Chapter 906: I Only Want 999…
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
With Dao Kong's status, once he left Black Ink Planet, he would return straight to the galaxy where the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds were stationed. Through that place, he could return to True Morning Dao World, but should he..? He was not really in a hurry to leave. He could also head to Divine Essence Star Ocean.
With these two as options, Su Ming would naturally choose the latter.
Even if he really wanted to return immediately to True Morning Dao World… his Ecang clone still required a large amount of Divine Essence to grow stronger and devour the other nine Ecang souls, and the best place to obtain Divine Essence was naturally the mysterious and enigmatic Divine Essence Star Ocean.
After all, that was the place where numerous Gods died or fell asleep. That's why the Divine Essence Su Ming needed was in that place.
Also, he had sensed Lie Shan Xiu's cry for help, and there was no way Su Ming could just ignore it… He chose to search for Lie Shan Xiu's tracks and do his best to try and find clues about him.
If in the end, he was truly unable to find him, then even if he had to leave, Su Ming would have no regrets.
However, he did not intend to publicly have his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole perform this task and instead chose to have Dao Kong's body, his cultivation base clone, perform the task.
After all, this clone had three thousand fearless warriors, nine old men in the later stage of World Plane Realm, a woman with an astonishing speed, a woman in Lunar Kalpa Realm from Phoenix Sect who hid herself around him, and a dozen something galactic warships. This power was much stronger than what Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole possessed and would allow him to protect himself in Divine Essence Star Ocean.
Besides, with Su Ming's own power, he could explore even deeper areas of Divine Essence Star Ocean and head to regions where few people could enter on normal occasions.
With this thought in mind, Su Ming walked out of the room in the auction hall, bringing with him the nine old men with shut eyes and the catwoman. They returned to True Morning Dao World's lodgings.
Su Ming chose a meditation room in that place and sent away the nine old men as well as the woman. He sat down quietly and meditated. Everything was silent around him. Once he sat down, the Divine Essence Runic Symbols shone in his eyes, and the Sacred Constellation Robe on his body immediately lit up. The runic symbols rose and fell, looking like they had always existed on the robe and making it hard for others to tell which light was a runic symbol and which a star.
Soon after, with Su Ming as the center, the power of Divine Essence erupted from the Star Constellation Robe.
This power swept outwards in all directions, and in an instant, it filled the entire chamber. If anyone looked over, they would be able to notice that there were endless waves contained within the chamber, making it look like the bottom of the ocean. The waves surrounded him layer by layer, looking like ripples on the surface of water.
This was not the power from the Star Constellation Robe, but Divine Essence that existed within Su Ming's soul, and he was just using the Star Constellation Robe as a cover. Very little time had passed since Su Ming Possessed Dao Kong, so he hadn't had the time to examine the Star Constellation Robe's effects, but he knew that it could be used to hide the power of Divine Essence.
A soft gasp of surprise came from a corner of the chamber as those waves spread out. Xu Hui's body was forced out of the air, and her expression changed. Shock appeared in her eyes as she stared at the Star Constellation Robe on Su Ming's body. This was the first time she saw Morning Dao Sect's Star Constellation Robe possessing such a well-hidden skill.
However, she was only astonished. After all, the mysteries of the Star Constellation Robe were something that even she did not completely understand, and she was from Phoenix Sect. In her eyes, this was definitely the members of the older generation from Morning Dao Sect showing favor to Dao Kong and executing a Protection Art for him.
"We're in a chamber, and you and I are alone. Could it be that you intend to practice dual cultivation with me right now? If that's the case, then I'll welcome it with open arms," Su Ming said in a lackadaisical manner, but there was a sinister tone in his words along with his flippancy.
Xu Hui let out a cold harrumph, and disgust appeared on her face, as usual. The only person who could say such words was Dao Kong, whom she was sick of. His sentence just then made quite a large amount of doubt in her heart to disappear once again. There was only a small hint of it left in her. After all, the feeling she obtained from the connection she had in her soul was still the same as ever. As she let out a cold harrumph, she disappeared once again and left the chamber.
Once she was gone, the waves in the chamber continued spreading outwards. When the time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed, the lackadaisical look on Su Ming's face disappeared, replaced by calmness. He waited for another moment before he lifted his right hand and pushed his palm before himself.
Immediately, light spread out from the edges of his palm and the spot where his palm had landed. There was a relaxed look on Su Ming's face, and when he lifted his right hand slowly, a Relocation Rune appeared in front of him.
This Rune… had existed within this chamber a long time ago. To be more precise, it had been there even before the people from Morning Dao Sect had appeared in Black Ink Planet, but it had been hidden incredibly well, and even Xu Hui had not noticed it.
Deep underground in another region of Black Water City was another chamber. There, Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole opened his eyes as he remained seated. Once he did that, the light from a Rune spread out from his body. That light grew increasingly stronger, and in the span of a breath, it completely enveloped this clone.
Three breaths later, Su Ming's clone disappeared without a trace.
At the same time, in the chamber where Su Ming's cultivation base clone was, his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole appeared and gained form before he walked out with a single step.
This clone of his did not stop when his foot landed. Instead, he took another step, and in an instant, crashed into Su Ming's cultivation base clone, and they… started overlapping, as if they were fusing together.
If anyone looked over, they would be able to tell clearly that the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole and the cultivation base clone did not exist in the same dimension. It was as if one had stepped through the other as he sat down cross-legged as well.
The place where the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole sat down was naturally the place where Su Ming's cultivation base clone sat. At that instant, the two of them completely overlapped with each other.
At the moment that happened, distortions appeared in the air. After the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the distortions died down. When everything within the chamber returned to normal, the overlapping shadow about Su Ming's body disappeared without a trace.
He still appeared as Dao Kong, but at that moment, if he brought out all his offensive abilities, then he would be much stronger than Dao Kong.
Su Ming smiled faintly, lifted his right hand, and swung it at the ground. The Relocation Rune started cracking inch by inch until it was completely wiped off and disappeared.
"Once we return to the galactic warship and head to Divine Essence Star Ocean, I will raise the level of cultivation of this cultivation base clone of mine to the highest possible limit of what he can endure," Su Ming mumbled, and a brilliant light shone in his eyes. He had been waiting for this day for far too long. The increase in his level of cultivation for his cultivation base was his foundation, and it was the true divine ability that was stronger than physical strength.
"God Ascension Nectar, it's finally time for me to use it…" Su Ming touched his storage bag. As his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole fused with him, a number of storage bags on his body had increased.
As for Dao Kong's storage bag, Su Ming had sent his Atman to scan it and seen quite a large number of good items in there. However, since he had limited time and quite a lot of things to do, he intended to investigate those items once he returned to the galactic warship. He believed that he would be able to obtain many rewards at that time.
'It's a pity that even the Lie Shan Family couldn't manage to find even a single hint about the bald crane's physical body. They've searched through everything, but found nothing.'
Su Ming went over his thoughts for a little while longer before closing his eyes and immersing himself in Dao Kong's memories. He had to master all of Dao Kong's interests and habits as soon as possible and then slowly change back to his own personality in a manner that no one would be able to notice.
The night went by quickly. When the second morning arrived, Su Ming opened his eyes, and once a strange light flickered briefly in his eyes, he stood up. With a swing of his arm, the door to the chamber slowly opened, and the nine old men with their eyes shut as well as the catwoman were all standing respectfully outside the chamber.
Su Ming did not say a single word. Once he walked out of the chamber, he turned into a long arc, and the nine old men as well as the catwoman turned into long arcs to charge with him into the sky.
Su Ming lifted his right hand in Black Ink Planet's sky. There was a ring on his index finger, and when sunlight shone on it, a brilliant light immediately spread out from it. As Su Ming sent a thought into it, the light from the ring instantly became stronger, as if it wanted to compete against the sun on who was brighter.
At the same time, booming sounds echoed in the air, and in the blink of an eye, illusory figures appeared all around Su Ming.
There were three thousand of them, not a single one more, not a single one less.
Naturally, they were Morning Dao Sect's fearless warriors, which were given to Dao Kong by Morning Dao Sect!
"Greetings, young master!" The same words and actions were repeated at the same time by all the three thousand cultivators. Their voices fused together to turn into a wave of sound that surged into the sky, stirring up a powerful presence. This presence was a murderous aura that told the world that these people would dare to rush forward and fight till the death even in the face of an old monster of Solar Kalpa Realm.
As Su Ming looked at these three thousand cultivators, a smile appeared on his face.
"Young master, the galactic warships have been activated and can leave at anytime. Young master… when do you want to board the ship?" the beautiful woman beside Su Ming said respectfully in a low tone.
"Later. For now, come with me… to Worldly Star Planet."
When Su Ming said this, he took a step towards the direction of Worldly Star Planet. The nine old men immediately followed behind him, and the three thousand cultivators turned into three thousand long arcs who charged forward.
If anyone from the ground lifted their heads to look up, they would see a sight that would give the feeling as if thousands of shooting stars were slicing through the sky. Their presences were like waves that stirred up ripples in the world, and they could be seen from far into the distance.
As these people stirred up loud whistling sounds while the moved through the air, Wordly Star Planet soon appeared in their vision. A faint smile appeared on Su Ming's lips. He could already sense the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon's presences below.
In fact, as they got closer and appeared in the sky above Worldly Star Planet, he could see a cultivator surrounded by two men in one corner of the city. Those two men were saying something in low whispers, and the sleazy looking man who was the bald crane placed its arm deep into its bosom to bring out a corner of an illustrated book, as if it wanted to let the cultivator notice it.
"Did you see it, Fellow Daoist? Do you want to know Black Ink Planet's secret? Do you want to know what sort of organization is Black Ink Dao? Heh heh, I have everything here.
"Are you interested in it? Are you interested in the Progenitor of Yu Family's private life? Do you want to know the true identity of the Dual Fiends: the Crane and the Black? Do you want to see the private pictures of the mysterious, beautiful woman who appeared in the past? I even have with me the list of the Hua Family's bastards as well as the truth behind Mo Family's Progenitor castrating himself while enduring pain just to increase his level of cultivation.
"In fact, I even have with me solid proof that the members of the Lie Shan Family are not attracted to the members of the opposite sex but only those of the same sex!
"Three hundred years ago, why did nearly two hundred old women from eighty different families cry at the same time? One thousand years ago, why did all the female beasts in Black Ink Planet cry and wail for three years? Three thousand years ago, why did all the male beasts in Black Ink Planet roar for ten years!
"All of this is just for ten thousand crystals. Brother, for just ten thousand crystals, this picture book will belong to you. You're lucky. Today, since today is the 300th anniversary since I opened shop, I will give a discount to the first ten buyers. It's not ten thousand crystals and neither is it eight thousand crystals, and much less than five thousand crystals…
"Instead, it's just 999 crystals! Fellow Daoist, for just 999 crystals, you can take with you all the secrets of Black Ink Planet!" The bald crane was speaking so excitedly that its spit was flying all over the place, and the cultivator was completely stunned while listening to it.
Su Ming sighed in midair, then lifted his right hand and pointed at the bald crane as well as the Abyss Dragon who was providing vocal support.
"Capture the two of them and take them with us."
Chapter 907: Rising Abruptly in Power due to Accumulated Strength
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As Su Ming spoke, the nine old men had calm expressions on their faces. Clearly, the men which were the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon did not manage to stir up much of their attention in terms of their levels of cultivation.
There was not much of a change of expression on the faces of the three thousand fearless warriors behind Su Ming either. However, there was a monstrous presence within them that burst forth from their bodies within an instant. It formed a great, mighty pressure that covered the entire Worldly Star Planet, especially on the men that were the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon.
At the same time, a glint appeared in the catwoman's eyes while she was beside Su Ming. Her ears instantly became sharper, and with one move, she instantly appeared beside the two men who were the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon with a speed so quick that it made Su Ming's pupils shrink slightly.
"Don't injure them. Capture them alive." Su Ming swung his arm and turned around to walk towards the sky. The nine old men followed after him, and the three thousand fearless warriors surrounded him.
The bald crane was taken aback. It had been too immersed in its act just now and ended up not noticing such a large amount of people appearing in the sky. At that moment, it was shocked by the mighty pressure, and when it lifted its head, immediately let out a loud screech.
Su Ming did not turn his head back to look. The bald crane should be taught a lesson, which was why Su Ming charged towards the sky with a relaxed expression while being surrounded by the people. When he flew out of the highest layer of wind in Black Ink Planet, he stood in the galaxy and saw the thirteen gigantic warships.
From the distance, these thirteen warships looked ferocious. They were entirely black, and there was a ghastly air coming from them. At the bow of the ship in the lead was a murderous aura. That murderous aura was gathered there and did not dissipate, but once it spread out, it would form a power that could destroy the world.
Each of the galactic warships from True Morning Dao World were incredibly precious. They were control Morning Dao Sect's control, and were gigantic Enchanted Vessels that could travel at the same speed as the ancient bronze swords from True Sacred Yin World.
Almost at the instant Su Ming saw the thirteen warships, hundreds of people immediately flew out together from the warships. There were men and women among them, and their expressions were all respectful as they wrapped their fists in their palms and bowed towards Su Ming.
"Welcome back, young master."
Su Ming smiled faintly. He did not speak, but took a huge step forward. When he was near the ships, he swept his gaze across them, and then, his eyes were fixed on the biggest ship among the thirteen. He walked towards it.
At the instant he stepped on the warship, the nine old men followed after him. As for the three thousand fearless warriors, they split up and went to the remaining warships.
On this warship that originally belonged to Dao Kong, Su Ming closed his eyes. He spread his divine sense to cover the entire warship, and after some time, he formed a conclusion based on Dao Kong's memories and gained an objective understanding of the warship.
At that moment, shrill cries travelled from the distance and became increasingly closer with each passing moment. Within the blink of an eye, those shrill cries echoed in the warship where Su Ming currently was.
"Damn it! Do you know who you've just captured?! I'm telling you, it's not good for you to offend me! How dare you capture me?! You're dead now! Just you wait!!
"Little boy Su will come save us!!"
Su Ming opened his eyes and looked at the beautiful woman. She had a man held in each of her hands. When she arrived on the warship, she let go of the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon, then stood beside Su Ming with her head lowered and with respect on her face.
"I'm telling you, your Grandpa Crane is seriously powerful! Y-y-you… Just you wait! Before long, you will all pay!" The bald crane bared its teeth and brandished its claws while speaking in a biting tone, but Su Ming, who was familiar with its actions, could tell that the bald crane was afraid.
The Abyss Dragon was silent beside it.
"If you know your place, then hurry up and send us back to Black Ink Planet, or else… heh heh, even if you're from True Morning Dao World, you won't be able to withstand little boy Su's fury!" The bald crane spoke once again with a shrill voice. It was currently incredibly frightened, and when it saw the cultivators around it all maintaining those aloof looks on their faces and were completely indifferent no matter how it threatened them, its heart began to tremble.
It would occasionally size up the handsome young man's face in front of it, and a myriad of thoughts raced in its head.
'Damn it, this person wasn't among the list of people I tricked in the past.'
'Why did he capture me? Could it be… Could it be that he's little boy Su's enemy? Ah… Su Ming, o Su Ming, you really brought a disaster on my head.' The bald crane did not have enough confidence its guess, but it still shouted loudly, as if it had a powerful background.
Su Ming smiled faintly. He looked at the bald crane continue making noise in front of him, then lifted his right hand slowly to swipe his palm across his storage bag gently, and immediately, a crystal appeared on his palm.
He threw the crystal on the ground.
The sound of the clear crystal falling on the ground was barely unnoticeable amid the bald crane's screeches… but almost at the instant the sound appeared, the bald crane's voice immediately died down, and its eyes were instantly fixed on the crystal. Then, it instinctively pounced on the crystal, and it was so fast that within an instant, it had already seized the crystal in its hand.
It also placed the crystal in its mouth and bit into it. Excitement and exhilaration appeared on its face.
"I lack two attendants by my side," Su Ming said flatly.
The bald crane immediately put away the crystal and looked at Su Ming before it struck its chest and spoke loudly.
"I-I'm-I'm willing to become your attendant, but you have to give me one crystal per day!" As it shouted, it even kicked the Abyss Dragon before it looked at Su Ming again.
"With him along, you have to give us two crystals per day!"
"Baldy!!" The man who was the Abyss Dragon glared at the bald crane. Just as it was about to speak, it was once again kicked twice by the bald crane. It was stunned. Being kicked twice was a signal they had formed between themselves.
The Abyss Dragon let out a harrumph and did not speak any longer.
"Alright, the two of you may leave now. Notify the other warships. We'll be heading… to Divine Essence Star Ocean." A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He said these words flatly and sat down cross-legged on the ship.
Su Ming's orders was a supreme, mighty pressure on the thirteen warships. As his voice travelled outwards, whistling sounds immediately shot forth from the thirteen warships after a moment before they changed their direction and moved past Black Ink Planet swiftly to head straight towards… Divine Essence Star Ocean, which was behind Black Ink Planet.
Even Xu Hui did not question Su Ming after a moment of hesitation. She did was not certain as to what exactly were Dao Kong's missions in Black Ink Planet. He thought that heading to Divine Essence Star Ocean was also one of Dao Kong's missions.
The thirteen warships heading out together in the galaxy. Waves were stirred up, and wherever they went, the galaxy would look like the surface of water, and ripples would appear.
Su Ming had his eyes shut as he remained seated with his legs crossed. He lifted his right hand and formed a seal before pushing his palm on the ship. An illusory screen of light immediately appeared around him. That screen of light spread outwards and fused with the air above him, forming an empty space with Su Ming at its center.
This was an Art possessed by the galactic warship. It could form a secret chamber that others would find difficult to enter. Only the master of the warships could do this, and since Su Ming Possessed Dao Kong, he could naturally do so.
He was the only one alone in the secret chamber, and all other people had been sent away. Even Xu Hui could not enter the secret chamber on the warship without a sound.
This was an area that offered absolute safety to Su Ming.
'With the bald crane's intelligence, it should have registered what is going on. There's no need for me to remind it, then.' As Su Ming's eyes closed and opened his eyes, a brilliant light shone briefly within them.
'Right now, the most important thing is for me to increase my level of cultivation.' A hint of anticipation appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He took a deep breath, and at the instant his eyes slowly fell shut, he immediately circulating his cultivation base.
Once he Possessed Dao Kong, Dao Kong's original cultivation base which existed in the body also became an illusion and no longer possessed corporeal form. Instead, as Dao Kong died, it also started dissipating.
In truth, Su Ming's level of cultivation still remained at Heaven Cultivation Realm.
However, with Dao Kong's potential and with the energy Su Ming had stored over the years, he had confidence that he could easily reach World Plane Realm.
Almost at the instant Su Ming closed his eyes and as if his cultivation base circulated with a bang, Su Ming's Ecang clone opened his eyes in Western Ring Nebula's foreign land. Waves of Divine Essence appeared on the Ecang clone, as if there was a connection between him and Su Ming's cultivation base clone even though they were separated by an immeasurable distance.
'To move to World Plane Realm, I will need to obtain the acknowledgement from a world and use the power of World Plane contained in that world to let me head into World Plane Realm.
'I don't have the chance to have a world to acknowledge me… but I don't need the other worlds' acknowledgement either. I have… my own Ecang world.
'Previously, due to the limits of my potential, I could not become a cultivator in World Plane Realm even after a long time had passed. But now, the limit due to my potential is no longer around, and I… will step into World Plane Realm!' A brilliant light shone in Su Ming's eyes. He formed a seal and placed his hands on his knees. Once he sucked in a deep breath, he slowly closed his eyes.
At the instant he closed his eyes, the Ecang world where his Ecang clone was instantly bubble with excitement. The power of Divine Essence filled the worlds, and since Su Ming had originally left a Brand of his soul in the place, almost within an instant, dense waves of World Plane power were separated from the Divine Essence in those one hundred thousand worlds.
The Brand from Su Ming's soul was contained in this World Plane power. As they bubbled with excitement, they stirred up the presence within Su Ming's cultivation base clone, causing Su Ming, who had his eyes shut in the warship, to have his level of cultivation increase exponentially with a bang.
Bang!
Intense bangs echoed in Su Ming's head. That was the impact from a cultivator from Heaven Cultivation Realm trying to reach World Plane Realm. Just one impact alone was enough to cause Su Ming's body to tremble viciously. Within an instant, his cultivation base within him increased by several times its original amount, and from the peak of Heaven Cultivation Realm, he moved swiftly into the initial stage of World Plane Realm.
Once he entered World Plane Realm, Su Ming's Atman instantly grew several times in size. A feeling as if he had been enlightened and as if he could somewhat fuse with the galaxy immediately appeared in Su Ming's heart.
This feeling was something he had never experienced before. Right then, as it appeared for the first time, he could not help but be immersed in it.
"I have finally… reached a breakthrough and headed into World Plane Realm," Su Ming mumbled. His physical body might be incredibly strong and his Ecang clone might be far stronger than the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole, but due to his potential, his cultivation base could not hope to compare to them.
Yet now, he could sense the power of World Plane Realm. In fact, he sensed that as his power increased, his soul also seemed to be largely different from before.
"I should be able to continue increasing my power." Su Ming opened his eyes slightly. The profound look in his eyes made him seem as if the universe was contained within them. He mumbled softly and circulated his cultivation base once again to stir up the worlds where his Ecang clone was located. As his cultivation base circulated repeatedly within him, he attempted to reach the middle stage of World Plane Realm.
Rising abruptly in power due to accumulated strength. At that moment, this phrase was an apt description for Su Ming.
Chapter 908: God Ascension Nectar!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Due to the screen of light covering the warship, all the ripples formed by the impact from Su Ming's cultivation base were blocked. Not a single hint of his presence spread out, so no one could know what was happening to him.
Everything was normal.
The bald crane and the Abyss Dragon walked with a swagger on the warship, especially the bald crane. It had a provocative look in its eyes, and it would occasionally sweep its gaze arrogantly past some of the cultivators who were meditating around.
Perhaps it was tiring for it to do such a thing for a prolonged period of time, but it returned to its own room in the warship in an hour. When they were both back in their room, the Abyss Dragon stared at the bald crane. It had too many things it did not understand and was waiting for the bald crane to offer up an explanation to it.
"Just what is going on?" the Abyss Dragon asked in a low voice.
"Y-y-you… Seriously, you still don't understand?" The bald crane yawned, then cast a sideways glance at the Abyss Dragon as it sighed.
The man who was the Abyss Dragon frowned. He did not speak.
"It's a simple matter. We ran into a rich person, and he values me highly, so he used a great sum of money to invite me to become his attendant. You gained a profit as well since you're with me. It's that simple." The bald crane winked.
"This is… But what about Su Ming?" The Abyss Dragon was momentarily stunned. After a moment of hesitation, he looked at the bald crane.
"Ignore him. That person is too stingy. Look at how great our new boss is. He gave us a crystal right at the moment he met us, so we'll definitely have a bright future free of worries ahead of us if we follow him. We can even return to True Morning Dao World, isn't that great? You can also find that young mistress of yours soon." The bald crane cackled.
The Abyss Dragon hesitated again. It felt that such an act did not seem too good…
"Enough already. When have you ever suffered a loss since you joined me? Don't worry about it too much, once we're back in True Morning Dao World, I'll go with you to the Emperor of Abyss' True World. At that time, don't forget about the crystals you promised me." The bald crane yawned and sprawled down on the ground. It had taken the form of a human at that moment, but with this shape, no matter how it lay on the ground, it looked as if it was a dead dog.
The Abyss Dragon sighed and no longer spoke, but instead lay down in a corner. It also… looked like a big yellow dog.
When the Abyss Dragon sighed, a barely noticeable glint shone in the bald crane's eyes. The thoughts running through its head at that moment were something the Abyss Dragon could not understand with its mind.
'Heh heh, who else could it be but Su Ming who would throw a crystal at me the first time we meet?! That guy could even Possess Ecang and make the other Ecang souls unable to recognize him once he Possessed it, so Possessing a mere cultivator is easy-peasy to him. Besides, I haven't been paying attention to his soul previously, but once I look at him closely, who else could it be but Su Ming?
'Ah… As expected, I'm just so smart. It's a pity that there are far too few smart cranes in the world.'
As these thoughts flashed in the bald crane's head, an array of emotions that spoke of a feeling of arrogance and loneliness which made it feel as if it stood on the tallest peak and dwarfed all other existences appeared on its face.
The thirteen warships charged through the galaxy as days passed. In the blink of an eye, half a month went by.
They were already far away from Black Ink Planet. The spot in which they were currently located was very close to the periphery of Divine Essence Star Ocean. On their trip to the place, not a single faction of power dared show any form of ill-will towards them.
Usually, any cultivator who saw them would immediately avoid them and not dare to provoke them.
In fact, the small planets and small factions of power between Black Ink Planet and Divine Essence Star Ocean simply allowed the thirteen warships to pass by once they detected them.
If it was not the thirteen warships but Su Ming alone, then before he even reached the periphery of Divine Essence Star Ocean, he might have already been halted in his path a few times.
In this place, killing a person and stealing their things was something natural. There were countless cases of the weak being abused by the strong. Without a sufficient amount of power, no one would dare to head to Divine Essence Star Ocean.
Due to this law of survival, there were plenty of rogue cultivators who were like bandits in this region. They all lurked around with covetous eyes and would swarm towards all prey they believed they could steal from without any hesitation.
However, in the face of the thirteen awe-inspiring warships, all the factions of power did not dare provoke them.
Su Ming did not know all of this. During the past dozen something days, he had been immersed in increasing his level of cultivation. As he attempted breakthrough after breakthrough, he had reached the peak of the initial stage of World Plane Realm using the power of World Planes from Ecang's worlds. With just one more step, he could head into the middle stage of World Plane Realm.
However, this one step was not that easy to take. After trying several times to reach a breakthrough, Su Ming knew that even with Dao Kong's potential, he would need around one hundred years before he could reach the middle stage of World Plane Realm.
Even though Dao Kong had previously surpassed the middle stage of World Plane Realm, Su Ming had seen in his memories that while Dao Kong had reached the middle stage of World Plane Realm due to his potential, a grand ceremony called Morning Dao Pilgrimage played an even more important part in allowing him to reach that Realm.
Each of the direct descendants had a chance to go on Morning Dao Pilgrimage once when they ran into a stone wall in terms of their level of cultivation. It could be done only once, but it would give them a certain amount of certainty to break through their wall. However, the chances of success for that had a great connection to the person's potential.
Dao Kong had reached the middle stage of World Plane Realm when he reached a breakthrough during Morning Dao Pilgrimage, which he went to before he entered the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
After another failure, Su Ming opened his eyes. A brilliant light shone within them, and after a brief period of silence, he tapped his storage bag with his right hand, and a poisonous wasp immediately appeared in his hand.
The wasp's wings fluttered slightly as it lay on Su Ming's palm.
After a thousand something years of nurture, the wasp was now incredibly close to Su Ming, and the time for him to be able to take the God Ascension Nectar from its body had arrived. Su Ming sucked in a deep breath, and a resolute look appeared in his eyes.
One thousand something years of nurture had caused Su Ming to be certain that the God Ascension Nectar was indeed within the wasp's body. However, it was difficult for him to completely extract the nectar out from the wasp. It had already fused with the wasp, and the only way to take it out…
… was by its poison!
The God Ascension Nectar was contained within the wasp's poison, and he had to control the amount of poison produced to be able to retrieve it.
Once Su Ming sent a thought to the wasp, it immediately disappeared. When it reappeared, it was already beside Su Ming's chest. The poisonous stinger turned into a chilling ray of light that stabbed forward.
If Su Ming had not nurtured and familiarized himself with the wasp, then her sting would have injected a great amount of poison into his system. Then, what awaited Su Ming would no longer be a serendipity, but danger.
Yet now, it was different. Even though the wasp had stung his body, he was in control of the wasp. It was injecting the poison along with the God Ascension Nectar in an incredibly cautious manner.
In just a moment, Su Ming's body turned purplish black. The poisonous wasp swiftly pulled out the needle and flew around him. There was a hint of anxiety within the buzzing it produced while it flew.
Su Ming's face was purplish black at that moment, and his body trembled. The wasp's poison had already filled him due to the circulation of blood, but since he controlled the amount, the poison would not be activated instantly. Instead, it would remain at an amount which he could bear.
Su Ming sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Several days later, the purplish black hue on his body slowly retreated, until all of it gathered on his right index finger, turning it pitch black. At that moment, Su Ming opened his eyes. With a fingernail, he sliced through his index finger, and black blood poured out.
When all the poisoned blood flowed out, there was no longer any poison within Su Ming, only a hint of… a golden substance that looked like honey. If he pulled at it, he could form a long thread from his wound to his finger, but that golden substance would not fuse with his blood.
That golden substance… was naturally the God Ascension Nectar!
More accurately speaking, this was just a small amount of the nectar within the wasp. However, just this small amount of nectar was enough for Su Ming to close his eyes. He activated his cultivation base and had it circulate in his body, stirring up his Qi to make the substance in his blood melt, and at that moment, a thunderous boom rang out in his head.
The loud sound replaced Su Ming's thoughts. Right then, a violent and frantic power swiftly erupted in his body.
The God Ascension Nectar was the supreme treasure Su Ming had obtained in Yin Death Region. It was given the name God Ascension because it was said that this nectar could turn a mortal into a God. It might seem like the effects had been exaggerated, but if such a legend had been circulating around, it was enough to show how great of a storm this nectar had brought to the ancient world.
God Ascension Nectar could be said to have gone extinct a long time ago in the universe, so not a single bit of it could be found in the world anymore. However, as fate would have it, some bit of that nectar… remained in a single poisonous wasp.
And that wasp had not died, but had even been saved by Su Ming!
This was a serendipity, Su Ming's serendipity.
If fact, if anyone else knew that Su Ming possessed this God Ascension Nectar, then even the four Great True Worlds would make a disaster fall on his head to snatch his poisonous wasp.
God Ascension Nectar was a supreme treasure that could make even the ferocious beasts in the universe to go mad over it!
This… was an astonishing item that should not exist in the universe!
Just a small thread of that nectar alone was enough for Su Ming to feel as if he was burning. Amid the booming sounds, his blood boiled, and his consciousness scattered under them. It was the case for his cultivation base clone, and it was the same for his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole. However, Su Ming's Ecang clone retained his consciousness under those booming sounds, guiding Su Ming's soul in controlling his cultivation base clone and ceaselessly circulating his power to melt that bit of God Ascension Nectar.
Every single time his cultivation base completed a cycle in his body, the God Ascension Nectar would melt slightly and increase Su Ming's cultivation base with a loud bang. The wall between the peak of the initial stage of World Plane Realm and the middle stage of World Plane was swiftly broken after only circulating his cultivation base nine times.
Once Su Ming broke through, he realized that he could still not gather his thoughts. The power of the God Ascension Nectar in his body was too powerful, and he even had the false impression that his body was about to burst.
As he absorbed the God Ascension Nectar and had his cultivation base circulate the tenth time in his body, the screen of light that was formed on the warship could no longer withstand the vast presence spreading out from his body, and with a bang, it shattered inch by inch.
Once the screen of light shattered, all the cultivators on the warship instantly looked over. The nine old men's hearts trembled, and they stood up swiftly.
In fact, the thirteen warships also stopped at that instant.
"The young master is training, have the warships surround and protect him!" the old man who looked the oldest in appearance among the nine said in an awe-inspiring voice.
It was at this instant that the nine old men's expressions suddenly changed, and they looked towards the pitch-black galaxy in the distance. In fact, even Xu Hui walked out from the air, and with a solemn expression, she looked towards Su Ming before shifting her gaze away, far ahead of them.
The space there was engulfed by a dead silence, but if anyone took a closer look, they would be able to see a ball of black fog swiftly expanding over there.
As it expanded, a sound that seemed like a baby wailing echoed faintly in the space.
That was… a powerful ferocious beast that lived in the periphery of Divine Essence Star Ocean… and it had been lured out by the God Ascension Nectar!
Chapter 909: A Serendipity, as Well as Danger
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The screen of light shattered, and Su Ming's figure which was sitting cross-legged inside was revealed to the world. It could be clearly seen that his body was entirely red at that moment, and there were veins on his skin. His body kept trembling, and his face was twisted, as if he was enduring great pain.
A heavy, fragrant scent spread out from Su Ming's trembling body, and that fragrance was so strong that it swiftly spread outwards once the screen of light shattered. The ferocious beast that was letting out wails that sounded like an infant's cries was instantly attracted by it.
That fragrance was enough to stir up the madness that existed in the ancient blood coursing through all ferocious beasts.
And the fragrance had only spread out just then. If it was given more time, then ferocious beasts from all over the place would come rushing over.
In fact, once the cultivators on the thirteen warships smelled that fragrance, their cultivation bases started circulating rapidly due to the stimulation. They felt like with each breath they inhaled, their cultivation bases increased.
This scene caused their hearts to tremble, and it did not matter whether it was the nine old men or the hidden Xu Hui, all of them looked swiftly towards Su Ming. Their expressions might be different, but there was shock and bewilderment in their hearts right then.
"The Waves of Tears from Star Ocean!"
As the wails from the infant echoed in the air and the fog tumbled about in the distance, dark light shone on the thirteen warships. The catwoman's pupils shrank, and she instantly spoke in a hurried tone with a flushed face. The effect of the fragrance from Su Ming was mild to cultivators compared to ferocious beasts. To them, the stimulation was much greater.
And as a catwoman, the young woman was caught in a state between that of a human and a creature; the fragrance from Su Ming was strong enough to leave her muddled. At that moment, she bit down on her tongue, and only that allowed her to clear her mind.
"This creature is a strange spirit that lives in the periphery of Divine Essence Star Ocean, but it is incredibly docile. It usually doesn't attack those who pass by, but why would it… today…" At the instant the catwoman spoke, the sound of a baby crying reached them with a bang. This time, it was at a volume that was several times stronger than before.
The sound was piercing, and when it came towards them from the fog in the distance, a large numerous waves rose up in the galaxy, as if the sound had turned into waves that were tumbling through the sea.
Out of the twelve warships protecting Su Ming's ships, three faced the Waves of Tears. Almost at the instant the piercing sound that left their ears ringing reached them, the three warships started inclining and were forced back by the impact.
"Its voice is like waves, and its wails can make it seem as if it can turn the galaxy into an ocean. As its voice tumbles about, the waves of sound can submerge space. This… This is the Waves of Tears, the creature that exists in the periphery of Divine Essence Star Ocean." The catwoman's face was slightly pale as she swiftly explained all she knew.
Once the woman finished speaking, one of the nine old man ordered in a ghastly voice, "Notify all warships and activate our strongest divine abilities at the same time. We will… shoot this creature down!"
"Sect Elder, you must not. This creature is not one that travels alone. It loves staying in the company of others of its kind. Once we attack, we might bring the other Waves of Tears to us, and at that time…" The catwoman quickly stopped him.
Before the old man could speak again, Xu Hui's solemn voice interrupted him. "We will move past that creature."
Until Su Ming regained consciousness, her voice was the highest ranking one in this group of people. Even the nine old men could only obey.
While protecting Su Ming, the warships slowly moved forward, intending to circle around the region and avoid the Waves of Tears.
Yet at the instant the thirteen warships were about to skirt past the creature, its shrill infant wail rose into the air once again. This time, the tumbling fog swiftly spread out, and from its previous size, which was ten thousand feet wide, it grew to nearly fifty thousand feet wide. It was also moving in the direction… of the thirteen warships.
The creature was preventing the thirteen warships from leaving. The sharp wails that stirred up the waves in the galaxy also seemed to possess the Waves of Tears' will to charge towards them from all directions like a tidal wave.
"You're just courting death!" The old man who had spoken just then might have his eyes shut, but when his cold voice echoed in space, it reached all the other thirteen warships. "Activate your strongest Arts and shoot the beast down!"
Since the Waves of Tears' animosity was so obvious, running away from it would not solve the problem, which was why when the old man spoke this time, Xu Hui did not stop him.
Almost at the instant the old man's words spread through the thirteen warships, the dark light in them grew brighter. When it grew so bright that it was dazzling, the bows of the thirteen warships swiftly sucked away all that dark light, as if there was a vortex contained there.
Bang!
A shocking loud bang echoed through the galaxy. Thirteen huge black pillars of light shot out from the thirteen warships, and with an astonishing presence, they swiftly burst forth. The thirteen pillars of light were like thirteen sharp arrows and instantly sliced through the galaxy, stirring up waves that surged up to the heavens. They crashed against the waves of sound formed by the piercing wail from the Waves of Tears.
Right before everyone's eyes, the thirteen pillars of light sliced through the air and crashed into the fog that was still expanding endlessly. However… just like a stone falling into the ocean, they were devoured by the fog, and not a single one of them could be seen anymore.
This scene landed in the eyes of those from Morning Dao Sect, but their expressions remained the same, and not much changes could be detected on them. In fact, a cold sneer even appeared on the nine elders' lips.
Almost at the instant those sneers appeared, a loud bang that drowned out all other sounds erupted from the fog.
In the mid of that noise, the fog fell apart. As parts of it tumbled outwards, the entire creature disintegrated.
However, at that moment, the sound a of baby crying surged into the sky from the fog that was falling apart. Monkey-like creatures that were only about one hundred feet big shot out and charged towards the ships in a swarm.
The massive Waves of Tears continued screeching nonstop. Once any of the monkey-like creatures rushed out, they would swiftly be surrounded by the fog, turning indistinct. This scene brought a great shock to the people from Morning Dao Sect.
This shock then turned into a tremor, and they felt their skins crawl.
This was because in the distance, ten more huge balls of fog appeared. The sounds of babies crying rose and fell… and farther into the distance, the group saw a meteor that was charging over at them!
The meteor was dark red, and underneath it were countless Waves of Tears that were around a thousand feet big. They were charging towards them while roaring and looking as if they were carrying the meteor.
In fact… on that meteor was a Waves of Tears that was one hundred thousand feet big. Its eyes were bloodshot and filled with greed. Its roars drowned out all the other sounds made by the other creatures.
"Activate full speed! Leave in haste!" Xu Hui could no longer remain calm, and her voice echoed in the air. In an instant, the thirteen warships let out huge booming sounds and turned into thirteen long arcs that charged into the distance.
However, right behind them were countless Waves of Tears that were charging right after.
"Damn monkeys! I hate monkeys the most!" The bald crane poked its head out from its room, and once it cast a glance at the endless Waves of Tears, it immediately shuddered and began gnashing its teeth in anger.
"Monkeys are the worst— Hmm? Why I do I feel as if I had a grudge against them in the past? Mm… Ah, I don't care, no matter what it is, monkeys are the worst." As it mumbled, it suddenly sniffed the air and looked towards Su Ming. Surprise appeared on its face.
"This fragrance… is familiar, very familiar. I seem to have eaten it in the past…"
As the bald crane was caught by surprise, the Abyss Dragon was already trembling next to it. With excitement on its face, it started circulating its cultivation base. It could clearly sense that its fragmented cultivation base was starting to show signs of recovery due to the stimulation by the fragrance.
Booming sounds echoed in the area around them. The Waves of Tears numbered to no less than several hundreds of thousands. This alone was enough to shake all cultivators. Unless they had a powerful warrior in Solar Kalpa Realm, it would be impossible for them to fight against that horde.
In fact, perhaps even a cultivator in Solar Kalpa Realm would find it hard to maintain his composure in the face of this swarm of Waves of Tears. After all, the mighty pressure coming from the Waves of Tears that was a hundred thousand feet big was powerful enough to intimidate all living things.
Su Ming was completely unaware of the danger the group faced at the moment. Right then, he was circulating all his cultivation base and continuously melting the God Ascension Nectar in his blood. As he circulated his cultivation base, each cycle he completed would cause booming sound in his body and make him tremble even harder. In fact, he even had a feeling like his soul was about to scatter.
This was… the effect of just a tiny bit of God Ascension Nectar, but even if there was only a tiny bit of it, it was already almost unbearable for Su Ming. If it was not because his Ecang clone was still providing for his soul and was guiding his cultivation base to circulate in his body to digest the nectar, then Su Ming's body would have already exploded.
Serendipity had no form, and it was difficult to get a clear grasp of it. This God Ascension Nectar delivered a great impact to all other life forms in the universe, but to the poisonous wasp, it was not the case. It could keep that God Ascension Nectar in its body without any danger. The nectar fused with its poison, but did not increase its offensive abilities. In fact, it did not have much of an effect to its poison either.
It was just like that poison. To the other living creatures, it was poison, but to the wasp itself, that poison brought no harm.
Su Ming's cultivation base was increasing swiftly as he continued melting the God Ascension Nectar. He had broken the wall that was the initial stage of World Plane Realm, and now that his cultivation based was still increasing, he was heading swiftly towards attain completion in the middle stage of World Plane Realm.
However… by then, he had only melted less than a three-tenths of that tiny bit of God Ascension Nectar in his body, yet he could sense that he had already reached his limit.
His soul could no longer continue, and his body was already finding it difficult to continue melting that nectar. His potential in the path of cultivation was even showing signs of being destroyed under the impact.
'God Ascension Nectar… God Ascension Power… This tiny bit in my body is just a small portion of the God Ascension Nectar in the poisonous wasp's body, but I can't even melt all of this tiny bit. I need to get used to it for some time before I'll be able to try again. If that is the case, then the God Ascension Nectar that still in my body will no longer be a serendipity, but become a fatal poison!'
Su Ming opened his eyes with great difficulty. The Divine Essence Runic Symbols on his Sacred Constellation Robe rose and fell, and this was a sign that he was using the power of Divine Essence to suppress the God Ascension Nectar.
At the instant he opened his eyes, he saw the endless Waves of Tears behind him, the solemn expressions on the faces of all those around him, and heard the screeches that traveled through the entire galaxy.
He also smelled the thick, fragrant scent coming from his body.
Chapter 910: Why Should I Leave?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming's gaze changed. The unfocused look in his pupils disappeared, replaced by a brilliant light that shone in all directions. His expression immediately became dark. Based on his experience, he naturally understood why his warship had made these ferocious beasts mad in this galaxy.
This was clearly due to the fragrance coming from his body. After all, this fragrance… came from the God Ascension Nectar!
By then, Su Ming had only melted three-tenths of the God Ascension Nectar in his body. There was still more than half of it left in him because his body could not endure it. If he left it in his body, it would no longer be a serendipity, but would become a fatal poison.
This was why he could no longer continue circulating his cultivation base and melt it. Even though it would be a pity, he had to let it all out from his body. As his expression turned dark, a hint of determination shone in his eyes.
'I miscalculated this time. I thought I could absorb the God Ascension Nectar if I only took a bit out… but by the looks of it, it's not something I can melt even if it's just a litt…' Su Ming sighed.
At that moment, the swarm of Waves of Tears that were chasing after the thirteen warships let out increasingly more piercing roars. As the balls of fog charged forward, they fused together, becoming bigger, and their speed also increased exponentially.
It became so quick in fact that it became faster than the warships, and like a bolt of lightning, it charged towards them.
There were three balls of fog with this speed.
Each of them was nearly seventy thousand feet big, and as they charged forward, they looked like dark clouds gathering over the group's head. In an instant, the thirteen warships were enveloped.
"Activate the warships' divine ability, attack the fog in the middle!" Su Ming said in a dark tone without moving from his position. "Xu Hui, fog on the right. Nine Frail Darknesses, I will allow you to open your eyes for a while, attack the fog on the left!"
Su Ming did not say the three sentences quickly, but once they were voiced, the thirteen warships immediately turned around in one motion. The dark light at their bows grew to a blinding degree, and with a bang, thirteen pillars of light charged towards the fog that was the Waves of Tears in the middle.
Soon after, Xu Hui, who was hidden in the air, let out a cold harrumph. She might be displeased with Su Ming speaking to her in an authoritative tone, but she knew that this was not the time to refuse his request. Murderous aura shone in her long and narrow eyes, and she appeared near the ball of fog to her right. When she lifted her right hand, sixteen figures that looked exactly like her appeared behind her and struck with their palms in unison.
At the instant booming sounds reverberated in the air, all of the nine old men opened their eyes slightly in the direction of the ball of fog to the left, revealing a very distinct white light in the dark galaxy. These nine old men growled at the same time, lifted their right hands, and pointed at the fog.
Loud booms rose and fell as they reverberated in the air. The three balls of fog formed by the Waves of Tears instantly disintegrated and fell back in the midst of these bangs. At the same time as the balls of fog fell apart, nearly ten thousand Waves of Tears charged out from the scattered fog. Their shrill voices spread out in all directions, and they swiftly rushed towards Su Ming.
Killing intent shone in Su Ming's eyes. He saw the Waves of Tears staring at him, and the greed as well as madness in their eyes was enough proof to tell him that his previous guess had been correct—the ferocious beasts had been attracted by the fragrance of the God Ascension Nectar. Once he verified this point of view, he knew that there was little time for him left.
If the God Ascension Nectar could make these Waves of Tears go wild, then it would definitely make other ferocious beasts go mad as well. However, this region belonged to the Waves of Tears, which was why there were no other ferocious beasts around, but if this continued for too long, then the fragrance from the God Ascension Nectar would continue spreading and would definitely attract more ferocious beasts. At that time, Su Ming and his group would all die.
"Charge ahead at full speed. All hands, heed my words, do not leave the warship. Resist the ferocious beasts on your own ships," Su Ming said in a low voice as his eyes shone. He had noticed some hints about these Waves of Tears when he observed them just then.
Fog was their protection, and it was an incredibly powerful one. It could withstand a full-powered strike from a cultivator in Lunar Kalpa Realm. Only by destroying that fog could they truly attack these Waves of Tears, since the beasts would need time to gather that fog around themselves again.
During the time they did not have the fog's protection, the combat abilities of Waves of Tears would be the same as cultivators in Earth Cultivation Realm. However, since their numbers were so great, it was difficult to kill all of them swiftly.
Yet similarly, the thirteen pillars of light, which were the strongest power of the thirteen warships, also needed time to be activated. Because of that, there was a gap in time until the pillars of light could fire their next charge, and by then, the fog would have already gathered around the Waves of Tears once more.
On top of that, not all Waves of Tears were equivalent to cultivators in Earth Cultivation Realm. Some of them were seven to eight hundred feet tall, and they could bring forth power equivalent to those in Heaven Cultivation Realm.
There were also some who were more a thousand feet tall. Their offensive abilities were on equal grounds of people in the initial stage of World Plane Realm, and there were more than a few of them around.
This could only happen in Divine Essence Star Ocean; it would be hard to see such swarms anywhere else, and they were made of ferocious beasts with levels of cultivation that could shock others. In fact, Su Ming could even see some Waves of Tears that were ten thousand feet away in the distance whose mighty pressure was on that belonged to cultivators in the middle stage of World Plane Realm.
The most shocking one was the hundred thousand feet tall Wave of Tears sitting on the meteor situated farthest from them. That beast's eyes were shining with a red light. It possessed intelligence, and the mighty pressure spreading out from it… was the might of heaven that could only be formed by monsters in Solar Kalpa Realm.
That beast was covered in fiery red fur, and it was clearly different from the other Waves of Tears. The relaxed look on its face also gave others a feeling that they were facing off against a cultivator.
There were four Waves of Tears that were eighty thousand something feet tall around that beast. These four beats were clearly very old, but based on their presence, he could tell that they were… at the peak of the later stage of World Plane Realm!
With these five Waves of Tears around, most of the cultivators in the universe would be shocked and terrified. Based on this, it could be seen that there was a reason why Divine Essence Star Ocean was known as the forbidden grounds.
And this was only the area near the periphery of Divine Essence Star Ocean. Su Ming's group had not yet even stepped into the danger zone. If they had, then there might be even more swarms of creatures like these, and there would also be those mysterious and enigmatic tribes of the alien races as well.
Those tribes had lived in Divine Essence Star Ocean for countless years, and survived alongside the alien creatures without getting destroyed, which could only mean that they something to support them and had their own areas which brought fear in others.
At that moment, Su Ming finally sensed how mysterious and powerful Divine Essence Star Ocean was. The swarm of Waves of Tears this time also left a powerful impression on his mind.
Su Ming's face turned dark. He knew that he had been reckless this time. As he sighed, he turned to face the Waves of Tears pouncing on him. Killing intent shone in his eyes. Shrill roars rose in the air, and the booming sounds from divine abilities reverberated in the galaxy.
There were thirteen warships, and each one was filled with around a thousand Waves of Tears. They were all fighting in a frenzy against hundreds of cultivators. The creatures had already gone mad, wanting to kill the cultivators without a care for anything. Su Ming even saw that when a cultivator died, a group of Waves of Tears would immediately pounce on the body, ripping and biting into the flesh as if looking for something there.
When Su Ming saw this, he instantly understood. The fragrance that came from the God Ascension Nectar in his body must have entered everyone's bodies once they inhaled it, but they could not immediately melt it, which was why some of it still remained in them, and this remnant was the source that caused the Waves of Tears to go mad.
The number of Waves of Tears on Su Ming's warship was the smallest, because his warship was protected by the others. If the beasts wanted to come in, they had to destroy the warships around him.
The battle instantly reached an intense state. Many Waves of Tears died, but their numbers were endless, and in fact, another four balls of fog that were seventy thousand something feet big were charging towards them from the distance.
There were hundreds of Waves of Tears that were one thousand feet big, several dozens of them that were ten thousand feet big, and even a gigantic one that was around fifty thousand feet big and possessed power equivalent to those in the later stage of World Plane Realm. They were all roaring while charging over.
"Young master, we are in a life-and-death situation right now. Please use your full power to activate the warship and leave. We are willing to give up our lives to buy time for you."
"Young master, please leave!"
Voices saying such things were continuously coming into Su Ming's ears from the warships around him. The fearless warriors from Morning Dao Sect were ready give up their lives for him. In fact, the value of their existence was to protect the direct descendants of Morning Dao Sect.
"Young master…" The nine old men beside Su Ming hesitated for a while before they looked at him.
The catwoman fell silent and waited for Su Ming's choice by his side. With her understanding towards Dao Kong, she knew that he would choose to leave. As for her… she might be taken away, but if they ran into a danger they could not solve again, then it was certain that he would sacrifice her.
Xu Hui cast Su Ming a cold glance and let out a cold snort in her heart. With how much of a farce Dao Kong was, he would definitely pretend not to run first, but if it became more dangerous, he would choose to take some people and run.
The sounds of battle echoed in the air, and the whistling sounds that came as the Waves of Tears charged forth were getting closer. The warships might be fast, but there were numerous beasts that were fighting against the cultivators from Morning Dao Sect at the moment, so the Enchanted Vessels' speed was becoming increasingly slower.
"Why should I leave?" Su Ming asked flatly. When he said these words, Xu Hui immediately laughed coldly, and her expression grew more disdainful and filled up with hate.
"Nine seniors of mine, you do not need to protect me, spread out and fend against the enemies! Xu Hui, if you have time to laugh coldly, then you have the time to let one less of my subordinates die! And you, change into your fastest form; otherwise, why should I keep you around?!"
Su Ming swept his gaze across everyone he mentioned. The nine old men lowered their heads and swiftly spread out, scattering among the warships, then executed their full strength to fight against the Waves of Tears.
Xu Hui still had a cold sneer on her face, but she did not refuse to obey his orders and joined the fight against the Waves of Tears.
As for the catwoman, she lowered her head and voiced her obedience. When she rose up, her head immediately became long and pointed. With a single move, she disappeared without a trace. She traveled so fast that she was swimming around the twelve warships. Wherever she went, blood would spill from the Waves of Tears, and shrill screams of pain would echo in the air.
Su Ming stood up. At the instant a glint appeared in his eyes, the Duke of Crimson Flame's totem manifested on his right arm underneath his sleeve.
"Duke of Crimson Flame, shift with me!" At the instant he sent his thought, his body disappeared, and when he appeared, he was beside the four balls of fog that belonged to the Waves of Tears in the distance.
His act of shifting shocked the cultivators from Morning Dao World, and anxiousness filled them, especially the nine old men. Their hearts trembled, and even Xu Hui was clearly stunned. She had not expected that Dao Kong would truly not run away… but choose to fight against the beasts personally.
'I will definitely not run away from the trouble I caused.'
Killing intent shone in Su Ming's eyes, and a large wave of the fragrance from the God Ascension Nectar spilled out from his body, because of which the Waves of Tears became even more crazed. Quite a large number of them on the warships even turned around and charged back towards him with piercing roars.
Su Ming lifted his right hand. The reason behind why the fragrance from the God Ascension Nectar had become so thick was because when he had circulated his cultivation base this time, he had abstained from melting God Ascension Nectar and used the simplest method to force it out of his body, which was by a windstorm that would purge the universe.
The power of the God Ascension Nectar was a serendipity, but once it was set aflame, it would turn into a bloodbath.
Chapter 911: Light Blue
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In an instant, Su Ming was surrounded by countless Waves of Tears which roared in piercing voices. It sounded like they could penetrate the galaxy as they echoed in all directions.
In fact, there were even some of Waves of Tears that were one thousand something feet big. With madness as well as greed, they pounced on Su Ming.
"Fool!" Xu Hui's expression changed, and without any hesitation, she intended to shift to save him. She knew that with his power, he could perhaps last for a while, but Dao Kong, who had not lived through much bloodshed and had not gone through many life-and-death situations was like a flower kept and protected in a house. He would definitely wilt and die when faced with a chilling wind.
She was also certain that Su Ming's actions were due to a moment of impulse. This was not something Dao Kong would do normally, but it could come from a moment of hot-bloodedness. She might be calling him a fool from anger, but deep in her heart, her feelings towards him had changed slightly, but only in a barely noticeable manner.
The nine old men also sported drastic changes in their expressions. They immediately shifted, but the catwoman was even faster than they were. Almost at the moment Su Ming was surrounded by the Waves of Tears, she charged forth at full speed and appeared right in the mid of the swarm.
"Young master…" Once the catwoman appeared, she spoke anxiously, but just as she was about to break free of the encirclement with Su Ming, her voice died in her throat.
She saw Su Ming, but there was not a hint of panic on his face. He looked as sullen as ever, but there was calm underneath it. He allowed the Waves of Tears to surround him, allowed them to pounce on him and use their sharp claws to tear into him, as if he wanted his body to be torn apart.
But this was not the reason behind the catwoman's words dying in her mouth. The real reason was that when the Waves of Tears tore at Su Ming with their sharp claws which could rip apart a cultivator's body, there was a sound like they had hit bronze. The beasts could only scream at that moment.
Their claws cracked, making it seem like the amount of force they used to tear into Su Ming was the exact same force that rebounded back at them, and due to it, their claws shattered.
It was as if the resilience of Su Ming's physical body was a wall that their claws could not tear apart.
A Wave of Tears that was one thousand feet big got close to him with a roar. Its body was huge, compared to which Su Ming looked like an ant. That one hundred thousand feet Wave of Tears also used its sharp claws, which were the size of Su Ming whole, to tear at its prey.
Only the catwoman who had rushed into the swarm of Waves of Tears saw this, no one else. At the instant the catwoman's pupils shrank, Su Ming lifted his head, and the cold sneer on his lips became even colder. The killing intent in his eyes seemed to be able to stir up the galaxy around him, filling the area with a biting chill.
Bang!
Su Ming did not dodge, simply allowing the one thousand feet Wave of Tears to strike him with its claws, and the catwoman was left speechless.
The ferocious expression on the Wave of Tears' face turned into one of momentary shock, and veins popped up on its face. It had used its greatest strength, but much to its astonishment, it could not crush this seemingly weak cultivator. It was as if it had not grabbed a cultivator, but a freezing rock that could not be damaged at all.
What caused its roars to freeze as well was Su Ming slowly lifting his hands.
What he was doing was not the simple act of lifting his hands, because he had only started lifting his hands once that gigantic claw seized his body. His movement slowly unfurled the giant hand from around him, and it was something the one thousand feet Wave of Tears could not control. It was as if… Su Ming's strength had already surpassed that of the gigantic beast.
After Su Ming pushed open the Wave of Tears' fingers one by one, he clenched his right fist and punched the sharp claws in front of him.
A loud bang sounded in space, and the one thousand feet Wave of Tears trembled furiously. The frenzied look on its face instantly turned into fear when its claws were shattered. But the damage didn't stop there, it continued spreading up to its right arm, upper body, and then through all of its being. The Wave of Tears let out a shrill roar and then shattered with a bang.
At the instant this happened, a light blue light floated out of its body, lighting up the entire area. When Su Ming took notice of it, his body trembled.
A strange light instantly shone in his eyes. His expression changed, and that was because at the moment he saw that light blue glow… the black fragment that had always been with him, hidden in his soul, the fragment which was known as the Seed of Life Extermination by Ecang and which had not shown any other uses for a long time, suddenly released a wave of heat.
All the clones sensed that heat at the same time, as well as how it created a faint suction forced to suck in the light blue glow.
Su Ming was not unfamiliar with this feeling. It was… the exact same feeling as when he had entered the dimension in the fragment when he had been in Dark Mountain all those years ago.
His heart could not help but tremble fiercely. He had opened a couple doors within the fragment's dimension, but there were still plenty of them that he could not open, for he did not have sufficient medicinal pills required to open the next door. This had stopped him from progressing many years ago.
It was not that Su Ming did not have the materials to create them, but as his level of cultivation rose and as he experienced more things, he had very little time to calm down and create those medicinal pills.
A light swiftly shone in Su Ming's eyes. The thing that caused this suction force to appear from his black stone fragment and even gave him the feeling that he would only get when he entered the fragment's dimension stirred up a great amount of interest within Su Ming. He had a feeling that his stone fragment… would have a great change due to the swarm of creatures around him.
A brilliant light shone in Su Ming's eyes. However, once the one thousand feet Waves of Tears died and the light blue glow appeared, Su Ming was not the only one who noticed it. All of the Waves of Tears looked like they had gone mad. As they roared, they even gave up on the idea of surrounding Su Ming and attacking him. Instead, they charged towards that light blue glow.
It was as if that light blue glow was even more attractive and important than the God Ascension Nectar, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say… that this thing was more suitable for their kind.
This scene did not only make Su Ming's pupils constrict, but the catwoman also instinctively looked over. It was also at this moment that Xu Hui and the nine old men shifted over.
They saw at the same time that a Wave of Tears that was one hundred feet tall was standing closest to the light blue glow among the numerous Waves of Tears. It pounced on that glow recklessly, and it immediately fused with its body. In an instant, that Wave of Tears roared at the sky, and blood gushed out of its body. That was… due to its body being torn apart as its blood and flesh increased at a mad pace.
The creature's roars were filled with pain as its body expanded right before everyone's eyes. When it became one thousand feet tall… it jumped from possessing the offensive abilities of a cultivator of Earth Cultivation Realm to someone who could fight against a cultivator in the initial stage of World Plane Realm.
Its eyes were bloodshot. When it turned its gaze towards Su Ming, monstrous hate appeared there. Based on the emotion that flashed in its eyes just then… it actually somewhat resembled the Wave of Tears who had died moments before.
Roar!
The one thousand feet Wave of Tears roared at Su Ming, but it did not charge towards him. Instead, it retreated, charging backwards as if it was fleeing, wanting to be far away from this place.
"It's the first time I saw a method of inheritance like this." When he saw that the one thousand feet Wave of Tears wanted to flee, a faint glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes, and he chased after it.
The other Waves of Tears around spread out then and charged after Su Ming and the group with furious roars, as if the scene just now was something they were already used to and did not care.
Quite a number of Waves of Tears that were less than one thousand feet big had died recently, but the faint blue glow did not exist in their bodies. Only the one thousand feet Wave of Tears possessed that glow which made the other Waves of Tears descend into madness.
Su Ming's pupils constricted slightly, but he did not say anything about it. Instead, he took a step forward, and in an instant, he appeared right beside the fleeing one thousand feet Wave of Tears. He lifted his right hand again, and killing intent shone in his eyes. He forced out a little more of the God Ascension Nectar's power in his body.
A loud bang resounded in space. The one thousand feet Wave of Tears roared and turned its head as Su Ming struck it through space with his palm. Madness appeared on its face, but even if it had obtained the inheritance with that strange method, it still could not avoid the strike which possessed the power of God Ascension Nectar.
The one thousand feet Wave of Tears shuddered. Its body disintegrated and collapsed within an instant due to the wind brought by the palm strike. Then, another faint blue glow floated out of its body.
Before the other Waves of Tears could pounce on it, Su Ming's eyes sparkled. He moved and appeared right beside the faint blue glow, and seized it.
The one hundred thousand feet Wave of Tears on the meteor in the distance had a hint of a cold sneer on its lips. Clearly, it believed that the faint blue glow was not something a cultivator could control, but was instead something only the Waves of Tears could absorb.
In fact, based on what it could remember, there had been quite a number of cultivators who had gone after the Waves of Tears' inheritance, but all of them had their bodies and spirits destroyed once they completely absorbed it. There was no exception to this.
Because of this, at the instant Su Ming touched the glow, the one hundred thousand feet Wave of Tears' mouth curled up into an even more prominent sneer.
Yet immediately after, a strange change occurred!
The faint blue glow in Su Ming's hand was absorbed into his body, and a focused light appeared in his eyes. He could clearly sense that the heat spreading out from the black stone fragment was so strong that it seemed as if it could burn his soul.
Chapter 912: Ancient Ballad
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"There is an ancient ballad…
"In that ballad was a lonely old man…
"In the old man's eyes was a boundless world…
"That was during the time when the Gods existed. It was an age when all manner of living contended against each other. It was… a law when the universe operated due to a single person's will…"
A faint voice rose swiftly in Su Ming's mind and echoed in his head. The ancient air in that voice gave Su Ming a feeling that the owner was even older than Sui Chen Zi.
"People worshiped this old man. They used strange items as offerings to him, strange treasures as sacrifices for him… so that they could obtain the right for themselves or their race to be written in the ballad…
"Legends say that all the people or races written in the ballad will not decay as long as that ballad exists, and they would also grow from normal beings to prosperous existences…
"However, over the course of numerous years, only nine lives and four races obtained the old man's acknowledgement with the items they offered and were written into his ballad…
"From then on… those nine lives and four races began their legend as eternal entities…"
Su Ming's mind rumbled as the voice in his head became even more ancient. While it continued echoing in his head, it was like the universe had come to a stop at that instant and Su Ming's consciousness was the only thing that moved, tumbling about.
It was also during the instant that the voice echoed in his head that a loud bang rang out in his mind, shaking his soul. In the mid of it, a layer of distortions suddenly appeared around him. In the blink of an eye, they turned into a gigantic vortex. As it spun, it devoured Su Ming like a huge gaping mouth in space, and he disappeared without a trace in the galaxy.
Su Ming's heart trembled, but he did not panic. This was not the first time he had this sort of experience. This was… the process of entering the dimension in the fragment. When everything before his vision cleared, he looked around him, and a familiar sight appeared in front of his eyes.
Fog surrounded the area, making everything around him indistinct, but he saw a mountain in the distance. The door in the mountain was open, as if it was waiting for his arrival. All of this was just as he had seen before. This was… the world in the black stone fragment.
However, this time, Su Ming did not take the initiative to come to this place. Instead, some strange changes had occurred to the black fragment which forcefully sucked him inside.
Almost at the instant Su Ming looked towards the mountain, voices that sounded like roars rang out in the world of the stone fragment. These voices were like heavy breaths, and as they reverberated in the air, the land started trembling.
Su Ming's pupils constricted.
He saw nine indistinct ferocious beasts with the shells of turtles, the heads of dragons, and the tails of snakes in the sea of clouds in the sky above. As they roared, they descended from the sea of clouds.
Each one of them was tens of thousands of feet big, and that heavy breathing came from their mouths. There was a chain around each of their bodies, and as they descended, these chains were stretched taut, as if there was some strange item in the sea of clouds and these nine dark turtles intended to drag it out.
As the roars became stronger, Su Ming gradually saw… a mountain in the sea of mountains. It was forcefully dragged out, and when most of its body appeared, it landed on the ground with a bang.
The height and the majestic feeling this mountain gave off surpassed those of the mountain that existed here before. In truth, when the two were put in comparison, they looked like a giant and a child.
The gigantic second mountain was several times larger than the first mountain. It also had a gigantic stone door, and on that door were written several ancient letters.
A ghastly feeling spread out from those letters, and that feeling was incredibly great. Su Ming felt like his soul and his body were being corroded away at the instant he saw them
His heart trembled as he looked at the letters. At the instant he saw them, he naturally understood the meaning those words they tried to convey.
Nurture, decaying spirit.
The second part stood for: When all lives die, everything about rots away That was the meaning! However, the nurture before the other two words made Su Ming a little uncertain. He was not entirely clear about what it meant and could not decipher its specific meaning.
When the mountain descended, the chains on the nine gigantic dark turtles who had dragged it out of the sea of clouds slowly faded away, as if they were to completely disappear. It was as if they… could now be free. Delight, excitement, and exhilaration appeared on the nine turtles' faces, and it was so great they could not hide it.
There was a storm raging in Su Ming's heart at that moment. He had not expected that there would be a second mountain in the black stone fragment and that it would appear in front of him at this moment.
Su Ming was no longer the child he once was in the past. His experiences had caused his will to be incredibly firm, while the ups and downs he faced had trained him to be very skilled in working out things around him.
'If there is a second mountain, then there is definitely a third mountain. Judging by when this second mountain appeared, it's clear… that this was due to the fragment absorbing the light blue glow from that Waves of Tears.
'This is the key!'
A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He had only opened a couple doors in the first mountain within the fragment's dimension, so he did not know how many had been left, and he did not have enough medicinal pills on his person at that moment either, which was why he could not choose to continue venturing into the first mountain.
'The key to the second mountain's appearance was the spirit that appeared after the Waves of Tears died. The name of the second mountain is Decaying Spirit. I… should learn what the second mountain contains.'
After remaining silent for a moment, he looked at the nine dark turtles whose chains had started disappearing. His eyes sparkled, and without any hesitation, he charged towards the door of the second mountain.
The fog in the land was like an ocean. As it tumbled about, Su Ming moved through. The second mountain did not seem far, but when went to it, there was some distance between them. After a moment, when Su Ming stood at the foot of the mountain, he lifted his head, and a feeling of shock rose in his heart.
Compared to the mountain, Su Ming was like an ant. In fact, even if he only compared himself to the gate, he was still very insignificant. He sucked in a deep breath. Based on his experience, he lifted his right hand before the stone gate to the second mountain and placed it there.
Almost at the moment his hand came into contact with the mountain gate, booming sounds that shook the sky and earth reverberated in the air. They continued spreading outwards, and the gate to the second mountain swung inwards in front of Su Ming.
While standing still, he felt a cold breeze blowing through the gap in the opened gate. It lifted his long hair and caused his robes to flutter. There seemed to be muffled mumbling sounds that could not be heard clearly in the wind, as if it was saying how ancient it was…
Su Ming quietly waited for the mountain gate to open completely, then a brilliant light shone in his eyes. In front of him was a gigantic cave that was dark inside. Not a single hint of light could be seen within, only a gust of waning wind blew past him.
Su Ming sucked in a deep breath and took a step towards the cave.
Almost at the moment his foot landed, dark light lit up the cave. The light came from the oil lamps had had come to life out of nowhere. As the tunnel was illuminated by the dark light, the ghastly feeling became even greater, but Su Ming was now able to see his surroundings clearly.
At the moment he did so, his pupils constricted, and the foot he had lifted froze in the air. He saw several totems on the walls around him. Those totems had pictures, and in those pictures… were endless Waves of Tears!
They looked extremely alive, but their expressions were hideous, as if they wanted to rush out of the totems. This gave a strong visual impact to anyone who saw them.
At the end of the cave, Su Ming saw the first stone door of the second mountain!
There was a light blue glow at the center of the stone door at the moment. The glow flickered, and each time it did so, endless light blue threads would spread out, covering the entire door like a cobweb.
Su Ming remained silent for a moment, then lifted his foot and walked towards the end of the cave, straight towards the door. After a moment, when he arrived at the stone door, he fell into pensive silence. Based on his past experiences, he lifted his right hand and pressed his palm against the mountain gate.
At the instant his hand touched the door, his long hair began to dance in the air, and his eyes swiftly gained focus.
"At the end of the ancient ballad… the old man closed his eyes…
"The nine lives and four races became eternal entities that would never decay in the ballad…
"The old man turned into a statue. The statue was black, and he… shattered, turning into thirteen pieces that scattered into the world…
"Before they scattered, five words echoed in the minds of the nine lives and four races… Seed of Life Extermination.
"This is a cycle of life. This is a cycle… in which the will of the universe moves from being something that existed into something that does not exist. It is also… a cycle in which it went from something that did not exist to something that existed.
"Welcome back, you who possess the blood of the Abyss Builders and the will of Ecang. The Seed of Life Extermination has been resurrected because of you…
"The first spirit you offered is the spirit of the Wave of Tears. There is a flaw in this spirit. Find that flaw, and you can exterminate this race… You have endless time. Go to the place where you offered medicinal pills in the past and create a Decaying Spirit Core that will stimulate the flaw in this spirit. If you give up… you will show that you have not chosen the Wave of Tears' spirit as your first step to nurture Life Extermination Spirit," the voice said in Su Ming's head.
That voice seemed to be something that was left behind from ancient times. By then, it was slowly disappearing, the instant it vanished, Su Ming's mind trembled.
A huge suction force spread out from the stone gate, but it was not sucking Su Ming's body. Instead, it was absorbing his will.
It was a force that he could not resist, and so he swiftly closed his eyes.
His body was still in the cave, his hand was still on the stone door, but his soul had been sucked inside, immersed in an age that was ancient in Su Ming's eyes.
It was a galaxy without stars. In it was a vast ancient ship that was broken, and as it drifted in the galaxy, an old man sat at the bow, looking into the distance quietly. He did not move.
Su Ming also looked into the distance, and he became the old man.
From his position, he could see a black dot flying towards him from far away. It was a crane with a prideful and sleazy expression on its face. The creature's presence was extremely peculiar and kept on changing all the time.
The crane was flapping its wings and flying swiftly towards the area. Behind it were hundreds of thousands… of Waves of Tears. They were trapped in a gigantic net and were towed by the crane to this place.
"Hey, old man. The offering I brought to you this time is most of the members of a race~"