Chapter 212: Have a Safe Journey
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"His Origin Transcended Vessel is lightning. That's exactly what Lord Divine General refined that day!"
"That's… That's Han Mountain Bell! Lord Divine General took that bell away on that day! He's indeed Lord Divine General!!"
"This is unbelievable! Lord Divine General and Mo Su… are one and the same!"
All the people in Han Mountain City had already fallen into a state akin to frenzy. All the things that happened this day had made them shocked, but none of the shock they felt was comparable to the shock they felt at this moment!
The Lord Divine General that was ingrained deep within the minds of all the outsiders in Han Mountain City, whose presence was like the blazing sun during noon now appeared before them. He was the Divine General. He was Mo Su. He… was Su Ming!
Nan Tian's breathing quickened. He looked at Su Ming standing on Lake of Colors Mountain with a dumbfounded expression as his heart raced against his chest. Even if there had been speculations about this deep within his heart, when that speculation came true, he still found it hard to quell the shock in his heart.
'As expected, he's the Lord Divine General… Mo Su… it's clear that his level of cultivation didn't drop from Transcendence to the Blood Solidification Realm due to grave injuries. When I first met him, he hadn't even Transcended. He actually managed to intimidate me when his power was only at the Blood Solidification Realm. He… as expected of a Divine General!'
Leng Ying, who was standing beside Nan Tian, took a deep breath. He was not unfamiliar to Mo Su's name, but in his heart, he had never thought that Mo Su was at a level so high that it was impossible for him to measure it. He had even once assumed that this Mo Su, who had been hiding his appearance all this while, did not exist at all. He could have even died somewhere a long time ago.
His fame was simply the result of other people's deliberate work.
However, once he saw that Su Ming was Mo Su, he was shocked, but before that shock disappeared, he also saw that Mo Su was the Divine General that appeared before them just a few days ago. It was as if thunder rumbled in his head, and his mind turned blank. He lost all ability to think and was rendered completely stunned by the turn of events.
An outburst with an intensity that was rarely seen erupted from within Han Mountain City. The waves of sound shook the sky and earth. They spread out in all directions and did not disappear. The voices seemed to all be calling out one single title.
"Lord Divine General!"
The people who had been drinking with Su Ming in the inn were the most excited as they joined in crying out with the other people. Never in their dreams would they have expect that their brother Su who had been drinking with them, who had a smile on his face constantly, and the brother Su who spoke rarely would be Mo Su, and would also be the Divine General who had cleared the Chains of Han Mountain, refined celestial lightning, and took away Han Mountain Bell in a display of mighty power just a few days ago!
Amidst the crowd, the man named Yun stood with respect and fanaticism in his face. He had speculated about this before but hadn't been certain. Now as he watched Su Ming standing at the top of Lake of Colors Mountain, he could not help but recall the scenes of the people drinking together in disappointment on that night.
As for his companion, while there was excitement in his heart, he also felt fortunate. After all, during the night two days ago, he had been displeased with Su Ming inviting himself to their table.
There was also a man and a boy in the crowd. The old man was stunned as he looked at Lake of Colors Mountain. As for the boy, he was standing there stupefied, mumbling words that other people could not hear.
"Greetings to the Lord Divine General from Tranquil East Tribe."
As Han Mountain City was in the midst of their exited uproar, two voices traveled out from Tranquil East Mountain. They belonged to the Elder of Tranquil East Tribe and Fang Shen. Even the powerful Berserkers in their tribe floated into the sky and wrapped their fists in their palms before bowing together to Su Ming above Tranquil East Mountain.
Soon after, the same words were echoed from Puqiang Tribe. All the leaders from Puqiang Tribe bowed towards Su Ming together with respect and fear on their faces.
"Greetings to Lord Divine General from Puqiang Tribe.
"We did not know of your identity previously and offended you. We hope that you will be able to forgive us."
The Elder of Puqiang Tribe laughed bitterly. He had said the same words twice to the same person now.
At the same time, sounds of respect rose like a wave from Han Mountain City and spread out through the entire area.
"Greetings, Lord Divine General!"
"Welcome to Han Mountain once again, Lord Divine General!"
The voices echoed in the air and as they shook the entire area, they traveled to Lake of Colors Tribe and into the man and woman's ears, causing their faces to turn pale and a loud bang to resound in their minds.
"Greetings… Lord Divine General."
The flush on Yan Luan's cheeks turned redder as she bowed towards Su Ming.
Su Ming calmly took off the mask from his face and his gaze fell on the woman from Freezing Sky Clan.
"In regards to Freezing Sky Clan's second test set, I've already cleared the Chains of Han Mountain," Su Ming stated slowly. When his words fell from his lips, the woman's face turned paler.
"As for the third test, with my identity as Divine General, it's enough to prove that I Transcended after attaining completion in the Blood Solidification Realm," Su Ming continued speaking. His voice was not loud, but it landed clearly in all the people's ears in the area.
The woman who came from Freezing Sky Clan trembled and staggered a few steps backwards. She looked at Su Ming with a stunned expression and her mind went blank. Everything was happening too suddenly, and this unexpected situation caused her to be unable to adapt.
"As for retrieving Han Mountain Bell as the last part of the test, it is here."
Su Ming did not speak quickly and remained calm and collected. The instant he finished speaking, the woman looked as if her heart had just suffered three heavy blows, rendering her breathless. She opened her mouth as if she was about to say something.
However, before she could even speak, a piercing and freezing glare appeared within Su Ming's eyes. Under that cold gaze, her words got stuck in her mouth.
"I've followed all the rules Freezing Sky Clan set and I've fulfilled every request. Now, it is time you give me an answer," he stated coldly.
The woman turned pale and helplessness appeared on her face. She instinctively looked at her companion – the man from Freezing Sky Clan. He had a similar panicked look on his face. Once they exchanged looks, the man gritted his teeth and took a few steps forward. There was no longer any hint of pompousness on his face, only anguish and sincerity. He wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed towards Su Ming.
"I am Chen Yu Bing of Freezing Sky Clan. Greetings, Lord Divine General. I've been deeply regretful that I was unable to see you summoning the deity statue of Transcendence and being awarded the title of Divine General of Transcendence. My Lord, you are indeed extraordinary."
"I am Xu Ru Yue of Freezing Sky Clan. Greetings, Lord Divine General… There was a reason why I have been so disrespectful. My Lord… I hope you will not mind."
The woman lowered her head and bowed towards Su Ming. There was no longer any contempt on her face. It was replaced simply by anxiety and paleness.
"We're only Outer Sect disciples for the left preceptor in Freezing Sky Clan and we rarely venture out. If we���ve offended you, please forgive us."
"This time, our fellow brother Zhao, an Inner Sect disciple, was supposed to come with us, but because something came up, fellow brother Zhao could not come.
"Before we came, the left preceptor mentioned that we will only take one disciple from Han Mountain City this time, and it was decided that it would be Lake of Colors Tribe's Han Fei Zi. We… We don't have the right to decide whether we can take in a second person."
"That was why we were forced to make things difficult for you."
The two of them whispered, pouring out all their thoughts in their hearts.
"With your power and status as the Divine General, all the schools in the Land of South Morning will definitely receive you. If you don't mind, please come back with us to Freezing Sky Clan and the Clan Elders will make the final decision. The two of us… have no right to make any decisions."
"I grossly exaggerated my words just now. I hope you'll forgive me," Xu Ru Yue bit her bottom lip and whispered entreatingly.
Su Ming cast a glance at the man and woman who had changed their attitudes so completely, then put away his mask along with Han Mountain Bell. From the moment he knew from Han Cang Zi that Freezing Sky Clan was only taking in one person, he had been making all sorts of preparations for the sake of one goal - getting into Freezing Sky Clan.
Su Ming had already predicted a long time ago that there was no way that he could be taken as Freezing Sky Clan's disciple in this place.
"My Lord, this way!" Chen Yu Bing spoke politely.
The Relocation Rune on Lake of Colors Tribe was already fully activated. The light from the Rune was flashing brilliantly. A gigantic ball of light had already gathered in midair.
"Freezing Sky Clan…"
Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the gigantic ball of light. An eager look appeared in his eyes. He took a deep breath and lifted his foot, but just as he was about to walk towards the light…
"Fellow brother Chen, senior sister Xu, you won't mind if I use this Rune and go back to the school, yes?" a soft voice traveled forth from Tranquil East Mountain, and a petite figure also appeared along with that voice. It was Han Cang Zi, Fang Cang Lan.
She let out a soft chuckle as she walked through the air towards them. Her robes fluttered in the air as she walked like a butterfly. She stopped by Su Ming's side. Once she gave him a smile, she looked at the two people from Freezing Sky Clan.
A glint appeared in Xu Ru Yue's eyes. She swept her gaze across Fang Cang Lan and Su Ming before she spoke softly, "Junior sister Fang, you're being far too courteous. We were just about to ask you whether you wanted to come back with us."
Fang Cang Lan smiled and nodded, then moved closer to Su Ming, making it seem as if they were standing together and looking like they were well-suited for each other. When the people saw this, all of them had different thoughts in their heads.
Han Fei Zi looked like how she usually did. She did not even look at Fang Cang Lan, but was instead staring at Su Ming. Then she walked over calmly until she was right before Su Ming. An enchanting smile appeared on her beautiful face.
Han Fei Zi leaned towards Su Ming in a suggestive manner. The moment Su Ming frowned, she whispered breathlessly into his ear, in a tone only he could hear, "Don't forget. You still owe me that promise made under Han Mountain."
Chen Yu Bing let out a fake cough by the side and wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming and the other two people.
"Brother Su, junior sister Han Fei Zi, junior sister Fang, the Rune is working now. Let's go."
He could tell that there was something going on between Su Ming and the two women, but he pretended he did not see anything. He only wanted to finish his task quickly. The trip to Han Mountain this time was making him uncomfortable.
The five of them slowly moved towards the Relocation Rune under the gazes of the people from the three tribes and the crowd in Han Mountain. The instant they stepped into the Rune, shouts erupted forth from Han Mountain City.
"Lord Divine General, have a safe journey!"
"Lord Divine General, if you're ever free, remember to come back and visit us!"
"Lord Divine General, take care!"
"Senior Mo… take care…" A weak voice was mixed in these shouts, coming from Tranquil East Mountain.
Just as Su Ming was about to walk into the Relocation Rune, his footsteps faltered and he turned his head back to look at Han Mountain and Tranquil East Mountain. As he did so, he became overwhelmed with emotions. He saw a pale teenager looking at him from Tranquil East Mountain, supported by someone.
"I'll be back."
Su Ming wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply towards Han Mountain City.
Once he straightened his body, he turned around and a determined look appeared on his face as he stepped into the Rune. The instant he did so, an old voice suddenly spoke by his ears.
"Boy, do you want to become my disciple?"
Chapter 213: The Sagely Veteran
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
It was as if time itself froze.
The rumbling sounds coming from the Relocation Rune also disappeared instantly, as if they had just gone static. Su Ming turned his head back swiftly and what he saw made his pupils shrink. He cautiously took a deep breath.
He saw that everything around him had become completely still. The light from the Rune did not move, and neither did the ground. Yet strangely, while Han Mountain still remained in sight, there was no one on the mountain. The three places were still around, but there was no one in them.
Even Fang Cang Lan, Han Fei Zi, and the others who were around the area just now were all gone. It was as if he was the only person left in the world.
… as if the moment that old voice appeared in his ears, the world had changed.
The world he saw before his eyes had just become empty, a world void of life. This drastic change made Su Ming feel shaken.
He could not imagine what sort of power would be required to do this. It was inconceivable in his eyes.
"This is the Void Space I created," the same voice he heard just now spoke up in his ears once again from the distance. An old man dressed in white robes also appeared sitting on Tranquil East Mountain along with the voice.
The old man held a pot of wine in his hands and took a big gulp from it before he looked at Su Ming.
"Come, let's talk."
Su Ming's heart pounded against his chest. Once he looked at the old man for a few moments, he cast his gaze around him. There were no signs of life on Lake of Colors Mountain. Besides him and the old man, not another soul could be seen in the area.
After hesitating for a moment, Su Ming tried lifting his feet to move out of the Rune. Once he did so, he immediately turned back to look at the Relocation Rune. The light did not move, and the still light made it seem like an illusionary statue.
Once he quelled the shock in his heart, Su Ming slowly rose into the air and walked towards Tranquil East Mountain until he eventually stood 100 feet away from the old man.
"Come, sit by my side."
The old man put down the wine pot and swept his gaze across Su Ming. A hint of praise appeared on his face.
Su Ming moved closer to him without a word, and once he was by the old man's side, he decided to just go along with his suggestion and sat down.
"Are you curious?"
The old man gave Su Ming a scrutinizing look then lifted his right hand to point at the space before Su Ming. Immediately, the space before him distorted and a pot of wine appeared.
"What's a Void Space?"
The moment the wine pot appeared, Su Ming's heart pounded and he looked towards the old man.
"A Void Space is a power belonging to those in the Bone Sacrifice Realm. Once most of the bones in a Berserker's body have turned into Berserker Bones, they can communicate with heaven and earth, and from there create their own world.
"Since it's not real and only an illusion, it's called a Void, and since it's formed in the body and is cut off from the world by our flesh and blood, it cannot spread outwards, that's why it's called a Space."
The old man picked up the wine pot and once he took another mouthful, he looked at Su Ming.
"My Void Space is not complete. I can only create the world I see. There're no living things within. Bringing you in here was already a herculean task."
Su Ming was silent. This was the first time he had ever heard of Void Spaces.
"Blood Solidification, Transcendence, Bone Sacrifice, Berserker Soul. These are the four great realms among us Berserkers. First, you must understand the connotations behind these four great realms. You must understand why they were divided this way, and only then will you be able to reach these realms," the old man said with a smile.
"It doesn't matter whether you will succeed in becoming my disciple. Our meeting in itself is fate. I can guide you. Now, why is there a word 'blood' in Blood Solidification Realm?"
The old man looked at Su Ming.
"Because Berserkers inherit powers through blood. Our blood contains the power of the Berserker Tribe. However, it's very thin, that's why we need to continuously merge it together, only then will that power erupt forth," Su Ming replied softly after a slight hesitation.
"Correct. From a broad perspective, this is correct. However, you still don't understand its connotations."
The old man lifted his right hand and waved it across the sky.
With that one single wave, a blood vein shining with piercing red light immediately appeared in the sky.
"Look closer, I will only show it to you once. When you finish observing it, tell me your answer. This is my first test for you. If you succeed, then I will consider you my honorary disciple. If you fail, then go back from whence you came."
The old man cast Su Ming a profound look and waved his right arm in the sky once more.
The moment he waved his arm, the blood vein in the sky shook, and several branches appeared on that blood vein, and those branches branched out once again, until eventually there seemed to be countless blood veins right before Su Ming's eyes. However, if he took a closer look, he would find that there was really only one blood vein.
The multiple branches that appeared on that one blood vein split up from each other and gathered in the air to form the outline of a person. They shone with a brilliant red light that lit up the entire area.
When he saw this, Su Ming took in a sharp breath, feeling as if thunder rumbled in his mind. The blood veins that he thought had disappeared once they turned into his Berserker Mark appeared once again to cover his entire body.
This strange sight made Su Ming shudder.
"So blood veins… don't disappear… once we Transcend…"
As Su Ming mumbled under his breath, the figure of the person formed by the blood veins in the sky experienced a change once again.
Those blood veins became entwined with each other and gradually pictures of mountains and rivers, the sun and the moon, the stars, plants, and ferocious beasts appeared around him. Every single time one of them appeared, the person formed by blood veins would experience different changes. The veins would move around as if they were trying to match the illusionary pictures around them.
The final picture that appeared was of a mountain – a five fingered mountain, Su Ming's Mountain Mark!
The moment the five fingered mountain appeared, plants appeared on the surface of the mountain. There were trees, earth, and the entire five fingered mountain seemed to have come alive. As it continued to be covered, it gradually looked as if it had turned into a real mountain, and was no longer an illusion.
Once it completely turned into a physical entity, Su Ming once again saw the mountain fusing with the person made of blood veins, and slowly, he saw that the mountain was one with the person, and the person one with the mountain!
The mountain covered every single part of the person made of blood veins, and as if it was a carving on a totem, the mountain seemed to have become the skin for the person made of blood veins!
The moment Su Ming saw this, the blood veins that had appeared once again on his body started circulating with a boom. He started trembling furiously, as if he could not control himself. His face immediately turned pale and blood flowed out of the corner of his lips.
Weariness filled his heart. This feeling stemmed from the sight he saw, which stirred up the Qi within his body.
The old man sitting beside Su Ming looked at him and asked slowly, "Do you want to continue?"
"Yes!"
Su Ming gritted his teeth.
If anyone said that the person that had fused with the mountain in the air and had the mountain as his skin was a human, then he was a human, but if they said he was a mountain, then he was a mountain as well! A vast and mighty presence spread out from its entire body and turned into a gigantic pressure that covered the entire land.
Soon after, a golden piece of bone appeared within the body. More pieces of bones gradually appeared, and after a moment, a complete spine was formed.
It did not end there. Once the spine appeared, a complete skeletal frame formed in the body as time passed by!
He had the form of a person, a skeleton, flesh, and blood. This was a complete human being.
However, he had no soul, no spirit. This person had his eyes closed and could not seem to open them. Su Ming could sense a void within his body, as if he was in deep sleep and could not wake up.
"If he opens his eyes, then he'll obtain the Berserker Soul," the old man stated calmly. He placed his right hand down, and the instant he did so, the person in the sky twisted and blended into nothingness.
"I will wait for your answer here."
The old man closed his eyes.
Su Ming was looking at the spot where the figure had disappeared in the sky dumbly. The images he saw resurfaced in his mind. After a long while, he closed his eyes.
Time trickled by slowly. The sun, moon, and the stars did not move in the Void Space. It was as if time itself had frozen.
The old man's eyes remained shut and he did not open them. He had enough patience to wait for Su Ming's answer. Yet before long, the old man opened his eyes and looked towards Su Ming.
Su Ming remained still, but the blood veins that had previously appeared on his body were shining brilliantly, and among them, two had even fused together.
A surprised look appeared in the old man's eyes as he watched the two fused blood veins.
'What great intelligence!'
Once the two blood veins fused together, the fusion speed for the other blood veins abruptly increased and they blended together. After a few hours and under the old man's praising look, all the blood veins within Su Ming's body became one.
That one blood vein glowed in a brilliant shade of red and slowly surfaced on Su Ming's face. Once it turned into the five fingered Mountain Mark, it crept down his neck. Once the old man saw this, he was stunned.
'His Berserker Mark is the Mountain and he had now truly completed Blood Solidification, so why is it still spreading down…?'
The blood veins were hidden under Su Ming's robes. They spread towards the blood lines Su Ming had drawn on his body, and once they finally turned into the complete Berserker Mark, the old man widened his eyes in shock. He took a sharp breath and no longer cared about maintaining the appropriate demeanor for his status.
He lifted his right hand and waved it towards Su Ming, and immediately, Su Ming's robes covering his upper body disappeared, revealing to the old man the complete Berserker Mark he had drawn on his body!
Dark Mountain Tribe!
The moment the old man saw the Berserker Mark, he sucked in a sharp breath and was stunned. He had seen countless Berserker Marks in his life, and among them, some were rather complicated. However, he had never seen a Berserker Mark that was as complex as the one on Su Ming's body.
"Is this… still a Berserker Mark..? This boy is even crazier than I am…" the old man muttered under his breath, shocked.
"I had thought that he activated the Sound of Soul Creation with his entire Berserker Mark… But by the looks of it, the Mountain Mark that triggered the Sound of Soul Creation is just part of the Berserker Mark!
"This sort of Berserker Mark will either never develop and turn into a mixed Mark, or… it will grow, and its power will shock the entire Berserker Tribe!
"What exactly happened that day after I left…" The old man was in slight disbelief and started regretting leaving so abruptly in disappointment that day.
Regret filled his face, but he immediately noticed it and changed his expression instantly, turning that regretful look into his previous mysterious and smiling expression. He waved his right hand before Su Ming's body, causing his robes to appear once again, before he let out a fake cough and put on the look of a veteran as he looked at Su Ming.
At that very moment, Su Ming slowly opened his eyes. There was a sharp glint in them, and they showed understanding.
Chapter 214: Wine, Water
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Ahem. Since you're awake, then tell me the answer. Your answer will determine whether you can become my honorary disciple."
The old man coughed once again and lifted his hand to stroke his beard. His demeanor, that of a learned veteran, coupled with the shock he brought upon Su Ming, made Su Ming unable to find anything wrong with his actions.
"The four great realms, Blood Solidification, Transcendence, Bone Sacrifice, and Berserker Soul—are all centered around the word 'creation'!" Su Ming took a deep breath and stated slowly.
"To create from nothing is the underlying meaning of these four great realms. This creation is centered around the Berserker Mark!
"All our Berserker Marks are different, that's why what we create is also different, but in the end, it's still centered around the word 'create'! It's just as I saw just now. With just one blood vein, a person who looked like a mountain was created!" he mumbled. He was in shock, only then did he understand the principle of his path.
He had even noticed that during the unknown amount of time that had passed, once he truly fused all his blood veins in his body and blended them into his Berserker Mark, while he might still be in the initial stage of the Transcendence Realm, the power he had in his hands now seemed to have become much greater.
It was a feeling of having completely broken off the Blood Solidification Realm and having truly entered the Transcendence Realm! In fact, due to his actions just now, his powers of the initial stage of the Transcendence Realm had reached their peak, as if he was not far away from the middle stage of the Transcendence Realm.
All of these were because this old man had given it to him.
When the old man heard it, the praise in his eyes grew stronger.
"That's right, if you can understand this, then you're qualified to enter the school and you fit your status of a Divine General of Transcendence. The word 'creation' is the quintessence of us Berserkers. We can cast Creation Arts from One Creation, Ten Creations, Hundred Creations, right up till we reach Endless Creation. The final Creation Art – Eternal Creation, is the Art belonging only to God of Berserkers!"
"There are countless other worlds in this universe, and there are also all types of practitioners. There are differences between all of us, but only us Berserkers walk the path of 'creation'. Once we reach the peak of the Bone Sacrifice realm, we can create our very own statue of the God of Berserkers!
"You passed the first test!"
The old man's smile died down and a solemn look appeared on his face.
"Su Ming, I am Tian Xie Zi. I stay in Freezing Sky Clan and am one of Freezing Sky Clan. However, I don't practice the Arts of Freezing Sky Clan. I've never taken in any disciples before. There were a few that made me want to take them in as my disciples, but they were ultimately not suitable.
"You already caught my attention when you Transcended. In fact, when you were searching for your Berserker Mark in your trance, I was also there!" Tian Xie Zi stated slowly, looking at Su Ming.
Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the old man. He did not suspect his words.
"Right now, you have two choices. One, everything will proceed they way it's supposed to. You will go to Freezing Sky Clan and I will speak for you, then you can become a disciple in Freezing Sky Clan!
"Since you gained the title of Divine General of Transcendence, Freezing Sky Clan will surely pay a lot of attention to you. You'll definitely become an Inner Sect disciple. In fact, some of the old timers in Freezing Sky Clan will choose you as their Disciple. You'll be the same as Si Ma Xin and become a prodigy in Freezing Sky Clan. As for your future, it'll depend on your own luck.
"Two, give up on entering Freezing Sky Clan and become my disciple. While I am in Freezing Sky Clan, you will also be there. If I leave, then you will have to leave with me.
"If you become my disciple, you can stay in Freezing Sky Clan, but you can't become a disciple of the school. You won't be able to receive the same treatment as other disciples. Still, if you accept me as your Master, then you'll understand someday that Freezing Sky Clan is nothing.
"However, if you want to become my disciple, then you have to go through a second test. Only if you pass it will I take you in!"
Tian Xie Zi spoke sternly, and his words were laced with an air condescension towards Freezing Sky Clan, along with pride.
Nonetheless, when he saw Su Ming falling into pensive silence, as if he was weighing his options, he became nervous. If he had not seen Su Ming's Berserker Mark, he would not have minded this, but it was different now.
The old man let out a fake cough and quickly said, "Ahem. Su Ming, I've already helped you once. Your power must have increased. If you become my disciple, then things like these will happen again,".
Su Ming remained silent.
"You have to think carefully. I'm incredibly protective of those important to me. If you become my disciple, then you'll gain a lot of benefits, but if you refuse…"
The old man let out a harrumph, and he also felt helpless. Taking in disciples was an important event, he could not force Su Ming into it.
"What sort of benefits?" Su Ming lifted his head and asked calmly.
"Many…"
Tian Xie Zi felt slightly guilty and let out a bark of laughter to hide his emotions. He was a sly person, and he was confident Su Ming would not be able to see through his disguise.
"I have plenty of Berserker Vessels in my abode. You're my only disciple so you'll be able to choose whichever you like.
"I also have all the scrolls of the Arts in Freezing Sky Clan. Even if you don't join it, you can still learn the Arts, and the clan can't say anything about it because you'll be my disciple.
"Let me think. I also own a mountain as my compound. I have my own cave abode, so if you become my disciple, I can immediately create your own cave abode next to mine.
"I also have close acquaintances in Great Yu Dynasty. When you go there to receive your rewards as the Divine General, I can go with you.
"Also… let me think. If you become my disciple, then your status will immediately change. The relationship between me and Freezing Sky Clan may be a little complicated, but I'm considered one of the seniors in Freezing Sky Clan. Once you acknowledge me as your Master, then you'll have the same status as the head preceptor. Those lasses will have to call you Uncle Master.
"Anyway, you'll have a lot of benefits. Oh, and I have a lot of valuable ancient scrolls. I have everything in there, including the map of the Land of South Morning. It definitely won't lose to Freezing Sky Clan's map. After all, I've gone to far too many places."
A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes but he maintained his silence through the old man's chattering, then nodded once he finished.
"Alright, please tell me the second test."
Tian Xie Zi's spirits lifted up and his smile grew wider. He pointed towards the wine pot before Su Ming.
"I brewed this pot of wine personally over a long period of time. Even the left and right preceptors of Freezing Sky Clan can't drink it. Why don���t you try it?"
Su Ming looked at the wine pot before him. Without any hesitation, he picked it up and took a mouthful. He knew that with the old man's power, if he wanted to harm Su Ming, he had no need to make it so troublesome.
However, the moment he drank it, Su Ming was stunned.
"Water?"
He looked towards the old man.
"It's wine."
There was the ghost of a smile on the old man's lips. He stood up with a delighted look.
Su Ming frowned. His gaze landed on the wine pot in his hands and he fell into a contemplative silence.
"You passed the second test. Let's go. Come with me back to Freezing Sky Clan. We'll go home now!"
The old man laughed boisterously and moved forward. He walked in front of Su Ming, hence he did not see Su Ming, who was holding the wine pot, shudder when he heard the words 'going home'. He lifted his head and cast the old man a profound look.
"Not even I know what's in the wine pot. I might have brewed it, but I fused my Creation Art in there. The taste is different for everyone.
"Si Ma Xin drank it once, and he said it was bitter. Three other people drank it, and they also tasted something different. When I drink it, I'll feel that it's wine.
"You're the only one who said it's water. This answer corresponds with how I'm feeling today. That's why from now on, you will be my only disciple!"
Tian Xie Zi was walking in front when he turned around and smiled at Su Ming.
Su Ming was stunned then he smiled bitterly. He walked with Tian Xie Zi in the air and gradually left. As they did so, the sky and earth in the Void Space started twisting, eventually turning into an illusion that disappeared along with Su Ming and Tian Xie Zi.
The light from the Relocation Rune reached its peak on Lake of Colors Mountain. It was letting out loud rumbling sounds. The earth shook, as if there were layers of invisible force gathering from all directions and surging towards the Relocation Rune, erupting forth from the summit of the mountain and turning into a Rune that shone outwards.
The light was glaring and enveloped all of those within the Rune. Su Ming trembled and snapped out of his daze. A pot of wine had appeared in his hands some time ago. The appearance of this wine pot baffled him. Everything that had happened in the Void Space had only lasted an instant outside.
"Void Space…"
Su Ming lowered his head and looked at the wine pot in his hands before he drank from it.
Besides the rumbling from the Rune, he also heard the people shouting their farewells from all around Han Mountain. Gradually, all those outside the Rune saw it letting off a brilliant flash on Lake of Colors Mountain, causing the vision for all those watching to be blinded for that instant, and the world in their eyes turned dark…
The light dissipated from Lake of Colors Mountain. Only faint sparks remained before they scattered and quickly fused into the air, disappearing without a trace.
"They left…" Nan Tian sighed softly in Han Mountain City. There was a moved but conflicted look on his face. He shook his head.
"I wonder just how much further apart our powers will be when we meet again… Perhaps we'll never meet again."
By his side, Leng Ying quietly looked at the Lake of Colors Mountain that had lost the light from the Relocation Rune. A determined look appeared in his eyes.
"He's finally gone."
The Elder of Puqiang Tribe let out a sigh of relief. Nonetheless, he knew that he would never forget that a Divine General of Transcendence once appeared in Han Mountain, in this place, and with this method, he entered Freezing Sky Clan.
Fang Mu lowered his head on Tranquil East Mountain. His father stood by his side. The man's mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but Fang Mu did not look at him. Instead, he walked away with his head lowered, as if he did not want to talk to his father.
Fang Shen let out a quiet sigh.
As the envoys from Freezing Sky Clan left, Han Mountain gradually calmed down. Some people left, and some people chose to stay. The people in the inn were the same. Yet no matter what, when Freezing Sky Clan came once again to take in disciples, some of them might meet each other again. Then they would drink together and talk about this miracle.
It was especially so for the people who had drunk with Su Ming. They might even say with pride that there was once a Lord Divine General called Su Ming here and speak of his stories.
Chapter 215: Sky Mist Barrier!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Land of South Morning was so huge it seemed endless. Even if people reached the Transcendence Realm, few could manage to travel through the entire land. This place was simply too big.
Some people had made rough calculations about how long it would take for a Transcended Berserker to cross the Land of South Morning and stated that they would need at least 100 years to do so. That was discounting the dangers that the person would encounter during his or her journey. There were also an infinite amount of fierce beasts in the land. These beasts could even hold their own against those in the Berserker Soul Realm.
Even those in the Bone Sacrifice Realm would need a long period of time to cross the Land of South Morning, and they would also have to be careful.
"The Land of South Morning is separated into two regions, and the Sky Mist City acts as the border. The city was built by Freezing Sky Clan and Western Sea Clan. It has been around for thousands of years. It's built on a mountain which eventually turned into a barrier that surrounds South Morning."
Chen Yu Bing from Freezing Sky Clan stood on a mountain enveloped in a golden light in a direction leaning towards the North of the Land of South Morning. He looked in the distance and spoke languidly.
"Sky Mist City is divided into a capital city and nine other prefectural cities, and the border city acts as the barrier separating the inner parts of South Morning from the outer parts. It is also due to this barrier that the wild beasts and Shamans in the outer parts of South Morning cannot get into the inner parts of the land so easily and massacre the people there."
The man named Chen pointed forward.
They could see a mountain range that looked like a dragon's spine far into the distance in the direction he had pointed. It went on endlessly, just like the walls of a city.
"That is part of Sky Mist City's barrier. Junior sister Han Fei Zi, you should have not heard about this city before, right? You'll definitely receive a lot of attention once you enter the school, and when the time comes, you'll be sent out for training. You might be sent to guard Sky Mist City. This is the highest glory for us, the people of South Morning.
"Brother Su, you are the Divine General. It's fine for you to know some of the secrets of the Land of South Morning. With your power and status, you will learn all about them sooner or later."
The man named Chen cast a glance towards Su Ming with a kind smile.
Su Ming's face remained passive as he looked towards the mountain range in the distance. He did not speak. He had no idea how much time had passed while he was in the Relocation Rune in Lake of Colors Mountain. He only knew that a long time had passed by until the buzzing sounds in his ears disappeared. When the light outside was no longer so bright he had to close his eyes, he opened them, and saw that he was at the top of this very mountain along with the other four people.
Once they appeared, Freezing Sky Clan's Xu Ru Yue brought out some golden stones, then started laying them out in a certain manner on the mountain. As the stones in her hand were placed down, the mountain was gradually covered in increasingly stronger golden light.
"We were fortunate to have obtained the four dimensional layer Relocation Rune. In the past, when we had to move from Han Mountain to Freezing Sky Clan, we had to use the Runes in Sky Mist City. They are very slow.
"While Freezing Sky Clan might have been researching and using Relocation Runes as well, we could only relocate a short distance away and the price was great. If we relocated too many times, not only would we waste a large amount of time, our bodies would not be able to handle it either. We'd need to rest for a few dozen breaths before we could recover.
"Right, with the four dimensional layer Relocation Rune, we only need to relocate eight times to return to Freezing Sky Clan. It's much more convenient."
The man named Chen let out a sigh and looked at Xu Ru Yue laying out the Rune. Then he smiled towards Su Ming, Han Cang Zi, and Han Fei Zi.
"Sky Mist City?" Han Fei Zi's gaze fell upon the mountain range and she frowned.
"Looks like you don't know about the existence of this city, but that's normal. I only learned some of the secrets of the Land of South Morning after I entered Freezing Sky Clan.
"Brother Su, have you heard of Sky Mist City before?"
The man named Chen smiled and looked at Su Ming. This was a person who would definitely be taken into the school, and his status in the school would definitely not be lower than Han Fei Zi's, perhaps even higher. That was why he decided to ease the tension between them and become acquaintanced with him. That was why he decided to talk about the things that outsiders would not know over here.
"I've never heard of it." Su Ming said calmly, looking at the mountain range in the distance.
"If that's the case, then I'll accompany both you and junior sister Han Fei Zi to visit the city walls on Sky Mist's mountain range and explain their function in detail," the man named Chen said and smiled before looking at Xu Ru Yue laying out the runes on the ground.
Xu Ru Yue wiped off the sweat on her forehead. When she saw Chen Yu Bing looking at her, she smiled and spoke. "There are still ten hours before the Rune is fully arranged and we can activate the second Relocation. I only need junior sister Han Cang Zi to stay behind and protect me."
She had to calculate the entire process of laying out the Rune and placing the golden stones at their rightful places. Xu Ru Yue was not very familiar with this and that was why she needed to be cautious, which inevitably led to her tiring herself mentally.
"Alright then. I'll leave it to you, senior sister Xu. We won't go too far. If anything goes wrong, I'll come back as soon as possible." Chen Yu Bing gave her a nod and looked towards Han Cang Zi. "Junior sister Fang, I'll leave it to you."
Han Cang Zi had a solemn look on her face. Her gaze traveled to Su Ming before she nodded.
"Brother Su, junior sister Yan, this way!"
Chen Yu Bing lifted his hand and pointed in a direction before he moved forward and turned into a long arc that charged into the distance. Han Fei Zi's face remained cold and detached. White clouds appeared underneath her feet and lifted her up to chase after Chen Yu Bing.
Su Ming lifted into the air unhurriedly. They turned into three long arcs and moved towards the city walls built on the mountain range in the distance.
"If we talk about Sky Mist City, then we have to talk about the barrier that separates the inner and outer parts of the Land of South Morning. We live in the inner parts of the Land of South Morning, and as of now, we are in the inner part.
"The inner parts are very large. Most of the western side of the inner parts belong to Western Sea Clan, and the north belongs to Freezing Sky Clan.
"However, compared to the world outside the barrier, the region we live in is only a small part of the entire Land of South Morning."
With Chen Yu Bing's voice in their ears, the three of them gradually approached the Sky Mist City's wall barrier at full speed.
Once they were about tens of thousands of feet away from the wall with Chen Yu Bing's voice still echoing in their ears, a sudden great pressure spread out with a loud bang from the wall and charged towards them.
"This is Sky Mist's forbidden grounds. Trespassers are not allowed!" a cold and detached voice shouted at them, the sound reverberating all around them like thunder, and the lingering echo buzzed in their ears.
Han Fei Zi's expression changed, and she found that she could barely stand. The white cloud under her feet dissipated as well. Among the three of them, her level of cultivation was the weakest, and she was feeling terribly shaken. At that moment, a gentle wave of energy seeped into her body from her back and spread through her entire body, allowing her to regain her stability.
Su Ming stood by Han Fei Zi's side and supported her with his right arm around her waist.
A blush crept up her cheeks, but she did not refuse his kind will. Instead, she stood by his side and looked towards the wall from where the voice had come.
"I am Freezing Sky Clan's disciple, Chen Yu Bing. Greetings to the uncle master guarding the city."
Chen Yu Bing also felt shaken, but he did not panic. It was clear that he had expected the voice to appear. He wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed respectfully in midair towards Sky Mist's wall located tens of thousands of feet away.
"I saw all of you at the Relocation Spot a long time ago. Why did you come here instead of staying there?" the cold and detached voice asked them languidly.
"Uncle master, by orders of the left preceptor, I went to Han Mountain City to choose new disciples, and we're coming back now. We passed by this place and wanted to see the barrier of the Land of South Morning at close proximity. We won't move forward anymore. We can just watch from here. But uncle master, we would be glad if you made an exception for us," Chen Yu Bing quickly answered.
The moment he finished speaking, Su Ming immediately felt an intimidating pressure charge towards them and sweep through him and Han Fei Zi. At the same time, a soft gasp of surprise echoed in the air.
"Then come here. If you want to take a look, then stand on the wall and look at the outer parts of South Morning."
After a moment, the cold and detached voice appeared again, but this time, there was a warmer tone to it.
"Thank you, uncle master!"
The man named Chen was momentarily stunned before he quickly wrapped his fist in his palm respectfully as thanks. He turned around and cast Su Ming a glance.
He was not a foolish person. He had brought up this journey to the wall because he knew that there was a leader from Freezing Sky Clan here defending the place and by right they should not be turned away. That was why he was using this to warm up his relationship with Su Ming.
However, he did not expect this unknown Uncle Master to allow them to stand on the wall.
"This area belongs to Freezing Sky Clan. All the people defending the outer walls of Sky Mist City are leaders from Freezing Sky Clan. That's why we could get closer. If we were near Western Sea Clan's territory, then we would have been chased away a long time ago. If we showed any signs of disrespect, we might even have been killed."
Su Ming cast a glance at Chen Yu Bing. Under his gaze, Chen Yu Bing lowered his head and laughed self-depreciatingly before he whispered.
"Honestly, I've never stood on the wall to see the outer parts of South Morning either."
Su Ming averted his gaze and smiled as he said, "Let's go. I'm very curious about this place."
As the three of them got closer, an incredibly oppressive feeling gradually rose within Su Ming's heart. The wall on the mountain range had looked magnificent when he saw it from afar, and now that he was closer, it was even more so.
It was hard not to feel tiny before the wall. It was so tall that if he stood at the foot of the mountain and looked up, he would feel as if it was connecting the sky and the earth.
Han Fei Zi's breathing quickened. She looked at the wall on the mountain range before her and found that she could not imagine a mountain range like this surrounding the entire Land of South Morning serving as its barrier.
The distance of tens of thousands of feet shrank quickly, and the moment they stood on the wall, an intimidating pressure fell upon them. Under that pressure, Han Fei Zi's face turned pale and she looked as if she was about to collapse. If she was not standing beside Su Ming and he wasn't dissipating most of the pressure for her, she would not have been able to stand.
Su Ming felt shaken to the core as he stood at the top of the mountain range and looked in front of himself. In his eyes, he saw a barren mass of land spreading into the distance.
This land was also a part of South Morning, but it was outside the barrier. The earth was black, and there was a thick stench of blood in the mountain breeze.
A desolate feeling filled the air.
The barren lands, the boundless sky, the endless forest, the blurry shadows of the tall mountains, and even the vague roaring sounds from the distance contributed to this feeling.
It was especially so due to a few skeletons scattered here and there on the ground. The bones were thick and bulky, and it was clear that they belonged to wild beasts.
It was as if the lands inside and outside the barrier were two different worlds!
By Su Ming's side, Chen Yu Bing was also shaken. This was the first time he stood on the wall and looked at the world outside the walls.
"I didn't expect that a Divine General would be among the disciples the left preceptor took in this time!" the cold voice said from behind them, and the space there distorted and a middle aged man walked out of it.
The middle aged man wore a sackcloth and his hair was braided with lots of tiny braids. He was not huge and leaned on the thinner side. He looked quite ordinary, but his eyes were incredibly bright.
Chapter 216: Divine General of the Bone Sacrifice Realm!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"You… you are…" Chen Yu Bing immediately whipped his head around and was about to bow in greeting respectfully when he saw the middle-aged man. He became stunned. "Uncle… Uncle master Bai?"
Chen Yu Bing immediately felt as if thunder clapped in his heart and his expression drastically changed. He might have known that those who were defending Freezing Sky Clan's portion of the wall were all from his school and knew that this particular wall would have the same treatment, but he did not expect that the person defending this particular portion would be the man before his eyes.
He'd seen this man only once, but the memories of that encounter were etched deep into his mind. He was not the only one who knew him, most of the people in Freezing Sky Clan knew about this person's existence.
'No wonder he allowed us to stand on the wall…'
Chen Yu Bing was very nervous. He bowed deeply towards the middle-aged man respectfully.
"I am Freezing Sky Clan's disciple, Chen Yu Bing. Greetings, uncle master Bai."
The middle-aged man gave him a slight nod and then no longer took notice of him. He looked at Su Ming instead, and once he sized him up, he asked with a calm voice, "What's your name?"
When the man was sizing up Su Ming, he felt a wave of pressure landing on him, but strangely, this pressure was not terrifying, for some reason it gave him an affable feeling.
Su Ming wrapped his fist in his palm and said calmly, "I am Su Ming. Greetings, uncle master Bai."
"You just Transcended, right?" the middle-aged man asked unhurriedly.
"Yes."
Su Ming nodded.
"I don't think you've been taken into Freezing Sky Clan, or else, with your status as Divine General, those old fellows wouldn't just send Outer Sect disciples to receive you," the middle-aged man said, his voice remaining cold.
"Yes…"
Su Ming nodded once again.
"You don't need to go to Freezing Sky Clan. Stay. Defend the place with me and become my disciple. Besides me, no one else in Freezing Sky Clan can teach you suitable Arts."
There was a tone in the middle-aged man's voice that suggested the man would not allow refusal.
Su Ming was stunned.
Chen Yu Bing was also stunned, and envy appeared in his eyes. As for Han Fei Zi, she lowered her head as she stood by the side and did not speak.
Su Ming hesitated for a moment. The cordial feeling within him towards the man grew stronger as he continued talking to him. "I… I already have a Master."
"Oh? Who is it? I'll have him give up on you."
The middle-aged man's voice was calm, but there was a shocking pride in his words.
Having two people suddenly wanting to take him in as a disciple was a first for Su Ming.
"Yes… Tian Xie Zi."
The moment he said the name, the man's expression turned odd, looking like a mix of expressions: as if he could do nothing about this, as if he was caught between wanting to laugh and cry, as if he was furious. Eventually, the man settled on to a cold harrumph.
"If you ever regret acknowledging him as your Master, then come to me."
When Chen Yu Bing heard those words, his expression changed once again to surprise and he looked at Su Ming. He was about to say something, but in the end, did not. However, he instinctively took a step back and widened the distance between him and Su Ming.
Su Ming was slightly alarmed. It did not matter whether it was the middle-aged man's words or Chen Yu Bing's instinctive reaction, all of them seemed to be expressing a rather bad connotation to him acknowledging Tian Xie Zi as his Master…
"Let's put it aside first. Now, the three of you, stand here and tell me what you saw!"
The middle-aged man's voice was still cold when he spoke. He did not look at Su Ming anymore, but instead towards the desolate world past the wall.
Su Ming was silent when he looked at the land before him. He could still hear vague roaring in his ears. The entire world outside the barrier was filled with a desolate and bloody air. It looked like a quiet place, but it gave Su Ming an oppressive feeling. That oppressive feeling came from the silence, the barren lands, the black dirt, and the endless wall he stood on.
"Hate. I see hate." Chen Yu Bing was the first to answer. The light in his eyes flickered as he looked at the piece of land. "The Shamans'1 hate towards us, and our hate towards them."
Chen Yu Bing's words held a steadfast quality, as if he was very confident in his answer.
"Not bad, it's the train of thought passed down to all of you by those old folks in Freezing Sky Clan, but that's not what I want!" the middle-aged man said coldly.
Chen Yu Bing smiled bitterly and acknowledged the rebuke with his head lowered. Indeed, his answer was formed based on the knowledge shared by most of the people in Freezing Sky Clan towards the world outside the barrier.
"What about you, lass? Tell me what you see."
The middle-aged man did not look at Han Fei Zi when he asked her, but continued staring at the barren lands before him.
Han Fei Zi's face was still slightly pale. She remained silent for a while before she whispered her answer.
"I don't see anything."
The moment she finished answering, the middle-aged man turned around and cast a profound look at her.
"What's your name?"
Han Fei Zi bent her body slightly and answered respectfully, "I am Yan Fei."
The middle-aged man remained silent for a moment before he asked, "Su Ming, what do you see?"
After a long while, Su Ming answered languidly, "I see desire."
"The left preceptor got himself a good disciple. Tian Xie Zi also got himself a good disciple."
The middle-aged man let out a long sigh before he lifted his right hand and pointed towards the land outside the wall.
"You can view the Land of South Morning as a circle." As he spoke, he waved his right hand forward and black light appeared out of nowhere, forming a black circle before their eyes.
"This is the barrier." He drew a small circle with his right hand in the circle. "This is the inner part of the land. The outer part is what you see now. The barrier exists to fend against wild beasts and Shamans invading the land.
"Shamans, they're a group of people belonging to tribes that are completely different from ours, though they have a similar system to us. They have their own Elders, but they're known as Patriarchs… You will learn more about this in the future."
When Su Ming heard the middle-aged man's words, he had a sudden urge to ask something. After falling silent for a moment, he asked uncertainly, "Senior, there's a barrier on the Land of South Morning, but what is it like outside the barrier? We have several other continents in the land of Berserkers, how do they look like?"
"I don't know," the middle-aged man answered calmly. "I only know that the Great Yu Dynasty still exists… And I only know about this because the deity statues are still around and there are still people who are awarded the title of Divine General.
"But I've never been to the land of the Great Yu Dynasty. In fact, there are very few people from the Land of South Morning who have been able to go through the Shaman tribes and leave South Morning entirely.
"By the way, your Master, Tian Xie Zi… He said he left South Morning before. According to his words, he went to the Great Yu Dynasty and made a few close friends. As for whether the others believe in him, I wouldn't know, but I don't.
"Besides the Land of South Morning and the Great Yu Dynasty, I don't know whether there are Berserkers in the other continents.
"The Berserkers have fallen into decay… We are long past the glory days of the first God of Berserkers."
The middle-aged man let out a soft sigh and he looked slightly downcast.
Su Ming took a deep breath. He had never heard of such secretive things before. Shaken by the man's words, he looked towards the vast mass of land lying outside the barrier. A feeling of powerlessness stemmed from the distance filled his heart.
'I know that the Alliance of the Western Region's continent exists, because I came from the Alliance of the Western Region…' he mumbled in his own heart.
"That's enough. Those who aren't the guards of the barrier aren't allowed to stay for long here. All of you…"
The middle-aged man swung his arm forward with the intent of sending Su Ming and the others away, yet at that very moment, vague roaring came from the world outside the barrier, and it grew increasingly stronger with each passing moment.
The moment the roars started, the barrier under Su Ming's feet immediately shuddered, and a strong pressure rose up. That pressure was so great that it reached its peak in an instant, causing Han Fei Zi and Chen Yu Bing to turn drastically more pale and cough out blood.
If it were not for the middle-aged man waving his right arm and bringing up a typhoon to take Han Fei Zi and Chen Yu Bing backwards and out of the mountain barrier, the two of them would have definitely been heavily wounded by now.
Su Ming did not move back, because the moment he heard the roars, the presence of Transcendence surged forth from within him and spread outwards, turning into a layer of black fog. The black fog surrounded his body and turned into black armor.
The armor of a Divine General!
When the armor materialized, it allowed him to somewhat withstand the pressure outside the barrier. The light in his eyes flickered, and he looked towards the vast land lying before him. What he saw next made him tremble and suck in a deep breath.
What he saw was something Han Fei Zi and Chen Yu Bing could not see, because they were not standing on the barrier. At that moment, the air was twisting so much that it covered his entire field of vision.
Only Su Ming and the middle-aged man who now looked solemn saw that scene!
The clouds were rolling about in the sky of the vast lands outside the barrier. The clouds were dark and looked as if they were a layer of black mist that covered an area of thousands of li. Within those clouds, Su Ming saw a gigantic wild beast that put him in disbelief.
It was a humongous mackerel pike that swam in the sky and was leaping in the air. The sounds that they heard came from its mouth.
Su Ming even saw a person standing on its back!
The person was a woman. Her face could not be seen clearly, but he could make out that she was wearing a long purple robe. Her black hair was floating in the air, as if hinting that she had incredible beauty.
"She is a Shaman," a cold voice said beside Su Ming. The middle-aged man lifted his foot and took a step in the air beyond the barrier.
The moment he stepped out, a large amount of white fog surged out of his body and surrounded him whole, turning into a white armor that was completely different from what Su Ming was wearing. It was at a caliber that was much more superior to his own!
The armor exuded a powerful presence that made the middle-aged man seem as if he could not be defeated.
"A Divine General!"
Su Ming felt his heart lurch. He finally knew just why he felt that there was an amiable feeling coming from the middle-aged man, why Chen Yu Bing would be so nervous and respectful towards this man when he saw him, why this person allowed Su Ming and the others to stand on the barrier, and why he wanted to take Su Ming in as his disciple. All of this was because this person was the same as him, they were both Divine Generals!
What was more, he should not be a Divine General of Transcendence, but… a Divine General of the Bone Sacrifice Realm!
Translator's Notes:
The Shamans are known as the Wu （巫） Tribe, one of the five Barbaric Tribes in China. The choice for the name was pretty easy to choose, honestly. I was doing research about the Wu Tribe and found that apparently the official English translation is Shaman. For quick proof, you can look at Wikipedia.
So I just went, oh well, what the heck, might as well just take it.
As for patriarch （巫公）, it'll be used strictly for the male leaders. Matriarch will be used for female leaders. So if you make noise about this, it'll prove that: 1. You don't read the TL notes. 2. You're a troll.
Chapter 217: I Am Your Grandpa Hu!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the air beyond the barrier, the middle-aged man exuded an intimidating presence as he stood in that white armor, and was staring coldly at the mackerel pike that was about thousands of lis in the distance along with the female Shaman standing on its back.
Roaring reverberated through the air at that moment. A complicated rune appeared on the mountain range, causing the pressure to grow increasingly stronger, until Su Ming found himself to be unable to withstand it any longer.
"You again? I didn't kill you last time, but if you continue bothering me, then I will kill you."
As he stood in the air, the middle-aged man's face turned stone cold, as cold as his words. The moment he spoke, thunder rumbled above and shook the sky and earth, causing the gigantic mackerel pike in the distance to tremble.
"I brought the Shaman Beast from my tribe, you can't kill me! Bai Chong, return to me my sister's mementoes. If you don't, then even if I lose this time, I'll still come back!" a woman's voice floated towards them from the top of the mackerel pike.
"Begone!"
A cold glare appeared in Bai Chong's eyes. He lifted his right hand and waved it in the air. A rumbling sound that made the world tremble rang out, and as it did so, a mighty pressure erupted forth from the part of the barrier on the mountain range Su Ming was standing on.
Su Ming could not withstand the pressure. He quickly retreated, and the moment the pressure erupted at full force, he left the barrier. When he looked over once again, the world he saw was distorted. The distorted space blocked his view, causing him to be unable to see the middle-aged man beyond the barrier or the gigantic mackerel pike that made his heart lurch with the female Shaman standing on it.
He could only hear muffled rumbling coming from beyond the barrier, which caused the pressure to become stronger with each passing moment. Su Ming could no longer get closer, able only to withdraw.
Only when he was tens of thousands of feet away from the barrier and stood by Han Fei Zi and Chen Yu Bing's side did the pressure stop spreading outwards.
Chen Yu Bing's face was pale and he immediately asked in fear, "Brother Su, what happened? Could it be… could it be that the Shamans are invading us?"
Next to him, Han Fei Zi was also looking at Su Ming with a questioning look.
"No, it was just a Shaman," Su Ming andswered languidly, looking at the distortions beyond the barrier.
"That's great. Isn't this too much of a coincidence for this to happen right at the time we came here? But brother Mo, we'd best leave now. The Relocation Rune is about ready." Chen Yu Bing could not hide his anxiety and continued looking at the barrier from which the rumblings were coming.
Su Ming looked towards the barrier once again and quelled the shock in his heart. The more he understood about the Land of South Morning and the Berserker Tribe, the more he began to feel uncertain about his dream of returning to the Alliance of the Western Region.
"Brother Su, let's go."
Chen Yu Bing was feeling slightly antsy and he urged Su Ming once again. If it was anyone else, he would have ignored them a long time ago, but this was Su Ming. He did not dare ignore him.
Su Ming nodded. He knew that the battle outside the barrier was not something he could participate in with his current level of power. He could not even withstand the pressure from the barrier with his current level of cultivation. There was no way he could provide any help, and Bai Chong did not need any help.
When he saw that Su Ming agreed to leave, Chen Yu Bing let out a sigh of relief. The three of them turned into long arcs and gradually left the place. Before long, they returned to the mountain that was enveloped by golden light.
Even when he was on the mountain, Su Ming continued looking at the barrier in the distance. Even Xu Ru Yue felt what was happening on the barrier. Once she completed activating the Rune with trembling hands and the light from the Relocation Rune surrounded them, Su Ming averted his gaze. They slowly disappeared along with the light from the Relocation Rune.
With one thunderous rumble, the mountain returned to its quiet state and small golden balls of light spread out through the air.
After several Relocations and some rest, Su Ming and the others stepped into the final Relocation Rune seven days later. When they reappeared next, they would be in Freezing Sky Clan.
To the north of the inner parts of the Land of South Morning was a tribe with a name that shocked the entire land. The tribe's name was Freezing Sky!
The Great Tribe of Freezing Sky was one of the only two great tribes in the Land of South Morning!
The main tribe was located to the north of South Morning. While it might not be big, there were numerous tribes of various sizes belonging to Freezing Sky in the Land of South Morning.
With these tribes, not only did it make the Great Tribe of Freezing Sky's power to be on par with the Great Tribe of Western Sea and shock the entire Land of South Morning, it also posed difficulties for the Shamans outside the barrier for the last thousands of years.
Freezing Sky Clan was created a long time ago, during the early days of the Great Tribe of Freezing Sky. They also used the tribe to develop a school belonging to a middle-sized tribe to one that belonged to a big tribe. It was located in the north of the Land of South Morning, a mountain range covered in snow.
This particular region was the only region that was covered in snow throughout the year within the barrier erected around the Land of South Morning. The school took up half of the northern region, and same as the Great Tribe of Freezing Sky Clan, they were the strongest force in the north.
Freezing Sky Clan was huge, and there were a lot of disciples in there. They all came from the myriad tribes in the area governed by Freezing Sky Clan.
There were nine main mountains in the Great Frozen Plains. The nine mountains were covered by snow and surrounded the entire region. Each of the mountains could be called a sect of Freezing Sky Clan.
There were shorter ice mountains behind the nine main mountains that connected with each other and spanned endlessly, though they seemed to be strewn out on the ground in a disorderly manner. If someone looked from high in the sky, they would see that the mountains were positioned in a manner akin to a Rune, and they exuded a mighty and intimidating presence.
It was rumored that to the north of South Morning was an ocean. However, that ocean was frozen with an Art when Freezing Sky Clan was formed thousands of years ago, causing the ocean to look like a layer of ice on earth, and that was where Freezing Sky Clan was based.
There were also rumors that there was still seawater underneath the endless layer of ice under Freezing Sky Clan. However, no one knew exactly why Freezing Sky Clan chose to build the school there and freeze the ocean to become a piece of land.
The nine main mountains and the numerous subordinate mountains were like a gigantic fortress that formed Freezing Sky Clan on the endless plains of ice!
However, located in the air above the nine mountains was a building that served as a landmark for Freezing Sky Clan. That building was known as the Heaven Gate.
That was how Freezing Sky came to have its name.
The building might be called a gate, but it was in truth nine floating pieces of land. They overlapped each other to look like a tower. Each of them was about tens of thousands of feet in size and floated above the sky with the nine mountains as their center.
There were some elegant looking towers built on each piece of land. The disciples who could stay within Heaven Gate were definitely not of mediocre standards.
Even if someone lifted their heads, they could at most only see the fifth piece of land. The others above were all covered by clouds and could not be seen. There was a strange force up there. Even if a person flew up, they would not be able to get closer unless they obtained permission.
The disciples in Freezing Sky Clan numbered hundreds of thousands, if one counted the disciples who had went out to train and those who were sent to defend Sky Mist's barrier. The phrase saying that the place had hundreds of thousands of Berserkers were not baseless words when they were used to describe Freezing Sky Clan, and only Freezing Sky Clan.
On this day, the mountainside of the fourth main mountain was surrounded by hundreds of platforms. These platforms were scattered about, and each of them had a Rune drawn on them.
At that moment, one of the platforms shone with a piercing golden light. Gradually, as freezing wind blew in the air, six people appeared within the Rune on one of the platform's.
"Freezing Sky Clan…"
The freezing wind blew against Su Ming's face, and it brought with it some snow that landed on his face, causing his face to feel cold. This was the first time he felt true snow so clearly in the Land of South Morning. Snow that was not formed by any sort of power or any sort of Art.
There were three people sitting on the platform. As the golden light from the Rune shone, the three people opened their eyes.
"It should be junior brother Chen and junior sister Xu," one of them said calmly as he swept his gaze over the six people that appeared within the golden light.
The golden light from the Rune on the platform dissipated after a moment, revealing Su Ming and the other five people standing there.
The three people sitting on the platform stood up, and one of them smiled as he asked, "Junior sister Fang came back as well? Junior brother Chen, what were your experiences going out this time?"
"Senior brother Zhou, stop teasing me. It's better if I don't talk about what happened…"
Once Chen Yu Bing returned to Freezing Sky Clan, it was clear that he calmed down. Once he heard the person's words, he laughed and walked towards the three people before him.
"Come, allow me to make some introductions. This is junior sister Han Fei Zi."
Han Fei Zi frowned, making it clear that she did not like getting to know people this way, but since she had just arrived in Freezing Sky Clan, she had to quell her discomfort and nodded towards the three people.
As for Han Cang Zi, once she smiled as a greeting to the crowd, she walked towards Su Ming.
Su Ming stood by the side and looked at the people talking to each other. Once Chen Yu Bing made introductions, they became much friendlier. The haughty expression gradually returned to Xu Ru Yue's face once she returned to the school. Her expression was largely similar to those around her.
This seemed to be an expression that existed among most of Freezing Sky Clan disciples. They all looked as if they were way above other people.
Su Ming did not bother with them and chose to walk forward alone to stand at the edge of the platform and look at the white plain of snow that spanned into the distance.
The snow lighted up a special emotion in him. When he stood there and looked outwards, he felt as if he was looking at the snow on Dark Mountain.
When the snow landed on his face due to the wind, the cold feeling brought him a sense of familiarity.
He heard Han Cang Zi's soft voice by his ear. "Not used to this? When I first came to Freezing Sky Clan, I had the same feeling."
Han Cang Zi looked at Su Ming and gave him a gentle smile.
"It's not too bad," Su Ming said with a smile.
In truth, Su Ming's appearance had long since drawn the attention of the three people. They were given orders to wait on the platform. They were not surprised when they saw Han Cang Zi, but when they saw Su Ming, they were surprised.
However, since Chen Yu Bing did not introduce him, they did not ask. When they saw Su Ming leaving the group alone, the three of them found themselves asking about him.
"Junior brother Chen, who is that person? Why did he come back with all of you?"
"This person…"
Chen Yu Bing hesitated for a moment, and before he could finish speaking, a long arc suddenly charged towards them from the sky in the distance. That long arc was incredibly domineering, because when it traveled forth, the other Freezing Sky Clan disciples who were moving around in midair had to move away quickly to avoid knocking into it.
The disciples who moved out of the way were livid, but once they saw who was in the long arc, they shook their heads and decided to ignore this incident.
"Hey, who among you is called Su Ming?" a loud shout came from that long arc, and it was so loud that it was deafening.
When the long arc reached them, it floated in the air a little further away from the platform, revealing a burly looking man built like a hill. This man's hair was a mess and stank of alcohol. He held a big gourd in his hand, and once he finished speaking, he let out a drunken burp and pointed at the crowd on the platform with a glare.
"Hey, I'm asking all of you, tell your Grandpa1 Hu just who is Su Ming!"
Translator's Notes:
If you're male, that is, if you say you're someone's grandpa but you're not related to them by birth, you're basically implying that you are superior to the other person because you're older and have more experience. It also makes that person who said it sound rude, uncouth, prideful, and like a total d***. It's all due to the idea in Chinese society that older people need to be respected because they have more experience. If you're a woman, I guess you call yourself Grandma..? Honestly, I've never heard any girl calling themselves that before, the most was calling themselves 'Old Woman', lol. Same implication, same making themselves sound like total d***s.
Chapter 218: The Ninth Summit
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The moment they saw the man, surprise immediately appeared on the faces of the three people who had been waiting for Chen Yu Bing and the others. It was clear that they hadn't expected and did not know why this troublesome person would come to the fourth summit.
"Uncle Master… Hu…"
The three people smiled bitterly and wrapped their fists in their palms to greet the man.
The ranking system in Freezing Sky Clan was very strict. If someone did not greet those who had higher seniority, then they had to be punished. The three who had been waiting might not want to, but they still had to greet him.
Chen Yu Bing had an odd expression on his face. He instinctively looked towards Su Ming standing not too far away before wrapping his fist to greet the man. By his side, Xu Ru Yue did the same thing.
The man seemed incredibly impatient. Once he scanned through the crowd, his gaze fell on Han Fei Zi.
"Hey, lass…" As he spoke, the man brought the gourd to his lips and took a big gulp before wiping his lips and barking out the rest of his question drunkenly, "Yer Su Ming?"
Han Fei Zi's expression darkened and she cast the man a cold glare, but she did not speak.
"Aaahhh… just which one of you's Su Ming? Don't make me angry!" the man shouted out, and his voice caused the snow in the area to tremble.
"I am Su. Who might you be, sir?"
Su Ming remained calm as he turned around on the edge of the platform and looked at the man.
The man scratched his head and once he sized up Su Ming, he shouted in a displeased manner, "Move. I'm lookin' fer Su Ming, not Su. Yer name's Su, you aren't the person I'm lookin' fer."
Once he spoke, the people on the platforms immediately bit back their laughter. If it were not because they were afraid of the man's power, they would have laughed out loud a long time ago.
Su Ming was also stunned. He seldom met people who were as unreasonable as this person, so he could only nod with a bitter smile and speak once again. "I am Su Ming."
"Nonsense. Didn't cha just call yerself Su? How's it when ya heard I was lookin' fer Su Ming, then ya immediately say yer name's Su Ming? Hey, I'm tellin' ya, yer Grandpa Hu is real smart. Don't even think about lyin' to me! I hate people lyin' to me the most!"
The man glared at Su Ming and stormed towards him. His face, which was filled with malice, coupled with his large build made him look incredibly intimidating.
That intimidating presence made the people standing on the platform withdraw continuously. Even Han Cang Zi, who was standing beside Su Ming, moved back a few steps instinctively, and it was all due to the intimidating presence coming from the man.
"I hate people lyin' to me the most. That old man Tian Xie already cheated me many, many times, and then he swore not to lie to me again. He asked me to come fer Su Ming. If he's not here, then he lied to me again." Anger appeared on the man's face and once he was standing before Su Ming, he glared at him. "Tell me! Who's Su Ming?!"
Su Ming frowned. He was already thinking about why this man came the moment he saw him and how he knew his name, but when he saw Chen Yu Bing's strange look, he already had an answer in his heart.
When he heard the man calling out Tian Xie Zi's family name, Su Ming brought out the pot of wine Tian Xie Zi gave him from his bosom without another word.
The man's attention was immediately drawn towards the pot of wine the moment Su Ming brought it out. Once he looked at it thoroughly, he let out a long sigh. When he looked at Su Ming once again, his gaze was no longer fierce but filled with pity instead.
"Yer Su Ming? Why didn't cha say so earlier? I had ta waste my breath askin' so many times. Let's go. I'll bring ya to the old man's cave," the man said, sighing, then with one step, his entire body left the platform.
The feeling as if something bad was about to happen grew increasingly stronger in Su Ming's heart. After a moment of hesitation, he wrapped his fist in his palm towards Han Cang Zi, Han Fei Zi, Chen Yu Bing, Xu Ru Yue, and the others.
"I'll take my leave first. If we ever have the chance, let's meet up again."
"Brother Su… congratulations, congratulations…"
Chen Yu Bing greeted Su Ming back with an odd expression on his face.
"Once I'm settled, I'll come find you," Han Fei Zi's said, her tone still icy.
"I'm on the third summit. Brother Su, if you're ever free, you can come and try out some of the tea I brew."
Han Cang Zi smiled softly.
Before Su Ming could reply, the man standing in midair shouted in displeasure, ."Boy, why aren't cha moving yet? Just how long are ya going to make me wait?!"
Su Ming frowned. Once he gave a nod to the crowd, he rose up. His green robes and flowing long hair gave him an elegant presence as he stood in the air.
When he saw Su Ming following him, the man instantly charged forward at full speed. As Su Ming chased after him, he saw a world covered in white snow before his eyes. He took a deep breath of the air around him. This chill reminded him of that particular winter in Dark Mountain. He fell silent, and in his silence, he followed the man. The two of them turned into long arcs and flew out of the fourth summit.
No one tried to stop them. Even if anyone saw and thought of trying to stop them, the moment they recognized the man, they would frown and avoid them.
"I can't believe that old man brought me a junior brother on the rare chance he goes out. Say, just how unlucky am I? I was drinking my wine happily on my own, and yet I had to come fetch you.
"No wait, I'm not the one who's unlucky, you're the one who's unlucky. You're seriously unlucky. You're very, very unlucky. You're really, very, absolutely unlucky…"
The man occasionally turned around to look at Su Ming as he continued moving forwards, mumbling under his breath.
However, his mumbles were akin to low pitched roars in Su Ming's ears. That voice was enough to make his ears start buzzing now that he was listening in close proximity.
Su Ming's expression turned cold and shouted out in an icy tone, "That's enough!"
The man immediately glared at Su Ming and shouted at him. "Hmm? How dare ya try to stop me from talking to myself?"
Su Ming felt the beginnings of a headache forming. It was especially so when he found that the man looked rather hurt by Su Ming's words while shouting. Once he remembered that the man came to pick him up, and remembered that this man was highly likely Tian Xie Zi's disciple as well judging by his words, Su Ming sighed.
'Tian Xie Zi told me that I was his only disciple…'
The bad feeling in Su Ming's heart grew stronger.
"How should I address you?" Su Ming asked with a bitter laugh.
"Hmph."
The man seemed to still be angry. He turned around and ignored Su Ming, choosing instead to continue flying forward.
After a while, once the two of them passed through countless mountains, the man could not help but start talking when he saw that Su Ming did not speak anymore.
"I'm warning ya. Don't talk to me anymore. Don't ask fer my name either. Even if ya ask me, yer Grandpa Hu won't tell ya, 'cause I'm angry!"
"Alright, then how should I address you?" Su Ming asked with a nod.
"Hmph. Everyone calls me Grandpa Hu, but since we're fellow disciples in the same sect, then I'll allow ya to call me Grandpa Hu Zi," the man quickly answered, having long forgotten the words he had said just now. There was a prideful look on his face, as if he was very satisfied with his name.
Su Ming's expression remained passive as he nodded and asked, "Mhmm. Hu Zi, when is Master Tian Xie Zi coming back?"
"Ya didn't see him? The old man just came back. Hmph, I was drinking wine when he threw me out to come and pick you up." When the man spoke of this, anger appeared on his face.
"Oh? I really didn't see him." A barely noticeable glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes.
"The old man is a sage. A sage, understand? A sage has to act like a sage. He's the best at sounding mysterious and giving us all that mumbo-jumbo."
The man seemed to have recalled something and he took a big gulp of wine from his wine pot with a downspirited look on his face.
Su Ming clenched his right fist and a freezing glare appeared in his eyes, but his face remained passive as he nodded.
"He once told me that he only had me as his disciple…"
Before Su Ming even finished speaking, that man immediately turned livid with rage and turned around to yell at Su Ming.
"He told me the same thing! But only when I came back with him did I realize that I had a senior brother above me, and my senior brother had another senior brother above him…"
A smile appeared on Su Ming's face, but that smile was a little forced, and there was even a hint of coldness in his smile.
"He even told me…"
This time, even before Su Ming finished speaking, the man immediately cut in.
"I know! He must'ave told ya that he has a lot of Berserker Vessels and ya can choose them at will."
Su Ming clenched his right fist tighter.
"He might have even told ya that he has all the Berserker Arts of Freezing Sky Clan and if you acknowledge him as your Master, you can learn them."
Su Ming's smile turned even colder.
"He must also have told ya that if you acknowledge him as yer Master, then you'll understand in the future that Freezing Sky Clan is nothing. Well, d*mn him. That old man told me the exact same thing in the past. My junior brother, you're unlucky, you're super unlucky, you're super duper unlucky…
"I'm telling ya, we're not the only ones with the same experience. My senior brother told me the same thing. His experiences were the same as ours. Our senior brother's senior brother apparently said the same thing to him…"
As the man babbled on in a sympathizing manner, both of them gradually weaved through several main mountains and arrived at Freezing Sky Clan's ninth summit.
The nine main mountains and the numerous subordinate mountains formed the vast snow plains belonging to Freezing Sky Clan. Together with Heaven Gate, both mountains and gate created Freezing Sky Clan's powerful presence.
The nine main mountains were an important part of Freezing Sky Clan. Each mountain was humongous. At first glance, they looked like towering ice mountains that exuded an aged presence.
At that moment, the ninth summit was presented before Su Ming's eyes.
"We're here."
The man pointed at the ninth summit by Su Ming's side and let out a sigh.
Su Ming was stunned. On the way here, he had lost all hope and was disappointed by Tian Xie Zi's words. Yet when he saw the ninth summit, he could not help but be surprised.
He hesitated for a moment before looking at the man. "How… many people are staying here?"
"Not many. Including you and the old man, there're only five people here. This is the only thing the old man didn't lie about. He does indeed stay in Freezing Sky Clan and does indeed own a mountain, which is the ninth summit."
Su Ming took a deep breath. At the very least, he now felt a little bit comforted after the hurt he felt for having been lied to.
"Our eldest senior brother is in constant isolation. He will only come out on the Day of Eternal Creation, and every single time he comes back, he'll make a huge ruckus. Even if yer dead drunk, you'll still wake up because of him. You'll have to listen to him shouting that he's finally out, and it's a real headache.
"You can treat him like a turtle. He usually sleeps, and when he wakes up he'll let out a loud yawn, then he'll go back to sleep," the man mumbled under his breath.
As Su Ming listened to him, he found himself rendered speechless.
Chapter 219: Youngest Junior Brother
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Our second senior brother has a good personality. He likes to plant stuff, so he fenced up a large plot of land in the mountain to plant his trees. But he's far too hardworking, which led him to believe that he could do better. Still, he planted too many trees, and slowly, most of the mountain was filled with his plants. If ya walk around during midnight, ya should be able to see him moving things around.
"Second senior brother has this weird habit of only coming out to look at his plants at night. Don't be scared when you see him. That man is always paranoid. He keeps thinking someone is trying to sneak in and steal his plants."
The man continued mumbling even as he flew with Su Ming into the ninth summit and stood on the mountainside.
Su Ming could no longer tell just how he was feeling right now. He was standing on a flight of stairs, and when he looked down, he saw a battered down place that might have been clean and tidy in the past. That battered image was especially highlighted by the plants that could survive in snow, which filled the entire place. Once he remembered what the man had said about their second senior brother, he let out a wry laugh.
The man continued mumbling even as he was walking up the stairs. As he was talking, Su Ming's heart suddenly lurched in his chest. He lifted his head swiftly and saw a man in white, standing in the snow, not too far away. He had no idea when that man had appeared, but he was standing there looking at him and the man with a smile.
"Hu Zi, this must be our youngest junior brother."
That man seemed to also be in his thirties, and his appearance gave him a kindly and refined air. His white clothing gave him a gentle demeanor that made him not seem cold and unapproachable.
"Second senior brother, morning." The man spoke with a relaxed manner, then pointed at Su Ming before he continued talking. "He's our youngest junior brother. The old man brought him back. What's his name again? Su..? That's right, he's Su."
Su Ming lifted his head to look at the sky. At that moment, the sky was already beginning to darken. It looked as if it was going to be dusk soon. However, light was reflected off the snow in these northern plains, causing the entire place to still look bright.
Nonetheless, this did not seem to be a time where anyone should be greeting anyone else with 'Morning'.
"Aye, I woke up a bit earlier today." The gentle man yawned and smiled at Su Ming before giving him a nod. "I see, so your name is Su? That's… not a bad name. Not bad, youngest junior brother. You have to believe in yourself. You have to believe that you can do anything you want!"
As the man in white spoke, he lifted his head and looked at the sky.
"I won't be talking to you two anymore. I woke up far too early today and I need to go back and sleep. I have to keep watch tonight as well. Some of my plants were stolen yesterday."
The man in white turned around. He was about to leave when he suddenly stopped and turned his head back. He looked at Su Ming kindly.
"Youngest junior brother, the mountain is different from what Master told you, but there's one thing that won't change. Freezing Sky Clan's ninth summit is your home!
"While you're here, no one will dare harass you!"
The man in white smiled and left.
Su Ming was silent. He could not tell the man's level of cultivation. In fact, in his eyes, that man was just like an ordinary person. He could not sense any pressure or Qi from him.
Yet his words stayed in Su Ming's mind for a long time.
But it was a pity, because another voice came from Su Ming's side and destroyed that feeling. The man called Hu Zi had a gloomy look on his face.
"Don't trust him.
When I first came here, second senior brother told me the same thing. I was really touched, you know! But ya don't understand, when I was beaten up by those people in Freezing Sky Clan and ran back to the mountain, second senior brother never helped me. Every single time I went to him, he would get angry and want to take revenge with me, but then once he cools down, he goes back to sleep…
"I once waited at his place for three months without leaving, and he actually managed to sleep through those three months!"
The man's face was filled with hurt as he talked about his past.
"Didn't he just tell ya to believe in yerself..? It's precisely because he believed that he could do better, that the entire ninth summit turned into his farm."
Su Ming looked at the mountain, then at the man, then in the direction where the man in white had left, and instantly found himself speechless.
"Hey, this is my place. Your Grandpa Hu ain't a turtle, and I don't like plants either. I just like drinking. This is my cave abode. I don't come out usually. I drink when I'm awake, and when I'm drunk, I sleep. When I wake up again, I drink, and when I'm drunk again, I sleep…"
The man pointed towards a direction in the distance, then picked up his gourd to drink another mouthful.
"The old man stays at the top of the mountain. Go see him. I don't want to see 'im. Every time I see 'im, I can't control my temper," the man mumbled and patted Su Ming's shoulder.
"Youngest junior brother, good luck."
As he spoke, he turned around and started drinking while walking on the snow towards his cave abode.
Su Ming stood alone on the mountain and looked around himself. Wind blew at that moment, and it lifted up the snow before him to dance in the air. Su Ming shook his head. There were similarities but also differences between the Freezing Sky Clan right before him and the Freezing Sky Clan in his mind.
The similarity was Freezing Sky Clan itself, and the difference was the ninth summit.
He spent a moment to think while remaining on his spot then lifted his head to look at the peak of the mountain. From there, he could see a magnificent building that gave people a grand impression even if they were looking from the distance.
Su Ming walked up the stairs covered by plants that could survive in winter and stepped on the snow as he moved towards the top of the mountain. Since he was already here, then he would not turn back. Since he had already chosen Tian Xie Zi as his Master, then unless he absolutely had to, Su Ming would not choose another Master.
As he continued upwards, the mountain breeze became stronger. The moaning wind and tumbling snow around him blended together with the quiet mountain and turned into an indescribable feeling within him that made his heart gradually calm down.
'This is such a tall mountain… One of the nine summits of Freezing Sky Clan… It might be the quietest mountain compared to the other summits here as well.'
Su Ming did not move quickly. As the sky gradually darkened and dusk arrived, he finally reached the top of the mountain. When he finished climbing the stairs, the magnificent building he'd seen in the distance stood before him.
However, now that he was closer, this building, which looked like an audience hall and did indeed let out a grand presence, was in such a state of disrepair that it seemed to have a dreary air around it.
There were nine pillars around the audience hall. They surrounded the hall and enveloped it with a thin sheen of light. Others could only look at it and not enter.
"It's sealed..?" Su Ming was stunned.
"The ninth summit of Freezing Sky Clan is composed of one main mountain, six subordinate mountains, and seven audience halls!" a familiar old voice said from behind Su Ming. He turned around and saw an old man walking out from behind the audience hall.
The old man wore a white robe and had a mysterious smile on his lips, which gave him the presence of an enigmatic sage.
"The seven halls each have their own function. If there's someone attending to them, then they could activate the mountain's might. All those who can occupy this particular hall will instantly become one of the nine Lords of Freezing Sky Clan's Great Frozen Plains.
"The duties of the school in Freezing Sky Clan are secondary. The left, right, and head preceptors, the sect protectors, and even the Clan Elders, are just mere titles.
"The people taking up these positions will change, but the only ones that will not change and will remain unchanging until the people with the titles die are the nine Lords of the Great Frozen Plains, which are the nine Lords of the nine mountains on this snow plains.
"The nine Lords of the Great Plains and the nine Lords of Heaven Gate… these 18 people are the strongest people in all of Freezing Sky Clan, besides some the old folks here, anyway.
"It's a pity that there are only eight Lords in Heaven Gate and seven Lords in the Great Frozen Plains. The halls in the first and ninth summits aren't taken by anyone."
Su Ming remained silent and did not speak.
Tian Xie Zi walked to him slowly and looked at Su Ming with his back to the sealed hall when he was a few dozen feet away from Su Ming.
"My disciple, how do you feel after you've come here?" Tian Xie Zi asked, smiling.
"Like I've been lied to," Su Ming stated bluntly.
There was not a hint of awkwardness on Tian Xie Zi's face. He winked at Su Ming and smiled faintly without saying a word.
Su Ming forced down the anger in his heart and asked calmly. "I will not mind that you lied to me about me being your only disciple that day, but are the Berserker Vessels, skills, ancient scrolls and the others true?"
"Of course they're true. Look, I told you that day that I live on a mountain. I didn't lie to you about that now, did I? If you want to see it, you can do it anytime you want. But you just came today, so how about I call your second senior brother and third senior brother to drink together?"
Su Ming looked at Tian Xie Zi and hissed out, "Don't need. With your permission, I'd like to see it now."
"Ah… alright then."
Tian Xie Zi hesitated for a moment before he lifted his right hand at the air. Immediately, the mountain trembled and a stone door rose up from the ground beside him.
"This is where I store all my treasure. The first layer is where I keep the Berserker Vessels, the second layer has the skills, and the third layer has the ancient scrolls. If you want to see them, then I'll wait for you here."
Tian Xie Zi let out a fake cough.
"Ah, that's right. You can take one thing away from each layer out of the things that catch your fancy in there. Treat them as my gift for you for becoming my disciple."
Tian Xie Zi waved his hand, and the stone door immediately started opening with loud rumbling sounds.
Purple light shone through the door, making it seem as if there were truly valuable treasures in there.
"Don't be greedy. You can only take one thing away from each layer."
Tian Xie Zi still held himself in the manner of a sagely veteran as he smiled and spoke to Su Ming. It seemed like he was very confident in his treasures.
When he saw Tian Xie Zi behaving this way, Su Ming started believing him somewhat but remained largely skeptical. He walked closer to the stone door and went inside.
He felt his vision blur in the same manner as when he was Relocated. Rumbling choed in his ears. After a moment, that sound disappeared, and his vision gradually cleared up to show a gigantic cave before him.
There were numerous small holes around the cave. There was an enchanted Vessel in each of the small holes. Each of them looked different from the others and were so numerous that they numbered into the hundreds.
Yet when Su Ming took a closer look, an odd expression gradually appeared on his face.
"These are his Berserker Vessels..?"
Su Ming felt fortunate that he had prepared himself mentally beforehand. At that moment, when he saw these Berserker Vessels, his lips twisted into a bitter smile.