Chapter 236: Battle of Berserker Marks!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Si Ma Xin was shaken. Su Ming's Berserker Mark gave off a huge, threatening presence. This threat far surpassed how he felt when he first saw Su Ming in Han Mountain.
However, it was merely a threatening feeling. Besides the grave expression on Si Ma Xin's face, a pattern was appearing faintly on his skin. That pattern looked like a flower, and it was blooming in a manner that outshone all other flowers!
Yet if anyone took a closer look, then they would clearly see that the blooming flower was actually an ice flower! There was a faint layer of frost around it, causing Si Ma Xin's face to look as if he was covered in a layer of frost.
"You're one of the few people who can force me to use my Berserker Mark. Today, I'll let you see the power of my Berserker Mark!" Si Ma Xin slowly said, and as his voice fell into the people's ears, the words turned into a layer of frost that covered their bodies.
The moment he finished speaking, ice and snow gathered around Si Ma Xin and turned into a gigantic ice flower. The sunlight reflecting off the ice flower shone with a seven colored light, causing Si Ma Xin to be surrounded by it, and it crashed into the Dark Mountain Tribe that was formed from Su Ming's Berserker Mark.
There were no banging sounds, only mere rumbles. When Si Ma Xin's Berserker Mark appeared, its presence also manifested along with it. Soon, under the rumbling sounds, the illusionary Dark Mountain Tribe Su Ming had created in the sky was instantly covered in a layer of frost, just like how Dark Mountain was previously. In the blink of an eye, all the houses, plants, and trees in Dark Mountain Tribe turned into ice sculptures.
"Even if you activated your entire Berserker Mark, you… are still too weak!"
As Si Ma Xin spoke, the gigantic ice flower behind him gradually rose into the air, glowing with the seven colored light. The gigantic flower was the center of the seven colored light, as if it wanted to fight for the glory of the position of being the only source of light in the sky with the sun. It charged towards Su Ming.
The petals opened up like a big mouth, as if they wanted to swallow up Su Ming whole!
The entire process of the fight between Su Ming and Si Ma Xin may have seemed to have happened slowly, but in truth, all these happened in a few short moments. The two of them may be hundreds of feet apart, but this sort of battle between Berserker Marks was incredibly dangerous. If one party was slightly weaker, that person would instantly be gravely injured.
This sort of battle between Berserker Marks was an Origin mystical ability that only the Berserkers of the Berserker Tribe could cast after they reached the Awakening Realm.
Su Ming's expression did not change even the slightest even though the ice flower formed from Si Ma Xin's Berserker Mark was quickly charging towards him. He stood in his spot calmly, and he looked not towards Si Ma Xin, but towards the frozen Dark Mountain and his equally frozen tribe.
"My Berserker Mark… is not yet complete…" he said unhurriedly.
This was the first time he spoke ever since he started battling Si Ma Xin. As he spoke, a shocking wave of murderous intent erupted forth from his body. In an instant, his right eye was stained with a bloody shade of red.
That bloody red look was clearly the blood moon!
At the same time, the illusionary Dark Mountain and tribe in the sky welcomed a new addition – a blood moon. There was an enchanting air to the blood moon. The moment it appeared, the sad presence that shrouded Dark Mountain and Dark Mountain Tribe changed abruptly.
There was no longer any grief coming from within, but a shocking amount of killing intent. It fell upon the entire layer of ice on Dark Mountain and colored the place a bloody shade of red. The ice on the houses in the tribe was also illuminated by a bloody red glow.
It was as if the entire world had just been dyed in a blood-red color!
The Picture of the Blood Moon and Dark Mountain!
Booming sounds spread in all directions like thunder. The ice layer on Dark Mountain completely shattered and exploded into pieces with a bang. The ice on the houses in the tribe also cracked and turned into ice shards that tumbled backwards.
Even the gigantic ice flower charging towards Su Ming turned into a blood-red flower under the illumination of the blood moon. Before it even got close to Su Ming, it was torn to pieces and exploded.
"This… is my complete Berserker Mark!"
Su Ming took a step forward and lifted his right hand, then slammed it downward before him!
The moment he did so, Dark Mountain rumbled and charged towards Si Ma Xin. Whispering could also be heard coming from the houses in the tribe, causing Si Ma Xin's expression to change. He instantly retreated.
Yet before he could move too far back, he found himself unable to leave the area of the blood-red light.
The entire Picture of the Blood Moon and Dark Mountain seemed to have come to life and turned into a gigantic Sealing Rune. Si Ma Xin was within the Rune, and he… could not seem to escape.
Not only did the expression on his face drastically change to shock, his pupils also shrank. Su Ming's Berserker Mark had once again surpassed his expectations. This was completely different from the Su Ming in his memories!
He suddenly understood why Zi Che would fail. He could sense that at this moment, Su Ming had the power to fight against those in the later stage of the Awakening Realm with just his Berserker Mark alone.
'He still has that Origin Lightning of his… He also has Han Mountain Bell and that sharp sword…'
As Si Ma Xin retreated, he bit his tongue and coughed out a mouthful of blood. That blood immediately turned into blood mist before him.
"Your Berserker Mark may be complicated, but my Berserker Mark isn't easy either!"
As Si Ma Xin spoke, the blood mist before him immediately charged towards him and stained his face, then with a bizarre speed, seeped into his skin.
It was quickly followed by Si Ma Xin lifting his head to growl at the sky. The Berserker Mark of the Ice Flower appeared once again on his face and body. However, this time, there was not just one ice flower, but two, three, four… until eight flowers appeared on his body!
The eight ice flowers covered his entire body. However, the sizes of these eight flowers were clearly slightly smaller than of the first. Yet when the eight ice flowers appeared, it made Si Ma Xin's retreating body instantly stop.
He no longer retreated but lifted his arms and swung them sideward.
With that one swing, the eight ice flowers formed and spun around him to turn into an ice typhoon.
"Freezing Sky Berserker Art, Ten Creations!" Si Ma Xin stated in a low, booming voice and clapped his hands together to point in Su Ming's direction. The ice typhoon around him instantly grew bigger, as if it wanted to tear the world apart, and crashed into the illusionary world that was the manifestation of Su Ming's Berserker Mark.
Rumbling sounds echoed in the air. The ice typhoon became smaller, but similarly, the Dark Mountain Tribe formed from Su Ming's Berserker Mark scattered away like dust in the typhoon, like a picture that was ripped to shreds.
When Dark Mountain Tribe completely disappeared, Dark Mountain too trembled and shattered. Only the blood moon remained and crashed into the now greatly shrunken ice typhoon for the last time.
The greatly reduced ice typhoon turned into eight ice flowers once again and charged towards the blood moon while connected to each other. Under the blood-red light and the rumbling sounds, the first ice flower exploded, the second ice flower shattered, the third ice flower crumbled, and the fourth ice flower disintegrated, but the fifth ice flower broke through and crashed into the blood moon.
The blood moon trembled and started showing signs of not being able to remain stable amidst the thunderous rumbles. At the same time, the sixth ice flower came forth and crashed into the blood moon.
Soon, the seventh and eighth ice flowers crashed into the blood moon. A loud boom shook the skies, and when the blood moon broke down, the ice flowers disappeared.
"What a strong Berserker Mark!"
Si Ma Xin found himself unable to say that Su Ming was too weak anymore. At that moment, he was breathing rapidly. His Berserker Mark was already complete, but it only managed to reach a tie with Su Ming's Berserker Mark.
'This must be the limit for his Berserker Mark. This sort of Berserker Mark will not change anymore!'
Killing intent appeared in Si Ma Xin's eyes. In truth, he had harbored killing intent towards Su Ming since a long time ago but had always kept it hidden. After all, he was in Freezing Sky Clan. Yet when he witnessed the might of his Berserker Mark, he could no longer hide his killing intent.
In the instant their Berserker Marks disappeared from the clash, Si Ma Xin made a sudden move. He turned into a long arc and charged towards Su Ming.
He wanted to kill Su Ming!
Yet at the moment he charged forward, Su Ming also took a step forward. He did not retreat, but used a similarly shocking speed to rush at Si Ma Xin.
The two of them were not far from each other in the first place, hence with that rapid speed, in an instant, they closed in on each other.
Once they were close, a large amount of electrical arcs immediately began swimming through Su Ming's entire body. As he swung his fist forward, an innumerable amount of lightning gathered together and charged towards Si Ma Xin with a thunderous rumble.
Si Ma Xin also lifted his right hand and as he clenched it into a fist, seven colored light appeared in his hand. Lightning and light clashed with each other, and as rumbling sounds spread out, the two of them let out muffled groans and tumbled backwards.
Si Ma Xin moved 30 feet backwards, and Su Ming moved 50 feet back. At the moment the both of them came to a stop, they rushed towards each other once again.
This time, Si Ma Xin tapped at a few spots on his body with both hands and seven colored light immediately started shining on his body. There was a layer of ice underneath that seven colored light which turned into ice armor on his body. This was the Seven Colored Ice Armor Si Ma Xin had created himself!
Similarly, black fog surrounded Su Ming's body. As a Divine General of Awakening, he also had his own armor. The black fog turned into armor, and at the instant it appeared, the stunned crowd that had been watching all around them immediately let out loud cries of surprise.
"A Divine General of Awakening!"
"He's a Divine General of Awakening?!"
"No wonder he could fight against senior brother Si Ma. He's a Divine General of Awakening, he has extraordinary power, and the complexity of his Berserker Mark is simply outrageous and unheard of!"
The uproars had been stifled due to the intense battle between Berserker Marks just now, but erupted forth now with such force that it filled the air with buzzing sounds in an instant.
In truth, Su Ming's identity as a Divine General was hidden from the crowd largely due to the fourth summit. For some unknown reason, the left preceptor in the fourth summit had locked down all information regarding Su Ming. The other people in Freezing Sky Clan only knew that there was a new disciple in the ninth summit. As for his status, level of cultivation, and all the other things—it all remained fuzzy.
As for Chen Yu Bing and Xu Ru Yue, once the two of them returned to Freezing Sky Clan, they were placed under a gag order and were told not to talk about Su Ming.
"Is… he the one who made big brother Si Ma angry..?"
The girl's who was on the Seven Colored Mountain gaze was fixed on Si Ma Xin, who remained mighty and powerful in her heart, all this while. As for Su Ming, her first impression towards him was bad, and since he was Si Ma Xin's enemy at the moment, she recalled the things that had happened when she was playing chess with Si Ma Xin, and her gaze towards Su Ming turned even more hostile.
Chapter 237: Similar!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming and Si Ma Xin stood in the sky. One of them was surrounded by black fog, which turned into a black fogged armor that gave off a ghastly feeling, while the other was surrounded by seven colored light, and his ice armor seemed to be filled with light that pierced the eyes, making it hard for others to look at him directly.
Two completely different presences, two completely different sets of armor, two… completely different people!
"You… are not in the Bone Sacrifice Realm!" Su Ming said languidly, and as he spoke, he charged forward.
Si Ma Xin's face was sullen. With a cold harrumph, he moved forward. The two of them crashed into each other once again in midair. Rumbling sounds reverberated in the air, and the fierce battle made all those watching around the area stop breathing.
The longer Si Ma Xin battled, the more shocked he felt. He could not imagine just how Su Ming had became so strong in such a short amount of time. This was no longer the person he could defeat by just attacking with a move through manifesting his soul on a Berserker Seed.
With such a speed in his growth, Su Ming had the right to make Si Ma Xin pay attention to him!
'This person is growing too quickly, I can't let him stay alive…'
Si Ma Xin took a few steps back and grabbed the air with his right hand. Immediately, an ice spear appeared in his hand, and he threw it towards Su Ming.
At the same time, Si Ma Xin swung his left arm forward, and a round bottle appeared. With a snap of his fingers, howling sounds came from within the bottle. A white wolf charged out and started growing as it was exposed to the wind. In an instant, it grew up to be a few dozen feet tall. Its fur was white as snow, and with its fangs bared, it growled at Su Ming.
That growl turned into a force that turned Su Ming's mind blank once it hit his body, as if he was shaken. Yet it only lasted for an instant before the power of Aura Refinement started circulating within him on its own and his mind immediately cleared up.
He woke up too quickly, and it made Si Ma Xin frown. He fought against Su Ming with the long spear in hand, and at the same time, the ice wolf pounced on him.
"He Feng!"
Su Ming took a few steps back and black fog immediately rushed out from his chest. That fog turned into He Feng, who had an agonized look on his face, but he did not dare choose not to fight. When he appeared, he charged towards the soul of the ice wolf. The both of them were spiritual entities, and though their battle may have been without sound, it was still incredibly vicious.
At that moment, the mark of the sword at the center of Su Ming's brows flashed briefly, and the small virescent sword charged out with a whistle and spun around Su Ming's body. It moved with his will and crashed into Si Ma Xin's long spear with a loud bang.
Su Ming's fight against Si Ma Xin did not just attract the attention of the people around the area, it even attracted the attention of some of the powerful Berserkers in the nine summits of the Great Frozen Plains. Some of those in the older generation even looked over.
Su Ming's second senior brother was crouching down on the ninth summit tending to his plants. Occasionally, he would lift up his head towards the direction where the rumbling sounds came from and shake his head.
"Just how many times does this make since third failed entering his dream.? Ah… the moment he gets agitated, he immediately wants to enter his dreams to fight against others. This… is not good."
Tian Xie Zi sat at the top of the mountain with a pleased smile on his face as he looked at the place where the rumbling sounds were coming from.
"Not bad, not bad at all. Teach him a good lesson."
There were other people gathered on the other mountains. As they looked at the battle, a rare sight in the Great Frozen Plains of Freezing Sky Clan, the left preceptor in the fourth summit, the old man who liked wearing red robes, stood at the top of the mountain with a solemn expression on his face.
'The Virescent Light Sword… That's Han Kong's treasure… Why is it in his hands?!'
He was frowning, but once he cast a glance towards the ninth summit, he shook his head and decided not to bother himself with what he deemed was a trivial matter.
Besides him, the other people of the older generation also appeared on the other summits and sized up the battle from their respective spots.
At that moment, on the mountainside of the seventh summit was a woman dressed in red. She was sitting on a big stone. Her black hair fell on her shoulders, and when they were occasionally lifted by the wind, her snow white skin would be revealed underneath.
She had a gentle look on her face as she watched the people battling against each other. Most of the time, her gaze was focused on Su Ming.
"A Divine General of Awakening, and with such a Berserker Mark too… What is his name?"
There were a few girls standing behind the woman. One of them quickly answered her, "Eldest senior sister, his name is Su Ming. He's a disciple on the ninth summit."
At the moment, the battle which had caught the crowd's attention had yet to reach its most intense moment. The small virescent sword shone and crashed into the incoming long spear. Before the rumbling sounds even disappeared, the second clashing sound had already spread in all directions.
More lightning arcs swam through Su Ming's body and turned into numerous lightning sparks that charged towards Si Ma Xin. Thunder rumbled in the sky, and by the looks of it, lightning was about to fall.
However, Si Ma Xin was the prodigy of Freezing Sky Clan. Su Ming might have seen through the fact that he had yet to reach the Bone Sacrifice Realm, but the mystical abilities and enchanted Vessels he had were practically endless.
The white wolf and the ice spear he had in his hand were definitely not any ordinary items. At the same time the snow surrounding him fought against Su Ming's lightning, the virescent sword and ice spear, He Feng and the white wolf too fought against each other. While the battle might not have reached its most intense state, it had already reached an intensity that was not too far away.
This was a battle that could not be settled in a short period of time. While Su Ming was currently also in the Awakening Realm, compared to Si Ma Xin, his level of cultivation was still a little lower.
Yet he was a Berserker who Awakened with 999 blood veins and also understood the Clearing Mind Art. With his mystical abilities and Origin Vessel, he could fight against all those who were under the Bone Sacrifice Realm.
As the small virescent sword and ice spear clashed against each other, as did Su Ming���s lightning and Si Ma Xin's ice, and they once again let out a rumbling sound, Su Ming took a few abrupt steps backwards with a calm expression. As he moved back, he swiped his right hand before his chest. When he lifted it, a spherical medicinal pill immediately appeared in his hand.
There was a snow flower in the medicinal pill as if it was sealed up within. There was an enchanting feeling to it. It let out a freezing chill, and dim light also spread out from the pill.
It was Su Ming's Spirit Plunder.
He only used this pill once after he created it, and it was when he was curing Fang Mu. In truth, this was the first time he brought this thing out during battle. The moment Spirit Plunder was taken out, it started spinning in the air. When Su Ming pointed towards Si Ma Xin, that pill instantly turned into a long arc that charged towards him.
At the moment Su Ming brought out Spirit Plunder, Si Ma Xin's expression turned even more serious. He stared at the medicinal pill in his hands and took a few steps back as surprise appeared in his eyes.
At the same time, he opened his mouth wide open and spat out. As he did so, a small black insect flew out of his mouth. The insect was built in the shape of a small rod about the length of a finger's segment. If it was not twisting about in the air, it would be difficult for anyone to tell that it was actually an insect.
When the insect flew out, it spread out its wings, and four pairs of thin wings could be seen on its rod shaped body. There was green light shining on its head, making it look slightly terrifying.
The moment the insect appeared, a malicious presence immediately erupted from its body, along with a buzzing sound that pierced the minds of all those who heard it.
The insect turned into a ray of green light, but it did not charge towards the incoming Spirit Plunder. It went past the pill and charged towards Su Ming instead.
That insect could be said to be the most precious item Si Ma Xin had besides the Seven Colored Mountain. He had only just obtained that insect and had only recently formed a small mental connection with it.
He had tested this insect many times before, and Si Ma Xin had never seen anything that this insect could not pierce through. He had tried using this insect on many objects before, and all of them had ended up the same way!
If it was not because Su Ming had the Divine General's armor and it would be difficult for any sort of mystical ability to cause harm to him, Si Ma Xin would not have wanted to use this insect. At this moment, not only did he not want to face the strange object that had clearly sealed the Berserker Seed he had planted in Fang Mu charging towards him, he also wanted to kill Su Ming, or at the very least cause such grievous injuries to him that his power would fall.
By doing so, once Si Ma Xin successfully cleared Freezing Sky Cave and entered Heaven Gate, no matter how quickly Su Ming improved, he would be of no threat to him.
As Spirit Plunder and the small rod insect passed by each other and Spirit Plunder closed in on him, Si Ma Xin bit his tongue, coughed out blood, took a step forward, and turned into a blood figure. He fused together with his blood and seemed to have turned into an illusionary layer of mist instead of having physical form. It spread outwards, looking as if it could dodge Spirit Plunder's might.
Yet the moment he was about to dodge, Spirit Plunder came to an abrupt halt and stopped in midair. An incredibly powerful absorption force that shocked Si Ma Xin exploded forth from it. That absorption force caught all the blood mist around the area, and the blood mist started showing clear signs of being sucked in.
The mist struggled incessantly, and Si Ma Xin's face was revealed within. There was a hint of shock on his face, but once he gritted his teeth, he immediately split the illusionary blood mist into two separate parts. One of them was taken into Spirit Plunder, and the other rolled backwards quickly before it reverted back into Si Ma Xin once it was far away from the pill. His face was pale as he sucked in a sharp breath.
"What's with that thing?!"
Su Ming was also shocked, because even though he was retreating quickly with a dazzling speed, he still could not shake off the insect charging towards him.
That insect closed in on him in an instant and clashed with the small virescent sword. It knocked the sword away and closed in on Su Ming once again. The insect had even ignored the lightning arcs swimming in the air. Even though lightning covered its entire body, it did not slow down. With a bang, it pierced through Su Ming's Divine General armor!
It was about to pierce Su Ming's body, but at that moment, a loud bell chimerang out from within Su Ming's body. In the face of danger, Han Mountain Bell materialized between Divine General armor and Su Ming's body, and it was the Bell that finally managed to stop the insect's attack.
As the bell chimes reverberated in the air, blood flowed out of Su Ming's mouth and he staggered a few hundred feet back.
"What's with this insect?!"
Su Ming lifted his head swiftly. His question was shouted out almost at the same time as when Si Ma Xin shouted his.
At that moment, a strange feeling formed in Su Ming's heart. That inconceivable feeling also formed in Si Ma Xin.
"They're… so similar…" someone from the crowd murmured..
Chapter 238: Copy
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
They were two completely different people with two completely different names and two completely different lives.
They were like two parallel lines that would never touch each other. Even if they were going in the same direction, they would never touch each other. This was Su Ming and Si Ma Xin before this battle in Freezing Sky Clan.
Even when they started exchanging blows, the odd similarities that the people watching found were yet to come into existence, but as they continued attacking each other, everyone noticed, and it could even be said that the two of them were the last ones who noticed it.
As the onlookers watched the battle continue, the feeling that these two were similar became stronger.
One of them was lightning, the other ice. They may look different, but one of them had lightning swimming through his entire body while the other was surrounded by ice. Perhaps this was not enough to call them similar, but soon, when the small virescent sword and ice spear clashed with each other, the black Divine General armor and sparkling ice armor appeared, the feeling that they were alike started blossoming within their hearts.
The moment Si Ma Xin brought out the round bottle and released the wolf, which was a rare Vessel Spirit that was definitely not something a normal person would be able to get, and He Feng flew out of Su Ming's body, that feeling that they were similar reached an incredibly high level in an instant.
The similarities reached an even higher level when Su Ming brought out Spirit Plunder and Si Ma Xin released the strange rod shaped insect from his mouth and when the both of them had the same expression and reaction as they faced these two completely different enchanted Vessels. At that moment, it was as if all their similarities had fused together and erupted forth with a force that made even outsiders notice that these two people were… very similar!
Bell chimes reverberated in the air, and at that moment, the black rod shaped insect that was only about the size of a finger's segment tumbled backward. However, its speed as it flew back had clearly been reduced. It even started swaying in the air, as if the crash had caused a backlash that it could only marginally withstand because it had been traveling too fast previously and because the echoes from Han Mountain Bell were too powerful.
Su Ming watched the rod shaped insect tumble back and recover in the span of a few breaths. The sight made his expression change. He suppressed all his other emotions, because he knew Han Mountain Bell's might well. That crash just now and subsequent rebound were difficult even for him to withstand. Yet that strange insect was already showing signs of recovery after such a short period of time.
A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He knew that he could not let that insect recover, or else that thing alone would affect him greatly. At the same moment the insect retreated, Su Ming lifted his right hand pointed towards it. He also took a huge step forward.
The moment his foot landed, his body instantly appeared above the retreating insect, and soon, Han Mountain Bell appeared in his hands like a small bell, then like a huge shade that covered the small insect.
In the distance, Si Ma Xin was forced to split up and discard part of the blood figure formed from his blood under the might of Spirit Plunder. His face was pale. While he did not cough out blood like Su Ming, he was also clearly weakened. When he saw Su Ming's actions, Si Ma Xin's eyes immediately became clouded with anger.
He charged forth with a low growl and grabbed the air with his right hand. Immediately, the floating Seven Colored Mountain in the distance erupted with a piercing seven colored light. The girl standing on the Seven Colored Mountain let out a cry of surprise and quickly flew back. There was a floating ribbon under her feet which supported her.
Right then, in his battle against Su Ming, Si Ma Xin finally used his most powerful enchanted treasure – the Seven Colored Mountain!
"Su Ming, how dare you touch my snake?!"
Si Ma Xin's face was vicious. As he grabbed the air with his right hand, the red light from the light of the Seven Colored Mountain shone with an intensity that was far brighter than all the other colors. It was as if it was asked to come forth from the seven lights. As the light shone, the Seven Colored Mountain looked as if it only possessed that one color.
"God of Berserkers Transformation, Seven Colors Refinement, Scarlet Style!"
Veins popped out on Si Ma Xin's face, and his body was dyed in a scarlet shade. His right hand curled up and turned into a five fingered claw. The scarlet shade on his hand was incredibly alluring, and he swiped his clawed hand towards the floating Seven Colored Mountain that was currently shining with a red light.
The moment he swiped his hand across, the red light from the Seven Colored Mountain immediately started flickering as if the fog on it was boiling. As it flickered, the mountain let out a buzzing sound. The red light looked as if it was absorbed into Si Ma Xin's right hand and a large amount of it was gathered there before turning into a scarlet long sword.
That sword was seven feet long and looked as if it was dyed with blood. There was even a harrowing sadness coming from it that stunned people. When Si Ma Xin held the sword in his hands, he swung it down in Su Ming's direction!
That slash immediately made the world dark. An oppressive feeling spread out so suddenly that the crowd watching immediately felt as if they were suffocating. It was as if that sword stroke had sucked in all the air from the world.
A sadness that could affect all those around it spread out in all directions as the sword slashed downward.
"The place where I was born still did things according to the laws of the universe…"
A voice filled with grief spilled out of Si Ma Xin's mouth as he swung the sword down. His expression seemed to have fused together with the sword, and with that one sentence, he executed one sword stroke!
The moment that sword stroke fell, Han Cang Zi's face turned pale on the third summit. The oval shaped faced woman beside her also sucked in a deep breath.
"He casted the God of Berserkers Transformation!!"
When the red robed left preceptor saw this on the fourth summit, he narrowed his eyes.
"Looks like he has understood the first style of the God of Berserkers Transformation."
All those who understood the meaning of the sword stroke turned their attention towards the attack from their respective summits. On the ninth summit, a gourd had appeared in Tian Xie Zi's hands some time ago. He placed it by his mouth and drank from it before he shook his head and disdain appeared in his eyes.
"God of Berserkers Transformation… It's not worthy of the word 'Transformation'! One day, I'll let the people know just what is the true God of Berserkers Transformation! But Si Ma Xin's method of casting this mystical ability has some form of transformation that originated from him…"
Tian Xie Zi did not seem to be paying attention to the question of how Su Ming was going to deal with that shocking sword slash. He was drinking wine instead and was uttering words that no one else could hear besides himself.
It was as if he had the confidence that Su Ming could deal with that sword strike!
Similarly, Su Ming's second senior brother, who was still planting flowers on the snow covered ground with his back bent on the ninth summit, lifted his head to look into the distance when his right hand, which was holding several flowers, faltered.
He trained his eyes on the distance as he mumbled under his breath, "Youngest junior brother, this is a rare chance… God of Berserkers Transformation… This is the strongest skill in Freezing Sky Clan! When people draw, they first learn by copying others, only then will they be able to create their own drawings."
Su Ming and Si Ma Xin's battle had attracted even more attention from the people gathered under Heaven Gate and in the center of nine summits of the Great Frozen Plains. When Si Ma Xin casted the God of Berserkers Transformation and brought out the red light from the Seven Colored Mountain before turning it into a long sword that seemed to be dyed with blood and swung it down, the presence that exploded from that sword strike caused the battle to instantly reach its most intense moment.
The red light from the sword brought forth a strange sound as it sliced through the air. It sounded as if there were numerous people mourning and crying, and when the sounds gathered together into one, it turned into the sound of the scarlet sword slicing through the air.
A hint of seriousness appeared on Su Ming's calm face. He had already known a long time ago of Si Ma Xin's strength. Although he was no longer the same as he was before, there was still some difference in power between him and Si Ma Xin.
Just this sword strike from alone was already enough to make Su Ming feel that he could not fend against it. Si Ma Xin's murmurs echoed in his ears. Those words had fused into the sword, and it seemed to be filled with a power that could change the world, a change that far surpassed Su Ming's ability to possibly comprehend it.
It was this change that seemed to be able to turn something decadent into something great that caused this simple sword slash to turn into a power that Su Ming could not resist. The sword itself was also a treasure manifested from Si Ma Xin's Seven Colored Mountain, which meant that it contained an incredible power. With the might of the mystical ability, God of Berserkers Transformation, the might contained within the sword stroke was enough to kill all Berserkers under the Bone Sacrifice Realm, Su Ming analyzed.
Even the powerful Berserkers in the Bone Sacrifice Realm would find it hard to resist this sword slash. However, Su Ming had yet to arrive at the Bone Sacrifice Realm. He could assume it as such and could not be certain of it.
The moment the sword fell towards him, a glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He knew that Han Mountain Bell was the only thing that could perhaps fight against this sword, but if he used Han Mountain Bell to fend against the attack, then he would not be able to subjugate the rod shaped insect that was about to recover.
If he let the rod shaped insect recover its speed and clear its mind, then Su Ming would be forced into a complete defensive position in this battle. Yet if he did not give up on the rod shaped insect and took Si Ma Xin's sword slash…
Su Ming's pupils shrank and he sighed. He was just about to give up on the bizarre rod shaped insect when the light in his eyes flickered.
He saw the speed of the sword slashing down from the sky start slowing down in a peculiar manner. This decrease in speed came very suddenly, and even more strange was that the sword's sudden slowness seemed to have gone unnoticed by others. When Su Ming instinctively looked towards his surroundings, he noticed that everything in the world around him had also slowed down.
It was as if a wave of power had come to the place without a sound, and in that instant, controlled the flow of time in the place.
"This is what I created. Once your powers of Creation have reached a certain level, this sort of change will happen depending on what you've been Creating… it's somewhat similar to Space Void, but it's also different. To others, it may look like it only lasted for an instant, but in your current state, it will seem very slow.
"You have ample time to remember this one sword slash and understand the changes within this attack… Find it, then block the boy Si Ma's attack fairly and squarely."
There was a strange look on Su Ming's face as he looked at the people around him, whose actions had been slowed down by several fold. He turned his gaze towards the scarlet sword shining with a red light which was also falling down slowly.
He did not know how Tian Xie Zi had managed to do it, but he would need an incredible amount of courage to do so under the scrutiny of so many people in Freezing Sky Clan.
The warmth in Su Ming's heart grew due to his Master's kindness, and his feelings of belonging to the ninth summit increased.
However, he knew that this was not the time for him to feel moved. As he watched the scarlet sword fall slowly from the sky, his eyes gradually became empty and blank… He lifted his right hand, and with his index finger as the brush, he started drawing out the trajectory of the sword.
Chapter 239: First Appearance of Picture Creation
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He drew one stroke after another. Each time Su Ming lifted his right hand and drew with his index finger, the space before him would disappear slowly layer by layer like he was tearing off layers of membranes.
He did not know how much time had passed by, but Su Ming's actions in copying the sword stroke were gradually slowing down.
Time continued passing by as he continued drawing. Su Ming did not know how many strokes he had drawn and just how many times he had copied the trajectory of the sword.
He might not know the specifics, but he knew that each time he drew, while each stroke seemed the same, but in truth, they were all different. If he drew it 1,000 times, then those 1,000 strokes were different from each other. If he drew them 10,000 times, then those 10,000 strokes would be different from each other!
Yet he still had not found the grief that spread out when Si Ma Xin swung the sword, it was as if he could not fuse that emotion with his stroke.
It only made Su Ming want to draw the principles contained within the sword stroke even more, hence he paid even more attention to the various changes in that sword slash. Yet there seemed to be no rules hidden within it, making it difficult for him to completely understand it, which would allow him to draw the sword slash with his right index finger.
He knew that it was difficult to completely understand the power behind the sword slash. That was why he did not think about trying to understand it in one go. Instead, each time he copied the sword slash, he would find something different within the attack and copy it to his new drawing.
Gradually, as time passed by, with each time Su Ming's right hand fell down, he came to slowly sense the presence of the invisible and innumerable membranes that were disappearing before him layer by layer as the scarlet sword fell.
As the membranes disappeared, Su Ming's body also came closer to the incoming scarlet sword.
Su Ming remained calm, but his empty eyes made him seem as if he had lost his soul. Perhaps more accurately speaking, it was as if his soul had gone to his right index finger. With each stroke, his soul would seep into the world to feel the strange changes contained within the sword as it fell down in the gigantic world.
Those strokes made him seem like he was drawing out the lines for a picture. The invisible membranes continued disappearing as Su Ming moved forward slowly. Every single time he took a step, he would draw many lines in the air, causing more membranes to disappear.
Yet he knew clearly that with his current abilities, he could only copy out the form of the sword slash, but not its soul. Even if he used his own soul to draw it, he could not feel its sadness, that was why his strokes had no life.
"Sadness…" Su Ming mumbled.
As his right hand drew time and again before him, he found his sadness and the sadness within Dark Mountain. Yet, there was something missing from that sadness, causing it to be unable to fuse with the stroke.
'It's lacking an aged feeling…'
When Su Ming came to the side of the falling scarlet sword and observed the sword in close proximity with just a few feet between them, he suddenly jolted and a hint of understanding appeared within him.
'Among the people I met, there's only one person who has this old and aged feeling…'
Su Ming lowered his head and his right eye was gradually stained in red until it eventually turned into the blood moon of Dark Mountain.
"Wherefore doth thou cry, o blue sky..?" he mumbled and closed his eyes.
He lifted his right index finger instinctively and drew once again. This time, he drew a diagonal stroke. If that stroke was drawn on paper, perhaps it would only form a horizontal line. However, this simple line would make people feel that it contained the power to change the world once they saw it.
But he was drawing on air. The final invisible membrane between Su Ming and the scarlet sword tore apart with a ripping sound that no ear could hear when Su Ming drew that line.
The instant it disappeared, Su Ming lifted his right hand once again and drew a stroke in the direction of the scarlet sword, in the air where all the invisible membranes between them no longer existed.
That stroke was also a horizontal line, yet while that horizontal line seemed like it was only one simple stroke, it was in truth the culmination of all the thousands upon thousands of strokes taken when Su Ming copied the trajectory of the sword.
At the instant that stroke was completed, the numerous horizontal lines he drew previously appeared by his side. No one could see the strokes that seemed like mere scribbles, only Su Ming could because he was the one who'd drawn them.
At that moment, these innumerable horizontal lines gathered before Su Ming and fell on his final stroke as if they were overlapping each other. These thousands upon thousands of strokes fell on top each other and eventually turned into the most powerful horizontal line Su Ming could draw after copying the trajectory of the sword in the air.
The moment this stroke was finished, rumbling sounds seemed to echo in the world, and the world before him shattered like a mirror. Once a layer of something seemed to have been swept away from the world, uproars reverberated through the air and a shrill whistling sound descended from the sky.
The world had returned to normal. Time seemed to have stopped a moment before Su Ming tried to understand that sword slash, and when the world returned to normal, he found himself returning to that instant.
It was as if everything that had happened was just an illusion.
A dazed look appeared on Su Ming's face. His right hand was lifted and remained in the same position of when he'd drawn his final stroke in the strange world.
The shrill whistling sound before him was from Si Ma Xin's scarlet sword. That sword was now tumbling backwards, and with a boom, it could no longer maintain its sword form. It turned into a large amount of red light and returned to the Seven Colored Mountain behind Si Ma Xin, who was looking at him with an aghast look in his eyes and an expression full of disbelief.
Si Ma Xin's breathing quickened. All the people who were watching looked towards Su Ming, and their gazes were filled with shock along with horror.
Just now, they saw the scarlet sword slicing down towards Su Ming. Su Ming originally did not react to it, but when the sword was less than 100 feet away from him, he suddenly lifted his head, and with his right hand, he waved at the incoming scarlet sword gently.
Yet that wave made the space between him and the scarlet sword twist. Before any of them saw it clearly, rumbling sounds echoed in the air, and the scarlet sword let out a shrill whistling sound before it tumbled backwards because it could not fight against that wave, and eventually could not even maintain its sword form!
To top it off, that was the God of Berserkers Transformation Si Ma Xin had casted!
After a short moment of silence, uproars rose in the air like a constant buzzing. There was surprise and bewilderment as the people looked at Su Ming, as if they had just renewed their understanding of this unfamiliar face before them.
Si Ma Xin breathed rapidly. He might not have been injured, but during that instant when Su Ming waved his hand lightly and made his scarlet sword tumble backwards before shattering, he was stunned.
He understood the might of his God of Berserkers Transformation Art, and it was precisely because of this understanding that his heart pounded and raced against his chest while he looked at Su Ming with a face filled with disbelief.
'Impossible! He's not in the Bone Sacrifice Realm, how could he so easily dispel that one style I mastered..? And… And the method he used to counter it just now…'
Si Ma Xin could not believe what he saw just now, and the movements Su Ming made when he waved away the sword were also incredibly familiar to him.
During that instant, there was a subtle hint of grief that made him feel shaken.
A brilliant glint appeared in the eyes of the red robed left preceptor standing on the fourth summit. With a grave expression on his face, he took a step forward and took a careful look at Su Ming, who was standing in the battlefield in the distance.
"Creation…" the left preceptor mumbled and kept his gaze fixed on Su Ming for a long time.
Some of the older generation who rarely left their mountains on the Great Frozen Plains of Freezing Sky Clan turned their attention towards Su Ming. His final wave during the battle just now was enough to make them feel shaken.
The long haired woman sitting on the platform on the eighth summit lifted her right hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. When she lowered her hand, she drew a line before her gently. The arc she drew bore some similarities to the horizontal line Su Ming had drawn.
The similarity was not in the appearance of the lines, but the essence within those strokes. In fact, when she drew her arc, the air before her also twisted, as if she had just imitated Su Ming's actions with ease. However, the sorrow and aged feeling was missing from her stroke.
'What an interesting stroke… A disciple of the ninth summit, hmm..?'
The woman smiled faintly.
The dazed look on Su Ming's face disappeared and the calm look returned. However, his heart remained in a state of shock. Yet when his mind cleared, a sharp pain spread through his entire body, causing him to turn pale and he coughed out blood before staggering a few steps back.
This pain did not come from a specific spot within him, but from his entire body. Every single inch of his flesh and bone, even his veins and organs were crying out in pain.
This pain came too suddenly, as if Su Ming had performed an action that far surpassed what his body could endure just now, and it had caused his body and his organs to show signs of weakening.
When Su Ming retreated, Han Mountain Bell had already captured the rod insect. Once it held the creature within it, Han Mountain Bell shrank and returned to the size of a small bell before it flew back to Su Ming and landed in his hand.
Buzzing sounds appeared from within the Bell, causing it to tremble in Su Ming's hand, as if the captured rod insect was struggling furiously inside.
After all, Su Ming was still not in total control over Han Mountain Bell. He might have been able to take it away, but in terms of using its power, as of now he could only use the bell's tolls and turn them into a sound wave and also use the Bell to seal things just like before.
Not too far away, when Si Ma Xin saw Su Ming coughing up blood, his expression relaxed slightly and was no longer as shocked as it was before. If Su Ming could really dispel his first Style in the God of Berserkers Transformation without suffering any form of injury, then Si Ma Xin would immediately turn away and return to the first summit to isolate himself and avoid Su Ming.
Yet when he saw Su Ming coughing up blood, Si Ma Xin's confidence returned.
He stared at Su Ming and took a deep breath. A serious expression of an intensity never seen before appeared on his face. He lifted his right hand slowly and pushed his palm up towards the sky.
"If you can fight against my final attack, then from now onwards, whenever I see you, I will immediately kneel down towards you!" Si Ma Xin said resolutely and made a slight hooking motion in the air with his fingers.
In the span of that breath, from the various tribes on the Land of South Morning, all the Berserker Seeds Si Ma Xin had planted in the people just like he'd done to Fang Mu shuddered violently and fell unconscious in different locations.
"Great Art of Heartless Berserker Seed!"
Si Ma Xin's hair floated without wind and a dim light appeared in his eyes. He spread his arms outward, causing him to look extraordinarily enchanting in midair!
Chapter 240: My Name is Bai Su
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The moment Si Ma Xin spoke the words, the crowd quickly retreated once again and an even wider space was cleared for the battle.
All their gazes were no longer trained on Si Ma Xin, but on Su Ming, and their looks were all conflicted.
Su Ming rarely spoke, and it seemed to them that he was a quiet man. Yet Su Ming and Si Ma Xin's battle had made the other Freezing Sky Clan disciples from the other eight summits to remember him. Their previous disdainful comments were already gone like the wind.
Su Ming had used his actions to crush all their disdain and contempt, and all these emotions had melted into the hearts of all those who'd spoken those words.
To them, Su Ming was now an existence that could be said to be equal to Si Ma Xin. He might be slightly weaker than he was, but if he could fight against Si Ma Xin to this point and force him to use the Great Art of Heartless Berserker Seed, then it could only mean that he was an extraordinary person.
From this day onwards, Su Ming's name would sweep through the land like a typhoon, and there will be a lot of people who would remember everything that had happened.
Perhaps in the future, there will be one more person who will be known as the prodigy of Freezing Sky Clan. However, this person belonged to the ninth summit! Moreover, he was not their senior brother or junior brother. He was… their uncle master.
The fourth in seniority from the ninth summit – uncle master Su.
However, when Han Cang Zi heard Si Ma Xin's words from where she stood on the third summit, her expression instantly changed. She had a vague feeling that something was off with Si Ma Xin's words. It was as if there was something within them that made her skin crawl and her heart clench in terror.
It was as if the attack was not as simple as it seemed, but there was a danger within that could not be pinpointed!
"No… There's something wrong with this…" Han Cang Zi mumbled.
With a frown on her face, she started mulling over his words.
At the same time, Han Fei Zi was also watching from the fourth summit. However, she was different from Han Cang Zi. She did not think about what Si Ma Xin said, but was watching Su Ming. There was shock on her face.
Su Ming's strength had once again exceeded Han Fei Zi's expectations. This change made her feel that if Su Ming continued growing stronger, then the distance between them would increase.
The red robed left preceptor had a displeased look in his eyes as he stood on the fourth summit. The others might not understand the meaning behind Si Ma Xin's words, but he did.
"Preposterous!"
The old man let out a cold harrumph and swept his eyes towards the quiet ninth summit before he fell silent.
The long haired woman sitting on the big stone platform on the seventh summit was also frowning. When she looked at Si Ma Xin standing in the distance, there was disgust in her eyes.
"I read some ancient scrolls before, and one of them recorded the words left from one of the other worlds. What did it say now..?"
The woman spoke softly, and the women standing behind her immediately stood to attention. Some of them even looked excited and eager. Being able to receive pointers from their eldest senior sister was something fortunate to them.
"If you stay on your Dao1 but have no method of solving a particular problem now, that method will eventually come to you. If you have the skills and power, but have strayed from your Dao, then you cannot use your skills, and your power will forever stay stagnant! I don't understand the 'Dao' meant by those in the other worlds, but now…"
The woman gaze went from Su Ming to Si Ma Xin, a contemplative look on her face.
Tian Xie Zi continued drinking from his gourd at the top of the ninth summit. It was as if he did not hear what had happened outside.
Su Ming's second senior brother who was still crouching down tending to his flowers at the mountainside frowned and put aside the flowers in his hands before standing up and casting his gaze into the distance.
Si Ma Xin's words were still echoing in the air above the buildings located at the center of the nine summits and under Heaven Gate. All of his mystical abilities were built with the Great Art of Heartless Berserker Seed as its basis. Even the God of Berserkers Transformation would show different changes according to the different Art practised. With Si Ma Xin, the Art was based on his Great Art of Heartless Berserker Seed.
This Art was created by the second God of Berserkers and contained immeasurable power. Legends said that the second God of Berserkers used this Art to enslave those from the other worlds, this way obtaining the right to become the God of Berserkers. He might not have reached the height of power of the first God of Berserkers, but he was still powerful enough to make clouds tumble with just a shout.
Si Ma Xin used a lot of time and effort in practicing this Art. Just the act of searching for Berserkers Seeds alone had used up a lot of time and energy on his side. Unless he absolutely had to, he did not want to activate this ability to fight against his enemies.
Because once he used this ability, all the Berserker Children that had been planted with the Berserker Seed would fall into a certain state, just like Fang Mu had previously done, and die.
This was something Si Ma Xin found hard to accept. It would make all the progress he had with the Great Art of Heartless Berserker Seed come to a halt, and he would have to find enough Berserker Children before he could begin practicing the Art again.
Yet now, Si Ma Xin casted this Art against Su Ming without much hesitation. This was not a moment of recklessness, but a choice after a long period of careful thought!
He would rather sacrifice all his Berserker Children to obtain a new one… This new Berserker Son… was Su Ming!
Su Ming's growth speed, his frightening potential, and his action in dispelling his God of Berserkers Transformation not only made Si Ma Xin shocked and aghast, it also sprouted a sinister thought in his heart.
The idea was to plant a Berserker Seed in Su Ming's body and turn him into his Berserker Seed!
'If I can turn him into my Berserker Seed, then with his growth speed and his potential, it'll be worth it for me to sacrifice all my other Berserker Children!
'After all, while good Berserker Children are difficult to find, people like Su Ming are even rarer. Now that I've found one, I won't be satisfied with letting him go!'
A light flickered in Si Ma Xin's eyes, and when he looked towards Su Ming, there was a strange look hidden deep within his eyes.
When he declared that if Su Ming could receive his subsequent and final attack, then he would bow down towards him in the future, those words were actually something out of character for him.
If there was no underlying meaning behind his words, he would not do something so stupid. That sentence was the same as forcing himself into a corner. He had to win, or else the consequences would be unbearable for him.
In truth, the words he said were a suggestion required for the Art and for him to plant the Berserker Seed. It could even be said to be a hook.
He would bury the words in Su Ming's heart and make it a hook. The more Su Ming placed his attention on it, the more weight those words would carry. Then with those words as a hook, he could form a strange connection with Su Ming. While that connection may not have physical form and would be something imaginary, this sort of hook was the connecting line that was particularly important in practicing the Great Art of Heartless Berserker Seed.
By using the outcome of the battle as a hook, burying the words in Su Ming's heart, then gathering them into a Seed within him as a premise, then if Si Ma Xin won this battle, the Seed would slowly grow into a real Berserker Seed in its unique way within Su Ming.
Even if he lost, then when he saw Su Ming and had to kneel down before him, the surges of emotion Su Ming would feel no matter how small they may be when he saw this action would nourish the Berserker Seed and allow it to grow.
This was the mysterious and domineering quality of the Great Art of Heartless Berserker Seed, the Art that few people had understood over the countless years that had passed. As long as the targets had a slight opening in their minds, then this Art could rip apart that opening and enter. The casters would not take their targets' spirits, but could use them and their power for themselves.
This mystical ability was simply too tyrannical. If the caster did not completely understand the Art, then the rate of success would be low. Unless they could use their power to suppress their target's and forcefully plant the Seed within them, then they would need luck.
If Si Ma Xin won, then he would have complete ownership over this powerful Berserker Son. If he lost, he could still slowly make Su Ming turn into his Berserker Son. To Si Ma Xin, the only thing he would lose was a bit of his reputation. This was something he could bear.
Right now, he was floating in midair. As he spread out his arms, the presence coming from within him increased at a shocking speed. It even gave others the feeling that he had reached the Bone Sacrifice Realm.
Su Ming frowned. He had already heard Si Ma Xin's words. There was something he couldn't describe within them. It was as if the words had crawled into his heart and were echoing endlessly within him.
At that moment, an anxious voice suddenly traveled out from the third summit.
"Su Ming, don't fight him! He wants to plant…"
That voice belonged to Han Cang Zi, yet she could only speak further. With a cold harrumph from Si Ma Xin, her words were immediately cut off.
Nonetheless, even though she did not manage to finish speaking, this battle was bound to not be able to continue, because right after Si Ma Xin let out that sound, the left preceptor's dark and sullen voice traveled out from the fourth summit and reverberated through Freezing Sky Clan.
"The school forbids in-fighting! Do you two not know the rules?!"
That voice was not loud, but there was an intimidating power to it. When it fell into everyone's ears, each word was like a roar of thunder that grew increasingly louder by the word until it eventually turned into countless echoes that sounded as if there were tens of thousands of people growling at the same time. It shook the world and caused the weather to change, the clouds to tumble back, and even the ice on the ground to shudder.
Si Ma Xin trembled. He felt as if there was thunder roaring right beside his ears. The presence rising within him was cut off, and he staggered three steps back and blood flowed down the corner of his lips.
Su Ming was the same. His ears rang, and his face instantly grew pale. He staggered five steps back, and as blood flowed from his mouth, a light bell toll came from Han Mountain Bell hiding within his body.
"Si Ma Xin, Su Ming is your senior. He has full right to block your Seven Colored Mountain. You are the one at fault! You are punished to three months of isolation and you are not allowed to leave the first summit during that time. Now go!"
Si Ma Xin's expression changed and he eventually lowered his head to bow towards the fourth summit. Then with a dark look on his face, he put away the Seven Colored Mountain and looked at the girl who was still watching and gave her a nod before he flew back towards the first summit.
"As for the rest of you, leave!"
The left preceptor's voice rang loud and the people gathered instantly bowed towards the fourth summit respectfully before they turned to Su Ming. Some of them even wrapped their fists in their palms and saluted him with smiles on their faces before they quickly left, allowing some semblance of normalcy to return to the place.
As for the girl who looked exactly like Bai Ling but was not Bai Ling, she hesitated for a moment before looking at Su Ming. There was still hostility in her eyes, but this was the first time she spoke to Su Ming.
"You asked for my name previously. This isn't some secret to begin with, you'll know eventually, since you're a disciple in Freezing Sky Clan. My name is Bai Su. I hope that you can return to big brother Si Ma what belongs to him. Taking what belongs to others will only make others despise you!"
Translator's Notes:
道: Dao, or Tao, or the Way, or the Path, is a philosophical state in Taoism. It is an underlying natural order of the universe, a way of life, and a concept. There are so many interpretations to the word Dao that it's rather confusing, but in this novel, I believe that Dao is used in this context – an ongoing practice to reach a state of spiritual perfection. For the sake of consistency between RI and ISSTH, the word Dao is used instead of the insane amount of alternatives available for the word.
Chapter 241: Chen Xiang
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming was about to turn around and walk towards Hu Zi when he paused for a moment, but it was just for a moment. He did not even turn his head back before coming down to the ground towards the snoring Hu Zi.
When Bai Su saw Su Ming turn a deaf ear towards her, she frowned and came to despise him. She turned around and went in the direction Si Ma Xin had left. Her movements were elegant, and when she turned around and left, her body moved in the wind in a manner overflowing with wild beauty.
Even now, Su Ming did not turn his head back to look at Bai Su. This girl was no different from anyone else to him. The only thing special about her was her face that was incredibly similar to Bai Ling's, which caused the wave of emotions in him previously.
Yet now, that wave had returned to stillness.
There was still some uncertainty in his heart, but it was not about Bai Su—it was the attitude of the fourth summit's left preceptor. The words he uttered just now clearly held the implications of him somewhat siding with Su Ming.
'I'm not close with the left preceptor, so why did he do that..?'
Su Ming's eyes sparkled and his Master, Tian Xie Zi, appeared in his mind.
Hu Zi was still snoring on the ground and there was quite a large amount of drool that had flowed out of his mouth. There was even a silly grin on his face, as if he was having the time of his life in his dream. Zi Che stood by his side respectfully, and once Su Ming got closer, he immediately wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed to him.
"Greetings, uncle master Su."
His respect did not seem faked but came from within his heart. Once he saw Su Ming's battle against Si Ma Xin, he felt fortunate that he had run into Su Ming's second senior when he went to try and attack him.
Zi Che had no confidence that he could win against Su Ming at all if he had fought against him and come face to face with all the mystical abilities he just saw.
'He could actually force Si Ma Xin to use the Great Art of Heartless Berserker Seed… This Su Ming will definitely be an extraordinary presence in Freezing Sky Clan in the future!'
Zi Che was certain of this. When he remembered the killing intent he felt on Su Ming's body and the calm tone he used when he was in Hu Zi's cave abode, that respect turned into reverence.
Su Ming nodded his head. The moment his feet touched the ground, He Feng charged back from the sky, looking rather roughed up. When Si Ma Xin left, the soul of the ice wolf also left with him. At that moment, as He Feng came back to Su Ming, his body was trembling slightly, but there was an even deeper reverence within his eyes compared to Zi Che's when he looked at Su Ming.
He could be said to have watched Su Ming arrive at this state since he was still weak. The person before him now was completely different from the Su Ming in the past. It was precisely because he had witnessed his growth that his respect towards Su Ming was much stronger and deeper compared to the others.
He knew that Su Ming was not a foolishly kind person. His actions could be vicious, and if anyone offended him, he would definitely take revenge.
"Master…" He Feng bowed deeply towards Su Ming with an ashamed look on his face. "Master, my power could not compare to the wolf spirit's, but don't worry, I'll definitely train hard and become your right hand in the future! I definitely won't let you down."
He Feng lifted his head and patted his chest as he made his promise.
"You should come back now."
Su Ming cast He Feng a look before lifting his right hand and clenching his fist towards the sky. Both Spirit Plunder and Han Mountain Bell charged back instantly and spun around Su Ming a few times before he put Spirit Plunder back into his storage bag while Han Mountain Bell fused into his body and disappeared from sight.
He Feng too quickly disappeared. Only when they were all gone did Su Ming turn around and look towards the goal of his trip this time – the Artifact Storage Hall behind him.
At that moment, standing outside the Artifact Storage Hall was the man whom Hu Zi called a woman disguising herself as a man by pointing and practically shouting at him. When she saw Su Ming looking over, there was a great difference in her expression compared to when she looked at him before Si Ma Xin's return.
Her expression before had been filled with disgust and resignation, and if she could, she would have avoided them like the plague. Since she disliked Hu Zi, all those who came with him were also hated.
Yet now, there was respect on her face. When Su Ming's gaze fell on her, she immediately took a few steps forward and bowed deeply towards him with her fist wrapped in her palm.
"I am Chen Xiang. Greetings, uncle master Su."
Chen Xiang was actually very beautiful and looked as pretty as a picture. However, under careful disguise, Chen Xiang's skin was rather dark, which made it seem like a pearl that had its shine hidden away, causing others to be unable to tell whether Chen Xiang was a man or a woman at first glance.
She was also wearing a loose robe that hid the lines of her body. If Hu Zi had not mentioned that this person was actually a woman pretending to be a man, Su Ming would not have been able to find any clues about it. Yet when his gaze fell upon this person, he gradually saw some hints.
However, he did not stare for a long time. He averted his gaze very soon.
"I'd like to enter the Artifact Storage Hall and choose some papers. I hope you'll allow me to do so."
Su Ming did not put on the airs of an uncle master as he spoke unhurriedly towards the other person.
Chen Xiang quickly nodded and took a few steps back to open the path with a respectful look.
"Uncle master Su, this way, please. I usually manage the Artifact Storage Hall. Please wait inside for a moment. I'll bring the papers you need now."
Under Chen Xiang's guidance, Su Ming walked into the Artifact Storage Hall. As for Zi Che, he remained outside taking care of the snoring Hu Zi. Without Su Ming's permission, he did not dare follow behind him.
Perhaps before Su Ming fought against Si Ma Xin, Zi Che would have still done so, but it would not have been a matter of whether he dared or dared not follow Su Ming. Yet now, when he witnessed the might of Su Ming's power, Zi Che had a sudden change of impression towards the ninth summit.
In his eyes, all the people in that summit were weird, but even if they were weird, everyone besides Hu Zi should be powerful Berserkers. That gentle man who loved flowers was so, Su Ming, whose killing intent was revealed just now, was also a powerful Berserker. There was also their eldest senior fellow disciple, the person who was in constant isolation. By Zi Che's assumptions, this person should be an even more powerful existence!
'This is the true ninth summit. The other rumors are all fake… Only when you've entered the ninth summit will you be able to understand the terrors of the oddities staying there…'
Zi Che sucked in a deep breath. He had a feeling that perhaps entering the ninth summit this way might not actually be something bad for him. It might even be a sort of chance for him.
While he was immersed in his thoughts, Hu Zi's rhythmic snores fell into his ears. That sound might not seem loud in broad daylight, but in the quiet night, if anyone heard that sound in the forest, they would definitely think it was some big insect or a ferocious beast and their expressions would definitely change to that of fear.
Those snores were like roars that sounded like rumbles when it fell into a person's ears.
Zi Che turned his head around and cast Hu Zi a look, and curiosity gradually appeared in his eyes.
'This person is most likely not someone mediocre as well…'
He remembered how this man had grabbed his hands when he was in his cave abode and forced him into deep slumber. The things that had happened in his dreams made his face gradually turn pale.
'Entering Dreams… if he could bring any person into his dream anytime he wanted, then his power would be terrifying! They're monsters! All the people in the ninth summit are monsters!'
The more Zi Che thought about it, the more shocked he was, yet similarly, the more shocked he was, the more tempted he became!
Su Ming sat in one of the chairs in the Artifact Storage Hall. There was an oil lamp on the table by his side. It might still be bright outside, but the light from the fire still let out a light that spread to its surroundings.
The Artifact Storage Hall was not very big, but it was not small either. There were rows upon rows of shelves stocked with all sorts of things. Some of them looked slightly broken and worn down, while others still looked new.
He could see Chen Xiang's body occasionally flitting through the shelves. She was walking through them briskly and picking out different types of papers from the shelves. After a moment, she brought the papers before Su Ming and placed them respectfully on the table, then took a few steps back and whispered with his head lowered, "Uncle master Su, the items in the Artifact Storage Hall are not complete. We only have these types of papers here. Please take a look to see which on you want, and I'll bring more of it for you.
"These papers are used by the disciples from the other summits for recording purposes. If you think it's not enough, we still have bamboo slips in store."
As Chen Xiang spoke, she started sizing up Su Ming from the corners of her eyes.
Su Ming nodded his head and looked at the papers on the table. Most of them were rough and dark brown in color. Some of them were even of a quality worse than beast skins.
When Chen Xiang saw a light crease appear between Su Ming's brows, she quickly said, "Um… uncle master Su, we only have these here. You could take a look around and see whether you can find anything to replace these papers."
Su Ming got up when he heard the words and walked towards the shelves. Before he walked too far away, he suddenly stopped and pointed towards an item at his side as he looked at Chen Xiang.
"How many of these do you have?"
Chen Xiang followed behind Su Ming and immediately turned towards where he was pointing. She saw a white wooden block about the length of an arm and the breadth of a palm on the shelf.
Its color was so white that it seemed spotlessly clean.
"This is Solid White Wood. This sort of wood doesn't exist around Freezing Sky Clan. It's rumored that it's only produced in a place hundreds of thousands of lis to the east of Freezing Sky Clan. Since the color is nice, it's usually used to make chairs… I have some of this wood here."
While speaking, Chen Xiang quickly took a few steps forward and brought out several wooden blocks of the same type.
"Uncle master Su, these are the only ones we have."
"Thank you. That will be enough."
Su Ming smiled faintly and took the white pieces of wood. With a flick of his right wrist, these wooden blocks instantly disappeared and were put away into his storage bag.
"About the price for these wooden blocks…"
Su Ming looked at Chen Xiang and found himself not knowing what to say.
"Uncle master Su, you're being too distant. You just arrived in Freezing Sky Clan. These things aren't really expensive, so I can still make the decision on how to deal with them. You can just take them away."
Chen Xiang quickly waved the question away and smiled. In Su Ming's eyes, that smile now revealed hints that Chen Xiang was truly a woman pretending to be a man.
However, he believed that Hu Zi was not the first to see through this. Everyone had their own secrets and stories they did not want to tell others. There must be a reason as to why Chen Xiang always dressed up this way in Freezing Sky Clan.
"Thank you."
Su Ming did not reject the offer and nodded towards Chen Xiang.
"Oh, that's right. Uncle master Su, you must be thinking about making your own wooden slips from that Solid White Wood. If that's the case, you'll need some special string…"
As Chen Xiang spoke, she brought out a white reel of thread and gave it to Su Ming.
"When I was looking for the other Solid White Wood, I saw this. It has been lying around the hall for many years. I heard that it's the tendon from a ferocious beast and is very sturdy. It'll definitely be able to connect the wooden slips together."
Su Ming did not take it. Instead, he looked at Chen Xiang with the ghost of a smile on his lips. If this person had decided to give him the wooden blocks, he could still marginally think of it as Chen Xiang trying to express goodwill to him. Yet if she wanted to give him the beast's tendon, then this was definitely not something as simple as trying to get into his good graces. After all, Su Ming did not really fit into the description of an uncle master.
When Chen Xiang saw that expression on Su Ming's face, an awkward look appeared on her face. After a moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth and bowed deeply towards Su Ming.
"Uncle master Su, please help me…"
Chapter 242: Chen Xiang's Request…
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming did not speak immediately but stood in the hall and stared at Chen Xiang. There was a sharp glint in his eyes, and when Chen Xiang saw that glint, she felt as if she had been seen through and her darkest secrets were revealed.
Chen Xiang shuddered and lowered her head because she did not dare look into his eyes. She took a few steps back once again.
"Speak. I'll consider it," Su Ming said calmly, his words unhurried.
"If… if you're willing to help me, uncle master Su, then it'll definitely work…"
Chen Xiang bit her bottom lip. Her current look made her unconsciously reveal more of her feminine characteristics.
"Uncle master Su, please help me… make uncle master Sun Da Hu stop sneaking outside my room at midnight… to peak… I really can't get used to it…" Chen Xiang whispered, finally managing to speak of her request in a more tactful manner. Once she finished speaking, she bent her body and bowed towards Su Ming.
"Uncle master Su, please help me…"
Su Ming's expression instantly turned strange. He had thought of a lot of possibilities, but he absolutely did not expect Chen Xiang to give him the wooden blocks and tendons for this.
From this alone, it could be seen just how much trauma Hu Zi had left in the hearts of the people.
When he recalled what had happened when Hu Zi brought him here from the ninth summit up to the point he fell asleep, Su Ming could not help but laugh wryly.
Su Ming hesitated for a moment before he spoke his thoughts, "I'll try my best to persuade him from it, but I can't promise you success."
He too would not like someone crouching around him at night watching his every move. When he remembered the strange smile on Hu Zi's face when he was peaking at his second senior brother, it was not difficult for Su Ming to think of that smile on Hu Zi's face while he was peaking at other people as well.
He cast a pitying glance at Chen Xiang. When she heard Su Ming's words, gratitude instantly appeared on her face. That gratitude was not a show but came from within the depths of her heart, which just went to show just how deeply affected she was by Hu Zi's harassment.
Removing uncle master Hu Zi, whose presence was really just like that of a nightmare at night to her, was the most important thing to Chen Xiang at the moment.
Amidst her gratitude and respect, Su Ming walked out of the Artifact Storage Hall. Chen Xiang followed behind him and gave a deep bow towards Su Ming. The eager look in her eyes made Su Ming instinctively look towards the snoring Hu Zi behind Zi Che, who were both located not too far away from him.
"I'll try my best."
Su Ming nodded at Chen Xiang and walked towards Hu Zi. Once he had him in his arms, he took a step into the air and turned into a long arc that charged back to the ninth summit.
Zi Che quickly followed behind him and looked at Su Ming's back before him. Resolution appeared in his eyes.
With Su Ming in front and Zi Che following behind him, the two of them soon arrived at the ninth summit from the buildings underneath Heaven Gate. On the way, Su Ming ran into some Freezing Sky Clan disciples. Once these people saw him, those who recognized him would immediately stop and wrap their fists in their palms to greet him. They only started moving again when Su Ming left.
The people who called him 'uncle master Su' were not many, but it was way different compared to how he had been treated previously.
If there were some who did not understand what was happening while they stood beside those who did, they would quickly ask in low whispers. Once they obtained the answer, disbelief would appear on their faces, and their gazes that followed Su Ming would become different.
After a moment, when the ninth summit appeared before Su Ming's eyes, he and Zi Che quickly arrived to Hu Zi's cave abode. Su Ming landed outside and brought Hu Zi inside before placing him down on the spot he usually slept.
As he looked at the loudly snoring Hu Zi, a smile appeared on Su Ming's face. He grabbed a wine gourd by the side and placed it where Hu Zi could reach it before turning around and leaving.
Zi Che was standing respectfully outside the cave. When he saw Su Ming coming out, he immediately lowered his head, looking as if he was waiting for his orders.
"I originally wanted to turn you into medicinal liquid."
Su Ming's gaze fell upon Zi Che.
Zi Che was silent. There was an awkward look on his face, and he kept silent with his head lowered.
"But if you can get me two people who are nearly dead, then I'll get rid of that thought," Su Ming stated calmly.
He had already made his decision. The most important thing for him to do while he was in Freezing Sky Clan's ninth summit was to train.
He must make himself stronger. Only by doing so could he win against Si Ma Xin in the short run, and in the long run, walk out of Sky Mist Barrier and out of the Land of South Morning.
All of these required him to be powerful!
The battle with Si Ma Xin may have made them seem as if they were equals, but Su Ming knew that he had lost during that battle. If his Master had not intervened and given him enough time to copy the power of the world contained within the sword stroke, he would have definitely lost when that sword struck down.
Even with Tian Xie Zi's help, Su Ming still felt a strong sense of danger looming over his head when Si Ma Xin casted the Great Art of Heartless Berserker Seed, and that danger was not something he could dissolve with his current power!
Even if he still had one treasure left, not having brought out the fire ice his eldest senior brother had given him, that thing was still considered an external object and did not come from within him.
All these made Su Ming clearly understand that his power was still very weak… In his current state, he would not even be able to leave Sky Mist Barrier, much less go back home. He would not even be able to have an easy time in Freezing Sky Clan.
These thoughts had been circulating in Su Ming's mind all the way back.
"Uncle master Su, it won't be difficult to obtain people who are nearly dead. I promise you, within three years, I'll definitely be able to obtain two living corpses with incredible power for you.
"The Shamans outside Sky Mist Barrier are the best choice," Zi Che quickly said with a respectful tone.
While Zi Che was speaking, Su Ming had already walked into the distance with his back towards him, as if he did not hear the other's voice. As he continued walking forward, it made Zi Che anxious and worried. When Su Ming was about to disappear from his sight, the man's slow voice reached his ears.
"I'm lacking a person guarding my cave abode at night. If you want to, then come with me."
Zi Che felt his spirits lift and immediately shouted loudly, "I want to!"
He was already moving when the words left his mouth and immediately followed behind Su Ming. They disappeared from Hu Zi's place.
Su Ming returned to his cave abode. The simple cave now looked different in his eyes. There was now a slight hint of warmth there, and even a feeling of home.
The platform outside the cave was covered with plants that could grow in ice and snow. However, there was a small spot on the platform that was left empty. That was the spot Su Ming had asked his second senior brother to leave empty for him to meditate.
The green grass swayed in the freezing wind, as if struggling to survive in this biting cold environment. There was a resilient life force within it, and when he looked at it, Su Ming had a vague feeling that he was looking at his second senior brother.
He suddenly understood why his second senior brother planted so many plants in most of the areas in the ninth summit. It was because he treated the mountain as his home, and his presence was just like the plants in the mountain. As long as there was a spot where his plants grew, that place would be labeled as his protected area.
Take for example this place. There were no plants here before he came here, but once Su Ming built his cave abode, his second senior brother dropped by with his plants and covered the place with them.
A silent heartwarming feeling seeped into Su Ming's heart as the plants and flowers swayed in the wind. He crouched down and looked at them with a smile on his face. This was a warmth he rarely felt after he arrived in the Land of South Morning.
The smile on his face was a reflection of the warmth he felt when he was in Dark Mountain. It had always been kept hidden in Su Ming's heart, but now, it appeared once again on his lips.
Zi Che stood not too far respectfully as he kept an eye on Su Ming. When he saw that smile on his face, he was baffled. It was as if the person before him was no longer the person he respected, the one who had enough power to fight against Si Ma Xin, and the uncle master Su who was filled with a murderous aura, but instead a young man who had just reached adulthood and was still a little wet behind the ears.
Yet that bafflement only lasted for an instant. When Su Ming stood up, that smile was gone, and the feeling Zi Che had which might have been just his misconception immediately vanished.
The young man who had just become an adult was gone. In his place was the usual uncle master Su who had a murderous aura beneath his calm demeanor.
"Without my orders, do not enter the cave abode. Stay outside and wait for my orders."
Su Ming's cold voice fell into Zi Che's ears as he walked towards his cave abode, which was still lacking a door.
"Aye!"
Zi Che immediately obeyed respectfully. He took a few steps back and retreated to a spot that had no wind before sitting down. A look of uncertainty and confusion appeared in his eyes for a moment before it was quickly replaced by resolution.
'Three years… Perhaps these three years won't be a disaster for me, but a form of serendipity… Let's hope that's the case…'
Zi Che closed his eyes and sank into a meditative state. Nonetheless, his mind remained alert of his surroundings. Just like a guard, he performed his duties.
Su Ming was also sitting inside his cave abode. The sky was gradually darkening outside. He slowly brought out the pieces of Solid White Wood he had obtained from the Artifact Storage Hall and placed them in front of himself before also bringing out the beast tendon.
The tendon had extremely great ductility. Even if he held only a small section of the tendon in his hand, he could still make it stretch out to incredible lengths.
The pieces of Solid White Wood were not cut in the same length and size. Some of them were longer while some shorter. Some of them were about three fingers tall, and some at only the height of two fingers. Su Ming stared at those wooden pieces, and after remaining silent for a moment, he quickly lifted both of his hands and grabbed a piece of wood. With a flick of his wrist, many wooden scraps flew into the air. After a moment, he placed the piece of wood down and picked up another one.
After a long while, once Su Ming had trimmed all of the wooden pieces, nine wooden pieces lay before him. All of these blocks were about the length of his arm, the breadth of five fingers, and the height of two fingers. They all looked the same and were all white. With just one glance, it was difficult to determine whether they were wood or white jade.
Once Su Ming placed the nine pieces of wood together, a big drawing board appeared before him. There may have been very fine cracks between the wooden pieces, but if he used force and pressed against them, he could cover them up.
Su Ming then brought out the beast tendon and green light shone at the center of his brows. The small sword flew towards the beast tendon and cut it up into several sections which he used to tie up the wooden pieces on his drawing board. Due to the ductility and flexibility of the tendon, the cracks on the drawing board disappeared, but if he used force to roll up this drawing board like he would do a piece of beast skin, then it would turn into a cylinder under that force.