Grasping Evil

Chapter 276 (1): You Asked Me Who I Am?!

Countless cultivators were forcefully teleported out from the arena after being knocked out and having their Spirit Platforms seized by others.

157 breaths after the light formation appeared, the first purple grade Spirit Platform was formed!

The owner of the platform was Wang Xiao! He stood arrogantly on the purple cloud-like platform with his head held high and left the spherical formation, returning to his seat outside of the arena.

Condensing a purple grade Spirit Platform within 157 breaths. Without a doubt, he was demonstrating that other than the two Peak Divine Transformation Realm experts, Qu Shun and Imperial Concubine Zi, he was the number-one expert present in the arena!

With a stomp of his foot, the Spirit Platform beneath his feet dispersed, turning into purple qi which was then absorbed by him into his abdomen. As soon as he digested it, his eyes flashed with surprise and muttered.

“Hmm? This purple qi is rather unique… It is nearly comparable to the Fifth Revolution Blood Awakening Pill!”

Through his senses, that purple qi was indeed extraordinary as it was enough to slightly improve the grade of one’s demon bloodline.

Unfortunately for him, he had already gone through three times of Bloodline Awakening. As such, more than half of the effects of the purple qi had gone to waste.

“Purple grade Spirit Platform is only good for demon cultivators who have just experienced the second Bloodline Awakening… Therefore, I don’t need to ask Zhu Qin to kill others and seize their Spirit Platforms… He only needs to finish off that Lu Wan’er and that’s it! Lu Bei… I’ll start from his wife to make him pay for his “debt”! I wonder how he will feel when he finds out that his wife died today…”

Right after Wang Xiao went out from the formation, Demon Concubine Wu Yan, Lu Jiefen and other Late Divine Transformation Realm experts also upgraded their platforms to the purple grade and eventually left the arena.

300 breaths later, 144 out of 145 Divine Transformation Realm experts had successfully fulfilled the criteria to enter the second match and exited the arena.

The formation was only left with less than 800 cultivators within. They were still vying for the platforms against each other. The lowest grade of Spirit Platforms among them was of the yellow grade while many of the cultivators had already upgraded their platforms to blue grade.

Stepping on a green grade Spirit Platform, Lu Wan’er was controlling the purple flames of her phoenix wings while confronting a Peak Nascent Soul Realm expert in order to seize her opponent’s platform which was at the same grade as hers.

If she succeeds, her Spirit Platform would then advance into the blue grade…

Peak Earth Profound Grade Purple Flame Phoenix’s Wings. Each flap of it was able to borrow the spiritual power of heaven and earth to blast out waves of flames!

Under the attack of the waves of flames, even though her opponent was a Peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, his energy and strength were nearly drained out after strenuously defending himself with magical treasures. A number of his magical treasures had already been destroyed by the purple flames. It was only a matter of time before he is knocked out and disqualified.

The power of her phoenix wings made the Peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivator inwardly feel desperate. Eventually, when another blast of flames struck him, he lost his balance and leapt off of his Spirit Platform. He let out a faint sigh and was safely transferred out from the arena after admitting defeat.

Lu Wan’er’s face was pale. Gently, she wiped away the sweat on her cheeks and fused her green grade Spirit Platform with the one in front of her by performing certain hand seals. When a new blue grade Spirit Platform was formed, her lips curved into a smile.

“Just one more battle. Just one more blue grade Spirit Platform and I will successfully upgrade my platform to the purple grade… Blue grade… Where are they…”

Her gaze swept around the arena and noticed that there were already 7 cultivators with blue grade Spirit Platforms aside from her.

Six of them were Peak Nascent Soul Realm experts and four out of the six possessed a vast and powerful qi. Lu Wan’er was aware that even though she was equipped with the phoenix wings, her chances in defeating them were not high. As for the other two, however, they did not pose much of a threat to her.

I can win against either one of them!

But what surprised Lu Wan’er was that the seventh cultivator who was on top of a blue grade Spirit Platform was actually a silver-armored Divine Transformation Realm expert!

When Lu Wan’er successfully congealed her blue grade Spirit Platform, that Divine Transformation Realm expert sneered coldly…

Lu Wan’er felt strange.

Why hasn’t that Divine Transformation Realm expert, who is obviously stronger than the rest of the remaining cultivators, congealed his purple grade Spirit Platform and left after so much time has passed?

“A Divine Transformation Realm expert… What is he waiting for? I recall that his name is Zhu Qin and he is one of the Demon Generals from the Upper World…”

…

Outside the arena, Lu Daochen’s expression grew fierce and the seriousness within his eyes intensified.

144 out of 145 Divine Transformation Realm experts have left the arena and only one is left within.

He doesn’t seem to be unable to seize anyone’s Spirit Platform. Instead, it’s more like he is waiting for something or… someone. What is he trying to do?

Wait… That man is a general under Wang Xiao’s command… Zhu Qin!

“General Wang Xiao, why did your general, Zhu Qin, stop fighting after upgrading his Spirit Platform to blue grade? What is he intending to do by staying within the formation? Don’t tell me that it’s your idea…” Another gust of wind blew past. Lu Daochen was feeling slightly uncomfortable.

“I don’t know…Probably he wants to kill someone?” Wang Xiao grinned viciously.

Kill someone?!

Lu Daochen’s heart palpitated, as if he had just figured something out.

At the same time, Zhu Qin moved!

Like raging waves, a force swept across the surroundings. A ray of silver light flashed and the six Peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivators who stood on the blue grade Spirit Platforms were eliminated, leaving only their demon souls. None of them could clearly see what he had done. With faces full of horror, they hurriedly abandoned their platforms in order to escape from the formation.

Extremely ruthless!

As they left, the six empty blue grade Spirit Platforms remained still in midair. However, Zhu Qin did not even cast a glance at them, as if he was not concerned about upgrading his Spirit Platform at all. He stomped at his platform and stared coldly at Lu Wan’er!

“Finally! You’ve reached the blue grade. I’ve been waiting so anxiously for you!”

When his foot landed onto the platform, his demon power congealed into an illusory silver crane which soared high into the vast sky. As it emitted a hostile shrill, innumerable silver rifts spread wildly and quickly in all directions along with a howling gale. Any Nascent Soul Realm cultivator who were caught up within the silver light would immediately be torn apart by the silver threads. Their armors were crushed, their Supreme Grade magical treasures were broken and their bodies and bones were pulverized. Nothing was able to withstand that attack. Each of the demon souls who had just lost their physical bodies were stricken with fear and hastily jumped off from their platforms, no longer bothering about the result of the match. All of them were eager to instantly withdraw themselves from the arena under the effect of the light formation!

It’s terrifying! Too terrifying! A Divine Transformation Realm demon general’s means were overwhelming!

A few of the Nascent Soul Realm demon cultivators who did not manage to escape in time with their demon souls immediately perished within the silver light!

“This Demon General Zhu Qin is extremely audacious. How dare he ignore the rules of the match! How dare he murder someone here!”

“It’s bad! We must flee now!”

Each of the old monsters within the arena quickly got off. As for Zhu Qin, he paid no attention to the rest of them as his eyes were only focused at Lu Wan’er all the time! The silver light emanated from his palm began to get even stronger!

It was the innate ability of the Silver Crane Race - Howling Crane’s Shrill!

Zhu Qin let out a cacophony of laughter. When he clawed at the air, all the silver threads turned around, heading towards Lu Wan’er. Rifts were left behind on the trails that the silver threads left behind. Nearly all the Spirit Platforms floating in midair were dispersed!

“General Zhu Qin, what do you mean by doing all this?!” Lu Wan’er eyes turned gloomy.

“Lu Bei has killed the Demon Generals from my Upper World. Since you are his wife, you’ll have to die as payback for what he did!”

“What?!” Lu Wan’er was greatly shocked that this Divine Transformation Realm Demon General was bold enough to try to murder her in public.

“You dare?!”

Lu Daochen, Lu Sheng and Imperial Concubine Wu Yan’s expressions changed drastically. All the three of them launched attacks on the light formation, intending to shatter it but none of their attacks worked.

Lu Daochen’s face was filled with anxiety. It was because when this Mortal Void Realm formation is established, even he would not be able to deactivate it unless the first match is over!

In other words, there was not a single thing they could do to save Lu Wan’er from outside the formation…

Am I going to helplessly watch my proudest apprentice die in vain?!

“Zhu Qin! If you dare to hurt my disciple, no matter who you are, be it a member of the Silver Crane Race or the True Spirit Ice Owl Race, you will definitely not escape death!”

Lu Daochen roared in rage. However, his voice did not seem to shake Zhu Qin’s determination.

To him, Wang Xiao’s command was his top priority. Besides, what was the big deal of killing a mere ant of the mortal world?

Lu Wan’er’s countenance was plastered with nervousness. She ferociously activated her phoenix wings, pushing the power of the wings to its maximum.

But at this moment, she surprisingly congealed the illusory shadow of a purple phoenix despite her identity as a fox demon!

Rapidly, her face became deathly pale but at the same time, the shadow of the purple phoenix became more solidified.

Arduously, she moved her fingers to perform a hand seal which commanded the purple phoenix to blast out a column of illusory purple flames. Although the purple flames were unreal, it literally burnt the silver threads displayed by Zhu Qin to nothingness!

Zhu Qin was flabbergasted. He had never expected that his innate ability’s full force would be neutralized by a Late Nascent Soul Realm female cultivator.

Lu Daochen and the rest of Lu Wan’er allies felt relieved. They might not be able to blow up the formation, but as long as Lu Wan’er gives up the match and jumps off from her Spirit Platform now, she would then be sheltered by the formation and teleported out from the arena safely. Afterwards, Lu Daochen would avenge her!

But Lu Wan’er did not jump down from her Spirit Platform. She did not choose to flee…

Her gaze was fixed to a blue grade Spirit Platform in the distance. She bit her lip and desperately flew towards it.

I can’t run away. I can’t… Because I am representing Ning Fan and now… I’m his wife!

As long as I am one step faster than Zhu Qin in upgrading my blue grade Spirit Platform to the purple grade, I will be able to leave… I will be able to protect Ning Fan’s place in the second match.

She flapped her phoenix wings and dashed right at the blue cloud which was located a thousand zhang* away. Her action startled Lu Daochen and the rest of his group.

“Silly girl! What are you doing?! Why are you still concerned about the matter of the Spirit Platform in a critical situation like this?!”

Indeed, she was a silly lady… If she was not silly, why would she fall in love with a member of a different race?

Now, she just wanted to gamble. She was not sure whether the opponent wanted to eliminate Ning Fan from the competition or not, she just simply wanted to make him be able to participate in the next match…

Just a little further… A little more…

There was just one hundred zhang* left between her and the blue grade Spirit Platform which floated alone in midair…

But just before she could reach it, a silver beam suddenly shot past her, blocking her path forward.

“It’s really beyond my expectations that you could display the ability of the phoenix race with your fox demon bloodline… But apparently, it seemed to be pretty burdensome for you. I’m afraid you won’t be able to display it again! Hmmph! If you’ve chosen to flee just now, you would have been fine. But unluckily for you, you chose to hang on. Aren’t you being too proud of yourself for not putting me in your eyes? Do you really think that I can’t kill you?!”

Zhu Qin’s eyes were completely filled with the color of silver. The illusory shadow of the silver crane on his back grew taller by a fold!

The might of the silver threads on the tips of his fingers also doubled, making them able to shred a common Divine Transformation Realm expert to pieces!

“You can die now. No one would be able to save you. If you want to blame someone else, blame it on your husband, Lu Bei!”

Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel