Grasping Evil

Ning Fan's pace was slow and steady. Because each of his steps landing heavily on the ground, the Ming Yu Building started to shake.

The view from his back was calm but dignified. At that very moment, none of the demons dared to underestimate Ning Fan.

Even Young Master Hao Chen who originally harbored resentment towards Ning Fan felt his blood curdling. At the view of Ning Fan's back, the grudges within his heart diminished, making him no longer dare to oppose him.

"Lu Bei! So this is Lu Bei! A person that must not be provoked!"

Everything that happened within their minds was out of Ning Fan's knowledge. From the moment he entered the Ming Yu Building, his ears were muffled, muting every noise in the atmosphere, including the sound of the wind!

No one knew that Ning Fan's mind was immersed in self-reflection.

The quiet Eastern Ocean Bell which was in his storage pouch began to ring loudly within his mind, forming a faint golden halo!

The ring of the bell was originally equipped with the ability to immobilize a person. But when it rang in his heart, he felt that even his thoughts were nearly frozen by it.

"Eastern Ocean Bell!"

Ning Fan's eyes widened but he did not stop moving!

I wonder what's the relation between the Eastern Ocean Bell and the Eastern Ocean Heaven of the Four Heavens[1]…

Is it also related to the demon race?

This Ming Yu Building was a building that was skillfully designed. The person who built it had placed the Deterrent Formation[2] of the ancient demon tower on the fifth floor and above. That formation was rumored to be created by the Demon Ancestor himself. It was a formation used to intimidate their enemies.

But what did the Eastern Ocean Bell have to do with it?!

At first, Ning Fan merely intended to climb up to the tenth floor and obtain fifty thousand battle points. However, another thought struck him. He wanted to try finding out the secrets behind the Eastern Ocean Bell using this opportunity.

He gritted his teeth and climbed up to the sixth floor. Then he stopped.

However, as soon as he stopped moving, the ringing of the bell started to fade away, as if it were showing signs of going quiet.

He felt perturbed and stared pensively at the next flight of jade stairs. Without uttering any words, he held Mu Xiao Huan's hand and ascended to the seventh floor.

Just as he began to move, the sound of the bell resumed within his mind!

*Dong — Dong — Dong*

Every ring of the bell pounded on Ning Fan's chest. In the meantime, Ning Fan discovered that all the red Violent Qi he accumulated from his previous killing sprees was uncontrollably released from his body against his own will. They revolved around him and glowed in red, as if they were reacting to the sound of the bell!

Aside from that, under the effect of the sound of the bell, the Violent Qi seemed to be showing signs of transformation.

Aura force was intangible in nature.

But Ning Fan could feel that the aura force he was unleashing was gradually being filled with a blackish-red tinge and glowed in a color akin to blood.

After the integration of the blood light into his aura force, it got stronger!

Before this, his demon power might be comparable to that of a Peak Nascent Soul Realm expert but his aura force was still slightly weaker than that of a Half-Step Divine Transformation Realm expert who had 5000 units of demon power.

Now, however, the strength of his aura force was slowly evolving into the level of a Half-Step Divine Transformation Realm expert.

Ning Fan's eyes flashed with surprise. This Eastern Ocean Bell could actually condense the Violent Qi and increase the intensity of one's aura force!

To be honest, with the inheritance of the Yin Yang Locket, Ning Fan wasn't afraid of any form of aura force below the Void Fragmentation Realm. Even if he faces Void Fragmentation Realm level aura force, he would also be able to endure for a moment.

Of course, he would not be able to stand a chance against the aura force of a True Immortal.

After all, the aura force of the Yin Yang Locket belonged to the Ancient Chaos Emperor and not Ning Fan himself. The pressure of his Violent Qi, however, was step by step being cultivated and gathered and became his own. In other words, it had unlimited potential for improvement!

"If this Eastern Ocean Bell can condense one's Violent Qi to improve their aura force, it may be possible for me to even possess an aura force which is equivalent to that of a True Immortal when I am still at the Nascent Soul Realm!"

"But I don't understand why. All this time, this Eastern Ocean Bell was quiet and still. Why does it ring now? Perhaps the ancient demon prose engraved on the bell recorded the technique to improve one's aura force while the Aura Force Formation established in this building is identical to the method of protecting the treasure as per the records in the ancient demon prose and coincidentally awakened the 'Aura Force Cultivation' ability of the bell!"

"Allowing one to traverse the Void Realm, the Heaven Sealing Technique, raising one's aura force… The secrets of the Eastern Ocean Bell are truly astonishing! It's definitely not just any ordinary Offering Vessel of the Ancient Demon!"

If it was in the past, Ning Fan would not have cared about showing the Eastern Ocean Bell in public. But after witnessing the unique abilities of the bell, he deeply knew that it was inappropriate to take out such an item right under the ancient demons' nose!

"After this, I shall visit the Scripture Tower in the Demon City and study the ancient demon characters to decipher the true method of using this bell. In the future, I will then have the means to raise my aura force…For now, I shall go up to the tenth floor!"

Ning Fan put that thought aside and climbed up another flight of stairs!

The pressure of the seventh floor was equal to that of a Peak Nascent Soul Realm expert. Even so, it did not manage to stop Ning Fan from moving forward. As he continued to move, the ringing of the bell continued to echo within him.

*Dong, Dong, Dong —*

When he arrived at the eight floor, every last bit of his Violent Qi had fused into his aura force. At this moment, Ning Fan's body was encircled with a trace of overbearing, red, glowing aura. When it spread throughout the building, most of the demons on the fifth floor were brought to their knees, incapacitate them of their ability to move!

"Divine Transformation Realm aura force!" The black-armored Demon General's expression was filled with shock.

In his eyes, Ning Fan's demon power was without a doubt at the Early Nascent Soul Realm. Although his pressure was strong earlier, it was only on a par with a Peak Nascent Soul Realm expert. However, the higher he moved, the stronger his aura force became. After he set foot on the eight floor, his aura force had even attained to the level of Early Divine Transformation Realm!

Besides, speaking of aura force, Ning Fan's had gotten slightly stronger than the Demon General Lu Sheng himself by now!

"This kid indeed conceals a lot about himself… If it wasn't because of Yao Yuan's recommendation, I will never know this Lu Bei is actually a fierce being who has killed countless enemies. Furthermore, he fused his Violent Qi into his aura force in order to strengthen it. I have never really heard of such a technique before!"

"However, after his aura force has improved to the level of the Early Divine Transformation Realm, his Violent Qi has all been expended. I suppose there is no more room for his aura force to improve for now. He has reached his limit. He can enter the ninth floor himself. But with the girl by his side, he can't!"

The black-armored Demon General felt pity for him.

To him, this Lu Bei was indeed a rare talent. If he manages to achieve Bloodline Awakening, maybe he might be able to climb up to the tenth floor by himself. But for now, it would be impossible for him to do that…

"You can come down now. Even if you have yet to reach the tenth floor, you have successfully broadened my horizon. The fifty thousand battle points that I've promised earlier, I will record it down for you now!"

Lu Sheng wore a smile while he spoke. After all, he had accomplished his objective of testing out Ning Fan's true capabilities.

As a matter of fact, the battle points was just bait. Even if Ning Fan was unable to climb up to the tenth floor, as long as he proved himself to be a talented person, Lu Sheng would still give it to him to show his sincerity in recruiting Ning Fan.

As a Demon General, one would need capable and competent Demon Soldiers to guard a domain. Among the seven hundred Demon Soldiers in the Luo Yun Tribe, perhaps Ning Fan would be regarded as one of the top cultivators! Therefore, a person like him was definitely worth it for Lu Sheng to lower himself and befriend him.

The words uttered by the Demon General struck awe into each and every one of the demons who prostrated on the ground due to the immense pressure.

Lu Sheng's words showed his intention of befriending Ning Fan. At the same time, this also served as a warning to the rest of the demons at the scene – If anyone dares to offend Ning Fan in Northern Desert City, it merely implies that they're not giving him face, the Demon General!

But when his words echoed into Ning Fan's ears, they were not able to move his heart.

He silently stood at the eight floor, clutching Xiao Huan's hands while sensing the Violent Qi within his body with his eyes closed.

All of his Violent Qi had already fused into his aura force, making it advance into the Early Divine Transformation Realm. To him, it was an unexpected gain. But he could no longer depend on his Violent Qi to raise his aura force…

Violent Qi was obtained from killing Nascent Souls of Nascent Soul Realm cultivators as killing them would disrupt the harmony of the primordial qi of heaven and earth.

Baleful Qi was obtained from killing Primordial Spirits of Divine Transformation Realm experts. It was because killing them meant defying the will of the Heavens which would in turn enrage the Heavens, leaving such qi in the killer's body.

"Baleful Qi! Yes. In order to raise my pressure to the Mid Divine Transformation Realm, I must possess Baleful Qi. In other words, I must at the very least kill one Divine Transformation Realm being to obtain Baleful Qi and only then could my aura force break through to the Mid Divine Transformation Realm…Divine Transformation Realm expert. Apparently, I haven't really killed one myself. But today, he will be the first one I kill! I will depend on the Baleful Qi of that person to break through to the next level!"

Ning Fan slapped on his storage pouch and took out a jade bottle. Without hesitation, he crushed it with his hand.

The single Primordial Spirit which was sealed within the jade bottle fell into his hand and immediately swallowed it down!

It was the Primordial Spirit of the vice sect master of the Black Buddha Sect, Evil Light!

Instantly, Ning Fan's body began to be filled with a trace of ferocious Baleful Qi for the first time! Then, he continued to climb the next flight of stairs which would lead him to the ninth floor!

No one in the fifth floor had any idea of what had Ning Fan eaten!

However, the trace of Baleful Qi which came out from nowhere caused Lu Sheng to feel chills running down his back.

"Baleful Qi?! This kid is just an Early Nascent Soul Realm being. How can he possibly kill a Divine Transformation Realm being? Why does he have Baleful Qi in him?! A qi like that can even make me dreadful. If it isn't Baleful Qi, then what else could it be?!"

Originally, Lu Sheng presumed that Ning Fan would not be capable of climbing up to the ninth floor.

However, his assumption was shattered by Ning Fan step by step!

*Dong, Dong, Dong —*

The ringing of the bell resounded loudly!

On the ninth floor, the aura force which was equivalent to the Mid Divine Transformation Realm went towards Ning Fan, causing pain to his Sea of Consciousness. Blood began to flow out from the corners of his mouth.

After the Nascent Soul Realm, the difference between every small realm was worlds apart.

When one attains the Divine Transformation Realm, the gap in power between every small realm was even wider.

Mid Divine Transformation Realm aura force. If Lu Sheng tries to withstand it at such close distance without caution, he might even be sent flying away by it. However, instead of being sent away by the aura force, Ning Fan only bled upon facing that tremendous aura force.

Lu Sheng's brows knitted tightly together. He started to feel that the more he studied this insignificant winged-demon, Lu Bei, the more he could not see through him.

In the fifth floor, each of the demons of the Luo Yun Tribe held their breaths, not daring to make a single noise. They were afraid that they might disturb Ning Fan's focus in climbing the stairs.

In the meantime, the shadow of Ning Fan's back became even more imposing. Under that shadow, each of the demons felt that they were as insignificant as ants.

Whereas Ning Fan was like a star in the sky, which was high up and beyond their grasp!

One step. It's just one step away from the ninth floor.

Ning Fan's eyes shone with determination. When he made the last step to the ninth floor, Ming Yu Building creaked. The tables and chairs trembled violently and the building began to sway, as if it was on the verge of collapsing!

The Baleful Qi which he obtained after engulfing Evil Light's Primordial Spirit rapidly fused into his aura force.

A mighty aura force which was as massive as a giant dragon spread throughout the building. Under such an aura force, even the Demon General, Lu Sheng, who lifted his hand to shield his sister Lu Wan'er had to retreat a few steps to offset it. His eyes widened in amazement.

"Mid Divine Transformation Realm! This kid's aura force has actually attained the Divine Transformation Realm while his demon power is just at the Early Nascent Soul Realm!"

In the entire territory of the Luo Yun Tribe which was a billion li* large, only the Honorable Demon General, the Cloud General, Lu Daochen, possessed Mid Divine Transformation Realm aura force!

"This kid is certainly the most outstanding being in my Luo Yun Tribe in ten thousand years. He must be treated with lavish gifts and no one shall do harm to him! If Lu Zongyun dares to play tricks on him when he is in the Bloodline Pool, I will definitely annihilate Lu Zongyun's whole family!"

Having Mid Divine Transformation Realm aura force, Ning Fan would surely be able to climb up to the tenth floor and demolish the Ming Yu Building, if he had not brought Mu Xiao Huan with him!

Internally, Lu Sheng had already tacitly accepted his lost on his bet against Ning Fan.

At the same time, Lu Sheng also noticed that the Baleful Qi which appeared suddenly had already been used up, making it impossible for Ning Fan's aura force to grow anymore.

However, Ning Fan's actions which were always exceeding all expectations made Lu Sheng think that he actually still had several means to reach the tenth floor while bringing along the little girl!

It might be unreasonable but it was exactly how Lu Sheng felt.

"Is he going to continue climbing the stairs?"

With Xiao Huan by his side, the ninth floor was his limitation.

Without that girl, the tenth floor would be his limitation instead.

After arriving at the ninth floor, Ning Fan stopped. This time, the ringing of the bell did not cease.

The dull noise emitted by the bell still continued to echo within his mind. However, Ning Fan gradually discerned a human voice within the ringing sound.

It was as if someone was saying something in the bell, but the contents were unclear…

"Who is speaking?" Ning Fan hesitated.

Judging by the current situation, he also knew that it would be extremely difficult for him to ascend to the tenth floor, unless he activates the Yin Yang Locket and mount the next flight of stairs depending on the prestige of the Ancient Chaos Emperor.

But if he chooses the easy way out by using the Yin Yang Locket, it would then contradict with his original intention.

"The ninth floor. I've already done enough to obtain fifty thousand battle points. It has also proved that I am capable of climbing up to the tenth floor without bringing anyone else with me. So there is no need for me to deliberately use the Yin Yang Locket which will in turn expose the fact that I have no fear for any aura force below the Void Fragmentation Realm…"

Without uttering a single word, he held Xiao Huan's hands and turned to his back, planning to go down.

Just as he made his first step to go back, the bell loudly rang within his mind.

This time, he was able to hear the faint voice which was mixed within the ringing of the bell.

"I am the Demon Ancestor. This technique is the Heaven Sealing Art. This is the Secret Art of Prestige which is a part of the Secret Art of Prestige and Aura! The epigraph records the verbal spell while what you will hear next is the mental spell. It will only be told once. However, if the ringing of the bell stops, the mental spell will cease to be told!"

When that voice resounded in his mind, Ning Fan paused!

Demon Ancestor?!

Although a mere Supreme Grade Magical Treasure like this Eastern Ocean Bell was not worth mentioning, as an Offering Vessel for the Ancient Demon, it actually hid the inheritance of the Demon Ancestor's Secret Arts?!

From the words of the Demon Ancestor, Ning Fan had gained lots of information.

The Heaven Sealing Art was divided into two parts. The ability of the Eastern Ocean Bell as well as the Body Sealing Technique which Ning Fan derived from the bell belonging to the first part of the Heaven Sealing Art – the Secret Art of Prestige. As for the second part of the Heaven Sealing Art – the Secret Art of Aura, it was not mentioned at all by the voice he heard…

The Secret Art of Prestige was also split into two parts, which were the verbal spell and the mental spell.

The unfamiliar epigraph on the bell should be the verbal spell but Ning Fan could only assess it after deciphering it.

As for the ringing of the bell which incessantly reverberated in his mind, it was the mental spell. Apparently, this spell would only be inherited once. After that, even if Ning Fan could not get it, the sound of the bell would be destroyed and the mental spell would vanish forever!

Ning Fan had no idea how powerful the Heaven Sealing Art could be. But from the astonishment that Stone Warrior felt back then, this technique seemed to be one of the top Immortal Arts in the Four Heavens Immortal World. Today, by coincidence, he obtained half of the inheritance of the Heaven Sealing Art. He had even activated the Eastern Ocean Bell by accident which granted him the chance to gain access to the mental spell!

If Ning Fan were to retreat now, the sound of the bell would instantly stop and he would never be able to obtain the mental spell again!

"Cannot retreat! There are no other choices! I must obtain the mental spell before the sound of the bell ceases! This is the only chance!"

Ning Fan cleared his thoughts and brought Mu Xiao Huan back to the stairs which led them to the tenth floor.

"He does want to ascend to the tenth floor!" Lu Sheng guessed correctly what Ning Fan would try to do next. However, he could not figure out what Ning Fan would use to withstand the aura force of the tenth floor.

On the flight of stairs to the tenth floor, Ning Fan could feel the immense aura force which was equal to the level of Late Divine Transformation Realm rushing to his mind in every step he took.

This feeling was akin to what he felt when he saw the Late Divine Transformation Realm Demon General, Wang Xiao, for the first time before entering the Second World.

Even though Wang Xiao was in his soul form after losing his physical body, Ning Fan only had a 10% chance of escaping alive.

That aura force he was experiencing now was comparable to that of Wang Xiao's. Perhaps even the Cloud General of the Luo Yun Tribe would not be able to withstand this!

Should I activate the Yin Yang Locket?

No!

Ning Fan wanted to rely on his own to withstand the aura force. It was in that manner where he could listen to the sound of the bell.

One step later, his immortal veins nearly crumbled.

Ten steps later, his silver bones almost snapped.

A hundred steps later, his Nascent Soul was on the verge of collapsing.

Ning Fan's face was deathly pale. But he proceeded without hesitation.

All of a sudden, the mental spell gradually echoed in his ears.

He seemed to notice a golden-robed young man standing on top of a star in the boundless Void Realm, gazing down on the common people.

The eyes of the golden-robed young man had a type of prestige! A prestige that was sufficient to freeze heaven and earth!

A new enlightenment began to flow within Ning Fan's mind.

Why is the Eastern Ocean Bell capable of sealing a person's movement? I guess the direction of my comprehension was wrong…

I condensed my magic power and turned it into threads to bind a person in order to immobilize them. It was a wrong way of using that method…

He began to recall his childhood memories where he entered the Ning Bi Hill to gather herbs.

There, the young Ning Fan saw a real wolf for the first time!

The ferociousness within the green eyes of the wolf scared the little Ning Fan to the core, petrifying him.

That intimidation was the secret to the first part of the Heaven Sealing Art!

Using magic power to seal a body, the technique would only be limited to sealing people or living creatures. In order to freeze time, the samsara and even the Heavenly Dao, one must master both "prestige" and "aura"!

"Secret Art of Prestige…"

As comprehension arose within him, the burdensome aura force which nearly overwhelmed Ning Fan was instantly dispersed like a gust of wind.

His eyes glowed with a mysterious, faint-golden light. His lips moved, repeating the mental spells from the voice in his head.

Suddenly, a dazzling gold light blinded his vision. Among the light, Ning Fan saw that the person standing at the peak of the star was also murmuring something!

He looked down upon the starry sky and his lips curved into a proud smile. Then he lifted his leg and stomped! The star abode which was a hundred times larger than the Rain World was crushed!

He turned up his nose at the Heavens and shouted a question!

"Treading on the Eastern Ocean while looking at the North. I shall ask the Heavens who is more mighty!"

A blood light flashed around the golden-robed young man. His strong, fierce demon qi dyed the moon blood-red.

His lifted his finger and sighed. The blood-red moonlight was then absorbed into his hand, turning it into a boat. He made a leap and stood on it while the boat travelled across the Void Realm without facing any resistance!

"Heaven and earth anchor the demon moon, wind and rain form a boat!"

The scene faded.

The mental spell constituted four sentences.

Even so, the aura force contained within the four sentences blew against Ning Fan's face, diminishing the golden light. Slowly, he regained his consciousness.

As soon as his eyes could see again, he found out that there was only one final step from the tenth floor!

He did not immediately put his foot forward but he stopped and thought for a moment.

The golden-robed young man is the Demon Ancestor? His aura force is so dominating…

Within the four sentences of the spell, there are four messages hidden within. Treading the Eastern Ocean, question the Heavens, turning the moon into a boat and overpowering the Void Realm.

"Demon Ancestor…"

Ning Fan pensively looked at his palm. A ray of golden light slowly emerged.

This golden light was the ringing of the bell that kept sounding within his mind!

This golden light represented the prestige of the Demon Ancestor!

The mental spell might be able to be heard once, but this golden light was the perfect nutrient for increasing his aura force. It was even better than Baleful Qi!

Ning Fan's eyes flashed with excitement and gulped down the ray of golden light. After that, he took one final step and ascended the tenth floor!

At this moment, the golden light was assimilated into his body, drastically raising his aura force to the Late Divine Transformation Realm! It wasn't the prestige borrowed from the Yin Yang Locket but it was the prestige belonged to his own!

At this moment, a golden virtual shadow condensed on his back. It was a few zhang* tall but its face was indistinct.

At the same moment, the Ming Yu Building began to crumble!

"This Lu Bei is still able to go to the tenth floor while bringing one person with him! He is truly monstrous! If I am not wrong, his aura force has attained the Late Divine Transformation Realm! The most unbelievable thing was the golden shadow on his back! If I am correct, this golden virtual shadow should be one of the three Void Fragmentation Realm abilities – Emperor Shadow!"

"This kid actually learned the Emperor Shadow while he is just at the Early Nascent Soul Realm. In other words, he will definitely attain the Void Fragmentation Realm! Apparently, Northern Desert City and even the Luo Yun Tribe has finally got an extraordinary demon. In no time, this kid will be promoted to become a Demon Marshal and even win over the Demon Sovereign!"

By just witnessing Emperor Shadow, Lu Sheng had already lost his composure. His intention to rope in Ning Fan had become even more earnest and determined.

However, Lu Sheng had no clue that the three Void Fragmentation Realm divine abilities – Soul Incarnation, Soul Extraction and Emperor Shadow, were all mastered by Ning Fan!

Ming Yu Building collapsed!

But Lu Sheng did not feel any heartache about it!

Because the person who was capable of making the Ming Yu Building collapse surely there was a peerless expert!

"I announce that from this moment onwards, Lu Bei is the first Demon Soldier of my Northern Desert City. I hereby grant him the Blood Orchid Token. He will command 10000 small demons of the Blood Orchid Guard and he is now approved to lead the troops to launch an attack on the enemy! In addition, record fifty thousand battle points into Lu Bei's battle points plate. No mistakes shall be condoned!"

A sense of pride surged within Lu Sheng's heart.

The Northern Desert City would certainly be in euphoria because of Lu Bei. The Luo Yun Tribe would also be in joy because of Lu Bei in the future.

Now, I must immediately report to Wan Luo City and recommend this person to the Honorable Demon General!

<strong>Note:</strong>

1. Pressure Force Formation has been changed to Aura Force Formation

2. "Pressure", a force exerted on the opponent, is changed to the term called "aura force".

*Some of the names are changed for more precise meaning.

3. Back in chapter 207(1), the Four Heavens, which are also known as the Four Ocean Immortal Worlds consist ofi. The Drifting Heaven in the Northern Ocean [Northern Ocean Heaven]ii. The Emperor Heaven in the Southern Ocean [Southern Ocean Heaven]iii. The Brahma Heaven in the Western Ocean, and [Western Ocean Heaven]iv. The Void Heaven in the Eastern Ocean [Eastern Ocean Heaven]

4. Deterrent Formation here refers to the Aura Force Formation. I believe the author uses this name here is to introduce the function of the formation to the ancient demons. If I interpret correctly, it is uses to intimidate the enemies with massive aura force, tricking them to think that a powerful expert existing in the tower while no one is there.

<strong>Translator Team:</strong>

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