Grasping the Evil-Chapter 963: One Sword!

Wu Laoba’s heart trembled. He realized he had underestimated this Rain Immortal Monarch. What startled him the most was Ning Fan’s audacity to directly touch the Heaven-Opening Stone, a deed beyond his expectations.

It’s known that this Heaven-Opening Stone has been refined by his Dark Luck Secret Technique for a full month. Even an Immortal King, if they touched this stone recklessly, would have their fortune slightly tainted, causing backlash and damage.

Yet, Ning Fan remained calm, seemingly untouched by the dark fortune of the Heaven-Opening Stone, which couldn’t help but move Wu Laoba.

"Bitter indeed, bitter indeed, this Rain Monarch is worthy as the inheritor of Ancient Chaos. His cultivation might not exceed mine, but he likely possesses divine skills to resist my dark fortune erosion. Even if this Heaven-Opening Stone is given to him, it probably won’t harm him... Let’s end this matter here!"

The Heaven-Opening Stone was held back by Ning Fan, and couldn’t be retrieved. Wu Laoba mustered all his energy, secretly activating his divine skills. His body emitted a faint black light, suddenly seeming to have infinite strength, almost forcibly snatching the Heaven-Opening Stone from Ning Fan’s grasp.

Ning Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, also activating his divine skills. A faint red glow emerged around him, vaguely matching Wu Laoba’s strength, deadlocked in a balanced struggle.

Wu Laoba inwardly cursed, thinking that Ning Fan was undeterred by the dark fortune erosion and that he was adamant about seizing the Heaven-Opening Stone. On the surface, however, he maintained a gentle expression, smiling at Ning Fan, "I just suddenly remembered that this Heaven-Opening Stone still has its use, and it might not be appropriate to give it to you, Daoist. Please release it and return the stone to me."

"Daoist, your words differ from your actions. Our words are law, and once spoken, they cannot be taken back. The stone now belongs to Ning. It’s you who should let go!"

The Ancient Demon power within Ning Fan erupted, shaking Wu Laoba directly, causing him to loosen his grip. Wu Laoba stumbled back several steps before stabilizing himself, his expression drastically changed.

"The power of Ancient Demons..." Xiang Mingzi nodded slightly, while Daoist Wood Pine seemed thoughtful, lightly pinching his fingers as if calculating something, later expressing enlightenment, muttering to himself, "So this child is the inheritor of Ancient Chaos, no wonder..."

The fact that the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor possessed the bloodlines of gods, demons, and fiends might be unknown to many low-level cultivators, but at the Eternal Level, almost everyone knows.

Once Ning Fan’s status as the inheritor of Ancient Chaos was revealed, he no longer needed to conceal the aura of the Ancient Fiendgod, Ancient Demon, or Ancient Chaos. Although possessing Ancient Demon and Ancient Chaos bloodlines is shocking in this era of lost hearts, souls, and blood, it becomes understandable when it’s related to the inheritor of Ancient Chaos.

"Thank you, Daoist, for gifting the stone."

Ning Fan flipped his hand and put away the seized Heaven-Opening Stone, looking expressionlessly at Wu Laoba.

He was able to push back Wu Laoba not due to profound cultivation but rather the supreme fiendish might of the Ancestral Fuli within him.

Upon his first glance at the Heaven-Opening Stone, he felt a peculiarity in the black smoke which surprisingly resonated with his demon blood.

Being part of the dirtiest luck-ridden Fuli race, having once self-tainted his fortune as a Black Fate cultivator, he naturally wasn’t afraid of dark fortune contamination, which is why he dared to place his hand directly on the Heaven-Opening Stone.

What he didn’t anticipate was, upon close contact with the Heaven-Opening Stone, Ning Fan actually sensed a trace of fear.

The Heaven-Opening Stone seemed to fear him!

No, to be precise, it’s not the Heaven-Opening Stone but the dark-colored luck on it that showed fear. Upon seeing Ning Fan, that black smoke adopted a submissive posture, not daring to harm Ning Fan at all.

The feeling this black smoke gave Ning Fan was very similar, almost identical, to the aura on Zili.

With a mere thought, Ning Fan comprehended the situation. The black smoke entwined with the Heaven-Opening Stone actually contained Nieli’s power!

This Wu Laoba, surprisingly, has Nieli’s power!

Wu Laoba is neither of the demon race nor of Fuli or Nieli bloodline. This, Ning Fan could confirm upon close contact.

Yet Wu Laoba could possess Nieli power; there might be a hidden truth here.

No matter what the true hidden story is, Wu Laoba’s attempt to suppress Ning Fan with Nieli’s power is simply being overconfident.

How could Ning Fan, a dignified Demon Ancestor of the Fu Li race, possibly fear Nieli’s power?

Wu Laoba’s heart pounded rapidly. He wasn’t truly Nieli, and Ning Fan hadn’t consciously displayed the Fuli aura. Thus, he couldn’t recognize Ning Fan’s identity as Fuli.

That’s why he couldn’t fathom how Ning Fan managed to shake him off.

Watching Ning Fan take his Heaven-Opening Stone, Wu Laoba no longer smiled, his face turned cold, and he said coldy,

"Daoist, snatching my Heaven-Opening Stone here on Mu Island, you are disregarding the master of this place!"

Meaning to use Daoist Wood Pine’s reputation to pressure him.

"Daoist, your statement is inaccurate. This stone was given to me by you, certainly not a seizure," Ning Fan said expressionlessly.

Wu Laoba was furious, his face turning ashen gray. He had leveraged his master’s connections to obtain three treasures from Daoist Mu Song. Unexpectedly, upon meeting Ning Fan, one was snatched away. How could he not be angry?

If it weren’t highly inappropriate to make a move here, and if Ning Fan wasn’t accompanied by Xiang Mingzi, a Quasi-Saint monster, Wu Laoba would have already used force to take back the Heaven-Opening Stone and teach Ning Fan a lesson!

No, he couldn’t make a move against Ning Fan in front of two Quasi-Saints...

This thought had just settled in Wu Laoba’s heart, and Daoist Mu Song suddenly spoke to Xiang Mingzi.

With Mu Song’s intervention, despite Wu Laoba’s intense reluctance, he dared not explode on the spot and entertained the thought of arguing with Ning Fan further. However, for now, he could only suppress his anger and find an opportunity later to retrieve the Heaven-Opening Stone.

"Old Monster Xiang, it seems you brought this young man here for more than just the Heaven-Opening Stone, otherwise you could have come alone." Mu Song ignored Wu Laoba’s frustration. He had already fulfilled three requests for Wu Laoba, settling the karma of Ancestor Heiyun. As for the Heaven-Opening Stone, Wu Laoba brought this upon himself, and Mu Song wouldn’t interfere.

"Brother Mu has just used the Fate Vision to deduce some matters, guessing my intentions. This boy is being targeted by the Dark Clan, and the name of my Godly Void Pavilion is insufficient to deter them. Only with Brother Mu intervening can they be restrained." Xiang Mingzi said with a wry smile.

"According to my recent deduction, your disciple Senluo has already died, hasn’t he..." Daoist Mu Song suddenly shifted the topic.

"Yes, the child has already died." Xiang Mingzi said bitterly.

"Since my seclusion, after sealing the world, I have ignored earthly matters. I vowed that before enlightening my Holy Heart, I would not open my eyes more than three times! Even if Emperor Cang, my disciple, faced difficulties, I would turn a blind eye, letting him fend for himself. The Dark Clan once bullied your disciple Senluo; I protected him once before. This time, are you asking me to make an exception again?"

"Indeed, this matter is putting Brother Mu in a difficult position. However, if Brother Mu wants to understand the mysteries of the Golden Sky Black Earth Painting, you might need this young man’s help. Opening your eyes for him might be worth it." Xiang Mingzi’s words rendered Daoist Mu Song silent in contemplation.

Ning Fan’s expression changed slightly; he was intrigued by the mention of the Golden Sky Black Earth Painting.

The four ancient paintings, each possessed extraordinary elements. The first painting, The Immemorial Fisherman’s Raincoat Painting, was once found by Ning Fan and the little demoness. It could help one comprehend the Life and Death Grand Dao, aiding ascension to immortality, and was now in the hands of the Godly Void Pavilion.

The second painting, the Golden Sky Black Earth Painting, reportedly contained the Yin Yang Grand Dao, which could help a Master breach the Immortal Emperor bottleneck.

A major ancient force called the Gold Talisman Palace in the southern heavenly gate was destroyed because of this second painting. Luo You had tried to find this painting but failed to locate any trace of it.

Unexpectedly, this Golden Sky Black Earth Painting was in the hands of Daoist Mu Song!

Logically speaking, the second painting should only aid one in achieving the status of Immortal Emperor, and it shouldn’t be significant enough for someone as strong as Daoist Mu Song to value. However, judging from the tone of Xiang Mingzi, this painting seemed to have other mysteries that warranted Mu Song’s repeated study...

After a long pause, Daoist Mu Song made a decision but did not directly respond to Xiang Mingzi; instead, he pointed at Heavenly One, causing numerous pine needles from the forest to rise into the sky, forming a cyan circle in the air.

That cyan circle seemed to possess some Great Divine Power, isolating everything inside the circle. Even if a battle erupted inside, as long as it did not exceed the circle’s limit, the fluctuations wouldn’t leak to the outside world.

"Whether this young man is worth me opening my eyes, I need to test him. Songxi Tong’er, enter the ring and have a duel with Young Friend Ning!"

Upon hearing this, one of Mu Song’s many disciples, a green-faced Dao Child, immediately stepped forward from the line. After saluting the crowd, he flew up into the circle and hovered in the air.

This green-faced child was unremarkable in appearance, yet standing with arms folded to the sky, he exuded an imposing aura that could tread over eons, demanding respect from anyone.

This person was one of the three Immortal Venerables in the temple, a newly ascended Immortal Venerable, yet he seemed like he had also slain the Eternal Immortal Venerable, with very heavy Evil Qi.

"Young Friend Ning, ascend the platform and duel with Mu Song’s disciple. Let him witness your skills. If you can gain his favor, he will surely help you against the Dark Clan." Xiang Mingzi advised Ning Fan.

Ning Fan wasn’t a fool; by now, he knew Xiang Mingzi brought him to Mu Island with ulterior motives.

Xiang Mingzi hoped to find him a new patron, one strong enough to intimidate the Dark Clan. If the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor were to perish, Mu Song would protect Ning Fan. This was Xiang Mingzi’s original intention.

Ning Fan felt emotional. Xiang Mingzi and he were not kin, yet he went to great lengths to do this for him. Of course, he would not act ungrateful nor refuse Xiang Mingzi’s kindness.

With a flicker, Ning Fan appeared on the cyan platform, once again receiving Xiang Mingzi’s sound transmission.

"Give it your all; let Mu Song see your true talents."

"Hmm."

Ning Fan nodded, standing a hundred yards apart from the green-faced Dao Child, his momentum spreading wider than the Dao Child’s aura.

Seeing the impending battle, all disciples inside the ancient temple focused their gaze towards the sky, even the infuriated Wu Laoba looked on with the same demeanor.

Wu Laoba wanted to take a closer look at what means Ning Fan possessed. After understanding Ning Fan’s capabilities, it would increase his chances significantly when seeking trouble with Ning Fan in the future.

Of course, if he had the opportunity, he would prefer to replace that Green-faced Dao Child, personally take action, teach Ning Fan a lesson, and reclaim the Heaven-Opening Stone!

The Green-faced Dao Child looked at Ning Fan with an arrogant expression. He lived with his master on Mu Island, sealed from the world, and hadn’t heard of the ferocious reputation of the Rain Immortal Monarch, so he naturally did not know of Ning Fan’s astonishing achievement of killing the Deyun Ancestor.

Even if he knew, he would not fear Ning Fan. He had also killed newly ascended Immortal Venerables, having the confidence that even if he sensed Ning Fan’s aura at the level of the Eternity’s First Tribulation, he was not afraid at all.

"Daoist, although you are not a disciple of Senior Xiang, you can be considered to represent Senior Xiang in this battle. If you lose to me again in this battle, it means Senior Xiang’s disciples would have lost four times in a row on Mu Island. For Daoist’s sake, not to lose too miserably, I shall hold back by thirty percent." The Green-faced Dao Child across suddenly spoke, his tone quite arrogant.

Xiang Mingzi had accepted three disciples in his life, all of whom had been brought to Mu Island. When they were young, Shenkong and Xuankong, both Great Emperors, had visited Mu Island and sparred with the young Emperor Cang but were defeated by him.

Later, Senluo was also brought to Mu Island, but at that time, Senluo was still very young and was defeated by other disciples of Mu Song without Emperor Cang even having to take action.

Ning Fan was the fourth person brought by Xiang Mingzi. If he also lost on Mu Island, this defeat would naturally count against Xiang Mingzi’s disciples.

"..."

Ning Fan did not like to speak much during duels, and what made him even more speechless was where this Green-faced Dao Child got his confidence to actually dare to hold back by thirty percent when facing him.

The Green-faced Dao Child not only spoke arrogantly but also acted with arrogance, standing with his hands behind his back, not intending to make the first move, adopting an attitude as if letting Ning Fan have three moves.

Are all of Daoist Mu Song’s disciples so conceited?

Ning Fan shook his head slightly. Considering Daoist Mu Song’s eccentric personality, it was quite possible for him to teach disciples with all kinds of different personalities.

"This person’s Divine Intent is Pine, and his Dao is also Pine, but what he cultivates seems to be the solitary arrogance of the Pine, which is why he acts arrogantly..."

The hint of azure in Ning Fan’s eyes flickered momentarily, effortlessly seeing through the Green-faced Dao Child.

During that flicker, no one in the scene noticed it except for Xiang Mingzi and Daoist Mu Song.

Xiang Mingzi had already known Ning Fan was a Heavenly Immortal Practitioner and could not discern Ning Fan’s level in the Second Realm of Tianren, so he was not surprised. Daoist Mu Song, however, showed a slight shift in expression.

"This boy is actually of Tianren’s cultivation. No wonder he can be valued so highly by Old Monster Mu..."

Since the Green-faced Dao Child was not willing to make the first move, Ning Fan did not bother being polite. He cautioned the Green-faced Dao Child to be careful, raised a finger, and a streak of purple light shot towards the Dao Child.

"A Dao Weapon, is it? This Dao Weapon seems to have been nurtured by the Heavenly Dao Purple Qi, but in the eyes of us Immortal Venerables, it is nothing remarkable."

The Green-faced Dao Child showed slight disdain, spitting out a palm-sized dark azure leaf, which he offered up into the sky.

Once the leaf rose into the air, it immediately expanded against the wind, growing a hundred feet in size, directly enveloping the Memory Severing Dao Sword underneath, wrapping it in the center.

No matter how much the Memory Severing Dao Sword struggled, it could not break free from the binding of the leaf.

"Do you have any other magical treasures, Daoist? Please feel free to use them all!" The Green-faced Dao Child said arrogantly, with an expression suggesting he had already gained the upper hand.

Ning Fan was slightly speechless. Even if this person cultivated the solitary arrogance path, he was excessively arrogant, lacking the essence of solitude.

The solitary arrogance of the Azure Pine differed from mere arrogance; the word ’solitude’ was a constraint. The arrogance of the Pine was only displayed in solitude, not high-handed, hence it was solitary arrogance. The route of this Green-faced Dao Child was wrong.

The leaf was a manifestation of the Green-faced Dao Child’s Divine Skills, interwoven with the Dao Principle of Wood, unable to be hidden from Ning Fan’s Heavenly Vision.

The Divine Skills of the Eternal Immortal Venerable were powerful because they utilized the power of Dao Laws. Whereas the power of a Control Position Immortal Emperor was having Control Position Path much stronger than ordinary Dao Laws. With the power of the Dao Principle of Wood, the leaf could easily bind the Memory Severing Dao Sword, but if this layer of Dao Law power was broken, the leaf would be insignificant.

Ning Fan did not waste words on the Green-faced Dao Child but instead bent his finger to point, and instantly, an infinite Rain Intent surged through the heavens and earth. In the blink of an eye, a slight drizzle fell upon the entire Mu Island.

The Green-faced Dao Child’s facial expression changed slightly before he could react. Suddenly, the Memory Severing Dao Sword, originally bound by the leaf, emitted a slicing sound. A sword light shot forth, shattering the Dao Principles on the leaf into pieces. In the next instant, the leaf shattered into countless azure glows, dissipating.

The Green-faced Dao Child’s gaze darkened. At this moment, the Dao Laws entwining the Memory Severing Dao Sword were far superior in quantity and quality compared to the wood’s Dao Principles on the leaf.

No wonder it could break his Pine Breath Leaf; it turns out Ning Fan’s understanding of the power of Dao Laws surpasses his own!

Slash!

Another sound of the air being pierced rang out, with the Memory Severing Dao Sword entwined with the Rain Dao Principle, transforming into thousands, slashing towards him from all directions.

This time, the Green-faced Dao Child did not dare to be complacent. Instead, he retreated half a step, operating his Divine Skills, and his entire right arm instantly transformed into a dark blue hue, directly reaching out to grasp the sword shadows filling the sky.

No matter how the Dao Sword diverged, no matter how varied the trajectory of the sword rain was, the Green-faced Dao Child seemed able to accurately predict the arrival point of each sword light. His dark blue right palm was not afraid of the sharpness of the Dao Sword in the slightest, lifting his hand to shatter each illusory sword light. The sound of metal colliding continuously emanated from his right palm, demonstrating the hardness of the palm at this moment.

In an instant, all the thousands of sword rains were crushed by the Green-faced Dao Child, clearly indicating that relying only on the Dao Weapon could not defeat this newly ascended Immortal Venerable.

Ning Fan sighed slightly, retracting the Dao Sword. Without a strong offensive magical treasure in hand, achieving a quick victory would not be easy.

The Green-faced Dao Child, having gained the upper hand, became even more arrogant, his form flickering as he transformed into an all-over dark blue giant.

Ning Fan had already witnessed that dark blue defense, capable of withstanding the sharpness of the Memory Severing Dao Sword. Upon changing into the giant, its defense increased several folds further, possessing extreme might.

A Dao Sword entwined with a kind of Dao Principle cannot sever this dark blue defense.

In this situation, only the simultaneous use of a second Dao Principle is viable!

An obscure light flickered in Ning Fan’s eyes, instantly plunging the whole universe into complete darkness.

"A Great Divine Power to change heaven and earth? No, it’s Illusory Art!"

The Green-faced Dao Child was initially startled but then laughed heartily.

If it were a Great Divine Power to change heaven and earth, he would fear Ning Fan a lot more, but if it’s merely Illusory Art, he is not afraid at all.

He was close to mastering the Heavenly Eye of the Buddhist disciples, enough to pierce through most illusions. This technique is not a threat.

"Break!"

The giant formed by the Green-faced Dao Child shot a myriad of golden lights from its eyes, attempting to sweep away the darkness in the universe. However, the golden lights, upon falling into the darkness, were immediately swallowed by it, unable to pierce through.

This surprised the Green-faced Dao Child, realizing that the illusion used by Ning Fan was far too advanced, even his Heavenly Vision could not break it.

Many people underestimate illusions because illusions generally do not cause substantial harm; they usually only have a confusing effect, almost useless once broken through.

But if they cannot be broken, the terrifying nature of illusions is revealed. In a duel, a momentary distraction can decide victory or defeat. Trapped in Ning Fan’s illusion and unable to dispel the darkness, Ning Fan has countless opportunities to kill him!

"Although I have fallen into his illusion, I specialize in defense techniques. This defense cannot be broken by a First Calamity Immortal Sovereign! This battle can at least end in a draw. This young one cannot defeat me so easily..."

This thought had just emerged in the Green-faced Dao Child’s mind when the next moment, his huge giant body flew backward violently, and a blood arrow shot out from his chest.

The darkness in the universe finally began to disperse, but it was not broken; rather, Ning Fan voluntarily lifted the illusion.

From the start to the end, appearing slow, it actually only took ten breaths.

In the ancient temple, everyone’s vision finally recovered, and the first thing they saw was the image of the giant form of the Green-faced Dao Child spitting blood, falling from the sky, carrying a look of disbelief.

On the chest of that giant is a ferocious sword wound, deep enough to reveal bone, completely breaking through his physical defense, with blood splattering across the sky!

With one sword, Ning Fan stood against the sky, entwined with two kinds of Dao Principle lights on his Dao Sword, extremely striking, giving an unbeatable sharp sensation.

"Gasp! Senior Songxi’s Azure Pine Body could not possibly be breached in one strike even by a Second Calamity Immortal Lord! Yet this Rain Immortal Monarch broke Senior Songxi’s strongest defense with just one sword!"

"Ten breaths! Senior Songxi could only last ten breaths in the hands of the Rain Monarch!"

Each of the Mu Song disciples began to gasp, while Wu Laoba was even more shocked.

He is also a First Calamity Immortal Sovereign, and being powerful within the first calamity, he has fought against the Green-faced Dao Child, admitting he couldn’t break this person’s defense in one move.

Yet Ning Fan can achieve this; could it be Ning Fan’s strength surpasses his?!

He is a veteran Immortal Venerable who has practiced for thirty-four million years, whereas Ning Fan has only been famous for a mere hundred years; could Ning Fan truly be stronger?! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets, as your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)