I have a panel that reduces proficiency.

Chapter 70 Wu Mianmian

"Brother Fang, it's just like snow falling into a dream. I won't allow anything in this world to cause you pain, not even death."

Fang Shi wanted to say something more, but Wu Tong clearly didn't give him the chance.

Black mist emanated from her body, thick as ink, and silently spread towards Fang Shiyan.

Fang Shi was not one to sit idly by and wait for death. He retreated swiftly, but the black mist was too fast and too swift. In the blink of an eye, it caught up with him and swallowed him up completely.

"Brother Fang—you're actually alright?"

In the darkness, Fang Shi thought he was about to be swallowed up, but the black mist only hovered around him, churning and probing, but just wouldn't invade his body.

Wu Tong's voice came from outside the black mist, saying, "Brother Fang, didn't you master the Lesser Concealment Technique?"

Fang Shi's mind raced. He said, "Minor Concealing Breath Technique—if you successfully cultivate the Minor Concealing Breath Technique, you will be devoured? No, it should be that you cultivate the 'Supreme Seven Emotions Respond to Transformation into True Water and Attain the True Dao Explanation'."

He's heard so many stories; he's not stupid. He figured it out long ago.

Morning dew is resurrected through Chu Yao's "The True Understanding of the Seven Emotions and Their Transformation into True Water," and Evening Glow is resurrected through Chu Qianfan's "..."

The Five Yin Heavenly Demon Summoning Secret Mantra has returned.

The so-called ritual was inextricably linked to these two exercises from beginning to end.

Wu Tong said, "Yes, since Brother Fang was able to successfully cultivate the Lesser Concealment Technique, and even successfully enter the deeper levels of the Seven Emotions and Desires Realm using it—doesn't that prove that Brother Fang can cultivate the 'True Understanding of the Supreme Seven Emotions Responding to Transformation into True Water'?"

Fang Shi remained silent for a moment, then said, "Perhaps, I don't want to cultivate the 'True Understanding of the Seven Emotions Responding to the True Water and Attaining the Dao'?"

"impossible!"

A voice rang out from the void, and Fang Shi immediately recognized it as the evening glow.

"As long as one has sufficient aptitude to cultivate the *True Understanding of the Seven Emotions Responding to the True Water and Attaining the Dao*, under the influence of joy, it is impossible not to actively cultivate this scripture. This is the pull of the Dao of Heaven and Earth within the primordial true nature, which cannot be resisted by will."

Wu Tong said, "Yes, Brother Fang. Completing the ritual requires many conditions. Besides the connection between destiny and fortune, one also needs sufficient aptitude to cultivate the 'True Understanding of the Seven Emotions Responding to the True Water of the Supreme Dao.' Senior Wanxia clearly tested Brother Fang's aptitude, and he was clearly capable of cultivating it, so why—"

Fang Shi realized that he couldn't understand "The True Explanation of the Seven Emotions of the Supreme Being: Transformation into True Water and Attainment of the Dao" at all, so why did he succeed in cultivating it?

He glanced at the panel records—

[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]

Then he fell silent.

After a long silence, Fang Shi finally said, "Since you can't devour me to complete this ritual, let's just drop it. I believe Senior Wanxia must have a backup plan. This world is so vast, surely we can find another person who meets the requirements."

Wanxia said, "Don't call me senior, brother, just call me Wanxia."

Fang Shi did not respond.

Wanxia didn't seem to care whether he responded or not, and said, "Brother, do you know? In order to get my sister and me away from Shouyijian's pursuit, we also paid a price."

"At first, Wu Tong was unwilling to devour you. After all, he could cultivate the 'True Understanding of the Seven Emotions Responding to the True Water and Attaining the Dao'."

Such aptitude isn't easy to find. But brother, when you faced the flying zombie in Qiyuan Town, you actually managed to learn the basics of the "Minor Concealment Technique."

"In the outer layer of the Seven Emotions Blessed Land, you obtained the 'True Understanding of the Transformation of the Seven Emotions into True Water by the Supreme Being.' Later, you even entered the deepest layer of obsession in the Seven Emotions Blessed Land by using the Lesser Breath Concealment Technique."

"What does this mean? It means that my brother is the one we've been waiting for. But that's not enough—my brother and Wu Tong are different from my sister and me, and different from Chu Yao and her father. To bring my brother and Wu Tong's destinies and fortunes together, I can only rely on my sister's and my own strength."

"So, brother—you are our brother."

"The Great Derivation Number is fifty, of which forty-nine are used, and one is lost. Therefore, there is only one chance under the Guardian Sword. If you miss it, there will truly be no more. Brother, please—brother."

"Is what you call asking for my life?"

"No, brother. Since you are my brother, how could I take your life?"

The sunset sings: "Seeking the Way through a thousand mountains and snows is not as good as half a field on the ridge."

"A small plot of land can contain a vast world, while snow-covered mountains offer a boundless expanse of heaven and earth."

"Seeking the Way may be arduous, but it will ultimately bring freedom; guarding the fields may be peaceful, but it is also a cage."

"If one can transcend worldly concerns and live a carefree life, why bother asking about the smoke rising from the fields?"

As the song ended, she said, "Immortals are carefree. What is carefree? It is to attain great freedom. Therefore, what mortals call life and death, regrets, unfulfilled desires, and separation from loved ones, can all be overcome by those who are carefree. My brother's desire to see our parents again is not unfounded."

Fang Shi said, "Aren't all rogue cultivators like this? Since they can't become immortals themselves, they hope that their descendants will be successful so that they can come back and rescue people from the cycle of reincarnation."

The evening glow said, "Reincarnation is a minor path. Those who attain true freedom and liberation can even reverse the universe. At that time, brother can also attain enlightenment."

Fang said, "That sounds great."

"Brother, you agree?" asked Wanxia.

Fang swore, "No, I disagree."

The black mist jolted violently.

"Why, brother!"

"Why, why, why—I've already made you truly our brother! After attaining freedom and liberation, reversing the universe, making up for all regrets, my parents can be resurrected, and I can attain enlightenment. What more could you possibly want? Brother, what more do you want from me! What more do you want from me!"

Chu Yao wants a father, Chu Qianfan wants the path to immortality, Xuan Qing wants the rice root, Xuan Ge wants a daughter—they all want something from us, so one after another, knowing it's like moths to a flame, they willingly come. But what about you? You still disagree! Even if it means attaining enlightenment, you still disagree! Do you know how much effort I've put in? Making you cultivate the Lesser Concealment Technique, making you enter the Land of Obsession, making you close to my sister! Guo Tong didn't want to devour you, so I persuaded her little by little. My sister didn't want to implicate the innocent anymore, so I kept it from her little by little. I did everything I could, but you just wouldn't agree!!!

Fang Shi said, "Senior Wanxia, when you were persuading Wu Tong and keeping it from your sister, you used the power of 'Demon Walker,' didn't you?"

"Those who practice demonic arts are not confused by their own hearts or deluded by their own knowledge; they only invade people's will. A single thought can lead to a hundred others. At first, it is just a single biased thought, but over time, bias becomes righteousness, and righteousness becomes evil. Therefore, those who are corrupted by it may act as usual, but the direction of their hearts is no longer their original intention."

"Wu Tong did not want to devour me, for her heart was inherently good. You used the Yin Demon to help her persist in her belief—making her think that it was her own will, making her think that letting me die at the Foundation Establishment stage was to fulfill her wish. Your sister originally did not want to be close to me, but you also used the Yin Demon to change her mind—making her develop feelings for me, making her think that it was her own choice, and even willing to become my wife."

"Just like before—you thought that letting your sister devour you was the only way to defeat Master Suyuan."

"Your sister's so-called kindness and strength are nothing but cowardice and indecisiveness. If you hadn't secretly driven her with your demonic powers, she would never have been able to do it."

A blessed land of seven emotions.

Cemetery.

It's snowing heavily.

Countless snowflakes poured down from the depths of the sky, as if someone had torn a hole in the entire sky.

The morning dew stood silently in the snow.

The snow had turned her head white and piled up on her shoulders.

She was completely buried in snow, making it impossible to tell whether she was a raised mound of earth.

Fang Shi discovered that he could move again.

He activated the Lesser Concealment Technique, walked over, reached out, and grasped Chaolu's right hand.

It was a bluish-purple hand.

It was frozen purple, and it was also trampled purple.

The moment he grasped it, the hand trembled violently and instinctively pulled back.

Fang Shi did not let go.

The morning dew raised its head.

Snowflakes fell softly from her hair, revealing her face with red and swollen eyes.

Through the wind and snow, she stared blankly at the person in front of her and said, "Brother?"

Fang Shi said, "You didn't notice me coming over, did you?"

Chaolu said, "I didn't notice."

Fang Shi said, "This is a spell called Minor Concealment Technique. If Wanxia can use it to gather herbs in the deep mountains of Luofu, perhaps she won't have to disturb those demonic beasts anymore."

Chaolu was silent for a moment, then said, "That's much safer, but brother, magic requires practice."

"I—I know Wanxia definitely wants to learn. But I'm afraid I won't be able to teach her well. I can't even cultivate myself properly. What if she follows me and goes astray, goes astray in her cultivation, what will happen then?"

As she spoke, her voice lowered.

Fang Shi said, "With me here, why should you practice and teach yourself?"

Chaolu said, "Taking care of Wanxia is a responsibility entrusted to me by my parents. I am the older sister. If I don't do it, who will?"

Fang Shi held her hand and said, "But now you have me, and you have your brother."

Morning Dew paused for a moment.

Fang vowed, "Then I will take on this responsibility from now on. You don't need to learn; I will teach you."

Chaolu replied, "No, this is my matter. Brother, you don't need to—you don't need to take responsibility for me."

Why?

"Because—" She lowered her head, looking at her fingers being held, and said, "This was entrusted to me by my parents before they passed away, and I can't refuse it."

Fang Shidao said, "Do you think handing it over to me is shirking your responsibility?"

Chaolu didn't speak, she just kept her head down.

Fang Shi said, "Zhao Lu, you just said it yourself, that you're afraid you won't be able to teach her well. You haven't even mastered cultivation yourself yet, what if she learns the wrong things from you and goes astray—that's what you said."

Chaolu's shoulders trembled slightly.

Fang Shi said, "Since you call me brother, you should know that I am at least better than you in the Lesser Concealment Technique—I've mastered it, and you haven't. You can't even master it yourself, so what right do you have to teach her? What if she learns the wrong thing from you and goes into qi deviation? How will you take responsibility?"

Whoosh!

The wind and snow howled, sweeping between the two.

Morning Dew bit her lower lip and said, "But one..."

"No buts."

Fang Shi interrupted her, saying, "In the past, you didn't have a brother, so this burden fell on your shoulders. Now that you have me, it's my turn to take the load. If you're still not at ease, then just watch from the sidelines. I'm the one teaching, and you're the one overseeing things. If you say anything wrong, feel free to speak up."

"Good one"

The sound of morning dew had just faded when the wind and snow suddenly stopped.

A book appeared out of nowhere between Fang Shi and Chao Lu—a dark-colored book with a square spine, bearing the four characters: "Minor Breath Concealment Technique".

Evening Glow said, "So what? If it weren't for me, my sister would have died long ago. And if it weren't for me, Wu Tong would have died too."

"My brother would have died anyway, even without me."

"Moreover—"

—

As she said this, her voice held a half-smile, "Didn't you also suffer from the power of my Yin Demonic Cultivation? Why don't you mention that?"

"Brother keeps saying that I used the Yin-Yang Demon to change Sister's mind and make her develop feelings for you. But what about you, brother? If it weren't for the Yin-Yang Demon's influence, would you have been so close to Sister?"

"Or is it that—Brother One is actually quite happy about it, so this is the only thing he has no objection to?"

Fang Shidao said: "Once upon a time, there was a wise man who observed a sacrificial ceremony in the wilderness. The sacrificial animal lay on the altar, and the ox was still chewing its cud, unaware that its death was imminent. The wise man saw this from afar and immediately stopped in his tracks. When asked why, he replied: 'Having seen it alive, I cannot bear to see it die. Hearing its cries, I cannot bear to eat its flesh.' From then on, whenever he ate meat, he would think of that ox. It was not that he did not eat meat, nor that he did not love its taste; it was simply that a feeling of compassion stirred within him, and though he wished to stop himself, he could not."

"I saw morning dew on the grave, snow covering their shoulders, frost clinging to their eyelashes, yet they still murmured, 'This is my duty.' Seeing their sorrow, I could not bear to hear their cries. Hearing their cries, I could not bear to see their condition—this is merely pity, not what you call being drawn in."

Evening Glow said, "Brother, all you've said is that you're admitting my Demonic Arts are effective! Without my Demonic Arts guiding you, Sister wouldn't have accepted you! Without my Demonic Arts guiding you, you wouldn't have approached Sister! Without my Demonic Arts guiding you, you wouldn't even be standing in front of Sister! Without my Demonic Arts guiding you, you would have died long ago! But look, Sister has been resurrected! Guo Tong is alive! You are alive too! Everyone is still alive! Isn't that enough? This is the price!"

This is the price we must pay to escape Shouyijian! Brother clearly loves sister too, clearly enjoys the benefits of the demonic path, so why won't you admit it! Why will you refuse! Brother, you are our brother! You are! You can't escape! You couldn't escape from the very beginning! From the moment you entered Qiyuan Town, from the moment you found sister in the ruins—you were our brother! You have to agree whether you want to or not! You have to accept whether you refuse!

"Wu Tong!"

"Brother Fang, I'm sorry. Even if you haven't mastered the 'True Understanding of the Seven Emotions of the Supreme Being and the Transformation of True Water', it doesn't matter. Since Senior Wanxia can connect our destinies and fortunes, she has a way to resolve this drawback."

Before Fang Shi could speak, he sensed a figure rushing in from outside the black mist.

He instinctively tried to retreat, but the black mist trapped him in place, preventing him from moving.

The next instant, a warm and soft body was thrust into his arms.

"What are you doing—Wu Tong!"

"Continue the ceremony. Also, brother, don't call me Wu Tong. Call me Wu Mianmian. My mother said it's because she hopes I will live as long as the rolling green hills."