friend?" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Mu Song chuckled, but then changed his tone and asked, "I just deduced something, it seems that my young friend has been closely pressed by the Dark Clan recently. Do you need my assistance?"
"What’s the condition?" Ning Fan asked in return.
He had gleaned something of Daoist Wood Pine’s character. This individual secluded himself from the world, unwilling to involve himself in others’ karmic links, and absolutely wouldn’t help him against the Dark Clan for nothing.
"Plainspoken, I like it. Naturally, I wouldn’t help you unconditionally. Let’s say, this is an exchange. Have you heard of Senluo?"
"I’ve heard of it."
"Senluo, for some reason, had offended the Dark Clan. Even though Xiang Mingzi abandoned his eyesight, he couldn’t secure it. Later, I intervened. It was my first exception to open my eyes, agreeing on a battle with three Quasi-Saint elders of the Dark Clan at the starry sky’s edge, and the result was that I gained the upper hand, thereby making the Dark Clan refrain, agreeing to spare Senluo’s life..."
During these recollections, Mu Song spoke without any sense of boasting, as if it were nothing more than a trivial anecdote.
Ning Fan was moved. Daoist Wood Pine was indeed remarkable, capable of single-handedly matching three Quasi-Saint elders of the Dark Clan, and even obtaining the upper hand. In the Era of Decline, he was indeed a top-tier powerhouse!
"Do not underestimate the Dark Clan simply because of my achievements. The Dark Clan consists of more than just those three Quasi-Saint elders..." Daoist Wood Pine’s expression suddenly grew heavy, as though he recalled some past events he didn’t share with Ning Fan.
After a momentary silence, he continued, "Do you know why I helped Senluo?"
"Could it be because Senluo helped Senior accomplish something?" Ning Fan speculated based on Mu Song’s personality.
"Precisely, Senluo was able to have me intervene because I owed them a karmic debt, and it wasn’t on account of Xiang Mingzi’s face. Similarly, unless you can make me owe you karma, I won’t assist you. Ten days later, I shall show you something. If by then you can lend me assistance, I could make an exception to open my eyes for you at a time of need, for a second time! For these ten days, I must carefully prepare for this, so you can temporarily stay on my Mu Island. Although Mu Island is small, it contains seven grand forbidden areas, of which the first, second, and third you cannot enter due to your insufficient cultivation, but you may freely enter and exit the others without hindrance."
Ning Fan nodded, seeing he could only reside on Mu Island for ten days.
Not everyone would, like Xiang Mingzi, assist him selflessly. Once one’s cultivation reached the realm of an elder like Mu Song, they often avoided involvement in karma. This led many Quasi-Saints to choose seclusion, not to be famed across the Four Heavens. Without an enticement of benefits, these aged monsters simply wouldn’t partake in any cultivation world conflicts.
Gaining the assistance of Daoist Wood Pine could only depend on his performance ten days later! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to recommend it with votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my largest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
