“G-Greetings to senior!”
The elderly cultivator was already accustomed to life and death after committing countless carnage throughout his lifetime. But when standing in front of the young man, he was trembling uncontrollably.
Just a trace of aura from this young man was enough to make the old man have difficulty breathing.
There seemed to be spirits of more than ten million Gold Core Realm cultivators within that aura. Its heavy Baleful Qi had nearly caused the gold core in the old man’s dantian to crumble!
He could not imagine there being such an expert in this world!
However, even though he had not gotten a clear look of the young man’s face, the old man vaguely felt that his aura was somewhat familiar. It was as if he had met him somewhere in the past.
The old man’s eyes flashed with a trace of doubt and that look did not escape from the young man’s observation.
He made a step forward and withdrew his aura force. His gaze swept across the old man and the teenager. Immediately, the old man felt that his thoughts were completely seen through.
“You recognise me, don’t you?”
The young man was a little surprised. He noticed a slight flinch in the old man’s eyes.
This young man was indeed Ning Fan. He used the alias Lu Bei in the Luo Yun Tribe but continued to use the pseudonym of Zhou Ming after returning to the External Sea.
“No… I don’t… How would this junior know Senior Zhou…?”
From Ning Fan’s voice, the old man was even more certain that the young man before him was that Zhou Ming whom he traveled with together on the ship.
Because of panic, the old man inadvertently called him ‘Senior Zhou’. All of a sudden, the old man’s expression changed drastically. He wished to slap his own mouth a few times for making that silly mistake.
How stupid of me! This man must be Zhou Ming, the vicious devil who dominated the External Endless Sea with no equal. He would certainly not want to be known that he has suddenly appeared in this place after disappearing for twenty years. But because of my carelessness, I blurted out his identity. Perhaps we are going to be killed by this Zhou Ming to prevent news of this from going out…
“Are you an old friend of mine? I’m also somewhat familiar with your aura… Mm… I remember now. We have met before on the escaping ship.”
Ning Fan muttered to himself. He seemed to recall that there was indeed such an old man on the escaping ship to the Endless Sea in the past.
Although his notoriety was widely spread, he was not a man who kills indiscriminately, let alone kill someone for only recognising him.
Even though he had no intent to kill, his intimidating reputation which he established twenty years ago was still spread widely in the External Endless Sea. The old man would of course be afraid of him.
“Shame on me. This junior is Sun Buyi. Precisely, I have met Senior once on the escaping ship in the past…”
The old man was slightly at ease. According to the impression that Ning Fan gave him, he would not talk nonsense to whom he wanted to kill.
Since Ning Fan had questioned him, then his life would definitely be spared.
“Sun Buyi, right? I have some questions for you. You’ll be rewarded if your answers are satisfactory.” Ning Fan’s tone was very flat. Even so, the old man instantly panicked.
“If Revered Ming has any questions, by all means ask with no restraint. I’d certainly answer with everything that I know. How would I be so bold to ask for any reward!”
What a joke!
It was lucky enough to survive from Ning Fan’s hands. Rewards? Sun Buyi did not even dare to think about it.
“I wonder what’s troubling Revered Ming?” Sun Buyi was a little uneasy as he was afraid that Ning Fan would not be satisfied with his answers.
“Did you know when I entered the Secret Realm of the Broken World?”
“Yes, I did…”
“How long has it been since the day I left? What significant incidents had happened to the Endless Sea during this period?”
“Replying to Senior, Senior has left the Endless Sea for twenty-one years and nine months. As for the great incidents that happened in the Endless Sea, I more or less know some of them as I did not go for secluded meditation in these years. However, the things that I know are too much and too complicated. It may waste Senior’s time if I say each and every one of them verbally. Please let me imprint my memories on a jade slip for Senior to read… Of course, I’d be pleased to explain them orally if Senior insists.”
“There’s no need for that. Imprinting your memories on a jade slip would be better. Twenty-one years have passed since I left? I suppose many great incidents have happened…?”
Ning Fan’s eyes revealed a hint of worry. There were two forces in the Endless Sea that concerned him the most.
One of them was the Pleasure Devil Island where Xu Qiuling resided, while the other was the Bi Yao Immortal Island that Yin Suqiu joined.
Mm… There seemed to be one more individual… Ning Fan was also slightly concerned about Bei Xiaoman’s safety.
“Yes! Since Senior has given the order, I’ll immediately imprint the jade slip!”
Sun Buyi did not dare to act slow. He immediately patted his storage pouch to take out a jade slip and carefully recalled the memories of the past twenty plus years. Then, he imprinted them in chronological order into the jade slip.
Cultivators’ memories were fundamentally far more superior than mortal beings. They could almost retain everything they saw in their memories. Moreover, Ning Fan was just asking about the significant incidents that had happened in the past twenty years. Imprinting these memories was just a small matter for Sun Buyi.
With just the time for an incense stick to burn, he managed to imprint all the big incidents including some trivial matters into a jade slip.
When Ning Fan flicked his sleeve, the jade slip vanished from Sun Buyi’s hands and reappeared in Ning Fan’s hand in a flash.
It was Sun Buyi’s first time witnessing such a technique in his lifetime. It filled him with total astonishment.
This is definitely not a technique that a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator possesses. It seems like he has used… the power of teleportation!
Revered Ming has broken through to the Divine Transformation Realm?! But twenty years ago, he had just attained Nascent Formation. How could he achieve Divine Transformation in just twenty years?!
Ning Fan spread his spirit sense to briefly scan through the jade slip, not knowing how surprised Sun Buyi felt. After seeing that the information imprinted on the jade slip was what he wanted to know, he nodded in satisfaction and patted his storage pouch. He randomly picked a bottle of pills and threw it to Sun Buyi as a reward.
He then made a step forward, instantly transforming into a trace of purple smoke. In a flash, he disappeared without leaving any traces behind!
“What an incredible speed! He is indeed Revered Ming! I have actually met Revered Ming in person!” After Ning Fan left, only then did the pressure which was as heavy as the mountain subside, allowing the young boy beside him to regain his breath. Looking at the direction where Ning Fan had disappeared, his eyes roared with excitement.
As for Sun Buyi, he was once again astonished.
“Teleportation! That’s indeed teleportation! He has returned and h-he has attained the Divine Transformation Realm! Twenty years… He just spent twenty years to attain that unbelievable cultivation base!”
The feeling of surprise in his heart was so great that it had no room to increase anymore. However, when Sun Buyi lowered his head and looked at the bottle of pills, his eyes widened again.
“This is… the Nascent Formation Pill! The pill that Revered Ming has rewarded me with is a Fourth Revolution Nascent Forming Pill!”
Sun Buyi’s eyes were brimming with joy. He immediately kept the bottle away and bowed with his fists cupped at the direction where Ning Fan had left.
“Revered Ming, thank you for the generous gift!”
In their trip to gather minerals in the deep sea today, the old man and the young boy had first encountered a reef beast which intended to engulf them. But then they witnessed Ning Fan’s return which had saved their lives. Even though it was a shocking event with no danger, they were already not in the mood to seek for any minerals anymore.
Both of them sighed with gratitude and immediately left the sea in two rays of light. As for their encounter with Ning Fan, they totally did not dare to publicize it.
“An old friend?”
At ten thousand li* (500 m per li) away from the place he met the duo, Ning Fan stood in the deep sea. The sea had eerily parted for him and no sea beast dared to approach him.
Regarding Sun Buyi, Ning Fan did not have much of an impression on him, but the words ‘old friend’ roused some emotions within him.
As for the Nascent Formation Pill which he gave to Sun Buyi, it was just one of the innumerable pills he looted from the enemies he killed along the way and it was not worth mentioning.
One Nascent Formation Pill was enough to set off a bloody conflict in the Yue Country in the past.
However, a single Nascent Forming Pill was just an item as worthless as a chicken rib to the current Ning Fan.
“Perhaps the next time I meet Bei Yao and the others, they are also just my old friends…”
Holding a crystal clear Poison King Token in his hand, Ning Fan recalled every scene in the Star Palace.
He retrieved the token and the beauties had gone far away. Since he returned to the External Endless Sea, there was no need for him anymore to disguise as Lu Bei. He removed his disguise and became Zhou Ming again.
The female corpse and Yue Lingkong also temporarily went inside the Cauldron Ring to rest. They both depleted much of their energy while trying to escape from the Realm Beast’s pursuit. Besides, they also had some injuries. They should have a good rest.
“Endless Sea, I, Ning Fan, am back!”
Ning Fan’s eyes flashed with determination and he pressed the jade slip he obtained from Sun Buyi against his glabella. He then closed his eyes and attentively studied the changes within these twenty years.
Every scene of the memories was played in front of his eyes. After the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Ning Fan opened his eyes but they were filled with coldness. He continued to read the jade slip again.
“Alliance of Ming Assassins! The killer organization formed by the Divine Transformation Realm ancestors of the Ying State Immortal Island under a secret collaboration with the Divine Transformation Realm experts from the Internal Endless Sea? The reason why they establish this organization is just to assassinate me?”
Ning Fan’s eyes shone with disdain. This trifling alliance did not deserve his slightest attention at all.
Divine Transformation Realm ancestors…
As a matter of fact, Ning Fan had lost count of how many Early Divine Transformation Realm cultivators which are similar in strength to the thirteen ancestors of the External Endless Sea he devoured alive in the Star Sea.
Instead of dealing with the Alliance of Ming Assassins, Ning Fan would rather pay more attention to the Pleasure Devil Immortal Island. However, he was not concerned about the Profound Heart of Mother Earth but Xu Qiuling’s condition instead.
On the day he entered the Secret Realm of the Broken World, he deduced that Xu Qiuling would have another thirty years to live. Twenty years had passed now and Xu Qiuling’s injuries had started to flare up lightly. However, she would certainly die in another ten years if her condition was left untreated.
Fortunately, Ning Fan had already returned and brought back with him the Black Star Healing Technique which had a saint-level healing effect. For cultivators below the Void Refinement Realm, there was no injury that he could not cure.
As long as he is here, not only would Xu Qiuling survive, but her cultivation base would also be greatly enhanced with the aid of these injuries.
Before entering the Broken World, Ning Fan could at most cure Xu Qiuling’s injuries. However, the current him was capable of even helping Xu Qiuling boost her cultivation.
He then placed his focus in studying the jade slip again. There were only two things in the jade slip that surprised Ning Fan.
One of them was the information from the Lost World Palace of the Penglai Immortal Island. The lord of the southern tower, Bei Xiaoman… had gone into seclusion to break through to the Divine Transformation Realm and she almost succeeded!
The other thing was the information about the Bi Yao Immortal Island.
Three years ago in the Bi Yao Immortal Island, the Mid Divine Transformation Realm old ancestor who had been hidden in the dark… returned to the ruins and her Dao was eliminated!
Returning to the ruins meant that a cultivator died because he or she had reached the end of their lifespan.
Ning Fan speculated that there must be a powerful secret hidden within the sect as not a single devil lord of the External Endless Sea dared to lay a finger on the women of the Bi Yao Sect which constituted only females.
The information from the jade slip had proven Ning Fan’s hypothesis. All this while, Bi Yao Immortal Island was being guarded by two Divine Transformation Realm experts! One of them revealed herself in public while the other stayed hidden in the dark!
The one in public was an old woman who had barely met Ning Fan.
As for the one who remained hidden, it was a senior Divine Transformation Realm expert.
After the death of this senior Divine Transformation Realm expert, there was no new Divine Transformation Realm expert who could succeed her position in Bi Yao Immortal Island. It was somewhat insufficient to depend on only one Divine Transformation Realm expert to defend the island.
The female cultivators of the sect were all great human cauldrons. As a matter of fact, countless devil lords had been drooling over the Bi Yao Sect. There were even several devil lords who had abducted more than ten female cultivators from this sect…
Furthermore, the Alliance of Ming Assassins also began to suppress the Bi Yao Sect in the past three years. The reason behind it was because of a rumor that claimed that the vice sect master of the sect, Yin Suqiu, was Zhou Ming’s woman!
Yin Suqiu had already succeeded in Nascent Formation and she even obtained the inheritance of power from the old ancestor who had passed away. Now, her cultivation base was already at the Peak Nascent Soul Realm and she was just a hair’s breadth away from attaining the Divine Transformation Realm.
However, the promotion of Yin Suqiu’s position in the Bi Yao Sect caused one of the female cultivators of the sect to be jealous of her. Because of her jealousy, she then exposed Yin Suqiu’s relationship with Ning Fan.
Her loose lips were disastrous! The Alliance of Ming Assassins then targeted Yin Suqiu as a person wanted dead!
Fortunately, Yin Suqiu had never left the sect even once and devoted herself to meditation and cultivation. Thus, none of the assassins had the opportunity to kill her.
Ning Fan’s eyes became even colder.
Not to mention how Yin Suqiu was doing, the action of the Alliance of Ming Assassins had already ignited Ning Fan’s rage.
“Suqiu is now in secluded meditation. She should be fine for the time being… Hmph… I should first cure Qiuling, then I will definitely go personally and see what qualifications this Alliance of Ming Assassins have to try laying a finger on my woman!”
With a spin, Ning Fan turned into a purple mist and disappeared in a flash, rushing towards the Pleasure Devil Immortal Island.
It seemed that although he had just returned to the external sea, there were already some matters he needed to deal with.
People will never learn to behave themselves if I don’t wash the External Endless Sea with blood!
…
On the Black Tortoise Star in the Void Realm of the Northern Heaven, an indifferent woman stepped on a amethyst sword shadow while flying towards the Sea of Clouds.
The Void Realm was the dichiliocosm where the Tablet Wielding Immortal Emperor resided. The woman who was stepping on the sword donned a Chinese tight-fitting dress and a pair of fragrant soft shoes. Her body emanated a multi-colored sword qi and her presence was both graceful and ethereal. She was none other than the favorite pupil of the Tablet Wielding Immortal Emperor — Bei Li.
The reason why Bei Li was rushing to the Sea of Clouds as soon as she ended her secluded meditation was to help someone in completing their Divine Transformation.
With her identity, she would never personally take the trip to help others in mortal severance unless she meets an expert who could detect the color of luck.
Last time, she went to the Sea of Clouds in order to assist Ning Fan.
This time, however, was for her little sister.
Her fourth younger sister, Bei Xiaoman, was going to succeed in the mortal severance and leave her name on the Divine Tablet of Heavenly Dao. Then, she would officially become a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator.
“Is Xiaoman finally achieving the Divine Transformation Realm? If so, she would be returning to the Northern Heaven very soon…”
Bei Li muttered to herself as if she was worried about something. An hour later, she appeared below the three Divine Tablets of Heavenly Dao in the Sea of Clouds.
Under the Divine Tablets, the Taoist child, Yi Qing seemed to be sitting on a needle and pins. He was sighing incessantly while dealing with a young girl in red robes.
The red-robed young girl was holding a red whip. Her face was oval-shaped like a goose egg. She looked pretty and elegant but her eyes were piercing cold. She blocked Yi Qing and insisted on having a fight with him…
She was undoubtedly the fourth young mistress of the Lost World Palace – Bei Xiaoman.
Bei Xiaoman saw Yi Qing to be quite tough and thus she wanted to test her skills on him. However, how would Yi Qing be bold enough to act against Bei Xiaoman?
After all, she was the fourth young mistress of the Lost World Palace… In case she got hurt, he will get himself into big trouble.
Once he saw Bei Li’s arrival, Yi Qing immediately felt a great sense of relief and excused himself in a hurry.
This scene made Bei Li sigh gently. She frowned slightly and scolded her sister with an indifferent tone.
“Xiaoman, you’re causing trouble again. You have just attained the Divine Transformation Realm and your cultivation base is still not stable yet. How could you throw yourself into battle with others? Junior Yi Qing didn’t fight you because he was afraid that you might get hurt…”
“Hmph! All of them look down on me! If it weren’t for the problem with my physique and my age being the youngest of all in the family, how would I only attain the Divine Transformation Realm today?! Besides, the reason I challenged him for a fight was because Yi Qing’s tone was too arrogant… During the Three Levels of Mortal Severance, every time I passed one level, he would tell me a long-winded story about a man called Ning Fan and claimed how amazing he was and what achievements he had… It’s so annoying!”
“Silly girl, that Young Master Ning was really amazing. Junior Brother Yi Qing really admires him from the bottom of his heart and he did not intend to anger you…”
Memories whirled up in Bei Li’s eyes, as if she was recalling the young man.
“Young Master Ning… Huh? Sister Li, you’re being weird. Aren’t you someone who never set your eyes upon any man? Why would you be so kind to that Ning Fan and even specially call him Young Master Ning?”
Bei Xiaoman clasped her little hands behind her back and gently stamped her little feet on the ground while looking at Bei Li with great interest. Her face was adorned with a mischievous smile and her eyes curved into a crescent shape.
“Sister, don’t tell me you have fallen for that ‘Young Master Ning’? This is not appropriate, you know? However powerful Ning Fan might be, he’s just someone from the mortal world…”
“Pah! Xiaoman, you haven’t learned to behave at all in the mortal world. It seems like you’re even getting bolder! Young Master Ning and I had only met once. How would I fall for him?!” Bei Li blushed and angrily rolled her eyes at Bei Xiaoman.
“Of course I know that Elder Sister Li is supercilious and it is impossible for you to even glance at the cultivators from the mortal world… Why are you so agitated? Furthermore, I also know a person in the mortal world. In terms of talent, I believe he is not any weaker than your Young Master Ning!”
“What do you mean by saying ‘my Young Master Ning’? Who is that person? What is his cultivation base?” Bei Li’s face lit up with interest.
“His name is Zhou Ming. He’s a bad guy and he bullies me every day! However, he’s really talented and very powerful! He has gone missing for twenty years and I don’t know where he went. Humph! I bet he must have been fooling around with that wild woman! It’s so irritating!”
Bei Xiaoman’s little face swelled with fury.
Even if ‘Zhou Ming’ has gone away to fool around with some other woman, what would she be angry for? Didn’t she hate Zhou Ming?
“Silly sister… ” Bei Li said inwardly, seeing through Xiaoman’s thoughts.
I’m afraid my little sister has really taken a fancy to a cultivator from the mortal world and that guy… is called Zhou Ming?
“What’s Zhou Ming’s bone age? What unique talent does he have? With your taste, I don’t think you would set your eyes upon any talented cultivator below the Divine Transformation Realm…”
“Mm… He’s very powerful and he is definitely ten times more powerful than your Young Master Ning! His bone age is less than four hundred years old but he’s already at the Late Nascent Soul Realm… At least before he went missing twenty years ago, he had that cultivation base…” Bei Xiaoman sounded a little dispirited.
“A four hundred years old Late Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? He’s not bad though. But he’s still slightly weaker than Young Master Ning who attained the Divine Transformation Realm at just three hundred years old.” Bei Li shook her head and replied.
“Who said that?! Although that Zhou Ming was at the Late Nascent Soul Realm that time, he had once killed a Divine Transformation Realm expert. Besides, he is also a Fifth Revolution Pill Master!”
Bei Xiaoman was immediately filled with pride after speaking those words as if the four hundred years old Fifth Revolution Pill Master was not ‘Zhou Ming’ but her.
“A Fifth Revolution Pill Master! This Young Master Zhou is indeed talented… Is he a genius in the Dao of Alchemy?” Bei Li pondered as she spoke.
“You’re not allowed to call him Young Master Zhou! You don’t even know him! Go and find your Ning Fan, Zhou Ming is mine!”
Bei Xiaoman was like a vindictive child who often caused Bei Li headaches but also loved her at the same time.
It would be better if this little sister is steadier…
I just unintentionally called out Young Master Zhou and this silly sister started to be jealous?
Does this silly sister really like that Zhou Ming? If so, it would be quite troublesome.
“Xiaoman, you should know that you already have a marriage contract with the ‘Ximen Aristocratic Family’… Speaking of which, where is your Yuan Yao Jade?! Don’t tell me you gave it to Zhou Ming?!” Bei Li’s eyes flashed with solemnity. It was a serious matter.
“I’ve placed my Yuan Yao Jade under Stone Warrior’s care… As for the Ximen Aristocratic Family… I won’t marry into their family!”
Bei Xiaoman told a little lie. As a matter of fact, her Yuan Yao Jade as well as Stone Warrior were both gone.
“Silly sister, even if you don’t marry the Ximen Aristocratic Family, it won’t be possible for you to be with Zhou Ming too…”
Bei Li intended to continue persuading Bei Xiaoman. But suddenly, a vigorous Shedding Void Realm aura force arrived at the Sea of Clouds along with a purple glow.
Immediately, both the girls’ faces revealed a look of astonishment simultaneously.
“Mother! Why did you come?”
“The reason I came is of course to give you something. I will help you sever the scarlet dragon…”
Within the glow, Yuan Yao stepped out slowly like a fairy descending on the mortal world and remaining aloof from the world.
Her body seemed to still have some injuries. However, before her two daughters questioned her about them, Yuan Yao immediately flicked her sleeve to take out a black crystal and handed it over to Bei Xiaoman.
“Man Er, after you return to the Rain World, go and refine this crystal. You could then easily sever the red dragon in just a single attempt. Afterwards, you will no longer need to worry about the ‘Bloodthirst of Gui Vein’ and you won’t need to suppress the killing qi of Gui Vein by killing others…”
“Thank you, mother!”
Bei Xiaoman rushed forward to hug Yuan Yao with great joy. She had eagerly wished to sever her scarlet dragon even in her dream.
After all, having menstruation every month was pretty much torture to a female cultivator…
“Oh yes, what were you both discussing just now?” Yuan Yao asked casually.
“We are talking about which genius is more outstanding! I like Zhou Ming, but Elder Sister Li likes Ning Fan!” Bei Xiaoman stuck out her tongue, trying to act cute in front of Yuan Yao.
“What do you mean by saying ‘I like Ning Fan’…” Bei Li did not like to talk much and she was totally lacking strength to argue back.
The conversation between the both of them made Yuan Yao contemplate.
“Geniuses… I’m afraid your so-called Ning Fan and Zhou Ming cannot compare with that person…”
“Who is it?” Bei Xiaoman resided in the mortal world while Bei Li had just come out from her secluded meditation not long ago. They were entirely unaware of the significant news that was spreading in the Northern Heaven at all.
“Currently, all the geniuses and the younger generations of the Northern Heaven were almost overwhelmed by a single young man… That man was born in the mortal world but with his Divine Transformation Realm cultivation base, he defeated Zi Chuan, killed Lin Su, fought the Realm Beasts on his own, and even conquered the Star Sea… His name is Lu Bei… I think Lu Bei may be the most outstanding person among all the geniuses of this generation …”
Yuan Yao was immersed in her past memories but tried her best to conceal the changes in her expression and pretend not to know ‘Lu Bei’.
“With mother’s identity, it’s weird for her to actually praise a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator from the mortal world…” Bei Xiaoman and Bei Li both found it difficult to believe it.
However, these three women did not know that the strongest genius they were arguing about was actually… the same person!
Moreover, that person had quietly returned to the Endless Sea and was preparing to stir up a storm!
Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel.
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