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Chapter 743: The Will of Autumn
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As those illusory moths disappeared into the sky, Su Ming lifted his head. He saw the boundless starry sky rotating above, as well as longships charging forward. All of these longships were black, and all of them had dozens of people in Constellation Robes standing within them.
Dao Yuan laughed arrogantly at the surface of the sea in the distance. The Sacred Constellation Robe on his body was shining with a brilliant, dark-colored light, and it turned into a compact defense around his body.
Su Ming averted his gaze from the sky and looked at the spot where Yu Xuan had left, then at the space where Bai Su had disappeared. He looked at the lonely ninth summit and the endless broken limbs floating on the surface of the sea.
"They all died…" Su Ming mumbled.
His body was no longer corporeal but had become so faded away that he was almost transparent. Grief appeared on his face. He no longer bothered with Dao Yuan or the various longships descending from the sky at that moment. He lifted his feet and moved slowly towards the ninth summit.
Fatigue, disappointment, and grief filled Su Ming's heart and soul. He returned to the ninth summit and stopped right outside his Master's cave abode.
Even at that moment, Su Ming came to stand as the wall that protected the ninth summit.
He grabbed the killing sword with his illusory right hand, placing it diagonally so the tip of was facing his lower right. The blade was stable, but the tip of the sword was trembling slightly due to its spirit. It was thirsting for blood and looking forward to killing.
Su Ming stood silently. His hair was like a ball of flame that would never be extinguished no matter how hard wind blew against it. He stood there, releasing his spirit. At that instant, he seemed to have truly become one with the ninth summit.
One person. One sword. A protection.
His body was illusory. There was not a single ripple of power within him. The only thing that remained was the power of his soul. That soul could be said to be his Atman, a form of divine sense, and also Su Ming's undying and imperishable will, which was, by then, the only thing that remained of him.
He looked at the sky, and a small smile gradually appeared on his lips. However, there was no hint of carefreeness with it. Instead, it was filled with sadness.
In silence, Qian Chen came up to Su Ming's side with gritted teeth even though his body was trembling. He brought out a black knife from his bosom. He was incredibly afraid, so terrified that his body was trembling nonstop. Sweat poured down his body… but true courage was fearlessness when a person was in the face of danger. It was also a form of will that would not allow a person to retreat even when terrified. This… was courage.
With a bitter smile, the bald crane banished the thought of escape. It let out a long sigh in its heart and flew to Su Ming's side before fixing its stare on the sky. There was a solemnness and madness on its face, something that had never been seen before.
"I'm sorry, I promised to take you out of the land of Berserkers, but I… didn't manage to do it in time," Su Ming said softly while looking at the sky.
Qian Chen was trembling, but he still shook his head. He did not speak.
At that moment, the numerous longships in the starry sky suddenly let out piercing cries and turned into long black arcs that charged towards the ground.
In the blink of an eye, there was a thousand longships in the air near the ninth summit. Waves of mighty pressure that was difficult to describe with words spread out from the thousands of Dao Slaves dressed in Constellation Robes standing on the longships.
Even if there were no Dao Slaves in the Third Step among them, but the shock and destruction that could be brought forth by thousands of cultivators in the Second Step could sometimes be even more shocking than that of five cultivators in the Third Step.
Their aloof gazes and Dao Yuan's crazed roars after his arrogance was restored brought this disaster to its most intense state.
"Kill him! Destroy that mountain! Make sure that not a single blade of grass remains there! Damn it! He nearly killed me! He nearly killed me!"
Dao Yuan's eyes were red. Just a moment ago, he had been surrounded by death. It had been the closest he had ever come to dying. It made the fear in his heart reach its most extreme state. Now that he was filled with a sense of safety, his fear turned into an equal amount of anger.
Murderous aura shone in the eyes of the thousands of Dao Slaves on the longships, but they did not attack without command. Unless it was completely necessary and the situation forced them to, the members of Morning Dao Sect would not attack by themselves. However, the instant Dao Yuan's voice rose into the air, the thousands of people flew out together and turned into thousands of long arcs that charged towards the ninth summit.
Their presence was shocking and even surpassed the mighty pressure brought by the five Dao Slaves in the Third Step. There was also a sense of suffocation brought by them.
Qian Chen's eyes turned red. He let out a crazed roar and was just about to rush out while flinging all caution to the wind, but right when he lifted his foot, Su Ming pushed his left hand against Qian Chen's shoulder. The power of Su Ming's Atman went into the man's mind and soul, and a roar resounded in Qian Chen's mind. He shivered and fell unconscious.
Su Ming pushed him gently backwards, and his body flew towards the ninth summit's cave abode.
"Many of ours have already died. We can't have any more of our own dying…" Su Ming mumbled. When his Atman spread out, it turned into a wave of impact that swept up the stunned bald crane by his side. Only when it was sent into the cave abode as well that the bald crane registered what was happening. Its body trembled as it looked at Su Ming with a dazed expression.
It was as if only at that moment did it truly get to know Su Ming. As it continued looking at him, this bald crane who believed itself to be heartless felt its eyes watering.
"Help me take care of my senior brothers…" Su Ming whispered softly to it. He then took a step towards the incoming thousands of Dao Slaves in the Second Step and charged over to them with a firm resolution as he held the killing sword in hand.
Most of the thousands of Dao Slaves were more powerful than Su Ming. This was a massacre that bore no suspense because the result was already clear. This was a single person fighting against thousands of people.
A shocking roar reverberated in the air, and that was just the near hundred people at the forefront of the charge lifting their right hands together to execute a single divine ability. It turned into endless starlight that crashed into Su Ming's illusory body.
Without the existence of the three souls that previously sealed his soul, the instant the starlight touched Su Ming's illusory body, the scene of two shadows overlapping but not touching each other as if they did not exist in the same dimension did not appear again. Instead, as the light roared, it seemed to have turned into countless needles that caused Su Ming's illusory body to crumble swiftly. He turned into glittering sparkles, and once most of them were extinguished, the remainder fell back before gathering together once again a thousand feet away.
They turned into Su Ming, but he was even more transparent than before. It was as if he would scatter away if wind blew against him.
However, at the instant Su Ming's body crumbled, he had slashed once. That slash contained the might of the first slash he had executed after his soul was completed. It contained his soul and also his awakening to the Abyss.
It contained… his Origin divine ability!
As that slash swept through the air, it charged past the hundreds of people at the front, but it did not seem to contain any destructive power. It was just like a gentle breeze.
However, when Su Ming's body crumbled and gathered together once again into an even weaker illusion, the hundreds of people right at the front of the charge Su Ming had just cut… suddenly started aging.
It was as if the flow of time had been accelerated for them. The operations of their bodies begun to run exponentially faster, and their faces soon aged a dozen or more years. Waves of rotting air also begun to spread from their bodies.
Their hair turned grayish white. Wrinkles appeared on their faces. Their life force seemed to be devoured by space itself, and most of this life force disappeared within an instant.
In fact, there were a dozen something people… who instantly turned into corpses as their bodies withered and aged because their levels of cultivation were not high and they did not have many years of life left. Even their Nascent Divinities found it difficult to escape from their bodies; all of them died as they withered.
At the same time as this dozen something people died, the lifeforce and life of near a hundred people vanished. Wisps of white smoke left their bodies and charged towards Su Ming. They instantly fused with him, causing his see-through body to immediately look much more corporeal.
"Is this my awakened Origin divine ability after my soul was completed..?" Su Ming mumbled.
He could sense his soul getting stronger at a maddening pace as those white wisps of smoke entered his body. The life force he absorbed seemed to be a substance that was grossly lacking within him. It was as if he had become a dry sponge at that moment, and he was continuously absorbing other people's life force and years of life to complete everything about himself.
However, this awakening was a little too late for Su Ming, because even if that slash had allowed him to absorb a large amount of life force, it still could not fill up the unchangeable difference of power between him and those thousands of Dao Slaves.
As Dao Yuan screamed shrilly and the thousands of Dao Slaves closed in on him once again, they executed their divine abilities at the same time. The starlight that was stirred up was enough to replace all light in the world. As that light filled the air, it was like an ancient beast made of stars devouring Su Ming whole.
At the instant it devoured him, he suddenly gained an epiphany. What he had come to understand was his Origin divine ability. It was… the will of autumn, was it not?
It might not be the color of autumn, but the life force he absorbed was like autumn in his body. It was a fusion between death and life. It was the true epitome of change.
"Autumn…"
As Su Ming whispered this, his illusory body instantly shone with a red light. It was the color of autumn. An endless amount of snow also appeared out of nowhere around him. The flakes of snow withered once they fell, and they were like the leaves of autumn as they did so. If someone observed from afar, they'd see snow at first, but once they blinked, they'd think that it was the falling leaves they were seeing.
Su Ming's power erupted due to his epiphany and moved straight from the initial stage of Life Matrix to the middle stage of Life Matrix. It also appeared as the snow and falling leaves around him interlaced with each other, making the color of autumn on his body denser.
At the instant the thousands of Dao Slaves closed in and the starlight formed by the second batch of nearly a thousand people submerged Su Ming, understanding appeared in his eyes. His level of cultivation then moved from the middle stage of Life Matrix straight to the later stage of that Realm!
Only one more step, and he would be able to reach the second Realm in the path of Life Cultivation—Life Privation!
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Chapter 744: Yin Death's Child!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
This one step was not difficult to cross either, because Su Ming already knew what he was lacking. Once he gained his epiphany, he came to a vague understanding that he was lacking life force. It was the years of life that belonged to those from Bright Yang Region.
It was also at this instant that a man's voice that was unfamiliar to him but was warm and gentle appeared in his soul. It sounded as if it had come from a long, long time ago.
"Building Abyss…"
"Building Abyss…" This second voice was Su Ming mumbling it to himself.
As his voice traveled outwards and the starlight came towards him, a shocking boom shook the sky and earth beyond the ninth summit.
The entire world looked as if it had stopped rotating as those booming sounds shot into the air. Su Ming's body crumbled at that instant, even if he had come to understand what it meant to build the Abyss, even if he had stepped into the later stage of Life Matrix, and even if… he had managed to execute the will of autumn during the final moment.
However, in the face of absolute power, all of these things were so weak that they could not withstand even a single hit. Su Ming's body crumbled, but even though he managed to gather an illusory body once again on the ninth summit, the body that manifested this time was almost completely transparent. It was faint, and if anyone tried to search for him with the naked eye, they'd find it almost impossible to detect him.
A weakness that came from the bottom of his soul filled Su Ming's consciousness. He staggered back a few steps, but firmly stopped outside the cave abode at the top of the mountain. Even at this point, he still wanted to protect the ninth summit.
Even if his consciousness had almost completely scattered away and he was about to truly die, he still continued standing there firmly, even if… he had already become invisible.
As the booming sounds reverberated in the sky, several dozens of the thousands of Dao Slaves turned into corpses with shocked expressions on their faces. They did not even make a single sound as they transformed and fell into the sea.
Less than fifty people died from the thousands. To the Dao Slaves, the number of casualties they suffered did not even cause any damage to the foundation of their army… but at that moment, the expressions of those thousands of people had become grave.
Even though less than fifty of their own had died, there were several hundred of whose faces had turned pale while they were losing most of their life force as well as their years of life. Even their levels of cultivation had fallen by several stages.
All of this was due to Su Ming alone.
"Kill him! By my orders, kill him! Damn it! All of you attack together and immediately kill him! Destroy that mountain! It's clear that he's still not choosing to run but to fight to the death in this place because this mountain is incredibly important to him! Destroy the mountain! Kill him!" Dao Yuan started yelling once more while hiding behind all of his Dao Slaves.
Killing intent shone within the thousands of Dao Slaves' eyes. This time, as they charged forward, the thousands of people spread out before executing their divine abilities. As they cast them, a destructive power that could destroy the world erupted from their bodies with a bang.
That power was enough to destroy the current Su Ming as well as the ninth summit. It would put his senior brothers as well as Qian Chen and the bald crane into eternal slumber, and his eldest senior brother would not wake up ever again, either.
In his weakened state, Su Ming lifted his head with great difficulty. His gaze fell on the excited Dao Yuan behind the thousands of Dao Slaves. At the instant he saw him, the final chilling light of Su Ming's life shone in his eyes.
"I have no regrets living and dying with the ninth summit… but it's a pity that I didn't manage to kill the one who destroyed it, that Dao Yuan. I will be ashamed to meet my senior brothers in hell…" Su Ming mumbled.
At the instant the divine abilities from the thousands of Dao Slaves closed in on him, he lowered his head to look at the killing sword in his hand. The tip of the sword was trembling, and he could sense the resolve to kill the world coming from the spirit.
"I have two more divine abilities…"
Su Ming could sense that he was so weak that he had reached his limit. As he was about to disappear, he swiftly lifted his left hand and pushed his palm against the ground.
With it, the ground immediately trembled. A wave of earthen aura surged out from the ninth summit and the sea beneath it. It covered Su Ming's left hand, then, through his left arm, it charged into his illusory body, making Su Ming's left hand wither immediately. At the time his arm looked as if it had become emaciated, white light surrounded it.
This was the Surging Indulgers' divine ability. It was one of the Arts Su Ming had learned in Eastern Wastelands Tower. It was also the reason why the ancient existence in Yin Death Vortex had paid attention to him. It was even… the key to stir up the hundred thousand Surging Indulger and Evil Spirit warriors in the two worlds within the Yin Death Vortex.
The Surging Indulgers' divine ability used spirits to refine the body. If Su Ming had a body of flesh and blood, then what would wither would be his flesh and blood, yet even though it might look as if it had withered, he wouldn't have lost a lot of his blood and flesh. The portion that withered would have just been absorbed by the other parts in his body, which would cause his body to no longer look complete but as if there was a gap within it. This would then allow the Art to use the withered left arm to become a power that could absorb other people's flesh and blood to make its owners body whole again.
In truth, the completion they would gain after that would cause the Surging Indulgers to become slightly stronger than before.
However, Su Ming did not possess a physical body at that moment, hence the part that looked withered… was his soul. As his left arm withered, his entire illusory body gradually began to wither until his soul completely disappeared. His right hand, which held onto the killing sword, had gathered Su Ming's Atman in its entirety to gain corporeal form, in a manner as if it had gone through crystallization.
The right hand swiftly flew up. With its fingers curled around the killing sword and Su Ming's will, at the instant the thousands of divine abilities from the Dao Slaves closed in, the hand charged towards the spot where Dao Yuan was in the distance while taking the form of a long arc. It charged forward with a speed that shattered all space and rushed towards Dao Yuan.
The sword traveled so quickly that it closed the distance of less than a thousand feet in the blink of an eye. There had been Dao Slaves in its way, but no matter who got in the sword's path, none of them were able to avoid the attack that was practically the last strike of Su Ming's life.
At the instant Su Ming sent his sword charging forth, his Atman executed the other divine ability of another race he had learned in Eastern Wastelands Tower. It was the Evil Spirits' Art. A large amount of black smoke erupted from Su Ming's crystallized right hand which held onto the killing sword. Once the black smoke covered the right hand, it became impossible to see.
At the instant the hand disappeared, the black smoke turned into a ferocious face of a ghost which covered the area around the killing sword. As it roared, it propelled the killing sword with a bang.
Wherever it went, nearly a hundred Dao Slaves tried to stop it, but the instant they touched the sword, the ghost's face released a roar that had the power to shake people's hearts and souls.
This roar reverberated in the air, and it was as if it could stop all operations in the world, for nearly a hundred Dao Slaves stopped simultaneously. The divine abilities they executed also froze, simply allowing that ghost face to charge past them.
The sword appeared right before the screaming Dao Yuan, whose face was now showing shock and terror.
The thousands of Dao Slaves around him did not have time to save him. Su Ming's killing sword was traveling too quickly, and the ferocious ghost face stopped all the operations in the world, making it so the Dao Slaves could only watch what happened.
The sword which contained Su Ming's life and everything else within him came at the center of Dao Yuan's brows.
At the instant the sword was about to pierce him, the stars in the Constellation Robe on Dao Yuan's body started rotating swiftly. The starlight spun, and the ferocious ghost face around the killing sword let out a shrill scream of pain and disappeared.
However, a scream of pain came from Dao Yuan's mouth as well. His Constellation Robe was fighting against the ferocious ghost face and protecting his body, but once the Surging Indulger's divine ability had gathered Su Ming's life within the killing sword, the power of absorption from the Art had forcefully sucked out a part of Dao Yuan's soul from his body upon impact.
Dao Yuan's shrill screams of pain reverberated in the air. His soul was being devoured at a rapid pace, and his body was swiftly withering as it trembled. This was the picture of someone whose flesh, blood, and essence were being absorbed. That pain was comparable to the death by a thousand cuts [1].
However, the Sacred Constellation Robe was a treasure that all direct descendants of the Dao family in Morning Dao Sect could obtain after their birth. It might be impossible for Dao Yuan to bring out its true might… but there were still certain aspects that made the robe powerful.
It forcefully retained a single wisp of Dao Yuan's soul so that he would not die. Even if his body turned into mere skin and bones at that moment and there was a dismal air all around him… he was still alive.
However, even if he was alive, he was in pain that was much worse than death. His shrill screams of pain had already turned hoarse, and he had lost all his strength. If the Constellation Robe had not locked his soul in his body, he would have died a long time ago. But this lockdown and the absorption from Su Ming's killing sword was like a saw, making him suffer an intense pain that would shatter anyone else's consciousness.
However, it was difficult for Su Ming to last long in this condition. His killing sword gradually lost its power of absorption. The ferocious ghost face had also disappeared from midair. Everything that was part of Su Ming's very existence was no longer around. Even his consciousness which he had gathered on the killing sword gradually turned into glittering sparkles that were now spreading out.
The killing sword let out a sad whistle. It had not been with Su Ming for long, but during that short period of time, it had experienced the true way to be used as a sword.
It was infatuated with this feeling, and so it whistled sadly once it sensed Su Ming's consciousness fading away and scattering in all directions.
In the distance, the divine abilities from the thousands of Dao Slaves had already covered the ninth summit. It was quickly being broken down, and it wouldn't be long until it crumbled in its entirety.
It seemed that it was no longer possible for anything to happen that could change what was now meant to be.
The final soul in Su Ming's body, that of the white-haired man who had turned into moths. had been correct. There was someone who was unwilling to let him succeed, and that someone had opened the path for all the ships to enter smoothly into the land of Berserkers.
But there was also an existence which was unwilling to let Su Ming die like this.
"Su Ming, are you willing… to become Yin Death's Child… for Yin Death's Fragmented Worlds..?" an ancient voice asked languidly from the sky at that instant.
Once that voice spoke, the whole world froze. The thousands of Dao Slaves became still and unmoving in midair. Their divine abilities froze up, and the ninth summit's collapse was also halted.
The sea's movements, the wind's howls, and everything else froze the moment the voice spoke.
Translator's Notes:
1. Death by a thousand cuts: Otherwise known as Lingchi. It is an execution method in China where the executioner cuts the condemned multiple times until he eventually dies. Supposed to be only for traitors.
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Chapter 745: Dao Yuan's Death!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"If you become Yin Death's Child, then the ninth summit will be protected. The land of Berserkers will become part of Yin Death's Fragmented Worlds once again, which is not reversible. From then on… no more Immortals will be able to take even half a step into your world.
"If you become Yin Death's Child, your senior brothers will be able to live. They will not be affected even a single bit by this disaster. In fact, I can also heal your eldest senior brother's injuries within an instant.
"If you refuse… then there will be no ninth summit anymore. Your senior brothers will die, and the land of Berserkers… will still be separated from Yin Death's Fragmented Worlds, just as it always has been.
"Wear this. The moment you put it on, you will become Yin Death's Child. You will be delivered to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. That place does not belong to Yin Death Region. It is outside, and it is very far away from this place…
"Go to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence and search for… the king of Yin Death's Fragmented Worlds! There should be an entrance that leads to the fifth Great True World in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Look for that entrance…
"Once you wear this, you will no longer have freedom. Once you wear this, you will lose your ability to love… You will become cold and heartless. You will lose all sense of pain. You will no longer know what it even is.
"You will… become Yin Death's Child, something that belongs solely to Yin Death's Fragmented Worlds!"
An endless amount of crystalline sparks gradually appeared from thin air as the world remained still. Once they gathered together, they formed into an item floating before Su Ming's semi-transparent body.
It was a mask, one made of black steel.
"When you wear this, you will… no longer be you…"
Su Ming's heart trembled. He stared at the mask with a blank expression, and the ancient voice that came from the Yin Death Vortex reverberated in his heart.
Anguish and absent-mindedness gradually appeared on his face. The dazedness then turned into a sentence in his head.
"When you learn who you are, you… are no longer you. When you no longer know who you are, you… will be you."
Su Ming remained silent.
"Wear it and head to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. It is a place that has been sealed by the four True Great Worlds. It is a region that is feared by the four True Great Worlds, and it has numerous powerful warriors from the four True Great Worlds guarding it.
"It is… a wasteland, a barren piece of land. It is… also the place that seals the fifth Great True World, and this was done by the four Great True Worlds. It is… also the place where the four Great True Worlds keep their criminals. It... is a place where powerful warriors gather!
"That place is veiled in mystery, and there are endless possibilities there… Yin Death's Child, wear the mask, and I promise that I will protect the Berserkers. I promise that you will have no worries… until the moment you die in battle.
"Find the king of Yin Death's Fragmented Worlds or look for the entrance to the fifth Great True World."
The ancient voice reverberated in the air, spreading out and filling the world that had become still before turning into lingering echo that lasted for a long, long time.
"You cannot refuse!"
That was the final sentence spoken by the ancient voice. There was a ruthless tone to it, but there was no threat contained within it. Yet everything before Su Ming had now turned into the sharpest blade that was ripping his heart apart.
The ninth summit's destruction had stopped. The cave abode's collapse had only just begun before it was frozen.
"Why me…?" Su Ming asked in a low voice after remaining silent for a moment.
However, he never obtained an answer to his question.
He slowly lifted his hand. He knew that he indeed could not refuse what the voice had just offered.
When he held the mask, a thick Yin Death Aura spread out from within it. That aura instantly blended with Su Ming's body, causing him to swiftly gain corporeal form from his illusory state. All his injuries were completely cured in the blink of an eye. His legs, arms, body, and head showed up in their complete form.
Su Ming did not put on the mask immediately. He held it firmly, and only the slightest quiver could be seen on his hand. He lifted his head and looked at the sky.
"My eldest senior brother's injuries," Su Ming said in a low voice.
"The moment you wear the mask, he will awaken," the ancient voice said after a moment.
Su Ming remained silent for some time before speaking up again."I need seven days!"
"Very well. When you put on that mask seven days later, I will come and receive you," the old voice stated in a merciless tone as it spread through the entire land.
Su Ming looked at the Dao Slaves that had been halted in the world, and when he spoke next, his voice had a freezing chill to it. "I want all of these thousands of Dao Slaves dead!"
"Very well."
At the instant that ancient voice said these two words, the thousands of Dao Slaves that had been frozen in midair immediately started bleeding from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and their bodies instantly exploded with a bang. Even their Constellation Robes were unable to stop this destructive power. As they collapsed, their flesh and blood spread everywhere.
The thousands of Dao Slaves all died at that instant.
There was no pained screams, no struggle.
Su Ming lifted his head and laughed at the sky. There was a craziness to his laughter, and as he laughed, tears fell from his eyes. The thousands of Dao Slaves had been so powerful, but in the eyes of those who were truly powerful, they were so weak that they had shattered and crumbled with just two words.
At that instant, a desire to become truly strong was deeply burned into Su Ming's mind. It was a bloody memory, one that he engraved deep into his bones, one that he would never forget.
"I want his robe to no longer protect him. I want… to personally crush his bones and scatter his ashes into the wind!" Su Ming's crying eyes were crimson red at that moment he turned to glare at Dao Yuan.
"Very well."
The ancient voice was as heartless and aloof as ever. Once he said it, the stars in the Sacred Constellation Robe on Dao Yuan's body that had still been rotating slowly even after the world had frozen became still in an instant.
"Seven days later, I will wait for your call."
The old voice gradually faded into the distance. Once it disappeared, the world's operations instantly returned to normal, but the ninth summit's destruction no longer continued. Since the thousands of Dao Slaves had died, their divine abilities also faded away.
The ninth summit might be damaged, but it still stood tall.
The sea started moving and waves began striking at the shore again. The sea breeze began blowing once more, having recovered from its frozen state. It scattered the torn pieces of flesh of thousands of Dao Slaves as they fell to the surface of the sea. The wind brought away the thick, bloody stench, but it could not dissolve the bright red stain on the surface of the sea.
Once the stars in the Constellation Robe stopped moving and the world's operations were restored, Dao Yuan let out a shrill scream, and his emaciated body shivered. He looked at the thousands of dead Dao Slaves in the sky, all of whom had been reduced to pieces of flesh and blood, and his body started trembling furiously.
They were his everything. They were his foundation in Morning Dao Sect. They were guards that he had drawn to his side after paying an incredibly large price for them, but now… on this one trip to the land of Berserkers, all of them had died.
This consequence was something he could not bear. All the deaths turned into pain, and he coughed up a mouthful blood straight from his heart. He shivered, and goosebumps soon rose all over his body. As extreme terror filled him, to the point that his mind almost detached itself from his body, for he saw Su Ming glaring at him with bloodshot eyes from midair.
While screaming, Dao Yuan started retreating without any hesitation, but before he could withdraw even thirty feet backwards, Su Ming appeared right him with burning hate.
His savage expression, crimson eyes, and hate-filled presence rose Dao Yuan's terror to its peak. In a frenzy, this young lord wanted to activate his Sacred Constellation Robe, but no matter how he tried, it did not work. It was like a normal robe, one that didn't have any powers it should have.
Su Ming lifted his right hand. He caught Dao Yuan's right index finger, and the once proud young lord screamed in terror. Su Ming squeezed lightly, and there was a small cracking sound. He had crushed Dao Yuan's right index finger.
Filled with intense pain, Dao Yuan's screamed even louder.
"Don't kill me, don't kill me. I am a direct descendant of Morning Dao…"
Before Dao Yuan could finish screaming, Su Ming had already crushed another finger, and another, and another. Once all of Dao Yuan's fingers had been crushed, the young lord's pained screams had become hoarse, and there was a weakness to his voice.
But there was still a crazed sinister glint in his eyes that wished evil upon Su Ming.
"If you kill me, then you will suffer and die. Morning Dao Sect will definitely take revenge for me. Your people will be eradicated. They will die…"
Su Ming lifted his right hand and crushed Dao Yuan's right arm inch by inch, moving slowly upwards from the shattered fingers and palm. When the bones in Dao Yuan's right arm had all been crushed, the shattered pieces became spikes that pierced his skin to the point they could be seen outside. The young lord was in an incredibly wretched state.
Dao Yuan's screams became louder. The pain destroyed all his malice and his curses. As tears fell from his eyes, he started begging for mercy nonstop.
"Let me go. I-I…"
But before he could even finish pleading, Su Ming had seized his left arm, and crushed the bones were in the same manner as before.
After that, Su Ming did not immediately kill him. Instead, he crushed Dao Yuan's legs and skull before untying his Constellation Robe. Once Su Ming put away the robe, he calmly brought out a medicinal pill to cure wounds and threw it into the weakened and terrified Dao Yuan's mouth.
That medicinal pill melted in Dao Yuan's mouth. It turned into a wave of life force that filled him with vigor, preventing him, whose consciousness was about to scatter, from sinking into unconsciousness. Once again, he experienced the indescribable pain of having most of the bones in his body crushed, and the suffering of his crushed bones scraping against his flesh and blood.
His shrill and hoarse screams rang in the air once again. As he screamed, Su Ming took a step forward and stood before the trembling body. Once he froze Dao Yuan's body with an Art, he lifted his left hand slowly and sliced down at the spot right above Dao Yuan's spine.
A long wound instantly appeared there. Due to his hate for Dao Yuan, he used both his hands to rip that wound open. As he did that, Dao Yuan screamed even more shrilly. His spine and two rows of ribs were revealed under the open flesh, along with his beating heart and lungs, which were alternating between contracting and expanding.
With a calm expression on his face, Su Ming reached in with both hands and seized Dao Yuan's lungs before he yanked them out in one swift move. The shrill screams reached their most intense state. When Dao Yuan breathed in next, his eyes bulged out, and as his body shivered… he truly breathed his last and died!
His storage bag flew into the air. Once Su Ming seized it, he closed his eyes, and two trails of tears fell down his cheeks.
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Chapter 746: If Only Life Was as Beautiful as It Seemed at First Sight
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
A man would not cry easily.
Su Ming remembered that he rarely cried in his life, but on this day, he cried. His tears trickled down his cheeks. He looked at the damaged ninth summit, and the faces of people who had chosen to self-destruct to protect him during this battle appeared in his head.
There was also Bai Su's face, as well as Yu Xuan's.
All of these had turned to ashes and smoke, blown away by the sea breeze. He hated the Immortals, hated Morning Dao Sect, and hated that Yin Death's Fragmented Worlds who had let all of this happen just so that they could turn him into Yin Death's Child.
Su Ming stood at the cave abode outside the damaged ninth summit and looked at his second senior brother, who had his eyes closed, at Hu Zi, who was snoring, and at his eldest senior brother, whose entire body had turned into stone. As he looked at them silently in the cave, Su Ming wept.
He knew that this might be the last time he saw them. Perhaps he would never be able to see his senior brothers and the ninth summit again in his life, because he was about to leave and go to a place that were very, very far away.
Because at that time, he would no longer have the ability to love, and he would feel no pain.
Su Ming stood outside the cave, and after a long time, he slowly knelt down and kowtowed nine times in the direction of the cave abode.
"Eldest senior brother, second senior brother, Hu Zi… I will have to leave it to you to search for Master… Master, Su Ming is an unfilial student…" Su Ming wept and kowtowed.
After some time, he stood up, and the bald crane quietly handed him a white piece of fabric.
It was the only remnant of Bai Su after she had died. Su Ming had seized it with his right hand after his body crumbled, and it was kept safe by the bald crane so that wind would not blow it away.
Su Ming took the white piece of fabric and looked at it quietly.
A day later, he left the ninth summit. Lying behind him at the bottom of the sea was his cave abode from all those years ago. Right outside it was a grave that had been buried at the depths of the sea.
A white piece of fabric was buried in that grave. It was… Bai Su's grave.
Su Ming left. With the promise made to the old voice from Yin Death Vortex, Su Ming knew that there was no longer any power that could disturb his senior brothers in the land of Berserkers.
He left. By his side was the bald crane that refused to let him leave alone. No matter what Su Ming did, it would follow him silently and keep him company by staying at his side.
Qian Chen cried as he stood at the top of the ninth summit and watched Su Ming leave. At that moment, he swore in his heart to become stronger, to absolutely become stronger.
He could never forget Su Ming, could never forget the days that had seemed depressing and bleak, but had turned into incredibly precious memories once he lost them.
Now, all of these things were gone.
Qian Chen cried and sat down on the mountain.
Su Ming walked through the world. He charged forward in madness and desperation, moving at his fastest speed. He used three days, and had even burned his own cultivation base, to cross the Dead Sea and reach the Alliance of the Western Region from South Morning.
He did not have much time left. He had to return to the Alliance of the Western Region before he left to see whether Dark Mountain truly existed. He had to see whether there were any old friends remaining there.
The land in the Alliance of the Western Region was covered in black earth. There was a mountain at the edges of the continent. That mountain looked like a hand that had four fingers and stood towering over the world. At the foot of the mountain, there was a forest whose end could not be seen.
It was winter in the Alliance of the Western Region. Snow floated down from the sky, making the forest look as if it was dressed in a white wedding dress. The white-covered ground seemed to be preparing for a wedding, yet at the same time, it looked to be getting ready for a funeral.
As the snow floated down, Su Ming came to this place, the hometown upon remembering which he'd always get lost in revery - Dark Mountain.
He did not manage to find Lei Chen, and neither did he find any old acquaintances, but he managed to find the mountain, the place that contained the beautiful moments in his memories.
As Su Ming looked at Dark mountain, tears started flowing down his eyes once again. He walked on Dark Mountain and touched the mountain rocks. Snow landed on his body, and he could not bring himself to sweep it away. He walked past the forest at the foot of the mountain and stepped on the snow. This path was the one he took when he was walking in circles as he carried Bai Ling on his back.
When he moved to where Dark Mountain Tribe was originally located, he found… that there was no tribe there.
Perhaps many years ago, there was a tribe in this place, and its name was Dark Mountain Tribe. Yet now, there was only a white layer of snow and dried up forest before Su Ming's eyes.
He stood silently in this place. Time passed. A long, long passage of time trickled by…
The bald crane watched everything from the side and kept Su Ming company in silence.
The sun set and rose. Snow floated down from the sky, and Su Ming stood for the entire night. He looked at the forest and the snow before he suddenly took a few steps forward and knelt down on the ground. Then, he started digging through the snow and earth on the ground. He continued digging as if he had gone mad, and gradually, his hands turned into a bloody mess, but he still continued digging, as if he did not know what pain was.
When Su Ming eventually dug out a deep pit, he found some discarded items that were buried at the bottom of the pit. They were some bowls, pots, and a few more scattered items that were made of stone and exuded a presence filled with decay.
As Su Ming looked at these things, his tears fell on the ground. He was familiar with these items. They… belonged to Dark Mountain.
Su Ming did not know how he left Dark Mountain and the mountain. In his anguish, he walked around aimlessly. Once he walked out of the forest, wisps of indistinct chimney smoke appeared before him. They came from a small tribe.
It was a small tribe that had decided to settle down and grow in this place at some unknown point in time. Su Ming looked at the chimney smoke and walked slowly to towards it. Cheerful songs and children's joyful laughter gradually reached his ears when he approached the tribe.
As Su Ming looked at the tribe, he felt like he was looking at Dark Mountain Tribe. Eventually, he lowered his head, and with a hint of melancholy, he turned around and walked into the distance. A mask appeared in his right hand. Dark light shone on it, making it stand out starkly against the snow.
At the instant Su Ming was about to place the mask on his face, his footsteps suddenly froze. He turned his head around and looked at the forest in the distance. At that moment, there was a young man and woman arguing on the snow.
"You once said that you'll stay with me for all eternity. You once said that this was a promise…" It was a woman's voice, and she was crying as she looked at the man before her.
The young man remained silent for a long while before he spoke in anguish. "I once said that… but…"
"There're no buts in this! I know you still love me, so why must you leave? We once swore an oath in the snow that we would walk together until our heads turned white. Our hair did indeed turn white from the snow, but must we part way right now? What about our promise..?" The woman wept, and her voice drifted in the wind and snow.
The young man lowered his head in anguish. He had his own troubles.
Su Ming looked at the young man and woman and listened to their words. A girl filled with wild beauty appeared before his eyes. That girl was Bai Ling, but she looked like Bai Su as well.
"Can we walk till our heads turn white in the snow..?"
"That is a promise."
Su Ming closed his eyes. At the instant he did so, he sent his Atman outwards…
A shudder ran through the young man's body in the forest. When he lifted his head, a gentle look appeared in his eyes. That gentle gaze made the crying woman standing before him stop crying.
The young man smiled and moved beside the woman. He took off the fang necklace on his neck and the earring on her left ear.
"We will walk till our heads turn white in the snow, and we will do the same thing when it is not snowing. This is a promise!"
The woman hugged the young man, and her weeping was now filled with joy.
At that moment, Su Ming opened his eyes in the distance. He did not turn his head back to look but continued walking further away while welcoming the snow and wind against him. He lifted his right hand and slowly placed the mask on his face.
At the instant he did so, not a single hint of warmth could be sensed from his body anymore. It was instead replaced by heartlessness and mercilessness, and his presence became so chilling even the snow could not match it.
Su Ming moved into the distance. From then on, he could no longer love, could no longer feel pain. He… was no longer himself.
He was like a picture in the snow. The name for that picture… was 'If Only Life Was as Beautiful as It Seemed at First Sight'.
End of Arc Three
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Chapter 747: The Barren Lands of Divine Essence
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Arc 4: Rising in Power in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence
Su Ming's body was gradually covered by snow as he walked into the distance. At the moment he put on the mask on his face, his level of cultivation immediately started rising and reached great completion in Life Matrix from the later stage of that Realm. As he left, the presence belonging to Life Privation filled his body.
A thick wave of aura of death turned into a ring in his body, but even though he was in Life Privation Realm, Su Ming still did not stop moving. Instead, he kept on coldly walking into the distance.
As he did so, the blue sky in the land of Berserkers started withdrawing layer by layer to reveal the gigantic Yin Death Vortex behind it. That vortex was rotating slowly and letting out booming sounds.
Those sounds were like roars as they reverberated in the air. It almost felt like they were screaming a chant that no one could understand.
Soon, the vortex in the sky started rotating faster. As it spun, Su Ming lifted his head amidst the snow and wind falling around him. The black mask he wore on his face was incredibly cold, making his gaze full of mercilessness and heartlessness.
He was dressed entirely in white. At that moment, besides feeling cold, he also radiated a sense of apathy towards life. He slowly flew up into the sky, towards the vortex.
"Welcome, Yin Death's Child of Yin Death's Fragmented Worlds… I didn't expect that you would put on the mask before the seven days ended…" the ancient voice said slowly from the vortex, and there was not a hint of emotion that could be detected within it.
"Noisy."
The masked Su Ming spoke coldly. The icy chill in his words seemed to be able to make even the vortex freeze for a moment. His blunt manner of speech, however, contained absolutely no hint of emotion, which brought a pause to the old voice in the vortex. However, after that slight pause, he let out a loud bark of laughter.
"Good. As expected of Yin Death's Child who lost his ability to feel and sense of pain. I will open the path for you and send you to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. This relocation will use up a large amount of energy we've stored over countless years in Yin Death's Fragmented Worlds. I… wish success upon you!"
As that old voice laughed, Yin Death Vortex started rotating swiftly in the sky. Soon, a large hole appeared at the center of the vortex.
That hole was pitch black, but there were bolts of purple lightning swimming within it. At the instant it appeared, Su Ming turned into a long arc and charged inside.
Su Ming continued getting closer to the hole, and he soon appeared beyond it. At the instant he got there, he stopped moving for a moment and turned his head to look at the ground beneath him.
When he stood at the highest spot in the sky, the continents in the land of Berserkers seemed to have shrank several times. He could see all of them at once. His gaze moved from the Alliance of the Western Region to South Morning. As he looked at it, he could vaguely see the ninth summit.
He could see his second senior brother walking out of the cave abode. Hu Zi was right behind him… as well as eldest senior brother, who had recovered from his petrified state.
However, Su Ming's gaze was aloof, so aloof that it would make all those who were familiar with him feel that he had become a stranger. Su Ming turned his head back and no longer looked at the ground. He lifted his foot and stepped into the hole.
Almost at the instant he did so, the bald crane behind him let out a piercing screech. Its body turned into a long arc that could slice through the air, and the moment Su Ming stepped into the hole, it... followed closely behind him!
The Barren Lands of Divine Essence existed in a vast galaxy. It was not part of Yin Death Region, and more accurately speaking, it existed in the same galaxy as Bright Yang Emptiness, which was where the four True Great Worlds were, and which was located outside Yin Death Region.
This place was the place where the criminals who had committed heinous crimes but were too difficult to kill were banished in the four Great True Worlds. There were all sorts of malicious fiends in there, and big armies formed by numerous powerful warriors from the four Great True Worlds would take turns once every five thousand years to fend against the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
They were not just fending against the place to prevent those who had been judged to be criminals to return to the four Great True Worlds, but were also fending against the members of the alien race from the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
There was an endless amount of abandoned cultivation planets within the galaxy in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. A large amount of poisonous air filled the entire abandoned galaxy. The strength of poison was enough to make all those who were somewhat weaker to begin rotting away and die.
The Barren Lands of Divine Essence were incredibly big, but very few knew just how big they were. Rumors had it that it was once an incredibly fertile place, but the war between the four Great True Worlds against the so called alien races had caused this place to become a barren piece of land.
There were plenty of entrances to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, but only one exit was discovered over the years. There was a seal at the exit. It had been placed by the four Great True Worlds, and it was the spot where a large number of powerful warriors from the four Great True Worlds had gathered to fend against the criminals.
It was like a ravine, and it had withstood plenty of attacks that were sent from the Barren Lands of Divine Essence over the years.
It was a ravine formed by more than thousands of cultivation planets. They had gathered together to form a huge Rune that sealed off and locked down space, so the Barren Lands of Divine Essence were tightly closed off.
In fact, there was a powerful suppressive Art at this exit. It was part of what was used to fend against the alien races from the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
The criminals who had committed heinous crimes from the four Great True Worlds had been banished to this place because this meant that they'd have to confront the alien races. Those who sent them here wanted to make them fight the alien races for the resources and a chance at survival in this abandoned galaxy that was barren of resources.
Living was a desire in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Only if people lived would they have endless possibilities. However, the absence of resources, lack of food, and chaos in the spiritual energy caused devastating fights to become frequent. They occured often since people needed to fight for all kinds of resources.
All of this was what the four Great True Worlds wished to see and would be overjoyed to come true. As long as they sealed the exit and often sent criminals in there, then as time passed, this place would slowly fall to ruin.
It was not as if there were no loopholes to this plan, but over the countless years the four Great True Worlds kept this place under watch, almost all loopholes had been slowly filled up using all sorts of methods, turning this place into a sort of hell.
This place was indeed hell. It was a cage, a crazed wasteland of resources that would help a person become a deity. The battle between the four Great True Worlds and the alien races and the deaths over the countless years had caused the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to be filled with boundless aura of death. The density of it in this place might not match that in Yin Death Region, but the difference wasn't great.
In fact, there were certain places where the aura of death was even thicker than that in Yin Death Region, but similarly, there were also certain regions where the aura of death was thin.
Su Ming laid on a ground that was bloody red in color. A bloody stench that would make anyone nauseous filled the air as it mixed with heat. This was an abandoned cultivation planet full of volcanoes. In fact, there were quite of them that were constantly erupting, so the air was filled with something that would burn in the body once someone breathed it in.
Su Ming had been lying there for three days, and it was the place he had first appeared once he entered the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. The large amount of poisonous air and the thin aura of death made this planet to not be very suitable for habitation in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. However, it could still be marginally accepted as a place where people could live.
Yet due to this thin aura of death, Su Ming felt as if his body was melting, and a large amount of black aura seeped out of him. It wasn't the first time he'd ran into such an event, though. It just meant that the density of the aura of death in this place was not thick enough, so his body, which originated from Yin Death, was unable to get used to it. What was happening to him was a form of aging.
Usually, at this point of time, pain would fill Su Ming's body and try to submerge him within itself like tidal waves, but this time… he was calmly looking at the sky calmly and quietly watching the muddled sky. Not a single part of his body was aching.
Because he had lost his sense of pain.
The sky here was muddled and gave off a feeling of authenticity which Su Ming had never sensed before. This was a real sky filled with stars, not the sky that was an illusion formed over the Yin Death Vortex above the land of Berserkers.
The aging and melting of his body lasted three days. The vast amounts of poisonous air in the area rotted Su Ming's clothes, and as his body melted and recovered, hideous boils gradually appeared on his skin.
However, Su Ming seemed to be completely unaware of this. He continued lying there while looking at the sky. No one knew what he was thinking about. The mask on his face had also slowly melted away once he reached the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, as if it had buried itself deep into his skin. It looked as if it had disappeared, revealing Su Ming's pale face, but in truth, it was still around. Su Ming could sense its existence.
The bald crane was lying by the side in the form of a red stone. There was a pair of eyes on that stone that were staring at Su Ming anxiously. The poisonous air in this place made the bald crane feel extremely uncomfortable, but it did not begin melting and aging like Su Ming due to the lack of aura of death in this place.
It had turned into a stone because for some unknown reason this place felt very familiar. The bald crane had a sense that if someone noticed its crane form, it would end up in a very wretched state.
That was why it had instinctively chosen to turn into this form beside Su Ming.
Time trickled by. When the third evening arrived and the heat and poisonous air in the world dispersed slightly, a glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. When he looked at the sky in the distance coldly, the eyes on the stone that was the bald crane were also immediately hidden.
Soon, rapid footsteps came from the distance. It sounded like there were eight thin people moving there. Once those people revealed themselves, Su Ming saw that they were carrying corpses over their shoulders and seemed to be about to pass by the place.
Suddenly, a frail middle-aged man who was the leader of the group and who was so thin that he was just skin and bones but had incredibly bright eyes that were shining brilliantly while he carried a rotting corpse over his shoulders stopped moving. Once he stopped, the seven people behind him also stopped.
The middle-aged man was dressed in a long purple robe. There were many areas that had been damaged on that robe, and it was incredibly large, a telling sign that this did not originally belong to the frail middle-aged man.
When he stopped moving, his eyes sparkled, and he looked towards Su Ming lying in the distance. When he did so, a person behind him put down the corpse he had over his shoulder and charged towards Su Ming.
He was so quick that he instantly closed a distance of several thousands of feet. A wave of power that would not lose to Su Ming's own circled around him. The person himself was a thin, emaciated old man with a hunched back. Once he arrived beside Su Ming, he looked into Su Ming's aloof eyes and suddenly started laughing.
"Leader, there is one more offering here we can sacrifice to our god, and he even hasn't died yet."
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Chapter 748: Offering
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming looked at the old man coldly. He could not move his body. The lack of aura of death had caused him to no longer look like a young man but an old man with an aged face.
The boils that covered many parts of his body made him into a terrifying sight to behold.
If no one had bothered Su Ming, then based on his current condition, he would have needed another half a month to get used to the climate in this place and regain his mobility. That is if he didn't die from the loss of all the aura of death in his body.
Since Su Ming's current body was formed of aura of death, what truly existed was only his soul, so the poisonous air in the area could not hurt his soul. The boils were formed when the poisonous air crashed against the aura of death in Su Ming's body. It might look devastating, but in truth, not much damage was delivered to him.
The greatest harm to him was the fact that the aura of death in this place was very thin.
When the old man's voice reached the seven people in the distance, they came back and closed in on Su Ming in the span of a breath. The speed at which they traveled caused Su Ming's eyes to shrink, though only in a barely noticeable manner.
The cultivation levels of the six were about the same as Su Ming's.
Based on the mighty pressure spreading out from the purple-robed man's body, it was obvious that he was a powerful warrior at the peak of the Second Step. He only had one step remaining before he could become a Lord of a World Plane.
The purple-robed man crouched down and lifted his right hand before touching the spot above Su Ming's heart. After a moment, he pulled back his right hand.
"The poisonous air attacked his physique, and aura of death filled his entire body. This sort of pain is incredibly hard for others to endure. His will is powerful, at the very least. He actually managed to stay alive despite these injuries… It's a pity that it's difficult to recover once aura of death enters your body, or else he would be a good worker," the purple-robed man said faintly. Once he got up, he swept his gaze over Su Ming's body and frowned slightly.
He could not find any storage bags on him.
Su Ming's storage bag was indeed not on his body. When the bald crane had transformed into a stone, its mind had worked nimbly, and it had instinctively taken Su Ming's storage bag. Now that the crane had turned into a stone, no one could see it.
"Let's take him. Our god should like a living offering even more."
The purple-robed man charged into the distance. The thin old man giggled and brought Su Ming over his shoulder. He grabbed the corpse he'd placed on the ground earlier with his right hand and rushed off with the team.
The stone that was the bald crane lifted its head behind them. Once it blinked, it carefully moved, swiftly following after them.
The group charged forth through the dark. None of them spoke on the way as they were rushing forth, their expressions filled with caution as they occasionally observed their surroundings.
The eruptions from the volcanoes at night in this abandoned cultivation planet were weaker than when they were during the day. The poisonous air scattered slightly under the moonlight, turning into a layer of fog that covered the entire area.
Under the purple-robed man's lead, the group charged forth without stop for several hours. When it was almost midnight, they arrived at the foot of a large volcano.
This was a volcano that was millions of feet in size and towered into the clouds. Its open maw could be seen faintly high above. At that moment, there were billows of black smoke rising into the sky, and when muffled booms came from the volcano's mouth, they sounded like ferocious beasts roaring.
The purple-robed man's footsteps halted for a moment, then he sucked in a deep breath. The wariness on his face became even greater. The people behind him spotted the same reaction, as if there was a great danger within this place.
Su Ming's face remained calm. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the volcano. His body was carried by the thin old man, who moved forward, charging towards the mouth of the volcano.
The moment the group got close to the gigantic opening, a low shout immediately came from inside it.
"Who is it?!"
The purple-robed man wrapped his fist in his palm and replied in a low voice, "Yue Hong Bang."
After saying that, the purple-robed man charged toward the mouth of the volcano. The seven people behind him immediately followed. When they got close, Su Ming saw that the ring that formed the mouth of the volcano now had nearly a hundred people standing there.
Most of these people were thin and emaciated. However, their eyes were bright. Strangely, though, all of these people carried a corpse over their shoulders. There were even some who carried about four or five of them on their shoulders.
Yue Hong Bang's arrival attracted quite a lot of attention, but the purple-robed man's expression did not change. He brought the people behind him to an empty spot at the edge of the ring. When he stopped there, a brilliant light shone in his eyes as he looked coldly at the people who had turned their gazes towards him.
A glint shone in Su Ming's eyes. None of the near hundred people in this place were weak. Even the weakest among them were in the initial stage of the Second Step. Not a single one among them was below the Second Step.
In fact, Su Ming had also spotted about seven among the near hundred people in this place who were at the peak of the Second Step, just like the purple-robed man. Su Ming might not know the reason why these people had come to this place, but once he saw that all of them had brought corpses here, his gaze turned towards the mouth of the volcano.
It was pitch black inside. Only billowing black smoke rose into the sky. Whatever was within could not be seen clearly. However, the occasional booms that sounded like roars emitted a powerful pressure that could bring fear to hearts.
"Alright, time's up. Those who should be here are here. As for those who aren't here, they should have run into some form of accident." As the people around the area remained silent, an old man with white hair who was dressed in a black robe spoke languidly.
The number of people behind him was the greatest. There were about twenty standing at attention behind him. All of them had brightly burning eyes, and they all had extraordinary power.
"We will proceed with the established rules regarding the offerings to our god. I will still be the one who starts first, and then, starting from my left, you'll each make an offering one by one. The offerings will end at the one standing to my right. Then, we will leave at the same time, and we won't be allowed to travel in the same direction." As the old man spoke, he bowed towards the mouth of the volcano.
"We will now make offerings to our god. O god, please show yourself!" The old man's voice rang in the air. Once it traveled into the volcano, he swung his arm, and the three corpses placed by his side flew out at the same time, then fell straight into the mouth of the volcano.
A roar that shook the hearts of the people in the area and even caused some to instinctively take a step backwards came from inside the volcano.
At the same time, a crimson red shadow was flung out. As it shone, the three corpses falling down immediately shattered. They did not turn into torn pieces of flesh, but disintegrated and turned into ashes. Wisps of light green aura spread out from the ashes and were absorbed by the crimson-red shadow.
When the crimson-red shadow no longer swayed and became clear, what was revealed was a gigantic, ferocious creature with the body of a snake and the head of a phoenix. Its body, which was connected to the entrance of the volcano, was a hundred feet in breadth and was endless in terms of length.
If no one paid any attention to the creature's body, then this would be a divine phoenix in the volcano that was looking at the crowd around it coldly.
All those who were seen by the creature would instinctively lower their heads, nod daring to meet its gaze.
Su Ming's pupils constricted as he stared at the strange ferocious beast. He had never seen its kind before. A mighty pressure was spreading out from the ferocious beast's body, rising the temperature in the area to a state where it was scorching hot.
The old man who had thrown the three corpses wrapped his fist in his palm towards the creature in respect. When he took a few steps back, the followers behind him immediately moved forward and threw out the corpses they'd brought as well.
There were thirty-two corpses in total. Once they tossed them outwards, the beast with the phoenix head would ram against them, turning them into ashes. It would absorb the light green aura that spread out from those ashes, and once it devoured it, the ferocious beast would let out an ear-splitting roar.
As it roared, it spat out thirty-two balls of fire from its mouth. These balls of fire immediately extinguished once they flew out, turning into thirty-two crystals that were filled with impurities and charged towards the old man.
Excitement appeared on the old man's face. With a swing of his arm, the crystals were immediately swept towards him. Once he wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed towards the beast, he retreated ten steps away from the inner edge of the ring along with his followers.
As Su Ming looked at this scene, understanding appeared in his eyes. This was, after all, a land barren of resources. Since they were cultivators, food was not that important to them. However, the lack of power of the world would be a huge blow. Crystal would then become the most important thing to them.
If there were no crystals, not only would they not be able to improve, their cultivation bases would start regressing slowly. Once that started, they would end up dead in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
'By feeding this beast with the phoenix head, they obtain crystals which exist in the beast's body in exchange. They must've appeared there by some unknown method...' Su Ming narrowed his eyes.
Once the old man retreated, the person to his left immediately repeated the process and threw out the corpses he'd brought with his followers. The corpses were all reduced to ashes once the ferocious beast crashed into them, and when it devoured the light green aura, it spat out an equivalent amount of crystals.
Before the purple-robed man's turn, two more roars came from the volcano, and two slightly smaller beasts with phoenix heads rose from the volcano to devour the light green aura from the corpses.
Before long, it was the purple-robed man's turn. He immediately threw out the corpse he carried over his shoulder, and the seven people behind him did the same. Su Ming kept his eyes open all this while, but he could not move. Once he was thrown out, a smaller beast head immediately flung itself to touch his body. Once it did so, Su Ming immediately sensed a great force traveling into his body. That power seemed to contain some form of law in it that could cause a person's body, blood, flesh, and bones to be perfectly separated from each other. They would not turn into torn pieces, but would disintegrate into ashes.
In fact, the way Su Ming felt it, this force that knocked into him was not strong at all. It was not enough to make his body crumble, but that crash seemed to contain some kind of power that was similar to the power of law, forcing Su Ming to disintegrate and turn into ashes.
Yet there was no light green aura that spread out from his body when it turned into ashes. The small beast with the phoenix head was stunned momentarily, but it still opened its mouth wide to suck in a deep breath. Even though Su Ming's physical body was no longer around, his soul was still around, and once the creature sucked in that breath, his soul was immediately absorbed into its mouth due to the suction force.
After a moment, when the crowd at the entrance of the volcano had tossed out all the corpses they brought and obtained an equivalent amount of crystals in exchange, they retreated and charged backwards in different directions, leaving the place.
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Chapter 749: Body of Flesh and Blood!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Usually, during this moment, no accidents would occur as they left. The three ferocious beasts would return to the volcano and wait for the next time they came to this place.
Yet for some unknown reason, when the crowd withdrew and the three ferocious beasts had returned to the volcano, the small creature that had devoured Su Ming started trembling furiously and let out a shrill roar.
That roar appeared suddenly, startling the swiftly retreating people, but none of them were fools. All of those who could survive in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence were calculative shrews. They were only stunned for a moment. All of them immediately snuffed out their curiosity and, without any hesitation, increased their speed of retreat.
Curiosity was something that had to be paid for with a person's life in the galaxy that was the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. This cultivation planet might not be located at the center of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, slightly closer to the edge instead, but the level of danger here was still incredibly high.
The shrill roars continued to echo, the creature's voice spreading in all directions, lingering in the air for a long time.
At the instant Su Ming was devoured by the smaller creature, he suddenly came to understand why the ancient existence in Yin Death Vortex had chosen him, who had only arrived at Life Privation, to become Yin Death's Child, and even paid such a high price to send him to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
Because… his body was made of aura of death, and his core was his soul. His soul… was different from that of others!
When the parts of his body were separated from each other, it felt as if shackles that had held him for a long time had been finally removed. A feeling as if he was free and there was nothing affecting his soul rose in Su Ming's heart.
As his soul spread out and he was absorbed into the ferocious beast's mouth, his soul enveloped the entire creature's body, and he could sense that this creature was about seventeen thousand feet long. He could even sense that there was a soul struggling madly within its body to fight against Su Ming's soul trying to overtake its body.
Yet once this struggling soul touched Su Ming, it out a piercing screech, and a loud roar escaped the creature's body, echoing far and wide.
A rumble rang in the air, and the small creature's body fell back into the volcano. The hot magma instantly enveloped the creature. At the same time, the two ferocious beasts beside it cried out and swam around it. However, the confusion in their eyes made it clear that they did not know what had happened to their companion.
The shrill roars from the small creature lasted for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, weakening gradually. Its soul had already shattered by this point, as if it could not put up even a single bit of resistance against Su Ming's soul.
Its body was being slowly torn apart in the magma. A large amount of blood gushed out, and its scales crumbled. Its body shrank rapidly, as if it was withering away.
The other two ferocious beasts continued to swim about the smaller creature, roaring endlessly while staring at their withering companion.
As it shrank, a hand suddenly stretched out from its bloody back. That hand looked like it was mere bones and was limp, giving an impression that it could not be lifted up. Yet as the small creature continued withering away and its body shrank to less than five thousand feet compared to its previous seventeen thousand feet, the hand that had stretched out of its back filled with strength, and gradually, the entire arm appeared.
Soon after, another arm appeared, and then… Su Ming's head and the rest of his body pushed through. His eyes were shut. As his body gathered together, the small creature's body started trembling violently. Its flesh and blood were being absorbed to become the nutrients for the physical body Su Ming had gathered together.
When its body withered to only a thousand something feet, most of Su Ming's body had left the small creature's back. At the instant he completely walked out, the thousand feet long creature's body became stiff. Once it withered away completely, it was submerged in magma.
There was not a hint of blood on Su Ming's body. Instead, a refreshing scent spread out from his body. His eyes were closed as his body was submerged in the magma. However, the heat of it was unable to injure him even in the slightest.
The large and tiny ferocious beasts were slowly approaching Su Ming at that moment. Once they swam a few circles around him, they stopped screeching. It seemed that in their senses, Su Ming was their small companion.
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. Throughout this entire time, Su Ming was submerged in the magma, motionless. On the day after half a month had passed, his eyelashes fluttered lightly, and he gradually opened his eyes.
When he did so, a brilliant light shone within them. It was slightly different from the light in Su Ming's eyes previously. If no one took a closer look, it would be difficult for them to find anything amiss, but Su Ming himself knew well that there was something different about him.
His previous self had been formed from the aura of death. It might have seemed real, and he had been a real entity when he was in Yin Death Region, but his physical body had been an illusion. It was fake, and everything about him had been formed with his soul as the foundation.
Yet his current body was void of aura of death and was no longer a mere illusion. He now had a real body that was made of flesh and blood. It was a body that was gathered together once he used the ferocious beast as nutrients, which he had managed to do after transforming the its body once he occupied it with his soul.
"Building the Abyss, huh..?" Su Ming whispered softly. His soul had finally become complete after the three seals had been released in Yin Death Region. Once it became complete, he had heard the familiar voice whispering these words in his ear.
When he was in the ferocious beast's body just now, this voice had reverberated in his ears once again.
In silence, Su Ming lowered his head and looked at his own body with a calm expression. When he lifted his right hand slowly and clenched it, a feeling of power burst forth within him.
It was an incredibly unique feeling of Qi that he had never sensed before.
Besides this feeling, Su Ming also had a faint sense that there was a power of a law he did not quite understand contained within his fist. That power of law was like some form of inborn ability. However, it did not belong to him. It instead belonged to this body of flesh and blood, which originated from the creature with the phoenix head.
'If that is the case, then even though I felt that my body in Yin Death Region was real, it was in fact, fake. Even after I've managed to sacrifice all my bones, what had changed was not my illusory body… but my soul.
'Having a soul as my body, that was me when I was in Yin Death Region.'
Su Ming slowly stood up and stepped on magma. He did not sense even a single hint of unbearable heat. This was due to more than just him losing his sense of pain. There were also other reasons behind this.
'All things of earth forming my body, that is the me now.'
Once Su Ming got up, the magma immediately started churning. A creature with a beast head crawled out and approached him with its big head. Once it nuzzled against Su Ming, it let out a cheerful cry.
Su Ming's presence gave it a sense of familiarity. It was the presence that belonged to its companion. Even if Su Ming's appearance was different from its companion, their presence was the same.
Su Ming looked at the small creature, and after a long while, lifted his right hand slowly. He patted the small creature's head, and it immediately flung its head as it screeched, then its body, which was ten thousand something feet, charged out of the magma, heading straight towards the mouth of the volcano above it. After a moment, as piercing cries rang out in the air, the small creature flew back down with a bald crane in its beak.
During the past half a month, the bald crane had been cautiously avoiding the mouth of the volcano, staying at the edges. It had wanted to enter many times to look, but the mighty pressure coming from the mouth of the volcano had robbed it of its courage.
It had been peeking from the edge of the entrance to examine what was inside, but immediately noticed a wave of heat closing in on it. Before it managed to react to the situation, the small creature with the phoenix head had clamped its beak around the bald crane's body and brought it into the volcano.
As the bald crane screamed, it saw Su Ming standing on the magma, and its screams disappeared, replaced by surprised delight.
"Damn it all, so you aren't dead yet, Little Su? You made this old crane think you were dead!" The bald crane flapped its wings and flew carefully to a burning crimson rock by the side. After touching it a few times, it decided that it was still bearable and laid there, looking at Su Ming with surprise.
Su Ming's expression was cold and aloof. Once he cast a glance at the bald crane, he lifted his right hand and stretched his hand towards it.
The bald crane saw the aloof look in Su Ming's eyes and its words died down in its mouth. It sighed. With a flap of its wings, a storage bag immediately flew out towards Su Ming.
Once he grabbed it, Su Ming opened it calmly and immediately brought out a long robe. Rays of starlight instantly started flashing in the volcano, revealing that this was Dao Yuan's Sacred Constellation Robe.
Once Su Ming put it on, his disposition changed. However, the stars on his robe did not move, as if they were dead.
'I see, so it's difficult for those whose family name is not Dao to bring out its power, huh?'
Su Ming cast the Constellation Robe a glance and spread his Atman, which was now at Life Privation Realm, outwards. Then he had his Atman fuse with the robe. When Su Ming retrieved his Atman a moment later, while the stars on the robe remained unmoving, the robe's color gradually changed until it turned into a very ordinary looking black robe.
'It has a hundred and eight Runes to verify a person's identity, and only those with the blood of the Dao family can bring out all of its power. Even if outsiders put divine sense into it, they can only bring out the simpler and more basic functions of the robe.'
A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He no longer bothered about this matter, but chose to sit down on the magma. With his eyes closed, he exercised his breathing. He had gotten used to this sort of breathing exercise when he was in Yin Death Region, but once he obtained a real physical body, the exercise felt a little unfamiliar to him. As he exercised his breathing, a large amount of heat spread out from the magma and gathered about his body.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Su Ming never left the volcano during this time and continued training while absorbing the hot power of the flames, which caused his hair to turn dark red. His body also blended perfectly with his soul, and he could now bring out the complete power of Life Privation Realm with this body.
On the day three months later, the bald crane yawned on the stone and wondered in boredom whether it should take a stroll outside when the magma around Su Ming suddenly started boiling. At the same time, the colossal ferocious beast with the phoenix head that was about a hundred feet in breadth and had never appeared after Su Ming woke up rushed out of the magma and let out a roar towards the entrance of the volcano before charging towards it.
The smaller creature with the phoenix head also flew out behind it. Su Ming's eyes sparkled as faint voice from beyond the volcano reached his ears.
"We will now make offerings to our god. O god, please show yourself!"
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Chapter 750: Crimson Flame Planet
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
At that moment, there was no longer around a hundred people gathered at the entrance of the volcano, but only about seventy to eighty. Their faces were pale, and most had injuries on their bodies.
The purple-robed man, Yue Hong Bang, was standing at the edge of the ring. His face was pale as well, and his coughs would occasionally travel into the air, as if he had blood in his mouth. There were only four left of the seven behind him, the thin old man being one of them.
The old man from around three months ago was the one speaking. There were only ten people left behind him. All of them were carrying corpses over their shoulders. Some of these corpses were their friends, and some of them strangers.
As the old man's voice resounded in the air, a roar came from within the volcano. The gigantic ferocious beast with the phoenix head that was a hundred feet in breadth looked at the cultivators around it coldly.
Once the old man threw out the corpse respectfully, the ferocious beast with the phoenix head rammed into it as usual and caused the corpse to disintegrate before sucking in the light green aura and spitting out a crystal.
When nearly forty something corpses were thrown out in succession, the slightly smaller creature with the beast head flew out with a roar and also started ramming its body against the corpses before devouring them.
Once it devoured about twenty something corpses, it stopped eating the light green aura and lowered its head to look into the mouth of the volcano, which was right under it. The gigantic ferocious beast beside it also looked at the volcano and let out a roar.
There was no ill-will within that roar. It instead sounded like an urging for someone to come forward.
This scene stunned all the people around the ring, and the cultivators that were about to throw out the corpses froze in their movements for a moment.
Then, before the expectant gazes of the two ferocious beasts and the seventy-eighty people around the mouth of the volcano, Su Ming rose slowly into the air. His face was calm and his movements were not quick, but once he appeared, intense shouts that could not be contained immediately came from the mouths of the seventy-eighty people.
"Wh-who is that?!"
"Someone actually managed to live in the volcano where the Crimson Python Phoenix lives? This person is…"
"The Crimson Python Phoenixes are usually very averse to strangers. They're incredibly fierce, so could they let a person live in their cave abode?!"
The loud voices reverberated in the air. The seventy-eighty people sucked in a breath and moved back without any hesitation. Yue Hong Bang looked at Su Ming flying out of the volcano, and his eyes went wide. Su Ming's body might have been changed from an illusion formed from the aura of death to one possessing flesh and blood, but his appearance was still as before, and Yue Hong Bang could recognize with just one glance that he was the person he had picked up three months ago.
At that moment, his shock could be said to be the greatest among all those present. Disbelief appeared on his face, and once he staggered several dozens of steps backwards, he looked at the thin old man beside him.
Three months ago, it was this old man that had personally taken this person who had still not died to this place and thrown him into the volcano. At that moment, the thin old man's eyes had almost popped out of his eye sockets. Shock and disbelief was on his face, and even his breathing had stopped for an instant.
As the crowd retreated in shock, the gigantic ferocious beast with the phoenix head opened its mouth wide and let out a terrifying roar, causing all the people's footsteps to stop, but the shock on their faces could not be hidden no matter how much they tried.
This sort of thing surpassed their imagination.
Su Ming's expression was calm. Once he rose into the air, he walked towards the gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix. He landed on its head and looked at the crowd beneath him coldly.
The large creature did not avoid him, simply allowing him to stand on its head. To it, Su Ming's presence was the familiar one of its child.
"Throw the corpses," Su Ming said flatly.
Once he spoke, the seventy-eighty people in the area immediately fell silent. Their eyes shone as they looked at Su Ming, but their gazes were filled with terror.
This scene was simply too far-fetched for them, something they could have never imagined. The only explanation for this was one, and a single, almost uniform thought rose in most of the people's heads at that moment.
However, none of them took the initiative to voice it. The cultivator that had been about to throw his corpse gritted his teeth and took a step forward, finishing his action.
The corpse sliced through the air in a long arc, going straight for Su Ming. At the instant it came close, a glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes, and he clenched his right fist before punching the corpse.
At the instant his fist connected, understanding appeared in Su Ming's eyes. A loud bang resounded, but there was no blood, and neither did the corpse fall into pieces. Instead, it disintegrated and turned into ashes before disappearing.
Wisps of light green aura spread out, but Su Ming did not absorb it. The smaller Crimson Python Phoenix beside him blinked and opened its mouth, inhaling the light green aura.
Su Ming lowered his head and looked at his fist. Previously, he could clearly sense a strange power of law that came from his body, and it was a bizarre power that could perfectly disassemble all materials.
"What is this place in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence?" Su Ming coldly asked from the Crimson Python Phoenix's head once he lifted his own up. There was not a single hint of emotion contained within his words. The chilling tone made it seem as if the temperature around the area had fallen by quite a large margin.
This aloof voice immediately terrified the people around the mouth of the volcano even more. At that moment, they became even more certain of the assumption they'd made in their heads.
Yue Hong Bang's heart trembled. He remembered that this person had not died three months ago even when aura of death had entered his body. In fact, his consciousness had been very clear, and that aloof gaze instantly filled his heart with bitterness.
'Since he was able to not die when aura of death entered his body and had the capability to subdue a powerful creature such as the Crimson Python Phoenix, this can only mean that he is not from this place, especially based on what he said. The mercilessness and aloof tone of his words that seem to come from his soul, too… Could this person really be from…"
The thin old man started shivering lightly. Clearly, he had thought of some sort of frightening thing.
'Only those who were mass murderers can have absolutely no emotion in their words and speak with a tone that is as cold as ice. Only those who are indifferent towards human lives can be completely fearless despite having crossed into a different galaxy… and only these people can subdue these Crimson Python Phoenixes!'
The white-haired old man in the lead felt his heart tremble. He might have been doubtful at first, but this doubt disappeared swiftly under the Crimson Python Phoenix's gaze. He sucked in a deep breath and wrapped his fist in his palm before bowing to Su Ming.
"This is Crimson Flame Planet. It is located at the edge of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, and if a mighty person in the Third Step traveled from here to the True World's galaxy, it would take about thirty years for them to reach that place. About two hundred years would be needed to reach Black Ink Planet, which is located beyond the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
"Sir, did you… come from the world outside?"
The old man's expression was incredibly respectful. There was even a hint of respect when he said his final sentence. Su Ming might not seem powerful, but to not waste power by having it spread around the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, many people usually sealed it up to prevent too much depletion.
Su Ming fell into a moment of pensive silence, then asked languidly, "Does Crimson Flame Planet have anything that grows here in abundance?"
"Nothing grows here in abundance except for the Crimson Flame Grass that lives in the Region of Flames…" the old man quickly answered.
"How many powerful warriors of the Third Step are here?" Su Ming suddenly asked.
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Chapter 751: Eats People?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The old man hesitated for a moment before he wrapped his fist in his palm and asked, "Sir, are you asking about… Lords of World Planes?"
Based on the old man's waves of power coming from his cultivation base, it could be seen that he should be from a race that was similar to the Immortals. He was around the peak of the Second Step, which was why he had been using the Third Step's speed as a standard while talking about the distance and the time needed to move between planets.
However, since Barren Lands of Divine Essence was a place for the criminals from the four Great True Worlds and the mysterious alien races, the categorizations for the levels of cultivation were a little messy, which was why these people continued using the titles that were used in the four Great True Worlds.
Lord of a World Plane!
This was a standard for cultivators. Lord of a Plane was placed as a center of power, and those who reached it were divided into four stages - initial, middle, later, and completion. Above these were the Lesser Solar Kalpa Realm and the true Solar Kalpa Realm.
Since those who had yet to reach the stage of a Lord of a World Plane were numerous, the categorization of their levels of cultivation was even more confusing. After all, each race's cultivation system was different. But over the countless years, a standard of cultivation had been slowly accepted by the four Great True Worlds, and it also became a standard within the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
All those below the level of World Plane were known as cultivators of Heaven, Earth, and Man Cultivation. Based on the Barren Lands of Divine Essence's categorization, the old man's level of cultivation was at the peak of the Second Step in his race, and he was also at the peak of the Heaven Cultivation.
As for Su Ming, when he reached Life Privation, he had moved into the initial stage of Earth Cultivation within the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. If he could get past Life Privation Realm and enter Life Palace Realm, then he would become a cultivator of Heaven Cultivation.
If he could break through Life Palace Realm and reach World of Life, the final Realm within Life Cultivation, then he would reach the peak of Heaven Cultivation and could attempt becoming a Lord of a World Plane.
However, due to the differences between races, a Realm that seemed equal between the cultivation systems could result in a strength that was much higher or lower compared to that of another person. Due to the absence of resources in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence and the lack of spiritual energy, those differences in strength could be magnified exponentially.
Those who were below the Realm of Man Cultivation did not have a joint name within the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, because these people were only ants in this world.
Once Su Ming heard the old man's words, a glint appeared in his eyes. He nodded. The seventy-eighty people around him might have extraordinary power, but Su Ming knew that he had come out of the volcano in an extremely shocking manner, and the ferocious beast with the phoenix head beneath him was exuding a frightening presence that terrified these people. Due to all of this, they had mistaken him for a Lord of a World Plane from the world outside that was passing by this place.
This was something Su Ming did not expect. He had originally intended to use the ferocious beast's might and ask about some things in this land, so that he could have a better chance of surviving here.
'Could it be that most of the people here seal off their power..? Or else the old man wouldn't have this sort of misunderstanding, especially since he can see my level of cultivation clearly.' Su Ming remained as calm as ever. He already had a basic gist of what was going on based on the people's expressions.
"Crimson Flame Planet is rather far from the center of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, closer to the galaxy of the True Worlds. The patrolling True Guards frequently check this place, which is why there are only two World Paragons here. One of them is in an area to the east, and the other to the west. They are usually in isolation and don't bother with what is happening in the world.
"There are no other World Paragons in Crimson Flame Planet besides these two," the old man said as he wrapped his fist in his palm.
"This place is the northern region of Crimson Flame Planet. There was another World Paragon five hundred years ago, but because he had let out a disrespectful aura when the True Guards were patrolling in space, they killed him.
"There are also quite a number of ferocious beasts and divine spirits here in Crimson Flame Planet that possess the power of Lords of World Planes," said Yue Hong Bang respectfully by the side as he wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming. As he spoke, he cast a glance at the Crimson Python Phoenix. He was intent on improving his relationship with Su Ming because he was worried that the other would cause him trouble. That was why he had told him the things the old man did not say.
"From now onwards, when you come to this place and make your offerings, while the rules to offering corpses have not changed, you must also offer some of the items that are unique to this planet. If anything catches my fancy, I will reward you," Su Ming stated calmly.
His gaze then fell on Yue Hong Bang. "All of you can leave now, but you, stay back. I have further requests."
Yue Hong Bang's heart trembled. His followers immediately moved closer to him with wariness on their faces as ripples of power spread out from his body.
Anguish rose in their hearts, but once they remembered how Yue Hong Bang had taken care of them over the years, they found that they no longer had any attachments to this hellish life.
At the instant, they spread out the waves of their power, and the Crimson Python Phoenix beneath Su Ming's feet looked towards them coldly. Low roars came from its mouth, and a vast, mighty pressure that was not in the very least weaker than that of a Lord of a World Plane spread out from its body.
Yue Hong Bang's hair rose on end. The others in the area wrapped their fists in their palms and retreated without any hesitation, no longer bothering about Yue Hong Bang's survival.
Even the old man in the lead wrapped his fist in his palm and retreated immediately. In the blink of an eye, the seventy-eighty people around the area turned into an equivalent number of long arcs that swiftly left the place.
"Move back. Wait for me outside."
Yue Hong Bang hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and spoke to his followers. His potential was not the only reason why he had reached the Heaven Cultivation Realm. It was also due to his intelligence. If the stranger truly wanted to kill him, there would've been no need for him to go through so much trouble. He had asked Yue Hong Bang to stay in this place, and this… might be a chance.
Once Yue Hong Bang thought of this, an idea took shape in his mind.
The people behind him halted for a moment, but when they saw the resolute look on Yue Hong Bang's face, they withdrew into the distance in silence.
At that moment, besides the huge and tiny Crimson Python Phoenixes at the entrance of the volcano, there were only Su Ming and Yue Hong Bang left.
Su Ming looked at Yue Hong Bang and after a moment had gone by asked, "How are the levels of cultivation categorized in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence?"
Yue Hong Bang's expression remained calm, but once he heard Su Ming's question, his heart let out a thump. He came to a sudden realization that his previous assumption had been incorrect. The person before him was not a powerful warrior who had come from the inner parts of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, but...
Yue Hong Bang's breathing quickened during that instant. He lifted his head and looked at Su Ming. As he recalled the moment he first saw this person, he became even more certain of his guess. He immediately wrapped his fist in his palm and told Su Ming everything about the three cultivation levels of Heaven, Earth, and Man as well as the titles associated with the Lords of World Planes without keeping anything back.
"The True World's Galaxy is a place that exists once the four Great True Worlds are connected together. It is used to suppress the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, and it is also the only exit of this place.
"The four Great True Worlds will frequently send powerful warriors to patrol the True World's Galaxy. They won't get too close to the center of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, but would patrol the many cultivation planets at the periphery of this world.
"Those people who are sent out are the True Guards!
"Ouyang Shang mentioned the Barren Lands of Divine Essence's Black Ink Planet just now. That planet has a great reputation in this world, and it is one of the cultivation planets in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence that serve as a landmark. It is the only one that has not been completely abandoned, because it is a cultivation planet that still possess some spiritual energy.
"Ouyang Shang is the old man you talked to just now. He thought that you were a powerful warrior from Black Ink Planet, because occasionally there are World Paragons who are indifferent towards their own lives and dare to move across the galaxy within the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to go to other cultivation planets in search of things they need for their cultivation," Yue Hong Bang explained while looking at Su Ming.
"Then what do you think?" Su Ming asked flatly.
"I believe that you are not from Black Ink Planet, but… a first generation criminal that has just been sent to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence from the four True Great Worlds!" Yue Hong Bang said without any hesitation, and there was even eagerness on his face.
"All those who still have the memories from the world outside and have just been sent here for the first time are first generation criminals. They will give birth to their offspring here, creating a few people like me in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. We are people who live in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence from the moment we are born till the one when we breathe our last."
Yue Hong Bang sucked in a deep breath and asked respectfully, "Sir, I wonder which of the four True Great Worlds did you come from?"
Su Ming's gaze was cold. He chose to neither deny nor answer Yue Hong Bang's question, but instead patted the Crimson Python Phoenix beneath him. It let out a roar and returned to the entrance of the volcano, bringing Su Ming with it, and the both of them disappeared from Yue Hong Bang's gaze as they sank into the volcano.
Yue Hong Bang stood there, his expression changing constantly. After a moment, he bowed deeply towards the mouth of the volcano, then turned around and left swiftly. Doubt rose in his heart again, and he began to second guess his previous judgment.
'Could it be that this person asked me these things to guide me towards a certain train of thought..?' There was no answer to this question in Yue Hong Bang's mind. When he thought back on the scene just now, he found that Su Ming's cold gaze had been the thing that left the deepest impression in his memory. That emotionless gaze looked as if it was completely indifferent towards all forms of life.
'It doesn't matter where he came from. I cannot incur his wrath, and neither can I speak about my guesses to the others when I'm outside the area,' Yue Hong Bang decided in his heart and gradually disappeared into the distance.
Time passed by quickly in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Su Ming stayed inside the volcano with half of his body immersed in magma. It had been a whole year since he had first come out of the volcano for the first time. During the past year, Yue Hong Bang and the others had come four times. As of the last time, they to numbered to less than fifty, from around eighty a year ago.
When they had come to this place the fourth time, they had not just brought the corpses, which were a necessity, but also brought some of the items from around Crimson Flame Planet. One of them was an uneven blue crystal floating before Su Ming. There were quite a lot of impurities which looked like muscles within it, but there was not a hint of spiritual energy contained within the crystal.
This caught Su Ming's attention.
After observing the crystal for a moment, he lifted his right hand, and it began rapidly withering away before his eyes. When his right arm had shriveled to the point that it looked as if it had been reduced to only skin and bones, he grabbed the stone.
As blue light shone from the stone, it began shrinking swiftly, turning into dust in Su Ming's hand. This hand of his began to gain flesh and blood, recovering slightly from its emaciated state.
'If I compare my level of cultivation to theirs, it's difficult for me to compete against many of the people here… but I didn't expect that there would be items here that would allow Surging Indulgers to practice their cultivation here!' A strange light appeared in Su Ming's eyes as he stared at his right hand.
'This Barren Lands of Divine Essence are mysterious indeed. Crimson Flame Planet, which is located at the edge of this galaxy, produces this useless stone which possesses the power of flesh and blood.'
Su Ming seized the air in the direction of the magma beside him, and another blue stone that was the size of his fist immediately flew into his hand. As he looked at the impurities that looked muscles within the crystal, Su Ming narrowed his eyes.
'Could it be that this Crimson Flame Planet eats people? Or else why would the stones have flesh and blood?!'
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Chapter 752: Heinous Criminals of the Alien Races!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming suddenly recalled the thing he had never come to understand—the reason why the Crimson Python Phoenixes had to absorb the light green aura from the corpses. He had watched them absorbing the aura that came from the corpses over the year, but he had been unable to absorb even a single bit of it.
He fell into pensive silence, his eyes closed. He started circulating his cultivation base so that the harmony between his soul and body would reach perfection. His body was filled with the heat of flames, and it even looked as if there were waves of hot air coming out from his nose when he breathed.
A layer of distortions appeared faintly around his body. The distortions looked like waves of flowing water that were circling him. This was the inborn talent that came from Su Ming's physical body, and it was the mysterious divine ability that had allowed him to disassemble materials with a punch.
The smaller Crimson Python Phoenixes by his side was staring at the bald crane. They seemed to find each other quite the eyesore. The Crimson Python Phoenix was growling lowly at the bald crane, which had been able to tell the relationship between Su Ming and the two ferocious beasts a long time ago. At that moment, it was lying on the stone and sizing up the Crimson Python Phoenix before deciding to turn into a huge, brownish yellow dog.
This was the appearance of the strongest ferocious beast in its memories. Once it changed into this form, it bared its teeth at the Crimson Python Phoenix.
The Crimson Python Phoenix that had the power equivalent to the power of Lords of World Planes had entered to depths of the magma a long time ago to sleep there. Only when the time of offerings arrived would it wake up to eat.
When the smaller Crimson Python Phoenix saw the mutt that was the bald crane, its eyes immediately went wide. Clearly, it had never seen a ferocious beast like this before. After a moment of hesitation, a layer of distortions and waves that were the exact same as the ones about Su Ming surrounded it.
Hints of the strange law filled the area around the Crimson Python Phoenix once the distortions appeared, and it glared at the mutt that was the bald crane before starting to growl lightly.
During the past year, the phoenix and crane had been glaring at each other with animosity all the time, but they had never truly attacked each other. At that moment, as they growled at each other, the Crimson Python Phoenix suddenly shuddered and crawled into the magma without any hesitation, not daring to show even a hint of itself.
This sudden act stunned the bald crane. It bared its teeth, as if it was laughing at the phoenix, but then a shudder ran through it. A mighty pressure surged into the volcano through its mouth and filled it with a bang. A divine sense was contained within that mighty pressure, as if someone who was incredibly powerful was using their divine sense to sweep through the land.
The bald crane immediately let out a shrill screech. It could vaguely recall that it had once encountered this act of divine sense sweeping through the land, and it was something that was incredibly dangerous.
As it screamed, it no longer bothered with the scorching heat of the magma and crawled into it.
The gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix that was sleeping in the depths of the magma had opened its eyes a long time ago. There was a deep-seated terror in its eyes, but it still moved slightly and let out a roar from the depths of the magma to the mouth of the volcano.
This roar was declaring its territory, even if the it was terrified.
Su Ming had also opened his eyes. He was staring at the sky beyond the mouth of the volcano, and even though his expression was calm, his pupils had shrank.
At that moment, it did not matter whether it was the north, west, south, or east, the expression of people in all regions of Crimson Flame Planet changed. They instantly stopped everything they were doing.
Even those who had been fighting and were just a hand's reach away from killing each other stopped at that instant and chose instead to sit down cross-legged on the floor, not daring to move even an inch.
It was as if they were worried that they would suffer an inconceivable destruction if they did anything extra.
All the cultivators reacted the same way in the entire Crimson Flame Planet, including Yue Hong Bang and the others. All of their faces were pale as they looked at the sky while trembling. The helplessness and terror in their gazes were incredibly clear.
To the east of Crimson Flame Planet was a stone house located on a tall mountain. There was an old woman with messy hair sitting cross-legged there, and her eyes were wide open as she stared at above herself, as if her gaze could penetrate the roof and she could see the starry sky above her.
The waves of power that belonged to a Lord of a World Plane could be detected on her, but at that moment, she had suppressed those waves so much that they had become incredibly weak. In fact, very soon, a look of humility along with humiliation appeared in her eyes, and she chose to grovel instead of sitting cross-legged.
Within the only forest that had any green plants walked a middle-aged man. This area was located to the west of Crimson Flame Planet, and he was touching the green leaves on the trees with a dazed look on his face, as if he was lost in his thoughts.
It was as if the green leaves in the forest brought him back to some beautiful moments from his past. As he touched them gently, the mighty pressure as well as the divine sense swept through the world. He lifted his head the and looked at the sky with anguish on his face.
He slowly prostrated himself on the ground.
Unlike the still and unmoving cultivators in Crimson Flame Mountain, the ferocious beasts that existed in several spots were roaring to declare their territories.
Su Ming's eyes were narrowed as he lay in the magma. He could vaguely sense that the source of the mighty pressure and divine sense in the world came from beyond Crimson Flame Planet.
A title that Yue Hong Bang had mentioned a year ago appeared in his head.
"True Guard," he whispered softly.
At that moment, there was a gigantic, ancient, bronze sword drifting in the galaxy beyond Crimson Flame Planet. If Su Ming saw that ancient bronze sword, he would definitely find it familiar. It was similar to the Enchanted Treasure he had seen in the World of Nine Yin when he was in Yin Death Region. It was the Enchanted Treasure that allowed the Spirits of Nine Yin to move through galaxies.
This sword might not be the same, but it was incredibly similar.
The ancient sword was a hundred thousand feet long, and there were seven people standing on it at that moment. These seven people were wearing large robes. They had indifferent expressions on their faces, and the presence that belonged to Lords of World Planes spread out from their bodies.
There were three thousand cultivators sitting and meditating behind them. The levels of cultivation of those three thousand were not important compared to that bloody and murderous presence coming from them. It had already surpassed their levels of cultivation, and as it spread out, it caused the people who sensed it to feel as if a sea of blood was about to charge towards them.
But that was not all. An even stronger wave of power spread out from the ancient bronze sword. The strength of that wave was so great that it felt as if… it could easily destroy a cultivation planet, and could also easily tear apart the body and soul of a person who had reached the status of World Paragon.
True Guards!
This was the patrol team formed by the powerful warriors that were keeping guard over this place. They had power and reputation that brought a sense of danger to many in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. At that moment, the ancient bronze sword was clearly patrolling the area around Crimson Flame Planet. The divine sense and mighty pressure that covered the entire planet had naturally come from the bodies of all True Guards.
The seven people standing at the tip of the sword were talking and laughing among themselves, their expressions calm. After a moment, a ray of green light shot out from the hundred thousand feet ancient bronze sword, and a long green arc immediately erupted with a bang, charging towards Crimson Flame Planet.
It was so quick that it instantly reached it, but the planet did not crumble. The green arc spread out and turned into a large amount of green light that spread out to cover the entire Crimson Flame Planet.
Once that happened, a projection appeared before the seven people.
It portrayed the cultivation planet, shrunken down by several times, to the size of only a thousand feet. There were a large number of glowing spots in the projection, but most of them were dark. Only about a hundred of these glowing spots were light red, and they were scattered throughout the regions in the planet's projection.
The seven people looked at the illusory projection of the cultivation planet and started speaking among themselves.
"The number of people at the peak of Heaven Cultivation has been reduced by quite a large margin."
"There are still only two criminals who are Lords of World Planes."
There were two dark red glowing spots that were shining the brightest in the illusory projection. One of them was to the east while the other to the west, and there was a respectful presence spreading out from those glowing spots.
"The ferocious beasts left behind by the alien races have had their intelligences wiped away for all eternity, but their growth is still very shocking…"
As the seven people's soft voices echoed in the air, several purple glowing spots immediately appeared in the illusory projection.
These glowing spots were scattered throughout seven different regions. Some of the lights were alone, while some gathered together into twos or threes. Among them was a region that looked like a volcano located to the north of Crimson Flame Planet. There were two small and one large purple glowing spots there.
"Alright, everything within the outer section is normal. Let's check the inner section. That's the crux of this place," an overbearing voice said from among the seven, and the moment this voice appeared, the other six immediately stopped laughing and chatting among themselves, and their expressions immediately became grave. Even the murderous aura from the three thousand cultivators behind them became thicker, and flowing light spilled out in all directions from the ancient bronze sword, as if its strongest attack was about to burst forth.
The seven people formed a seal at the same time and pointed towards the illusory projection of the cultivation planet. Waves immediately appeared on the projection, and as it swept through the projection layer by layer, the inner part of Crimson Flame Planet appeared!
There… was a crimson-red region. At the instant the seven people saw this layer of crimson red, their expressions became even more grave, and faint looks of wariness as well as nervousness appeared on their faces.
As the waves of the illusory projection continued sweeping through, each layer seemed to magnify the place before eventually revealing a gigantic spot shining with a piercing red light in the depths of the crimson-red region. If anyone looked at it for a prolonged period of time, they would find that there were faint shades of black in it as well.
The crimson red around the area was created due to the light from the glowing spot filling up the air there.
Once the glowing spot appeared, fine white threads also took shape, intersecting one another while covering the entire Crimson Flame Planet. It could be easily seen that the glowing spot was right at the center of the white threads.
When the seven people saw this, they relaxed.
"There is no damage to the seal. The heinous criminal from the alien race that is detained here is still deep asleep."
"Each of the cultivation planets in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence are suppressing a heinous criminal from an alien race, and it's especially so for the core of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. It's said that there are incredibly terrifying alien races over there. I don't know which cultivator in the Kalpa Realm suggested it in the past, but these people should not even continue living. The anomaly of ten thousand years ago in Black Ink Planet is the best example."
"It's not as if you don't know that these criminals from the alien races are incredibly difficult to kill…"
"But that just makes things bothersome for us of the future generation. Thank goodness we patrol in separate regions, and all is well in ours."
As the seven people spoke to each other, the illusory projection vanished. The blue light over Crimson Flame Planet dispersed, and the ancient bronze sword floating beyond it slowly turned around and gradually disappeared into the distance. The mighty pressure and divine sense over the planet disappeared.
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Chapter 753: Invasion!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming stood on the magma in the volcano. The mighty presence and the divine sense from the sky that had swept past him just now had made him feel as if his entire body had turned transparent and he could keep no secrets. Everything about him had been revealed to that divine sense.
This feeling turned Su Ming's expression dark, and he came to a deeper understanding of what the old voice from Yin Death Vortex had meant when he said that the Barren Lands of Divine Essence were a gigantic jail.
'These True Guards are the guards that fend against the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.' In silence, the gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix that had flown out previously stopped howling and its body fell limp, as if the roars just now had used up all its strength.
As a dull and lifeless expression settled on its face, it gradually sank into the magma and falling into deep sleep once again.
The bald crane stuck its head out of the magma at that moment. The terror in its eyes showed that fear still lingered within its heart. It flapped its wings and flew out of the magma before sprawling over the stone where it had been previously.
"Your Grandpa Crane was just about to suffocate! Damn it all, this place is just too hot. But why do I feel like there should be a place that is even hotter here?" The bald crane scratched its bald head, muffled.
After a long while, Su Ming closed his eyes and no longer bothered himself with thinking about the True Guards. After all, the True Guards were incredibly powerful, and they were not people Su Ming could hope to stand up to. The most important thing for him then was to continue training and increase his level of cultivation. Once it reached a certain standard, he could leave this place and search for the king of Yin Death's Fragmented Worlds as well as the entrance to the fifth True Great World, and perhaps… he could even leave this place!
The brilliant light that shone in Su Ming's eyes was hidden by his closed lids. He might have lost his ability to love and his sense of pain, but the beautiful moments in his memories still remained, and whenever he remembered them, he would feel numb. This numbness would cause anguish in the depths of his heart.
In silence, Su Ming began circulating his cultivation base, repeating the act of absorbing the hot air. It was something he had done without stop for the entire year. As he absorbed the hot air, he would also absorb the power of flesh and blood from the blue stone so that his body would become stronger.
Time passed. One month, two months… In the blink of an eye, another year went by.
The four seasons did not exist in Crimson Flame Planet. No matter what month it was, heat would always fill the planet. That heat could roast a person's skin and evaporate sweat as well as blood. It could also gradually burn a person's will to ashes.
During the past year, Su Ming had gone out once, but he did not move too far away. He could only move about ten thousand feet around the volcano. He could not go past that area because once he was close to that spot, a blue screen of light would immediately appear, blocking his footsteps.
Aside from that, once Su Ming left the volcano, he could sense that the spiritual energy in the world was incredibly scarce. He could release his power as he circulated his cultivation base but could not absorb anything. Because of that, it was difficult for him to replenish his cultivation base.
There might be quite a large number of crystals in his storage bag, but there would still come a time when he would use them up. That was why Su Ming seldom used them. He did not know how long he would need to stay in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Perhaps… he would need to stay there for the entirety of his life.
Su Ming did not know whether he would act like the others and commit acts of murder as well as carrying corpses around to search for the 'gods' such as the Crimson Python Phoenix in order to obtain inferior crystals once all his crystals disappeared.
Fortunately, his current body was greatly different from other people's. He could absorb the power of fire within the magma. This flame's power might only have one single attribute, but in this barren Crimson Flame Planet, being able to absorb this crazed power of fire already put him a step above others.
Even when two years passed, Su Ming's level of cultivation was still at the initial stage of Life Privation, which was the starting point of Earth Cultivation Realm. His cultivation level might not have increased even a single bit, but most of his Yin Death Aura had already disappeared. Most of the divine abilities he cast now centered around the might of flames.
And they also became his strongest divine abilities.
As he trained his physical body and devoured the heat, he would obtain quite a large amount of resources, courtesy of the people who were relying on the Crimson Python Phoenix. Due to those extra resources, his physical body's training was going much swifter than it should have. However… as time passed and more people who relied on the Crimson Python Phoenix died, Su Ming's training of his physical body also slowed down.
The one time he had exited the volcano was because of this. He had wanted to search for the blue crystals on his own.
On that day when there was about a month left before the time of the offerings, Su Ming lay with his body submerged in magma, exercising his breathing. He had his Atman spread out and cast around the area. This had already become a habit to him.
Yet at this time, not long after Su Ming had spread his Atman outwards, his eyes suddenly flew open.
At that moment, Yue Hong Bang was moving swiftly past the mountain range leading to the volcano with a forlorn and bitter expression on his face, his body covered in blood. Only the thin old man remained from the people who had been with him in the past. There was a wound on the old man's chest that covered most of it. Blood flowed out in rivers, and the old man's face was pale. If he did not have a True Breath of Live, he would have fallen dead long ago.
There were three figures giving chase. Two of them were men, and one of them was a woman. All of them were thin, but the light in their eyes was bright with bloodthirstiness as they chased their prey.
Among the three, besides an old man who had reached Heaven Cultivation Realm, the other man and woman, who were in their middle-ages, were at Earth Cultivation Realm. The speed at which they gave chase became faster with each passing moment, and evil snickers came from the old man.
"Yue Hong Bang, I've wanted to kill you for a very long time, but as expected of a third generation descendant of a criminal. The trap I set had only managed to injure the both of you badly. "This time, I will definitely kill you! How dare you trespass the area of my cave abode?! You're just asking for death!"
Killing intent and greed shone in the old man's eyes. When he lifted his right hand, a string of incantations tumbled out of his mouth and echoed in the air. As he formed a seal with his left hand, he struck the air, and immediately, a gust of black wind appeared out of nowhere. It turned into a gigantic black-spiked mace that charged towards Yue Hong Bang with a loud buzz.
"I'll kill you and use your corpse of a third generation descendant of a criminal to exchange for ten crystals from my god. It'll be enough to cover up all the power I've spent to kill you!"
The black wind swept up the spiked mace and closed in on Yue Hong Bang with a loud whistle. Despair appeared on Yue Hong Bang's face, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood as he turned his head back. Once he formed a seal with his hands, the mouthful of blood instantly gathered together before him and turned into a red hammer that swung swiftly towards the incoming spiked mace.
As a loud bang reverberated in the air, Yue Hong Bang's body trembled, and he coughed up a large mouthful of blood. He tumbled backwards, and all the wounds on his body tore open.
The red hammer crumbled to pieces. As for the black wind that had swept up the spiked mace, it froze for a moment, cracking slightly, then charged towards Yue Hong Bang once again.
When it was close to the fleeing men, the thin old man beside Yue Hong Bang let out a loud roar and flew up to appear right before Yue Hong Bang so that he could use his body to block the incoming spiked mace. The two crashed into each other, and Yue Hong Bang's eyes turned red as tears flowed down them.
However, he didn't stop moving for a heartbeat. Instead, he used the time bought by the thin old man blocking the mace to charge towards the mountain range where the volcano was at full speed.
"Hmph!"
The old man who was in Heaven Cultivation Realm let out a cold snort. He did not even spare a glance at the person he had killed with his spiked mace. Instead, a freezing glare shone in his eyes, and he cast a glance at the volcano to which Yue Hong Bang was charging.
"The god Crimson Python Phoenix's volcano… Yue Hong Bang, are you mad? How could you even dream of asking help from a god? The gods in Crimson Flame Planet have all lost their intelligence. As long as we don't provoke them, they won't attack us. I'll offer your corpse to the god here, and it'll save me the time needed to carry you back."
The old man in Heaven Cultivation Realm laughed eerily and brought the man and woman behind him towards Yue Hong Bang. The black wind that had swept up the spiked mace became even faster, and it was now less than a hundred feet away from Yue Hong Bang.
At that moment of crisis, Yue Hong Bang let out a loud roar.
"God, please save me!"
Right at the moment he shouted, the spiked mace closed in. When it crashed into Yue Hong Bang, he formed a seal with his right hand, and red light shone around his entire body, helping him resist that blow, but once it did, he coughed up blood, and that blood was already his Origin Blood and Essence. This blow caused his entire body to tremble, and he was now on the verge of dying. His body fell backwards and landed with a bang on the mouth of the volcano. The spiked mace might have disappeared as well, but the three people were less than three hundred feet away. Despair appeared on Yue Hong Bang's face.
"God, please save me! This person's cave abode is made entirely of blue stones, please save me!"
"Another madman, I see. No one can save you today!"
The old man laughed loudly, but even though he was laughing, his heart let out a thump. He knew that Yue Hong Bang was not a fool. Since he had called for help from the god in this place twice, could it be that there was something off about this place?
There might have been uncertainty in the old man's heart, but not a single hint of it showed on his face. However, he did slow down slightly and grabbed the man who followed behind him to toss him towards Yue Hong Bang.
"Kill him, and I will give you a crystal!"
The moment the man who was thrown by the old man was less than a hundred feet away from his target and Yue Hong Bang had almost fallen into total despair, a cold harrumph suddenly came from depths. At the same time, a red shadow charged out from the mouth of the volcano.
The shadow traveled so quickly that he arrived before Yue Hong Bang in the blink of an eye. At the instant wild delight appeared on Yue Hong Bang's face in the midst of his despair, Su Ming lifted his right hand and threw a fist at the incoming man of Earth Cultivation Realm.
Before the punch even landed, it already stirred up a shocking boom. Even space itself seemed to have collapsed, and a wave of intense heat spread out from Su Ming's body. There was even a layer of distortions that contained a law around his fist.
The expression of the man who was thrown out changed swiftly. Just as he was about to retreat, the world around his body seemed to have moved in reverse, keeping him frozen in place for a moment.
The price for that pause was Su Ming's fist landing straight on the man's chest.
There was no bang when that punch landed, only a muffled sound of hitting an empty sack. A shudder wrecked the man's body, and with the spot where Su Ming's fist had landed on his chest as the center, his body was instantly disassembled. In the blink of an eye, half of his body shattered and turned into dust…
Su Ming pulled back his right hand, standing before Yue Hong Bang. He cast his emotionless eyes at the old man around two hundred something feet away, his gaze aloof. A piercingly cold presence spread out from Su Ming's body without his conscious effort. There was no need for him to even think about it.
The old man's pupils shrank, and his body came to an abrupt halt.
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Chapter 754: Breaking the Seal and Getting Out!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Senior, greetings. Thank you for saving me." Excitement appeared on Yue Hong Bang's face, and once he struggled up, he immediately wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply towards Su Ming.
He had chosen to cry out for 'god' instead of calling out for Su Ming by referring to him as senior in order to make the old man who was pursuing him lower his guard, making him fall into his trap when he scoffed at Yue Hong Bang's actions. If he had asked for this senior for help straight away, then the old man who was after his life would have definitely been too terrified to get close to this place.
However, it was only natural that the old man had extraordinary wit, since he was able to survive in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Even if Yue Hong Bang's words had indeed affected his guard, he still chose to remain cautious and not get close to the place personally. Once Yue Hong Bang saw it, he let out a sigh in his heart.
The old man's pupils had shrank, and an incredibly grave expression appeared on his face. Su Ming's level of cultivation might only be of Earth Cultivation Realm in his eyes, but the fact that this person had been training in the volcano was enough to tell him everything he needed to know.
It was especially so when he heard the roar from the volcano and the smaller Crimson Python Phoenix extended its body out to glare at him fiercely. The old man's heart then let out a thump once again.
He took a few steps back without any hesitation. A smile appeared on his face as he wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming.
"I am Qi Bei Shan. It seems like I have interrupted your training, senior. Here is a small gift, it might not be able to show enough respect to you, but I hope that you will forgive me."
The people in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence had developed incredibly cautious attitudes while living in this harsh environment that was incredibly difficult for anyone to survive in. Unless they absolutely had to or were fully confident in being able to take down their opponent, they would not attack.
Even if Su Ming was only at Earth Cultivation Realm in the old man's eyes, he did not believe that a mere cultivator of Earth Cultivation Realm could reduce his follower's body to ashes. Besides, Yue Hong Bang's respect and excitement as well as the mysteries surrounding this person along with the fact that quite a number of powerful warriors in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence would seal off their power so that they could release it when it was necessary caused the old man to become cautious and choose to avoid conflict.
As he smiled, he lifted his right hand and immediately brought out a crystal that was filled with impurities from his storage bag. Once he placed it on the ground, he immediately moved backwards.
"Senior, you can't let him leave. Once he leaves, he'll definitely tell the leader of his group about what happened today, which will be detrimental to you! Besides, this person's cave abode is made completely of blue stones. I went there to examine it for you, and that's why I was chased to this place…" When Yue Hong Bang saw that the old man was about to leave, he immediately spoke to Su Ming anxiously.
Killing intent shone in the old man's eyes, and he began charging backwards without any hesitation. The woman beside him also retreated with terror shining on her face, and they turned into long arcs that swiftly left the volcano.
Su Ming did not chase after them, but instead allowed the old man to leave swiftly with his follower. When they disappeared into the horizon, Yue Hong Bang's face turned incredibly dark, but when he looked at Su Ming, he forced down his complaints and spoke bitterly.
"The blue stones you require are becoming scarce in the area around this place. To satisfy your needs, I've brought my companions into places that were further away to scout about. Qi Bei Shan's cave abode is not too far away from this place, and I saw a large amount of blue stones outside it. His cave abode should also be dug out from the blue stone.
"It's a pity that he has placed a Rune outside his cave abode. As he pursued me to this place, all my companions died in his hands… If you hadn't attacked just now, I would have died as well." Yue Hong Bang's face was pale. His injuries were grave, and as he spoke, blood even trickled down the corner of his mouth.
Su Ming looked at Yue Hong Bang coldly. This purple-robed man was now in an incredibly pathetic state.
He asked flatly, "Is it really that important for you to become my follower?" Su Ming's words did not match with what Yue Hong Bang had been saying, and they came seemingly out of nowhere.
However, the moment he said them, Yue Hong Bang shuddered lightly. For a moment, he was taken aback, then an expression of wild joy appeared on his face. He bowed deeply towards Su Ming.
"I, Yue, am willing to become your follower and serve you. I will obtain even more blue stones for you, senior."
"To become my follower, you've been making the people behind you who had seen me previously die one after another… The last person had also died just now for you without having any knowledge of what was going on," Su Ming said, looking straight Yue Hong Bang.
Yue Hong Bang shuddered once again, then forced out a smile. Just as he was about to speak though, he was interrupted by Su Ming.
"The others had sent corpses over the past two years, but you've been sending blue stones. This time, when you cried out for help, you brought up that his cave abode was made of the stones that I needed so that you could lure me out to attack and help you kill that old man." With each sentence Su Ming uttered, Yue Hong Bang's expression would turn paler.
"In fact, you had most probably provoked the old man by walking into his Rune voluntarily. Your goal was to lure him out, and this so called chase was only real by seven-tenths, the other three-tenths of this was fake and planned!"
Su Ming's gaze was aloof. His merciless eyes were seen by Yue Hong Bang at that moment, and his heart shivered. His face turned even paler, and respect that had never appeared in his heart suddenly took seed within him.
Su Ming might not have said all of his plans, but all the things he had said still made his heart go cold. Indeed, he had intentionally made these things happen.
"Senio—" Yue Hong Bang said with difficulty, but before he could finish speaking, his words were cut off by Su Ming.
"Give me all the items you still have to protect your life," Su Ming demanded coldly.
Yue Hong Bang fell silent. After a moment, he put his right hand deep into his bosom and brought out a black bamboo piece, which he gave to Su Ming respectfully.
"Senior, you are wise. I cannot hide all of my schemes from your eyes. This is the item left behind by my ancestor. It is known as Emperor Yin's Bamboo, and it can instantly turn into a shield made of ten thousand bamboos. Once a person is sealed inside, even a Lord of a World Plane would be trapped for a short while." Once Yue Hong Bang handed over the black bamboo, he lifted his head and looked at Su Ming with respect on his face.
"Qi Bei Shan humiliated me in the past and nearly killed me. I have a personal grudge against him, that's why I lured him to this place. I wanted to borrow your power to kill him.
"During the past two years, I've been discreetly making my comrades die so that no one would notice that something unexpected had happened here. I decided to silence them so that no one would know about your existence. They would only think that you came from the world outside… not a first generation criminal.
"I also wanted to make our relationship better with this and become part of your direct descendants in Crimson Flame Planet," Yue Hong Bang said in a low voice, then knelt down on one knee.
"But I never wanted to harm you. Everything that I did was so that I could obtain your acknowledgment. Please allow me to become your direct descendant, senior." Yue Hong Bang lowered his head.
"All first generation criminals that are banished to this place have something about them that causes the four Great True Worlds to be wary. Your level of cultivation might not seem high, but I believe that your true power is definitely extraordinary.
"All first generation criminals become people that all forces of power will want to draw to their side in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, and only first generation criminals have the right to build their own families here.
"I'm not a worthless person. I do not want any outsider knowing about your origins before I become your direct descendant. Everything that I've done previously and even the act of luring that person here was mostly to test waters, please punish me," Yue Hong Bang said in a low voice.
Su Ming gave Yue Hong Bang a cold glance before turning around and ignoring him. Instead, he stepped into the volcano, his body gradually sinking inside. Anguish rose in Yue Hong Bang's heart due to Su Ming's actions. He sighed within, but as he was feeling slightly dispirited, Su Ming suddenly asked a question.
"Is Qi Bei Shan's cave abode truly made of blue stones?"
"I'm not completely certain, but that should really be the case, because there is an incredible amount of this type of blue stone scattered around his cave abode!" Yue Hong Bang's spirits rose, and he immediately lifted his head to answer the question.
Su Ming's expression remained the same. He did not ask anymore questions, and his body disappeared into the volcano. Uncertainty appeared in Yue Hong Bang's heart. He could not guess Su Ming's thoughts. At that moment, he chose to sit down cross-legged on the mouth of the volcano and brought out several crystals filled with impurities to exercise his breathing quietly so his wounds would heal. His mind worked rapidly, but he still could not obtain even a single hint from Su Ming's words as to what he was planning to do.
Su Ming lowered himself into the magma as a pensive look appeared in his eyes. His body soon completely sank into the magma, and as the magma churned violently, the gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix let out a roar and flew out. Su Ming was sitting cross-legged on top of its head. He had his right hand placed on the Crimson Python Phoenix's body and his Atman spread out to fuse with the ferocious beast's body.
The gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix rushed upwards with a roar, and when it rose from the volcano, the mighty pressure that belonged to a World Paragon caused excitement to instantly appear on Yue Hong Bang's face.
The bald crane turned into a ray of yellow light and appeared beside Su Ming, carefully landing on the Crimson Python Phoenix's body. Its current appearance was that of a mutt, and it had its tongue sticking out of its mouth as it looked at the area.
"Lead the way!" Su Ming said coldly.
Yue Hong Bang immediately flew up and wrapped his fist in his palm before bowing towards Su Ming. Then, as he turned around, killing intent shone in his eyes, and he charged into the distance.
Su Ming patted the Crimson Python Phoenix beneath him. The gigantic ferocious beast hesitated for a moment, then swiftly rushed out. Though before it could fly more than ten thousand feet outwards, a layer of blue light rose from the ground and covered the entire area. The Crimson Python Phoenix froze in terror and wariness appeared on its face.
"Bald crane." Su Ming was not surprised by this. Instead, he cast a glance at the bald crane.
The mutt went off with spirit. When it flew out, it turned into its original form and crashed into blue screen of light that formed the seal in this place. After a moment, its body started warping and turned into an old man dressed in a robe with nine black dragons sewn on it. He closed his eyes and let out a low shout at the Rune.
"Open!"
With that one word, the blue screen of light immediately started trembling, and a crack appeared. Crimson Python Phoenix's eyes went wide, and it let out an ecstatic screech before turning into a red light that shot through the crack.
The slightly smaller Crimson Python Phoenix did not come out. It was instead looking at Su Ming from the volcano while letting screeching loudly. The bald crane strutted about for a bit, then moved to stand on the gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix's body. It was no longer as cautious as it was last time, and it was a clear sign that it thought it had done a meritorious deed.
At the same time the Crimson Python Phoenix flew out of the blue screen of light, it let out a roar that shook most of Crimson Flame Planet. Its huge body, which was several tens of thousands of feet big, caused the weather to change. In its memories, this was the first time… it flew out of that area of ten thousand feet around the volcano!
As it roared, Su Ming sat cross-legged on its head. An expression of excitement that had never appeared on Yue Hong Bang's face before did so now, as he flew at the front. He knew that he had won the gamble!
"Lead the way."
"Understood!"
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Chapter 755: Duke of Crimson Flame!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming sat on the Crimson Python Phoenix's body without a shred of emotion on his face. A harsh and ruthless air surrounded him, fusing with that aloof gaze of his. He gave off a feeling as if there was ice and snow around him.
However, the heat spreading from the Crimson Python Phoenix's body blended perfectly with that cold and turned into a strange illusion that distorted people's vision, adding a layer of mystery to Su Ming.
Yue Hong Bang charged forward. It was difficult for him to conceal the excitement in his heart, and he could not help himself but have some of it show up on his face. He traveled at an incredibly quick pace and turned into a long arc as he charged towards his enemy's dwelling place - Qi Bei Shan's cave abode.
The Crimson Python Phoenix let out delighted cries as it charged forward behind him. Its cry contained its desire for freedom and the outburst of joy after being let out after suffering through years of oppression.
Ever since it had gained consciousness, it had been sealed in that volcano, unable to fly more than ten thousand feet away. That seal was like a cage that lasted for generations. If Su Ming had not come, it would have been eternally sealed in that place, unable to move a single step outside.
Su Ming's arrival had changed everything, breaking the life the Crimson Flame Python had expected to continue living. But perhaps it'd be more accurate to say that the bald crane had achieved that. It had done a great meritorious deed in this matter.
As the Crimson Python Phoenix roared, ripples reverberated through the entire Crimson Flame Planet. Its roars shook the sky and earth, resounding in all directions, and immediately attracted the attention of all the ferocious beasts that were known as gods by the residents of this planet and who were sealed in their regions in Crimson Flame Planet, unable to get ou. they were momentarily stunned, then roared back in response.
Roars from all regions of Crimson Flame Planet rang through the land for a time being. They echoed in all corners of the planet, and these happenings immediately caused the cultivators in Crimson Flame Planet to spot changes in their expressions. In the midst of their shock, they found themselves unable to guess just what sort of thing might have occurred.
If it was not because there was no pressure or divine sense descending from the sky, then this sort of continuous roars coming from all directions would have made these people think that the True Guards had arrived.
Some of the people who had wanted to make offerings to the gods in their regions were filled with shock during that instant, because their gods were no longer looking at their offerings, but had flown towards the seals and roaring loudly towards the sky in the north.
There was clear envy and madness contained within those roars. The beasts were akin to a group of people who had been locked in cages suddenly but now saw one of their companions walking out of their cage one day, and they were not even doing it quietly. That person who had escaped was even letting crazed bellows of laughter.
Because of that, the madness that was stirred up shook the entire Crimson Flame Planet.
Compared to the puzzlement that was contained within the shock of all the cultivators in other regions, the cultivators who were in the northern region had their heads lifted in disbelief as their hearts trembled violently in the midst of shock while they looked at the gigantic body that was charging through the sky.
It was the Crimson Python Phoenix that possessed a phoenix head and was several tens of thousands of feet long. As it flew in the sky while roaring, the tremors that it caused looked as if they could turn the world upside down. The creature certainly did turn upside down the emotions of people who saw it..
"Is that… the Crimson Python Phoenix god from the volcano?"
"Is this an illusion? This is impossible. As far as the recorded history of Crimson Flame Planet goes, no ferocious beast from the alien races had been able to move past the area of ten thousand feet from their caves!"
"The four True Great Worlds have placed seals outside the gods' caves, and it is impossible for them to be opened. How-how did it manage to come out?!"
"There's a person sitting on its head! Heavens, who is that?! There's someone sitting on the Crimson Python Phoenix's head!"
The uproars from the cultivators on the ground in the north reached their most intense state when the people saw Su Ming's figure sitting on the Crimson Python Phoenix. Their cries buzzed in the air, filled with disbelief, rapid breathing, as well as reverential gazes mixed with shock.
The Crimson Python Phoenix lifted its head and roared at the sky, then flew even faster. The bald crane on its back was feeling proud of itself and continued posing in different manners. It felt that most of the cries from the crowd were due to its work.
Su Ming had an apathetic expression on his face. He closed his eyes. Even though he had covered the aloof gaze in his eyes, it was still difficult to chase away even a single bit of that cold chill spreading out from his body.
Yue Hong Bang almost roared along with the phoenix as he led the way. He was so excited that his face had gained a red flush, and his heart was trembling with so much excitement that he wanted to already be by Qi Bei Shan's cave abode.
The thing that excited him the most, though, was that as the Crimson Python Phoenix charged through the air, many cultivators in this region either flew into the sky behind them or ran on the ground after the phoenix. Clearly, they wanted to see where this ferocious beast was headed.
Originally, all the cultivators were supposed to force down this sort of curiosity, but at that moment, no one tried quelling it. Even if they had to waste some crystals, they still chose to follow without hesitation, because in their hearts, this sort of thing that overturned what they knew was incredibly rare, and it might not repeat itself even after several tens of thousands of years had passed.
Clearly, the appearance of this sort of thing would bring about a gigantic effect that would turn the world upside down. If they missed it, they would definitely regret it for the rest of their lives.
At that moment, in a stone house located at the peak of the tallest mountain in the east of Crimson Flame Mountain was the old woman, and she was sitting cross-legged while meditating. Her eyes flew open at that instant, and a powerful light shone in her eyes. Without any hesitation, she flashed into the sky and looked towards the north.
When her gaze landed there, her expression changed quickly. For a time, she looked stupefied, then shocked, then her expression turned as dark as thunderclouds. She even lifted her right hand and formed a seal swiftly. But after a moment, she sucked in a deep breath, and her body trembled.
'Someone broke the seal and let out the Crimson Python Phoenix! Who is he?! How did he break open the seal?! This has never happened before since the seals were placed in Crimson Flame Planet, only…'
The old woman's pupils shrank, as if she had thought of something. With one swift move, she turned into a long arc and charged through the sky, straight towards the northern region.
In the only forest that existed in the west of Crimson Flame Planet was a big tree that was trembling viciously at that moment. An old face emerged from the tree trunk, and roars tumbled out of from within the trunk. As it trembled, the entire forest started shivering with it.
There was a middle-aged man standing beside the tree trunk. He was looking at the sky to the north with a dazed expression. After a long while, he sucked in a sharp breath.
'It's said that something like this happened when Black Ink Planet changed all those years ago… Could it be that the second transformation in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence is happening in Crimson Flame Planet?!
'Could it be that… this time, Crimson Flame Planet is about to change?!' The middle-aged man's expression changed rapidly, and after a moment, he leaped into the sky and charged towards the north.
'There's still nine years left till the next time the True Guards patrol this place… Who has caused this change in Crimson Flame Planet?!'
Due to the Crimson Python Phoenix's escape from the seal and its subsequent roars as well as the other ferocious beasts responding to its cries by roaring at the same time, all the cultivators in Crimson Flame Planet did not notice in their shock and amazement that a faint ripple had spread towards the land from the Rune when the bald crane had used its strange Art and cried out for the seal to open…
Not even Su Ming had noticed it.
A chain reaction followed. Once the ripple traveled into the ground, one of the endless white threads in the inner part of the cultivation planet, which was at the depths of Crimson Flame Planet, snapped with a bang.
The breaking of one single thread might not affect the entire seal, but it still created a tiny gap in the perfect Rune.
Within the core of Crimson Flame Planet, which was the true inner part of the planet itself, was an endless and infinite amount of magma. The color of that magma was not red, but purplish black!
Immersed at the center of this purplish black magma was a skeleton. There was not a hint of flesh or blood on that skeleton. The magma quietly covered half of its body, while a black sword was pierced deep into the top of its skull. There were three other swords that had pierced other parts of its body as well.
However, at the moment the bald crane had shouted out that one word in the world outside, the ripple that came from the seal had went deep into the ground, causing the one white thread among the countless others to snap. During that instant, a wisp of dark light appeared in the skeleton's eyes.
This was the first time… this had happened ever since he had been sealed in this place!
At the instant that dark light appeared in his eyes, the proud bald crane behind Su Ming suddenly found the smile freezing on its face as it traveled on the Crimson Python Phoenix's back. The bald crane lowered its head swiftly and looked at the ground.
"Duke of Crimson Flame… Hmm? Who's this bastard, Duke of Crimson Flame?"
The bald crane was momentarily stunned, then scratched its bald head. It was puzzled greatly by the words it had said just now. A moment before, it had felt as if it had remembered something.
Yet no matter how hard it thought about it, it could not obtain an answer, which was why the bald crane decided to not think about that matter. Instead, it became proud of itself again.
Su Ming opened his eyes slowly. As the Crimson Python Phoenix charged through the land, there were nearly a hundred something cultivators that had turned into long arcs and were following it. There were hundreds of others that were running on the ground as well.
Yue Hong Bang's body froze for a moment, then he turned his head around to look at Su Ming with a zealous gaze as he pointed at the ground not too far in the distance.
"Senior, that is Qi Bei Shan's cave abode!"
There was a small hill on the ground with quite a large number of blue stones scattered at the foot of the hill. These stones were completely useless to the cultivators in this place, for there was not a single hint of spiritual energy contained within, which was why very few people paid attention to them.
There was a platform that jutted out of the middle section of the hill. At that moment, Qi Bei Shan and the woman beside him had just returned and were standing on the platform while looking at the sky with dumbfounded gazes. Behind them was a door to a cave abode that had been thrown wide open, and blue rays of light could be seen spreading out from within.
That small hill was made entirely of blue stones!
Qi Bei Shan shuddered, his expression filled with shock and terror. He had returned not too long ago. Noticing the strange phenomenon in the world outside, he had just walked out to investigate this matter when, before long, his pupils shrank, and even his breathing stilled.
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Chapter 756: Grandpa Crane has a Reward for You
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
What Qi Bei Shan saw was a gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix in the sky and nearly a hundred long arcs behind it, as well as hundreds of cultivators on the ground running towards the area.
From the presence that covered the sky and earth, a loud bang went off in his head. It made him feel as if he was a lone ship in the midst of furious waves, and his body shivered as his heart roared.
This sight made him let out a shrill cry, and he retreated without any hesitation, wanting to return to his cave abode. To him, this was Yue Hong Bang coming forward to seek revenge, and he was here to destroy him.
There was no way they would be able to compromise in this. Even if he conceded to Yue Hong Bang, he might still end up dead!
Almost at the instant he retreated, the woman by his side intended to do the same, her face pale, but Qi Bei Shan lifted his right hand and seized the woman's arm before flinging her outwards. Immediately, as the woman screamed in pain, her flesh was separated from her bones and all her blood as well as flesh broke down, turning into a layer of blood mist that spread out through the area with a bang as Qi Bei Shan cast some sort of unknown divine ability.
The hundreds of people that were following behind the Crimson Python Phoenix watched this scene with bright eyes.
"That's Qi Bei Shan. He is in Heaven Cultivator Realm, and he's a powerful warrior below only the World Paragons. He's not the only one who's in Heaven Cultivator Realm, though. That Yue Hong Bang, who was leading the way, is also in Heaven Cultivator Realm. I've heard that there was a grudge between the two of them. Seems like it's true. This is clearly Yue Hong Bang coming here to kill Qi Bei Shan after he found someone to back him up!"
"It's a good opportunity. We can use this chance to check just what sort of level of cultivation that mysterious person on the Crimson Python Phoenix has."
The hundreds of people surrounded the area, and their low-voiced discussions reverberated in the air. At the moment the blood mist on the platform outside Qi Bei Shan's cave abode spread out, it instantly activated all the Runes in the hill outside, creating a blood-red screen of light.
At the instant the woman turned into a skeleton and fell to the ground, Qi Bei Shan entered his cave abode. As the door to the cave swung shut, Qi Bei Shan's eyes turned bloodshot. As if he had gone mad, he brought out all the crystals he had stocked up and placed all of them on the floor. Once they were absorbed by the small Rune on the ground, the blood-red screen of light outside the cave immediately gained a muddled hue.
Su Ming sat on the Crimson Python Phoenix's head and looked at the actions Qi Bei Shan had taken within that short amount of time in a decisive manner. Without any emotion on his face, Su Ming patted the Crimson Python Phoenix's head, and immediately, right under all the hundreds of people's gazes, the ferocious beast charged towards the muddled-looking, blood-red screen of light on the ground.
It closed within an instant, but it didn't execute any sort of divine abilities or Arts. Instead, it used its gigantic head to ram into the blood-red screen of light. At the instant it crashed into it, a violent bang reverberated in the air, and the Rune… did not shatter or crack. Instead… it disintegrated.
It turned into ashes and scattered into the air, seemingly so fragile that it was as if it had never even existed. When that happened, all the crystals before Qi Bei Shan in the cave abode shattered.
His expression changed, and Su Ming took a step forward in the sky above the cave abode. Once he walked off the Crimson Python Phoenix's head, he appeared right outside Qi Bei Shan's place. As his hair flew in the air and his robes fluttered, he lifted his right hand and struck the door of the cave abode.
When he did so, an endless amount of flames erupted from his body. The flames were like a sea and instantly covered his body. As they spread out, they cover an area of several thousands of feet. An illusory Crimson Python Phoenix also appeared within that sea of flame and rammed its head against the door to the cave abode with a roar towards the sky as Su Ming's palm struck the door.
This scene caused many of the people who saw it to be unable to differentiate whether the one who crashed into the door of the cave abode was Su Ming or the illusory Crimson Python Phoenix. It was as if the both of them had overlapped, and everything that could be seen for thousands of feet were that sea of fire, while the only thing that could be heard were booming sounds.
However, it was precisely this strike that caused odd expressions to gradually appear on the onlookers' faces. They could tell that this strike was not incredibly powerful, and there was a huge difference between this strike compared to what they had imagined.
They had previously thought that a person who could subdue a Crimson Python Phoenix and bring it along as he broke the seal would definitely possess power equivalent to a Lord of a World Plane, but now, the power Su Ming was showing was clearly only that of Earth Cultivation Realm.
However, they could only question it, without any certainty. After all, the act of sealing up one's own power was not rare in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. However, if Su Ming continued to only show the power of Earth Cultivation Realm, then in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence where the strong preyed on the weak, after attracting so much attention, he would have to face the greed towards the Art that had allowed him to break open the seal as well as the blatant danger that came along with that greed.
At the instant the door to the cave abode opened, it shattered into pieces and fell backwards into the cave. The illusory Crimson Python Phoenix charged into the cave abode like a long arc of fire once the door shattered. The sea of fire that was several thousands of feet big also looked like it had found a gap and charged into the cave abode.
As an even more violent bang shook the sky and echoed in the air, Su Ming took a step back, returning to the top of the gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix's head. Once a tremor shook the cave abode that was made of the blue stones, it shattered, and an endless amount of blue stones fell off the hill. A large part of that small hill collapsed, and as a shrill roar rang in the air. Qi Bei Shan then rushed out with messy hair.
Yue Hong Bang, who had been prepared to attack since a long time ago, let out a low growl and charged straight towards Qi Bei Shan. They then engaged in a crazed battle in the sky.
However, Qi Bei Shan had no intention to drag out the fight and enjoy it. He only had one thought at that moment, and that was to run away at the fastest speed he could muster. Once he managed to escape from this place, he swore that he would definitely think of a way to take revenge.
He had also managed to deduce that this person who had destroyed the door to his cave abode was the young man and whom Yue Hong Bang had asked for help was only at Earth Cultivation Realm, so he was of no match for Qi Bei Shan. The youth could destroy his door, but he could not injure him. The only thing he needed to be afraid of was that gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix.
Qi Bei Shan had also managed to tell that these hundreds of people nearby had followed the Crimson Python Phoenix to this place due to their shock towards it leaving its sealed region. They were not the man's subordinates, and they had not come here to destroy him.
'I still have a chance!'
Qi Bei Shan did not have time to bother about anything else at that moment. He knew that he was caught in a life-threatening crisis. As he attacked, he executed his strongest divine ability, and an endless amount of black wind manifested around his body to turn into a bizarre shadow with six arms. Those six arms were holding onto six gigantic spiked maces, and they were charging towards Yue Hong Bang.
Su Ming's expression remained as calm as ever. He did not bother about Qi Bei Shan and Yue Hong Bang fighting against each other, but looked towards the collapsed cave abode. His vision was filled with blue stones as he looked over there.
However, a glint appeared in the eyes of the bald crane behind him once it saw the black, six-armed shadow. It clacked with its beak, and an excited glare shone in its eyes.
'It looks… very delicious. I seem to have eaten something good like this before…'
The bald crane immediately moved and turned into a long arc that charged towards Qi Bei Shan. Once it closed in, it looked at the six-armed shadow and opened its mouth wide and sucked in a breath. The black six-armed shadow that was fighting against Yue Hong Bang immediately shuddered and withered within an instant, right before everyone's eyes. Then, it turned into wisps of black threads that the bald crane began to devour.
This scene caused Yue Hong Bang to be momentarily stunned. before his spirits rose up once again.
'As expected of a first generation criminal, even his pets are amazing.'
Qi Bei Shan immediately screamed out in fury. He had intended to use the black six-armed shadow formed by his divine abilities to hold down Yue Hong Bang so that he could escape, but this bald crane had caught him completely off guard.
Malice appeared in his eyes as he made a decision, and he let out a shout.
"Explode!"
As he shouted, the black six-armed shadow exploded with a bang, turning into a violent wave that surged out in all directions. At the same time, Qi Bei Shan's right arm exploded as well, turning into a monstrous bloody wave that swept up his body with a speed akin to warping.
The black six-armed shadow's collapse made Yue Hong Bang immediately retreat. The bald crane was momentarily taken aback, then it was swept away by the wave of impact, ending up like an incredibly pathetic mess. The bald crane's heart clenched in pain for being unable to swallow the rest of that delicious meal, and the crane immediately began to seethe with rage.
When it saw that Qi Bei Shan was about to escape, its piercing voice immediately reverberated in all directions, because in its mind, Qi Bei Shan should die for what he did.
"Kill him! Whoever kills him will get a reward from Grandpa Crane!"
As the bald crane screamed, it lifted its right claw, and a purple crystal the size of a fist immediately appeared in its claws. There was not a single hint of impurity in it, and it was even shining with a pure spiritual energy. It was not something the crystals full of impurities in this place could hope to compare to.
This crystal was a superior spirit stone among the bald crane's vast collection of items!
Spirit stones of this sort of quality were the type that would disappear once they were used and their number would never be replenished in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Such crystals were incredibly rare in this place. At the instant the bald crane brought out that spirit stone, the eyes of the hundreds of people around immediately brightened. Some of those who had faster reflexes flew up swiftly and charged after the fleeing Qi Bei Shan with thick murderous aura.
This ended up as not a single person trying to kill someone, but almost half of the hundreds of people in the area flying out together. This scene made Qi Bei Shan let out a cry of despair. He had not expected that he would end up this way—being killed because a bald livestock had offered a reward for his head.
He was not the only one to think so, either. Even Yue Hong Bang's eyes went wide. Clearly, he had not expected this to happen.
In fact, Su Ming had also averted his gaze from the blue stones in the cave and now looked at the bald crane. Even if Su Ming no longer had the ability to sense any emotions, he could not help but be taken aback. Then, he suddenly remembered the bald crane's hobby and love for pillaging while they were in Yin Death Region.
When Qi Bei Shan saw the hundreds of people charging towards him as well as that he was completely surrounded, he let out a cry and lifted his right hand. A tri-colored crystal appeared within it.
"Soul Crystal!"
Someone immediately recognized that tri-colored crystal. Everyone came to an abrupt halt, and their expressions changed. Just as they were about to withdraw...
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Chapter 757: Making His Place in Crimson Flame Planet!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"This Soul Crystal is tied to my life, and once I use it three times, I will definitely die! This is the third time I will be using it, so even if I die, I will make all of you pay!"
Madness appeared on Qi Bei Shan's face, and he squeezed the crystal in his hand. A tri-colored ripple instantly shot out and spread through the area. All the cultivators who were touched by that ripple found their bodies freezing swiftly.
This Soul Crystal could instantly freeze up the souls of the people within its area of effect. The effect would not last for a long time, but during battle, it could be crucial.
Almost at the moment all the people in the area stopped moving and looks of confusion appeared on their faces, Qi Bei Shan looked towards Su Ming standing on the Crimson Python Phoenix, and killing intent shone in his eyes.
He hated Yue Hong Bang the most, because he was an incredibly intelligent and calculative man. He had already thought about everything before his death. He would kill Su Ming, and then Yue Hong Bang could only continue struggling in Crimson Flame Planet. Besides, if Su Ming had not become Yue Hong Bang's reinforcement, then Qi Bei Shan would not have been forced to face death. Before he died, Qi Bei Shan let out a fierce bark of laughter and closed in on Su Ming.
The Crimson Python Phoenix let out a roar, and as it swung its head in an attempt to hit Qi Bei Shan, the old man let out a shrill bark of laughter, and as he lifted his right hand, the tri-colored crystal in his hand appeared as a four-colored crystal. He knew that he was about to die without anyone having to do anything, which was why he decided to burn his own soul and activate the mysterious divine ability once again. He squeezed the four-colored crystal that had manifested in his hand, and a four-colored ripple spread out instantly, freezing the Crimson Python Phoenix's body. Right then, Qi Bei Shan appeared before Su Ming. His face was twisted in a ferocious expression, and with a raging killing intent, he pointed towards Su Ming with his right index finger.
"So what if you've subdued the Crimson Python Phoenix?! Die with me!!"
"It might not apply to all of you, but most of you who managed to survive in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence are people who are difficult to kill…" Su Ming shook his head and lifted his left hand coldly, then swung it towards the incoming Qi Bei Shan.
With it, the flow of time between the past and future intersected with each other, and the power of Destiny spread out. The power of a law descended swiftly, freezing Qi Bei Shan's body in midair. His eyes went wide in disbelief. He could no longer move his body forward, but instead started moving backwards, as if time suddenly begun going in reverse. The shattering of the four-colored crystal was turned back, and everything returned to its original condition.
In shock, Qi Bei Shan saw that the Crimson Python Phoenix's movements were no longer halted after the four-colored crystal recollected itself. It was as if the entire world, all the things and people on it, never experienced any sort of changes. Only Qi Bei Shan had seemed to be isolated from this world. Only he was retreating, and only his time was flowing in reverse.
At that moment, the hundreds of people in the distance had regained their freedom. At the instant their souls recovered from being frozen, they saw a sight that was so incredibly strange that it made all their hearts tremble.
This scene surpassed the limits of their imagination. In fact, they could not tell just what had happened. They could only see that the mysterious person standing on the Crimson Python Phoenix's head had swung his arm, and that Qi Bei Shan began falling back. The crumbling four-colored crystal also gathered together once again…
However, the scene that happened next caused expressions of shock and fear on the previously puzzled faces.
"It was three colors just a moment ago. Now, it is four colors."
Without any expression on his face, Su Ming looked at the four-colored crystal in Qi Bei Shan's hand. He lifted his left hand and swung it at Qi Bei Shan, and the four-colored crystal in his hand immediately turned into five colors. Qi Bei Shan's expression twisted, and his eyes went wide. As fear and despair appeared blossomed in his gaze, the crystal in his hand crumbled. Everything that had happened moments before started playing back once more, but this time, the four-colored crystal had turned into five-colored one.
Yet soon, as Su Ming swung his arm and Qi Bei Shan moved back again, the five-colored crystal that had gathered together once more had turned into six-colored one.
The cultivators in the area burst into a commotion. Their hearts were filled with shock. This strange sight caused alarm to appear within them as they looked towards Su Ming.
Six colors turned into seven!
The commotion grew even more intense. There were even shadows distorting in the sky. One of them was in the east, and the other in the west. As these shadows distorted, they revealed two figures with grave expressions on their faces. These two people were the World Paragons in this planet.
At that moment, as Qi Bei Shan moved forward before retreating once again, the seven colors on the crystal turned into eight!
The commotion died down and turned into death-like silence. All the people were watching with dumbfounded gazes. Their faces had turned pale, and their breathing seemed to have frozen.
Once the crystal gained eight colors, Su Ming frowned. He had already reached his limit with Destiny, and it was difficult for him to continue casting the Art. With a swing of his arm, he gave up on continuing with the execution of the Art. The Crimson Python Phoenix beneath him let out a roar at that moment and rammed its gigantic body straight into Qi Bei Shan. Without a single sound, Qi Bei Shan's body disintegrated. The madness and grudge was absent from his face, though. Strangely enough, an expression of being freed had taken its place. He turned into ashes and disappeared into the air.
Su Ming seized the air with his right hand, and the eight-colored crystal flew into his hand before Qi Bei Shan's body with all his items disintegrated. He closed his fingers around the crystal.
At the instant the crystal landed in Su Ming's hand, the dazzling colors on it were unparalleled.
Soul Crystals were formed using a Secret Art. Every single time it was used, a color would be added to it. Su Ming's Destiny had caused the eight-colored crystal that was incredibly rare in this world to exist, and it was shining with an appealing light in Su Ming's hand.
Yue Hong Bang sucked in a sharp breath. When he looked towards Su Ming, a deep reverence appeared in his gaze. He could not tell what divine ability Su Ming had cast. The scene before looked incredibly strange in his eyes and was able to overturn everything that he knew. He begun to think that the mysteries surrounding Su Ming were so great that they could fill the sky.
The hundreds of people in the area had already fallen silent by then. They had been able to tell that Su Ming only possessed power of Earth Cultivation Realm when he opened the door to the cave abode, but even though they still harbored uncertainties in their hearts, once they saw Qi Bei Shan's bizarre death, and most importantly, the continuous cycle that turned Qi Bei Shan into a puppet which he manipulated to form that eight-colored crystal, they no longer dared to underestimate him. Instead, in their hearts, Su Ming became known as a powerful warrior that they absolutely could not provoke.
At that moment, wariness appeared on their faces as they looked towards Su Ming.
This time, they were not just wary of the Crimson Python Phoenix. They were also wary of Su Ming.
Strength was everything in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. If anyone wanted to earn respect and resources, they needed to show power that could intimidate and frighten those around them!
Those who were powerful were respected!
"Fellow Daoist, congratulations on making a place here in Crimson Flame Planet. You've become a pioneer by subduing the Crimson Python Phoenix, creating this monstrous change, and with an Art that takes the form of a law, you easily killed Qi Bei Shan… and gathered together an eight-colored Soul Crystal! I am Tian Lin."
A hearty voice came from the sky in the midst of the silence in the area. The speaker was the middle-aged man from the forest, one of the two World Paragons in the planet. He was a middle-aged man who possessed power that belonged to a Lord of a World Plane. His body appeared in midair, and with a smile on his face, he wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming.
It was a form of greeting towards someone who was of the same status!
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Chapter 758: Drawing Sword
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tian Lin's status of Lord of a World Plane and a World Paragon might not make him a superior existence within the other cultivation planets in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, but that was not the case in Crimson Flame Plane. This planet was located at the edge of the universe, and he could be said to have the greatest voice of authority, along with the other World Paragon.
That was why when Tian Lin greeted Su Ming in a way that was only used among those who were of equal status, the hundreds of cultivators in the area wrapped their fists in their palms and bowed towards Su Ming simultaneously.
Su Ming stood at the top of the Crimson Python Phoenix's head. A smile touched his lips, and he wrapped his fist in his palm to return Tian Lin's greeting.
"I am Su Ming. I got along well with this creature, so I brought it out from its region. If I've caused chaos in this planet, please forgive me." As Su Ming spoke, Tian Lin smiled, and a hint of fondness rose in his heart for this youth.
To him, there was not a hint of arrogance in Su Ming's words. Instead, he had spoken as he would to a person of equal status. After all, respect would usually need to come from both parties when their strengths were almost equal. When Tian Lin saw that Su Ming was being courteous and remembered what had happened previously, an even greater desire to befriend him rose from the depths of his heart.
"Fellow Daoist Su, you're being far too polite. I am not worthy of you to be asking for forgiveness from me. I'll talk about this with you later. First, let me introduce a friend to you."
Tian Lin did not even spare a glance at the hundreds of cultivators around him. Before, there had only been one person in Crimson Flame Planet who could catch his attention besides the ferocious beasts that had lost their intelligence.
When he said those words, a cold harrumph came from the east of Crimson Flame Planet, right in front of Tian Lin. At that moment, a person walked out of thin air. It was an old woman, her face covered in wrinkles. Her eyes were dark, and her hair a mess. However, she radiated a murderous presence, and she looked akin to a murderous spirit. Once she appeared, the she immediately looked towards Su Ming, and the dark light in her eyes sparkled.
While standing on the Crimson Python Phoenix's head, Su Ming lifted his head to meet the old woman's gaze squarely. He did not look away.
The dark light in the old woman's flickered, but Su Ming's eyes remained piercingly cold, as if not a single hint of emotion was contained within them. The two stared at each other for a while in midair before the old woman narrowed her eyes and averted her gaze from Su Ming's body. She first looked at the Crimson Python Phoenix, then at the eight-colored crystal in Su Ming's hands. After some time, she opened her mouth, and a hoarse voice tumbled out through her lips.
"I am Mei Lan. Fellow Daoist Su, you should just be passing by Crimson Flame Planet. The galaxy is vast and boundless, and all those who have come from far off are guests. Once you've rested here, I will personally send you off with fellow Daoist Tian seven days later. That is what we should do to our guests as residents of the planet."
The old woman smiled, but her smile did not reach her eyes. Her voice sounded as if her teeth were grinding against each other, and it was very unpleasant to the ears. When it fell into the ears of the hundreds of cultivators in the area, they felt sharp stabs of pain.
Tian Lin frowned by the side. He cast a look at the old woman, and a pensive look appeared on his face.
Su Ming remained as calm as ever, but his gaze grew colder. He had naturally been able to hear the underlying meaning behind the old woman's words. She was asking him to leave Crimson Flame Planet as soon as possible and not to stay here for long. At most, she would allow him to stay for seven days.
Su Ming looked at Tian Lin and asked flatly, "Fellow Daoist Tian, is this your intention as well?"
Tian Lin frowned. He pondered over those words, but before he could speak, the old woman let out a cold harrumph.
"Fellow Daoist Su, are you intending to stay in Crimson Flame Planet for long?"
"That was not my original plan, but now, I've changed my mind. I don't see why I shouldn't stay here for long." Su Ming's words were moderately paced, but the biting chill in his voice made illusory layers of snow appear around him.
He knew that he could not back down right now. Once he did, then there was no way he would be able to make his place here. He would also bring suspicion to himself. In fact, in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence where the strong preyed on the weak, unless he left immediately, he would definitely bring trouble to himself at the moment he caved in and showed weakness.
When the woman was faced with Su Ming's unyielding attitude and aloof words, she fell silent. Once she carefully sized him up, uncertainty rose in her heart, but a cold sneer soon appeared on her lips.
"If you want to stay here for a long period of time, then I'd like to see whether you have hidden your level of cultivation. If you're only relying on a ferocious beast and that eight-colored crystal, then you still don't have the right to make your place here, fellow Daoist Su!"
The old woman's voice was ghastly. She even took a step forward, and a power that belonged to a World Paragon burst forth from her body. That power swept through the entire world, causing numerous ripples and tumbling waves in the sky. A vast and mighty pressure descended on the land, making the hundreds of cultivators around the area find their breathing quickening, and they swiftly moved back.
To them, this was a battle between World Paragons, something which was rare in Crimson Flame Planet. Perhaps it would prove to be beneficial for their training if they watched it. Those in Heaven Cultivation Realm were watching with especially bright eyes.
"It's said that senior Mei has reached World Plane Realm seven hundred years ago and became a World Paragon. I wonder what her power is like now, but this place is lacking in resources, and the power of World Plane is even rarer. My guess is that she's only at the starting point of the initial stage of World Plane Realm…"
"Even though she's only at the starting point of the initial stage of World Plane Realm, she can still possess the power to make the sky and earth shatter, understand the changes in the world, and fuse together with Crimson Flame Planet…"
Quite a number of the hundreds of cultivators that had retreated farther away immediately started discussing what was to happen among themselves. However, most of them spoke to each other by sending their thoughts to another, not really speaking aloud.
Almost at the moment the old woman took a step forward and executed her power of a World Paragon, the Crimson Python Phoenix under Su Ming's feet lifted its head and let out a shocking roar. Su Ming immediately sensed the mighty pressure coming from the old woman's body. He lifted his right hand, and the killing sword manifested out of thin air and started to hum in his hand.
The Crimson Python Phoenix's presence could dissolve the pressure coming from the old woman. Besides, even though Su Ming was still in Earth Cultivation Realm, the killing sword exuded a biting cold presence, and there was also… a murderous aura that seemed to be suppressed within Su Ming's body. It was carefully fighting against the old woman's pressure.
When Tian Lin saw that the battle was about to start, he lifted his foot and took a step forward to stand between the old Mei Lan and Su Ming.
"Is there a need for you to attack each other, even though there is no great enmity between the two of you?" Tian Lin sighed.
"Fellow Daoist Mei Lan, we have been neighbors for hundreds of years and have always been on good terms with each other. We never bothered each other and even discussed our Arts and divine abilities, I should not be stopping you, but you have to think carefully. Fellow Daoist Su's eight-colored crystal is a rare item. There might only be one, but it'll be easy for him to freeze your soul for several breaths…"
"If you remain by the side and refuse to take action even when my soul is frozen, I will still have a way to break free. From then on, I will leave Crimson Flame Planet. Why should it bother me if I leave, this place is about to become a spot rife with trouble," the old woman said with a cold smile.
As Tian Lin smiled wryly, the old woman spoke once again.
"I refuse to believe that you can't see my intentions. It's not as if Crimson Flame Planet can't accommodate a third World Paragon, and neither will it interfere with my training. After all, there was a third World Paragon in this place in the past.
"However… he opened the seal to the Crimson Python Phoenix's region. The True Guards will probably come again in several years, nine years at most. Once they begin their patrol and see this, they will definitely descend to Crimson Flame Planet en masse to investigate this matter. At that time, I won't be the only one affected, you will be affected as well. In fact, all of the cultivators here… Heh heh, no one will be able to escape from being delivered a death sentence." The old woman glared at Su Ming, but she was speaking to Tian Lin.
"Unless he leaves this place!" When the old woman lifted her right hand, the ripples in the world behind her immediately froze, then gathered on her right hand.
"If he puts the Crimson Python Phoenix back into the seal and leaves this place immediately, then we can all avoid trouble!"
Tian Lin remained silent for a moment, then swiftly spoke up, a resolute look on his face. "... I do wish that this place would become the second Black Ink Planet."
"So you really intend to stop me?" Freezing light shone in the old woman's eyes. When she saw that Tian Lin was still stubbornly standing between them, she sucked in a deep breath and put her right hand slowly downwards, then looked at Su Ming.
"I will allow you to live here for eight years. If you don't leave after eight years, then I will definitely kill you for Crimson Flame Planet!" The old woman turned around swiftly. Just as she was about to leave, she cast a look at Yue Hong Bang, who was standing in the distance. With a glint in her eyes, she lifted her right hand and pointed at Yue Hong Bang.
"You, who brought this disaster upon us, I will kill you as a warning for others!"
When she pointed at Yue Hong Bang, his expression immediately changed drastically. He retreated swiftly, but three black threads had appeared around him out of thin air. They surrounded his body and were shrinking at an incredible speed. One of the three ring-shaped black threads wrapped itself around his neck, another his chest, and the remaining one around his waist. If those three threads shrank at the same time, they could dismember Yue Hong Bang instantaneously.
When terror rose within Yue Hong Bang, madness showed on his face. He did not ask for help from Su Ming. He knew that this moment was incredibly important for Su Ming to avoid getting into a battle against a World Paragon. Besides, the old woman was clearly trying to kill him to vent her anger. Yue Hong Bang gritted his teeth, erupting his power of Heaven Cultivation Realm. At the instant the three threads shrank, his body was torn apart with a bang.
However, there was no blood from his torn body. Instead, they turned into dried pieces of bamboo. Yue Hong Bang's real body appeared a hundred-something feet away. He coughed up a huge mouthful of blood. His face had turned pale, and there was also a dull and lifeless hue to his face. Clearly, he had used an item to protect his life during that moment of crisis. But even though he had escaped death, he was still injured.
"Hmph? Your ancestor is old Ku Zhu[1]..? Oh well, I will spare you because of my friendship with Ku Zhu all those years ago." The old woman looked at the dried pieces of bamboo, and a slightly melancholic look appeared on her face. She turned around and no longer bothered with the crowd. She transformed into a long arc, wanting to leave.
Even Tian Lin cast a few looks at the few slips of dried bamboo and gave Yue Hong Bang a profound look.
Yue Hong Bang's face was still pale when he lowered his head. He did not say a single word.
When the hundreds of people in the area saw this, they lamented about this in their hearts, knowing that there would probably no longer be any fight.
Yet at that moment, Su Ming's cold voice rang in the air.
"You embarrassed me and even wanted to kill my servant. Are you going to leave just like that, Mei Lan?" Along with his words came the murderous aura that he no longer bothered to suppress or hide. At the instant it surrounded him, the heinous aura caused the expressions of the crowd to change drastically.
The strength of that murderous aura was so great that it was rarely seen. Even in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, it was extremely unusual to sense such a thick murderous aura on someone's body. It did not seem like a murderous aura that was accumulated throughout a person's life, but seemed like… a terrifying murderous aura that was gathered together through numerous lives a person had lived after going through an endless cycle of reincarnations!
If the old woman left just like that, Su Ming knew that his standing in Crimson Flame Planet would be shaken. The only way to avoid this from happening… was to draw his sword!
Translator's Note:
1. Ku Zhu: Meaning Dried bamboo
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Chapter 759: Brutal and Ruthless
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
At the instant the people sensed the murderous aura, they felt as if they had sunk into an endless darkness. This darkness was the boundless darkness from Su Ming's memories when his soul still possessed a physical body.
It was a determination screaming one single thing: 'If I could see, I would know just what shade of blue the sky possesses.'
There was also the scent of death within that murderous aura. It came from Su Ming's soul, for it was a madness contained within a soul that was originally dead but desired to walk from midwinter to spring.
This feeling of death was incredibly clear as it spread through the area. At that moment, all the people who sensed the density of the murderous aura had the same thought—it was not a murderous aura that could be accumulated in a single life!
When Su Ming was still in the ninth summit, his senior brothers and his Master, Tian Xie Zi, had sensed that terrifying murderous aura within Su Ming. Then, when he went into the Undying and Imperishable World, fought in a great many battles and spilled a large amount of blood, and eventually found that one point that he always went back to during those dozens of reincarnations, his murderous aura had become so thick that it was monstrous.
However, it was usually hidden in his soul, and it was difficult for him to spread it out entirely. At most, he would only let out a part of that murderous aura.
In fact, even if it spread out, it would not have such a vast presence as it did now. After all, when Su Ming was in Yin Death Region, he did not possess a real physical body. He did not have flesh and blood, only a soul. He'd been like a tree without roots, so it was difficult for him to unleash everything he had. Besides, Su Ming had emotions and could still sense pain at that time. Now that he was in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, he had gathered together a physical body from the Crimson Python Phoenix, and once this body fused with his soul and he no longer had any emotions and lost the ability to feel pain, he was able to have all his murderous aura spread out from his soul during, without holding a single bit of it back.
This was the first time Su Ming had spread out all of his murderous aura that he had gathered throughout all of his cycles of reincarnation, and even when he was still just a baby. At the instant he released that aura, Tian Lin's expression changed. He instinctively took a few steps back and swiftly looked towards Su Ming. During that moment, a hint of shock appeared in his eyes.
Even with his status and his level of cultivation, he had never seen anyone else who possessed such thick murderous aura as Su Ming. Because of it, he had a strong feeling that his mind was playing tricks on him.
'Just how many people did he kill to possess such murderous aura?!'
Tian Lin's heart trembled. Levels of cultivation were not the only way to determine whether a person was strong or weak in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Sometimes, the amount of blood spilled by a single person could even more accurately determine whether someone was truly strong or just pretending.
The old woman's expression also changed drastically. She had originally wanted to leave, but at the instant the murderous aura within Su Ming's body spread out, she turned her head around to look at him. Her pupils shrank swiftly, and her skin went all crawly, while her hair stood up on end.
If these two people were reacting in such a manner, then it was even more so for the hundreds of cultivators around the area. They retreated like one, with expressions of shock. When they looked towards Su Ming, their gazes were filled with terror that surpassed its previous self.
Even Yue Hong Bang was shuddering at that moment. When his gaze landed on Su Ming, he thought he saw a murderous spirit instead of a person. He felt as if his body had been plunged into ice and darkness, as if he was immersed in death, and that cold froze his body and soul.
In fact, even the Crimson Python Phoenix under Su Ming's body had lost most of its surrounding heat at that moment. It twisted its body about, as if it was not used to the murderous aura spreading out from Su Ming.
The bald crane in the distance also widened its eyes. When it looked at Su Ming, a dazed expression appeared on its face. It thought to have remembered something, but no matter how hard it tried, it could not recall any details regarding it.
The only sound came from the killing sword in Su Ming's hand which was letting out a piercing screech that was full of excitement and delight. A desire for blood could be sensed from the sword whistles, and its color had even changed from red to a near violet shade.
At the instant Su Ming's words and murderous aura shook the sky and earth, he took a swift step towards the old woman whose expression had changed. At the same time, the Crimson Python Phoenix let out a roar and rushed out with him.
The current Su Ming was already much stronger than when he was fighting against those Dao Slaves in Yin Death Region. Back then, he had only been in the initial stage of Life Matrix Realm. Afterwards, due to Yu Xuan's Abyss Death Breath, his soul was completed, and the three seals were broken. However, at that time, he was still incredibly weak, and it was difficult for him to fight against the thousands of Dao Slaves.
Yet at the instant Su Ming put on the mask, he moved from Life Matrix Realm to Life Privation Realm. As a cultivator in Earth Cultivation Realm, he had come to truly possess a body of flesh and blood, and during these two years, he had constantly been refining this body using the Surging Indulgers' divine abilities. The combat abilities he could bring out now far surpassed what he possessed when he was in Yin Death Region.
As he took a step forward, he lifted his left hand and pushed at the ground. With it, the Surging Indulgers' divine ability was immediately activated. His left hand started withering away, and even his torso as well as his right hand, which was holding onto the sword, was reduced to mere skin and bones within an instant. He then lifted his left hand to tap the center of his brows.
With it, black fog spread out and turned into a gigantic head of a malicious ghost. As it roared, it swept up Su Ming, instantly increasing his speed. In the blink of an eye, he had closed in on the old woman, while heinous murderous intent spread out from the killing sword.
All of this happened too quickly. While Tian Lin was shocked by the murderous aura on Su Ming's body, he hesitated to take action for a moment, and during that time, Su Ming had already appeared right before the old woman.
Old Mei Lan's pupils shrank. Once she let out a piercing cry that could terrify hearts, she lifted her right hand, and her power of a World Paragon erupted from her body to turn into a huge flag on her right hand. That flag was white, but damaged. There was a circle sewn on it using black thread. At that moment, that circle was spinning as if it had come to life. Once the old woman swung the flag with her right hand, the circle made of black threads manifested in the air and turned into several dozens of black threads that took the shape of rings before they charged towards Su Ming.
A shocking boom that shook the sky reverberated in the world. Sounds that were this intense would only rang out when World Paragons attacked each other or when great divine abilities or Arts crashed into each other. This sort of thing had not happened in Crimson Flame Planet for a long time. After all, resources were lacking in this place, so the recovery of cultivation bases was slowed down a lot. Because of it, unless they absolutely had to, very few people would waste the power they had stored in their cultivation bases.
The world roared. As that violent bang and its endless echoes spread through the air, numerous dimensional tears appeared in the sky. A wave of impact that looked like a violent gust of wind swept through the area, and the wind that was stirred up caused the hundreds of cultivators around to breathe rapidly. This… was a true battle between cultivators, not the small little disputes they had against each other because they did not dare waste their cultivation bases.
As that loud bang rang in the air, most of the ring-shaped black threads crumbled. Su Ming's killing sword continuously cut through the black threads, but it was difficult for him to completely cut through all of them. Yet even so, a powerful suction force spread out from his killing sword, and the old woman's right hand withered as she held onto the flag. It was as if a part of her flesh and blood had been sucked away, while Su Ming's body had regained some flesh and blood from its emaciated state.
This strange Art caused the old woman's expression to change. The head of the ghost formed from the black fog was also charging towards her from behind Su Ming with a roar. The old woman swung the flag in her hand backwards, but she did not move backwards herself. Instead, she moved forward. She took a step and lifted her left hand. Her fingernails instantly grew longer, and she swiped at Su Ming through the air, as if those fingernails were five sharp needles moving to him.
As for the ghost head, it had been torn apart once the old woman's fingers touched it, slicing right through.
Su Ming staggered a few steps backwards. His killing sword could not cut through all the ring-shaped black threads, so the five black threads that remained moved past and landed on his chest. They inflicted heavy wounds on his body, and he now looked a bloody mess. An intense pain should have rushed through Su Ming, but he could feel nothing. He did not even spare those wounds a glance. His expression remained aloof, and when he took a step forward, he lifted his right hand and clenched it before hurling a punch straight on the old woman's incoming five fingers.
Booming sounds rang in the air once again. Su Ming's left arm was reduced to a bloody mess, and some of his bones even shattered to pieces, making him look incredibly wretched. The old woman's five fingers swiftly withered, and a large amount of flesh and blood was absorbed from her hand. However, she only let out a cold harrumph and swiped at him once again with her left hand.
Su Ming was as calm as ever when he took a step forward instead of retreating, as if he was not injured. With his torn and bloodied left hand, he punched the old woman's fingers once again.
Half of Su Ming's left arm shattered with a bang. As it did so, blood spilled from his arm. Some white bone and torn pieces of flesh could even be seen still attached to his shoulder.
The old woman's expression filled with shock, because in her eyes, Su Ming did not seem to be experiencing even a little pain. It was as if his body did not belong to him. In fact, she could even see Su Ming lifting his right hand to seize the broken piece of bone to swiftly pull it out. Once he completely tore off his left arm and threw it to the side and stopped the blood from flowing from the wound, he looked over with a cold smile.
This scene didn't shock and terrify the old woman alone. Even Tian Lin sucked in a sharp breath. As for the hundreds of cultivators in the area, when they looked at Su Ming, an indescribable shock could be detected on their faces besides fear.
Just how brutal and ruthless must a person be to be so callous towards his own self? He was completely unconcerned about his pain, and was even… smiling.
If he could be so brutal to himself… then how would he treat his enemies?!
'This sort of person is born to live in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence!' When the old woman looked at Su Ming, this sentence appeared in her head.
Su Ming's divine ability was especially bizarre to her. They had just started fighting against each other, and her arms had already withered away. She had lost almost two-tenths of her flesh and blood, and she had also lost some of her cultivation base once she started circulating it. Since replenishing a cultivation base in this place was incredibly slow, her heart clenched in pain at this sort of loss.
However, that pain in her heart did not last for long. Her eyes went wide, because at that moment, Su Ming had let out go of the killing sword in his right hand. Dozens of crystals that exuded a thick spiritual energy appeared in his right hand, and he crushed all of them. Once a large amount of spiritual energy surged into Su Ming's body, he lifted his head and flashed a cruel smile to the old woman before swiftly charging over towards her once again.
The Crimson Python Phoenix had already closed in by then. With a roar, it rushed towards the old woman, headfirst. The phoenix's inborn divine ability to disassemble all materials was contained within its head, and the old woman's face became incredibly dark.
Booming sounds continued reverberating in the air. After a dozen something breaths, the old woman let out a shrill roar and retreated swiftly. At that moment, half of her flesh and blood had withered away, and she looked as if she had just seen a ferocious ghost.
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Chapter 760: Eternity!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Throughout her entire life of fighting against others, the old woman had never run into any enemy who was like Su Ming. He was completely unbothered no matter how bad his injuries got, completely unperturbed even if his arm was torn off. In fact, even his cultivation base did not suffer too much depletion as he was completely indifferent towards the injuries he sustained. As they fought, a large amount of her flesh and blood would be absorbed every single time he touched her, and he would also absorb spirit stones during battle to replenish the cultivation base he had spent.
There… was no way she could fight against him, even if she had the power that belonged to a World Paragon. If the Crimson Python Phoenix was not here, things might be slightly better, but now… Su Ming had left an incredibly deep impression within Mei Lan's mind.
'He still has many skills which he hasn't activated as well, like that Art that could control the flow of time just then… This person hasn't attacked with his full strength!'
Su Ming's entire body was drenched in blood, and his chest was a bloody mess. White pieces of bone could be seen on many parts of his body, but his expression was as calm as ever. Once he stopped blood from pouring out of the wounds, he cast a cold look at the old woman.
A fierce light appeared in the Crimson Python Phoenix's eyes. It went under Su Ming's feet, and as it stared at the old woman, it roared. There was a threatening tone contained within that roar.
At that moment, Su Ming's emaciated body started squirming in a bizarre fashion, and all his wounds recovered within an instant. Right under the old woman's horrified gaze, white bone and flesh started rapidly growing at the spot where Su Ming had torn off his left arm. In the blink of an eye, a new arm was formed.
As Su Ming recovered, his body gave off a feeling that he had become stronger than before. It had happened because he had refined his body by absorbing flesh and blood that was of the old woman's caliber.
"I originally did not want to attack, but you've gone overboard. I can sense the signs of a seal on your body. You might have the presence of a World Paragon, but what you showed is just the level of a cultivator in Heaven Cultivation Realm. Release your seal and fight against me properly." Su Ming swung his left arm about, and the eight-colored crystal appeared on his left palm as he spoke flatly.
Those who had become Lords of World Planes would be able to easily overpower the cultivators in Heaven, Earth, and Man Cultivation Realms in terms of power. However, Su Ming was much stronger than when he was in Yin Death Region. And more importantly, he had a physical body here. He also had a sufficient amount of spirit stones as well as the Crimson Python Phoenix by his side.
As for the old woman, she had been in this place for many years and knew just how difficult it was to survive here. That was why she had sealed up some of her cultivation base. Once she released it and activated her power of the World Plane, it would be incredibly difficult for her to recover her cultivation base. That was why, as of then, she was caught in a situation between a rock and a hard place, and she was placed in a dilemma.
But the main problem was that she could not grasp the true extent of Su Ming's level of cultivation. Even though she could see the signs of a seal on his body, his brutality towards his own self and that thick murderous aura were all telling signs that he was definitely not an ordinary person.
The Crimson Python Phoenix was also a creature that gave the old woman a headache. If Tian Lin was willing to attack, she would be able to fight without worry, her actions not shackled. However, she could tell that Tian Lin had other thoughts in his mind regarding this matter, and because of that, she was caught in this situation.
Su Ming was actually taking a risk. He was betting that the old woman would not dare to attack at full strength due to her wariness towards him.
"Would the both of you care to listen to what I have to say? Is it also not a form of fate that the three of us have met in Crimson Flame Planet? Could you not continue with this fight?" Tian Lin walked up towards them with a wry smile.
The old woman let out a cold harrumph, but she did not say anything to decline what Tian Lin had suggested.
Su Ming took a step to land on the Crimson Python Phoenix's head before he declared coldly, "Fellow Daoist Tian, since you are the one persuading me to stop, then I won't mind stopping. However, from now onwards, fellow Daoist Mei Lan will not be allowed to step into the northern region of Crimson Flame Planet without permission!"
The old woman stared at Su Ming. After some time, she turned around and transformed into a long arc without a single word and disappeared in midair in an instant, leaving the place as she turned into an illusion.
Tian Lin looked at Su Ming with a wry smile, then shook his head and spoke up.
"Brother Su, fellow Daoist Mei Lan harbors no ill-will. This is… I will talk to you about this in the future. You don't have to worry about her trespassing into the northern region here When fellow Daoist Ku Zhu was still around, we had formed a rule among ourselves that we would not enter each other's regions randomly.
"I will now take my leave…" Tian Lin let out a sigh and wrapped his fist towards Su Ming before he left. By the direction he took, it could be seen that he was chasing after Mei Lan.
When he left, the hundreds of cultivators on the ground were silent as they looked at Su Ming warily.
"From now on, I will be the master of the northern region of Crimson Flame Planet. When I am in isolation, listen to Yue Hong Bang's instructions for all trivial matters." Su Ming swept his gaze across the land, and his aloof words fell into the hearts of all those present.
"Understood!" The hundreds of people wrapped their fists in their palms and bowed together without any hesitation.
They already knew that since the Crimson Python Phoenix had been broken out the seal, since Qi Bei Shan death in that bizarre manner, and since Su Ming's short but intense fight against the World Paragon Mei Lan that the northern region of Crimson Flame Planet would now belong to him.
There could only be one will in this place from then on, and that was Su Ming's will. All those who went against his will be would be destroyed.
Yue Hong Bang's voice was the loudest as the hundred-something people bowed and paid their respects to Su Ming. His expression was filled with excitement at that moment. This sort of position and status had not landed on him since his ancestor had been killed by the True Guards all those years ago. Now that he obtained it once again, he was filled with excitement, and at the same time, there was a zealous look of reverence in his eyes as he looked at Su Ming.
Yue Hong Bang looked at Su Ming for a moment, then immediately said to the people around him, "My fellow Daoists, you know how I am. From now on, I hope that you will all help me make the northern region as great as it was in the past! For now, I only have one thing I want to say. I would like all of you to gather… this sort of blue stones. The more, the better!"
Su Ming no longer bothered himself with this sort of matter. He turned around and walked towards the ground, straight at Qi Bei Shan's collapsed cave abode. Once he sat down outside, the gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix sprawled out by his side and looked at its surroundings cautiously. It would also occasionally look at the sky with a slightly confused look on its face.
The bald crane's eyes sparkled. It flew towards Yue Hong Bang's side and said something. Its words were spoken to him alone, so no one knew what it said. Yue Hong Bang quickly voiced his obedience in respect. He could tell that the bald crane most definitely did not have an ordinary status in Su Ming's eyes. Yue Hong Bang had also personally seen the bird breaking the seal, and its reward had especially shocked him. From the depths of his heart, he did not want to offend this bald crane.
While seated, Su Ming picked up a blue stone and started absorbing it with closed eyes. The stone was quickly reduced to ashes, but there were many of them in this place. After a moment of pensive silence, he decided to temporarily isolate himself and train here.
One month gradually went by. More blue stones were stacked on top of each other around Su Ming. All of these came from the people of the northern region, who now numbered to more than the hundred-something who witnessed the battle. They had delivered these stones based on Yue Hong Bang's orders, and they were enough for Su Ming to absorb to train without having to pause.
As he absorbed the stones, his physical power grew stronger. One day, at midnight, Su Ming opened his eyes and looked at the red moon in the sky. It might not be the first time he saw that the moon in Crimson Flame Planet was red, but every single time he saw it, he would watch it quietly.
On this night, there was a bright ray of starlight that shone with a light that was comparable to moonlight in the dark sky. It was very clear and gentle, shining together with the moon.
Su Ming did not know that this unique day where the star and moon shone together was a special day that came only once a year in Crimson Flame Planet. No one knew when it had happened first, but this day had been turned into a customary day for men and women who were together in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence's Crimson Flame Planet to become tied together as companions for dual cultivation.
The brilliant star and moon on this night were also known as 'Eternity'.
"I no longer have any emotions, but I still have people that I miss dearly…" It was quiet all around Su Ming. The Crimson Python Phoenix lay with its eyes closed, taking a nap by his side, while the bald crane had gone off somewhere. In this silence, Su Ming's soft whispers echoed in the air. "I no longer have any pain, but why does my heart… ache when I long for them..?"
Su Ming touched his chest. He looked at the star and moon in the sky, whispering softly with a voice full of anguish, but no one bothered to answer him.
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Chapter 761: One Star, One Moon, One Sun
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The pain in the heart was a different feeling from pain in the body.
Su Ming pressed the hand tighter against his own chest. The sharp stabs of pain that coursed through his heart after he gained a true physical body gave him a feeling as if his heart had twisted together. He ended up counting the stars in the sky in this silent night.
"You took away the pain of my physical body… but you did not take away the pain of my heart…" Su Ming whispered softly. He did not know that there was a pain in the world that would surpass that of the physical body. Apparently, it was a pain that came from one's soul.
Pain of the soul.
Su Ming did not know when he closed his eyes. He buried that pain in the depths of his heart and made himself remember this feeling firmly. He knew that this was perhaps the only form of nostalgia towards his past that remained available for him.
Within that pain in his heart was Yu Xuan closing her eyes, him being unable to catch her hand, Bai Su turning her head back and smiling at him before only a white piece of fabric remained of her, and him only being able to watch her leave into the distance.
There was also his eldest senior brother waking up, his second senior brother smiling, Hu Zi scratching his head, his Master, who loved changing his clothes… and many, many other things.
The night grew darker. When it went by, Su Ming's hair was no longer purple and black, but gray. That gray color seemed natural, as if it was fitting once he had endured an entire night of pain of the heart, the pain which had affected his soul and body.
With a head of gray hair and his body clothed in a white robe, Su Ming sat outside the cave. When sunlight came from the ends of the earth, he lifted his head.
At that moment, there was a strange existence that seemed to have come straight out of a picture. That picture was of the morning sun that had just risen its head, and on the other side was a gradually darkening moon, along with a brilliant star that was slowly fading away.
One star, one moon, one sun.
The sun, moon, and star all existed together in the sky during that instant. Such a sight would only appear once a year in Crimson Flame Planet, and it would last for less than an hour.
Only when the sun and moon were exchanging places in the sky and day replaced night would this strange phenomenon appear in the sky. It was only on the Day of Eternity that the brilliant star would appear, and whosoever saw this sight at that moment would be unwittingly attracted to it.
Su Ming looked at it with a dazed expression. At the moment this strange phenomenon appeared in the world, it seemed to have made him understand something. The first thing he remembered was the Art he had inherited from the second God of Berserkers as he fought against Si Ma Xin. The divine ability Alterations towards the Stars, Sun, and Moon had been given to him when he inherited the second God of Berserkers' divine abilities from his left hand.
The power contained within that Art was incredibly great, and it was something that only belonged to the second God of Berserkers. Su Ming might have been casting the divine ability all this while, but he had never truly understood it.
Yet at that moment, once he saw the strange sight of the sun, moon, and star in the sky, he suddenly came to understand some applications of the Art which he had not really understood in the past.
However, that understanding quickly faded away. Su Ming looked at the star, sun, and moon in the sky, and the words he uttered from a beast skin scroll with eagerness and hopefulness when he was still a child in Dark Mountain a long time ago appeared in his head once again.
"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…"
"Obtain the power of the sun, moon, and stars…" Su Ming mumbled and looked at the sky with a dazed expression.
Time trickled by. The phenomenon in the world that would only exist for an hour once a year was slowly reaching the end of its existence. As only a faded shadow remained of the brilliant star in the sky, a shudder wrecked through Su Ming body. Even the words from the beast skin scroll disappeared from his head. At that moment, his mind was blank, but he could sense the vague presence of an epiphany that would allow him to raise to an even greater level. It was slowly taking form within him, and that was the third epiphany he had gained while seeing this sun, moon, and star.
However, this third epiphany was very faint, unclear.
When only a shadow remained of the moon, as it too faded away, the indistinct epiphany in Su Ming's mind became stronger, but he still could not figure it out.
He looked as the star disappear, watched as the moon vanished, and stared as the sun in the distance gradually rose into the sky. When the phenomenon that only appeared once a year disappeared, Su Ming remained in an absent-minded state for a long, long time.
He had a strong feeling that if this third epiphany would clearly appear in his head, then he would obtain an astonishing result.
In fact, even when Yue Hong Bang returned and knelt down on one knee before Su Ming, Su Ming did not notice his presence. He looked at the spot in the sky where the star and moon had been but no longer be until a year passed, and he knew… that he had missed gaining a great epiphany.
He did not know what sort of understanding he could have gained from that epiphany. He might have been able to gain a divine ability, or perhaps it would have been a new state of mind, or perhaps it would have even been an increase in his level of cultivation, but he had missed it.
Perhaps it would not be accurate to say that he had missed it. That phenomenon in the sky had simply disappeared too quickly.
Su Ming sighed and averted his gaze from the sky.
Yue Hong Bang had remained kneeling on one knee before Su Ming silently. He had his head bowed, and he did not say a single word. He had been able to tell that Su Ming had been trying to gain an epiphany from the phenomenon in the sky, and he knew that he absolutely must not interrupt this sort of thing. Only when he heard Su Ming's sigh did he lift his head.
"This phenomenon where the sun, moon, and star appear at the same time in the sky occurs once a year, and every time it appears, it lasts for less than an hour… Senior, if you're interested in it, you can see it every year at the exact same moment."
Su Ming remained silent for a moment, then asked quietly, "What is that star?"
Yue Hong Bang was momentarily stunned, then he understood that Su Ming was definitely asking about the bright star last night, the star that would shine with a light that could compare with the moon once a year.
"No one knows what star that is. Some of the powerful warriors in Crimson Flame Planet wanted to search for it in the past, but they never obtained any answer… As time went by, a legend formed. It said that the brilliant star that appears once a year and the moon were close lovers," Yue Hong Bang said in a low tone.
Su Ming looked back up at the sky. After a long time passed, he shook his head. He did not say a word and remained in the same position. Even if the star and moon were no longer in the sky, with only the sun remaining.
Yue Hong Bang stayed silent for a moment, then left. When he was far off, he looked back at Su Ming. After a moment of pensive silence, he chose to sit down on the ground and protect him silently, not allowing a single outsider to enter the place. Even the people from the northern region who had come to deliver blue stones would have their paths blocked off. Yue Hong Bang had them place the blue stones by the side, not allowing them to get close to Su Ming.
Su Ming continued looking at the sky. He watched the blue sky gradually turn dark and the moon slowly emerge from the darkness. One day passed, and another, and another…
Su Ming did not know how long he had been staring at the sky. He had forgotten about the flow of time and even about absorbing the blue stones. He simply sat there and looked at the sky.
The Crimson Python Phoenix remained by his side. Time was irrelevant to this creature. It had also gotten used to this sort of peace. The bald crane would occasionally return, but it was an energetic bird, and most of the time, not long after it returned, it would once again leave the place and busy itself with something.
Yue Hong Bang continued protecting the place from the distance. He had been able to tell that Su Ming was immersed in a strange condition, and this sort of condition was something that would only come through luck.
In fact, even Su Ming himself did not know that his cultivation base had almost stopped circulating while he was in this state. It had begun slowly shrinking into itself as if it was falling asleep. In this state where his cultivation base had fallen asleep, only his heart remained beating slowly.
Only his soul remained looking at the sky after it fused with his eyes.
He did not know that as his heart beat in his chest and his soul looked at the sky, his third change of heart had arrived without him noticing it.
Time passed, and one year gradually went by.
Most of the people in the northern region knew that their leader was in isolation outside the cave abode that originally belonged to Qi Bei Shan. All people were forbidden entry to that place, told not to go any closer than a circular area of a hundred lis. Not a single one of them were allowed to take even a single step into that area.
On the night a year later, besides the bright moon in the sky, the star that had once appeared on the other side of the sky begun to shine brilliantly again. Once it appeared, Su Ming's body, which had not moved for an entire year, suddenly shuddered as he looked at the star. The year had gone by too quickly. He felt as if he had just spent a short moment thinking about that missed epiphany.
At that moment, as he looked at the star, the epiphany he had a year ago begun forming once again, and it was continuously growing clearer and clearer. Gradually, the night faded away. When dim light appeared in the sky and the morning sun showed up, the strange phenomenon of the sun, moon, and star shining in the sky at the same time appeared before Su Ming's eyes once again.
When he looked it, a rumbling went off in his head. As his body shuddered, real tears fell from his eyes. He had suddenly… understood.
He understood why he was so absorbed by the star and why he would gain an epiphany when the sun, moon, and star appeared at the same time.
"The sun that appears every day is the harsh reality. It's reminding me that I'm in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. It's a cruel world, and the sun is making me see unfamiliar sights wherever its light shines…
"The moon that appears every night is an illusory dream. It makes people forget the unfamiliar sights around them and helps them forget where they are. This darkness is a form of self-deception, and from it, desire and hope will be born.
"And that brilliant star that appears once a year in the sky… is… home," Su Ming whispered softly.
'The sun, which is reality, the moon, which is hope, and the star, which is home—they speak of… a wanderer that has left his home, and they symbolize the persistence in his heart to go back…'
Su Ming looked at the star, moon, and sun in the sky. At that instant, he seemed to be able to see the three heavenly bodies shining with a brilliant light. That light gathered on his person, and a loud bang to resound in his head. A sharp, intense pain rose in his heart, and it was the pain of longing for his home.
In the eyes of other people in Crimson Flame Planet, the sun, moon, and star in the sky did not shine with such a brilliant light as they did in Su Ming's sight. The star and moon were still gradually darkening as the sky brightened up, and everything seemed to just be an illusion, a figment of Su Ming's imagination.
Yet the shadow of a sun gradually appeared in Su Ming's left eye at that instant, and the moon seemed to be reflected in his right eye.
The star, then, was contained in his aching heart.
This was Su Ming's epiphany. Due to it, even though the moon and star had faded away and the sun taken over the sky, all three of them… were imprinted deep into Su Ming's mind in the form of memories on drawing boards and epiphany carved into his soul.
"The third change of heart, huh..?"
Su Ming seized his chest. He could sense the change of his emotions, something that had occurred when he experienced his first change of heart all those years ago.
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Chapter 762: Start of the Third Change of Heart
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
'The first change of heart was due to the affection I had for Bai Su…' As his hand remained over his heart, the scene from all those years ago rose up in his mind.
'The second change of heart was a little indistinct, but I could feel it started when I had come to understand that moving from midwinter to spring was moving from death to life, and it ended when I came to realize that I needed to dye the sky with blood to reach autumn when I was in Eastern Wastelands Tower.
'This is the third change of heart, and this time… it is of home.'
The star and moon in the sky had already faded away and disappeared. Only the sun remained high above, and it was radiating heat and sending down bright light. A new day had arrived and chased away the dark. It lifted off the veil of self-deception, causing the people in Crimson Flame Planet to sense the cruelty of their reality.
'There are three ways to get through changes of heart. The first is to fight them, the second is to cut them off, and the third… is to forget them.
'But I no longer have the ability to love and feel pain. I don't want to cut off my thoughts of longing for my home, much less forget them… As for fighting against them… what use is there to fight against them?' Su Ming closed his eyes and hid away the sun and moon in his eyes.
After a long time, when he opened his eyes once again, he stood up from the seated position he had remained in for a full year. Once he did so, Yue Hong Bang immediately dashed towards him from the distance.
Su Ming looked at Yue Hong Bang, then at the large amount of blue stones that had been offered during the past year. He sucked in a huge breath of the heat in the land.
"I'm going to go out for a while. I'll let you handle everything in the northern region," Su Ming said softly before looking into the distance.
The Crimson Python Phoenix that had been asleep for the past year immediately moved. As its cries reverberated in the air, it flew up and went under Su Ming's feet, turning into a long arc and taking Su Ming with it. A black shadow also flapped its wings and caught up to them quickly. Naturally, that was the bald crane.
Yue Hong Bang wrapped his fist in his palm and looked at Su Ming moving into the distance. When he eventually disappeared into the horizon, Yue Hong Bang had a vague feeling that the Su Ming just a moment ago seemed to be slightly different from his past self. Yet he could not describe just what part of him had become different. It was just a feeling, after all.
Su Ming flew through Crimson Flame Planet. His expression was calm as he moved over mountains and deserts. He found a red type of grass on one of the mountains. That grass grew in volcanoes, and it possessed some heat.
Eventually, Su Ming discovered another mountain, an extinct volcano. Its appearance was incredibly similar to that of the ninth summit. As Su Ming stood on that mountain, he looked at it quietly. After a long moment, he lifted his right hand, and the killing sword appeared on his palm. Then, like a gust of wind, he flew in circles around the mountain.
Mountain rocks were shattered. Dust and dirt flew into the air. When an entire day passed, the mountain gradually became even more similar to the ninth summit as Su Ming continued modifying it. Su Ming had even opened up a cave abode at the top of the mountain. His second senior brother's courtyard was also built in the middle section of the mountain. Su Ming's platform and Hu Zi's house was located farther down, and at the foot of the mountain was eldest senior brother's isolation grounds.
When this mountain appeared before Su Ming's eyes, he stood there and stared at it for a long, long time.
When the sky turned dark, the moon hung high in the sky, and the ground became indistinct, Su Ming smiled as he looked at the ninth summit. That smile was incredibly cold and heartless, as if he was wearing a mask, but this was not what Su Ming intended. As he continued smiling, his heart beneath his cold countenance once again ached with pain.
However, this time, the pain did not affect just his heart. A powerful will seemed to have descended on his indifferent face, causing spasms under his icy cold countenance. Gradually, a black mask manifested on his face.
Su Ming knew that his actions could be considered as a type of love. This longing and love for home was not allowed for him. It should be cut off, but his current action was the complete opposite of being indifferent, which was the cause for the mask to show up once again. The will within it started suppressing Su Ming's ability to love.
Blood trickled down from the corners of Su Ming's mouth, but he continued lifting his feet to walk to the top of the mountain, where he sat down by himself.
The Crimson Python Phoenix was lying at the foot of the mountain. It seemed to have noticed what was in Su Ming's heart, and it was something that said he did not want anyone bothering him.
The bald crane had been watching everything that Su Ming did for the entire day, and the energetic bird suddenly fell silent. It looked at the ninth summit before its eyes and gradually went to Su Ming's side. As it looked at his aloof face, the blood at the corners of his mouth, and his actions of seizing his chest, grief appeared on the bald crane's face.
"I won't cut away my longing for home, and neither will I forget it… I choose pain! I will keep the pain in my heart to remember that feeling, and I will feel this pain forever. Only then will I remember it, only then… will I not be able to forget it," Su Ming mumbled to himself.
He was afraid that he would one day forget his longing for home, that he would gradually lose himself in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence as he was immersed in the indifference and heartlessness of this place.
That was why he had to keep this pain in his heart.
He brought out the red grass he had gathered all along the way from his storage and started tying knots on those blades of grass. When morning arrived, Su Ming had already finished weaving a grass puppet.
That puppet was headless.
However, this puppet had drops of blood that had dripped down from Su Ming's tongue after he had bitten the tip of his tongue. Due to that blood, the puppet no longer looked lifeless. It seemed like it had come to life.
The puppet did not resemble eldest senior brother, but in Su Ming's eyes, it was not a puppet but his eldest senior brother!
Su Ming looked at the red puppet that signified his eldest senior brother. His expression was indifferent, and his emotions could not be seen, but his look of concentration represented everything in his mind.
Yet at this moment, the mask that had disappeared when night arrived appeared once again. This time, the will that came from the mask was even greater than before. Signs of decay appeared on Su Ming's face, and a shudder wrecked his body. Wisps of green smoke also spread out. He did not feel pain, but the will that was came from the mask was forcefully trying to make him stop his actions.
Su Ming shuddered. He could feel that he could no longer control his own hands. It was as if the will within the mask was controlling his body, and it forced him to abruptly cough up a huge mouthful of blood.
Su Ming's gaze turned even colder, and he gritted his teeth. Struggling, he slowly lifted his right hand and brought out some more red grass. As his hands trembled, he slowly tied knots on the blades. This once simple act was now an arduous task, but he still persevered through it.
In three days, Su Ming weaved his second red doll, which also contained his blood. The doll looked to be smiling gently, and as if it would continue doing so no matter when and where it was.
When Su Ming finished weaving the second doll, the sun was incredibly bright. It shone on the side of the doll's face, and its smile stirred up a memory in Su Ming's head, leaving him dazed.
As he immersed himself in that memory, the decay of his face under the mask became even worse. The will coming from the mask let out a bang in Su Ming's head, and blood trickled out of the corners of his mouth. He might feel no pain, but the damage done by the will surpassed all pain, causing him to fall to the side.
Seven days later, Su Ming opened his eyes. They were bloodshot, and his body was incredibly weak. He felt as if his heart and soul had been injured, but when he opened his eyes, he brought out the red blades of grass once more and started weaving them with shaking hands.
This time, Su Ming fainted three times while weaving the doll, due to the will from the mask sending out blasts in his head. A month later, there was no longer any shine on his body. However, the third doll had been finished.
It was a doll with a silly expression and an honest look. As Su Ming looked at the doll, he chuckled. His laughter was cold and contained no emotion, but when the bald crane heard it, it felt that everything that had happened during the past month and that cold chuckle were more real than anything else in the world.
'You can take away my ability to love, but you can't take away the longing that exists in my heart…'
Su Ming picked up the red grass. When he began weaving the fourth doll, blood dripped down from his face. At that instant, the will that came from the mask had become so strong that it could cause Su Ming's soul to shake.
Su Ming lifted his head and let out a roar towards the sky.
His hands shook as he tried to tie the grass knots time and again. When another month passed, the fourth doll was done.
It was a woman, a woman who was smiling as she turned her head back to look at someone. This was Bai Su.
When that doll was finished, Su Ming's hands had already been torn apart. His feebleness reached its peak, and he was practically at death's door, but the bright sun in his left eye and the moon in his right had become even clearer. They now occupied the entire space within his pupils.
He brought out some more red grass to weave the fifth doll - Yu Xuan.
Yet this time, no matter how Su Ming tried, he could not tie the first knot. Every single time he was about to tie it, the eyes that fell shut would appear in his heart, along with the figure that fell into the distance because he did not manage to catch her.
He tried, again and again, and he failed, again and again. Dark light spread out from the mask on Su Ming's face. When it covered his face, his eyes grew even more aloof and heartless.
Su Ming looked at the red blade of grass, on which he was still unable to tie the first knot. Without lifting his head, he asked languidly in a voice that contained a cold that could even chill bones, "Sir, you've been here for many days. How long do you intend to keep watching me?"
A sigh came from the sky. Tian Lin appeared in midair, and with a complicated expression, he looked at the black mask on Su Ming's face, then at the dolls before Su Ming, along with the red grass in his hand that was filled with creases.
"Sir, why do you do this? I can see that there is a seal in the mask on your face, so why do you insist on fighting against it?"
When Tian Lin said these words, Su Ming lifted his head. At the instant he turned the sun in his left eye and the moon in his right towards Tian Lin, Tian Lin's words died away. His gaze met Su Ming's, and a bang immediately rang out in his heart.
As that bang reverberated in his heart, Su Ming and the mountain disappeared from his eyes, to be replaced by a plain of withered grass. There were a few families on that plain, and at that moment, those families were screaming shrilly. True Guard dressed in red were massacring those families.
At the end of the fight, one burly True Guard that had a bloody presence stood before a trembling young man whose face was rife with terror. That young man repeatedly tried to fight against him, but every single time, he would be flung backwards by a swing of the True Guard's arm while coughing up blood. Then, with a voice filled with indifference and disdain, he said flatly, "You know well that you aren't my opponent, and yet you still dare to attack me. Oh well, I'll spare you, young child of the fifth generation of Tian Kui's descendants. It'll be a show of my kindness."
When the massacre was over and the True Guard left, the young man lifted his head and let out a shrill roar before he fell to his knees. Tears of blood trickled down his face.
All of this might have only been an instant-long illusion, but Tian Lin started trembling. His eyes turned red as the pain that was hidden at the deepest parts of his heart resurfaced, reminding him of what had happened to his home in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence several thousands of years ago!
His breathing quickened, and he looked towards Su Ming.
"What is this Art?!"
"The sun represents reality, the moon represents hope, and the star… represents home. This is what I have come to understand of the illusion of the star, sun, and moon. As for the question regarding why I am fighting against the seal… it is the same answer as to why you were fighting against that True Guard."
Su Ming picked up the four dolls before him. Because they contained his blood, they slowly fused into his body, and from then on, it was as if… these people were with him in this place.
Su Ming knew that his third change of heart had just started. It had not ended. It would only truly end once he finished weaving everyone's dolls and fused all of them into his body. Then, with this method, he would conquer his third change of heart.
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Chapter 763: Chance!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tian Lin remained silent in the air. He had sensed Su Ming going into isolation a year ago, and because of his isolation and his act of gaining his epiphany, Tian Lin's original intention of searching for him for a talk was pushed back. When he sensed that Su Ming had come out of his isolation and left his spot, Tian Lin had walked out of his forest in the western region and come to this place based on what he could sense of the other's presence.
He had come here a few days ago, but he had never showed himself, because the things he saw brought shock and apprehension to his heart. The same thought as Yue Hong Bang's formed in his head. He did not believe that Su Ming was a person from the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, and that thought took shape because of the mask that would occasionally appear on Su Ming's face.
In his eyes, the mask was clearly a powerful torture device, and only the first generation criminals who were banished to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence from the four Great True Worlds would be in possession of a torture device.
This was the punishment from the four Great True Worlds. It was a way to suppress these criminals' power and also make them suffer while leaving them to their own devices in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
When he saw the mask on Su Ming's face, a large portion of the slight hesitation Tian Lin still harbored to talk about his plans with Su Ming instantly vanished. He had a feeling that he had eight-tenths of a chance to lead of Su Ming's origins.
At that moment, his breathing gradually calmed down. The scene just now had momentarily filled his heart with fear, and he had become wary of Su Ming's divine ability. He was different from Mei Lan, in that. He had never underestimated Su Ming. On the contrary, he regarded him extremely highly in his heart.
"Fellow Daoist Su, your divine abilities are mysterious and profound, I cannot hope to compare to you. Now, after seeing the Art you possess, I'm even more eager to invite you to join my quest." Tian Lin smiled faintly as he descended to stand before Su Ming.
"Sit." Su Ming's expression remained as impassive as ever as he sat on the ground. His body was slowly recovering from its weakness, and his expression grew colder as his body recovered. The light in his eyes shone with heartlessness. At that moment, Su Ming looked even colder than before he experienced his third change of heart.
With a smile on his lips, Tian Lin sat down and looked at Su Ming, then suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Su, are you perhaps interested in the power of World Planes?"
"What do you mean?" Su Ming's expression remained the same, and his voice was flat.
"I know of a place that can provide incredibly thick power of World Planes, but that place is very dangerous…" The smile remained on Tian Lin's face.
"I have yet to reach the state of being a Lord of a World Plane, hence I am not interested in the power of World Planes." Su Ming shook his head.
Tian Lin was momentarily stunned. He did not expect that Su Ming would reject him so bluntly and thoroughly. He frowned and sized up this youth before he spoke once again.
"Fellow Daoist Su, you're being humble. You have plenty of mysteries surrounding your person, but there is no way I would believe that you have yet to reach the status of World Paragon." Tian Lin laughed, and a brilliant light shone in his eyes.
"But if you aren't interested in the power of World Paragons, fellow Daoist Su, then would you perhaps be interested in the Crimson Flame Stone, which possesses even greater physical power?"
Su Ming cast Tian Lin a look.
"Fellow Daoist Su, don't be in such a hurry to reject my offer, please spare some time to listen to my words. There might be plenty of these blue stones in Crimson Flame Planet, and they might exist in every region here… but the physical power contained within these blue stones is far inferior to the stone in the place which I spoke of.
"No one has been able to absorb the physical power contained within it, but I've been observing you, fellow Daoist Su, and I found that you are… very interested in these stones. This is the first reason!" Tian Lin's eyes burned brightly as he looked at Su Ming. There was a slightly solemn expression on his face when he spoke again.
"The second reason is that True Guards come patrolling Crimson Flame Planet once every ten years. At that time, they will examine closely whether all the seals in Crimson Flame Planet are still in perfect condition. Any damage, no matter how small it is, will cause the True Guards to descend to the planet to investigate it.
"Fellow Daoist Su, you've opened the seal around the region of the Crimson Python Phoenix. Even if the creature will be placed back within the seal, there will still be some hints of its escape, and there is a high possibility that it will be discovered by the True Guards… Once they discover this, which to those in the four Great True Worlds is the most grievous matter in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, then even if you leave and run far away, you will still be chased down by the True Guards. They will issue an arrest warrant for you, and even offer a reward for your head. There is less than eight years till then."
Tian Lin looked at Su Ming as he spoke. Once he finished saying these words, he did not say anything else. He knew that Su Ming was an intelligent man, and it was only natural that he would be able to discern the truth of his words, as well as the consequences of his actions.
"Please get straight to the point, fellow Daoist Tian." Tian Lin was unable to find any clues from Su Ming's expression. Just as he contemplated his next move, Su Ming's aloof voice reached his ears.
Once Tian Lin heard Su Ming's words, a smile appeared on his face.
"Alright, then I will voice my thoughts. Fellow Daoist Su, you must certainly know that there is a member of an alien race that has been sealed within each of the depleted cultivation planets for a countless number of years!
"Even the powerful warriors of the four Great True Worlds found it difficult to kill these members of the alien races, that's why they chose to seal them up. There might be other reasons for it, but I don't know about them.
"It's said that Crimson Flame Planet has a renowned mighty cultivator from the alien race sealed up within it. Back when the alien race fought against the four Great True Worlds, he was known as the Duke of Crimson Flame!
"This person has been sealed in Crimson Flame Planet from the very start. His power was forced to spread out, and it formed the various volcanoes in the planet. His life was forced to spread out, and the ferocious beasts from the alien races absorbed it so they would not die once the four Great True Worlds sealed them up and wiped away their intelligence… Fellow Daoist Su, your Crimson Python Phoenix is one of the ferocious beasts from the alien races.
"And as the seal continued corroding this mighty cultivator's flesh and blood, it formed the blue stones that filled the land over the countless years. This is also the origin of the Crimson Flame Stones I spoke about just now." Tian Lin's words echoed in the air.
Su Ming's expression might have seemed normal, but his heart was in shock. He might not know whether Tian Lin's words were real, but this was not something that was difficult to verify. There was really no need for Tian Lin to lie to him about this.
"Within the depths of the land, in the area where the Duke of Crimson Flame is sealed, there is a large amount of power that belongs to World Planes, and even those in Plane Kalpa. If we could absorb it, then our levels of cultivation would definitely increase exponentially!
"Fellow Daoist Su, if you go there and absorb all the power of the Duke of Crimson Flame's flesh and blood, then the power contained within your flesh and blood will reach an incredibly powerful state.
"I know that you must surely have some queries in your heart. If these members of the alien races are sealed within Crimson Flame Planet and all the other cultivation planets in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, then why have I never taken any action beforehand but only chose to say these words after you came to this place?" A bright light shone in Tian Lin's eyes. His voice spread out as he pointed at the Crimson Python Phoenix at the foot of the mountain.
"Fellow Daoist Su, if you can make a ferocious beast from an alien race leave the seal, then you must surely be able to make all the ferocious beasts in Crimson Flame Planet move out of their seals. If you can do this, then we'll have five-tenths of a chance to enter the place where the Duke of Crimson Flame is sealed!
"At that time, both of us will obtain some benefits. And no matter how weak he is, there is no possible way that a mighty cultivator like the Duke of Crimson Flame would die. Besides, if we judge the time properly, when the True Guards arrive, we can help him escape. To the True Guards, the Duke of Crimson Flame is the one who really holds their attention. We're just small fry. This is a win-win situation. Fellow Daoist Su, are you willing to do this?
"Once your physical power becomes even greater and we obtain our rewards and benefits, then why should we worry even if we are chased down by the True Guards and are issued arrest warrants?
"Besides, since there is no way we can avoid being chased down and issued arrest warrants, then why don't we try to get ourselves the greatest amount of benefits possible beforehand?!" Tian Lin's words showed that his thought processes were incredibly clear. His words, too, possessed great, persuasive power. Once he finished saying these things, he waited quietly for Su Ming's answer.
Su Ming remained in contemplative silence for a moment before he looked at Tian Lin and said slowly, "Judging by your words, it seems like we aren't the only people who will be involved in this."
"That's right. As long as you are certain you can open the seals and promise to do this, then I will immediately gather some of my good friends to work on this!" Tian Lin sucked in a deep breath and stood up to bow towards Su Ming. His expression was incredibly sincere.
"Fellow Daoist Su, you possess the power to break seals. This is a blessing to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence and a fortune for us cultivators. Please help us!"
Su Ming remained in pensive silence for a moment before he looked at Tian Lin and said, "This will affect many things. I will need to think about this for some time. I cannot give you an answer immediately."
"Of course. That is naturally what one should do."
If Su Ming had immediately answered, then Tian Lin would have had suspicions. In his eyes, it was simply impossible for Su Ming to immediately agree to this matter. After all, there were too many things that would be affected by this.
At that instant, when he heard Su Ming's words after that slight pause, he knew that Su Ming had already been moved by his offer, which was why he did not continue trying to persuade him. Instead, he lifted his right hand and seized the air. A storage bag immediately appeared in his hand, and he handed it over to Su Ming.
"Brother Su, it doesn't matter what you choose in the end, I will still give you a small gift. Over the past year, I've moved through all the regions in Crimson Flame Planet except the northern region to gather all the blue Crimson Flame Stones in those places. If you wanted them, brother Su, you could have easily obtained them, but please accept this as a slight show of my sincerity." Tian Lin wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming.
"Brother Su, will I be able to obtain an answer in a year?"
"I will definitely give you an answer a year later!" Su Ming stood up and also wrapped his fist in his palm towards Tian Lin.
"I look forward to good news. This is a jade slip that will transfer sound. No matter what your choice is, please tell me your answer using this item one year later, brother Su." Tian Lin let out a hearty laugh before he gave Su Ming a jade slip. Then, he turned around and disappeared without a trace.
Su Ming watched Tian Lin leave into the distance. He stood still and silent for a moment, then picked up the storage bag and opened it. He scanned it with his divine sense and his Atman and found blue stones piled into several mountains.
This bag with its incredibly large storage capacity alone was already no ordinary item. The 'small gift' Tian Lin had given to him was, in fact, not small at all!
A variety of expressions flickered through Su Ming's face. After some time, he walked into the cave abode at the top of the ninth summit with the storage bag and stayed there. In the blink of an eye, a year passed. On this day, a large amount of blue stones was rapidly shattering before Su Ming as he sat in the cave abode. As he absorbed the physical power contained within them, his eyes sparkled with a brilliant light.
'Tian Lin is definitely hiding something. There's no way this matter is as simple as it sounds. But…' Su Ming cast a glance at the shattered blue stones before his eyes.
'Power is everything in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Since it's difficult for me to swiftly increase my level of cultivation and I have a chance to increase my physical strength lying right before my eyes, then even if it's dangerous… I will still take up this challenge!'
Su Ming's eyes flew up, and a resolute look appeared within them. He had lived in danger for most of his life, and he knew since a long time ago that fortune came from danger. If he hesitated and tried running away when trouble arose, then it would be impossible for him to obtain great serendipity.
After some time, a jade slip turned into a long arc. Abruptly. it was engulfed in flames, and a ray of sunlight erupted from it. Then, in the blink of an eye, it charged toward the world in the distance.
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Chapter 764: Crimson Flame Planet's Change!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
With a few flashes, the jade slip appeared in the western region of the Crimson Flame Planet. Right at the moment it rushed there, the air before it distorted. Tian Lin took a step forward from that distortion and grabbed the jade slip. Once he scanned it with his divine sense, a smile appeared on his face. Excitement that he could not hide flashed through his eyes, and as he laughed, he turned into a shooting star and charged into the sky. Clearly, he was going to leave Crimson Flame Planet and visit his good friends in the worlds beyond this planet to involve them in this conspiracy.
Another year passed. Su Ming had been in Crimson Flame Planet for four years by then. During the past two years, he hadn't taken a single step out of his cave abode. As he was in isolation, he would constantly absorb the physical power contained within the blue stones.
On this day, Su Ming's eyes suddenly flew open. A large amount of blue stones before him were reduced to powder at the same time, and wisps of physical power surged into his body. At that moment, he noticed four long arcs charging towards him from beyond the cave abode.
There was a person within each of the long arcs. One of the presences was familiar to Su Ming. It was naturally that of Tian Lin. The other three might be alien to him, but all of them, without exception, were those of Lords of World Planes!
Su Ming swung his arm, and all the dust that were the blue stones before him immediately scattered. He got up, and with one step, he walked out of the cave abode. His gray hair danced in the wind, and his white robe, which was formed from the Sacred Constellation Robe, fluttered in the wind.
Su Ming could not control the Sacred Constellation Robe completely, but its defensive powers were incredibly astonishing, and no matter how he tried to destroy it, it would recover completely after a moment. When he had fought against old Mei Lan all those years ago, no one had been able to see any hints of this robe. Even old Mei Lan had thought that the Constellation Robe's power was actually the strength of Su Ming's own physical power.
The big dog that was the bald crane came running out of the cave abode along with Su Ming. As it stood beside him, it was also looking at the sky, and there was an expression full of disdain on its face.
As for that Crimson Python Phoenix, it was looking at the sky coldly from the foot of the mountain. Due to its huge body, even if it was just lying down on the ground, it looked like a small hill.
The four long arcs charged over from the horizon, closing in in the blink of an eye. The person in the lead was Tian Lin. He had been able to see Su Ming right away, and a smile lit up on his face.
"Brother Su, thank you for the trouble of waiting here. I'm honored that you would do so."
As Tian Lin smiled, he appeared before Su Ming in a flash. The three long arcs behind him closed in within an instant as well. Once they landed on the mountain at the same time, three waves of powerful divine senses scanned Su Ming without even bothering with politeness.
There might not be any killing intent contained within these three waves of divine senses, but this act of scanning him without even bothering to hide their intentions showed just how overbearing they were.
"This is the fellow Daoist Su which you've been telling us about? He's just a mere cultivator at Earth Cultivation Realm. I no longer harbor any hope for the plan you mentioned earlier."
The group of three consisted of a middle-aged man, an old man, and a dwarf that was half an average man's height.
The old man had brown hair and the face of a child. He was also hunched slightly. His eyes were dull, without any shine, but if anyone took a closer look into his eyes, they would find that his right pupil was actually positioned vertically.
He stood there with an aloof expression, and no one could determine what sort of emotions were in his heart at that moment. Yet the divine sense that scanned Su Ming exuded a chilling air.
The middle-aged man had an average appearance. His skin was slightly darker than normal, and there was a scar that ran from the left corner of his lips to the other side of his face, revealing his yellowing teeth when he spoke and giving him an incredibly hideous and terrifying presence. He was not as thin as the other people in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, but incredibly burly. As he stood there, he gave Su Ming a feeling as if he was facing off a wall.
He did not have any hair, not even eyebrows. His upper body was unclothed, and there was a chain that came out of his chest, as if it was growing within him.
He was also the person who had said those words previously.
The dwarf that was half the height of an average man had a smile on his face as he stood by the middle-aged man's side. He looked incredibly friendly, and his small hands and feet made him look as if he was completely harmless. He had his hair tied in a braid. At that moment, his hands were crossed in front of him, hidden in the sleeves. This gave him the appearance of a shopkeeper in a small town in the mortal world.
Tian Lin frowned at the words spoken by the well-built middle-aged man without eyebrows, then looked at Su Ming apologetically. He then turned around and stood between the man and Su Ming. With a wry smile, he looked at the middle-aged man.
"Brother Ye, why must you do this? I've already told you everything in detail on the way, including the things about brother Su. I've also told you that we want to gain something together that is of vital importance to us, so we must not start arguing."
"Hmph." The middle-aged man let out a cold snort and no longer bothered himself with Su Ming, but he had agreed with Tian Lin's point of view.
"Brother Su, allow me to introduce my friends. This is fellow Daoist Long Li from Heaven Wheel Planet. Brother Long has astonishing power, and he's also skilled in using a large variety of divine abilities and Arts. He has incredibly great talent." As Tian Lin spoke, the old man among the three people cast Su Ming an aloof glance. He did not speak, only nodded slightly.
Su Ming cast the old man a glance. The vertical pupil in his right eye gave Su Ming a feeling that it was incredibly dangerous.
"This is fellow Daoist Ye Shen Tong from Peaceful Earth Planet. Fellow Daoist Ye has divine power within his whole body, and he also has an outstanding level of cultivation. He has come to understand the power of the earth's essence and can bring forth even greater power when he is in the depths of the land. He has once fought against a True Guard and survived it. Now, his injuries have healed, and his level of cultivation has increased even more."
While Tian Lin was speaking, the well-built middle-aged man without eyebrows gave Su Ming a ghastly smile. He looked like a boorish man, but in truth, he had his own reasons for the words he had spoken right upon meeting Su Ming.
"This is the last person. He is fellow Daoist Sun Kun from Dark Brilliance Planet. Fellow Daoist Sun is skilled with Runes, and he is known as 'Assorted Treasures'. His entire body is filled with poison, and his attacks with these poisonous substances has made him famous in all areas."
Once Tian Lin finished speaking, the dwarf that looked like a shopkeeper wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming in a friendly manner and let out a boisterous laugh.
"Brother Tian, you praise me too much. Brother Su, don't listen to his nonsense, my name is most definitely not famous in all areas. It's just that I usually move around the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to earn myself a living.
"Everyone has just gave me this title because they were being tactful. Don't take it as something real." As Sun Kun laughed, he shook his head, giving off a completely harmless look, and it was very easy for people to have a good impression of him due to his demeanor.
"I've already introduced brother Su to the three of you on the way here. Brother Su has extraordinary power. He has great physical strength and divine abilities that contain the power of laws. Even I admire him greatly." Tian Lin looked at the three people. When he spoke, Su Ming nodded coldly.
It did not matter whether it was the three people scanning him with their divine senses or Ye Shen Tong provoking him, Su Ming's expression never changed. At that moment, his face was freezing cold, and he did not say a single word.
His composure caused a barely noticeable glint to appear in Ye Shen Tong's eyes. Even the dwarf Sun Kun regarded Su Ming a little longer while continuing to smile. Only the hunchbacked old man remained unmoved.
Tian Lin looked at the sky and said, "Alright, we're all here now. We still have six years until the True Guards begin their patrol. We have to hurry."
"Why don't I see fellow Daoist Mei Lan?" Sun Kun asked with a faint smile.
"Fellow Daoist Mei Lan's ambitions are different from ours, she won't come." Tian Lin shook his head and avoided the topic. When he looked at Su Ming, his expression grew solemn.
"Brother Su, how many days would you need to release the seals on all the ferocious beasts in Crimson Flame Planet?"
"A month," Su Ming answered coolly.
"Alright, then a month later, once you have released all the ferocious beasts, the life force of the alien race's mighty cultivator won't be absorbed anymore. At that time, please assist me with the method I told the three of you previously. Once I open a gap in the seal, we'll move into the depths of the core.
"Fellow Daoist Su, fellow Daoist Sun, once we reach the depths, please use your talents with Runes to allow us to move deeper into the core. At that time, fellow Daoist Ye can open the path for us with his mighty physical strength. Fellow Daoist Long, your divine abilities are astonishing, and your divine sense is also stronger than all of ours, please point the way at that time. As for me, since I was the one who planned this, I will have my Nascent Divinity change places with my physical body. With my Nascent Divinity, I will help fellow Daoist Long scout the region and guide our path, I will also help fellow Daoist Ye open the path, as well as helping fellow Daoist Su and fellow Daoist Sun reduce the strength of the seal," Tian Lin said resolutely. Once he finished speaking, the three people's expressions changed. Even the aloof old man, Long Li, was visibly affected by his words.
"Having your Nascent Divinity change places with your physical body means having your Nascent Divinity replace your physical body. Fellow Daoist Tian, do you know the repercussions of this Forbidden Art?" Long Li asked in a hoarse voice, speaking up for the first time.
"Of course I do. If even the slightest thing goes wrong, my physical body will wither and my Nascent Divinity won't live long. I will definitely die then, but only this way can I increase our chances of success. I have to increase my level of cultivation by several fold, or else it will be difficult for any of us to head deeper into the core. Everyone, I will be paying a large price for this, and that is only because I wish for our success, so please, don't fight among ourselves, or else… don't blame me for falling out with you!"
Tian Lin's voice instantly turned cold and dark. He had always given others a feeling that he was a gentle person, so this sudden chill in his voice and his statement that he would have his Nascent Divinity change places with his physical body instantly caused this ghastly air that appeared about him to possess an incredible intimidating force.
"Brother Su, I will leave everything to you!" Tian Lin sucked in a deep breath, then wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply towards Su Ming.
Su Ming looked at Tian Lin and remembered everything he saw when the other had fallen into the illusion two years ago. After some time, he too wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed towards him. He then immediately charged into the sky. The Crimson Python Phoenix rose from the ground with a roar, and the big dog that was the bald crane barked as it followed behind him.
Three days later, the Crimson Flame Planet shuddered with a bang. A shocking roar came the spot where a ferocious beast from the alien races was sealed. It looked like a tiger, and excitement appeared on its face as it was finally able to rush out of its sealed region.
Seven days later, roars continued to ring throughout Crimson Flame Planet. The ferocious beasts from the alien races who were known as the 'gods' to the residents rushed out of their sealed regions, and their numbers did not dwindle. The beast roars shook the whole planet, leaving the cultivators in shock.
Half a month later, there was an astonishing change to Crimson Flame Planet. More than half of the ferocious beasts had been released. The sky and earth were dark, and booming shook them repeatedly. Within the stone house in the mountain located in the eastern region was old Mei Lan. She was sitting quietly in her house as a variety of emotions flickered on her face.
A month later, all the ferocious beasts from the alien races in Crimson Flame Planet let out a roar that surged into the sky. It was a sound that came from almost all the ferocious beasts that had rushed out of their sealed regions, regaining freedom.
Since the change in Black Ink Planet ten thousand years ago, the Barren Lands of Divine Essence would now welcome its second drastic change, and it would be known as… Crimson Flame Planet's change!
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Chapter 765: God Ascension Poison Wasp
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The moment all the ferocious beasts in Crimson Flame Planet rushed out from the regions they had been sealed in, the screens of light of all sorts of colors in these sealed regions started flashing together. Once they flashed nine times, they let out a loud boom that could cause the sky and earth to crumble.
As that boom echoed in the air, all the seals on the surface of Crimson Flame Planet shattered. A tremor that could overturn the sky and earth wrecked the planet. As the loud bang reverberated in the air, Tian Lin used some sort of unknown method, and a large crack tore through the land at the center of Crimson Flame Planet, which was located at the middle of all the regions. That crack formed a gigantic ravine. It was several hundreds of thousands of feet long and ran so deep that the end could not be seen.
An incredibly thick Earthen Aura erupted from the depths of the ravine. It was so thick that it possessed color. The yellowish brown fog instantly filled half of the sky, to the point that if a person stretched out their hand before, they would be unable to see their own fingers.
Tian Lin's voice was full of urgency as it passed through the hazy yellowish brown fog.
"The seal has been broken. We must now leave immediately into the depths of the earth and gather together below."
Piercing sounds rang within the fog right after. Those were the sounds of people charging into the crack at full speed.
The yellowish brown fog had dyed the sky with its color, causing the murky sky in Crimson Flame Planet to look like an old man's face that possessed a sallow hue.
Su Ming sensed his surroundings with his Atman while his sight was blocked by the fog. Everything within his vision might be a blur, but he could sense that the others were already in the ravine. He was the only one still outside.
The Crimson Python Phoenix was staring into the distance with a slight irritation. There was also a hint of unease within it. But its body was too big, and it was difficult for it to follow Su Ming into the depths of the earth.
Su Ming patted the Crimson Python Phoenix's gigantic head, then in a flash, he turned into a long arc that charged into the crack. The bald crane followed closely behind him. As for the Crimson Python Phoenix, it hesitated for a while before deciding to wait outside.
The Earthen Aura in this place was thick, and it had a sticky sensation as it blew against Su Ming's body. He could not help but slow down slightly. It was as if he was moving in water. When the entered the ravine and charged downwards, the big dog that was the bald crane wrinkled its nose. As it sniffed the Earthen Aura, confusion appeared in its eyes.
'Well, damn me. Why does this feel so familiar? It feels as if I've taken a bath before in a place that has an even thicker Earthen Aura. And I seem to remember that there were even a few women by my side when I was bathing…'
The bald crane shook its head. For some reason, ever since it came to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, occasional bouts of absent-mindedness as well as waves of familiarity would rise in its mind.
Su Ming was surrounded by darkness as he charged forward. The ravine was incredibly deep, and it had a force that limited the reach of divine senses and Atmans, preventing him from scouting the area of less than a thousand feet. The farther down he went, the thicker the Earthen Aura became. It made it difficult for him to speed up, and the area of his Atman's perception also grew smaller.
Su Ming's expression was aloof, but there was caution in his eyes. He might not be traveling quickly, but he was moving forward at a steady pace. In fact, he could vaguely sense Ye Shen Tong and Sun Kun's presences before him. Clearly, it was difficult for them to continue accelerating in this Earthen Aura as well.
Tian Lin and the old Long Li might not be within Su Ming's area of perception, but they shouldn't be too far off.
Yet at that moment, Su Ming's expression suddenly changed, and his footsteps instinctively came to a halt. He swiftly looked into his storage bag. Right then, he had sensed something trembling and showing signs of awakening within his storage bag.
Su Ming was momentarily stunned, then surprised delight immediately appeared in his eyes, but his gaze instantly returned to normal.
"Did something happen at the back, fellow Daoist Su?"
Almost at the instant Su Ming's expression returned to normal, Sun Kun stopped moving due to Su Ming's sudden halt. While remaining cautious, he sent his words to him in the fog.
"It's nothing. A thought just suddenly came to me. It would be difficult for us to move even half an inch forward when we reach the area underneath when the fog is already so thick in this place," Su Ming answered while starting to charge downwards again.
"That should not be the case. The Earthen Aura in this place is gushing forward very quickly, but once it escapes, this area will become more suitable for us to move about." As Sun Kun spoke, he slowed down slightly and waited for Su Ming so they could travel side by side. His body might be indistinct, but his voice was very clear.
"Let's hope that's the case." As Su Ming answered, he charged downwards with Sun Kun.
As they moved downwards, Sun Kun's voice suddenly dropped to a much lower volume, and in a voice that only the two of them could hear, he whispered to Su Ming, "Fellow Daoist Su, be careful of Ye Shen Tong. That person regarded you with hostility when we met each other because he doesn't really need a lot of power of World Planes. He came here because he was attracted by the physical strength possessed by the alien race's mighty cultivator. He should be the same as you, having found a way to absorb the alien race's physical power."
Sun Kun, whose face was like that of a shopkeeper, spoke with a whisper, and once his words reached Su Ming's ears like a feather, he did not say anything else. His face hidden in the fog was as friendly as ever, and the smile was still on his lips.
"Oh? Thank you for your kind warning, fellow Daoist Sun," Su Ming said calmly, his face remaining as impassive as it usually was.
As the two of them spoke, a bang came from the area before them. It sounded like something had shattered. Su Ming's pupils constricted, but right then, Tian Lin's voice came from underneath.
"This is the end of the ravine. My fellow Daoists, please slow down slightly."
After a moment, Su Ming and Sun Kun reached the place, and everything before their eyes immediately cleared up. The Earthen Aura might still be gushing forth fiercely from the depths of the crack, but their vision had become much clearer.
This was the depths of a long crack that seemed like it was a canyon which was a horizontal line. There were seven spots on that line, and the seemingly endless Earthen Aura was gushing out of these seven spots.
This was why once they reached the bottom of the crack, their field of vision had become much clearer. They could see everything around them, besides the areas of the seven spots from which the earthen aura was gushing out.
Tian Lin's entire body had withered away, but there was a gentle layer of light covering his body. It made it seem as if he was an illusion, but at the same time, his aura had become much stronger than it had been a month ago.
Clearly, he had already cast the forbidden art of having his Nascent Soul changing places with his physical body.
The old Long Li was crouching down by the side, by some stones on the ground. There were a large number of cracks there, so, clearly, the booming and cracking had come from there.
Ye Shen Tong was looking around. His gaze was mostly on the Earthen Aura, though no one knew what he was thinking about.
Su Ming and Sun Kun's arrival caught Ye Shen Tong and Tian Lin's attention. Ye Shen Tong let out a cold chuckle before he ignored them, while Tian Lin nodded at Su Ming and Sun Kun.
"It's much better than what I thought it would be. This place is the depths of the seal on the ground. You can also consider it as a doorway. Fellow Daoist Long has already tried breaking it just now. The stone walls in this place are brittle, they seem like they will shatter with just one strike. This means that we are in the right spot. This is… the edge of where the alien race's mighty cultivator is sealed.
"It's like an egg shell. The Earthen Aura coming out of the seven holes is the aura that had gathered within the seal over an endless amount of years.
"We can rest a while here. We'll maintain our cultivation bases at peak condition and wait for the Earthen Aura to disperse a little more. Then we'll have an even higher chance of success once we enter the mighty cultivator's sealed region." Once Tian Lin finished speaking, he sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to begin meditating.
The slightly hunched Long Li seemed to have finished his observations as well. He, who was usually quiet and reserved, also sat down in the distance with an aloof demeanor. Sun Kun gave Su Ming a friendly smile. Once he swept his gaze around the place, he sat down in another corner. These three people were a certain distance away from each other. Clearly, the closer they were to the seal, the more estranged they would become with each other.
Su Ming took a few steps forward and also chose to sit down at a corner near the stone wall with a calm expression on his face. Once he sat down, his expression did not change, but he sent a small thread of his Atman outwards and had it fuse with his storage bag to observe the item that had caused his heart to tremble and ecstasy appear within him.
At that moment… there was a shattered jade box in his storage bag. That jade box had already been reduced to pieces… but there was a crimson-red poisonous wasp lying on one of the shattered pieces!
The wasp's wings were fluttering lightly. At the instant Su Ming's Atman landed on its body, the wasp lifted its head swiftly. Then, in the blink of an eye, it disappeared into Su Ming's storage bag.
Yet after a moment, the poisonous wasp appeared again. It was still lying on the shattered piece, and it was as if its previous disappearance had just been an illusion. It let Su Ming's Atman land on its body as it buzzed lightly. There was a gentle tone to that sound, accepting Su Ming's Atman.
'It's finally awake!' Su Ming quelled the excitement in his heart. This sort of emotion had rarely rising within him since he'd come to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
The poison wasp was naturally the wasp that possessed the God Ascension Nectar within its body. Su Ming had obtained it all those years ago in the World of Nine Yin!
Su Ming had chosen to leave his Brand on the wasp after some hesitation in the past to wait for it to wake up slowly on its own. The Brand had been left on the wasp as a method for him to take in the wasp as his pet. By doing so, he would be able to gain the God Ascension Nectar in its perfect form once the wasp woke up.
After so many years, it had finally woken up on this day, and at the instant Su Ming touched it with his Atman, his heart began to race with anxiety. The wasp was powerful. It was definitely no ordinary creature to have been able to obtain the God Ascension Nectar!
The poisonous wasps of this kind were extinct in this world, so none of its kin could be found anymore. If this wasp had not gotten itself sealed inside the Crimson Stone, it would probably have not survived this long as well.
'With this poisonous wasp around, my chances of obtaining a serendipity in this place will increase slightly.'
Su Ming's expression did not change, but when he retrieved his Atman, a focused glint suddenly appeared in his eyes. He saw Ye Shen Tong taking large strides in the distance towards the closest hole from which the Earthen Aura was gushing out. The Earthen Aura in that place was moving more swiftly and intensely compared to all other areas. It swept past his body, forcing Ye Shen Tong to stop when he was thirty feet away from it. Once he sat down cross-legged, sweat beaded on his forehead. He was actually using the Earthen Aura in this place as pressure to train.
Tian Lin's eyes lit up, and he remarked lightly, "Good idea, fellow Daoist Ye. If we use the Earthen Aura here as pressure against our bodies to train, then we'll be able to adapt to the environment in the seal even faster."
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Chapter 766: Threads of Flesh
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"I currently have my Nascent Divinity as my body, so I don't need to use the Earthen Aura to train my body to get used to the environment inside the seal, but if the three of you are interested in it, you can try it." Tian Lin looked at Ye Shen Tong's method of training as he spoke to Long Li, Sun Kun, and Su Ming.
"It's fine. This small body of mine won't be able to handle that Earthen Aura spraying on me directly. I'll have to give this fortuitous encounter a pass." Sun Kun let out a hearty laugh and shook his head.
The slightly hunchbacked old Long Li stood up at that moment and walked towards another spot where the Earthen Aura was gushing out from a hole without a single word. When he was fifty feet away from the hole, he frowned and no longer continued onward, but instead sat down to quietly begin getting used to the pressure.
Su Ming remained silent for a moment before he cast a look at Ye Shen Tong and the old Long Li. He did not choose to go over, but instead sat down in his original spot, unmoved by this offer to train.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, half a month went by. During that time, most of the people in the area remained seated as they meditated while waiting for the Earthen Aura to dwindle. Five days ago, the Earthen Aura spreading out from the seven holes was no longer as strong as it was half a month ago, and on this day, the debilitation within the Earthen Aura could be felt clearly.
In fact, Ye Shen Tong was already less than ten feet away from the small hole where the Earthen Aura was coming out from. As for old Long Li, he chose to remain seventy to eighty feet away.
When Tian Lin saw that the strength of the Earthen Aura coming out of the holes had become weaker, his eyes shone brilliantly. Sun Kun's expression had become slightly grave, for they were all only waiting for the Earthen Aura to no longer gush out. When that time came, they would break the outer layer of the seal and step inside.
When old Long Li thought of the rewards he would gain inside the seal, even he spotted a faint glint in his eyes.
Su Ming sucked in a deep breath in the distance and also focused his attention on the seven holes.
Time trickled by. Six hours later, all of a sudden, not a single bit of Earthen Aura could be seen coming out of the seven holes. Ye Shen Tong opened his eyes. When he moved his body, he smiled and opened his mouth, but just as he looked as if he was about to say something, his expression changed drastically.
When that happened, Long Li let out a shrill cry. Tian Lin, too, immediately stood up. At the instant the Earthen Aura disappeared from the seven holes, seven red threads burst out. Each of them was as thick as a man's arm, and each of them was about thirty feet long. Once they flew out, Ye Shen Tong's right arm was immediately bound, because he was the closest to it. Signs of severe corrosion immediately appeared at the spot where his arm was bound.
Long Li was the second closest. A red thread charged to the center of his brows at a rapid speed, and the moment Long Li saw it, he let out a shrill whistle. At the same time his sound turned into a layer of ripples that shook in the air, he retreated swiftly, but that thread shot through the waves of sound rapidly closed in on him.
"What is this thing?!"
Once Tian Lin had his Nascent Divinity change places with his physical body, he became the strongest person in the group. The area of perception of his divine sense was also the largest, but he had been unable to sense the existence of these red threads previously. It was as if they were unable to be perceived by his divine sense.
A presence that was no weaker than that of a Lord of a World Plane came from the threads. The group's hearts began to shake, and two more threads founds their targets. One of them charged towards Tian Lin, while another joined the one chasing after Long Li.
Clearly, in their senses, Tian Lin and old Long Li were the most threatening in the group.
Besides the one thread on Ye Shen Tong, the other two red threads charged towards Sun Kun and Su Ming in a flash, one right after the other.
The four people immediately scattered, dodging and charging about to run away from the threads in the crack that looked like a canyon.
The bald crane had fallen to the side and turned into a stone, where it remained still and unmoving on the ground.
Su Ming immediately retreated without any hesitation, turning into a long arc that swiftly left into the distance. However, the red thread behind him was persistent in its chase, as if the command had been embedded into the core of its very being. It was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, it was already less than thirty feet away from Su Ming.
As the group dispersed and the red threads continued chasing them down, most of them began fighting against on their own, not having the time to look at the others.
The red thread was about to catch up to Su Ming, but his Arman could not detect it whatsoever. He was completely unable to lock onto it. At that moment, a piercing whistle reached his ears as the red thread sliced through the air at a rapid speed.
At that moment of crisis, Su Ming turned around swiftly, and when he lifted his right hand, the killing sword appeared in his hand out of thin air. Once he held it, he cut down at the incoming red thread. With it, the red thread was instantly cut into two, but Su Ming did not let his guard down. Instead, he became even more cautious, retreating once again.
The thread that had been split into two became two independent entities that charged towards Su Ming.
When he saw that the threads were getting closer still, a glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He still had other attacks he could use, but at that moment, a thought formed in his mind, and he swiftly patted his storage bag with his right hand. At the instant he did so, a flash of red flew out from there.
The red light's speed was incredibly shocking. Right at the moment it flew out, it disappeared and when it reappeared, it was already beside one of the red threads. The red light was naturally the poisonous wasp that had just woken up. At the instant it appeared, it used its violet needle-like stinger. Then, with its unparalleled speed, it instantly pierced the red thread.
A shudder wrecked through the red thread, and in the blink of an eye, it withered into ashes. Once the poison wasp disappeared again, in a blink of an eye, it appeared next to the second red thread before Su Ming, who had now stopped moving. The second red thread did not even manage to see the wasp's body clearly. It only saw a red flash… and it was poisoned to ashes.
Everything could be said to have ended within an instant. The poisonous wasp then moved to Su Ming's shoulder. There was shock on Su Ming's face as he turned his head around to cast a glance at the wasp. He sucked in a deep breath and lifted his right hand slowly, moving it little by little towards that wasp. It immediately lifted its head and let out a gentle buzz before flying straight into his sleeve.
It seemed to like his cuffs, and once it flew in, it hung onto them, refusing to let go no matter what.
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. He took a step forward and moved towards the spot where the group had dispersed just now. After a moment, when he returned to the place, he saw Tian Lin's body being covered in a piercing red light. As he attacked, the illusion of a large tree manifested behind him. The branches swept through the area, and the two red threads that surrounded him were now a dozen something threads, but their color had become much duller.
Not too far away was Long Li, at the center of whose brows three scales in the shape of diamonds had appeared. He had a gourd in his right hand, and there were two black illusions before him that looked like shadows, and they were fighting against the red threads.
Ye Shen Tong's enraged roars reverberated in the air. His right arm had corroded to the point that it had turned black. Most of the red thread had crawled into his corroded arm, causing a long line to pop up on Ye Shen Tong's body, and it was squirming around in a bizarre fashion.
Almost at the same time Su Ming returned, an ancient face appeared on the big tree that had manifested behind Tian Lin. That face opened its mouth and let out a soundless roar. Immediately, the red threads that had broken into a dozen something parts shuddered and froze in midair. During that instant, Tian Lin moved, and the red threads were all enveloped by his Nascent Divinity. Then, they immediately lost all their shine and fell to the ground, no longer moving.
Tian Lin's face was slightly pale. When he looked at Su Ming, who was walking over towards them, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes, then he nodded in a profound manner.
As for old Long Li, as the three diamond shaped scales spun rapidly at the center of his brows, he lifted the gourd in his hand, and two more black shadows flew out from within to pounce on the two threads. Muffled booms reverberated in the air, and the two threads instantly vanished. As for the four black shadows, they fell backwards and returned to the gourd. Long Li had a sullen look on his face, but he immediately turned his gaze towards Su Ming.
He had seen one of the red threads chasing after Su Ming, but before long, he had returned without a single scratch on his body. The meaning behind this immediately rose Su Ming's value in his eyes, and he smiled amicably towards him, which was a sight rarely seen. It was a form of acknowledgment, and he was acknowledging that Su Ming could be on equal terms with them.
Tian Lin saw veins popping up on Ye Shen Tong's face and immediately said, "Let us help fellow Daoist Ye."
"Don't need! I can do it myself!"
Ye Shen Tong let out a loud shout. He had seen that everyone had solved their own problems, but were completely unbothered by them. Su Ming, whom he had previously looked down upon, even had a relaxed look on his face, and this made him let out a cold harrumph in his heart. He lifted his left hand and struck his chest.
With it, a layer of yellow light immediately covered his boy. It instantly turned into a layer of dirt that was one foot thick around him. As the light shone, the layers of dirt added one upon another, and in the blink of an eye, Ye Shen Tong appeared before the people as a gigantic golem of dirt and stone that was a hundred feet tall.
The golem lifted its left arm and struck its chest seven times in succession. With each hit, cracks would appear on its body, and after a moment, once all seven strikes landed, Ye Shen Tong's body of dirt and stone crumbled with a bang. When it did so, a dull but still squirming red thread was trapped within the dirt.
Ye Shen Tong's face was slightly pale as he stared at the red thread that was trapped, and he let out a cold harrumph.
"If it wasn't because I wanted to catch one of them alive, I would have destroyed it a long time ago." The moment he finished speaking, the squirming red thread faltered and fell to the side, turning into dust. This made Ye Shen Tong's expression instantly turn as dark as thunderclouds.
It was at that time that a whistling sound came from the distance. Right before everyone's eyes, Sun Kun charged down with a slightly pale face. He held a transparent bottle in his hand, and within it was a red thread. Its color was bright, and it was continuously squirming inside, crashing against the walls in an attempt to break free and rush out.
"I spent a lot of effort before I finally managed to catch one alive. Apologies for the long wait everyone."
Tian Lin looked at the red thread in the bottle, then at the seven holes that no longer had any Earthen Aura rushing out of them before asking in a whisper, "Just what is this thing?"
"Threads of flesh!" The person who answered Tian Lin was Sun Kun.
"They are threads of flesh that contain life force, and since the alien race's mighty cultivator has been sealed for countless years, these threads of flesh absorbed some of his divine sense, which he had sent outwards during these years… They should be very delicious." Sun Kun smiled and put away the bottle.
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Chapter 767: One Aeonic Barricade, Three Snare Sealants, Six Dao Bolts
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tian Lin and the others chose to remain silent in regards to Sun Kun's smile. Clearly, this matter was not funny to them.
However, the bald crane, which had taken the form of a stone, immediately moved when it heard that there was something delicious and turned back into the big yellow dog before it stuck out its tongue to look at the small bottle which Sun Kun had put away with bright eyes. No one knew what sort of thought had appeared in its head, but it looked as if it was about to start drooling.
"Fellow Daoist Su, this dog of yours which is skilled in transformations is very interesting." Sun Kun turned his head around and cast a glance at the big yellow dog before smiling at it.
"Hey, you jerk! You're the dog here, I'm a dragon!" The bald crane suddenly shouted and even bared its teeth at Sun Kun. This scene stunned Sun Kun momentarily, and even the people beside them looked over.
Su Ming let out a dry cough, then glared at the bald crane. In an attempt to avoid the topic, he said, "If there more of these… threads of flesh in the sealed region, then the level of danger will increase by far too much."
Su Ming's words caused Long Li and the others to fall into silence. The usually overbearing Ye Shen Tong also felt fear linger in his heart. All of them looked towards Tian Lin. After all, he had been the one who had planned everything.
Tian Lin remained silent for a moment. then spoke in a firm and resolute tone. "I didn't think this through. I didn't expect that there would be such ferocious creatures in the sealed region… How about this? I'm willing to go down first and check. If there is no danger, then you can all go down after me. If there is danger… then since I'm the one who had initiated this and also dared to have my Nascent Divinity change places with my physical body, I will naturally not drag all of you down to die with me."
Long Li and Sun Kun did not speak. A glint appeared in Ye Shen Tong's eyes, but he, too, did not speak. Su Ming remained silent by the side.
Tian Lin lifted his right leg and stomped on the ground without any hesitation. With that stomp, the big illusion of the tree manifested once again. As the branches squirmed, cracking came from beneath Tian Lin's feet, and a large amount of cracks formed at that spot. As a loud boom echoed in the air, the ground sank down and turned into a deep pit. Tian Lin flew in without any hesitation.
His voice came from the deep pit after a moment.
"My fellow Daoists, you can come down now. There isn't… any living threads of flesh in this place."
Long Li stepped into the sunken pit, followed by Sun Kun. Ye Shen Tong hesitated for a moment before he looked at Su Ming. He was clearly signaling to him that he wanted to be the last to enter the place.
Su Ming did not say anything either. He simply took the bald crane with him and charged into the pit. Once he entered, a glint immediately appeared in his eyes, and soon, he heard Ye Shen Tong sucking in a breath as he was the last person to enter the place.
This was a gigantic structure that looked like a bee's hive. Besides the uneven surface, there were an endless amount of densely packed circular holes. The surface of the ground was uneven and filled with bumps, because there was a layer of dark threads covering the ground. Their numbers seemed to be nothing less of several hundred thousands, and a rotten stench came from these thread. The people who stepped here couldn't help but spot grave expressions as they remained in the air.
Ye Shen Tong sucked in a breath and asked in shock, "Just-just how big is the body of the alien race's mighty cultivator?"
Tian Lin hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "Something's off. We might have never seen a sealed member of the alien race, but we've seen members of alien races who occasionally appear in the depths of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. They look the same as us, and I've never seen anyone who was big as the ferocious beasts…"
As everyone else was in shock and fear, Su Ming stared at the many holes before him. During that instant just now, he'd felt as if something was staring at him. This feeling disappeared within an instant, but there was no way Su Ming could be wrong about this, because it was not his Atman which had sensed it, and neither was it his body… but his soul!
A ripple had appeared in his soul of an Abyss Builder at that instant just then.
When he looked at the expressions on the other people's faces, it became clear to Su Ming that he was the only one who had sensed that strange gaze.
"I know what this is." Long Li's voice attracted all the people's attention. Su Ming became more cautious, but not a single hint of his thoughts was revealed on his face.
"The body of the alien race's cultivator is not this big. This entire area is a seal, and it should be the Bolt of Soul and Flesh, which is one of the ten seals from the four Great True World's One Aeonic Barricade, Three Snare Sealants, and Six Dao Bolts!
"These ten different seals are used by the four Great True Worlds to suppress the mighty cultivators of the alien races in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Thank goodness we only ran into the six Dao Bolts and not the three Snare Sealants, or else I would've immediately ran as far as possible, never daring to enter this place again," Long Li said slowly. Not only had Su Ming never heard about this, even Tian Lin and the others had never heard of it before.
"Oh? Fellow Daoist Long, please talk about this in detail. I don't have much knowledge regarding these seals."
"The six Dao Bolts are made of six seals of the same level. It is the seal that exists in most of the many cultivation planets here in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, used to suppress the members of the alien races.
"These seals are incredibly powerful, and they are used to suppress the powerful Generals. The strength of the seals differ based on the strength of those people who would be sealed, even if these six seals are of the same level.
"At most, all six Dao Bolts will appear at the same time. The weakest will only have one Dao Bolt appearing at a time," Long Li explained, and once he looked around him, his eyes sparkled.
"These should only be one seal in this area. Looks like the legends in the ancient scrolls about the alien race's Duke of Crimson Flame were mistaken. This person should be someone with a powerful physical body, not phenomenal spiritual power, or else the Bolt of Soul and Flesh would not be missing. But perhaps the other five Dao Bolts will appear in the deeper parts of this place. Whatever it is, the more seals that appear at the same time, the stronger the person would have been in the past." Long Li pointed at the many threads of flesh on the ground.
"It's actually easy to describe this so called Bolt of Soul and Flesh. Everyone, you know about the brutal execution method known as Death by a Thousand Cuts. The executioner will slice away the condemned person's flesh piece by piece, and if the condemned only dies after a thousand pieces of his flesh were cut, it will be known as a perfect execution. This Bolt of Soul and Flesh operates by the same principle. This seal will slowly cut away the flesh and blood of the alien race's mighty cultivator piece by piece… and while the mighty cultivator still has life force left in him, his flesh will slowly recover, and this execution will never end.
"This is the reason why all of us had the false conception that the mighty cultivator had a huge body when we saw this much flesh. Look at the signs of time on these threads of flesh, it's clear that they did not exist at the same time, but had instead accumulated slowly over a countless number of years." Long Li's words had a ghastly air to them. When his words fell into the group's ears, its members fell silent.
Su Ming looked at the threads of flesh on the ground. Even if he had lost his sense of pain, he was still affected when he thought of the torture the mighty cultivator from the alien race had to go through, and he also fell silent at the brutality of the four Great True Realms.
An expression of interest appeared on Sun Kun's face and he asked, "Fellow Daoist Long, you mentioned the One Aeonic Barricade, Three Snare Sealants, and Six Dao Bolts just now. Besides the six Dao Bolts, what sort of seal is the three Snare Sealants?"
"That's right. Fellow Daoist Long, please tell us." Tian Lin nodded, and Ye Shen Tong also looked towards him with concentration.
Long Li remained silent for a moment, then started speaking slowly.
"The difference between the three Snare Sealants and the six Dao Bolts is that the six Dao Bolts are used to seal a single person, but the three Snare Sealants… Heh, they're used to suppress an entire race! However, the three Snare Sealants are incredibly rare in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, and if we truly run into a seal that can suppress an entire race, then we would be better off relying on ourselves instead of luck to save us," Long Li stated flatly. When he saw that the others clearly still had questions, he decided not to hide anything any longer and began speaking once more.
"The one Aeonic Barricade is an even stronger seal than the three Snare Sealants. This seal isn't used to suppress powerful warriors or an entire race… but is used to suppress and seal… the king of each alien race!
"This seal is also known as King's Seal. All the people who are suppressed by this seal are renowned personas, but don't worry, this King's Seal is even rarer compared to the others." Long Li smiled mirthlessly.
Tian Lin was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist Long, how can you be certain of whether what you have said is true? Where did you hear it from?"
"I've lived in Black Ink Planet for a period of time, and I heard the people talk about this. I wouldn't dare to verify whether my words are true." Long Li looked as if he did not want to talk more about where he obtained the information and only went over it briefly.
"Is there a spot where all ten seals of the One Aeonic Barricade, Three Snare Sealants, Six Dao Bolts exist at the same time to suppress a single place?" Su Ming asked calmly.
Right at the moment he finished speaking, the entire area fell silent. After some time, Long Li nodded.
"There should be, but this sort of place would probably not be suppressing a great cultivator in Solar Kalpa. There's a high possibility… that it'd be suppressing those who have truly moved into Plane Kalpa, the terrifying existences who are already halfway into the state of controlling fate, life, and death."
Tian Lin sucked in a deep breath and spoke to Su Ming and the others. "Fellow Daoist Long, thank you for telling us about the seals. Right now, it would be best for us to break open the seal in this area a step at a time. The sooner we obtain our serendipity, the sooner we will be able to leave this place."
"Let's go according to plan. Fellow Daoist Long, please spread your divine sense outwards. I will assist you in finding the nearest spot where the seal is the weakest. After that, fellow Daoist Ye, please help fellow Daoist Su and fellow Daoist Sun test and break the seal." Tian Lin wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed to the group.
Long Li nodded and spread his divine sense outwards. Tian Lin did the same, too. As the two worked together, they immediately scanned the entire area, then sent their divine sense into each of the circular holes. After about an hour, with slightly exhausted faces, they retrieved their divine senses, and Tian Lin lifted his right hand to swing it in the air before him. Immediately, a gentle ray of light shone on one of the many circular holes.
"We can't send our divine senses deep into the area, either, but we give seven-tenths of a chance that if we break in through here, we'll be on the shortest path to the core."
Once Tian Lin finished speaking, Sun Kun took a step forward and arrived beside the circular hole. Once he scrutinized it, he lifted his right hand and started forming hand seals while working out the method to break the seal.
"Brother Su?" Tian Lin frowned and looked at Su Ming.
Su Ming took a few steps forward to stand by the screen of light. After looking at it for some time, he shook his head. "I would be able to try if this were the seal in the world outside, but it's difficult for me to break the seal here."
Tian Lin was just about to speak when Sun Kun turned his head back to look at Ye Shen Tong.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, please strike this spot at full strength. Remember to split the force of your strike into nine different charges. While you send the third and eighth charge in, you have to stop for three breaths, and while you send the sixth and ninth charge in, you have to stop for two breaths. These are the variations that you should have in your punch." Sun Kun pointed at a spot to the bottom right corner of the circular hole.
Ye Shen Tong came up without another word, and once his punches accurately fell on the spot, the area shook with a bang, and the circular hole instantly collapsed to reveal a wide tunnel.
Tian Lin was the first to rush in, followed by Ye Shen Tong, Sun Kun, and Long Li. Su Ming came last. At the instant he stepped into the tunnel, he turned his body around and looked behind him. A brilliant light shone in his eyes.
But there was not a single person behind him, and his Atman remained quiet. Yet during the instant just now, Su Ming had once again sensed that someone had looked at him from behind.
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Chapter 768: The Member of the Alien Race Sensed Him
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming looked as calm as he usually was, but his level of vigilance had already reached its highest state. In fact, if it was not because he would feel incredibly regretful if he suddenly gave up after reaching this point, then he would have immediately left.
After all, this feeling of no one else but them noticing someone watching them from the back of a mysterious sealed region would make anyone's skin crawl.
At that moment, when Tian Lin and the others stepped into the tunnel and began charging forward, the endless white threads in Crimson Flame Planet that originally could only be seen in the True Guards' projection of light, covering all the area around… had already shattered to bits and pieces.
Almost one fifth of the threads had been reduced to dust, and the rest of them showed signs of following the same fate. These signs, however, had not showed up after Su Ming and the others entered the place, but had begun at the instant all the seals around the ferocious beasts in Crimson Flame Planet shattered.
Even if Su Ming and the others had not entered the place, the white threads would have still slowly become weaker.
At the deepest parts of the seal was a region that was not too far away from Su Ming and the others. The black sword that had pierced through the skull of the skeleton which was immersed in the endless purplish black magma was trembling furiously at the moment.
It was as if the sword was about to be forced out. Dark light shone in the skeleton's sockets, and even the other two swords that had pierced him were slowly becoming loose.
At the same time, signs of some flesh being restored showed up on his body, and threads of flesh and blood covered his skull, making it seem like the skeleton was coming back to life!
'I can sense… the presence of an Abyss Builder…'
Yet at the instant some flesh and blood had been restored, an endless amount of white threads suddenly appeared in the region where the skeleton was. These threads criss-crossed over, forming a net. One fifth of this net had disappeared and the remaining parts were slowly being dissolved, but they could still somewhat maintain their form. Clearly, the net formed by these endless white threads was the seal that was suppressing the alien race's Duke of Crimson Flame.
The white net gathered swiftly and soundlessly around the skeleton from all directions. It then phased through his body, intersecting with the threads from the other side. A shudder ran through the skeleton, and the flesh and blood that had grown on his face turned into pieces of shredded flesh that were separated from his skull.
The white net repeated this process again. Once it phased through his body while intersecting with the other threads nine times in a row and not a single bit of flesh was left on the skeleton, the net slowly hid itself away.
However, the skeleton seemed to have already become used to this sort of matter. The sword in his skull was still trembling and slowly becoming loose, and the dark light in the skeleton's sockets was gradually becoming stronger.
During all this, Su Ming and the others were traveling at an extreme speed in the external area of the region where the Duke of Crimson Flame was sealed. They ran through one of the holes within this area that was filled with an innumerable amount of densely packed holes which seemed like a beehive, outside the layers upon layers of seals that looked like membranes. However, before long, Tian Lin and the others in front of Su Ming were forced to stop.
A screen of light shining white was right before them, blocking their path.
Sun Kun observed the screen of light for some time before saying in a low voice, "The seal here is much stronger than the previous one. I will need some time."
Su Ming was standing not too far. The bald crane was by his feet, and it was letting out a lazy yawn while looking at Sun Kun in disdain, thinking that if it was the one who took action, then the seal would be broken within an instant, but since Su Ming did not seem to want it to do anything, the bald crane remained happily idle.
However, as it laid by the side, it looked at the area, and that dazed look appeared on its face again.
'Damn it, why does it feel like I've come here before… No, I've been in some place similar…' The bald crane vigorously shook its head, but no matter how hard it tried, it could not remember too much.
Su Ming stood silently by the side while his heart and soul remained in a state of high alert. The closer he came to the depths of the seal, the stronger the feeling became. He cast his gaze around the area, with all his cultivation base circulating through his body. Su Ming also had his Atman gathered on the poisonous wasp at the cuff of his sleeve.
Soon, Sun Kun wiped off the sweat that had broken out on his forehead. As he formed a seal with his hands, he pointed at the screen of light, and a Feng Shui compass appeared on his right hand. The needle on the Feng Shui compass was spinning rapidly, but once every ten breaths, it would stop for a brief instant. Every single time it stopped, Sun Kun would swiftly lift his left hand and point at the screen of light, which was like the surface of water. Once Sun Kun's finger landed on it, ripples would appear from the spot where his finger touched, then spread out.
When Sun Kun's finger touched the screen of light the ninth time, the number of ripples on the screen of light increased. When they intersected, it was as if billowing waves had stirred up on the screen of light.
"Strike these nine spots at the same time with all your strength!" Sun Kun immediately said, but before Ye Shen Tong managed to attack, a glint appeared in Tian Lin's eyes.
He lifted his right hand, and nine branches appeared on his right palm, growing rapidly. Those tree branches instantly touched the nine spots on the screen of light. As a muffled boom rang in the air, the screen of light shattered. Tian Lin's face turned pale for an instant. As he moved a few steps back, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked swiftly towards the tunnel that appeared after the screen of light shattered.
Sun Kun, Ye Shen Tong, and the old hunch-backed Long Li's expressions also changed at the same time. Su Ming's pupils shrank as well. As the screen of light shattered, an incomparably pure presence of a World Plane spread out from within.
"The presence of a World Plane! It's really the power of a World Plane! It's so dense… If I could just train here for several years, I'm confident that I'd be able to reach the middle stage of World Plane Realm!!" Long Li was visibly moved. As he took a step forward, the others also moved swiftly into the tunnel.
Su Ming was still the last to enter, but at the moment he stepped into the tunnel behind the shattered screen of light, even his breathing quickened slightly. The first thing he saw was that the walls of the tunnel had been formed from a deep blue stone. The physical strength coming from them far surpassed that of what he obtained at the surface of the planet.
In fact, there was simply no way to compare them. It was as if one was a faint, glimmering light, and the other was a bright moon.
"The power of the World Plane in this place is just what has escaped to the peripheral of the seal. The deeper we go, the thicker it'll be. The six screens of light that form these seals aren't something that we can usually break open. Right now, since the seals on the surface have shattered, this place also fell into a state of collapse, weakening a lot. That's why we obtained this chance.
"That's why… if we stay here and not move forward, we will regret it," Tian Lin stated flatly. As his voice reverberated against the stone walls, he was the first to move deeper into the tunnel. As his back was turned towards the group, no one saw the strange light flickering in his eyes at that moment. Besides excitement, there was both anticipation and madness in his expression.
Long Li sucked in a deep breath of the power of the World Plane in the place. A resolute expression appeared on his face, and he charged deeper into the tunnel. As for Sun Kun and Ye Shen Tong, they exchanged glances with each other, then chased after the other two.
Su Ming had been silent all along the way. At that moment, he had his right hand pressed against the stone wall, and only when the cycle of withering and becoming full repeated itself several times on his arm did he lift his hand. However, the increase in his physical strength during this short amount of time was already comparable to him absorbing the blue stones on the surface for several months.
'Fortune comes to those who take risks… it's worth it!' A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes, and he charged forward. However, he did not relax his guard in the slightest. He became only more alert as he followed the others.
While the group charged through the tunnel, Su Ming felt goosebumps suddenly raise on his skin. A strong sense of danger swiftly filled his heart, and piercing sounds that were connected with each other came at them from behind.
Su Ming grabbed the bald crane without any hesitation and turned into a long arc, then activated his full speed without holding anything back, catching up to the four people in front with one single loud whooshing sound.
"There's an anomaly at the back!" he immediately shouted. He did not stop, but instead went even faster. At that moment, the other people also sensed what had happened, and their expressions changed drastically. As the piercing whistles grew louder… numerous red threads showed up behind them!
"Why are there so many?!"
Ye Shen Tong felt his skin crawl. With a roar, he took a step and charged madly forward. As the other people's expressions changed as well, they too swiftly activated their full speed.
However, this was a tunnel. There were no paths to veer to the side. The only directions available for them was forward and backward. At that moment, there were too many red threads behind them, so once they caught up to any one of them, they would definitely die.
They could only move forward!
In this moment of crisis, the five people no longer bothered preserving their speed, and their levels could be immediately seen clearly. The fastest among them was not Tian Lin, but Long Li. Only an afterimage could be seen of him. The second was Tian Lin. Since his Nascent Divinity had changed places with his physical body, he was no longer held back by the limitations of his physical body, and he was only slightly slower than Long Li as he charged forward.
The third was not Ye Shen Tong or Sun Kun, but Su Ming!
Su Ming's area of expertise had always been speed. As he blasted forward at full strength, even Ye Shen Tong and Sun Kun found it difficult to surpass him. However, he could only surpass them because this was a tunnel and this was a short distance run. If they were in the world outside, then Su Ming would gradually slow down. He would not be able to maintain his speed for long, like those who had truly become World Paragons.
As the ground passed beneath them, they instantly widened the distance between them and the large amount of red threads. The piercing whistles by their ears became much fainter, but the sense of danger still lingered in their minds.
After a moment, Long Li suddenly let out a muffled groan from the front. His body tumbled backwards instantly, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Tian Lin's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and his expression turned incredibly sour.
Another screen of light appeared before them. There were ripples shining on it at that moment, a telling sign that Long Li had tried to use his robust power to break through, but had been bounced back. This alone was a telling sign that the third screen of light was much stronger than the previous two.
With a pale face, Sun Kun cast a glance at the screen of light and immediately said in a sharp voice, "I'll need an hour."
Tian Lin, a serious expression on his face, swept his gaze past Su Ming, then shouted fiercely, "There's no need to open the screen of light an hour later, because all of us would be dead. My fellow Daoists, let's all attack at the same time and hold nothing back! This is a matter of life and death!"
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Chapter 769: Small Problem
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tian Lin knew that Su Ming was definitely hiding the true extent of his power, but it would have been better if it was any other time to find this. After all, he knew other people hid their levels of cultivation or skills as well. Most people did it, and it was difficult for anyone to say anything about this.
After all, if someone exposed all their skills in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, it would mean that they would no longer have any secrets and everyone would know the true extent of their abilities. Aside from this, it would also mean that it would be difficult for that person to replenish their power within a short period of time, and there would be endless problems waiting for them in the future.
However, they were in a life and death crisis at the moment. Tian Lin did not have time to bother with tact. As he shouted angrily, the intimidating power he had gained after he had his Nascent Divinity change places with his physical body spilled out from within him.
Piercing whistles were getting closer to them, for their sounds were becoming clearer. It was a telling sign that the red threads were swiftly closing the distance between them.
Once they caught up to the group, the only thing awaiting them would be a disaster.
A black light shone in Long Li's eyes. Five diamond-shaped scales immediately appeared at the center of his brows. The moment they shone with an enchanting light, the gourd he once held immediately appeared in his right hand.
He then lifted his left hand and swiped the gourd, even biting the tip of his tongue to cough up a mouthful of blood. Five black shadows immediately flew out of the gourd, and when Long Li let out a low roar, the presence that belonged to a World Paragon spread out from the five shadows, and they charged towards the third screen of light.
At that moment, Sun Kun's expression was incredibly grave. He lifted his right hand and struck his forehead. Immediately, his body shuddered, and the nails on all ten of his fingers instantly grew out, until they were seven inches long. They all possessed unparalleled sharpness, and as they grew longer, they sliced through the air. He opened his mouth and let out a roar, then spat out nine rays of different colored light in succession.
A blade, a spear, a sword, a halberd, an axe, a broadaxe, a hook, a fork, and a beast fang club appeared in the air. There were nine different Enchanted Treasures contained within the nine rays of light, and an extraordinary wave of power as well as an intimidating presence was spreading out from them. As Sun Kun swung his arms, these nine Enchanted Treasures turned into nine long arcs that charged towards the third screen of light. As for Sun Kun, he was positioning his hands into claws and flying over with a fierce whistle.
Ye Shen Tong glared at the red threads, and golden light erupted from his eyes. That light seemed to possess corporeal form and covered his face, once it spread out from his eyes. Once it covered his face, it spread to his neck, and in the span of a few breaths, it eventually covered most of his upper body.
All parts of his skin that were covered by this golden light exuded a powerful presence that would cause trepidation to rise in people's hearts. It was as if there was a physical strength that could overturn the world contained within him.
Clearly, Ye Shen Tong had also chosen not to hold anything back at this moment of crisis and had brought out his true power. As half of his body turned gold, the earth beneath his feet squirmed before charging to him. Layers upon layers of dirt gathered on him, and Ye Shen Tong was once again enveloped in earth, turning into a stone golem that was nearly a hundred feet tall. Strangely, even though he had turned into a golem, half of his body was still shining with that piercing golden light.
As he roared, Ye Shen Tong took a huge stride forward and charged towards the third screen of light.
When he saw that the three people had brought out their full strength, Tian Lin naturally did not hold back any longer. A layer of withered skin immediately appeared on his Nascent Divinity's body, making it seem like he had turned into an old tree. The shadow of a large tree manifested around him. As its branches swiped through the area, a strange light appeared in Tian Lin's eyes. He lifted his hands and pushed forward fiercely, and with it, the shadow of the large tree behind him grew so fast from the depths of the ground that it looked as if it wanted to break through the ceiling in the tunnel and rush into the sky. As it grew rapidly, it abruptly fell to the side.
The innumerable number of branches growing out from the crown crawled into the stone walls and disappeared for a short while before crawling out right outside the screen of light. These dozens of branches that crawled out from the dirt in the stone walls were densely packed together, and all of them stabbed the screen like vipers.
There was a solemn look on Su Ming's face, for the whistling behind him was getting clearly with every moment. When he saw that everyone else had used their full strength, he naturally did not hold back either. However, he did not choose to use the bald crane to break open the seal. Instead, he lifted his right hand, and the killing sword appeared.
Su Ming lifted his left hand and pushed against the ground. His body might have looked as it usually did, but all his power had swiftly gathered on the killing sword, causing it to let out a piercing screech before it turned into a long arc and charged towards the screen of light.
At the same time, Su Ming's left hand began to wither at a speed visible to the naked eye. In an instant, the withered state of his arm spread to his shoulder, and as it continued spreading swiftly, his body, legs, head, and everything else in his body… besides his right index finger, swiftly withered away.
However, a black light was shining about his right index finger. This was the peak of Su Ming's Surging Indulger's divine ability. That one finger did not just possess all of Su Ming's true physical strength, it also possessed an incredibly great suction force, as if it was a black hole that could devour everything.
The Crimson Python Phoenix's inborn divine ability, which was part of his physical strength and which he had inherited once he took over the creature, was contained in Su Ming's finger as well. The power of law that could disassemble all matters turned into ripples reverberating in the air around his finger, and during that instant, Su Ming's finger landed on the screen of light along with the other people's divine abilities.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The third screen of light might have been ten something feet thick, but as the five people's divine abilities attacked it, it flickered a few times, then shattered. At the instant that happened, a large amount of presence from World Planes gushed outwards like a stream of air, crashing into the group's faces before moving past their bodies.
In truth, if all the Runes sealing the ferocious beasts on the surface still existed, then this seal would have definitely not been broken so easily. Yet at that moment, it was blown apart like a tree without roots that was swept away by wind. The seal was shattering from within already, which was why it had shattered under the five's attacks.
Instead of saying that the seal had been broken by Su Ming and the others, it would be more accurate to say that it had shattered because it had suffered destructive attacks from both inside and outside.
At the time the screen of light shattered, five long arcs charged past it. However, seven breaths after they had fled past it, dense red threads charged past the spot, still chasing after them.
Instead of ending, the danger had become even greater. The five people were not slow. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, another screen of light appeared before them. This time, the screen of light was several hundreds of feet thick. The five attacked at the same time once again, but this time, the screen of light only swayed a few times before a rebound spread out from it, bouncing back its attackers. The five were sent tumbling backwards, just like what had happened to Long Li.
As Tian Lin looked at the screen of light that was a hundred something feet thick, he sucked in a deep breath. Freezing light flickered in Long Li's eyes. As for Sun Kun, he was breathing rapidly as he cried out in a sharp voice, "I don't know how many of these seals are left, but I'll need at least an hour for this screen of light!"
Ye Shen Tong glared at the screen of light and whipped his head around to look at the tunnel behind him before returning his gaze to the group.
"We're in a hurry, so I'll speak up. I am confident I could break this seal within thirty breaths, but once I cast this Art, I'll have to pay a huge price for it. It'll be difficult for me to recover for some time. Forget obtaining any sort of serendipity. At that moment, once I become weakened, there's a high chance that I will die here!"
When Tian Lin heard Ye Shen Tong's words, he immediately said firmly, "Brother Ye, don't worry. As long as you break the seal, I swear that I will ensure your safety."
"Brother Ye, you just need to attack, I'll definitely ensure your safety!" Long Li added in a low voice.
Sun Kun also nodded by the side. None of them showed what they truly thought on their faces.
"Heh heh, do all of you think that I am still a child? I've made these sort of promises to others more than ten times, and there was never a single one where even I believed in my own words.
"I can attack, but I will need to absorb most of the physical strength from among one of you by devouring his flesh. Only then will I not be affected once I break the screen of light. But don't worry, the person whose flesh I'll devour won't die. He will just have a large portion of his vitality sapped and take my place to be weakened." As Ye Shen Tong spoke, his gaze immediately fell on Su Ming. The ferociousness in that unflinching gaze was completely obvious.
The whistling sounds in the tunnel were becoming clearer. The blood red threads were already not too far away from them.
When Ye Shen Tong looked towards Su Ming, Long Li also cast his gaze on him. Sun Kun did the same. Even Tian Lin looked towards Su Ming after a moment of hesitation.
"Fellow Daoist Su, you have the lowest level of cultivation among us. Why don't you sacrifice yourself and help us achieve our aim? You might even have a chance to obtain a serendipity. Don't worry, I'll only take a ninth of your flesh and blood. I won't endanger your life." Ye Shen Tong grinned. He had a scar on his face, so when he smiled, he became even more hideous and ghastly.
Su Ming looked at Ye Shen Tong and said unhurriedly, "Oh? Looks like you're certain that I'm the weakest among you,"
Ye Shen Tong only smiled fiercely. He did not speak, but instead charged towards Su Ming.
In silence, Long Li took one step back, refusing to take any part in this. A glint appeared in Sun Kun's eyes, and he, too, moved back. Hesitation appeared on Tian Lin's face, but after he thought about something, he did nothing to stop Ye Shen Tong as well. However, he did not remind Ye Shen Tong that Su Ming possessed an eight-colored crystal, either.
Su Ming was calm. Almost at the instant Ye Shen Tong strode towards him, a sun appeared in his left eye and a moon manifested in his right eye. His heart was the star, and these three formed a strange loop in his body. At the instant he looked towards Ye Shen Tong, Su Ming activated the Art which he had gained in Crimson Flame Planet, which was naturally the illusion of the star, sun, and moon!
Almost at the moment he executed this Art, Ye Shen Tong's expression changed. At the instant a dazed look appeared in his eyes, Su Ming charged towards him. Su Ming's expression was cold and dark, and there was not a single hint of emotion reflected on his face. He closed in on his opponent in the blink of an eye and hurled a punch forward.
When Su Ming threw his fist, Ye Shen Tong coughed up a mouthful of blood. That was him biting the tip of his tongue while immersed in the illusion from Su Ming's eyes to jolt his pulse so that he would awaken. Then, as he roared loudly, golden light shone on half of his body, and he hurled a punch towards Su Ming.
Boom!
Blood trickled out of the corners of Su Ming's mouth when he fell backwards, but his expression only became more aloof, and there was even a faint mockery and killing intent within his eyes.
Ye Shen Tong smiled ferociously, but he wouldn't have been doing that if he had noticed a black shadow appearing at the instant Su Ming's fist connected with his body before disappearing the next moment. In fact, not even Tian Lin and the rest had noticed it.
"You little brat, I knew since the start that you were hiding your abilities… Hmm?"
Ye Shen Tong was about to take a step forward when his expression changed drastically. A black decaying spot had appeared on his right wrist, as if he had been stung by something!
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Chapter 770: Intimidation
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"What is this… Ah!"
Just as Ye Shen Tong said these words, the rotting spot on his right wrist swiftly spread through his entire right arm, and within an instant, his right arm was reduced to a puddle of blood.
The poison from the wasp did not only destroy Ye Shen Tong's physical body, but also corroded his cultivation base, causing Ye Shen Tong's level of cultivation to plunge straight down once he lost his arm.
This sudden change of events happened too quickly, so by the time Tian Lin and the others heard a shrill scream of pain, it was all over. Ye Shen Tong's screams continued to echo in the tunnel.
His voice revealed a mind that had sank into madness due to pain. As Ye Shen Tong's shrill screams rang in the air, veins popped up on his face. Blood capillaries instantly filled the whites of his eyes. The pain he suffered at that moment made him lose control of himself despite his power and endurance. It was a clear sign that the pain he felt was so great that it exceeded the limits of what he could take.
Tian Lin's expression changed drastically. He swiftly approached Ye Shen Tong, but at the instant he took a step forward, a bloody stench immediately spread through the air, and Tian Lin's eyes shrank instantly. He had a strong feeling that he could not touch the puddle of blood that had formed when Ye Shen Tong's body melted, or else he would be in great trouble.
In his hesitation, he saw that Ye Shen Tong had not just lost his right hand. Half of his flesh and blood started flowing down like water, revealing the bones beneath, which were also turning into liquid.
All of this might have seemed to have happened over a long period of time, but in truth, only a few breaths had passed since Ye Shen Tong attacked Su Ming. However, Ye Shen Tong's status as a World Paragon was truly demonstrated when he forced himself to focus in the mid of all his shrill screams of pain and face off against the venom of the poisonous wasp. He swiftly lifted his left hand and seized the air, and immediately, eight medicinal bottles appeared in his hand. He swallowed eight different antidotes in one go.
However, no matter how many of those antidotes he swallowed, he still could not stop the spread of the poison. His legs shivered, and even they were reduced to liquid. He fell with a crash onto the puddle of blood, looking incredibly pathetic and wretched.
However, he was still a World Paragon. At the instant most of his body had melted and his level of cultivation dropped by a large margin, he rose his half-melted left hand with much difficulty and struck his forehead fiercely, which currently had its skin turning into blood and dripping down, showing his similarly melting skull.
Ye Shen Tong let out a shocking roar. All his power erupted from his body, forcing his Nascent Divinity to leave at the instant his body was about to melt completely.
Almost at the same time Ye Shen Tong's Nascent Divinity left his body, the remaining part of his body fell down, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a puddle of blood as well. His Nascent Divinity was lustreless while he floated in the air. As he shivered, he looked at Su Ming, and his gaze showed shock and terror, along with hatred as well as disbelief.
"Pity. If you had decided earlier to give up on your physical body and had your Nascent Divinity leave sooner, then you would have kept more of your power." The mocking look in Su Ming's eyes disappeared and he returned to his usual aloof expression as he spoke calmly.
When he spoke, there was a wasp that looked as if it was completely harmless lying on his shoulder. The wasp's wings were shivering lightly and letting out faint buzzing sounds. It had already pulled back the poisonous sting into its stinger, but the buzzing sound made Tian Lin and the others' expressions turn grave.
Tian Lin looked at Su Ming. He was the one who paid the most attention to Su Ming in the group, but this level of awareness only reached a state where he treated Su Ming as his equal. However, once he had his Nascent Divinity change places with his physical body, he had obtained a temporary increase in power, so he had naturally come to pay less attention and attach less value to Su Ming.
He had always believed that even though Su Ming posed some form of threat, that was because of the Crimson Python Phoenix, the strange power of law he possessed, and his eight-colored crystal. Perhaps he still had other mysteries surrounding him, but in Tian Lin's eyes, in the face of absolute power, all his attacks would just be party tricks.
Yet at this moment he discover that he had greatly underestimated the horrifying aspects surrounding Su Ming. Without using his bizarre power of law, without the Crimson Python Phoenix following him, without even using the eight-colored crystal, he had managed to poison Ye Shen Tong to such a terrifying extent by just bringing out a new pet.
This might be related to Ye Shen Tong's carelessness and this act of Su Ming could be considered as an ambush more than a real combat, but in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence where the strong preyed on the weak, no one could say anything about Su Ming's actions, because… before Ye Shen Tong attacked, they had consented to his actions silently, believing that it would help their cause.
'This person's level of cultivation might be nothing outstanding, but he's veiled in mysteries, and he has plenty of skills. Not only could he break the seals, he also has the Crimson Python Phoenix and this poisonous wasp… In fact, if he wanted to, he might have been able to control most of the ferocious beasts in Crimson Flame Planet… Could he be a Soul Ensnarer?!' Tian Lin's expression turned incredibly grave. When that thought appeared in his head, he wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed towards Su Ming.
"Brother Su, you truly hid yourself well. You've made me try to guess your power for quite some time a while ago. I didn't expect that you would be the incredibly rare Soul Ensnarer in the four Great True Worlds." Tian Lin smiled wryly. As he spoke in a low voice, the expression on Ye Shen Tong's Nascent Divinity immediately changed. The hostility in his gaze as he looked at Su Ming was shaken, and the shock in his eyes grew deeper.
He knew very well who Soul Ensnarers were. They were a type of cultivators who were incredibly vicious. Their levels of cultivation might not be incredibly high, but each Soul Ensnarer would possess many incredibly powerful ferocious beasts by their side. These ferocious beasts would seem to be controlled, for they would willingly follow after those cultivators. The beasts would also fight, ready to die at any time for them.
Long Li stared at the poisonous wasp on Su Ming's shoulder with an incredibly grave expression on his face. His heart was in an extremely shocked state at that moment. After all, even if he was the one who wanted to injure Ye Shen Tong this badly, he would have had to pay a certain price for it, and he would definitely have not been able to do such a thing so easily. If he only paid attention to the results of what had happened during that instant instead of bothering about Su Ming's level of cultivation as well as the process that had led to this, his heart would fill with weariness.
Even if the current Su Ming did not the possess the power of a World Paragon, in everyone's eyes, he was undoubtedly a powerful warrior, strong enough to make them be wary of him and make them pay a lot of attention to his person!
And it was only at this moment that Su Ming was truly acknowledged by these old monsters and become a person who could discuss certain conditions on certain situations on equal grounds with them.
"What domineering poison, what shocking speed. Brother Su, even though I believe myself to know many ferocious beasts, I've never heard of such a poisonous wasp before. Even if it was the ten great ferocious insects that existed during ancient times, only the Dark Shadow Dragonfly, which is ranked second, and the Poison Ocean Silkworm, which is ranked first, could compare to it!
"Brother Su, you have many attacks in your disposal. Even now, you might still have plenty that you have not shown us." Sun Ku narrowed his eyes to hide most of the light in his gaze, making it difficult for others to see his thoughts through his eyes. His words were also spoken in a cautious manner.
"I'm not the only one who has hidden their power, right?" Su Ming swept his gaze across the group of people before he swung his right hand. The poisonous wasp on his shoulder immediately vanished.
Sun Kun opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something else, but the buzzing of the red threads in the tunnel suddenly grew stronger, until they reached a piercing degree. As those sounds sliced through the air, an endless amount of red threads packed closely together appeared several hundreds of feet away. They were incredibly fast, and as they charged forward, they sealed off all paths of retreat.
Sun Kun's expression changed. By his side, Long Li and Tian Lin's eyes shrank as well. Only Ye Shen Tong's eyes alone were full of madness, even though he, too, was shivering at that moment. He knew that it would be difficult for him to escape this place with his current condition, but if he could have all of these people die with him, then at least he would not have to die in regret.
At this moment of crisis, a glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He did not choose to use the bald crane's power to break the seal. In his eyes, this was something that he absolutely could not reveal to others, or else, even if he solved his current predicament, many other problems would be added to his life in the future.
Besides, Su Ming did not believe for even a moment that these people before him truly did not have a way to break this seal. After all, even that cultivator in Heaven Cultivation Realm who had died in Su Ming's hands had prepared many trump cards to protect his life, so these World Paragons would only have even more of these things at their disposal.
The red threads might pose quite a threat, but the larger threat came from the group members. That was the reason why Su Ming had used such a brutal and ruthless attack to intimidate them. After all, his level of cultivation was the lowest among them.
At this moment of crisis, Su Ming took a few swift steps back, pressing his back against the stone wall. The deep blue stone wall that exuded a vast amount of physical power started melting at rapid speed at that moment. By the looks of it, it was clear that he wanted to sink into the wall to avoid the red threads closing in on him.
Sun Kun narrowed his eyes and immediately formed seven seals with his hands. Seven shadows immediately appeared on his body, overlapping with each other. A sparkle appeared in Long Li's eyes, but no one knew what sort of thoughts were running through his head. The whistles were traveling so swiftly that they sounded as if the source was right beside their ears. The red threads from several hundreds of feet away closed in within an instant and submerged all the people's bodies.
Almost at the instant the red threads filled the entire area like the sea, the Five Direction Seal shone with an intense light around Su Ming. With the sea of red threads, Sun Kun took seven steps back, the shadows still overlapping his body. At the instant he moved back and touched the screen of light, his body phased through the screen. A slightly smug smile appeared at the corners of his lips, and in the blink of an eye, he moved back and vanished.
At that moment, a low roar came from among the red threads. It was Long Li. His entire appearance had changed, and now he looked like a layer of black fog formed by an innumerable amount of shadows. He charged against the seal, turned into powder, and with some unknown method, also went through.
It was at this moment that a loud boom echoed violently in the tunnel. It was the sound of that boundless sea of red threads crashing into the screen of light!
As Su Ming remained inside the stone wall, booming sounds continuously reached his ears. The light of his Five Direction Seal continued shattering. The poisonous wasp shone before him as well to resist the red threads, though with much difficulty.
A cold sneer appeared on his lips. He had seen Sun Kun and Long Li's actions and knew that his deduction had been correct. All of them had their own methods to pass through the seals. They had only chosen to not use them and drag down the progress to the deeper parts of the seal simply because they wanted to cause more deaths. With more deaths, there would be one less person to share the power of the World Plane with.
'This is good as well. Let's all depend on our abilities to reach the bottom.' A chilling glare shone in Su Ming's eyes.
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Chapter 771: Jing Nan Zi
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Each person in the group harbored their own thoughts, and since Su Ming was no green horn in this regard, he could naturally see all of this clearly. He had lived in danger his whole life and had ran into many incidents where he tried to deceive and outwit others while they did the same, which was why his wit and cunning were on equal terms as that of these people, even though he did not speak much and maintained a lower profile.
When he saw Sun Kun and Long Li phase through the screen of light and disappear, while Tian Lin was submerged by the dense red threads, Su Ming could not see clearly, and he did not know the details of what happened to Tian Lin.
However, he did notice Ye Shen Tong, who had lost his physical body, using some unknown method to make his Nascent Divinity scatter as the red threads closed in. Even when Su Ming used his Atman to check the area, he could not find his Nascent Divinity.
'I can't underestimate any of these people. Even if Ye Shen Tong lost his physical body, I still can't treat him lightly. After all, each one of them… is a World Paragons' Su Ming's body blended further into the stone wall. The bald crane was in front of him, and with its illusory Art, it instantly hid Su Ming's body, making him look like part of the stone that was exactly the same the others in the wall.
As Su Ming hid, his heart gradually calmed down. He no longer thought about the situation outside, for he was in a rather safe state in his current condition. The red threads could not see through the bald crane's transformation. At that moment, they were outside, continuously crashing against the screen of light.
Time passed. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a violent bang echoed through the tunnel, and the screen of light was torn to pieces by the red threads ramming themselves against it.
As the screen of light shattered, the numerous red threads surged past, in a manner as if they had found a chute. Then, they gradually left into the distance.
Once they left, a green shoot suddenly crawled out of the ground in the tunnel. Right at the moment this shoot appeared, it immediately grew up, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a big tree that could support the entire tunnel. There was a face on that tree trunk, and the face was the exact same as Tian Lin's.
As that tree appeared, a crack tore through the center of its trunk. Tian Lin walked out from there. His face was slightly pale as he stood there, looking around himself for a while with an incredibly dark expression.
Right at that moment, a ray of light from a Nascent Divinity appeared from the crack at the center of the tree trunk. This was naturally Ye Shen Tong's pale Nascent Divinity. He came out of the tree after Tian Lin.
A look of lingering fear appeared on Ye Shen Tong's face. He looked in the direction the red threads had left, then said in a low voice, "Thank you for your help, brother Tian. Once I get out of this place safely, I will definitely offer you great gifts as thanks for saving my life."
"Brother Ye, you don't have to be so polite. After all, I was the one who invited you here. It is only natural that I would ensure your safety. What are your plans now?" Tian Lin shook his head. When he asked his question in a soft voice, he looked at Ye Shen Tong with a profound gaze.
"Fellow Daoist Long and fellow Daoist Sun each have their own methods to obtain their serendipity. Brother Tian, you had your Nascent Divinity change places with your physical body and had even fused together with this tree. I can feel that your life force is so great that you have practically reached an undying and imperishable state. Even that boy Su Ming won't die so easily. He might have gone off long ago to search for his serendipity." Ye Shen Tong's face was pale. As he spoke with a bitter smile, he swept his gaze past the area before he fixed his eyes on Tian Lin.
"I only have my Nascent Divinity left now. I feel disheartened, and I only want to leave this place as quickly as possible now. Brother Tian, please allow me to do so." Ye Shen Tong's words were completely logical. After all, if anyone else were in his position, they would first think about protecting their lives, not obtaining a serendipity.
A glint appeared in Tian Lin's eyes. He gave Ye Shen Tong a scrutinizing glance before smiling suddenly
When Ye Shen Tong saw the smile that abruptly appeared on Tian Lin's lips, his heart let out a thump, and he instinctively moved a few steps back. He forced a smile on his face and wrapped his fist in his palm towards Tian Lin.
"Brother Tian Lin, please let me leave. I will definitely reward your kindness greatly."
"Ye Shen Tong." Tian Lin's smile grew even more brilliant, but his gaze was cold.
"We've known each other for years. Rumors have it that you once had a True Guard after your life, and you did not die from that encounter. Many people do not believe this… but I do!"
Ye Shen Tong's pupils shrank. His expression immediately turned grave. At that moment, neither of them noticed that Su Ming was in the tunnel's wall not too far away from them. He might have his eyes closed, but he could hear their voices clearly.
The stone wall that was the bald crane looked incredibly real, so real that even Tian Lin and Ye Shen Tong did not notice it.
"You provoked Su Ming right away because you wanted to determine our relationship, did you not? You also wanted to use the chance to tell the others that we aren't close friends. This would have created a chance for you to work together with others.
"Then, as you continued with your observations, you decided to attack, but you did not expect that you would suffer such grave injuries in fellow Daoist Su's hands.
"In my opinion, you wanted to devour fellow Daoist Su's flesh and blood, then break the screen of light, but even after you did that, you would still have pretended to collapse in exhaustion to achieve your other aim. And that is to leave this place!"
Tian Lin spoke slowly. With every single phrase he voiced, Ye Shen Tong's face would turn more sour.
"Brother Tian, your analysis is completely groundless. I had promised to come to this place in order to obtain a serendipity. How could I choose to leave before I even obtained my serendipity? If it was not because I had no other choice, how would I have chosen to leave in resignation?" Ye Shen Tong immediately said, clearly afraid that Tian Lin would misunderstand him.
Tian Lin ignored Ye Shen Tong's words and suddenly asked arily, "How does it feel like to have a True Guard go after your life?
"Perhaps I should reword that. How does it feel to be one of the True Guard's spies after he left his Brand on you?"
"Brother Tian, what do you mean? I don't understand what you're saying." A glint appeared in Ye Shen Tong's eyes. At that moment, his face was no longer pale. Instead, there was a strange, sinister look on his face, and a ghostly dark light appeared in his eyes.
"You want to leave because you want to tell what happened here to your master… and there is only one way to report this matter to him - to burn one of your clones.
"What a coincidence. After I fused together with this precious tree, I obtained some of its innate abilities, and I can tell whether a person is his real self or his clone. With you, I saw a clone that is very similar to his real self.
"You have a physical body and a Nascent Divinity. There is practically no difference between the two of you, but a clone is still a clone.
"You want to leave this place and use three days to set up a Rune to burn your clone to activate it. Then, you would let a certain True Guard sense the memories before your clone's death and see everything in here.
"As for you, you will obtain a reward. Let me think, did you master promise you that if you discovered something important, he would communicate with the other True Guards and let you be free from then on?" Tian Lin spoke calmly, but at the moment he mentioned the word 'free', his heart twisted and a shock of pain went through it.
Ye Shen Tong's facial color had completely changed at that point. He instinctively took a few steps back, while the dark light in his eyes continued to shine intensely.
"That's right. Fellow Daoist Tian, since you can tell, then there's no need for me to continue hiding this. But fellow Daoist Tian, how is it that you know about this in such detail? Are you also one of True Guard's spies?"
Ye Shen Tong fixed his stare on Tian Lin. At that moment, his heart was in incredible shock. This was his greatest secret, and he had thought that no one knew about this, hence he did not expect that Tian Lin would speak of it so easily.
His heart trembled from it. A memory that was buried in the depths of his heart emerged against his will. It was something that happened hundreds of years ago. As he was chased by a True Guard, he experienced several life and death situations, and if that man had truly wanted to kill him, Ye Shen Tong might have died a long time ago.
In the end, that man had left a section of a chain in his chest. That chain grew in his flesh, like a Brand. From then on, he became that True Guard's spy.
"My hometown is far, far away from Crimson Flame Planet… Do you know why I came to this place?" Tian Lin looked at Ye Shen Tong and suddenly smiled. "It's because of you! You have Jing Nan Zi's presence on your body!"
At the moment Jing Nan Zi's name was brought up, Ye Shen Tong's expression changed drastically. Jing Nan Zi… that was the name of the True Guard who left the Brand on his body!
"For the purpose of getting closer to you, I came to this place. I was worried that I would cause you to be suspicious of me if I got closer in a too straightforward manner, so I decided to stay in Crimson Flame Planet! Then, we'd be not too close, but not too far away, either.
"I fused with this precious tree because of you as well… Do you know why I'm telling you all of these things?" When Tian Lin curled his lips into a grin, an absent-minded look appeared in the eyes of Ye Shen Tong's Nascent Divinity before he slowly closed his eyes, then fell to the side as if he had fallen asleep. One after another, tree branches swiftly closed in on him and wrapped him up into a cocoon.
"Besides being able to discern whether a person is his real self or just a clone, my precious tree has a second inborn divine ability. It can make a clone fall into deep slumber, and his real self would not notice it, either. Instead, this precious tree will fuse into the clone's Nascent Divinity and cast a Dream Art.
"Ye Shen Tong, I've waited for this day for a long time. When I saw that chain growing in your flesh all those years ago, I investigated your past. Then, I was able to discern that you were one of the spies chosen by Jing Nan Zi, the man who massacred the Tian Family.
"Jing Nan Zi, my ancestor was your spy, and for generations, he investigated and gathered all forms of news that you wanted. You promised freedom for the Tian Family, but this freedom… was a bloodbath aimed to destroy my family. This… was the freedom you spoke of...
"It was your greatest mistake that you did not kill me in the past! I will make you pay the price with your death!"
Tian Lin's expression twisted. Low laughter echoed in the tunnel, and he charged into the depths right away.
"Jing Nan Zi, you would only need ten days to reach this place from the four Great True World's Region of Suppression. I won't let you come right now, however, because your grave isn't ready yet. Once I finish arranging everything, I will let Ye Shen Tong's clone wake up and finish what he is required to do… He will tell you everything about this place!" Tian Lin's laughter gradually left into the distance, and the tunnel returned once more into silence.
After about an hour, a few shoots crawled out from the ground of the now silent tunnel before turning into Tian Lin's blurry figure, which was gathered together by a wisp of his divine sense.
"Looks like Su Ming has indeed left and is no longer here." Tian Lin shook his head. The figure that was formed by his divine sense disappeared.
Four more hours passed. Tian Lin's shadow appeared once again in this area. This time, he did not speak to himself, but chose to charge towards his real self.
Su Ming, who was hidden in the stone wall, opened his eyes. He looked at Tian Lin's shadow leaving into the distance, and he started laughing coldly in his heart.
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Chapter 772: Picked up a Gourd
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming was not in a hurry to leave and move forward. He was not really attracted to the power of the World Plane in the deeper parts of the seal. Instead, he had mainly taken the risk to come to this place for the stones that possessed physical power.
For example, the deep blue stone walls around him. These stones alone possessed power that caused Su Ming to feel his heart pound in excitement.
To Su Ming, this place was where his best serendipity lay. That was why he had never even thought about going outside the stone wall and leaving the place. Instead, once he sent a divine thought to the bald crane, he closed his eyes in the stone wall. His flesh and blood in instantly withered away, and in the blink of an eye, he was reduced to only skin and bones.
However, almost at the same time Su Ming's entire body withered, a vast suction force that came from his body sucked away all the physical power contained in the stone wall around him. It surged into Su Ming's body, so he swiftly and visibly recovered from his emaciated state. In fact, he even looked slightly stronger.
Yet soon, Su Ming's body withered once again. Just like that, he continued withering, then recovering, then withering again, and recovering once more. As this process repeated, Su Ming's physical strength, which wasn't weak to begin with, continued increasing.
It could be said that the training of physical bodies would never end based on the Surging Indulgers' divine ability. As long as they had enough physical power which they could absorb at their disposal, they could continue training with this Art endlessly.
Su Ming could sense that his physical body was slowly getting stronger. In fact, if he brought out all his physical strength, he could fight against a cultivator in the initial stage of Man Cultivation Realm.
However, this was too weak in Su Ming's eyes. His aim was to push his physical body to reach Heaven Cultivation Realm or even higher. In fact, it would be even better if he could reach the status of World Paragon just by his physical strength alone.
As Su Ming was devouring the physical power from the stone wall, Sun Kun was within one of the holes in the seal that looked like a beehive, which was located in the depths of the ground. As his body distorted, he turned into a semi-transparent state, as if his body did not exist in the same dimension. Wherever he went, ripples would spread in the air. His expression was grave as he moved step by step farther into the tunnel in the hole.
Even though he did not run into much danger in this condition, the seal that looked like a beehive still made him feel as if he was in a maze. It was not easy to search for the path that truly led to the depths.
Sun Kun had already been moving through this place for a long time, but he still had not managed to find the correct path.
At the same time, the slightly hunchbacked old Long Li charged through the seal that took the form of the beehive once he turned into an endless amount of black shadows that swept up his body. He could no longer be seen clearly, and only black fog could be found filling the air in the tunnel as it enveloped him and charged forward.
His speed was much faster than Sun Kun's, and by the looks of it, he did not seem to be running about wildly at a loss. Instead, he seemed to have a goal in mind, but he was not heading to the depths of the center. He was running in another direction.
After a moment, the black fog came to an abrupt halt and stopped moving forward. Long Li's sparkling eyes could be seen faintly within the fog.
'It should be around here. If the records on the ancient scroll I obtained all those years ago are true, then this is where the secondary core of the six Dao Seals lies.
'The main core of the six Dao Seals is where the person who is sealed lies, that's why there are several secondary cores of unequal power lying around. The ancient scroll mentioned that each of the secondary cores of the six Dao Seals is at least a World Stone that has gathered together all the power of one World.
'As long as I obtain that World Stone, I can begin improving my cultivation base after it had stayed stagnant for so long.'
A hint of excitement appeared in Long Li's eyes as he remained in the fog. His breathing had even become rapid. After all, it could be considered a blessing from heaven to simply be able to run into this sort of thing once in a lifetime. To most people, this sort of change in a cultivation planet and such an opportunity to reach the seal was just a dream.
While Long Li searched everywhere, Tian Lin's body floated in the tunnel. He had his divine sense completely spread out, but he could not cover the entire seal. He had lost his sense of direction in this beehive seal, as if his mind had become disoriented. He frowned. This beehive was simply too big, and from a hundred to a thousand branches would appear in the beehive every set amount of distance. Entering a single wrong path would make it extremely difficult to reach where the Duke of Crimson Flame was truly sealed.
Which was why Tian Lin touched the ground in one of the forks with a dark expression on his face. He closed his eyes, and tree bark immediately manifested on his body. In the blink of an eye, his body turned into a gigantic tree. As that tree swayed, it grew hundreds of branches that numbered nearly a thousand. Then, they started squirming and worming their way into all the holes in the beehive in an incredibly bizarre fashion.
Clearly, Tian Lin wanted to use this method to search for the correct direction to the place he wanted to go. This method might be extremely taxing on his mind and he would also definitely spend a lot of time for searching, but once he located the right place, the direction he got would be very accurate.
As these people executed their divine abilities, Su Ming remained in the stone wall, exercising his breathing to absorb the power from the stone. Time passed. In the blink of an eye, three months went by. Su Ming was no longer in his original spot, but had instead slowly moved into the deeper parts of the stone wall.
The bald crane had also decided to no longer take the form of a stone wall. Su Ming's body was already located deep inside the inner part of the stone wall, so there was no longer any need for the crane to hide him.
After the three months, most of the stone wall around Su Ming's body was no longer deep blue. A large portion of the physical power contained within the wall around him had already been completely absorbed. Every single time this happened, Su Ming's body would slowly move deeper into the stone wall and head towards a spot where there were even more physical power contained.
His physical strength had also increased by leaps and bounds due to obtaining a sufficient amount of physical power during these three months. By then, there was only a sliver left till he reached the peak of Human Cultivation Realm.
It was no longer far away from reaching the same level as Su Ming's level of cultivation!
Su Ming was confident that as long as the physical power in this place was enough, then he could even hone his physical body to reach a terrifying state by using the Surging Indulgers' divine ability.
However, he could also sense that once his physical body had been strengthened to a certain point, it would be extremely difficult to make it any stronger. He would need to devour physical power that was as numerous as the water in the sea to continue making himself stronger.
But Su Ming was not in a hurry. He did not make a conscious effort to search for a direction, but headed slowly towards the few regions where he could sense the most physical power. Once he got close to those places, he would begin to meditate and absorb the power there, while his body continued getting stronger through the cycle of withering and being restored.
In fact, not even Su Ming himself noticed that he was moving in practically a straight line through stone walls in the beehive seal with the way he progressed forward. And… in a spot less than three thousand feet away from he stopped was an empty region. That region was about a thousand feet in size. There were nine big flags erected on the ground and a Rune shining in a strange light on the ground. There was also a stone the size of a fist floating at the center of the Rune.
That stone was transparent, just like a crystal. There seemed to be nothing strange about it, but if someone looked at it for a prolonged period of time, their minds and souls would be immediately sucked inside, and they would feel as if they had been placed in an unfamiliar world. They would even be able to see other people go through their course of life and everything that could possibly happen in a world.
This item was a World Stone that possessed the power of one World!
In another direction that was about three thousand something feet away from the World Stone was Long Li, whose eyes were shining with a dark light. There were about hundreds, close to a thousand, holes resembling a beehive around him. He knew that one of them led to the place where the secondary core of the seal, the World Stone he desired, lay, but he did not know which hole it was that would lead him to it.
He had been stuck here for half a year, trying again and again, but even after nearly a hundred tries, he had yet to succeed. In fact, if he had not noticed that he had taken the wrong path early on and immediately retreated, he might have continued onwards, and who could know where he would have ended up?
'Damn it, according to the ancient scroll, the secondary core of the six Dao Seals should be around here, but why can't I find it..?
'And this beehive seal is seriously annoying. Even if I end up in the right path, I will still usually end up walking in circles. It makes people think that they're walking further and further away when they enter the hole, making it difficult for them to persevere.'
Long Li lifted his right hand and continued calculating with his fingers. He would occasionally bring out an ancient scroll that was made from some unknown skin. Upon taking it out, he would examine it carefully for a long time before cautiously selecting a tunnel to enter. Not long after he entered, however, he would exit it with a dark expression on his face.
Fortunately for him, he never tried going through the tunnel himself. There was a gourd placed right before him, and black smoke was rising from within it before turning into ten black shadows that were entering and exiting the tunnels slowly.
'In another few months' time, I'll be able to check through all of the tunnels. At that time, I'll be able to pinpoint the tunnels that have the highest possibility of being the right path!' Strong desire appeared in Long Li's eyes as he continued prodding the gourd to continuously let out black shadows. He would also frequently enter some hole to investigate it.
Su Ming's absorption and devouring of the blue stones was also slowly going on. As the color of the stone walls by his side became duller and fainter and the physical power within them disappeared, he continued onwards without stop.
The bald crane was by Su Ming's side, having return to its bald-headed self. There was a lazy, lackadaisical look on its face. Occasionally, it would look around and mumble nonstop.
"Darn, I must have come here before, or else why would I find this place so familiar..? Could it be that the brilliant, heroic, an intelligent me had truly walked out of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence?"
As the bald crane mumbled, it looked at Su Ming. It felt bored and decided to seep into the stone wall to head further into the distance to examine the area.
The bald crane was not far away from where Long Li was...
Almost at the instant it popped its head out of the stone wall behind Long Li, its head immediately turned into a stone wall, and not a single hint of it could be seen. When Long Li personally flew out once again and rushed into the tunnel, he left behind a gourd on the ground.
Wisps of black smoke would occasionally spread out from the gourd before turning into black shadows that rushed into the other tunnels in the beehive.
It was also at this moment that the bald crane quickly crawled out from the stone wall. As it let out bouts of dry coughs, it looked around with shifty eyes while mumbling to itself.
"Hmm? Why is there a gourd here? Someone must have forgotten about it here…"
The bald crane put on an incredibly shocked face, then pounced on it without any hesitation. Once it grabbed the gourd with its claws, excitement appeared in its eyes, and it swiftly crawled into the stone wall by its side.
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Chapter 773: Treasured Gourd
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Two to three breaths after the bald crane took away the gourd and disappeared into the stone wall by its side, the hunchbacked Long Li flew out of one of the hundreds of holes in the beehive in the form of a long arc. Once he flew out, he instinctively cast his gaze at the spot where he had placed the gourd.
Long Li was stunned for a moment.
'Damn it, I didn't run into a fork just now, so how is it possible for an empty spot where I'm supposed to choose a tunnel in the beehive appear again? Could it be that the tunnels here change on their own?'
The first thing Long Li thought of at that moment was that he had taken the wrong path. He immediately turned around and was just about to walk back into the tunnel he had just left when he sensed the spot where the gourd was once again. He froze on the spot.
His expression instantly turned incredibly sour. He turned around and stared hard at the spot where he had placed the gourd. At that moment, several shadows flew out from the other tunnels in the beehive and lingered around the spot where the gourd had been, as if searching for something that should be there.
When Long Li saw this, he became certain of one thing—someone had sneaked into this place while he was gone and stolen his treasured gourd, which he had placed below to know his own position.
However, even though Long Li's expression was dark, there was not a hint of panic within him. Instead, with a spark in his eyes, murderous aura spread out from him. He let out a cold harrumph, then lifted his right hand to draw a horizontal line across the center of his brows.
'I'd like to see just who has the guts to touch my gourd!'
The treasured gourd was the most important Enchanted Treasure in Long Li's possession. Its origins were shrouded in mystery, and even Long Li was not aware of all of its uses. The gourd had been wrapped in the ancient scroll recording the One Aeonic Barricade, Three Snare Sealants, Six Dao Bolts, which he had obtained in the past.
Long Li had investigated this in secret for many years, but he had never discovered any clues leading to the gourd's origins. However, after many years of research, he had grown to understand the gourd somewhat and ecstasy filled him. But at the same time, he was also afraid, because he found that he could only bring out two-tenths of the treasure gourd's power. However, even if he was only able to bring out two-tenths of its power, it made him practically invincible when faced with his peers in the initial stage of World Plane Realm. In fact, he could even put up a fight against those in the middle stage of World Plane Realm. He might not be able to win against them, but if he was to flee, his enemy would not want to chase him due to wariness.
It might be difficult for Long Li to bring out the treasured gourd's full power, but it had been by his side for many years, and he had used various methods to refine it. Because of it, he had formed a form of connection with the gourd, and he could somewhat sense where it was.
At that moment, as he wiped his right index finger across the center of his brows, a green light began to shine in his eyes. He looked swiftly around him, but once he looked through the entire area once, his expression turned even darker, and a barely noticeable hint of panic flashed in his eyes. Without any hesitation, he chose to open his mouth and break the skin on his right index finger. He then drew a horizontal line of blood across the center of his brows.
Once Long Li drew that line, his perception of the treasured gourd instantly expanded to its limit… but that resulted in his face becoming even paler. Panic and disbelief replaced the calmness in his eyes.
He could not sense the gourd's location at all!
It was as if his connection with the gourd had been concealed by someone. The connection might still be there, but there was not much difference compared to if that connection had been cut.
What made anger shine through the paleness of Long Li's face was that the ten shadows that had been released from the gourd had returned, but they were all lingering in the area, continuously letting out shrill roars. There was an irritable tone to their roars, and there were wisps of black smoke spreading out from their bodies. The shadows were gradually growing fainter.
Long Li felt as if his heart was bleeding at this loss. Those ten shadows were not things that were originally part of the treasured gourd, but something Long Li had obtained after he had worked out a method. Over the years, he had used all sorts of methods to kill ten World Paragons to extract their Nascent Divinities and refine them into shadow puppets. He then used the gourd's power to suppress and control them. These shadow puppets could even train on their own in the gourd.
When he saw that the ten shadows were showing signs of dispersing because they could not return to the treasured gourd, Long Li instantly swung his arm, and the ten shadows immediately charged into his sleeve so that he could temporarily use his own body to provide nourishment for them.
'There are only a few people who entered the sealed region, and the person who took away my gourd is definitely one of them! Sun Kun has always sought my gourd, so the possibility of him taking the gourd is the greatest. Tian Lin has that strange tree of his, but it's not as if there's no possibility that it cannot fuse together with the gourd. He too has a motive!
'On the other hand, Ye Shen Tong has the lowest possibility of wanting my gourd, as for Su Ming… this person's Arts are mysterious, but the possibility of him taking my gourd is below Sun Kun and Tian Lin.'
Killing intent appeared in Long Li's eyes, but he was somewhat uncertain in his heart. After all, he was in a spot that placed him the closest to the World Stone, so if he chose to search for his gourd, then it might be difficult for him to return in a short amount of time, and there was also a possibility that he would lose his opportunity to obtain the World Stone.
However, if he did not immediately search for the treasured gourd, then his ten shadow puppets would become weaker with time, and they would continue becoming weaker until they died.
He gritted his teeth, and the killing intent in his eyes grew stronger. He leaped forward, then turned around to charge through the tunnel he had used to come to this place. He also spread his divine sense in an attempt to search for other people's tracks.
As Long Li was searching for the others' tracks with anger and killing intent burning in him, the bald crane was swiftly moving through the stone walls with a smug look on its face. It had Long Li's treasured gourd in its right claw. There was a layer of black ripples spreading out from its body, surrounding the treasure gourd. The feeling of this particular action was the exact same as when the bald crane usually broke seals and Runes.
It was clear that the bald crane was worried that the owner of the gourd would come searching for it and used the Art that it was born with to hide all traces of the treasure. Because of that, it would be… completely impossible for Long Li to find the gourd.
'Wow, I'm really lucky. I just went out on a stroll, and I managed to get myself a treasure, but what is this thing? Why does it look somewhat familiar..?' While the bald crane moved swiftly through the stone wall, it brought the gourd before itself and regarded it carefully.
'I can't quite recall. I should be missing a large portion of my memories… but this gourd is familiar. Isn't this gourd capable of killing others?'
It blinked, then brought the gourd closer. The bald crane's eyes went wide as it observed the treasure it had obtained. However, even after looking at it blankly for some time, the bald crane still had the same bemused expression on its face. When it unwittingly returned to the spot where Su Ming was absorbing the physical power from the stone wall, it squatted down by his side and continued trying to find a hint of its memories from the gourd with a frown on its face.
"Why is Long Li's gourd in your hands?" An unknown amount of time passed before Su Ming's slightly surprised voice fell into the bald crane's ears, making it snap out of its ruminations.
"I don't know. I was just out on a stroll when I saw the gourd on the ground, so I picked it up and brought it back here," the bald crane replied instinctively with a slightly aching head and a dazed mind.
Su Ming knew the bald crane's character, hence he did not provide any further comment regarding it. Instead, he lifted his right hand and seized the air in the direction of the gourd. It immediately flew out from the bald crane's claws and charged towards him.
When the bald crane saw the gourd flying out, it was immediately jolted out of its daze by the ache in its heart. Just as it was about to argue with Su Ming and let out a small outburst, it saw Su Ming calmly bringing out a large amount of crystals from his bosom and gifting them over.
The bald crane's face immediately lighted up, and the bird quickly pounced on the crystals to receive them. It would even occasionally take out a few and bite them in its mouth to determine whether they were real. As for the treasured gourd, it had long since been forgotten about.
Su Ming held Long Li's treasured gourd. The black ripples left behind by the bald crane were still there.
This was not the first time Su Ming had seen this gourd; Long Li had brought it out a couple times while he was still in possession of it. The black shadows that came from the gourd had especially raised Su Ming cautiousness.
Su Ming did not look down on the gourd due to its average appearance as he sized it up carefully. He sent in a wisp of his Atman with a slightly solemn expression on his face. Once he did so, he immediately sensed a force of resistance so great that it could not be described with words spreading out from within, instantly crushing the Atman he had sent into the gourd.
However, at the instant Su Ming's Atman was crushed, his eyes shone fiercely. His breathing quickened at that instant, and his eyes went wide. He scrutinized the gourd, and after a moment, he sent another wisp of his Atman into it. At the instant the Atman was crushed by that force again, Su Ming's calm face changed drastically.
'The aura of death in this thing is so thick, but it's quite strange. It-it can actually resonate with my soul!' When the two wisps of Atman were crushed, a powerful tremor had rung through Su Ming's soul. It made him feel as if he had come from the same place as this thing.
During the two times Su Ming's soul trembled, clear, cracking sounds came from the treasured gourd. Su Ming immediately saw the bald crane's black ripples around the gourd shattering. All the mixed, haphazard seals that Long Li had used to control the gourd during all the years also shattered at that instant.
Once they shattered, a glossy green light spread out from the gourd, floating before Su Ming. A wide opened eye appeared on the smooth surface.
That eye was wide open and looking at Su Ming with a judgmental gaze.
Su Ming stared at the gourd and the eye before him. At that moment, his train of thought became smooth, and he struck his forehead with his right hand without any hesitation.
With it, his soul spread out from his body. Almost at the same instant, the eye on the gourd shone with a powerful light, and when it looked at Su Ming, the judgmental look gradually turned gentle.
It was at that time that eyes of the skeleton with three swords pierced through his body in the depths of Crimson Flame Planet begun to shine even more brilliantly. There was even an intense wave of excitement there.
'An Abyss Builder's presence… there's no mistaking this. This is indeed an Abyss Builder's soul! There… there's actually Abyss Builders in this world..? This is a blessing for us of the fifth True World. This is a blessing that will lead our races into power!'
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Chapter 774: Treasured Gourd, Please Kill It
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming's soul spread out of his physical body, and during that instant, his soul resonated with the treasured gourd before him.
This resonance caused the treasured gourd's eye to become even brighter as it looked at Su Ming. In the end, even a hint of respect appeared there. It was as if the soul within the treasured gourd had acknowledged Su Ming at that time.
Soon after, eight eyes appeared in succession on the gourd, and along with the previous one, there were now nine sparkling eyes, and they were all looking at Su Ming.
During the instant Su Ming's soul trembled, Long Li, who had his divine sense spread through the tunnel in the beehive as he was searching for the others froze. His expression changed drastically, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His face instantly turned pale, and he staggered a few steps backwards before placing a hand on the stone wall by the side to support himself. Only then did he manage to stop himself.
He originally had white hair, but the face of a youthful man. During that instant, he aged several dozens of years, and wrinkles appeared on his face. There was even an instant where a lifeless look showed up in his eyes.
"Haha, I've spent an innumerable amount of years to figure out the way to use the gourd and even prepared ten World Paragon souls to control it… but now, the person who stole my gourd has used less than an hour to completely sever my ties with the gourd!"
Long Li laughed loudly. As he laughed, he began to cough violently, and blood trickled out of the corners of his mouth once again. Clearly, once his connection with the gourd was cut off, he had suffered a backlash.
This backlash's strength would depend on how much he cared about the gourd. Judging by Long Li's condition, it was evident that the gourd had been his most valued possession.
"You despicable bastard, how dare you steal my treasure… Even if I, Long Li, have to pay an even greater price, I will definitely not allow you to take away my treasure so easily!" Madness showed up in Long Li's eyes. He lifted his head and let out a crazed howl. His shouts echoed in all directions, traveling through the tunnels in the beehive.
Sun Kun, who was the closest to the depths of the seal, heard a faint echo of the shouts. His footsteps came to a halt as he was moving forward, and a glint appeared in his eyes.
"It's that old monster's Long's voice. Could it be that he lost his gourd? Heh heh, if he really lost the gourd, it'll be a good thing. I wonder who stole it…" Sun Kun mumbled under his breath, and an expression of regret and pity appeared on his face, because he himself had wanted Long Li's gourd for a long time.
Further into the distance was Tian Lin. After spending half a year searching, he had now covered most of this beehive seal, which was covered in densely packed holes. He believed that before long, he would be able to cover more than a ninth of this place. At that time, he could search for the shortest path that would lead him to the core of this maze-like seal.
Long Li's voice had become faint and indistinct when it reached his ears, but the branches from the tree that was Tian Lin had already filled up most of the seal. Each of the branches was his clone, and because of that, Long Li's voice sounded as if he'd spoken right beside Tian Lin's ears.
'The person who stole Long Li's treasure is probably Sun Kun. The two of them won't have the same goal as me right now, so it'll be good that they'll fight each other first. With Sun Kun's cunning, he won't die, and he'll be able to hide until Jing Nan Zi is lured to this place. At that time, they will have no other choice but to have the same goal as I do.' Tian Lin laughed coldly and closed his eyes. He had the branches from the tree spread out once again to continue covering the sealed region.
Su Ming also heard Long Li's voice, but he could spare no attention at that moment. The nine eyes were currently staring at him, and as he spread out his soul, the second of the nine eyes gradually grew brighter. Time passed. When the eighth eye also brightened up, the bald crane suddenly sucked in a sharp breath by the side, its eyes going wide.
It could sense that it was about to remember something, but when it tried to recall what it was, it was indistinct. After all, this was the first time it had actively tried to recollect its memories, and it was vastly different from the usual passive recollection, where it would only remember when it came into contact with something familiar.
Just as it was doing its best to remember, it saw the nine eyes on Su Ming's gourd. All of them were shining brilliantly, but as they sparkled, they would disappear one by one. Eventually, there was only one eye left on the gourd. When it saw the bald crane, the eye suddenly grew sharp, and as if it had turned into a sharp sword, it shot into the bald crane's eyes.
The bald crane let out a sudden screech, great wave of terror and shock filling its eyes.
A picture emerged in its head at that moment. In that picture, it was not bald, but had a body full of beautiful feathers that made the crane now envied.
It saw itself peeking at something sneakily, but an old man in a wide Dao robe suddenly appeared before it. That old man swung his arm, and the crane was immediately sent several worlds backwards.
Immediately after, the old man brought out a gourd from his bosom with an enraged face. Once that gourd was brought out, nine eyes appeared on it. Within an instant, five of those nine eyes locked onto the crane, and a life-threatening sense of danger rose swiftly in its body. The bald crane saw itself quickly retreating with a screech.
However, a sullen voice containing endless fury reached its ears.
"Treasured gourd, please kill it!"
"Old Daoist Lu Ya, I just stole and ate some of your Dao Cores and watched you create your cores personally, y-y-you… how could you ask the youngster gourd to come out here?"
The bald crane saw all of its feathers growing in size as it screamed. However, once the old Daoist said those words, the five eyes on the gourd that had locked onto it immediately blinked together, and a wisp of green smoke flew out of the gourd. There was a small boy the size of a palm in that smoke, and it held an even smaller sword in his hand, but it was rushing towards the crane at an indefinable speed.
Pain. Pain that could not be described with words. That was what the bald crane felt when that memory ended.
"I remember now. This-this is old Daoist Lu Ya's Immortal Slaying Gourd! But I remember that this gourd should have been destroyed. When Lu Ya was fighting against Tai Xing Su, who was one of the four Great True Progenitors, Tai Xing Su destroyed it!" As the bald crane screamed, it immediately retreated.
A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. At that moment, he had only formed a connection with the gourd, but he did not obtain the method to control it. When he saw the bald crane's intense reaction, he, who had noticed many instances of something being off about the bald crane since they arrived in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, suddenly asked, "How do you use this thing?"
"I don't know how to use it either, but I do remember seeing Lu Ya saying these words to that damnable gourd - Treasured gourd, please kill it."
he bald crane had no feathers on its body at that moment, else they would have definitely been standing on end. When it heard Su Ming's question, it instinctively answered, but once it finished answering, it immediately regretted its actions.
Because once Su Ming heard the sentence, he echoed the bald crane's words.
"Treasured gourd, please…"
When Su Ming begun speaking, a presence that made even his heart tremble in trepidation suddenly spread out from the gourd. As that happened, the eye on the gourd suddenly showed signs that it wanted to blink. By the looks of it, that gourd would kill as soon as Su Ming finished speaking the last word!
At the same time, an apathetic and indifferent voice began speaking in Su Ming's mind.
"There is not enough energy stored. Eight-tenths of the real body have been destroyed. It needs to be replenished as soon as possible. Locking down on enemy…"
Su Ming sucked in a deep breath. Since the bald crane was scared so terribly that its soul had almost left its body, he did not say the last word. Instead, he had his soul return to his physical body. He stood up then, lifted his right hand, and seized the gourd to put it away into his storage bag.
Su Ming's eyes shone. Confidence filled him at that moment. This sort of confidence was what he possessed when he became the God of Berserkers in the land of Berserkers in the past. Now, in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, that confidence rose once again within him.
'With this gourd and the poisonous wasp with me, as well as the large number of blue stones containing physical power in this place, along with the God Ascension Nectar contained in the wasp's body, which I can extract at any time I want… it won't be impossible for me to be the strongest in this region of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence! It's a pity that the spirit body in the gourd has been damaged heavily. But this thing is rather peculiar. It actually reminded me to replenish its energy. Right now, an eight-tenths of its body have been damaged, but it can still bring out such a shocking power. If I could replenish all of its power and make it whole, it would definitely be something that could overturn the world!'
Su Ming sucked in a deep breath. He did not have a suitable vessel to store the God Ascension Nectar, and he did not know how long he would need to absorb that God Ascension Nectar either, which was why he did not choose to absorb it even now.
He wanted to search for a suitable place to quietly refine that nectar once he left this place. So that no accidents happened, he had left a divine thought for the wasp, forbidding it from absorbing the nectar in its body, only allowing it to store it.
Su Ming put away the gourd. The bald crane had by then began to calm its heart, which had nearly gone still from fear. The bird watched Su Ming with anxious eyes. Su Ming cast it a glance, then brought out another handful of crystals from his storage bag and gave them over.
When the bald crane received its consolation, it became satisfied.
Su Ming closed his eyes and forced down the restlessness in his mind to continue immersing himself in absorbing the physical power in this place. Time passed. Two months went by in the blink of an eye.
During that time, Su Ming's speed as he absorbed the stones became faster. He also continued slowly moving forward and got closer to the spot where the World Stone lay. On the day two months later, the stone wall between him and the World Stone was less than ten feet thick.
Long Li, who had been searching for the person who had snatched his gourd for two months, was weaving in and out of the beehive seal at random with messy hair. Perhaps fate truly existed, for when he was previously searching for the World Stone, he had not been able to find the entrance to the place. Yet when he lost his gourd and was searching for the thief in a craze, he had walked out of a random tunnel to see nine flag, along with… the stone containing the power of the one World floating in the air in the middle of the Rune!
At the same time, Sun Kun walked out of another tunnel with an excited look on his face, a vast mass of empty land before him. At the center of that empty land was a layer of purplish black magma, and he also saw the Duke of Crimson Flame's white bones within that magma!
The density of aura of a World Plane in this place filled Sun Kun with excitement that was close to ecstasy. His breathing quickened, but he did not immediately move forward. Instead, he chose to swiftly sit down cross-legged in a corner and exercise his breathing to absorb the aura.
He had never thought about saving the member of the alien race and letting him out. His main goal was the thick power of the World Plane in this place. If it was possible, he wanted to use a Secret Art to devour that alien race creature's bones and soul to make himself even more complete.
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