Grasping the Evil-Chapter 973: Realm Within Paintings

"Dao Scripture Volume One?"

Daoist Mu Song was slightly taken aback, and Xiang Mingzi was equally stunned.

Then, the two shared a laugh and shook their heads.

Haha, this cultivation technique dares to use the name "Dao Scripture," the creator of this scripture must be unbelievably arrogant. Does he think this scripture can encompass all the great Daos under heaven? Does he think... he is the legendary Fourth Step Immortal Emperor?

It’s known that even legendary Saints do not dare to name their cultivation techniques Dao Scriptures. In this world, every cultivation method can only capture a part of the Dao’s path, like the Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor’s Yin Yang Transformation and Chaos Ring Decision, or the Immortal Emperor’s Unbeaten Scripture, or the Ink Rain Scripture and Dark Luster Scripture that Ning Fan has studied...

Ancient scrolls record that only figures at the Fourth Step Immortal Emperor level are qualified to create their own Dao Scriptures. A Dao Scripture is a supreme classic that can truly encompass the world’s Daos, a treasure able to suppress eons of reincarnation upon its emergence.

Moreover, each Dao Scripture is a unique existence; except for the Immortal Emperor who created it, no one else can cultivate it.

In Daoist Mu Song and Xiang Mingzi’s view, the technique Ning Fan practices, although named Dao Scripture, is naturally not a true Dao Scripture.

A true Dao Scripture cannot be taught to others; it can’t be learned, only self-created.

Then came the question: Could Ning Fan create a Dao Scripture himself...

No matter how highly Daoist Mu Song and Xiang Mingzi thought of Ning Fan, they didn’t believe Ning Fan could self-create a Dao Scripture.

Only a Fourth Step Immortal Emperor can create a Dao Scripture, no exceptions!

Seeing Daoist Mu Song and Xiang Mingzi laugh, Ning Fan was bewildered, casually asking, only to feel tongue-tied and both laughing and crying.

During his time in the Millennium Age Tower, Ning Fan used millennia to comprehend and create his own technique from the Ink Rain, Unbeaten, and Dark Luster Scriptures, incorporating wood comprehension, allowing the technique to encompass four attributes of rain, battle, darkness, and wood. The technique’s name was tentatively decided as Dao Scripture.

Because he planned to gradually incorporate other Yin-Yang cultivation methods in the future, he only created the first volume for now, planning to continue with the second and third volumes. Ning Fan planned for each Dao Scripture volume to include nine types of Yin-Yang, summing up to twenty-seven when combined.

Later, Ning Fan entered the second Millennium Age Tower, spending another thousand years to refine Jianmu’s Essence using the techniques from Dao Scripture Volume One, cultivating the first Magic Yin-Yang—Wood Yin-Yang, causing an explosive growth in Ancient Demon bloodline cultivation, advancing from the Seventh Nirvana of the Heavenly Demon all the way to the Eighth!

Afterwards, Ning Fan entered the third Millennium Age Tower, spending a thousand years to reorganize the powers of rain, battle, and darkness within his body using the Dao Scripture’s first volume techniques.

After reorganization, all four kinds of Yin-Yang were operated by the same technique, reducing barriers between them, making their combined use much more powerful.

The only unexpected thing was, the name Dao Scripture could not be used casually...

Before, Ning Fan truly did not know that Dao Scripture was exclusive to Fourth Step Immortal Emperors; he only casually named it Dao Scripture because he was lazy...

Forget it, let it be arrogant if it wishes; anyway, he was too lazy to come up with a new name... Naming was never his strength.

Besides, he might not be without opportunity to reach the Fourth Step in his lifetime. If that day ever comes, this technique can become a true Reversed Saint Dao Scripture, living up to its name!

Regarding the topic of Dao Scripture, Daoist Mu Song did not elaborate. Since Ning Fan was already waiting here, he didn’t waste words with Ning Fan and directly flicked his sleeve, sending out a myriad of azure lights.

The azure lights swept over, and the three of them instantly disappeared from that place, entering a dazzling azure light world.

"This is... the Palatial Void!" Ning Fan’s gaze instantly focused.

"Indeed, this place is my Wood Palm Space Void; within this void, I am the sovereign of the Great Dao of Wood. With your newly cultivated Wood Yin-Yang, you should be able to sense this... Can you tell how many layers of Void World my Wood Palm Space Void possesses?" Daoist Mu Song asked with a smile.

He seemed very familiar with the Ultimate Study of Ancient Chaos, able to readily recognize the name of Wood Yin-Yang.

"Void World? What is that?" Ning Fan asked in puzzlement.

"Oh? You don’t know, young friend? Every Palatial Void is composed of multiple layers of Void World. The more layers of Void World it has, the stronger the Palatial Void becomes. In today’s Era of Decline, it’s rare to encounter Immortal Emperors of the same Palatial rank. It’s said that in the Immemorial era, the same ranked Immortal Emperors could easily suppress others based on the number of Void World layers..." Xiang Mingzi patiently explained.

As they spoke, Daoist Mu Song and Xiang Mingzi guided Ning Fan, flying swiftly in a chosen direction.

Ning Fan heard about the knowledge of the Palatial Void for the first time, so he listened very attentively.

He had just recently cultivated Wood Yin-Yang and could exert a slight amount of Palm Position Power, yet he was not truly a Wood Palm Immortal Emperor. After entering this place, Ning Fan felt tremendous suppression, as if with a single thought, Daoist Wood Pine could revoke his right to utilize the Dao Principle of Wood here...

Is this the power of the Palatial Void...

A flicker of azure gleam shone in Ning Fan’s eyes as he gazed at the boundless void. The Nine Days Grand Dao appeared before him, exceptionally clear, layer by layer, revealing itself.

The Grand Dao of the Palatial Void is arranged in layers, each layer is a Void World...

Ning Fan counted carefully, then answered, "There are a total of 309 Void Worlds here."

"Hiss... Young friend, what sharp vision, I’m impressed!"

Mu Song and Xiang Mingzi were both greatly surprised, clicking their tongues in praise.

It should be known that even someone like Xiang Mingzi, a First Order Quasi-Saint, found it difficult to count the exact number of Void Worlds here, only able to make a rough estimate, often with some discrepancy.

Yet, Ning Fan could accurately state the number of Void Worlds, rendering the two men speechless.

Especially Mu Song, his attention towards Ning Fan rose to unprecedented heights.

"Within the Eastern Heavens, only three monsters could see through the number of Void Worlds accurately; none are less than Second Rank Quasi-Saints. Yet this boy can achieve this..."

The three traveled swiftly, gradually, the azure light in the void began to weaken. Moving forward, waves of golden light transmitted from afar.

The center of the golden light was a scroll as tall as the heavens, hanging in the endless void, imposing and regal, giving an extremely solemn and respectful feeling.

The paper of the scroll was already yellowing, as if existing for countless ages, the blank canvas of the paper showed hardly any drawings, just two koi fish, one black, one white, extremely lively, surprisingly able to swim within the painting.

Black fish with white eyes, white fish with black eyes...

Upon seeing the giant painting, the Yin Yang Locket within Ning Fan’s body began to gently tremble, seeming to resonate with the giant painting.

"Yin-Yang Fish... this giant painting contains immense Yin-Yang power, resonating with the Yin Yang Locket, could it be the Golden Sky Black Earth Painting from ancient times..."

Ning Fan guessed correctly, this giant painting was indeed inherited from the Southern Heavenly Gold Talisman Palace’s ancient second chart, after much passing down, ended in Daoist Wood Pine’s possession.

This Golden Sky Black Earth Painting was incredibly peculiar, the Yin-Yang Fish in the painting swam harmoniously and peacefully, peaceful as if in dead silence, in the dead silence gave Ning Fan an unprecedented sense of crisis.

As if once the Yin-Yang Fish escapes from the painting, it would become a terrifying weapon, enough to threaten his life...

The surroundings of the giant painting seemed sealed by an invisible four-sided formation array, within the seal’s domain, both Mu Song and Xiang Mingzi, despite their high cultivation, exercised extreme caution, evidently wary of the ancient second chart. Ning Fan was thoughtful, it seemed his sense of danger wasn’t an illusion, perhaps this painting truly was dangerous...

Beneath the giant painting floated over a hundred cushions, each cushion seated a skeleton, judging from the color of the bones, these skeletons before death were of no less than Thought-Shattering Cultivation, and some, were even Immortal Emperors!

"Why are there so many master skeletons here..." Ning Fan asked gravely.

"These were all cultivators who once sought my help, attempting to comprehend the Golden Sky Black Earth Painting, in hopes of me owing them a karmic debt... Sadly, the majority died within the painting... The Golden Sky Black Earth Painting, being an ancient second chart, is known to contain the Yin-Yang Grand Dao, aiding breakthroughs beyond the Immortal Emperor, yet its other usages are unknown... So far, only one person succeeded in extracting something from the painting, and delivered it to me. That person was Senluo. Consequently, I owed Senluo a karmic debt, ultimately opening my eyes to help him settle the Dark Clan affair... Besides Senluo, no other has taken anything from the painting. Even fewer survived... There were even First Order Quasi-Saint monsters like Xiang Mingzi seeking to observe the painting, yet they too, couldn’t retrieve any items and could only barely survive within the painting..."

"Even Senior Xiang Mingzi could only barely survive within the painting?" Ning Fan frowned, the painting seemed even more dangerous than he imagined.

"Don’t worry, you are the inheritor of the Ancient Chaos, and have mastered the Ancient Chaos’s Ultimate Five-Sword Study, capable of severing Dao Sources, if you enter the painting, it will be like a fish in water, as long as you exercise caution, it won’t pose too much danger. Even if there truly is danger, I, Xiang Mingzi, will do my utmost to forcefully pull you out of the painting..." Xiang Mingzi reassured.

Daoist Wood Pine added, "This Golden Sky Black Earth Painting contains a Realm Within Paintings. Within the realm, lies something I need, if you can retrieve it, I’ll assist you in countering the Dark Clan. If you cannot accomplish this task, I won’t help, even considering Xiang Mingzi’s favor."

Ning Fan paused for a moment, then asked, "May I know what Senior requires from the Realm Within Paintings?"

"Eyes."

"Eyes? What kind of eyes?" Ning Fan was startled, somewhat confused.

"Haha, no need to ask further. Once you enter the realm within the painting, you’ll understand the eyes that I want."

Afterwards, Daoist Mu Song explained to Ning Fan the two methods to enter the realm within the painting in detail.

The first method involves separating the spirit from the body, entering the world of the painting solely with the spirit. This method cannot carry magical treasures and is relatively dangerous.

The second method is to directly enter the realm within the painting with the talisman pen from the Gold Talisman Palace.

This ancient second picture was drawn by the founder of the Gold Talisman Palace, so the disciples of the palace have privileges when entering the picture.

The talisman pen is a symbol of the Gold Talisman Palace disciples. Holding the talisman pen allows one to enter the realm with their physical body and magical treasures. The only drawback is that a talisman pen can only be used once before it is destroyed and cannot be used again...

"Unfortunately, the Gold Talisman Palace was destroyed a long time ago. The talisman pens left in the world are already scarce. Nowadays, there are barely any talisman pens circulating. I’ve collected the last talisman pen and used it up, so this second method is unavailable to you. You can only use the first method of spirit separation to enter the realm within the painting..." Daoist Mu Song said helplessly.

Ning Fan’s eyes flashed subtly.

The talisman pen from the Gold Talisman Palace, he seemed... to have accidentally acquired one...

Without the talisman pen, he would have to separate his spirit to enter the realm within the painting and could not carry magical treasures like the God-Extinguishing Shield and Yin Yang Locket, making it very dangerous.

Fortunately, he just happens to have a talisman pen, so he doesn’t need to worry.

"I have a talisman pen..."

Ning Fan turned his hand and took out the talisman pen from the Gold Talisman Palace that had been idle for years. This was a trophy he won when battling Bone Emperor during his run in the Rain Immortal World...

Bone Emperor... was once a formidable enemy in his youth, but recalling it now, was merely a Void Fragmentation junior...

"Oh? You have a talisman pen from the Gold Talisman Palace?" Mu Song was slightly surprised, but didn’t ask much about the origin of Ning Fan’s talisman pen, and directly informed him of the method to use the pen.

The talisman pen from the Gold Talisman Palace must be activated with Sky Frost Chilling Energy and Earth Vein Demonic Flame.

For the Nine Worlds cultivators, Sky Frost Chilling Energy and Earth Vein Demonic Flame are supreme treasures, but for the Four Heavens Immortals, they are not particularly rare items.

Ning Fan himself possessed Sky Frost Chilling Energy and Earth Vein Demonic Flame and directly activated the talisman pen. He approached step by step towards the Golden Sky Black Earth Painting and pointed it at the colossal painting towering high into the sky.

Instantly, the paper canvas of the giant painting began to ripple like water waves. The Yin Yang Fish that once moved freely gradually faded away, and the yellowed canvas changed color, gradually brightening up like a mirror, reflecting the entire world in that mirror.

That was the world within the painting of the Golden Sky Black Earth Painting!

"Gold Talisman Palace treasury deacon... Zhuo Jie... Talisman pen verified... Allowed entry..." A voice with no tone emitted from the giant painting.

"Go ahead. If you can bring out the eyes that Old Mu needs, then do so. If not, give up and escape the realm within the painting. If you encounter danger beyond your control, the old man will exert all his effort to pull you out from the realm within the painting and won’t let you die in there..." Xiang Mingzi patted Ning Fan’s shoulder, encouraging him.

Ning Fan nodded and stepped into the world within the painting.

Xiang Mingzi was doing his utmost to obtain aid against the Dark Clan, and Ning Fan certainly wouldn’t let Xiang Mingzi’s goodwill go to waste.

Upon entering the realm within the painting, the talisman pen in Ning Fan’s hand disintegrated into ashes. Surrounding him was dense white mist, obscuring all vision, and an invisible force weighed heavily on him, making it exceedingly difficult to stay afloat.

Descending unsure for how long, the white mist around him suddenly vanished, the gravity suppressing him suddenly lightened.

Ning Fan slowly landed on the ground, and unexpectedly found himself standing in a very familiar city.

He... had ended up in Hai Ning’s Ning Clan!

There was no mistake. Every brick and tile here was incredibly familiar, he had walked its long streets countless times; this was the hometown where he and his brother Ning Gu grew up...

"I clearly stepped into the realm within the painting, so why am I here... are these scenes all illusions..."

Ning Fan’s eyes flashed with azure as he tried to see through the world’s illusion, but peculiarly, he couldn’t see a trace of falsehood in the land.

"I can’t see through the illusion here?"

Ning Fan frowned and walked on the familiar yet foreign streets.

The corner soy milk stall emitted steam, but neither the vendor nor customers were seen...

Under the old tree, a stone table displayed an unfinished game of chess, but neither player was present...

Some courtyards had laundry hanging unfinished... And some houses emitted cooking smoke...

Yet the city was eerily empty, not a person in sight...

This was an empty city, there were no people, nor even insects, fish, or birds...

He stopped walking through the city and instead spread out his spirit sense. In an instant, his vast spirit sense spread out from Hai Ning, covering all of Wu Country, and then expanding toward the entire Rain Immortal World.

Vacant, the entire Rain Immortal World showed no sign of a living person...

"I wonder where Senior Mu Song’s desired eyes are... The Rain Immortal World doesn’t have them, will they be in the other eight lower worlds..."

Ning Fan’s figure blurred, transforming into a ray of golden light, instantly vanishing as he crossed from the Rain Immortal World into other realms.

The Sword World, Tree World, Mountain World... Ning Fan traversed one lower realm after another, yet not a single living person was seen, nor was Senior Mu Song’s mentioned eyes found.

"Not in the nine worlds, might they be in the Four Heavens?"

With this thought, the scenery around Ning Fan changed instantaneously, and in a heartbeat, he appeared within the Eastern Heaven Immortal World at the Millennium Sect on Chaos Demon Star.

The entire Nefarious Demon Star Domain was just as lifeless, Ning Fan confirmed it was all illusion, so felt no surprise.

He performed the Ice Rain Technique, causing his spirit sense to spread throughout the entire Eastern Heaven without exception, revealing that every Cultivation Star was empty of people...

Suddenly, Ning Fan sensed a living aura from a certain direction and without hesitation, utilized Vertical Golden Light to swiftly rush towards it.

In the starry sky, a youth with disheveled hair was slowly treading through the void, moving towards Ning Fan. His steps were slow, his body seemed cold and stiff, and if not for the faint aura of life within him, he’d be mistaken for a zombie.

The disheveled hair obscured his face, and Ned Fan rushed towards him without catching a glimpse of his features all along.

Closer, closer...

Ning Fan flew forward and stopped a hundred yards from the person, warily observing him.

Sensing Ning Fan’s presence, the person also stopped moving, slowly raising his head, speaking in a stiff tone.

"Not... Brother Zhuo Jie... Intruder... Kill..."

As the aura of murderous intent arose, turbulent winds grew among the heavens, blowing aside his dishevelled hair, revealing a blood-smeared face, a ferocious expression, and a pair of empty sockets where eyes had once been.

Ning Fan didn’t have the chance to ask a question before the person charged at him, the Middle Human Profound Stage aura sweeping across the starry sky.

"Were this person’s eyes dug out?"

Ning Fan showed a thoughtful expression, casually casting Heaven Sealing Art to immobilize the strange figure in place, naturally rendering it impossible for himself to be harmed by mere Human Profound Life Immortal... (To be continued. If you enjoy this piece, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets; your support is the greatest motivation for me. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)