Dear readers, I’m sorry to say this but we have to pause the upload once again. I just finished up 528 and am going to 529 which is quite a long chapter (6.8k in raw). In order to avoid piling up backlogs, we decided to pause once more. The upload will resume tomorrow. Stay tuned and thank you for your patience.
Ever since Luo You awakened, Ning Fan felt like there was a wall between them.
Luo You had set up a wall over her heart, preventing anyone from entering.
She would still communicate with Ning Fan using the Yin Yang Locket but their interactions became less and less.
Aside from important matters, their conversations were mainly about uninformative things.
“Aiya. That Su Yan is quite good-looking. My good younger brother, hurry up and pluck her. You will definitely gain a great improvement in your cultivation base.”
“Hehe. That little pill devil is also quite cute. When a flower blooms and is suitable to be plucked, you must go ahead and pluck it. Why haven’t you done it yet?”
“My good younger brother, even though you are already at the Mid Reckless Devil Realm, your current level still isn’t sufficient to fully master the Yin Yang Locket. When will you be able to free your elder sister from this world? I’ve already worn my eyes out looking forward to the day you attain the Void Fragmentation Realm. You better not become lazy and complacent. You should quickly pluck your human cauldrons to raise your cultivation base. By the way, I can help you capture some human cauldrons if you want~.”
In the Primordial Heaven Palace, Ning Fan was sitting cross-legged in his bedroom while regulating his breathing in preparation to enter the Soul Washing Pond.
As for Luo You, she was in tears from laughing so hard while talking a bunch of nonsense.
She did not really mean it when she urged Ning Fan to plunder the cultivation bases of his human cauldrons. She was merely making conversation out of nothing just to tease him.
“If you are lonely, I don’t mind practicing dual cultivation with you in your current primordial spirit form.” Ning Fan said with a frown.
Even though he had already woken up Luo You and his safety was pretty much guaranteed now, she was very annoying at times when she finally awakened… Well, the fact that she was putting on a façade really upset him.
“Ah. I’m really scared. If you have a way to pluck me, then come at me. It’s quite lonely staying inside this gloomy world all by myself. Besides, if you pluck me, you can also obtain the second spirit of the Stele of Sun and Moon’s ‘Yin Spirit’.”
“The second spirit?” Ning Fan’s expression became serious. He knew that Luo You was about to discuss an important matter with him.
“Precisely. It’s the second spirit. Do you remember Bei Yao’s ‘Purple Lust Spirit Physique’? After you did ‘it’ with her through the other ‘hole’, one of the moon-shaped sockets on the Stele of Sun and Moon was filled up… Bei Yao’s Purple Lust Spirit Physique is one of the Seven Spirit Physiques. As for my ‘Weak Water Spirit Physique’, it is also one of the Seven Spirit Physiques.”
The Bei Yao whom Luo You was referring to was naturally Yuan Yao. Although she knew Yuan Yao’s true name and identity, she refused to tell Ning Fan about it.
She was still eagerly waiting to see how Ning Fan would face Yuan Yao and her daughters.
As for the moon-shaped sockets that Luo You mentioned, Ning Fan was already aware of them. Not only were there seven moon-shaped sockets on the Stele of Sun and Moon but there were also seven sockets with the shape of the sun. One of the moon-shaped sockets had turned purple after he had a dual cultivation session with Yuan Yao in the past.
“‘Weak Water Spirit Physique’, huh…? If I do some dual cultivation with you, I might really be able to fill up the second spirit on the Stele of Sun and Moon. However, what kind of benefit would I get from that? Not only are there moon-shaped sockets on the stele, but there are sun-shaped sockets too. You said just now that the moon-shaped sockets are for collecting the ‘Yin Spirit’ of the women who possess the seven spirit physiques. What about those sun-shaped sockets?”
“Silly younger brother, since the moon-shaped sockets are for gathering women’s Yin Spirit, then the sun-shaped sockets are obviously for collecting men’s Yang Spirit. You might be skilled in plucking women but I wonder if you can dare to pluck men…”
“Uh…”
Ning Fan choked on Luo You’s words.
According to what she said, Ning Fan actually needed to pluck men in order to collect Yang Spirit to fill up the sun-shaped sockets… This was just too strange!
Although Ning Fan no longer cared about moral principles ever since he started walking the devil path, asking a straight man like him to do ‘it’ with a man… He would rather die than do it.
Seeing Ning Fan’s shocked expression which looked like he had just swallowed a fly, Luo You laughed hysterically.
“Hahaha! Silly younger brother, for you to actually believe whatever I say makes you even sillier. I was just joking with you. You don’t really have to pluck men in order to gather their Yang Spirit. The method is pretty simple. You only need to find male cultivators who have the ‘Seven Yang Physiques’ and kill them to extract their Yang Spirit!”
“That joke isn’t funny at all!” Ning Fan’s face turned as gloomy as the gray clouds.
Luo You instinctively ignored his expression and continued talking.
“The Stele of Sun and Moon was one of Great Emperor Luan Gu’s supreme treasures. In ancient times, it’s unknown how many true immortals he had suppressed using the stele. He even killed many immortal emperors with it as well… If you can activate the stele and shift it into the second spirit state, all you need to do when you face Moksha Sovereign or whatever enemy it is in the future is to summon the stele. A single attack will kill them instantly. Do you want to know the method to increase the destructive power of the stele?”
“Yes!” Ning Fan answered frankly.
“The Stele of Sun and Moon has two abilities. One of them is to steal the magic techniques and cultivation methods of the women you have plucked before. Its other ability is turning itself into a great destructive weapon to kill your opponents. The stele can deliver a Void Fragmentation Realm attack but you can only use it once at a time. Whenever you use up that single attack, you will need to gather flames to replenish the soul of the stele after that which is a pain in the ass.”
“But this drawback can be eliminated. After all, when Great Emperor Luan Gu used the stele in his battles and expeditions, he faced millions of enemies. It’s impossible for the stele to only be able to deliver a single attack.”
“After your Stele of Sun and Moon collected Bei Yao’s Yin Spirit, only half of the stele’s first spirit was filled up. You will need to obtain a Yang Spirit from a person with the Seven Yang Physique in order to fill up the other half. After that, you will be able to deliver a Void Fragmentation Realm attack anytime you wish as long as you have enough magic power. You will no longer need to replenish the soul of the stele by collecting flames. Furthermore, when you gather the second Yin and Yang Spirits, the destructive power of the stele’s attack will rise from the Void Fragmentation Realm to the Life Immortal Realm. With that, killing Moksha Sovereign instantly will be as easy as flipping your palm!”
“The Stele of Sun and Moon has a spiritual rule where it requires you to first collect the first Yin and Yang Spirits before you can start collecting the second spirits. My physique is the Weak Water Spirit Physique which means that if I dual cultivate with you, you can easily get the second Yin Spirit. As long as the stele gets the second Yin Spirit even if the second Yang Spirit hasn’t been found, its destructive power might still reach the Life Immortal Realm.”
“Therefore, before the both of us dual cultivate, the most urgent thing you need to do is to look for the person who possesses the Seven Yang Physique and kill him to extract his Yang Spirit!”
Luo You spoke, telling Ning Fan some information regarding the Seven Yang Physique.
Men who have the Seven Yang Physique were all filled with energy which they had nowhere to vent out. These people would normally walk the devil path of dual cultivation and become devil lords who enjoyed raping women.
Moreover, those men’s yang essence was too strong and vigorous. It made them different from the common devil rapists.
All women who got plucked by men with the Seven Yang Physique rarely survived.
As long as Ning Fan pays attention to devil lords who practiced dual cultivation and which of them plucked a woman to death, he would be able to find the one with the Seven Yang Physique.
Based on Luo You’s information, the existence of the Seven Yang Physique was a disaster to the world. Killing men who possessed this physique would be enforcing justice on behalf of Heaven.
Ning Fan was speechless after hearing how she described them. He himself was a devil lord who practiced dual-cultivation. According to her description, he was like them, an evil of the world since he had plucked countless women throughout his cultivation journey.
If he were to kill someone with the Seven Yang Physique, he would certainly not regard himself as the enforcer of justice for Heaven.
He did not need a grand excuse to kill others and seize their Yang Spirits.
At the end of the day, cultivators who stepped into the world of cultivation were like chess pieces on a chessboard. The moment they placed themselves on the board, they should be prepared to kill or be killed.
The current era was already corrupted. Only the law of the jungle existed in the current cultivation world where the strong would survive and the weak would perish.
“I’ll pay attention to those who might possess the Seven Yang Physique.”
Three days later, little Ming Que had smoothly broken through to the Void Refinement Realm, raising her cultivation base to the Void Glimpse Stage.
She soared into the sky. While chewing on spiritual herbs in her mouth, she spread out her ice sense, freezing the flame tribulation which was her heavenly tribulation. At this moment, all the cultivators on the Pill Island were shocked.
To think they would actually be lucky enough to witness the birth of a Void Refinement Realm expert in their lives. To them, it was just too unimaginable!
After five days, the sixth level of the Soul Washing Pond was unsealed.
Ning Fan held the storage pouch given to him by Venerated Pill a few days ago. In front of tens of thousands of cultivators, he stood at the bank of the pond.
Venerated Pill had given him some pills and spiritual equipment which were all kept inside the storage pouch. The pills were for protecting his medicine soul whereas the spiritual equipment were mostly defensive armors. Venerated Pill was clearly worried that Ning Fan might not be able to endure the Soul Bathing Light of the sixth level.
“You don’t have to worry about us. When you are inside the Soul Washing Pond, I will take good care of little Que Er.” Su Yan promised.
“Brother Biscuit, if you become a Sixth Revolution Biscuit Baking Master, you must make more pill biscuits for me!” The little pill devil said in anticipation.
“Master, rest assured. This disciple will protect the two madames with all of Pill Island’s strength.” Yang Gu also came to show off his cleverness.
“Don’t worry!”
Ning Fan nodded at the two ladies. Afterward, he cupped his fists toward Yang Gu and every cultivator of the Pill Island. After that, he turned into a ray of light and dove into the Soul Washing Pond which was ten thousand zhang* (3.33m per zhang) deep.
The Soul Washing Pond was divided into seven levels. Ning Fan stopped at the first level for a while. The surroundings were covered with divine light.
The light was none other than the Soul Bathing Light that had the magical effect of tempering one’s medicine soul.
Basking in the divine light, Ning Fan only felt a mild pain in his medicine soul. In the meantime, his medicine soul was cleansed of all impurities, improving the grade of his medicine soul.
“So this is the power of the Soul Bathing Light…” Ning Fan was impressed.
The cultivators on the Pill Island could use the Soul Bathing Light to temper their medicine souls from the day they were born.
As for the other pill refinement sects, they probably also had secret techniques similar to the Soul Washing Pond to enhance their medicine souls.
Everyone had their own ways and shortcuts to raise their pill refinement realm. Ning Fan also had his own means to obtain opportunities.
His medicine soul was on the verge of advancing to the Sixth Revolution. However, he was not sure whether or not he could achieve it.
Even so, his eyes were still filled with resolve.
“I want to attain the Sixth Revolution Pill Refinement Realm in a single try!”
His voice sounded firm. It was not a question of whether or not he had the capability but if he had the determination instead.
“Hehe. Having a strong determination is naturally a good thing. However, Elder sister will warn you that breaking through to the Sixth Revolution really is extremely difficult. Its difficulty is certainly much greater than attaining the Void Refinement Realm. Besides, once you fail, your medicine soul will be harmed by the backlash. There is a saying in the pill refinement world: ‘The Sixth Revolution is like Heaven. The Seventh Revolution is like an immortal. You should try and count how many Void Refinement Realm experts and Sixth Revolution Pill Refinement Masters there are individually in the Rain World…”
Luo You’s voice resounded within Ning Fan’s mind. It was unknown whether she was trying to shake his confidence or motivate him.
Or was she worried about him?
“Is that so…?”
Ning Fan’s eyes became as deep as the ocean. In the next moment, he dove downward to the second level.
The power of the Soul Bathing Light on the second level was obviously several times stronger than that of the first level. The pain his medicine soul felt when it underwent the tempering process gradually intensified. More of the impurities within his medicine soul were cleansed.
This degree of pain was undoubtedly insignificant to Ning Fan.
He then dove past the third level and fourth level, directly reaching the fifth level of the pond.
The intensity of the Soul Bathing Light on this level was the limit of a Peak Grade Fifth Revolution Pill Refinement Master.
Floating on the fifth level, Ning Fan felt like his medicine soul was being ground beneath a stone mill. The pain made his brows slightly knit together.
“Aren’t you going to scream upon experiencing such pain?” Luo You seemed quite surprised seeing Ning Fan’s endurance.
“Is this your first day of knowing me? If I scream, would it make the pain go away other than making me look weak?”
Ning Fan opened the storage pouch from Venerated Pill and took out a forehead protector that was made of gold and a belt made out of crow feather.
The forehead protector was a Low Grade Profound Heaven spiritual equipment and was equivalent to Low Grade Mortal Void magic treasures meant for protecting the user’s head.
The belt was also a Profound Heaven spiritual equipment but it was at the Mid Grade. It had the function of protecting the user’s dantian.
With Ning Fan’s Fu Li Demon Blood, it was as easy as raising his hand to gain their ownership and assimilate them into his body.
After he assimilated the two spiritual equipment, the pain in his medicine soul was immediately reduced by a great deal but the tempering effect on his medicine soul remained unchanged.
Then, he took out a pill bottle containing 12 pellets of pills. These pills were called Soul Protecting Pills. They could nourish and repair one’s medicine soul once eaten.
As soon as he took a single pellet, he felt a cooling sensation washing over his medicine soul, making the pain go away completely.
Only after making all the necessary preparations did Ning Fan pick himself up again and dive into the sixth level of the pond.
The Soul Bathing Light on this level was extremely powerful. Only a true Low Grade Sixth Revolution Pill Refinement Master could withstand it.
Even though Ning Fan had yet to truly reach the Sixth Revolution, the strength of his medicine soul was already comparable to that of a genuine Low Grade Sixth Revolution Pill Refinement Master. Additionally, with the protection of the spiritual equipment he wore and the pill he ate, he managed to withstand the Soul Bathing Light of the sixth level.
Ning Fan then went to a meditative sitting posture while floating in the water and stayed there for half a month, allowing the divine light to temper his medicine soul. Half a month later, the green color on his medicine soul completely disappeared. His medicine soul was close to turning pure black.
The power of his medicine soul had fully reached the standard of the Sixth Revolution and yet he still could not achieve the breakthrough.
The bottleneck of the Sixth Revolution was like an insurmountable Heaven, cold and merciless. It shut the door to the Sixth Revolution to all Fifth Revolution Pill Refinement Masters, not allowing them to pass through.
“The Sixth Revolution is Heaven. This saying is indeed true… Even if I use the Soul Bathing Light on the sixth level, it’s still not enough to help me break through to the Sixth Revolution…”
Ning Fan went silent and rose to his feet. Luo You’s voice carrying a hint of concern echoed in his mind at this moment.
“Are you going to give up?”
“How is that possible…? This isn’t your first day of knowing me, right?”
Ning Fan paused and smiled. He then continued, “I’m going to the seventh level!”
“You…*sigh* You really are my silly younger brother.” Luo You sounded as if she had already figured out what Ning Fan was planning to do.
The seventh level was located below the sixth level and has yet to be unsealed. Although the grand formation sealing that level was extraordinary, it wasn’t difficult for Ning Fan to break.
Even though there was a layer of formation light separating Ning Fan and the seventh level, he could still feel the Soul Bathing Light from the seventh level. It was at least a few times stronger than the sixth level.
If he enters the seventh level, he would either successfully succeed in his breakthrough or suffer severe injuries in his medicine soul.. Moreover, his chances of receiving injuries were extremely high.
Even Venerated Pill, who was a Low Grade Sixth Revolution Pill Refinement Master, would not dare enter the seventh level for too long.
“The Sixth Revolution is like Heaven. If I don’t have a firm determination, how can I break through the bottleneck of the Sixth Revolution?! Wind Mist Finger!”
His finger summoned golden purple mist which directly broke the seal of the seventh level.
In a single dive, he entered the seventh level. All of a sudden, the powerful Soul Bathing Light blasted him. Its power was comparable to an attack from a Peak Void Inquiry Stage expert!
Within seconds, the spiritual equipment Ning Fan wore on his body broke apart!
He then felt a sharp pain in his chest with blood flowing out of his mouth. His eyes were filled with surprise.
The Soul Bathing Light of the seventh level directly attacked his spiritual equipment and medicine soul. Even his Primordial Lightning Armor could not defend against it.
He waved his hand to summon the black stars under the water. His injuries were instantly healed. Even though the Soul Bathing Light inflicted injuries on him again and again after that, the black stars would completely heal him again.
He took out the Soul Protecting Pills and ate every last pellet in the bottle. The pills allowed him to withstand the intensity of the Soul Bathing Light for a while.
The resolve in his eyes magnified. The Peak Grade Fifth Revolution Pill Refinement Realm was definitely not the end of his path in the Dao of Alchemy. He wanted to break through to the Sixth Revolution, the Seventh Revolution and even higher levels in pill refinement. How could he back away at this point of time?!
“My good younger brother, look! What’s that?” Luo You was suddenly shocked.
Ning Fan carefully spread his spirit sense on the seventh level and followed the direction Luo You pointed at.
No one knew how many years this seventh level was left unvisited. At least, Venerated Pill who was the strongest pill refinement master on Pill Island would not dare to randomly spend a long time at this place. Therefore, it had been sealed for quite a long time.
At the bottom of the pond, there was a faint green lotus flower amidst the mud.
The lotus flower was still young. It had only lived for several tens of years.
However, when Ning Fan saw that lotus flower, his eyes widened. Staring at the flower, he said in an excited tone. “This is… the Soul Washing Lotus!”
The Soul Washing Lotus would only grow in areas where the Soul Bathing Light was the most concentrated. It had the miraculous effect of purifying and enhancing one’s soul.
The plant’s age was not important. There were barely any differences between the medicinal effect of a one hundred years old and a ten thousand years old Soul Washing Lotus.
Venerated Pill had never been to the Soul Washing Pond for many years. Therefore, he was not aware that a Soul Washing Lotus had grown in this place.
If Ning Fan did not have the courage to enter the seventh level, he also would not find out its existence.
He still had a Liancheng Pill in his pouch which he planned on using to break through the bottleneck of the Sixth Revolution.
Now that he also has the Soul Washing Lotus, he had greater chances of advancing to the Sixth Revolution!
“Sixth Revolution!” Ning Fan plucked the lotus flower with eyes filled with solemnity. Now, he was already a hair’s breadth away from the Sixth Revolution Pill Refinement Realm!
Ning Fan had no idea that the Pill Island trembled the moment he broke the formation light of the seventh level.
Venerated Pill held a seven-colored token in his hand. The seventh color on the token had already lit up!
This token was the formation token of the Soul Washing Pond. When the seventh color lit up, it meant that the seal on the seventh level had been opened!
“Revered Ming has actually entered the seventh level of the Soul Washing Pond! He is insane!”
The seventh level of the pond was a place that even Venerated Pill would not dare to casually enter!
Who could endure Soul Bathing Light of that strength other than genuine Mid Sixth Revolution Pill Refinement Masters?!
“Guards! I need to head over to the Soul Washing Pond at once! If Revered Ming got severely injured by the Soul Bathing Light of the seventh level, I am the only one who has the means to help him suppress the injuries on his medicine soul…”
Venerated Pill sighed with emotion. He did not think that Ning Fan would be strong enough to enter the seventh level.
However, he was clearly unaware that Ning Fan had the Black Star Technique to withstand the Soul Bathing Light which allowed him to stay on the seventh level.
When Venerated Pill rushed to the Soul Washing Pond with his severe injuries, he was shocked.
It turned out that Ning Fan was not sent out from the seventh level by the Soul Bathing Light like what he had expected.
“Did Revered Ming actually manage to withstand the Soul Bathing Light of the seventh level?!” Venerated Pill said with amazement.
Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel