Chapter 343.3 (1/2)
Returning To The External Sea
The Secret Realm of the Broken World, the Second World, the Star Palace… Before entering the Broken World, he was still at the Nascent Soul Realm. However, he was now a Divine Transformation Realm expert already by the time he returned to the External Endless Sea. Additionally, he was already so close to reaching the pinnacle of the Divine Transformation Realm.
There were a lot of hardships and challenges along the way. There were also some losses such as his Golden Flame Chariot which was half-destroyed and his two Mid Divine Transformation Realm puppets which were injured and then killed. However, what he had gained was much more than his losses!
Formation techniques, pill refining techniques, Inlaid Star Compass, Black Star Technique, Fu Li Ancient Blood, the initial stage of Emperor's Shadow, two Void Refinement Realm puppets, an Immortal Painting Treasure…
As the saying goes, when there are losses, there will be gains. No matter what, Ning Fan did not get the short end of the stick throughout this journey.
Whatever he had been through during these twenty plus years was just like a dream!
“Let’s go…”
Ning Fan activated the formation disk and their figures gradually disappeared outside the Cloud Palace.
At the moment they left, the Cloud Palace vanished along with the Star Seas. No one knew where they had gone.
After twenty years, the External Endless Sea was still full of danger and opportunities. There would be a number of cultivators coming from afar every year. They came here either to temper themselves in the External Endless Sea or to train and cultivate in the Lost World Palace.
In the past two decades, many forces in the External Endless Sea were eliminated and many others were established. Among them, the largest killer organization had been formed on the Ying State Immortal Island and its name was… Alliance of Ming Assassins!
After twenty years, the Secret Realm of the Broken World was destroyed. As for the entrance to the Broken World beneath the sea domain of the Pleasure Devil Sea, it had long been broken. The only thing left there was the Stele of Slaughter which was once carved with Ning Fan’s name. The number one position of the stele was engraved with an intimidating name that emanated an immensely terrifying Baleful Qi.
Zhou Ming!
Originally, one could only enter the Secret Realm of the Broken World and stay within it for six months. Ning Fan, however, had gone inside for more than twenty years.
Most of the experts of the Endless Sea who waited for his return outside the entrance had lost their interest and patience to continue waiting and left. Frankly speaking, no one would be willing to wait there for twenty years just to spectate Ning Fan’s return.
However, only a lady named Xu Qiuling would consistently show up at that place everyday to wait for him. Unfortunately, her injuries began to worsen in the last three years. Her condition deprived her of her strength and energy, causing her to be unable to show up for him beneath the sea domain.
That place had already become deserted. Even the formation that prevented the seawater from flooding into that area had also lost its spirituality. Occasionally, only cultivators who were training themselves or hunting for treasures in the Pleasure Devil Sea would pass by that place.
Deep beneath the sea, an old expert and a young cultivator were gathering spiritual minerals in that sea domain. The Pleasure Devil Sea was rich in spiritual minerals. The deeper the seabed, the more precious the spiritual minerals.
Minerals were good stuff. They could be used for different purposes such as casting magic treasures and weapons, forging spiritual armors and spiritual irons, establishing formations and creating puppets. Moreover, a piece of precious spiritual mineral was equivalent to the total expenses that a Gold Core Realm old monster would spend for an entire century in his cultivation!
Therefore, these two cultivators came to look for spiritual minerals in the deep sea.
The old man in red robes had a horrifying Late Gold Core Realm cultivation base and he seemed to be a rogue cultivator.
As for the younger one, he was a young boy with a handsome appearance. His talent seemed to be somewhat decent and he looked like he had just broken through to the Harmonious Spirit Realm as his cultivation base was not stable yet.
These two people were a pair of master and apprentice.
Perhaps the reason why the old man took the boy into the sea was not only for searching for minerals, but also to take advantage of the opportunity to let the young boy have some experience and use that experience to stabilize his cultivation.
”Master, my cultivation base is still weak as I have just reached the Harmonious Spirit Realm. Isn't it a little early for me to train under the deep sea… ” The young boy was a little afraid. His words immediately stirred up the anger within the old man.
”Humph! How are you going to go far in the journey of cultivation with your cowardly heart! So what if you are just a Harmonious Spirit Realm cultivator? Twenty years ago, the Endless Sea once had an incredible individual. Despite being just a Harmonious Spirit Realm cultivator, he entered the External Endless Sea and faced thousands of human sharks alone. This deed of his had even caused him to be hunted down by the members of the Demon Sealing Sect. But he survived and entered into a secluded meditation in the Lost World Palace on Peng Lai Immortal Island. Ten years later, he broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm and killed the Eagle Crane Elder of the Demon Sealing Sect on his own! After that, with his Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, he stirred up a great conflict in the situation of the External Endless Sea and he even dared to confront a Divine Transformation Realm old ancestor face to face! This man killed the geniuses of the Ten Sects and Three Islands like child’s play. Even so, none of the ancestors of the top ten sects dared to be angry at him!”
”This man then entered the Secret Realm of the Broken World. Once he went inside, he did not return for more than twenty years. However, his name on the Stele of Slaughter grew more red by the day. It’s enough to prove that he has not died yet but went somewhere else instead and committed countless more slaughters… Even though this person has left for twenty years, the older generation of experts would still tremble in fear when they hear his name… He is the best example for one who has made his way up to the pinnacle of power from the Harmonious Spirit Realm!”
The old man's reprimand made the teenager's face turn red in embarrassment. But he still talked back to his master with a lower tone.
”Master must be telling crazy nonsense. I don’t believe that anyone would be able to dominate the External Endless Sea while being just at the Harmonious Spirit Realm… Who is this person? Can Master say his name out loud?”
”His name? He is the devil lord whom you admire the most. The man whose reputation is so great that countless forces in the External Endless Sea secretly formed an alliance to assassinate him! He is Zhou Ming!”
”What!? Master is referring to ‘Ancestor Revered Ming’!? Ancestor Revered Ming was actually able to sweep the experts of the External Endless Sea when he was just a Harmonious Spirit Realm cultivator!?” The young man originally didn't believe anyone could behave so wildly and freely in the External Endless Sea at the Harmonious Spirit Realm. But when he heard the name - Zhou Ming, he was completely convinced. Besides, his eyes burned with passion and admiration.
The person whom he admired the most was Zhou Ming!
”But Master, how do you know that Revered Ming was just a Harmonious Spirit Realm cultivator when he escaped from the Demon Sealing Sect? I heard some rumors claiming that when he entered the sea, he was already at the Nascent Soul Realm?” The boy asked with confusion.