Grasping Evil

Chapter 263 (1): The Snow Breeze of That Year

Chapter 263 (1): The Snow Breeze of That Year

“I want the map!”

Ning Fan raised the blood-red sword and pointed its tip at Lu Jiefen.

If the dignified Flame General goes back on his words, Ning Fan would attack him directly without any hesitation.

Within a short period of time, the blood dragon was subdued by Stone Warrior while the black dragon was crippled by the female corpse. Looking at the fire platform which had blood splattered all over it, Lu Jiefen’s countenance became extremely unsightly.

Before this, he had executed three plans to obtain the map which belonged to the Luo Yun Tribe: ordering Lu Bei to steal it, commanding Jing Yun to threaten them by force and extorting it by winning against them in the battle.

However, because of Ning Fan, all three of his methods failed.

To Lu Jiefen who possessed the Blood Dragon Bloodline, the Blood Dragon Demon Sword seemed to be his natural restraint.

Moreover, as the might of the sword fused with Ning Fan’s voice, he seemed to hear two voices in his mind. One of them was the true voice of the speaker while the other one was the command from the Immortal Blood Dragon whose bones were used to forge the sword.

I want the map!

On the side of the Luo Yun Tribe, there were the imperial demon concubine who supported them, Lu Daochen who had been tying Lu Jiefen down all this while and the mighty Ning Fan who cut down his enemies on the platform. In contrast, on the Pure Flame Tribe’s side, there was only Lu Jiefen left after all the three Demon General who came on behalf of the tribe died… Lu Jiefen knew that if he does not hand over the map today, it would be very difficult for him to get out of the Luo Yun Province alive.

“Lu Jiefen, you might be a Late Divine Transformation Realm expert and we might be unable to kill you now but if you don’t hand over your map, this old man will use up all my energy in using Power of Bestowal. When push comes to shove, I will still be able to put you in a precarious position. I believe you should know how to act wisely!” Lu Daochen’s muddy eyes flashed with a hint of menace.

“Hmmph. Fine! I’m not a person who’s going to break his promise for just a map! For this 3-on-3 battle of Demon Generals, you, the Luo Yun Tribe, has won!”

Lu Jiefen was inwardly seething with anger, but his expression did not reveal a trace of that emotion. He slapped his storage pouch and took out a dark red map with the size of a palm which was made of the skin of ancient beasts and grudgingly cast it to Lu Daochen. Simultaneously, he turned into a cloud of blood-red smoke, vanishing to tens of thousands of li away.

Lu Daochen did not go in pursuit of him. To Lu Daochen, since the map was already in his hands, it was not worth it to fight with Lu Jiefen…

Gradually, he landed on the fire platform and walked towards Ning Fan. Eventually, before the eyes of all the demons of the Luo Yun Tribe in the province, he passed the map to Ning Fan.

“The map of the Pure Flame Tribe is yours! As for mine… If you can promise me one thing, it will also belong to you!”

“What’s it?!”

“Don’t worry. It won’t be a difficult thing for you!”

Lu Daochen’s eyes shone with a hint of weariness but also a trace of relief. His gaze swept across the province below the fire platform and heaved a deep sigh. Then, with a loud and clear voice, he announced, “From today onwards, Lu Bei will be the Eighth Demon General of my Luo Yun Tribe. Anyone who refuses to accept this appointment will be kicked out of the military and expelled by the tribe!”

Lu Daochen’s expression was firm and unshakable. As his voice fell, a dead silence fell upon the entire province.

There had never been anyone who could be promoted as a Demon General without going through the qualifying test and attaining the Divine Transformation Realm1.

Even so, no one was doubtful about Ning Fan’s capabilities to hold the position as a Demon General.

“We, the demons of the province agree with the Honorable Demon General’s decision! Greetings to General Bei!”

The demon race was a race who valued the qualities of a warrior. From the battle just now, Ning Fan had showed them what exactly the qualities a strong warrior should have.

This man definitely has the qualifications to be a general of the Luo Yun Tribe! If he wasn’t here today, our tribe would have surely been defeated.

However, in the meantime, many of the old monsters present at the scene had doubt in their hearts…

Why did the Honorable Demon General give the map to Lu Bei?

Isn’t it a required to awaken the Demon Marshal?

The River Gazing Tower was currently listed as a forbidden area of the province because this place had become a Demon General’s Residence for Ning Fan after he was promoted to a Demon General. Besides, the vicinity of tens of li* around the tower was turned into a part of the residence. Within just one day, countless pavilions and rooms were built. Besides, ten thousand demon troops were transferred to Ning Fan, becoming his direct subordinates and guard his residence!

For ten days, Ning Fan steadily sat within a stone chamber, rotating his demon power.

There was a fragment of the complete map to the Third World Passage and three storage pouches in front of him while a blood-red sword was placed above his knees.

The Wind Demoness and the Flower Demoness had been sent to take care of the residence. In the Stone Chamber, only the female corpse and Stone Warrior were standing by to protect him. Each of them held a dragon soul of a Wild Beast in their hands respectively.

All of them were the spoils that Ning Fan obtained from the battle.

From Jing Yun’s hands, he seized the Blue Flame Grass. With that item, it won’t be long before his demon power attains the Divine Transformation Realm.

From Jin Qun’s hands, he acquired the cultivation method for the Parting Sun Spear. With that recipe, he won’t be lacking of a powerful demonic technique.

From Li Ban’s hands, he obtained the blood-red sword and two dragon souls. However, he also found a large piece of Immemorial Star from Li Ban’s storage pouch. No one knew how the deceased general got his hands on such an item, but in the end, it still benefitted Ning Fan.

In no time, my demon power will advance into the Divine Transformation Realm.

As for the map, I’ve also obtained one out of nine of them. Moreover, judging from Lu Daochen’s behavior, as long as I promise him for the matter he mentioned earlier, I will be able to obtain the second one with ease. That matter might be extremely arduous for Lu Daochen, but for me, it might be very easy…Regarding the details, I will know everything about it once I meet Lu Daochen in person. I suppose he must have been waiting for me for a long while anxiously.

Divine Transformation Realm, Divine Transformation Realm… In Yue Country, achieving the Nascent Soul Realm is just a myth. In Great Jin, experts who have achieved the Divine Transformation Realm are the most venerated beings. In the Endless Sea, Divine Transformation Realm beings are old ancestor figures. But in my hands, seven beings at that realm had died, even though I have yet to attain that mythical realm…

However, the closer Ning Fan got to the Divine Transformation Realm, the lonelier and more exhausted his heart felt.

Tiring…It’s really tiring…

When killing enemies, he must not have a single shred of hesitation. But after cutting down his enemies, his heart became more and more weary looking at the corpses of the enemies lying in a pool of blood.

Li Ban, the person whom he had grudges with was finally dead. The feud between the two of them had finally been settled. But the strange thing was that Ning Fan did not feel any sense of happiness. Instead, what filled his heart was emptiness…

So this is the feeling of revenge…

Perhaps on the day I kill Emperor Moksha I will feel even more hollow and lost.

In the demon and devil races, after a cultivator attains the Divine Transformation Realm, he or she would be promoted to become a general.

In the ancient times, cultivators who achieved the Divine Transformation Realm or rather the Divine Transformation would be allowed to enter the Heavenly Court, be regarded as deities and even ride on a Golden Flame Chariot to a battlefield. It was where the phrase “Divine Transformation” truly originate from…

For achieving the Gold Core Realm, the biggest obstacle presented by the Heart’s Devil was to sever one’s feelings and emotions.

As for breaking through to the Divine Transformation Realm, the biggest obstacle of the Heart’s Devil was to sever one’s relationships in the mortal world.

In this step, one had to completely cut himself off from his mortal self and crush all their past memories.

Rumor has it that when one breaks through to that stage, their minds would dive deeply into the Divine Tablet of the Heavenly Dao to gain enlightenment about their previous lives as well as their current ones and sever their mortal coil. Besides, they have to engrave their names on the Divine Tablets to be recognized by the Heavenly Dao.

Speaking of which, no matter if they be divine cultivators, demon cultivators or devil cultivators, anyone who wishes to break through to the Divine Transformation Realm has to gain the recognition of the Heavenly Dao, unless there were some special circumstances.

Therefore, it was why the Heavenly Dao would be so infuriated that it would leave such an inerasable Baleful Qi on the person who killed Divine Transformation Realm experts.

“Severing one’s past…I don’t even know what my past was and how it looks like… From the dream under the effects of the Min Luo Fruits, I only found out that my original surname was Yun. Who’s my father? Who’s my mother? Are they still living in this world? There’s nothing I know about them… As such, how am I able to sever my past and leave my name on the Divine Tablet of the Heavenly Dao… Besides, Old Ancestor Dong Xu has said that I must not achieve Divine Transformation but the Devil Transformation instead. Is it because I have to refuse carving my name on the Divine Tablet? Is it because I have to refuse leaving a trace right under the nose of the Heavenly Dao?”

Ning Fan felt like he was faced with a massive enigma.

During the Second Bloodline Awakening, because of the Fu Li Bloodline, he managed to escape from a True Immortal’s plot.

But obtaining that bloodline was gradually getting him in touch with the greatest secrets of heaven and earth.

Why did the Heavenly Court collapse? Why did the demon race lose their ‘spirit’? All these questions, not even the True Immortals would know the answers for them. But it seems like I am about to uncover them …

“Light…Earth…worm…”

As Ning Fan muttered to himself, the female corpse held the soul of the black dragon which was full of scars and wounds and swayed it in front of him, as if she was asking to be praised like a child.

She had obeyed Ning Fan’s order and successfully subdued this Mid Divine Transformation Realm little dragon. Therefore, she wanted some compliments.

“Earthworm…” Ning Fan could not help but laugh and rubbed the female corpse’s hair, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

This Wild Beast which had a reputable cultivation level and used to belong to the Black Dragon Race was just an earthworm in front of the female corpse…

However, even if the beast was belittled by the female corpse, it did not dare to grumble or complain. On the contrary, its eyes which were filled with sincerity as it shot Ning Fan a look of pleading.

“Hehe… This little brother is Black Tooth. Greetings to Big Brother Lu Bei.”

Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel