Grasping Evil

Returning To The External Sea

These twenty-four words appeared only for a brief time enough for a glimpse and it slowly disappeared from the white paper, leaving the white paper blank again.

Ning Fan was lost in his thoughts while his mouth was silently reciting the five line poem. 

“People die like lights, extinguished… One extinguishes while the other rekindles. There must be a principle of Samsara hidden in it, but I can’t figure it out.”

Perhaps this poem contained Zi Dou’s comprehension towards Samsara which he had accumulated in his entire lifetime.

However, with Ning Fan’s current cultivation base and experience, it was far from enough to understand it.

It was as if he was standing right on the coast, overlooking the seascape and could vaguely see an immortal island which was shrouded by the sea’s mist at the horizon but that scenery was too indistinct and unreal, making him unable to see it clearly.

He then kept the Characterless Heavenly Scripture and set aside his feelings. Looking again at the enormous hall within the Cloud Palace which was now empty, Ning Fan let out a soft sigh as if he accomplished an important mission.

“Master Lu, I have done what I’ve promised you!”

He was clearly talking to himself, but at the same time at the Luo Yun Tribe in the Second World, an old man who stood at the Luo Yun County Mansion while gazing into the vast sky was silently weeping.

“Cloud General, why are you weeping?!” The servants who were beside him were at a loss.

“You may all be excused… This old man wants to be alone.”

Just a moment ago, the last trace of the Power of Bestowal in Lu Daochen’s left eye… vanished!

That power was bestowed by Marshal Lu to him. Even though Lu Daochen had depleted his own Bestowal Star while desperately fighting the Blood Wolves in the Star Palace, he eventually managed to retain a trace of the remnant power after taking a Sixth Revolution Pill given by Ning Fan.

This power, however, had just vanished for no reason … 

After losing this power, Lu Daochen did not feel any sense of loss at all but extreme joy instead. This was because he already figured out that the reason why this power would suddenly vanish was because Lu Wu had returned to Samsara and took back his Power of Bestowal!

His tears were of great joy but also of great sadness.

He knew that just a moment ago, Ning Fan had fulfilled his promise which was to break the evil seal on Lu Wu!

“Lu Bei, thank you so much for saving Marshal Lu!”

An evening breeze blew. Lu Daochen looked towards the sky with his teary eyes and made two deep bows!

One bow was for Lu Wu’s guidance and support in the past!

The second bow was for Ning Fan’s help and favour!

After standing in the Cloud Palace for a long time, Ning Fan finally walked out of that place.

At the moment he exited the palace, a shrill echoed throughout the sky as if the palace was crying and the gigantic palace suddenly crumbled down.

The women waiting outside the palace were all somewhat worried as they did not know what had happened inside the Cloud Palace which caused Ning Fan to stay within for a hundred days.

As soon as they saw Ning Fan in one piece, their worries faded away.

Besides, after feeling Ning Fan’s aura which had become even greater and stronger, Xi Ran was the first one to exclaim.

“Brother Lu Bei, your aura is so strong now. Did your cultivation base increase again? Could it be that you have broken through to the Late Divine Transformation Realm?!”

Xi Ran was just a Late Divine Transformation Realm expert. However, in terms of the intensity of magic power, the current Ning Fan was not any weaker than Xi Ran at all. There was no way Xi Ran would not be surprised by it.

“No. I haven’t attained the Late Divine Transformation Realm. I’m still at the middle stage of Divine Transformation Realm. However, my power has indeed improved a lot…”

After giving an explanation, Ning Fan stopped talking and remained silent for a moment.

He seemed to have noticed something. Xi Ran’s smile faded, Wu Yan lowered her lovely face while Yuan Yao gently bit her lips. Awkward silence suddenly fell in the atmosphere.

“I’m leaving the Star Palace…” Ning Fan’s tone was calm, but these simple parting words had made the three women feel slightly sour in their hearts.

In the end, they still have to part ways. Everyone had their own responsibilities on their shoulders. Ning Fan’s responsibility is to become stronger and protect his loved ones. Yuan Yao needed to return to the Northern Heaven, while Wu Yan and Xi Ran also had their own great families and they both needed to return to the Spirit King Palace after all.

The trip in the Star Palace was full of danger. However, it was because of all the difficulties they had gone through that made these women feel it difficult to forget each other.

Wu Yan was trying hard to stay calm but her fragrant shoulders were trembling. She could not forget the day when she was being pursued by the old bear. If Ning Fan had not arrived on time, she would have been killed.

She could not forget that in order to help her avoid the ten thousand years of imprisonment, Ning Fan decided to abduct Imperial Concubine Zi and the other ten demon concubines following her without caring about being pursued by the Spirit King Palace at all… 

Wu Yan just could not bear the parting… 

Xi Ran felt a lump coming into her throat as teardrops began to fall down from her face. She had promised Ning Fan to be stronger and become an independent grandmaster of pill refinement and alchemy who never cries anymore.

However, Xi Ran never knew that it would be so heartbreaking to part with Ning Fan. She could not hold her tears, like how she could not forget the warmth of Ning Fan’s embrace.

That day, Ning Fan held her in his arms and washed the Star Sea with the blood of the sea beasts.

That day, she was sneak-attacked by the enemy’s general with the Evil Cold Gu. At the very moment of despair, only Ning Fan went out of his way to block in front of her.

Xi Ran was also unwilling to leave… 

Yuan Yao gently closed her phoenix eyes. Her cultivation base was too profound and she had already attained the Venerated Indifference Realm. Her facial expression could remain calm and indifferent, but her heart could not forget the crazy but warm experience she had on this trip in the end.

With her cultivation base, she never needed protection from others. However, when she was at her weakest with life-threatening injuries, Ning Fan sheltered her from wind and rain.

This would probably be her first and last time hiding behind a man in her entire life.

However, because of cruel reality, Yuan Yao did not even dare to tell Ning Fan her actual name.

Yuan Yao was also reluctant to leave… 

*Piack* *Piack* *Piack*

Three crispy sounds of a slap suddenly resounded in the air.

Immediately, Xi Ran yelped, Wu Yan was flustered while Yuan Yao’s phoenix eyes were filled with embarrassment and anger.

At the same time, the three women covered their hips and turned around in rage. They only saw Ning Fan waving his palm and gave them a harmless and innocent smile.

The three sounds were of course coming from Ning Fan’s devil palms that slapped on the three women’s butts.

To him, it felt kind of good… 

“Brother Lu Bei, y-you’re shameless!” Xi Ran angrily swung her fists.

“You bad little thief!” Wu Yan blushed. She was probably the only woman there who had never performed dual cultivation with Ning Fan. To her, this slap was particularly exciting.

“Y-You are really…” Yuan Yao really did not know what to say about Ning Fan.

However, after Ning Fan’s mischievous act, the sad and depressing atmosphere had instantly turned into a pleasant and cheerful one.

“Little Cucumber, you’ve got skills!” Yue Lingkong looked at Ning Fan with approval.

There was no pervert who could be as honest and righteous as Ning Fan. He had really surpassed all the others of his kind past and present.

The female corpse’s mind was completely blank and her eyes flashed with confusion. Her mouth mumbled, “Piack… Piack… Piack?”

She was trying to ask Ning Fan why he slapped the three women’s butts as none of them behaved badly.

Ning Fan smiled and shook his head. 

The heavy atmosphere has eased up. It’s almost time… to go!

“Yao Er…” Ning Fan called with a teasing tone.

“...” Yuan Yao was speechless and countless complaints filled her heart.

This Lu Bei really is defiant and bold. Does he think that he can climb all over me after the two indecent trysts with me? 

Yao Er… Is “Yao Er” something he can use to address me?!

When we were in a crisis earlier, I didn't mind letting him call me like this. Now, even though my strength has recovered, he still dared to arbitrarily call me like that… 

Fine. Since we are going to part ways in a little while and most probably we won’t be meeting each other anymore, I will let him take advantage of me.

“I’ve promised to share a trace of the power of the black star with you. Now, I will give it to you.”

Ning Fan put away his smile and stretched his five fingers into a clawing gesture. Traces of black starlight began to seep through his fingers and condensed into a palm-sized dark crystal which was exuding faint star glows.

“Is this enough?”

“It’s so much! Y-You have successfully comprehended the Black Star Technique of the Celestial Emperor?!”

Yuan Yao’s eyes widened with shock.

This palm-sized dark crystal contains at least one thousand traces of black star power.

The fact that Ning Fan could easily gather such amount of star power clearly meant that he had successfully condensed his Natal Star and comprehended the initial stage of the Black Star Technique!

That secret technique was a good thing that could even tempt the likes of Yuan Yao. Now, however, it was comprehended by Ning Fan by chance.

“So you don’t want it? It’s fine then.” Ning Fan deliberately asked.

“I want it…”

Yuan Yao reached out her hand and took the dark crystal away from him. Apparently, she had no idea that when she said “I want it”, she had actually been taken advantage of by Ning Fan verbally.

After taking the crystal, her wrist was also touched by Ning Fan on purpose.

Yuan Yao darted a look at Ning Fan without uttering any words. She could faintly feel that if she stays another half a month more with Ning Fan, she might really be pushed down by this young man and completely lose control of herself.

However, when she thought of the crystal that could help Bei Xiaoman sever her scarlet dragon, as a mother, she felt rather joyful.

“Thank you… If you ascend to the Northern Heaven in the future, I will secretly repay you for your help.” Yuan Yao spoke seriously.

“How would you repay me?” Ning Fan’s eyes flashed.

“…We’ll talk about it in the future.” Yuan Yao avoided that topic. Then, she seemed to have recalled something and thickened her face to ask after hesitating for a while.

“Are you really not considering giving up your Yin Yang Devil Vein? I can give you a better cultivation method of a fiendgod…”

“You have asked this question a lot of times already.” Ning Fan shook his head.

“Really? You are someone of the Rain World. If you want to ascend to the Immortal World, there are only two ways. Firstly, keep cultivating until the peak stage of Void Fragmentation Realm and crush the Void Realm to ascend to the Northern Heaven. Secondly, cultivate to the Divine Transformation Realm and with an Ascension Spot of the Nine World given by the ‘four great forces’, one could choose to ascend immediately at that cultivation base. Of course, it doesn’t mean that the earlier you ascend the better. However, once you have the privilege, ascension will no longer be risky…”

“So you want to give me an ascension spot?” Ning Fan’s eyelid twitched.

Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel