Grasping the Evil-Chapter 984: Has Everyone Arrived...?
Ning Fan could feel a strong rejection from this withered palm. The Heaven’s Rejection of the Cultivation Path, this road is impassable. This withered palm, without a doubt, is Heaven’s way of blocking the cultivation path.
Even Ning Fan, who possesses the God-Extinguishing Shield, could barely withstand the power of the withered palm. Other ordinary cultivators who wish to walk this path of cultivation would be unlikely to withstand the power of this palm.
The power contained in this palm far exceeds Ning Fan’s understanding. It’s a difference in dimensions! Though Ning Fan’s vision spans the Four Heavens and he’s at a first-class level, he can’t comprehend the mystery of this palm, which is enough to indicate the severity!
The power of this palm is definitely at the level of the Third Step, and it might possibly have reached the Fourth Step!
Unbeatable!
Unless Ning Fan steps into the Third Step, becomes a Saint, and possesses a complete God-Extinguishing Shield, he wouldn’t have even half the confidence to receive this palm! Such a terrifying withered palm stands ahead, questioning which cultivator of the path could pass this hurdle!
This path, too difficult! Perhaps in the history of pre-Immemorial, the cultivation path has had its glory, but in the present Era of Decline, the road of the cultivation path might truly be impassable, blocked by life itself.
At the Enlightenment, there is no True Bridge over the Zhenhuan River. How many people can create their True Bridge on the river? At that time, Ning Fan had actually accomplished a magnificent feat, but if it were someone else, they might only abandon this path of cultivation.
During the Shedding Void Stage, there’s the obstruction of the withered palm. This withered palm is more like an insurmountable high wall, giving Ning Fan an unprecedented sense of unbeatable. Trying to forcibly defeat the withered palm, there is no possibility at all...
"Turn back, turn back, turn back...come from my boundless way, Four Illusions and Four Extinguishments Stepping into Emptiness Realm, Sect of SoleFlame from the Ground..."
"Turn back, turn back, turn back...come from my boundless ancient path, offer to the Bright Firmament Palm’s reverse decay, Sect of SoleFlame from the Ground..."
That withered palm struck heavily upon Ning Fan, and once again suddenly attacked the reflection in the river, determined to destroy the reflection. Ning Fan forcibly tried to block, yet still, a small part of the reflection was wiped by the withered palm, and he himself had his injuries deepened by the withered palm.
Although the injuries on the body were severe, Ning Fan could barely endure them, but with one sweep of the reflection, Ning Fan only felt his path being forcibly torn apart, and a part was erased. Moreover, a will of heaven forcibly invaded his body, bit by bit, collapsing the cultivation path within him and affecting his spirit sense.
It seemed that at this moment, there was another voice of Ning Fan within his heart, constantly advising him to follow the will of heaven, to cultivate the path of Yang, to abandon cultivation, to convert!
’Convert! Convert! You are me, I am you, convert to the Bright Firmament, convert to the Sect of SoleFlame from the Ground...’
Every time that other voice in his heart echoed, Ning Fan’s path would collapse a bit, and his spirit sense became numb bit by bit, being guided towards the path recognized by Heaven.
’Abandon, abandon, abandon...abandon all obsessions, abandon all important people, leaving only conversion...’
’Convert, to the Sect of SoleFlame from the Ground...’
’Abandon the attachment of bygone dust, cultivate the path of the afterlife, quickly convert, from this point, enter the empty door, let bygones be bygones, bestow upon you the fortune of brightness...’
’I am you, you are me, follow me...convert...’
That voice penetrated continuously, making Ning Fan’s gaze dazed for a moment, but the next moment, he suddenly roared towards the sky, like a demon roaring defiantly, forcibly suppressing that eerie voice.
In his eyes, there was even a flame of anger!
Such a strong allure power, but wanting to seduce me to abandon the path, it’s insufficient!
This path is impassable, is it? What if I insist on going, insisting on being the only cultivator in this Era of Decline who obstinately persists in cultivation!
If a path can be changed, it’s not a true path. Once Ning Fan has stepped onto the path of cultivation, he will never turn back in this life, this withered palm can suppress his cultivation level, erase his reflection, but his path will not allow anyone to erase it!
"This divine skill of the palm is defiant of the heavens, beyond my ability to defeat, but it’s not that I can’t endure to the end!"
Ning Fan keenly discovered that compared to the first palm, the power of the withered palm’s second strike seemed to have weakened. This weakening was like the withered palm itself having limited power, consuming some, and less remaining.
As it is said, the grand Dao is fifty, Heaven evolves forty-nine, leaving a thread of life... This withered palm indeed intends to block the cultivation path’s emergence, but it seems Heaven has left a sliver of possibility for Ning Fan to cultivate...
The power of the withered palm is actually limited!
If one can endure the withered palm’s attacks, enduring a certain number of times, could it be possible to exhaust the power of the withered palm and, with the result of unyielding obsession, walk onto the path of Shedding Void?
If one is an ordinary cultivator without such a heavenly defying artifact like the God-Extinguishing Shield, and without Ning Fan’s daring audacity, they might only succumb to the withered palm, walking the path the withered palm has laid down for them.
But Ning Fan is different, he naturally is this way, once he decides on something, no matter how small the possibility, he has to fight desperately for it, regardless of gains or losses. Perhaps, he might truly be able to exhaust the power of the withered palm...
That withered palm came again, intending to extinguish the reflection in the river. Ning Fan’s gaze was fierce, having made a decision, fearlessly manipulating the God-Slaying Giant, clashing with the withered palm once more.
Boom!
The result was that Ning Fan spewed blood for the third time, being blasted away by that withered palm, but the battle spirit in his eyes was even more vigorous.
Indeed, the power of this third strike was even weaker than the second strike...
A great number of Healing Pills were taken out by Ning Fan, swallowed in handfuls. In such circumstances, he couldn’t care to slowly refine the power of the pills, letting the medicinal power rampage within his body, constantly delivering pain that he ignored, developing a bit of ruthless streak.
If the path is impassable, he will use his entire body of flesh and blood to crash open that road!
With a turn of his hand, the Yin Yang Memory Severing Dao Sword, enlarged, appeared in the giant’s right hand, entangled with four kinds of palm position luminous light, directly charging towards the withered palm, striking down with a sword.
This was the first time Ning Fan took the initiative to attack the withered palm after enduring three attacks; it was his defiance against anyone trying to strip his path!
The withered palm showed no emotion, only leisurely unleashed the fourth palm, seemingly weak and powerless, yet upon contact it instantly extinguished the four palm position luminous lights on the Dao Sword, then with great force suppressed it, sending the God-Slaying Giant flying.
Dimensions differ!
Using the power of the palm position principles, he couldn’t leave the slightest injury on the withered palm, not even a scratch!
"If palm position power is ineffective, then I’ll use divine skills! I let my bones be mountains, my blood be the sea, my palm be the way, my way be submerged currents! This is, Dao Like a Submerged Current!"
Ning Fan flipped his hand within the God-Slaying Giant, the entire Zhenhuan River water instantly metamorphosed into the Obliteration River, rolling the withered palm to the riverbed.
"Calamity Technique...Taicang Calamity Spirit?" From within the withered palm, a voice of hesitation echoed for the first time, seemingly greatly dreading the Taicang lineage. But the dread lasted only a moment; the withered palm still turned its hand, and directly suppressed Ning Fan’s Obliteration River without damage.
This was the fifth palm!
Once that withered palm suppressed the Obliteration River, it immediately pressed lightly towards the God-Slaying Giant, Ning Fan wanting to dodge, only to realize in shock that the entire God-Slaying Giant had lost control, sealed by an invisible force, trapped in place, and then the palm landed!
Bang!
This palm directly pressed on the heavenly spirit of the God-Slaying Giant, causing the golden flame body of the God-Slaying Giant to extinguish completely, with Ning Fan inside spewing blood and flying backwards. With each retreat, the physical body’s collapse intensified, and if not for an unwavering will sustaining it, the physical body would instantly become unsustainable and scattered. During the path of retreat, Ning Fan forced down more Healing Pills, without caring for his internal injuries, forcibly transforming the God-Slaying Giant once more.
The seventh palm, the eighth palm, the ninth palm... Ning Fan was covered in blood, long since numb to the excruciating pain on his body, his eyes solely possessed with a nearly frenzied battle spirit, relentlessly controlling the God-Slaying Giant, continuously colliding with the withered palm.
The eleventh palm, the twelfth palm, the thirteenth palm... Ning Fan’s Healing Pills had long been exhausted, and any other pill that was harmless, that had even a slight healing effect, was stuffed into his mouth, only to maintain the vitality within him, continuing the battle with the withered palm!
The twentieth palm, the thirtieth palm, the fortieth palm...
The power of the withered palm grew steadily weaker, gradually almost unable to break through the defense of the God-Extinguishing Shield.
```
Ning Fan’s vitality was equally weak, but he held on with the will of War Yin and Yang. Such unwavering determination was unyielding, even in the face of heaven, like a spine straightening little by little before the sky, still charging towards the withered palm again and again. Attacking is always better than waiting passively for doom!
No Cultivator of Void-Forsaking has ever withstood so many attacks from the withered palm!
Even if the heavens left a sliver of hope for the cultivators, no one had ever seized that chance in the Era of Decline, only Ning Fan achieved this feat!
Forty-seventh palm, forty-eighth palm, forty-ninth palm!
Those forty-nine palms seemed to have drained the last bit of strength from the withered palm. As one palm fell, it couldn’t continue, finally turning into fragmented light and disappearing, while Ning Fan, barely able to stand, still maintained his fierce gaze, watching the withered palm vanish.
So, does that mean he won...
Before the withered palm disappeared, it left behind a message, the tone sounded like a threat.
"Desertion of the cultivation, you alone succeed, since you don’t look back, don’t regret. You may be a Taicang Calamity Spirit, but you are not a cultivator of the Real Realms. When the day comes for you to enter the True Realm, you will face the Destruction of Obsession Fire Punishment from the Sect of SoleFlame from the Ground, eternally imprisoned in the Prison of Bright Firmament, and not even the Calamity Master can save you! The matter of extinguishing the obsession, as discussed by the Third World, is heavenly will, and no one can change it. If you wish to live, then stay in the Dreamland Realm and eke out your life!"
Uh, even as the withered palm was leaving, it still issued such a lengthy threat to Ning Fan?
Destruction of Obsession Fire Punishment from the Sect of SoleFlame from the Ground... what is that?
Calamity Master...
This is someone Ning Fan dared not even mention, yet the withered palm spoke of them freely, indeed impressive...
Ning Fan didn’t take the threat from the withered palm to heart. He withdrew from the God-Slaying Giant’s Divine Skill, and could no longer bear the physical weakness, hardly able to stand without sheer willpower supporting him.
The injuries he sustained in this battle were horrific, his physical form nearly shattered, and his Spirit severely damaged.
But he had no regrets, at the very least, he held onto his path, at least he became the only cultivator in this Era of Decline who preserved his obsession and broke through the Void-Forsaking stage!
The erased reflections had now spontaneously restored themselves with the disappearance of the withered palm, and Ning Fan’s cultivation level surged as the withered palm departed, completely breaking through the bottleneck, with his energy rising rapidly.
Spirit Severing level, Initial Stage Shedding Void! Yin Yang Transformation level, Initial Stage Shedding Void!
Finally shattered the void, in this way, the cultivation levels of Spirit, Demon, and Monster, all count as stepping into the Shedding Void Realm, what follows is to make these three cultivation levels gradually achieve Thought-Shattering and eventually reach eons, only thus can the three cultivation levels equal the Calamity Blood Cultivation!
Ning Fan pondered, when the withered palm dissipated, it left a threat, and from the tone, it seemed that the future Heart Tribulation of Shedding Void would no longer descend, otherwise, it would not have stated he had to wait until Ning Fan arrived at the Real Realms to start the punishment.
Improving the Shedding Void cultivation level in the future should be much easier, though it’s not impossible that the withered palm might descend again...
"This matter need not be considered, it’s time to heal..."
After the True Bridge phenomenon disappeared, Ning Fan went directly into a Millennium Age Tower to begin healing.
This time, he completely exhausted his Healing Pills and had no choice but to open a furnace himself, using his not-too-excellent Seventh Grade Mid-Level Pill Technique to refine some pills for healing.
The Seventh Revolution Pills’ efficacy wasn’t great, but there were many of them. Moreover, Ning Fan possessed countless precious medicinal materials, many used for refining Nine Transformations Lead Pills, Silver Elixirs, Golden Cores, yet he squandered them to make Seventh Revolution Pills.
In this way, his alchemy experience skyrocketed, not to mention the pills refined had remarkable efficacy, not unlike that of peak Eighth Revolution healing pills, only slightly weaker.
No wonder, looking across Eastern Heaven, there’s definitely no alchemist who would use Nine Revolution materials to refine Seventh Revolution pills, that would be wasteful, a prodigal act, primarily because few people have Ning Fan’s abundant resources to withstand such extravagance. Neither the Pill Sect nor the Medicine Sect nor the Three Elders of Magic Pills could... Alchemists as wealthy as Ning Fan are rare!
Ning Fan didn’t care at all, after all, these medicinal materials were all plundered through his slaughtering along the way, to not use them for his own healing would be the true waste.
The expensive pills were of high quality and plentiful, thus combined with the healing effect of the Black Star Technique, they slowly patched up Ning Fan’s injuries. Moreover, what Ning Fan did not expect was that, despite the life-threatening injuries, an unexpected gain arose!
The saying "no destruction, no establishment" held true; the more severe wounds compared to those he had when crossing the Origin Bridge surprisingly awoke the dormant Immortal Blood within Ning Fan’s body.
In the past, Ning Fan had cultivated a trace of Immortal Blood by using the God-Extinguishing Shield. However, that trace of Immortal Blood had never been utilized until now. This time, with life on the brink, that trace of Immortal Blood was sensed, awoken, and joined in the task of healing his injuries.
Despite the fact that it’s merely a trace of Immortal Blood, its regenerative prowess surpasses the production of those wasteful Seventh Revolution pills by far, truly defying the heavens! Ning Fan’s Spirit was almost completely damaged, shrunk from palm-sized to only the size of a thumb—an unprecedentedly grave injury. Even some ninth-revolution Golden Pills struggle to treat injuries of this magnitude. Yet, as the Immortal Blood continuously nurtures him, Ning Fan’s dwindling Spirit gradually recuperates, without overly relying on the concoctions, recovering from its dilapidated state! Though, its recovery is indeed slow...
Why would anyone resent Ning Fan’s scant Immortal Blood?
But it was indeed this scant Immortal Blood that eventually mended Ning Fan’s heavily wounded Spirit... this truly defies the heavens!
If Ning Fan’s Immortal Blood multiplied by a hundred times or a thousand times, reaching as much as a drop, Ning Fan would have confidence in healing such Spirit injuries within a year rather than a millennium!
Should the Immortal Blood grow more plentiful... Ning Fan could heal in the blink of an eye, his physical body regenerating at super speed, all of which are possible.
Moreover, the Heavenly Emperor’s Black Star Technique and Immortal Emperor’s Immortal Blood breeds both are rare masteries in healing, if only these two divine skills could be merged into one...
Once this thought sprouted, it couldn’t be dismissed. Alas, he can only imagine these things; in his current state, he has no ability to blend the unrivaled skills of these two godlike figures.
A millennium passed, and Ning Fan’s injuries were eighty to ninety percent healed. He was still consolidating his Sky-Traversing Cultivation in the Tower of Years, and over the span, he overcame two minor True Immortal Lightning Tribulations within six hundred years, only remaining are the deficiencies in Primordial Qi.
The scale of his Heavenly Tribulation descended based on the level of spirit, demon, and evil cultivation, with the Blood-lightning not summoning tribulation. Previously, Ning Fan couldn’t understand the reason, but through enlightenment in Yin and Yang, he could reason it out.
Spirit, demon, and evil are Yin, unaccepted by the heavens, hence they face tribulation. Taicang Calamity Spirits are Yang, accepted by heaven, hence spared from tribulation’s punishment...
A millennium went by, Ning Fan stepped out of the Tower of Years, and stayed briefly in the Mysterious Yin World, for ten successive days, replenishing the lost Primordial Qi with the help of cauldrons. The replenishing process benefited both parties, needless to go into the allure.
Once his Primordial Qi was replenished, Ning Fan returned to the Luo Family—a matter that took ten days.
The timing was at night on Tianhai Star, and throughout the Luo Family, lanterns were hung, brilliantly lit with joy, while above Tianhai Star, guests surged in from all directions, an unprecedented festivity.
The Luo Family, in decline, had not seen such liveliness for a long time.
Ning Fan’s spirit sense gently dispersed, enveloping Tianhai Star, listening to some cultivators’ idle chatter, immediately understanding the reason.
As it turns out, the Luo Family was celebrating the awakening of the War King, indeed a joyous occasion worth celebrating.
Ten days prior, War King Luo Hou overcame numerous minor and major Lightning Tribulations with unparalleled cultivation, immediately entering seclusion due to some minor injuries obtained during the tribulation and currently in the healing process.
Lv Wen, Wu Laoba, and Cloud Thunder were severely injured, having watched the war king’s tribulation, Lv Wen and Wu Laoba temporarily stayed in Broken Spear Peaks for healing, remaining secluded. Celestial Venerate Cloud Thunder returned to the Godly Void Pavilion’s main star for recovery.
The Luo Family executives did not heavily publicize the War King’s awakening, though this matter was learned by a few of Eastern Heaven’s Old Monsters, watching Luo Family closely.
Thus, the Luo Family didn’t conceal it, opting for an open celebration on Tianhai Star, venting their joy. The War King’s awakening signaled the Luo Family’s imminent rise. Moreover, Luo Shix and others later realized that not only had their War King awoken, his cultivation had actually increased dramatically, suggesting that this resurgence would be unstoppable.
Many guests truly arrived, mostly cultivators from Dongming Star Domain’s same star domain, but a few were from the distant starry skies, relying on individual starry teleportation arrays to arrive. The least of them were at the Fate Immortal Realm, and Void Fragmentation cultivators were not qualified to join the celebration, while strong figures like Shekong and Thought-Shattering Old Monsters were also amongst those who came to Luo Family.
However, the vast majority still harbored doubts, not believing that a celestial king sleeping for forty-five million years had a chance to awaken.
Others believed the War King had indeed awoken but firmly believed that the War King’s cultivation must have severely declined after such prolonged heavy injuries. They could not believe that his cultivation would remain undiminished after so many years of imprisonment and injury.
Though many guests were present, only Luo Shix was hosting, with the War King not appearing, thus those attendees couldn’t assess the War King’s current cultivation level.
Ning Fan naturally didn’t plan to show up. These people were here to congratulate the Luo Family, and he didn’t need to participate, so he went to the cave abodes of Lv Wen and Wu Laoba to check on them.
Both of them were severely injured during the rescue of the War King. Fortunately, the injuries weren’t critical, and with an ample supply of healing pills, they would recover and emerge in a year or so. However, this meant that they wouldn’t be able to participate in the upcoming major event...
Calculating the time, in a few days, it would be the time for the Anti-Ning Assembly held by the Pill Sect. By then, it seemed he would have to go alone...
Pill Sect!
Ning Fan’s spirit sense encompassed the entire Tianhai Star, and among the guests who came to congratulate the Luo family, many were casually discussing this matter.
"Have you heard? The Sect Master of the Pill Sect has issued hero invitations, calling for reinforcements to join the Anti-Ning Alliance. I don’t want to get involved in these muddy waters, and I was just fretting about finding an excuse to decline. Just heard that the Luo Family War King has awakened, so I came here..."
"The Pill Sect really struck lucky with a newly ascended Ninth Turn Golden Core Alchemist, who is said to have reached the bottleneck of the Emperor Pill... Although the Sect Master’s cultivation isn’t high, his alchemy skills are unrivaled in Eastern Heaven, no wonder he could rally such a huge force."
"I wonder how the Rain Immortal Monarch will respond to this. Do you think the Rain Monarch will cause a commotion at the scene..."
"Probably not, this time the Anti-Ning Assembly has gathered all the Pill Sect’s experts. It’s rumored that the Pill Sect has invited three Immortal Venerables, including the ancestor from the Han family... If the Rain Monarch goes, he might not fare well and could even risk his life..."
"What! Even the Han family ancestor made a move! That’s a Second Calamity Immortal Lord! If that’s the case, the Rain Monarch should likely get word and wouldn’t rush in recklessly."
"Hehe, you two are too worried. This is an affair between the Rain Monarch and the Pill Sect, it has nothing to do with small people like us. Let’s just drink happily; the Luo family’s Spiritual Wine is truly fine wine..."
There were plenty of similar conversations buzzing around.
Ning Fan listened for a while before tuning out, as the content was all too similar. Most people didn’t believe he could stand against the Anti-Ning Alliance.
Let them think what they will. The opinions of others had no impact on him; he didn’t care at all.
Despite this careless demeanor, having just triggered his first Shekong Heart Tribulation, Ning Fan suddenly felt a stirring within.
It seemed to be the sensation of the second Shekong Heart Tribulation’s imminent arrival!
Of course, having just triggered the first, Ning Fan wasn’t about to encounter the second heart tribulation immediately. The feeling was fleeting, especially since his cultivation alone wasn’t enough to break through to the next realm.
At the very least, he needed to elevate both his spirit and demon cultivations to the peak of the Shedding Void Stage, only then crossing the tribulation to advance. Hence, Ning Fan’s primary task was to push those cultivations to the limit of the Shedding Void Stage—for the second heart tribulation, it was still early days.
However, the first heart tribulation was tied to a ’promise,’ but what the second was connected to, he wasn’t sure yet.
The Luo Family was bustling with joy, and Ning Fan, not intending to bring trouble, quietly left Tianhai Star, mentioning his departure only to Lv Wen and Wu Laoba. Thus, neither the Luo Family nor the War King were aware of his departure.
In fact, the War King had already ordered that once Ning Fan emerged from seclusion, he must be notified so he could personally express gratitude for Ning Fan’s life-saving kindness.
But Ning Fan didn’t need the War King’s thanks. He saved the War King not for gratitude, but due to a promise to Luo Shix. Now that the promise was fulfilled, the matter was settled; neither owed the other anything. The War King owed him nothing.
When he left, there was no rain on Tianhai Star, but soon after his departure, a delicate guest arrived, whose presence altered the celestial phenomenon, bringing rain.
She was a woman holding an umbrella, with eyes as gentle as rain, and three thousand strands of black hair slightly swayed by the breeze, with a light-blue headscarf. She usually didn’t dress this way, but today, she felt compelled to.
This was the attire she had worn when she first met Ning Fan.
"Miss is..." The Luo family’s disciple tasked with welcoming guests, at the Nascent Soul stage, couldn’t discern the woman’s cultivation; he only sensed her noble presence and dared not slight her.
"My surname is Tan Tai. I’ve come today first to congratulate the War King’s awakening, and secondly, to see someone. Is the Rain Monarch here?" From her storage pouch, the woman produced a gift, and her first inquiry was not about the War King but about the Rain Monarch.
The reception disciples immediately grew wary. Tan Tai? There’s no major power in Eastern Heaven with the surname Tan Tai, right? Such compound surnames typically belong to well-known families, mostly in the South and North... Unsure of her intent or background, they dared not answer casually.
The Family Head had instructed that if any visitor inquired about the Rain Monarch, they were to feign ignorance since Ning Fan had made many enemies in Eastern Heaven. Who knew what intentions lay behind such questions.
Seeing the reception disciples’ silence, the woman asked no more but instead spread her divine sense across the Tianhai Star, then smiled lightly.
It seemed she was late; a vast swath of Yin energy had departed from Tianhai Star half an hour prior. The owner of that Yin energy, unmistakably, was Ning Fan.
Though it was a brief encounter, and centuries had passed since, she was confident she wouldn’t forget the scent of Ning Fan’s Yin energy.
In the Dreamland Realm, every Netherworld inhabitant had their unique scent. Such a distinctive Yin cultivator like Ning Fan was rare. And over the years, his Yin energy had only grown... Transitioning from Yin to Yang would be even harder in the future.
With Ning Fan absent, the woman didn’t linger at the Luo Family, soon taking her leave. Her departure, whether by coincidence or design, was directed towards the Pill Sect.
She certainly couldn’t track Ning Fan’s traces but, with her intelligence, quickly deduced where Ning Fan had likely gone after leaving Tianhai Star.
If she went there, she would probably meet Ning Fan.
In the blink of an eye, another six days passed.
Pill Sect, Danxia Star.
That day, Danxia Star was also festively decorated, an atmosphere of sheer joy permeating the air.
Today marked the establishment of the Anti-Ning Alliance. After today, the grand Anti-Ning Alliance would form, with the Sect Master of the Pill Sect becoming the alliance leader.
This indeed was a matter of celebration. Each Pill Sect cultivator exuded boundless joy, basking under the prosperity of their sect.
Back in the day, Ning Fan had thrown a bounty worth tens of billions on the head of the Pill Sect’s Sect Master, marking the most humiliating era for the Pill Sect. With constant threats from Eastern Heaven’s old monsters, their sect master dared not leave the sect, akin to a turtle in hiding, mocked by old monsters...
Fortunately, later on, the sect master reached the Ninth Revolution of the Golden Core Alchemy, allowing Pill Sect cultivators to hold their heads high once more. No longer did anyone dare seek trouble with the Pill Sect over mere Dao Crystals.
After all, that was a Ninth Revolution Golden Core Alchemist! Even eternal old monsters had to show respect, be it three parts. The Sect Master’s influence was formidable. Once, in Eastern Heaven’s alchemical forces, the Pill Sect and Medicine Sect vied for leadership, holding half of the territory each. Now, the Pill Sect reigned supreme over all Eastern Heaven’s alchemy sects.
Now, their sect master needed only to send some hero invitations to establish a cultivation alliance. So far, three Eternal Immortal Venerables presided over the alliance, demonstrating enormous influence that ignited the blood of the Pill Sect disciples with enthusiasm.
The secret clans don’t count, nor do the Immortal Emperors. Across Eastern Heaven, who else but the sect master could summon three Immortal Venerables with just a word?
"The sect master is our pride!" exclaimed the Pill Sect cultivators, eyes filled with fervent admiration.
Above Danxia Star, a constant stream of cultivators entered and exited. For today’s celebration, a floating city was constructed in the skies, housing the main venue, already crowded with powerful figures eager to join the alliance. Remarkably, over 100,000 cultivators above the Void Fragmentation level had gathered!
At the center of the venue stood a high platform, where only True Immortals above Enlightenment had the right to sit. Although it wasn’t noon yet, more than two hundred True Immortals had already taken their seats.
Among them, there were 31 Shedding Void Cultivators, 9 Thought-Shattering Cultivators, and 3 Eternal Immortal Venerables. The remainder were all Enlightenment level, each a legendary True Immortal from Eastern Heaven.
What a grand event! What a spectacular occasion!
Few in Eastern Heaven could muster such influence to assemble so many powerful beings!
The Sect Master of the Pill Sect had yet to appear, and the three Eternal Immortal Venerables were still meditating with closed eyes. Some True Immortal old monsters gathered here and there, engaged in discussions.
"Haha, isn’t this Brother Qin? From today onwards, we will be fellow alliance cultivators. We must keep in touch in the future!"
"Oh? Daoist Zhang is here too? The Pill Sect has quite a face, inviting you, a Thought-Shattering powerhouse, who has been reclusive for many years!"
"Hiss! Isn’t that the demon cultivator Feng Li! He’s here too!"
Some were exchanging pleasantries, others were recognizing people, and some were discussing Ning Fan, with their tone mostly filled with disdain.
"In my opinion, that so-called Rain Immortal Lord is nothing but an empty name, how could he possibly be our alliance’s rival!"
"Exactly, exactly. If the Alliance Hierarch could advance further in pill refinement and become the legendary Nine Revolutions Imperial Elixir Alchemist, even the Immortal Emperors would likely be eager to join our Anti-Ning Alliance. Haha, what’s that Rain Lord anyway, but someone with a powerful master. If he angers the alliance, I’ll be the first to teach him a lesson!"
"I’ve heard that besides the establishment of the alliance today, they will also classify four levels of guilty sects..."
"Indeed, the Hierarch’s intention is that we should not only kill Ning the Bandit alone but also exterminate all forces related to him. According to those forces’ closeness to Ning the Bandit, they can be divided into four levels: the first being complete extermination, the second only the sect leader is killed, the third pays a Dao Crystal penalty, and the fourth is reprimanded by imperial decree. The Qianqiu Sect established by Ning the Bandit is a first-level guilty sect, and as for the Medicine Sect, it is a second-level..."
"Sigh, in truth, this old man indeed harbors some concerns. That Rain Lord is from the Slaughter Hall and has close ties with the Godly Void Pavilion..."
"Daoist, you’re being foolish! What about the Slaughter Hall! What about the Godly Void Pavilion! Can they compare to the Dark Clan, huh, think about it..."
Laughter and chatter were everywhere, morale running high. Seeing this, the Sect Master of the Pill Sect felt a bit relieved, secretly cursing himself for being cowardly. He had the alliance on his side; why should he fear Ning Fan? It was laughable how he’d been feeling anxious these past few days, as if doom was imminent. This feeling was probably just overthinking, right... He had the alliance with him; could Ning Fan possibly kill him among thousands of troops?
He had three Immortal Venerables overseeing his side.
"Look, the Alliance Hierarch is here!"
"Greetings, Alliance Hierarch!"
"Wishing the Hierarch peace and prosperity!"
"Your servant respectfully greets the Hierarch!"
Someone suddenly shouted, and everyone’s gaze fixated on the Pill Sect Master who was slowly walking down from the sky, followed by a fervent wave of salutations.
The Sect Master of the Pill Sect landed at the center of the high platform, gesturing to quiet the bustling venue; unfortunately, the enthusiasm was so high, he couldn’t control the situation and had to give up, letting the crowd chatter continuously. Consequently, it was only after a long time that the entire venue gradually quieted down.
Once the venue was silent, three Eternal Old Immortal Venerables opened their eyes simultaneously, nodding slightly toward the Pill Sect Master. Although proud of their status, they showed the Sect Master enough respect.
Other True Immortal monsters stood up one after another, courteously saluting the Pill Sect Master.
This scene unknowingly ignited countless people’s fervor!
What does one live for if not fame and fortune? To be renowned worldwide, to have a rallying call answered by ten thousand immortal cultivators, this is what a true man is made of! This is the worth of a lifetime of cultivation!
"Ladies and gentlemen, there’s no need for formalities. Today marks the founding of our Anti-Ning Alliance. How fortunate for my sect to have invited so many renowned immortal cultivators to join our alliance. I am grateful for everyone lending me their support. After the alliance is established, our first priority is to eliminate the scoundrel Ning Fan. This scoundrel has been wreaking havoc in the Eastern Heaven for too long. Back in the day, while still in Void Fragmentation, he dared to set up an array to kill a hundred immortals. Since then, he has continued on a path of slaughter, making enemies everywhere, giving no regard to any sects of our Eastern Heaven. This scoundrel must be removed for the sake of my peace of mind, and I have no choice but to ask for your assistance. Please help me to cut down this scoundrel! Create an alliance, kill the Ning Bandit! If the Ning Bandit is not removed, the heavens themselves will not stand for it!"
As soon as the Pill Sect Master’s words fell, from among the hundred thousand cultivators present, countless people immediately shouted back in response.
"Create an alliance, kill the Ning Bandit!"
"If the Ning Bandit is not removed, the heavens will not stand for it!"
"Create an alliance, kill the Ning Bandit!"
"If the Ning Bandit is not removed, the heavens will not stand for it!"
The chorus of voices reached higher and higher, ultimately coalescing into a terrifying momentum. The world changed colors, the wind and clouds surged, causing the eardrums of cultivators to ache, yet they tirelessly shouted as if Ning Fan was their blood enemy.
However, everyone knew full well that the killing of Ning Fan was merely to curry favor with the Pill Sect Master and the Dark Clan; it’s not about morality. Does morality have a price? They wouldn’t risk opposing Ning Fan for something like that.
None of those who reached the Void Fragmentation realm were fools; without driving interests, who would take such great risks to provoke a being as perilous as Ning Fan? 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
The sound waves grew increasingly intense, almost breaking through the heavens. Some disciples of the Pill Sect, lacking sufficient cultivation, had already burst their eardrums from the noise. A few even had their divine sense shattered and died!
Seeing this, the Sect Master of the Pill Sect became unhappy once more. He wanted to control the situation and calm the crowd but found the crowd was already so fever-pitch, they didn’t heed his orders...
Just at this moment, a voice suddenly echoed as if directly emerging from the deepest layers of the Nine Nether Darkness, carrying a bone-chilling coldness. Though the voice was not loud, it overwhelmed all the noise, clearly reaching the ears of every Alliance cultivator present.
"Is everyone here yet..."
Hiss!
The previously high-spirited assembly seemed to enter a sudden midwinter, with all cultivators calming down at once. The meeting hall, which the Pill Sect Master couldn’t control no matter what, suddenly fell into dead silence.
All was silent; one could hear a pin drop! Only the sound of many gasping for breath continuously echoed!
Countless pairs of eyes fell on the unannounced white-clothed youth.
The Rain Immortal Lord, Ning Fan!
This star of misfortune actually came! He dared to come! This place clearly gathered ten thousand powerhouses, with three Immortal Venerables sitting in; how did he dare to come!
"It’s the Rain Bandit, alliance cultivators, quickly follow me to kill the Rain..."
Suddenly, a burly man with a bare torso shouted, trying to rally people to attack Ning Fan, but high above the stars, Ning Fan lowered his gaze with a cold look, scaring that burly man into silence.
He was a Late Stage Enlightenment True Immortal, yet he was speechless from a single cold look from Ning Fan!
It wasn’t just him; whether Shedding Void or Thought-Shattering, there wasn’t a single True Immortal here that dared to meet Ning Fan’s icy gaze, akin to an apocalyptic killing god!
Even the three Eternal Immortal Venerables were horrified to find that when gazing into Ning Fan’s eyes, they felt an uncontrollable shiver in their hearts.
How is this possible! This child is just a newly ascended Immortal Venerable; even if he had slain the Deyun Ancestor, his killing intent shouldn’t be this potent. What kind of demon could possess such an aura of killing intent! Unimaginable, inconceivable!
Dead silence, dead silence, nothing but dead silence!
In front of Ning Fan, not a single soul in the vast alliance dared to step forward or utter a harsh word at this moment.
"It seems everyone is present, that’s good; I won’t have to hunt you all down one by one later."
Ning Fan seemed to talk to himself for a moment, causing everyone’s hearts to skip a beat, as if a peerless slaughter was imminent!
"Since it’s an alliance, do not waste my time... come at me together!"
What arrogance, yet what confidence! As the words spurred, they instantly infuriated countless alliance cultivators, causing many to suppress their fear in humiliation and anger, causing thousands to soar into the sky, surrounding Ning Fan.
Cries like "kill the Ning Bandit, kill the Rain Bandit" rose one after another, echoing instantly across the starry sky...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
