Chapter 515: World Outside
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Clear sky was forever gone from the rain riddled world. Heavy, dark clouds pressed down above the endless sea, making all those who saw them feel a sort of oppressive feeling weighing down on their chests. Most of normal people might have died, while some of them might have been lucky enough to survive through the calamity, but they would never be able to see clear blue sky again. All they could see… was this foggy darkness.
If anyone wanted to see the blue sky, they would need to possess a certain level of cultivation. Only then could they fly through the layers of tumbling clouds and arrive above the clouds to see the sky that had been hidden away.
However, while flying near the ground was easy, it was certainly not an easy thing to move through the layers of clouds that were filled with the power of lightning that aimed to rip apart flesh. Not only was there an incredibly high requirement for the physical body to be able to move through the clouds, if that person had yet to reach the Berserker Soul Realm, it was simply too difficult to last for long in the clouds as the bolts of lightning crackled around.
Those thick layers of clouds covered the land that belonged to the Shamans and the Berserkers in the past…
Seawater stretched far and wide into the distance, and nothing else could be seen on the land… Nothing but for a faint, large, and black shadow in the rain. That shadow seemed like the Eastern Wastelands… and there was only emptiness further down ahead.
It was as if South Morning had disappeared.
At that moment, under this dark sky and the rolling clouds, three figures could be found charging through the rain. They had turned into three long arcs and were shooting forward.
The three people were dashing into the distance at full speed with panic on their faces. They were two men and one woman, and they were dressed in normal clothing. There was nothing outstanding about their appearance, and their levels of cultivation were the only things that were somewhat presentable about them. The strongest among them was a man, and he seemed to be halfway through to becoming a Latter Shaman. The other man was around the late stage of a Medial Shaman.
But curiously, the woman among the three of them was a Berserker, and she did nothing to hide her identity. The waves of ripples belonging to a Berserker in the Bone Sacrifice Realm spread from her body clearly. By the looks of it, she should be around the later stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm.
With their power, if the group ran into a normal powerful Shaman that had just recently become a Latter Shaman, they would still be able to put up a fight, albeit with a struggle. They would still lose, but if they worked together, one of them could still escape.
This trio were charging forth above the sea extremely quickly. However, from their panicked expressions and extreme speed, all those who saw them would be able to tell that they were running for their lives!
There were two long arcs that were chasing the trio down, and they were an old man and a young teenager. The old man's face was indifferent. His body did not move, and his feet merely swept through the air as he traveled forth. The boy behind him had a prideful expression on his face, and he was regarding the three people escaping with scorn on his face.
"Master, are these three people idiots? They know clearly that they don't have any chance to survive, so why are they still escaping so desperately? If it were me, I would fight to the death!" The boy cast a glance at the old man beside him when he spoke.
"Because I gave them hope," the old man stated blandly. He looked calm and at ease, just like a person would when the sky cleared up after rain. It was as if there were few things in the world that could make his expression change.
"With your power, killing these three people is as easy as flipping over your hand…" The boy frowned.
"These three people are just bait. This wouldn't have happened if I wasn't out. But since I came out, and I brought you with me for the hunt, then we might as well hunt more. They will continue calling for help as they escape, and they will lure out more of those from South Morning. With that, we will also be able to get enough battle achievements for you during the Scour Sieve Festival and get you into Scour Sieve Temple." The old man still looked calm, as if he had everything completely under control.
"Are we fishing now?" A brutal smile appeared on the boy's face. He looked at the three people escaping in front, and his smile grew wider.
"Scour Sieve Festival…" Anticipation appeared on the boy's face. It was as if the meaning behind those three words was incredibly attractive to him.
"A large amount of our tribesmen will come to South Morning's Barren Swampland to harvest the souls here half a year before the Scour Sieve Festival. That's why we have to avoid them and come here earlier."
As the Master and disciple spoke to each other, a large area of seawater under the three escapees suddenly exploded. As seawater sprayed into the air, four figures shot up into the air. Those four people were incredibly quick as they charged into the sky. Once they appeared, those figures turned into four people.
All four of them were middle-aged people. Three of them were Berserkers, and the last was a Shaman. The instant these four people appeared, the full power of their cultivation exploded forth from their bodies. Right away, the three people fleeing in front also came to an abrupt halt. Without any hesitation, they moved back and charged towards the old man and the boy with the other four people.
"You are merely Berserkers in the Bone Sacrifice Realm and Medial Shamans. How dare you try to ambush me?" the old man stated flatly, disdain appearing in his eyes. He lifted his right hand and pressed his palm against the sea beneath him.
That sea immediately erupted and a huge wave shot up. That wave surged into the sky and instantly covered the entire area. Booming sounds and screams of pain echoed in the air, and when the wave disappeared, five of the seven exploded, turning into flesh and blood that spilled down. The remaining man and woman coughed up blood, and with grief on their faces, they quickly retreated, fleeing at full speed once more.
The old man remained standing in his original spot and shook his head.
"The people of South Morning are so weak, they can't even put up a fight. Let's go. We'll kill another three hundred of them, and then you'll have obtained enough battle credit," the old man stated flatly and continued chasing the two people in front leisurely.
The boy looked at his Master with adoration and idolization in his eyes and quickly followed behind.
…..
Some distance away from that spot in the dark depths of the Dead Sea was a strong ray of light that appeared for an instant in the darkness before it disappeared. The light had appeared from the bottom of the sea, and it came from a gate that was filled with an air of decline.
That gate was near complete collapse, and when the light disappeared, a person took form.
That person was Su Ming!
He was submerged at the very bottom of the Dead Sea.
He turned his head around and cast a glance at the gate. After some time, he charged towards the surface. There was not much light in the Dead Sea, and there were many ferocious beasts that laid within. However, the instant Su Ming flew out, a ray of violet light spread out from his body, and it made all the ferocious beasts around him shudder and quickly move away. It was as if he had become an incredibly terrifying existence to them.
Su Ming dashed forth quietly through the Dead Sea, and he moved so quickly that he stirred up a vortex at the depths of the sea. That vortex moved with loud booming sounds, causing the surface of the sea to start churning slowly as well. After some time, the surface of the sea exploded, and as it reverberated in the air, Su Ming shot out from the bottom of the sea.
Seawater shot up and fused with the rain from the sky before it fell to the sea again. Su Ming stood on the surface of the sea and looked around him. There was only an endless expanse of emptiness, and it made him fall silent for a long period of time.
'South Morning… should no longer be around.'
Su Ming cast his eyes to the south. That was where the land of the Berserkers was. That was also where the ninth summit was located.
As he continued looking, a deep, longing look surfaced in his eyes. He missed the ninth summit, missed his Master, missed his eldest senior brother, his second senior brother, and also Hu Zi.
"Twenty years…" Su Ming mumbled. He had left the ninth summit for twenty years, and at this moment, he, who had returned from the frozen world, yearned deeply to go to the land of the Berserkers, back to the ninth summit, and to see the things that had once existed in the past.
With that yearning lingering in his heart, Su Ming turned into a long arc and charged forth in the air, straight towards the direction where the land of the Berserkers was located.
He did not hide his power. The presence that surged into the sky, the astonishing speed, and the freezing aura that had accumulated in Su Ming's body over several years caused all the people who noticed him as he flew to feel shocked to the core.
Even those who had reached the Berserker Soul Realm or had become Latter Shamans would feel a sort of intimidating pressure once they sensed the presence of Su Ming's body, and that feeling could make their hearts pound in fear!
Su Ming charged forth without stop. His gaze landed on the surface of the sea beneath him, and he saw islands floating about!
'South Morning was torn apart in the clash… The land either sank to the bottom of the sea or turned into numerous islands. South Morning's entire terrain has changed completely.'
Su Ming shook his head. Then with a flash, he instantly disappeared. When he reappeared, he was already far into the distance, heading towards where the land of the Berserkers was located in the past. Just as he was about to continue onward, he suddenly stopped, and turned his head sideways to cast a glance at the surface of the sea in the distance.
"That's…" Su Ming was taken aback for a moment, then he changed his direction.
…..
There was an island on the Dead Sea. It looked small and was filled with mountain rocks. There were no plants on the island, and it looked incredibly empty.
There had been originally no island there. In fact, there had never been islands around South Morning in the past. However, after the disaster, many islands had gradually appeared.
There were less than twenty people staying on the island, and there was a faint screen of light covering that island, serving as a simple protection. These dozen something people had formed a few simple cave abodes and stayed there.
Their cave abodes were located on a part of the island that looked like a valley. It was at the top of the hill, and on top of it was a statue. That statue was roughly carved, but anyone who saw it could vaguely tell that it was a man with long hair.
That man had his head lifted and was looking into the distance. He held a large bow in his right hand, but his appearance was indistinct, and his facial features could not be seen clearly.
There were two old men sitting on the mountain rocks underneath the man's statue. These two men were dressed in rags and looked ancient. They currently had their eyes closed and were meditating. Wisps of chimney smoke spread from the cave abodes due to the members of the tribe preparing food underneath.
Ever since this group of nearly twenty people had gathered together on this island and formed their tiny tribe, they had been living their lives day by day this way.
Soon, the islanders walked out from their cave abodes. There were men and women, elderly and young among them, and they all moved to gather atop the hill. Once they did so, they knelt down before the statue and started worshipping it while mumbling under their breaths.
"We Fated Kin were born in a barren and undeveloped world. We originally did not have a future, because we needed to create our own future… We will worship Respected Senior Mo [1] until Fated Kin vanishes from the world…"
"The Respected Senior Mo is our heaven. We are the souls living in that heaven, and our words of worship will never change…"
"We will gather under Sky River Mountain. We of the Fated Kin must remember this. We must search… for Sky River Mountain…"
This worship that would occur every day had not ceased for even a single day for the past few years, no matter rain nor shine. Nothing could stop them from their sincere ritual.
Translator's Notes:
1. Respected Senior Mo and respected senior Mo: I thought that since the Fated Kin practically worship Su Ming as their god, it would make no sense if they referred to him as 'respected senior Mo', sounds kind of disrespectful. So when the Fated Kin refer to Su Ming, it will be Respected Senior Mo, with the big caps, and when other people refer to him with that title, it will be respected senior Mo.
Chapter 516: Fated Kin!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming appeared in the air above the island. He looked at the people in the island, and found the faces somewhat familiar. These people were, naturally, the Fated Kin from the World of Nine Yin.
When Su Ming saw them, a smile appeared on his lips. With a single move, he passed through the screen of light as if it did not exist and walked into the island.
His arrival did not catch the attention of the people who were busy worshiping the statue in the valley. Su Ming stood on a mountain rock in the island and stared at the statue being worshiped by the people in the valley not too far away.
That statue's appearance might be indistinct, but he could still tell with at a single glance that the person was himself.
'Fated Kin…'
Once again, this race that was born in the World of Nine Yin left a deep impression in his heart. It would have been easy for them to hold onto this attitude when they were in the World of Nine Yin. After all, at that time, Su Ming was incredibly important to them.
In truth, Su Ming had not cared whether they would keep to their promise after they left the world. However, when he saw these dozen something Fated Kin keeping to their promise and worshiping him, not only did his impression of this race become deeper, a slightly different sort of feeling towards them welled up in his heart.
The words of worship, the voices referring to him as 'Respected Senior Mo', and the promises of never forgetting to gather at Sky River Mountain made Su Ming sentimental. His gaze fell on his own statue, and just as he was about to walk forth and appear before them, a crease suddenly appeared between his brows.
He leapt past these Fated Kin who were still worshiping his statue and looked towards the sky in the distance.
At that moment, the fleeing man and woman who were being chased down by the people from the Eastern Wastelands could be found in the sky several hundreds of lis away from the small island. Their faces were filled with grief, and the hatred that existed between them in the past as Shamans and Berserkers could no longer be found.
"Ya Mu, what should we do…? The Remains of the Barren Isles is right in front of us…" The female Berserker bit her lower lip. Her face was ashen pale, and blood could even be seen trickling down the corners of her lips.
"Sir Zong Ze and Sir Yun Lai are still in isolation, or else how would a stupid Eastern Wastelander in the Berserker Soul Realm would dare to be so outrageous in our land?! If this person had dared come here before the calamity, he would had definitely died!" The face of that man named Ya Mu was filled with grief, and he was the Ya Mu who had been acquainted with Su Ming in the past when they were in Autumn Sea Tribe!
However, he had now become a middle-aged man, and there were even flecks of white at his temples.
"The Eastern Wastelanders have always been conceited and arrogant. He has been chasing us all this way but has never tried ending our lives. He must be thinking of using us to lure our people…
"We can't return to our island. We can't let the Eastern Wastelanders know where we are… If the Remains of the Barren Isles lie before us, then we will go there!" A determined look appeared on Ya Mu's face.
"But there are some of those Fated Kin staying in the Remains of the Barren Isles… We…"
"We can't be bothered by that anymore!" With one move, Ya Mu changed his direction, charging straight towards the direction where he remembered the Remains of the Barren Isles lying.
The old man and the boy remained several hundreds of lis behind them, and since they had the heart to not persecute them too tightly, Ya Mu and the woman approached the Remains of the Barren Isles swiftly. After the time taken for an incense stick to burn, empty islands slowly appeared in their field of vision on the surface of the sea before them.
They closed in swiftly, and when they arrived in the air above the island, they saw the dozen something Fated Kin beneath a screen of light underneath, worshiping the statue.
The two were not unfamiliar with that statue. In truth, they had come to this place two years ago and tried to persuade the Shamans in this place to come with them to Southern Swamp Island. That was the biggest island in the region after the calamity.
However, these people had been aloof towards them, causing their persuasion to fall flat. In Ya Mu's eyes, these Shamans were incredibly strange. They called themselves the Fated Kin and worshiped this 'Respected Senior Mo'. And that 'Respected Senior Mo' of theirs was the statue.
What surprised Ya Mu even more was that the statue felt somewhat familiar to him, but since it was crudely made and because its appearance was indistinct, he could not tell why that statue felt familiar to him.
Ya Mu and the woman arrived at the island, and neither of them noticed Su Ming standing on a mountain rock and watching the two of them.
"Ya Mu…"
The man outside the screen of light felt somewhat familiar to Su Ming. Once he thought about it, he recognized him. He had also noticed the old man, who was the source for Ya Mu's hidden panic, chasing leisurely after.
'A Berserker in the middle stage of the Berserker Soul Realm.'
Su Ming decided at that point that he would not walk out. Instead, he sat down on the mountain rock and started watching in silence.
"Fated Kin, our fellow friends in the Land of South Morning, I am Ya Mu, originally a part of Autumn Sea Tribe, currently a third level guard of Southern Swamp Island Alliance. I came here two years ago."
As Ya Mu stood outside the screen of light, he forced down the panic in his heart and wrapped his fist in a palm before bowing towards the dozen something people in the valley.
The female Berserker beside him also wrapped her fist in her palm and bowed.
"We are now being pursued by a powerful enemy, and he is right behind us. My fellow friends, please open your screen of light and let us avoid danger once again…"
When Ya Mu said these words, he too felt that he had gone overboard. This practically meant that he was luring the enemy to the island, but he did not have a choice. They either had to die or use the Fated Kin here. And perhaps they would gain a chance of survival in this place.
The thought of returning to Southern Swamp Island did not even cross his mind. He knew that the Eastern Wastelanders had been searching for inhabited islands during the two years after the calamity, and every single time they found one, a bloody massacre would rain down on it.
Since Southern Swamp Island was one of the big islands in the region, the powerful Shamans and Berserkers had done their best to hide it, and that was the reason why it could remain untouched. There was no way outsiders could learn about the island's existence, and a seal was placed inside the bodies of all those who left the island. If anyone tried searching their memories forcefully, then their memories of the island would be instantly destroyed.
"Our pursuer came from Eastern Wastelands, and he is the mortal enemy of us from South Morning. If he runs into any of us from South Morning, he will kill them and take their souls… We were forced to a corner and are in a desperate situation. My fellow friends, please help us. Even if we leave now, the island will be exposed…" Ya Mu spoke in anguish, and the crowd within the valley behind the screen of light lifted their heads and looked at both of them aloofly.
There was not a hint of fear or terror on the Fated Kin. Compared to the things they had to suffer through during those fifteen years in the World of Nine Yin, all of this was really just a speck of dust in their eyes.
After all, the enemy they had to face now was still human, not a Sacred Bat, or a Drifting Roamer, or a Spirit of Nine Yin…
An old man walked out from among the dozen something Fated Kin. His gaze was as sharp as lightning, and his level of cultivation was the same as that of Ya Mu. They were both Medial Shamans who had reached the peak of that stage, and were both halfway through to becoming Latter Shamans.
He first cast an aloof glance at Ya Mu and the woman, then waved his arm. Immediately, a crack opened up in the screen of light beneath them.
Ya Mu and the woman did not hesitate and quickly crawled into the crack to step into the island. When the crack in the screen of light closed up, an old man with a boy in tow could be seen in the sky far away, walking leisurely in the air.
Ya Mu swept his gaze across all the Fated Kin as he stood in the valley. All their expressions were incredibly aloof, and when they looked at the both of them, he had a feeling they were treating them as air.
This sort of gaze made the woman beside Ya Mu instinctively take a few steps back.
Ya Mu did not have a lot of knowledge regarding the Fated Kin, but he still knew a little more than the woman. He knew that this strange race was entirely composed of Shamans. They worshiped this Respected Senior Mo and did not want to have any form of contact with outsiders. They were a very closed off group.
He knew nothing else besides this.
Under the Fated Kin's aloof gazes, Ya Mu immediately took a step forward and wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply towards the gigantic statue before him.
"I am Ya Mu, from Southern Swamp Island. Greetings, statue of respected senior Mo. I hope that you will last forever and your spirit will never die!"
The woman beside Ya Mu also instantly took a few steps forward and bowed to the statue as well.
When the Fated Kin saw these two people acting this way, they gradually warmed up slightly, but their expressions were still rather cold.
"Respected Senior Mo is not a spirit, he is even stronger than a spirit. He is our people's God. You will only find yourself in good hands if you worship him. Nothing bad will come to you," the old man stated languidly at that moment. He was also the leader of the Fated Kin on this island.
Ya Mu did not agree to the old man's words in his heart, but his expression was solemn, nonetheless. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the old Fated Kin lifting his right hand, and immediately, a large black bow manifested in his hand with a flash.
A middle-aged man walked out from the Fated Kin gathered around them at that moment, and banging sounds appeared all over his hand. When he lifted his right hand, a similarly large bow appeared in his grasp.
The next instant, four people immediately walked out from among the crowd gathered around the two who had never seen the Fated Kin attack before. Their presences spread out from their bodies, and the duo found, to their amazement, that they were all Soul Catchers!
Moreover, they were all Medial Soul Catchers who had reached the later stage. While they might not have reached great completion, but Soul Catchers were powerful to begin with, and they were few and rare in-between!
Then, when Ya Mu still had not recovered from his shock, another four people walked out from among the dozen something people. They stopped beside the old man and the middle-aged man with the large bows, and the instant their presences spread out from their bodies, he found that they were Spirit Mediums!
'They have nineteen people, and three of them are teenagers. Among the remaining sixteen, four are Soul Catchers, four are Spirit Mediums, and two are Battle Shamans…' Ya Mu sucked in a sharp breath. Even before the calamity, only a middle-sized tribe could bring out a group like this, and what was more, they were all Medial Shamans.
Yet before he finished sucking in that breath, he found himself widening his eyes immediately, because he saw four other people walking out once again from among the few left in the group!
These four people closed their eyes before the crowd and lifted their hands. Then the power of Thought Soothsayers abruptly spread forth from their bodies.
'Thought Soothsayers!' Ya Mu instinctively took a step back, finding himself in disbelief towards what he saw.
'Four Thought Soothsayers, four Soul Catchers, four Spirit Mediums, and two Battle Shamans… They are only nineteen people, and such powerful warriors exist among them?!'
Ya Mu knew full well just how powerful Thought Soothsayers were. When he saw these four were Medial Thought Soothsayers who had arrived at the later stage of their Realm, he could not help but be stunned.
What pushed him into further disbelief was that a thick wave of murderous aura that rose from beneath their still aloof demeanor. That murderous aura was absolutely not something that could be born overnight. This was a murderous aura that could only manifest through continuous slaughter and nonstop waves of heated frenzy, a murderous aura that could only be born after prolonged exposure to a unique situation!
When Ya Mu saw the same thick wave of murderous aura around the three children, he suddenly became incredibly wary of these mysterious Fated Kin that had suddenly appeared during the past few years.
'Just… where did they come from?'
Translator's Note:
Ya Mu: The only guy from Autumn Sea Tribe who had been nice to Su Ming when he traveled with their tribe, and was not a total jerk, even though he had tested Su Ming slightly. He also gave Su Ming the map of the land of the Shamans before Su Ming left.
Also, the identity of the woman will be revealed later. She's also someone Su Ming knew. I wonder if you people can remember her ;3
Chapter 517: Fated Kin's Glory!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When Su Ming saw these Fated Kin from the distance, a smile curled up on his lips. This group of people had gone through trials and tribulations that put them constantly at death's door during those fifteen years in the World of Nine Yin. All those who could survive would definitely be outstanding people who stood out in a crowd.
These people might not be Latter Shamans, but their unique experiences had made resolution and the murderous aura within them to surpass all those around them. The two of them could have them surge into the sky and make them stand firmly against powerful existences and fight for their own fates!
Because they were the Fated Kin!
Because they had their fates in their own hands. They would not beg for outsiders to save them. They would save themselves!
Because they wanted to let all the people in the world see how the Fated Kin born within the World of Nine Yin would shape their own future, after they had been abandoned and lost it!
Their aloofness was born because the world had abandoned them, and so they were distant towards all those in the world. They would only give their warmth to their own kinsmen, and they would only spill their warm blood in battles to protect their own fates!
As time passed and years went by, when these Fated Kin eventually managed to take that one step and become Latter Shamans, they would stir up an indescribable storm in this land and the world!
This storm would come from their resolve, their desire to control their own fates after they had been abandoned!
As Su Ming looked at them, he found a vague shadow of himself on them, and he gave up on the thought of helping them. He wanted to see just how much power these Fated Kin could bring out. The time had still not come for him to interfere with the Fated Kin's battle.
Moreover, since he was around, he would definitely not let any of the Fated Kin be caught in a life threatening crisis!
Four Thought Soothsayers, four Soul Catchers, four Spirit Mediums, two Battle Shamans. These fourteen people stood in the valley. Waves of murderous aura spread out from their bodies and surged into the sky, causing the old man who had arrived outside the screen of light to pause in his footsteps.
A grim look appeared on his face at that moment as he stared at the small island thousands of feet away and the dozen something people who were looking at him from the valley.
"I didn't expect such radiant souls to exist in the Land of South Morning after the calamity… Just one of their souls alone is already equivalent to several dozens of those other in this continent!" the old man mumbled. A flicker of light flashed in his eyes, and he took a step towards the island.
The instant he took that one step, the old man swung his right arm forward, and immediately, the seawater beneath him charged forth with a roar and surrounded the entire island. It turned into a large amount of waves that surged forward with the intention of flooding the land.
At the same time as the old man swung his arm forward, a Dead Sea Giant of one thousand feet appeared from the depths. Its eyes were dull and lifeless, as if it had been enslaved by the old man. It let out a roar and leapt up to charge straight towards the island.
Ya Mu's heart lurched forward. He had seen this Dead Sea Giant before. This was the ferocious beast that had killed most of the people in the team he'd led.
Just as he was about to shout out a warning to these Fated Kin, the four Thought Soothsayers closed their eyes, and the power that belonged to their kind burst forth swiftly, surrounding them, turning into wisps of aura that could not be seen with the naked eye and rushed straight towards the two Battle Shamans.
Right when the two lifted the large weapons in their hands. The instant they drew those bows wide apart, the eyes of the four Soul Catchers shone with a dark light, and the clouds in the sky started tumbling about even more furiously. Even the rain that was falling from the sky seemed to have gathered in midair for the Soul Catchers.
Soon after, the four Spirit Mediums spread their arms wide open. As mumbling sounds echoed in the air, wisps of dead souls surged up from the Dead Sea around the island with a sharp howl and charged towards the large bows in the Battle Shamans' hands.
With a hum, the middle-aged Battle Shaman became the first to let go of the bowstring in his hand. A ray of dark light sliced through the air and shot out of the screen of light, charging straight towards the Dead Sea Giant.
It was so quick that it broke through space in an instant, ripping up a crack in the air. There was also an indescribable madness and murderous aura contained within that ray of light, so strong that it caused some of the layers of clouds in the sky to roll backwards. In a moment, the ray of light crashed into the Dead Sea Giant that was roaring as it closed in on them.
"The power to tear apart space?!" Ya Mu's jaw fell slack in shock, and he cried out in surprise. The breathing of the female Berserker beside him also quickened, and she was filled with disbelief.
Booming sounds instantly reverberated in the air and spread in all directions. The Dead Sea Giant let out a scream of pain, and with one loud bang, most of its body was blasted off by the arrow. The creature then fell to the surface of the sea.
"What's with that arrow?!" The same words tumbled out of Ya Mu, the female Berserker, and the old Eastern Wastelander's mouths at the same time.
Ya Mu was completely stunned. He could not imagine that the previously unremarkable Fated Kin living on this island would possess such great strength!
The old Eastern Wastelander was shocked. After all, a Dead Sea Giant was as strong as a Berserker in the initial stage of the Berserker Soul Realm, but that arrow had managed to destroy it. The creature might not have died, but that sort of power was still enough to shock him.
"This is the Fated Kin's Arrow, created after fifteen years of fighting against the Sacred Bats and the Drifting Roamers, and a countless number of their own kinsmen dying!" Su Ming said in a soft voice.
"We Fated Kin will not fight against outsiders, be they from South Morning or Eastern Wasteland. This place belongs to us Fated Kin, do not trespass!" The person who spoke was the old man who had yet to let go of the big bow in his hand. He looked at the old Eastern Wastelander in the sky and declared sternly.
"Fated Kin…" The old Eastern Wastelander's pupils shrank. This was the first time he'd heard of this name. The boy behind him had already turned ashen pale. That arrow just now had already struck him dumb with shock.
'Thank goodness these Fated Kin only number to a dozen something. If there were several hundreds of them… Then they would become a terrifying force!'
The old Eastern Wastelander sucked in a sharp breath. He could already imagine it. If there were nearly a hundred of those arrows just now, then the destructive force behind them would have been on par with a Berserker in the later stage of the Berserker Soul Realm striking at full power.
The old man stared at the people holding the bows on the island, then with a gleam in his eyes, he took a step forward and closed in on the island as his lips curled up in a cold sneer.
"That arrow of yours might be strong, but I'd like to see what other secrets you Fated Kin still have!" As he said those words, he closed in on the island and swiftly lifted his right hand. Immediately, booming sounds reverberated in the sky above him. An incredibly real looking mountain with flowing rivers manifested above him, and it plunged right down towards the island.
The old Fated Kin with the bow narrowed his eyes. Without a single bit of delay, he let go of his hand, and buzzing sounds echoed in the air once again. As the world rumbled, a dark ray of light flashed and moved through the air. It ignored the illusion of the mountain and river to charge straight towards the old Eastern Wastelander.
The ray of light closed in on the old Eastern Wastelander in an instant, and his pupils shrank. He lifted his right hand, and a strong blast of light suddenly burst forth from a ring on one of his fingers. That light illuminated the whole region in an instant, causing everyone to not be able to see clearly.
The light disappeared in an instant, but it made the dark arrow disappear. The old man took three steps back, and his face turned slightly pale.
"What a powerful shot… If you were a Latter Shaman, you could have injured me badly, but now…" Killing intent flashed in the old man's eyes, and as he lifted his right hand, the illusion of the mountain and river rammed itself onto the screen of light surrounding the island.
That screen of light shattered and turned into an innumerable amount of shards that tumbled backwards, causing the island to lose all form of protection in an instant. Ya Mu's face turned pale, and the woman beside him had the same reaction. Despair appeared in their eyes.
As they saw it, while the Fated Kin were strong, they had a limit to their strength. They could not hope to even put up a fight against the old Eastern Wastelander, who was already in the middle stage of the Berserker Soul Realm.
Yet soon, the both of them quickly realized that the Fated Kin's expressions had not changed even a single bit. They were still as aloof and detached as ever, and right at that moment, the old man who had fired the arrow lifted his right leg and stomped on the ground.
The island started trembling with loud, booming sounds. The instant that illusion of the mountain and river broke the screen of light and started plunging towards them, the Spirit Mediums and Soul Catchers in the group knelt down below Su Ming's statue. Dense waves of aura of death gathered up and shot up swiftly from the valley before they exploded in the sky with a bang.
"Aura of Death's Assault!" the old Fated Kin declared slowly. The Fated Kin would always gather at places where there were thick waves of aura of death. This was a tradition of theirs that had never disappeared over the fifteen years of resistances and slaughters in the World of Nine Yin.
That was why they chose this small island, because they had noticed that it contained the aura of death. It might be unable to compare to the aura in the World of Nine Yin's valley, but if they released some of it, they could still bring out two charges!
This change was a unique method that belonged to the Fated Kin, and they had tested it out through numerous trials and errors in the midst of life and death situations.
The aura of death charged out with a bang and went towards the illusion that was sinking down on the island. The instant they clashed, booming sounds reverberated in the air violently. The mountain and river were destroyed, and the aura of death disappeared. Disbelief could be seen clearly on the old Eastern Wastelander in the sky.
The boy's, who stood next to him, eyes went wide, revealing his shock.
"Yin Death Waves…? You… Just where did you Fated Kin come from?! This island could have only been formed at most four years ago. It's impossible to change this place to bring out the power of Yin Death Waves in just four years! Even the Great Tribe of Yin Agents can only do it in ten years!" The old man took a few steps back as he exclaimed.
Su Ming looked at the aura of death erupting forth from the valley. When he heard the old Eastern Wastelander's words in the air, he suddenly came to understand how the Fated Kin worked. During the fifteen years they had stayed in the World of Nine Yin's valley, they had relied on the valley to struggle and fight back. This sort of experience had caused them to be incredibly good at using geographical advantages.
Perhaps more accurately speaking, they were good at using the aura of death!
Ever since Ya Mu came to this island, he was repeatedly shocked, and the shock this time was the strongest. He stared at the valley with a blank expression, and he felt his skin crawl.
The strength of the Fated Kin had once again exceeded his expectations.
He would not be able to imagine at the moment either, that in the distant future, when the Fated Kin truly rose up and became unrivaled in the entire land of the Berserkers and even Yin Death's Region, they would have a few distinct characteristics unique to their existence!
The valleys would forever be the location where they would built their tribes!
That astonishing big bow would forever be a part of their selection of weapons!
That dense aura of death would forever exist beneath their tribes!
Similarly, their deceased tribesmen would forever be buried under an altar built behind the valley, and they would become a part of the aura of death that kept their people safe, becoming an existence that could be truly said to be the ancestors of the race protecting their descendants!
"Do you still want to fight? If you want to, then we will fight you till the end! But even if we die, you should be prepared and remain on constant alert, because the other Kinsfolk of Death will come for your life, and they will not stop until you die!
"Because the souls of us Fated Kin are tied together. If you kill one of us, all our people can sense it. Our Respected Senior Mo will also let you know what exactly is hell and what exactly is purgatory!" the old Fated Kin declared coldly, lifting his head.
Then all of them, including the children, looked over coldly.
Chapter 518: That Call of Disciple Niece…
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ya Mu stared at the Fated Kin, dumbstruck. His mind was blank at that moment. Suddenly, he had a feeling that he had made the correct decision to escape to the Fated Kin's island.
The old man's face was as dark as thunderclouds at that moment as he stood in the sky. He was a Berserker in the middle stage of the Berserker Soul Realm and could be considered a powerful warrior in the Eastern Wastelands. However, in the face of these dozen something weaklings on the island, a hint of wariness had actually risen within him!
That wariness shot up in his heart incredibly swiftly and he could feel it very clearly!
That wariness was due to the murderous aura and the aloofness from the dozen something people on the island. Even the children were as aloof and detached as the adults. He had indeed seen this sort of people before, but he had never run into an entire race like this!
"Fated Kin. I'll remember you." After some time, the old man spoke languidly.
"Once I kill all of you, I will tell all the tribes in Eastern Wasteland that there is a race called Fated Kin in the Land of South Morning, and if any of us run into you, we will slaughter all of you!!" The old man's eerie words were filled with killing intent and a freezing chill, but not a single hint of change of emotion could be found on the faces of the dozen something Fated Kin.
Even the children were fearless, and their expressions remained as aloof as ever.
Even Ya Mu felt chills crawling through his entire body when he saw that aloofness. As for the old Eastern Wastelander who was their enemy, he had begun to detest those gazes. With a cold harrumph, he lifted his right hand and swung his arm forward. Immediately, the world thundered and a large amount of clouds tumbled about. Then a gigantic statue of three hundred something feet descended slowly from the sky.
Right when this statue started sinking down, a mighty pressure descended on the entire world!!
The appearance of the statue meant that the old man had brought out his full power, because he wanted to kill all the people on the island!
Remaining aloof, the dozen something Fated Kin sat down cross-legged and gathered together around Su Mig's statue. They closed their eyes and no longer bothered themselves with the old man and his statue of the God of Berserkers. Instead, they started mumbling under their breaths, and their voices echoed in the air.
"We Fated Kin were born in a barren and undeveloped world. We, our children, and our children's children will worship Respected Senior Mo for all eternity…"
"Respected Senior Mo is our God. We fight for our fate, because we want to control our own fates…"
"The gods have no eyes, the earth has no tears, the heavens have no love for us, that is why we Fated Kin have been abandoned. We lost our future, but it has made us Fated Kin and gathered us together and from then on… we rose for our fates!"
Ya Mu and the female Berserker looked at the Fated Kin with a dumbfounded expression. In their eyes, these people were mad, and their strangeness made the duo's faces pale.
The old Eastern Wastelander smiled coldly, then lifted his right hand to point towards the island. Immediately, a piercing dark light spread out from the statue, and under that dark light, the statue melted to turn into hundreds of dark rays that charged straight towards the ground.
The dark rays of light charged forth and turned into a ferocious face of a ghost that rushed towards all the living souls on the island.
'This is the Fated Kin's final strike… They will offer up their lives and fuse it with the aura of death to release the final shout of their lives and struggle against fate.'
Su Ming stood up and walked towards the dozen something Fated Kin sitting around his statue.
He did not seem to be walking very quickly, but with just one step, he managed to stand on top the statue surrounded by all the Fated Kin. The instant he stopped there, a gentle wave of ripples spread out, cutting off the Fated Kin's offering. The moment they opened their eyes, they saw only one person.
Su Ming who was standing on the stone statue!
His long hair danced in the sea breeze, his white robes fluttered in the wind, his gaze seemed to contain the abyss itself, and he exuded a presence that could practically replace the sky.
"Respected Senior Mo!!" All the Fated Kin were taken aback for a moment, and the aloofness on their faces that looked as if it would never change immediately melted, to be replaced by a sort of zeal that would shock all those who saw it!
This zeal was a stark contrast to the aloofness from moments ago!
Su Ming swept his gaze across these Fated Kin, then nodded his head. At that moment, the malicious ghost face that was formed from the hundreds of dark rays was behind him, and it had opened its mouth while charging forward.
"It's over." Su Ming turned around, and right at the instant he looked towards the sky, golden light shone in his eyes, and he lifted his right hand before throwing a punch at the sky.
With Su Ming as its center, a huge gust of wind surged up from the ground when his fist landed. It then rushed towards the sky along with the movement of the fist. That wind had come too suddenly and moaning sounds spread through the place. The gust of wind charged towards the sky, and wherever it went, rumbling sounds would immediately reverberate when it touched the dark rays of light. And then, without any form of resistance, those rays of light were destroyed.
In an instant, the gust of wind that appeared when Su Ming lifted his arm destroyed all the rays of dark light, and immediately after, it surged into the clouds in the sky. When they touched the thick layers of them, loud booms roared in the sky. The clouds scattered, shaking, and started rolling in all directions.
The old Eastern Wastelander's expression changed drastically. He stared fixedly at Su Ming, who had appeared suddenly, and a huge storm raged in his heart. He was shocked. He had not noticed anyone else on the island.
It was as if Su Ming had forced himself into his line of sight, and that presence that had stirred up when he attacked had also made his heart clench in fear.
All of these things meant only one thing. This young man had already surpassed him in terms of strength!
The Fated Kin had already brought him enough shock, and now, another person who stunned him appeared. Without a hint of hesitation, the old man grabbed the boy beside him and quickly retreated. He was going to escape without a single word!
With a calm face, Su Ming took a step from the stone statue. Once his foot landed, he disappeared, and when he reappeared, he was already before the retreating old man.
Without another word, Su Ming lifted his right hand and pointed at the center of the old man's brows. That finger immediately made the old man feel as if it was the Law of the world. It made him feel as if his soul was about to disappear, and he could not fight against it. His eyes went wide and he let out a low roar. He had no time to bother about looking like a pathetic mess. His Berserker Mark instantly emerged on his whole body and turned into a gigantic mountain before him.
That image seemed to have enveloped Su Ming within and sealed him up inside.
"Break!" the old man roared out as he retreated, and at the same time, light shone at the center of his brows. Immediately, his statue of the God of Berserkers appeared once again. This time, the statue looked much more corporeal than the last!
Even so, the old man still felt that he could not relax. When he lifted his left hand, a huge cauldron immediately appeared in it. There were four strange beasts carved on top of the vessel. At that moment, the four beasts woke up and roared so loudly that they actually managed to make the cauldron move.
Yet a breath before the old man could said that one word, the mountain before Su Ming exploded abruptly, and right then, without slowing down for even a single bit, Su Ming pressed his finger on the old man's statue of the God of Berserkers.
Roaring sounds echoed in the air, and the statue shuddered before immediately breaking into pieces. When it turned into fragments that were stained with ribbons of blood, the retreating old man coughed out blood. Then, as his face filled with shock, he saw the black-haired young man touching the square cauldron before him with a finger.
That cauldron rumbled, and huge cracks appeared on it before it collapsed right from the center. It split into two parts that bounced off from each other, causing there to no longer be anything between the old man and his enemy.
It caused Su Ming's finger to reach the center of the old man's brows with lightning speed as an aloof expression filled Su Ming's face.
The old man shuddered violently. The instant Su Ming's finger landed, he bit the tip of his tongue, coughed out a mouthful of blood, and the boy whose wrist he held immediately started withering away rapidly, before he could even let out a scream of pain. In the end, he exploded in pieces of flesh and blood.
At the same time, the old man moved his body quickly backwards, and he actually managed to stay alive under Su Ming's jab! However, his survival was because he had cast a secret art that would cause him endless problems later on, and he was alive only because he had made his disciple take his place and die!
"Great completion in the Berserker Soul Realm! You've already reached great completion in the Berserker Soul Realm!"
The old Eastern Wastelander looked incredibly pathetic at that moment, but he was caught in a life and death crisis and had no time to bother with these things. His eyes went wide, and disbelief appeared within them.
During that instant, he had sensed death looming right above his head, and it was coming right towards him with incredible power. He had also felt fear bubbling within him, because he realized that there was no way he could fight against this. In his eyes, a mere Berserker in the later stage of the Berserker Soul Realm could not possibly bring about this feeling to him with just one finger. Only… those who had attained great completion in the Berserker Soul Realm could!
His fear was like a surging wave that drowned him within. He might be a Berserker in the middle stage of the Berserker Soul Realm, but he was still a human being. He was not a soul that could not think on its own. He could also be afraid and terrified. He would also lose his cool, though it was rarely seen. However, when he ran into this person and made the judgment that he was a Berserker that had attained great completion in the Berserker Soul Realm, he could not help but be shocked.
After all… there were only six in the entire Eastern Wastelands who had attained great completion in the Berserker Soul Realm! All of them were well-renowned, and they were all unrivaled!
As he retreated, his mind was thrown into turmoil. In his bitterness, he could not help but remember himself talking about 'fishing' to his disciple. Well, he had indeed managed to 'catch' a 'fish', but that 'fish' was not something he could fight against.
He knew that it was impossible for him to escape from a Berserker who had attained great completion in the Berserker Soul Realm. That was why he decided to stop running, and instead, like a madman, he lifted his right hand and jabbed the center of his brows harshly.
Immediately, his Berserker Mark appeared on his whole body, and in the next instant, it looked as if it was burning up. This was a unique divine ability to those in the Berserker Soul Realm - burning their own Berserker Marks! His aura started rising rapidly, and with bloodshot eyes, just as he was about to cast his divine abilities in a desperate attack…
An aloof voice spoke beside his ears. That voice turned into a phrase that would last for eternity in his life.
"My left hand represents the past. When time flows back, it marks the arrival of Destiny…"
The instant the old man heard that voice, he felt the world around him instantly becoming different. The fire burning his Berserker Mark was instantly extinguished, and he started moving in reverse. As confusion appeared in his eyes, he saw Su Ming and felt the sharp pain from when that finger had tapped the center of his brows.
After that, everything turned back… The only sound that was left behind in his ears was the clear sound of his soul shattering to pieces.
Right before the Fated Kin, Ya Mu, and the female Berserker's eyes, they saw the originally retreating old Eastern Wastelander suddenly take a few steps forward as if he was voluntarily placing his head before Su Ming's lifted finger. Then his head exploded and his body fell to the ground. The old man's storage bag flew out on its own and was seized by Su Ming.
"The Fated Kin greet Respected Senior Mo!" The dozen something Fated Kin beside Ya Mu knelt down on the ground and looked at Su Ming with fervent zeal burning in their eyes.
Ya Mu stared at Su Ming blankly. For some reason, he had a feeling that this respected senior Mo was incredibly familiar…
At that moment, disbelief appeared in the female Berserker's eyes.
"Su… Su Ming!"
"Disciple niece Zi Yan, it's been a while… Is my second senior brother alright?"
As Su Ming stood in midair, his gaze fell on the female Berserker, and once again, he felt that a long time had passed.
Twenty years...
Translator's Notes:
Zi Yan: Zi Che's sister had been under the same Master as Fang Cang Lan/Han Cang Zi. Second senior brother liked her.
Chapter 519: Concubine
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The instant Zi Yan recognized Su Ming to be that fellow clan member of hers from the ninth summit, her eyes went fine, and she found herself unable to believe what she was seeing. In truth, she was still somewhat uncertain moments ago, but the moment he called her his disciple niece, Zi Yan froze, stunned, as if she had been struck by lightning.
"You… Are you really Su Ming?"
Zi Yan looked at Su Ming. Even then, she still found it hard to relate the person from the ninth summit in her memories with this person who, with just a wave of his hand, could make a powerful Berserker in the middle stage of the Berserker Soul Realm die as he retreated in shock.
"You should be calling me uncle master."
As Su Ming looked at Zi Yan, a smile appeared on his face. To him, the woman before his eyes was not just Zi Che's older sister, but also the person his second senior brother had somewhat fancied.
"Uncle master… Su." Zi Yan hesitated for a moment, then instinctively wrapped her fist in her palm to bow towards him. There was still shock lingering in her eyes.
"I haven't been back to the land of the Berserkers for many years. How is the ninth summit?"
Su Ming looked at the woman standing before him. She had already lost the glory of her youth. The graceful teenage girl in the past was now a middle-aged woman. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes might not be very clear, but he could still see some of them.
Time had been gentle on this woman. It had not taken away too much of her youth, while giving her an ancient look and an air of maturity. The girl of the past had now become a married woman full of grace and charm.
She was beautiful in the past, and even though she had aged, she still looked attractive enough to stir the hearts of men. There was a charm about her that was different compared to those of young girls. However… when Su Ming saw the distance between her and Ya Mu, he had a feeling that their relationship was not an ordinary one.
When Zi Yan heard Su Ming's question, she forced down the shock in her heart, and it was replaced with a wave of mixed feelings. She would never have expected that the Su Ming who had disappeared twenty years ago would one day be standing so strong before her. This sort of strength was something that she would not even dare to dream of possessing.
As of then, he was truly worthy of being her uncle master, and without her even realizing it herself, a respectful expression that intertwined with the complicated emotions within her came to her face.
"Freezing Sky Clan… has split up since five years ago. Heaven Gate left, and they brought with them many outstanding disciples so that they could resist the Catastrophe of the Eastern Wastelands up above the nine heavens with the power of Heaven Gate.
"The mountains on the ground are still around, but have been abandoned… All our clan members from the other summits are mostly scattered. I left with some of my sisters under the same Master… We experienced many things on the way, and this lasted until… we met senior Yun Lai…" When Zi Yan said those words, her expression turned a little gloomy, and she seemed to be finding it hard to articulate her words.
"The clan was in a mess at that time. I… I didn't pay too much attention to the ninth summit." When Zi Yan said those words, she saw Su Ming's brows crinkle slightly.
"But I do remember second uncle master leaving a few years before the chaos, and he seemed to have yet to come back," Zi Yan quickly said.
Su Ming fell silent. After a long while, he lifted his head to look in the direction of the land of the Berserkers, which laid in the distance.
"What about my Master?"
"I… I'm not too sure about granduncle master Tian Xie Zi. But I do know that your eldest senior brother came out of isolation five years after the great battle between the Shamans and Berserkers. I wonder whether he made it back after he left."
Zi Yan thought about it for a moment, then quickly offered her answer. She looked at Su Ming. They might not have seen each other for twenty years, but the memories of the past still remained in her head. The ninth summit's second uncle master had liked her, there was no way she would have been unable to see it.
However, when she remembered this, besides anguish, there was also a feeling that times had changed greatly in Zi Yan's heart.
'If I had been together with his second senior brother, then now…' Zi Yan felt a slight stab of pain in her heart, and she fell silent.
Ya Mu was in a daze as he stood by the side. As he listened to Zi Yan and Su Ming's conversation, his eyes gradually went wide. He stared at Su Ming with a dumbfounded expression, and his breathing quickened abruptly.
'Mo Su… Mo Su… Su Ming…'
Ya Mu looked at Su Ming, and his mind fell into a state of chaos. He had recognized Su Ming, had recognized him as the person who had talked to him for a long time by the bonfire when they were both in Autumn Sea Tribe.
He also managed to recognize…
"Greetings, senior. I am Ya Mu. I will never forget how you gave me a chance to remold myself!" Ya Mu took a few steps back and wrapped his fist in his palm before bowing deeply towards Su Ming.
He was bowing towards Hong Luo, who had appeared before him in the past, showing his gratitude towards Hong Luo giving all the life force of the Latter Shaman in Autumn Sea Tribe to Ya Mu after he killed her. This was the reason why Ya Mu was halfway through to become a Latter Shaman.
As time passed by, the things that had happened in the past were gradually made known to the people who had set their minds to learn about them, especially for those who'd seen Su Ming before and were acquainted with him.
"I didn't expect that senior Mo would be from the same clan as my lover. You both came from the Berserkers' Freezing Sky Clan…" There was a rather respectful look on Ya Mu's face, and when he stood up, he was filled with a rather sentimental feeling.
"Lover?"
A sharp glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He had not been acquainted with Ya Mu for long, and they could not even be considered friends. At most, they could only be considered acquaintances. Their relationship was completely different compared to the relationship he had with Zi Yan.
To other people, that glint in Su Ming's eyes was skin to looking at a flashing golden light. A mighty pressure that pressed against the hearts and souls of all the living abruptly shot out from his eyes, causing Ya Mu to feel as if his mind was about to shatter. He moved back once again, and rumbling sounds roared in his head. He felt as if he had turned into a lone ship caught in a raging sea, and he was about to break down at any moment.
This mighty pressure felt like the awe-inspiring and dignified air of a leader. It made Ya Mu's expression change drastically, and his breathing almost stopped. Right at that moment, Su Ming occupied his entire vision, as well as his entire soul. It was as if Su Ming just needed a single thought and Ya Mu's life would be destroyed.
Zi Yan quickly took a step forward and blocked off Su Ming's gaze towards Ya Mu. There was a complicated look on her face that had been marked by time. She opened her mouth, looking as if she wanted to say something.
"This is your personal affair, and it has nothing to do with me. I just don't understand. What part of my second senior brother is not worthy of you?" Su Ming frowned and looked at Zi Yan before he shook his head.
"Go."
Zi Yan's face turned pale. In silence, she wrapped her fist in a palm towards Su Ming as a form of respect, then dragged Ya Mu away, who still looked a little dazed. As both of them were just about to leave, Zi Yan hesitated for a moment before she turned her head around and looked towards Su Ming.
"Uncle… master Su, do you still remember Han Cang Zi? When that change happened to the clan, she came with me to this place. If you still remember her, then I'm begging you, please help her…" Zi Yan looked at Su Ming and spoke softly.
"On behalf of us as members of the same clan, on behalf of her… being so devoted in her love for you in the past, please help her, uncle master Su…"
"Han Cang Zi…"
When Su Ming heard this name, a beautiful woman appeared in his mind. That woman's gentle gaze, her meek personality, her determined eyes, the things that happened in Han Mountain City, and all his conflicts with Si Ma Xins.
These memories were originally rather murky in his head, but were becoming clearer with each passing moment.
"Fang Cang Lan," Su Ming stated calmly.
"Yes! It's junior sister Fang!" When Zi Yan heard Su Ming mentioning Han Cang Zi's name, excitement grew in her eyes.
"Four years ago, senior Yun Lai wanted to make junior sister Fang his concubine, but this thing was put on hold because junior sister Fang wanted to practice her cultivation. It was still the same two years ago. But now, junior sister Fang is about to complete her training. It'll be difficult for her to continue pushing this aside. Once senior Yun Lai comes out of his isolation and makes this request again, junior sister Fang won't be able to reject him…" Zi Yan looked at Su Ming and immediately spoke quickly.
Su Ming remained silent. The appearance of the woman in his memories grew clearer. Usually, when he remembered all the things that had happened to him in the past, he would always feel as if there was a veil covering his memories. Twenty years was not long, but Su Ming had died and reincarnated for an endless amount of times in the Undying and Imperishable World, and it had caused an ancient air to constantly linger about his face, though other people would not be able to see it.
Zi Yan waited for Su Ming's answer. Time passed. However, even when Ya Mu had regained his senses and started regarding Su Ming in fear, Su Ming still had yet to speak. He simply stood there and looked into the distance, immersed in his thoughts.
Zi Yan's face turned paler. In the end, she started laughing brokenly as she looked at Su Ming, and her eyes gradually grew wet with tears.
"Forget it. This has nothing to do with you. There is no reason for you to help. I know that your second senior brother liked me in the past. If we could turn back time and I could return to the past, then I would choose to accept his feelings…
"But that's impossible, isn't it…?
"Ya Mu is right. I am his companion for dual cultivation1. I'm no longer my youthful self either. Not only am I his companion for dual cultivation, I was even senior Yun Lai's concubine, and he gave me to Ya Mu as if I was some sort of object!"
Zi Yan's face was ashen pale. Her broken laughter sounded rather desolate. Tears flowed down her cheeks. It was as if she had been suppressing her emotions for many years, and now, she could no longer hold them back anymore. Her emotions burst forth from within her.
"You can look down on me as much as you want, but you are not me. You will never be able to understand what a girl has to do to survive after she was abandoned by her own clan and has to come face to face with the chaos in the land of the Berserkers as well as having to face the possibility of the Catastrophe of the Eastern Wastelands arriving at any moment!
"Cang Lan has always been rather meek and gentle. How were the two of us supposed to survive in the chaos before the calamity, when the world had lost all order and the only law that remained was the law of the jungle?!
"This lasted until we met senior Yun Lai. He took a fancy to Cang Lan, but there is also a toughness that exists under Cang Lan's meek personality. She would rather die than submit to him. I was the one who took her place and became senior Yun Lai's concubine. I tried to please him in every manner that I could, and that is the only reason why we were both able to survive during the calamity and arrive to the land of the Shamans.
"Everyone has a right to choose how they survive. Even if it's wrong, at least we are still alive. Even if the decision is right… You can choose not to help Cang Lan. It's simply her fault for keeping the wrong person in her heart from twenty years ago!"
Zi Yan wiped away her tears, and resolution appeared in her eyes. She no longer looked at Su Ming, but chose instead to turn into a long arc and fly into the sky. Ya Mu followed behind her silently. His gaze as he looked at Zi Yan was filled with great gentleness and deep compassion, a caring hidden in his eyes.
He loved Zi Yan. When he first saw her several years ago, he had fallen in love this woman, who hid her sorrow with her usually charming demeanor.
This adoration had turned into a love that would last for eternity and would not be weakened in Ya Mu's heart, once he saw her standing alone by a reef as she looked at the seawater in the world. Tears had shone in her eyes, as well as deeply rooted fatigue.
That was why he begged the End Shaman Zong Ze to help him and paid a huge price to buy Zi Yan from Yun Lai, who had grown bored of her by then.
Su Ming lifted his head and looked at Zi Yan leaving with Ya Mu. He might look calm, but his heart had been moved by Zi Yan's words.
"Where is she?" he asked languidly. He had never considered rejecting her favor to begin with, but had simply become absent minded due to his memories, and it had caused Zi Yan to misunderstand him.
Translator's Notes:
1. Dual cultivation: 双修 (shuang1 xiu1). Perhaps you've seen this before. When a male Cultivator and a female Cultivator, or a male Cultivator and a male Cultivator, or a female Cultivator and a female Cultivator, or a human and a fairy/monster (whatever floats their boat) love each other very much and decide they want to train together, they *ahem*
Speaking of which, I wonder if you all know why Su Ming can tell straight away that a woman is married or not, considering rings on the left ring finger don't mean married at that time.
What comes up next is just trivia, by the way.
In Imperial China, young girls wore their hair in braids, meaning that they were not eligible for marriage yet. When they were fifteen and had their coming-of-age ceremony, they would comb their hair into a twist and hold it together with a hairstick. At that time, they were eligible for marriage.
When a woman was married, she would have to tie up her hair. So they would choose to tie their hair in buns, and then they would have the rest of their hair tied in a loose knot at the nape of their necks.
This is just a rough and simple idea of how people could tell whether a woman is married in ancient China.
Also, I didn't mention this before, but here is my distinction between Master and master.
Master is when someone refers to another person as a teacher who so happens to be like his or her surrogate father as well. There is definitely respect in there, hence capitalized M.
As for master, I use it when someone refers to another person who owns their lives. Since the person can choose to not be respectful, I use the non-capitalized m.
Chapter 520: Southern Swamp Island
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Southern Swamp Island!" Zi Yan's body came to an abrupt halt in midair and she immediately turned her head around to look at Su Ming.
"Wait here for me for a few days, then come with me to Southern Swamp Island." Su Ming's voice was cool as ice, but it made Zi Yan's heart beat with joy, though that joy was mixed with the agony she had felt moments ago. She looked at Su Ming and nodded her head.
Ya Mu had never gone against Zi Yan's decisions during the occasional moments she decided to make some. Instead, he quietly allowed her to invite Su Ming and speak freely. He did not leave either, but stayed on the island.
The zealous gazes in the eyes of the Fated Kin when they saw Su Ming seemed to be able to shake the world. It was as if Su Ming just needed to say one word, and they would give up everything for him.
This was not something born overnight. This was born over the years from the impression Su Ming had left in their hearts, along with how they had worshipped him when he had brought them out of the World of Nine Yin, as well as everything that he had done for them.
Fated Kin were different, making it difficult for them to mingle with outsiders for an extended period of time. Their aloofness and abandonment caused them to not believe in outsiders. They only trusted themselves and their own tribesmen.
They did not harbor much selfish desires in their lives. Their fifteen years of life in the World of Nine Yin had changed them too much, including their attitude towards practicing cultivation. Almost every single one of the Fated Kin who survived through the fifteen years would spend most of their time in training.
Only when they were stronger, only when they could endure the loneliness that other people couldn't bear could they survive and control their own fate!
That was why they refused Ya Mu's invitation in the past once they gathered a dozen something people together, choosing instead to live on this island, cut off from the rest of the world. They changed the island and turned it into a place suitable for living.
This was the reason why Su Ming did not choose to persuade the Fated Kin to leave with him. Instead, he used three days to make some detailed fixes and arrangements to the island.
He had first fortified the protective Rune in this place. With Su Ming's current power, he had spread out all the Runes Hu Zi had given to him in the past on the island, turning it into the first layer of defense.
Then, he dived into the depths of the Dead Sea.
When he returned, eight Dead Sea Giants surrounded the island at the depths of the Dead Sea. They were all sitting down cross-legged, empty. Their souls had been taken away by Su Ming's Spirit Plunder.
He gave that Spirit Plunder to the Fated Kin. If the island ran into any other dangers, then these eight Dead Sea Giants would turn into the island's second layer of defense!
Once Su Ming finished doing all this, he took the two large bows in his hands and smoothed out the force in them with all his power of Bone Sacrifice, causing the might of the bows to be even sharper when they were drawn. This was the third layer of defense.
It did not end there. Su Ming might not understand the waves that belonged to the aura of death, but the Fated Kin understood it. He started rearranging the island according to their opinions and ideas, which in turn made the waves of aura of death become even stronger than before. This was their fourth layer of defense.
Su Ming still did not feel at ease with just these. After all, this was the Dead Sea. Not only did they have to face the disasters from the Eastern Wastelands, the ferocious beasts from the Dead Sea would also attack them. That was why he left behind a wisp of his divine sense and gathered it on his statue. Once the power of the statue fused with his divine sense, it could have three charges that would attack the minds of others, and the power of those charges would be akin to the embodiment of his power of cultivation.
This was the fifth layer of defense!
The Poison Corpse was left behind, and this was the sixth layer of defense Su Ming gave to the Fated Kin on this island! With the Poison Corpse and all the other means they had in their disposal, if another Berserker in the middle stage of the Berserker Soul Realm came again, the numerous defenses would be able to force that person away, and there would be no need for Su Ming to act at all!
Unless, of course, someone decided to launch a mass invasion on the island. However, Su Ming was also prepared for this. With the skills he had inherited from Hong Luo, he laid out a simple Relocation Rune. This Rune was activated by Su Ming's spirit stones, and if they were in grave danger, the Fated Kin could leave through it.
The island was so massively fortified by Su Ming's arrangements that it had practically become an impregnable fortress. It also gave the Fated Kin a chance to venture out without worry. This would allow them to search for more of their tribesmen.
This place was not just a tribe for the Fated Kin, it was also a temporary training grounds for Su Ming among the many islands on the Dead Sea. Over here, his heart would find boundless peace, because in this place, he was their God!
Once he finished those arrangements, he, Zi Yan, and Ya Mu left the island, sent off by the Fated Kin who knelt down on one knee as they worshipped in the direction of the sky, with loud shouts calling his title while looking at him with fervent zeal.
Even after Ya Mu left, he still felt as if he was in a dream. The Fated Kin's strength, their mysteriousness, their aloofness, and the zeal that appeared once they saw Su Ming were all deeply embedded in to his memories, and he would never forget it for the rest of his life. The impression the Fated Kin left in his mind would never disappear.
When they left, Su Ming remained silent. However, due to the matter in Southern Swamp Island, his silence seemed to cause the air around them to feel slightly stifling. In the midst of this suffocating atmosphere, Zi Yan and Ya Mu led Su Ming along the way at full speed.
Several days later, the trio stopped above a vast region of sea about tens of thousands of lis away from the Fated Kin's island.
"Senior Su, that is Southern Swamp Island," said Ya Mu respectfully as he stood by the side.
Su Ming cast his gaze downwards. The place seemed empty, and there was not a single island that could be found. Even if he spread his divine sense outwards to check, he still found nothing.
A glint appeared in his eyes and he lifted his head to look at the dark clouds in the sky. When he dipped his head down once more, his divine sense swept out swiftly. But this time he sent it charging down to the depths of the sea. Gradually, a sharp gleam appeared in his eyes.
The bottom of the sea was murky, and there was a power that repelled divine senses. However, Su Ming could still sense something different about the bottom of the sea in this region.
However, it was difficult to figure out just what made it different. If he did not look into it carefully, it would be hard for him to see through it.
"Southern Swamp Island does indeed have its own intriguing parts to be able to become one of the few gathering spots for the people of South Morning in such a big region and not be discovered by the Cultivators from the Eastern Wastelands after the calamity," Su Ming commented languidly and retrieved his divine sense.
Ya Mu wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming respectfully, then took a few steps forward. As he lifted his right hand, a normal looking jade slip appeared on his palm, and holding it in a firm grip, he threw it out.
Immediately, that jade slip turned into a long arc and charged downwards, towards the empty looking sea. Without making a single sound, it fell into the sea.
Ya Mu calculated silently in his heart. Ten breaths after the jade slip fell into the water, he suddenly lifted his right hand, and after making some strange seals in succession, he pointed towards the air beneath him.
Immediately, booming sounds appeared from the seawater underneath and it started churning. At the same time, in the air above the seawater, two indistinct figures abruptly appeared, and their bodies started gaining form rapidly as they walked out.
These were two middle-aged men. They both wore simple robes, but their gazes were electrifying. One of them was a Shaman, and the other a Berserker. The Shaman was a Medial Shaman, and the Berserker was in the middle stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm. The instant these two people appeared, their gazes fell on Ya Mu and Zi Yan, then when they looked towards Su Ming, a freezing glare shining in their eyes.
They could not see through Su Ming's level of cultivation, and his face was incredibly unfamiliar to them.
"Messenger Ya Mu, who is this?" the middle-aged Medial Shaman asked coldly.
"I owe my life to senior Su. Don't be rude, you two. I can be his guarantor, open the tunnel!" A stern expression appeared on Ya Mu's face.
The two people who were clearly guards hesitated for a moment, then the Berserker wrapped his fist in his palm towards Ya Mu and Zi Yan.
"Southern Swamp Temple just sent an order the day before yesterday that we are not allowed to let any outsiders into Southern Swamp Island during this period of time. We have our duties. Messenger Ya Mu, you can enter the place with messenger Zi Yan first. Once you receive your letter of guarantee, we will allow this person to enter."
Ya Mu was momentarily stunned. Southern Swamp Temple was the faction that had been responsible for all the affairs of Southern Swamp Island after the two protectors of their island, Zong Ze and Yun Lai, decided to enter isolation. They would usually not issue this sort of order, unless…
"Could it be that Sir Zong Ze or Sir Yun Lai is about to come out of isolation?" Ya Mu immediately asked.
"We don't know about this. But without a letter of guarantee, this person cannot enter," the male Shaman said coldly.
Ya Mu was a little hesitant. He cast his gaze towards Zi Yan. She frowned, and just as she was about to speak, Su Ming walked past her calmly.
When he moved forward, the two middle-aged guards immediately raised their guard. Yet the instant they did so, they looked into Su Ming's eyes, and a dazed look instantaneously appeared there.
They stood stunned in the air, and simply allowed Su Ming to walk past them. Ya Mu's heart shuddered, and Su Ming became even more mysterious to him. The old Eastern Wastelander calling him a Berserker who had attained great completion of the Berserker Soul Realm before his death appeared in his mind once again.
He quickly moved forward and personally opened the defense on the island. As booming sounds echoed in the air, a thick light screen suddenly manifested on the empty sea. It covered about several hundreds of lis and looked like a huge bowl that was turned upside down.
The same thoughts as Ya Mu's also appeared in Zi Yan's heart when she saw Su Ming's strange actions. She followed behind him, and the three of them walked into the light screen.
When they disappeared, the light screen gradually faded away as well. The dazed look in the eyes of the two middle-aged men in the air only scattered away after some time. In their memories, they only remembered that Ya Mu and Zi Yan had returned to the island. There was not a single memory left of Su Ming in their heads.
This was the power of a Soul Catcher, and it was part of the Candle Dragon's Curse. Right then, if anyone looked through all the Shamans to try and find anyone else who could use the power of a Soul Catcher to this extent, they would find that there was no one else besides Su Ming who could do so!
Even the End Soul Catcher Zong Ze would find it impossible to perform such a task, unless he used other methods to do so.
The instant Su Ming stepped into the light screen, he immediately noticed a Relocation power surrounding him. Once that power disappeared, what appeared before him was a huge Rune. There were eight people sitting around it, and all of them looked towards them.
There was a mountain range rising and falling outside the Rune. Numerous towers could be seen on its mountains, and all of them looked incredibly elegant from the distance. In fact, he could even see several cave abodes built there.
He could even see the basic outline of a city moat surrounding that mountain range.
The entire area was brightly lit. There were no clouds in the sky. It was just a clear blue sky, and a sun that was shining brightly.
All of this was like paradise, and it was completely different from the world outside!
Chapter 521: That's Not Real…
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ya Mu would naturally go up to speak to those people who were looking towards them. Su Ming walked out of the Rune calmly and looked at the sun in the sky. He narrowed his eyes, and the sun in his field of vision gradually turned transparent, and a Rune that was made of nearly a hundred spirit stones could be seen inside.
The effect of that Rune was to shine and let out heat, giving the false impression that people were looking at the sun.
The blue sky was also peeled off layer by layer before Su Ming's eyes, revealing the black seawater behind it. The sky was actually a protective screen of light. Perhaps it had concealing abilities when seen from the outside, but from within, it turned into an expanse of blue sky.
This was an island that had sunk to the depths of the sea. Perhaps it did not sink in the beginning, but someone had forced it to do so with an Art, causing this place to be isolated from the world, and no matter how hard the Eastern Wastelanders searched, it would still be difficult for them to find where Southern Swamp lay.
Su Ming spread his divine sense outward and swept through the entire Southern Swamp Island. Once he did so, he immediately noticed strong waves of ripples coming from two spots.
He was familiar with one of these ripples. That one naturally belonged to Zong Ze. As for the other one, it was slightly jumbled up, but it was still powerful. Judging by the presence in those ripples, he could tell that to whoever those ripples belonged to had already reached the peak of the middle stage of the Berserker Soul Realm, and he seemed to only be one step away from entering the later stage!
Perhaps more accurately speaking, he already had moved one step into the gates of the later stage of the Berserker Soul Realm.
The instant Su Ming noticed the two ripples, they also noticed him. Those two ripples instantly spread out, but before they could locate him, he had already made his divine sense disappear without a trace. They could not find him.
There was a cave abode located to the left of one of the two tallest mountains in this mountain range. At that moment, the long-haired Zong Ze swiftly opened his eyes in there. A brilliant flash flickered in his eyes and he stood up. With one step, he appeared outside his cave abode and stood on the mountain. His long robes fluttered in the wind and he had his hands placed behind his back with a grave expression on his face as he cast his gaze towards the ground.
"What a powerful presence… Looks like we have a visitor," Zong Ze mumbled. He did not look too different from how he had been all those years ago, but he did seem slightly older. He also had a wave of aura of death in him, but he had hidden it away.
To the right of the mountain was another cave abode. It was incredibly luxurious, filled with jewels and treasures. There were also panting and moaning sounds echoing from inside it.
A naked man sat in the main chamber of the cave abode. His skin was the color of bronze. He did not have any hair, and his expression was cold. There was not a hint of emotion on his face.
There were seven women who were completely uncovered around him. These women hugged his body and their eyes were misted with lust. With lascivious expressions on their faces, they shifted their bodies about, as if they were asking for sex. Panting sounds echoed in the air, and all those who heard it would find it hard to control themselves.
These seven women were incredibly beautiful, they flushed red skin was especially filled with an appealing charm that would steal breaths away.
The instant Su Ming swept his divine sense across the place, the bald man who had been meditating with his eyes closed opened his eyes swiftly. His expression visibly changed, and almost the instant Zong Ze walked out, he appeared in midair, and a long white robe was already covering his body.
He stood in midair, and once he met gazes with Zong Ze, he, too, cast his eyes to the land below.
"I can't find him. Is he a powerful Shaman?"
"His presence vanished almost the moment he spread it out. It's difficult for me to tell," Zong Ze stated languidly with a calm face as he stood further in the distance.
The bald man fell into a moment of pensive silence, then declared coldly, "Seal off the Rune leading outside. No matter who he is, he will eventually appear!" .
Almost the instant Zong Ze and the bald man started searching for the stranger, Su Ming, who stood just outside the Rune, seemed to have ceased to exist, causing Zong Ze and the bald middle-aged not to notice him.
'The Immortals' Restraining Presence Seal is really ingenious.'
Su Ming slowly loosened his right hand, which had been kept in the position of the seal.
Neither Ya Mu nor Zi Yan had noticed what had happened just now. Once they finished providing their explanations to the eight people, they appeared beside Su Ming.
"Senior Su, I'll take you to junior sister Fang right now," Zi Yan said softly.
"No need, I'll go there myself," Su Ming said lightly. He took a step forward, and he instantly disappeared from his original spot.
Zi Yan was momentarily stunned, then a rather melancholic look appeared on her face. She looked at the mountain range in the distance and started mumbling in a voice that only she could hear.
"Cang Lan, he's here… Compared to me, you are lucky, but I will never regret the decision I made in the past. If we wanted to survive, then one of us had to give up more…"
As slight hints of pain, melancholy, and complicated feelings rose in her heart, she remembered that person who had loved turning his head to the side so that the sun would shine on his face when he saw her, the person who thought that by doing so he would be very elegant…
As she was immersed in her own thoughts, a pair of arms appeared behind her and pulled her into a warm embrace.
"Zi Yan…" Ya Mu's voice traveled gently into her ears.
That voice and the embrace snapped her out of her thoughts. Even though this embrace was not the one she wanted, it still managed to produce a warmth that she had never had before in her heart. This warmth was not love though, just mere feelings of being moved.
Tears fell from the corners of Zi Yan's eyes. Once she wiped them away, she turned towards Ya Mu and put on an attractive smile.
'Zi Yan, I will protect you. Even if the world is no longer here, even if my life ends, my soul will stay by your side. I will use every fiber of my being to protect you…
'I know that you simply aren't repulsed by me. You don't like me… but I believe that someday, you will change.' Ya Mu hugged Zi Yan and mumbled softly in his heart. He was serious.
Yet even though Zi Yan was smiling in his embrace, the tears at the corners of her eyes were filled with mixed emotions. They might no longer be flowing down, but they had landed in her heart, turning into the figure that had constantly stood under the sun all those years ago.
'There are no 'what ifs' in this world… just as there are no longer any 'what ifs' left for my defiled body…'
Zi Yan closed her eyes, but due to Su Ming's appearance, it had now become too difficult for her to once again bury the memories she had once sealed away.
…..
The man-made sun in the sky gradually turned dark and gained a red hue, becoming a setting sun. If Su Ming had not used his divine sense and just looked with his naked eye, he would have been unable to tell that this was fake.
Under this setting sun, the shadows of the mountain range started appearing on the green grass. Among one of the mountains in that mountain range was a tower.
This tower was simple but elegant. There were not many ornaments decorating it. As the setting sun cast its last remaining rays of light over the land, it dyed everything in a shade of reddish orange. There were originally two people living in that tower, but two years ago, after Zi Yan was given to Ya Mu, there was only one woman left there.
She was a woman who looked around thirty years old. Not many signs of age could be seen on her face, and she looked to be at the prime of her life. Perhaps she was no longer young based on her true age, but even time seemed to have been moved by her quiet nature and did not want to visit her too often.
She sat there quietly and looked at the setting sun in the sky. She simply sat there, quietly looking at the sun's hue and the blue sky. Sunlight fell on her face, and she turned into an incredibly beautiful sight.
In fact, the fine hairs on her face could be seen under the sunlight. The gentleness that existed within her quietness made all those who saw it to instinctively want to protect her.
"Master, why must you do this…?
"Sir Yun Lai has been good to you over the years, and he is kind to me as well. What's wrong with agreeing with him?
"Besides, Sir Yun Lai already said that if you agree, he will help you break through your current level of cultivation to reach the middle stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm. I can also become his foster son.
"My status in Southern Swamp Island will also rise considerably. If I can get Sir Yun Lai's direct legacy, then I will have a chance to reach the Berserker Soul Realm. Master, stop being so stubborn."
As the woman watched the sunset in the tower, a discordant sound that did not fit into the tranquil atmosphere echoed in the air constantly. There was an anxious and agitated edge to that voice, and the person who spoke was a boy of about seventeen or eighteen years, and he was standing right beside her.
"Let me be alone for a while." As the boy continued pestering the gentle woman, she frowned and spoke softly. Even her words were incredibly soft and meek, and it was as if not even a single bit of temper could be found in her.
"Master! I just don't understand what you're thinking. We've suffered so much before and after the calamity, and after so much trouble, we got to meet Sir Yun Lai, and he likes you, why are you refusing him?
"Aunt master Zi Yan didn't refuse him in the past and took to his offer immediately. I know, she did it to protect you, but don't you want to repay her for the suffering she had to endure over the years?" The boy's words held an agitated edge, and his voice started sounding piercing to the ears.
The woman shuddered and bit her bottom lip.
"With Sir Yun Lai's power, he can get whatever woman he wants, but he's an upright man. He doesn't like to use force and would rather have the person submit to him willingly. If that wasn't the case, with your current level of cultivation, do you think you could have refused himi?!" The boy continued speaking, and his voice grew sharper.
Trembling, the woman turned her head slowly to look at the boy.
"Sir Yun Lai is also Southern Swamp Island's guardian. He let us have a safe place to live. What sort of right do you have to refuse a person like this? What's so bad about becoming a concu…"
Before the boy could finish speaking, the woman lifted her hand and slapped him.
The boy staggered backwards, then lifted his head to glare at his Master and started shouting loudly.
"Even if you don't think for yourself, you should think for me! I want to become Sir Yun Lai's foster son! I want to learn his cultivation methods!"
The woman stared at the boy, at his face, currently twisted in ferociousness. Sharp stabs of pain struck her heart. She had heard such words from this disciple of hers for many years, but that sharp voice of his sounded extremely unfamiliar to her at that moment.
She looked at the boy. His face was so incredibly familiar to her, because his face was similar to that person's from her memories. It was why she had accepted this person as her disciple all those years ago.
"I'll fulfill your request. I'll agree to it. Once you become Yun Lai's foster son, you will no longer be my disciple." The woman closed her eyes, and fatigue filled her face.
The boy was momentarily stunned, then with a face filled with delighted surprise, he immediately rushed out of the tower. Clearly, he was off to tell his future foster father, Yun Lai, that piece of news.
The sound of the boy's retreating footsteps made the woman's heart clench in even more pain. She slowly opened her eyes and stared at the setting sun in the sky for a long, long time…
"This is not real."
Right at that moment, a voice sounding like a sigh filled with deep emotion came from behind her.
Translator's Thoughts
Mogumoguchan Mogumoguchan
Preview to next chapter: Fang Cang Lan!
Fang Cang Lan thinks Su Ming is an imposter.
And they fight.
Yes, they fight.
And it's quite impressive.