As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Ling raised the Rain Sealing Pagoda into the sky. That pagoda immediately grew as large as ten thousand zhang* (3.33m per zhang) and gave off silver light that was as bright as a multitude of stars.
The pagoda seemed to have previously taken serious damage as there was an extremely scary sword cut on its body which nearly split it into half.
The pagoda must have been an astounding and incredible treasure in the past. Even though it had been partly destroyed by that cut which greatly reduced its power, it was still emanating terrifying power!
Countless dark clouds began to appear in the sky above, making it dark and gloomy. Meanwhile, the rain grew stronger, turning into a torrential downpour.
The noise of millions of babies crying suddenly resounded from within the pagoda. It sounded eerie and bizarre, causing everyone's scalp to feel numb.
A gloomy baleful qi spread, making the cultivators all around the cloud mountain shiver uncontrollably for no reason..
Somewhere in the far distance, three Void Fragmentation Realm princes were standing in midair, spectating the fight.
One of them wore a set of green robes and held a folding fan in his hand. His expression was mild and gentle like the lustre of jade while his eyes were calm like a still pond. He was the second prince, Yun Xiaoxiang.
The second person was clad in red battle armor while carrying a fiery-red spear. His eyes exuded arrogance and savagerys. Flame qi heavily surrounded his body. He was the fifth prince, Yun Zhongyan.
The other one was clothed in a black python robe. His face had a scar from a blade wound. His eyes were narrowed to slits while the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward into a smirk. He was the sixth prince, Yun Youmu.
When they saw Yun Ling raise the Rain Sealing Pagoda to show his might, Yun Xiaoxiang put on a faint smile and said, "Yun Ling is making a big fuss over a minor issue. There is no need for him to use that treasure to deal with a Void Inquiry Stage junior. Even if this Ning Fan can win against the seven other palaces, the gap between his and Yun Ling's cultivation bases is still massive. Ning Fan… Without his Indestructible Fire Body, this kid is nothing…"
"Second Elder Brother is right! A mere Void Inquiry Stage kid like him was actually so arrogant to challenge the nine palaces. Only when he suffers a loss in Yun Ling's hands will he understand that there are heavens beyond heavens and there is always someone better than him!" Yun Zhongyan said with contempt.
"So my two brothers are certain that Ning Fan will lose, aren't you?" Yun Youmu's eyes were narrowed to slits as usual while he said that with a meaningful smile on his face.
"We all know how powerful the Rain Sealing Pagoda is. This treasure was once fourth elder brother's treasure as well as the strongest offensive supreme treasure in our Rain Palace! In the past, father placed high hopes in fourth elder brother and hoped to groom him into the next Rain Sovereign. However, no one expected for that bastard, Yun Tianjue, to actually murder fourth elder brother and partly destroying the Rain Sealing Pagoda, making it lose ninety percent of its power…"
Yun Zhongyan gnashed his teeth with hatred. In the next instant, he put on a cold smile and said.
"But even though the Rain Sealing Pagoda only has 10% of its original power left, it's still strong enough to defeat all cultivators below the Void Fragmentation Realm. Even I, a cultivator at the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm, won't dare to face the pagoda head-on. The more dead spirits of demons and devils this pagoda kills, the stronger its power. In order to temper this treasure, father has massacred millions of demons and devils in the past tens of thousands of years… Hmm? Speaking of which, why didn't seventh younger brother come? Didn't he say that he wants to teach this little boy, Ning Fan, a lesson? Why haven't I seen him after so long?"
The seventh younger brother that Yun Zhongyan was asking about was the seventh prince, Yun Jinghong.
"Jinghong seems to have gone into seclusion urgently… We do not know if it's because he has touched the bottleneck of the Second Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm…" Yun Xiaoxiang said with a frown.
"He's wounded." Yun Youmu suddenly chimed in and his words caused the two other princes to turn pale with fright.
"Wounded?! Jinghong is a cultivator at the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm. In the entire Rain World, who can injure him?!"
"I don't know… But I guess Jinghong's injuries were probably related to that young man, Ning Fan… Hehe. Don't you think he is pretty interesting? Look at his eyes that are flashing with such stubbornness… I really wish to groom him into a strong individual and then… destroy him!" Yun Youmu suddenly opened his serpent eyes which glowed with a dark light and licked his lips.
"Impossible! Ning Fan is just a Void Inquiry Stage cultivator. How can someone as insignificant as an ant like him hurt Jinghong?! I'll make a bet with you. This kid won't even be able to defeat Yun Ling. He will certainly lose to the Rain Sealing Pagoda!" Yun Zhongyan refused to believe what Yun Youmu said.
"Is that so? Then, let's make a bet… I firmly believe that this kid can defeat all the other eight palace lords. But what is his motive exactly? Is he merely trying to study the rain steles? Or is he trying to display his might, just like what the rumors have said about him…? I can't see through him…" Yun Youmu narrowed his eyes with a faint smile.
The gloomy qi of the Rain Sealing Pagoda was becoming more intense. Even Ning Fan could feel the chill piercing through his bones.
Ning Fan knitted his brows tightly together. He felt an extremely massive gloomy baleful qi from the Rain Sealing Pagoda.
It was unknown what power the pagoda had specifically that gave him such a dangerous feeling.
If he fights Yun Ling, the pagoda might grievously injure him even if he wins in the end…
Ning Fan sighed gently. Perhaps he would be injured by the pagoda, perhaps he would lose because of the pagoda and experience defeat in Yun Ling's hands.
However, he could not back away in fear from his battle against the Vast Heaven Palace Lord no matter what…
To gather the complete Nine Heavens Rain Technique, to find that person… he must win!
A firm belief rose in his eyes. The firmness of that belief was as dazzling as golden light, surprising countless cultivators. That belief seemed to be telling them: even if the person standing in front of him was not the Vast Heaven Palace Lord, Yun Ling, but a Void Fragmentation Realm expert, he must still win this fight!
No one can stop him!
"There is no need to say anything else. Come at me!" Ning Fan made a step forward and uttered with soaring battle intent.
"Humph! Since you are so obstinate, I'm not going to show you any mercy! Rain Wheel, open!"
When Yun Ling pointed at the gigantic pagoda, it released faint silver rings.
The moment the halos appeared, shadows of huge faint silver rings appeared below Ning Fan's feet, surrounding him. They were spreading out into heaven and earth like faint silver waves.
Ning Fan's eyes flickered with shock. When the shadows of the silver rings mysteriously appeared beneath his feet, an overwhelming sense of danger filled him. Without any hesitation, he flew back above the sea of clouds, withdrawing himself from the rings!
However, just as he moved his body backward, the ring shadows beneath him suddenly gave off countless scattered silver light dots.
Seconds later, millions of silver ice pillars which were as sharp as swords shot up into the sky from those rings. Their momentum was so immense and vigorous that they could destroy everything standing in their way!
Each of the ice pillars was powerful enough to kill a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. When the force of millions of those ice pillars were combined together, it had already closely reached the power of an attack at the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm. In a single breath, it reached the top of the vault of heavens that was too far to be visible to the naked eyes. The heavens along its path cracked, revealing the dark void space!
A massive shockwave started to spread across the area which violently shook the entire Heavenly Cloud Country!
Ear-splitting noises from the ice pillars which whistled past the sky caused pain to the eardrums of countless cultivators. Some of them who had weak cultivation bases directly bled from their eyes from the sharp shrill…
Even though Ning Fan had been quick to withdraw from the attack, he was still penetrated by many ice pillars, leaving a few scratches on his face. There was even a ghastly bloody hole on his chest that had blood gushing out from it…
Recalling the terrifying power of the Rain Sealing Pagoda, Ning Fan surprisingly realized something. He found those faint silver rings extremely familiar…
"Those are… spirit wheels?!"
Precisely! The Rain Sealing Pagoda was an ancient demon spirit wheel magic treasure, just like the blood umbrella and the handheld furnace. However, its power was far beyond comparison!
If this treasure had not been damaged, it would have eliminated Ning Fan with a single attack!
Not only would it instantly kill Ning Fan but also an expert at the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm!
"Silly younger brother, this Rain Sealing Pagoda isn't simple. If it wasn't damaged, it is at worst an Immortal Grade treasure… Carefully deal with it…" In the Profound Yin World, Luo You warned Ning Fan with a concerned tone.
"Mm. I know."
Ning Fan's expression was serious. The black starlight was rotating within his body, temporarily stopping the bleeding.
The injuries caused by the Rain Sealing Pagoda were extremely serious. Even the healing power of the ninety-nine natal black stars could not let him recover within a short period of time.
Ning Fan deeply inhaled to stabilize his qi. Then, he shifted his gaze to Yun Ling. Doubtlessly, Yun Ling had used his full strength without showing any mercy since he had taken out the Rain Sealing Pagoda in their first exchange.
In that case, before Yun Ling's second attack arrives, Ning Fan must also show his true trump card.
A column of black sense power revolved around his body. Both of his eyes gradually turned cold and merciless. It looked like he would not bat his eyes even once even if he killed millions!
His white robes instantly turned black while his black hair grew longer and danced wildly in the tempestuous rain.
A demonic mark surfaced on the left part of his face. The black-robed Ning Fan suddenly took a step forward with his immense devil qi filling the air!
A tremendous amount of aura force was being exuded from his body. The level of his aura force had already reached that of an ordinary Absolute Void Stage expert!
"An incarnation technique?! What kind of incarnation technique is that to actually allow a cultivator to instantly possess Absolute Void Stage power?!" Yun Ling's old eyes widened with shock. He had never seen such a strange incarnation technique!
Countless cultivators all around the cloud mountain cried out in surprise. No one had expected that Ning Fan actually had such a powerful trump card. When he was in his white robes, his cultivation base was only at the Void Inquiry Stage. When his robes turn black, however, his cultivation base would advance by two minor realms, reaching the Absolute Void Stage!
Yun Youmu wore a smile that looked as if it was within his expectations. During his first meeting with Ning Fan, he had already sensed that this young man concealed his secrets very deeply.
Yun Zhongyan's eyes turned grim as he stubbornly said, "An incarnation technique, huh… Even if he possesses Absolute Void Stage power with the help of the incarnation technique, it is still impossible for him to withstand the attacks of the Rain Sealing Pagoda! Second elder brother, how many breaths do you think Yun Ling will take to defeat that young man?!"
Yun Xiaoxiang did not answer him. Instead, his eyes were staring at Ning Fan with full seriousness. For the first time, he observed him carefully.
After a brief moment, his eyes flashed with astonishment while his heart palpitated.
"This is the famous technique of the 'Sense Wielding Immortal Emperor' who is also known as Great Emperor Tai Chang… The third art of the Eight Arts of Sense Divine Art – Sense Soul Incarnation! This technique has already been lost for quite a long time. Unexpectedly, he managed to find it and successfully learned it… From the rumors I've heard, this Sense Soul Incarnation is extremely difficult to successfully cultivate. Regardless of success or failure, each time they try to cultivate it would cut the lifespan of their souls by half. If they still can't successfully cultivate it after failing three times, their souls will scatter and their lives will come to an end… In ancient times, there were many cultivators who cultivated this kind of incarnation before this technique went missing. Usually, there would only be one or two out of ten thousand people who will succeed and they would certainly be the type of strong-willed devils that could cause a sea of blood and die over and over again with no regrets… The other individuals who attempted to learn that technique would perish as they would run out of lifespan after failing thrice…"
"This technique has been lost for quite a long time. Since this young man managed to find it, it means that he is blessed with great luck! Besides, this technique is exceedingly dangerous. The fact that he dared to cultivate it means that he has great courage! The fact that he succeeded in mastering this technique in the end implies that he is a one in a million supreme devil! He cannot be underestimated… It's still fine if he can't attain the Void Fragmentation Realm for the rest of his life as he will eventually perish like the others. However, if he manages to attain the Void Fragmentation Realm and obtain great strength, no one in the Rain World will be able to suppress him. Even my father won't be able to restrain him… This kid will be an even more difficult person to deal with compared to Yun Tianjue. I must report to him about this matter!"
Yun Xiaoxiang no longer had the intention to watch the fight. He immediately tore the void space apart and left.
At this moment, he must immediately head to the place where the Rain Sovereign had his seclusion and tell him his opinion.
It was inappropriate to harm him while he was still useful to the Rain Palace.
However, once he outlives his use, he must be eradicated. Otherwise, a second sovereign or a second palace would rise up in the Rain World one day and be on equal footing with the Rain Palace!
Yun Zhongyan was stunned. He did not understand why Yun Xiaoxiang left all of a sudden.
Yun Youmu, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes and put on a disdainful smile.
"So my second elder brother has finally noticed that young man's capabilities, huh… Hehe…"
Ning Fan stood arrogantly above the sea of clouds. Stepping on the air with cold heavy steps, he advanced toward Yun Ling.
Each step he took had an aura that could shake one's spirit sense!
When some of the cultivators who had weak cultivation bases looked at Ning Fan from afar, they felt that their Sea of Consciousness was in great pain and their spirit sense was on the verge of breaking!
Yun Ling did not dare to disregard the current Ning Fan at all.
He gave him an extremely intense sense of danger!
Looking at the approaching Ning Fan whose aura force was as vast as the heavens, Yun Ling did not dare to act carelessly. He immediately pointed a finger at the sky, making the pagoda's attack once more.
"Rain wheels, appear!"
Faint silver rings emerged beneath Ning Fan's feet again.
Silver light dots shone and eventually transformed into millions of ice pillars which rushed toward Ning Fan!
*Chi* *Chi* *Chi*
The attack of the ice pillars, which were like a fierce windstorm, shredded Ning Fan to pieces in an instant. He split into a vast and long black shadow which stretched across the sky.
Countless cultivators were stupefied by what they had just witnessed. They did not expect that Ning Fan was actually incapable of evading the ice pillars.
It was the strongest attack of the Rain Sealing Pagoda. Even a Void Fragmentation Realm expert would be reluctant to take the attacks directly!
Ning Fan's physical body had literally been crushed by the burst of ice pillars. Could he… be dead?
"White-Robed Marquis actually died under the attacks of the Rain Sealing Pagoda… The power of the pagoda is truly incredible! It truly deserves its reputation of being the strongest offensive supreme treasure of the Rain Palace…" Countless cultivators said with a sigh.
"No! He isn't dead yet! This is bad!"
Yun Ling suddenly shouted. At three chi* (30.7cm per chi) in front of him, masses of dark shadows scattered like butterflies and suddenly enveloped him!
The moment the black shadow surrounded him, Yun Ling's instincts told him that he was in an extremely dangerous situation. He wanted to flee but it was already too late.
To him who was just a common Absolute Void Stage expert, handling Void Pierce Stage experts of the nine palaces might still be within his capabilities. However, among experts at the Absolute Void Stage, he was a weakling.
He desperately activated his spiritual armor. However, his armor was instantly crushed by the black shadow!
He wanted to activate the Rain Sealing Pagoda to attack the black shadow on his body but he was afraid to do so! If he initiates the attack, the Rain Sealing Pagoda's indiscriminate attacks might even blast him to death…
"S-Stop! I concede defeat!" Yun Ling hurriedly said in terror.
However, there was only a cold and emotionless voice in the black shadow which replied to him.
"Black Tempest Rupture Art!"
*Chi* *Chi* *Chi*
Countless traces of dark shadows engulfed him like sword light.
Inside the dark shadow, Yun Ling shrieked miserably. It was unknown whether he lived or died from the attacks! The Rain Sealing Pagoda had gotten out of its offensive form and fell to the ground after its owner lost control of it.
The black shadow dispersed and condensed into a young man in black robes who was severely injured. He took the Rain Sealing Pagoda with a flick of his sleeve.
"Even though this pagoda is already partly destroyed, its power isn't half bad. It's mine now…"
Ning Fan's hand grabbed Yun Ling's neck, raising him in midair. Currently, Yun Ling's clothes were torn and ragged while blood was trickling down all over his body. Not a single part of his body remained unscathed. He was almost killed by the Black Tempest Rupture Art just now.
Inside him, there was still a trace of qi remaining. The reason why he had not died yet was naturally because Ning Fan had shown him mercy.
"Bring me to see the Vast Heaven Rain Stele!"
"Yes…Yes…" Yun Ling was so frightened that his face turned purple. Since Ning Fan could end his life right here and now by just applying a little force in his hand, how could he dare to defy his order?!
Ning Fan was strong, very strong! Even the few Absolute Void Stage old monsters that Yun Ling had a close friendship with might not be his match!
As for his natal magic treasure which Ning Fan had seized, he did not even dare to complain…
The entire cloud mountain became as silent as a grave and only gasps of surprise could be heard!
Even the Vast Heaven Palace Lord was defeated. Despite being a dignified Absolute Void Stage expert, he also lost to Ning Fan!
As for the Yang Heaven Palace, the result was already obvious without the need of a fight… Among the lords of the nine great palaces of the Rain Palace, Ning Fan's strength was now considered to be the strongest!
The Scarlet Heaven Palace Lord was peerless among the nine palaces!
This time, not just the entire Heavenly Cloud Country but also the entire Rain World would be shaken by the news of the Scarlet Heaven Palace Lord wiping out the Heavenly Cloud Country unhindered!
…
In the second realm of the Heavenly Cloud Country – Yang Heaven Palace.
The newly promoted lord of the Yang Heaven Palace was a cultivator who had just attained the Void Glimpse Stage not long ago. His name was Lü Zhi.
When Lü Zhi received the jade slip about the battle in the Vast Heaven Palace from his subordinate, he was so terrified that his body shivered.
When Ning Fan, who was drenched in blood while emanating an immense devil qi, appeared at the Yang Heaven Palace, Lü Zhi nearly collapsed to the ground in fear.
Before Ning Fan had even opened his mouth, he had already made his intention clear. However, his voice could not stop trembling when he spoke.
"If W-White Robed Marquis wants to look at the Y-Yang Heaven Rain Stele, I-I have no objections…"
"Very well. Lead the way!" When Ning Fan's ice-cold eyes scanned across Lü Zhi, the latter only felt a sharp pain in his Sea of Consciousness, as if it had been scraped by a knife.
He became even more nervous and anxious. At the same time, he was even more convinced about one fact.
White-Robed Marquis is really scary. I can offend anyone but I must never mess with White-Robed Marquis…
Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel
