Grasping the Evil

Chapter 583: Like Bamboo, I Long for Your Return; As an Ocean, You Remain Unaware

Dusk, as the evening breeze brushed through the bamboo forest, the bamboo leaves rustled softly. The sun sank between the mountains, leaving only a tinge of afterglow.

Qingdai led the way forward, Ning Fan followed slowly behind.

He asked nothing about Qingdai’s mentor, only immersed himself in the faint nostalgia and melancholy pervading the bamboo forest.

Upon first entering the Siluo Bamboo Sea, he had hardly taken note of the Xiangfei Bamboo there.

At this moment, as he stepped deeper into the bamboo sea, he realized that each Xiangfei Bamboo here was filled with a strand of sorrow...

Qingdai sometimes advanced in small steps, sometimes transformed into escape light and traversed thousands of miles.

Ning Fan closely followed her, gradually already out of Siluo City by millions of miles.

The Xiangfei Bamboo here were obviously much sturdier than those elsewhere, and occasionally, one or two Xiangfei Bamboo contained extremely faint Divine Intent of Bamboo...

The deeper he ventured, the more Xiangfei Bamboo carried the Divine Intent of Bamboo.

This was a rarely visited bamboo forest, a thick layer of bamboo leaves scattered on the ground.

In the deepest part of this bamboo forest, stood an incredibly massive Xiangfei Bamboo!

In front of this giant bamboo, Qingdai halted, while Ning Fan’s gaze sharpened.

He felt a heavy pressure emanating from this one giant bamboo!

Within this giant bamboo, the Divine Intent of Bamboo was so vast it was unimaginable, it was definitely First-rank Bamboo Intent!

Beneath this vast bamboo intent, Ning Fan almost felt his body assimilate, transforming into a Xiangfei Bamboo.

Glints of black gold snow flashed in his eyes as he invoked the power of memory intent, barely withstanding the pressure of First-rank Bamboo Intent.

"Junior Lu Bei, greets Senior."

Ning Fan clasped his fist toward the giant bamboo, understanding that the bamboo’s Divine Intent was unconsciously released without malice.

Otherwise, Ning Fan’s understanding of memory was not profound. Even if the memory intent had reached the second step, it wouldn’t resist the First-rank Bamboo Intent of the giant bamboo.

Since Qingdai brought him to see this giant bamboo, it was likely that this giant bamboo was Qingdai’s mentor.

"Second Step of Intent? That’s quite good... I am Qingdai’s mentor. Qing’er, return first, I have words for Lu Bei."

"Yes." Qingdai didn’t dare disobey her mentor’s orders, she paid her respects to the giant bamboo and withdrew.

Before leaving, she whispered to Ning Fan, "Brother Lu, she is my mentor. My mentor is very kind, you don’t have to be afraid, she won’t trouble you... trust me."

Qingdai transformed into an Escape Rainbow and returned toward Siluo City.

After Qingdai left, the giant bamboo suddenly emitted a faint layer of green light.

Within that green light, an apparition of a beautiful woman in green attire emerged from the giant bamboo.

She appeared approximately thirty, her beauty aged to perfection, with cool and subtle dignity in her brows.

She wore a green silk dress, her dark hair elegantly bun atop, a green jade hair ornament pinned in her chignon.

Her aura was imposing, with sovereign qi flowing subtly within, and her bamboo intent was remarkably strong.

Yet, she possessed no mana, her entire form was but a strand of ephemeral remnant soul, seemingly poised to disperse at any moment...

"My name is Youhuang... I instructed Qing’er to find you because I wish to inquire the whereabouts of Mu Luo."

"Youhuang!"

Ning Fan’s eyes clearly flickered, evidently, he had heard this name before, from the Treant Ming Luo.

The Treant Ming Luo once intended to entrust Ning Fan to search for Youhuang, but before the words were finished, he sighed deeply...

As for Mu Luo, that was the name of the Treant Ming Luo. This, the Treant Ming Luo had also informed Ning Fan.

Although Ning Fan didn’t know the relation between Youhuang and Mu Luo, he vaguely guessed that to Mu Luo, Youhuang was someone extremely important.

Perhaps, this woman might be Mu Luo’s lifelong true love...

"Did he ever mention me... Is he well, is he truly still alive..." Youhuang’s expression remained serene as water, all her emotions weathered by time.

Yet beneath those bland words, lay a longing unextinguished by life or death!

A longing for Mu Luo!

Ning Fan subtly affirmed, Youhuang and Mu Luo must indeed be a pair of inseparable lovers.

He had heard of the Siluo Bamboo Sea appearing after Mu Luo’s disappearance.

He could imagine Youhuang waiting day after day at this place after Mu Luo’s disappearance, until she herself passed away.

Mu Luo had transformed into the old tree, a self-created tree transformation technique, a defiant Divine Skill of immortality.

Youhuang had become the bamboo sea, these bamboo seas were birthed from her bamboo intent, infused with all her yearning... But this skill was not tree transformation.

Youhuang did not master the defiant tree transformation Divine Skill, she had died long ago, perishing in the prolonged waiting...

The remnant soul before him was her last wisp of spirit dwelling within the Xiangfei Bamboo, without mana, without Divine Skills, only possessing day-to-day longing.

Mu Luo was old, Youhuang had passed...

And Youhuang’s remnant soul lingered in this world due to attachment, losing the chance of re-entering reincarnation.

She could not leave this bamboo sea, for once gone, this last wisp of remnant soul would scatter...

"Mu Luo Senior... he is fine... but he cannot leave Rain Immortal World, he is trapped in the Rain Immortal World, while I am a cultivator of Rain Immortal World."

Ning Fan sighed slightly, painstakingly recounting the past encounters with Mu Luo.

Youhuang listened quietly, her gaze always calm as water, seemingly untouched by any disruption.

But the trembling hands hidden within her sleeves betrayed her true emotions.

She was quite agitated... Upon hearing from Ning Fan that Mu Luo remains alive in this world, she couldn’t help but be moved.

Only hearing Mu Luo unable to leave Dark Sparrow’s Grave, his clone merely able to move around Yue Country... Youhuang’s eyes finally surfaced with sadness.

As if all hope and conviction shattered in this instant...

"He, cannot return?"

"I transformed into bamboo here, waiting amidst wind and rain for two million years, just to catch a glimpse, but ultimately cannot meet?"

"I am a remnant soul, unable to leave this bamboo sea in this lifetime... His ancient form cannot leave Dark Sparrow’s Grave in this lifetime... No reunion sighted..."

"The most beautiful thing in this world is nothing but a lifetime shared by a pair. The most cruel thing in this world is nothing but... longing and seeing from afar without being close..."

In painful anguish, Youhuang closed her eyes, she merely yearned to see Mu Luo once more, why was it met with such difficulty.

The verdant bamboo of the entire Siluo Bamboo Sea began wilting and withering amidst twilight.

Youhuang’s remnant soul grew increasingly spectral, further waning due to her sorrow.

Hollow bamboo, dwelling soul, soul roots within bamboo heart... The remnant soul could disregard reincarnation, residing within bamboo only due to its attachments.

If the heart is sorrowful, then bamboo perishes, then soul dies...

Joy is unparalleled in newfound acquaintance, sorrow is unparalleled in life’s parting...

My heart like bamboo awaits your return, my form transformed into the sea yet you remain unaware...

That day, my eyes closed amidst fragrance fog in Bamboo Hall, suddenly hearing the truth in your chanting;

That month, I spun all prayer wheels, not for transcendence, but to touch the tips of your fingers;

That year, I transformed into an eternal bamboo sea, not for an audience, but to await your delayed warmth;

That lifetime, I braved the loneliness of two million years, forsook the next life, just to reunite with you this lifetime;

But this life, we shall never meet again...

Yet you owe me happiness, how will you repay it...

You still owe me a pot of wine, a promise...

Gradually, Youhuang calmed her sorrow and reverted to an expression of cool detachment.

She slowly spoke, saying, "Daoist, can you promise me one thing? Don’t tell Mu Luo that my soul fragment still exists in this world..."

Upon hearing Youhuang’s request, Ning Fan was taken aback at first, then seemed to understand something and sighed softly.

If Mu Luo could break free from the Dark Sparrow’s Grave, if he could transform back from tree to human, he might return to the Tree World and reunite with Youhuang, but it is too difficult...

If Youhuang were not a soul fragment, and if her spirit was not anchored in the bamboo, she might also leave the Tree World and head to the Rain World to see Mu Luo just once.

Under normal circumstances, they would not reunite in this life.

But Ning Fan remembered that Mu Luo once told him that if he risked his life, he could burn his Demon Soul and leave the Dark Sparrow’s Grave for a short while...

If Mu Luo knew Youhuang was waiting for him here, he would certainly risk death to return to the Tree World to see her.

Hence, Youhuang requested Ning Fan not to tell Mu Luo about her surviving soul fragment.

She feared Mu Luo would do something foolish...

Yet, if it were she sacrificing her life to see Mu Luo once, she would do it without hesitation.

"No, I must tell Senior Mu Luo that his beloved woman is still alive. Even if it’s just a soul fragment, they can still be together in this lifetime." Ning Fan suddenly said.

"What! You can’t say that. If you do, Mu Luo will surely..." Youhuang was shocked and was about to plead, but Ning Fan waved his hand.

"Senior Youhuang need not worry, I actually have a way to have you meet with Senior Ming Luo, a very safe way where no one needs to die."

"Impossible, I cannot leave the Bamboo Sea, and Mu Luo cannot leave the Dark Sparrow’s Grave, we will never meet again..."

"No, there is a way. It’s just that ordinary people wouldn’t think of it... or perhaps think of it, but can’t do it."

Ning Fan smiled faintly, taking out the blood umbrella magical treasure, and said, "I have a small chiliocosm treasure here. If you can bear to leave the Tree World, I can move the entire 4 million li Bamboo Sea of Ming Luo into this treasure and bring it back to the Rain World!"

Indeed, who would think of such a clever method, uprooting the Bamboo Sea that Youhuang turned into, taking the land along with it.

Even if someone thought of this method, they couldn’t move the entire 4 million li Bamboo Sea.

Ordinary cultivators of the Tree World cannot even reach the Rain World.

Ordinary Cauldron Rings cannot contain a 4 million li Bamboo Sea.

Only a small chiliocosm can contain the entire Siluo Bamboo Sea. Yet, among the nine worlds’ Void Fragmentation, few possess small chiliocosms.

Small chiliocosms contain small chiliocosms, and the interfaces of the nine worlds are merely small chiliocosms. Generally, only the Four Heavens Great Powers possess small chiliocosms.

Cultivators in the lower realms having a piece of small chiliocosm is already rare.

Youhuang covered her red lips, looking incredulously at Ning Fan’s blood umbrella magical treasure.

She confirmed that Ning Fan’s blood umbrella magical treasure was an exquisite and rare small chiliocosm treasure, containing a small chiliocosm!

Ning Fan’s method is feasible!

Yet, to take away 4 million li of land all at once, the amount of mana required would surely be enormous.

Even a Master at the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm only has a spell-casting range of a million li.

With Ning Fan’s cultivation, even at full strength, he can only take away a maximum of 700,000 li of Bamboo Sea at one time.

If he cannot take away the entire 4 million li Bamboo Sea at once, Youhuang’s soul fragment will inevitably disperse...

To achieve a spell-casting range of 4 million li, one must at least reach the Fifth Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm...

Ning Fan’s method is indeed feasible, but for now, he cannot take away the entire Siluo Bamboo Sea, nor can he take her to see Mu Luo.

"This method is great, but your cultivation is insufficient to move the entire Siluo Bamboo Sea... but I can wait until one day you break through to the Fifth Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, and then take me to the Rain World to see Mu Luo..." Youhuang sighed gently.

"With my current cultivation, I indeed cannot take away the entire Siluo Bamboo Sea at once. But if I set up a grand formation and use the power of the formation to cast the spell, this problem can be easily solved. Senior Youhuang can rest assured, I have full confidence in accomplishing this."

"The only difficulty is that this formation covers a 4 million li region, which is too vast and not easy to set up. Moreover, the formation requires strict precision, allowing no mistakes. Thus, to perfectly set up such a grand formation covering the entire Siluo Bamboo Sea, a considerable amount of time is required."

"Once the formation is completed, I will use this umbrella to take away the entire Siluo Bamboo Sea and bring it back to the Rain World, allowing you two to reunite. In doing so, it will also serve as a slight token of gratitude for Senior Mu Luo’s protection of my homeland."

Ning Fan put away the blood umbrella, smiling slightly at Youhuang.

Youhuang was once the previous Bamboo Sovereign of the Bamboo Hall, composed by nature, but upon hearing Ning Fan’s resolute plan, she couldn’t help but feel a bit joyous.

Initially, when she heard of Mu Luo’s disappearance, she simply waited faithfully.

Two million years later, upon learning from Ning Fan that Mu Luo was still alive, she was thrilled, thinking her wait had borne fruit.

But upon hearing that she could never meet Mu Luo again, she became sorrowful once more.

At this moment, seeing that Ning Fan had a way to reunite her with Mu Luo, she was naturally overjoyed.

After her joy, she remembered that she invited Ning Fan here today intending to grant him a fortuitous opportunity.

Mu Luo is a Yin Yang Evil Vein, while the Ming Luo Tree Clan are dryads.

But Youhuang is a Spirit Severing, a tree spirit.

She was nearly the most powerful spirit in the history of the Tree World; she had once been gifted a drop of Divine Blood by Bamboo Ancestor by chance, promising a boundless future...

But for Mu Luo, she gave up some of her cultivations, opportunities, relinquished her life, abandoned her bloodline, turning into the Bamboo Sea, waiting earnestly for Mu Luo to return...

She could no longer invoke any mana.

But she once possessed half a drop of God’s ancestral blood, and relying on the sensitivity between ancestral blood, she felt an unrefined drop of ancestral blood inside Ning Fan...

It was the natal blood rain granted by the rain ancestors!

If Ning Fan refines this blood rain, turning it into his Divine Blood, Youhuang would no longer be able to sense it.

But as Ning Fan had yet to refine this blood, she could barely sense a bit.

"I originally summoned you today for Mu Luo’s sake, intending to assist you in refining the Divine Blood of the gods... Now that you are willing to help me and Mu Luo reunite, I will surely assist you in refining this blood as repayment for your kindness!"

Youhuang’s gaze was solemn and determined, causing Ning Fan to be slightly taken aback.

Before arriving, Qingdai had informed him that her master would bestow some opportunities upon him.

Although Ning Fan had been mentally prepared, he did not expect that the opportunity bestowed by Youhuang was to help refine the rain ancestor’s blood rain!

If Ning Fan advances to the First-rank Rain Intent, he can refine this drop of blood rain by his own means.

Currently, his Rain Intent is not yet first-rank, but with Youhuang’s assistance, he can naturally refine the blood rain.

Ning Fan was already meticulously preparing to break through to the Void Refinement Realm, only waiting for the puppet to be repaired before proceeding to break the realm.

Refining the blood rain was not initially part of his plan, and if the plan included the blood rain refinement, it was uncertain how much his cultivation might increase additionally.

Perhaps, this time it would not only be a breakthrough to the Void Refinement but even an opportunity to directly break through to Absolute Void...

If his cultivation jumps straight to the Absolute Void, then another troublesome matter will no longer be a trouble...

With Ning Fan’s post-breakthrough Absolute Void cultivation, harnessing clone and Soul Extraction techniques, his mana would nearly approach the Void Fragmentation.

With such a level of mana, subduing the Void Fragmentation Realm puppet would not be much of a challenge, and the longevity consumed by using the Life Imprisonment technique would be greatly reduced...

If no heavenly tribulation puppet emerges during this tribulation, so be it.

If it appears...

"I wonder if this time, I can break through to the Void Fragmentation Realm in one fell swoop!" (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to recommend or vote monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com)