Grasping Evil

The person who bid as high as two hundred million immortal jade was a sallow cultivator wearing a set of grey robes.

Ning Fan inspected him with his spirit sense and found out that he possessed Peak Divine Transformation Realm cultivation base. Moreover, the qi in his body carried a faintly discernible moon power.

It was clear that the cultivation method this man practiced was related to moonlight.

As for the reason why he was willing to bid an extremely high price for the Blue Moon Grass, it certainly was not because of the Blue Moon Grass itself but because of the large silver-colored marble where the grass grew on.

Similar to what Ning Fan had expected, the cultivation method that this old monster whose devil title was Devil Lord Scarlet Moon practiced was a type of fiendgod cultivation method for Scarlet Moon Devil Veins possessors.

Initially, Devil Lord Scarlet Moon did not have the intention to bid for the Blue Moon Grass. However, the mysterious rock beneath the grass gave him an extremely unique feeling.

He could faintly feel that the rock contained the moon power inheritance of a strong expert. If he were to absorb that, it could greatly enhance the moon power within his devil veins, giving his cultivation base a sharp boost.

With regards to how much exactly his cultivation base would increase, it depended on how much moon power the mysterious rock contained.

According to Devil Lord Scarlet Moon’s estimation, if he consumes this rock and goes into seclusion for hundreds of years, it would at least give him a high chance of breaking through to the Void Refinement Realm in his current lifetime.

Thus, he was determined to acquire the mysterious rock below the Blue Moon Grass making it impossible for him to surrender it to the little pill devil, Ming Que.

Seeing Devil Lord Scarlet Moon bidding on the Blue Moon Grass with such a high price, many old monsters surmised that the mysterious rock below the Blue Moon Grass must be quite extraordinary.

There were a few other old monsters who wanted to bid against Devil Lord Scarlet Moon. However, just as they were about to raise their hands, Devil Lord Scarlet Moon glared at them coldly, causing them to resentfully give up on bidding.

A Half-Step Void Refinement Realm expert was recognized as a supreme being in the internal sea.

Devil Lord Scarlet Moon possessed Peak Divine Transformation Realm cultivation base and was also an unrivalled being among experts at the same cultivation level as him. Other than the seven venerated beings in the internal sea, no one would dare to cross him at all.

Even though the little girl, Ming Que, had a group of Divine Transformation Realm servants, none of them was a Peak Divine Transformation Realm expert. In Devil Lord Scarlet Moon’s eyes, they were just a bunch of weaklings who were not worth his attention.

His gaze moved around and eventually stopped on Ming Que with a hint of a cold threatening look in his eyes. He released his aura force intimidatingly which caused Ming Que’s qi to suddenly become stagnant, hurting her primordial spirit. At the next moment, her face turned pale. Blood flowed out from the corners of her lips.

That intimidating aura force was a warning to Ming Que to not compete with him for that item. Otherwise, he could not guarantee that he would not do anything much more extreme than this to seek his revenge.

Even though the Mist Horn Clan prohibited killing and robbery during the auction, he had plenty of ways to get his revenge on Ming Que once they left this place.

Seeing Ming Que get hurt by Devil Lord Scarlet Moon due to her intention of bidding against him for the Blue Moon Grass, Old Man Qu’s eyes were filled with anger. However, he forcibly repressed his anger and conveyed a message to Ming Que immediately through telepathy.

“Mistress, this old slave knows that you are fond of consuming heavenly ingredients and precious treasures. I believe this Blue Moon Grass must be of high value to you since you are willing to bid for it. However, if you offend a powerful old monster like this Devil Lord Scarlet Moon because of a mere worldly possession, it just isn’t worth it… People’s hearts are sinister and evil. This man is clearly not a kind person. If you offend him, it will bring you endless troubles in the future…”

“Grandpa Qu, don’t worry. I understand.”

Ming Que curled her lips. She knew that what Grandpa Qu said was right. Humans were not as kind as she imagined. It didn’t mean that there were no good people in this world. However, since they were in the Endless Sea now, there were obviously more bad guys here.

She saw how precious the item was. She also noticed that the Blue Moon Grass was only of secondary importance since the large silver-colored marble beneath the grass was clearly the precious part of this item. It contained the moon power inheritance of a powerful expert. Even though it was not compatible with her cultivation method, it could still give a considerable boost to her cultivation base.

However, it was certainly not worth it to provoke someone like Devil Lord Scarlet Moon just for some moon power.

Moreover, she did not have a lot of immortal jade left to bid against Devil Lord Scarlet Moon.

To her, the Blue Moon Grass and the marble were just food. It was not a big deal if she could not acquire them. However, she felt wronged to have been wounded by Devil Lord Scarlet Moon’s aura force. Ming Que definitely did not like being bullied by others. Since she could not beat Devil Lord Scarlet Moon, she could only accept this humiliation without being able to retaliate.

If Grandpa Tree or Brother Biscuit were beside her right now, they surely would not just watch her being bullied by others…

“Grandpa Tree is still inside the grave. He certainly won’t care. What about Brother Biscuit? Where is he right now…?”

Ming Que let out a faint sigh which carried a hint of melancholy a maiden would feel when they were longing for someone. She rotated her magic power and the paleness on her face receded a little. Even after stabilizing her injuries, she was still angry.

Tsk. What a stupid Devil Lord Scarlet Moon… Aren’t you just a Peak Divine Transformation Realm expert? Just wait. I will eat more ‘medicinal babies’ and attain higher cultivation levels. Then, I will teach you a good lesson and cripple your primordial spirit so that you will know how good I am!

“I don’t want this Blue Moon Grass anymore!” Ming Que gently sat on her seat again. After hearing her words, Old Man Qu’s expression looked relieved and he felt fortunate that Ming Que did not cause any more trouble.

Devil Lord Scarlet Moon smirked in triumph. After all, Ming Que was just an Early Divine Transformation Realm cultivator. It was an extremely normal thing for him to intimidate an Early Divine Transformation Realm cultivator and make them give up on bidding against him by just expending a tiny bit of effort.

The reason why he chose to injure Ming Que was not just because he wanted to intimidate her, but also because he wanted to warn her from telling the others about the secrets of the stone. He could tell that she had already noticed that strong moon power inheritance inside the mysterious stone but he wanted it to remain as a secret. If Ming Que says it out loud, the other Void Refinement Realm old monsters would then bid against him for the item and he would not be able to acquire it in the end.

“This Blue Moon Grass will be mine!”

He took a large step forward, heading towards the auction stage to pay and get his item. Suddenly, a cold voice resounded behind him. It was the voice of a young man.

“Two hundred and ten million.”

This voice sounded rather clear and loud in the quiet auction hall. Someone actually wanted to bid against Devil Lord Scarlet Moon for the Blue Moon Grass.

Devil Lord Scarlet Moon was stunned and stopped moving. His expression turned grim and he laughed out of anger.

He really wanted to know who was so courageous as to compete with him for the Blue Moon Grass despite knowing that he was determined to acquire it.

He turned around solemnly, trying to teach the new bidder a lesson. Whoever dares to not show him respect should pay for it!

However, just as he looked at the direction of the new bidder, his knees suddenly lost their strength. He nearly fainted out of fright. Inwardly, he cursed his bad luck.

The new bidder was a white-robed young man sitting on the fourth floor.

As an old monster who had been living in the Endless Sea for countless years, Devil Lord Scarlet Moon had heard of this young man’s notoriety countless times. It was absolutely impossible for him to not recognize him.

“V-Venerated Ming!”

He raised his head and met Ning Fan’s cold piercing eyes. His single glance contained a deep and inerasable baleful qi.

With just a single look, Devil Lord Scarlet Moon’s state of mind was plunged in chaos. Layers of illusions surfaced before his eyes. Each of these illusions were scenes of massacres and bloodshed. Standing above the sea of blood, Ning Fan cut down countless Divine Transformation Realm and Void Refinement Realm experts. His ferocity could not be matched!

All of Ning Fan’s baleful qi pierced through Devil Lord Scarlet Moon’s primordial spirit that was located at his dantian like a sharp sword.

A wave of excruciating pain flowed through his entire body. It felt like his primordial spirit was literally torn into half!

*Puke*

Devil Lord Scarlet Moon coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood and moved a few steps backwards in surprise. After regaining his balance, his mind and soul were consumed by terror.

He could not believe that he had failed to even withstand the ferocity of a single glance from Ning Fan although he possessed a cultivation base that was unrivalled among all other experts in the Endless Sea other than the seven venerated beings of the internal sea.

It felt like Ning Fan could directly tear his primordial spirit to pieces using only his terrifying baleful qi and kill him right there whenever he wishes it!

“I want this Blue Moon Grass. Chi Yue (Scarlet Moon), do you want to bid against me?”

Ning Fan spoke indifferently. He leisurely walked out of the fourth floor and descended to the third floor and stood beside Ming Que.

Devil Lord Scarlet Moon was in a bind. He immediately cupped his fists and bowed. With a trembling voice, he said.

“If Venerated Ming wants the Blue Moon Grass, how could I be bold enough to bid against you…?”

“Is that so?” Ning Fan’s eyes flashed with a cold light and he released all of his aura force. In an instant, the weather within the vicinity of one hundred thousand li* (500m per li) of the Mist Horn Clan changed.

His aura force which weighed down like a gigantic mountain fell upon Devil Lord Scarlet Moon’s head.

The bones of the latter’s knees emitted the sound of something cracking. With a thud, they were completely crushed, causing him to fall to his knees. His blood splattered up to a few zhang* (3.33m per zhang) away! His primordial spirit inside his dantian was on the verge of collapsing. At the same time, his cultivation base nearly regressed to several minor cultivation realms lower.

Countless cultivators were dumbstruck by what they had just witnessed. Ning Fan nearly crippled Devil Lord Scarlet Moon’s cultivation base with just his vigorous aura force!

Devil Lord Scarlet Moon was coughing out blood incessantly on the ground. He looked at Ning Fan in terror and could not understand at all why he acted against him. He did not know what he had done that had provoked Ning Fan.

He raised his head and saw Ning Fan healing Ming Que’s wounds.

Ning Fan did not even spare a glance at Devil Lord Scarlet Moon. He reached out his hand to hold Ming Que’s little hands and channeled traces of his black star power into her. In a matter of seconds, her injuries were completely healed.

Ming Que was startled. She looked at Ning Fan blankly and rubbed her eyes. She found it hard to believe. Wasn’t this white-robed young man in front of her Brother Biscuit?

Why would Brother Biscuit appear at this place? And why is Brother Biscuit’s qi so strong? Why did everyone have to call Brother Biscuit, Venerated Ming…?

Devil lord Scarlet Moon was dumbfounded. He finally understood what he had done which had provoked Ning Fan…

Ning Fan was treating Ming Que’s wounds. Even a fool would be able to tell that he knew Ming Que and their relationship was certainly not ordinary.

Venerated Ming is rumored to easily fall in love with women he met everywhere he went. Don’t tell me that this little girl, Ming Que, is also one of his women! How unlucky of me! I just hurt a random little girl and she actually turns out to be Venerated Ming’s woman! My luck is really trying to get me killed!

Devil Lord Scarlet Moon had an almost irresistible impulse to spit out curses. How could he be so unlucky?! He was well aware of Ning Fan’s cold-blooded and merciless personality. He knew that he was a person who killed others like scything flax. Since he had wounded his woman, there was no way he would spare him.

“Brother Biscuit, how come you…?”

Ming Que was full of doubts. She had a lot of questions to ask Ning Fan. However, before she could open her mouth, Ning Fan gently pressed his finger against her lips.

“Don’t leak my identity. Zhou Ming is my alias now.”

Even though Ning Fan managed to stop Ming Que from speaking, the way she addressed him was enough to validate the guesses in countless old monsters’ heads.

Sure enough, Ming Que knew Ning Fan and their relationship was not common…

Each and every one of the old monsters in the hall turned and looked at Devil Lord Scarlet Moon. Some of them acted coldly. Some of them sneered at him while the others had sympathy in their eyes.

They could not help but feel pity for this Devil Lord Scarlet Moon as the person he offended was no one but the Great Devil Lord Ning’s woman. In their mind, there was no need to see how he would end up. He was certainly doomed.

Since Ning Fan had already intervened, only a fool would continue to bid against him for the Blue Moon Grass.

All of the cultivators there looked amused, as if they were waiting for a good show. Devil Lord Scarlet Moon’s cultivation base was nearly crippled. However, no one knew whether Ning Fan would disregard the rules set by the Mist Horn Clan and commit murder at the auction without any restraint.

Su Yan gently knitted her brows. She did not expect that Ning Fan would cause trouble during the last session of the auction.

Even though she had seen how it all started and was aware that Devil Lord Scarlet Moon was the person who struck first, it was impossible for her, the leader of the Mist Horn Clan, to just stand by and watch if Ning Fan really wanted to kill him here in her clan’s territory.

Su Yan was not concerned about Devil Lord Scarlet Moon’s life and death. However, she had already announced with clarity that killing was forbidden during the auction. If Devil Lord Scarlet Moon dies in the Mist Horn Clan, it would certainly tarnish the clan’s reputation.

“Fellow Daoist Zhou, you’ve given me a promise that you won’t kill anyone in my clan…” She gently reminded him. Her voice carried a faint pleading tone. The hidden meaning of her words implied that he could deal with him however he wanted as long as he spared his life.

“Don’t worry, Miss Su. I am a man of my word. I won’t be killing anyone in the Mist Horn Clan.”

After hearing Ning Fan’s assurance, Su Yan felt a little relieved. Unconsciously, the good feeling she had for him increased a little.

“Chi Yue, I will give you a chance. From today onwards, you’ll become her servant. If you do that, I will spare your life for what you have done today…”

Ning Fan pointed at Ming Que. His voice was commanding and allowed no room for any objection from him. All of a sudden, dead silence fell upon the entire hall.

He indeed did not take anyone’s life. However, he demanded Devil Lord Scarlet Moon to become Ming Que’s servant. Well, since that little pill devil liked keeping Divine Transformation Realm experts as her slaves, he was pleased to make Devil Lord Scarlet Moon become her servant and let her order him around.

In any case, Devil Lord Scarlet Moon was an aggressive and powerful figure in the Endless Sea. Under normal circumstances, he certainly would be reluctant to become a slave to someone.

However, Ning Fan’s demand left him with no courage to refuse.

Devil Lord Scarlet Moon was not foolish. He, of course, was aware of how he would end up if he rejects Ning Fan’s “kindness”.

He laughed bitterly. Who could he blame for his own bad luck? Becoming Ming Que’s servant was just his own retribution for hurting her in the beginning.

“Since Venerated Ming has said so, this lowly junior won’t dare to disobey…” He surrendered. After all, becoming a servant to someone was still better than death.

He then allowed Ming Que to plant a mental seal on him. It was a demon seal of the Immemorial Dark Sparrow’s royal blood and it could easily control his life and death.

After that, Ming Que turned to look at Ning Fan. She was so surprised that she did not know what to say.

Ever since the day she had entered the Endless Sea, all she knew was to search for spiritual herbs for her to eat. She was a typical foodie and was not concerned at all about the news and rumors circulating around the world. She completely had no idea about how notorious Ning Fan was.

Her impression of him was still the one she had at the time they first met. In her memories, his cultivation base seemed to just be at the Harmonious Spirit Realm.

However, after merely several tens of years, that Harmonious Spirit Realm cultivator had become so strong that he could scare the crap out of a Peak Divine Transformation Realm expert with just a few words. This was just too unbelievable.

In addition, when she thought of him helping her vent out her dissatisfaction by intervening and punishing Devil Lord Scarlet Moon, her heart was suddenly filled with an inexplicable happiness.

Sure enough, Brother Biscuit is the best… He not only helped me seek justice but also captured a Peak Divine Transformation Realm servant for me.

Ming Que then turned towards Devil Lord Scarlet Moon with a smile on her face. From today onwards, she would teach this new servant a good lesson.

Devil Lord Scarlet Moon felt chills running down his spine while he was looking at her. He let out dry coughs. In the meantime, he was grieving for his fate inwardly. Starting from today, he probably was going to endure endless torture and suffering.

“Let’s go. The auction is already near its end. The items that will be auctioned next won’t be able to pique my interest. Come with me and tell me why you came to the Endless Sea.”

Ning Fan’s eyes indifferently scanned past Old Man Qu. Immediately, the latter lowered his head and saluted him with respect.

This elderly cultivator had an extremely indiscernible trace of Immemorial Dark Sparrow’s qi in his demon bloodline. However, it could not evade Ning Fan’s senses.

Inwardly, Ning Fan guessed that there probably were some other reasons why Ming Que appeared in the Endless Sea. Because of his concern for her, he had to find out all of these reasons.

*Shush*

Just as Ning Fan was waiting for them to leave, Su Yan hesitated for some time. Then, her glossy, alluring lips moved, as if she was sending a secret message through telepathy.

A voice then fell into Ning Fan’s ears. Doubtlessly, the other people in the hall had no idea what Su Yan had said.

“I have something that I can’t understand and I wish to seek Fellow Daoist’s help to resolve my doubts. If Fellow Daoist has time, Su Yan will be waiting for you at the bank of the Plain Azure Lake during midnight three days later.”

“Alright.”

Ning Fan replied to her through telepathy and accepted Su Yan’s invitation.

He knew that her purpose of asking him out was obviously not related to romance or the beautiful scenery. It probably was because she had sensed the soul connection between the two of them and wanted to find out more about it.

Since Ning Fan was also planning to find out where the devil slate was stored using his Mind Reading Technique, it was perfectly fine for him to meet up with Su Yan three days later.

One of the reasons why he did not directly kidnap her away was because of her identity as a devil concubine. Ning Fan shared a soul connection with her and thus he had a hint of innate compassion for her that originated directly from his bloodline.

Secondly, it was because he had yet to get a clear understanding of the background of the Mist Horn Clan. Who knows if the Mist Horn Clan would be similar to the Giant Devil Clan which had the powerful support from their eight undead ancestors.

Using Su Yan as the starting point to obtain information for his plan of stealing the Mist Horn Clan’s devil slate was the safest and most reliable method.

“If there are no accidents, I will be able to obtain the fourth slate three days later…”