Chapter 9

In the warmth of the quilt and the softness of the pillow, Zhehe lay awake all night, only falling into a tired sleep as dawn approached, her face serene.

Ning Fan, on the other hand, was still not satisfied but did not bear to wake Zhehe.

He gently stroked Zhehe's face, covered her with the quilt, put on his clothes, and quietly pushed the door open, standing in the snowy courtyard.

After a night of pleasure with Zhehe, Ning Fan used the Heshan Technique to release Zhehe's yin energy, resolving the danger of her innate charm, while simultaneously opening two demonic veins in his own body.

He only needed to open one more vein to advance to the second level of the Vein Opening stage!

Zhehe's 'innate charm' seemed to greatly enhance the effectiveness of the *Yin-Yang Transformation*.

After a night of pleasure, Zhehe also opened two veins, becoming a first-level Vein Opening cultivator, which greatly surprised Ning Fan.

Ordinary Heshan techniques either absorb yin to supplement yang or absorb yang to supplement yin, both of which deplete the other's essence. However, the *Yin-Yang Transformation* could simultaneously enhance both partners' cultivation. Yes, it was truly a great technique for the benefit of humanity...

He looked at the jade bottle in his hand, which contained 30 Vein Opening Pills, hesitating for a moment.

These pills were originally intended for Zhehe, but since she had 'innate charm,' taking the Vein Opening Pills would be less effective than dual cultivation.

Zhehe did not have an ancient demonic vein. If she took the pills, it would take at least a month to open one vein. But with dual cultivation, she could open two veins in a day...

It seemed the pills were a waste...

Ning Fan sat cross-legged on the snowy ground, casually taking a pill and quickly refining its power.

A single Vein Opening Pill could open one vein, making it extremely precious. Generally, 100 Vein Opening Pills could create a peak Vein Opening cultivator.

The only drawback was the long time required to refine the pill. It often took half a month or even several months to refine one pill.

But when Ning Fan took a pill, the power was instantly released and quickly circulated through his Yin-Yang demonic veins. In just the time it took to burn an incense stick, he had completely refined the pill.

At that moment, Ning Fan's aura spread out, shaking the snowflakes.

He opened his eyes, feeling the power of the second level of the Vein Opening stage, finding it hard to believe.

Even with ancient demonic veins, it would take a long time to refine a Vein Opening Pill. But his Yin-Yang demonic veins absorbed the pill's power in just the time it took to burn an incense stick, far faster than other ancient demonic veins...

Was this the secret of the Chaos Ancient Emperor's dominance in ancient times? Heshan, alchemy, invincible in the world?! They said the progress of the demonic path was rapid, but the Chaos Ancient Emperor's progress was simply monstrous!

He took another Vein Opening Pill and refined it. In the wind and snow, no one noticed Ning Fan's rapidly advancing cultivation.

Refining 5 Vein Opening Pills, he broke through to the third level of the Vein Opening stage.

Refining 12 Vein Opening Pills, he broke through to the fourth level of the Vein Opening stage.

Refining 21 Vein Opening Pills, he broke through to the fifth level of the Vein Opening stage.

After taking all 30 Vein Opening Pills, Ning Fan suddenly stood up, his aura like a rainbow.

A 33-vein cultivator! Fifth level of the Vein Opening stage!

It was nearly noon, and in just one morning, Ning Fan had advanced to the fifth level of the Vein Opening stage! This was far faster than the half-year deadline given by the old demon!

He took a deep breath, extended his hand, and black flames surged from his fingers, burning brightly.

At this moment, using the Black Demon Flame was already effortless.

Taking a deep breath, Ning Fan closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and his heart was as still as water.

When he opened his eyes again and looked at the snowy sky, he was silent.

"I must break through to the Spirit Fusion stage, and then form a Golden Core... The Hai Ning Ning family, the Tianli Sect, all the grudges I remember! The Tianli Sect is far stronger than the Seven Plum City, even stronger than the Ghost Sparrow Sect... The Hai Ning Ning family is not simple either... But with this great opportunity, I have nothing to fear from the Tianli Sect or the Ning family!"

Inheriting the memories of the Immortal Emperor, Ning Fan knew that Ning Gu was different from him. He was an ordinary cauldron, while Ning Gu was a Mystic Calamity Cauldron.

A Mystic Calamity Cauldron needed to be cultivated to the Spirit Fusion stage before the female demon could take his yang energy.

And a female demon who could afford a Mystic Calamity Cauldron was at least a Golden Core cultivator...

Ning Fan needed strength. He had sworn to save Ning Gu and would not break his vow.

Fortunately, cultivating a Mystic Calamity Cauldron was extremely complex, giving Ning Fan at least ten years to prepare. Within ten years, Ning Gu would be safe, which was the best news.

He was only talking to himself, but a cold female voice came from outside the wall.

"The Tianli Sect is very deep, it's best not to provoke them... Going to the Spirit Fusion stage is just asking for death... Even at the Golden Core stage, it's very dangerous..."

Then the sound of the woman's footsteps faded away.

Who was that?!

Ning Fan left the snowy courtyard and saw a woman's retreating figure.

She wore a white robe, her shoulders slender, her hair high and neat, her waist slender. She stood in the bleak wind and snow, leaving only her back to Ning Fan.

Seeming to sense Ning Fan's pursuit, she stopped and suddenly turned around.

Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, a plum blossom tucked behind her ear, her eyes like orchids in a secluded valley, her features delicate and cold.

But her gaze was filled with sorrow and helplessness, evoking sympathy.

This sorrow lasted only a moment, and the next moment, her gaze became sharp like a sword, making Ning Fan involuntarily step back, his face showing surprise.

"You are not allowed to follow me!"

The woman walked to a plum tree, and her figure suddenly dispersed and vanished.

A ghost?! A monster?!

Ning Fan stopped, staring at the plum tree.

Under the plum tree stood a small tomb, with the name 'Dugu' inscribed on the tombstone, elegant yet strong.

Next to the tomb was a two-zhang tall green stone, with three sword marks on it.

The three sword marks were distinctly different. Ning Fan stood by the green stone, deep in thought, unwilling to leave.

From the tomb, an impatient female voice suddenly sounded, "Why haven't you left... You're annoying me at my doorstep, do you know that!"

"Did you make these sword marks?" Ning Fan asked the tomb.

"So what if I did, you don't understand swords... You're Han Yuanji's disciple, you're not a good person either..."

The woman seemed to have a grudge against the old demon. Ning Fan shook his head, wondering if the woman had been killed by the old demon.

Ning Fan didn't know that the woman's grudge was against him.

For two consecutive nights, she had heard Ning Fan and Zhehe's intimate sounds, keeping her awake all night.

In her mind, Ning Fan was a rogue, nothing more. A rogue couldn't possibly understand swords.

Hmm, he must be lingering because he finds me beautiful and wants to chat. If I ignore him, he'll get bored and leave.

Thinking this, the woman refused to speak again. The tomb was silent, only the sound of the wind and snow.

But Ning Fan still stood in front of the green stone, deep in thought, hesitant.

After a long time, he suddenly reached out and touched the first sword mark.

His action surprised the woman, making her cry out.

"You are not allowed to touch the sword marks! No, no! You're shameless!"

These three sword marks were related to her vow, how could she let a man touch them so easily!

"Hmph! If I can't touch them, I won't! It's just 'Transform Fire into Sword'!"

Ning Fan withdrew his hand, his face cold, and turned to leave. He found the woman in the tomb incomprehensible.

She was beautiful, but her personality was too isolated, no wonder she was called Dugu. He had only wanted to touch the sword marks to sense the sword qi, but he was called shameless.

After Ning Fan left, the woman in the tomb suddenly materialized, as pure as the seven plums, as fragrant as orchids, her eyes usually cold, now looking at Ning Fan's back with a cold expression.

She thought to herself, it was a good thing she stopped him quickly, or if Ning Fan had touched the sword qi, it would have been troublesome.

But when she looked at the first sword qi on the green stone, she was almost on the verge of tears.

The sword qi, touched by Ning Fan, had dissipated, leaving no trace, and had been absorbed by Ning Fan.

"Damn! But fortunately, I stopped him quickly, or if he had erased all three sword marks, I would have had to marry him..."

She felt both sorrow and relief. Forty years of loneliness, and at this moment, she felt a bit of loss.

The first person in forty years to understand her sword intent had been driven away by her...

That rogue, when he looked at her, didn't seem to have any lecherous intentions. Could he not be a rogue?

"Will he come back?"

Ning Fan quickly walked to the Si Fan Palace, unaware that his body now contained a sword qi, the sword qi of that young woman. That sword qi was gradually refined and mastered by Ning Fan.

Wei Chi brought the medicinal herbs, and Ning Fan took them directly to the alchemy room to refine the pills. Although Wei Chi hadn't obtained the Demon Disk Grass, Ning Fan wasn't concerned.

Outside the alchemy room, Wei Chi was anxious. Today, Ning Fan was refining a pill called the Sun and Moon Pill, specifically for treating Mei Wei's meridians.

"Is the young master a third-level alchemist? Impossible... Even the lord is only a third-level alchemist... The Sun and Moon Pill, what kind of pill is this... But from the herbs, it's definitely a third-level pill... Can the young master refine it... Can he?!"

"Shut up! If you keep making noise, get out!"

Suddenly, the old demon appeared outside the alchemy room.

In fact, his mood was the same as Wei Chi's, eager to know if Ning Fan could refine a third-level pill. Yesterday, when Ning Fan refined a second-level pill, the old demon watched the entire process. Some of the alchemy techniques were so exquisite that even the old demon couldn't understand them.

"I'm only a third-level alchemist, if Ning Fan can refine a third-level pill, doesn't that mean his alchemy skills are on par with mine... I haven't even taught him alchemy! Did he learn it on his own?!"

Just then, a loud explosion came from the alchemy room.

"The furnace exploded?" The old demon pushed the door open, the room full of black smoke, which he dispelled with a wave of his sleeve.

Inside the alchemy room, the cauldron had indeed exploded, but the pills had been successfully refined. The ground was covered with silver pills, probably a hundred or so.

Ning Fan, however, had been knocked unconscious by the explosion.

"The young master successfully refined the pills!" Wei Chi was overjoyed, taking a bottle and picking up the pills, completely forgetting about Ning Fan's unconscious state.

The old demon's mood was complex. Looking at Ning Fan, he felt both fondness and nostalgia.

Who doesn't like a talented disciple? Especially in a demonic sect like the Black Demon Sect, where 'the master is like a father, and the disciple is like a son.'

But thinking that Ning Fan would soon surpass him, he felt a bit conflicted.

"Even with ancient demonic veins, this talent seems too monstrous..." The old demon picked up Ning Fan like a chick, preparing to take him back to rest.

At that moment, he glanced at the cauldron on the ground, which had been cut in half vertically, the cut smooth, like it had been sliced by sword qi.

The old demon was completely stunned.

"Transform Fire into Sword! Dugu's sword qi! Ning Fan has a connection with Dugu? How many sword marks did he get? Did he and Dugu... do anything?"

The old demon couldn't help but be conflicted. In his life, he had only loved one woman, and Dugu was that woman's only sister...

"If Ning Fan has a connection with Dugu, he will be a generation above me..." This was what the old demon was actually worried about.