Grasping Evil

Black ice!

Yan Zhongze’s eyes narrowed. The ice made him feel uneasy. Almost instantly, Ning Fan released a torrent of punches towards the falling golden palm from above!

*Rat-a-tat*!

As the punches infused with ice power came into contact with the cloud, a strange, deep sound echoed in the skies!

He threw a total of twenty-seven punches with each of them making him retreat back a step, as if his body could not withstand the recoil of his punches.

Every step he made would leave a deep footprint on the silver stage.

When he threw the twenty-seventh punch, Ning Fan abruptly lifted his head and laughed sarcastically!

“What a good technique – Soft Cloud Quake… But to make me yield with only that palm is barely enough!”

His aura condensed and the cold ice shattered. The black snow around him scattered as if he just summoned a windstorm and that invisible force dashed directly into the sky! The force of the twenty-seven punches combined into one and clashed with the golden cloud, making it tremble! Cracks appeared and eventually the cloud dispersed into golden light!

The Jade Life Realm attack! He, Ning Fan, completely took it on himself!

At the disappearance of the golden cloud, a strong gust of wind blew across the entire area. Wherever it blows, the grass and trees would break or snap into half.

“He actually endured a full attack from Yan Zhongze!”

A purple light flashed within Zhuo Tong’s eyes. He, the old ancestor of the Purple Charm Gate, was inwardly astonished by Ning Fan.

Amongst all the thirteen Spirit Severing Realm experts of the External Endless Sea, only Yan Zhongze and Xu Rushan attained the Jade Life Body Refining Realm. That is to say, none of them would be able to directly take on Yan Zhongze’s full-powered attack, other than Xu Rushan!

To him, this kid had just done something of the impossible!

He is truly exceptional! Although he has yet to attain the Spirit Severing Realm, even Spirit Severing Realm experts would find it hard to defeat him, with all the techniques he currently possesses… Apparently, my decision was right in not hunting him down because of a Peak Nascent Soul Realm expert from my sect who died in his hands!

Yan Zhongze’s eye fixed on Ning Fan for a while but he burst into laughter after that.

“What a wild and arrogant kid! I like you!”

He could see that Ning Fan was just a Nascent Soul Realm expert, despite his Half-Step Jade Life Body Refining Realm. However, Ning Fan was already the strongest person below the Spirit Severing Realm and even dared to challenge him to take his attacks head-on.

He is already this strong before attaining the Spirit Severing Realm. I suppose that if he really achieves the Spirit Severing Realm, he would overpower everyone in the Internal Endless Sea other than the Seven Venerated!

Xu Rushan felt an excitement within his heart but he refused to expose it on his face.

Ning Fan’s punch was more than enough to instantly kill a Fake Wild Beast!

With such power and all the help I can give him, it won’t be surprising at all for him to kill 150 Wild Beasts in the Secret Realm of the Broken World!

Moreover, Xu Rushan also realized that the more Ning Fan showed his power, the more he could not see through him.       

On the day I first met him, I could feel the danger of death when I was ten zhang* away from him. It was not his body refining technique… This kid must still be holding something back!

*Sucks in a cold breath*

“This Zhou Ming has still yet to reveal all his capabilities even though he faced a Spirit Severing Realm expert!”

“Without the use of the Primordial Magnetic Force, this old man is still able to withstand Yan Zhongze’s ‘Seven Palms in One’. If this kid is able to withstand Yan Zhongze’s five palms, his combat power will be comparable to that of a Spirit Severing Realm expert!”

All the thoughts that everyone had, Ning Fan did not intend to guess. He shut his eyes, reflecting the twenty-seven punches he threw earlier.

No! It’s not correct!

It shouldn’t be in that manner!

I might be able to offset Yan Zhongze’s one full strike, but I had to throw twenty-seven punches for it. In other words, unconsciously, I am admitting defeat; I am admitting that my punch can’t match Yan Zhongze’s palm!

This isn’t the unyielding spirit that I should have. It’s clear that I am surrendering even before I threw my punch!

To others, he might appear victorious but to him, he felt that he had lost…

“It’s not enough!”

He raised his head and glared at Yan Zhongze.

The dark starry vortex in his right eye became even more gloomy.

“Good! Good! Good! This young kid can really cope with my appetite. I seem to have belittled you. Therefore, let this old man give you some enlightenment. This is my self-created technique – ‘Combined Palms Techniques’!

Yan Zhongze let out a shout, putting his palms together. The aura emanated from his eyes changed.

All of a sudden, a loud bang could be heard from the Sparrow Ascending Stage and it collapsed. The two of them stood on the ground, directly facing each other.

Yan Zhongze’s aura rapidly rose. When it reached its peak, two rays of golden light shot out from his palms, piercing through the sky and transformed into another golden print of a palm.

Two palms combined together but the power of the palm that formed in the sky was four times stronger than his previous attack!

“This old man once killed three Peak Nascent Soul Realm experts with this technique. I heard that you killed the three former tower masters who were Peak Nascent Soul Realm experts by yourself too. In spite of that, I don’t think you are able to withstand this attack!”

“Oh really…”

Ning Fan’s mind was unwavering. His heart was like an enormous black mountain that would not be intimidated even when it faces Mount Tai, let alone the words from Yan Zhongze’s mouth.

Unyielding, unyielding, what is unyielding… What should I do to so that I don’t have to submit…

When the sky overturns and the earth sinks, cultivators are like ants. What should I do to not submit…

Ning Fan was struggling within, as if there was a thin but impenetrable veil to the right answer.

His bones were already in silver form but he still could not advance into the Jade Life Realm.

The golden palm print was falling down from the sky at an incredible speed, leaving Ning Fan with no time to contemplate!

The only thing he could do was to follow his body’s instincts.

Without any hesitation, he delivered 21 punches at the direction of the incoming attack!

For the 21 punches, he used the same amount of force he used to throw each of them as the 27 punches previously. Clearly, the strength he used was not as much as earlier, but after they combined into one large fist with an aura that was a few times stronger than the previous one!

The number of punches had reduced but its aura and power intensified!

When his punch met the descending palm, both of them disappeared and gave out another gust of wind. Ning Fan retreated tens of steps before he could regain his balance. This time, his eyes brightened!

“I understand now!”

Meanwhile, a speck of jade color gradually appeared in his soul…

 As for his body refining realm, it was gradually advancing into the Jade Life Realm!

*Gasps*

Yan Zhongze and the other two Spirit Severing Realm experts sucked in cold breaths together.

The attack he combined from two palms was four times stronger than the first one. In their eyes, unless Ning Fan hurled 108 punches consecutively, there was no way for him to neutralize it!

Moreover, they thought that with Ning Fan’s current body refining realm, it would be difficult for him to hurl 108 punches in a brief amount of time and combined them into one attack!

None of them would expect him to succeed!

Furthermore, Ning Fan only used 21 punches to receive the attack which was four times stronger than before!

How is this possible?

Yan Zhongze’s eyes were solemn. During the first clash, he was able to perceive Ning Fan’s means. But in the second confrontation, he could not comprehend why the latter only needed 21 punches.

“Interesting! If you can take this old man’s following attack which is the combination of three palms, I will surely assist you in persuading Xu Rushan to give you the Profound Heart of Mother Earth!”

“Fine!” This time, Xu Rushan was not stubborn with his earlier request and promised Yan Zhongze.

The more he looked at Ning Fan, the more he could not understand him. However, now he was more certain of one thing – if Ning Fan promises to help him, his trouble would no longer exist.

“…”

Ning Fan did not reply. He awaited the third attack from Yan Zhongze with more resolution in his eyes, as if he had figured out the right way to counter it.

Yan Zhongze performed a hand seal, transforming himself into a 500 zhang* tall giant!

“For this attack, this old man has to use my avatar to use it. Otherwise, I would suffer a heavy backlash from it, making my body crumble. Little friend, get ready!”

The giant let out a thunderous roar.

Ning Fan stood still, intending to receive the attack without transforming into a giant.

Three rays of golden light radiated from Yan Zhongze’s palms and lightning flashed in the sky, congealing into a gigantic golden palm!

This time, its power was nine times stronger than the first attack. It once grievously injured the Spirit Severing Realm expert from the Ying State, the weakest Spirit Severing Realm expert among the thirteen of the External Endless Sea, forcing him to enter into seclusion in order to heal himself for ten years!

If Ning Fan could take this attack, it would simply prove that his combat power was at the same level as the weakest Spirit Severing Realm expert!

However, there was doubt in the giant’s eyes.

He wondered how Ning Fan’s punches would be able to withstand this attack…

In his mind, he guessed that it would be lesser than 21.

But why…

Facing the falling giant palm, the Nascent Soul within Ning Fan’s dantian felt like breaking apart. But no matter how strong the pressure of the palm exerting on his body was, he did not yield!

The Earth Controlling Star in his right eye grew darker. This time, Ning Fan moved back seven steps, with only seven punches being thrown at the direction of the palm!

The strength he used to throw the punches were insignificant compared to the previous two attacks. However, when they combined into one, a shadow of a mountain emerged in the sky!

The power of his punch rose to an unimaginable level!

After throwing punches without rest, Ning Fan had almost depleted all his strength!

But the seven punches were like seven rays of starlight, penetrating through the golden palm!

Note :

Measurements :
a. li(里) = 500 m
b. zhang(丈) = 3.13 m
c. chi(尺) = 30.7 cm