Grasping Evil

Ning Fan plunged through the waves with Gusu Island on his shoulder and continued on pursuing Luo Sen.

His eyes remained calm and every step he made was steady and powerful. Regarding his intrusion in the Purple Primordial Sea which had startled Zuo Tong, he was not really concerned about it.

Instead of giving the Purple Charm Sect a hundred reasons to let him pass through, it was better to shatter the formation lights blocking his way with his palm.

What it takes to make the domineering Purple Charm Sect yield was not a touching story but an overpowering strength and power that no one would dare to resist.

Not only did Ning Fan want to let everyone in the External Endless Sea know that he had returned, he also wanted them to realize that it was a terrible mistake to provoke him!

Luo Sen seemed to be escaping in the direction leading to the top ten sects of the External Endless Sea on purpose, trying to make use of the experts from those forces to stop Ning Fan's pursuit.

That stout cunning devil lord had already gone quite far away.

However, Ning Fan took his time and advanced towards Luo Sen's direction unhurriedly. In front of him, floating islands inhabited by some forces appeared one after another.

Occasionally, he would meet some formations which were set up by some of the islands to seal off their territory on the sea. However, Ning Fan faced every one of them by tyrannically crashing into them.

Even the formation light of the Purple Charm Sect was unable to stop Ning Fan, how would it be possible for these ordinary forces to block him?!

The Xiang Family on the Pengwang Island!

The Xiang Family used to be an unrivalled force in the External Endless Sea. With Xiang Liao who was a Half-Step Divine Transformation Realm expert overseeing the Xiang Family, almost no one within the top ten sects and three islands of the external sea dared to mess with them. In the past, it was an influential force with a well-deserved reputation.

However, after the seventeen experts of the Xiang Family including Xiang Liao tragically died at the Pill Cauldron Gate, the status of the Xiang Family in the External Endless Sea could be said to have suffered a disastrous decline.

They were then pursued by the members of the Pill Cauldron Gate and even their old foes. The death of the most powerful cultivator of their family led the Xiang Family in a downward spiral. Twenty years later, the Xiang Family which used to be as brilliant as the sun in the noon had already become a third-rate force.

Seven Gold Core Realm cultivators of the Xiang Family were seated in their respective seats and were having a conference in the Elders' Hall. An Early Nascent Soul Realm elder sat on the highest seat with his eyes closed. Throughout the entire discussion, he had never uttered a single word.

The current Xiang Family was only left with seven Gold Core Realm cultivators and a Nascent Soul Realm expert.

Besides, that Nascent Soul Realm expert forcibly attained his current cultivation by using secret techniques. The only reason he did so was to put up a seemingly strong facade. In actuality, his combat power was pretty low.

The seven Gold Core Realm cultivators were discussing whether they should seek refuge from the Alliance of Ming Assassins.

The Alliance of Ming Assassins was purposefully established to kill Zhou Ming.

Likewise, the biggest foe of the Xiang Family was also Zhou Ming.

If they can turn to the Alliance of Ming Assassins and join their forces, perhaps the Xiang Family would still have hope of making a comeback.

"Master, in my opinion, since the ferocious Devil Lord Zhou Ming has returned to the External Endless Sea, the Alliance of Ming Assassins is already eager for action. They are getting ready to eliminate him. Now is the time to join them when they are short-handed. If we join the alliance, it's as good as clinging to a big stable tree! Why should we even hesitate on this matter?"

A Late Gold Core Realm cultivator got up with his fists cupped and spoke with fervor and assurance. After hearing his words, the other six experts all seconded his view by nodding their heads.

"No!" The Nascent Soul Realm old man who had been silent for a long time slowly opened his eyes. His appearance looked old and weary.

He was the only surviving Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in the Xiang Family and so he was the current master of the family.

"Why?! Master should prioritize the prosperity of the family first when making any decision! Don't tell us that Master is reluctant to let go of your authority over the Xiang Family?"

The Late Gold Core Realm cultivator questioned.

If they seek refuge with the alliance, the Xiang Family would definitely be taken over. This was the price of joining a more powerful force. Seeing the Nascent Soul Realm old man disagreeing with his suggestion, that Late Gold Core Realm cultivator only thought that the old man had an axe to grind with the authority.

"Ridiculous! Why would I care for the position of a head of a declining family?! The reason why I oppose the notion of joining the alliance is merely because I'm afraid of one person… The Alliance of Ming Assassins, as its name clearly suggests, is trying to kill Zhou Ming. However, they're just courting death! I've heard that the Devil Lord Zhou Ming has already attained the Divine Transformation Realm… What I'm trying to say is that if we want to preserve the last bloodline of the Xiang Family, we must not go against Zhou Ming!"

An insignificant hint of fear flashed within the old man's eyes as if he had recalled the tragic incident that had happened in the past.

His words made every cultivator in the hall contemplate. Those who had never witnessed how merciless Ning Fan was in killing would never fully understand how ferocious and frightening the name 'Zhou Ming' was!

On that day, no one expected that the Half-Step Divine Transformation Realm expert, Xiang Liao, would die in the Pill Cauldron Gate. But it turned out that the seventeen experts from the Xiang Family had died in Zhou Ming's hands so easily!

"When Zhou Ming was still at the Nascent Soul Realm, he was able to dominate the External Endless Sea and be unequaled. As he has attained the Divine Transformation Realm, he is even more unprovocable now!" The old man asserted.

The Late Gold Core Realm cultivator knitted his eyebrows. As a matter of fact, he had already joined the alliance in secret and that was why he spared no effort in persuading the entire Xiang Family to make the same choice as him.

"Even if Zhou Ming is a Divine Transformation Realm expert now, the alliance also has dozens of Divine Transformation Realm experts too …"

He still continued on trying to persuade the old man. But at the next second, the whole Pengwang Island began to tremble, as if it was being hit by some kind of ferocious beast.

The eight experts immediately got out of the hall in eight rays of light. Their faces were filled with anxiety and shock.

The sea where Pengwang Island was located was an area with torrential waters. In the past, some sea beasts would stray from their original path due to the current and occasionally crash into their island.

If it was a Gold Core Realm sea beast which bumped into the island, the island would only tremble momentarily and stop. But if it was a Nascent Soul Realm sea beast, the island would sway for several breaths. However, after that period of time, the island would definitely return to its normal state.

This time, however, the island was shaking too violently, as if the island was being trampled upon by something so heavy that it was about to crush the whole island into half!

As soon as the eight experts got out of the hall, their gazes swept across their surroundings. At the next moment, what they had seen and heard was engraved right in their minds, making them unable to forget that very scene in front of them for the rest of their lives!

They saw a three thousand zhang* (3.33m per zhang) tall giant in purple armor stepping on the Pengwang Island while carrying another humongous island that was several times larger.

The step he made was too strong and heavy. Right beneath his foot, half of Pengwang Island was crushed, sinking into the ocean!

"A g-giant! Who is this! Crushing half of the island with just a single footstep… His cultivation base is too terrifying!" The Late Gold Core Realm cultivator's face was pale with fright. If this giant was coming to destroy the Xiang Family, the Xiang Family would certainly vanish in no time!

"He is Zhou Ming! Just look at him. Do you still think that it's wise to join the Alliance of Ming Assassins?!"

The Nascent Soul Realm old man took a deep breath and closed his eyes helplessly.

When his eyes met the giant's just now, he felt like his nascent soul was going to collapse, as if it had been pierced through by a sword.

Even if an ordinary Divine Transformation Realm expert could kill a Nascent Soul expert in an instant, there's no way they could make one feel his nascent soul be on the verge of collapsing with just a gaze.

The old man clearly knew that after Ning Fan attained the Divine Transformation Realm, he became someone beyond comparison among the ordinary Divine Transformation Realm experts.

"Impossible! Even among the Divine Transformation Realm ancestors from the Ying State Immortal Island, none can transform into such a huge giant!"

The Late Gold Core Realm cultivator was frightened to the core. The same terrified expression appeared on the faces of the other six cultivators and the eyes of thousands of cultivators in the Xiang Family.

Fortunately, the giant was just passing by Pengwang Island and killed not one of them. This made all the cultivators of the Xiang Family breathe a sigh of relief.

"Xiang Qi, as you can see, Zhou Ming can't be offended… I know you've secretly joined the alliance. But let me remind you. If you try to put the Xiang Family in a dangerous situation again, I will instantly kill you!"

The Nascent Soul Realm old man's eyes glinted with a cold light. He would never allow anyone to piss Ning Fan off.

The Xiang Family had already declined. However, it had not been eradicated anyway. The old man could not let the Xiang Family be completely annihilated in Ning Fan's hands!

On Hengshan Island located in the sea of black reefs.

Hengshan Island was an island with cursed luck.

There was a luckless sect on the island called Permanent Cloud Sect.

The ancestor of the sect was even more unlucky. His name was Wang Heng.

Wang Heng was an Early Gold Core Realm cultivator. Thirty plus years ago, he already had this cultivation base and now, he was still at the same level.

Although his innate talent was weak, he had almost reached the peak state of the Early Gold Core Realm thirty plus years ago. However, even though so many years had passed by, he still had not broken through to the Mid Gold Core Realm. Besides, he even obtained a Gold Core Realm Dao Fruit once. After consuming the Dao Fruit, his magic power had almost reached the Late Gold Core Realm. Unfortunately, he could not achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation base because of a shadow in his heart.

Thirty years ago, a horrifying battle had left a nightmare within him.

On that day, a wild devil cultivator named Zhou Ming killed three Nascent Soul Realm experts of the Demon Sealing Sect on Hengshan Island to protect Yin Suqiu.

Wang Heng's life had become miserable ever since that day…

In the stone chamber, he tried to break through his current cultivation base again. However, he still failed. He could not help but grumble inwardly.

"Senior Zhou Ming, I know you are strong. I know you are powerful. I know you can kill anyone you wish. But why did you come to my island to kill them?"

"After you killed them, you ran away. Then, I ended up being investigated by the members of the Demon Sealing Sect countless times as their experts died on my island."

"If it wasn't because I am not your kin and I've bribed them with a huge sum of immortal jade, I would have already died and the Permanent Cloud Sect would have been eradicated long ago…"

"Senior Zhou Ming, my life is a complete disaster because of you. Now, you might have become the number-one expert in the External Endless Sea but I have to live on the edge everyday, worrying that I will be suddenly assassinated if anyone assumes that you have a connection with me..."

Wang Heng's face wrinkled in distress like a bitter gourd and he sighed incessantly.

At the same moment, Hengshan Island suddenly trembled violently.

"O-Old Ancestor, it's bad…!" A Daoist child broke into Wang Heng's stone chamber in an abrupt manner.

"Noisy! What are you making so much noise about? What is the disaster? Has another expert come to ask for bribes?"

Wang Heng walked out of the hall with impatience. However, as soon as he stepped out of the gate, what he saw and heard made him so frightened that he nearly peed himself.

A three thousand zhang* (3.33m per zhang) tall giant who was wearing purple armor approached the sea while carrying an island on his shoulder as if no one was nearby.

"WHAT THE HELL?! What a BIG giant… What is his cultivation base? No, his aura is very familiar. He is… He is Zhou Ming!"

Wang Heng's ruddy old face was on the verge of crying.

"Senior Zhou, you can't just bully me like this. You're here again. You're here to get me into trouble again…"

"You're now being pursued by the Alliance of Ming Assassins and currently, it's a critical moment. You must not drag me into this matter!"

"Besides, after you left the island that day, I was the one who helped you clear all the traces… When others came to investigate your background, I didn't betray you at all. You can't return my kindness like this!"

Seeing the purple-armored giant lift his foot and was about to crush Hengshan Island, Wang Heng closed his eyes in despair, muttering and grumbling.

As for that giant, he seemed to have heard Wang Heng's words and withdrew his foot all of a sudden. His piercingly cold eyes swept across Hengshan island, recalling something. He then looked at Wang Heng silently. A brief moment later, he pointed his finger and shot out a ray of black light at Wang Heng. Afterwards, he made a step forward without crushing the island and disappeared into the distance. Only his voice lingered around the island after his disappearance.

"Considering the fact that you are one of my old friends, I will grant you good luck!"

When the ray of black light entered Wang Heng, it caused his body to tremble. The traumatic experience which shadowed his heart gradually faded away. It seemed like Ning Fan had used his magic power to help him break through the bottleneck in his cultivation.

Wang Heng was stunned and became rooted to the ground.

By just lifting one of his fingers, Ning Fan could actually help someone break through his bottleneck!

"It has been rumored that only old monsters who have gone through Void Inquiry can borrow the power of the void to help juniors open up the bottlenecks in their immortal veins… Could it be that Senior Zhou Ming has already gone through that test?!"

Wang Heng was flabbergasted. He felt that the way he walked out from the hall must be incorrect.

Is Senior Zhou Ming this powerful?

"I'm truly fortunate enough to have a brief relationship with a Void Refinement Realm expert!"

Wang Heng seemed to be much more confident and courageous than before. Now, he was not even afraid of the Demon Sealing Sect or the Alliance of Ming Assassins anymore.

The only thing he wanted to do now was to immediately enter into seclusion and prepare to break through to the Late Gold Core Realm while harboring endless good hopes in Ning Fan.

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

<strong>Note:</strong>

-