Pursuit of the Truth

by Srtyi

Three thousand years of bowing down to the Demon Lord, I would rather be a mortal than a celestial being when looking back, but for her I will… become one who controls life and death!

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Chapter 1: Prologue

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The Pursuit of the Truth

Author : Er Gen

Synopsis and Preface

Before I post the story in two hours, I'd like to explore with all of you what it means to 'pursue the truth'.

The word "Pursuit", has two meanings: one is to follow after something and the other to implore.

The title "Pursuit of the Truth", uses the latter meaning. Yet at the same time, there are also other meanings to the title. I have searched for many other words, but only the word "Pursuit" was the one that was the closest in encompassing the essence of the story in my heart.

What does "Truth" mean then? It is written with the word 魔 (Mo), meaning devil. I believe all of you believe that devil is simply a villain, a person who does all sorts of bad things. Someone who would soil their hands for the sake of success, even practicing dark arts like a demon lord. In other words, I am referring to the Mo which is a devil or demon.

It is just like the Wuxia stories we have read before, where they will train with despicable ways such as eating dried human placenta or by forsaking their own humanity.

But is this devil really the Mo I want to create?

I once told a friend of mine that I wanted to create the Devil, the true Devil. Not a villain or a demon lord that will be lost in time and be viewed as crass and evil by future generations, but the Devil! One that will walk on the path and the truth he resolutely believes, even going against the natural order of the universe!

It is a deep word which reveals the life and spirit of a character.

What I want to write is a story where there was no Devil in the world before him, and neither will there be any other true Devil after him!

What I want to create is a theme different from Renegade Immortal, yet with a much more touching plot!

I want to write a story where Su Ming stands on the pinnacle of the mountains looking over the world and muttering in a voice burdened by his experiences and grief, murmuring about things no one has ever cared about.

"If the world calls me a devil, then so be it. Henceforth, I, Su Ming, shall become the Devil!" (the first devil is left intentionally in small letters.)

You will see the story I wish to write in two hours…

Translator's Notes

When I was translating, I wasn't convinced by the translated argument if I used Devil instead of Mo. There was something off about it. That's why I chose to ask a third party, someone who is not the author and neither the reader, and what you see now is the paraphrased version of the conversation between me and a Master holder in translation for Chinese-English, who happens to be a close friend of mine, and I will paraphrase the outcome of our conversation. Also, the author and I reached an agreement to use Devil for Mo for consistency in ISSTH.

"Using Mo isn't wrong, because if the title is Pursuit of the Truth and I see the word Devil suddenly being used in the preface, I'll feel cheated, and you're right, Devil is commonly used to describe evil. From what I can see, that isn't what you want in the preface, but neither is there any good English equivalent for the word, since we're losing the original meaning of the word Mo if we use Devil. Since another translator has translated this to Devil, you'd best keep to it, but what you need to do next is to associate Truth to Devil. Meaning the truth the main character is looking for is associated to Devil, perhaps it is referring to his character, but perhaps it is the path he chooses to take, which we both believe is the case. And if that's the case, you'll need to add a little more explanations to the preface itself. Things that only Chinese readers will understand if they read the source language because we know the many meanings of Mo, but not English readers, because to them Mo is only the devil."

Did I manage to convey the meaning though?

Prologue

"Kala…"

"Kala… Kala…"

No one could not tell what that sound was. It was as if it was a sound that could penetrate the body and pierce through the soul, forcing the body to shiver in the cold caused by the blizzard that night.

The cold northern wind whistled through and the snow danced with the wind, causing the line separating heaven and earth to shatter into a million pieces, scattering on earth and causing heaven and earth to become one. Looking from afar, it was as if the world was a white and desolate place.

It was not midnight, just twilight, but the sky was already as dark as night. It brought about a heavy feeling as if it was pressing on your chest, cutting off your breath. On that white plain, a gigantic silhouette could be seen. It was the silhouette of a huge city like a huge beast prowling in the plains.

At the centre of the city was a tall altar in the shape of a tower. It was built in the shape of a heptagon, completely black, and was so tall it reached the clouds. It remained silent and unmoving even in the midst of the blizzard. When the wind blew past the altar, that creaking sound could be heard clearly amongst the moans of the wind even when the sounds were brought far away into the distance. The sounds carried about the wildness of the ancients, creating a unique harmony.

"Is there still hope… Is there?"

Hoarse mumbles could be heard from the altar, as if it was one with the wind, and it was barely distinguishable.

"If there's still hope, then where is it? If there is no hope then why do you let me see it?!" As if driven mad, the owner of voice roared towards heaven as if he was pouring out his heart and soul into the scream.

Standing underneath the altar were countless people wearing clothes made of straw. They stood silently, and if you cast your gaze further, you would see that the number of people amounted to tens of thousands. Men and women gathered densely around the altar. They may be unmoving, but there was a sort of fanaticism that could be felt among them, as if they would sacrifice everything should the person on the altar just speak.

The blizzard became heavier.

"If you've let me see it then there must be hope, but where is it?!" There was a hint of anguish and sorrow in the hoarse voice on the altar, and the voice lingered for a long time.

"Today is the day the Emperor of Ming returns, the day the gates to the Three Lands open, the day the blizzard arrives, and the day all was created. I will predict the Berserker Day once again!" The voice grew louder and with some unknown skill, the colors of the clouds in the sky changed. The countless snowflakes stopped in midair, and immediately went back the way they came. Exclamations from all around gathered in one place, making heaven and earth rumble.

There was no longer any snow falling from the sky. All the snow gathered to form a gigantic dragon. The dragon immediately lifted its head and let out a piercing roar the moment it was formed. Those who heard it felt their hearts shaking, as if the sound itself could tear them apart.

The snow dragon was quickly covered by its own blood, turning it into a bloody dragon. It let out a mournful cry and flew towards the heavens like a shooting star as if it wanted to tear through the sky and create hope.

It reached the endless boundaries quickly and amidst its own roars, the dragon crashed into an invisible and shapeless barrier. Heaven and earth shook, and the sounds scattered everywhere. The blood dragon cried out once again and its body fell apart before their eyes.

At the very moment it almost shattered completely, the tens of thousands of people standing in silence under the altar casted hand seals and bit down their tongues, spitting mouthfuls of fresh blood. As if guided by some sort of energy, the blood darted forth like a sea of blood towards the crumbling blood dragon to combine with it, allowing the blood dragon to recover slightly from its broken state, soaring once again into the horizon.

All of them watched as the blood dragon soared higher but at that very moment, the blood dragon shuddered and let out a roar that travelled through tens of thousands of miles, no longer able to stop its body from falling apart. It turned into countless bloody snowflakes and fell downwards, creating a red realm on the plains.

Yet at the very moment the blood dragon fell apart, it spoke with a sound completely different from its roars.

"Death…"

"Death…"

On the top of the altar was an old man clad in a purple robe sitting cross-legged at the centre. The old man's face was covered in wrinkles and brown spots. Mumbling, he opened his eyes but his gaze held no light, a clear sign that he was blind.

Before him was a complete spine emitting an eerie white glow. In his right hand was a stone slab, which he held on top of the thirteenth vertebrae.

With his blank gaze, he looked silently towards heaven. After a long while, he let out a long sigh.

"Tell the King of Yu… I've tried my best…"

While he spoke, his right hand moved once again on top of the odd spine. He rubbed at the animal spine with the stone slab, creating clicking sounds that travelled through a distance. He looked desolate and along with the sounds, one could also find a sorrowful loneliness and weakness from him.

"As the Court Diviner of the Great Yu Dynasty, you cannot see the world that I see…"

"You… cannot see…"

"Hope…"

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Chapter 2: Su Ming

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Mountains; Lush, green mountains.

These mountains formed a chain that seemed to span endlessly across earth, resembling the back of a dragon lying down. The mountain range covered the vast plains. There were numerous types of plants in the mountains and within them, even more sounds of birds as well as beasts.

There were five tall protrusions which formed five mountaintops. They looked like a human's hand raised with the fingers pointed skyward, as if they wanted to catch the sky. In the middle of one of the peaks was a big hollowed-out rock, and a young man was hiding in the shade that it provided. By his side was a woven basket filled with medicinal herbs which surrounded the area with a pleasant and therapeutic scent.

The young man had a handsome face, but he was on the leaner side, making him look frail at first glance. He wore a shirt made of beast skin and around his neck he wore a white fang in the shape of a crescent moon. His messy hair was held together by a string of straw.

He sat there with a scroll made from dozens of beast skins in his hands. He read it with fervor and would occasionally shake his head in disagreement to the words written in the scroll.

"Since the creation of the world and of man, the Berserker Tribe has existed and it still exists to this date…The people who hold the Berserker's Power are known as Berserkers. They can fly in the skies, move mountains and turn the tides in the sea…Those who have the Berserker Mark can read the future and obtain the power of the sun, moon, and stars…" As the young man read this, he sighed.

"Yet without the Berserker Body, it is impossible to become a practitioner of Berserker Arts… Berserker… Berserker… Su Ming, it is your fate that you can only pick herbs and become a common healer in the tribe. Becoming a practitioner who practices the Ways of the Berserker is an impossible dream for you." The young man mocked himself and put down the scroll. He then gazed into the distance and allowed his mind to wander.

He had read the scroll countless of times. He might not be able to memorize the contents backwards, but he still knew it like the back of his hand.

"The sky is round and the earth is flat as though it had no end, no boundaries…" As Su Ming read out the text in soft murmurs, he began imagining the world depicted in the scroll. Gradually, the sky darkened, and dark clouds started to form in the sky.

The surrounding wind also made it more humid. As it blew past the trees and leaves, it created a rustling sound.

When Su Ming saw the dark clouds in the sky, he was momentarily stunned.

"Elder's predictions are coming true! The Dark Dragon's Saliva can truly be found today!" Su Ming's eyes grew bright and he stood up quickly, gathering the scroll into his bosom. He grabbed the basket with his left hand and slung it on his back. Then, with a lithe movement, he grabbed onto a rope and climbed towards the top of the mountain.

The young man's frail body charged forth explosively with a tenacious force. He moved just like an ape. With just a few jumps, he already managed to cover dozens of feet in distance.

The dark clouds in the skies arrived like waves and roared as they came. It was like the wrath of the gods had been brought down upon the mountain range. The dark clouds covered the skies completely as though they connected the heavens and earth. They covered the land in darkness and the clouds approached the mountain range quickly.

Su Ming climbed even faster. Just as the dark clouds spread out over the mountains, he reached a place a few dozen feet away from the mountaintop. An oddly shaped rock was there. However, while it may seem odd, it still looked like it was naturally formed. The center of the rock was hollow and there were numerous holes about the size of fists scattered around the other parts of its surface. It was as if the King of Pythons had entrenched itself in the mountain range.

Underneath the mysterious rock was a stone shaped like a terrifying looking fang. It was odd because it was a mountain protrusion, making it look like it hung in the air. It was very difficult to climb onto that stone unless one could fly.

Su Ming took hold of the rope in his left hand, and with his right hand he took out a small bottle from the basket. He held it between his teeth and slowly nudged forward in the opposite direction of the mysterious, fang-shaped rock. He moved until the rope he held onto was so taut that it inclined towards his direction, then grabbed onto the walls of the mountain and pressed his body against it. He lifted his head skyward and looked at the dark clouds in the sky. His eyes shone and his body was still.

After some time, the clouds covered the sky entirely and thunder roared. The sound was so great he thought he might have gone deaf. Wind started blowing mercilessly, as if it was trying to throw the mountain range off the ground. Su Ming's knuckle had already turned white from holding onto the mountain in the typhoon, but he remained unmoving. Strength shone from his eyes as he continued looking at the sky.

The typhoon grew even stronger. The plants in the mountain range swayed around helplessly in the wind. The sound of the wind was akin to the roars of a huge beast. It made the numerous broken branches and dead leaves fly in the air, causing the entire place to be filled with branches and leaves dancing madly in the air.

Some bigger branches and even small beasts were lifted by the typhoon and subsequently tossed away. Their cries of agony were silenced by the sound of the wind.

Su Ming was not going to persist much further in the typhoon. The sky was completely covered by dark clouds. With the sounds of thunder, huge droplets of rain poured down from the sky. At that moment, it was as if the world was covered by a gigantic curtain of water.

The rain persisted and grew heavier with each passing moment, but Su Ming held onto the drenched rope tightly and kept his body firmly against the wall of the mountain. He did nothing to avoid being drenched by the rain and remained still as ever. His eyes were fixed on the mysterious rock above the fang-shaped stone.

An unknown amount of time passed and the rain continued growing heavier. The world was surrounded by rain and fog. Under the rain's cleansing, the fang-shaped rock Su Ming was staring at began secreting a black liquid.

The black liquid merged with the rainwater and formed a stream that flowed downwards.

When Su Ming saw this, his eyes were filled with excitement yet he remained stationary until the secretion of the black liquid gradually slowed down and finally turned into an impressive golden color. Su Ming narrowed his eyes and with no hesitation, he released his grip on the mountain wall. As he slid down, he took out the bottle in his mouth with his right hand.

The rope in his left hand was already positioned diagonally to begin with. When he let go of the mountain wall, his entire body swung with the force of the rope at a frightening speed towards the fang-shaped rock.

Su Ming arrived next to the seemingly floating fang-shaped rock with the help of the rope just as the next blast of thunder crackled over his head. This was due to the rope's great level of inclination and the accuracy of his position. With his left hand, he held onto the rope and with his right he held the bottle. He quickly placed the bottle underneath the fang-shaped rock as he approached it. In the brief moment that the rope reached the peak of its swing and began its journey back, he managed to fill up half the bottle with the golden liquid.

However, at that very moment, he heard a piercing cry. Black centipede like creatures about the size of four or five arms crawled out from the many holes on the mysterious rock, pouncing ferociously onto Su Ming, who was still dangling in midair.

Su Ming was not even the least bit surprised. The moment the centipede like creatures appeared, he let go of his hold on the rope and allowed his body to fall at a terrifying speed, avoiding their attack.

"Xiao Hong!" Su Ming was falling in midair quickly and his body stiffened as he felt the typhoon cutting fiercely into his body like sharp blades. Even if he avoided those creatures, he would still turn into mincemeat if he fell on the ground.

But he was not afraid. A red shadow rushed forward from the cliff by the side towards Su Ming's falling body on a length of rope. It grabbed onto Su Ming once it reached him. The red shadow was a red, small monkey. It was grinning and its eyes were filled with vigor.

The man and his monkey fell on a cliff somewhere further down the mountain along with the rope. It was the very same cliff where Su Ming was reading just moments ago. Su Ming's eyes were finally filled with nervousness and he immediately put away the small bottle he was holding in his hands.

"Xiao Hong, we have to run! I took too much Dark Dragon's Saliva this time! Huh, what's that in your hand?" As Su Ming spoke, he saw a small piece of black stone in the monkey's paws.

The monkey's gaze immediately grew sharp and it hid its paws behind its back, hissing at Su Ming. Su Ming did not bother and immediately walked a few steps forward before jumping and grabbing onto a length of rope as he did so. He fell downwards quickly with the monkey.

Behind them, screeching sounds filled the skies and the black centipede like creatures gave chase as they sped down the walls of the mountain. They were like numerous black lines falling down the walls to relentlessly chase after the duo.

The little red monkey hissed at Su Ming and it moved about constantly on his body. Occasionally, it would turn back to look at the centipede like creatures giving chase, with a gaze filled with terror and anger.

"It's not like it's the first time we're running away. Those Dark Dragons won't go down the mountain anyway, so stop pretending. Same rules, I'll give you half of the Dark Dragon's Saliva." Although Su Ming was fleeing at impressive speeds, there was a lazy quality to his voice. Once he spoke, the monkey immediately smiled, making it obvious it was just pretending.

The man and the monkey were familiar with the mountain range. For some unknown reason, the Dark Dragons would not travel into certain places but would rather go around them. Hence, while Su Ming and his monkey were not as quick as the Dark Dragons, they would choose to jump downwards at times and grab onto a rope in their way. After doing so a few times, they managed to escape from the top of the mountain and they disappeared into the forest.

As expected, the Dark Dragons did not venture out of the mountains. After a few cries of rage, they returned to the top of the mountain begrudgingly.

The dark clouds left as quickly as they came. After a few hours, the mountain range returned to normal as the dark clouds left to venture further down.

Su Ming and the monkey made their way towards the borders of the forest. By then, it was already night time. There were dim balls of fire in the distance, all of them belonging to Su Ming's tribe.

"I already gave you your share, and you still want more?" Su Ming was still entirely drenched as he came out of the forest, but he did not mind it at the slightest. Instead, he smiled faintly as he watched the monkey following him with hopeful eyes.

This monkey was very intelligent. Su Ming found it by pure accident three years ago when he ventured into the mountains. They even had a bit of a scuffle in the beginning but in the end, they became best friends.

The monkey blinked and scratched its face, revealing the tiniest bit of hesitation. But it quickly handed Su Ming the black stone he held onto earlier and let out a few screeches, conveying his intention to trade the stone with Dark Dragon's Saliva.

"Fine, I'll let you have some more, but I don't want that stupid stone. You can keep it." Su Ming smiled and took out the small bottle from the basket before handing it to the monkey.

The monkey quickly took it and drank a mouthful. Once it did so, total bliss appeared on its face. The monkey even swayed a little and let out a burp. It threw the black stones along with the small bottle back to Su Ming and wobbled back into the forest.

Su Ming looked at the small, half empty bottle and smiled faintly. Putting it back into the basket, he then turned his attention towards the black stone.

Translator's Note:

Allow me to make some explanations.

Why was the title of the novel changed?

After some discussion with the author, it was decided that Beseech the Devil did not encapsulate the essence of the novel. That was why we decided to change the name of the novel to the Pursuit of the Truth, which was provided and approved by the author himself.

Why did I opt to use the word Berserker for 蛮?

蛮's closest translation would be barbarian or savage, however, these words do not fully encapsulate the meaning of the idea behind the characters using蛮. The main reason is because these people are highly civilized, and the words do not do them justice.

Why didn't I just retain the pinyin for the word then, which is Man? That's because I wanted to give all of you a word that can give you the impact of the power of the practicing 蛮 immediately and make you go "Hey, that's dope", not gradually associating the power of蛮to a new word – Man.

Hence, I chose the word Berserker, because they were a tribe of powerful Berserkers who fought ferociously. It was also explained to me by the author that 蛮 was used to refer to a tribe in China, and also refers to mighty power. Hence I decided to use the word Berserker, because they were a tribe of people who were powerful, who in reality fought in a trance like state, and are civilized (somewhat), which I believed encapsulated the meaning of the word.

On another note, this is in regards to many of the other names in the novel.

I am aware that there has been a translation of Beseech the Devil from chapter 1 to chapter 120. I could have just taken the names used in PiggyBottle's translated work, yet more than anything, I am terrified of being accused of piracy. That was why I avoided reading PiggyBottle's work so that I would not end up stealing other people's hard work.

I am sure that some of you read PiggyBottle's work before and will compare this with Piggy's. I am also sure that many of you will feel offended because I might have changed a lot of things. I am saying might because I still have not touched what Piggy translated because, as I said before, I do not want to steal what belongs to Piggy's, whether consciously or unconsciously.

All I can say is, I am sorry, and please bear with me.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

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Chapter 3: The Berserker's Awakening

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

It was a normal stone that was the size of a baby's palm, and it had an uneven surface. Besides some naturally formed patterns forming the uneven surface on the stone, there was a small hole on the stone that seemed to be man-made so that it looked like an accessory.

Other than that, there was nothing else which looked out of place. In fact, it looked like any normal stone.

The only thing out of ordinary was the warmth it emitted when Su Ming held it. The warmth seemed to seep into his body and it was a very comfortable feeling.

"Hmm?" Su Ming looked closely at it. Yet even after he scrutinized the entire thing, he still could not find anything else odd about it.

"I remember the elder saying that this was once the Land of the Fire Berserker Tribe. If that's the case, then this thing might have some powers of fire. That's why it can keep people warm. Not bad." Su Ming took off the crescent fang on his neck and replaced it with the stone before wearing the necklace once again, letting it hang over the stone. When the stone touched his chest, he felt its warmth increase.

"Let's go home!" The young man then ran quickly towards the place with the balls of light. He did not notice it, but at that time, the stone hanging off his chest gave out a dim glow before disappearing.

As Su Ming neared his destination, the dim balls of light grew brighter before his eyes, and he saw a settlement surrounded by a wall made from giant wood.

The settlement was not big. It could only hold about a few hundred people in it, but in Su Ming's eyes, it was a place that made him feel at home. He could faintly hear cheerful sounds from within as he approached the settlement. From the cracks in the giant wooden wall, he could see a bonfire in the middle of the tribe. There were many tribesmen gathered around it and some of the women from the tribe were dancing around the bonfire.

The gate to the tribe was also built with giant wood. Usually, when it was open, it would be held up with several pieces of rope. Now, it was closed and there were some burly men standing on top wearing clothes made from beast skin. Their skin was rough and there were white bone necklaces hanging from their necks. They were terrifying to look at. They also wore earrings made of bone, and their overall appearance made them look intimidating as they surveyed the area. When they saw Su Ming running back, the men grinned.

"La Su, the elder has been looking for you the entire day, why are you out so late?"

"It was raining just now. Did you go out to steal the Dark Dragon's Saliva again?"

"The elder was looking for me? Throw down the rope, I had a pretty good haul this time!" Su Ming sped up, and when he was underneath the gate, he patted the basket on his back proudly as he shouted loudly.

A woven piece of rope was lowered down and Su Ming grabbed onto it, lithely climbing upwards. Within the span of a few breaths, he reached the top of the gate, smiling as he saw the tribesmen keeping watch. He then quickly walked down with the ladder propped by the side.

"Boy's an agile one for sure, and he's brave to boot. He already started climbing Dark Dragon Mountain alone many years ago. Looks like he's definitely going to become the tribe's common healer in the future."

"It's a pity that he doesn't have a Berserker Body, or else he would become a Berserk Healer just like the elder." The men sighed as they watched Su Ming leave.

As Su Ming entered the settlement and ran in between the wooden houses, those who saw him called him La Su in a kind manner.

La Su was not a name just for him, but also for all the children who did not go through the second Berserker's Awakening.

Su Ming ran quickly. Before long, he reached the middle part of tribe where he saw many of his tribesmen laughing and chatting around the bonfire when he was outside earlier.

A fire-resistant wooden fence surrounded the bonfire. Many slices of juicy meat were being roasted on the fire and they emitted a nice aroma.

When some of the girls in the tribe saw Su Ming approaching, they merely cast him a glance before turning away uninterested.

To the tribe, the clean and handsome Su Ming was built much more differently compared to the other tribesmen. Almost all of the tribesmen were bigger and more intimidating than he was.

He squeezed through the crowd, grabbed a slice of roasted meat and ate it as he ran forward.

Right in the center of the crowd was an old man wearing sackcloth instead of beast skin. The old man had his hair braided and looked frail. Nevertheless, his eyes shone with a charm that could steal a person's soul if they so much as looked into his eyes.

He appeared to be a man of status. He was surrounded by several tribesmen who were listening to him as he talked in a low voice. Their gazes towards him were respectful.

As he saw Su Ming running over, the old man smiled and gave him a nod, signaling Su Ming to sit by his side. He then continued speaking to the tribesmen.

When the tribesmen saw Su Ming, their faces also lifted up in smiles.

"Dark Mountain Tribe may be small, but at least we are the true descendants of Dark Mountain. The Elder from Wind Stream Tribe is celebrating his birthday. We must attend his birthday as a sign of respect since our tribe has maintained a good relationship with them since long ago." The old man spoke slowly.

"It's a pity that a few centuries ago, Dark Mountain Tribe was divided, and now, there are only three colonies of the tribe left. If that hadn't happened, Dark Mountain Tribe would be a medium sized tribe by now. We could have controlled all the land around the area, including Wind Stream Tribe. But now… ha." The one who spoke was a man of about 40 years old. He was the leader of Dark Mountain Tribe and was a burly man who was also shockingly powerful. There were nine fangs about the size of fingers hanging around his neck.

There was a Mark on his face that could barely be seen, which made him look even more terrifying, just like an evil spirit. The Mark was not clear, and it looked incomplete.

As Su Ming looked at the Mark, his eyes were filled with admiration. From the beast skin scroll, Su Ming knew that this was a Berserker Mark that had yet to be completely formed. There was no one in the tribe who had the ability to completely manifest the Berserker Mark and bring out its true powers.

Even his elder was only at the ninth level of the Blood Solidification Realm.

Yet even so, this had made his elder one of the strongest Berserkers among the tribes around Dark Mountain. The only other tribes who could compare were Black Mountain Tribe and Dark Dragon Tribe, who were once from the original Dark Mountain Tribe but split up later.

"There is no use mentioning what has happened in the past. Without a strong Berserker who has broken through his physical limitations, there is no way we can become a medium sized tribe. The cause of the original Dark Mountain Tribe's separation was due to the death of the ancestors in the original Dark Mountain tribe who Transcended."

"As much as I have trained until now, I still cannot break through the ninth level of blood solidification and reach the 10th level, much less the 11th level, which is known as the highest level. I cannot draw a completely manifested Berserker Mark and therefore, cannot Transcend …" The old man in sackcloth sighed and spoke slowly.

"It's fine. You can leave now. Prepare the gifts, and tomorrow… Shan Hen, you are the leader of the hunters in the tribe so, you will lead the team." The old man stood up and looked towards a middle-aged man standing by the leader of Dark Mountain Tribe. After that, he turned and walked away.

The middle aged man looked calm. When he heard those words he immediately stood up straight and received the order.

Su Ming quickly followed his elder and left the area where the feast was held.

The old man did not speak on the way and just silently walked forward until the cheers gradually disappeared behind his back. He reached a house made of wood and grass. He then went inside.

The house was not big and the interior was simple. Once he entered the house, the old man sat down cross-legged at a corner. He looked at Su Ming as he came in.

"You went to hunt Dark Dragon's Saliva again?"

Su Ming respected his elder, who took care of him as he grew up. He placed his basket on the floor and took out a small bottle, which he then handed it to the old man.

"With your agility, the Dark Dragons cannot harm you. However, it's best if you don't go too often… That is the territory of Black Mountain Tribe and Dark Dragon Tribe after all. Dark Dragon's Saliva is useless to me. Use it to improve your own health." The old man looked kindly at Su Ming.

Su Ming nodded and put away the bottle. He had been drinking this liquid for many years and it was precisely because of it that he could obtain such an agile body.

It was also because his elder had been brewing all sorts of medicine for him for all those years. Even though he did not have the qualities to obtain the Berserker Body, he was still stronger than an average member of his tribe.

"There are still three days left before the time comes for all of you La Su to perform the Berserker Awakening. You're almost 16, right? You will need to worship the God of Berserkers," the old man spoke slowly as he looked at Su Ming.

"The statue of the God of Berserkers in Dark Mountain Tribe was passed down from the original Dark Mountain Tribe in the past. It may not be the main statue and cannot compare to the statues of medium sized tribes, but it is still very powerful compared to the tribes around us."

Su Ming was silent for a brief moment before nodding his head.

"Don't leave for the next few days. Rest and go with them to the Awakening three days later," The old man said this and closed his eyes slowly.

Su Ming stood for a while longer. Then, he took the basket and left quietly towards a wooden house not too far away – his house.

He could never forget the day when he surrounded the statue of the God of Berserkers with other children from the tribe for his very first Awakening. They were all just seven years old at that time.

Members of the Berserker Tribe had two initiating ceremonies throughout their lives – the Berserker Awakening. The first was when they were seven years old, and the second when they were 16.

At the same time, the elder would choose those who had Berserker Bodies using the power given by the statue of the God of Berserkers.

Su Ming let out a light sigh as he felt his chest filling up with bitterness. He wanted to become a Berserker and practice Berserker Arts. The scenes depicted in the beast skin scroll made him dream about it since he was young, but reality was harsh. When his seven-year old self worshiped the statue of the God of Berserker, he was told very clearly that he did not have a Berserker Body and could not practice Berserker Arts.

Berserk was the origin of all things in the universe. Only by being a Berserker could a person be able to stand above others and become truly strong!

From the scroll, Su Ming knew since young that there were many tribes of all sizes in the world. In each tribe, there were different statues of the God of Berserkers. It was the soul of the tribe and the key for their descendants to become one with Berserk.

They needed to reach an understanding with the statue of the God of Berserkers. If they felt it responding, then they would be able to obtain the right to inherit the skills to practice Berserker Arts. There was no need for anyone to teach them. They could just practice it on their own.

However, if they failed at seven and at 16 years old, then it meant that they could not change for the rest of their lives. Su Ming was struggling internally. When he could not see the possible outcome to this, he looked forward to it. Yet, when there was only three days left for his final enlightenment, he became afraid.

'This time… will it be possible…?'

Su Ming went back silently into his house and sat down, letting his mind wander.

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Chapter 4: The Piercing Light

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

It was late at night. Su Ming laid on his bed and looked at the darkness around him, unable to sleep. His elder's words kept repeating themselves in his head and he kept remembering the scene from eight years ago.

With a long sigh, Su Ming sat up and quietly pushed open his wooden door. A light breeze blew through his messy hair. The breeze felt cooling, as if it had arrived with the night to cool down the earth.

It was quiet. There were only a few soft cries from birds and other animals from Dark Mountain, which was located in the distance. The settlement was mostly dark. The only sources of light were from the bonfire in the center of the tribe. Some of its embers scattered into the air. There were also torches placed on the giant wooden wall around the tribe, which seem to crackle as they burned in the night.

Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the sky. The moon and stars shone brightly in the sky, and it was a sight to behold. The river of stars seemed to never end, and it gradually clouded Su Ming's eyes with uncertainty.

'The tribesmen are kind to me…but it's obvious that I look different from them… Perhaps this is the reason why I failed when I worshiped the statue of the God of Berserkers…

'Without a Berserker Body, it will be impossible for me to train in Berserker Arts, then I will be trapped here forever, unable to leave, unable to see the world as depicted in the beast skin scroll…'

Su Ming sat down quietly outside and leaned against his house. As he looked at the sky, his uncertainty grew stronger.

"Since the creation of the world and of man, the Berserker Tribe has existed and it still exists to this date… The people who hold the Berserker's Power are known as Berserkers. They can fly in the skies, move mountains and turn the tides in the sea…Those who have the Berserker Mark can read the future and obtain the power of the sun, moon, and stars…" The young man looked at the sky and murmured softly as he sat in a corner in Dark Mountain Tribe that night.

At that time, he did not realize that the black stone hanging from his neck was emitting a dim glow once again…

Time passed by quickly and the third day arrived.

As it was the day of the Awakening for the La Sus in Dark Mountain Tribe, the entire tribe bustled with activity that morning. Almost all the tribesmen came out with their La Sus and gathered at the square.

An entire day was required for the Berserker's Awakening ritual, especially for the La Sus who were 16 years old. It was like a coming of age ceremony. The La Sus who had completed the Berserker's Awakening could even choose their own partners on this day.

Drum rolls with a strange rhythmic pattern resounded in the tribe. Backed by the drum roll, the La Sus stepped forward from the crowd and stood in the center.

There were approximately 30 people participating in the Berserker's Awakening this time. Most of them were teenagers. Although they were still young, their bodies were strong and muscular, and they exuded an air of toughness.

Even the girls had a similar build to the men. Hence, Su Ming was especially eye-catching among the crowd. He looked clean and handsome, an odd addition to his surroundings.

Even so, the people there already accepted Su Ming a long time ago. Even though he looked different from the rest of them, they did not ostracize him but accepted him as part of the tribe.

Once they surrounded the La Sus who were ready to partake in the Awakening, Dark Mountain Tribe performed a traditional dance as a sign of worship to heaven. By doing so, they used their bodies to convey their respect and sacrifice to heaven and earth.

"Su Ming, I heard from the others that you also went to Dark Dragon Mountain and even got some Dark Dragon's Saliva?" A good-natured voice sounded from Su Ming's side amidst the cheers from their dancing tribe members.

It was a young man of the same age as Su Ming. His skin was rough and he had a large build, almost twice Su Ming's size. His eyes were bright and he smiled boyishly as he looked at Su Ming.

Su Ming smiled weakly as he looked at the young man speaking to him. The young man's name was Lei Chen. He was one of his few close friends within the tribe.

"I brought some back. I went to look for you yesterday but your father said you went with the hunting team to the mountains. Once the Awakening ceremony ends, come to my place and get some."

The young man called Lei Chen lit up brightly and moved towards him, the boyish smile still on his face.

"I could have returned earlier, but we ran into a mink deer on our way back. I remember you said that you needed mink deer blood for your medicine so I followed it. That's why I came back late."

Su Ming knew that while his friend spoke of the encounter like it was no big deal, mink deer were exceptionally hard to kill and were very dangerous. Hence, he felt touched when he heard his friend's words.

As the two of them spoke, the cheers around them gradually grew silent and the crowd made way for the elder. The elder wore a sack cloth and held a black cane made of bone in his hand. He walked towards the teenagers as he was escorted by a few tribe members.

His appearance brought about silence. The teenagers looked at him respectfully, obviously afraid of the man.

"Offer the sacrifice to our Berserker Ancestors!" His grandfather's eyes were bright as he looked at the people gathered around him, his gaze pausing momentarily on Su Ming. As he spoke, he waved the black cane in his right hand. Immediately, several well built men stepped forward from within the crowd. Each of them carried with them a tied up wild beast on their shoulders.

The wild beasts were still alive and crying out in rage. They struggled fiercely but to no avail.

There were 49 different types of beasts and they were all lifted up moments later to be placed around the teenagers. Their cries resounded throughout the settlement, and their cries sounded like they had the power to pierce through souls. Yet, they were surrounded by the tribesmen of Dark Mountain Tribe. They were pressed down, making it impossible for them to break free.

The men standing by the beasts did not hesitate. All of them lowered their heads at the same time and took out sharp stone knives in their left hands. They then stabbed the beasts' throats, cutting off their heads in the process.

Their cries were cut off abruptly as they were beheaded. It was a shocking sight and it made some of the La Sus partaking in the ritual turn pale in fear.

Su Ming also looked pale but he bit his lip and bore through it. He cast a glance at Lei Chen and saw that his friend's eyes were filled with a scary glint. His eyes were filled a thirst for blood as if he was used to it or even enjoyed it. He looked completely different from the good-natured person Su Ming spoke to earlier.

More fresh blood spilled forth like a fountain and filled the air with a foul stench. The blood splattered onto the La Sus, on their hair, their bodies and the ground under their feet.

"You are fortunate because there are no longer any wars between tribes. But at the same time, you are unfortunate…" The elder looked at the teenagers standing before him and spoke softly.

"When I was young and went through my Awakening, I had to behead one of our enemies and drink their blood to complete my Berserker's Awakening."

"Compared to the present, you are fortunate… but you are also unfortunate because you only saw the blood of beasts and have never touched the heads of your enemies…" The elder mumbled and looked at the La Sus before raising the bone cane in his right hand and pointing forward.

He raised his left hand, which was clenched in a fist and opened it. Immediately, a powerful gust of aura blasted forth from his body. The aura surrounded them and formed a powerful blast of wind that surrounded the entire Dark Mountain Tribe.

Marks manifested on the elder's face, which then intertwined with each other and formed a picture that looked like a python.

The python looked as if it was alive and real. It appeared on the elder's face in the form of an illusion, raising its head and roaring into the sky. Even if they could not hear it, all the members of Dark Mountain Tribe, including the stronger leaders shivered and took a step back.

'The Mark of the Dark Python…This is the elder's Berserker Mark…'

Su Ming stared at the elder with a dumbfounded expression. As he looked at the Marks on his face, he was filled with awe. The last time he saw this was nine years ago. When he saw it again this time, the shock was even stronger than before.

'The elder could destroy the entire tribe alone if he wanted to. He has such power and yet, he is only at the ninth level of the Blood Solidification Realm… Just how powerful are those who have Transcended then…?

'Then there are those who have reached the Bone Sacrifice Realm, which is after Transcendence… It was written in the beast skin scroll that the powerful ones in the Bone Sacrifice Realm are extremely rare even within medium-sized tribes. Only the truly big tribes would have a few Berserkers who have reached the Bone Sacrifice Realm.'

Su Ming felt his heart tremble. His desire to become a Berserker was growing stronger.

"We offer the blood on the ground and the bodies of the beasts to summon Dark Mountain's statue of the God of Berserkers!" The elder's voice rang through like thunder and broke Su Ming's train of thought. As the elder spoke, the carcasses of the beasts exploded. Their flesh, blood, and even the matter spilled on the ground and on the teenagers were absorbed by an unknown force. They gathered midair into a giant blob of blood and flesh.

"Berserker's Awakening!" The big man standing by the elder's side, the tribe leader of the Dark Mountain Tribe shouted.

All of the La Sus, including Su Ming, bit down their tongues with no hesitation and coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood. Their blood flew into the air and was absorbed by the blob. A thunderous roar sounded, after which the blob of blood and flesh transformed into a black statue.

It was a terrifying statue that was half man, half beast, and it had an air of ancient savagery. In one of its hands, it held a long dragon and in the other it held a giant spear. Its gaze was filled with madness and blood thirst.

Its appearance brought forth darkness in the sky, as if the sky was subjugated by its power.

"Dark Mountain's statue of the God of Berserkers…" Su Ming's heart beat thunderously against his chest, it felt like it was about to burst. However, at that moment, the stone on his neck emitted warmth into his body, making the uncomfortable feeling disappear.

It stunned Su Ming momentarily. He was about to instinctively look down when the elder spoke.

"Come forth in order and enter the statue of the God of Berserkers to worship him!"

The moment he finished speaking, a young man walked forward briskly and stood underneath the statue. Then he just disappeared. After a while, at the very place he disappeared, the young man was teleported back looking disappointed. He stepped aside without a word.

"Next!" The one who spoke was the tribe leader of Dark Mountain Tribe. His gaze was serious. He looked at each and every one of the La Sus.

One by one, the La Sus who were at the age of Awakening stepped forth. They disappeared and reappeared again after a while. This continued until a girl stepped into the statue and it glowed a brilliant shade of red.

The entire tribe looked forth in excitement, even the elder focused his gaze on the statue. They saw that the statue glowed red nine times consecutively before the girl was transferred back.

"She possesses a Berserker Body!"

"The statue has shined nine times. This is proof that she has a Berserker Body!"

When the girl appeared, her face was bright with happiness.

"Your name is Wu La, no? Very good, come stand by my side." The elder smiled faintly and nodded at the girl as he looked at her.

As he watched the girl move towards the elder, Su Ming fell silent. Then he gritted his teeth and walked towards the statue. His actions immediately caught the attention of the other members of the tribe.

The members of Dark Mountain Tribe were mostly kind towards the young man who was obviously different from them. They kept their gazes on Su Ming until he stood underneath the statue.

Su Ming took a deep breath and cast a glance at his elder, who was looking back at him not far away. He closed his eyes. The moment he did so, he felt an indescribable force enveloping his entire body like he was being sucked into mud. When he opened his eyes, everything around him had changed.

This was not Dark Mountain Tribe, but a small space which was completely dark save for the black statue emitting a red glow floating before him.

This statue was the same as the statue he saw outside and it emitted the same aura of ancient savagery.

As he watched the statue of the God of Berserkers, Su Ming fell silent and bowed deeply towards it.

Once he was done, Su Ming's face was filled with bitterness. He knew it. If he had the Body of Berserkers, he only needed to bow once for the statue to emit a red glow. This was just like nine years ago. There was absolutely no change within the statue.

"There is no way I can become a Berserker…" Su Ming bit his lip and sighed. Then, he turned to leave.

However, at the very moment he turned around, he froze and turned back to look at the statue. He was shocked!

At the same time, he saw the stone he had been ignoring all this while emitting a piercing light…

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Chapter 5: Strange Occurrences

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Under Dark Mountain, practically all the tribe members were gathered at the center watching the La Sus partaking in the Awakening.

At that moment, the giant statue floating in midair trembled and there was a roaring sound. The sound came too suddenly, and it stunned all the members of the tribe momentarily.

The elder's eyes shone and he quickly stepped forward. He did not look at the statue of the God of Berserkers but cast his gaze immediately towards the sky. His gaze turned solemn.

By then, many members of the tribe had noticed the abnormality and lifted their heads towards the sky.

When they did, they saw clouds of black smoke forming in the air at maddening speed. The smoke was gathered from all directions and it quickly formed a whirlwind in the air. The whirlwind covered at least half of the sky and the entirety of the Dark Mountain. Even if the mountain range was huge, they could still see and tell that something abnormal was happening on the land.

Once the whirlwind was formed, it started turning slowly and let out thunderous roars which reverberated throughout the surroundings. Within the whirlwind, there were numerous thunderbolts travelling about in arcs. As they crackled in the whirlwind, the thunder rumbled.

"Have our Berserker Ancestors returned?!" Someone from Dark Mountain Tribe exclaimed. All of them knelt down and their gazes filled with reverence and fear. They turned towards heaven and worshiped.

The only ones who remained standing were the elder and the leaders of the tribe. Besides the elder, the other leaders all looked alarmed.

The speed of the whirlwind became faster. After a while, a typhoon began sweeping through the land. It affected the entire land around Dark Mountain.

The floating statue trembled violently like it could not withstand the pressure that resulted from the whirlwind.

On the other side of Dark Mountain, there was a tribe about the same size. The tribe's name was Black Mountain. At that moment, all the tribe members were dumbstruck as a statue of the God of Berserkers about the size of 100 feet appeared before them in midair.

The statue's size was completely black and had no human characteristics. It looked like a lizard and it kept trembling as if it was about to fall apart. Underneath the statue was a wizened and thin old man wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt made of sackcloth. His gaze was dark and his thoughts were unknown to the others around him.

The same thing happened within the other tribes near Dark Mountain and even within some tribes that were located further away.

No one knew what was happening and how the whirlwind came to be, not even the elder of Dark Mountain Tribe. He had neglected to think about Su Ming, who had gone into the statue of the God of Berserkers for worship.

When the dim light appeared within the statue of the God of Berserkers at Dark Mountain Tribe's settlement, it occupied the entire space within the statue. It bathed the entire area in its strange light, and Su Ming was stupefied for what he saw next. He saw the statue he was supposed to worship shaking, as if it was waking up after a long slumber. It was almost like it had a physical body.

He saw that the statue, which was in itself terrifying to look at, trembling furiously while being bathed in the light, as though it could not withstand the light.

The statue of the God of Berserkers was crafted in the image of a hybrid between a man and a beast, something like a chimera. In its left hand it held a huge dragon, and in its right a spear. As it shook, the savage vibe Su Ming felt earlier changed into fear, and Su Ming was left wondering whether he was imagining it.

Su Ming's mind was blank. He did not know what was happening and he did not know what to do. He just stood there, stunned.

His entire body was also covered in the light that emitted from the stone on his neck. It made him look like he had fused into the space around him. As the light grew brighter, the world within the statue of the God of Berserkers became completely tainted by the color from the stone.

Su Ming felt something shattering in his head. It was as if a barrier had just been broken by an invisible force. It caused his body to tremble and in his head, he saw an odd image.

It was a huge plain. Su Ming looked down from where he was in midair. What he saw was hundreds upon thousands of people appearing on the land. He could not see the end of the crowd. There just seemed to be no end to it.

"Where… is this?" Su Ming muttered. This scene shocked him so completely it made him incapable of thought.

The people were divided into two crowds. They all knelt on the ground and lifted their hands to worship the heavens. There were also desolate drumming sounds thundering in the air. It formed a melody that seemed to resonate with souls and captivate all those who listened.

All around Su Ming were hundreds of gigantic statues of the God of Berserkers. Each statue was unique on its own and all of them exuded an air of ancient savagery. Their bodies appeared to be made of flesh as if they had life.

They too knelt down on one knee and lifted their hands in worship towards the sky!

Su Ming lifted his head and he saw…

…At the highest point of the sky were two people who could only be described as having reached the pinnacle of humanity. Su Ming could not see their faces, but with only one glance, he thought he was looking at the glory of heaven, and he was just an ant beneath their feet.

They were just like real gods!

One of them had long, purple hair. He raised his right hand and waved it at the sky. Immediately, the world experienced a change. In an instant, day became night and stars shone brightly in the sky. As the person waved his hand, the stars seemed to be attracted by a force and fell from the sky. They gathered by the purple haired person's side and formed a river of stars.

The man pointed at a direction with his right hand and the river of stars let out a monstrous blast before speeding towards their enemies. The scene was akin to heaven collapsing, and the powers of the entire sky were transferred to one single person.

The man in purple lowered his gaze suddenly during the blast, and as he looked at the crowd, his eyes locked with Su Ming's.

Su Ming could feel his mind being attacked. There was a great force pushing him out, and he was expelled from the seemingly illusionary world.

Su Ming trembled, his sight was covered by darkness. After a long while, he snapped out of his daze and found himself still inside the statue of the God of Berserkers. There was no light around him and it seemed like it was all in his imagination.

Su Ming's breathing was quick and shallow. His entire body was drenched in sweat. He looked at the stone hanging from his neck. It was still black and it emitted the tiniest bit of warmth, but there was nothing else unusual about it.

"Was it an illusion… or was it the statue's memories…? Just now… it was just like the writings in the scroll. That was the power to control the stars and the skies…" After a long while, Su Ming got out from his shock. His gaze was filled with uncertainty and his thoughts were in a mess. He fell silent for a while. Then he got up and bowed once more towards the statue, getting ready to leave.

Yet just as he was about to bow down, he heard a chipping sound before him. He saw a small crack on the statue's face which seemed to grow as Su Ming lowered his back further.

The statue gave the impression that it could not bear having Su Ming bowing down to it. It was like if Su Ming bowed down and worshiped it, the statue would break apart. Su Ming took in a sharp breath at this strange sight. He had no doubt about it. What he saw was not an illusion!

At the very moment the statue cracked apart, there were low mumbling sounds reverberating in his head. Those low murmurs made Su Ming's eyes light up in ecstasy. This sound was what he had been hoping for; the ways to train in Berserker Arts for those who had reached the Blood Solidification Realm!

It was impossible to pass down the ways through oral tradition. The only way was by obtaining it from the statue of the God of Berserkers. Hence, the presence of such a statue was of extreme importance in a tribe, as it was connected to the tribe's survival.

When the low murmurs disappeared, Su Ming's body also disappeared from within the statue and reappeared amid Dark Mountain Tribe. When he appeared, he saw all his tribesmen, including the elder, with their heads lifted towards the sky. He felt his heart pounding against his chest and he followed their gazes upward.

The giant whirlwind was still swirling about, letting out low rumbling sounds.

"Su Ming, come to my side." Su Ming heard the elder's voice nearby. He was afraid. He could feel the abnormality in the air and he knew it had something to do with the stone hanging from his neck. However, he did not dare say it out loud. He walked towards the elder in trepidation and stood behind him.

Before long, the scene in the sky gradually disappeared and returned to normal. No one asked whether Su Ming was successful as there was no light from the statue when it was his turn, and that could only mean failure.

The remaining La Sus entered the statue to worship once more as soon as the sky returned to normal. When they were all done, two children were known to possess the Berserker Body at the age of 16 during that Awakening ritual.

The two children were taken away by the elder as they were going to be important members of the tribe. They would learn about various experiences when training in the Ways of the Berserkers.

The other La Sus left in disappointment. Su Ming went back in silence but his heart was beating increasingly faster. He wanted to tell the elder everything, but somewhere in his mind he knew that this was too serious a matter to be discussed, especially since the statue of the God of Berserkers had cracked because of this.

Su Ming walked into his house while he thought about it.

The elder looked at Su Ming's back from afar, puzzled.

Su Ming went back into his house hurriedly and sat on his wooden bed. He looked at the black and uneven stone on his chest with an uncertain gaze. After a while, he reached out to take off the necklace, but he hesitated. He got up and barred the door with a wooden block. If anyone decided to come in, he would know and have time to prepare for it.

After that, he sat down and held the stone in his hand, observing it carefully.

'Just what is this stone? Xiao Hong found it, so it might have been because the wind was too strong and it was revealed after all the leaves were blown away. Then Xiao Hong picked it up…'

Su Ming's heart pounded furiously against his chest. He had a feeling he just got his hands on a piece of treasure.

'Even the statue of the God of Berserkers cracked before it… I wonder where Xiao Hong got this. Are there more of these?'

Su Ming licked his lips. His eyes were filled with excitement.

'I did not possess the Berserker Body and could not inherit the ways to train in Berserker Arts, but this thing allowed me to obtain it!'

Su Ming took a deep breath and quelled his excitement. Then, he focused all his energy on the stone.

Time passed, and Su Ming grew tired. He held the stone in his hand and fell asleep on his bed.

The stone began emitting a very dim glow once again.

Translator's Note:

An explanation on some measurements in the story:

1. Let's begin with a simple one. 1 时辰 is equivalent to 2 hours. Since时辰is a time measuring system used only during the dynasties and the translation is still hours, I've decided to convert it to our hour based system, which means that every single time you see 2 hours or anything related to hours in this novel, it is 2 hours of our time, not 4 hours.

2. 丈is also a measurement system used during the dynasties. 1 丈 is equal to 10 尺, and 1尺 is equal to 1 foot,which is 30.3cm. So, 1 丈is 3.3m. Since丈 does not exist in the western world and I want to try avoiding the use of pinyin as much as possible (unless they are proper nouns for proper places and things), I decided to convert all measurements of 丈 to feet, hence when you see 3丈 in the original text, it means 30 feet. 1,000丈 is 10,000 feet.

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Chapter 6: Dream

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

"Brother…"

"Brother…"

A fragile voice that had a unique sounding tone echoed in Su Ming's dreams.

"Brother… Are you listening? Brother…"

"Brother… I'm waiting for you…" The voice was tired as if it had been calling out for eternity. It became weaker and the sound slowly disappeared.

As the voice grew weaker, Su Ming felt a gut-wrenching pain in his dreams. It was as though something of utmost importance to him disappeared along with the voice. The feeling jolted him awake from his sleep.

Su Ming felt cold. He was drenched in his sweat. His face was pale and he was breathing heavily. He looked at his surroundings and began to calm down when he saw that he was surrounded by familiar sights.

It was midnight. He could hear the sounds of birds and beasts from afar. Aside from that, everything was silent. Su Ming sat up quietly on his bed and looked at the stone in his hand. He looked doubtful.

'That dream just now was weird… I wasn't tired either but I fell asleep as I was observing the stone. That dream… that voice…'

Su Ming's face was clouded with uncertainty. He rarely had dreams and he definitely never dreamed about something like that before. Yet somehow, the girl's voice was oddly familiar.

'All of this must be related to this thing!'

Su Ming lowered his gaze and looked carefully at the stone in his hand using the moonlight as his source of light. He frowned.

'Just what is this…?'

He hesitated for a brief moment and then bit his finger. According to the scroll, most of the treasures in the world could only be activated with blood.

Up until then, Su Ming had never seen such treasures before. The stone was the only one he had ever seen. As the blood from his finger fell on top of the stone, Su Ming began to look at it expectantly.

Yet after a long while, nothing happened. There was no sign of the blood being absorbed either.

Su Ming scratched his head, but he was stubborn. He got up and used all sorts of methods, be it biting the stone with his teeth, trying to force it apart with his hands, and even soaking it in water. Nevertheless, there were still no changes on stone.

It was almost dawn. Su Ming held the stone in his hands and his mind wandered. Time passed and morning arrived. As the sun rose, Su Ming got an idea.

'When I placed it on my chest, I felt some sort of heat from it. Perhaps… This might be its use!'

Su Ming placed the stone once again around his neck without hesitation, letting it hang close to his chest.

Waves of warmth spread out and seeped into Su Ming's body. That warmth traveled through his body, enveloping his entire body in a comfortable feeling. He took a deep breath, and in his mind, Su Ming saw the methods to train in Berserker Arts which he obtained from the statue.

Berserk was the origin of all things in the world. Now, Su Ming had obtained the methods to train in the first realm in Berserker Arts – the methods to train in the Blood Solidification Realm.

Su Ming knew from the scroll that since ancient times, when their Berserker Ancestors created heaven and earth, all humans possessed remarkable abilities. Yet as time passed, the Berserker Tribe became a legend. They were no longer as they were before. They had all become common people.

The methods to train in Berserker Arts were also passed down from ancient times, but they had been modified to suit the present Berserker Tribes. The very first realm, the Blood Solidification Realm was divided into 11 levels. It allowed the practitioners to activate the Berserker Blood they had inherited from their ancestors and solidify it.

The power of the statue of the God of Berserkers was in reality used to search for those who had inherited denser Berserker Blood from their ancestors, and these people were deemed to possess Berserker Bodies. Only they could walk on and travel down the path of Berserkers.

A normal member of the tribe would not be recognized by the statue because their blood was thin with Berserker Blood. That was why they did not possess the right to become Berserkers. That was also why when they worshiped the statue of the God of Berserkers, they would not obtain the ways to train in Berserker Arts

However, Su Ming was special. He may not have possessed a Berserker Body, but due to this mysterious stone, he obtained the ways to train in Berserker Arts. Berserker Arts was something difficult to pass down even through oral tradition, and it was something only possible for the tribes who possessed the statue of the God of Berserkers.

"Focus and solidify the Berserker Blood in your blood veins and you will awaken the blood. Draw the Berserker Mark unique to your own to Transcend!" Su Ming muttered with his eyes shining brightly.

He sat down cross legged and took a few deep breaths. He closed his eyes slowly. After that, he gradually immersed himself in the training method he obtained.

Soon after, the sun had risen to the peak of the sky. Smoke could be seen, signaling the bonfire was lit in the tribe. The tribe started to bustle with activity. The hunting team, led by several leaders in the tribe, ventured out to hunt for food with blessings from their families.

Some of the La Sus who were around four to five years old were running around naked and playing happily. The cheerful sounds brought about smiles on the faces of the tribe members.

The two tribe members who were told that they possessed Berserker Bodies were at the elder's house. They were listening to lectures on how to train in Berserker Arts, as well as how to become a Berserker and how to become an important asset to the tribe.

As of that point in time, Dark Mountain Tribe only had 22 Berserkers after the older generation had passed away.

No one noticed the door to Su Ming's house was shut tightly that morning. Within the house, he was emitting a dim, blood red light. The light came from every single vein in his body. It was a bewitching sight to behold as his blood veins glinted in red.

Only one blood vein emerged from Su Ming's body and it appeared vague. It looked like it could not manifest itself completely.

After a long while, Su Ming opened his eyes and his breathing was shaky.

"If more blood veins emerge during the training in the Blood Solidification Realm, then it means the possibilities of Transcending would also be greater. But reaching the Transcendence Realm is too hard. According to the scroll, only those who have Transcended their physical limitations have the right to call themselves Berserker Masters. A person who has arrived at the Transcendence Realm has at least the ability to turn a small tribe into a medium sized tribe!"

"The elder has already solidified half of the Berserker Blood in his body but he has yet to reach Transcendence. There is no one around us who has yet to reach the Transcendence Realm."

Su Ming continued mumbling. The Transcendence Realm was a dream too far away for him at that moment. He was worried whether he could manage to even reach the first level in the Blood Solidification Realm.

To reach the first level in the Blood Solidification Realm, he needed at least three of his blood veins to emerge.

Those who possessed a Berserker Body would be able to manifest three blood veins very quickly into their training and arrive at the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm. They would be unlike Su Ming, who could barely even manifest the first vein.

He was off to a rocky start, but Su Ming did not give up. As long as he could train, he had hope.

Besides, when he was trying to make all the blood veins in his body emerge, he could feel the stone on his chest growing hotter. This lifted Su Ming's spirits. He had a feeling that he held the key to the activation of his treasure.

Seven days had passed. Within those seven days, Su Ming barely left his house. He was seldom hungry, which puzzled his mind. It was stated in the scroll that Berserkers would have an increased appetite during the Blood Solidification Realm because they were activating all the blood veins in their bodies. This would allow them to grow faster physically and create more fresh blood for their training.

However, there was no sign of hunger within Su Ming. He thought about it and attributed this to the strange warmth emitted by stone.

Within those seven days as well, Lei Chen dropped by once to give Su Ming the mink deer blood and take some Dark Dragon's Saliva. Lei Chen was tested and proven to possess the Berserker Body when he was seven. He had already reached the fourth level of the Blood Solidification Realm by now. He was able to manifest 23 blood veins from his body and even within the hunting team, his abilities were at least of an average level.

Before he left, he hesitated briefly. He wanted to cheer Su Ming up, but in the end, he chose to look at Su Ming and speak honestly.

"Su Ming, we grew up together. I'll protect you from now on. If anyone bullies you, then they're my enemy as well!" Once he finished, he swung his arm in a powerful manner and left with a boyish grin.

Su Ming watched Lei Chen leave feeling touched.

Life in the tribe was simple but it was not boring. Almost all of the members of the tribe had their own task to perform to contribute to the tribe.

Half a month after the Berserker's Awakening, Su Ming once again took his basket and left for the forest alone after reporting to the members of the tribe.

Su Ming was like a different person once he went into the forest. He was agile. He could speed forth like an arrow with a jump and climb up a big tree with just a few leaps. As he sat on a tree branch, he smiled. He was proud of his own speed.

Even if I haven't completed the first level of Blood Solidification Realm, my body has become much more agile than before.

Su Ming placed two fingers in his mouth and whistled. The whistle travelled far and echoed as it did. Soon, a flash of red came from afar. The red blur was quick and it reached Su Ming in a flash.

Su Ming grinned widely and jumped forward as soon as the blurry red figure approached. It screamed and chased after Su Ming.

"Xiao Hong, let's see who reaches the top of the mountain first today!" There was joy in Su Ming's voice, and as he spoke, he ran forward. Behind him was Xiao Hong. The monkey's face was scornful. It did not think that competing with Su Ming was something worth doing. It was even eating a fruit in its hand at that moment. Xiao Hong scratched its face and chased after Su Ming lazily.

However, the monkey soon grew restless and its screams became sharper. Its gaze was filled with shock and it threw away the fruit in rage, chasing after Su Ming with everything it had.

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Chapter 7: Gift

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming never stopped moving in the forest. His body was like an arrow as he shot through the forest using his familiarity with the forest and his agility. Very soon, Dark Dragon Mountain appeared before his eyes. Once he got out of the forest, he would be able to get into Dark Dragon Mountain.

For Su Ming, who came to this mountain since he was young to collect herbs, every single living thing here gave off an aura that put him at ease.

"It's written in the scroll that the Berserkers can increase their strength by calling forth their blood and make their bodies stronger while they are training in the Blood Solidification Realm due to honing the Berserker Blood within their bodies. I thought I would never obtain such an opportunity but to think that I would be able to experience it today!"

"To reach the first level in the Blood Solidification Realm, the manifestation of three blood veins is needed. But even if I have yet to manifest all three, my speed has increased by leaps and bounds. Even my strength has…" Su Ming jumped forward and whilst in midair, he swung his right fist at the giant tree beside him.

With a huge crash, the faint outline of his fist could be seen on the tree. But at the same time, Su Ming's right hand also felt numb, though his face was filled with excitement.

But as he was drowning in excitement, a flash of red ran past him and let out a string of proud screeches. Obviously, it was made by the little monkey who felt pleased with itself for catching up to Su Ming and surpassing him.

Su Ming smiled and chased after the red blur. His speed did not decrease but he could not catch up to the little monkey. In the past, every single time he reached Dark Dragon Mountain, that monkey would be waiting for him impatiently with a face filled with scorn as if it had been waiting for him for a long time.

But now, after two hours, as Su Ming climbed Dark Dragon Mountain and reached the same big rock with a hollow located in one of the mountains, he saw the monkey. While it still looked at him with scorn and disdain, its forehead was covered in sweat, showing that while it had arrived before him, it did not wait for long this time.

Su Ming smiled and went up to touch the monkey's head. He took off the basket and stood on top of the rock. As he looked at the mist around the area, he took a deep breath.

He liked standing there looking at the sights before him, even if there was a deep canyon right underneath. If he took a few steps forward and if wind blew at him right then and there, it would cause him to stumble and fall. It was a dangerous place, but Su Ming had been climbing this mountain ever since he was young. To him, this place was like a second home.

"Xiao Hong, how does it look like on the other side of the mountain… have you gone there before?" Su Ming's hide shirt swayed along the wind and let out light flapping sounds. Instinctively, he reached out with his right hand and touched the black stone on his chest.

The monkey by his side rolled its eyes and looked at the land located far away. It did not bother to reply Su Ming, but lowered its head to tug at its own fur as if it was looking for something.

Su Ming scratched his nose when he saw the little monkey grooming itself and ignoring him. He shook his head and smiled, then decided to sit down cross-legged on the spot where he stood.

"Xiao Hong, I'm not going to return to the tribe for a while this time. I might be staying here for a while, so if you go out and play, get some fruits back for me."

The monkey beside him immediately lifted its head and looked at him with surprised eyes. It looked at Su Ming scrutinizingly, then smiled happily and nodded. It usually only got to spend three to five days with Su Ming. When Su Ming returned to the tribe, it would be left alone in the forest. Once it understood what Su Ming said, it was extremely happy.

Su Ming took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes slowly as he felt the wind on his face. He was about to begin training there until he reached the first level in the Blood Solidification Realm. Only then would he leave.

After all, Su Ming did not know how to explain what happened to him. Somewhere in his mind, he wanted to keep this a secret and let no one know about it.

A red vein appeared from Su Ming's body soon after he closed his eyes. This red vein was giving off a dim red glow. It was no longer glinting, but showing signs of manifestation.

It was the same red vein that had only appeared vaguely half a month ago. The same red vein that was now manifesting itself completely.

Su Ming may not have any talent in practicing the Ways of the Berserker, but he was not the type to give up easily. Now, as he sat down with his legs crossed to train, time passed by slowly.

The sun rose and set, the mist in the sky gathered and dispersed. The sounds of the birds and beasts echoed in the mountains, forming a sort of tranquility. Surrounded by that peace, Su Ming opened his eyes on the second day in the morning.

He moved his body. When he looked back, he saw that the little monkey had gone off, but there were some fruits on the ground and some cores left from fruits that had been completely devoured.

Su Ming picked up some of the fruits and ate a dozen of them. With his appetite, the fruits could only make him partially full. He may like to eat fruits but he was not fond of eating too many in one go.

Once he finished eating, Su Ming sat down immediately and focused on refining the Berserker Blood within his body. But this time, Su Ming opened his eyes after a few moments with a puzzled look on his face.

"The first blood vein has already manifested, but it seems like there's not enough blood in me for the second vein to appear…" Su Ming did not know how to describe it. It was as if the first vein itself absorbed more than half of the fresh blood in his body and there was not enough blood for the second vein to manifest itself.

It was difficult to explain, but that was what Su Ming felt.

"I don't have enough blood…" Su Ming scratched his head and sighed. He did not know that practitioners of the ways of the Berserker, especially during the initial stages, while requiring a strong body to train, would also need to take in a huge amount of medicine that would greatly boost the formation of blood within the body to increase the speed of their training and subsequently allow each vein to manifest one after another.

The strength of a Berserker in the Blood Solidification Realm was directly linked to the amount of blood veins and blood he had. The more blood a Berserker had, he would also be able to manifest more blood veins, and he would be stronger! Once the power was released, even with just their physical strength alone, they could tear apart a huge beast. This was Berserker Power!

All these were the secrets of the tribe. Only those who possessed Berserker Bodies had the right to know about it.

"When the members of the tribe were injured, they would lose a large amount of blood. Their faces would grow pale and they would be weak. At that time, they would need to consume herbs that would help with the formation of blood…" Su Ming's eyes lit up. After some careful thinking, he immediately slung the basket over his back and jumped towards the side of the mountain. This time, his speed was extremely fast and he returned about an hour later.

When he returned, there were some herbs with dirt still attached to them in his basket. Once he cleaned those herbs, Su Ming took out a stone bowl from the basket. He crushed the herbs and mixed it with dew, which turned into a dark green concoction that emitted a strange smell.

But he was already used to this smell. He breathed in a few whiffs of the smell, then added more herbs. Once it was done, he took a deep breath and drank the whole thing down.

It was disgusting. Su Ming frowned in discomfort but forced himself to drink the whole thing before sitting down with his legs crossed again.

It was not until midnight before Su Ming opened his eyes again. When he did, he stared into the darkness and let his mind wander.

"There's a little effect… but only a little. The method is correct, but something is still wrong…" Su Ming frowned. He could not tell his elder about this. He could only rely on himself to solve the problem.

"That's what's wrong!" Su Ming's eyes lit up. As the common healer in the tribe, it was his job to collect herbs. He remembered every time he went to collect herbs, his elder would usually select some herbs from the pile and take it away. The rest would be given to the tribe leader and distributed to the tribe according to need. The herbs would be taken out of the herb storage when there was a need to use them to create medicine to cure the wounded and the sick.

Dark Dragon's Saliva was among those taken away by the elder. But Dark Dragon's Saliva was no longer of any use to him, and thus, all of them were given to Su Ming to nourish his body.

"There's still some Dark Dragon's Saliva left after I gave some to Lei Chen." Su Ming immediately ruffled through the contents in the side pocket of the basket and took out the small bottle. When he opened it, there was the familiar fragrance wafting in the air. He shook it lightly. There was only a little less than half left.

Without any hesitation, Su Ming placed the bottle by his lips and drank all the contents in one mouthful.

Then he immediately sat down with his legs crossed, immersing himself in refining and solidifying the Berserker Blood in his veins. Su Ming had been drinking Dark Dragon's Saliva since he was young. Every time he drank it, he would feel a bit faint with a sensation as if he was about to fall asleep drunk.

But this was the first time he drank Dark Dragon's Saliva to assist in his Berserker training. As the blood in his veins circulated in his body, he could feel a cold sensation growing within his body, spreading to all parts of his body very quickly.

The cold gradually fused with the blood in his veins and increased the rate of circulation in his body. There were even signs of his blood rate increasing.

"I knew it!" Su Ming felt excited. As he continued channeling his blood, his body suddenly shivered. He opened his eyes, his face filled with disbelief and doubt.

"How could this… Is it the elder?"

Within his body, Su Ming could clearly feel the coldness emerging from all parts of his body as he absorbed the chill brought about by Dark Dragon's Saliva. That cold feeling seemed to have existed in his body for many years and had been laying dormant, waiting for the time to rush forth the moment he started refining the blood in his veins.

And the key to activate it was the same Dark Dragon's Saliva that Su Ming drank!

Now, that cold seemed to gather from every part of his body, crashing through his veins like a gigantic wave to form a sea.

This was a gift which the elder prepared for him when he was young. His body that had been nourished by Dark Dragon's Saliva was the gift. If Su Ming walked on the Ways of the Berserker, then this power would aid him immensely in the earlier stages of his training. If he did not have the gift to practice in the Ways of the Berserker, then it would help keep his body healthy.

Su Ming was dumbfounded. He could almost see his elder's kind eyes and his expectations towards him as he grew older over the years. Most of all, he remembered the disappointment in his eyes half a month ago.

"Elder…" Su Ming mumbled. There was a low rumbling sound within his body. The vast amount of Dark Dragon's Saliva that had gathered in his body over time rushed forth to drive his blood forward, causing the second blood vein in his body to appear immediately and manifest quickly.

As the second blood vein appeared, the third blood vein immediately followed suit!

There were even signs of the fourth blood vein appearing vaguely!

Su Ming's body began rapidly growing bigger. The speed and the strength of his blood circulation brought about his physical growth. If this continued, then he would no longer be frail and weak, and he would be just like the other members of his tribe. He would obtain a strong body.

Yet at that very moment, the stone hanging off Su Ming's chest suddenly gave off the very same piercing light as it did in the statue of the God of Berserkers!

The moment the light came, things changed!

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Chapter 8: Barrenness!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

As the cold light appeared, Su Ming could clearly feel a strong wave of heat emitting from his chest and travelling through his entire body quickly. It spread throughout his body in an instant and fused together with the cold brought by the Dark Dragon's Saliva, permeating into his blood.

A clear roar could be heard from within Su Ming's body. As he was sitting down trembling furiously, the fourth blood vein manifested itself.

At the same time, a large amount of black filth seeped out of Su Ming's pores. There was even a terrible stench in the air, but it disappeared along with the wind.

With three blood veins, one could reach the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm. Now, Su Ming had become a Berserker who reached the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm!

Still, he kept his eyes closed. There were no signs of him waking up. As time passed, the solidification of his blood gradually stopped as the fourth blood vein manifested.

When the little monkey returned the next morning while sniffing at its right claw with a pleased look on its face, it was surprised when it saw Su Ming covered entirely in black filth. It scratched its head in confusion then circled Su Ming a few times.

It may have obtained intelligence, but it did not know what was happening then. Curious, it approached Su Ming and reached out a claw, wanting to pat Su Ming.

Just as it was about to touch Su Ming, the light once appeared strongly from within Su Ming's body. It reached its brightest in an instant and enveloped Su Ming entirely, making the monkey hang its mouth open in shock. Then before its very eyes, Su Ming's body disappeared.

To the little monkey, Su Ming was taken by the light. This scene made it widen its eyes and let out a piercing screech. It rushed towards where Su Ming disappeared and began searching in frenzy, but it found nothing. It stood there, unmoving and stunned.

Su Ming did not know where he was. He was currently looking at his surroundings in confusion. The place was enveloped in white mist. He could see too far into the distance, but he could see the vague outline of the peak of a mountain before him.

He had just woken up, but he remembered he was in Dark Mountain. He could not understand how he got there.

His gaze slowly turned cautious. He first lowered his gaze and looked at his chest, then felt his heart missing a beat. The strange black piece of debris was missing from his chest.

"It's gone…" Su Ming was shocked. He looked around at his surroundings, then stood up slowly. His gaze was dark and alert as he started walking towards the mist covered mountaintop.

The mountain was not far away. Within a short amount of time, Su Ming was standing at the foot of the mountain. As he lifted his head, he took in a sharp breath.

It was the peak of a mountain for sure, but there were no plants on it. It was instead a barren land, as if it had been polished smoothly. There were a lot of pictures carved on it, mountains, rivers, strange beasts, the sky… and even words that Su Ming have never seen before. The place gave off a feeling as if it was from ancient times, as if came straight from the stories about the age of the Savages.

At the very moment Su Ming looked at the carvings on the mountaintop, a roaring sound echoed in the air. A crack appeared right in the middle of the mountain, as if it was cut apart by an invisible force.

The crack was narrow, and he could see how far it went down. It stopped under Su Ming's feet.

Su Ming briefly hesitated then gritted his teeth. He was already here, and he did not know how to get out of the place. He did not even know where he was. Now that there was a path before him, he had to trudge forward.

Somewhere in his mind he felt that this was connected in some way to the black piece of debris, because he remembered clearly the heat emitted by the debris.

Su Ming felt as if he walked for a long time as he went into the mountain following the narrow crack. The road before him gradually grew wider. There were also a lot of weird carvings on the walls around him. Su Ming could not understand it, but there were various plants and herbs on the cravings. There were also some naked people with messy hair surrounding an odd big pot fiddling around with the herbs.

He continued observing the carvings until he caught a glimpse of the end out of the corner of his eyes. There was a door at the end, and Su Ming paused in his footsteps as he stood at the door.

The same carving was on the door. There were give different herbs carved in the drawing. Uneven strings emitting the cold light Su Ming was already familiar with surrounded the drawing of the five herbs and formed a circle, completely covering the door.

Right at the centre of the door were fifteen small holes. They looked as if something could be placed within. The holes formed a circle.

Su Ming frowned then scrutinized the door. He took a look at his surroundings again, then cast his gaze at the five herbs on the door.

"This is… Iron Core Flower. That's right, it's the Iron Core Flower!

"This is… it looks like Joyleaf, but it also looks like the Iced Catalpa Plant…"

"This is the Night Glitter Branch! I often collect these."

"What is this…? It looks really familiar…"

"I've never seen the last one…" After looking at it for a while, Su Ming hesitated. He did not know whether he should try and push the door open.

Just as he was hesitating, he saw the strings surrounding the five herbs move and shine so brightly it could blind the eyes. As Su Ming was stunned by the moment, the light floated from the door and sped towards Su Ming.

The light was too quick, and Su Ming had no time to dodge. Within just a moment, he was enveloped by the light.

At the same time, a lot of memories not belonging to Su Ming flooded into his mind. These memories seemed to have been brought along with the light and forced their way into his head. It made Su Ming uncomfortable.

He saw the figure of a person. He was just like the other people in the other drawings, throwing herbs into a big pot. The person's actions were very fluid. Each time he threw the herbs in, he would take a sniff at the herbs, then his gaze became serious. He waved at the air with his right hand and a wave of fire appeared in the air encircling the big pot.

The process was extremely complicated. Even the size of the fire had to be controlled. Su Ming had never seen this before. It was not as complicated in the tribe either. They would usually just eat the herbs or at most turn them into a concoction to increase the effects.

Su Ming became engrossed with the memories in his head. A long time passed before the person slammed his right hand against the pot.

Immediately, the flame around the pot disappeared. The person opened the lid of the strange pot, and Su Ming immediately saw three green spherical objects the size of nails within the big pot.

Even if they were just memories in his head, Su Ming could still faintly smell the scent of medicinal herbs in the air. When he looked at the three spherical objects, he became completely stunned, as if he was hit by lightning.

He had been making medicine since he was young. With just a glance, he could tell the quality of various medicines. As he was now, he could not even begin imagining the effects of these spherical objects.

The light around his body disappeared and returned to the door, causing the numerous strings that formed the circle on the door to also move.

As the light faded, Su Ming's sight became clouded. He moved as if he was pushed by an invisible force. When his view cleared, a red blur came screeching towards him in joy.

The red blur was, of course, Xiao Hong. It climbed over Su Ming and jumped happily on his body. When Su Ming disappeared, it had been terrified. Now that it saw Su Ming return, it was happy.

Su Ming was stunned. He immediately looked at his surroundings and found that he had returned to the big rock on the Dark Dragon Mountain. He lowered his head and saw the piece of debris that had disappeared still hanging on his chest.

"All of this must be connected to this thing. Perhaps when I arrived at the first level of in the realm of Blood Solidification, I activated it, and all of that happened. Looking at Xiao Hong's reaction, I must not have been dreaming, but went physically to that place. Just what is this thing? Why is it here?" Su Ming mumbled softly as he recalled the memories in his head.

"Quenching… the medicinal pills…" After a long while, Su Ming mumbled out the name of the refining process he saw in his head.

"Scattering Dust…" This was the name of the medicinal pill, and it was also one of the many memories that appeared in his head.

Su Ming spoke in a low tone. In his mind he saw the carving on the door. His eyes lightened up gradually. He may not know where the place was, but it was clear that quenching thing he saw had piqued his interest.

In his view, the training to become a Berserker is related to those herbs that increased the blood rate in the body. They needed to consume lots of it to make their bodies stronger. That quenching process he saw in his head might be able to help immensely in his training.

"I've never seen a round medicinal pill like this in the tribe, not even the elder has seen one before, or else I would have definitely seen it. But that round medicinal pills seemed to be working pretty well. I wonder how strong the effects of the herbs would be once I finish refining it."

"Then my next step would be to look for those five herbs. Xiao Hong, have you ever seen these two types of herbs." Once Su Ming made his decision, he called out to Xiao Hong and picked up a stone, then drew the two herbs that he was unable to identify on the ground before he looked expectantly at Xiao Hong.

Xiao Hong looked at them with his teeth bared, then gave a nod.

Su Ming felt his spirits lift. He walked around the big rock several times as his mind quickly processed his thoughts.

"I can find the herbs, but making that sort of medicinal pills will be complicated. There's even fire involved. It'll be just like cooking rice… Interesting." Once Su Ming had his thoughts sorted out, he frowned.

He remembered that the pot itself was also odd. It was different from the pots used to cook rice in the tribe. As he was searching through the memories in his head, he learned the pot used for the quenching process had an odd name – the Barren Caldron.

"The pots used in the tribe should be useless… I'll also need fire." Su Ming lifted his head suddenly as he was mumbling. His eyes were bright as he looked at one of the mountains located further away among the five mountains in Dark Dragon Mountain.

That mountain was completely brown in color, and at this moment, there was smoke rolling out from the top of the mountain.

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Chapter 9: Red Mud

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Each one of the five mountains in the Dark Dragon Mountain are different. The mountain which produced the Dark Dragon's Saliva was the closest to the Dark Mountain Tribe. If he went any further, he might accidentally run into other people from other tribes.

That was why Su Ming spent most his time here. He would only venture to the other mountains to collect some rarer herbs, and he did so with caution.

Now, within Su Ming's sights, was the mountain which had smoke rolling down from its peak, Black Flame Mountain.

It is said that there was a huge amount of earthen fire1 within this mountain. A long time ago, this place was the centre of the Land of the Fire Berserker Tribe. Centuries may have passed since then, but if anyone approached this place, they could still feel waves of heat rolling off the very ground.

Su Ming was not unfamiliar with Black Flame Mountain. He had stepped foot in this place multiple times. He had even met the people from the Black Mountain Tribe before. If it were not for his speed aiding his escape, he would have died much earlier.

That place was very close to the Black Mountain Tribe. The Black Mountain Tribe had held grudges against the Dark Mountain Tribe for generations. The sizes of both tribes were about the same. There may be no battles between them, but there were scuffles among their hunting teams, and these scuffles tended to be bloody and cruel.

There was a moment of hesitation, but very soon Su Ming's eyes lit up as he had a plan. He turned his gaze away from Black Flame Mountain after a long while, then quickly walked towards the deeper parts of the flat stone. There were a few big stones at the hollowed part of the stone. When Su Ming took them away, he saw an object that had been hidden underneath by the stones.

It was a crudely made bow!

It may be crude, but the string of the bow, which was the size of a finger, was stretched tautly across the bow. Its power could be felt just by looking at it.

Only hunters were allowed to possess bows within the Dark Mountain Tribe. It was difficult for other tribe members to obtain one. Su Ming made the bow himself after he exchanged some materials with the herbs he collected. He did not take it back to the tribe but kept it here. This was a secret that only Lei Chen knew.

As he held the bow, Su Ming's lit up brightly. He took out another five arrows from underneath the big stones. The arrowheads were made from stone, and Su Ming would usually polish the arrowheads so that they would remain sharp.

He placed the five arrows on the basket over his back. Su Ming held the bow in his hand and whistled at the little monkey before pointing at the herbs he drew on the ground.

The little monkey understood him, and grinned at him displaying all its teeth before rushing forward in a red blur.

Su Ming followed closely behind carefully. With just a few leaps, the man and the monkey disappeared from where they stood.

If they were comparing their level of familiarity towards Dark Dragon Mountain, then Su Ming would never be able to compare with Xiao Hong. Under Xiao Hong's guidance, as the sun became a bright red and started to set, Su Ming's basket was filled with various medicinal herbs.

There were about seven or eight types of herbs in the basket, and there were plenty for each type. These were all the herbs that Su Ming saw from the drawing, and even herbs that were similar to the drawings. He was unable to identify them completely, that was why he decided to take the herbs that bore similarities to the drawings as well.

"You mean there's another herb that looks alike here?" It was almost twilight by this point. Su Ming and Xiao Hong were standing in the forest near Black Flame Mountain. He was pointing at a patch of black mud on the ground before them, looking at Xiao Hong.

Xiao Hong bobbed its head up and down, then gestured at Su Ming wildly before pointing at the setting sun in the sky.

Su Ming's eyes lit up in understanding. He squatted down and fixed his gaze at the swamp, waiting for the sun to set. Seconds ticked by slowly, and after half an hour, the light in the forest grew dim. It was almost as if everything outside a hundred feet radius within the forest had been consumed by darkness.

As soon as night fell on the land, bubbles suddenly emerged from the mud. There was also the vague shape of a red plant. It was rising up so quickly as if it was swimming forward. The odd sight made Su Ming's hair rise, but he did not move.

He watched as the red plant continued to swim in the mud, then slowly rise from it. It was the bud of a red flower. The roots were still hidden in the mud. It was obvious now that the flower had been moving about in the mud just now due to the movements of its roots.

As he watched the flower buds emerge from the mud, they bloomed before Su Ming's eyes and let out a nice fragrance. Su Ming only took a whiff and immediately, he felt as if his blood was boiling. It was as if his entire body was surrounded by flames and his skin burnt by the heat.

At that moment, Xiao Hong let out a nervous screech. Su Ming did not hesitate and rushed forward, grabbing the red flower closest to him. There was a sharp spatula made of stone in his hand, and with practiced movements he cut the flower part from its roots, then threw it into the basket over his back.

Once he was done, Su Ming did not linger and left quickly with Xiao Hong.

As soon as Su Ming left, there was the sound of a roar from a beast from within the mud, and all the red flowers immediately closed their petals before sinking into the mud once more. Soon, fresh blood emerged from the mud and the stench of blood filled the air.

Su Ming and Xiao Hong left in a hurry. When they sky darkened completely, they were sitting on a tree and looking through their haul using the moonlight.

There were many types of herbs in the basket, a sight which made Su Ming excited. He saw the quenching scene in his mind once again, and he became even more excited to do it.

"It's a pity I don't know the effects of the Scattering Dust…but it should be really good nonetheless." Su Ming licked his lips, casting his gaze towards two of the herbs in the basket.

These two herbs were similar in color, and if he was not looking at them closely they would look exactly the same. They are both red, and the only difference between them was that one of them had six petals, and the other five petals.

Su Ming was not familiar with those two herbs. They were the only ones he had never seen before in the making of the Scattering Dust. It was fortunate that Xiao Hong had seen them before and could bring Su Ming to them.

"Just which one of them is the one necessary to make the medicine?" Su Ming frowned, he swept his gaze along the two herbs. He had obtained the six petal flower from the mud. As he remembered the strange sight that had happened when it bloomed, Su Ming had a feeling that if he ate this raw, his body would explode.

He placed the herb once more in the basket and laid down on the branch, then took a bite at a piece of fruit. He watched the stars in the sky and breathed in the air in the forest. He could hear the sounds of the beasts and birds around him. It was as if he had become one with the forest, and it was a comfortable feeling.

Xiao Hong was grooming itself by the side, its eyes warily surveying their surroundings.

The man and the monkey spent the night on the tree just like that.

As the sun rose the next morning, Su Ming and Xiao Hong left the tree and hurried towards Black Flame Mountain as the forest was covered by darkness and surrounded by a thin veil of mist.

Su Ming remained on alert as he held the bow in his hands. Xiao Hong was also affected by this and was also wary of its surroundings. When the sun rose to the sky, the snow-like mist disappeared from the forest. There was a gigantic mountain before his eyes. The mountain was brown, and he could feel waves of heat rolling off the ground onto his face.

He could even see puffs of black smoke rising into the air at the very top of the mountain. It was a sight to behold from afar.

"Black Flame Mountain…" Su Ming muttered softly, then cast a wary eye at his surroundings before rushing up the mountain with no hesitation. He was already prepared before he came. There were a lot of heat repellent herbs under his feet, and with their presence, Su Ming could climb to the top the mountain without stopping.

He may be climbing really quickly, but he remained alert, and his wariness only increased as he climbed further up. He did not how long he took, but as he was halfway up the mountain, Xiao Hong let out a screech as he was about to continue upward.

Su Ming immediately hid his body in one of the cracks by the side of the mountain without any hesitation as soon as he heard the screech. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and lifted the bow in his right hand as he quickly took out an arrow. It was all done within the span of a breath. Xiao Hong arrived before Su Ming, and was now pressed closely to him.

Su Ming breathed slowly, his eyes cold. From where he stood, if any of the members of the Black Mountain Tribe noticed him, then they would have to fight till the death.

Very soon, soft voices travelled to where he stood, and there were even sounds of stones falling as they spoke.

"Why are they asking us to mine stones so early in the morning? What is this for anyway?"

"Stop complaining. This is a request from the tribe leader, we just need to do it. By the way, did you hear? The elder is about to reach the next level…"

"I also heard about it from the other tribe members that the elder is different than how he is usually. He's a bit terrifying now."

"Could the tribe leader be asking us to mine these stones for the elder?"

The voices became clearer and then gradually faded, Su Ming remained still as he stood pressed against the crack. It was not until the two people had gone further away that he let out a sigh of relief.

"Black Mountain Tribe's elder is about to reach the next level…I remember the elder once saying that the elder in Black Mountain Tribe was at the eighth level of the Blood Solidification Realm, but he has mastered an evil art just so that he could go up against the elder." Su Ming narrowed his eyes. He would have to return later to tell his elder about this.

He waited for a bit longer to make sure those two had gone far away, then Su Ming continued scaling the mountain. But at that moment, the little monkey by his side grabbed his shirt.

Su Ming immediately turned his head in alarm, but he only saw the monkey's face bright with excitement, pointing towards the crack they had stayed. There was a small, naturally formed hole over there, and steam was rising from it.

Su Ming immediately gave up on climbing the mountain any further and decided to approach the small hole. After careful scrutiny, he took off the basket on his back and brought it into the hole as he crawled into it, with Xiao Hong keeping close to his footsteps.

The hole was not big, and Su Ming only managed to get in because he was on the smaller side. If it were any of the other members of the Berserker Tribe, they would not have been able to make it in.

Translator's Notes

1 earthen fire (地火) actually refers to lava but since the word di huǒ was used, I decided to go the "we're from ancient times and we're really superstitious, what is lava?" route.

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Chapter 10: Quenching

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The hole was strange. It was completely even in size. When Su Ming saw the end of the hole some hundred feet later, he started slowing down.

He approached the exit carefully. As he looked out, he was momentarily stunned, then he took a deep breath.

This was a fire cave. There were vast amounts of stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The surface of these rocks were dry and cracked, as if they would crumble into pieces at any moment. The ground was black, but there were lines upon lines of red rocks flowing downwards, turning the place brown. The heat was even stronger in here compared to when they were outside.

There was a black skeleton hanging near him. The skeleton was about eighty to ninety feet long, and Su Ming could tell with just one glance that it was the skeleton of a python.

On the python's head was a horn about the size of an arm. It was black in color.

Su Ming had never seen such a long python before, but he remembered hearing from his elder that there was once a species of pythons in Dark Dragon Mountain. They were fierce creatures, and these pythons all possessed horns on their heads. They were known as Horned Pythons, and the sharpness of the horn could be given to the tribe as tribute.

There was one such horn in the Dark Mountain Tribe, and it was treated as the symbol of the tribe leader in the tribe.

"Could this be the Horned Python?" He looked at the Horned Python's skeleton, then at the cave he was located, and an answer formed in his head.

In his silence Su Ming took out one of the herbs from the basket and threw it downwards.

As the herb floated downwards and was about to touch the floor, it let out a sizzling sound. About fifteen minutes later, it withered. He tried a few more times to test the heat on the ground, and decided that while the heat was strong, he could withstand it for some time, as long as he did not touch the red stones.

Xiao Hong was already growing impatient. If it did not know the dangers of this place, it would have jumped down much earlier.

Su Ming climbed out of the hole carefully, then jumped downwards and landed on the floor. Immediately, there were sizzling sounds coming from underneath his feet. A wave of heat seeped into his body from his feet, but it would not be strong enough to burn his feet for the time being.

When Xiao Hong entered the fire cave, sweat poured down its body like a river. It pondered for a while before returning once more to the small hole, refusing to go back into the fire cave. Instead, it chose to go somewhere else to play.

Su Ming did not continue trying to persuade it, but chose to carry the basket on his back and hurry onward. He could tell that this was connected to the inner parts of Black Flame Mountain, and there just might be a suitable place for quenching herbs later.

Not far down the road was an empty space. Su Ming did not know where it was connected to. There were a few potholes on the ground, and the heat was even stronger over there. Su Ming could even feel a scalding heat underneath his feet.

He was just about to step on the empty space after a brief moment of hesitation when he felt a strong wave of heat bursting forth. Su Ming let out a yelp and immediately retreated, his pupils dilating in fear. He saw a blast of fire the size of an arm rushing forth from one of the potholes, lighting up the cave instantly.

Su Ming took in a deep breath and retreated once more until he reached the mouth of the cave. Then he cast his gaze forward. About half an hour passed before the fire gradually disappeared. But no sooner than it did, another blast of fire emerged from another pothole.

As soon as it disappeared, another blast of fire came out once more. It was an endless cycle.

"Fire…" Su Ming stared at the potholes, then his eyes gradually lit up in excitement.

"There is fire here! But they will appear only once in a while, and it's not a stable source of fire either…" Once the excitement faded, Su Ming took a moment to gather to gather his thoughts, feeling a little disappointed.

"No matter. I might be able to reach the deepest parts of the mountain through the peak of the mountain, and I might even find a better place which might be hidden here. If there's any danger, I can leave quickly as well."

"Very well, this will be my very first place to perform quenching!" Su Ming's eyes were bright with excitement as he looked around.

"I have fire now, so the only thing I'm missing now is the Barren Caldron…I'll make one myself!" Su Ming then cast his gaze on the scattered rocks on the ground.

These stones have been here for many years, but have not turned into ashes. They must be able to withstand a great amount of heat, so they should be able to be used for quenching…" Su Ming scratched his head then changed the herbs underneath his feet before jumping down once more. He chose a more suitable looking piece of stone, then touched the surface after a brief moment of hesitation. It was not too hot, just a bit warm.

Once he was certain of using the big stone as a material, Su Ming took out his own spatula. The spatula was extremely sharp and had been constantly polished by Su Ming himself. As he took up the spatula, he used every ounce of his strength and started cutting into the stone.

It was an extremely dull process, but one Su Ming was already used to. There was no hesitation within his movements, but as he was cutting into the stone, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He looked at the skull of the python, and especially at the horn on its skull.

Su Ming went over quickly and looked at the skull for a moment. He gave a light knock at the skull, and when he did, there was a cracking sound, and the entire skeleton immediately turned into ashes.

Only the black horn remained unscathed.

"I knew it. This horn is extraordinary. I was just wondering how the python came to this place." Su Ming picked up the horn and sliced it across the wall to his side. There was a crack following his motion, but the scene did not surprise Su Ming.

"But why did the Horned Python climb into this place?" Su Ming did not understand, but he still took up the horn and went to the rock and started cutting into it.

With the help of the horn, after a few hours, a stone stove that was almost similar to the Barren Caldron in Su Ming's memories was born. Su Ming even made a lid for it to keep the heat from escaping from within the caldron.

"Let's try it out first." Su Ming was excited. He pushed the Barren Caldron to the potholes and forced himself to calm down as he waited.

After a few hours, after numerous blasts of fire, fire finally emerged from the pothole near Su Ming.

As soon as the fire erupted, Su Ming pushed the stone stove right on top of the erupting pothole.

Su Ming was nervous. It all depended on whether the caldron he made could withstand the heat now.

Very soon, the caldron became red and heat rolled off from its surface. There were even sizzling sounds, and Su Ming saw the surface of the caldron cracking in multiple times. Su Ming felt his heart still, but when there were no signs of the stone crumbling, he gradually began to relax.

"Two hours… There is only two hours each time. I don't think it's enough." Su Ming sank into his own thoughts. It can even be said that he was truly spending all his effort to make sure this quenching process would work.

"Then how about this?" Su Ming took a few steps back. He may have a plan in his head, but he did not dare act recklessly. Instead, he stood at a place that was not too hot and focused on those potholes. A day passed by while he was doing that.

During that period of time, the little monkey dropped by and left some fruits on a place that was not too hot before leaving once more to play.

As for the stone caldron, it withstood the test of fire and did not crumble no matter how many times it was burned.

"There seems to be some sort of rule for the eruptions, but there doesn't seem to be any rules either…" After a day, Su Ming picked up the horn and went to the potholes, cutting a ravine on the ground, connecting one of the potholes underneath the caldron.

He did not stop there, but instead make six other ravines before retreating. Very soon, one of the potholes erupted once more, and most of the flames flowed into the ravine and went underneath the caldron.

"I made it!" Su Ming only looked at it for a moment before going off to make another five ravines, then he backed off to observe for another day. As he was sure his method worked in extending the period of time for the fire underneath his caldron, he became relaxed.

To tell the truth, he was worried about it. The lines of the ravines were not drawn on a whim. He had to make sure that the flames underneath the caldron were not too strong or too weak, or else the pills would come out misshapened.

After all, there were times when several potholes erupted at once. If this happened multiple times, then it might be dangerous.

Once he solved two of the most basic of his problems, Su Ming calmed down and began his very first quenching process according to the memories in his head.

He had the little monkey preparing his meals for him, and there were times when Su Ming went out to hunt some smaller prey before bringing them into the cave to roast it. Su Ming also used the chance to tell the hunting team from his own tribe about the elder in Black Mountain Tribe as he met them by chance while he was out hunting.

Time passed by, and sounds of frustrations could be heard from this place that he claimed as his own for the purposes of quenching. Half a month had passed by. Su Ming's eyes had turned red by this point. For the entirety of the half a month he spent, for all the numerous times he tried refining the herbs he had, there was not once where he was successful!

He was now at the first level in the realm of Blood Solidification, and he even manifested four blood veins. If only he could manifest two more, then he would reach the second level in the realm of Blood Solidification.

Once he reached the second level, then Su Ming would be able to use the first of the Berserker Arts which he inherited from the statue of the God of Berserkers!

This was a dream for Su Ming, and also the reason why he did not give up on trying to create the medicinal pills.

But after a month's worth of failures, Su Ming was at the verge of giving up. But his obstinacy did not allow him to give up so easily.

"I won't believe it! Xiao Hong, collect herbs for me again!" Su Ming threw the basket towards the little monkey baring its teeth at the mouth of the cave, then continued trying to create the pills.

The little monkey caught the basket and grinned before running out.

Days passed…

Failures upon failures…

Another half a month passed by. During this day, as Su Ming stood in front of the caldron with his hair in a mess, he held two herbs in his hands. They were both red in color. One of them had six petals, and the other five petals.

"Which one should I use…" Su Ming knew he did not have much time to think, so he grit his teeth and made his decision.

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Chapter 11: Blood Boiling

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

"I might as well try everything!" Su Ming grit his teeth and threw the flower with six petals into the stone caldron.

The herb with six petals was the one he found from the mud. It was the one that gave off a scent that seemed to make the blood boil.

The moment the herb touched the medicinal concoction in the caldron, Su Ming saw a red, alluring light from within it. He did not cover the caldron with a lid, but chose to step forward and walk around the caldron. He selected a few of the ravines that still had the liquid fire flowing down like a stream and jammed the horn horizontally in their paths to stop the flow temporarily, making it easier for him to control the fire.

The ravines on the ground have increased since a month ago, and most of them were covered in horizontal marks that looked like scars. This was a method Su Ming invented to control the fire after a month of trial and error.

Su Ming was incredibly nervous. Almost all of his attention was on the Barren Caldron he made. According to his observations in the past month, the place he was standing was safe for the next hour, so he did not need to care about anything else.

Time passed by, and as soon as the hour was up, Su Ming immediately retreated from the place. Not long after he left the place, a huge blast of fire erupted from the ground.

As the fire continued bursting forth, Su Ming was also sweating like a river as he stood not too far away from the source of the fire. But he kept his gaze on the caldron. From the experience he had accumulated a month ago, he knew that there was still fourteen to eighteen hours left before he could see the results.

During this time, he would need to adjust the strength of the flames according to the changes with the medicinal concoction, and he especially needed to put the lid on the caldron at the final moments of making the medicine pills so that the heat within the caldron will increase to incredible levels and the heat will gather to create the medicinal pills.

He had been repeating this act numerous times in the past month. It could even be said that he was already used to it by now.

Two hours, four hours passed by. Slowly, the caldron started letting out a red mist. The mist had no smell, but as the strange light shone, it made Su Ming's blood boil when he looked at it.

During this time, he adjusted the strength of the fire a few times, and he did so until it turned dark outside. Su Ming's eyes were red and bloodshot. He had used almost the entire day on creating the medicinal pills, and if everything had been working well so far, then there was only one final step left.

Through the red mist, Su Ming could see that there was not much liquid left within the caldron, and it was bubbling inside. When each bubble burst, the red mist would rise from within.

"It's almost done!" After numerous failures, Su Ming's eyes lit up. Without any hesitation, he grabbed the lid by his side and covered the caldron.

The moment he closed the caldron, a low rumbling sound could be heard echoing within the cave.

"It all depends on luck now." Once he covered the caldron, Su Ming let out a huge breath and retreated a few steps before sitting down with his legs crossed. He closed his eyes and rested. He knew that he had done everything that he could, and success depended entirely on luck now.

Two hours went by. The roaring sound from within the caldron increased exponentially and continued nine times before it gradually became quiet. There was no longer any sound beside the fire underneath the caldron.

Su Ming did not open his eyes but chose instead to continue resting and wait. It was not until the brief period of time when the next eruption was about to start and when the fire underneath the caldron began growing weaker that Su Ming opened his eyes and grabbed some heat resistant herbs in his right hand before moving forward and pushing the lid on the caldron away.

The moment the lid was opened, a red wave of heat rushed into his face, but Su Ming was already prepared. The instant he opened the lid, he moved backwards.

He waited until the red wave of heat dispersed then with his heart beating in trepidation and excitement, he moved forward slowly and looked into the caldron.

With just a glance, Su Ming began laughing loudly.

Right at the very bottom of the caldron were three red medicinal pills!

He retrieved the pills carefully, then sat by the side in excitement as he kept looking at the very mysterious object he had only seen in his memories.

Su Ming loved the little round pills, and he even brought them to his nose to smell them. But instead of a medicinal scent, they emitted a faint stench of blood.

The pill was also abnormally fragile. If Su Ming used a bit more strength, the pills would crumble into dust. But Su Ming did not care much about that.

"One month has gone by, and I've finally managed to make it once!" The more Su Ming looked at it, the happier he was, and as he was about to pop one into his mouth, he hesitated.

Su Ming forcefully quelled his excitement. In his mind, he saw the odd scene when he was picking the red herb with six petals.

"If this herb was the key to creating these pills, then I wonder whether the other one can do it as well…" Su Ming placed the three pills at a safe location, then took out the red herb with five petals.

There was a moment of silence before Su Ming made up his mind. Once he took note of the time, he closed his eyes and meditated, he started moving the blood in his veins all over his body to recover from fatigue.

The little monkey returned at midnight, and as it climbed into the cave its face was seemingly intoxicated as it sniffed its right claw. It did not bother Su Ming, but chose to lie down in a place that was not too hot.

It had already gotten used to this place over the past month.

Yet even though it was lying down, it still kept sniffing at its right claw, the intoxicated look becoming more visible on its face. It started cackling as it remembered something.

It was not until the next morning before Su Ming opened his eyes and moved his body. The fatigue he felt on the previous day was completely gone.

With his stamina recovered and almost overflowing, Su Ming took the herb with five petals and continued with the quenching process.

After a few days, Su Ming stepped out of the fire cavern as he had not left for quite a few days. When he saw the sun, he felt its glare on his eyes. He was already used to the red glare of the fires within the fire cave, and now that he looked once more at the brightness from the sun, he was a little unused to it.

As he stood there breathing in fresh air, Su Ming waited for his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the sun, then carefully surveyed his surroundings before climbing down.

He was quick as he did so, and he remained alert of his surroundings. With the little monkey keeping watch as well, they did not encounter any dangers and made it down the mountain safely.

They found a river that let out hot steam at the feet of the mountain. Su Ming took off his clothes and soaked himself in the water, feeling the fatigue that had accumulated in his body disappearing.

He and Xiao Hong hurriedly left the river reluctantly. He had much more important things to do.

Su Ming and Xiao Hong travelled with blinding speed in the forest. After covering some distance, Su Ming caught some terrifying looking beasts in his hands.

There were also some in the little monkey's claws.

At a slightly more remote corner in the forest, Su Ming took a glance at the four tied-up beasts roaring at him, then ignored them and took out two small bottles from his bosom.

Within the two bottles were two types of pills. One of them was red and slightly terrifying to look at, while the other was green, with a faint medicinal smell travelling to his nostrils. With just a whiff, he felt refreshed.

The green pill was the one Su Ming made a few days ago using the herb with five petals.

"The Scattering Dust… If I follow my instincts, then the green one is the Scattering Dust, then what on earth is the red pill?" Su Ming narrowed his eyes. There were three pills each in the bottles. He took one of each out and looked at the beasts before moving towards them.

Once he fed the two pills to two different beasts, Su Ming retreated a few steps back and observed them nervously. Even the little monkey was affected by his mood and grew nervous.

He waited for a long time, but there were no changes within the two beasts that consumed the pills. They were still hissing and roaring at Su Ming, their faces contorted in rage.

Su Ming frowned. He waited for a bit longer, but nothing happened.

"How could this be? Logically speaking, something must have happened… But at least it's not poisonous. Could it be… this isn't to be consumed, but to be used externally?" Once Su Ming got the idea, he took out the horn and went to the other two beasts that did not take the medicine, then cut open two small wounds on their bodies so that blood flowed out.

The little monkey quickly followed behind him to watch.

Su Ming then took another two pills from the bottle and placed it on their wounds.

At that moment, something happened!

The moment the red pill touched the wound on the creature's body, within just a few seconds, its entire body started trembling furiously and it turned into a pool of blood. Before the blood could even fall onto the ground, it burst into flames and turned into red mist. The little beast did not even have time to scream.

All of this happened in an instant, and it happened so quickly Su Ming let out a cry of alarm before retreating quickly. The little monkey was also shocked and let out whimpers of alarm as it retreated hastily.

"This is…" Su Ming took in a sharp breath, his eyes filled with terror. He did not expect that the red pill he made would have such shocking effects!

When the red mist disappeared in the air, there was only a pile of purplish red bones left on the ground. A terrifying sight to behold. The other creatures, while they were very close to the beast just now, were not affected, but it was clear that they were frightened by it.

Su Ming's breathing was erratic and quick. After a long while, he looked at the bottle containing the red pill. There was only one left, but that pill alone was enough to make him think that it was a bloodthirsty item.

"There are no effects if it was consumed, but if it comes into contact with blood, then death is assured! Since I was the one who made this, then it will be named Scattering Blood!" Su Ming murmured. He forced his fears to go away and put away the pill carefully. He had a feeling that this object could very well be used as a weapon in the future!

"Then this green pill should be the real Scattering Dust. Just what are the effects though?" Su Ming fell momentarily silent, then his gaze fell upon the little beast that was still completely fine even though the pill had melted into its wound.

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Chapter 12: Su Ming's Wrath

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming thought for a long time but he still could not figure out the effects of the Scattering Dust. In the memories he obtained, he only acquired the methods to make the pills, not their effects.

Su Ming only left the place with the slightest bit of hesitation when the sun was at its highest in the sky.

They ran back to the place where he had performed the quenching. The little monkey did not stay long. It ran outside as soon as it came back to the cave.

Su Ming felt the breeze on his skin as he leaned against the wall of the mountain. In his hands were the green pills and he began thinking as he held them.

'Just what is its use…? Neither consuming the pill nor applying it externally worked…'

He frowned. He finally managed to make the pills but he could not determine their effects. It made Su Ming feel as if the past month had been a waste.

He stared at the pills and made his decision.

'I'll just have to try it on my own! Let's see what happens once I swallow it!'

Su Ming was the decisive sort. Once he made a decision, he never hesitated. He quickly placed the Scattering Dust in his hand, into his mouth.

The pill immediately melted once it touched his tongue. A strong medicinal taste filled his mouth and turned into a strong wave of heat that flowed into all parts of his body. It disappeared soon however, and Su Ming did not feel much from it.

Su Ming was stunned. He sat down hurriedly and meditated, trying to solidify the blood in his veins. However, it was to no avail. It was no different than before. He still felt that there was not enough blood in his body.

He pulled at his hair, frustrated. This was the first time he truly felt that he had wasted the past month.

'Impossible, there must be some other use!'

Su Ming was disappointed but he did not give up. Yet, no matter how much he pondered about it, he could not find any clues. The only thing he could do was sigh and laugh bitterly.

After a while, the little monkey returned and approached Su Ming. It jumped around for a while before throwing some fruits in front of him, then leaving once more.

Su Ming sighed. He was hungry so, he picked up one of the fruits and began thinking as he ate.

'One, two, three…'

Before he knew it, Su Ming let out a burp and spat out the core. He stroked his belly and started thinking again. His gaze traveled to the fruits left on the ground and just as he was about to look away, it struck him.

'I'm full?! What?!'

Su Ming stared at the fruits and immediately began counting the cores he spat on the ground. There were 15 in total.

He felt that he had just come across something important. His heart pounded in excitement.

'I've always loved eating this fruit and Xiao Hong has always picked them for me…but I don't like eating too much in one go. At the same time, I'm usually only half full even after eating 10 of them… But just now, I only ate 15 of them and I'm already full! Is it because my appetite has decreased? Or perhaps…it has something to do with this!'

Su Ming licked his lips. He remembered that he had taken a Scattering Dust pill earlier on.

'Perhaps the Scattering Dust is actually a pill that can replace food... Or perhaps, the Scattering Dust can… increase the effects of other things!'

Su Ming felt his heart pounding. He took a deep breath. He had been thinking carefully and exhaustively about the effects of the pill but had obtained no clues. Now that he had stumbled onto something, he was going to pursue it no matter how ridiculous it may seem. He immediately crawled back into the little hole which he used for the sole purpose of quenching herbs.

He remembered that he still had a little bit of Dark Dragon's Saliva left. This was a rare item. It was impossible to obtain it without rain and he had been reluctant to drink what little amount he had left.

He quickly ventured into the cave. Su Ming took out the bottle that contained the few drops of Dark Dragon's Saliva left from the basket. He then swallowed it all in one gulp without hesitation.

Su Ming was extremely familiar with the Dark Dragon's Saliva. With just a few drops, he immediately felt the faint traces of coldness from the liquid traveling to all parts of his body before seeping into his blood.

The cold sensation brought upon by the Dark Dragon's Saliva suddenly increased a little, at least by one fold. It may not seem much, but Su Ming could really feel it.

As the coldness became one with his blood, it felt like his blood started to boil. It caused the four manifested to glow a bloody red. as he controlled the flow of blood in his body.

After a long while, Su Ming opened his eyes and let out a shaky breath. His eyes were filled with happiness and excitement.

'I knew it! There are no effects if the Scattering Dust is taken alone but if taken with other objects, then the effects of those objects will increase. It seems like a simple effect, but it's really quite extraordinary!'

Su Ming felt his spirits lift up. The process of creating Scattering Dust was now a huge motivation for him.

'There were 15 tiny holes on the door which gave me the methods to create Scattering Dust. It must be for me to place 15 of these pills in there but, I don't even have enough for myself now…'

Su Ming fell silent. Then, he let out a string of murmurs slowly after a brief period of hesitation.

Once he made up his mind, he immediately went to the Barren Caldron and began processing the remaining herbs by quenching.

Besides processing the herbs, he also made the little monkey continue searching for the herbs his grandfather would take away in huge bundles. Then using the method in his tribe, he mashed the herbs and turned them into liquid before drinking it. With the help of the Scattering Dust, his training speed grew faster.

Two months had passed by. Su Ming barely left the cave during those two months. The fire cavern had practically become his second home. The location could not be easily discovered, hence, Su Ming felt at ease training there.

Within those two months, he had prepared a lot of Scattering Dust. With the help of the medicinal concoction which helped increase his blood rate, he gradually managed to manifest the fifth blood vein on his body.

The sixth blood vein too, had begun appearing vaguely on his body. If this continued, then it would manifest very soon.

Winter had already arrived outside. The other mountains were covered by snow except Black Flame Mountain. Snow would melt before it could even touch the surface of the mountain. Due to this, the mountain was surrounded by a thick layer of fog. It was a strange sight to see from afar.

If an outsider saw it for the first time, the mountain would definitely pique his or her interest. Su Ming grew up there so, the strange sights of the mountain were nothing new to him.

That day, Su Ming sat down with his legs crossed and the blood red glow was incredibly strong within his body. The five blood veins crawled all over his body as if they possessed life. It was a shocking sight to behold.

As the blood red glow kept spreading around his body, sweat accumulated all over Su Ming's body. His body trembled but his face was filled with determination. This was his third attempt at manifesting the sixth blood vein during the past half a month. Once he managed to do it, he would successfully become a Berserker at the second level in the Blood Solidification Realm.

More importantly, he would be able to use the very first Berserker Art. It was one that belonged only to their tribe; an Art known as Spirit Devourer!

The Spirit Devourer was not a skill that could be used without preparation. Some fresh animal carcasses would be required. By gathering the Berserker Blood in their bodies, practitioners could sense the spirit of the deceased animal and bring it out to increase their own strength temporarily.

Only after they have mastered this particular skill would they be known as a Berserker. They would then be different from the other members of the tribe. They would be much stronger.

After a long while, Su Ming's body continued to tremble. The bloody glow surrounding his body gradually disappeared and the five blood veins on his skin also sank into his body once more. The solidification of the sixth blood vein had failed once again.

Su Ming let out a deep breath. After a moment of silence, he mixed some medicinal concoction with the Scattering Dust and drank it before continuing with his training.

Another month passed by. The entire Dark Dragon Mountain was covered by a thick layer of snow. The fog surrounding Black Flame Mountain had also grown thicker. Even the heat seemed to disappear in the weather.

The year's coldest season was about to arrive.

However for Su Ming, this was the most important moment. His diligence in training coupled with his supply of herbs and Scattering Dust, increased his training speed exponentially in the Blood Solidification Realm. The sixth blood vein had appeared and it was at a critical moment of manifestation.

The little monkey also refused to go out in winter. Its entire body was red and that made it extremely eye-catching in the snow. Even if it was not winter, it would have to lay low.

It squatted down beside Su Ming and yawned as it watched him. All of a sudden, the little monkey lifted its head,. Its eyes were filled with a fierce glare and its ears twitched.

Faint voices traveled into the cavern from the outside…

"Yu Chi, are you sure the Sky Stone grows here? We've been searching this place for half a day and we still can't find any. Are you sure you got the right information?" It was a cold voice and the little monkey quivered the moment it heard it.

"It can't be. I remember seeing shrubs of the plant, that's why I cast a Berserker Art to hide it. It should have grown by now. The other members of the tribe come here often to collect herbs. They should be able to identify my spells." The voice that answered was sharp.

"Then hurry up. If the Sky Stone is really here, then I'll be able to break through the third level soon and reach the fourth level. As for you, you should be able to reach the third level."

"Don't be in such a hurry. It should be here. I can feel the presence of my spell… If you can reach the fourth level, then you will be able to join the Black Mountain's hunting team. I heard that the elder made a new rule that says anyone can keep their own game this time."

Their voices were getting closer and sounded like they were right outside. The little monkey was so nervous it did not dare to breathe. It could feel that the two people outside posed a serious threat.

It turned back to look at Su Ming multiple times but Su Ming still had his eyes shut. His body was trembling slightly and the bloody glow on his body was becoming stronger. The sixth blood vein seemed to show signs of complete manifestation as well.

Yet, at that very moment... "Found it! Huh? Look, there's a small hole here!"

"It's the Sky Stone! As for the hole…this was once the Land of the Fire Berserker Tribe. There's hot air around the hole. It should be empty. Since we're already here, we might as well go in and have a look. A simple hole can't stop me." Their voices traveled into the cave and their words made the little monkey's face grow pale.

It gritted its teeth and looked back at Su Ming for a long period of time. Then, it bared its teeth and rushed out of the little hole.

Immediately, sounds of delight could be heard from the outside.

"It's a Fire Ape and a baby at that, haha!"

"This must be its refuge from the cold. Catch it! Its blood can help me replenish my blood, and I'll offer its fur to the elder!"

Mournful cries could be heard after that and then the voices gradually disappeared. However within the cave, Su Ming's face had contorted in anger and he shook furiously.

"You asked…for this…" Su Ming lifted his head and roared in rage.

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Chapter 13: Killing Motive!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The moment Su Ming lifted his head, his eyes were bloodshot. His entire body glowed madly with a blood red light and it lit the entire fire cavern.

His entire body kept trembling. As the blood moved around his body, his heart pounded faster and faster as if it was going to break his chest. It only served to make his face even more twisted.

He was at an important moment in his training so, he was unable to stop abruptly. Nonetheless, he knew and clearly heard everything that had happened earlier.

He saw with his own eyes, the little monkey running out to lure the two outsiders to protect him.

Su Ming had never been that mad before. The little monkey was his only friend in the forest. Over the years, he had come to treat the little one like family. The madness within his eyes caused the veins from Su Ming's body to pop out and blazing sounds to reverberate throughout his body.

The five blood veins that manifested on his body were now giving off a piercing glow. Within the red glow was the sixth blood vein which was on the verge of completely manifesting itself. It looked like it was on the verge of breaking out of its cocoon.

"This damned second level!" Su Ming roared. He had been gentle in his previous attempts. Even if he did not make it, there were no serious repercussions.

However, the little monkey's life was now in danger and Su Ming grew more anxious with every passing second. He gave everything he had and controlled the blood in his veins, forcing them to move in the way they should as a Berserker Practitioner. He focused all of his blood towards the sixth blood vein.

There was a loud boom and Su Ming coughed up blood. His entire body trembled as his face turned pale. Such a reckless move was taboo for Berserker Practitioners. It was important for them to arrive at each new rank smoothly and steadily. They could not march forward recklessly.

The booming sound was not as loud to the outside world but Su Ming felt like the world had crashed in his head. The sound kept echoing itself.

'Damn it!'

Su Ming glared at the entrance to the cave. It was as if he could still see the little monkey's helplessness, fear and resolution.

There was no time for hesitation. Su Ming once again controlled the blood in his entire body and attempted to break through for the second time!

More blood came out of his mouth and trickled down his chin onto the floor…

The third time... fourth time... fifth time!

During his fifth attempt, Su Ming coughed out a huge mouthful of blood. His face became completely ashen but on his face was also a strong intent to kill. With all that blood, Su Ming looked horrifying.

He immediately picked himself up and the moment he stood up, there was a loud bang within his body. The sixth blood vein had completely manifested itself.

As the sixth blood vein formed completely, a totally different aura compared to the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm erupted from within Su Ming's body. There was no wind but the aura blew his hair and the sixth blood vein moved rapidly on his skin as if it was alive!

It was the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm!

Without waiting for his body to get used to the second level, Su Ming ran at a speed faster than he previously could by one fold. He grabbed a bow and horn by the side and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared.

He quickly crawled out of the small hole. When he arrived outside, it was snowing heavily and the sun was about to set. It was already dusk outside.

'One of them is a second level in the Blood solidification Realm…the other in the third level…'

Su Ming's eyes were bloodshot and cold. No matter how strong his enemies were, Su Ming felt no fear. He only felt a strong urge to kill!

He had already forgotten what fear felt like. The moment the little monkey was captured, the two Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe became his mortal enemies.

Su Ming would have to be dead if they did not die by his hands!

It did not matter if he was rushing into fire. It had nothing to do with recklessness. Instead, it was a matter of survival! If the fire did not cease to burn, he would be burnt to ashes.

Su Ming did not hesitate. He ran forward at full speed. He was a member of the Berserker Tribe. He had been playing and collecting herbs around the mountains since he was young. He was familiar with these parts of the land and was even better at tracking for answers around the place.

As he ran, he kept his eyes on the ground. He wiped the blood away from the corners of his mouth and his hands. After a while, he saw some messy-looking tracks on the dried leaves ahead. He grabbed some broken twigs and looked at them. The killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger. He threw away the twigs and changed his direction.

Su Ming continued to run at full speed and maximized his body's full potential. On the way, he found a lot other traces and even a pool of blood.

There were some traces of red fur in the pool of blood. It was the little monkey's!

However the blood was already beginning to dry up, a clear sign that the two people caught the little monkey there and had left for quite some time.

'I can't catch up…'

Su Ming's eyes darkened. He clenched his fists, his eyes filled with anger.

'They're from the Black Mountain Tribe, so surely they'll return to their tribe…If that's the case…there's still a shortcut from here to the Black Mountain Tribe!'

Su Ming turned around and leapt forward, lithely disappearing into the snow covered forest.

'Faster!'

Su Ming ran ahead quickly like he was flying through the forest. Yet, he still felt his speed was too slow. As he traveled, he left his footprints on the snow. Just as he was about to take another leap forward, the snow before him flew up from the ground.

A small creature that looked like a fox but was entirely covered in white fur and had the horns of a deer leapt from the snow. Its speed was so quick it almost reached Su Ming in an instant.

'Mink raccoon!'

Su Ming did not slow down. When the little creature jumped out from its hiding place, he swung his right fist towards it.

Previously, Su Ming's strength would not have been enough to kill a wild beast with just one punch. However, he was now a Berserker in the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm. He already had six blood veins manifested and he was controlled by an almost boundless amount of blood lust. This caused not just his speed but also his strength to increase exponentially.

The punch landed squarely on the mink raccoon's body and it let out a cry. It narrowed its eyes, wanting to change its course midair but Su Ming rushed forward and cut the creature apart with the horn in his left hand. He had equipped himself with it sometime during the encounter.

Fresh blood poured out of its wounds. The little creature struggled and cried in the snow. Its blood stained the snow a bloody shade of crimson.

It was a clean cut. Su Ming looked at the dead mink raccoon and lowered his body. He raised his right hand as he took in a deep breath. After that, he began controlling his blood. His body emitted a red light as if it had fused together with the blood on the ground. The six blood veins manifested themselves on Su Ming's body.

He placed his right hand slowly on the dead creature and a strange glow appeared in his eyes. One of the blood veins on his body began to twist around oddly as if it came to life. It crawled along his right arm to his palm and into the little creature's body.

Suddenly, the dead carcass began shaking. Its fur fell off and its body began withering rapidly. Within the blink of an eye, it turned into bones. At the same moment, wisps of white mist rose from its body to create an image of its former self. But it was a vague image, like it would disappear as soon as the wind blew.

This was the first time Su Ming had cast the Spirit Devourer. According to the information he obtained about the spell, he would usually need to refine the spirit first before devouring it. However Su Ming did not have the time. He opened his mouth and breathed in the spirit form of the mink raccoon.

Su Ming's body trembled. He could feel that he had just obtained additional strength but it was also rapidly disappearing. It would not be long before it disappeared completely and his strength would return to normal.

Su Ming did not linger. He immediately rushed forth. This time, his speed was slightly faster than before and it was increasing. He became more and more like the wind.

As the wind blew past his ears, there was only one thought in Su Ming's head. He had to catch up to the other party, stop them and then save the little monkey.

As for the method, he was not a reckless person to begin with so, he already had a plan.

An hour later, the additional strength Su Ming obtained disappeared but it allowed him to cover more distance. He had already left Black Flame Mountain and was near the Black Mountain Tribe.

He was at a small hill which looked like a slope. If he stood there, he could see quite far ahead and his peripheral vision would also increase.

As he was near his destination, Su Ming's eyes became fierce. He kept his gaze on Black Flame Mountain and very soon, he saw his targets. Two figures appeared and one of them was holding onto a motionless Xiao Hong!

Su Ming stood there and took out a small bottle with his right hand. There was a red pill within the bottle. Once he made sure there was no fresh blood on his hands, Su Ming took the pill out and held it in his hand.

The pill was his trump card!

He stabilized his breathing and took out his bow. His eyes were calm, almost like dead water. The two people were approaching him, with only a few miles between them. They would have seen him if they paid attention.

The two people were big and burly. They looked strong. The man holding onto the little monkey was only wearing a thin piece of hide even though it was winter. His upper body was bare. There was white mist coming off his body as if he was dispersing the cold with the energy emitted from his blood.

Su Ming only cast him a glance before focusing on the other person. He was also big in build with several long spears slung over his back. He was slightly shorter than his companion. However, Su Ming could feel that his Qi was much stronger than his companion and much stronger than his own.

This person was powerful.

Su Ming narrowed his eyes and lifted his bow before pointing it towards the second man.

Just as Su Ming looked at the person, the man also saw Su Ming. His eyes became cold and fierce.

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Chapter 14: The Fallen Berserker

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

It's a Berserker from another tribe and he's alone! Judging by his Qi, he should only be at the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm…It'll be easy to kill him! We're also near the tribe and we're going up two against one. There's no need for us to be afraid of him. Nevertheless, since this person has come to challenge, he must have some tricks up his sleeve. But with my power as a third level, it'll be fine." The slightly shorter third level Berserker from the Black Mountain Tribe smiled fiercely. He was not at all worried about Su Ming. In his view, the difference between them was too big. Su Ming was also frail looking so he did not look as if he posed a threat.

More importantly, besides the Wind Stream Tribe, if any of the Black Mountain Tribe members saw a person from another tribe wandering around alone, they would definitely kill the person without mercy. There was no room for negotiation. It was a world where the strong preyed on the weak.

If Xiao Hong had not ventured out to lure them away, they would have entered the cave, killed Su Ming and taken his head back to the tribe for rewards.

"Yu Chi, I'll kill him. Wait here." As he spoke, the big man leapt forward like a tiger, closing the gap between him and Su Ming in just a few breaths.

The man holding onto the little monkey, Yu Chi did not object. He knew that if he killed a Berserker from another tribe and brought his head back to the tribe, he would receive rewards. However, he did not dare snatch away his companion's achievements.

"It's fine. That man is also at the second level like me. If we fight, then we'll be wasting some time. If he goes, then he'll definitely be able to kill him. Maybe I'll even get to share some of his rewards." To Yu Chi, this was a meaningless battle. His eyes were cruel as if he could see what would happen next. He was getting excited by the prospect of the spilling of blood.

The third level Berserker who was getting nearer to Su Ming also had a similar thought. He jumped forward and quickly closed the distance. Very soon, there was not even 1,000 feet between them.

800 feet, 700 feet and then 600 feet!

As he got closer, the man saw Su Ming's face clearly. He let out a roar as he grinned fiercely. His roar alone caused the snow around him to quake and toss into the air. They exploded in a loud bang, creating a layer of white mist which blinded their sights.

At that moment, the man grabbed a long spear from his back with his right hand. He threw it with all his strength at Su Ming, who was standing more than 600 feet away from him.

A sharp and piercing sound sliced through the air. Su Ming felt a sharp and fierce aura coming straight at him. Without thinking, he stepped aside and a whistling sound whipped by his ear. The long spear flew past and just missed him by a hair's breadth.

The man did not approach to check his kill once he threw the spear. Instead, dark wisps of air surrounded his legs, increasing his traveling speed instantly by a dozen fold. Very soon the distance between them was cut down from 600 feet to 300 feet.

"Die!" The man raised his right hand and took out a second spear. Just as he was about to throw it, the mist created by snow scattered. This allowed some of Su Ming's field of vision to return. As it did, an arrow pierced through the snow and rushed towards the man like a flash of lightning.

The man laughed. He raised the spear in his right hand and knocked down the arrow easily. With a crash, the arrow broke into pieces. However at the same time, whistling sounds whipped through the air again and another three arrows came straight towards him.

The arrows were too quick and the angle at which they traveled made it extremely difficult to dodge. It was becoming problematic for him. It made the man frown but still, he scoffed at them and let out a huge blast of dark air underneath his feet. It quickly surrounded his entire body like mist. As the three arrows approached him, they melted into a pool of black water as they touched the black mist.

Even so, much of the black mist had dispersed, causing the man's body to be exposed.

"You're only at the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm and you dare oppose me?" The man took a leap and the distance between them had shortened again. This time, to 200 feet.

Su Ming's face was pale but he held his ground. There were no traces of anxiety within his eyes, just the same chilling calmness.

He took out a few more arrows and fired them rapidly at the man. Once, twice, thrice and with incredible speed, he fired five arrows in succession!

The five arrows practically formed a straight line and the whistling sound they caused as they sliced through the air made it seem as if they had a lot of power. They reached the man almost immediately. When he saw it, he frowned slightly. In their tribe, there were few who could use bows like that.

"The Five Connected!" The man raised the spear in his right hand and swung it against the first arrow. There was a loud crash and the spear broke along with the first arrow.

The second arrow followed quickly. The man let out a low growl and made the black mist surround his body, causing the second arrow to melt as they touched.

The third arrow approached like lightning but the man dodged it by stepping aside. He was quickly chased by the fourth arrow. The man growled and clenched his right fist with a fierce expression. Then he swung it at the arrow. As the arrow broke, a wound appeared on his right hand.

At that moment, the fifth arrow followed closely like a shadow. The man wanted to dodge it but the arrow managed to leave behind a wound on his shoulder as it whistled by him. Fresh blood immediately poured out of his wound.

"I will tear your head off from your shoulders!" The man was not seriously wounded. He only had small wounds and they were considered inconsequential to the members of the Berserker Tribe. However to the man, it was different. He grinned fiercely and traveled another 100 feet closer to Su Ming.

He was already victorious. This was a battle that posed no danger to him. He was at most only slightly bothered by the arrows.

As for Yu Chi, he licked his lips from where he stood. He loved watching such bloody scenes. They served to make him feel excited.

Just as the man was about to take another step, Su Ming approached him. His face was pale but his eyes were still cold and calm. He then did something that momentarily shocked the man and Yu Chi.

He gave up on using his bow and arrow but chose instead to use his fists to face the man.

No one realized that within Su Ming's right hand was the powder of the red pill that he had crushed!

"You asked for it!" The man continued closing their distance and within the blink of an eye, they were only dozens of feet away from each other. Then it turned into thirty feet, twenty feet and ten feet…

The man gathered all the power of his Qi in his right fist and swung it against Su Ming's head. If he had hit it, Su Ming would have undoubtedly died.

But right at that moment, Su Ming lifted his head. The coldness in his eyes was gone and it was replaced with a terrifying killing intent. The strong desire to kill even stunned the man.

It was already too late. Just as Su Ming lifted his head, he swung his right hand at the man and as he did so, the red powder spread in the air. Some of them landed on the man's wound on his right fist while some landed on his shoulder wound.

The man trembled slightly but there were no blood curdling screams, no struggles. Right before Su Ming's eyes, he turned into red mist and disappeared into thin air. It was as if was he was boiled alive and erased by the laws of nature. A pile of bones without any flesh were all that was left on the ground. When the wind blew pass, they crumbled into dust.

Among the bone fragments was a strange herb that was black and white in color. It emitted a soft and dim glow.

The sudden turn of events stunned Yu Chi, who was standing nearby. He could not accept it. He could not even believe what he just saw. His gaze was empty due to the shock. Then, he saw the fragile looking boy turn and look at him with cold eyes and an equally cold countenance. He watched as the boy sped towards him.

"The Fire Ape's carcass will be a great supplement. I want it!" Su Ming suddenly said as he approached Yu Chi.

Yu Chi shivered. As he snapped out of his stupor, he found that he was drenched in cold sweat. Su Ming's words also made him realize that he had forgotten to use the monkey as a hostage. He concluded that Su Ming came just to snatch the monkey away.

The moment the idea struck him, he immediately escaped. He still could not fathom how and why his companion died. The chilling sight of his death made him so terrified, he could not accept it.

"You're Fallen! You're a Fallen Berserker!" Yu Chi screeched as his face turned pale. He was completely overcome by terror. He could not accept it. He was so terrified that his legs were shaking. He did not dare to face Su Ming and thus, used up every ounce of his strength to escape. Su Ming was blocking the way back to the Black Mountain Tribe so, Yu Chi could not go back. He could only run towards Black Flame Mountain.

Su Ming was about to give chase when he was suddenly hit by a wave of dizziness. He felt like he was completely drained. He shook his head and forced himself to concentrate.

He cast a glance at the pile of bones on the ground. This was the first time he had killed someone but it was not the time for hesitation. He had no choice but to give chase. He quickly cleaned up the place and picked up whatever usable arrows were left. After that, he took away the strange looking herb from the pile of bones. Su Ming gazed at the direction Yu Chi ran off to, his eyes filled with killing intent once more.

'Xiao Hong is still in his hands. I've already killed one of them. So, I might as well kill the other then the land which I used for quenching will never be found!'

Su Ming gritted his teeth to bear with the fatigue and chased after him.

The two of them ran into the forest. Yu Chi did not even dare look back to see Su Ming. He chose instead to concentrate on fleeing, trying to widen the distance between them. Despite this, if they were to compare their level of familiarity with Dark Dragon Mountain, he could not compare with Su Ming.

Besides, his speed was also still inferior to Su Ming's. He may have had a head start, but very soon Su Ming started to catch up to him with all the tracks he left behind.

Su Ming gritted his teeth to bear with the fatigue. He kept his gaze focused on the man from the Black Mountain Tribe. He knew that the man was scared by his actions. That was why he did not dare engage in battle. It was all part of Su Ming's plans.

With the Scattering Blood, he could kill a person in the blink of an eye and also stun others who saw it. After all, it was something that most people had never seen before. As such, it would terrify them.

Su Ming did not chase after him too closely. However, he was constantly blocked by some obstacles along the way, causing the gap to widen every time he was just about to catch up and pounce on the man. Not long after, the obstacles started to make Su Ming hesitate.

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Chapter 15: Metamorphosis

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

There was a saying that went like this, "If you only have fighting spirit but no physical abilities to support it, in the end, you will still lose." Su Ming had been learning under the elder since he was young. The elder had a lot of scrolls in his house and Su Ming had read almost all of them. There was a lot of knowledge there and he always wanted more.

The wisdom left behind by his ancestors had made their way into Su Ming's head gradually as time passed by. However, they never had a chance to shine. As Su Ming was in pursuit of someone's life, the little bits of wisdom that had been residing in his head began to surface.

Yu Chi was feeling extremely anxious. He originally thought that he could not escape and had made up his mind to give it his all in an attack of desperation. Yet right before his eyes, he saw the distance between them increasing. Then just as he thought he could escape, the distance between them closed once more and this process kept repeating itself.

After this happened a few times, he no longer had any desire to give it his all for a fight to the death. It was hard for him to get into that state of mind anymore.

However in Su Ming's eyes, the Berserker from the Black Mountain Tribe was just a prey, and a terrified prey at that. As soon as he started feeling the slightest bit of hope, he could slowly tear him apart.

Su Ming used this method to wear down Yu Chi's confidence and courage. As the pursuit continued, he would widen the gap and let the other man have the illusion of safety.

Su Ming vaguely remembered one of the scrolls saying that once the prey went through a long period of time switching between the state of anxiety and relaxation, its fatigue and suffering would increase exponentially. That sort of torture was enough to destroy one's soul.

Su Ming only understood the logic behind it the last time but when he was giving chase, he slowly began to fully comprehend. The knowledge he had obtained slowly became instincts. He did not even need to do it on purpose, his body moved on its own and brought him the results that he wanted.

That day marked the first time Su Ming killed someone and the first time he hunted a human for the purpose of killing him. It was the first time in his life that he was experiencing a change in his personality. Yu Chi on the other hand was the only person who would experience the process of Su Ming change.

Yu Chi could feel it clearly but he did not know what caused the change. He only felt his confidence and courage diminishing after the strange scene of his companion's death, They were gradually worn down bit by bit during the chase.

In fact, at one point, he no longer had the urge to turn his head back anymore. Although Su Ming was a second level Berserker in the Blood Solidification Realm just like him, he had the feeling that once he turned back he would surely die. If he continued fleeing, he felt that he would have a chance of surviving.

He was so afraid that he did not feel his exhaustion building up. This was especially so when he discovered that the young man had disappeared at some point when the distance between them kept increasing. The exhaustion almost made him sink into his knees when he finally realized but he could not rest. He chose instead to grit his teeth and persevere.

Unfortunately, this did not last long. When he saw Su Ming's silhouette appear at the corner of his eye again, the exhaustion he felt immediately increased by tenfold. It almost drove Yu Chi mad.

"He's a Fallen Berserker! He's definitely a Fallen Berserker!" Yu Chi felt himself trembling in fear. As he was escaping, he came to a junction. If he turned left, he would have gone into the deeper parts of the forest and left Black Flame Mountain. If he turned right, he would have gone around Black Flame Mountain and gone back to the Black Mountain Tribe.

Su Ming had known about that junction for a long time. He narrowed his eyes and ignored his own fatigue. He focused all of his energy to his feet, increasing his speed by one explosive burst. He did not give chase, choosing instead to cut through the forest and approach the right turning at the junction.

It was clear that he had predicted Yu Chi's choice to travel right. That was why he chose to turn right and close the distance between them. As he rushed forward, Su Ming brought out his bow and shot a few arrows at the direction of the right turning. As the arrows whistled through the air, all of them hit the trees on the right path. The arrowheads buried their way into the stumps and their fletchings even hummed as they vibrated in the air.

The humming sound seemed to possess some sort of strange force. As the sound traveled into Yu Chi's ears, he hesitated.

Su Ming pursued Yu Chi at full speed once more and attacked with his bow again. Yu Chi let out a hysterical cry and was about to turn right when Su Ming suddenly increased his speed, giving Yu Chi a false impression.

He had a feeling that if he ran to the right, Su Ming would most definitely catch up to him. If he escaped to the left, he would then be able to widen the distance between them because Su Ming made the wrong decision.

He could still hear the humming sound from the arrows. Yu Chi gritted his teeth and changed his direction, turning left instead. Very soon, he disappeared into the forest.

A frightening look crossed Su Ming's eyes amid the fatigue and his lips curled up in a cold smile.

Quickly, he pulled out the arrows from the trees and continued pursuing the man from the Black Mountain Tribe.

"If you can control the direction of your enemy's escape, then you can control his body," Su Ming murmured. He remembered reading these words somewhere in one of the beast skin scrolls. He was not able to understand them before but now he understood what they meant.

As he gave chase, time passed by slowly. Very soon, night came and the moon rose up high in the sky. As the moonlight touched the snow on the ground, it reflected a white light which illuminated the forest in a silvery gleam even though it was night time.

During the chase, Su Ming had already changed Yu Chi's course of escape three times, gradually controlling the other man's body to run in the direction he wanted.

He touched the unconscious little monkey lying against his bosom, a gentle expression appearing in his tired and bloodshot eyes. Yu Chi had thrown the little monkey away in the opposite direction during the first time Su Ming forced him to change his course. However because of that, the distance between them increased.

Throwing away the little monkey had worked out for Yu Chi. Su Ming immediately ran towards the little monkey, causing Yu Chi to let out a sigh of relief and his speed increased.

In spite of that, it did not last long. Soon after, Yu Chi noticed arrows upon arrows whistling by his side, all coming from behind. This again almost drove Yu Chi mad.

The stars in the sky shone brightly like eyes that were looking at the chase in the forest.

Yu Chi was already exhausted. His footsteps faltered but what he felt physically was inconsequential. What mattered most was his mental state. It was already broken. He regretted it. He regretted discovering the little hole. He regretted chasing after the Fire Ape. All of this would not have happened if he had not done any of it.

Before him, there was a forest filled with a variety of plants. Even though it was winter, he still could not see into the deeper parts of the forest. When Yu Chi was still hesitating and contemplating on going into the forest, Su Ming's silhouette appeared at the edge of the forest.

He stood there, breathing heavily. Huge amounts of white mist flowed out from his mouth and his eyes were laden with steely coldness. He did not immediately give chase but chose to wait.

"This place will be the burial ground I give you! If you can step out of here alive even with such exhaustion, you can count yourself extremely lucky!" Su Ming's muttered once his breathing began to even out.

Just as he finished speaking, a terrifying cry traveled across the forest in the quiet of the night. The cry echoed in the forest, causing a shiver to travel down the spines of all who heard it.

After a while, the cry gradually grew weaker before finally turning into a faint moan.

Su Ming walked towards the direction of the voice in solemn silence. He walked into the forest slowly with each step carefully calculated. Every time he took a few steps forward, he would look around before choosing to either retreat, go around a certain place or leap forward.

It was the hunting spot for the Dark Mountain Tribe. That area of the forest was filled with traps and the locations of the traps were unknown to all except the members of the Dark Mountain Tribe.

Even Su Ming only knew the locations of most of the traps, not all of them.

If Yu Chi had been in perfect condition when he went in, he might have been able to get out alive. However due to the condition he was in, he sealed his fate once he stepped into the place. It was the same as stepping into his own death trap.

Su Ming walked forward carefully. The moans gradually became weaker as they traveled to his ears. As Su Ming walked forward slowly, he saw that Yu Chi was impaled to a tree by a line of sharpened, and thick wooden spikes, the size of adult men.

His entire body was drenched in his own blood but he was not dead yet. He was still shivering and moaning weakly..

Su Ming stepped forward quietly and once he was by Yu Chi's side, he looked at him. After a long while, he took out his horn and sliced Yu Chi's throat.

Yu Chi struggled furiously for a few moments before breathing his last. Before his eyes lost their life, they were focused on Su Ming and filled with hatred.

Su Ming was silent. He cut through the trap's ropes and took away whatever remained on Yu Chi's corpse. He brought out the small amount of Scattering Blood powder he had left and turned the corpse into a pile of bones. He then turned it into dust by touching it.

He turned around silently and walked out of the forest. Once he was out, he looked at the moon in the sky with uncertainty in his gaze. It was the second time he killed someone. He could not describe how he felt. There was nervousness, fear, uncertainty…

After a long while, he let out a sigh. The Black Mountain Tribe was from the same denomination as the Dark Mountain Tribe but after so many years, they had turned into mortal enemies. If one of the tribes became stronger, the other would have been faced with the threat of being massacred. All of the men would have been killed and the women would have been taken away to help with the reproduction of the tribe.

It was good thing that this had not happened. For many years, the elders of both tribes had been on the same level. They would not easily incite war.

He took a deep breath. Fatigue took over Su Ming's entire body. He gritted his teeth and dragged his exhausted body far, far away…

When dawn arrived and the sun rose, Su Ming returned to the place he used for the quenching of herbs in Black Flame Mountain. His face was a sickly yellow. He crawled into the cave, and once he was inside, he fell to the side and fainted.

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Chapter 16: Elder

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

"Brother..."

"Brother… Can you hear me…?" In his dreams, he heard that familiar, sad and lonely voice once more as it echoed in his head. The voice remained in his head for a long time. His unconscious body trembled lightly as if he was struggling.

"Brother, I'm waiting for you…"

As the calls grew stronger, Su Ming was jolted awake from his sleep. His gaze was unfocused as he stared at the wall before him and let his mind wander. His thoughts were interrupted by excited screeches. He turned his head and saw Xiao Hong pouncing on him happily. Then it started climbing all over his body.

Xiao Hong woke up much earlier. It was only in a state of unconsciousness before and was not heavily injured. Once it woke up it kept its gaze focused on Su Ming, waiting anxiously for him to wake up.

When Su Ming woke up, it was out of its mind with joy.

Su Ming smiled as he looked at the little monkey but his smile was laced with uncertainty. It was the second time that he had the dream…

He took a deep breath. Su Ming shook his head, forcing himself not to think about the strange dream anymore. He chose instead to look at the perfectly normal looking black debris hanging off his neck.

He touched the debris, his eyes gradually becoming clear of doubt.

He already had first-hand experience of the changes the black debris brought upon him. The creation of the Scattering Dust had increased his training speed by leaps and bounds. The red pill was also created by accident, allowing Su Ming to obtain complete control and gain the upper hand in a battle between life and death.

"I'll still need to create more pills… I saw a door at that strange place but there were 15 small holes on the door. I did not have enough pills last time, that's why I was hesitating. But now, I really want to know just what will happen to the door once I put in 15 Scattering Dusts…" Su Ming muttered lowly under his breath.

'I'll need to make more Scattering Blood. These pills… will be my trump card! Also, I'll need to go back to the tribe… I haven't gone back for quite some time. The elder has been stuck at the ninth level for many years as well. Perhaps the Scattering Dust can help.'

Su Ming stood up and moved his limbs. Most of the fatigue in his body had gone by then.

He concentrated on making the pills again and continued with the refinement of the blood in his veins. There were some parts of his body that felt a bit sluggish as blood tried to circulate through them. It was not as smooth as before and Su Ming believed that it was a wound left behind when he tried to break through the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm. He would not be able to heal the wound within a short period of time.

Within the same month, Su Ming ventured out of the cave a few times. He also had the little monkey help him collect herbs.

Su Ming even went out specially to pick two of the red herbs required for Scattering Blood. He wanted to pick more but sensing danger, he decided not to be greedy.

Using the vast amounts of herbs he collected, Su Ming began refining his Qi and his blood while also using the herbs to create the medicinal pills he wanted the past month. The muffled sounds of pills being created echoed throughout the cave.

It was a month later and the sky was still dark with only faint traces of light. Su Ming gave the little monkey a few instructions and left the mountain alone. Then, he disappeared into the forest.

Su Ming, who had arrived at the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm, traveled quickly within the forest. He ran across the icy plains like a flash of light. Before noon, he had already left the forest and was outside the Dark Mountain Tribe settlement. As he looked at the settlement, a smile appeared across his face.

'I haven't been back for quite some time…'

Su Ming walked towards it. Everything was normal. Many children were playing around and some the tribe members were sparring against each other.

Su Ming's return attracted some of the tribe members' attention. He had been gone for a long time, after all. They came out and greeted him with smiles on their faces.

"Su Ming, you're finally back! Where did you go?" Su Ming stroked a child's head and just as he was about to leave to the elder's house, an excited voice rang out from behind him.

He turned around and looked. The person who spoke was a big and well-built man but he had a slight baby face. It was a clear sign that he was still young. That person was Lei Chen.

"What?" Su Ming glanced at Lei Chen and could feel that the Qi in his body had grown much stronger. The aura he felt from Lei Chen was actually quite similar to the Berserker he killed using Scattering Blood.

"You almost broke through the fourth level of the Blood Solidification Realm?" Su Ming asked, surprised.

Lei Chen grinned widely and walked up to Su Ming's side to speak softly to him.

"I have a feeling I'll reach the next level soon. Hehe, the elder said the Berserker Blood within my body is quite pure. If this continues, some day I will be able to reach the elder's level." As Lei Chen spoke, his eyes shone with excitement. Soon after, he began to look at Su Ming carefully and he was stunned. Then, he widened his eyes in disbelief. Just as he was about to speak…

"Come to my place tonight, we'll talk later. Let me go see the elder first." Su Ming knew what Lei Chen was about to say. He gave him a faint smile and went to the elder's house.

As he watched Su Ming's back, Lei Chen was speechless. He pulled at his hair in confusion and mumbled a few words, trying to piece things together. However in the end, he still could not understand it. He still remembered to go to Su Ming's place later that night though.

As he approached the elder's house, Su Ming slowed down. There were slight signs of anxiety and fear in his eyes. Su Ming respected the elder for taking care of him since he was young. To him, the elder was just like his grandfather and their relationship could not be described with words.

He did not want to lie to the elder but there were some things that he could not disclose like the piece of debris on his neck. Su Ming was not a child anymore. He could tell if the public knew about the piece of debris, it could very well mean the doom of the entire tribe, not just himself.

He could not speak of it.

Su Ming took a deep breath and stood in front of the elder's house. He did not enter immediately. He could hear the faint traces of voices coming from the inside, like people were in a meeting.

He waited patiently until the door of the elder's house opened and out came three men. These three men were all built like small hills. When they appeared, Su Ming felt a great pressure. Their presence even caused the Qi in his body to stir. He thought that he was about to be swept away by a typhoon.

Su Ming inhaled sharply and took a few steps back instinctively. The three men were the leaders of the Dark Mountain Tribe. Before Su Ming Awakened, he had not been as badly affected. He could only vaguely feel that they were some of the best Berserkers besides the elder.

Now that Su Ming was a practitioner at the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm, the oppressive feeling was much stronger than before when he met the tribe leaders.

The Qi within the Dark Mountain Tribe's leader was so great, he felt like it could shake heaven and earth. Combined with the vague Berserker Mark on his face, it only served to make him even more terrifying.

Su Ming also knew the two men beside the tribe leader. The man on his left was also a man in his 40s. There was a mark shaped like a scorpion on his face. The level of Qi within him was only slightly weaker than the tribe leader.

His arms were also very long and there was a big bow slung across his back. For some unknown reason, when Su Ming looked at the bow, he felt like he could hear the agonizing cries of its numerous victims. It caused him to feel a little wary of the man.

That man was the Head of the Guards of the Dark Mountain Tribe!

The Head of the Guards was not a name, but a title given by its predecessor to the successor. There could only be one Head of the Guards in each tribe and it was a title given only to the strongest archers in the tribe.

The last person standing to the tribe leader's right was a man in his 30s. His facial expressions were rather stiff. He was not a man who smiled and talked often. His eyes were usually narrowed into a slit and it was difficult to see the full view of his eyes.

He was the chief of the hunters in Dark Mountain Tribe and was responsible for all the hunts outside the tribe settlement. His name was Shan Hen!

These three people were considered to be the strongest in Dark Mountain Tribe besides the elder!

Su Ming took a deep breath and stepped aside as he bowed before them.

The tribe leader was frowning. It was apparent that the meeting with the elder did not end on good terms. When he walked out of the house, he did not even look at Su Ming. He just walked past him.

As for the Head of the Guards, he smiled at Su Ming when he saw him. Then, he nodded as a sign of acknowledgment to his presence before leaving with the tribe leader.

Shan Hen, the chief of the hunters also treated Su Ming as if he was invisible. He ignored him as he walked by.

After the three men left, there was a hint of dubiousness in Su Ming's eyes. He felt uncertain about the Qi in his body. If Lei Chen could sense it, why did the three strongest Berserkers in the tribe not feel anything?

"I already concealed your Qi. Come in, why are you still standing outside?!" Just as Su Ming was still being troubled, the elder's stern voice sounded from within the house.

Su Ming lowered his head and walked into the house.

"You finally decided to come back?" The elder still wore a sack cloth and had his hair tied in many small braids. His features still looked as old and weary as ever, but his eyes were vibrant with life. His tone of voice was grave and serious but the joy in his eyes could not be concealed.

Su Ming mumbled a few words. He still hung his head low, not really having the courage to speak.

"You grew a pair of balls, is that it? How could you leave the tribe and not return for so many months? Have you forgotten about me? Hmph, lift up your head. Let me take a look at you." There were hints of dissatisfaction in the elder's voice.

Su Ming's expression was anxious as he lifted his head and looked at the elder.

"Elder…"

Before he could finish, the elder who was sitting with his legs crossed suddenly grabbed Su Ming sternly with his right hand. Su Ming stumbled forward a few steps as the elder pressed his right hand on his chest.

A soft and gentle power weaved itself into Su Ming's body. Once it melded together with his blood, it immediately healed the wounds that Su Ming did not even realize he received. It also dissolved the dangers of Su Ming risking his health when he forcefully reached the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm and killed without stabilizing the Qi in his body.

When the elder retrieved his right hand from Su Ming's chest, Su Ming trembled. He immediately took a spatula and opened up a gash on his arm. Instantly, black blood flowed out from the gash and there was even a stench in the air which came from the blood.

"You haven't even stabilized the Qi in your body and you already ventured out to kill someone? You've really grown a pair, haven't you?" As the elder observed Su Ming's reaction, the praise in his eyes grew stronger. Nonetheless, he still spoke harshly. Even so, he took out a dark green bottle and handed it to Su Ming.

When all the black blood flowed out from the gash, Su Ming's body felt refreshed. Once he took the bottle and opened it, he touched the liquid in the bottle with his finger and spread it over his wound.

Translator's Note:

Regarding titles:

1. For 蛮公,I've opted for the use of Elder, which is a title, and for 阿公, I've opted for elder, because it bore familiar and endearing connotations. In bigger civilizations such as kingdoms, 蛮公 is known as Court Diviner because they have positions within court and work for the Emperor, as you could tell in the prologue.

2. For tribe leader and chief of the hunters, these titles will be in small letters because the idea behind it is that we don't call our mayors and chiefs in big caps either.

3. The Head of the Guards is in big caps because when the term first appeared, it was blatantly stated as a title. Think of it as a military title. That is why I chose to use big caps, because military titles are in big caps.

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Chapter 17: Berserker Mark

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

"Elder, I didn't want to do it. It's just that they went overboard. They snatched Xiao Hong away," Su Ming mumbled.

"They?" The elder was stunned.

"One of them was a Berserker at the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm and the other was a Berserker at the third level." Su Ming placed the cork back on the bottle then put the bottle on the table beside him.

"Black Mountain Tribe? How did you manage to escape?" The elder narrowed his eyes. A cold and steely look settled in his eyes.

"I didn't escape. They died." Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the elder.

The elder was stunned but was also visibly moved. After falling silent momentarily, he decided not to ask Su Ming about the details. Su Ming was like his own child. He took care of him as he grew up and he knew of his character.

"You met them at Black Flame Mountain right? The information you gave us last time was really useful. You should have been rewarded for that but because you hid the fact that you've become a Berserker, that reward is canceled. Now that you're a Berserker, stay. I will tell you about some of my experiences training in the Ways of the Berserker. I'll also card through the blood veins in your body." The elder looked at Su Ming and smiled.

"Elder…" Su Ming scratched his head sheepishly. After a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth and spoke softly, "I'm sorry. Aren't you going to ask me how I became a Berserker?"

"Why should I? Everyone has their own secrets. I just need to know that my Su Ming has finally become a Berserker." The elder laughed happily.

Su Ming's eyes were teary. He looked at the elder and nodded. He would never forget the elder's kindness towards him or the Dark Dragon's Saliva that had been flowing in his veins or all that had happened. All of these things were imprinted on his mind and soul.

"Elder, I have some pills… Here…" Su Ming looked at the elder and spoke softly.

"Pills?" The elder asked in bewilderment, then shook his head and laughed.

"You're talking about herbs, right? I know that you must have gotten yourself some rare herbs but I'm the elder of Dark Mountain Tribe. Unless they're really very rarely seen, I've seen every… What?!"

Before the elder finished speaking, Su Ming produced two small bottles and placed them before the elder.

The two bottles were filled with green pills and they were letting out a nice therapeutic scent. Both bottles had about a dozen pills within them.

The elder's face turned solemn. He took one of the bottle containing the pills and inspected them. Once he was certain that it was nothing like he had ever seen, he took a sniff and his countenance immediately changed.

"What a strange medicine! I just took a sniff and I can already feel my blood circulating faster!"

The elder mumbled and scrutinized the pills further. After a moment, he closed his eyes and began to think. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked at Su Ming.

"These are called pills?"

Su Ming nodded his head and pointed towards the bottle containing the pills. He started introducing the effects and the methods of using the pills to the elder. The elder drew a sharp breath and his demeanor changed completely once he listened halfway.

There were no signs of hesitation. The elder immediately waved his right hand and right before Su Ming, an illusion of the statue of the God of the Berserkers appeared. The shape of the statue was that of the half human, half beast statue of the God of the Berserkers from Dark Mountain Tribe.

The moment the statue appeared, a gentle energy spread around the room.

"Continue." Su Ming looked at the elder's solemn face and felt his heart pounding against his chest. Then he continued to slowly tell the elder all the effects of the Scattering Dust.

The elder was already standing. Once he finished listening to Su Ming, he took out one of the Scattering Dusts and observed it carefully. Then he swallowed it in one bite. He believed in Su Ming. There was practically no hesitation in his movements. He then took out a small purple bottle and drank down what little that remained in the bottle.

He sat down with his legs crossed once again. Very soon, his body let out a bright and bloody red glow. The light was glaringly bright and it covered the entire room. Su Ming took a few steps back. His eyes were filled with admiration.

He could see the many blood veins on the elder's body. He could not tell just how many there were but the presence of a Qi much stronger than the tribe leader's filled the entire room.

Su Ming drew a sharp breath. He watched the God of Berserker's glowing statue floating midair and knew that if it were not for the illusion of the statue, the light released by the elder would have covered the entire tribe. It could possibly have been seen even from afar.

The light disappeared just as quickly as it came. As the elder opened his eyes, the red light that enveloped his entire body also dissipated. His eyes were filled with a layer of excitement. He looked at the Scattering Dust and took a deep breath.

"Su Ming, you must remember one thing!" The elder lifted his head and looked at Su Ming.

Su Ming immediately stood to attention.

"From today onwards, do not tell anyone about the pills! Even if I asked you again, you mustn't speak of it! From today onwards, I will not ask you anything about this!"

"Even within the tribe, you must remember not to talk about this to anyone! Not even to Lei Chen!" The elder spoke sternly as he looked deeply into Su Ming's eyes.

Su Ming hesitated for a moment.

The elder sighed. He understood Su Ming. He knew that Su Ming was an honest man. That was why he chose to speak sternly again.

"Su Ming, listen to me. You mustn't tell anyone!"

Su Ming nodded silently as his gaze was filled with resolution.

"The tribe… is not safe…" The elder muttered but his words surprised Su Ming momentarily. It dawned on him especially when he remembered how the elder had hidden his Qi from the three leaders of the tribe.

"There is a traitor in our tribe! Right now, only the tribe leader and I know about this. No one else knows about it. The traitor has hidden himself too well. We don't know who it is…"

"With the information you brought to us, perhaps my old arch nemesis from the Black Mountain Tribe has really found a way to reach the next level… I've been feeling that the weather around the area has been a bit odd lately… It's as though a major disaster is about to approach."

"Su Ming, these pills of yours are good so I'll be keeping them. Don't give me more of these. If I can really break through to the next level, these will be enough. But if I can't,even if you give me more, it'll still be useless…"

"I'm not lacking in herbs, it's just that I'm stuck and I just need a chance to break through…" The elder sighed. He spoke to Su Ming a little more about his experiences training in the Ways of the Berserker. Then he took out a strange object made of twigs. The elder's gaze was filled with nostalgia when he looked at the item.

After some time, he gave the item to Su Ming solemnly.

"I got this when I was out adventuring during my younger days. This thing is called a bamboo slip. You will only see these in big tribes. There are a lot of uses of herbs recorded in this bamboo slip. Take it."

Su Ming took the bamboo slip and was marveled by it. He put it away in his bosom and was just about to go back to his own house when the elder looked at Su Ming solemnly.

"Su Ming, I'm happy that you became a Berserker but you must understand that once you become a Berserker, you are no longer the same as the normal members of the tribe. The road to become a practitioner of the Ways of the Berserker is extremely difficult. The slightest mistake can bring about death. You must have felt it when you were at Black Flame Mountain."

"But we are members of the Berserker tribe. We cannot fear death, much less give up because the road ahead is too hard to walk."

"I know what your dreams are. You want to leave this place and travel to see the world. I fully support you!"

Su Ming listened quietly and nodded.

"You are a good child. I've watched over you for many years and I know that. But my training is insufficient and I can't help you too much… I thought it would be fine if our Su Ming couldn't become a Berserker. However, if he did manage to become a practitioner of the Berserker Arts, then I will do everything that I can to make your journey as easy as possible…" A smile gradually appeared on the elder's serious face and he waved at Su Ming to approach him.

"Come, sit down before me and circulate the blood in your veins as you usually do when you train."

Su Ming looked at the old man whose hair was speckled with white and whose face was covered with wrinkles. The elder was smiling kindly at him. He knew that there were no blood ties between him and the elder but the affection they felt towards each other could overcome all blood ties.

"Elder…" Su Ming mumbled.

"Come here already." The elder laughed heartily.

Su Ming sat down before the elder obediently and took a deep breath. Then he slowly began to move the Qi around his body. Soon, the six blood veins manifested. As the six blood veins began to give out a red glow, the vague shadow of a seventh blood vein appeared and started to manifest slowly.

Su Ming had been unable to manifest the seventh blood vein for the past month. He had not even been able to summon an illusion of it. This was largely connected to the internal injuries he had obtained. Since the elder had healed his internal injuries, the seventh blood vein appeared naturally when he activated the Qi in his body.

"You've already inherited the knowledge from the statue of the God of the Berserkers. You know that the Berserkers will need to manifest 11 blood veins if they want to reach the third level. As for the fourth level, they will need 25 blood veins."

"You will need 53 blood veins for the fifth and there will only be more for the rest of the levels… As for the 11th level of the Blood Solidification Realm, you should need 781 blood veins."

"But the manifestation of blood veins required may not be the same for some people. Most of the Berserkers will need the same number of blood veins to reach the next level, but there are some people who are capable of increasing the number of blood veins in their body. The more blood veins you have, the more likely it is for you to reach the Transcendence Realm!"

"From what I've heard, all the Berserkers who have managed to reach the Transcendence Realm have always had more than 900 blood veins during the Blood Solidification Realm! Take for example the elder of the Wind Stream Tribe. I've known him for many years and I know that he had 917 blood veins many years ago!"

"I've heard before that in middle sized tribes and in some big tribes, there are those in the Blood Solidification Realm who have manifested more than 930 blood veins."

"This is the Blood Solidification Realm of the Berserker tribe… There have been some people in the history of the Berserker Tribe who have manifested 999 blood veins during the Blood Solidification Realm. These people have all become very famous and powerful people."

"There are even rumors that if you manifest 1,000 blood veins, you will obtain completion in the Blood Solidification Realm. But that sort of completion could only be seen during our ancestors' time more than thousands of years ago. It's extremely rare nowadays. I can say that no one has reached completion in the Blood Solidification Realm. As for the details, I don't know about it because I don't have enough information." The elder's voice seemed to hold a strange sort of power that echoed in Su Ming's head as he moved the Qi in his body.

"After Blood Solidification is the Transcendence Realm. Transcendence actually means to gather all the manifested blood veins and refine them into the purest form of Berserker Blood. Then you draw your own personal solidified Berserker Mark on your body… The Berserker Mark has to come from your own heart and desire… I'm excited to see what Berserker Mark you would draw should you reach the Transcendence Realm someday."

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Chapter 18: The Art from the Berserker Ancestors

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

"Su Ming, these are the things that you did not inherit from the statue of the God of Berserkers but they are things that all Berserkers must know and remember! I might not be able to reach the Transcendence Realm in my life…"

"The elder in Wind Stream Tribe was not as powerful as I was before he was 20. When he was 34, he was only barely able to keep up with me in a battle. Back then, there wasn't anyone who didn't know who I was in all the tribes around the area!" The elder spoke slowly and his face flushed. There was even a hint of pride in his eyes.

However, the radiance from his pride was dimmed by something, like it was sealed in a box and covered by a layer of dust…

"At that time, I had already arrived at the ninth level of the Blood Solidification Realm…" The elder sighed as he mumbled bitterly. He spoke as reminisced about the past. The sadness in his eyes grew.

"Su Ming, you must remember. There will always be people who are stronger and more powerful than you. You must never be arrogant…" The elder shook his head,as if he did not want to talk about his past any longer.

"I've ventured out of the tribe three times in my life and I've experienced a lot of things. I may have lost just as much but I learned a Berserker Art. This isn't a Berserker Art that the Wind Stream Tribe will ever learn. It is also difficult to find this in slightly bigger or medium sized tribes. This is an art left behind by our Berserker ancestors that can only be learned in big tribes…"

"This is the true Art of Berserker's Awakening… You can only use it once in your life, and it is an art used to bless a chosen descendant." The elder narrowed his eyes in concentration and lifted his right hand. Almost immediately, his entire palm was filled with blood and he pressed his palm slowly on Su Ming's forehead.

"Su Ming, this is the first and only time I will cast the Awakening Art and I will cast it on you. This is my blessing for you. I hope you will one day fulfill my dreams and reach the Transcendence Realm for Dark Mountain Tribe again!"

"Activate the Qi in your body and absorb the Berserker Blood I've trained for the past 80 years!" The elder's entire body glowed a bloody red. It was especially prominent in his right hand, as if blood was about to fall. A huge number of blood veins also manifested on his body. Just by looking at it, there were approximately 700 blood veins!

This was the elder's true power – a manifestation of more than 700 blood veins. Due to this, he was able to fight a Berserker at the tenth level despite being only at the ninth level of the Blood Solidification Realm!

Su Ming trembled. As he circulated the Qi around his body, a gigantic wave of heat that seemed to be endless flowed from his forehead into his entire body. It caused the flow of Qi in his body to increase drastically. A huge amount of black substance flowed out of Su Ming's pores and he felt his body slowly becoming free of blockage. With each breath he took, his entire body felt like it simultaneously took in a huge amount of the air around him.

Cracking sounds rang through the air. Su Ming's body no longer shivered but his face was flushed red as though he had just eaten a very good supplement. Even the blood veins in his body began to change!

The seventh blood vein that was only an illusion earlier had already manifested. Once it did, the eighth blood vein followed suit and manifested as well. The ninth blood vein also appeared as an illusion.

The speed of the Qi flow in Su Ming's body had increased to a terrifying speed. With each complete circulation, it was as if all the blood in his body had clotted. He even had the false impression that his blood had turned into a sticky substance.

"This is the true meaning of the Blood Solidification Realm! You must solidify and refine your own blood and transform them into Berserker Blood!"

When he was training in the past, he would always feel that he had insufficient blood not long into his training. At that moment however, the feeling was gone as endless heat traveled into his body from his forehead. He even had the impression that the thought of not having enough blood was just an illusion.

The elder, who was enveloped by a bloody glow looked like he had turned into a giant red ball of light. Su Ming himself was also a bloody red ball of light but compared to the elder, he was just like a firefly under the moonlight. Yet the firefly was absorbing the light from the moon and growing stronger quickly.

'This… This is just what the elder told me before. This is the true Berserker's Awakening in the Berserker Tribe. This is the Berserker Art that only big tribes possess, the ancient Berserker Art!'

The ninth blood vein manifested in an impressive manner. The feeling of power enveloped Su Ming's entire body. The black substance had already been completely dispelled from his body and it was replaced by an indescribable fragrance.

Su Ming sunk into a warm and comfortable feeling.

The elder kept his attention on Su Ming's body. He knew that the purpose of the ancient Berserker Art, the true Berserker's Awakening was not to increase the chosen descendant's training but to eliminate all the undesirable substances within the body. It was to create a body suitable for training in the Ways of the Berserker for the chosen descendant. It could make the road to train in the Ways of the Berserker much easier for the chosen descendant.

It was not just a simple banishment of undesirable substances but he had to use his Berserker Blood as a guide to expel the undesirable substances in a manner that he did not understand. It was technique that he could use only once in his life!

If he tried to do it a second time, his body would burst and his soul would shatter.

As the fragrance from Su Ming's body grew stronger, the elder smiled. Nevertheless, he did not stop. He took a deep breath and raised his left hand, pressing it over his right hand. Soon, an even stronger and greater wave of warmth entered Su Ming's body.

Su Ming trembled. There was no longer any black substance coming out of his body but as the warmth entered his body, a beating sound reverberated throughout his body. Then, more black substance was secreted from his body right before his eyes.

At the same time, the 10th blood vein in Su Ming's body quickly manifested to its physical state. The process only lasted for a moment. Even the 11th blood vein was already showing itself faintly on his body!

Once the 11th blood vein manifested itself, Su Ming would become a Berserker at the third level of the Blood Solidification Realm!

However, the manifestation of the 11th blood vein was proving itself to be extremely difficult. Even after Su Ming's body stopped excreting any black substance and released a nice fragrance, the 11th blood vein was still in an illusionary state.

"Su Ming, I cannot help you by forcefully increasing the state of your training. This will not bring any good to you. But if you're diligent, you'll reach the third level naturally before long." The elder's voice echoed in Su Ming's ears.

Su Ming took a deep breath and opened his eyes slowly.

The moment he opened his eyes, the world looked slightly different. His sight became much clearer. The details he had never noticed before were now as clear as day.

His world had become different.

Both of his eyes were as clear as water yet, if anyone took a closer look, they would see that his eyes were like the abyss. People who looked into them would be unable to look away.

As he looked at the elder, he saw that the elder's face had aged once again. There were even signs of fatigue in his features. Despite that, there were clear signs of great kindness and affection as the elder gazed upon him.

Su Ming stared at the elder in a dumbfounded state. In his silence, he knelt down and bowed towards the elder.

"Enough. You're a grown man now. You're no longer a La Su. I'm a little tired. Go back. Let me rest."

"Elder…" Su Ming bit his lip and gazed deeply at the elder, carving the scene before him into his mind. For all of eternity and his entire life, he would never ever forget that there was a person who accompanied him when he was younger and allowed him to experience familial love. He understood that this was a love that he would never be able to repay for his entire life…

"Come with me to…Wind Stream Tribe next time. We'll be visiting the elder of Wind Stream Tribe and seeing the Berserkers there. Representatives from Black Mountain Tribe, Dark Dragon Tribe and other smaller tribes will also be going… It will be a good experience for all of you younger generation…" Before he left, he heard the elder's voice echoing in his ears.

"I've already concealed the Qi and fragrance from your body. No one will notice unless they are more powerful than I am. Do not tell anyone about the fact that you became a Berserker… We'll make a decision once I find the traitor."

Su Ming nodded. When he saw the elder sitting down cross-legged with his eyes closed and immersing himself in his training, he quietly left.

He knew that Wind Stream Tribe was the only medium sized tribe around the region. It was considered as the leader of the area. Su Ming had heard rumors of the elder of Wind Stream Tribe being a powerful Berserker who had arrived at the Transcendence Realm. Not only did he have a long lifespan, he also had the power to crush heaven and earth.

'Transcendence Realm… I wonder if I'll be able to arrive at that realm in my lifetime… I wonder if I can even draw my own Berserker Mark…'

Su Ming's eyes lit up with ambition. The Transcendence Realm was like a legend to him. It was too far away from him.

'So this is the elder's real strength. I didn't expect him to be so strong… I heard that the elder from Black Mountain Tribe had some sort of secret… or else they wouldn't have been able to last so long…'

Su Ming shook his head and refused to continue thinking about the matter.

When Su Ming returned to his house, which had been left barren for the past few months, he calmed down. The place was clean. There was barely any dust around. Su Ming knew that this could only mean that Chen Xin dropped by during the days that he was gone.

Chen Xin was the only girl within Dark Mountain Tribe whom Su Ming had more contact with. She was the tribe leader's daughter. She would only be married to the future tribe leader so that the tribe would continue to prosper and there were no disputes about that within the tribe.

Su Ming knew this since a long time ago and was not offended or saddened by it. Chen Xin was like a little sister to him and he held no other feelings towards her.

He sat down with his legs crossed on the wooden bed. Su Ming touched the piece of debris on his neck as he fell into deep thought.

As nighttime arrived, Lei Chen came to Su Ming's house puzzled. When he saw Su Ming, he was dumbfounded. The silly look on his face made Su Ming smile.

He took out the herbs he got from the remains of the Berserker from Black Mountain Tribe. Su Ming knew about the Sky Stone of course. It was one of the rarer herbs. He had only managed to obtain one of them during all the years he went to collect herbs in the mountains. That too, was only a shoot. It was unlike the one he had in the present, which was fully grown and had six leaves.

"A Sky Stone with six leaves. I'll need more of them to make some medication but I can give you a leaf. You might be able to use it to help with your training." Su Ming plucked one of the leaves from the plant and gave it to Lei Chen.

Lei Chen laughed and scratched his head. Then he pat his chest bashfully after he took it from Su Ming's hands.

"Su Ming, I don't know about all this stuff. But I already told you since I was young, I will become Dark Mountain Tribe's leader in the future. With me around, I'll always protect you!"

Su Ming laughed heartily and as he spoke to Lei Chen. He noticed that Lei Chen kept looking at the leaf from the Sky Stone, unable to concentrate. It was obvious that he wanted to eat it and immediately start training.

Hence, he pretended to be tired. When Lei Chen noticed, he immediately lit up with excitement. He quickly got up and left.

The sky had already darkened and silence gradually fell upon the tribe. Su Ming blocked the door to his house with a chair and sat down with his legs crossed on the bed. He took a deep breath and touched the piece of debris hanging off his neck with his right hand. In his mind, he pictured the strange place he saw that day.

'I already have an ample supply of Scattering Dust ready… I wonder if I'll be able obtain something new this time…'

Su Ming closed his eyes. He had long since figured out the method to enter the strange place. What he needed to do was gather all the blood to his chest when he was training. Then he would be able to go to the strange place.

He had already tried it multiple times during his training. It was finally time for him to do it.

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Chapter 19: The Second Door

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The place was still surrounded by fog. He could not see too far away. The only thing vaguely visible was the peak of the mountain amid the mist. It was quiet around him. There was neither wind nor sound around the area.

Su Ming looked at the mountain shrouded by fog. It was his second time there. It was also the second time he stood where he was and sized up the strange mountain before him, especially the strange letters and drawings carved into the mountain. Su Ming had a sense of respect for whoever it was that left them behind.

He took a deep breath and looked at the accessory on his chest. The black piece of debris was gone. He pinched himself and was once again certain that he was not dreaming. He had really arrived at the strange place.

He reached into his bosom and took out a few bottles that contained Scattering Dust. Then he quickly walked towards the fog. Before long, he arrived at the foot of the mountain and he went into the tunnel again.

He did not stop until he reached the stone door in the tunnel. As he looked at the familiar circle in the middle of the door and the 15 small holes there, Su Ming hesitated for a moment. Then he took a pill out from one of the bottles. With the pill between his fingers, he placed it into the very first hole on the door.

At the very moment his fingers touched the small hole on the door, Su Ming felt a faint pull coming from the hole and it sucked in the pill between his fingers.

Su Ming's became stern and alert. He was unsure if his judgment was correct and he did not know what would happen once he filled up all 15 holes. However he had envisioned this trip for a long time and a part of him was looking forward to it.

He did not act rashly. After the first hole absorbed the pill, Su Ming focused his attention on the door. Nothing happened.

Su Ming scratched his head. After a moment of thought, he took out another pill and placed it in the second hole. This continued until he placed the 15th pill into the last hole with much reluctance and nervousness.

'If there are still no changes even after I've placed 15 pills into the holes, all of this would be a waste…'

Su Ming watched the 15 holes anxiously. At that very moment, a gentle glow surfaced from the holes.

Su Ming immediately retreated excitedly. As the light surrounded the door and gradually grew brighter, the strings on the door came to life and moved slowly. After a while, they joined together and started to turn quickly like a vortex.

As they turned, the light from the 15 holes was slowly but surely sucked into the vortex, causing the door to be enveloped by a brilliant light. A roaring sound suddenly reverberated throughout the tunnel. The sound was so loud it could have made a person deaf. It made Su Ming involuntarily manifest the 10 blood veins within his body. He felt the blood in his entire body boiling and he instinctively resisted the pull.

The roaring sound lasted for a few moments and green smoke emerged from the 15 holes. It was as if the pills had dissolved into smoke. As 15 puffs of smoke emerged from the holes, the gigantic stone door shook. A straight and narrow gap appeared all of a sudden at the center of the door.

As soon as the gap appeared, the two sides of the door slowly swung to the side. The door opened!

Su Ming's heart pounded against his chest. As he watched the scene unfold before him, he felt himself trembling in excitement. It was only after the door opened completely that Su Ming took in a sharp breath. There was no longer a tunnel behind the stone door but a small stone chamber.

The walls in the chamber were not smooth instead, they were filled with carvings. There was a large door that was tightly shut at the northern wall in the chamber.

On the ceiling of the chamber were some stones glowing faintly. They had fused into the walls of the chamber. There was a faint aroma in the chamber which could lift a person's spirits the moment they took a whiff of it.

Su Ming's eyes lit up with excitement but he still walked into the chamber carefully. He swept his gaze around the walls and saw that the style of the carvings on the walls was similar to the ones in the tunnel. They all featured men with messy hair creating medicinal pills in an ancient setting.

When Su Ming first arrived at the place, he was baffled by the drawings. However following the success of his own quenching of the herbs and the additional memories he gained, he could understand most of them when he saw the drawings again.

The figures on the drawings were creating different medicinal pills. As Su Ming observed the drawings, he could not help but be immersed in them. He verified each and every one of the drawings with his own experiences and forgot about the time as he obsessed over the drawings.

He would move quickly to search for the next carving once he finished observing one. He did not realize how much time had passed. When he finished looking at all the carvings, he still longed for more and he cast his gaze on the door within the chamber.

This door was slightly different from the first one. It was completely black and it gave off a nice aroma. It seemed like the materials used to build the door held some mysterious properties.

It also had a sort of heaviness to it. There was a drawing on the door too but it featured a gigantic cauldron. There were also wisps of smoke carved on top of it. It almost looked real. As Su Ming looked on, he had the impression that he was not looking at a drawing but at a real cauldron used for the quenching of herbs.

'If only I had a cauldron like this… '

Su Ming looked at the cauldron for a few more moments with envy.

Su Ming saw a number of different herbs on top and on both sides of the cauldron. He immediately felt himself quivering in excitement and paid full attention to the drawing. This was what he came here for, to find more recipes to create other medicinal pills.

To the left of the cauldron were seven herbs. Among the seven herbs, five of them were herbs needed to create Scattering Dust. As for the other two, Su Ming had never seen them before. After he carefully observed their features, Su Ming imprinted their image on his mind.

There were eight holes on the stone door arranged neatly, right underneath the recipe.

To the right of the cauldron were eight herbs. The recipe was slightly similar to the recipe on the left. Five of the herbs required were also the necessary ingredients for Scattering Dust.

When Su Ming saw the additional three ingredients necessary, his eyes lit up with joy. He knew two of the three herbs. They were just slightly rare.

There were also holes underneath this recipe but the number was slightly more than the recipe on the left. There were 12 holes underneath it.

When Su Ming looked at the recipe on the top of the cauldron, his face became grim. The ingredients to the recipe were not herbs. The drawing was of three things that would incite fear among those who saw them.

The first was the scales from the tail of a python, the second was the ninth leg from a Nine-Legged Spider and the third was the third finger from the right hand of a small black humanoid creature, the size of a palm.

Strangely, there were no holes underneath the third recipe. Perhaps, it was because the medicinal pill was too hard to create so it was not necessary to make it.

Su Ming fell silent momentarily. He walked towards the stone door and raised his right hand. Without any hesitation, he pressed his hand on the door and immediately, the drawing of the cauldron emitted a piercing light. It enveloped Su Ming's body.

After a moment of discomfort, foreign memories appeared once again in Su Ming's mind. He obtained the method to create the three medicinal pills and their names.

'South Asunder!' Su Ming looked at the drawing on the left of the cauldron, then turned his gaze to the right.

"Mountain Spirit… As for the last one… the Welcoming of Deities!" Su Ming looked at the strange recipe on top of the cauldron and mumbled.

As Su Ming thought about them, the light surrounding his body gradually dimmed along with the light from the cauldron on the stone door. Once the light completely disappeared, Su Ming's vision blurred but he was not nervous. He had already experienced this once. There was a strange whistling sound next to his ears. Once it was over, his vision slowly returned, and he found himself in his room within the tribe settlement.

Su Ming took a deep breath and walked towards the door immediately. He took away the chair and opened the door. It was still night time outside. The stars shone in the sky. It was quiet as the cold night wind blew past him.

However there was a faint silver light at the horizon, a clear sign that dawn was about to arrive.

'Looks like the difference in time between the two places is not too big… '

Su Ming closed the door behind him and sat down with his legs crossed again. He cupped his chin with his hands and began thinking.

'All three crafting methods are different for the three medicinal pills. I've never seen the two herbs required for Fire of the South so, I can ignore that for now. As for… the Welcoming of Deities… '

Su Ming narrowed his eyes.

'The ingredients required for this pill aren't herbs and the items are simply too strange. But what happens once the pill is created is really shocking! '

Su Ming remembered how the weather had changed when the person in his memories created the Welcoming of Deities. The sight of the wind and clouds traveling backwards and made his heart pound fiercely.

'The effects of the pill must be really shocking! But it's a pity… It's clear with the lack of holes on the stone door that the creation of this pill is extremely difficult… That's why it does not serve as a key to open the door. '

With some thought, Su Ming already guessed about half of the true story.

'Looks like the only thing I can create for now is Mountain Spirit. I know two of the three additional herbs… I may not have it now but there must be some in the tribe's herbal storage.'

As Su Ming continued thinking, light gradually filled the sky and a new day arrived.

He had not rested an entire night but Su Ming was not tired at all. The lack of fatigue became obvious when he reached the second level in the Blood Solidification Realm. It was as if he had obtained a huge amount of energy. Unless he went a few nights without sleep, he would not become tired.

As day arrived, the members of the tribe started busying themselves with work. Once Su Ming cleaned himself up, he walked towards a house made of grass not far away from his own house. It was surrounded by a fence which was constantly guarded by a few members of the tribe.

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Chapter 20: Bei Ling

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The wind in the morning was cold and with the winter, it felt like there were blades cutting through his skin as it blew past him. In spite of that, with the bonfire burning amid the tribe, a gentle warmth surrounded the entire tribe as it expelled the cold.

The circulation of Qi within their bodies allowed Berserkers to resist the cold but as most of the members of the tribe were normal people, most of them chose not to venture out during winter.

Even if they did go out, they would wear thick hides to fend against the cold. During the winter, common healers in the tribe would also be at their busiest. They had to create vast amounts of medication to increase the tribe members' immunity against the cold.

The elder would also activate the Qi in his body during the coldest days of the season to help the entire tribe last through the cold.

Su Ming wore a beast skin shirt that covered his entire body and trudged through the snow towards the tribe as he listened to the crunchy sounds from the snow under his feet. Looking at the familiar sights in his tribe and at the tribe members greeting him with smiles, it warmed his heart. It seemed to chase away the frigid winter cold.

The houses in the tribe were mostly simple in design. They were fine during the other seasons but they could not provide shelter against the wind during winter. They had to cover the walls of the houses with a large amount of hides to prevent the cold from entering their houses.

Sometimes, the hides would not stick to the walls for a long period of time and would require regular maintenance. The tribe members themselves also needed to add wood to the fires in their houses regularly. Hence, winter was torture for most of the tribe members.

At the very least, the cold did not kill them but it was still troublesome.

Su Ming arrived at the building constantly guarded by a few members of the tribe. It was the herbal storage for Dark Mountain Tribe. The walls of the building outside were covered by thick layers of hide. There were also several bonfires burning around the building. They allowed him to feel a layer of heat as he rode on the tails of the cold wind when he went near.

Su Ming was familiar with the place. Every single time he returned after collecting herbs, he would deliver all the herbs he collected there. So, when the guards saw Su Ming, they smiled and did not stop him.

Su Ming smiled back and greeted them as he went through the fence. Just as he was about to open the door and enter, a happy voice called out from behind.

"Su Ming, when did you come back?"

It was a girl's voice. It was pleasant to the ears and sounded just like the ringing of 100 bells.

Su Ming stopped and turned around. When he saw her, his gaze softened. The owner of the voice was a slightly big girl. She was covered entirely in thick hide and her long hair was tied together with a grass string. There were two exquisitely made bone earrings hanging off her ears. Her skin was a little rough but it did not hide her beauty.

Her eyes were big like giant puddles of water but they were clear, showing off her innocence. There was happiness in her eyes as she walked briskly towards Su Ming.

"I came back yesterday." Su Ming smiled. She was the person who cleaned his house regularly when he was away – Chen Xin. Suddenly, Su Ming froze on as he looked behind her.

She was not alone. There was a young man in his late teens following her. The young man was big in build and he looked even sturdier than Lei Chen. He only wore a thin beast skin shirt in the winter. His hair was messy but not dirty. His sharp jaw line gave him a prideful air.

His eyes especially, looked like stars. It was as though something strange shone from within his eyes. He gave off an oppressive air and kept others on edge when they were around him. He was like a wild beast.

He stood there with a huge bow slung across his back. His gaze felt like arrows as he looked at Su Ming.

"Su Ming!"

"Bei… Bei Ling…" Su Ming looked at the young man and spoke respectfully as a complicated look flitted through his eyes.

The young man before him was the strongest among their generation in the Dark Mountain Tribe. Even the elder mentioned that he could not hope to win against the talent that he had. Lei Chen was the only one who could somewhat compete against him after he Awakened.

As the strongest of the younger generation in the tribe, the speed of his training was incredibly fast. Su Ming once overheard the elder saying that he was the one who held the most promise to break through the Blood Solidification Realm and become one of the few to reach the legendary Transcendence Realm!

His name also was also known throughout the other tribes around them. Even Wind Stream Tribe had heard of him and they sent messengers to take him away to be trained in their tribe. Su Ming did not expect to see him.

His feelings towards Bei Ling were complicated because when he was young, Bei Ling had taken care of him like an older brother. Even his skills with the bow were taught by Bei Ling. Bei Ling was after all, the head of all the children in the tribe. His archery skills were no laughing matter.

However all of this changed when Chen Xin was 12 years old. Perhaps it was because Chen Xin and Su Ming were too close. Bei Ling started looking at Su Ming oddly and suspiciously. His looks became cold and distant later on. Bei Ling even chose to ignore him when they met.

It was not until much later when Su Ming learned that the tribe leader and Bei Ling's father had already made arrangements for Chen Xin and Bei Ling to be engaged…

Su Ming wanted to explain himself but his words were rewarded with a cold look. Eventually, he could only sigh regretfully and started distancing himself from Chen Xin.

He understood his own position. He knew that he was only a normal member of the tribe. He also knew that if it were not for the elder, he may not have even been accepted into the tribe.

Su Ming was an abandoned baby whom the elder adopted when he went out on a journey dozens of years ago. The members of the tribe were kind towards him but it did not change the fact that he did not belong.

"Why didn't you tell me you came back? I went to look for you a few times but you weren't there." Chen Xin scrunched up her nose and complained.

Su Ming touched his nose and avoided Chen Xin's gaze. He only treated Chen Xin as a sister and harbored no other feelings for her. He did not want Bei Ling, who had been kind towards him to continue misunderstanding.

"Bei Ling, when did you come back?" Su Ming looked towards Bei Ling, who exuded a powerful air. He could feel an endless amount of Qi coming from Bei Ling's body. The strength of his Qi was the strongest he had seen after the elder and the leaders in the tribe.

The fierce pride he felt from the other was also as strong as his Qi. It made Su Ming feel like suffocating just by standing before him.

"Yesterday." Bei Ling's gaze was as usual. It was cold and he spoke little like he wanted it done and over with quickly. He turned and looked towards Chen Xin standing by his side.

"Xin, didn't you want to collect some herbs for your mother? Let's go." As Bei Ling spoke, he held Chen Xin's hand and walked past Su Ming. Then he pushed the door to the herbal storage open and went in.

Chen Xin wanted to say something but after a brief moment of hesitation, she chose not to. Instead, she nodded at Su Ming and followed Bei Ling into the building.

Su Ming stood there silently. After a while, he sighed and went in as well.

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Chapter 21: Poor

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The herbal storage room was very big. It was also very neat inside. There were a lot of neatly arranged shelves with all sorts of herbs properly categorized

There was a smaller room located further into the building. The herbs in there were different from the ones in the outer room. They were specifically prepared for the Berserkers and a normal member of the tribe was not allowed to go in there.

Even a common healer would require permission from the tribe leader or the elder to go into this room. It was viewed as an extremely important room in the entire Dark Mountain Tribe.

However, all these rules did not apply to Su Ming. The elder gave Su Ming a special position in the tribe since a long time ago and he could go into the room at will to learn how to identify all the herbs in there.

When he stepped into the building, Su Ming saw Bei Ling holding Chen Xin's hand. The walked towards the small room with all the precious herbs. There was an old man sitting cross-legged outside the door. The old wore a robe made of beast skin. He was thin, his hair was white and his face was covered in wrinkles. He originally had his eyes closed but he opened them slightly to receive the introduction letter from Bei Ling and Chen Xin. He cast a glance at it then, closed his eyes once more.

Su Ming walked slowly. He knew that Bei Ling did not want to see him. So, he chose to remain silent and did not follow them into the small room. Instead, he chose to walk towards the shelves outside and look at the large amount of herbs on the shelves. He was familiar with all of them. He had practically collected all of the herbs there before.

Bei Ling and Chen Xin had not come out of the room even after Su Ming had finished looking at all the herbs outside. Su Ming hesitated for a while then, he began to pace outside the room slowly.

"Young La Su, what are you wondering about?" As Su Ming was deep in thought, an old and wizened voice traveled into his ears. He lifted his head and saw that the old man guarding the small room was speaking to him.

"Grandpa Nan Song, I'm not a La Su anymore…" Su Ming scratched his head and smiled.

"I remember now. The La Sus of your generation have completed the Awakening a few months ago. Looks like I can't call you young La Su anymore." The old man grinned as his eyes twinkled with kindness.

"Since you're here, why don't you go in? Don't be scared, I have your back! I even dared to compete against the elder for a woman in the past. I'm not afraid of anything!" The old man winked at him and joked.

Su Ming widened his eyes. It was the first time he heard about this. After a moment of hesitation, he smiled bitterly and went into the small room.

He was not hesitating because of Chen Xin as the old man had suggested rather, he was hesitating because of Bei Ling, whom he was indebted to. He did not know how to explain himself. Many years had passed since then and the man was still cold towards him.

'It's fine…' Su Ming sighed. The moment he opened the door to the small room, he saw Bei Ling with his powerful presence. He was standing beside Chen Xin, who was choosing herbs in the room. He turned around and glared at him.

Su Ming met his gaze and went towards a shelf on the other side. He chose to ignore the two and started searching for the herbs required to create Mountain Spirit.

When Chen Xin saw Su Ming, she looked as if she wanted to say something. After hesitating for a while, she again chose not to speak. As she grew up, she began to understand a lot of things. She also understood her relationship with Bei Ling. The love she felt for Su Ming since she was young was dying away as time passed.

'Night Marrow Grass…

'Thousand Leaf Flower…'

Su Ming slowly walked around the room. He swept his gaze across the precious herbs and finally found the two herbs he needed to create Mountain Spirit.

'It's a pity I don't have the last one…'

He had looked through all of the herbs in the room and was deep in thought.

Chen Xin and Bei Ling had also finished choosing the herbs they wanted. Once Chen Xin bade farewell to Su Ming, she was dragged away by Bei Ling. Before he left, Bei Ling stopped. He did not turn back but spoke calmly.

"These herbs are useless to you since you don't have a Berserker Body! Instead of wasting them, you should leave it for the other tribe members. Know your place." Once he finished speaking, Bei Ling took Chen Xin away.

Su Ming kept quiet. As he lifted his head to look at the two people leaving, he did not speak. Instead, he looked at all the herbs in the room once more. Then he took the two herbs he needed and left the room.

The old man sitting outside the room did not mind Su Ming taking the herbs from the room. On the contrary, he looked at Su Ming in amusement.

"Grandpa Nan Song… it's not what you think…" Su Ming touched his nose.

"What would I be thinking about? I wasn't even talking about the complicated relationship between you and the two young La Sus. I absolutely wasn't." The old man laughed.

Su Ming blushed lightly, feeling a little awkward. An idea suddenly crossed his mind and he squatted down to look at the old man.

"Grandpa Nan Song, did you happen to see this herb before?" As Su Ming spoke, he drew the picture of an herb on the ground.

The old man smiled and looked at the drawing. He sank into deep thought, then tapped his forehead lightly after a while.

"Isn't this the Cloud Gauze Grass? We don't have this herb in Dark Mountain. It can only grow in a special environment. Only Wind Stream Tribe sells this herb around the area. Why do you need it?"

"I read about it in one of the elder's scrolls. I've tried looking for it in Dark Mountain but I couldn't find it. So that's how it is." Understanding dawned on Su Ming's face.

"Of course not. This is an herb suitable for lower-leveled Berserkers in the Blood Solidification Realm. It's just that they're sold at a high price in Wind Stream Tribe. If you want it, you can ask the elder to bring you to the trading square located just outside Wind Stream Tribe. There are all sorts of herbs sold there." The old man shook his head and smiled.

Su Ming's interest was piqued. He asked a few more questions, then rose up and left after he bidding farewell to the old man. The old man looked at him with teasing eyes as he departed.

When he left the herbal storage, Su Ming sank into his thoughts as he walked through the snow.

"Wind Gauze Grass… I can obtain the other herbs for Mountain Spirit myself but as for Wind Gauze Grass… Grandpa Nan Song said that it's really expensive… Haa." Su Ming frowned. He searched through his pockets and found nothing besides a few stone coins he obtained from Black Mountain Tribe's Yu Chi.

They usually employed the barter system within the tribe and rarely used money. Once they left the tribe though, they would need to use stone coins to buy items.

Stone coins were coins made from a special type of stone. There was an unspoken rule that they could only be created in big tribes. If any of them were created illegally, the person and his tribe would face destruction by the hands of the big tribes.

After he searched through his entire body, Su Ming only managed to find 3 stone coins. All of them belonged to the dead Yu Chi. As for Su Ming himself, he did not own a single coin.

'I don't have coins. How am I supposed to buy them…? If only I had 100… no, 1,000 stone coins… As for the square, I know the approximate location since the elder mentioned it before. Once any members of the tribe become Berserkers, they can go there in pairs. The location of the square isn't far either…'

Su Ming laughed bitterly. He felt the beginnings of a headache forming.

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Chapter 22: Are We Going to Change?

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming was immersed in his thoughts until noon. He gritted his teeth, slung a basket over his back and left the tribe. Lei Chen went with him. Lei Chen had gone to the square before. He went there just a few days ago, in fact. Once he heard that Su Ming wanted to borrow some stone coins, he immediately pestered him for the reason. Once he learned of the reason, he immediately perked up and offered to act as Su Ming's guide.

"Su Ming, those two were the only stone coins I had. I went through a lot of trouble to get them. When… when are you going to give them back to me…?" Lei Chen stared anxiously at Su Ming as they sped through the forest outside the tribe.

"You've been nagging me for the entire journey. It's just two stone coins! I've been giving you Dark Dragon's Saliva for so many years. How much do you think they're worth? Lei Chen, aren't we best friends? How could you be like this?!" Su Ming felt slightly guilty but he still glared at Lei Chen, causing Lei Chen to mumble under his breath.

"I really went through a lot of trouble to get them…" Lei Chen scratched his head. As he mumbled, he seemed to remember something and looked at Su Ming oddly.

"Say, I just remembered. What are you going to buy at the square with the stone coins?"

"I'm buying Cloud Gauze Grass!" Su Ming ran through the forest lithely, showing signs of overtaking Lei Chen with his speed.

"What is Cloud Gauze Grass?" Lei Chen asked honestly. However, when he found that Su Ming had already overtaken him, he immediately took a few wide leaps to catch up.

"Su Ming, you have to remember to return them to me…"

"Su Ming, it took me a lot of years to save up those coins…"

"Su Ming, not even my father knows about them. How did you know where I hid them the moment you came to my house?"

"Su Ming, what is Cloud Gauze Grass? Why won't you tell me…"

"Su Ming? Su Ming?! I've been asking you the entire day!"

Su Ming's ears rang with Lei Chen's voice throughout the entire journey. He knew for a long time that Lei Chen liked to talk. Once he started, there was no stopping him but he did not expect him to keep talking for the entire journey.

When dusk arrived, they had already traveled some distance away from the tribe settlement. Within the unfamiliar forest, Su Ming's stamina finally ran dry and he began to slow down until he reached a huge tree. He leaned against it to catch his breath. Then he turned and looked at Lei Chen as if he wanted nothing to do with him. Lei Chen was also panting heavily while he sat down on the ground.

"Su… Su Ming… You… have to… give it back… to me…" Lei Chen was panting heavily but when he saw Su Ming looking back at him, he immediately straightened up and repeated himself.

"I'll return it… I'll definitely return it… but you have to promise me something!" Su Ming laughed wryly. He already did not know what to say for Lei Chen to shut up.

"What is it?" Lei Chen blinked his eyes. His expression was that of a simple-minded person.

"Don't look at me like that. Even Xiao Hong looks more convincing than you. Lei Chen, I know what you want to ask but I can't tell you. You'll know later." Su Ming glared at him. He grew up with this person and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he understood Lei Chen more than his parents.

Lei Chen appeared to be an honest and simple-minded person but he was actually pretty sensitive. A lot of people were fooled by the honest look on his face and tended to ignore the slyness in his eyes.

After he heard Su Ming, Lei Chen touched his nose and laughed boyishly.

"My request is simple. If you don't make a sound during the trip, once I finish my business and we come back, I'll tell you everything you want to know!" Then Su Ming gave Lei Chen a long, hard look.

Lei Chen froze as if his entire body was petrified. He did not move but his eyes were wide open as he stared at Su Ming.

"Lei Chen…" Su Ming laughed wryly. He played together with his friend growing up. He was not going to be fooled by his little trick.

"You were the one who told me to be quiet. I wanted to nod my head but if I did then there'd be rustling sounds. I'm just fulfilling my end of the promise! I'm not even moving and I'm not making any sound. It completely suits your idea of silence! Aren't I being quiet enough?!"

"You're asking me to be quiet, right? Don't worry. I'll be like this during the entire journey. I won't make any sound. But if I make any sound when I run, you can't blame me, I…"

"Stop! Enough! Just keep quiet!" Su Ming pinched the bridge of his nose. He saw a hint of playfulness in Lei Chen's eyes and he knew his friend was doing it on purpose.

"Fine, I'll tell you. I have a Berserker Body but it's hidden by the elder's Berserker Art. Don't tell anyone about this." As he spoke, Su Ming's face became deadly grave.

Lei Chen was stunned but he soon nodded solemnly.

"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked. I just wanted to know whether you've become a Berserker Practitioner. Now, I'm no longer worried. Haha, from now on, we'll become the future guardians of Dark Mountain Tribe!"

Su Ming laughed as well. They took a moment to replenish their strength and continued on their way. The sky gradually darkened, the moon rose in the sky and the stars shone. The snow on the ground became thicker, too and the winter wind blew against their faces. Still, they continued their journey without stopping. They even talked to each other on the way, creating an amiable atmosphere.

"I saw Bei Ling today. I feel so frustrated when I see him, especially when he has Chen Xin by his side. He knows that Chen Xin likes you!" Lei Chen grumbled angrily.

"He's changed so much. He just went to Wind Stream Tribe for a few years. Has he already forgotten that he's from of Dark Mountain Tribe? You didn't see his face that time. He even nagged me about all sorts of things!"

Su Ming was silent.

"Su Ming, I'll definitely surpass him!" Lei Chen clenched his fists as he ran.

"He's Bei Ling, our older brother. He took care of us when we were younger. Don't you recall him teaching you all he knew about training in the Ways of the Berserkers last time? He was even punished by the elder for that!"

"He even taught me how to use the bow…" Su Ming spoke calmly.

"As for Chen Xin, I already told you ages ago. I only see her as a sister, nothing else… Why are you still thinking about all these weird things?" Su Ming's voice was still calm.

Lei Chen wanted to continue speaking but he saw how calm Su Ming was so, he swallowed all his words back. He understood Su Ming just as much as Su Ming understood him.

He knew that Su Ming was a grateful man.

"Su Ming, people change…" Lei Chen spoke softly after a long while.

"As we grow up, as we experience more things, we will change… Perhaps one day, I will change… and I think, you will as well…" Lei Chen muttered.

'Will I..?'

As Su Ming ran, he fell silent.

When the sky became dark completely, Su Ming and Lei Chen stopped. Traveling at night was exceptionally troublesome. Besides, there was still some distance left before they reached the square. As such, they set up camp under a big tree for the night. They took shifts so that one of them could sit down to train while the other kept watch.

Su Ming leaned against the tree and his gaze fell upon Lei Chen, who sat down with his legs crossed. His body began glowing red and he could see a lot of red lines emerging from his body.

After watching Lei Chen for some time, Su Ming looked at the dark sky. The moon shone brightly and it looked beautiful as it hung in the sky with a curtain of stars. Yet, it made people feel small and insignificant when they lifted their heads and looked up.

'People change… Will I… change too..?'

Su Ming gazed quietly as he recalled all the times he spent together with Bei Ling when he was still a child.

'If I do change some day… how will I change…?'

Uncertainty appeared in Su Ming's eyes. This was too complicated a question for a 16 year old teenager.

'Perhaps I'll be like the elder and become a really strong Berserk Healer. I'll bring Xiao Hong on a journey around the world. We'll go to places we have never been, we'll go to all the tribes in the world and cure lots of the members of the Berserker Tribe…

'Perhaps, I'll even become an elder… Then I'll find a girl I like and live with her. She'll go on a journey with me until we grow old together… Xiao Hong will become Old Hong by then… I'll talk about all of my experiences with the La Sus in the tribe… just like how the elder spoke to us about his life…'

Su Ming smiled. It was a pure, honest and happy smile.

'Or perhaps… I'll get to know my parents…'

Su Ming sighed as he smiled.

"Lei Chen, I won't change!" Su Ming took a deep breath and spoke firmly under the moonlight on the vast plains belonging to the Berserker Tribe. He did so even though he was the only one who could hear it.

He was certain of his words just like any young man who still believed in a bright future…

Night went by. When dawn arrived, Su Ming and Lei Chen woke up as light gradually lit up the sky. They washed their faces with the snow. The cold snow made them shiver and wide awake.

"If we travel according to our original route, we'll reach the square by noon." Lei Chen had already gone to the square a few times. He rubbed away the snow on his face as he spoke to Su Ming.

Su Ming nodded. After they washed up, they continued running in the forest as they welcomed the first rays of sunlight.

Their journey went on without problems. When noon arrived, Su Ming saw a lot of houses made of grass and wood at the edge of the forest. There were also a lot of noises coming from the tribal settlement. Some Berserkers from the tribe were also patrolling the vicinity.

"We're here!" Lei Chen looked towards Su Ming particularly at the woven basket on his back. However, the basket was covered firmly with hides. He could not tell what was in there.

Su Ming looked at the tribe square before him. It was big. Its size was comparable to the size of a small tribe but there were no fences around it. There were only several strong looking men patrolling the area in full alertness. They maintained the peace in the area and prevented wild beasts from attacking.

At the center of the square was a gigantic purple tent made of beast skins. The security was extremely tight and no one was allowed near it.

"That house belongs to the owner of the square. I heard that he's a really strong Berserker. He will only appear to welcome tribe leaders from other tribes." Lei Chen spoke to Su Ming softly as they moved out of the forest towards the square.

Su Ming only cast a glance at the purple tent before looking away. He stepped into the unfamiliar place under the guards' scrutinizing eyes.

At that moment, a girl's voice called out to them coldly.

"Lei Chen!"

Su Ming paused in the middle of his footsteps and discovered that Lei Chen immediately shuddered when he heard the voice.

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Chapter 23: Like an Initial Meeting

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming could clearly sense that Lei Chen was not acting normally right then. It was as if he was afraid and could do nothing about it. Su Ming looked towards the direction of the voice subtly.

Su Ming was stunned!

The person who spoke was a girl. She wore a small shirt made of mink fur, and she seemed to be slightly taller than the frail-looking Su Ming. Her tall stature and her shirt managed to show off the curves of her body. Her skin was not rough like her fellow members of the Berserker Tribe but, fair. She possessed a sort of beauty that would make others attracted to her.

Her black hair was held together by a red string made of grass. There were two little braids by her ears and the rest of her hair was left flowing behind her head. It swayed along with the wind as it blew, adding to her beauty.

Her eyes were like puddles of clear water and there was a cold fierceness within her eyes. There were beads of shiny droplets on her forehead, which became even more brilliant as they reflected the snow on the ground.

Her two white canines could be vaguely seen as the girl exhaled and they added a sort of wildness to the girl.

She was not a normal girl. She was just like Su Ming, a Berserker. However, the strength of Qi she released gave Su Ming the impression that she was only at the third level of the Blood Solidification Realm.

She was not alone. There were three other men from the Berserker Tribe behind her. They were built like little hills. Their gazes were cold as they stared at Su Ming and Lei Chen. The strength of their Qi was only slightly weaker than Bei Ling's.

There seemed to be markings painted on the three big men. As Su Ming looked at them subtly, he noticed that the markings looked like scorpions.

"Lei Chen, how dare you!" The girl gritted her teeth as she glared at Lei Chen.

Lei Chen touched his nose and the usual honest, simple-minded look settled once more on his face as he laughed in a silly manner.

"I was tricked by that dumb look of yours the last time and I got a stupid, dyed herb! Which you sold to me for three stone coins!!!" The girl marched towards Lei Chen, her face red with anger.

"You can't blame me for that. I didn't know what herb it was so, I just placed it at a random place. You were the one who wanted to buy it…" Lei Chen mumbled as though he was wronged.

"Hmph, give me the stone coins!" The girl glared at Lei Chen. Su Ming was also hated on because he was standing beside Lei Chen but he looked weak and fragile so, she ignored him once she took a glance at him.

"But I…" Lei Chen smiled wryly. He was about to speak but the girl immediately glared at him coldly. The three men behind her also looked at him with a fierce glare. He swallowed his words and could only complain about the situation in his head.

"Lei Chen, is she the one from Dark Dragon Tribe whom you and the elder spoke of?" Su Ming spoke slowly, his face void of expression.

The moment his words left his mouth, Lei Chen was stunned for a moment but quickly reacted. He knew that Su Ming had always been calm. If he said something, it meant that he would help. Besides, he knew Su Ming. The moment he heard Su Ming speaking so oddly, he immediately understood his intentions and stood behind Su Ming. He treated Su Ming as if he was his leader.

"Yes, Young Lord. That is the girl I spoke of!" Lei Chen's gaze was respectful as he spoke with his head bowed.

Lei Chen's actions and words immediately caused the girl to shift her gaze to Su Ming. She was surprised. The title of Young Lord was usually given to the future elders of the tribe. She looked at Su Ming closely but no matter what, he only gave off the feeling of a normal Berserker Tribe member. Hence, her countenance became fierce as she spoke in a coldly.

"I don't care whether you're the Young Lord. Return my stone coins!"

"Fine! I'll give you the stone coins. But I came with Lei Chen here today to find you!" Lei Chen was calm as he took out three stone coins from his bosom with his right hand.

"Give me the herb you bought from Lei Chen" Su Ming looked at the girl and spoke slowly.

The girl was stunned. She did not expect to get her stone coins back so easily. She grew suspicious as her gaze fell upon Su Ming and Lei Chen.

"What herb is that?" After a moment of hesitation, she did not reach out for the stone coins instead she chose to question.

"That is…" Lei Chen was about to speak when a stern voice cut him off.

"Quiet!" Su Ming glared at Lei Chen. It made Lei Chen shudder and lower his head respectfully.

When she saw his compliance, the girl blinked in confusion. She hesitated briefly and took out a purple herb. The herb looked normal. The only difference was that it was completely purple, which made it look terrifying.

When she brought out the herb, she immediately handed it to Su Ming but she kept her eyes fixed on his face. When she saw Su Ming's eyes light up and how he lifted his hand as if he could not wait to grab onto the herb, the girl laughed and retracted her hand.

"What are you doing?! This is my herb. I bought it! Are you trying to snatch my herb?" The girl wrinkled her nose and clicked her tongue.

"Girl, do you still want the stone coins?" Su Ming was surprised but he quickly frowned.

"Why wouldn't I want it? But I just thought about something, if you can show me proof that you are Dark Mountain Tribe's Young Lord, then I'll return the herb to you." The girl's eyes were cunning. Her slyness only made her wild presence stronger.

Even Su Ming felt his heart race but he kept his expressions as bland as possible.

Su Ming was quiet As he looked at the girl, he took a deep breath. He raised his left hand and the sudden presence of Qi belonging to a second level Berserker of the Blood Solidification Realm spread from his right hand.

"Is this enough proof?"

The sudden change instantly made the girl narrow her eyes. Even the three men behind her became serious.

It was not hard to understand why they were suddenly wary. Su Ming was until a moment ago, just a normal person. There was not even a hint of Qi from him. The sudden difference caught them all off guard.

"Young Master, a strong Berserker must have cast an Art on him. That is why the presence of his Qi is hidden. The Berserker is also much more powerful than us or else it would not have been impossible for us to detect it."

"That's right. I've been watching for a long time and I didn't detect anything. The only person who can do this is the elder of Dark Mountain Tribe…" The three men standing behind the girl whispered softly into her ear.

The girl lowered her head and looked at the purple herb in her hands. She hesitated. It had been some time since she bought the herb. She even spent a lot of time persuading Lei Chen to give her the herb. She had thought it was an unknown item and wanted to ask her elder. However on the second day, she found that the purple tinge had spread to her hands. It was obvious that it was dyed.

The discovery made her angry. Deeply offended, she brought the herb to the square to try and find Lei Chen again.

Just as she hesitated, Su Ming spoke in a frustrated manner.

"I've already shown you proof. Are you breaking your promise? These are the three stone coins… whatever, I'll give you five stone coins!" Su Ming gritted his teeth and took out another two stone coins, passing all of them to the girl.

"Five stone coins for the herb!"

The girl blinked. He managed to identify that she was from Dark Dragon Tribe immediately so, it was clear that Lei Chen told him about it. Besides, he also mentioned the elder of Dark Mountain Tribe…

"Then it's true! This is a rare item!" The girl showed a pleased expression and shook her head.

"So what? So what if I break my promise? This is mine. If you want to get it back, give me 30 stone coins!" When she saw the bitter look on Su Ming's face and the dismal look on Lei Chen's face, she became even more proud of herself. She turned around, snorted and quickly left the place.

The three men quickly followed her and left the square.

When the four of them went away, the dismal look on Lei Chen's face disappeared almost instantly. He smiled boyishly at Su Ming and touched his nose.

"Su Ming, how did you know she was from Dark Dragon Tribe?"

"So you had three stone coins? There's still one more, right? Give it!" Su Ming looked at Lei Chen and put away the stone coins as he spoke slowly.

"No way! That… I bought something with that stone coin last time… Um, I still have something to do. Let's leave it for now. We'll split up for now. I'll wait for you here later at night. We'll go back to the tribe then." Lei Chen felt his eye twitch and immediately spoke up. He did not even wait for Su Ming to reply. He ran away quickly and disappeared into the bustling square.

As he watched Lei Chen escape, Su Ming shook his head. If he was not too poor, he would not have revealed that he had Qi. The elder's Berserker Art was extremely powerful. If Su Ming refused to reveal it, no one would have been able to see it.

However if he did not do it, not only did Lei Chen have to return the stone coins to the girl, Su Ming himself would have needed to give up his stone coins too.

"Ha… Looks like I'll really have to do this…" Su Ming scratched his head and headed towards the square, troubled.

The square bustled with activity. Within the tents were plenty of people trading with each other and there were some who had spread hides on the snow. There, they placed various herbs as well as items for trade as they sat on the ground waiting for someone to buy their wares.

It was Su Ming's first time there. Everything was new to him. As he walked through the square, he saw a lot of items he had never seen before. Among them were bones from beasts and all sorts of weird herbs. There were even a couple of refined medicinal potions being sold.

"They even sell Dark Dragon's Saliva here. One bottle is worth one stone coin!" Su Ming faltered in his footsteps when he saw that Dark Dragon's Saliva was sold as an item. It was on one of the hides on the ground beside him. He blinked in surprise.

"I've been drinking Dark Dragon's Saliva… since I was young… just how many stone coins was that worth?! Xiao Hong also drank a lot of it…" Su Ming was just about to leave, mumbling when he caught the glimpse of something on one of the hides not far away.

"That is…" Su Ming took a deep breath and went towards it. He cast a glance at the owner of the stall. He was an old man in his 50s. He wore a loose hide shirt and sat still with his legs crossed atop the snow.

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Chapter 24: Now, It's Dead

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

When he felt someone coming towards him, the old man opened his eyes and looked at Su Ming. There was a hint of shock in his eyes but after he looked at him carefully, he closed his eyes again.

Su Ming eyed a blue object placed on the hide. The object was shaped like a plate. The edges were sharp but there were a few cracks on it. There was even a deep cut like the object had been pierced through.

It laid quietly on the mat but would let out a faint glow occasionally. Anyone who saw it would have thought that it was alive.

The cracks seemed to form a drawing. It was the drawing of a terrifying face and it was frightening to look at.

"This is an incomplete Berserker Vessel. You won't be able to afford it." As Su Ming was looking at it, he heard an old and wizened voice. Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the old man, who spoke.

"Berserker Vessel?" Su Ming sucked in a breath. He had suspected it. He had read about it before in the beast skin scrolls. Berserker Vessels were extremely rare items. Only the powerful Berserkers in the Transcendence Realm could obtain and make one. As for the people in the Blood Solidification Realm, it was difficult for them to obtain it. Even if they had one, it was usually an inheritance within the tribe. There also had to be people in the tribe who were capable of guarding the vessel from being taken away by Berserkers in the Transcendence Realm.

"This vessel is already broken. You can't use it. But since it was made by a Berserker in the Transcendence realm, it'll be for 1,000 stone coins." The old man spoke slowly.

As Su Ming stared at the blue plate, his gaze was filled with longing and envy. He only had 5 coins with him so, he could not afford it.

He sighed. Su Ming looked at the blue plate again and left reluctantly.

'I wonder when I'll ever own my very own Berserker Vessel… '

Su Ming thought as he wandered through the square. There were a lot of people who opened up shop by selling items on hides. However, even after Su Ming went around the place, he did not see anyone else selling Berserker Vessels.

He did however find some Cloud Gauze Grass being sold. Just that, it was sold by different people. The price for one was rather expensive. Just one alone was sold at the price of one stone coin, which was the same price as Dark Dragon's Saliva.

It was beginning to grow dark. The sun was setting in the sky and the light cast a red glow on land. Yet, there were even more people gathered at the square and it continued to bustle with activity.

As he looked at the sky, Su Ming decided to continue walking around. He even went into one of the tents. The tent was also a shop. The price for each item was expensive but at least the quality of each could be guaranteed. There were quite a lot of people going in and out of the tents.

As Su Ming watched, he saw some members of the Berserker Tribe who were the same as him. They were also carrying baskets on their backs as they went into the tents to sell the contents within to the tent owners.

When Su Ming saw this, he smiled. He had been observing since noon and he saw a lot of things. After he pieced up all the details he obtained, he understood most of the rules there.

As the sky darkened almost completely and torches were lit around the square, Su Ming went to a corner where the light did not shine.

He looked at his surroundings carefully before quickly putting down his basket. He wrapped the hides on the basket around his body and put on all the other hides he had prepared in the basket. Finally, he brought out a black beast skin that looked like a robe and wore it, covering up his whole body.

Su Ming's face could no longer be seen. From the size of his body, he looked swollen. He looked completely different from his frail self.

He shook his limbs slightly, then he wrapped the beast skins even tighter around himself. Su Ming took a look at the basket. There was still one more thing in the basket. It was something he prepared specifically for this trip. It was heavy but it had its uses.

He swung the basket over his back and lowered his head. He stopped after taking a few steps forward. Then he hunched his back. He then quickly walked towards a tent he had chosen a while ago.

The light in the tent was dark. Since noon, the people who went into this tent were mostly like Su Ming. They hid their faces so that no one could recognize them.

It may have been Su Ming's first time at the square but he had been observing the proceedings since noon. As such, he had already understood most of the rules of the square. He did not immediately enter the tent he chose. Instead, he paced about outside the tent for a while as he looked at the tent occasionally.

Before long, a person dressed in a similar fashion as Su Ming came out from the tent and left the square in a hurry.

Su Ming had seen a lot of people like this since noon. He was somewhat certain that once he left, no one would chase after him. He opened the flap and went into the then empty tent quickly without any hesitation.

Once he entered the tent, he felt a gaze fall upon him. The person looking at him was a middle aged man. He was half nude and sitting cross-legged. There was a bonfire before him. As it lit up the tent, it crackled as it burned.

One of the man's eyes was empty but the other gave off a sharp glint. He was watching Su Ming closely without a word.

"The fire is quite dazzling." Since Su Ming was covered up by hides, he was not worried about the man seeing his face. He also spoke slowly with a hoarse voice and it was completely different compared to his normal one.

The one-eyed man looked at Su Ming for a while before looking away. He felt no Qi from Su Ming and he did not look any different from the rest who came.

He may not have felt Qi from Su Ming but, one who could enter the tent and seem so familiar with the rules could not have been just any person.

He raised his right hand and pressed it on the bonfire. The bonfire immediately grew dimmer. The light from the bonfire became darker as well.

"Take it out. If it's good stuff, I'll give you a fair price." The man put out his right hand and spoke slowly.

Su Ming scrutinized the man behind the hides that hid his face. Then all of a sudden, he laughed. His laughter was also hoarse as it echoed in the tent. It made the man frown.

Just as he frowned, Su Ming raised his right hand. Immediately, a round object was thrown at the man as a medicinal scent spread in the air. The man caught it in his hands. When he saw it, his right eye shone brilliantly as he took in a sharp breath.

"How much does this thing cost?" Su Ming spoke hoarsely.

"What is this? Where did you get it? What are the effects of this thing?" The man stared at the object in his hand for a while before looking at Su Ming seriously. A flash of curiosity appeared in his eyes.

"When I was on the way to the square, I saw this beast." Su Ming did not answer his question but chose to talk about something else. As he spoke, he put down the basket and grabbed something inside with his right hand. Immediately, the basket shook and Su Ming took out a mink raccoon that was tied up before placing it on the floor.

The mink raccoon looked listless but there was a fierce glare within its eyes. There were wounds on its body that had not healed. It also could not escape as it was tied up.

The man was stunned. It was clear that he did not know what Su Ming meant. His gaze fell on the mink raccoon for a while but he quickly looked away. It was just a normal beast. There was nothing about it that required his attention.

"I just caught it on a whim. Look, it's still alive…" Su Ming's voice was slow and hoarse. Nonetheless, it sounded odd in the dim tent.

"What are you saying?"

The man frowned.

"I'm saying that it's still alive. Do you know why I caught it? Because it was too curious. It had been following me for too long…" Su Ming raised his left hand and caressed the beast. However, just as his hands swept through the wounds on the mink raccoon's body, it shivered!

There were no cries, no screams. There was only a brief shudder before the mink raccoon's body turned into red mist as if its blood was burned. As the man looked at the scene dumbfounded, the mink raccoon's entire body disappeared. Only a pile of red and black bones were left behind.

"Now, it's dead…" Su Ming touched the pile of bones with his left hand and the bones immediately turned into dust which scattered on the ground.

The man took a sharp breath and retreated a few steps instinctively. There was shock and fear in his eye, which could not be concealed. After a moment, he once again turned towards Su Ming with fear and respect.

"Fallen Berserker…"

"Hmm?" Su Ming snorted.

The man shivered and was about to explain himself when Su Ming waved his hand as though he was growing impatient.

"Tell me how much that thing in your hands is worth! The effect of the item is simple. It will increase the effects of all the herbs you take while you train by one fold! As for the other question… you're too curious for your own good." Su Ming spoke slowly.

The man's face grew pale. What he saw earlier shocked him. He did not even feel any Qi circulating from the person's body. Nevertheless, the beast turned into red mist right before his eyes.

"This thing…" The man took a moment to think as he looked at the round medicinal object in his hand.

"Sir, I've never seen this thing before in my life… This is…" The man spoke hesitantly. He never spoke this way to his normal customers but due to the shock of what he just saw, he did not dare offend the person before him.

"You can try it out right now. If there are no effects, I'll leave. But if you can feel the effects, we can negotiate the price." Su Ming spoke calmly and slowly as he sat down.

The man breathed out a sigh of relief and agreed to Su Ming's terms respectfully. He took out a bell from his bosom and shook it lightly. Immediately, the ringing of the bell filled the tent.

There was an indescribable look in Su Ming's eyes. He stole a glance at the bell and he tightened his left hand, which he kept hidden within the robe. There was still a bit of Scattering Blood Powder left in his left hand.

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Chapter 25: Her Name is Bai Ling

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming was nervous. The Qi within the man standing before him felt stronger than Lei Chen's. He was probably around the fifth or sixth level of the Blood Solidification Realm.

Su Ming could not hope to win against such a person. If the man decided to attack him, Su Ming would have had a hard time dodging it. However, he needed a large number Cloud Gauze Grass, which would require a lot of stone coins.

Due to this, he had to take a risk. Besides, after he killed Yu Chi in the forest, he felt that his mindset had changed somewhat. The knowledge he obtained by reading the beast skin scrolls he got from the elder were now deeply ingrained in his mind.

Somewhere in his mind, he thought that if he could not overpower the other party with his Qi, he could at least make his opponent hesitate. Then, his opponent would not act rashly.

That was why he chose to disguise himself before going into the tent at first. Secondly, he brought the wild beast with him. All of it was to create shock at the right time.

It seemed that his actions produced pretty good results but Su Ming was still nervous. He did not dare let his guard down.

In truth, Su Ming was not the only nervous one in the tent. The man was possibly even more nervous than Su Ming. He would occasionally glance at the spot where the creature died. When he saw the pile of dust, his heart would race; not out of excitement, but out of fear.

In the man's sight, the person before him, covered entirely in hides gave off an enigmatic air. It put a lot of pressure on the man especially with the shocking scene that happened just moments ago. The anxiety and nervousness he felt towards Su Ming was far stronger than what Su Ming felt towards him.

'This man is very experienced. He speaks calmly but he is a ruthless man. He must be a Fallen Berserker who went into hiding in one of the mountains… but from his mannerisms, he seems to be someone reasonable… But I don't think this weird medicine will be very strong. '

As the man was drowning in his own fears, there were footsteps outside the tent. Then, the flaps of the tent were lifted and a man walked in.

The man's face was blank. When he walked into the tent, he did not say a word. He stood by the side waiting for the one-eyed man's orders.

When the other man came in, Su Ming only cast him a glance. The presence of his Qi was not thick. He was the same as Su Ming. They were both practitioners at the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm.

"Eat this and this as well!" The one-eyed man did not hesitate and handed the pill along with an herb to the other man who just came in.

The other man took the pill and the herb, his face still blank and swallowed it after a few bites. Then he sat down with his legs-crossed, circulating the Qi in his body. Very soon, his whole demeanor changed as if he was surprised. He opened his eyes before long and looked at the one-eyed man with uncertainty.

"There aren't really any major effects… I just felt the effects of the Prime Spirit Grass increase… maybe about one fold."

When the one-eyed man heard his words, he immediately narrowed his eyes as his heart hammered against his chest. He knew what the increase of effects for any herbal medicine by one fold would bring. If it was just a normal herb, the effects would not be obvious. However, if it was the sort of herb taken by Berserkers above the eighth level of the Blood Solidification Realm, the value of the pill would practically be immeasurable.

'For a normal herb worth 10 stone coins, this item would only be worth one stone coin. But if it were an herb that was worth 100 or 1,000 stone coins, the increased effect…'

The one-eyed man grew more excited as he thought of the possibilities but he could not be sure that the item would have the same effect for higher-leveled herbs.

'It's a pity I don't have a lot of stone coins on my person…'

He quelled his excitement and sent the other man away. Then he stood respectfully before Su Ming and forced a smile.

"Sir, this medicine of yours is really mysterious. I'll give you 30 stone coins in exchange for one, how does that sound?" The one-eyed man did not dare offend Su Ming. To him, Su Ming was a Fallen Berserker. If he could produce such a powerful medicine, he was definitely not a common Berserker Practitioner.

"Thirty coins?" The price offered made Su Ming's heart pound in excitement but he spoke with a colder voice instead.

"This… Sir, 30 coins is my final offer. I can't even be sure whether this medicine works the same for higher-leveled herbs." The one-eyed man immediately explained himself but before he could finish, Su Ming cut him off.

"If you consume this medicine, no matter what herb you take, the effects will increase by one-fold. If I didn't want to buy a Berserker Vessel, I wouldn't even sell this."

The one-eyed man struggled internally for a while before he gritted his teeth and nodded at Su Ming.

"How many do you have?"

"Besides the one you just ate, there's still one more!" As Su Ming spoke, he produced a small bottle from his chest. There was only one Scattering Dust pill in the bottle.

When the man heard this, he felt his heart twisting in pain at the loss of the first pill. As he hesitated, he saw Su Ming standing up and putting away the bottle. Then Su Ming lifted his hand which turned the small creature into red mist earlier. He was also glaring at him from behind the layers of hides that covered his face. The man immediately remembered that he wasted a pill as an experiment and quickly spoke up.

"Sir, sir! This… 50 coins! This is really all I can give you!"

Su Ming did not want to linger around for too long so, he spoke flatly, "Fine. Along with the pill you used just now, that'll be 100 stone coins!"

The one-eyed man only hesitated for a short while before producing a beast skin pouch from his chest. He handed it to Su Ming respectfully. There were two white stone coins inside.

The value of the stone coins were decided by their color. The gray ones were worth one each and one black coin was equivalent to 10 gray coins. As for the white coin, it was equivalent to 50 gray coins. If it was a purple coin, it was worth 100 gray coins.

"Give me black coins!" Su Ming only glanced at the two coins before he spoke all of a sudden.

The one-eyed man was taken aback but only for a moment. He did not ask any questions instead, he produced 10 black stone coins and gave them to Su Ming.

After placing the stone coins into his pouch, Su Ming threw the little bottle to the man. He picked up the basket on the ground and left the tent without another glance at the man. Once he left the tent, Su Ming did not act immediately. He chose to walk around the square. The moon and stars were shining brightly in the sky and there were torches lit everywhere. Yet, there were still a lot of people at the square. However, most of the people who were shopping at that moment were all dressed up like Su Ming.

He wandered around the square until he was sure no one was watching him. Then he went to the places selling Cloud Gauze Grass that he singled out in the morning. He bought more than 60 of them. After that, he went to a more secluded place to change his attire. He left quickly and went to the place he promised to meet up with Lei Chen. Lei Chen was already at their meeting place, yawning up at the sky. Su Ming did not speak but walked past Lei Chen.

Lei Chen was surprised but followed suit. Both of them disappeared into the forest soon and ran once they were in there. Su Ming even changed his path multiple times. He did not stop to rest until the sky started to darken the next day. Even then, his face was pale due to fear.

Lei Chen was panting hard. He did not understand it but he chose not to ask. He especially decided to keep his silence when Su Ming threw five stone coins in his direction. Once he caught them, he laughed excitedly.

They took a short break before Su Ming stood up once more. He ran with Lei Chen towards the direction of their tribe. He did not stop this time but ran at full speed. In fact, his speed seemed to increase with each step he took. His Qi might not have been as powerful as Lei Chen's, but in terms of speed, even Lei Chen struggled to keep up.

'I had a pretty good haul this time… I originally thought that if I could not sell the pills, I would experiment with five pieces of Cloud Gauze Grass first. I didn't expect things to go so smoothly.'

As Su Ming ran, he appeared to be deep in thought.

'The one-eyed man should be scared of me but I still can't let my guard down. I have to return to the tribe as soon as possible.'

Su Ming was careful all the way back to the tribe. They were far away from the square by then but they would still change their paths occasionally. Su Ming even used his experiences in the forest to erase their tracks.

The sun lit up the sky but there was still some time before noon. Su Ming and Lei Chen caught sight of their tribe some distance away. When he saw the tribe, Su Ming finally relaxed. There was even a smile on his face.

"We're finally back. Su Ming, you still haven't told me how you knew Bai Ling was a member of Dark Dragon Tribe." Lei Chen was gasping as he tried to catch his breath. As Su Ming slowed down, he grabbed the chance to ask him the one question that had been on his mind.

"Bai Ling?" The image of the tall and beautiful girl surfaced in Su Ming's head. He thought especially of the girl wrinkling her nose and looking at them with her bright eyes. She seemed feral but it was a wild sort of beauty.

"I didn't know that she was from Dark Dragon Tribe." Su Ming smiled. The girl named Bai Ling was the prettiest girl he had ever seen since he was young.

"No way. If you didn't know, how did you manage to get it right in one go?" Lei Chen had been thinking about it for a long time but he still could not get an answer. Now that Su Ming did not intend to tell him the answer, he became desperate.

Su Ming took one look at Lei Chen and laughed out loud.

"Lei Chen, you like her?"

"Nonsense!" Lei Chen shook his head fervently, then began mumbling under his breath.

"She's too thin for my liking. I like those who are a bit on the plump side…" Lei Chen scratched his head. He had always liked women who were a little more built since he was young. Even now, it was still the same.

Su Ming continued laughing and joking with Lei Chen as he ran back towards the tribe. The sounds of carefree laughter and camaraderie resounded in the cold winter.

"The tattoos of the Dark Dragon were on the three men behind Bai Ling. The only ones who like painting Dark Dragons on their body around this area are the people from Dark Dragon Tribe." As they were near their tribe, Su Ming told Lei Chen between laughs.

When Lei Chen heard the answer, he immediately laughed wryly. He did not expect the answer to be so simple.

Su Ming and Lei Chen returned to their houses safely. As Su Ming brought out the Cloud Gauze Grass he bought, his eyes were bright with anticipation.

'Mountain Spirit… I wonder what its effects are once I finish making it! The elder told me to not leave the tribe for the time being… I'll return as soon as possible. I don't think I'll be gone for long.'

Su Ming made his decision after he was deep in thought.

At the same time Su Ming made his decision, something big happened at the square far away from Dark Mountain Tribe!

The cause of it all was the round pill Su Ming created.

Once Su Ming left, the one-eyed man pondered for a long time in his tent and refused to accept any more clients who wanted to trade with him. As he was thinking, he gritted his teeth. He quickly took the bottle containing the pill to the owner of the square, who resided in the large purple tent.

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Chapter 26: The Night of the Blood Red Moon

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The one-eyed man waited for a long time before he was summoned. When he was called, he entered the tent respectfully. After an hour, he exited the tent with an ecstatic expression, his mannerisms still respectful as he left.

Within the purple tent, were two elderly men with completely white hair but their eyes still held a lot of life and vigor. Before them laid a very normal looking, empty small bottle.

One of the old men who wore a white robe held a pill between his fingers. He looked at it for a while. Then slowly, his gaze was filled with surprise and uncertainty.

He sank into deep thought for a moment after which, he brought the pill to his nose and took a sniff. He closed his eyes in concentration. After a long moment, he opened his eyes abruptly.

"It's just like he said. This pill has unbelievable effects! I've been in Wind Stream Tribe for many years but I've never seen such a thing in my life. By the looks of it, it doesn't seem to be a medicine made from a long time ago either. There isn't any sign of age on it so, it's clear that it has just been made recently!"

"Just what is this…?"

"It's a pity a long time has passed since the trade took place. The Fallen Berserker is not an easy person to deal with either or else we might get to know how this pill was made," the other old man spoke slowly.

"Don't be reckless. A person who can produce such an item is either a very powerful Berserker in the Blood Solidification Realm... or a Fallen Berserker at the Transcendence Realm who came from somewhere else. Brother Zhou, let me take this thing back to the tribe. Perhaps the Elder in Wind Stream Tribe can identify it." As the old man in white spoke, he carefully placed the pill back into the small bottle. Then he waved his right hand and the small bottle disappeared.

"You do that." The old man sitting before him nodded his head.

"This item is too important. I'll be taking my leave first. If I get any information, I'll tell you." The old man in white stood up. He then held his fist and palm together as a salute towards the old man called Zhou. He quickly left the purple tent. The moment he stepped out of the tent, the outline of his body became distorted. He turned into white mist and rose into the sky. Instantly, he disappeared.

Daylight had almost arrived. On the vast plains some distance away from the square, was a big tribe. The size of the tribe was almost equivalent to the size of a city. It was surrounded by six other tribes the size of Dark Mountain Tribe. In the very middle was a big city made of stone and dirt!

The city looked magnificent like a giant beast had arrived on the land. The citizens within the city alone numbered more than thousands. It was not something Dark Mountain Tribe could ever hope to overcome.

The six surrounding tribes were affiliated with the city. Some of them were conquered by Wind Stream Tribe while some sought protection when some sort of disaster befell them and they became part of Wind Stream Tribe.

Wind Stream Tribe was a medium sized tribe but it was still considered weak for a medium sized tribe. After all, Dark Mountain was located at a rather rural area in the world. However it was precisely because of that, Wind Stream Tribe could rule over the entire area and accept tributes offered by numerous smaller tribes. It was also the only tribe in Dark Mountain that was qualified to contact members of the Berserker Tribe belonging to the upper class.

As the sun began to light up the sky, a white mist flew across the sky. It gathered outside the city and transformed into the old man in white.

The old man looked solemn as he immediately walked into the city. On the way, he met other members of Wind Stream Tribe. All of them would stop and bow towards him respectfully.

At the center of the city was a completely dark altar. The altar was built in the shape of a pentagon and was 100 feet tall. There was a drawing of a bird on it. The altar looked as if it was left behind since ancient times.

The old man in white stood underneath the altar respectfully. After a moment, a gentle voice traveled from the top of the altar.

"Shi Hai, what is it?"

"Elder, I was at Zhou Ran's square and saw a medication I've never seen before. The effects of this herb are incredible…" The old man in white took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.

"Oh? Let me see it," the gentle voice spoke slowly from atop the altar.

The old man in white lifted his right hand and bright light appeared from his palm. A small bottle materialized itself instantly. Then, as if there was some mysterious force attracting the small bottle, it floated upwards slowly towards the altar.

It was quiet around the area. The only sounds were that of the wind passing by. The wind caused the old man's robes to flutter. He stood there, as still as a statue and waited silently.

After a moment, the gentle voice spoke once again but this time, there was a tinge of surprise in it!

"There's only one?"

"Only one," the old man in white replied immediately.

"I've never seen a medication like this before… The makeup of this medication is something I don't understand… And it's clear this was made not too long ago… Who brought this to the square?" The gentle voice spoke solemnly.

"A Fallen Berserker," the old man in white spoke in a low tone.

"Find him. Use all the resources we have and find him! Tell him to join Wind Stream Tribe and I will treat him as a permanent guest here!" The gentle voice exclaimed almost immediately after the old man spoke the last syllable.

The old man in white took a deep breath and complied to the order respectfully. He could identify that the medicine was out of ordinary but he did not expect the Elder to invite the person to Wind Stream Tribe as a permanent guest. The status of a permanent guest was treated with extreme respect. Besides the tribe leader, the Elder and few other people, they were treated almost with the same importance as the other leaders of the tribe.

As the old man in white went away, he immediately had the entire Wind Stream Tribe carry out the Elder's orders. He had cast a huge net to search for the Fallen Berserker!

As for Su Ming, he had just made a decision at home in Dark Mountain Tribe. Hence in the morning of the second day, he left the tribe alone and went into the forest. Then, he ran towards Black Flame Mountain.

Su Ming traversed through the forest without any hesitation. After reaching the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm, his speed and agility had increased so much even Lei Chen had a hard time keeping up with him at full speed. As he ran through the forest, his speed increased even further due to his familiarity with the place. By noon, he had arrived at the foot of Black Flame Mountain.

He climbed up Black Flame Mountain and went to the cave which he used for the quenching of herbs. Su Ming placed the basket down on ground. There were a lot of herbs in there, all of which he prepared for the purpose of quenching.

Xiao Hong was not in the cave. It was most probably out playing. Su Ming cast a glance around the cave. Once he was certain there were no signs of abnormality around, he sat down cross-legged on the ground. He concentrated on circulating the blood in his body until the 10 blood veins shone brightly on his body and his body reached the best condition possible.

There were even vague signs of the 11th blood vein manifesting itself, which could allow Su Ming to reach the third level of the Blood Solidification Realm.

'The elder helped me to truly Awaken and he did say I was about to reach the third level… Not a lot of time passed since then but I feel that there's enough blood within me now… The ancient Berserker Art is truly amazing.'

Su Ming opened his eyes and the scene of the black substance oozing out of his body surfaced in his mind.

'I might as well put aside creating more pills for now and break through the second level!'

Su Ming only took a moment to make his decision and brought out the Sky Stone he pillaged the other day from his bosom. He took a look at the herb and swallowed a Scattering Dust before plucking a leaf from the herb and swallowing it as well.

He closed his eyes and meditated once again. After a moment, Su Ming's body was covered in sweat and surrounded by blood red light. The 11th blood vein showed signs of manifesting completely.

After a few hours, a muffled sound resounded throughout Su Ming's body and the 11th blood vein manifested itself completely. A much stronger presence of Qi immediately erupted from Su Ming's body.

Su Ming opened his eyes, which shone brilliantly.

'The third level of the Blood Solidification Realm!'

He stood up, his face bright with excitement. After he moved his body to remove the numbness in his limbs, he brought out the herbs. He began the process of creating Mountain Spirit according to the methods in his memory.

Su Ming was no longer as clueless as he was a few months ago. He was already familiar with the process of quenching herbs and even more so at controlling the fire in the cave. As the temperature within the cave increased, Su Ming took off his clothes and stood beside the stone cauldron half-naked. At times he would bring one of the herbs to his nose whereas other times, he would crush the herbs and throw them into the cauldron.

Time passed by. The sky gradually began to darken. Silence also fell upon the forest and mountains. Even the sounds of the birds and beasts became a muffled whisper.

As the sky darkened, the moon rose into the sky but, the moon that night was different from the other nights. It was in a shade so red like there was a blood red moon in the sky.

The strange sight immediately covered the land with a strange atmosphere. It was especially so for the area around Dark Mountain. The sounds from the birds and the beasts completely disappeared. There was not even the slightest whisper from them. It was as if they did not dare to make a sound.

A red shadow sped through the forest at the foot of Black Flame Mountain. It was the little monkey. At that moment, its gaze was solemn and alert. It would lift its gaze towards the red moon occasionally and distress would flicker across its features.

As it ran forward, it hesitated. It still did not know that Su Ming had returned. It changed its direction and no longer ran towards Black Flame Mountain. Instead, it hid itself somewhere in the forest.

As the sky grew darker, the moon shone a brighter shade of red. By the time midnight arrived, the entire Dark Mountain seemed to have been dyed in blood.

At that moment, a weak cry came from within Dark Mountain. The cry grew louder as time passed and eventually grew so loud it traveled past Dark Mountain.

The cry seemed to be filled with endless resentment. Those who heard it were filled with fear. It was a cry that seemed to shake the soul. If anyone listened to it for a prolonged amount of time, they would feel like their blood was boiling. It terrified them.

The cry echoed through the skies as if it reflected the blood red moon. It made Dark Mountain appear to be shrouded in mystery.

That night, the three tribes around Dark Mountain were filled with wariness. The normal members of the tribe in Dark Mountain Tribe all returned to their houses under the protection of the Berserkers within the tribe. They were told not to leave unless it was absolutely necessary. The tribe leader also personally took command of the Berserkers to protect the tribe.

The elder stood at the highest place in the tribe. It was a stage made of giant wood. In his hands was the black bone cane. As he looked afar, his eyes were tainted with a hint of worry.

He felt Su Ming leave the tribe earlier but he did not expect the blood moon which only occurred once every three years to happen that night. It was months earlier than the previous appearances of the blood red moon. The strange phenomenon made him surprised and fearful.

"Fire!" After a long while, the elder spoke. Immediately, the tribe members surrounding the giant wooden stage brought out torches and placed them underneath the stage,. The torches caused the stage to burn. The elder on the stage looked as if he was caught in a sea of fire but he was calm as he chanted in a strange language.

Dark Mountain Tribe was not the only one who did this. At the same time, in another direction from Dark Mountain Tribe, the same also happened in Dark Dragon Tribe. The elder of Dark Dragon Tribe wore a loose robe. The elder's hair was also down. There was no telling whether the elder was a man or a woman. In the elder's hands was the skull of a strange, one-horned beast. The elder lifted it up high and a piercing cry escaped the elder's lips.

Among the tribe members of Dark Dragon Tribe, stood a girl of extreme beauty. Her face was pale as she looked at the blood red moon in the sky.

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Chapter 27: The Legend of the Fire Berserker！

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The girl was Bai Ling. She was scared as she looked at the elder of the tribe on the altar and the other tribe members whose faces were also similarly pale with terror.

"The blood moon only appears once every three years and it appears only after all the snow has melted on Dark Mountain. There would then be enough wild beasts to be sacrificed so that we can prevent disasters… but now… it has appeared far too early… this…" Bai Ling bit her lip and looked around her, seemingly even more afraid

As for Su Ming, he was in the fire cave concentrating on creating and refining medication. He was covered in sweat as he watched the stone cauldron carefully and he adjusted the temperature of the fire as he saw fit.

Very soon, there was a muffled blast within the cauldron. Su Ming laughed bitterly and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He knew that he had failed once again.

'The Mountain Spirit is much harder to make compared to Scattering Dust…'

Su Ming shook his head and opened the cauldron. A puff of green smoke with a spicy scent emerged from within.

He sighed. Just as he was about to continue, he suddenly felt his Qi boiling in his body as though he had lost control of it. He frowned, surprised. He looked around him to see what could have possibly cause such a change but he found nothing.

'That's odd…'

Su Ming scratched his head. He only stopped for a while before he resuming his attempts to create Mountain Spirit.

At that moment on the other side of Dark Mountain, where Black Mountain Tribe was located, the tribe members were also looking at the moon. However their expressions were different from that of Dark Mountain Tribe and Dark Dragon Tribe. Unlike the other two tribes, their eyes were filled with fear and blood lust.

Roars escaped their lips. It was not just the Berserkers who roared. Even the normal members of the tribe did so. Their cries gradually became one and turned into a giant, roaring wave.

Within the center of the crowd was a small hill made up of numerous red stones. Sitting on the small hill was a willowy old man wearing a black robe. The old man's eyes were cold as he stared at the blood red moon. There was a cruel smile on his lips.

"Since ancient times, the Fire Berserker Tribe roamed the earth. The tribe had powers that shook the earth. They controlled all the fire on heaven and earth. If they were angered, they could even burn the heavens to ashes and become gods themselves! Their names spread through the lands so widely that even those who did not belong to the Berserker Tribe feared them."

"They were known as one of the eight great Berserker Tribes!" the willowy old man spoke with a hoarse voice. It was as if he was talking to all the people in the world.

"But because the tribe wanted to steal an artifact from heaven, they were punished by the God of Berserkers. After nine days and nine nights, the entire Fire Berserker Tribe was destroyed except for the Berserkers. Those who did not have the Berserker Body were all burned alive and their souls shattered!"

"Even when such a disaster befell the Fire Berserker Tribe, the Berserkers within the tribe did not die. They wanted to rebel against the God of Berserkers and become gods themselves! The God of Berserkers laid down his punishment. Just as he was about to use his powers and bring annihilation to the entire tribe, the Elder of the Fire Berserker Tribe fought against the God of Berserkers!"

"The battle shook the heavens. The Elder of the Fire Berserker Tribe died in battle but before his death, he cast a forbidden spell that made the God of Berserkers afraid. It allowed him to grant immortality to all the Fire Berserker tribe members who had not died!" Awe appeared in the willowy old man's eyes. He raised his right hand and immediately, black mist surrounded his wrinkled hand and transformed into a terrifying shape of a spirit.

"But he made a mistake. He may have allowed all the Berserkers in the Fire Berserker tribe to obtain immortality, but the God of Berserkers used the powers of creation and made them all lose their physical bodies. They became the Wings of the Blood Moon!"

"From then on, they became beings that could no longer see light. They lost their conscience and became the Wings of the Moon which lusted after blood! Their resentment, hate, anger and sadness have turned into a monstrous grudge that turns the moon red once every three years. When the moon is dyed in blood, they will return once more!"

"Tonight, I, Bi Tu Elder of Black Mountain Tribe will help you!" The willowy old man laughed darkly and bit his tongue. As he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, the blood red stones underneath his feet exploded and floated in midair.

The Elder of Dark Mountain Tribe, Bi Tu also levitated in the air. He spread his arms out. His eyes were filled with madness and excitement.

The red stones began rotating quickly in midair and formed a gigantic picture. The picture was spherical in shape and there was a crescent moon within it. The entire thing was colored a bloody red.

"Wings of the Moon, wake up! Awaken from your long slumber and come forth!" Bi Tu spat out another mouthful of fresh blood which instantly turned into bloody mist and fused into the giant picture in the sky. A roaring sound came from the picture and it exploded suddenly. It turned into a big patch of red mist which spread across its surroundings like rolling waves.

At that moment, the entirety of Dark Mountain shook. The trembling could be clearly felt as if the land was moving and the mountains were shaking. The tremors caused an uproar within Dark Mountain Tribe and Dark Dragon Tribe.

Su Ming, who was in the cave within Black Flame Mountain also felt the tremors. His expression changed. He even heard a faint roar from within the deeper parts of the cave as the mountain shook. He froze and immediately stopped all activity. He retreated a few steps and climbed through the exit. When he climbed out of the cave, he almost gasped in surprise. Right before his eyes, was the blood moon hanging in the sky!

"The blood moon!" Su Ming's face immediately turned pale.

At that moment, a thick stench of blood came from within Black Flame Mountain. Su Ming did not even hesitate. He understood the connotations of the blood moon and had even calculated the days before it appeared.

However, he did not expect it to appear earlier!

He immediately turned around and crawled back into the cave. He knew that he could not find a place to hide once he was outside. There was no time for him to return to the tribe either. Once he returned to the cave, he immediately took out his horn and quickly cut through the wall beside him. It was as if he was struck by madness. The roaring sound within the cave was becoming clearer and there were even signs of other sounds amid the roar.

Su Ming's eyes were bloodshot. Fortunately, he was used to the place and the horn was extremely sharp. Soon enough, he cut open a small hole and he crawled in immediately. Su Ming then blocked the entrance of the hole with the stones that fell out when he was cutting through the wall. He did not even mind the heat the hole emitted.

The very moment he crawled into the hole, a gust of red mist rushed out from within the cave. Once it filled up the entire cave, it escaped through the tunnel with a rumble. Su Ming heard the sound clearly.

Under the light of the blood moon, the five summits of Dark Mountain seemingly erupted like volcanoes. The rumbles shook the skies and a huge amount of red mist poured out from the summits.

It seemed like the mist had been inside the five summits of Dark Mountain since the beginning of time. As it erupted from the mountains, the mist immediately covered the sky. The mist from Dark Dragon Mountain leaked out of the mountain from its cracks. Some even poured out from the place Su Ming obtained the Dark Dragon's Saliva. If Su Ming looked closely, he would have noticed that the places the dark dragons avoided like the plague as they chased him around all those years, were the places where the red mist was the thickest!

The other mountains were the same as Dark Dragon Mountain, especially Black Flame Mountain. The amount of mist that erupted from the mountain was shocking. As the mist spread around the place, a humming sound echoed. There were sounds of many wings flapping mixed in with the humming, creating a rhapsody of death, which terrified all who heard it!

He saw red shadows coming out of the five summits along with the mist. There were also piercing roars echoing through the sky. The red shadows were strange beasts that had a pair of wings and red eyes each. They were the size of a palm and had six limbs. They also had human faces which were filled with madness and lust for blood.

They were the Wings of the Moon!

The number of the Wings of the Moon mounted to at least tens of thousands. They covered the skies until it was completely red. As they cried out, they rushed towards Black Mountain Tribe, Dark Mountain Tribe, Dark Dragon Tribe and all the places where wild beasts dwelt in the forest.

They did not have a conscience. They were only fueled by resentment and a thirst for blood. They only knew how to kill and drink fresh blood, especially blood of the members of the Berserker Tribe. It only further spurred their insanity. In fact, they sometimes skipped feasting on wild beasts and went straight for the Berserker Tribes.

There was an uproar within Dark Mountain Tribe. There were screams filled with terror echoing in the air. Chen Xin's face was pale as she held on tightly onto Bei Ling, who was beside her. Bei Ling's face too was pale.

Lei Chen was standing further ahead overcome by irritation. He wanted to find Su Ming but he did not see him among the people within the settlement. As he was filled with worry for his friend, he was further taken aback by the scene in the sky.

The terrified normal tribe members were silenced by the Berserkers in the tribe. Gradually, all the people of tribe focused their gazes on the burning wooden stage and on the person who was looking at the sky.

The elder's face was pale but they could not see it due to the fire. His pupils were contracted. He saw the red mist and heard the mad cries coming from afar.

'How could this be…? Not only did the blood moon appear earlier, even the Wings of the Moon have increased… There were only about thousands of them the last time…'

He took a sharp breath and shouted without hesitation.

"Normal members of the tribe, hide! Berserkers, take out all of the meat we have in store. Cut them open and wait for my orders!" The elder's body trembled slightly. He lowered his head. He looked at the members of his tribe and closed his eyes.

The same also happened in Dark Dragon Tribe. Once Bai Ling and the other members of the tribe heard the elder's orders, the fear in their eyes increased.

She would never forget what happened nine years ago. When she was still a child, she saw her playmate being snatched away by numerous Wings of the Moon before her eyes. He disappeared into the mist as he cried and screamed. Once he was dragged into Dark Mountain, only a slow and painful death awaited him.

The blood red moon became a vague shadow in the sky as it was covered by the mist. However, the shadows that whistled through the mist were coming closer. The large number of Wings of the Moon split into three groups and sped towards the three tribes near them.

In Dark Mountain Tribe, the elder was staring at the sky. The moment the Wings of the Moon appeared, he swung the bone cane in his right hand. A lake of fire spread underneath him and covered the entire tribe but the lake of fire did not burn any of the houses. It looked like an illusion surrounded the tribe.

"Throw the meat!" The elder growled. Immediately the terrified Berserkers within the tribe's settlement threw a bleeding creature towards the sky.

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Chapter 28: The Crying Sky

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The very moment the elder of Dark Mountain Tribe growled, the red mist spread out and covered the blood red moon in the sky. A large number of Wings of the Moon screeched as they came and sped through the mist, covering the sky above Dark Mountain Tribe. Piercing roars drowned out all the sounds in the land. It was the only sound that could be heard that night.

Dozens of beasts drenched in blood were thrown into the air by the tribe members. Before they fell back to the ground, they were immediately swarmed by the Wings of the Moon that gathered upon them like bloody clouds. Amid the cries, the beasts' bodies were entirely covered by the Wings of the Moon and their flesh pierced through by sharp teeth. They turned into dried up carcasses in an instant. Their blood and living bodies were devoured by the Wings of the Moon.

All that was left were only skin and bones. They crashed onto the ground and twitched helplessly before they all died.

Some of the numerous Wings of the Moon in the sky even ignored the beasts tossed into the air. They plunged straight towards the tribe members. Their eyes were filled with ruthlessness and a thirst for blood. Their targets were the Berserkers within the tribe.

Screams, cries and roars collided with each other. They resonated with the screeches made by the Wings of the Moon on that strange night.

The lake of fire that surrounded the entire tribe was like a solid barrier. It caused the Wings of the Moon that approached the tribe to retreat with a cry. It seemed that the fire, which could not even burn the houses could actually cause them mortal damage.

"Again!" The elder stood within the lake of fire and looked at the sky gravely.

Immediately more tribe members tossed even more beasts into the air in the midst of their fear. It did look like they were feeding and offering sacrifices to the crazed Wings of the Moon in the sky.

Time passed by. All of the creatures stored for winter had become food for the Wings of the Moon and fell back onto the ground like mummies. Driven by madness caused by their lust for blood, they started diving downwards. It seemed like an attempt to break through the lake of fire and descend upon the tribe to feast on the blood of the Berserkers.

The elder waved his right hand and the lake of fire turned into a giant vortex that spun rapidly in the sky. He was going up against the Wings of the Moon in the sky by himself. At the same time, arrows upon arrows pierced through the lake of fire and into the sky from the tribe to fight against the Wings of the Moon.

To the Wings of the Moon that were pretty much immortal, this sort of injury was nothing to them. Their flapping wings and piercing cries made the people in Dark Mountain Tribe panic.

Before long, some Wings of the Moon broke through the lake of fire and flew into the tribe, causing chaos within Dark Mountain Tribe.

The same also happened in Dark Dragon Tribe.

However, a strange sight happened within Black Mountain Tribe. All of the members of the tribe prostrated on the ground and remained still. In the sky, the Elder of Black Mountain Tribe, Bi Tu stretched his arms wide open. His face looked crazy with fanaticism as he stared at the sky, chanting.

Numerous Wings of the Moon circled around him. There were also a large number of them on him. Their fangs sunk into his flesh and they drank his blood.

Yet Bi Tu appeared to have lost all sense of pain. He did not resist instead, the crazed fanaticism on his face grew even more. As his face became paler due to the loss of blood, the strange chant became louder.

"I sacrifice my blood to you, o ancient Fire Berserker Tribe! You have obtained immortality and have turned into Wings of the Moon. You feast upon the Berserker Blood and now I will take the Blood of the Fire Berserkers into my veins!"

"Di He, Hong La Dong!" Bi Tu bellowed facing the skies and immediately, a piercing black light erupted from his body. As the black light spread out from his body, the Wings of the Moon on his body screamed. Their bodies started shriveling and the light in their eyes started dimming. After a moment, they fell off Bi Tu's body as they lost all signs of life.

It drove more Wings of the Moon wild!

The process repeated itself. A large amount of blood from the Wings of the Moon was absorbed by Bi Tu. His body began to swell at an alarming speed and a thick presence of Qi erupted from his body.

The moment they sensed the presence of the Qi, not only did those Wings of the Moon become even more frantic, even the ones that went to Dark Mountain Tribe as well as Dark Dragon Tribe changed their direction and flew towards Black Mountain Tribe.

Not far away from Black Mountain Tribe, stood the figure of a person wrapped entirely in a black robe. He stood out among all the people of Black Mountain Tribe who lay prostrated on the ground. The black robe he wore was also not something that could be found in the small tribes around the area. As he stood there, he looked at the Elder of Black Mountain Tribe in the air, his lips curling up into a dark smile.

"I gave you the way to find the moon stones necessary to summon the Wings of the Moon made of the Fire Berserker. I also taught you the way to summon them. I told you the quickest way to arrive at the Transcendence Realm. Your success is up to you now…"

Compared to the chaos outside, Su Ming was relatively safe. He pushed away the stones that covered the hole in the cave and jumped out. There were several spots on his skin that had blistered due to the heat. His lips were dry and cracked as his heart pounded against his chest.

"This is… I can't believe this is one of the resting places of the Wings of the Moon!" Su Ming stared at the spot where the Wings of the Moon appeared in the cave. He heard many legends regarding the Wings of the Moon since he was young and knew just how terrifying they were. The legends about how they were almost immortal also made Su Ming narrow his eyes in fear.

After a moment of silence, he crawled out of the entrance of the cave slowly. As he was near the exit, he stuck out his head quickly and looked around. The sight made him gasp. The sky was covered by red mist and an uncountable amount of Wings of the Moon circled the sky, the sound of their roars echoing.

Su Ming immediately retreated into the cave.

'I wonder what happened to the tribe… I can't go back now. If I leave now, the Wings of the Moon will definitely find me.'

Su Ming frowned. He was feeling very agitated and worried about the tribe.

Even so, he knew that he had no way to solve the problem. He looked at the place within the cave, where the Wings of the Moon appeared. Slowly, a glint appeared in his eyes.

'The number of Wings of the Moon is obviously a lot of more than the previous times. By the looks of it, the deeper parts of the cave should be empty now…'

Su Ming hesitated for a moment before walking forward slowly. After he stepped over the place he used for quenching and observed the deeper parts of the cave, he decided.

'I might as well see what's in there that allowed the Wings of the Moon to stay here for so long. I might be able to find their secret and tell the elder. It might be of some help to him.'

Su Ming then ran towards the deeper parts of the cave that he had not explored before.

It was odd. The cave was usually hot. There were even times when Su Ming felt as if there were hot waves crashing onto him. However, as Su Ming went deeper into the cave, he no longer felt any heat. Instead, he felt a chill coming from within the cave.

As Su Ming continued walking deeper, there was another uproar amid the three tribes on Dark Mountain.

Several hundreds of the Wings of the Moon had already penetrated the lake of fire protecting Dark Mountain Tribe. They dived towards the tribe members and fought against the Berserkers. Bei Ling's eyes grew cold as he protected Chen Xin, who stood behind him. A cold wave spread out of his right hand, forming sharp icicles around them. There were a lot of wounds on his body and blood poured freely out of his body. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and focused on a point far away. He reached for the bow on his back with his right hand without any hesitation.

As Bei Ling took the bow, a strong killing intent came forth. He drew the bow with his left hand and the tip of the bow gleamed. Immediately, the snow around them gathered at the tip of the bow and he shot an ice arrow towards the direction he was looking at!

Some distance away, Lei Chen was overwhelmed by a lust for blood. There were numerous Wings of the Moon on his body but he did not care. Instead, he seemed to be taken over by madness as he grabbed one of them and tried to bite it.

"You want to suck my blood?! Fine, I'll suck yours too!"

Just as he was about to bite down on the Wings of the Moon in his grasp, he noticed there were dozens more flying towards him. With his current level, there was no way he could fight against so many of them.

At that moment though, a cold blast of air rushed towards him. As the cold wind appeared, an arrow made of snow and ice exploded on top of Lei Chen with a bang. It caused all the Wings of the Moon on top of Lei Chen to fall, saving him in the process.

Lei Chen was surprised. He turned and looked at Bei Ling, who was coolly putting aside his bow. An indescribable expression appeared across Lei Chen's eyes.

The Qi of Dark Mountain Tribe's leader was rolling off his body like waves. In his hands was a long silver spear. Every time he threw the spear, cries would echo throughout the sky as numerous Qi waves hit the air, causing the Wings of the Moon to spread out.

Even so, the number of Wings of the Moon that rushed down was too many. Some of the normal members of the tribe were even nearly captured by some of them.

That moment, the elder acted. He swung the bone cane in his hands and the entire tribe trembled. An illusion of a giant statue of the God of Berserkers formed in midair. The statue's eyes were filled with ruthlessness as if it was alive. The dragon in its hands even lifted its head and roared. Then it flew into the sky and swept through its surroundings.

As time passed, the night of the blood red moon slowly went by but the battle in the tribe became even more intense. Some Wings of the Moon captured a few members of the Berserker Tribe alive instead of sucking their blood near the end of the battle. They intended to bring the members back to their lair and suck out their blood.

As light started to brighten up the sky, a piercing cry sliced through the air from Dark Dragon Tribe. Among the numerous Wings of the Moon was a white figure. Her beautiful face was pale and filled with despair as she was captured along with her other tribe members by the Wings of the Moon. They were flying back towards Dark Mountain.

Behind them, an old woman wearing sackcloth chased after them desperately.

As their cries of terror continued traveling away from Dark Dragon Tribe, the old woman's eyes became bloodshot and were filled with despair before long. She turned around and gave up on the chase. She chose instead to go back and defend her tribe.

When the person in white saw this, tears escaped her eyes…

As her tears fell, they disappeared without anyone noticing.

As daylight arrived and the blood red moon disappeared, the tens of thousands of Wings of the Moon let out a huge cry and flew back towards Dark Mountain from all directions. Some of them carried the girl in white and her other tribe members towards Black Flame Mountain. They entered through the cracks.

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Chapter 29: The Ancient Tribe

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming walked forward into the deeper parts slowly and carefully. He remained alert on the way and regularly made sure the coast was clear before he moved further. As he moved, he also held onto the horn and activated the Qi in his body. He prepared himself to fight with the power of all 11 blood veins at all times.

He also searched for possible hiding places along the way so that he could hide himself when there was any danger or when the Wings of the Moon suddenly returned.

Su Ming was filled with curiosity towards the unknown but his cautiousness kept his curiosity in check. It was especially so in such a dangerous place.

As he moved forward, the cave colder. As the crossroads increased, Su Ming's speed also increased.

It was completely dark around him. There were also a lot of cracks on the walls. By the looks of it, they were caused by years of heating. However, Su Ming noticed that some cracks were just recently formed. The color on those walls were different from the others.

'That's odd, these cracks must have just been formed recently… Just what kind of energy could have caused the walls to form new cracks..?'

An answer began to form in Su Ming's head.

'Could it be because of the sudden cooling of the strong heat, causing an unimaginable force of energy to explode..?'

Su Ming scratched his head. He did not think too deeply into it but he remembered it.

He did not know how long he walked but it felt like a long time. Suddenly, he stopped. The cave before him had obviously become much bigger. In fact, the deeper he went, the wider it became.

'Have I arrived at the deeper parts of the cave?!'

Su Ming scrutinized his surroundings and walked forward slowly. Before long, the cave before him grew wider. When he arrived at the end, Su Ming took a deep breath and started thinking as he absorbed the sights before him.

Before him was a cave the size of his tribe. There were dozens of other small holes around the cave. The hole Su Ming exited from was one of them.

In his silence, Su Ming went forward, his eyes bright. He looked at the other small holes in the cave. Then he narrowed his eyes and leapt forward, stopping at the entrance of each hole in the cave to take a sniff.

Once he went through all the small holes, Su Ming stared at one of them. Without any hesitation, he crawled in. Among the small caves, only this one had a faint stench of blood.

It was obvious that the Wings of the Moon flew out from this hole.

As he ran, Su Ming stopped at times to think. As he did so, he would slice off a big chunk of rock from the walls around him using the horn. The rock was about as tall as the tunnel.

It was bothersome but Su Ming insisted on doing it. Su Ming cut out a few rocks of the same size as he moved forward.

Each time he sliced them out, he would place them aside once he positioned them properly.

Gradually, Su Ming's speed increased. He still kept his guard up. He could tell that he was going towards the bottom of the mountain. That was why the area was becoming bigger. Su Ming continued running downwards. It was not until he felt that he had run a long distance before he gradually saw a red light before him.

The red light was like fire but he could not determine what it was.

When he saw the fire-like red light, Su Ming slowed down. His heart pounded against his chest. Somewhere in his mind, he felt that he was near the end. As he drew near, he had a hunch that the blood in his body was going to boil. It was not a feeling he was unfamiliar with…

The rocks on the walls had numerous scratches. There were also some bite marks on the rocks. It created a strange atmosphere that made Su Ming nervous. Nonetheless, he did not stop. Alternatively, he walked towards the red light.

It was indeed the end of the tunnel. Instead of a road ahead, there was a giant fire cave in its place. Su Ming remained alert. He stood at the exit and looked downwards.

As he did, he stood there stunned as if he was struck by lightning. Then he instinctively took a few steps back, drawing a sharp breath.

There was a giant basin in the cave. Within the basin were numerous stalagmites as sharp as thorns. They were shaped like hills. The thorny structures were entirely gray but they constantly emitted a chilly wind which surrounded the area. The temperature in the cave dropped to freezing cold.

That did not really affect Su Ming. No, what astonished Su Ming was what he found covered by the cold thorns within the basin!

It was a tribe!

There were numerous houses made of stone, a barricade and a watchtower made of stone. Su Ming even saw stone pots used to cook rice scattered everywhere in the tribe.

On the walls outside of each house, was a picture of what looked like a blazing fire!

All of the houses made of stone were huge and built in an orderly manner. They looked much more luxurious compared to the houses in Dark Mountain Tribe.

Su Ming even saw roads made of stone. There were a large number of protruding stones on some of the smaller paths as well. Su Ming took a long time observing them but he still had no clue what the small pavements were for.

It was not a normal tribe or a complete tribe.

Su Ming's gaze fell upon some of the houses at the edge of the tribe's settlement. Those houses seemed to be split apart by a mysterious force. Only half of them remained within the basin.

As for the other half, no one knew where they went…

It was especially so on the tribal grounds. Besides the stone pavements, the other parts looked like dirt, forming a clear difference between the stones in the mountain.

Su Ming's breathing quickened. As he marveled at the sight before him, he remembered what the elder once said – The legend of the Fire Berserker Tribe… Gradually, a picture began forming in his head. In this picture, he saw a gigantic tribe which seemed to span endlessly across the land.

All the houses in the tribe were made of stone and on their walls were the emblems of a blazing fire. The emblem represented the name of the tribe!

However one day, a change occurred within the tribe. It was split apart by an unknown force like it was shattered. The unknown force also scattered the tribe and its members along with the land it was built upon. They were all forced apart.

A small part of the tribe and the land shifted into Dark Mountain…

'That wasn't a legend…'

Su Ming looked at the bizarre and incredible sight before him.

He swept his gaze across the tribe and when he looked at the center of the tribe, he narrowed his eyes.

There was an even stranger thing in the middle!

It was a giant tree or more accurately, it looked like a giant tree! The entire thing was blazing red and it emitted a light which looked like fire. The light Su Ming saw from the tunnel was from this giant tree.

The tree was as thick as dozens of grown men. Its roots had penetrated the ground and looked as if they went deep into the ground. No one knew how deeply they went.

Only the tree trunk was visible. The top of the tree had already penetrated the top of the cave. Only part of the tree was visible.

'A tree growing within Black Flame Mountain…'

Su Ming stared at the tree. Over there, he saw some familiar red flowers displaying their enchanting beauty.

As he looked at the red flowers, Su Ming remembered the strange sights he saw at the swamp in the forest.

Su Ming averted his gaze in his silence and looked at the ruins of the tribe that had been buried within the passages of time. A sudden sadness formed in his chest. He sighed and jumped down to stand amid the ruins of one of the eight great Berserker Tribes. The Fire Berserker Tribe had fought against the God of Berserkers.

'Then, the Wings of the Moon must also be as depicted in the legends. They are the changed form of the Fire Berserker Tribe that had been granted immortality by the Fire Berserker Elder's Berserker Art… But… This is unbelievable. How could such an Art truly exist..? Just how strong was the Fire Elder of the Fire Berserker Tribe..?

'It's mentioned in the beast skin scroll that after the Blood Solidification Realm is the Transcendence Realm, and after the Transcendence Realm is the Bone Sacrifice Realm. There was no mention of what comes after the Bone Sacrifice Realm though, the practitioners are only known as Berserker Masters.'

As Su Ming looked at the ruins of the tribe before his eyes in silence, he began walking forward.

The tribe was empty. Besides the houses and some stuff scattered around, Su Ming did not even see any bones lying around. The silence was suffocating.

He stepped quietly onto the small pavement, filled with protruding stones. When he stepped on them, he felt them pricking his feet. He lowered his head and looked at the pavement but he still could not figure out their use. He walked forward slowly but stopped suddenly as he caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eyes. He turned his head towards the direction and saw a corpse hanging on the wall. It was at the border where the tribe had been cut away!

The corpse was hidden by some of the houses, which was why Su Ming did not see it initially. However as he stood there, he could see it clearly then.

The moment he saw the skeleton, Su Ming narrowed his eyes. This was the only corpse he saw at the place. He walked towards the corpse quickly. When he looked at it closely, Su Ming shivered.

The corpse was very strange. Its top half was that of a person but it was shriveled up. The lower half of the corpse was even stranger. It looked as if it had melted away and mutated. It was different from the skeletal frame of a normal person. The frame of a pair of wings also seemed to materialize on its back. Looking at the corpse, it even looked similar to the Wings of the Moon!

It was as though the person experienced a change in his form before his death! He imagined the pain of a person changing into Wings of the Moon but there was no shred of pain in the corpse's face. Instead there was only mockery and pride on his face!

It was unknown who he was mocking…

The index finger on his right hand had pierced into the stone wall by his side. Su Ming lifted his head to look at the stone wall by the corpse's side and he saw a clear string of words on the wall!

They were the words of the Berserker Tribe!

The moment Su Ming looked at them, the sound of wings flapping traveled through the entrance of the tunnel. There were bone-chilling roars mixed in between. Su Ming could even vaguely hear cries of despair among the sounds of flapping and roaring!

The Wings of the Moon have returned!

Su Ming's expression immediately changed.

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Chapter 30: Cries of Sadness

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The sound of the wings flapping seemed about ready to cause a storm in the otherwise silent cave, housing the ruins of the tribe. Su Ming's eyes were bright with trepidation but he did not move.

Sounds of flapping wings and piercing shrieks echoed in his ears but Su Ming knew just how long the tunnels were. Even if the sounds arrived first, there was supposedly some time left before the Wings of the Moon actually returned.

There might not have been a lot of time left, but it was still enough for him to make his escape.

Su Ming did not hesitate. He cast his gaze on the words carved into the wall that the strange corpse was leaning against.

"Wherefore doth thou wail, o blue sky?"

These were the very first words carved into the wall. The handwriting was filled with strength and masculinity, revealing a shred of insolence and truculence. Su Ming narrowed his eyes the moment he saw those words.

Su Ming did not truly understand their meaning and could only grasp the basic gist of it. Despite that, he could still feel the sadness and aloofness in the words.

"Wherefore doth thou cry, o blue sky…" Su Ming mumbled. Then he looked at the other lines on the wall.

"The desire to obtain Berserk spreads to all corners of the earth. Let fire burn in mine blood, let mine thoughts burn the skies, let fire burn heaven into ashes… If 't be true the moon of fire appears from the clouds on the endless earth … I wilt sink into deep bethought as the fire in mine blood burns, the nine is the utmost of all, and the one is the law. Light up the Berserker Fires and worship the nine, did let us all becometh the authorities of Fire!

"Thou who control the heavens, only thou art capable of persecuting me!" The words underneath were obviously carved by the same person but, it was no longer a lament. They were words that were difficult to understand.

"Light up the Berserker Fires and worship the nine… did let us all becometh the authorities of Fire…" Su Ming frowned. These particular lines were hard to fathom. Su Ming read them again but even so, he still only got the basic gist of it.

As he was thinking, the piercing roars and sound of flapping wings became louder in his ears as they echoed through the tunnel not far away. Su Ming did not linger any longer but ran towards the tunnel quickly.

He was already in the tunnel, in the blink of an eye. As he stood there, the piercing roars became even clearer. Su Ming turned back and looked at the desolate tribe once more, then ran into the tunnel swiftly.

As he ran, he paid attention to the volume of the roars. When he was dozens of feet into the tunnel, Su Ming stopped and crawled into the crack on the wall next to him.

The crack was not big but Su Ming was tiny to begin with so, he had no problems getting in there. Once he crawled in, he immediately squatted down and stilled his breathing. Using the wall as a hiding spot, Su Ming peeked out of the crack and waited silently as his heart pounded against his chest.

Su Ming counted the time by his breaths. After 10 breaths, he felt goosebumps covering his entire body. He saw thick red mist rolling into the tunnel like an explosion. Within the mist were red shadows flying pass as it let out thunderous roars.

The red shadows were Wings of the Moon!

Looking at the Wings of the Moon at such a close distance made Su Ming's heart beat even faster,but he did not move an inch. He even narrowed his eyes to a slit to avoid any light reflecting off his eyes.

A huge number of Wings of the Moon kept swarming into the tunnel. One of them even crashed into the edges of the crack and it was just about half a feet away from where Su Ming squatted down.

Su Ming held onto the horn so tightly with his right hand that his knuckles turned white. At that moment, he could not even feel his own heartbeat. It was as if he had calmed down completely despite the extremely stressful situation he was in.

He stared at the Wings of the Moon that crashed into the wall. As he looked at its horrifying face and flapping wings, it flew out of the crack. Su Ming did not let his guard down. If anything, it made him even more wary.

At that moment, he heard cries filled with despair. Su Ming peeked out of the crack and saw the silhouette of a few people captured by the Wings of the Moon in the mist, being brought back to the tribe.

There were nine of them…

Su Ming could not see all nine of them clearly but, as he swept his gaze across them, he saw a person in white; her beautiful face filled with despair and desolation.

'It's her!'

Su Ming narrowed his eyes. The person in white was the girl from Dark Dragon Tribe he and Lei Chen met at the square – Bai Ling!

Su Ming fell silent.

Time trickled by slowly. Before long, the sounds in the tunnel gradually dispersed. Even the mist had largely dissipated. It was as though all the Wings of the Moon had returned to their nests as the blood red moon left the sky, as though they were all about to return to slumber.

A hot wave of heat immediately spread throughout the tunnel, replacing the cold. Even the crack in the wall was beginning to heat up swiftly. Su Ming heard crackling sounds and right before his eyes he saw new cracks forming on the walls of the mountain cave.

'So this is how the cracks are formed…'

Su Ming stood up quickly and approached the cracks. As he stood in the tunnel, he could feel the mist becoming thinner. Waves of heat crashed into him from where the tribe was, causing him to be covered in sweat.

The stones on the ground also grew hotter. Su Ming could even feel the ground burning the soles of his feet as he stood there. He clearly knew that very soon, he was not going to be able to withstand the heat in the place!

He contemplated on leaving or staying.

There was a hint of hesitation on Su Ming's face. Wretched moans traveled through the tunnel. Anyone who heard them would have trembled in their shoes.

'I already lied to her at the square with Lei Chen. My consciousness won't allow me to leave just like that…'

Su Ming was still an honest child deep down. He took a deep breath of hot air and ran towards the end of the tunnel.

'If I can save her, I will! If I can't, then at least I won't regret it.'

Su Ming's eyes were resolute as he held onto his horn. The closer he got to the end of the tunnel, the more he felt the heat in the place increasing at maddening speed.

Fortunately, the distance was close. Before long, Su Ming arrived at the end of the tunnel. Without bothering about the heat on the walls of the cave, he pressed his body against it and peeped into the cave.

His eyes immediately shone with a dim light. Su Ming saw seven people who were still alive, struggling on the sharp stalagmites situated on top the ruins of the tribe in the gigantic basin. Their stomachs were pierced through by seven sharp stalagmites, and their blood flowed down the stakes. They were still not dead and were letting out cries of agony as they felt the life seeping out of their bodies. All seven people were men.

Su Ming looked at them closely and let out a sigh of relief. He knew none of the seven so, it was clear that they were not people from Dark Mountain Tribe.

The other sharp stalagmites around them were melting. As they melted, a huge amount of red magma covered the land like a river…

As he saw that, Su Ming inhaled deeply. He finally understood the purpose of the sharp stalagmites!

'This place is really strange. Perhaps the Wings of the Moon's awakening and departure are related to the sharp stalagmites!' Su Ming thought.

The sharp stalagmites were probably formed from the magma for some unknown reason occasionally but not for long. After the Wings of the Moon returned, they would melt and return to magma.

'With the amount of stalagmites I saw just now, when they melt completely the basin will be completely filled. The tribe will be hidden once more underneath the magma…'

Su Ming lifted his head and looked at small red trunk which looked like a big tree located at the center of the tribe.

The tree also showed signs of melting under the extreme heat in the basin. It was moving around oddly. If Su Ming had looked closely, he would have seen that there were red lines surrounding the tree. Sometimes, a part of it would fall off. It was clear that it was a Wings of the Moon!

However, the Wings of the Moon that returned to the tree no longer had ferocious looks on their faces. As a replacement, were looks of pain, desolation and sadness. They did not continue screaming but they looked as if they were crying silently. Some Wings of the Moon were even gesticulating weirdly. They kept lifting their claws and biting them to draw blood in the midst of their sorrow. They wiped their claws on their eyes but there was no blood in the bitten claws.

'Those Wings of the Moon crawled into the tree! What… are they doing..?'

Su Ming stared at the tree. As he was thinking, he felt the heat climbing up even more. He could not stay there any longer.

'I can't find her… too bad…'

Su Ming shook his head. He tried his best. Just as he was about to leave, he stopped.

His gaze fell upon the red tree branch situated at the center of the basin. Two faces appeared on the tree. One of them, he did not know but the other was Bai Ling.

Bai Ling's eyes were empty and void of life as if she had already given up. At that moment, she looked like a mournful beauty.

Su Ming looked at her face, then at the magma gathering slowly downwards. Most of the stalagmites had already melted into magma and had risen about half the height of the houses in the tribe.

The only things visible within the basin were the roofs of the houses. Even the roofs were turning into a hot shade of red.

'The Wings of the Moon appear when the blood red moon is in the sky. But judging by the situation here, they should also be connected with the heat in this place. They're really afraid of heat… that's why they will only go out and hunt when this place becomes cold…

'When they come back, they will all crawl into the tree. None of them will be outside. All of this is proof of my theory.'

Su Ming did not act recklessly but he stood there as his eyes flashed brilliantly.

'I should be able to save her… but I still need to wait a bit longer…'

Su Ming stared at the tree and occasionally looked at the height of the magma down in the basin.

After a while, the heat in the place increased once more. It caused Su Ming to sweat continuously. His skin also showed signs of crying and cracking. The Qi in his entire body boiled as he manifested all 11 blood veins. Su Ming jumped down.

In the blink of an eye, Su Ming landed on one of the roofs in the basin. The moment he landed, he heard a sizzling sound. White smoke immediately came out underneath his feet. Su Ming did not stop. He jumped again and landed on another rood. After a few leaps, he was near the strange red tree.

Just as he was about to reach the tree, Su Ming saw the unknown girl beside Bai Ling shriveling as she let out an agonizing scream. Instantly, she became a pile of bones!

It was like she became one with the tree. Her life and all her flesh were absorbed by some mysterious force.

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Chapter 31: Wherefore Doth Thou Cry, O Blue Sky?

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The sudden sight stunned Su Ming but he did not stop. Instead, he ran even faster. Su Ming's personality was like that. Either he would stay away from something, or he would finish what he had started.

The very moment he went near the tree, Bai Ling's eyes which had previously been void of life, focused on him. She stared at Su Ming dumb-founded. As she stared, tears escaped her eyes.

There was no hint of hesitation when Su Ming approached the tree. He lifted the horn in his right hand and stabbed the red tree. When half of the horn sank into the tree, a dark red liquid that looked like blood flowed out. A muffled scream also came out from within.

It was a scream filled with rage. It was so powerful, it shook the entire basin.

Su Ming's face was pale but his eyes were cold. When the horn pierced the tree, he pulled it downwards abruptly. A giant crack appeared on the tree. A cold gust of air immediately gushed forth from the crack.

The crack practically appeared beside Bai Ling. Once the crack opened up, Su Ming saw Bai Ling's body inside. He did not hesitate and pushed his hand into the tree to grab Bai Ling's arm inside. Then with a low growl, he yanked her out.

With just a yank, he managed to bring Bai Ling's body out of the tree.

Bai Ling was shocked. She looked at Su Ming with a dumbfounded expression and allowed Su Ming to pull her. More tears escaped her eyes. At that moment, Su Ming's face was deeply ingrained in her mind.

With Bai Ling in his grasp, Su Ming immediately jumped backwards. His heart was pounding against his chest. Just as he was about to leave, the screams grew much stronger and filled the entire basin. From the crack on the tree, dozens of Wings of the Moon appeared. The sadness and desolation on their faces were replaced with madness and blood lust as they flew out of the crack.

Su Ming felt his skin crawl. He immediately retreated. There were just too many Wings of the Moon. They were lined up so densely. Su Ming guessed that there were about thousands of them coming right at him and Bai Ling. There were even more Wings of the Moon within the tree.

However, just as the Wings of the Moon were about to chase after them, Su Ming saw the waves of heat crashing into them. Their faces were filled with terror. Some of them even froze and fell into the magma. They broke apart and shattered into pieces like stones. There was neither blood nor flesh. Only a gust of cold air rose from where they shattered.

'The legend of the immortal Fire Berserker Tribe who were turned into Wings of the Moon is true! They originally did not fear fire but once they changed into Wings of the Moon, they experienced a mysterious mutation and became afraid of fire…

'By the looks of it, they're bodies are as cold as ice…'

Su Ming narrowed his eyes. As he retreated, he threw Bai Ling towards the entrance of the nearby tunnel with his left hand.

"Why are you still daydreaming?! Run!" Su Ming growled at her. Bai Ling snapped out of her stupor as if she just woke up from a nightmare. The moment her body landed at the entrance of the tunnel, she turned around and looked at Su Ming. Just as she was about to speak…

"Run!" Su Ming ran towards the entrance of the tunnel. The magma in the basin had already covered all of the houses in the tribe. There were only a handful of roofs left.

Bai Ling's face was pale. She hesitated no longer. She turned and ran into the tunnel. Her legs were in pain but she ignored it. The only thought in her mind right then was to escape from the place.

Su Ming jumped on the few rooftops left and headed straight for the tunnel. Behind him, a large number of Wings of the Moon screamed but they did not dare give chase. The muffled cries and roars from the tree made the Wings of the Moon even more hysterical. A few dozen of them even went straight for Su Ming with no regard of the heat.

The Qi in Su Ming's body was boiling. The 11 blood veins spread across his body. When the Wings of the Moon came, he swung the horn in his hand and rushed towards the tunnel. All of this happened within a short period of time. Nonetheless, when Su Ming arrived at the tunnel, some of the Wings of the Moon that had chased after him fell and shattered on the magma.

Su Ming's heart was pounding quickly but he was calm. Everything was going according to plan. If he had decided to wait a bit longer and the magma grew even thicker before he acted, things would not have been so easy. More Wings of the Moon would have in fact chased after him.

As he stepped into the tunnel, Su Ming's feet were giving off a stench of burnt flesh. Despite that, he did not stop. He ran even quicker instead.

Behind him, all the Wings of the Moon in the basin roared but they did not pursue. Still, there were some who managed to charge into the tunnel in spite of the deaths of their many comrades. They rushed at Su Ming.

'The Wings of the Moon are afraid of heat… that's why they do not dare to come out from the tree. But the closer we are outside, the more the heat will also decrease…'

As Su Ming ran, the screeches behind him grew clearer.

'I have to kill all the Wings of the Moon that come after us. They must not remain!'

Su Ming looked at the big stone he previously cut out when he came in. He immediately ran towards it. With horn in hand, he turned and saw four Wings of the Moon rushing towards him with savage looks on their faces. The sound of their flapping wings becoming louder.

Su Ming's face was pale but his eyes were calm. Just as the four Wings of the Moon were about to reach him, Su Ming kicked the big stone.

He measured the size of the stone previously. It was approximately the same size as the tunnel. As he kicked the stone by focusing all of the power of his Qi to his leg, the stone flew up and blocked the tunnel like a door!

Su Ming always had impeccable timing. According to his calculations, the stone door could hold back three Wings of the Moon temporarily. As for the remaining one, he would kill it with the horn in his hands using the heat in the tunnel to his advantage.

However, the Wings of the Moon were simply too fast. The stone barricade Su Ming made only managed to stop two of them. The other two made it past the barricade and rushed towards him.

Su Ming frowned and immediately ran forward. Even if he could kill the two Wings of the Moon, he would be injured. Besides, he still had a better plan.

As he ran, the speed of the Wings of the Moon's pursuit increased. Less than 100 feet away from him was another stone of the same size.

As he ran past the stone, Su Ming used his previous experience and kicked the stone. With a loud crash, the stone flew up and blocked the tunnel. It held back one of them while the other escaped.

Just as the other one rushed towards Su Ming, the cold glare in Su Ming's eyes thickened. He did not retreat any longer but chose to charge forward with the horn in his hand.

The man and abomination immediately battled in the tunnel. If Su Ming did not walk in the Ways of the Berserker, he would not have been able to resist, much less fight. However, he had already manifested 11 blood veins. He was also equipped with an extremely sharp horn. He had a complete upper hand in the battle against the Wings of the Moon.

Su Ming stabbed the Wings of the Moon and he immediately jumped away. Nevertheless, the wound left on its body recovered quickly. The Wings of the Moon only looked slightly sluggish but showed no signs of being anywhere near death.

Su Ming narrowed his eyes and quickly cut a few more wounds on the creature so, it was unable to recover within a short period of time. He quickly turned and ran away. As he ran, he would kick the stones he had placed in the tunnel earlier whenever he saw them. They became obstructions in the tunnel for the Wings of the Moon.

While he did stop to kick the stones, Su Ming took pride in his speed. In the span of just a few breaths, he sped through the tunnel and reached the area of the cave surrounded by many other small holes.

"I… I'm here!" The moment he arrived, Su Ming heard Bai Ling calling out to him weakly.

He saw Bai Ling hiding in one of the small holes with a pale and terrified face. She was shaking. Bai Ling arrived a long time ago but she did not know where the exit was. She did not dare move around recklessly, afraid that she would run into the Wings of the Moon again.

The Bai Ling before Su Ming's eyes was not the proud and witty girl in the square. She was like a frightened little animal. When he saw the anxiety in her eyes, Su Ming laughed.

"You… How can you still laugh?!" Bai Ling was very nervous. She was about to continue speaking when Su Ming approached her quickly and grabbed her arm, running towards one of the many holes nearby.

"This is the exit?" she whispered softly to him. For some reason, after Bai Ling looked at Su Ming her fears decreased.

Su Ming nodded his head. He did not speak instead, he grabbed Bai Ling's arm and ran towards the tunnel at full speed. He could hear Bai Ling panting. The sound was very pleasant to the ears. Su Ming's heartbeat quickened. He did not know whether it was due to the running or the soft skin he was touching in his hand.

Bai Ling did not speak again. She let Su Ming hold her hand as they ran through the dangerous tunnels. Her heart pounded against her chest and gradually, she felt the same way as Su Ming. The emotion allowed her fears and despair to dissipate.

However, the silence did not last long. Soon, Su Ming brought Bai Ling back to the place he used for the quenching of herbs. When they arrived, Su Ming released her hand and he cut through the tiny holes on the ground using the horn. They seemed to be lighting up with fire. In the middle of it, he would sometimes frown as if he was thinking about something.

There was also fire burning underneath the cauldron not far ahead.

Bai Ling watched Su Ming's actions with increasing anxiety.

Even then, she felt like it was all a dream. She had fallen into despair when she was captured by the Wings of the Moon. Yet the things that happened when Su Ming arrived made her think she was dreaming.

At that moment, ear-splitting shrieks traveled from the deep within the cave and became stronger as time passed by. They were approaching at an extremely quick speed. Bai Ling shivered and moved closer to Su Ming instinctively. Before she could get any closer, Su Ming grabbed her hand and immediately went past the small holes as he looked back at the cave.

Not long after, the volume of the shrieks increased exponentially and three Wings of the Moon flew towards them ferociously. Bai Ling quivered. She was about to retreat when Su Ming brought his horn out. He cracked open the ground where the fire flowed towards the cauldron, connecting the crack with another ravine.

A fire curtain immediately rose from the ground. Its strength was akin to a sea of fire. The three Wings of the Moon who were rushing towards them were enveloped by the sea of fire. Mournful cries rang through the air. They crashed onto the ground and shattered. A cold gust of wind gushed out from their remains and mixed with the fire. Su Ming's face was somber under the fire's illumination. Bai Ling, who stood behind him became even more terrified.

"They… They're afraid of fire?" Bai Ling asked softly after a while.

"They worshiped fire when they were still human. Fire was their glory. But when they were turned into Wings of the Moon, not only did they lose their conscience and their bodies, they also lost their glory…"

"They were not afraid of fire after they lost their glory. No, they felt guilty towards it… They lived by fire and they died by fire…" Su Ming muttered. He remembered the one line he saw when he stood in the ruins of the Fire Berserker Tribe.

'Wherefore doth thou cry, o blue sky?'

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Chapter 32: Those Beautiful Days…

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming closed his eyes. The scenes he saw that night weighed heavy against his chest and tightened around his heart. It was a desolate and sad kind of feeling.

'Just who was that corpse in Fire Berserker Tribe..? Why was he the only one who managed to end his own life before he turned into a Wings of the Moon..? Perhaps he was… one of the stronger Berserkers in Fire Berserker Tribe…'

As Su Ming recalled the strange corpse in his head, he sighed. The thing he thought about even more were the complicated words he saw.

'The desire to obtain Berserk spreads to all corners of the earth. Let fire burn in mine blood, let mine thoughts burn the skies, let fire burn heaven into ashes… If 't be true the moon of fire appears from the clouds on the endless earth… I wilt sink into deep bethought as the fire in mine blood burns, the nine is the utmost of all, and the one is the law. Light up the Berserker Fires and worship the nine, did let us all becometh the authorities of Fire!'

Su Ming did not understand what the words meant. While he was thinking about them, he saw Bai Ling standing by his side. She was looking at her surroundings. Her gaze was curious. It was clear that she was unaware of the place's purpose.

"Let's go, Miss Bai Ling." Su Ming smiled slightly and crawled out of the cave through the entrance.

Bai Ling quickly followed him. She had wanted to leave a long time ago. Every breath she spent at the place made her feel uncomfortable.

The moment they got out of the tunnel, a gust of wind immediately brushed against their skins. They felt like they were about to be blown away by the storm. Bai Ling's face was pale as she held onto a rock next to her.

She had been pampered as she grew up in the tribe and practically never climbed such a mountain before. Even if she gritted her teeth to endure it, her increasingly ashen face exposed her fears.

Su Ming looked at Bai Ling. He had never seen a girl of her beauty before. Her pale face especially made her look delicate.

"It's fine, I'll carry you." Su Ming scratched his head but his heart was starting beat quicker.

"You…" Bai Ling hesitated for a moment then looked at the bottom of the mountain. It looked like an endless abyss. Finally, she nodded her head.

Su Ming's spirits were lifted and he squatted down in front of Bai Ling. Bai Ling blushed as she climbed onto Su Ming's back silently. Her arms found their way around Su Ming's neck instinctively.

Su Ming blinked. She felt soft on his back. He could also clearly smell a nice fragrance wafting into his nostrils. He took a deep breath as an indescribable feeling blossomed in his chest.

"Hey… Hold on tight. If you fall, don't blame me," Su Ming said instinctively. However, he did not hear any sound coming from his back. After a moment of hesitation, he shifted his focus on climbing down the mountain.

With his agility and familiarity with the mountain, carrying someone would not have affected his speed too much. Yet, for some reason today, Su Ming only took the steep paths. Sometimes, he would even jump down, making the person on his back scream. Then he would grab onto some rocks or vines as he fell.

When he felt the delicate person on his back holding onto him tighter, a pleased expression appeared on Su Ming's face.

The time required to descend from the top to the foot of Black Flame Mountain was actually quite short but Su Ming spent an entire two hours to climb down. When Bai Ling got off his back, her face was entirely red and her eyes were filled will fear, Su Ming felt a slight hint of pity that it had ended. He coughed into his hand and looked at Bai Ling.

"We're in the forest now. The snow is very thick here. There are also quite a lot of traps placed here. There's also some distance left before you can reach Dark Dragon Tribe. It'll be dangerous for you go back alone. How about this? I'll escort you to Dark Dragon Tribe first, then I'll go back home," Su Ming spoke slowly and kept an eye on Bai Ling's expression. When he saw that Bai Ling hesitated, joy blossomed in his chest and he quickly spoke again.

"But the road back to your place is rather difficult to travel. Look, I don't mind carrying you on my back again. This way, we can save time and I can go back home faster too." Su Ming frowned and spoke once he looked at the sky.

"Then…" Bai Ling bit her lip as her cheeks flushed red again. She could tell he did everything earlier on purpose when they were descending from Black Flame Mountain. If it continued… Her eyes flashed with anger due to the embarrassment she felt.

"Hey, I saved you, you know?" Su Ming widened his eyes. He saw the anger in Bai Ling's eyes and felt a little guilty. Nonetheless, when he remembered that had he saved her, he felt his actions were justified.

"You don't want to? Fine, you're a Berserker anyway. There may be a lot of wild beasts and traps here, maybe even some Wings of the Moon. But, if you're careful, you should be fine… Alright, I'll be taking my leave." Su Ming yawned and turned towards the direction of his tribe. However before he could even take a few steps forward, he heard a gentle voice speaking anxiously.

"Then… thank you… I don't know the way, please send me back to my tribe…"

Su Ming's spirits immediately lifted but he kept a straight face. He even frowned a little, looking as if he was extremely reluctant to escort her back. He cast a glance at Bai Ling, then squatted down and spoke impatiently.

"Hurry up. We'll see whether we can get back before night falls. If we can't, we'll have to find a place to spend the night."

Bai Ling widened her eyes and stared at Su Ming. She was beginning to somewhat understand the person before her. When she thought of the incident that happened at the square, she did not know what to say to him.

More importantly, he appeared when she had given up all hope. She would never forget the resolution and determination in his eyes when he appeared in the cave.

Blushing, Bai Ling gently walked to Su Ming's side and climbed onto that frail back of his once more. She could hear her heart beating rapidly against her chest but she could not identify the emotion she was experiencing at that moment.

Su Ming ran through the forest like a monkey with Bai Ling on his back. He really liked the sweet smell she exuded. As he ran, he changed his path and circled around the forest.

After a while, Bai Ling's eyes glinted with an odd expression . She started to wrap her arms tighter around Su Ming's neck.

"We've walked through this place three times…" she spoke softly as she looked at a withered tree not far from their location.

"What? Really? Am I lost? Wait, I'll go check." Su Ming faltered in his footsteps. He looked surprised and scrutinized his surroundings before he nodded his head gravely.

"You're right. I've never come to this place before." There was no hint of awkwardness on his face as he changed direction and started running once again.

Time passed by slowly. They only managed to cover about half the distance to Dark Mountain Tribe by sunset, a destination they should have arrived at by twilight. However, Su Ming brought Bai Ling to Dark Mountain Tribe on the way back. He looked at his tribe from afar. When he saw no signs of abnormality from within the tribe, he felt at ease and left.

When Bai Ling saw the sky darkening, the expression in her eyes became even odder.

Once the sky became completely dark, Su Ming stopped at a part of the forest and looked at Bai Ling helplessly.

"Looks like we'll have to spend the night here… The forest is dangerous at night. We can only move ahead tomorrow morning."

The cunning look Su Ming saw, the first time he met Bai Ling had returned. She watched Su Ming quietly and did not speak. Under her gaze, Su Ming felt increasingly guilty.

"Alright then, let's spend the night here." After a while, Bai Ling smiled. Her smile was really beautiful and her wild vibe resurfaced.

Su Ming touched his nose and smiled as well. He got up and built a temporary resting place on a big tree. Then he sat there with Bai Ling.

Both of them fell silent. It was as though they did not know what to say to each other.

"I still don't know your name." After some time, Bai Ling looked at Su Ming. Her eyes were even brighter under the moonlight.

"I'm Su Ming. I know your name is Bai Ling," Su Ming said as he looked at Bai Ling and smiled.

"You lied to me at the square, right? Hmph, I thought it was odd when I went back to the tribe," said Bai Ling as she blinked and wrinkled her nose. It was really adorable.

"That is…"

"You're also not the Young Lord of Dark Mountain Tribe, right?" Bai Ling looked around with her bright eyes and spoke while chuckling softly.

Su Ming scratched his head, not knowing what to say. At that moment, snow started falling from the sky. The entire sky was decorated with white flakes of snow.

"Oh, it's snowing." Su Ming changed the subject by immediately lifting his head and looking at the snow.

Bai Ling smiled through her eyes. She did not continue with the topic and chose to look at the sky as well. She looked at the snow. Some of them fell on her face. It felt cool and comfortable.

The snow became heavier and the two individuals in the forest seemed entranced by its beauty. They were silent.

"Su Ming, thank you…" The sky was already dark to begin with. However as the moonlight reflected off the surface of the snow, their surroundings appeared to be illuminated by a silvery light. As such, the forest was not as dark as it was previously.

"Thank you for saving me… Can you tell me about yourself? Why were you there?" Bai Ling looked at Su Ming and spoke softly.

"I usually go to the mountains to pick herbs. That was a place I found accidentally and I use it as a shelter to avoid the cold. I just didn't expect to see Wings of the Moon yesterday…" Su Ming did not talk about using the place for quenching herbs. Instead , he told her a different story.

Time passed by slowly. During the snowy night, Su Ming and Bai Ling talked with each other more and gradually got to know each other… Their voices were carried away by the winds blowing in the winter.

"The elder of Dark Dragon Tribe is my grandma… My dad and mom left Dark Dragon Tribe a long time ago. I heard from my grandma that they went to a tribe bigger than Wind Stream. They haven't been back for a long time…" Bai Ling hugged herself and spoke about her past in a low tone under the snow.

"I don't even know who my dad and mom are… I was brought back to the tribe by the elder…" Su Ming mumbled.

"Ah, so that's how it is. That's why I thought you looked much frailer compared to the others. You're not even as tall as I am. Your elder must have been mistreating you." Bai Ling widened her eyes.

"No way, the elder is very good to me. Besides, you may be tall but I heard from the elder that in a few years, I'll also be as tall as you. Also, you're not as big as the other girls in your tribe," Su Ming laughed and said.

"That's because my elder taught me a Berserker Art. I heard that my mom asked my grandma to teach me the Art when I grow up." Bai Ling looked at Su Ming's hair, now dyed white with snow. She smiled teasingly as she spoke.

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