It was supposed to be a ten-day grand feast, but Ning Fan certainly wasnât in the mood to really celebrate for ten days.
For this victory, the sacrifice of the Eastern celestial cultivators was greatâthough, thanks to Ning Fanâs intervention, the number of sacrifices was far less than expected.
Sixty thousand Second Step Immortal Cultivators perished in battle.
Even six formidable Immortal Emperors fell, with three defecting and one going insane.
Quasi-Saints too paid a heavy price: Xiang Mingzi lost half his body, Daoist Wood Pine lost his entire body, Hou Tu Elderâs Palatial Void was ruined, and the Fifth and Sixth Elders of the Southern Clan were gravely injured.
This victory was hard-won.
Compared to such chaos that can easily sweep over an entire realm, the Eastern Heavenâs past conflicts and sect wars are really insignificant.
Because of the Ancient Seal blocking the path, Ning Fan temporarily couldnât head to the Northern Heaven and had to patiently wrap up the chaos that engulfed the Eastern Boundary River.
The living are fortunate, but the dead and wounded are unfortunate.
In this Boundary River war, up to two hundred thousand Eastern celestial cultivators were seriously wounded. These injured cannot travel far and are mostly settled nearby at the Taiyuan Ferry, with countless masters skilled in medicine and alchemy responsible for taking care of these wounded heroes.
As a Golden Core Level Nine-Turn Alchemist, Ning Fanâs alchemy is naturally indispensable for healing the wounded.
Ouyang Nuanâs alchemical skills are equally high, and she has put in much effort to heal the injured.
Secretly, Ning Fan even planned to order several Golden Core Alchemists from the Incense Fire Space to refine pills for the Eastern Heavenâs injured.
Unfortunately, these alchemy masters with incense slave status couldnât serve Ning Fan at all.
They arenât Eastern celestial cultivators but natives of the Supreme Pill Sacred Domain, and understandably, they cannot live in the outside world.
Although living in the Incense Worlds is different from directly residing in the Eastern Heaven, they still bear the severe side effects of leaving the Supreme Pill Sacred Domainâthe curse of Saint Nan Yao.
The greatest reason that native cultivators of the Supreme Pill Sacred Domain cannot live in the outside world is the Saintâs curse, which was also why Ning Fan didnât take Duolan away back then.
The incense slaves Ning Fan brought out from the Supreme Pill Sacred Domain finally began to feel the effects of the curse. Everyoneâs cultivation started to decline day by day, leading them towards death.
Those incense slaves who mined gold and silver for Ning Fan have become too weak to mine the mineral veins anymore.
Even those alchemy masters can no longer serve Ning Fan, begging Ning Fan to send them back to the Supreme Pill Sacred Domain soon, for if they remain in the Eastern Heaven, they will sooner or later weaken and die.
Considering that these alchemy masters had once helped him refine the Dragon-Horse Sixteen Hearts Pill, Ning Fan was reluctant to let these alchemy masters truly fall. As a last resort, he used a cultivation world technique to preserve life by ice-sealing, to freeze these alchemy masters in a dormant state.
Although he could not prevent their cultivation from declining, he could at least keep alive a sliver of their vitality. Someday, Ning Fan would find a way back to the Supreme Pill Sacred Domain and release them, as promised.
As for the other incense slaves...
Unfortunately, Ning Fan didnât have the ability to ice-seal everyone in dormancy. This life-preserving secret technique would cause considerable harm to the practitioner themselves, and even if Ning Fan exhausted his life force, he could not save all the incense slaves; besides, what obligation did he have to save them?
These incense slaves were originally his enemies, whom he should have hunted down and killed back then. Ning Fan was never a benevolent person; making him harm himself to save his enemies wasnât ever going to happen.
His final act of mercy was limited to casting an illusory art to make all the gradually fading incense slaves sleep, at least sparing them from the pain and fear of impending death.
This could be considered a reward for their mining contributions over the years.
But letâs get back on track...
For several months, Ning Fan and Ouyang Nuan, leading a large group of Eastern alchemy masters, were busy refining pills and healing the wounded.
Months later, including Xiang Mingzi and other Quasi-Saints, all the wounded were out of danger, and what remained was a lengthy self-healing period over the years. At least Ning Fan didnât need to continue staying at the Taiyuan Ferry.
Finally, one day, Ning Fan and Xiang Mingzi, along with the other Quasi-Saints, bade farewell, deciding to leave the Taiyuan Ferry and return to the Eastern Heaven with their followers.
Ning Fanâs feat of defeating Blood God Geng Wu shocked every Eastern Heaven cultivator, and everyone revered the powerful and invincible Ning Fan. Only Xiang Mingzi continued to converse naturally with Ning Fan as if they were old friends.
Whether it was Daoist Wood Pine or the Hou Tu Elder or the two elders from the Southern Clan, each of them seemed somewhat nervous and courteous when facing Ning Fan, as if they were juniors facing a senior, feeling one head shorter.
"This young man could even defeat Blood God Geng Wu. He hid his strength so well. Be it the Dark Clan or different race, everyone has been deceived by this young manâs superficial strength! Whether his cultivation has reached that of an Ancient Great Cultivator, or he possesses some special technique to achieve this, he is beyond comparison! Fortunately, I unintentionally formed a goodwill bond with him earlier, so I need not worry about becoming his enemy in the future. However, when facing him in the future, I can no longer consider myself a senior, and must show him due respect..." These were Daoist Wood Pineâs inner thoughts.
"Our Southern Clan is indeed wise! We knew this young man was a deeply hidden Ancient Great Cultivator when he killed the Quasi-Saint body double in the past! But we didnât expect he could defeat a fellow Ancient Great Cultivator like Blood God Geng Wu. It seems this person is among the top-tier within the Ancient Great Cultivators. Such a person, our Southern Clan cannot afford to offend him, we can only show him respect!" These were the self-righteous inner thoughts of the two Southern Clan Quasi-Saints.
Ning Fan was unaware of the inner thoughts of Wood Pine and the Southern Clan Quasi-Saints and did not care, only feeling a bit speechless at their cautiousness.
It seemed these people were determined to treat him as an Ancient Great Cultivator...
Because Niu Manshan had previously advised him not to expose his presence, Ning Fan did not intend to explain much to Wood Pine and the others, and could only let them temporarily misunderstand.
"Youâre planning to return to the Eastern Heaven now? Not planning to stay and help us old ones heal?" Xiang Mingzi laughed, half of his body was flesh, while the other half was a magical construct, temporarily making up for it. This half-real, half-virtual body was originally due to having half of his body destroyed, a measure of necessity. But recently, who knows what Xiang Mingzi had comprehended, this half-real, half-virtual body surprisingly gave Ning Fan a profound, mysterious feeling, unpredictable and puzzling.
"Yes, Iâm planning to return. The injuries of all you seniors have stabilized, and Iâm sure each of you has your own ways to deal with the remaining part, otherwise you wouldnât have shown such pleased expressions these days." Ning Fan replied.
In this battle, Xiang Mingzi and other Quasi-Saints seemed to suffer significant losses, but the benefits they gained were greater.
On the day of the battle, several Quasi-Saints were on the brink of death, nearly perishing. At the edge of death, each Quasi-Saint gained profound insights into life and death, greatly benefiting their future cultivation advancements.
Daoist Wood Pine vaguely saw a path leading to the Third Order Quasi-Saint!
Xiang Mingzi became more certain of the second-grade Quasi-Saint path. Once he repairs his body, he could officially set about breaking through to the Second-Grade Quasi-Saint, seemingly comprehending some supreme mystical art between reality and illusion!
Though the Hou Tu Elder shattered the palatial void, his understanding of the Earth Dao became deeper due to breaking before establishing anew, progressing significantly in ways unknown!
The two Southern Clan Quasi-Saints also gained profound insights, greatly benefiting their cultivation improvement.
In this way, these Quasi-Saints were naturally in good spirits. However, this scene looked somewhat strange to others. Suffering such severe losses yet being so cheerful? Ordinary people really couldnât understand what Xiang Mingzi and others were happy about.
Ning Fan naturally understood and mentioned it; as expected, Xiang Mingzi and the others beamed even more.
"Seeing how eager you are to return to the Eastern Heaven, is there something urgent you must do? Need any manpower assistance?" Xiang Mingzi asked with a smile.
If Ning Fan had any requests, he would undoubtedly assist, even with only half his body remaining.
Ning Fan shook his head, "Itâs not something dangerous, Senior should focus on healing, donât worry."
"Alright, then we wonât hold you back. Although the chaos at the Eastern Boundary River has been settled, you must still be cautious after returning to the Eastern Heaven, wary of an Ancient Chaos opening the Demonic Channel and launching a sneak attack." Xiang Mingzi had long heard of Profound Tail Daoistâs Demonic Channel descent, so he reminded Ning Fan, hoping he wouldnât be careless.
"Yes, I will be careful."
...
What Ning Fan didnât expect was that on this return to the Eastern Heaven, he encountered several groups of cultivators welcoming him along the journey.
These cultivators came to greet him of their own accord. Once they learned Ning Fan was returning to the Eastern Heaven, they waited day and night on the path through the inevitable route of the Slaughter Hall, just to welcome the heroâs return.
Thatâs right, a hero!
Itâs been several months since the Eastern Boundary River was pacified, and thatâs plenty of time for those interested to amplify and embellish Ning Fanâs achievements. Ning Fanâs feats in saving the Eastern Heaven have already spread throughout the Eastern Heaven, making him a hero in the hearts of countless uninformed cultivators!
Previously, though Ning Fan was famous in the Eastern Heaven, it was a notoriety of ferocity, inducing fear upon hearing his name. Back then, only a few Eastern Heaven demon cultivators revered Ning Fan, while many more resented him, even secretly attacking Ning Fan to favor the Dark Clan.
Today, things are different. Any cultivator understanding the gravity of the situation at the Boundary River is grateful for Ning Fanâs deeds in defeating alien races and saving the Eastern Heaven! Speak of Ning Fan now, and which hero of the Eastern Heaven wouldnât give a thumbs up, praising Ning Fan as a true hero!
Even many people who previously disliked Ning Fan had no choice but to admit they were wrong after this event. These people began to repent and started to go along with the masses, praising Ning Fanâs achievements.
As a result, countless poems praising Ning Fan began to emerge!
Consequently, public opinion began to overwhelmingly transform, rapidly evolving in a direction favorable to Ning Fan!
Some say Ning Fan is not a lecher, just a bit charming, after all, heroes with a bit of charm, whatâs the harm, only great heroes show their true colors, true scholars are naturally charming!
Some say Ning Fan is not a madman, just a bit radical in style, after all, a hero who slays one is a crime, but slaying thousands is heroic, what kind of hero doesnât kill, how could one save the world without killing enemies!
Some say Ning Fan is not a bad person, not an evil sect figure, quite the opposite, Ning Fan is a good person, a man of great virtue, a contributor to saving the world, a warrior against vulgar interests.
More people even say Ning Fanâs achievements can be compared to the Ancestral Emperor from the Eastern Heaven. The Ancestral Emperor from Eastern Heaven left a last will before he died, saying if someone could save Eastern Heaven from peril, they would ascend as Ancestral Emperor. Clearly, Ning Fan now meets the qualifications to succeed as Ancestral Emperor...
With Ning Fanâs intelligence-gathering capabilities, how could he not know that discussions about him are happening everywhere in Eastern Heaven? Undoubtedly, he has become the hottest topic of the time.
More and more people began to glorify him, almost to the point of making him into a moral saint and role model of justice...
This left Ning Fan speechless. He knows exactly what kind of person he is. Moral role model? He cannot be that, the public praise has gone a bit too far.
This is not a good thing.
Anything exaggerated eventually gets a counteractive effect, attracting a large number of opponents.
Considering more discussions regarding the will of the Ancestral Emperor from Eastern Heaven, Ning Fan had to suspect that this excessive praise is being deliberately pushed by someone. They donât wish to see him, with his unparalleled achievements in saving Eastern Heaven, accepting the will of the Ancestral Emperor from Eastern Heaven, and ascending to that supreme Ancestral Emperor throne, becoming another Ancestral Emperor from Eastern Heaven.
Ancestral Emperor from Eastern Heaven, haha...
This meaningless fame doesnât interest Ning Fan at all, in fact, if it wasnât for public discussions mentioning it, he wouldnât have even known that the Ancestral Emperor from Eastern Heaven had left such a will, allowing the savior of Eastern Heaven to succeed as Ancestral Emperor...
"How boring. Here we are at the front bleeding and battling, while a few knaves at the back are scheming for a meaningless title. Compared to those fighting on the front lines, those spreading these rumors are truly shameless..." Ning Fan sneered.
He doesnât know whoâs driving these rumors, nor does he care.
Compared to some useless Ancestral Emperor from Eastern Heavenâs last will, he has more important things to do, lazy to deal with this matter.
Ning Fan led his cultivators, heading back to Slaughter Hall, and upon returning, he mysteriously went into seclusion.
No one knows what Ning Fan does during his seclusion.
People only know that during Ning Fanâs seclusion, a strange aroma of cooked seafood pervades the air daily, the kind of aroma that canât be related to any dish of the Four Heavens.
"What is this little lecher doing alone in the cave..." Burying Moon was very displeased.
For Ning Fanâs safety, she risked her freshly unstable Quasi-Saint realm to rush to Boundary River to rescue Ning Fan. For Ning Fan, she suffered injuries, not the lightest among Quasi-Saints, but not light either. Yet Ning Fan didnât give her enough comfort.
Displeased, very displeased indeed!
Hmph! What a heartless little lecher! She shouldnât have rushed to save him!
Burying Moonâs complaints did not last too long.
Because after a few days, Ning Fan emerged from the cave and brought out the first batch of cooked squid dumplings, ready to feed her.
"What is this! Iâm not eating!" Burying Moon haughtily refused, yet felt a bit happy internally for Ning Fanâs sudden conscience.
"These are squid dumplings, apparently from the Fusang Immortal Countryâs [Refined Food]..." Ning Fan replied.
"Refined Food! Could it be the legendary Refined Food equivalent to expensive pills!" Burying Moon was slightly moved. With her knowledge and experience, she naturally heard of Fusang Immortal Countryâs Refined Food.
Fusang Immortal Country is one of the many Realmsâ Immortal countries, where cultivators practice culinary rather than Alchemy. They donât refine expensive pills but refined ingredients; thus, itâs called Refined Food. Refined Food, much like expensive pills, can enhance cultivations, aid in healing, detoxify. Compared to the monotonous taste of pills, Refined Foodâs flavor is far superior, although its preparation is far more intricate than pills, not ordinary cooking, requiring numerous special techniques, even requiring Culinary Spirit equivalent to Medicine Spirit.
Despite Fusang Immortal Countryâs fame for Refined Food, it rarely transcends borders. In the past, Burying Moon never visited Fusang Immortal Country, only hearing about Refined Food through hearsay, never tasted it.
Today is her first time trying it.
"This squid dumpling is made from the flesh of Gengwuâs Ancient Cultivator, strongly potent, eating one dumpling is nearly equivalent to taking a Void Origin Dan Level pill. You werenât lightly wounded, eating some is good for you." Ning Fan showed concern.
"Hmm..." Burying Moon surprisingly acted like a little bird, not arguing with Ning Fan, blushing, and ate the squid dumpling Ning Fan fed her.
"Delicious." Burying Moon stated satisfied, not knowing whether sheâs satisfied with the dumplingâs taste or Ning Fan feeding her personally.
"Itâs not for the taste, but to refine the medicine potency inside the dumpling!" Ning Fan was speechless.
"You donât possess a Culinary Spirit, this Refined Food, thereâs no way you couldâve made it; was it the person who helped you defeat Blood God Gengwu that helped you make them..." Burying Moon curiously asked.
"Indeed, nothing escapes you." Ning Fan didnât hide it, nodding. He promised Niu Manshan not to divulge this matter but since Burying Moon figured it out herself, it wasnât his fault.
"Trading with the tiger, beware of the tigerâs bite..." Burying Moon expressed concern for Ning Fan, reminding him.
"Donât worry, he has a Restrictive Spell in my hands, wonât harm me." Ning Fan didnât elaborate much, merely mentioned the Restrictive Spell, putting Burying Moonâs mind at ease.
The protection from a Restrictive Spell is better than a Heart Demon Oath, with this one oath, she neednât worry about Ning Fanâs safety.
"I want more."
"Alright, hereâs the plate of dumplings, eat them yourself, I need to help Senior Niu, prepare more dumplings...these dumplings not only heal but can be used for cultivation, because of the potent dumpling medicine, ordinary people canât eat them, at least Half-Saint level strength needed, else couldâve given others..." Ning Fan regretted, turning to leave.
Burying Moon was upset again!
Just because others lacked the strength to eat squid dumplings, this little lecher decided to feed her!
This reasoning displeased her!
Moreover, Ning Fan wouldnât feed her anymore!
She didnât want to eat by herself, she much preferred Ning Fan feeding!
Yet such a shameful request, for someone as proud as she, how could she articulate it?
Thus, Burying Moon could only watch as Ning Fan turned away, holding the plate, unsure whether to eat or not, stomping her feet in frustration.
"This woman actually sulked with me..." Though Ning Fan faced away from Burying Moon, perceiving senses caught her actions completely, internally amused.
He never knew Burying Moon could reveal such a cute feminine side.
Therefore, days later, when Ning Fan brought out a second plate of squid dumplings for Burying Moon to eat, he took full responsibility and slept with Burying Moon.
Hmm, this twist was somewhat abrupt, making Burying Moon exceedingly embarrassed.
Itâs not the first time she and Ning Fan have done this or that, but letâs not forget, she currently has injuries! How could Ning Fan treat her like this...
Cared not for her physique!
Her mouth voiced many complaints, yet Burying Moonâs body was rather honest, not displaying any resistance, instead perfectly matching Ning Fanâs movements.
"Hmph! Indeed...indeed a little...little lecher...always...always bullying ah...ah...gently...slow...slower...my injuries..."
"Donât worry, I have Dual Cultivation techniques that can help you absorb the Refined Food medicine potency, speed healing. Say one thing mean another, your body is far more honest than you!"
"You...donât talk nonsense! I am indeed...indeed noteworthy...Great Emperor..."
"Even if you make a name for yourself in the ancient world, today youâll beg for mercy!"
"Ah, ah, ah... No... It hurts..."
...
In short, over the next few days, Burying Moonâs injuries healed at an unprecedented rate, and her blood essence increased by more than a tenth compared to before her injury, all thanks to the squid dumplings and dual cultivation.
Even breaking through to the Quasi-Saint realm was completely stabilized with Ning Fanâs help.
In reality, during the decades Ning Fan participated in the Boundary River battle, Burying Moon had fortunately broken through to Quasi-Saint, but her realm was still a bit unstable, and she shouldnât have participated in the battle immediately.
However, she still went because her foundation was somewhat damaged due to injury. She didnât tell Ning Fan any of this.
But with Ning Fanâs keen eyes, how could he not see it? Seeing Burying Moonâs foundation repaired and her realm truly stabilized, Ning Fan was finally relieved, thinking that Niu Manshan didnât deceive him; the squid dumplings indeed had the magical effect of stabilizing the Quasi-Saint realm.
Ning Fan and Burying Moon ate dumplings during the day and engaged in passionate nights, which couldnât possibly be hidden from the likes of Yao Qingyun and other ladies.
The ladies knew Ning Fan was helping Burying Moon heal, so they werenât displeased. But, Master of the Slaughter Hall, could you spread your favor a little more?
With this doubt in mind, some women began joining in the nighttime activities on their own.
Not everyone could eat the squid dumplings, and they were not interested in fighting for a dish.
However, regarding personal happiness like the nighttime activities, they had to fight for their share. After all, Ning Fan wouldnât be drained; the inheritor of Ancient Chaotic Grand Emperor was not just talk â he could go on multiple rounds if he wished...
A peaceful aura enveloped the Slaughter Hall and the entire Eastern Heaven.
This peaceful aura lasted for a whole ten years!
It took ten whole years for Niu Manshan to refine Ning Fanâs acquired Geng Wu flesh into Refined Food.
Donât underestimate the little squid dumpling; to refine one requires the amount of meat equivalent to a mountain or even hundreds of mountains. Thus, even though Geng Wuâs body was as vast as the starry sky, it only cooked over ten thousand squid dumplings.
Half of these squid dumplings were eaten by Burying Moon, and the other half by Ning Fan.
The food was prepared by Niu Manshan, but he didnât have the fortune to eat many squid dumplings because he lacked a physical body, only having a True Spirit! He didnât have enough Qi and blood to endure the medicinal power of the squid dumplings. Occasionally eating one took a long time to digest, so he could only taste some occasionally, while most dumplings went into Ning Fan and Burying Moonâs stomachs.
Yet he happily continued making squid dumplings for Ning Fan, toiling without complaint.
This was how he repaid Ning Fan.
The reason for repayment was that Ning Fan unexpectedly found three suitable inheritors for him to inherit the Heavenly Bull bloodline and become his sons!
He remembered ten years ago when Ning Fan had just returned to the Slaughter Hall. He called upon dozens of highly talented footmen to let him pick a few as sons.
At first, Niu Manshan was enraged by Ning Fanâs behavior, feeling that Ning Fan underestimated his standards for choosing sons.
His sons must naturally cultivate the Heavenly Bull Clan bloodline. Though the clan was sparse, any member was of supreme talent.
Being a Heavenly Bull doesnât automatically mean supreme talent; only those with supreme talent have the qualification to cultivate the way of the Heavenly Bull!
The divine skills of the Heavenly Bull are all in the skin patterns. People say the Heavenly Bull hide pattern is like the Reverse Saint palm pattern, but mastering such a Reverse Saint palm pattern is no easy feat!
Those without great wisdom cannot cultivate it!
Those who are seen once in a million years cannot cultivate it!
The threshold for cultivating the Heavenly Bull bloodline is being a genius seen once in a million years; if aiming to cultivate it to its peak, only those with evil intentions can accomplish this.
Why?
Because of the origins of the Heavenly Bull Clan!
On the day of an ancient emperorâs enlightenment, the Heavenly Intent transformed a sword that cut half his palm, creating the Heavenly Bull Clan, marking the beginning of the Heavenly Bull Clan.
Why did the Heavenly Intent cut the ancient Immortal Emperor?
Because the Immortal Emperor walked the most pure supreme evil path in the world! His half-palm evolved into the Heavenly Bull Clan, which was the most wicked among evils.
Ironically, the clan members, possibly due to genetic mutations or otherwise, have become increasingly honest over generations, truly becoming as simple as bulls, completely diverging from the essence of the clanâs evil path.
The Heavenly Bull Clan could never produce a Saint, partly due to the obstruction of heavenly intent, but a deeper reason was the clan never producing someone who cultivated the supreme evil path to its peak and purity.
The True Spirit Saints and Immortal Emperors didnât want to help the Heavenly Bull Clan produce a Saint because they feared getting involved with the clanâs supreme evil path, worrying that such involvement might bring heavenly consequences.
Training a Saint, for an Immortal Emperor of the fourth step in the Real Realms, likely wouldnât be very difficult.
But numerous Immortal Emperors were unwilling to get involved with the clanâs supreme evil path, showing the sheer terror of the clanâs evil path.
Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign was the only one who wasnât afraid of the Heavenly Bullâs evil path, but unfortunately, he died too soon and never managed to help the clan produce a Saint.
And those simple-minded Heavenly Bull clan members have never thought seriously about why the clanâs powerful members couldnât achieve sainthood mainly because the clan members were too straightforward and honest, unable to embrace the evil path.
Niu Manshan was the only exception!
From a young age, he dared tease nuns at Extreme Spiritual Mountain, enraging everyone in the Real Realms!
Although he was a Purple Astral Immortal Cultivator, he dared to resent Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign; previously he was so furious he had murderous intent towards all Purple Dou descendants!
He was never a good person; a sinister aura always surrounded him. But unfortunately, he didnât have the chance to embody this evil; he promised Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign for the future of the Heavenly Bull Clan, transforming into the Sealing Tower to eternally guard the Boundary River of the Dreamland Realm...
Niu Manshan was very angry! He felt Ning Fan was just fooling him by casually finding dozens of people to choose from! It was irresponsible for this promise!
As a person of evil, he naturally knew his ideal foster sons should not only have a once-in-a-million-year gift but also a once-in-a-million-year evil talent!
Only those who admire the evil way and fundamentally disdain the righteous path could hope to glorify the Heavenly Bull Clan!
He declined having Ning Fan as an adoptive son, not solely because Ning Fanâs parents were alive but more so because despite Ning Fanâs outward appearance as a demon, internally he possessed unimaginable principles and righteousness, things fundamentally contrary to the Heavenly Bull Clanâs evil path essence!
Thus, even though Ning Fanâs talent was peerless, he used the customary parental clause of the Heavenly Bull Clan to reject Ning Fan.
He never adhered to rules; if Ning Fanâs nature were suitable for cultivating Heavenly Bull hide patterns, he wouldnât care what customs the ancestors had. Even if Ning Fan had eight parents, he would find a way to force Ning Fan to acknowledge him as an adoptive father!
After all, he was known in ancient times for his ruthlessness!
Hence, he was very angry, exceedingly angry!
Was he looking for ordinary sons? Ning Fan casually found dozens of people for him to choose from; why should he pick from a pile of trash to find a successor for the Heavenly Bull Clan!
"You, low talent, not qualified!"
"You, too ugly, not qualified!"
"You, too righteous, not qualified!"
"You, you, you, and you, all not qualified!"
Niu Manshan, with an air of privilege, used just a few words to reject more than half of the demon and monster path geniuses arranged by Ning Fan.
Those rejected left, each with a furtive expression. Before coming, Ning Fan had instructed them, saying Niu Manshan was an ancient senior, immensely powerful, and that if one could acknowledge him as a father, their life guaranteed to become an Immortal Emperor at least.
When they heard they could become Immortal Emperors, who among these roughnecks wouldnât want to be favored by Niu Manshan?
Unfortunately, Niu Manshan had too high standards and dismissed them outright!
The more Niu Manshan looked at this batch of people, the more annoyed he became. He thought to himself about what kind of useless junk Ning Fan had arranged for him, so unsightly and incomparable to the ancient cultivators!
As Niu Manshan continued to reject them, eventually, only three were left in front of him.
No, saying there are three people isnât accurate.
In fact, it was just two people and a dog.
"Hell! That little brat Ning Fan actually included a dog just to make up the numbers. Does he want me to take a dog as my son? If I take a dog that canât even transform as my son, wouldnât I be a laughingstock! A dog, seriously, a dog..."
Niu Manshan was so enraged he wanted to stew and roast the Ya Tiangou in front of him.
But as he took a closer look at the dog, his anger was suddenly frozen on his face.
Jeez! This, this is a Heavenly Dog!
Not just any ordinary Heavenly Dog!
Itâs actually a rebel Blood Yaksha Dog from the Heavenly Dog Clan, a once-in-a-million-years occurrence!
True to its name! Regular Heavenly Dogs are loyal and would never turn against their master.
But this one is different, it possesses the bloodline of rebellion!
If this rebel Blood Yaksha Dog cultivates the Heavenly Bull bloodline, it might actually master some unique path, tracing a road contradictory to all canines in the world!
Niu Manshanâs gaze fell on Wu Laoba, becoming even more amazed.
Heâd been fooled!
At first, he only noticed Wu Laobaâs hideous appearance and instinctively wanted to expel him.
But when he detected this personâs aptitude, he was instantly astonished!
Black Fortune! And not just any ordinary level of Black Fortune!
This person is essentially the vessel for all the worldâs misfortunes! And has an incredible resemblance and subtlety akin to the sublime evil ways of the Heavenly Bull Clan!
A genius!
Niu Manshanâs gaze finally settled on Yang Zhu, his eyes widening in surprise.
He discovered something!
A pig, a pig with an extraordinarily high talent for illusory arts!
But that wasnât the surprising point.
The surprise was in this pigâs spirit sense, shockingly filled with human-like corruption, a downfall of morals!
Gluttony, lust, greed, wrath, sloth, despair, arrogance, cowardice, shamelessness, foul mouth, ugliness, selfishness...
He had never seen anyoneâs spirit sense cultivated to such a realm of negativity and sin.
This pig had no virtue to speak of, only an endless list of flaws.
But sometimes, flaws in such abundance could instead become a unique talent that no one could match!
Another genius!
"First question, are your parents still alive?" Niu Manshan laughed out loud, asking.
"Long gone."
"Canât remember."
"Woof, woof, woof."
Yang Zhu cleaned his ears, Wu Laoba picked his nose, and the Ya Tiangou chased its tail in circles, none taking Niu Manshan seriously.
"Very well! Second question, are you willing to be my son?" Niu Manshan asked again.
"Not suitable, not suitable. Iâm destined to be a troublemaker, only fit to be a father figure, not to recognize someone else as a father."
"Call me Grandpa Pig, and Iâll consider being your dad."
"Woof, woof, woof."
Without Ning Fan here, Wu Laoba wasnât the most loyal Little Ba, and Yang Zhu wasnât the most obedient little pig, each acting as they pleased.
"Daring to speak to me like that, thatâs amusing! Third question, are you willing to die for the Zi Dou Immortal Domain? This question is crucial because I only want to take in wayward children who destroy the world, not those who protect it."
"What a joke! How dare you question my loyalty to the Zi Dou Immortal Domain! How dare you incite me to destroy the world! Hmph! Donât you know, I am the worldâs most fearless warrior? Dying for the Zi Dou Immortal Domain is nothing to fear, itâs for loyalty and passion! You donât understand! The world I see is beyond your vision!" Wu Laoba boasted grandly, imitating the tone of Daoist Mu Song from that day, with about seventy to eighty percent accuracy.
"Cut the crap, call me Grandpa Pig, and Iâll be your Pig Dad!" Yang Zhu said impatiently.
"Woof, woof, woof." The Ya Tiangou turned its butt to Niu Manshan, let out a fart, and walked away with disdain.
Want to leave.
But it isnât that easy!
"Hahaha! Not a single one of you is loyal to the Zi Dou Immortal Domain. I really like that about you! Youâre all scoundrels, truly talented! I am very satisfied, hahaha!"
Boom!
In an instant, Niu Manshan unleashed the intimidating pressure of an ancient great cultivator, pressing Wu Laoba, the Ya Tiangou, and Yang Zhu firmly to the ground, rendering them speechless!
Wu Laoba chickened out!
Yang Zhu chickened out!
The Ya Tiangou chickened out!
Thinking about what theyâd just said and done to Niu Manshan, they all wished they could turn back time and redo the question and answer session!
"Be my sons!"
And so...
The three cowards eagerly accepted their godfather...
A decade passed in this bond...
And they found contentment, accepting misfortune without resistance...