Chapter 878: Residual
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
It had been seventeen days since Su Ming stepped into the chamber.
The chamber was not located above ground, but was within the huge underground palace built under the many towers of the Yu Family. The underground palace had been built tens of thousands of years ago, and it was the most secretive spot in the Yu Family.
At that moment, in the depths of the underground palace outside Su Ming's secret chamber were two gigantic stone flaps of a door that were interlaced with each other to form a ghastly door of hundreds of feet in size.
There were numerous blood-red runic symbols on the door. As they shone in alternating flashes of bright and dark light, a powerful wave spread out from them. In fact, even if a cultivator in the later stage of World Plane Realm attacked at full force, they would find it hard to destroy the door within a short period of time.
The thirteen old men were sitting respectfully outside the door and meditating there as if they were Dharma Protectors. Their zealous attitude towards Yu Family's Progenitor made them willing to give up their lives to provide protection for the Progenitor.
If anyone dared to break in at this point of time, they would find themselves coming face-to-face against the thirteen old men's rabid attacks.
Yu Rou was sitting to the side of the circle formed by the thirteen old men. Her expression remained elegant as she sat by the side quietly, creating a stark contrast against these thirteen old men. Her beauty was also something that did not fit into the eerie and decaying image the thirteen people presented.
"The Progenitor has entered isolation for seventeen days… Could something have happened to him?" After waiting for seventeen days, one of the thirteen old men could not help but become anxious. After all, before Su Ming had entered isolation to meditate, he had said he would be gone only for a few days.
"Quiet. The Progenitor's level of cultivation is exceedingly high, how could anything possibly happen to him? This is clearly the Progenitor absorbing the Apostle's life force so that he could get greater control over his new body," someone beside him immediately retorted. Clearly, the person who had rebuked the old man just now had a slightly higher status, so the old man who had been worried immediately lowered his head and did not say anything else.
"Not necessary!" an ancient voice came languidly from a skeletal old man by the side.
"Did any of you ever think of the Progenitor possibly failing to Possess the Apostle?"
"That's impossible. With the Progenitor's level of cultivation and the preparations he made over tens of thousands of years, there's no possible way he would have failed."
"That's right. What the seventh said is possible. What if… he failed?"
"If he failed, then the person who appeared before us previously was not the Progenitor but the Apostle!"
Many pairs of eyes of the thirteen old men sparkled at that time as they communicated with each other by sending their thoughts.
Only Yu Rou remained in the distance, quiet and not listening to any of their words.
In the mid of their long wait and as doubts as well as speculations were gradually born within them, another three days passed.
Twenty days had passed since Su Ming stepped into the chamber. On this day, it was dusk in the world outside the underground palace. There was a gentle breeze blowing through the land, swaying the trees. It was at that moment that a booming sound suddenly echoed in the air within the underground palace.
The appearance of this sound immediately caused the thirteen old men to swiftly lift their heads and fix their eyes on the gate of the chamber. They also moved to kneel on the ground.
That booming sound came from the door to the chamber. This was the sound of the door being slowly opened from within. As those booming sounds became increasingly louder, the doors swung open to reveal a slit in-between.
The slit gradually grew wider. After a moment, when the doors completely swung open, the thirteen old men did not care about what sort of speculations they had in their hearts and immediately said respectfully, "We respectfully greet the Progenitor!"
With a bang, the stone door swung completely open. It was dark inside. The green candle flames in the underground palace looked as if they wanted to venture deep into the darkness in the chamber, but were blocked outside the door. It was as if there was a force that could not be seen obstructing all forms of light from entering the room.
The sound of footsteps gradually came from the darkness and echoed in the underground palace. That noise suggested that the owner was moving at a leisurely pace. Several breaths later, Su Ming's figure appeared within the stone chamber and was revealed before the people. His footsteps came to a halt, and he did not continue walking forward.
He stood in the darkness. The dim green light one step away from him enveloped the area around him. Because of this, Su Ming was able to see the area outside clearly, but the people outside could only see a faint blur when they looked towards him.
Su Ming did not respond to the old men's words. He stood in the darkness and swept his gaze across everyone, and a dead silence settled around them.
It was as if even the sounds of breathing had disappeared. An oppressive feeling gradually rose in the air. The thirteen old men could sense this incredibly clearly. They knelt on the ground and did not dare lift their heads. However, they could feel the pores on their bodies shrinking, and their hair rose. That was the instinctual reaction that a person would get when they were in the face of danger.
It was precisely because they did not lift their heads that the feeling within them grew stronger. They could sense an incredibly evil presence spreading out from the chamber. It was a presence born from the perfect fusion between an overbearing and a gentle aura.
That presence changed constantly, so no one was able to get a clear grasp on it. When it gave off that overbearing presence, it seemed as if it could destroy all lives, but when it was gentle, it gave a sticky feeling, as if it was a swamp that would prevent a person from climbing out the moment they stepped in. The thirteen old men became no longer certain of their guesses, unable to discern the truth of things.
As these thirteen people were busy being nervous, Yu Rou remained calm by the side. However, that was just how she appeared. In truth, she was also shivering slightly, but those shivers were not distinct.
Only after ten breaths had passed did the presence gradually disperse. At the instant the thirteen old men sighed in secret, Su Ming took the final step and walked into the light from the dark.
His body appeared fully before everyone. Long gray hair, long white robes, and a boundless ancient air on that handsome face of his that was nigh enchanting. That ancient air did not seem to belong to him, but due to some reasons, some of it had come to temporarily stick around him.
That ancient presence was definitely not intentional. If a person had not lived for a sufficient amount of years and had not seen through all forms of illusions, then this presence would definitely not appear.
Because of this ancient air, the hearts of the thirteen old men trembled. The waning presence on their bodies seemed too thin before that ancient presence about Su Ming. In fact, they did not even have the right to be called old.
As the thirteen old men's hearts were shaken, Su Ming looked towards them with an indifferent gaze. His eyes were like swamp water, completely calm, but if anyone took a closer look, they would immediately get lost in them. The profound expression in his eyes was hidden deep within them, and even contained a slight presence that would cause others to be compelled to believe in him. It was as if… under this gaze, everything Su Ming said could be trusted.
This was… the power that would exist as long someone believed in it. This was the epiphany Su Ming had obtained from the Three Gates of Heavenly Dao. Once he fused that epiphany with his Illusions of the Stars, Sun, and Moon, it could be said that this divine ability became the strongest and most mysterious of all his divine abilities.
Once he used it, the weather would change, and the world would be void of light.
"Do you believe in me?" Su Ming asked coolly. He had just recovered from the strange picture in his mind, which was why that ancient air remained about him while the figure of the man with white hair remained in his heart. In fact, even the man's grief as he looked at the sky remained in Su Ming's eyes.
That ancient presence, that figure, that grief, and everything that remained about Su Ming at that moment erupted from within him in an unseen manner as he asked that question. Because of it, the air in the underground palace distorted, and ripples spread out through the area and fill it swiftly. In an instant, they filled up the entire underground palace.
There was a strange power contained in his voice. As it echoed in the air, even the green candle flames in the place swayed a few times.
In fact, during that instant, Su Ming's appearance seemed to have changed as well, giving off an indistinct feeling to others. It was as if he had turned into the man with white hair during that moment, who had his hands placed behind his back as he looked at the sky while the world collapsed around him.
This was not Su Ming's power, but the residue of the power he saw while understanding it. In fact, it could be said that this was Su Ming using the power of that man with white hair, who had been able to form a terrifying divine ability with just a single sentence he left behind.
This form of borrowing the man's power was only possible for Su Ming at this moment. Even if he tried to gain another epiphany from the sentence, he would not be able to do this, because once he completed the process of understanding the sentence, it had disappeared into the Three Gates of Heavenly Dao, vanishing to return to the time in which it belonged.
Unless Su Ming could truly understand it, then this divine ability of his would have reached its strongest at this moment.
Indescribably powerful booms rang out in the hearts of the thirteen old men who were all in the later stage of World Plane Realm. In the mid of those sounds, Su Ming's voice shot up in all their ears, their minds, and their souls.
That voice brought with it a tone that suggested the owner would allow no doubt and resistance to his words, an arrogance that even the world would have to submit and even the universe would have to lower its head. If any forms of life did not obey him, then no matter what level of cultivation they possessed, they would instantly be reduced to ashes.
As the booming sound echoed in the hearts of the thirteen old men, they coughed up a mouthful of blood and had blood pouring out of their eyes, mouth, nose, and ears. They staggered backwards, and once they moved thousands of feet, they were pale and had shock written on their faces. In their eyes, a ball of fire was contained.
That was… a purple ball of fire. It was a ball of fire that burned even hotter than the zeal they had for Yu Family's Progenitor.
Even Yu Rou coughed up blood when the residue of that presence erupted from Su Ming's body and she was continuously forced backwards. Her calmness was gone, her elegance had vanished, and everything within her mind was shredded to pieces during that moment. A single will forcefully made its way into her head.
It was a will that compelled her to obey Su Ming!
And the same ball of purple flames also appeared in her eyes!
"I believe in you…" Yu Rou's breathing quickened. As she mumbled out these words, the thirteen old men let out zealous roars.
"I believe in you!"
"I believe in you!"
The thirteen voices reverberated in the air, and endless echoes rang through the underground palace. As they continued spreading outwards, there was a false impression that the underground palace itself was trembling.
As they said these words, Su Ming slowly closed his eyes. The residue of the ancient presence about him disappeared, and his body was no longer an indistinct blur.
'Your power is to let others believe in you and worship you from the bottom of their hearts… For myself, I will choose to… make them obey me!'
Su Ming opened his eyes. His appearance was strange and enchanting, and the light in his eyes gave others a feeling like they were looking at an endless abyss.
Chapter 879: Evil
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As the voices of the thirteen old men echoed in the underground palace, the gray fog on their bodies started tumbling about. It originally served the purpose of providing shade from the sun, but that moment, when Su Ming lifted his hand to swing at it, booming sounds rang out.
"Those who believe in me will obtain the protection of the Ecang galaxies that I, Su, possess," Su Ming stated flatly. As he swung his arm, the noise from the fog reached its peak, but soon, the sound disappeared.
The fog dispersed to reveal thirteen skeletal old men prostrating themselves on the ground. They might only be skin and bones, but there was a presence within them that made it seem as if there was a windstorm contained within them.
"Thank you for granting us a new life, Progenitor!"
The thirteen old men's faces were filled with zeal. The purple flames in their eyes burned furiously, and once they replaced their pupils, their eyes turned purple.
That purplish hue in their eyes did not remain stiff and unchanging, but contained the sparkle of life that each person should have. Once these thirteen men said their reply, the residue of the ancient presence about Su Ming's body returned to where it should belong, in the passages of time.
"The Yu Family will remain the Yu Family. It will be enough for all of you here to know about my existence. You may all leave now. Yu Rou, stay back," Su Ming said calmly and walked forward. With one step, he moved into the innermost part of the underground palace. There was a flight of stairs there. This area was built like an altar, and there was a gigantic stone chair there.
Su Ming stood in front of the stone chair, then turned around and slowly sat down on the stone chair.
At the instant he did so, an awe-inspiring presence spread out from his body and filled up the entire area. He referred to himself with his family name before these people. Before this, he would have definitely not done such a thing. However, as of then, these thirteen old men as well as Yu Rou had been turned into existences… that were similar to that of an Apostle after Su Ming used that residue of the ancient presence and the Art of Believing on them.
Su Ming was doing the exact same thing as what the Sun God and Moon Goddess did to turn others into their Apostles after making people believe in them.
The thirteen old men immediately voiced their obedience. They lowered their heads and left. Soon, they would appear before the Yu Family and would shock all of its members, who would then burn with zeal because of them. In fact, they would bring the Yu Family to open the curtains to a new struggle for power in Black Ink Planet.
Perhaps they would still be unable to lead their family to become the greatest family in Black Ink Planet, but it was more than likely that they would escape their current state. They would become the leading family for all middle-sized auction halls.
When the thirteen old men left, Yu Rou lowered her head and knelt quietly in front of Su Ming. She did not say a single word.
Even when the area around them was enveloped in dead silence once again, Su Ming still did not speak. Instead, he sat on the stone chair and stared at Yu Rou.
Time trickled by, and Yu Rou gradually found that she could not keep a calm expression on her face. The purple flames in her eyes were burning furiously, and confusion as well as struggle slowly appeared on her face.
"Give me a reason why I should not kill you." Su Ming's voice broke the silence, and his words echoed in the air.
"My Lord, why would you want to kill me?" Yu Rou lifted her head to reveal her face, which possessed a beauty that could cause hearts to pound in excitement and could take a man's breath away.
"Is it because I hid the secrets of the Enchanted Treasure Peace Arrives When the Elephant is Here? Progenitor Yu Han might have planned this for tens of thousands of years, but he is not a God. He cannot be considered an Antecedental Spirit, much less an Ancestral Spirit. He is just a cultivator who is a Succeeding Spirit.
"If a cultivator who is just a Succeeding Spirit like him could truly Possess you, then… you would not be the Apostle. As long as you were the Apostle, Progenitor Yu Han could only fail," Yu Rou whispered softly. Her voice was incredibly pleasant to the ears, and it moved gently through the underground palace.
"Not enough." Su Ming shook his head.
Yu Rou bit her bottom lip. After remaining silent for a moment, she spoke once again.
"Progenitor Yu Han might be an ancestor of the Yu Family, but he tried to Possess me before. He might have failed in the end, but I will never forget this.
"I wanted him dead! I wanted him to be killed by the Apostle after he failed to Possess him. In fact, I once had the thought that I… would no longer need to be afraid if the Progenitor was Possessed by the Apostle."
Su Ming had a calm expression on his face. This time, he did not open his mouth to speak, but neither did he shake his head. Instead, he closed his eyes and waited for Yu Rou to continue speaking.
She lowered her head and fell silent for a time.
"I knew since the start… that you weren't the Apostle." After a long while, Yu Rou lifted that enticing head of hers and looked at Su Ming. "You might have the presence of the Sun God and Moon Goddess on you and you might have walked out of the second gate, but I know that you devoured the spirits of the Sun God and Moon Goddess in the Second Gate of Heavenly Dao.
"At the instant you began devouring them, they sent word to me and ordered me to have the entire Yu Family prevent you from devouring them. In fact, if I had chosen to obey them at that moment, then at the moment you started absorbing the souls of the Sun God and Moon Goddess, the thirteen Progenitors would have attacked, and even you… would have found it hard to withstand their attacks."
Yu Rou's face was slightly pale. The purple flames were burning in her eyes and were rapidly enveloping her heart and soul. She was not like the thirteen old men. They might have incredibly high levels of cultivation, but they did not have a power in them to resist that strange divine ability Su Ming had cast. This was a form of oppression from a superior life form on an inferior life form.
However, Yu Rou was different. She was… after all, the chosen one by the Sun God and Moon Goddess. She might not have fulfilled the conditions to be Possessed by Progenitor Yu Han, but she was clearly different from the average cultivator.
Su Ming opened his eyes to reveal a pair of profound eyes as he asked indifferently, "What do you know of Ancestral Spirit, Antecedental Spirit, and Succeeding Spirit?"
"This is a legend. Due to the age of the legend, there should be no one who knows whether it is true or false." Yu Rou hesitated for a moment before she chose to tell Su Ming all that she knew.
"Legend has it that when the sky, the earth, the universe, the heavens, the galaxy, and the cosmos had yet to take form, the first living things that were born were known as… Ancestral Spirits.
"They created life, which is why we have so many races and so many different types of living beings.
"These living beings worshiped the Ancestral Spirits. In the endless passage of time, among the races that did so, life forms that could bear the power of the Ancestral Spirits slowly came into existence. They were known as Antecedental Spirits. Some people believe that the word Antecedental refers to Immortals, since the Immortals' Dao will eventually turn them into Gods, but there are some that believe that the word Antecedental refers to the binary opposite before and after. Since the era was different, the words were different. However, the meaning behind them was the same, despite the fact that the words weren't alike."
After saying this much, You Rou paused for a moment before she spoke again.
"A disaster no one knows about caused all manner of living to die or fall to sleep. It didn't matter whether it was the Ancestral Spirits or those who became Antecedental Spirits due to their worship were able to escape from the disaster.
"As the disaster went on, the races fell to ruin. They were either dissolved or destroyed, and in the end, they were no more. This was the case for the Gate of Dao race.
"In the endless passage of time after the disaster, there were no longer any Ancestral Spirits or Antecedental Spirits, but the people could see the changes in the universe, could see the world, the planets, could sense the rules and laws in the universe, and from then on, consolidate some of the cultivation methods to slowly create their own cultivation systems.
"It was… a cultivation system that aimed to achieve perfection and become a superior life form. The system for each race was different, but their goal was the same. Over the course of time, the outstanding ones who practiced this sort of cultivation system were known as Succeeding Spirits.
"By now, even Succeeding Spirits are incredibly rare, and due to dissemination and growth of the numerous races in the universe, the people who practice these sort of cultivation systems are known as cultivators. Based on the ancient titles, some of them could be known as Succeeding Spirits.
"The Sun God and Moon Goddess were Antecedental Spirits… and they were very ancient. In fact, I suspect that their slumber had caused them to fall to being life forms that were only Succeeding Spirits."
Yu Rou spoke softly, her words echoing in the underground palace, but Su Ming's expression remained calm as he digested them.
After a moment, he asked coolly, "What is Yin Essence?"
His question immediately caused Yu Rou's face to turn slightly paler. She did not speak, but with anguish on her face, she slowly lowered her head and lifted her hands to gradually undress before Su Ming.
As her robes fell off to reveal a skintight singlet that showed off her beautiful figure, her pretty face and figure brought about an image that could make others' hearts pound. It was a feast that no one could refuse.
"The power of Yin Essence is a type of Divine Essence that I obtained in the Second Gate of Heavenly Dao. It slowly grows in my body, pushing my level of cultivation to its peak. It will allow me to become a life form in-between Succeeding Spirits and Successor Spirits. I may even be able to reach a breakthrough and become a Successor Spirit.
"At that time, I will be summoned by my mission and will offer up everything of myself to the Moon Goddess.
"If you could devour the Moon Goddess in the Second Gate of Heavenly Dao, then you can definitely devour my Yin Essence. I can… give it to you as long as you give me my freedom back, so I won't be a puppet who can't control its own fate." Yu Rou lifted her head. The burning purple flames in her eyes had almost replaced all of her pupils. She looked at Su Ming with her pale face as she walked closed to him.
Su Ming's expression was calm. Not a hint of change could be spotted on him. When Yu Rou gradually came over to stand in front of him, he looked at her beautiful form and continued watching as she slowly lowered her body, as if she was kneeling down to worship him.
He lifted his right hand and placed it on her skin, which looked as if it would break if the wind so much as blew on it, then began to slowly trace his finger through the spots where her curves were. Wherever his finger went, that part of Yu Rou's body would immediately begin trembling from nervousness.
When Su Ming's finger slid to her face, he lifted her chin, forcing her head up. Then, he slowly got closer to her, to the point that they could sense each other's breathing and heartbeat.
"No matter what reason it is, those who scheme against me will never know freedom in their lives again," he said softly. His words made Yu Rou tremble, and her face turned even paler.
"Judging by the method with which you will offer up your Yin Essence, you will clearly become my woman … but your Yin Essence is not enough of a compensation for you to become my woman."
Su Ming lifted his head. There was a smile on his lips. A strange light shone in his eyes, giving him an indescribable, mysterious, and enchanting air.
Yu Rou lowered her head and whispered softly, "Has anyone told you before that you give others… a feeling that you're incredibly evil?"
"Evil… I like that word."
Su Ming stood up and took a step forward before he disappeared into the underground palace, leaving behind Yu Rou still wearing her skintight singlet and a complicated expression on her face.
Chapter 880: Getting to Know Lie Shan
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
This was a season with ample rain in Black Ink Planet. It had been cloudy for several days, and on this day, rain poured down from the sky.
The rain fell on the ground, filing the entire world with an indistinct feeling. Su Ming was sitting cross-legged in one of the towers of the Yu Family while looking at the rain outside his window. There was a scroll made of jade slips placed in front of him. On it was the map of Black Ink Planet, the forces of power in it and the locations of each auction hall.
In fact, there was a large portion of Divine Essence Star Ocean depicted on that jade slip scroll as well. However, while that portion might seem large, in truth, compared to the vast Divine Essence Star Ocean, the area drawn on the map by the members of the Yu Family over the countless years was just a small part of that huge galaxy.
Su Ming had picked up the scroll, but he did not immediately look at it. Instead, he looked at the rain outside the window with a pensive look in his eyes.
"The elephant has two forms. One of them is its physical form, and the other is the illusory form on the scale. The physical body of the elephant on the scale is like that of the form of the Heavenly Dao, not the power of the Antecedental Spirit. The thought of weighing this elephant is like a fantasy, and it can allow you to weigh… this elephant for the span of three breaths!"
The words spoken when the malicious spirit weighed the elephant while he was in the chamber echoed in Su Ming's mind.
'This sentence isn't that easy to understand, but now that I think about it, this 'elephant has two forms' means that it has a physical and an illusory form. The physical form is the elephant's real body, and the illusion… is the scene that people usually speak of. In some sense, this elephant is not referring to a living creature… but a form of atmosphere and environment.' A sparkle appeared in Su Ming's eyes.
'If that's the case, then I can understand the second and third sentences. Weighing the elephant's real body is like weighing the supreme lord of the Gate of Dao race. But all life forms who have yet to become Antecedental Spirits are unable to do this, only those who are Antecedental Spirits can do so.
'The third sentence can also be understood as weighing an atmosphere and an illusion, but what does the final 'it can allow you to weigh this elephant for the span of three breaths' mean..?' Su Ming remained silent for a moment before he shook his head and buried the question in his heart.
His gaze fell on the jade slip scroll, and he began looking through it.
There was a storage bag beside Su Ming. Once every few breaths, he would put his hand deep into that storage bag, then bring out a crystal to place it on the scroll. That crystal would flash a few times before fusing into the scroll.
The jade slip scroll was incredibly mysterious. Perhaps it was because it had been around for a long time, but it would be damaged every time someone examined it. Because of this, it would need to be nourished by crystals once in a while if its contents were examined.
There was a veil on Yu Rou's face, who was nearby. Her temperament currently was greatly different from before. In fact, even the ripples of power from her cultivation base were incredibly weak. She looked as if she was only in the initial stage of World Plane Realm and not the later stage of World Plane Realm, which she originally had.
She sat on her heels by Su Ming's side quietly. She was sitting in the mid of the green smoke spreading out from the censers in the room, which gave her an otherworldly feeling.
There was a pot of wine boiling in front of her. She lifted the pot up with her fair hands and poured the contents gently into a wine cup before she placed it by Su Ming, who was still reading through the jade slip scroll.
Her appearance and her actions made it look as if she was a maidservant.
This was supposed to be a very artistic scene. Faint green smoke swirled about in the air, an otherworldly maidservant served by her master's side, rain poured outside the window, the rushing of it echoed in the air like the noise of nature… but in this scene, there were three things that did not fit in.
The bald crane was rolling about on the ground with a displeased look, and it was doing so nonstop…
"Crystals! You promised me that you would give me crystals! Y-y-you… You're going overboard! There're so many crystals, give me some! Oh, my crystals… Kill me… Those are all my crystals…
"You… ah… How can you put crystals in there? Oh heavens, this is the 379th piece. Those are all crystals, sparkling 379 crystals, you know?!" As the bald crane screamed shrilly, it stared straight at Su Ming. When it saw him placing the crystals one by one into the jade slip scroll as he read it, the bald crane almost went mad.
However, Su Ming completely ignored its shrill screams, and even Yu Rou did not bother with it. She looked at the boiling wine with an elegant expression on her face, as if she did not hear a single thing.
The other thing that did not fit in… was a big yellow dog.
It was lying not too far away and staring at Yu Rou with a hostile look, occasionally letting out threatening growls. It was as if Yu Rou's existence made it sense some form of threat, for some unknown reason.
'Damn it, how could a woman as pretty as my young mistress be around here? Judging by Su Ming's actions, he has clearly acknowledged her damned presence! I can't allow this!' Thoughts fleeted through the big yellow dog's head as it continued thinking about what its young mistress would do if she was around. The threatening glare and hostile look became increasingly more pronounced.
The final thing that did not fit in was Yu Chen Hai.
He sat calmly by the side, having been the one who gave Su Ming the jade slip scroll. Occasionally, he would look at Su Ming, but most of the time, he would sneak peeks at Yu Rou.
He constantly felt that there was something familiar about that woman, but for some unknown reason, he could not remember where he had seen her before, but this was not the main point. It, of course, was that even though the woman wore a veil over her face and covered most of her looks, preventing others from seeing her clearly, there was still a beauty about her that caused other people's hearts to pound in excitement.
This beauty caused Yu Chen Hai's heart to race.
'This shouldn't be. With my level of cultivation, this shouldn't happen, but why is this woman giving me a sense of closeness. It's precisely because of this sense of closeness that I'm feeling such a great urge in me.'
It was with great difficulty that Yu Chen Hai quelled the feeling in his heart. He no longer dared to look at the woman, worried that he would make Su Ming misunderstand him. That was why even though he still wanted to look at her, he had to force that urge down.
"Senior Su, there are three days left before I have to host my auction…" he quickly said in a low voice.
Su Ming's status had already changed in the Yu Family. To the others, he was a guest, but the members of the family were not privy to the real truth.
"I understand." Su Ming nodded. He picked up a crystal and placed it on the jade slip scroll to continue reading it.
"About that… if you have time, should we look at the other family's auctions and get familiar with how an auction operates?" Yu Chen Hai quickly asked.
Su Ming looked as if he did not hear his words and did not answer.
Yu Chen Hai smiled wryly, not knowing what he should say next. He instinctively looked towards Yu Rou again, and at the moment he looked at her, she lifted her head and cast him a glance as well. Then, for some unknown reason, the hint of a faint smile appeared on her lips under the veil.
When Yu Chen Hai saw that smile, his heart trembled. Then, unable to control himself, he became infatuated with her as he continued looking at her.
With the three discordant elements in the picture, the atmosphere in the tower became slightly strange. Su Ming continued reading the jade slip scroll, his right hand reaching deep into the storage bag to take out crystals from time to time. He had already read through most of the jade slip scroll, and what remained were a few things that had happened in Black Ink Planet during the past ten thousand years. At that moment, he picked up a crystal, but just as he was about to place it on the jade slip scroll, his right hand came to an abrupt halt.
As his right hand stopped moving, a feeling as if something was being held back immediately appeared in the room. This feeling was instantly noticed by Yu Rou. The bald crane was also momentarily stunned and stopped rolling out while screeching, but instead looked at Su Ming with surprise.
Even the big yellow dog which had been looking at Yu Rou with a hostile expression blinked a few times before it looked at Su Ming.
Only Yu Chen Hai remained besotted and could not get himself out of it.
"Lie Shan Family rose to power in Black Ink Planet ten thousand years ago. The Progenitor of the family is Lie Shan Xiu. His origins are mysterious and unfathomable, and his level of cultivation is incredibly high… He is a man of great talent and vision, and in ten thousand years, he brought his family into the list of those who can host middle-sized auctions."
This was the sentence Su Ming saw in the jade slip.
"Lie Shan Xiu is an ambitious and formidable person. His origins might not be known, but he must definitely be a renowned person in the galaxy from which he came. However… even after the numerous investigations conducted on him, not a single clue can be found about this person from Divine Essence Star Ocean or the four Great Galaxies in the world outside…"
Su Ming had a calm expression on his face, but a huge storm was raging in his heart. In fact, that storm had turned into loud, thunderous booms that roared and reverberated in his mind. His calmness was just a facade.
He might have had a few speculations previously, but when he truly discovered it, he could not find it in himself to remain calm.
This was why even his right hand had come to a pause when he was about to place the crystal on the jade slip scroll, and even some of his presence spread out slightly, creating that feeling as if something was being held back in the tower.
Several breaths later, that feeling evaporated. Su Ming placed the crystal on the jade slip scroll and continued reading the scroll. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he closed his eyes.
'Lie Shan Xiu…'
"Yu Chen Hai, didn't you mention that you wanted to look at the other family's auctions earlier?" Su Ming opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Yu Chen Hai, but when he looked over, he frowned, and a strange expression gradually crept up his face.
At that moment, Yu Chen Hai was looking at Yu Rou with a stupefied face. The besotted expression in his eyes could be felt clearly by all.
As for Yu Rou, she remained as calm as ever, as if she was completely not bothered by… how a member of the younger generation in her family was looking at her in such an infatuated manner.
Su Ming let out a dry cough, and Yu Chen Hai shuddered, snapping out of his daze. When he saw that Su Ming was looking at him, he instantly felt cold sweat drench his robes. His face turned pale. He could already imagine what would happen, and fear rose in his heart.
He did not know what had come over him. When the maidservant smiled at him, he had lost his senses and sank into that infatuated state. When he snapped out of it, intense fear immediately filled his heart. He was afraid that Su Ming would be displeased.
"Senior… I…" Yu Chen Hai was just about to explain as he was filled uneasiness.
Su Ming cut off Yu Chen Hai's explanations and asked faintly, "Does Lie Shan Family have an auction?"
"Lie Shan Family is a family that can host middle-sized auctions, and they host small auctions once every three days. There will be one today." Yu Chen Hai quickly nodded.
"Let's go. Lead the way, we'll go to Lie Shan Family's auction."
Su Ming stood up. When he spoke, he walked towards the entrance. The bald crane blinked and exchanged glances with the big yellow dog. They immediately moved at the same time and followed Su Ming.
Yu Rou stood up incredibly elegantly and put away the pot of wine, then sashayed behind Su Ming.
Yu Chen Hai let out a huge breath of relief in his heart at that moment and quickly followed after. He looked at Yu Rou's curvaceous body and suddenly remembered how rude he had been, though Su Ming did not seem to be bothered by it, and this maidservant who appeared out of nowhere also… did not seem to mind.
Yu Chen Hai looked as if he had been bewitched. His heart raced, but he did not dare think too much into it and simply followed Su Ming out of the house into the rain.
Chapter 881: Lie Shan's Fond Remembrance
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
During this season, even when it rained in Black Ink Planet, it was not cold. The raindrops that fell from the sky brought with them a hint of warmth, but when they landed on a person's body, they would inevitably make their clothes wet and cause them to stick to the skin, which brought great discomfort.
The oil-paper umbrellas [1] in the rain looked like flowers. If anyone looked from the sky, they would not be able to see people, but feet under the umbrellas walking forward leisurely under the rain.
Su Ming had his hands placed behind his back. His long, gray hair danced in the air due to the wind blowing against it. By his side was the elegant Yu Rou. She held an umbrella in her hand and stuck close to him, as if she had truly become a maidservant.
Su Ming's long hair spilled down his shoulders as he walked in the rain. Some of them grazed Yu Rou's veil, as if they had fused with it to form a picture.
Behind them was the bald crane sitting on the big yellow dog. It let the rain fall on its body and had a contemptuous expression on its face, though no one knew just at whom that contempt was directed…
The big yellow dog continued regarding Yu Rou with hostility as it followed behind them in the rain.
Yu Chen Hai walked at the back.
The group walked out of Yu Family's gate, and a vast world revealed itself before them. This place was rather remote, since it was where the Yu Family was located. If the group wanted to head to the auction hall, they would need to go to Black Water City.
The entire Black Ink Planet was divided into multiple regions by the families. Some of them had complicated connections with other regions, but in an overall sense, there were three largest cities within the planet - Black Water, Ink Kirin, and Worldly Star. These cities were occupied by the three largest families in Black Ink Planet.
Due to the fame of the three cities, the cultivators and members of alien races in Divine Essence Star Ocean gathered there, and the distribution of certain benefits, smaller families had set up their own auction halls near the cities that were closest to where they stayed, though they needed to pay a certain amount of money to do so.
That was why some small auctions would be held near the three cities. Only some larger scale auctions would be built in different locations, away from the cities and within families' respective bases. The families would also only send out invitations in a wide scale for such auctions.
It was the case for Yu Family's auction hall, which was built in a huge natural basin eight thousand lis away from Black Water City. Powerful warriors from the family would constantly be stationed there, keeping watch over the place. The hall was built in an incredibly extravagant manner, showing off the air of a middle-sized auction hall. The defense around it was tight, and it was built in a spot directly across Yu Family's base. If anything happened during the auction, they would be able to settle it instantly.
There were several tens of thousands of lis from Yu Family's base to Black Water City. It might seem far, but to cultivators, this distance was nothing.
In fact, if they did not want to fly, they would also be able to use Relocation Runes to send a person straight to Black Water City.
Su Ming did not choose to use a Relocation Rune. He liked this rain. To him, this rain was real, and it was something he could have never seen before he came to Black Ink Planet.
The group turned into long arcs and slowly left into the distance amid the rain pouring down from the sky to the earth.
They continued traveling until a gigantic city appeared in the distance. That city looked rather strange. It had no walls and was a swamp that covered a large area.
The swamp was black, and there were wisps of freezing air spreading out from it, causing the rain to turn instantly into ice. When it fell in the water, an endless ripples were stirred.
There were multiple stone bridges built across the swamp. There were several intersection points, and each of them connected to several stone bridges at once. Usually, there would be a platform that was several hundreds of thousands of feet wide built on these intersection points, while some of them were even larger. Multiple towers and halls could be found on these platforms, and shops were located on them as well.
In fact, gigantic platforms that were more than one million feet wide could be found over some intersection points, formed from a dozen something stone bridges. They had carved railings, jade steps, and other sorts of ornaments that were so numerous they could not be counted.
This was Black Water City. It might also be raining in this place, but the rain could not conceal the bustle of activity. The silhouettes of cultivators could be seen everywhere.
The size of the city was big enough to accommodate millions of cultivators. The great size of the swamp could also be seen based on the size of the city itself. This was no longer a swamp, but a landmass big enough to be known as an open sea.
Yu Chen Hai took a few brisk steps forward to speak in a low tone behind Su Ming. "Mo, Tai Ci, and Hua are the three families in Black Ink Planet that are regarded as the leaders. They are the three strongest families, and only their families have the ability to build such a city.
"In fact, even the alien races from Divine Essence Star Ocean need to be courteous to the three families. Even the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping a lookout over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence need to come forth and pay their respects to the three families when coming here.
"Rumor has it… It's just a rumor, but it's said that the three great families can negotiate with the four Great True Worlds. They can send their family members out of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to train and gain experience in the four Great True Worlds."
The group descended from the sky and appeared outside Black Water City.
"The city was built by the Tai Ci Family, and it has a long history. There's a lot of legends surrounding the swamp. There're all sorts of fantastic records about it, and no one can tell whether they are true or false.
"However, there is a legend here which someone from the Yu Family has witnessed before. In the depths of the swamp lives an ancient beast that is extremely terrifying. That beast has nine heads… and once every ten thousand years, it lets out a roar, and that roar contains two words – Nine-headed Dragon [2]."
Su Ming's eyes focused, and he looked towards the swamp that belonged to Black Water City in the distance as he listened to Yu Chen Hai's words.
"Let's go. We'll take a look at Lie Shan Family's auction," Su Ming said flatly and walked over first.
Yu Rou had remained quiet all the way to this place. At that moment, she went after Su Ming to hold an umbrella over his head, walking onto a stone bridge.
There were no people acting as guards in the city, and there were plenty of stone bridges that acted as entrances in all directions. Anyone could come and go as they pleased. This lack of defensive measures in the city could only mean that Tai Ci Family, who controlled this city, had everything in their jurisdiction.
The big yellow dog would occasionally lower its head to look at the swamp, and a strange glint would flash in its eyes. After giving the swamp a careful sniff, it immediately put a distance between itself and the water. The bald crane, on the other hand, was completely unbothered by the swamp. At that moment, it had its head lowered and was fiddling with its claws, calculating something unbeknown to others.
Su Ming had a very relaxed expression on his face as he walked on the stone bridge and looked at the unique city before his eyes. Yu Rou quietly kept him company by his side. As they stepped into the city, they gradually saw quite a number of cultivators.
Yu Rou might have been wearing a veil over her face, but she still caused the cultivators to sneak peeks at her.
However, she seemed to already be used to being stared at and did not show any signs of discomfort, continuing to be like a maidservant beside Su Ming, which brought the gazes of the cultivators on him.
However, once they cast him a look, these cultivators immediately averted their gazes.
Su Ming's current appearance—which consisted of a maidservant, a big yellow dog, and a bald crane trailing behind him, as well as Yu Chen Hai by his side like a servant—made him look like a good-for-nothing young man from a wealthy family in everyone's eyes.
In fact, they did not even need to think about it to be able to tell that Su Ming was a direct descendant of some family who had come to Black Water City with his family servants. Most of the time, no one would intentionally provoke this sort of person.
As a member of the Yu Family, Yu Chen Hai was incredibly familiar with Black Water City. As he gave directions in a respectful manner, Su Ming walked past the stone bridges. Soon, he saw an intersection point between six stone bridges.
There was a gigantic platform there that was about thirty thousand something feet wide. An oval-shaped building was built on that platform, and it looked like a ring that was erected on the ground. There was a stone platform floating vertically in the empty portion at the center of the ring. That platform was shining.
There were numerous illusory threads around the platform, and they were swaying about in the wind. The threads might have seemed to be scattered, but if anyone took a closer look, they would immediately find that they formed three big words.
Lie Shan Family.
"This is Lie Shan Family's auction hall within Black Water City. The building might seem a little strange, but all of Lie Shan Family's auction halls are built this way. They aren't as beautiful as Yu Family's auction halls," Yu Chen Hai whispered softly.
Su Ming was silent. As he looked at the gigantic ring-shaped building, a complicated expression gradually appeared on his face. No one else might be able to see any form of aesthetic in the ring-shaped building, but at the instant Su Ming saw the building, ripples rose in his heart.
On the ring, Su Ming saw various hollows and bumps. There were also a large amount of horizontal and perpendicular lines on it. This… was not a building. It was clearly… a map of the land of Berserkers!
The hollowed parts were basins, the bumps were plateaus, and the horizontal as well as perpendicular lines marked the rise and fall of mountain ranges. The empty portion at the center of the ring… was the Dead Sea!
The stone platform at the empty space was once the core of the land of Berserkers, where Great Yu Dynasty was built. This was a complete map of the land of Berserkers, and this building was the epitome of Lie Shan Xiu's fond remembrance of his home.
Perhaps he thought that other people would not be able to understand this form of yearning and remembrance, which was why he had fused these feelings into the buildings that belonged to the Lie Shan Family. He also probably did not expect… that there would be someone who would be able to see his thoughts from these buildings.
However, Su Ming could tell. He looked at the ring-shaped building with a dazed expression, then at the illusory threads around the area. They numbered a thousand, not a single more, and not a single less, just like the number of blood veins within a Berserker's body. It was the initiation for the Berserkers' cultivation method and their foundation.
The four words formed by the blood veins was not some sort of divine ability in Su Ming's eyes, but the Berserkers' Berserker Mark!
A Berserker Mark formed of one thousand blood veins!
"He misses home…" Su Ming mumbled. He could sense Lie Shan Xiu's longing for his home from the ring-shaped building.
He looked at it quietly, all sound having vanished from his ears. The world before his eyes had blurred. The only thing that remained was the ring-shaped building.
'The land of Berserkers was torn to pieces during the second God of Berserkers' era. During the first God of Berserkers' era, it was whole. I originally thought that it was a massive piece of land, but by the looks of it now, this… is how the land of Berserkers looked like during the first God of Berserkers' time.
'It might have changed a lot later on… but I can still see some traces of the land I'm familiar with … That part is… the ninth summit, and that part… is Dark Mountain…' Su Ming sighed softly.
"Come, let's go in," he said softly, leading his group inside.
As the group headed in, several cultivators immediately walked out of the auction hall. The auction had already started. If they did not have a special token, they would not be able to enter the place halfway through.
However, as a member of the Yu Family, if Yu Chen Hai could bring Su Ming to this place, then he would naturally have a method to get in. Once he brought out a plate, the cultivators immediately made way. A hearty laugh came from inside the building.
"So it's brother Chen Hai? Come in, quickly."
Appearing with that laughter was an incredibly big and tall man, who seemed to be in his thirties. He had thick brows and big eyes, which made him look incredibly boorish. Compared to the slender figure shared by the average cultivator, he looked incredibly brawny.
Translator's Notes:
1. Oil-paper umbrellas: Umbrellas made of paper, mainly used to provide shade and as bridal gifts. The color of the umbrellas have their own meanings. Purple is for longevity, and white is for funerals. You can read more about them here: http://www.umbrellahistory.net/umbrella-types/oil-paper-umbrellas/
2. Nine-headed Dragon: The dragon that was in Han Mountain Bell, which Su Ming obtained from Han Mountain City and whose only six heads did he manage to wake.
Chapter 882: Trouble Stirs in the Auction
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Brother Kang Jiu, I've come to bother you again. I was slightly delayed during my trip here, that's why I'm late. I hope that you won't mind." Yu Chen Hai laughed and wrapped his fist in his palm as a greeting to the man who was walking over to him.
"It's fine. Your presence here adds a sparkle to this place. And who might this be?" The man's laughter was very hearty, but even though he looked boorish, he was incredibly cautious. With a change of topic, he looked towards Su Ming.
When he looked at the other, his expression remained the same, but he was discreetly vigilant. From the positions of everyone in the group, he could immediately tell that Su Ming was clearly the leader there.
Besides, the covered Yu Rou standing beside Su Ming also caused the man to be curious about the other's identity.
"Senior Su is a guest of Yu Family. Brother Kang Jiu, you know as well that I will be hosting an auction for the first time in a few days, that's why I came with Senior Su to observe and learn. If we find anything we fancy, I do hope that you will give us a bit of a leeway," Yu Chen Hai said with a smile.
"A guest of the Yu Family? I, Lie Shan Kang Jiu, greet Senior Su." The man's expression immediately turned respectful, and he took two steps backwards to wrap his fist in his palm to bow towards Su Ming. His expression was incredibly sincere.
Su Ming looked at the man before him. His brawny stature would make him stick out like a sore thumb in other people's eyes, but to Su Ming, he could not help but find the man a familiar sight. This was the physique of a Berserker. This was the rough look that belonged to those who had Berserker blood flowing in their veins.
'He surpassed Berserker Soul Realm…'
Su Ming could tell with just one glance that the man had already reached the middle stage of World Plane Realm, but he did not practice the cultivation methods of a cultivator. Instead… he practiced Berserker Arts because of which he was filled with a vast amount of Qi.
In fact, Su Ming could even see about nine hundred something blood veins hidden in the man's body. His Berserker Mark was also concealed under his skin. All other people would not be able to see it, but for Su Ming, everything about the man was in clear sight.
'He uses fire as a theme for his Mark.'
Su Ming averted his gaze and thought in his heart. He might not have said anything, but when he looked over just now, Lie Shan Kang Jiu's heart had trembled furiously. His expression instantly changed drastically, and shock as well as astonishment appeared in his eyes. Back then, because of that one glance, he had a feeling as if he stood before Su Ming naked, and every single of his secrets had been discovered.
However, this was not what had delivered the greatest shock to him. What had caused him to be in slight disbelief was that when Su Ming looked at him, he lost control over the blood veins in his body; it felt as if they were about to burst forth from within him. The Berserker Mark he concealed also started showing signs that it was about to surface on his skin.
When Su Ming looked over, Lie Shan Kang Jiu even felt his breathing still and his body start trembling faintly, as if his blood was boiling and he wanted to worship the other. He had only felt something like this… once before.
It was when he met the Progenitor of the family. When the Progenitor had looked at him, a loud bang had rung out in his head.
"You are very good," Su Ming said calmly. There was no underlying meaning to his words, but as he spoke, an awe-inspiring and ancient air was naturally contained in his voice, like the tone that would be used by one of those in the older generation when he looked at a promising member of the younger generation.
After all�� he was the God of Berserkers!
He was the God of all those who had Berserker blood flowing in their veins.
Lie Shan Kang Jiu instinctively lowered his head and could not help but feel reverent. However, he soon registered what was going on and his heart immediately started trembling furiously. He did not dare to look into Su Ming's eyes.
"Come, let us go see the first's… auction hall." Su Ming smiled in delight and walked before the group.
Neither Yu Chen Hai nor Lie Shan Kang Jiu understood what he meant by the first, but they instinctively followed behind him, especially Lie Shan Kang Jiu. When he looked at Su Ming, his gaze was filled with awe and veneration. He was very courteous all along the way as he led them into the auction hall.
"Senior Su, there is a ring-shaped hall in Lie Shan Family's auction hall, and each family that takes part in it will have their own respective rooms in the hall. This is Yu Family's room." Soon, Lie Shan Kang Jiu brought Su Ming and the others before a room while speaking respectfully.
Su Ming did not look at Yu Family's room, but instead lifted his head to look at another room in the distance.
"Change to that room."
Lie Shan Kang Jiu looked in the direction Su Ming was looking, and a troubled look immediately appeared on his face.
"Senior, that is Lie Shan Family's room, and no outsiders are allowed. This is…"
"Can we?" Su Ming turned his head around and cast Lie Shan Kang Jiu a flat gaze.
Lie Shan Kang Jiu instinctively lowered his head, and after a brief period of silence, he smiled wryly and nodded in agreement. There was a great wave stirring in his heart at that moment, because he discovered that when Su Ming asked that question… he could not refuse him. It was as if there was a form of suppression from his blood to his soul, because of which he was unable to be as free with his movements as before he met Su Ming.
This was due to a form of reservation on his part and a form of majesty on Su Ming's part. This had nothing to do with Su Ming's level of cultivation, because as one of the managers of the auction hall in this place, Lie Shan Kang Jiu had received some old monsters in Solar Kalpa Realm before. He might have been nervous back then, but even then, he did not experience such complete suppression as he did now. In fact, his heart, his blood, and even his soul were subconsciously wanting to obey Su Ming, to not go against his words.
'Just… who is he?' This was the biggest question in Lie Shan Kang Jiu's heart at that moment.
Once he nodded with a wry smile, Su Ming walked towards the room he chose. Yu Chen Hai quickly went forward to push open the door, revealing a large room. The decor might have been simple, but it gave off a grand presence. The walls in the room were all illusions, and with just one glance, they were able to see a big hall outside filled with thousands of people creating a clamor with their discussions.
At the center was a platform, and on it was a cultivator in his forties. He was introducing the item put up for bidding to the crowd with a smile on his face.
Su Ming stood by that illusory wall and looked at the bustle of activity outside without saying a single word. He had chosen this room because when he saw the map of the land of Berserkers outside on the ring-shaped building just now, he had discovered that the ninth summit was located in this spot.
Lie Shan Kang Jiu cast a wary look at Su Ming's back, then wrapped his fist in his palm towards Yu Chen Hai to bid farewell before he left. Once he did so, his expression immediately changed and he hurried to where his family members were.
'That young man called Su Ming is incredibly strange. I'll have to report this to the family as soon as possible. That person… is an enigma. He actually nearly caused me to expose myself as a Berserker!'
Once Lie Shan Kang Jiu left, Yu Chen Hai stood respectfully by the side of the room near Su Ming. When he looked at him, the reverence in his eyes was even stronger. He had naturally seen the changes in Lie Shan Kang Jiu's attitude, and all of this was because of Su Ming. Needless to say, Yu Chen Hai formed many speculations in his heart.
Yu Rou remained as elegant as ever. She stood by Su Ming's side and looked at the bustling auction hall without saying a thing.
The bald crane completely ignored Su Ming and the rest. It was staring straight at the big yellow dog with a look of great interest.
Once the dog entered the room, it shook its body, and raindrops flew all over the place. For some unknown reason, when the bald crane saw this, it felt that the dog looked very mighty while doing it.
Which was why once the yellow dog finished shaking off all the water droplets on its body, a dark light swiftly shone on the bald crane's body and it gained the form of a big black dog which started shaking its body like the yellow dog had done moments ago.
Half of the auction had passed by then, and the climax arrived. Thousands of people might not seem like a huge number—and this was just a small auction—but in truth, if anyone looked over at that moment, they would find that the auction was filled with hordes of people.
"I will spare you hearing my voice now. My fellow Daoists, these three pieces of wood are three logs of Ash Pine Wood from Divine Essence Star Ocean. The minimum bid is 100,000 crystals!"
The middle-aged man swung his arm with a smile, and immediately, the air behind him distorted. Three women walked out. They were all rather beautiful, and each of them balanced a blue tray on their hands. There was a white log which was the breadth of a finger on each of the trays.
Waves of ancient presence spread out from the three logs, and those ancient presences were incredibly dense. However, they did not give off a feeling of degeneration. Instead, there was an abundance of life force contained within them.
"130,000!"
"170,000!"
"200,000! Those three logs of Ash Pine Wood are mine!"
"Not necessarily. Ash Pine Wood can cause a woman's face to not age for three hundred years. This treasure is useful for me. I'll offer 300,000 for them."
Voices continued rising and falling as they placed their bids, and soon, the bid exceeded 500,000 crystals. Su Ming looked at the fervent ardor in the auction hall, but there was not a single change on his face.
"Only Lie Shan Family is able to bring out Ash Pine Wood in this sort of small auction. Almost all of the Ash Pine Wood put up for bidding in Black Ink Planet comes from Lie Shan Family," Yu Chen Hai mumbled under his breath by the side.
"What are the effects of that wood?" Su Ming asked faintly.
"Senior Su, that wood doesn't possess any special effects. It can only let a woman moisturize and nourish her face," Yu Chen Hai quickly said.
"Ash Pine Wood can provide nourishment for the face. If someone refined it and absorbed it, they would be able to extract the power of time in it. If they fused it into their Enchanted Vessels, they would be able to nourish their Vessel Spirits, and if they merged it with their bodies, they could fill their bodies with life force, but this doesn't have any healing properties.
"If a person is in possession of a large amount of Ash Pine Wood, they would be able to create the Bygone Time Venom. This poison can cause a person to age rapidly, and it cannot be cured," Yu Rou explained calmly.
When she said all that, Yu Chen Hai was momentarily stunned. He had never heard of Ash Pine Wood possessing these effects before, and while he had heard of Bygone Time Venom, he only knew that it was a poison sold at an incredibly appalling price. He did not expect that it was created from Ash Pine Wood.
When Yu Rou spoke, the three logs of Ash Pine Wood were sold to someone for an incredibly high price. The host of Lie Shan Family spoke up once more then.
"The universe is filled with strange things, and bizarre objects are born within the universe. This time, we of Lie Shan Family have been entrusted with a task by a mysterious person, and we will auction off an item that is unique and one of its kind in the world. It has been brought out from the depths of Divine Essence Star Ocean, a region that practically no cultivator can venture into!
"This item would normally not appear here and would only be put up for bidding in our family's large auction, but the mysterious person was anxious to have it sold, which was why it has come here.
"I will not waste your time now. The starting bid for this item is... 1,000,000 crystals!"
As his voice echoed in the air, the auction hall fell silent because right before everyone's eyes, an old man walked out from the air behind the host of Lie Shan Family.
That old man had an incredibly big frame. When he walked out, the ground looked as if it trembled. He had no expression on his face, and once he appeared, he instantly swung his arm. Immediately, a statue of about thirty feet tall appeared in front of him. That statue had two heads: One of them was crying, while the other was smiling. There was damage all over its body, and it looked incredibly old.
There was also no life force about it, which made it clear that it was a dead object. By the looks of it, it also seemed to be in a state between being an illusion and being something that had corporeal form, since it appeared to be slightly blurry.
Su Ming's pupils constricted.
Chapter 883: Elder Feng
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"That old man is Lie Shan Family's guest, Guru Song Qing!"
"Why is he here in a small auction?"
"That's right. It's really that old monster personally keeping watch over this mysterious item. That old monster Song Qing has been Lie Shan Family's guest for many years. His level of cultivation remains a mystery, and his Sealing Art is incredibly shocking.
"It's said that someone from Tai Ci Family was once willing to pay an incredible price to invite him over from Lie Shan Family so he would become Tai Ci Family's guest, but the offer was respectfully declined."
In the mid of all the discussions that stirred up in the auction hall due to the old man's appearance, the old man with the big frame lifted his head and cast a cold glance at the entire hall, then lifted his right hand to point at the broken statue that was floating in front of him.
"Since most of you know me and we can be considered friends, then allow me to give all of you a word of warning. If you… don't know what this is, then don't recklessly place a bid." The old Song Qing only said those words before he shut his mouth and stood by the side like a small hill.
However, if he had not said them, this statue's appearance would not have brought about too much attention. But now that he said them, all the people in the auction hall instantly focused their gazes on the statue.
"Just what is that thing?"
"Could it be a statue of an ancient God?!"
"That's not right. I can't feel that sort of ancient presence from it, but I can't place the one that's coming out, either."
"How dare they put the starting big at 1,000,000 crystals for this sort of statue?! It's absolutely not worth it!"
The discussions instantly rose in a loud buzz within the auction hall. In fact, there were even a few skeptical voices questioning the value of the statue in piercing shouts in this place filled with thousands of people, which resulted in a quite chaotic atmosphere.
"I can't tell whether this item is valuable or not. If any of you know this item, then you will choose to buy it even if you use up tens of millions of crystals. If you don't, then you might not even fish out a single crystal from your pocket. That is why you may all start bidding now."
The host from the Lie Shan Family had a relaxed expression on his face. As he spoke with a smile, the auction hall gradually fell silent, but no one placed a bid.
Su Ming stood by the illusory wall in the room while looking at the statue with a dumbfounded gaze. He did not know whether other people would be able to recognize this thing, but with just one glance, he could tell just what it was.
The ancient presence on it was a Berserker's presence. That statue was clearly a statue of the God of Berserkers!
"Lie Shan Family will always bring out some really strange items. Just what is that thing?" Yu Chen Hai looked at the statue by the side with a frown on his face. Even Yu Rou was observing it carefully at that moment, but after a long time passed, she found that she could not recognize it.
"This item isn't bad. I might not be able to recognize it, but I'll put it as a decoration in my house and admire it. 1,000,000 crystals." After remaining silent for a moment, a hoarse voice spoke from within the auction hall.
The voice did not come from the hall where the thousands of cultivators were gathered, but came from the rooms that were similar to the one in which Su Ming stayed. Once that voice spoke, it immediately caught the attention of the cultivators in the hall.
"1,300,000 crystals. After all, I do like collecting strange items." Soon after, another voice resounded in the air.
"1,600,000 crystals!"
"1,800,000 crystals!"
Soon, another voice joined in the auction. As the three people competed for the item, all the cultivators in the auction hall immediately became excited, even if they didn't know what that item was. The three voices all came from the rooms that belonged to honored guests as well. All those who could come into possession of a room in an auction hall belonged to the members of the families within Black Ink Planet, unlike the rogue cultivators who were mostly from Black Ink Planet gathered in the hall, or some outsiders.
There was a secret chamber within Lie Shan Family's auction hall. As these people continued competing against each other, an old man could be found sitting cross-legged in there. Behind him were a dozen something men who could clearly be seen as members of the Lie Shan Family based on their physique, and they were all standing respectfully behind him.
Needless to say, one of them was Lie Shan Kang Jiu.
All of them did not speak but were looking at an illusory screen of light before the old man. It was the projection of the entire auction hall, and even the voices from the hall came from the screen.
The old man had a head full of white hair. He wore a long, purplish blue robe, and his face was filled with wrinkles. He sat in the room quietly and looked at the screen in front of him. There was a waning presence spreading out from his body, as if he was already incredibly old.
Faint distortions could be detected in the space around him. In the mid of them, the destruction and reassembly of space went on continuously. In fact, if anyone took a closer look, they would be able to find that the reason for this… was the wind!
There was a layer of invisible wind around the old man, and it was swirling about him without stop.
"Elder Feng, we've put the statue of the God of Berserkers up for bidding as according to your orders."
The space behind the old man swayed as if it was about to be torn apart, and a man walked out from within. That man looked to be in his fifties, and there was a thick murderous aura surrounding him. He took big strides forward and wrapped his fist in his palm respectfully towards the old man when he was by his side.
The old man nodded. He had his eyes fixed on the auction hall, as if he was waiting for something.
After a long while, when the bid for the statue in the auction hall had reached 4,000,000 something crystals, the person the old man waited for still did not mention anything about wanting to buy the statue.
"Kang Jiu…" The old man's voice was ancient. There was a uniquely hoarse quality to it, and even an accent that was different from those in Black Ink Planet.
"Elder Feng." Lie Shan Kang Jiu immediately walked forth and bowed deeply towards the old man with an incredibly respectful expression. His respect came from how this old man had contributed to the family over the course of numerous years, because of which his position was incredibly high in the family, just right under the Progenitor. Some of the legends surrounding this old man also caused the family members to hold great respect towards him.
"Tell me what you felt in detail during that time," the old man muttered softly.
"Understood!" Lie Shan Kang Jiu sucked in a deep breath and spoke in a low voice. "When I was before him, I had the false impression as if I was standing before the Progenitor. I seemed to have lost control over the blood veins in my body, and even the Berserker Mark nearly showed up on my skin. What was more, when I was before him, I had the intention to worship him. This intention seemed to have come from my soul, as if…" Lie Shan Kang Jiu paused for a moment.
"As if?" The old man turned his head around and looked at Lie Shan Kang Jiu. When he did so, wind immediately appeared out of nowhere around Lie Shan Kang Jiu.
"It was as if… I do not know how to describe it either. It was as if I did not want to go against his orders, and I had to believe in his words without ever doubting." Lie Shan Kang Jiu lowered his head with a wry smile. The dozen something members of the Lie Shan Family behind him immediately sported solemn expressions on their faces.
The old man fell silent, then turned his head around to continue watching everything happening in the auction hall. He mumbled quietly in his heart, 'Are you someone from our homeland..? Then you must definitely be able to recognize the statue of the God of Berserkers.
'If you are, then all is well. If you aren't but have practiced a cultivation method that can suppress the Berserkers, then… forget the fact that you are just a guest in the Yu Family. Even if you are one of the Progenitors who have recently been freed in the Yu Family, or the Apostle of the Sun God and Moon Goddess, or even a member of the three great families protected by those old coots, you will definitely die in Black Ink Planet!
'There is nothing Lie Shan Family cannot do in this planet!' The old man narrowed his eyes, and a spark of killing intent shone in them. If anyone knew of what he was thinking at that moment, they would surely be incredibly shocked.
He clearly knew about everything that had happened in the Yu Family, even though this was the greatest secret in the Yu Family. Even most of the family members did not know about this, but the old man clearly knew about it in great detail.
The words in his heart also made it seem as if he thought nothing of the three great families. Then… was the Lie Shan Family… which was regarded as a middle-tier family in the eyes of the cultivators in Black Ink Planet… really just a middle-tier family..?
When the old man fell into a pensive silence, the auction hall in the illusory screen of light suddenly fell silent.
"My young master wants this statue." An incredibly pleasant voice echoed in the auction hall, and a woman walked out from one of the upper rooms that belonged to the various families in the planet.
The woman wore a veil over her face, but even so, she still had an incredible beauty about her that could cause hearts to pound in excitement. As she walked out, the area instantly turned silent. However, numerous gazes immediately gathered on her body.
"6,000,000 crystals. Bundle it up properly and give it to me."
Naturally, that beautiful woman was Yu Rou. She had an elegant and quiet expression on her face. When she walked onto the platform, a storage bag appeared on her hand. She pushed it forward gently, and the storage bag immediately charged towards the host from Lie Shan Family.
The member of the Lie Shan Family hosting the auction was momentarily stunned. Once he held the storage bag in hand, he instinctively cast a glance at the guest of his family, Guru Song Qing. Song Qing's expression was incredibly grave at that moment as he stared at the woman.
"This is…" The man from the Lie Shan Family hesitated for a moment. During that instant, a lackadaisical voice came from a room that belonged to another family of the upper levels. There was even a teasing tone in that voice.
"Girl, I'll be buying it for 7,000,000 crystals."
"8,000,000 crystals," Yu Rou said softly without even lifting her head.
"Haha! Very well, then I'll buy it for 9,000,000." There was laughter contained in that lackadaisical voice, but within it was a hint of lust as it echoed leisurely in the air.
Once that bid was placed, the cultivators in the auction hall immediately put on expressions as if they were watching something entertaining. Occasionally, someone would lift their heads to look at the room where the man's voice came from, but every single one of them who looked would immediately find their expressions changing before they lowered their heads.
"There are very few people who dare to compete against me, Tai Ci Yong, in Black Water City. Not bad, girl. I'll offer up 10,000,000 crystals, but I'll give you one more chance. If you offer 15,000,000 crystals, then I won't compete against you anymore." The chuckles from the lackadaisical voice echoed in the air.
The answer to his challenge was Yu Rou speaking in her gentle voice that now had a bitingly cold lilt to it, and she did not even lift her head, as if she was completely ignoring him. "20,000,000 crystals."
Once that bid was placed, the auction hall became abuzz with speakers.
"Very well, I'll let your master have that statue. The price is 20,000,000 crystals and you. Bring me the crystals and the girl, I'll have a taste of her in this place." As his laughter echoed in the air, piercing whistles came from a room in the upper levels. Two figures shot out and charged straight towards Yu Rou.
Chapter 884: I Want to See Lie Shan Xiu
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming stood by the illusory wall in his room. He only needed to take one step to move out of the room and enter the big hall in the auction hall. Yu Rou had walked out of it like that previously.
He looked at the storm in the hall, looked at Yu Rou placing the bids, listened to the lackadaisical voice teasing her, and even saw the two figures that flew out from the man's voice.
All of this was only because of one single sentence he had uttered just now.
"I want that statue."
Chaos might have risen in the auction hall, but Su Ming continued standing in the room and watching everything outside.
The two figures closed in on Yu Rou in the auction hall. A vast amount of power erupted with a bang from their bodies. It was a power that belonged to those in the middle stage of World Plane Realm, and they were closing in on Yu Rou like two crazed dragons tearing apart space.
Judging by their presence, it seemed that capturing Yu Rou alive was an incredibly easy matter for them. After all, in their perception, Yu Rou was only in the initial stage of World Plane Realm.
Yu Chen Hai's expression changed as he stood beside Su Ming. He wanted to help, but when he saw that there was not a single hint of change on Su Ming's face, he hesitated for a moment before he gritted his teeth and rushed out of the wall.
Yu Chen Hai had quite a large number of people who were close to him in Black Ink Planet due to his status in the Yu Family and due to him having a friendly personality. As he appeared, some people in the crowd in the area immediately recognized him.
"It's Yu Chen Hai."
"So she's a member of the Yu Family. This will be interesting. That's quite a pretty girl, so she must definitely be Yu Chen Hai's maidservant, but aren't they being stupid? How could they provoke someone from the Tai Ci Family?"
"The difference between a middle-tier family and one of the greatest families in Black Ink Planet is like heaven and earth. Yu Chen Hai should not have appeared. Ha… lust clouds judgment. This saying is true indeed."
Boom!
A loud bang immediately reverberated in Lie Shan Family's auction hall before turning into an endless amount of echoes that continuously shook the auction hall, turning those who heard deaf for a moment. In the mid of those echoes, the people in the area quickly dispersed. In the process, they discovered to their shock that the two cultivators who had rushed towards Yu Rou had coughed up blood at the same time due to some unknown reason. They fell back swiftly and crashed straight into a wall by the side. They had blood pouring out from their eyes, nose, ears, and mouth, and they looked incredibly pathetic. Their expressions were also filled with fear and disbelief.
In fact, even Yu Chen Hai, who had wanted to help, went wide-eyed in disbelief in midair. He saw Yu Rou standing elegantly on the platform and slowly putting down her hand, which she had lifted previously.
She had clearly just lifted her arm and swung it, but this alone had caused the two cultivators in the middle stage of World Plane Realm cough up blood and fall backwards with severe injuries.
A ripple of power that belonged to those in the later stage of World Plane Realm faintly spread out from her body, turning into a mighty pressure. Under this pressure, the people around found their breathing coming to a halt, and it was especially so for the two cultivators from the Tai Ci Family. Their bodies were fixed on the wall under that pressure; they could not free themselves from it.
Silence instantly fell upon the area. This scene surpassed all their expectations.
Yu Rou lifted her head and looked calmly towards the illusory wall of the room where Su Ming was. He met her gaze behind that wall.
"Kill them," he said flatly. His voice came through the wall and echoed in the auction hall.
Only at that instant did the thousands of cultivators in the auction realized that Yu Chen Hai was not the person-in-charge and neither was he the master of that beautiful woman. The young master the woman had spoken of… was the person who spoke just then!
At the instant Su Ming said those words, Yu Rou hesitated for a moment, but she immediately forced down her doubts and lifted her right hand to point at the two cultivators. At that moment, a low roar came from the room that belonged to the Tai Ci Family.
"How dare you kill Tai Ci Family's guards in Black Water City?!"
Along with the voice came an old man that looked like a fierce tiger. He moved out of the room that belonged to Tai Ci Family with a single step, and once he appeared, he lifted his right foot and stomped on the air.
With a bang, the two cultivators who were fixed to the wall immediately shuddered. Once their freedom was restored, they charged towards the old man with pale faces.
"Tai Ci Family's guest, Yun Long Hu!"
"It's him, Yun Long Hu, cultivator at the later stage of World Plane Realm!"
Someone from among the cultivators in the area immediately recognized the old man. However, all of this were happening at lightning speed. Right at the instant the two Tai Ci Family cultivators who had been freed from being fixed to the wall took a step forward, a dark light in the shape of a crescent moon instantly shone by their side. They could only see a figure that was caught somewhere in between the state of possessing corporeal form and being an illusion passing by their bodies, and two shrill screams of pain instantly reverberated in the area.
Amid those screams, the two people's heads were separated from their bodies. Their souls and their Nascent Divinities were crushed, and their forms as well as their spirits were destroyed.
The expression of the old man from Tai Ci Family changed. As his pupils shrank, a blurry figure appeared in midair just beyond the room that belonged to Su Ming. That figure was bald and had a black cloak covering his body. A ferocious totem shone on his scalp. This person was… the Duke of Crimson Flame!
This was the first time the Duke of Crimson Flame executed his full power before Su Ming. He did not want to use this sort of power too often, and in fact, when Su Ming had ran into danger in the past, he only took him and shifted into another area. He did not attack.
However, once Su Ming obtained his Ecang clone, the Duke of Crimson Flame had truly acknowledged him, and his opinion about him changed as well.
"If my master says they must die, then they must die," the Duke of Crimson Flame said in a fierce and brutal tone. His voice was hoarse, and there was a bloodthirsty, murderous air to his words, showing off his attitude of a powerful warrior in a domineering manner.
The old guest from Tai Ci Family, Yun Long Hu, let out a cold harrumph with a dark expression on his face. This was Black Water City, and Tai Ci Family was in complete control of the place. No matter how many powerful warriors there were, he was not afraid.
In fact, that lackadaisical voice from the room behind him spoke up once again in a leisurely manner.
"How very exciting. Since when did the Yu Family become so bold?"
As the person spoke, four people walked out of the room. The person in the lead was a young man dressed in Hanfu. He held a fan in his hand, and once he strode out of his room, a chilling look shone in his eyes, but when he looked towards Yu Rou, it turned into lust.
The three old men behind him had apathetic expressions on their faces. Their eyes were shut tight, as if they were puppets.
When the young man spoke, he shifted his gaze away from Yu Rou and looked towards the wall of Su Ming's room. He could not see the other, but Su Ming could see him.
"You killed the guards of Tai Ci Family, Yu Family. You will answer for this. Three days later, I want your auction hall." The young man smiled faintly and tapped the fan on his left hand, then turned around as if he wanted to leave.
Su Ming cast a glance at the young man turning away to leave behind the illusory wall, and a faint smile suddenly appeared on his face.
'Lie Shan Family, since you brought out a statue of the God of Berserkers to test me, then I will test all of you… on whether you still have the Berserkers in your heart!'
"Kill these people." His voice was incredibly indifferent. However, once it came through the wall, loud booming sounds rose in the hearts of all those who heard it.
Even the young man turned around swiftly, and a powerful, chilly look appeared in his eyes.
The three old men who had their eyes closed behind him opened their eyes at the same time. At that moment, the first to move was the Duke of Crimson Flame. As he laughed ferociously, he moved forward.
Yu Rou immediately followed. Her expression remained elegant; however, she did frown slightly. Yet even though she did that, she moved her body and charged towards the young man.
Killing intent filled the young man's eyes, but he moved swiftly backwards. Yun Long Hu let out a low growl by his side and charged towards the incoming Duke of Crimson Flame. As for the three old men who opened their eyes, one of them blocked off Yu Rou's path, and one of them closed in on Yu Chen Hai, who was shocked by how the events had unfolded. The remaining person… moved and charged towards the wall of the room in which Su Ming stayed, rushing straight in.
Loud voices rose in the area. The auction today had come to a complete halt by then. The fight between the Yu Family and Tai Ci Family had become the most important thing at that moment.
The cultivators retreated swiftly, not wanting to be involved in this. In fact, some of them had even swiftly decided to leave the auction hall, but when they were withdrawing, they discovered that the exits that been sealed off by a screen of light; they could not leave.
In fact, some of the more intelligent ones had long since noticed that even though such a thing had happened in the auction hall, not a single member of the Lie Shan Family had appeared. Even the host had vanished, and Guru Song Qing was nowhere to be found as well.
This was an incredibly strange matter. After all, usually, once a battle of Arts happened in an auction hall, the family that owned that particular place would immediately appear to stop the fight and talk things over with both parties in order to resolve the matter.
As the people in the area were shocked, the booming sounds grew so loud that even the auction hall started trembling because of it. The old man that had rushed into Su Ming's room beforehand tumbled out of the wall. As blood poured out from his body, it was swiftly crushed right before everyone's eyes. Fear appeared on his face as he stared fixedly at a person who walked out of the wall at that moment.
He had long gray hair, long white robes, and a calm expression. With an indescribable mighty pressure surrounding him, he walked out of the wall, and he… was naturally Su Ming!
There were two large dogs by his side. One of them was yellow, and the other black. The big yellow dog was baring its teeth and growling. As for the big black dog by the side, once it noticed the yellow dog's actions, it imitated them and also started baring its teeth and growling, putting up an appearance that screamed 'I-am-very-fierce-and-seriously-very-powerful'.
Su Ming walked languidly. His appearance immediately caused almost everyone in the area to train their eyes on him. He did not look at the young man and neither did he look at anyone else. Instead, he lifted his head and looked at the area above the auction hall with a faint smile on his lips.
His smile appeared on the illusory screen of light for the dozen something members of the Lie Shan Family to see. They looked at him, and even had the feeling that he was also looking at them.
Elder Feng looked at Su Ming on the screen of light and slowly furrowed his brows. A look of uncertainty flashed in his eyes.
"I want to see Lie Shan Xiu," Su Ming said through the screen of light, his voice echoing in the ears of Lie Shan Family.