Grasping Evil

The atmosphere became so silent that you could probably hear the sound of a pin dropping.

Bing Ling handed over the storage pouch of immortal jade and brought all the girls to the backstage before returning to Ning Fan's side.

Elder Ling let out a few dry coughs and resumed the auction…

However, the devil cultivators in the room was not as excited as before.

Harmonious Spirit Realm cultivators and some of the Gold Core Realm experts let out sighs and left the tower.

Late Gold Core Realm female cauldrons would be auctioned next. To ordinary low-grade cultivation countries, female cultivators at that realm would be regarded as rulers of the countries. In this auction, they certainly would be sold at sky-high prices which common cultivators would not be able to afford.

Each of the Nascent Soul Realm experts began to rub their palms in anticipation… Obviously, they were going to be the main characters in the upcoming bidding of the cauldrons!

But when they thought of the unfathomable Zhou Ming who just bought a thousand female cauldrons, they felt their scalps go numb. He was also a Nascent Soul Realm expert and he would definitely want these women.

Some of them even started to pray in their hearts. They hoped that Zhou Ming would not be interested in the women that they would choose, though they knew that their hopes were most likely wishful thinking… How can a devil who did not even let go of Harmonious Spirit Realm females and also little girls at ages of seven or eight possibly give up on cauldrons at the Late Gold Core Realm and above?

Moreover, many of the old monsters began to think that the reason why Zhou Ming slaughtered so many cultivators was because he wanted to gather more money to buy more women. Splurging over a hundred million immortal jade just on women… This Zhou Ming might not have the highest cultivation realm in the External Endless Sea, but his lust for women was unprecedented… Perhaps, not even Divine Transformation Realm experts could compare…

"This human cauldron's bone age is 200. Her cultivation realm is at the Late Gold Core Realm. She has the 'Live Yang of Beauty' body. The starting bid is a hundred thousand immortal jade…"

Elder Ling's words were like a drop of water falling into boiling oil, giving rise to an uproar in the tower! Everyone was bidding madly!

"One hundred and ten thousand!"

"I bid for one hundred and twenty thousand!"

"One hundred and forty thousand!"

"One hundred and seventy thousand!"

"Two hundred thousand!"

"Three hundred thousand!"

"Four hundred thousand!"

When the price increased to four hundred thousand, it did not go higher anymore. A Mid Nascent Soul Realm expert flew out from his room and prepared to shell out for the cauldron as no one was bidding anymore.

However, it was also at this moment where Bing Ling walked out from the room again and spoke in a soft tone. The Mid Nascent Soul Realm expert stopped in mid-air and his face paled!

"My master bids for four hundred and ten thousand for this cauldron. Also, my master wants to tell you all that he wants all the remaining human cauldrons at the Late and Peak Gold Core Realms and offered to buy them all as much as twice the starting price. All Fellow Daoist, please don't contend with my master."

Her words sparked another commotion in the crowd!

"What?! This man still has immortal jade left to buy all the Late and Peak Gold Core Realms cauldrons? There are at least tens of cauldrons for this category. Buying them at doubled prices would cost him at least tens of millions!"

"It can't be wrong now. He must be that person!"

"However, it's quite embarrassing for Qing Huazi… He was just a step away from paying the money but the cauldron was taken by another expert. I guess he should be very dissatisfied now… Qing Huazi comes from a powerful background. He is actually the Master of the Northern Pavilion from the Wind Sword Pavilion. Usually, he is arrogant and proud… I wonder if he will continue to bid a higher price and make a good show out of it…"

"I'm afraid that Qing Huazi isn't that brave… Although we're just making blind guesses, if that person really is Zhou Ming, bidding against him would be equivalent to risking your very life…"

Each and every one of the old monsters sighed and shushed continuously. Hearing the people discuss about him, Qing Huazi's eyes turned ferocious and stopped on the seventh room. He gritted his teeth in anger but he let out a cold harrumph and returned to his room. He did not intend to compete with Ning Fan.

His action was like a signal to quiet down the cultivators at the scene as everyone stopped discussings.

Ning Fan was as though a lion that finally opened its mouth wide. He alone bought all the Late and Peak Gold Core Realms cauldrons. In other words, all human cauldrons below the Nascent Soul Realm in this auction were now his possession.

Discontented…Many of the old monsters felt discontented. However, when the two words – Zhou Ming, flashed across their minds, their intention to offend him disappeared…

Meanwhile, to everyone's surprise, the three Peak Nascent Soul Realm experts flattered Ning Fan once more.

"Haha. Fellow Daoist sure is tasteful. Casting away millions of immortal jade for beauties and yet it doesn't affect you. Admirable, admirable…"

Admirable his a**…

They were just licking Ning Fan's boots…

But this person who could make them behave in that manner was truly uncommon…

It was that strangeness that made Qing Huazi put up with Ning Fan and return back to his room, ignoring the snickers from the crowd. Otherwise, he would have unsheathed his sword and battled against Ning Fan based on his usual attitude.

Elder Ling let out a hollow laugh at what he had just witnessed. It was his first time having a single person monopolize the auction.

He did not dare to make any decisions and contacted the old ancestor, Xiao Wanluo, using telepathy to seek for the latter's advice.

A brief moment later, his eyes flashed as if he had just received an order. He put on a smile on his face and announced, "Xiao Wanluo has agreed to sell all the Late and Peak Gold Core Realm cauldrons to Fellow Daoist. There are 87 of them and the total price is fifty-seven million immortal jade. All of them are yours after you pay the sum of money.

"En. Bing Er[1] , go and pay the money…"

An abnormally young voice was heard from the seventh room. His tone was indifferent and cold!

The coldness was absolutely not a pretense. Instead, it only belonged to the experts who were accustomed to bloodshed!

This time, his voice was not imbued with any kind of magic power. But the echo of his voice made everyone's hearts beat wildly.

An extremely strong Violent Qi!

This person is doubtlessly… Zhou Ming!

After Bing Ling passed another bag of immortal jade to the auctioneer, she led the 87 females to the backstage.

Along the way, she let out a few sighs. Each of the 87 female cultivators would be considered an old ancestor if they were currently in Yue Country. At this place, however, their fates lie in the hands of their master and they could only become cauldrons for others.

Master is getting stronger and stronger…

"You all must listen to Master's words…" Bing Ling spoke softly to them. Although she was only at the Mid Gold Core Realm, none of the female cauldrons dared to ignore her.

"Yes!"

Each and every one of the females replied courteously because they could tell that the devil expert who had just bought them all must be an extremely terrifying being. Their master had just made the Nascent Soul Realm experts in the entire hall silent! Furthermore, the Pill Cauldron Gate altered their auction rules because of him!

After a while, Bing Ling returned and the auction continued.

The atmosphere of the scene became more tense and awkward. It was because the following cauldrons to be auctioned were the Nascent Soul Realm human cauldrons.

There were only two Nascent Soul Realm female cauldrons. But no one knew for sure whether Zhou Ming would still want to buy them both or not…

The Nascent Soul Realm experts were hesitating whether they themselves should bid against Ning Fan if he insisted to do so!

Hopefully, he knows when to stop… Please, please…

This must be the shortest auction that Elder Ling had ever presided.

Before he started to auction the Nascent Soul Realm human cauldrons, everything was decided by just that mysterious person.

He gulped nervously and struggled to calm himself down.

"Right next, it's the long-awaited part for all Fellow Daoists in this hall. They are the Nascent Soul Realm human cauldrons. These two women are the lucky female cultivators who managed to break through to Nascent Soul Realm in the past fifty years. Both of them have bodies perfectly suited to being cauldrons. The starting price is three million!"

When he finished introducing the women on the stage, the crowd was as silent as graves. None of them bid for the cauldrons!

Waiting… They were all waiting to see if Ning Fan wanted them. They would only bid if he didn't!

"Three million and ten thousand…" However, the voice of the young man was heard after all.

Disappointment plastered all over the old monsters' faces…

This perverted devil – Zhou Ming! He still wants them after all!

Although he just bid ten thousand more than the starting price, none of them dared to bid a higher price than that!

This time, the three experts at the Peak Nascent Soul Realm did not laugh nor compliment Ning Fan. All they did was just let out sighs. They, too, did not dare to bid against Ning Fan! But deep inside, they really wanted to have the two cauldrons! They had been waiting for 50 years just for this auction!

"This…" Elder Ling was smiling bitterly. The precious Nascent Soul Realm cauldrons which were the second last items of the auction only sold for three million and ten thousand? He was hesitating on whether he should knock the hammer, signifying the acceptance of the deal…

He did not dare to make this decision. Besides, Xiao Wanluo who was overseeing this auction at a hidden spot was also distressed.

Brother Zhou Ming arh! Please be kind arh! I know that you're tyrannical. I know that you can kill people with a wave of a hand. But you need to at least leave enough money for me to flee! You shouldn't trouble me like that! By just adding ten thousand more than the starting price for the most sought after Nascent Soul Realm cauldrons… Bid your a**! Taking the cost for raising them into consideration, it simply means that I don't earn even a coin from selling them!

No one uttered a single word until the young man spoke again, breaking the silence in the air.

"I heard that the honorable Pill Cauldron Gate also have a Nascent Soul Realm Dao Fruit to be auctioned. I'm bidding five million and ten thousand for it!"

On the stage, the two Nascent Soul Realm female whose bodies were covered by thin clothes had their eyes widened in surprise. They were shocked that their buyer was actually a young devil lord who was so domineering that no one at the scene dare to challenge him! They were instantly filled with heartfelt admiration for him!

The other cultivators in the hall no longer cared about the two Nascent Soul Realm cauldrons.

*Puke* Somewhere in the dark, Xiao Wanluo coughed out some blood from his mouth and his face was deathly pale.

Many of the Nascent Soul Realm old monsters expressed their discontent!

Nascent Soul Realm Dao Fruit! This evil pervert intends to snatch Nascent Soul Realm Dao Fruit as well?!

Qing Huazi could no longer tolerate Ning Fan's excessive demeanor. All of a sudden, he drew his sword as if he wanted to fight Ning Fan to the death!

The Dao Fruit which had yet to be revealed was the item that the Divine Transformation Realm old ancestor of his sect ordered him to obtain! However, Ning Fan wanted it without giving others the opportunity to bid!

As a matter of fact, he came to buy human cauldrons. However, he could tolerate Ning Fan for his actions and forgo the cauldrons! But for that Dao Fruit, the old ancestor of his sect wanted it and he was a Divine Transformation Realm expert. No matter what, Zhou Ming had to give face, at least to him!

But just as he was about to leave his room with sword in hand, a group of unexpected guests arrived at the Pill Cauldron Gate.

Suddenly, there was a change to the surroundings!

A group of people dressed in black robes besieged the sect!

Seventeen of them dashed into the auction area in a flash!

Seventeen of them were all Nascent Soul Realm experts! 11 Early Nascent Soul Realm experts, 4 Mid Nascent Soul Realm experts, 1 Late Nascent Soul Realm expert and finally, 1 Peak Nascent Soul Realm expert!

Immediately, someone recognized that they were the people of the Xiang Clan from the External Endless Sea!

The next second, somebody remembered that the younger brother of the old ancestor of the Xiang Clan died at Zhou Ming's hands. The deceased member was one of the twelve dead Nascent Soul Ream experts…

They came to seek revenge on Zhou Ming?

No, it doesn't look like it… They are staring at Elder Ling!

They were unaware that Zhou Ming was at the auction. They thought that Zhou Ming had run away after plundering all the loot from the bloodbath. They travelled all the way to Peng Lai Immortal Island for the entire night to condemn the Pill Cauldron Gate.

However, it was most likely an excuse. The old ancestor of the Xiang Clan, Xiang Liao, who was a Peak Nascent Soul Realm expert, intended to threaten the Pill Cauldron Gate and disrupt their auction. And then, they would be able to take advantage of that chance to snatch all the cauldrons and also the Dao Fruit!

"Ling Guiku! Ask Xiao Wanluo to come out! You aren't qualified enough to speak with me! My brother died at the killing zone that was established by your sect! It's really hateful and unacceptable for that to happen… You and the Pill Cauldron Gate must be held responsible for this incident! Compensate for his death!"

"Old Ancestor Xiang, please calm down. My old ancestor is…" Elder Ling smiled apologetically.

"Get lost!" Xiang Liao let out a cold harrumph and executed the Reverberation Technique. The shock wave of his voice pushed Elder Ling backwards. Elder Ling only regained his balance after retreating tens of steps. The next second, a mouthful of blood gushed out from his mouth!

"I would only repeat one last time. 'Ling Guiku'! You are not fit to talk to me! A mere cultivator that came from a tiny sect of a low-grade cultivation country like you have once killed the people of my clan. If it wasn't because I was giving face to Xiao Wanluo, I would've skinned you! Xiao Wanluo, come out now!"

Xiang Liao had never expected to find Zhou Ming here.

Currently, Xiao Wanluo who was so infuriated to the extent of coughing out blood had almost fainted after being provoked by Ning Fan's actions. He was not in the mood to handle Xiang Liao.

Instead, the sect master as well as the vice sect master sheepishly came out together. Upon seeing them, Xiang Liao's face turned gloomy and he lost his patience.

"Xiao Wanluo! I want you to come out here now, can't you hear me?! Good. Very good! Fellow Daoists, I'm sorry for interrupting the auction… Today, Xiang Clan is going to flatten the Pill Cauldron Gate! Devil Voice Technique, Rage of Wu Jiang!

Xiang Liao's head was covered with silvery hair. He was strong as a bear in the hips and he had a supple back like that of a tiger's. He banged on his chest and his eyes opened round and big, as if an enraged mortal king who was driven to a corner!

That rage strengthened the Reverberation Technique. In the next millisecond, his roar transformed into a wave, splashing against the two cultivators who just appeared before him.

High Grade Nascent Soul Realm magical technique, Devil Voice Technique, Rage of Wu Jiang!

The wave then congealed into dark halos and blasted the two of them. The impact sent the two Early Nascent Soul Realm experts flying in mid-air and grievously injured!

The light circles did not cease. Instead, they turned towards Elder Ling. Right before they hit him, a man wearing white robes and draped with a black cloak flew out from his room. When a grey light flashed, he was already standing in front of Elder Ling. Facing the incoming dark halos that transformed from the wave, he uttered a single word, "Crush!"

Thunder rumbled in the sky although it was a sunny day after he spoke the word! Under the effect of the sound of thunder, the dark halos immediately cracked, layer by layer, until its source. When the last dark halo in front of Xiang Liao cracked, it turned into a shocking thunder and exploded, damaging his chest. He gave a whimper and fell back a few steps. After he stabilized himself, his expression changed!

My Devil Voice Technique is the most difficult to ward off. However, the feeble-looking young man who just appeared out of nowhere can crush it with just a word!

He just displayed the Reverberation Technique which allows his voice to fuse with the heaven and thunder. But the way he displayed is unrivalled by any other secret arts related to voices!

"Young man! Who are you?! How dare you intervene in the matter between me and the Pill Cauldron Gate? Do you know what is the status of the Xiang Clan in the External Endless Sea?! Since when can a mere Early Nascent Soul Realm cultivator like you would be so audacious to interfere in the problem that our Xiang Clan has? Are you trying to be a hero? Let me send you to hell so you can be a hero to the weaklings down there!"

Xiang Liao wore a somber expression. He was intent to kill someone to establish his prestige!

"Speak! What's your name?! If you don't belong to any forces that I fear, then you can die now!"

"Oh really?" Ning Fan sneered at him.

The reason he saved someone was not related to justice nor giving face to the Pill Cauldron Gate.

As for Xiang Liao, he was nothing in Ning Fan's eyes!

"My name is Zhou Ming!"

Zhou Ming!

Zhou Ming!!

Zhou Ming!!!

These two words were like roaring thunder in Xiang Liao's Sea of Consciousness. Upon hearing those words, the arrogance and fury in his face were immediately replaced with fear and anxiety!

This person is Zhou Ming?!

Don't tell me he is the ruthless devil who killed my brother – Zhou Ming!

Yes! It can't be wrong! He has a strong Violent Qi and the blood stench on his body has yet to disappear! He is packed with extraordinary skills with a set of cold merciless eyes… but why is his cultivation realm at just the Early Nascent Soul Realm?!

How come it would turn out to be like this?!

"Thank you!" Elder Ling cupped his fist towards Ning Fan. He never expected that a complete stranger like this young man would save him.

"You're welcome, Ling Guiku, the Revered Ku[2] who has disappeared from the Sinister Sparrow Sect for a long time!"

<strong>Note:</strong>

1. Bing Er儿(a more affectionate way to address her) = Bing Ling(true name)

2. Revered Ku is called the Weep Honour in the past. (Refer Chp 53)

<strong>Translator Team:</strong>

G-Team [Tommy (TL), Roel (Editor)]