Grasping the Evil-Chapter 996: Divine City Snowfall, Holy Domain Approaches

Chapter 996: Chapter 996: Divine City Snowfall, Holy Domain Approaches

Tonight, the presence of Burying Moon Immortal Concubine was unprecedentedly strong, and unprecedentedly serious.

She came today to negotiate with Ning Fan, and the negotiation was about two points: First, she demanded that Ning Fan stay away from Mu Weiliang, and second, she wanted Ning Fan to rebuild the Ancient Heavenly Court.

Ning Fan frowned; he did not expect Burying Moon Immortal Concubine to meddle in his affairs with Mu Weiliang. The nature of his feelings for Mu Weiliang seemed not something Burying Moon could intervene in.

What surprised him more was the second demand — to rebuild the Ancient Heavenly Court.

The Ancient Heavenly Court had long been destroyed, its cultivators perished. What significance did rebuilding it have? What benefit would it bring her, and why would she make such a request...

"Regarding the second demand, if you can provide me with a reasonable reason, I can consider helping you. But as for the first demand, I will not agree to it. For me, Aliang holds a special significance; without her, my past self might never have had the chance to rise from the ashes and would have died long ago..."

Ning Fan recalled the past he had once seen.

There was once a butterfly that flew desperately towards the Ancient Heavenly Court and was supposed to die, yet a foolish girl extended its life with dew from a one-million-year-old spiritual herb, allowing it to struggle on.

In terms of feelings, his two lives intertwined with Mu Weiliang, making it impossible to abandon her.

In terms of gratitude, Ning Fan could even less forsake her. His feelings for Mu Weiliang were extremely complex, more profound because of their complexity, mixed with part of his feelings for the paper crane, Little Stammer, Mu Xiaoliang, and Wuxie, as these women were Aliang’s soul and spirit reborn...

The current Mu Weiliang had a new soul but had lost her memory.

This memory, someday, might be restored. Yet gradually, Ning Fan began to wonder, if Aliang never regained her memories, would it perhaps be better.

He didn’t want her to recall the sadness of the Ancient Heavenly Court’s destruction, nor the harshness of the cultivation world. He just wished for her to remain forever innocent and blissful...

Thus, Ning Fan never thought of rebuilding the Ancient Heavenly Court. He had no intention of making Aliang return as the Grand Princess of the Ancient Heavenly Court.

But Burying Moon Immortal Concubine seemed intent on having Aliang resume her role as the Grand Princess...

"You should understand that tonight I am not here to negotiate but to command. Though I am merely a remnant of moonlight divinity, I still possess a trump card yet unused, which is to resist you at the cost of my life! Before, when you placed the Calamity Thought King’s Ban on me, I valued my life and didn’t plan to fight to the death. When you humiliated me multiple times, I was too timid for a life-or-death battle, but now, concerning the Grand Princess, if you truly do not agree to my demands, I will fight to the death, take the Grand Princess away from your side, and even with the King’s Ban, you won’t be able to stop my escape! Little lecher, your reputation is terrible; I can’t stand idly by while the Grand Princess is ruined by you, even if it means my death!"

Burying Moon Immortal Concubine spoke righteously, her aura growing stronger.

Ning Fan’s gaze narrowed slightly, as if he were reassessing Burying Moon Immortal Concubine. In his impression, Burying Moon Immortal Concubine was essentially someone who feared death, which wasn’t shameful; everyone cherishes life and fears death. However, some will forget their fear of death for certain beliefs... Burying Moon seemed to be of this kind. He was unsure of her relationship with Aliang, or why she would protect her at the cost of her life.

Unfortunately, Burying Moon was indeed meddling too much this time.

"In your impression, is my character so poor? Am I not worthy of Aliang’s entrusted care?" Ning Fan asked with a hint of a smile, not at all fearing Burying Moon’s increasing momentum. Command, indeed... this woman was bold, befitting a former Immortal Emperor.

This made Burying Moon secretly alarmed; she thought to herself that this little lecher was indeed becoming more formidable. Even though she wasn’t at her peak form, the momentum she emitted was something an ordinary Sixth Calamity Immortal Emperor might not withstand, yet this little lecher could endure it! Judging by cultivation and talent alone, this little lecher indeed matched the Grand Princess, but his character and conduct... these were the reasons behind Burying Moon’s determination to separate Ning Fan and Mu Weiliang.

In her heart, Ning Fan’s character was indeed extremely poor; otherwise, she wouldn’t always refer to him as a little lecher.

Moreover, throughout Eastern Heaven, in whose heart does Ning Fan hold a good name?

The inheritor of Ancient Chaos was synonymous with Dual Cultivation Masters, and everyone assumed Ning Fan had to be a lecherous scoundrel. However, compared to these notorious reputations, Ning Fan’s infamy for slaughter was even more pronounced, causing others to overlook his identity as a Dual Cultivation Master and directly categorize him as one of Eastern Heaven’s most untouchable villains.

You don’t annoy the turtle when unarmed, nor the Rain Bandit... Ning Fan’s name had long become synonymous with the likes of Wu Laoba.

Burying Moon bit her lip, "If you let the Grand Princess go, I, Burying Moon, willing to be your cauldron furnace after regaining my physical form! To exchange myself for the Grand Princess, is this enough!"

"You are already my cauldron furnace; how is it an exchange? And even if you weren’t, not even a hundred of you could exchange for Aliang. No matter how high the price, I won’t trade. There’s something you might not know..."

Ning Fan touched the center of his forehead, and black starlight immediately surrounded his body. In an instant, Burying Moon Immortal Consort’s almond-shaped eyes widened.

"Matters between Aliang and me were even acknowledged by her father, so why do you need to interfere?"

"It’s the Heavenly Emperor’s Black Star Technique! Impossible, this technique, this technique..." Burying Moon Immortal Consort was so shocked she couldn’t speak.

The Black Star Technique is a secret art passed down through the generations in the Heavenly Emperor’s lineage, and there’s also an unknown secret to it: only if the prior black star cultivator personally passes it on can the next person develop the Black Star Technique.

During the era when the ancient Heavenly Court still existed, the Heavenly Emperor never passed on the Black Star Technique to anyone, not until his death.

There shouldn’t be any cultivators in this world who know this technique, and yet Ning Fan does... Could it be that he met the Heavenly Emperor after his death and received the Heavenly Emperor’s legacy!

Does the Heavenly Emperor know about his affair with the Grand Princess and actually approve of it!

Burying Moon gazed into Ning Fan’s eyes for a long while and then gave a bitter smile.

Indeed, although this little rogue’s character isn’t great, he has always been a man of his word, and he would never deceive her. Someone so domineering wouldn’t stoop to lying.

This time, she truly meddled in someone else’s business! Even the Grand Princess’s father approved of this son-in-law, yet here she was unnecessarily mixing herself up in their affairs... She nearly got herself involved as well!

"Uh... Let’s pretend I never mentioned my first request, and the matter about exchanging me for the Grand Princess... Let’s pretend I never said that either..." Burying Moon Immortal Consort’s demeanor grew increasingly feeble, feeling somewhat guilty.

"Heh heh, what exchange? You were always meant to be my Cauldron Furnace..." Oh well, sooner or later, she would still be harvested by this little rogue!

The thought of Ning Fan pressing down on her, fiercely harvesting her once her physical body recovered, filled Burying Moon Immortal Consort with gloom and inner turmoil.

Nonetheless, recalling that her first request was retracted, she still had a second request to attend to. Gathering her spirits, she shared her reasoning for insisting on rebuilding the ancient Heavenly Court with Ning Fan.

It turned out, this woman owed a great debt to Aliang’s mother, and thus she sought to repay it.

Her desire to rebuild the ancient Heavenly Court was also because she hoped to gather the lineage’s fortune and bestow it upon Mu Weiliang...

"Though the ancient Heavenly Court was destroyed, the cultivators wiped out, and its lineage’s fortune dispersed, if it could be rebuilt and recognized by the heavens once more, it could again consolidate the lineage’s fortune. I once heard from the Heavenly Empress that the ancestors of the ancient Heavenly Court were once disciples of some ancient Holy Sect in the Real Realms, and it was with the support of that ancient Holy Sect that they established the ancient Heavenly Court. Within the Holy Sect, they also allocate a portion of fortune according to quota, giving a small amount of lineage fortune to the ancient Heavenly Court every millennium... If the ancient Heavenly Court can be rebuilt, and the Grand Princess ascends the throne of the Heavenly Emperor, then perhaps she could re-establish a connection with that ancient Holy Sect and gain a bit of fortune from it..."

Lineage fortune... So that was Burying Moon Immortal Consort’s reason.

Ning Fan didn’t know much about lineage fortune. In fact, he still had one thousand five hundred vibrant streaks of lineage fortune unused, acquired from the Dao Carp Clan...

"Is lineage fortune really that important?" Ning Fan asked.

Burying Moon shot Ning Fan a sideways glance, "Didn’t your master Ancient Chaos ever tell you about the importance of lineage fortune?"

"No." Ning Fan sighed. The frail Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor never talked with him for long, leaving many things unsaid.

"Never mind, since you don’t know, I might as well explain it to you. Individuals have destiny, clans have lineage fortune, nations have national fortune, and heavens have heavenly fortune. If a person’s destiny is strong, they can gain more opportunities and undergo greater transformations, and the same goes for clans. For example, your Qianqiu Sect has Qianqiu Sect’s lineage fortune, as does the Slaughter Hall and Godly Void Pavilion. Similarly, the entire human race has its own lineage fortune, and so does the demon race... If a clan’s lineage fortune is strong, the chance of producing powerful figures within the clan is greater. The stronger the lineage fortune, the more prosperous the clan becomes; otherwise, it gradually declines. The greatest benefit of lineage fortune is that it can be used to empower oneself... like you, if Qianqiu Sect’s lineage fortune were strong enough, you could directly overcome cultivation bottlenecks without effort and advance! If there’s an undefeatable lightning tribulation, you could also utilize lineage fortune to withstand it! These are the benefits of lineage fortune empowering you!"

If empowered with lineage fortune, could he really directly disregard the Shekong Heart Tribulation and ascend ranks effortlessly? Ning Fan felt a stir in his heart. To be honest, that Shekong Heart Tribulation was quite troublesome. If he could find a way around it, he might be able to break directly into the Mid Stage of Shekong in both his Godly and demon cultivations...

"How much lineage fortune is needed to overcome the Shekong Heart Tribulation?" Ning Fan asked.

"Shekong Heart Tribulation? At least a thousand streaks of vibrant lineage fortune are needed to disregard it. The Shattered Thought bottleneck at least requires more than ten thousand vibrant lineage fortunes. The Eternal bottleneck then needs a hundred thousand or even more... Don’t bother thinking about it. There’s no clan in this Dreamland Realm with even a thousand vibrant lineage fortunes—not even the declining Ten Great Guardian Clans have that! After all, the lineage fortune within the heavens is limited and already monopolized by the major clans of the Real Realms, which is why there’s competition for it and little power to share with the small forces of the Dreamland Realm..."

Ning Fan’s expression remained unchanged, but internally he was shaken.

The fortune of the clan, others may not have it, but he certainly does!

Everyone knows that the heart tribulation of Shekong is difficult to pass. It’s normal for cultivators to be stuck for hundreds of thousands of years, and many get stuck for life. Now, with the blessing of a thousand aura of clan fortune, one can ignore the heart tribulation and directly advance! Although accumulating Shekong’s mana still takes time, bypassing the heart tribulation essentially makes the path to breaking through Shekong wide open. As long as the mana is sufficient, one can continually advance without any bottlenecks!

Ning Fan has fifteen hundred aura of clan fortune in hand. If he uses it on the Qianqiu Sect, doesn’t it mean that in the future, as long as the cultivators of Qianqiu Sect have sufficient cultivation, they can ignore the Shekong bottleneck and continuously produce Shekong-level powerhouses!

Even he himself could benefit from this!

"...However, using clan fortune to advance has its drawbacks. The principle behind clan fortune and merit are similar, both taking shortcuts, and thus among those of the same level, they are weaker than those who break through normally..."

The words of the Burying Moon Immortal Consort brought Ning Fan slightly back to his senses.

It seems that he himself should not use clan fortune to break through the Shekong heart tribulation, but he can use it for those aptitude-challenged Crossing Truth realm cultivators. Those lacking in aptitude would be fortunate to enter Shekong, and even if they are weaker compared to normal Shekong, they are still stronger than any Crossing Truth cultivator.

Furthermore, if the Shekong heart tribulation can be ignored, there’s no need to mention the bottlenecks of Crossing Truth or Fate Immortal... It is foreseeable that once Ning Fan bestows fifteen hundred aura of clan fortune on Qianqiu Sect, the disciples within will consecutively break through bottlenecks and make significant progress in their cultivation!

Yes, this can be done immediately, and Aliang and others could also benefit from it...

"... Speaking of which, it’s fortunate that this Qianqiu Sect doesn’t have clan fortune; otherwise, those Four Heavens major forces would spare no effort to destroy the Qianqiu Sect and seize your clan fortune... Alas, clan fortune is extremely important, especially precious in this Dreamland Realm where there’s none..." The Burying Moon Immortal Consort poured another cold bucket of water onto Ning Fan, making him more calm.

It seems that before he possesses the strength to protect the clan fortune, he cannot use it. If he were to use it now, he would likely be attacked by the forces of the Four Heavens... Ning Fan sighed slightly. His current strength is enough to establish a foothold in the Four Heavens, but it’s still insufficient for contending with old monsters over clan fortune.

The matter of clan fortune will have to wait until he grows stronger.

"I understand your reason for reconstructing the Ancient Heavenly Court, but this matter requires careful consideration..."

According to Burying Moon, with the reconstruction of the Ancient Heavenly Court, a small amount of clan fortune can be obtained from the Ancient Holy Sect every thousand years. Whether this will provoke the old monsters of the Four Heavens to snatch it is unknown. Ning Fan does not have the strength of a Heavenly Emperor to protect it right now...

"Yes, this matter does indeed need careful planning. Just preparing one aspect requires handling many affairs... but you can rest assured, leave the preparations to me. I only ask you to assist me with one thing, find me a suitable physical body as soon as possible!" The Burying Moon Immortal Consort’s face was full of worry.

She needs a body to restore her cultivation, so she can protect the reconstructed Ancient Heavenly Court! But once having a body, she would be preyed upon by the little lecher, ah ah ah, how troublesome, how conflicting...

"At your peak, you were a Ninth Calamity Immortal Emperor. Finding a suitable body for a Ninth Calamity Immortal Emperor to seize is not easy..." Ning Fan frowned, it was indeed tricky.

"I know a place with a suitable body, and you will soon be going there, take me with you then."

"You mean... the Supreme Pill Sacred Domain!" Ning Fan’s gaze slightly focused.

"Yes, that’s the place. It used to be the place where a Sage from the Dao Soul Clan gathered herbs, later taken by an Immortal Emperor to become a hidden area sealing the nine gates of Desolate Realm years. During the era of the Ancient Heavenly Court, I went there many times, and I still have an impression of the terrain there. Take me there, and it will certainly be helpful!" This was the first time the Burying Moon Immortal Consort volunteered to take the initiative to do something for Ning Fan, of course, it was to find a body for herself.

Upon hearing Burying Moon’s familiarity with the terrain, Ning Fan was very tempted, but also had some concerns, "I heard that even if a Seventh or higher Calamity Immortal Emperor suppresses their cultivation, they still can’t enter the Sacred Domain..."

"I have died leaving only a remnant moonlight soul, what kind of Immortal Emperor am I? Naturally, I can enter. Those Seventh Calamity Immortal Emperors, if they are willing to die like me, could naturally enter too, but surely none would willingly pay such a price just to enter. The outer perimeter of the Sacred Domain offers few benefits and serves only for trials of the juniors, whereas the inner perimeter has substantial benefits, but even if I entered at my peak, I would be very cautious... However, once inside, you don’t need to suppress your cultivation. If there truly are any changes, with your numerous methods, you should be able to escape."

The implication was that this time she needed to enter the inner perimeter to find a body.

Ning Fan pondered slightly.

Ouyang Nuan’s trial only needed to be conducted in the outer perimeter, without venturing into the inner perimeter. However, the Jiuli Ritual Vessel is most likely in the inner perimeter; had it been in the outer perimeter, someone would have found it already...

This means that ultimately, a trip to the inner perimeter is necessary...

There are indeed dangers involved, but in order to allow Jiuli to mature, there’s no choice but to take risks now. Moreover, if a suitable body can indeed be found in the inner perimeter for Burying Moon, Ning Fan’s gains would definitely not be small!

He had planted a sub-Sarira inside Burying Moon!

If Burying Moon regained her cultivation and her power improved greatly, he would also gain considerable strength through that sub-Sarira. After all, Burying Moon was his Sarira Cauldron Furnace!

"By the way, how can you be sure that there’s a suitable body for you in the inner sanctum of the Sacred Domain?" Ning Fan asked casually.

"That sage who once collected herbs in the Supreme Pill Sacred Domain was obsessed with raising young boys and girls as medicine slaves to test drugs. Most of the medicine slaves would die early, but there were also some who died only after reaching a high level of cultivation... The young boys and girls who died from the drugs were said to be frozen by that sage for viewing, and among them were peak Immortal Emperors, even Quasi-Saint bodies, since those medicine slaves’ master was a dignified sage..."

Oh, it seems they plan to seize those drug-killed corpses.

So there are four objectives for this journey: take Ouyang Nuan for trials; help Jiuli become an adult; assist Burying Moon in finding a body; and seek out innate soul-nourishing spiritual medicine to heal the Phoenix Emperor’s daughter, Qi Yelan.

After a discussion with Ning Fan, Burying Moon seemed to have eased her mind. While she still managed the two girls, Mu Weiliang and the other, who were running around chaotically, she no longer resisted Mu Weiliang’s contact with Ning Fan.

The day when the Supreme Pill Sacred Domain opens was drawing closer and closer, and Ning Fan’s Seven Treasure Marvelous Tree was also growing taller and taller.

A small bottle of ninth-grade Daoquan could sell for ten million Dao Crystals, while an eighth-grade could fetch fifty million. These Daoquan, which were unimaginably expensive to ordinary cultivators, were casually used by Ning Fan to water the Seven Treasure Marvelous Tree.

Usually, nearly ten billion worth of Daoquan could only make the Seven Treasure Marvelous Tree grow about a foot taller, but fortunately, the Daoquan brought by Wu Laoba was plentiful, with a total value exceeding fifty trillion Dao Crystals.

The Seven Treasure Marvelous Tree, from a height of 135 zhang, was forcibly grown by Ning Fan to 700 zhang!

During this period, the Seven Treasure Marvelous Tree produced seven treasure fruits six consecutive times, greatly increasing Ning Fan’s Ancient Demon cultivation, and he was just a step away from breaking through the Ninth Nirvana of the Heavenly Demon!

It’s equivalent to stepping half a foot from the Peak of Shekong into the Early Stage of Shattered Thought!

In the Eastern Heaven, who can, in just two short years, move from the Peak of Shekong cultivation near breakthrough to the Early Stage of Shattered Thought!

It’s impossible! Once cultivation reaches this level, it needs to be advanced steadily and gradually, but who told Ning Fan to throw nearly fifty trillion Daoquan at it!

This kind of wealth, if used to establish a sect, could create an Immortal King power!

What a waste, what a waste...

But the benefits are obvious, Ning Fan’s strength is increasing rapidly, and that’s enough, after all, these Daoquan were extorted by Wu Laoba, without spending a dime.

The Seven Treasure Marvelous Tree at 700 zhang is sufficient for refining Twelve Nirvana Magical Treasures, and if it can break through to a thousand zhang, it can be refined into an Innate Treasure.

Of course, Ning Fan wouldn’t be so wasteful as to refine treasures with the current Seven Treasure Marvelous Tree. If this tree can grow to ten thousand zhang, it would be enough to protect him on his path to sainthood!

Alas, reaching ten thousand zhang is not easy.

After reaching 700 zhang, watering the Seven Treasure Marvelous Tree with ninth-grade Daoquan is almost ineffective, and even eighth-grade and seventh-grade have poor results. Only Sixth-grade and above Daoquan can cause the treasure tree to grow rapidly, which is troubling.

In the Eastern Heaven, Daoquan above the Sixth-grade isn’t many. Even if the major powers still have stock, almost all have been scoured by Wu Laoba, so it’s hard to ask for more...

In the markets of various cultivation stars, the price of Daoquan has increased tenfold, and there’s nothing that can be done, Daoquan production is limited, and most of the stock has been scoured by Wu Laoba, reducing supply, and naturally causing prices to increase...

"Damn it, why is Daoquan so expensive now! The old man intended to buy a bottle of eighth-grade Daoquan to warm up his magical treasure, but exhausting all his assets, he could only afford a bottle of ninth-grade, causing the old man’s magical treasure to remain unrepaired. Hmph! The old man was planning to grab a spot in the Supreme Pill Divine City, but now, that plan is off since even the magical treasure is gone!"

"Just you! With the Eighth Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm cultivation, you still want to grab a spot in the Sacred Domain? Do you know, this time the Supreme Pill Sacred Domain only released two hundred spots, and because it’s the last time the Sacred Domain opens, over ninety percent of the spots have been taken by Second Step old monsters. The remaining ten percent have all been divided among emerging talents of the major powers. Although some scattered spots are released for us Loose Cultivators to compete for, twenty spots are far from enough for Loose Cultivators in the Eastern Heaven. I’ve heard that just amongst our Loose Cultivators competing for spots, Fate Immortal cultivators alone exceed four hundred, with many Crossing Truth Realm and Shekong too..."

"Hiss! So many strong contenders vying for spots, then what’s left for the old man! Maybe it’s better not to go to the Supreme Pill Divine City at all this time!"

"Go! Why not go! It’s said that this time, even secret clan cultivators might participate, and that’s the secret clan! We fragmented Void Cultivators have never seen secret clan cultivators with our own eyes!"

"Oh? The secret clans will be here? Then I really have to take a look!"

The snow began to fall gently over the starry sky of Supreme Pill Divine City.

More and more cultivators rode the wind and snow towards Supreme Pill Divine City, naturally coming to witness this rare gathering.

The market of Supreme Pill Divine City was already teeming with cultivators from all directions. Every temporary cave residence was full, and the shops in the market were bustling with customers.

In the snowstorm, a young woman in a green dress hugged a fluffy little beast, strolling leisurely down the long street. Her beautiful eyes sometimes showed anger, sometimes joy, sometimes melancholy, and sometimes bewilderment, as if lost in thought.

Behind her, several Fate Immortals and True Immortals followed secretly, protecting her.

Occasionally, passing cultivators recognized the woman and were secretly astonished, with some even whispering.

"Isn’t this the first disciple of the Medicine Sect, Ouyang Nuan? Now that the Pill Sect has been destroyed, the Medicine Sect is without a doubt the top alchemy sect in Eastern Heaven. The weight of this first disciple is certainly heavier than before!"

"I heard that this lady, upon coming out of seclusion this time, actually broke through to the Nine Transformations Lead Grade in the Medicine Soul realm! She can now refine the Nine Transformations Lead Pill. She’s truly a prodigy, and it’s only a matter of time before she enters the Silver Elixir Rank. To even advance to the Golden Core is highly possible in her lifetime! After all, she is the legendary Five-Color Medicine Soul..."

"I’ve heard quite a few old monsters in Eastern Heaven have expressed a desire to protect her, including some Eternal Immortal Venerables. They must admire her exceptional alchemy talents. After all, she will at least be a Ninth Revolution Silver Elixir Alchemist in the future. Her prospects are indeed limitless, so it’s good to make connections early..."

"I’ve also heard that she has an ambiguous relationship with the Rain Immortal Monarch..."

"Nonsense! Ouyang Nuan is the goddess in my heart, how could she get involved with the Rain Bandit! Don’t mention it again, or we can’t even be friends!"

Ouyang Nuan furrowed her delicate brows. She disliked hearing people speak poorly of Ning Fan, but there was nothing she could do to stop their gossip.

Nowadays, Ning Fan’s infamous reputation had spread across all of Eastern Heaven. Infamy, of course, wasn’t a good reputation... Whenever she thought of the saying ’Provoke not the turtle in literature, nor the Rain Bandit in martial arts,’ she would get angry. When did her man become synonymous with turtles, as if it were a curse? The name Rain Monarch sounds so nice, why call him Rain Bandit!

"Maoqiu, oh Maoqiu, soon you’ll see your father, do you miss him..."

Ouyang Nuan stroked the little beast in her arms, which immediately gave a comfortable purr.

This little beast, Lingze, discovered by Ning Fan during the Qi Shen’s Treasury event, had been raised by Ouyang Nuan to the Guixuan Level, a frighteningly fast cultivation advancement.

"It’s been a long time. I wonder if he’s doing well..." Ouyang Nuan muttered, watching the snowstorm.

Suddenly, a bright voice called out to her from behind.

"Miss Nuan, I never expected to meet you here, what a coincidence! Are you walking around the market? Do you need Lin to accompany you?"

The one who called out to Ouyang Nuan was a gentle and jade-like white-robed cultivator, whose surname was Lin and given name was Xiantong, a disciple of the Maha Emperor of Eastern Heaven. His bone age was less than a million years, yet he had already reached the Late Stage of Shekong.

Ouyang Nuan frowned slightly. Although she didn’t enjoy speaking with this person, she was cautious due to his status and replied distantly,

"So it’s Young Master Lin. Thank you for your kind offer, but I don’t need anyone to accompany me."

A clear rejection.

Lin Xiantong’s brow furrowed, then he replied gently, "If that’s the case, Lin won’t disturb you. Please, be at your own leisure."

Ouyang Nuan bade farewell and left. Lin Xiantong, after a long while, showed a dark expression in the direction Ouyang Nuan had gone.

"Pretending to be chaste, as if this young master cannot tell you’ve lost your Yin energy! Hmph, if not for my master’s order to approach you..."

Lin Xiantong let out another cold snort and turned to join his fellow disciples.

Ouyang Nuan clearly did not care much about Lin Xiantong.

Since her alchemy skills had greatly improved, many male cultivators from Eastern Heaven had sought to approach her. Encountering these people always made her feel endlessly irritated.

Unknowingly, she found herself at the gambling den of Supreme Pill Divine City. Inside, countless old monsters were betting on Qi Shen’s Treasury, and the shouts reminded Ouyang Nuan of past events.

The year she first met Ning Fan was at a Qi Shen’s Treasury event, and even the little Maoqiu was obtained from there.

"It’s a little over a month until the Holy Domain opens, he should be here soon..."

While lost in her thoughts, Ouyang Nuan suddenly realized that the entire Supreme Pill Divine City had quieted down.

People on the streets stopped moving, craning their necks in awe to look at the starry sky.

The gambling den’s patrons no longer shouted, all emitting sounds of gasping for breath.

Inns and teahouses — cultivators drinking and sipping tea rushed out, gazing at the figure descending towards the divine city, their expressions full of dread and fear.

Even Lin Xiantong’s expression changed dramatically, looking up at the sky with humbleness.

Only in Ouyang Nuan’s eyes did a brightness and clarity appear.

The figure kept descending towards the gambling den, eventually landing beside Ouyang Nuan.

Consequently, the long street cleared a large circle of space with Ouyang Nuan at the center, and no one dared to approach.

At that very moment, countless streaks of light burst from the depths of the divine city, rushing madly toward this location.

They had no choice but to come!

Even if an Immortal King arrived, it would not cause such a sense of foreboding for Supreme Pill Divine City, but this person was different. Wherever he went, trouble followed — big trouble!

"Rain Monarch’s arrival, could it be for the opening of the Holy Domain! Our Supreme Pill Divine City has prepared superior cave residences specifically for hosting Eternal Cultivators. If the Rain Monarch is weary, perhaps you’d like to rest in the cave dwelling, awaiting the Holy Domain’s opening!"

An Immortal King riding a rhinoceros, leading a large group of divine city strongmen, hurried over with solemn expressions.

They weren’t inviting Ning Fan to rest in a cave residence!

They intended to place Ning Fan in a cave dwelling before the Holy Domain opened, confining him there, preventing any trouble, and making him easier to monitor!

"It’s actually the Douxi Immortal King! The Rain Monarch really has a grand presence, just arriving at the city and already welcomed personally by such a Four Calamity Immortal King as Douxi Immortal King!"

Countless people were secretly astonished.

Ning Fan was unsurprised; he had already received the news that he would be ’invited’ into a special cave residence upon entering the divine city. He wasn’t the first; a few Eternal Demons had been ’invited’ immediately upon arrival as well.

Though not meant to harm, the actions of Supreme Pill Divine City were equally domineering, insisting on containing these mischievous demons, providing them with good food and drink, until the Holy Domain opened and they would be released.

"Husband..." Ouyang Nuan watched Ning Fan, half longing, half speechless.

Why was it that wherever her husband went, chaos ensued? Surely! Her husband was clearly gentle and completely harmless!

"Nuan’er, wait, let me finish talking with the Douxi Immortal King, then I’ll stroll around this gambling house with you and accompany you to explore Qi Shen’s Treasury."

Ning Fan stroked Ouyang Nuan’s black hair, smiled, and leapt into the air. Amidst the wind and snow, he cupped his hands slightly towards the Douxi Immortal King.

The Douxi Immortal King dared not act arrogantly, immediately returning the courtesy, though his face remained unapproachable.

"Please, Rain Monarch, follow me to the VIP chamber for a rest!"

"What if I don’t go?" Ning Fan chuckled.

In an instant, all the cultivators behind the Douxi Immortal King drew their flying swords, pointing them at Ning Fan with a vigilant expression.

However, the Douxi Immortal King remained calm, knowing that with his ancestor presiding over the city, Ning Fan wouldn’t cause any trouble here. He waved his hand, signaling his followers to withdraw their swords, and replied.

"If the Rain Monarch doesn’t want to rest in the chamber, that’s also fine. My ancestor mentioned that the Rain Monarch is special. If you don’t wish to be confined in the chamber, you must accomplish one task. Achieve it, and within the divine city, you will have absolute freedom!"

"Oh? What must I do to gain freedom?" Ning Fan pondered the Douxi’s words thoughtfully.

"It’s simple. If you can persist for the time it takes for one incense stick to burn in a fight against me without losing, you can do as you please! If you cannot, then obediently follow me into the chamber to rest!"

The Douxi Immortal King waved his hand, and his followers immediately retreated, leaving the sky open for Douxi and Ning Fan.

Knowing that without a fight, he’d have to be submissively confined, Ning Fan said no more. With a flip of his hand, a graceful, flowing, dark blue Dao sword appeared in his grasp.

"Very well, I’ve improved my divine skills significantly recently, and I wish to learn from you, Daoist. Please enlighten me!"

"A Dao weapon? Using a single Tribulation cultivation against four Tribulations and only employing a Dao weapon? Do you underestimate this King... Indeed, this boy is as arrogant as the ancestor said!" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The Douxi Immortal King snorted coldly, flipped his hand, and retrieved a pair of purple-gold maces, charging straight at Ning Fan atop a rhinoceros.

Those purple-gold maces were also Dao weapons. Ning Fan’s cultivation was low, only employing Dao weapons; if he used something stronger than Dao weapons, wouldn’t he be ridiculed by cultivators worldwide!

The rhinoceros lunged, reaching Ning Fan in an instant. The maces descended simultaneously, and the purple-gold maces crackled with arcs of electricity, illuminating the entire starry sky with lightning and discharging energy.

The cultivators in the divine city stared wide-eyed, many learning for the first time that the Douxi Immortal King’s Dao weapons were a pair of purple-gold maces.

"Though it’s just a Dao weapon attack, it’s an attack from a Four Tribulation Immortal King. Even a casual Second Tribulation Immortal Lord might not withstand it without employing a magical treasure... The Rain Monarch trying to block this attack with just a Dao weapon is challenging! He might need to use that mysterious golden light body-protection divine skill..."

Many people thought this way, including the Douxi Immortal King himself.

However, Ning Fan did not activate the God-Extinguishing Shield for defense; he merely positioned the Reverse Sea Sword to block the descending maces.

Bang!

Ning Fan was knocked back seven steps by the maces before stabilizing himself.

The Douxi Immortal King was similarly pushed back seven steps, with surprise now in his usually indifferent eyes.

Did he just hit a real Dao sword! Even with a hasty strike, he felt an almost terrifying weight from that Dao sword...

Whoosh!

However, Ning Fan stepped forward with golden light, giving Douxi no time to hesitate, swinging his sword down directly at him.

Seeing the powerful momentum of the sword, Douxi naturally couldn’t underestimate it, raising his maces to block. But the weight of the Dao sword numbed his arms with pain, and the rhinoceros beneath him let out a miserable cry, unable to withstand Ning Fan’s sword’s force, vomiting blood and dying!

Greatly surprised, Douxi lifted his maces and flew down from the dead rhinoceros, retreating hastily, while Ning Fan closed in again. This time, his sword was entwined with the glow of three kinds of palm position paths: rain, darkness, and battle.

Wood and phoenix, Ning Fan did not employ, so this strike was still not at its full potential.

Yet, the sharpness of this blade already made Douxi’s scalp tingle! Still intending to block with the maces, but this time, both maces were shattered by Ning Fan’s one sword slash!

In this Dao weapon duel, it was Douxi’s Dao weapon that lost to Ning Fan’s Dao weapon, and the result was decided in just two rounds!

"Why is this kid’s Dao weapon so powerful! Among the Twelve Nirvana Magical Treasures, few could reach this level of power!"

Douxi was extremely astonished. Just relying on Dao weapons, he had no confidence in withstanding Ning Fan’s attacks! If he brought out a magical treasure to fight again, he would lose face in front of the entire city’s cultivators.

Thinking of this, Douxi’s gaze darkened slightly, feeling that he had been outplayed by Ning Fan since he brought out the purple-gold maces.

This boy intentionally used Dao weapons to set up this scenario...

"Enough, the Rain Monarch can damage my Dao weapon with a single strike, so persisting against me for an incense stick’s time shouldn’t be difficult. Therefore, I am willing to grant the Rain Monarch full freedom, but I hope you won’t cause trouble in the Supreme Pill Divine City! If the Rain Monarch violates this, I’ll be the first to capture you. Even if you can fight the Two Kings and Six Venerables of Mount Zhaoyao, you might not be able to resist my insect technique!"

The Douxi gestured with his robe, collecting the deceased mount, and left with his troops.

Cultivators who witnessed this battle were all in shock.

The fact they saw was Ning Fan and the Douxi Immortal King’s Dao weapon duel, resulting in the significantly weaker Ning Fan holding the upper hand, and forcing the Douxi Immortal King to retreat in just two rounds!

Another great topic of discussion indeed!

Ning Fan descended to the ground, where Ouyang Nuan’s small mouth was already agape, astonished and unable to close.

Though she’d heard countless tales of Ning Fan, she hadn’t witnessed it firsthand and thus couldn’t experience the full impact.

But this time it was firsthand! That was the Douxi Immortal King, a prominent figure among the fourth Tribulations of eternity, yet he was so easily forced back by her husband!

"Having come to this gambling house, shall we explore Qi Shen’s Treasury?"

Ning Fan opened a treasure-searching compass from his sleeve, almost exposing all the mysteries of the casino before him. It was clear who had valuables and who hid dangerous items with a single search...

Unfortunately, though there were occasionally good things here, there was nothing that truly moved him. After all, with the Immortal Emperor under his nose, what good things would come to him? But if he were to accompany Ouyang Nuan for a casual venture, the items here were sufficient.

"Sure, let’s see who finds better things. The loser will be punished! Let’s compete in cutting medicine treasure."

Ouyang Nuan was full of confidence. Her Medicine Soul had greatly evolved, making her more sensitive to spiritual medicine treasures, not believing she’d lose to Ning Fan.

Ning Fan tucked the treasure-searching compass into his sleeve, refusing to admit he cheated.

So, after exploring Qi Shen’s Treasury, Ning Fan and Ouyang Nuan returned with a full load. Of course, Ning Fan slightly surpassed her.

"Let’s go to the chamber prepared by the Douxi Immortal King, and discuss punishments at length." Ning Fan glanced meaningfully at Ouyang Nuan.

Ouyang Nuan blushed bright red.

She knew the punishment in his mind was this... (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to vote for recommendations or monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)