Grasping Evil

On the long-winded path on the mountainside, Ning Fan, the female corpse and Xu Qiuling walked together.

All the guards and maidservants who saw Xu Qiuling on their way would immediately courteously greet or salute them.

Naturally, no one would question Ning Fan's presence.

At first, Xu Qiuling did not talk much and would only occasionally mention things like nature, flowers, birds, insects and fish. With the memories of Emperor Ancient Chaos, Ning Fan could be considered a person of boundless wisdom and knowledge. Sometimes, his words would make Xu Qiuling's eyes flash in surprise.

"Young Master really is a refined scholar…"

"Refined scholar, huh…"

Ning Fan laughed.

If she finds out that the so-called refined scholar is actually the devil lord of the External Endless Sea whom she detests the most, I guess she would probably be very depressed…

At the same time, Ning Fan meditated in silence, pondering the eccentricity of Xu Qiuling's body.

This Xu Qiuling is going to die very soon…Hmm…

If Ning Fan was not wrong, there was a domineering gold element spiritual power within her body which was draining her life force away. She might look bright and energetic on the surface, but she would possibly die at any moment given her current condition.

As for the gold element spiritual power, it should be…

He lightly knitted his brows.

I think I will have to save her too.

Of course, it was mainly because of the great benefits he could obtain. He also did not want this lady to die.

At the end of the winding corridor was a gigantic light-red door made of bronze.

Xu Qiuling stopped outside of the door and took a deep breath. She took out a red bronze pass and uttered a few incantations on it.

Immediately, the enormous door trembled and turned into a red virtual shadow and disappeared.

"Young Master Zhou. My father is in the hall. When you meet my father, you must speak cautiously…"

"Thank you for your reminder, Mistress. And don't worry, I will."

Xu Qiuling was worried in her mind. After all, in her eyes, her father was a person with a capricious mood and treated killing people as simply cutting down hemp. Even if Ning Fan was a cultivator with outstanding talent, his life would still be in danger if her father turned mad.

Judging by the time, Father should still be entertaining the devil lord, Zhou Ming… Would that fearless and reckless man kill Young Master Zhou?

She hesitated on continuing to guide them into the hall. But to her surprise, when the door opened, there was no one like the devil lord in her imagination. Instead, there were only two old men who seemed to be waiting for someone. As they caught sight of Ning Fan, they did not feel weird at all, as if he was the person they were waiting for this whole time. Immediately, they stood up and cupped their fists to greet him.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you've finally arrived. We have been waiting for you!"

"Haha! Brother Zhou has finally arrived!"

One of the voices belonged to Xu Rushan while the other one was Yan Zhongze's.

As their voices fell, the two Divine Transformation Realm old ancestors vanished into green smoke and dashed out of the hall to welcome Ning Fan!

"Father, you…"

Xu Qiuling was literally shocked by them. In a way, this lady who was always calm and indifferent looked rather cute especially when her face was filled with surprise.

It was beyond her expectation that her father and Uncle Yan from the Wind Treading Sect who were both dignified Divine Transformation Realm experts personally welcomed Young Master Zhou's arrival!

Originally, she was worried that this Young Master Zhou would provoke her father or Uncle Yan. But based on what she saw, her father and Uncle Yan seemed to be more than happy to see him. There was not even a hint of unhappiness…

Deep inside, an extremely absurd thought surfaced in her mind.

Don't tell me the Young Master Zhou who is standing beside me now is the person whom my father and Uncle Yan have been waiting for…Is he Zhou Ming?

"Impossible… How could Young Master Zhou be the notorious Zhou Ming… Moreover, even if Young Master Zhou is the devil lord Zhou Ming, my father and Uncle Yan's attitude towards him is overly courteous…"

When Xu Rushan greeted Ning Fan, he slightly bowed his body. It might look insignificant but it actually showed his heartfelt respect towards Ning Fan! In the past, the only person whom Xu Rushan respected in that manner was Venerated Giant. But today, it was towards Ning Fan…

It's just too abnormal!

As for Yan Zhongze, when he cupped his fist, he secretly moved half a step backward. Though it was just a movement of the leg, it meant that deep inside him, he actually held fear towards Ning Fan. His body reacted in that manner out of caution!

A dignified Divine Transformation Realm fears a junior cultivator and has to be so cautious when facing him?! That's just too unusual!

Xu Qiuling could not figure it out no matter how hard she tried.

She turned to look at Ning Fan as if she was seeking an explanation.

"May I be so bold to ask what Young Master Zhou's name is?"

"I'm sorry I did not reveal my name although we have met a few times already… My name is Zhou Ming."

Zhou Ming!

He is… Zhou Ming?!

This is what that devil lord whom I hate so much looks like?!

"How…How come…"

Xu Qiuling silently stared at Ning Fan with her eyes which were full of confusion. She just could not accept this sudden contradicting truth.

This gentle and refined young man before me is the devil lord who struck fear into the hearts of every cultivator of the External Endless Sea?

He is clearly a man with good behavior. How come he's said to be an adulterer who commits every evil crime?

Qiuling knew that her father was going to meet the devil lord Zhou Ming today.

Aside from that, her father had asked her to meet that Zhou Ming earlier but she resolutely rejected him.

She was reluctant to even see him.

But if the person my father wanted me to meet is Young Master Zhou, I would reconsider my choice…

"You really hide a lot of things about yourself…" Xu Qiuling let out a faint sigh.

She had spoken something similar when they were in the Grave of Flowers. But the feelings she had when she spoke it now was completely different from the previous time.

So this Young Master Zhou is actually Zhou Ming, the person who can make my father and Uncle Yan lower themselves to befriend him. I've underestimated him…

No matter how bad his reputation might be, Xu Qiuling was more inclined to believe her own eyes. The Zhou Ming she saw was a lively, elegant man who gave no heed to what others thought of him at all…

But when she thought of the unpleasant words she told him about Zhou Ming and the reminder she gave him, she did not know whether he would take it as an offense or not.

A hint of anger filled her heart. Inwardly, she blamed Ning Fan for not telling her his full name, causing her to make a fool out of herself in front of him.

However, she could understand why Ning Fan chose to hide his name from Xu Qiuling.

He did not want me to fear him because of his identity.

Xu Qiuling was perplexed and her expression hardened. For a moment, she seemed to not know how to face Ning Fan after knowing that sudden shocking fact.

As for Ning Fan, he cupped his fist out of courtesy in return to the two Divine Transformation Realm experts but his eyes turned solemn.

Xu Rushan seems to be showing excessive respect to me… There must be a reason for it. All in all, he should not harbor any malice towards me.

In regards to Yan Zhongze, it's normal for him to put up his guard when facing me. The single punch I used to neutralize his five palms combo attack is nearly strong enough to offset his seven palms combo attack. The impact of that punch alone had even caused him to suffer injuries. As such, it isn't considered something abnormal.

The absence of Old Ancestor Zhuo Tong from the Purple Charm Gate gave Ning Fan a confirmation about his earlier guess.

Yan Zhongze is here but Zhuo Tong isn't. The latter is probably escorting the six sons to return to their respective sects to avoid any misfortune.

"Hehe. I can tell Fellow Daoist Zhou's intentions in meeting us. Let's have a long discussion about it in the internal hall. What do you think?"

"Fine."

The extensive bronze hall was full of strange marks engraved on the wall. In the middle of the hall, there were a seat for the host and some seats for the guests beside it.

They did not exchange much greetings. Instead, just as they had occupied their seats, Xu Rushan took out an ancient-looking map and spread it on a table made of bronze.

"Please have a look, Fellow Daoist Zhou. This map shows the periphery of the Secret Realm. It is approximately 70 million li*. I have witnessed Fellow Daoist's strength and I know the reason why Fellow Daoist came today. This old man has prepared some lavish gifts for you. Apart from that, if Fellow Daoist has some other things that you need, this old man will grant it to you, as long as it will be helpful to you in your mission. However, I want to have a word of assurance from Fellow Daoist. After looking at the map, how confident are you in hunting down 150 Fake Wild Beasts within 5 months?!"

What?! Did I hear correctly?! Father is pleading Young Master Zhou to enter the Secret Realm of the Broken World and hunt 150 Fake Wild Beasts?!

Xu Qiuling slightly gaped in astonishment and her eyes were filled with disbelief.

Does he know what that Secret Realm of the Broken World is? It's an extremely dangerous place where even the lives of Peak Nascent Soul Realm experts would be at risk. Besides, being able to kill one of the beasts would make you an exceptional being among the Peak Nascent Soul Realm. Now, Father wants him to kill 150 of them? What a terrifying number… Furthermore, he needs to complete that mission within only 5 months? How could it be possible?!

She had heard before of Zhou Ming's conspicuous notoriety. Also, she had heard how uncommonly strong he was, making him the strongest cultivator below the Divine Transformation Realm. Even so, she still thought that her father was too reckless by asking Zhou Ming to risk his life by entering into the Secret Realm.

As her gaze landed on the ancient map, her scalp had gone numb just by seeing the mountains and rivers which were thickly dotted in red.

Each of the red dots represented one Fake Wild Beast. All the information on the map was gathered by one of the Peak Nascent Soul Realm experts from the Pleasure Devil Sect who had entered the Secret Realm several times. Even though it might not be completely accurate, it would be unlikely for it to be wrong.

This map only revealed the outer part of the Secret Realm. In spite of that, there were at least three massive groups of them, constituting of hundreds of them residing in that area.

Hunting 150 Fake Wild Beasts within five months. Even my father would at best only have 70% assurance in accomplishing that mission if he's the one who enters the Secret Realm… I wonder how sure he is in completing this mission… No matter how strong he may be, he is not a Divine Transformation Realm expert after all.

"Originally, I only have 70% assurance. But now that I have the map, I can somewhat perform sneak attacks and avoid risky confrontations. That's why I'm 80% confident in succeeding."

What?! He is that confident of himself?

Xu Qiuling was inwardly astonished. Though she knew Young Master Zhou for only a brief period, she could tell that he was not a person who would try to gain the people's favor by saying something impressive…

If he says 80%, then there is no reason to doubt him. Having such confidence in hunting down 150 Fake Wild Beasts in just five months…I guess even my father will only be 70% certain of doing it himself. Could it be that this Zhou Ming is stronger than my father?

"Only 80%..." Xu Rushan and Yan Zhongze exchanged glances. A hint of anxiety could be faintly seen from their eyes.

Eighty percent assurance… Is Father still not satisfied even though he already has such a level of confidence?

How high exactly is Father's expectations on Zhou Ming?!

"Precisely. The reason I claim to only have 80% assurance is because Senior Xu only showed me the map of the outer part of the Secret Realm. If any of the ferocious beasts within the inner part of the Secret Realm comes out and hinder me from killing the Fake Wild Beasts, I can't guarantee that I will be able to complete the task given to me."

The affairs of the world are always changing and unpredictable. If Ning Fan could not see what's within the inner part of the Secret Realm, he could not guarantee the completion of the mission.

"Oh I see… If that is Fellow Daoist's concern, I think you can be at ease. There wouldn't be a single beast from the inner part to come out and disturb Fellow Daoist. This is because there is a formation light that separates the inner and outer areas of the Secret Realm. With that formation on, nothing would be able to come out of there…That place might hold the truth as to why the Fake Wild Beasts can grow in such a rapid manner. But none of us really knows since there's no way for us to get inside it…"

"Formation Light?"

Ning Fan's brows knitted together.

The Secret Realm of the Broken World has a formation within it? It obviously holds some secrets inside waiting to be unraveled. But as long as it does not obstruct me from carrying out my mission, it will be fine.

"If there is no other potential disturbance, I can assure Fellow Daoist Xu that I can accomplish your mission."

"Very well. Very well…"

Xu Rushan heaved a sigh of relief. If Ning Fan who has Jade Life Body Refining Realm do not even have 100% assurance of accomplishing it, maybe there would not be any other expert below the Divine Transformation Realm that could fulfill the impractical mission assigned by Venerated Giant.

"Now, Fellow Daoist, please see what this old man has prepared for you. If you find anything lacking, just tell me!"

Xu Rushan stood up with an awkward expression. He shook his head bitterly and clapped his hands twice. Immediately, 12 beautiful female cultivators with curvy bodies similar to an hourglass politely walked out from a room.

All of them were human cauldrons with unrivalled beauty, not to mention their exemplary bewitching techniques. As they arrived in front of Ning Fan, they lined up in an orderly manner and greeted him together.

"Greetings to Master…"

Each and every one of the women's cultivation levels were at the Nascent Soul Realm!

To Xu Rushan, gifting women as human cauldrons to another man in front of his own daughter was surely not a matter worth being proud of. It was no wonder Xu Rushan wore an embarrassed expression.

However, Xu Qiuling appeared to be quite used to it. Among the devil cultivators, gifting human cauldrons to others could be considered a common practice after all, though she did not like it…

But Xu Qiuling found out that these 12 women were all the remaining Nascent Soul Realm human cauldrons of Pleasure Devil Sect.

Father gifted all of them to Young Master Zhou. Is he planning on not auctioning them anymore?

"The 12 of them grew up in my Pleasure Devil Sect since they were young. Each of them has uncommon bodies and are extremely suitable to be plucked… I heard Fellow Daoist Zhou used to cultivate with the help of human cauldrons. Therefore, are my gifts enough to satisfy Fellow Daoist?"

Ning Fan's face was emotionless. Within his heart, he let out a faint sigh.

To him, the twelve Nascent Soul Realm human cauldrons together was a really expensive gift but what made him feel disappointed was that there was no sign of the Divine Transformation Realm female cauldron anywhere.

"Fellow Daoist wants the Divine Transformation Realm human cauldron?" Xu Rushan asked, as if he saw through Ning Fan's thoughts.

"I'm sorry but it might be quite laughable…" Ning Fan bitterly laughed.

"Hehe… This old man isn't actually trying to be stingy. However, this Divine Transformation Realm human cauldron was captured by the Giant Devil Sect within the Internal Endless Sea. She had quite a powerful influence. If Fellow Daoist obtains that human cauldron, it may not be a fortunate thing, it might be a disaster instead…"

Xu Rushan did not explain further what he meant by disaster. Obviously, there was some secret surrounding the woman.

"Really?" Ning Fan did not prolong the conversation and turned towards the 12 women.

"From now onwards, all of you will be my human cauldrons. If you don't betray me, I will never mistreat you! At least, I can assure you that you can live the rest of your lives in peace!"

"Thank you Master for sparing our lives!"

The meaning that Ning Fan was trying to convey was clear: If you don't betray me; I won't kill you. The most I will do is to pluck you.

To the female cauldrons, it was indeed good news. So it was only natural for them to express their gratitude to him.

However, Xu Qiuling's feelings felt complicated. She disliked Ning Fan for keeping the human cauldrons. But from the perspective of a devil cultivator, she felt that Ning Fan was kinder than the others. At least, he would not kill, gift or resell them after using them…

Yes, Ning Fan did accept the 12 human cauldrons but it did not mean that he would give up on the Divine Transformation Realm human cauldron.

How exactly does she look like? I guess I would only know about it during the auction. If I really want it, I can just bid it with tons of immortal jade.

After seeing Ning Fan accepting all the human cauldrons without a hint of joy on his face, Xu Rushan put on an awkward smile.

It seems like they're not enough to buy this Zhou Ming's heart.

But he also has a point. To Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, 12 Nascent Soul Realm human cauldrons was considered a hefty gift. To Divine Transformation Realm experts, however, they aren't worth anything.

Xu Rushan stood in silence for a moment. Then he slapped his storage pouch and took out a set of silver armor which sparkled with silver light.

When he showed it to Ning Fan, a slight reluctance filled his face, as if he felt it painful to just give it away. Meanwhile, Yan Zhongze's eyes blazed with flames when he saw that armor.

"This is…the complete set of spiritual armor that Fellow Daoist Xu mentioned before?!" Ning Fan's eyes widened a little. In his eyes, this complete set of spiritual armor was rather exceptional.

"Precisely! This set of spiritual armor is known as the Armor of the Silver General. It was the last piece of fine work done by a Spirit Augmentation Master who is already deceased. The entire set consists of seven parts: boots, bottom wear, upper mail, carpal armor, spiritual ring, spiritual pendant and a spiritual helmet. They are all at the Low Profound Earth Grade. The boots can increase your speed. The upper mail can increase the defense of the body. The carpal armor can enhance your physical strength. The spiritual ring improves the primordial power of the five elements. The spiritual pendant enhances resistance against bewitching technique and lastly, the spiritual helmet can block attacks aimed at your Sea of Consciousness. With this complete set of armor and Fellow Daoist's Jade Life Body Refining Realm, Fellow Daoist can even block a few attacks from a Mid Divine Transformation Realm expert. Moreover, if the seven of them recognize you as their master at the same time, Fellow Daoist can activate the divine ability – Spiritual Formation…"

"Spiritual Formation?" Ning Fan raised one of his eyebrows. This set effect of the spiritual equipment set was equivalent to that of the First Level of Jade Life Realm. Besides, by wearing this set of spiritual equipment, it was enough for him to directly withstand Yan Zhongze's five palms combined attack.

"Correct. Each part of the spiritual equipment contains a portion of the ability which is sealed off when they are not together. When all of them recognize you as their master, the ability will then be activated. That ability - Spiritual Formation, would speed up the recovery of your magic power by one level. Furthermore, when the seven stars fuse into one, it can condense the Heavenly Spiritual Power and congeal into a Heavenly Spiritual Sword to kill your enemies. Fellow Daoist would find out more about it in the future when you manage to gain their recognition… Regarding the greatness of this set of armor, I only have one comment. Assuming Fellow Daoist has yet to attain the Jade Life Body Refining Realm, if Fellow Daoist obtains the recognition from this set of armor, it would not be difficult for you to put up a fight against a Divine Transformation Realm expert! Even this old man would not be willing to fight against you…"

"Interesting… But can Fellow Daoist Xu explain to me what the emblem of a devil mountain on the spiritual armor means?"

Ning Fan believed that Xu Rushan was not lying. This set of armor truly was powerful.

But what made him doubtful was that such remarkable spiritual armor should not be in the hands of Xu Rushan, an Early Divine Transformation Realm expert.

Maybe this complete set of spiritual armor is not as simple as just a gift.

There was a devil mountain emblem imprinted on the silver armor, as if it was a representation of a powerful force.

If Ning Fan's guess was not wrong, there must be a special meaning by wearing this set of armor. It would then be difficult for him to take it off.

That mountain is rather familiar… It does resemble the Profound Earth Devil Mark on my back!

In the past, Ning Fan could not understand why Xu Rushan was so respectful towards him. Now, he could indistinctly know the reason.

Perhaps it's related to the devil mountain!

Furthermore, he only started to behave in that manner after I have condensed my new Divine Intent and summoned the image of the devil mountain.

What exactly is that mountain?

"Let me be frank with Fellow Daoist. That is an emblem of the Giant Devil Sect of the Internal Endless Sea. This spiritual equipment was given by Venerated Giant. And about that mountain, it's called Evil Luo Mountain! Does Fellow Daoist have any idea about it?"

"Evil Luo Mountain…"

When Ning Fan uttered those three words, he could faintly feel the devil marks on his back burning.

My devil marks must be closely related to this Evil Luo Mountain…

<strong>Note:</strong>

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<strong>Translator Team:</strong>

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