Ning Fa felt that this person looked familiar, and he couldn't help but examine him more closely.
The man appeared to be around thirty years old. Although he had a stubble, his hair was messy, and he looked unkempt, his sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, along with his handsome and extraordinary demeanor, were undeniable. Furthermore, he had reached the seventh level of Qi Condensation.
Even though he was looking at an erotic picture book, he didn't seem lewd, just extremely dispirited.
Ning Fa's heart jolted; he remembered who this person was.
This man was named Ning Yuwen. He wasn't a minor figure; he was once considered one of the Ning's Twin Prodigies, alongside Ning Fa's talented third uncle, Ning Hongye.
He also possessed dual spiritual roots. He was born in the same year and month as Ning Hongye and only entered the late stage of Qi Condensation a month after him, making him the second fastest to reach the late stage of Qi Condensation in the Ning family's history.
Both were exceptionally gifted individuals, with their innate talent even surpassing that of ordinary high-grade spiritual roots, hence the title "Ning's Twin Prodigies."
Ning Fa's third uncle had extremely high comprehension. Not only was his cultivation speed fast, but he also had considerable research into formations, becoming a mid-grade level one formation master at a young age.
As for Ning Yuwen, he possessed extremely high spellcasting talent. At a young age, he had mastered two Five Elements Spells to the Paragon realm and several other spells to the Great Accomplishment realm.
Therefore, his combat strength was formidable, and cultivators of the same level were generally no match for him.
However, fate is unpredictable. Years ago, Ning Hongye disappeared while traveling abroad, and it was highly likely he perished.
Ning Yuwen also encountered a powerful Calamity Cultivator abroad. Although he managed to escape with his life, his Dantian was severely injured, directly impacting his Dao Foundation.
This caused his cultivation to drop from the peak of Qi Condensation directly to the seventh level of Qi Condensation, and he would likely remain at this level for the rest of his life, let alone reach Foundation Establishment.
Afterward, one of the Ning's Twin Prodigies vanished from public view, with little news of him from the family. Ning Fa never expected him to end up as a guardian in the Scripture Pavilion.
But judging by his current dispirited state, there was no trace of the former Ning's Twin Prodigies.
It was understandable. After all, he was once incredibly talented, full of spirit, and on the verge of Foundation Establishment. Now, with his Dao Foundation damaged and his path to cultivation seemingly over, it would be an unbearable blow to anyone.
Thinking of this, Ning Fa couldn't help but sigh.
In recent years, the Ning family had enjoyed immense fortune, with talents emerging like a gushing spring.
Not only did they set a record with four Foundation Establishment cultivators, but the First Elder, Ning Zhongyuan, and the Third Elder, Ning Zhongjiu, were not ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators; they were powerhouses among their peers.
Following them were Ning Fa's third uncle, Ning Hongye, and Ning Yuwen, the Ning's Twin Prodigies, and then there was the even more formidable Witch, Ning Huarong.
These were all rare and outstanding figures, yet they appeared generation after generation in the Ning family, truly a testament to the heavens favoring the Ning family.
There were also many elite disciples like Ning Fa's father, Ning Zhiyuan, Ning Shaohong, and Ning Zonglie, who would undoubtedly be pillars of support in other families.
The current younger generation also had many descendants with outstanding potential.
Therefore, the Ning family's current prosperity was not without reason.
Even his own appearance was a reflection of the Ning family's strong fortune.
He was no longer simply possessing a complete Lightning Spiritual Root, especially with the existence of the Mysterious Scroll, a heaven-defying treasure.
Thinking of this, Ning Fa suddenly felt a sense of strangeness. He suddenly recalled his third uncle's inexplicable disappearance abroad, and the fact that Ning Yuwen here had also been attacked, directly damaging his cultivation path.
His own parents had also met their demise in a sudden ambush years ago.
Ning Fa suddenly realized that these might not all be mere coincidences.
Ning Fa quickly thought of the Xue Family, another major immortal cultivation family in Thousand Wave Lake.
He felt a glimmer of understanding.
Perhaps these unfortunate events were not unrelated to this foremost power in Thousand Wave Lake?
As Ning Fa's thoughts raced, the handsome man with a dispirited expression put down his picture book. Seeing Ning Fa, a hint of surprise appeared on his face, and he said lazily, "It's you, kid. Weren't you supposed to be studying alchemy? What brings you here?"
Ning Fa clasped his hands and said, "Uncle Wen, I have already become a family alchemist and joined the Pill Hall. I came to the Scripture Pavilion today to look for some ancient texts."
Ning Yuwen and Ning Hongye were not only known as the Ning's Twin Prodigies, but they were also close friends. Therefore, Ning Fa had seen him many times when he was young, and Ning Yuwen used to enjoy teasing him.
Ning Yuwen raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You actually managed it, kid. Since you're a member of the Pill Hall, your token should grant you access to the first and second floors. Go ahead."
With that, Ning Yuwen waved his hand, allowing Ning Fa to enter. He then covered his face with the picture book again, but the sense of decadence emanating from him intensified.
Ning Fa glanced at him again, then left without saying much, entering the pavilion.
In his heart, he was contemplating whether he could cure this Uncle Wen.
As far as he knew, after Ning Yuwen was severely injured, the Foundation Establishment elders in the family had tried to find a second-grade healing pill to treat him.
However, it seemed that it did not completely cure his injuries, and instead, it delayed the best treatment time, leaving a permanent sequela.
Now, unless several precious second-grade top-tier healing pills were used, it would be possible to fully heal him and potentially allow him to reach Foundation Establishment again.
But healing pills of that caliber were not inferior in value to Foundation Establishment Pills and would only appear at auctions, making them rare and unpredictable.
Even though the Ning family was now prosperous, it was difficult to obtain such pills, let alone guarantee that they would heal Ning Yuwen's injuries.
Ning Fa naturally couldn't obtain such high-grade healing pills now, but he was thinking that perhaps he could refine healing pills himself.
He certainly couldn't refine second-grade top-tier healing pills, but if he could refine Dao Marks on some first-grade top-tier healing pills, such as a single Dao Mark on an Azure Lotus Pill.
With the miraculous power of Dao Patterned Pills, perhaps a few more could heal Ning Yuwen.
Although Ning Fa had not truly refined Dao Patterned Pills yet, and his previous alchemy assessment had only produced a rudimentary form of the pill.
However, with the existence of the Mysterious Scroll, Ning Fa believed that as long as he advanced to the mid-to-late stage of Qi Condensation, he might be able to refine an Azure Lotus Pill with a single Dao Mark.
At that time, there would be hope of healing Ning Yuwen.
Ning Fa's intention wasn't because this person was a friend of his third uncle; he wasn't some kind-hearted fool. It was to expand his own influence.
This recent attack had once again made him feel the cruelty of the cultivation world. Even within his own clan, without strength, one could still be like fish on another's chopping block.
Therefore, he was extremely eager to improve his own strength and his influence.
If Ning Yuwen could be completely healed and stand on his side, Ning Fa would gain another major ally, besides the Ninth Elder Ning Shaohong.
After all, Ning Yuwen was only in his early thirties, still far from the sixty-year limit for Qi Refining cultivators to reach Foundation Establishment.
As long as he could fully recover from his injuries before the age of forty-five, he still had a very good chance of advancing to Foundation Establishment and would certainly return to the core of the family.
And from what Ning Fa understood, Ning Yuwen was a very loyal person, possessing a chivalrous, heroic aura.
He even heard that the reason Ning Yuwen was injured was because he disregarded the danger and insisted on fulfilling a promise made to someone else.
Therefore, Ning Fa wasn't worried that Ning Yuwen would betray him after being helped.