Grasping Evil - Chapter 409

Chapter 409: Chapter 409: Refining The White Lightning Whip

Hong Yi rarely spoke as they walked through the bamboo forest. She looked rather cold and haughty, as if she was detached from every being in this world. She merely guided Ning Fan to pluck all of the bamboo leaves in the Golden Lightning Heavenly Dwelling.

Naturally, these bamboo leaves would still have to be in her hands for the meantime. It was impossible for her to hand all of them over to Ning Fan right away.

She also noticed that the golden purple mist which Ning Fan conjured earlier was quite unusual. It was not difficult for him to erase the mark of her spirit sense on the bamboo leaves.

As she thought of the golden purple mist, her cold eyes looked a little bewildered. Some thoughts had surfaced within her mind. She hesitated for a while but shook her head in the end as if she was refusing to let that thought sink in.

From the beginning up until now, Ning Fan had been following behind Hong Yi who was dressed in red robes. He had kept Yue Lingkong and the female corpse into his Cauldron Ring and also kept all of his three spiritual puppets away.

He had promised to fulfill this lady’s request. He knew that after she was done gathering all of the golden leaves, she would lead him to the small chiliocosm to pluck the dark golden bamboo leaves which were of a higher grade.

It was likely for the small chiliocosm to be fraught with danger. Therefore, even Ning Fan would not dare to put the two women at risk by letting them stay by his side.

On their way, Hong Yi frowned, pondered, hesitated and became certain. All of her expressions did not escape Ning Fan’s eyes.

Ning Fan secretly activated his Yin Yang Locket, attempting to unravel the thoughts in her mind using his Mind Reading Technique.

However, there seemed to be ten thousand traces of lightning surrounding her mind. They concealed her secrets, preventing Ning Fan from finding out even the slightest bit of information.

“Does the Mind Reading Technique have no effect on her…?” Ning Fan knitted his brows. The longer he stayed with the lady, the more he felt that the latter was extraordinary.

Besides, when he activated his Mind Reading Technique, Hong Yi seemed to have noticed what he did. Her expression turned even colder and her blood-red eyes began to fill with a frightening killing intent.

“How dare you try to spy on my secrets? If you try to do it again, I will kill you!”

*Hiss*

A rush of baleful qi which did not suit her identity as a Void Refinement Realm cultivator at all spread across the surroundings, staining the golden lightning throughout the sky red. The thunder crackled and rumbled so loudly that it could nearly make one lose their sense of hearing.

Standing right in the center of the might of the thunder, Ning Fan could feel that he was as insignificant as a fallen leaf in the wind. Inwardly, he was greatly astonished. He moved half a step backwards and his eyes glinted with seriousness. He also released his own baleful qi which was quite terrifying as well. Only then did he manage to offset the immense baleful qi of the lady.

*Rumble*

When their aura forces collided against each other, Hong Yi did not move at all. Her cold piercing eyes, however, were filled with a hint of surprise.

As for Ning Fan, the moment his aura force met Hong Yi’s, he retreated several hundred steps. The force of every step he took while retreating backwards had literally left holes on the ground.

Eventually, he regained his balance and released another wave of aura force, completely nullifying the ferocious aura force from Hong Yi. In the end, he was unscathed.

Even so, he could not help but feel greatly surprised.

The aura force of that lady was extremely impressive!

There was probably no one below the Void Fragmentation Realm who could refrain from taking half a step backwards faced with this lady’s aura force!

When the thunder sovereign was at his peak, he was considered as the strongest being in the entire Rain World.

Since this lady is the daughter of the thunder sovereign, she would probably be unrivalled among all the experts of the Void Refinement Realm despite just having an Early Void Refinement Realm cultivation base.

“I have underestimated this lady… My three Void Refinement Realm spiritual puppets won’t be able to withstand a single attack from her. The only thing that can threaten her will be the stored attack of my Stele of Sun and Moon…”

Knowing that he still had a trump card he could use to defend himself, Ning Fan naturally became composed.

He did not pretend to be composed at all and this made Hong Yi regard Ning Fan a little more highly than before.

In her extensively long life as a cultivator, she had met countless young experts. However, it was the first time for her to meet a cultivator like Ning Fan who could withstand her vigorous baleful qi and aura force without changing his expression.

The coldness in her eyes gradually diminished. She dispersed her killing qi and uttered with an indifferent tone.

“There will be no next time.”

“Mm.”

Ning Fan responded approvingly. Hong Yi’s strength was far beyond his expectations. If it isn’t necessary, he would not want to enrage this lady before obtaining the golden leaves.

Since I can’t use the Mind Reading Technique to read her thoughts, there’s no point using it again.

The both of them no longer talked with each other. The atmosphere turned silent once again and was rather tense.

Hong Yi was as cold as ice from the beginning and kept Ning Fan at arm’s length. Ning Fan did not strike a conversation with her as well to avoid infuriating her again in case he speaks something which offends her unknowingly.

Thus, Ning Fan pondered about the gains and losses of this trip inside his head during the journey.

Half a day later, all the bamboo leaves of the golden bamboos in their current area were thoroughly plucked.

Nonetheless, Hong Yi’s face did not express the slightest hint of relief. In contrast, her cold eyes began to flash with even more seriousness.

“There are 7150 pieces of golden leaves in total in this place. I originally came here for them. However, if you can help me gather 7 pieces of dark golden bamboo leaves, I will give all of these golden leaves to you as a gift.”

“Mm.”

“This heavenly dwelling is called the Golden Lightning Heavenly Dwelling. It’s used to grow the golden lightning bamboo. However, there’s something of a higher grade than the golden lightning bamboo which is the black lightning bamboo planted within the Black Lightning Realm which is a small chiliocosm. In the past, only my father had the right to consume the bamboo leaves of the black lightning bamboo. You are very fortunate. If you can help me collect more than 7 pieces of these bamboo leaves, I may consider giving you some of them.”

“Mm.”

Ning Fan did not say or ask anything. He also knew that he had no right to bargain.

In regards to Ning Fan’s attitude, Hong Yi nodded her head with satisfaction. Then, she led him to the summit of a giant golden mountain standing right beneath the ten thousand traces of lightning in the sky.

Even though such a large amount of golden lightning was inferior to the blood lightning of the Heavenly Tribulation, it also contained an abnormally destructive power.

Ning Fan’s eyes blazed with excitement.

If I can refine and temper my Spirit Crushing Whip with all of this golden lightning, perhaps I can make that lightning whip attain the level of a Void Treasure.

“You want these golden lightning bolts, don’t you?” Hong Yi saw through Ning Fan’s intentions at first glance.

“I don’t deserve such honor.”

“If you want it, just say it. If you are useful to me, I may not necessarily refuse to give you some golden lightning. However, the question is whether or not you have a lightning element treasure to contain these lightning bolts.” Hong Yi’s eyes were filled with a hint of contempt. She disliked people who didn’t mean what they said.

Ning Fan was slightly surprised. Hong Yi actually promised to give him the golden lightning which filled the entire sky as a gift without hesitation.

One has to know that if Ning Fan takes away the golden lightning in the sky, this Golden Lightning Heavenly Dwelling would become a wasteland as it would no longer be able to let the golden bamboo grow their bamboo leaves.

After pondering carefully, Ning Fan understood why Hong Yi would be so generous to him.

Hong Yi needed Ning Fan’s help while Ning Fan needed her to give him the golden leaves. Both of them had a mutually beneficial relationship.

However, prior to this, the way Hong Yi pressured Ning Fan had, more or less, harmed this relationship. Hong Yi was trying to use the golden lightning to repair it.

Even though the golden lightning bamboo was precious, Hong Yi set her eyes upon things which were of a higher grade. Thus, she did not put the golden lightning bamboo in her eyes.

Whether the golden lightning bamboo could continue to grow, she was not concerned at all.

Since Hong Yi was willing to give the golden lightning to Ning Fan, how could Ning Fan refuse to accept it.

In order to keep the lightning, one would need a lightning element treasure. Speaking of lightning element treasures, Ning Fan did have one.

He touched his glabella and pulled out a whip which had blood-red lightning rays flashing around it. It was none other than the Spirit Crushing Whip.

Just as he brought out his whip, the blood-red lightning which sizzled made Hong Yi’s cold eyes widen slightly.

“Blood lightning?”

She did not expect for Ning Fan to actually have a lightning element treasure. Moreover, the lightning rays which were coiling around the whip were the blood lightning of the Heavenly Tribulation.

This kind of lightning was rather unique. Ordinary people were unable to control it…

Strange. It’s very strange… In the Rain World, other than the immortal vein that my father possesses, there should be no one who could control such lightning…

Hong Yi reached her hand out. The lightning whip which was quietly resting on Ning Fan’s hand obediently floated into the air and flew into her hand.

Ning Fan’s face was filled with shock. It was the first time he experienced having his treasure seized by someone who had nothing in her hands!

Before he could ask to get his lightning whip back, Hong Yi shook her head and sneered contemptuously.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to seize ‘trash’ from a junior.”

She pronounced the word “trash” especially loud and clear.

“Trash?” Ning Fan’s eyes turned grim. It was his first time being criticized by someone that the magic treasure he refined was a piece of trash.

Indeed, his treasure refinement technique was not the greatest in the Rain World. However, even common Void Refinement Realm old monsters might not necessarily have a treasure refinement technique as profound as Ning Fan’s. After all, he was the one who had inherited Ancient Chaos’ remnant memories.

The Spirit Crushing Whip he refined was definitely a rare magic treasure that many would kill for. Every time he used it to kill his enemies, it struck fear into their hearts.

Although this magic treasure did not have an extraordinary divine ability, it was certainly not trash.

“Killing one’s nascent soul and crushing one’s primordial spirit by striking their magic treasures… If the opponent doesn’t use a magic treasure, will this treasure still be useful?” Hong Yi did not argue with Ning Fan. With just a question, she exposed the divine abilities and the drawback of the Spirit Crushing Whip.

Ning Fan’s eyes glinted with seriousness.

This lady’s insight is rather sharp.

She is the first person who managed to see through all of the divine abilities of the Spirit Crushing Whip.

Could it be that this lady who has accumulated an immense baleful qi is a grandmaster in treasure refinement techniques?

“Your spiritual puppets are not bad. Even though they are just half-completed products, they had been skillfully refined. At least, it’s at the standard of the True Immortals. I originally thought that you were the one who refined them. However, now it seems like there was someone else who refined the puppets… Your treasure refinement technique is very bad.”

“…”

Ning Fan was criticized once more. Even so, he was no longer angry this time. He had already noticed that Hong Yi was very likely to be a grandmaster who excelled in treasure and puppet refinement techniques.

By just casually looking at his three puppets once, she could already tell that they had been refined by a True Immortal Realm expert. Her insight was really keen.

“What is the name of this treasure?” Hong Yi asked coldly.

“Spirit Crushing Whip.”

“Crushing one’s primordial spirit is an excellent divine ability. However, it isn’t good enough if it can only crush one’s primordial spirit by striking their magic treasures… The sky has ten thousand traces of lightning and the absolute simplicity governs them. From today onwards, it will be renamed as the White Lightning Whip!”

Hong Yi’s blood-red eyes flashed. She raised her head and stared solemnly at the sky. That single look from her had actually made the golden lightning in the sky to be afraid.

She wielded the lightning whip in one of her hands as she raised the other into the air. The lightning whip crumbled and turned into blood lightning. The Immemorial Stars which were contained inside the whip also reorganized themselves.

When she touched it with her jade-like fingers, the blood lightning suddenly turned into blood-red lightning flames. They encircled the Immemorial Stars as traces of lightning power transformed into mysterious lightning marks which gave off a massive and desolate aura.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the lightning whip was reformed. Its divine abilities were the same as before. What was different was that the blood lightning of the current lightning whip was so dazzling, just like the beautiful and attractive polar lights in the starry sky.

As for the grade of the lightning whip, it actually attained the grade of a Mortal Void Treasure.

Ning Fan was amazed. Hong Yi had just made some changes on the lightning whip and it had greatly improved the whip just like that!

Undeniably, this proved that Hong Yi’s treasure refinement technique was far above Ning Fan’s level. Naturally, the might of the lightning whip which she had refined and tempered again was far stronger than when Ning Fan did it.

“I have refined this whip with white lightning. From today onwards, there’s no need to strike one’s magic treasure in order to crush their primordial spirits… By just wielding this lightning whip, one would be able to strike their opponent’s primordial spirit!”

*Rumble*

Hong Yi ferociously lashed the sky with the whip. It seemed to have struck the entire sky. The might of the golden lightning in the sky might be strong, but it was still split into parts by her single attack.

When she struck a second time, the lightning rays scattered into lightning dots.

As she made the third strike, the traces of lightning dots were forcibly drawn into the whip.

When the golden lightning entered the whip, the grade of the lightning whip increased once again. It was now showing signs of becoming a Mid Grade Mortal Void Treasure!

The blood streaks on the sky which was left by the lightning whip did not disappear.

The destructive power of a single strike with the whip could kill a Half-Step Void Refinement Realm expert!

The destructive power of three consecutive strikes would also inflict injuries on someone at the Early Void Refinement Realm!

“Take it.”

Hong Yi casually tossed the lightning whip to Ning Fan. She was going to give it to him as a present.

Ning Fan received the whip. As soon as he grabbed it with his hand, he could feel that the lightning power of the whip was more than one hundred times stronger than before after being tempered again and devouring the golden lightning!

In the past, the lightning power was too weak. It could only attack his enemies’ primordial spirits when it touched their magic treasures.

From today onwards, as long as he wields this whip, its ability of crushing one’s primordial spirit would be activated. This whip had now become a peerless killing weapon from just being an auxiliary magic treasure!

“Thank you, Miss Hong Yi for refining this treasure for me. I am truly embarrassed by my own inability after witnessing your profound treasure refinement technique.” Ning Fan admitted his weakness. Other than cultivation, he was only proficient in pill refinement and formation techniques. He did not have extra time to practice his treasure refinement technique.

“Miss?” Hong Yi sneered as if she had just heard a hilarious name.

“You don’t have to thank me. The reason why I helped you refine this treasure again is for our convenience when we act later. In the black lightning realm, there are many lightning spirits. With this White Lightning Whip, you will be able to kill some of them. Now, you’ll have to protect me while I open up the Black Lightning Realm!”

Hong Yi’s tone sounded as if there was no room for refusal.

As soon as her voice fell, she immediately formed a hand seal which tore apart the sky above the summit of the mountain, exposing another realm which was filled with black lightning rays.

She did not seem to be worried about Ning Fan sneak-attacking her when she put down her guard. It was the confidence of an absolutely strong expert.

As a matter of fact, it was rare for such confidence to appear on a Void Fragmentation Realm expert. Hence, it was truly strange for someone at the Void Refinement Realm to have such confidence.

After thinking carefully, although this Hong Yi might have a sharp tongue, she was just speaking the truth. Even though she was cold and arrogant, she harbored no ill intentions toward Ning Fan.

After helping him refine his lightning whip, whatever she had done earlier which displeased him seemed to have been evened out.

Now, what was left between the two of them was just their cooperation.

“The Black Lightning Realm is about to open. Be prepared to enter the world while concealing yourself. Don’t let the lightning spirits of the ‘Void Pierce Stage’ discover us.”

“Lightning spirits of the Void Pierce Stage?!” Ning Fan’s eyes turned gloomy.

Aren’t the lightning spirits of the Void Pierce Stage similar to Late Void Refinement Realm cultivators?

When one attains the Void Refinement Realm, every step beyond that cultivation realm was worlds apart.

A cultivator of the Void Inquiry Stage could control the void power while a being of the Void Pierce Stage could borrow the power of the hollow space to nourish their vital energy which would allow them to have an inexhaustible amount of magic power.

The true dividing line of the Void Refinement Realm was between its middle and late stages.

A Late Void Refinement Realm expert might not necessarily be defeated even if they fight against ten Mid Void Refinement Realm cultivators on their own!

Ning Fan’s expression looked serious. Evidently, this Black Lightning Realm was really full of danger.

Immediately, he activated his Heaven Deceiving Cloak without hesitation while Hong Yi’s figure also gradually faded. She only communicated with Ning Fan through telepathy to let each other know their respective locations.

“Enter the realm!”

Both Hong Yi and Ning Fan were invisible as they advanced into the Black Lightning Realm.

All of a sudden, more than ten traces of ancient spirit sense swept across the entrance of the realm domineeringly. Each of them carried Late Void Refinement Realm aura force!

“Who dares intrude this realm?!”

*Rumble*

A massive amount of aura force turned into lightning power which shook heaven and earth blasted into Ning Fan’s ears.

In the next second, Ning Fan only felt a sharp pain in his Sea of Consciousness which was on the verge of crumbling!

Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel