Grasping Evil

Bei Li's hand gently rubbed her chest. Her chilly gaze flashed with surprise for the very first time.

11 strikes! 11 bell rings!

With just a single breath, he rang the bell… eleven times!

Bei Li had expected that Ning Fan would at most be able to sound the bell 19 times with all his strength based on the firmness of his Heart of Dao…

However, she did not anticipate that Ning Fan had comprehended one of the Void Fragmentation Realm divine abilities – the Emperor's Shadow and used the prestige of the emperor to withstand the immortal's prestige from the bell.

Without much preparation, her breathing was disrupted by the sound of the bell which rapidly came pounding on her one after one another. She quickly calmed herself down, regulating her breathing and magic power and only then did her breathing became normal again but her chest was still rising and falling in a noticeable manner.

"Even though he has yet to completely attain the Divine Transformation Realm, he has already congealed the Emperor's Shadow. Besides, when he was at the Ten Steps Bridge earlier, he had even unleashed his incarnation technique… Among the three Void Fragmentation Realm techniques, he has already learnt two of them… He's really a monster…"

Ning Fan was unaware that his actions had made a favorable impression on Bei Xiaoman's third elder sister.

But even if he knew about it, he would not care about it at all because what truly mattered to him were just the giant bell in front of him and that incomplete scene that flashed past his eyes.

"What exactly was that image…"

"It's samsara!" Luo You's drowsy voice echoed from within the Yin Yang Locket.

"Samsara?" Ning Fan was stunned. The next moment, he inwardly teased, "Miss Luo You, you always wake up just right in time when I need you."

"Yea. I actually wanted to sleep for a little longer but the sound of the bell was rather annoying… It's a disturbance to my sweet dreams… Hmm… The Bell of Samsara. It really brings back old memories. This Elder Sister could not remember clearly how long it had been since I rang this bell to complete my Divine Transformation… Slumber… When one falls into slumber, they would then be forgotten and perish along with time…"

Luo You's voice was filled with a hint of nostalgia but immediately she was in high spirits again.

"Good Brother, are you going to attain the Divine Transformation Realm already? You're really excellent for being capable of sounding the bell 11 times with just a breath. In the past, this Elder Sister only managed to sound the bell 10 times…"

"10 times?" Ning Fan asked, feeling surprised inwardly.

So even if I have summoned the Emperor's Shadow, borrowing the prestige from the emperor, I'm just slightly stronger than her in the past.

"However, even if this Elder Sister was able to ring the bell 24 times in the end, I wasn't able to catch a glimpse of samsara… The Bell of Samsara contains the power of Samsara of the Immortal Sovereign. But it's just a myth because no one was able to use this bell. The fact that you are able to see samsara is considered pretty astounding, even if it's just a fragment of the complete scene. Of course, there are others who are able to discover samsara and remained secretive about their discovery. As such, I am not sure how frequent it is for someone to see it… Erm… Do you want to have a clearer look of samsara?"

"Do you know any methods?" Ning Fan could not help laughing.

This Luo You is always helpful during critical moments like this.

"Yea. I know one. I just learnt it from hearsay. So I'm not really sure whether it is correct or wrong… After all, I couldn't enter the vicinity of three zhang* around the bell…"

"Tell me the method. I want to see the lady…"

"Leave the golden mace, step closer to the giant bell and hit the bell with your fist for the total number of the Stars of Destiny – 108 times! Of course, it's just a rumor. No one has ever tried it. But as for you, I think you should give it a try. This Elder Sister really has high expectations on you… *Yawn* I'm sleepy again…"

It was then that he heard the sound of drawing a curtain down and closing the window panes. Apparently, Luo You had gone back to her sweet dreams once more.

Ning Fan remained silent and stared at the bell. A moment later, he shut his eyes, recalling the lady he saw in that sudden scene just now.

It was clearly Zhihe at first but why did it become Mu Weiling in the end… What does that mean?

"Zhihe…"

The Aura Force Cultivation technique was activated. Ning Fan reopened his eyes and cast the golden mace aside!

After seeing his action, Bei Li was bewildered.

What happened to him? Why doesn't he continue to sound the bell after ringing it 11 times? Why is he tossing the golden mace away? Is he going to end the Second Step of Mortal Severance with only this result?

However, after ringing the bell 11 times, his state of mind has already broken through to the Mid Divine Transformation Realm. As such, it is more than enough for him to complete this stage.

Despite that, there was a hint of disappointment that could not be concealed in Bei Li's eyes… After all, she expected to see Ning Fan sound the bell 49 times and break the record set by the "number one Divine Transformation Realm expert of the Northern Heaven" who had managed to sound the bell for 48 times and become a legend of the Northern Heaven.

Just at the moment when the feeling of disappointment arose within her heart, it was replaced by disbelief.

Because Be Li saw that Ning Fan had taken a step forward, entering the vicinity of three zhang* surrounding the bell!

"How did he do that?! Other than True Immortals, no one could possibly approach the Bell of Samsara?!"

When he was outside the vicinity of three zhang*, Ning Fan felt as if his shoulders were carrying a mountain due to the pressure of the immortal's prestige.

When he merely made a step into the vicinity, that feeling intensified, just like the weight of the mountain increased by a fold.

"Raise the prestige!"

Blood light gathered to his body and a vortex began to emerge around him. His eyes gleamed with ferocity. Using the secret art of prestige and aura derived from the Heaven Sealing Technique, he began to devour the traces of immortal's prestige.

He did not make the second step forward but his aura force was rising continuously.

From the Late Divine Transformation Realm, it gradually broke through the peak stage of the realm, reaching the Half-Step Void Refinement Realm.

However, no matter how much prestige he continued to take in, his aura force was temporarily unable to advance into the Void Refinement Realm, as if it was limited by his current cultivation level.

But as he consumed the immortal's prestige, his aura force was gradually imbued with a strand of …True Immortal's qi!

The level of his aura force was no longer increasing but its quality was experiencing changes.

When the True Immortal's qi entered into Ning Fan's body, it left a trace of purple qi on his Nascent Soul.

At the same moment, he suddenly found out that the color of his luck was changing too!

The dark shade within his dark green luck was concentrating while the element of green was slowly filtering itself out, turning into the color of pure green.

After that, with a single thought, his luck which was previously dark with a faint green tinge had separated itself into two with one of them being fully dark while the other being completely green!

"Two traces of luck?!"

Ning Fan was flabbergasted. After absorbing the purple immortal's prestige, it not only increased the level of his luck but also divided his luck into two…

Perhaps, no one would believe such unbelievable matter but it truly happened!

It was like a pair of Yin Yang fish blending together with each other!

To Ning Fan, it was mind-blowing. He did not know whether such condition was because of the Yin Yang Locket or the benefit from absorbing the immortal's prestige.

All in all, the current condition he encountered regarding his luck was unprecedented.

Why was the Old Devil's luck also black? Is it possible that he was also being plotted against in the past which left him no choice but to tarnish his own luck?

However, as a consequence, his luck became extremely bad. There was not a Gold Core Realm Dao Fruit from the Gold Core Realm cultivators he killed. He could not even notice precious items like the Jade Royal Grass and the Coiling Evil Grass. Besides, when the Yin Yang Locket flew past his eyes, he did not recognize it and he failed tens of times in order to concoct a Four Revolution pill!

The black-colored luck might enable one to avoid someone else's plot but the consequences were not small.

As for Ning Fan's luck, from now onwards, it became unique.

Perhaps, even the Fate Wielding Immortal Emperor could never anticipate that a blackened luck still could be revived!

Luck would decide a cultivator's fortune.

At least, if one wishes to become a profound pill master, they must not have bad luck, or else they would be like the Old Devil, failing almost every single time in concocting pills…

"I was too obsessive!"

His eyes flashed with determination and made the second step!

Dong Xu might have asked him to complete the Devil Transformation in order to avoid someone else's plot against him but perhaps he did not need to go to that extent of completely tarnishing his own luck…

Impure and pure, black luck and purple luck, good and bad, kind and evil, pretty and ugly, ice and fire… They might be contrasting elements that was against each other but it did not necessarily mean that they could not coexist at the same time!

Yin Yang Devil Vein. It was all about unification the coexistence of two!

Privately, the Aura Force Cultivation technique was rotated.

The color of his luck changed even more drastically.

Apparently, there was no longer a faint green tinge within the color of black which grew more and more concentrated to the point where it looked pure black.

But it would separate itself into them whenever Ning Fan wishes it, forming a portion of blackness while a portion of green which was gradually evolving into the color of blue.

When Ning Fan completely stood in front of the bell, he placed his hand on the surface of the bell and did the bravest thing in his entire life.

He directly absorbed the prestige of the Immortal Sovereign residing inside the Bell of Samsara with the Aura Force Cultivation technique!

For outsiders, they could only see that Ning Fan's luck was becoming darker, just like a droplet of pure black ink.

Only Ning Fan knew that when his black-colored luck was rising, the other half of the luck was also improving, gradually becoming the color of pure purple!

When the other half of his luck turned completely purple, the dark-colored luck totally covered it up, making it invisible to any other beings.

But Ning Fan knew that his luck had returned!

"Thanks a lot!"

Facing a non-living bell, he uttered some words which were baffling to any outsiders. The next moment, his fist glowed in jade green light and landed on the Bell of Samsara.

*Dong*

The twelfth ring of the bell echoed throughout the air!

"Mister Ning is able to walk to the bell and strike it with his physical body?! Is he a True Immortal?!"

The thirteenth ring, the fourteenth ring…the twentieth ring.

The twenty-first ring, the twenty-secondth ring…the forty-ninth ring.

When the bell rang for forty-nine times, it echoed across the vicinity of forty-nine thousand li*! As for Bei Li, it blasted loudly on her ears, reverberating incessantly within her heart.

The sound of the bell ringing made Bei Li firmly believe that if Ning Fan breaks through to the Late Divine Transformation Realm, he would definitely take over the title of the "number one Divine Transformation Realm expert of the Northern Heaven"!

Each time the bell rang, it cleansed one's state of mind. Aside from that, every time the bell rang, it was equivalent to one hundred years of cultivation for the state of mind.

In other words, if the bell rings for one hundred and eight times, it would improve one's state of mind by ten thousand and eight hundred years of cultivation!

His state of mind which was on the intermediate stage of the Divine Transformation Realm was slowly advancing under the sound of the bell, reaching the late stage, the peak stage and even the Half-Step Divine Transformation Realm.

The Bell of Samsara did not increase Ning Fan's cultivation level but it caused qualitative changes in many aspects such as his aura, luck and state of mind.

*Dong*

When the final blow landed on the bell, a massive repulsive force from the Immortal Sovereign's prestige was inflicted on him, causing him to puke blood.

His blood splashed all over the bell but his eyes were filled with satisfaction. It was because after the bell rang for the last time, he finally saw samsara!

But a few seconds later, his eyes widened!

The power of Samsara was far beyond his imagination. Besides, it was even more untouchable than the spirit sense technique – Myriad Miles Wander!

There was as if a force sucking his consciousness completely into the Bell of Samsara…

I'm afraid I'm really in grave danger this time…

He muttered to himself within his mind.

The last sound of the bell had travelled beyond the boundaries of the Sea of Clouds, reverberating within the Black Tortoise Star for a long while.

Within the Black Tortoise Star which was so large that it could hold more than 4700 cultivation countries, hundreds of millions of cultivators lifted their heads in unison at this moment, feeling incomprehensible. They could not understand where the sound of the bell came from. But after hearing the bell, all of them had a puzzled look on their faces, just like the time when Ning Fan saw the Bell of Samsara for the first time, bewildered.

The final ring of the bell caused hundreds of millions of cultivators to be absent-minded for a short moment concurrently.

When they regained their consciousness, no one was able to recall the strange incident that happened earlier, as if a part of their memories was literally erased!

Only Meng Xuanzi who was an Immortal Emperor was able to block the sound of the bell!

Originally, he was in confusion while contemplating about Ning Fan's identity. But when the sound of the bell echoed to the star, he suddenly rose up from his seat.

"He rang the bell one hundred and eight times! The power of Samsara! I finally remember him! He is the young man from the Rain World!"

He was the Harmonious Spirit Realm young man who accidentally displayed the True Immortal's divine ability –Myriad Miles Wander and intruded the Black Tortoise Star.

Today, in the Sea of Clouds, the same young man sounded the Bell of Samsara for 108 times while completing his Divine Transformation!

However, it's impossible for the sound of the bell to travel millions of li* away from the Sea of Clouds, spreading all over the Black Tortoise Star.

The reason why it could spread so far is because he has activated the power of Samsara within the golden bell!

"This kid indeed has monstrous potential!"

Meng Xuanzi's eyes sparkled. He made a step forward, shrinking the ground below his foot into an inch and in the next moment, he traversed hundreds of millions of li*, appearing above the Sea of Clouds!

The words he uttered earlier echoed through the space below the stage where he stood to preach the Dao.

No one remembered the bizarre bell ring.

Hundreds of millions of cultivators who were in the midst of listening to his preaching were greatly shocked. It was because the Tablet Master Immortal Emperor – Meng Xuanzi who was famously known for his unsociable and demanding traits had actually commended someone. Moreover, the comment he gave was a terrifying one.

A person with monstrous potential!

Meng Xuanzi had never given anyone such an appraisal before, including the Third Mistress of the Lost World Palace – Bei Li. Although Meng Xuanzi had high expectations on her, the comment he had for her was just "a being with satisfactory potential".

Countless cultivators were curious about who Meng Xuanzi was commending. But in the end, no one would know.

At the Sea of Clouds, Meng Xuanzi descended to the ground in a step!

He stood below the Bell of Samsara, looking at the young man whose palm was placed on the bell without interrupting him.

As for Bei Li, she was taken aback by her master's appearance and hurriedly saluted to him.

"Master! I wonder if Master has any instructions for me by coming here personally…"

"Leave the Sea of Clouds now! Bring Yi Qing with you! I'll handle the rest from here!"

Without giving much explanation, Meng Xuanzi ordered in a serious tone.

The current situation could only be personally handled by him, the Tablet Master Immortal Emperor… If the power of Samsara within the bell goes out of control, perhaps the entire Void Realm would be affected, causing innumerable cultivators' memories to be completely erased!

Bei Li would not be able to withstand it, not to mention Yi Qing!

Thus, the two of them had to leave the Sea of Clouds! ASAP!

"But Master, this Mister has yet to complete the Third Step of Mortal Severance. Bei Li still has the responsibility to guide him…"

"Guide your a**! You little girl, don't tell me you've fallen for this man? Go now and don't worry! Your master, me, is here and I'll personally guide him for the Third Step of Mortal Severance!"

Bei Li was perplexed.

It's the first time she saw her master cursed.

A dignified Immortal Emperor actually also knows how to spit out harsh remarks…

Meng Xuanzi, who was one of the revered Immortal Emperors, was a person who was difficult to meet, even for countless star lords who asked to see him. For the deacons, the Mountain God and the unimportant immortals and gods, it would be nearly impossible to see his true face other than the time he came to preach the Dao.

A person who had such a high status like Meng Xuanzi was willing to guide a mortal cultivator to complete the Three Steps of Mortal Severance and carve his name on the Divine Tablet of Heavenly Dao in person. If this matter is spread, perhaps no one would believe it at all.

But this unbelievable matter truly happened before Bei Li's eyes. It was a fact.

Her face blushed, feeling slightly dissatisfied.

She just knew Ning Fan for a while. She just wanted to help him to complete his Mortal Severance out of kindness. But her master thought that she had fallen for him… If it was in the past, Bei Li would have replied to her master defiantly.

But now, she felt a shred of solemnity from her master's eyes and even… a hint of fear!

Master is feeling afraid? What is he afraid of?

Speaking of Mister Ning, he seems to have sounded the bell 107 times…

Bei Li only heard the bell ringing 107th times because when the bell rang for the 108th times, her memories at that point of time was deleted without her being aware of it!

That was samsara!

"Go now!" Meng Xuanzi shouted impatiently.

"Yes…"

Bei Li gave a deep look at Ning Fan, feeling a little unfortunate inwardly. Because of her master's orders, she had to give up the chance of recruiting Ning Fan after he completes the Three Step of Mortal Severance and attain the Divine Transformation Realm…

After conjuring a ray of purple sword light, she went on top of a sword and left. Along her path, she informed Yi Qing and brought him away with her.

Eventually, there were only Meng Xuanzi and Ning Fan left in the Sea of Clouds.

Meng Xuanzi smiled bitterly.

I'm afraid I have to help this junior from the Rain World for the second time today…

Samsara was a frightful thing. Even Meng Xuanzi was not qualified enough to spy upon the secrets of samsara with his current cultivation level.

This man is really daring. Even though he has yet to fully attain the Divine Transformation Realm, he tried to steal a glance into samsara. I suppose his state of mind should have been consumed by the bell now…

"This old man is going to do you another favor. I'll pull your consciousness out from the bell… Otherwise, the power of Samsara will lose control because of you. Having your consciousness being consumed by the power of Samsara is just a trivial matter but if the power of Samsara goes out of control, the cultivators of the entire Void Realm will lose their memories together with you… Immortal Technique, 'Heaven Peeking Dream'!"

Meng Xuanzi performed a hand seal, conjuring traces of purple lines which extracted Ning Fan's consciousness bit by bit from the bell and placed it back into his body.

After Ning Fan's consciousness successfully escaped from the bell, the power of Samsara within the bell which was unstable just now gradually returned to normal.

Within the Bell of Samsara, Ning Fan could feel that his consciousness was being saved by someone. Thus, he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Shameful. This time, I've gone overboard. If there wasn't anyone to save me, I'm afraid I could only break free from this bell after fully understanding what samsara is… But I don't know how many thousands of years it would take me to comprehend it…"

"If my senses aren't wrong, the person who is saving me isn't Bei Li. This person's cultivation level is terrifyingly high… Although this qi is rather familiar. This person seems to be the senior who once saved me in the past when I intruded the Black Tortoise Star… If it really is him, I've owed him two favors now…"

Ning Fan smiled bitterly.

"Since there is someone saving me now, then I shall take advantage of this opportunity to have a good look on the incomplete scene of samsara.

The next moment, he found himself wearing a white robe, appearing in a palace. The medicinal qi of that place was extremely concentrated. It seemed to be a medicinal garden.

The cultivators who came and went were either maidservants or military personnel. Each of them were at least a Divine Transformation Realm expert.

There were many Void Refinement Realm experts there and Void Fragmentation Realm experts could be seen everywhere. Besides, immortals whose aura were much stronger than that of a Void Fragmentation Realm being also existed.

However, everyone brushed past Ning Fan without noticing his presence.

This place was just a part of samsara, a fragment of the past. Ning Fan did not belong to this era. Therefore, no one could see him and there was nothing he could change.

In the medicinal garden, a ray of golden light soared towards the sky. It was clearly a golden flame chariot.

Nine demon souls were pulling the chariot while a golden-armored demon general was standing at the front of the chariot.

"Lu Wu!"

Ning Fan uttered involuntarily. This person was exactly the person in Lu Daochen's portrait.

The golden-armored demon general seemed to have heard someone calling his name. Feeling strange and puzzled, he looked around. After that, he shook his head and mocked himself.

"I seem to be overly nervous today. It just makes me feel like something big is going to happen to the Heavenly Court."

Staring at Lu Wu who was patrolling the vast sky above the medicinal garden, Ning Fan's brows were tightly knitted together.

Lu Wu was once the officer who takes charge of the Celestial Emperor's medicinal garden. Since he is here, is it possible that this is the Heavenly Court of ancient times?

Step by step, he entered the garden. He remembered that the lady he saw earlier was within that area.

Each tuft of immortal medicines were at least more than one millions years old. Moreover, more than half of them were unrecognizable by Ning Fan. Despite that, he knew that he could probably break through the Void Fragmentation Realm immediately by just randomly consuming any one of them…

He reached out his hand, trying to pluck the immortal medicines. As soon as his hand touched them, it shattered into pieces like broken glasses. However, they would reform again at its original position.

This isn't a place that truly exists. It's just an incomplete fragment of samsara.

In the middle of the garden, there was a cyan-colored rock. The lady who should be sitting there while doing her embroidery did not appear.

So Ning Fan sat above it, patiently waiting for her appearance.

Zhihe and Mu Weiliang… What's the relation between the two of them?

After sitting there without knowing how much time had passed, light footsteps echoed from the path outside the garden. While walking, a crisp and clear female voice could be heard, complaining, "*Sigh* I failed to sneak out again from the Southern Heavenly Gate… It's really difficult to go and have a look in the mortal world…"

Ning Fan lifted his gaze. The person who was walking at his direction was a young lady dressed up in a maidservant attire.

She had a naïve face and her eyes were as clear as crystals. Her hair was tied into a bun, just like that of any young girl.

"Zhihe!" Ning Fan rose up and called.

"Who are you?! How dare you enter my father's medicinal garden?!" The young girl angrily threw her delicate punches at Ning Fan.

This young girl who looked exactly like Zhihe was able to see Ning Fan?!

Ning Fan was inwardly surprised. But before he could open his mouth, a half white and half black butterfly penetrated through Ning Fan's body and flew towards the young girl while dancing happily in the leafs of the immortal medicinal herbs.

No, the young lady did not notice Ning Fan.

She was just reprimanding a butterfly…

"I see. She can't see me after all…" Ning Fan bitterly smiled.

That's right. How could she see him? This is the incomplete scene of samsara. What Ning Fan is seeing right now is just the past, the unchangeable history…

The expression of surprise on his face faded and his eyes were fixed on the young lady.

What he saw next was the butterfly perching on the young girl's hand after she beckoned it. Staring at the butterfly, she suddenly cracked up.

"Silly butterfly. Look at you… Don't be scared. I won't tell my father that you are 'stealing' the medicines here…"

As the young girl made a step forward, a dazzling white light flashed past Ning Fan's eyes. Basking in white light, the young girl's appearance changed, looking just exactly like the female corpse.

She was cold-looking and her presence emanated nobility. However, there was still a tinge of innocence on her face which did not match her current identity.

Dressing up like a maidservant was just her camouflage to sneak out from the Southern Heavenly Gate.

Her true identity was actually Mu Weiliang, the daughter of the Celestial Emperor!

"Silly butterfly. Come here. Accompany me to get rid of my boredom. I'm really lonely in this Heavenly Court…"

Mu Weiling gently sat on the stone, not knowing that Ning Fan was just standing right beside her.

Holding the butterfly in her hands, she stared at it with rapt attention.

"Butterfly is a living creature from the mortal world. Interesting. Is it possible that this little butterfly flew up to the Heavenly Court from the mortal world? You really have terrifying willpower. There are so many Void Fragmentation Realm cultivators who failed in ascending here but you succeeded…You are indeed extraordinary."

"…" The butterfly fluttered its wings which was half white and half black. Of course, it did not have the ability to speak.

"Mm-hmm. Since you are able to make your way up here, I will then grant you a name. Hmm… Let's call you Little Fan…"

"…'" The butterfly flapped its wings.

"Little Fan. I am not having a good mood today. Can you please talk to me…"

Mu Weiliang smoothed out her sideburns with her fingers while talking mindlessly to the butterfly in her hands.

But Ning Fan was internally flabbergasted.

Because he noticed that the butterfly in Mu Weiliang's hands had turned towards him and its compound eyes flashed with praise and recollection… as if it could see through samsara and discovered him who was invisible to any other beings there.

Beyond all doubt, it truly saw Ning Fan!

With its weak and tiny body!

<strong>Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel.</strong>

<strong>Note:</strong>

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