Grasping Evil

King of Great Jin, Trial of Life-and-Death!

 

The battle points awarded for the Defense Division depended on the cities they were assigned to guard. The cultivators were be categorized by their cultivation realms while the cities were classified into high rank, middle rank and low rank, depending on the level of threat they face.

The higher the rank, the higher the threat level would be. The high-rank cities were constantly attacked by large numbers of demons. In other words, the guards who were sent there were always in great danger.

An Early Gold Core Realm cultivator would earn one hundred battle points a month for guarding a low-rank cultivation city. The battle points received would increase the higher their cultivation realm (Actually, it will double for every small increase of a realm). Aside from that, if the threat level of the city increased, the battle points earned would double.

For example, Yin Suqiu who was at Peak Gold Core Realm could earn up to eight hundred battle points in a month for guarding a low-rank city. If she were to be sent to guard a high-rank city, the amount of battle points she earn would quadruple, amounting to three thousand and two hundred battle points in just a single month. For Ning Fan who was at Early Nascent Soul Realm, he would be rewarded six thousand and four hundred battle points a month if he were to guard a high-rank city. It would take him one and a half years to accumulate one hundred thousand battle points.

The battle points could be converted into immortal jade. But immortal jade couldn’t be used to exchange for battle points. One hundred thousand battle points was equivalent to one hundred thousand immortal jade. For Suqiu, she would be getting thirty-eight thousand and four hundred battle points in a year for defending a high-rank cultivation city. In other words, she would earn nearly forty-thousand immortal jade. Of course, she might lose her magical treasures, pills and even her very own life while defending a city. However, excluding half of the immortal jade to compensate the items lost in carrying out guard duty, she would still be able to enjoy an income of twenty-thousand immortal jade a year.

It was a considerable amount of immortal jade. The only limitation was that, no one knew when a Nascent Soul Realm demon would attack the city and eliminate all the cultivators there. As such, it was like trading one’s life for immortal jade.

For Ning Fan, danger wasn’t his main concern. It would at least need one and a half years to gather enough battle points if he was sent to guard the most dangerous city at the borders.

Currently, he was determined to form the Core and his objective was to break through Peak Spirit Severing Realm as soon as possible. One and a half years? No! I don’t want to waste any more time here.

The only way was to join the War Division.

The War Division’s mission was to exterminate demons. The battle points were rewarded based on the number of demons exterminated. A Vein Opening Realm demon was equivalent to one battle point. A Harmonious Spirit Realm demon was equal to one hundred battle points. The battle points awarded for a Gold Core Realm demon was twenty times of a Harmonious Spirit Realm demon (two thousand battle points) while killing a Nascent Soul Realm would earn one hundred thousand points!

I just need to eliminate a single Nascent Soul Realm demon to get enough points!

For a worst-case scenario, I could still eliminate one hundred Harmonious Spirit Realm demons with my Sword Sense. That would be ten thousand battle points. It wouldn’t take too long to accumulate one hundred thousand points. Perhaps, I could even lend Jing Zhuo and Suqiu a helping hand.

Jing Zhuo and Yin Suqiu actually had the strength comparable to an old ancestor. Originally, they intended to join the War Division but they changed their minds after listening to Ning Fan’s advice.

Ning Fan was ready to get himself involved in the war. However, he didn’t want the both of them to risk their lives. Spirit Severing Demon General… There’s a lot of danger in the War Division.

Aside from that, Ning Fan had a premonition that the demons were actually trying to stall for time. They seemed to be waiting for something. Once the ‘thing’ is completed, it would dangerous even for a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator to infiltrate rashly into the demons’ base.

Ning Fan was an exception as he possessed a number of trump cards which included two attacks with the strength at Spirit Severing Realm. He might not be able to win against all the cultivators below Spirit Severing Realm, but he was confident that he could escape from every one of them!

“Wang Yang, Early Gold Core Realm, assigned to Defense Division, guarding a low-rank city, Yi City…”

“Qin Wu, Late Gold Core Realm, assigned to War Division. Hmm. Your spirit is commendable…”

“Jing Zhuo, Half-Step Nascent Soul Realm. Unexpectedly, you wish to join the Defense Division, assigned to guard a middle-rank city, ‘Ju Shan Guan[1]’.

“Yin Suqiu, Peak Gold Core Realm, chose to join the Defense Division, wanting to guard the same city as Jing Zhuo. It’s such a waste for you not to join the War Division with your current cultivation realm.”

“Shao Ze…”

“Wen Zhu Zi…”

After all of them were assigned to their respective divisions, they returned to the inn for preparations as they would be heading to their assigned stations in a short while.

As a matter of fact, it was Ning Fan’s intention to have Jing Zhuo and Yin Suqiu guard a middle-rank cultivation city.

Jing Zhuo was glad that he didn’t need to risk his life. On the other hand, Yin Suqiu had a different perspective from him. Since Ning Fan prevented me to join War Division, then I’ll just follow his advice to join the Defense Division. But how could I just guard a middle-rank city?! The country is in need of my help…

She didn’t want to disregard his advice. As such, she discontentedly selected the most dangerous city among the middle-rank cities, ‘Ju Shan Guan’.

After all, she wasn’t willing to just wait for the demon tide to subside by itself without contributing anything.

When all the other cultivators had already left, Jie Xiu was yet to give Ning Fan the opportunity to select one of the divisions.

There were only the two of them left in the palace as silence fell upon the room.

A slight crease formed on his eyebrows as he took the initiative to speak.

“Fellow Daoist Jie, I wish to join the War Division. Hopefully you can give me some guidance…”

“Hehe, don’t worry. Let’s be patient and wait a little while longer…”

“Who are we waiting for?” Ning Fan raised his eyebrows and his eyes shone with alertness. It’s just an ordinary division selection. What exactly is he waiting for? Is it because he couldn’t make his own decision, or is he scheming something else?!

Humans are unpredictable. Therefore, one has to always stay alert. Since I possessed the demon general’s strikes, I am not afraid of any tricks that he is going to pull.

Both of them closed their eyes and waited patiently.

At that moment, Ning Fan’s mind became very sensitive like that of a fine string. If Jie Xiu displayed any abnormal behavior, he would immediately make him regret it.

After a few hours, Ning Fan’s eyes popped open widely while Jie Xiu slowly opened his eyes.

“ *cough* Fellow Daoist Zhou, thank you for your patience. He has already arrived..”

“Who?!”

All of a sudden, an intense feeling of danger could be felt all over his body.

A middle-aged man in dark dragon robe emerged in front of Jie Xiu.

He had a short moustache and a pair of eyes which were as sharp as an eagle’s. Might and power radiated from him even though he wasn’t enraged.

What shocked Ning Fan was that his spirit sense wasn’t aware of his appearance. The reason he opened his eyes was because of the danger he felt.

The aura he emanated was so imposing like that of a rainbow. Whenever someone meets his gaze, they would feel that his eyes were emitting a golden light. Suddenly, a flash of golden light went into his body, disrupting his mental state. He then felt pain from his mind. Subconsciously, he intended to step backwards to avoid the light. However, he gritted his teeth and stubbornly stayed on his original position.

I can’t back off! If I do so, it means I submit myself to him! Then the light will grow stronger, killing me from inside out!

“Crush!”

He used his Sword Sense to destroy the golden light within his body!

The rhythm of his breathing was disrupted. His eyes turned gloomy as he gave Jie Xiu and the black-robed man a cold stare.

“Are you the King of Great Jin?!”

“Indeed! I was patrolling in the south which was not far away from here. It was then that I heard that there was a fellow Daoist at Nascent Soul Realm wanting to join my army. So I intentionally came to meet him.. Those Gold Core Realm cultivators are only ants in my eyes. I thought you are the one whom I can have high expectations on in the south of Great Jin. Unexpectedly, it’s so disappointing as you are just a Harmonious Spirit Realm cultivator who pretended to be a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator and plundered Wei Country! I can see through your façade in my eyes! Hmmph, Jie Xiu! Your mistake will be noted as you have failed to distinguish a Harmonious Spirit Realm cultivator from a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator!”

The superiority of a king could be felt from just his words. Also, his Late Nascent Soul Realm strength caused the entire palace to tremble. Absolute fear was reflected from Jie Xiu’s expression.

King of Great Jin!

He was stupefied as he originally requested for the king’s arrival to find out about Ning Fan’s background by claiming that Ning Fan was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator who intended to join the army. He needed the king to rope him in as he felt that Ning Fan’s mind wasn’t pure.

Because of that, the king specially travelled to Quwo City.

However, Jie Xiu had never thought that the fearsome Ning Fan was just a Harmonious Spirit Realm junior! Is it true that he plundered Wei Country? Is he truly capable of having Nascent Soul Realm spirit sense?! It couldn’t be. But the king wouldn’t be wrong about him as His Majesty possesses the ‘Golden Eye Technique’. There’s no way he could be wrong!

His thoughts were in disorder. Things had gone beyond his expectations.

After the king shot a few glances at Ning Fan, he broke the silence by coldly saying, “Although you are just at Harmonious Spirit Realm, your strength is truly uncommon. Your Body Refining Technique had already reached Silver Bone Realm. It’s evident that you are the one who robbed Wei Country. Do you really want to join the army in order to use the Ancient Teleportation Formation?!”

“Precisely!” Ning Fan answered with a resolute tone. For him, Late Nascent Soul Realm cultivator was indeed powerful but he had trump cards that are able to inflict heavy damage on him!

“I always keep my promise. For me, one word is as heavy as nine boulders. I’ve issued a decree which stated that only Gold Core Realm cultivators can enter the War Division. This promise is unrelated to my heart of Dao but it can’t be disregarded. I want to see whether you have the capability to make me break my promise! I’ll give you a chance to display all your power to attack me. I want to judge whether your techniques are enough to change my mind. I won't need a cultivator who only possess Silver Bone Realm! Without anything worthy from you, I will treat you as one of the comrades of the demons and eliminate you as there is a strand of demon blood in your veins!”

The king’s eyes shone and silver light surrounded his body! Moreover, he pointed out the thin strand of Winged Demon’s blood which Ning Fan awakened!

He wasn’t just an ordinary Late Nascent Soul Realm old monster but also had the Second Realm of Silver Bone for his Body Refining Technique!

His intention was to test Ning Fan’s strength. If Ning Fan failed to impress him, he would undoubtedly end him. He would then use Ning Fan’s demon blood as the excuse for executing him.

“Show me your true abilities! Let me see whether you are good enough to help my country!”

“…”

Ning Fan didn’t reply.

The intention of not conceding defeat boiled within his heart.

He turned furious when he thought about the king’s Golden Eye Technique earlier. If he wasn’t able to withstand the golden light or moved a step backwards, he would have been killed by the golden light!

So what if he is a Late Nascent Soul Realm cultivator?! What can he do to me? He isn’t powerful enough to eliminate me!

Since he wanted to test me… Good! As you wish!

“Ice Smash!”

Ning Fan let out a roar and threw a punch at him. A single punch of that technique froze the heavens and earth!

However, before the ice had enough time to form, the king’s eyes radiated disappointment and he pulverized the ice with just a single finger.

Fragments of shattered ice sprinkled down from the sky.

“If this is only what you are capable of, I can’t keep you!”

“Ice Smash!” Ning Fan threw another punch, freezing the heavens and earth!

“This technique has no effect on me…”

“Really?! What about this?!”

At that moment, the Lightning Star between Ning Fan’s brows flashed, moving the lightning in the heavens and earth!

The king’s expression had a slight change for the first time.

“The Star of a Fiendgod?!”

 

Note :
This translation originated from Liberspark.
If a mistake or mistakes were found in this chapter, feel free to comment below.
Certain name of skills will not be capitalized but italicized.
Some terms are subject to change when better suggestions are selected.

Footnotes

^ Ju Shan Guan in Chinese characters are 巨散关. It is literally translated into Giant Scattered Passed. Guan (关) carries the meaning of a barrier that set up to guard the inflow and outflow traffic of a dangerous place.