novelraw Chapter 591: Bamboo Massacre Plan
Chapter 591: Bamboo Massacre Plan
Day by day, the successor of the Eighth Elder was finally decided after several rounds of assessment.
Unsurprisingly, the Baili King became the new Eighth Elder.
Alchemy Grandmasters from the Tree Realm gradually arrived in Jishui City, including Ning Fan. A total of 11 Sixth Revolution Alchemists came to Jishui this time.
Ning Fan stayed within his residence, busy refining pills to cure epilepsy, seemingly indifferent to the outside world.
Secretly, he repeatedly used the Heaven Prying Rain Technique to spy on the movements of the entire Muye Kingdom.
Muye Kingdom, Jishui City...everything appeared calm and peaceful.
When three Tree Realm Sixth Revolution high-grade Alchemists all arrived in Jishui City, Ning Fan received an invitation from the Bamboo Hall.
The person delivering the invitation was a Mid Divine Transformation Realm young man with blue eyes, the young master of the Xingbo Clan.
He looked at Ning Fan with three parts admiration and seven parts awe... He was also an Alchemist.
"This junior was ordered by the Third Elder to invite Predecessor Lu to the banquet at Bamboo Hall tonight. You will understand the details once you look at the invitation."
Ning Fan took the invitation, glanced over it.
Tonight, Bamboo Hall will host a banquet at the Bamboo Emperor Palace to entertain the 11 Sixth Revolution Alchemists who have arrived in Jishui City.
Tomorrow, the Bamboo Sovereign will take the 11 Sixth Revolution Alchemists and some Fifth Revolution Alchemists to the location of the Ancestral Bamboo to officially diagnose its ailment.
"Besides the 11 Sixth Revolution Alchemists like us, who else will be attending this palace banquet?" Ning Fan asked.
"In response to the predecessor, the palace banquet will be personally hosted by the Bamboo Sovereign, and all seven Fragmented Void Elders will attend, along with the newly appointed Eighth Elder. Besides you Sixth Revolution Alchemists, the Bamboo Sovereign also invited some Void Refinement forces, such as the Fusang Clan, the Nanmu Clan..."
"Alright, I understand, you may leave." Ning Fan nodded and said.
"Yes, this junior will take his leave now." The young man respectfully bowed, turning into escape light to leave.
As dusk deepened, night fell swiftly.
Ning Fan left the Golden Palace, walking down the long street of Jishui, heading slowly toward the Bamboo Emperor Palace.
During this period, he occasionally felt uneasy, as if some danger was gradually approaching.
He disliked getting involved in unrelated dangers but had to stay in the Eastern Tree Ocean to obtain the Tree Ancestor Fruit...
While Ning Fan was pondering, suddenly, from behind him came bloodthirsty roars of tigers.
A carriage pulled by four Wild Beast Blood Tigers was approaching from afar.
The carriage bore the emblem of the Baili Clan, with four Baili Void Inquiry sitting as drivers. Inside sat the Baili King, who had just been promoted to the Eighth Elder of Bamboo Hall!
Upon seeing this blood tiger carriage, the cultivators on the long street quickly stepped aside.
The carriage dashed rapidly until it suddenly halted beside Ning Fan.
The Baili King stepped out, eyes cold and silent, with a fierce wave of his sleeve, countless blood rays shot out, forming a Jade Plaque, which he casually tossed to Ning Fan.
Ning Fan caught the Jade Plaque, glanced over it.
This was the fourth challenge letter from the Baili King!
This time, the challenge letter was personally delivered by the Baili King.
This time, the challenge letter no longer bore a single ’death’ character, but three characters.
’Tomorrow, die!’
The Baili King’s gaze was filled with boundless killing intent, as if he would not rest until Ning Fan was dead!
Yet deep in his gaze, there lay a hint of pain, a hint of pleading, a hint of a warning... that was his true expression.
From start to finish, the Baili King didn’t say a word, and after delivering the fourth challenge letter, he returned to the carriage, heading swiftly toward the Bamboo Emperor Palace.
The nearby uninformed cultivators, noticing the Baili King’s murderous look toward Ning Fan, all privately speculated on what grudge the Baili King had with Ning Fan.
Ning Fan stood on the long street, holding the fourth challenge letter, showing a pondering expression.
The challenge letter contained only a few words, but among them was an important message.
Tomorrow!
Ning Fan’s mind raced, tomorrow, does the Baili Clan intend to make a lethal move against him...
But if the Baili Clan truly wanted him dead, why specifically mention a date, allowing him time to prepare?
"Tomorrow, will more assassins from the Baili Clan come to kill me... does the Baili King want me to be prepared and eliminate all the Baili assassins?"
"Rather than expressing killing intent with this challenge letter, it seems more like a warning to me... What is his true intention by doing this..."
"Tomorrow, the Bamboo Sovereign will take us Sixth Revolution Alchemists into the Minor Thousand Forbidden Land where the Ancestral Bamboo resides, to diagnose the Ancestral Bamboo. Could it be that the Baili Clan will make a move against me there..."
"In any case, I must be cautious tomorrow!"
Ning Fan made his way to the Bamboo Emperor Palace, a palace constructed of golden bamboo.
Outside the palace, the guards immediately welcomed Ning Fan in with his invitation and ushered him to a seat.
Inside the palace, lines of palace maidens dressed in veils were dancing gracefully, the fragrance filling the air.
In the main hall, the Bamboo Sovereign sat at the head seat, below him were seats for 11 Sixth Revolution Pill Masters, followed by seats for the Fragmented Void Elders of Bamboo Hall, and then seats for other Void Refinement forces and Fifth Revolution Pill Masters.
This arrangement naturally showed how much the Bamboo Sovereign valued the matter of healing the Ancestral Bamboo.
Ning Fan was neither the first nor the last Sixth Revolution Pill Master to arrive.
Before him, seven other Sixth Revolution Pill Masters had already taken their seats, including three upper-level Sixth Revolution Pill Masters and four mid-to-lower-level Sixth Revolution Pill Masters.
The four mid-to-lower-level Sixth Revolution Pill Masters were quite polite to Ning Fan, each standing up and cupping their hands in greeting as he took his seat.
However, the three upper-level Sixth Revolution Pill Masters had varying expressions as they appraised Ning Fan.
Among them, one came from the Northern Forest Sea and was the Vast Life Tree Master; he gazed at Ning Fan with a touch of arrogance and disdain.
This person held himself in extremely high regard, being the premier alchemist of the Northern Forest Sea, looking down on even the Return to Origin Grand Void Realm, and scorned any peer.
He disdained Ning Fan, naturally unwilling to speak a word with him, merely glanced his way with a disdainful smile before feigning sleep.
The second upper-level Sixth Revolution Pill Master hailed from the Eastern Tree Ocean, the chief alchemist of the Vine Palace, named Zhux Hong.
He regarded Ning Fan with a hint of hostility, for obvious reasons related to Ning Fan offending the Vine Emperor.
The last was from the Southern Tree Oceans, named Sunx Yu, chief alchemist of the Snow Willow Devil Sect. He appeared amiable, and his gaze towards Ning Fan bore a friendly smile.
Upon sensing that Ning Fan’s Medicine Soul surpassed his own, Sunx Yu nodded slightly and politely said,
"Fellow Daoist Lu, your Medicine Soul is incredibly powerful, no wonder you could shatter the Six-Colored Ancient Stele with its force."
"You’re too kind, Fellow Daoist Sun,"
Ning Fan, seated beside Sunx Yu, offered a courteous smile and cupped his hands in return.
Before attending the banquet, Ning Fan had already learned the backgrounds of the Sixth Revolution Pill Masters in the Tree World; knowing the Vast Life Tree Master and Zhux Hong held him in disfavor, he naturally had no intention of engaging with them.
Sunx Yu treated him kindly, so he responded in kind.
The two exchanged cups and discussed their respective dan refinement techniques.
Ning Fan’s technique was characterized by incorporating the strengths of various traditions and was remarkably diverse.
Sunx Yu’s technique, on the other hand, was primarily focused on the orthodox ’Wood Burning Path’ technique of the Tree World, not broad but deeply researched.
Through their conversation, they found they had much in common and engaged deeply.
Sunx Yu considered one matter, hesitated, but ultimately decided to warn Ning Fan, communicating telepathically,
"May I ask, Fellow Daoist Lu, have you offended Emperor Liu?"
"Emperor Liu?" Ning Fan reflected on his encounter with Liu Haoyue, chuckled, and shook his head, replying telepathically, "No, I haven’t offended him."
"That’s strange... If you haven’t offended Emperor Liu, why would he issue such an order...?" Sunx Yu shook his head in confusion, then continued to warn Ning Fan telepathically,
"Fellow Daoist, do not venture to the Southern Tree Oceans anytime soon... You have angered the Vine Emperor, who issued a warrant for your arrest. Upon seeing the warrant, Emperor Liu laughed thrice and issued a command... Emperor Liu ordered Liu Hall masters to monitor movements around the Key to the Main Gate closely, instructing that if you were found in the Southern Tree Oceans, you’d be ’invited to stay at Liu Hall’..."
To those unaware like Sunx Yu, Emperor Liu’s invitation was simply a pretext, with the true intention being to apprehend and imprison Ning Fan in Liu Hall.
Sunx Yu naturally didn’t know that Emperor Liu had admired Ning Fan’s profound Dao Enlightenment during a brief encounter.
Upon seeing Ning Fan’s warrant, Emperor Liu immediately realized Ning Fan had infiltrated the Tree World from the Rain Immortal World.
Emperor Liu’s command was genuinely a harmless invitation to chat with Ning Fan at Liu Hall, without any malice.
"I see, thank you for your warning, Fellow Daoist. I won’t be heading to the Southern Tree Oceans anytime soon. But if you return to Liu Hall, please convey my regards to Emperor Liu, saying that I am preoccupied with mundane affairs and fear I won’t have the chance to visit the Southern Tree Oceans to drink and discuss Dao with him."
Sunx Yu’s warning carried a hint of goodwill, which Ning Fan sincerely appreciated.
He also clarified to Sunx Yu that he shared a slight acquaintance with Emperor Liu, and Emperor Liu’s command was merely a friendly gesture without any malice.
Sunx Yu was mildly surprised, not having expected Ning Fan to have some acquaintance with Emperor Liu.
Upon realizing this, Sunx Yu naturally no longer worried about Ning Fan being dealt with by the Southern Tree Oceans, enthusiastically inviting Ning Fan to visit the Southern Tree Oceans at leisure to discuss dan refinement.
After several cups of wine, Sunx Yu’s telepathic Sound Lute suddenly rang.
The message within the Sound Lute was from Sunx Yu’s disciple, seemingly indicating a minor issue needing Sunx Yu’s return to his residence in Jishui City.
Sunx Yu furrowed his brow slightly, said to Ning Fan, "My disciples have encountered a minor problem in dan refinement, requiring my return to address it... Alas, I shall take my leave; see you tomorrow."
After bidding farewell to the Bamboo Sovereign, Sunx Yu departed the banquet first.
No one realized that as Sunx Yu left, Zhux Hong, the master from the Western Sea, looked at Sunx Yu’s departing figure and revealed a cold smile.
"The plan is about to begin..."
Shortly after Sunx Yu departed, the banquet was nearing its end.
The feast tonight was solely to entertain 11 Sixth Revolution Pill Masters.
At dawn tomorrow, we will treat the Ancestral Bamboo’s strange illness!
The alchemists did not stay for long; they bid farewell and left promptly.
Ning Fan also took his leave, but after he exited, Tang Xiong from the Fusang Clan, along with his daughter, left their seats to quickly catch up with Ning Fan and departed together.
"Please wait, Daoist!"
Following closely behind Tang Xiong was Miss Tang Yuan, with her head drooped; the Heaven Sealing Technique she was under had been lifted. After experiencing the ordeal, Tang Yuan had obviously become much more obedient, not daring to cause trouble for Ning Fan again.
"What is it?"
Ning Fan stopped and looked at Tang Xiong with a half-smile.
"I called out to you, Daoist, solely to apologize to you. My young daughter is spoiled and willful, acting recklessly and offending you many times before. I kindly ask you to be magnanimous and not take issue with a little girl," Tang Xiong bowed and smiled apologetically, seemingly straining his injuries, and coughed several times.
"I’m not a little girl..." Tang Yuan meekly raised her head to retort, but immediately received a fierce glare from Tang Xiong and dared not speak further.
She also didn’t dare to lift her head to look at Ning Fan, fearing she might anger him and be thrown into a nest of Demonic Mounts to fend for herself...
Ning Fan couldn’t help but find it amusing. Though Tang Yuan’s behavior was rude and willful, she was essentially just a paper tiger.
If indulged, she would exaggerate, but if restrained seriously, she would obey and be afraid.
"Don’t worry, Daoist. Your daughter merely had a slight quarrel with me. I, Lu Bei, am not so petty as to take issue with a little girl. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be taking my leave first."
"Wait! I still have a matter to request from you..." Tang Xiong gritted his teeth and called out to Ning Fan again.
"What else?" Ning Fan was surprised.
"I wish to ask you, Daoist, to take my daughter as a concubine..." Tang Xiong said with a face full of helplessness.
"Wha-what! Father, what nonsense are you spouting? Why should I be a concubine to that bastard Lu Bei!" Tang Yuan instantly flared up, her face turning as red as a tomato.
"Is Daoist Tang joking with me?" Ning Fan furrowed his brow and asked.
Tang Yuan is the little princess of the Fusang Clan; though her looks and talents are not top-notch, they are not poor either.
Although the Fusang Clan has declined, with its foundational heritage, finding a Daoist partner for Tang Yuan shouldn’t be difficult. So why would they send her to Ning Fan only as a concubine...
If a minor force were sending a girl to curry favor with Ning Fan, it might make sense.
A colossal entity like the Fusang Clan, no matter how diminished, shouldn’t resort to sending girls for glory...
Ning Fan was very puzzled by Tang Xiong’s intentions.
While he didn’t dislike Tang Yuan, he didn’t hold any particular affection for her either. He was about to decline when Tang Xiong suddenly bit his teeth, took out a jade scroll, and handed it to Ning Fan, saying,
"Fusang has no way out... Once you read this jade scroll, Daoist will understand my intentions."
Ning Fan accepted the jade scroll, scanned it with his spirit sense, and was suddenly shocked by its contents.
This was intelligence from the Ju Mang Country in the Northern Forest Sea: the Fusang Old Demon, who was stationed in Ju Mang Country, had fallen!
The Fusang Old Demon still had ten years of longevity but, a few days ago, a Void Fragmentation cultivator suddenly infiltrated Ju Mang and engaged in a clandestine battle with the Fusang Old Demon.
This battle damaged the Fusang Old Demon’s foundation and lifespan, leaving little life force when ten years of life remained...
The Fusang Old Demon perished just a few days ago, and its corpse was even taken away...
Apart from informing the Bamboo Sovereign, this information was kept entirely confidential and unannounced by the Fusang Clan.
The Fusang Old Demon perishing at the hands of a Void Fragmentation cultivator meant that said cultivator must be a major enemy of the Fusang Clan.
Tang Xiong felt that the Fusang Clan was facing a great calamity, so he resorted to this desperate measure, wanting to send his daughter to Ning Fan.
In Tang Xiong’s impression, Ning Fan possessed an extreme killing intent, suggesting he might have slain a Void Fragmentation cultivator and could protect Tang Yuan.
Moreover, through interactions in Ju Mang Country, Tang Xiong believed Ning Fan to be trustworthy, and entrusting his daughter to him shouldn’t cause any mishaps.
Tang Xiong wanted to entrust his daughter before he sensed its nearing demise...
Should Fusang perish, so be it—flourish it must decline eventually; these are the ways of fate, beyond human control.
But Tang Xiong’s only worry was for his daughter, unwilling to let her vanish with Fusang.
If Tang Yuan could survive, at least some of the Fusang Clan’s bloodline would be preserved...
"How about it, Daoist? Would you grant an old man’s request?" Tang Xiong sighed deeply and closed his aged eyes.
It wasn’t just Ning Fan who could sense an impending catastrophe; anyone caught in such a situation would feel uneasy.
The Bamboo Sovereign and Bamboo Hall were uneasy, but they attributed their unease to the madness of the Ancestral Tree.
However, Tang Xiong could foresee his nearing death; had it not been so, he wouldn’t have been seeking Ning Fan’s refuge for his beloved daughter.
Boom!
Tang Xiong suddenly knelt before Ning Fan, his old face flushed red.
He never bowed in his life, but for his beloved daughter, he was willing to give up his dignity and kneel...
"Father!" Tang Yuan was stunned, having never seen her father kneel to anyone.
She didn’t know the Fusang Clan was on the brink of collapse, nor the bitterness in her father’s heart as he knelt.
Her eyes were filled with panic, unsure what to do, wanting to lift Tang Xiong up but unable to.
Ning Fan felt a tremor in his heart, moved by Tang Xiong’s love for his daughter.
The Void Fragmentation Realm was cold, valuing cultivation over familial bonds. Tang Xiong, a mighty hero, bowed neither to heaven nor earth, yet willingly humiliated himself for his daughter.
Ning Fan recalled his never-seen mother, images in the Weeping Blood Forest, even his cold heart was touched.
If he was in trouble, his mother would surely humble herself to kneel...
Fatherly affection, motherly thoughts... How many Masters leave their villages, recklessly severing ties, abandoning parents, pursuing elusive immortality like smoke.
Those old monsters, claiming their hearts as stone, minds deep as the sea, seek immortality, but cannot attain it.
If you cannot be human, how can you be immortal!
"Please rise, Fellow Daoist, I accept this matter. After fulfilling the Bamboo Sovereign’s commission and curing the Ancestral Tree, I will leave the Eastern Tree Ocean with Miss Tang Yuan, protecting her for the rest of my life is not difficult... Until then, let Miss Tang Yuan remain by your side."
Ning Fan helped Tang Xiong up, glancing sideways at Tang Yuan.
The girl’s heart was in turmoil as she looked at him, her eyes extremely complex.
Tang Yuan wanted to cry but had no tears, completely confused about what had happened, her father had given her to Ning Fan as a concubine.
Damn it! Thinking of marrying Ning Fan as a concubine, she felt as if she would angrily hit her head on tofu.
She wanted to argue with Ning Fan, but immediately remembered Ning Fan’s terrifying abilities, feeling somewhat intimidated.
Remembering her father’s rigid personality, kneeling for her, her heart was sour, wanting to cry but couldn’t.
She thought, could it be Ning Fan played some trick forcing her father to take this step?
It was possible, very possible! Extremely possible!
Ning Fan was a Six Revolution Alchemist, favored by the Bamboo Sovereign, his status extraordinary. If he threatened the declining Fusang Clan, they’d likely have to succumb...
"You’re despicable! You set a plot to marry me forcibly. Even if you get me physically, you won’t win my heart!" Tang Yuan transmitted her voice angrily to Ning Fan.
Ning Fan shook his head, not explaining to Tang Yuan, instead reminding Tang Xiong, "Recently, there may be major events happening, don’t leave Jishui City unless necessary... If possible, when leaving the Eastern Tree Ocean, I’ll take the entire Fusang Clan, helping you avoid disasters..."
...
Changdan Palace was Master Sunx Yu’s residence in Jishui City within the Southern Tree Ocean.
Sunx Yu hurried back to the palace upon receiving his disciples’ transmission.
Upon entering the palace, he saw all his disciples standing with hollow gazes in the dan refinement room, like lifeless zombies.
A crisis suddenly felt from behind, Sunx Yu turned sharply, seeing behind him a silver-haired elder, eyes blood-red, surrounded by the aura of the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, hidden yet not revealed.
"You are..." Sunx Yu showed vigilance, words unfinished as the silver-haired elder suddenly raised a finger, mana catalyzed, countless thinner-than-silkworm threads dispersed from his fingertips, thousands of threads stabbed into Sunx Yu’s body.
Sunx Yu, despite being a Void Inquiry cultivator, as soon as the threads entered the body, his Spirit in the Dantian immediately dissipated!
The Spirit dissipating meant Sunx Yu’s demise, but he didn’t die, instead existing in a bizarre state!
His gaze became hollow, looking at the silver-haired elder, body suddenly stiffly kneeling.
"Sun... Yu... greets... Master..."
Upon Sunx Yu’s eerie kneeling, submission, another elder emerged from behind the silver-haired elder, the Western Sea’s chief Alchemist — Zhux Hong.
"Unexpected indeed, I, fighting with this Sunx Yu over dan refinement for a lifetime, now he’s reduced to Elder Wan Zhang’s ’Living Puppet’... haha, Elder Wan Zhang’s divine power truly impresses me!" Zhux Hong respectfully addressed the silver-haired elder.
He dared not disrespect the silver-haired elder at all, though merely a First Heavenly Layer Void Fragmentation strange elder, this person was more dangerous than ordinary Second, Third Heavy Void Fragmentation strange elders!
He was Wan Zhang, the lone bloodbath devil of other Tree Worlds a millennium ago!
Even the Bamboo Sovereign, Liu Sovereign couldn’t capture him!
He was the key in the Vine Emperor’s plan to annihilate the Bamboo Hall, his Immemorial Evil Vein possessed terrifying abilities, turning enemies directly into his puppets!
Anyone with lower cultivations than him could not escape his Immemorial Evil Vein divine skills!
Even those with cultivations higher than him by one or two layers, if he sacrificed some costs, could still be manipulated!
"Haha, a millennium ago, I infiltrated the Eastern Tree Ocean, laying enough pawns. Tomorrow, I’ll control millions of Living Puppets, combine inside and outside with the Vine Emperor, Bamboo Hall will perish! As for that man who dared offend the Vine Emperor, Lu Bei, take this chance to kill him!"
"After tomorrow, the Bamboo Sovereign will surely be shocked, wondering how many of his confidants are my Living Puppets! Haha, I am really looking forward to this show of mutual destruction..." (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes on Qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)