Grasping the Evil-Chapter 959: The Disciple Returns
As Xiang Mingzi’s message fell, a vast mana suddenly emanated from the other end of the teleportation portal, causing the demonic energy within the gateway to violently oscillate, as if torn apart by invisible hands, splitting apart like a tidal wave, revealing a narrow passage that only one person could pass through.
The ninth layer of the Divine Tomb is too overwhelming with demonic energy, even the Godly Void Pavilion’s Twin Emperors can only enter alone at most; opening a path amid the demonic energy is nearly impossible.
Only Xiang Mingzi in the Godly Void Pavilion, with a First Order Quasi-Saint cultivation, can achieve this feat. Yet, even for Xiang Mingzi, accomplishing this was not easy.
Upon hearing the ancestor’s words, nobody stopped Ning Fan from entering the ninth layer anymore. The group of powerful beings sat down again, arranging seals upon the teleportation portal, attempting to seal the leak of demonic energy from within the gateway.
Ning Fan entered the portal with a heavy heart. He could discern the helplessness in Xiang Mingzi’s words. The tone was as if, with Xiang Mingzi’s First Order Quasi-Saint cultivation coupled with the Godly Void Pavilion’s eternal accumulation, they still couldn’t save the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor...
Just how dire is the situation of the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor...
Roar!
Roar!!
ROAR!!!
As soon as he stepped into the ninth layer, deafening demonic roars came one after another, pounding fiercely towards Ning Fan.
Caught off guard, Ning Fan felt a piercing pain in his ears, bleeding black blood, almost losing consciousness under the assault of the continuous demonic roars.
Such powerful demonic roars! Who could possibly produce such terrifying demonic roars!
It wasn’t a freshly emitted howl, but an echo that had resonated within the ninth layer for ten years, yet still hadn’t faded!
"Be cautious, young friend. This is a roar left by that demon a decade ago. With your current cultivation, you must not listen to this demonic sound, or your divine sense will suffer severe damage!"
Within the demonic passage, a blind grey-robed elder suddenly appeared before Ning Fan, swiftly flicking his sleeve. As if his sleeve contained the heavenly path, the entire echo within the realm was swept away like dust, no longer able to draw near Ning Fan.
Seeing the grey-robed elder appear, Ning Fan dared not act presumptuously, immediately bowing to the elder, "Junior Ning Fan, pays respect to Senior Xiang."
In his heart, he was shocked by Xiang Mingzi’s words.
The echoing demonic roars here have persisted for ten years and can still cause harm with a single roar; the cultivation of the ancient great demon who left them must truly be earth-shattering!
"No need for excessive courtesy, young friend. I shall now take you to see your master one last time."
One last time! What does this mean!
Ning Fan’s heart was struck as if by a jade, his expression changed; could the end for the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor truly be near, with no escape from obliteration?
A decade ago, what upheaval occurred in the Divine Tomb! Could that ancient great demon who came to the Divine Tomb be the culprit for the Ancient Chaos’s impending oblivion?
Who is that demon...
As if seeing the confusion in Ning Fan’s heart, Xiang Mingzi led Ning Fan, advancing towards the direction of the Chaotic Ancient Tomb Palace on the ninth layer, while briefly narrating the events from ten years ago.
Ten years ago, the Eastern Heaven saw the phenomenon of a red sun shining over the sea, covering a vast area, sparking panic among the cultivators at the time.
Fortunately, the phenomenon soon vanished; on that day, only 4,000 Cultivation Stars encountered the mysterious disappearance of infants, which did not trigger further incidents. To cultivators, the death of some mortal infants is not considered a significant matter. Thus, few paid attention to the phenomenon.
Few knew that on the day of the red sun over the sea a decade ago, an ancient great demon arrived at the Divine Tomb!
That great demon seemed to have descended into the Divine Tomb out of thin air, directly appearing on the seventh layer, causing intense tremors within the Divine Tomb. The Godly Void Pavilion’s Twin Emperors immediately led people to investigate the tomb, but the countless powerful beings in the party couldn’t withstand even a single blow from that great demon, defeated in one strike!
The reclusive Quasi-Saint Xiang Mingzi couldn’t sit idly by, he personally entered the Divine Tomb, yet also fell to that great demon, unable to withstand even one strike!
The dead spirits in the last three layers of the Divine Tomb were completely devoured by the great demon, and then he proceeded directly to the Chaotic Ancient Tomb Palace, issuing a challenge to the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor.
Even Xiang Mingzi wasn’t aware of the ancient great demon’s purpose in challenging the Ancient Chaos; he only knew that the battle was too terrifying, beyond his Quasi-Saint cultivation to intervene, only able to sense it from a distance on the eighth layer.
The battle ended with the ancient great demon’s defeat, but the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor also nearly faced obliteration due to excessive force exertion.
If not for Xiang Mingzi extracting the Godly Void Pavilion’s eternal treasures to rescue him, the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor absolutely couldn’t have lasted until today; perhaps he would have been obliterated a decade ago...
"I expended all of the pavilion’s Innate Spiritual Medicine and even used the three Origin Qi I collected in this lifetime just to barely seal the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor’s dao soul from being extinguished. Yet, ten years have passed, and his dao soul has weakened to an extreme; even with more heavenly treasures, it can’t reverse the fate of the Emperor. Throughout the ten years, the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor remained in slumber, but upon your entering the Divine Tomb, he forced himself to awaken, likely wanting to see you once more..."
Xiang Mingzi sighed deeply. The Shenxu Progenitor left a dying command that if Chaos approached obliteration, even if it exhausted all of Godly Void Pavilion’s legacy, they must rescue him. He indeed fulfilled the ancestor’s command, regrettably, unable to save Chaos...
"As for the identity of that ancient great demon, I am unaware, but I have some speculations. That great demon bore fire as wings and bats as demon marks, somewhat resembling the Fire Wing Clan of the devil race in ancient times. I lack knowledge about that devil race, unable to discern much further. Additionally, that ancient great demon seemed to have a Purple Seal Demon Stone set on his forehead... but how could that be possible, weren’t all those ancient great demons killed in battle... could it be the missing ones..."
Speaking of this, Xiang Mingzi’s expression grew unprecedentedly solemn, yet had a hint of uncertainty.
Ning Fan was bewildered, he was unaware of what the Fire Wing Clan was, nor what a Demon-Sealing Stone was.
"What is a Demon-Sealing Stone?" Ning Fan asked.
"Oh? Hasn’t the young friend heard of a Demon-Sealing Stone?" Xiang Mingzi was slightly surprised, then smiled, "Indeed, young friend is highly talented, but has cultivated for a short time, lacking knowledge of these ancient secrets is normal. You should be aware that the four heavens and nine worlds where we reside is a realm of dreams, correct?"
"I know."
Upon reaching the layer of Eternal Immortal Venerable, one would know something about the origin of the realm of dreams, and seeing Ning Fan nod, Xiang Mingzi continued without minding,
"You should be aware of the outer realm invasion and the collapse of the Heavenly Court, right?"
"I’ve heard a few things."
"It is said that upon the collapse of the Purple Dou Immortal Domain, the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign exerted the final bit of power to seal the remaining Purple Astral Immortal Cultivators within a certain realm of dreams, isolating them from the Real Realms; also leaving behind nine stone doors to enter the Sky Desolate Ancient Realm and reach the Real Realms. We, are the cultivators within that realm of dreams."
"The history of this realm of dreams is long-established, initially opened when the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign attained the path; at first, the most powerful force within the realm of dreams was the ancient Heavenly Court, governed by the Heavenly Emperor. Later, when the remaining Purple Astral Immortal Cultivators entered the realm of dreams, the most powerful forces of the ancient Heavenly Court increased to four — the ancient Heavenly Court, Demon Mansion, Ten Great Guardian Clans, and the Demon-Sealing Peak."
Ning Fan’s gaze focused, he heard such ancient secrets for the first time.
The titles of Demon Mansion and Ten Great Guardian Clans were first heard by him, but he was familiar with the names of the ancient Heavenly Court and Demon-Sealing Peak.
The ancient Heavenly Court was the power led by Mu Weiliang’s father, and the Demon-Sealing Peak was established by Great Emperor Mo Zhong. The Demon-Sealing Peak is a sacred place for demons, Ning Fan once descended upon the Demon-Sealing Peak, awakening ancient demon bloodline there.
"Initially, the realm of dreams was still led by the ancient Heavenly Court, but later, the domain’s situation drastically changed. First, the demon race was invaded by mysterious forces, fragmented into the Land of the Awakened and the Land of Dreams, with the entire Demon Mansion being sealed within the Land of Dreams. Within the Demon Mansion, from ancient great demons to low-level demon generals, all were severely wounded, near-death, falling into slumber, unable to awaken... Nobody knows what upheaval the demon race suffered; the only known fact is that within the Waking Realm, all Yin Yang Transformation cultivators were deprived of their demon spiritual qi..."
Ning Fan’s gaze focused, he had long heard of the demon race having a Land of Slumber, where ancient great demon-level figures slept. Now he learned more detailed information from Xiang Mingzi’s mouth.
"Afterwards, the demons faced similar calamities when a mysterious figure arrived among the demon race, yet nobody knows what precisely happened. Since that figure appeared, the Demon-Sealing Peak suffered devastating blows, disappearing from the world entirely. From then on, there was no mention of any demoness entering the Ancient Demon Abyss, receiving the ancient demonic heritage. Among those ancient great demons guarding the Demon-Sealing Peak, half died in battle, their remains incomplete, while the other half vanished without a trace... The demon race then fragmented into nine Devil Pools, and nine great devil ancestors were suppressed beneath nine devil mountains, unable to break free from the seal. Surviving lower-level demon clansmen all lost their ancient demon bloodlines..."
Ning Fan’s gaze focused.
The division of the Ancient Demon Abyss into nine parts held secrets he had never heard before!
"After that, the Heavenly Court met with disaster. It is said that an Immortal Emperor from the Heavenly Court betrayed the trust of the Heavenly Emperor, destroyed the Demon Mansion and Demon-Sealing Peak, and suppressed the demon race and demons. That Immortal Emperor somehow obtained the passage key from the Heavenly Emperor, opening the stone door connecting the Heavenly Court to the Sky Desolate Ancient Realm. Subsequently, countless foreign cultivators surged into the Heavenly Court, attempting to completely annihilate this Dreamland Realm. In that battle, the Heavenly Emperor and his Heavenly Court masters fought to the death, eventually exterminating the invading foreign cultivators..."
At this point, Xiang Mingzi’s tone was generous and heroic, clearly showing his admiration for the predecessors of the Heavenly Court who died protecting the realm.
However, Ning Fan frowned.
He had seen fragments of Mu Weiliang’s memories and parts of the Heavenly Court’s collapse. He remembered that a foreign cultivator did seem to escape.
The Love Wielding Immortal Emperor should have escaped...
But then, if the Love Wielding Immortal Emperor truly escaped, why did the realm coordinates of the Dreamland Realm remain undisclosed? Why have countless years passed, and no foreign cultivators have invaded the Dreamland Realm?
He couldn’t understand...
"The battle was so brutal that it directly caused heaven and earth to collapse into the four heavens and nine worlds. After the war, the lower-level divine cultivators also lost their Ancient God Bloodline, losing the power of their mind..."
"Of the former four forces, the Heavenly Court was completely destroyed, the Demon Mansion fell into slumber, Demon-Sealing Peak was half destroyed and disappeared, leaving only the Ten Great Guardian Clans preserved, becoming the foremost force above the four heavens — the ten great secret clans. In principle, the strongest force in the Dreamland Realm was now only the ten secret clans, each possessing ancient cultivators who should be capable of taking over the Dreamland Realm from the Heavenly Court. But surprisingly, the ten secret clans did not plan to take control but instead sealed their ancestral lands, refusing contact with the outside world. I once received information that is three parts credible... It is said that before the Heavenly Court fell, the Ten Great Guardian Clans were invaded, and that the Immortal Emperor betrayed the Heavenly Court, single-handedly slaying all the ancient cultivators of the ten clans... This may be why the ten clans sealed themselves away."
Could the Love Wielding Immortal Emperor have single-handedly slain all ten clans’ ancient cultivators?
If Xiang Mingzi’s information is credible, did the Love Wielding Immortal Emperor not just destroy the Demon Mansion, ruin Demon-Sealing Peak, slaughter secret clans, and overturn the Heavenly Court?
As for Ning Fan now, he has witnessed the power of ancient cultivators, requiring at least Yin Mo’s strength to be considered an ancient cultivator, right?
Such characters being wiped out by the Love Wielding Immortal Emperor demonstrate his formidable prowess.
The Heavenly Emperor who expelled the Love Wielding Immortal Emperor from the Dreamland Realm naturally couldn’t be weak... The Heavenly Emperor was equally terrifyingly powerful.
Then comes the question: how did the butterfly manage to destroy the Eye of Affection Control back then...
Without any cultivation or Divine Skills, it was destroyed just like that; why...
Since beginning cultivation, Ning Fan often pondered this question but couldn’t find the answer.
The butterfly must have relied on some power beyond his understanding to destroy the Eye of Affection Control, but why did that level of power exist in the butterfly...
"Demon-Sealing Peak is the holy land of the demons, said to be founded by Great Emperor Mo Zhong under the Immortal Emperor, ranked seventh. By the time they migrated to the Dreamland Realm, Great Emperor Mo Zhong had been dead for many years. Initially, Demon-Sealing Peak housed 25 ancient great demons. Before the foreign cultivator invasion, 13 great demons perished, yet 12 went missing. The ancient great demons of Demon-Sealing Peak have one common trait — Purple Seal Demon Stones embedded in their foreheads. Ten years ago, an ancient great demon arrived at the Divine Tomb, with a Purple Seal Demon Stone in his forehead. I suspect... this person is highly likely one of the 12 missing ancient great demons from back then..."
"If true, why did the demon sect disappear for countless years only to reappear now? Why come to the Divine Tomb and act against Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor... even I cannot answer these questions."
With a long sigh, Xiang Mingzi shared all he knew and speculated with Ning Fan, but he knew nothing more.
When the ancient great demons of Demon-Sealing Peak disappeared, the foreign cultivators invaded, and heaven and earth collapsed. Now, those missing great demons have reemerged; will this realm once again face turmoil?
Ning Fan’s face was as calm as water, yet he felt an unexplainable unease after hearing so many secrets.
For some reason, his mind recalled Nalan Zi’s divination words from that day.
The four heavens will be isolated, the Northern Heaven will see a great battle, the royal clan will die at the hands of the Western Demon Ancestor...
According to that divination, chaos must erupt in heaven and earth. Could the arrival of the ancient great demons at the Divine Tomb be a part of this chaos... 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Things seem different from what he initially thought; these ancient great demons do not seem to be any of the nine great devil ancestors and don’t seem connected to the Ninth Layer’s contract Demon Well.
His guilt diminished slightly, but his worries grew greater.
At this moment, Ning Fan was outside the Chaotic Ancient Tomb Palace, far from the smiling ethereal elder.
Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor! Though he was slumbering, he forcibly awoke just to meet his disciple.
His form was even more ethereal, almost transparent, yet the power of Origin Qi held his form steady, preventing it from dissipating.
His appearance was extremely ancient, white hair dry yet tidy, his breath weak but did not diminish his once-peerless arrogance.
Lv Wen and the little demoness stood by his side; these days, it seemed they were looking after Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor on Ning Fan’s behalf.
Upon Ning Fan’s arrival, the little demoness’s eyes were filled with longing and joy, while Lv Wen’s expression was complex.
Originally smiling kindly, the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor’s expression darkened immediately upon noticing the scent of blood on Ning Fan.
His disciple bore such a heavy scent of blood, and it was all from powerful beings!
"Did the Dark Clan ants make a move on you! How dare they touch my disciple; seeking death!"
The Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor stepped forward, his body surrounded by an erupting killing intent, enough to drown heaven and earth!
Yes, he was extremely weak, nearing annihilation at any moment, but he had been strong all his life, never bending to anyone.
If the Dark Clan dared to bully his disciple, even if he faced immediate annihilation, he would make them pay!
For some reason, seeing such protective Ancient Chaos, Ning Fan’s eyes welled up, closing them slightly.
This was his master who would always stand behind him, backing him up.
The first words upon meeting were full of concern, even willing to face annihilation to defend him.
Ning Fan was unlucky; his childhood was troubled, he suffered greatly, almost dying in the Evil Sect.
Yet he was also fortunate; he had many lovers in his life and was lucky enough to meet three masters, each genuinely considering him a disciple and successor.
The old monster, Ancient Chaos, Purple Dou... These three varied in cultivation, but all guided Ning Fan on different stages of his path.
It feels good to have a master’s concern. Though it’s just a desolate, dilapidated Divine Tomb, Ning Fan feels like returning home after a long absence.
"The Dark Clan didn’t make a move on me..."
With eyes open again, Ning Fan lightly smiled, casually lying to Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor.
He absolutely didn’t want Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor confronting the Dark Clan at the risk of his annihilation; he would handle his own matters!
Compared to the Dark Clan’s issues, he was more concerned about Ancient Chaos’s health.
That ethereal frailty made Ning Fan’s spirit sense feel heavy-hearted, despite his strength of mind. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to vote for it on Qidian, using recommendation or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
