Grasping the Evil-Chapter 915: The Gray Moon
Ning Fan did not know that his entry into the Ninefold Celestial Towers had already attracted the attention of some Great Emperors.
After pressing his finger and shattering the stone door, Ning Fan entered, and what greeted his eye was a sea of clouds surging like raging waves.
Above the sea of clouds, the forbidden space force was extremely strong, even a Celestial Emperor could not fly in this place.
The sea of clouds had no entity, one could not set foot on it; once stepped upon, one would inevitably fall from the clouds, with life or death uncertain.
Floating above the sea of clouds were twelve ancient paths paved with bluestone slabs, like twelve azure dragons, winding upwards in different directions towards the summit of the sea of clouds.
The place where Ning Fan stood at this moment was one of the twelve ancient blue stone paths. Only by standing on the ancient path could one avoid falling from the sea of clouds.
On the first layer of the Ninefold Celestial Towers, there were a total of twelve ancient paths, which could lead to the second layer. Each ancient path had 111 palaces built upon it.
Only by choosing a path and breaking through all the palaces along that path could one enter the second layer of the Ninefold Celestial Towers.
Ning Fan had already learned of these matters from the information provided by Miaoyan Immortal Honorific. A flash of blue-colored Rain Intent appeared in his eyes, and he raised his hand, forming a seal to perform the Heaven Prying Rain Technique.
His spirit sense transformed into fine rain, winding upwards along the twelve ancient bluestone paths.
His spirit sense swept through each ancient bluestone path, over the 1st Palace, the 2nd Palace... the 111th Palace on each path.
The 111th Palace, located at the top of the sea of clouds on the first layer of the Ninefold Celestial Towers, required breaking through the first layer’s sky to reach the second layer.
Ning Fan’s spirit sense transformed into a gentle rain technique, covering every corner of the first layer of the Towers.
He could sense that on the first layer of the Towers, apart from him, there were 31 other cultivators staying in this place.
Among these cultivators, there were human experts and demon race demon cultivators.
Some were sitting cross-legged on the ancient bluestone paths, quietly adjusting their breath; others were trying to break through in some palaces.
Among these 31 masters, most were at the Mid Stage of Shekong cultivation level, with only four being at the Late Stage of Shekong.
Among these individuals, Ning Fan did not find the seven ancestors...
"There is no sign of the seven ancestors on the first layer. With his strength, he likely has already charged up to a higher layer of the Ninefold Celestial Towers..."
Ning Fan attempted to let his spirit sense rain break through the first layer’s sky to enter the second layer, but found this impossible to achieve.
"I cannot perceive the situation of the second layer of the Towers, nor do I know which layer the seven ancestors have reached now..."
Withdrawing the rain technique, Ning Fan casually chose a path and walked forward along the ancient path. His movement technique was extremely fast, like an apparition, reaching a palace’s exterior within a few breaths.
This palace was surrounded by multiple red palace walls. On the plaque above the hall entrance, the words ’First Palace’ were painted in ancient immortal script with vermilion paint.
The palace had only two doors. Ning Fan had to enter from the front door and walk out from the back to proceed to the Second Palace.
Ning Fan glanced at the plaque and then stepped into the palace. As soon as he entered, he immediately felt a surging pressure descending from the sky.
The pressure was extremely strong. Ordinary cultivators in the Initiate Realm of Shekong, whose cultivation levels were suppressed by the banishing immortal force, would immediately be expelled from the palace upon entering, without even the qualification to enter!
Even cultivators at the Mid Stage of Shekong would find their steps difficult under the palace’s pressure, unable to proceed without incense time, unable to leave the palace!
Ning Fan naturally did not have Abandon-Void Cultivation Level, nor was he suppressed by the banishing immortal force. His powerful strength made him naturally unafraid of the first palace’s pressure.
The only surprise was that the pressure within the palace caused his tribulation blood to slightly boil before calming down...
Ignoring the palace pressure’s suppression, Ning Fan stepped forward quickly, his gaze curious, lingering on the walls of the palace.
The palace was empty, with only four walls adorned with murals. Due to their age, the murals were severely weathered and incomplete, their specific contents indiscernible.
In those murals, the phantom shadow of the palace gates of the Ninefold Celestial Towers appeared many times.
In the murals, an old man appeared many times, wrapped in an animal skin skirt, holding a large bone club, naked upper body, muscles vigorous, hair braided into numerous small braids, his body painted with strange runes, resembling barbarian patterns...
For some unknown reason, when seeing the old man in the murals, the barbarian patterns on Ning Fan’s body unexpectedly had a slight sense of cheer...
This strange feeling flickered and vanished. Ning Fan paused, inwardly examined himself, found no change in the barbarian patterns within, shook his head, and continued walking forward until exiting the first palace. That strange feeling did not reoccur.
"An illusion..." Ning Fan pondered.
After Ning Fan exited the first palace, a suddenly ethereal and elusive voice echoed from the murals, its tone rough and cold, like the voice of a corpse, devoid of any emotion.
"The breath of Damaged Tribulation... this child... Orthodox Barbarian Race..."
"The breath of Tribulation Blood... this child... High Realm Robber..."
"This place is my realm... one hall, one pattern... this child already has the first barbarian pattern, no need to condense the first pattern here..."
This eerie voice, Ning Fan left too quickly to hear.
His movement technique was extremely fast; upon exiting the first palace, he passed through countless long steps like a specter, arriving before the second palace and entering it.
In just a moment, Ning Fan had flashed through the second palace and entered the third.
After ten breaths, Ning Fan had broken through to the 19th palace and entered the 20th.
Another ten breaths passed, and Ning Fan broke through the 45th palace.
Along the way, every palace’s four walls bore identical murals. Initially, Ning Fan would glance at them, but eventually, he stopped looking, breaking through the palaces directly.
The palaces that were breached would be momentarily filled with divine light, which would disappear after a moment.
The ancient path chosen by Ning Fan is the third of the twelve ancient paths. On this path, outside the 46th Palace, at this moment, there is a black-armored man sitting cross-legged in meditation.
This person is a mid-stage Shedding Void demon cultivator, belonging to the Black Crane Clan!
The 46th Palace seems to be a hurdle, the difficulty of which far surpasses the 45th Palace.
This black-armored man has tried several times but still cannot pass the 46th Palace. Instead, he failed many times, leaving some injuries, making him feel a little disheartened.
"The palace pressure of the 46th Palace is almost twice as much as that of the previous palace! What a pity, just a pity, I just broke through the mid-stage Shedding Void ten thousand years ago, not really a strong midstage cultivator. I’m afraid it’s difficult to pass this palace..."
"Fortunately, entering this place wasn’t completely fruitless. When I was challenging the 23rd Palace, I found a Jade Wave Demon Grass outside the palace, which has a medicinal age of over two million years... This demon grass may not be considered a treasure to others, but my Cultivation Technique is special. This thing, it’s very good..."
The black-armored man was pondering when suddenly his gaze changed, noticing the divine light erupting from the 45th Palace.
"Has someone passed the 45th Palace again? Judging from the aura, it seems to be the aura of a Human elder..."
Ning Fan had not yet walked out of the 45th Palace, but a trace of Human master’s aura had already spread out from the hall.
Noticing this trace of Human aura, the black-armored man’s heart silently sank. He abruptly stood up, taking out a magical treasure to protect himself, his expression silently tense.
Having failed the challenges several times, he had quite a few injuries. If he were to fight this newcomer, the situation might be disadvantageous for him...
"Judging by the aura revealed by this person, he should be of the same mid-stage Shedding Void cultivation level as I am."
"Humans and demons have long-standing enmities. If we meet here, this person, seeing that I am injured, would never spare me. He will surely make a move against me... It’s troublesome, I don’t know if I can survive today..."
The black-armored man was feeling tense when suddenly his expression changed drastically again.
He looked down toward the ocean of clouds and distinctly saw a white-robed figure with a ghostly face and silver hair slowly walk out of the 45th Palace.
Ning Fan’s pace didn’t seem fast, but with one flicker, he left only an afterimage in place, and the next moment, he appeared like a ghost directly behind the black-armored man.
A chill ran down the black-armored man’s back; he couldn’t figure out how Ning Fan had circumnavigated to his rear.
He couldn’t see through Ning Fan’s movement technique, which only meant one thing — Ning Fan’s strength was far above his, perhaps close to late-stage Shedding Void strength...
"Ghost face with silver hair... he is the person Ancestor Dulong wants dead!"
"If I battle with this person... the odds of winning are slim. But if I don’t fight, I will be killed by him! I have no choice but to give it my all..."
The black-armored man gritted his teeth, abruptly turned around, and activated a magical treasure, intending to launch an attack at Ning Fan. But as soon as he turned around, he was greatly surprised.
He saw that Ning Fan had no intention of engaging him; instead, he quickly moved into the 46th Palace, leaving no trace of Ning Fan’s presence there.
Although Ning Fan was clearly much stronger, he had no intention to kill and simply left...
"Why didn’t he kill me? Given the ancestral enmity between Humans and demons, why would he spare me..."
While the black-armored man was filled with doubt, his expression suddenly changed once more.
Ning Fan had just entered the 46th Palace, and in less than a breath, the 46th Palace suddenly erupted with divine light reaching the sky!
The appearance of divine light indicated that Ning Fan had passed the 46th Palace!
"In just... one breath, this person broke through the 46th Palace in just one breath!"
"I once saw the Old Demon Hai of the Sea Serpent Clan pass the 46th Palace. That Old Demon Hai had late-stage Shedding Void cultivation and took three incense sticks of time to pass this palace..."
"This person is absolutely not of mid-stage Shedding Void cultivation. This person, this person... could he be a Fragmented Thought Elder!"
After Ning Fan passed the 46th Palace, he did not immediately proceed to challenge the 47th Palace. There was a trace of doubt in his eyes.
This doubt was not because of the black-armored man, but because of the 46th Palace itself.
At the moment he passed the 46th Palace, Ning Fan clearly felt a burning sensation from the Barbarian Patterns in his body...
This time the feeling was extremely clear. Ning Fan could confirm that this sensation was not an illusion.
After examining himself inwardly, Ning Fan found no abnormal changes in his body. After a moment of silence, he once again entered the 47th Palace.
Ten breaths later, the 59th Palace erupted with divine light reaching the sky, and Ning Fan walked out from it.
Another ten breaths later, Ning Fan had passed through the 67th Palace, slowly walking out.
Another twenty breaths, Ning Fan reached the 75th Palace.
The further he went, the stronger the palace pressure became. Ning Fan’s pace in challenging the palaces slowed slightly, and he no longer solely pursued speed.
Even so, Ning Fan encountered no obstacles along the way and didn’t spend much time before reaching the 96th Palace.
Outside the 96th Palace, at this moment, there was an elderly blue-robed demon sitting cross-legged. This person was surnamed Hai, known as the Old Demon Hai, and came from the Sea Serpent Clan, possessing late-stage Shedding Void cultivation.
Seeing Ning Fan’s arrival, the Old Demon Hai squinted his snake-like eyes at Ning Fan, his gaze flashing slightly before closing his eyes again.
"Ghost face with silver hair... could this person be the one Ancestor Dulong wants dead?"
"Mid-stage Shedding Void cultivation is not worth mentioning. If it weren’t for my current injuries, I could kill this child in just three breaths!"
"Forget it, consider this child’s luck. With my injuries unstable at the moment, it’s not suitable to mobilize demonic power. Let him live for a while longer."
The Old Demon Hai ignored Ning Fan’s arrival, continuing to sit cross-legged as if in meditation. Such an attitude was almost arrogant.
Wasn’t he afraid Ning Fan might strike him violently or ambush him?
Of course, he wasn’t afraid.
"If this child dares to strike at me, I can kill him within six breaths even if it worsens my injuries! If he’s timid and doesn’t dare to attack, I wouldn’t mind waiting until my injuries stabilize before killing him," Old Demon Hai thought arrogantly.
Ning Fan seemed to ignore Old Demon Hai as he leisurely walked past him, entering the 96th Palace.
Seeing Ning Fan didn’t attack him but chose to challenge the palace, Old Demon Hai opened his eyes, chuckled strangely, shook his head, and muttered to himself,
"Doesn’t dare to strike at me... This child is indeed timid and cowardly..."
Just as Old Demon Hai finished speaking, he suddenly opened his eyes incredulously and looked towards the 96th Palace.
Ning Fan entered this palace, and within just three breaths, the palace erupted with divine light!
"Three... three breaths! This child took only three breaths to pass through the 96th Palace. What realm is he?"
"Peak Shekong? No, even a Peak Shekong wouldn’t be this composed. Could it be... Shattered Thought Realm!"
Old Demon Hai could no longer maintain his calm, suddenly stood up, dared not look at the 96th Palace again, and directly flew back towards the 95th Palace.
He was afraid that Ning Fan would return after passing the 96th Palace to attack him, hence he didn’t dare to stay any longer.
Though self-assured, Old Demon Hai did not think himself a match for a Fragmented Thought Elders; his injuries hadn’t healed, and if Ning Fan returned to kill him, he wouldn’t have a chance to resist, fearing he wouldn’t have any hope...
After passing the 96th Palace, Ning Fan’s eyes showed less confusion, as if he confirmed something and had a conjecture.
The moment he passed the 96th Palace, the Barbarian Pattern within him again emitted a burning sensation...
46, 96...
These two numbers made Ning Fan recall the scenes when his Barbarian Pattern broke through 46 and 96 paths, continuously producing Barbarian Blood within him...
"46, 96, 156..." Ning Fan recited these three numbers silently, his eyes flickering, as he headed towards the 97th Palace, completely ignoring Old Demon Hai’s escape.
represented that when his Barbarian Pattern increased to 156 paths, Barbarian Blood was once again produced within him.
He seemed to have some kind of conjecture in his heart but couldn’t be sure yet.
The 97th Palace was soon passed by Ning Fan, followed by the 98th Palace, the 99th Palace, and the 100th Palace...
A hundred breaths later, Ning Fan reached the 111th Palace and passed through it.
After leaving this palace, Ning Fan came to the top of the sea of clouds on the first layer of Tianque, gazing at the firmament dome.
Beyond this, it’s the second layer of the Ninefold Tianque!
One only needs to tear open the sky to enter the second layer of the Ninefold Tianque!
Others naturally need to tear open the sky to enter the Ninefold Tianque.
However, Ning Fan hadn’t raised his hand to tear open the sky, when a cold, raw voice suddenly sounded from the top of the sea of clouds.
The voice was only audible to Ning Fan, though it was a bit cold, it bore no hostility. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
"You are... my true clan member... You are... the Orthodox Barbarian Race..."
"Your Barbarian Pattern... has condensed 224 paths... within the first layer of Tianque... you can’t gain any benefits... additionally bestowed upon you... ten drops of Royal Clan Barbarian Blood..."
As the voice finished, a blood-colored vortex suddenly appeared on the top of the sea of clouds, with ten crystal-clear black-red drops of blood flying out from the vortex, directly towards Ning Fan, and merging into him.
Ning Fan’s gaze instantly shifted, those ten drops of blood turned out to be the bloodline of the Royal Clan Barbarian!
Once the ten drops of Barbarian Blood entered his body, they were immediately devoured by the dominating Calamity Blood within Ning Fan.
Ning Fan’s Calamity Blood Level had long reached the Nine Stars Remnant Blood level, with the breakthrough to One-star True Blood still seeming far off.
After devouring the ten drops of Royal Clan Barbarian Blood, Ning Fan’s Calamity Blood Level began to soar, although it still hadn’t broken through to True Blood level, it did advance significantly from the Nine Stars Remnant Blood foundation!
"Come... my clan member... come to the top layer of Tianque... I await you..."
The blood-colored vortex gradually faded, the sea of clouds restored to its original state, and the voice also slowly disappeared.
Ning Fan had yet to react when a booming sound came from beneath his feet, with a giant magical formation appearing on the blue stone ancient path!
The formation light flashed, directly causing Ning Fan to vanish from the first layer of Tianque, appearing at the entrance to the second layer.
Others need to tear open the sky of the first layer to enter the second layer, but Ning Fan doesn’t have to, receiving special treatment.
"Who exactly spoke that voice, and why did they bestow ten drops of Royal Clan Barbarian Blood upon me!"
"That voice, its aura quite unfamiliar, unlike any Barbarian Ancestor, definitely not the Barbarian Ancestor..."
"Who is that person!"
In the second layer of Tianque, there are a total of twenty-four blue stone ancient paths, leading to the third layer.
The second layer of Tianque has a total of forty-seven masters, some human, some demon, most are at the Late Stage of Shekong, only a few are at Peak of Shekong.
Ning Fan’s arrival did not tear open the sky, thus did not make much noise, his arrival was silent.
No one noticed Ning Fan’s arrival until divine light suddenly emitted repeatedly from one of the blue stone ancient paths, when palaces were continuously passed through, finally attracting the attention of many old monsters.
The second layer of Tianque has twenty-four blue stone ancient paths, the one Ning Fan walks is the eleventh.
On this path, besides Ning Fan, there are no other human or demon races, no one will disturb his advance.
The second level of Tianque, the pressure of the palace is extremely strong, far beyond the first level.
On this level, even for a Late Stage of Shekong old monster to break through the palace is extremely difficult, but for Ning Fan, breaking through the palace is still not too challenging.
At the first palace of the second level, Ning Fan broke through in just five breaths, and then every five breaths, he would break through another palace.
Where he passed, the palaces constantly emitted divine light, and old monsters on other ancient paths noticed the divine light emanating from Ning Fan’s direction, their expressions changed.
"Hiss! On the eleventh ancient path, someone can break through a palace every five breaths! Five breaths... What kind of speed is this!"
"Who is this person! Could it be some powerful Fragmented Thought Elder?"
"It’s unclear... the effect of the mist here in obscuring spirit sense is too strong, if we’re not on the same ancient path, we can’t see what’s happening there... the only thing visible is this divine light penetrating the mist..."
"Hmm? This Fragmented Thought Senior seems to pause... at the 45th palace, he took ten breaths to break through..."
At the 45th palace, Ning Fan slowed his pace, his gaze flickered, and he stepped into the palace.
46, 96... and then, 156...
"156 minus 111, the result is 45..."
Ning Fan pondered, and upon entering the 45th palace, the Barbarian Pattern once again emitted a burning sensation.
His gaze instantly focused, seemingly confirming his inner suspicion.
"Just as I thought..."
Ning Fan didn’t say much, he lingered slightly in the 45th palace, then walked out and continued forward.
He continued to advance upwards, and none of the palaces ahead could even slightly make the Barbarian Pattern emit a burning sensation.
The 46th palace, the 47th palace, the 48th palace, the 49th palace...
Ning Fan broke through the 111th palace without taking too long.
After breaking through the 111th palace, Ning Fan reached the top of the ocean of clouds on the second level of Tianque, and upon arriving, a blood-red vortex appeared again, sending out ten drops of Royal Barbarian Blood.
"Second level... you received no benefits... additionally, I bestow upon you... ten drops of Royal Barbarian Blood..."
"Come... my clansman... come to the top layer of Tianque... I await you..."
The voice rang out again!
This time, without waiting for the ten drops of Royal Barbarian Blood to enter him, without waiting for the blood-red vortex to disappear from the top of the ocean of clouds, Ning Fan directly activated the Reverse Spirit Technique, sending a reverse perception towards the blood-red vortex.
He could vaguely sense that the person sending him Royal Barbarian Blood meant no harm.
But with Ning Fan’s caution, if he didn’t figure out the other’s identity, he ultimately couldn’t be at ease.
Using the reverse perception of the Reverse Spirit Technique, a thread of Ning Fan’s spirit sense infiltrated the vortex, directly arriving at the highest point of the Ninefold Celestial Towers!
There, stood a desolate gigantic door, above the sky, a gray moon hung!
Within a thousand zhang of the gigantic door, debris lay scattered, and many stone statues stood.
That gigantic door should be the legendary gateway to the Sky Desolate Ancient Realm.
Those stone statues were bizarre, with some sculpted as cultivators, others as strange beasts; some were weathered and incomplete, others quite intact.
The number of these stone statues exceeded a thousand, and their expressions ranged from pure terror to resentment and hatred.
Behind countless stone statues was a weathered and fractured monumental stone throne, upon which sat another stone statue.
That seated stone statue, judging by its appearance, was an elderly man with a bare upper body, wrapped in an animal skin skirt, his hair tied into numerous small braids, his body covered in petrified Barbarian Patterns.
The appearance of the elderly man seemed familiar to Ning Fan, reminding him of the frescoes seen in various palaces.
The aura of the elderly man matched the aura of the blood-red vortex perfectly. The figure giving Ning Fan Royal Barbarian Blood was this stone statue...
"The one repeatedly granting me Royal Barbarian Blood is this stone statue..." Ning Fan’s gaze slightly flickered.
Just as he was about to withdraw this thread of spirit sense, a sudden, extreme sense of crisis arose in his heart!
Suddenly, waves of gray wind blew through the area, and the thread of spirit sense spread to the highest point of Tianque was directly wiped out.
Ning Fan decisively severed the connection with that thread of spirit sense, not daring to explore the highest point of Tianque anymore.
Even though he acted quickly, a trace of gray appeared within his divine sense.
This gray gave Ning Fan a tingling sensation on his scalp; once it invaded his body, it rapidly spread, causing Ning Fan’s body to stiffen and petrify bit by bit.
Ning Fan’s gaze grew increasingly severe, as he discerned a trace of the Power of Reincarnation within the gray aura in his divine sense.
This petrification cannot be halted by ordinary Divine Skills; only the Power of Reincarnation, or Calamity Blood Power equivalent to the Power of Reincarnation, can stop it...
"Disperse!"
Ning Fan coldly commanded, directly unleashing his Calamity Blood Power, and instantly, a scarlet glow enveloped his entire body.
Beneath the sweep of the scarlet glow, the trace of gray within his body was gradually wiped out...
(1/1) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with recommendation and monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
