Chapter 955: It Would Do It
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
This was Su Ming's plan. He wanted to first fight against a Master of Fate and measure the level of his current combat abilities, search for his direction, and find his breakthrough as he fought against a powerful warrior.
Then, he would make his first request to the Sand Earthling. If the spirit could kill the Master of Fate, that would be good. If he could not, then Su Ming would ask the Sand Earthling to trap him and buy a month's time.
In truth, Su Ming could have asked the Sand Earthling to attack and exterminate all Heaven Traversers for his first request, but after some thought, Su Ming did not choose to do so.
If the Sand Earthling had attacked, not only would it have been held back by Heaven Traversers' Master of Fate when he appeared, what would await Su Ming would still be the same outcome as now.
More importantly, Su Ming wanted to exact revenge, not cause a simple massacre. He wanted all of Heaven Traversers to pay the price for chasing after Tian Xie Zi in the past and make them perish as they escaped.
Perhaps in the eyes of Heaven Traversers, Su Ming's actions were an unpardonable evil, a heinous crime, a deed that would get him punished by the universe. He seemed brutal and merciless. After all, the people who went after Tian Xie Zi's life in the past were the powerful warriors among the Heaven Traversers, not their common people.
However, Su Ming still did it. No matter whether they were powerful warriors of the race or just normal members, they were all Heaven Traversers. Su Ming did not have the distinction between good and evil. The only thing he held true was doing what he believed he should do. When such thoughts appeared in his head, he had to do them, even if those actions were beyond the understanding of those around him and filled with a malicious air as well as could be considered to be temperamental.
However, Su Ming still did them. This was his monomaniacal determination.
He was sagacious, but that sagacity was all set by himself. He also had principles, but similarly, he was the one who set those principles. The core of all of his sagacity and principles was… 'Do not provoke me, do not provoke my friends, do not provoke my family, and do not provoke my Master and my fellow brothers.
'The price those who violate these principles must pay… is the extermination of their entire race!'
Booming sounds echoed through the entire galaxy. They were a loud howl mixed with the furious roars of Heaven Traversers' Progenitor. Endless sand surrounded him, and when Su Ming looked over, the Progenitor looked like a ball of madness who was enveloped by a gigantic Sand Earthling.
More sand kept appearing around the Progenitor. After a moment, that sand turned into a gigantic planet, and in its core was Heaven Traversers' Progenitor.
Muffled booms came from the sand planet, but as it grew larger, the sounds were gradually drowned out. The Sand Spirit's body also shrank, and in the end, what appeared before Su Ming was a gigantic planet with an ancient old man sitting on it.
The old man naturally took the form of the Sand Spirit. He sat there as if he was guarding the planet, suppressing Heaven Traversers' Progenitor, who was trapped inside.
The old man who was the Sand Spirit lifted his head to look at Su Ming and said, "I am already declining. My power grows weaker day by day. I can only help you trap this person for a month…"
His tone was faint, as if his presence was slowly atrophying. An archaic presence mixed with a thick aura of death surrounded him.
"One month is enough." Su Ming lowered his head to look at his body. He was heavily injured at that moment, but he had already accepted these injuries, because the benefits surpassed them in value.
He could sense that his soul was going through a metamorphosis and his Ecang clone had understood plenty of things after the battle. His clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole had also seemed to come into touch with a power that existed in the universe and which only those in Mastery Realm could feel.
His cultivation base clone had also obtained a form of enlightenment during that battle.
Yet the most important thing was that Su Ming was no longer afraid of those in the Mastery Realm. This was incredibly important to him, because in the depths of his heart, he could never forget how he had fled when he was within the territory of the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping a lookout over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. The Almighty in Mastery Realm had left behind an impression of his strength and how hard he was to fight deep within Su Ming's heart.
This impression was like a seed. Sometime in the future, it would sprout, and when that time came, Su Ming's level of cultivation would retrogress due to the shoots from the seed binding him.
Yet now, the influence ended due to this battle. It was wiped away from Su Ming's heart!
Su Ming turned around and charged towards the distant galaxy. He did not move further into the Heaven Traversers' territory, but headed to the galaxy beyond it, and he traveled so quickly that he was gone in the blink of an eye.
After a moment, as Su Ming charged through the galaxy, he raised his right arm and swung it in space. Immediately, the totem of the Duke of Crimson Flame on his arm vanished, and the person manifested in front of him. He bowed respectfully towards Su Ming.
"Over the course of the next few days, protect me. Act according to the plan I told you previously," Su Ming said faintly. The Duke of Crimson Flame hesitated for a moment before lowering his head and voicing his obedience.
Then, Su Ming patted his storage bag with his right hand. Two arcs, one yellow and one black, flew out and turned into the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon in front of Su Ming. These two creatures had been locked up in his storage bag for quite some years as a punishment for their deeds in Black Ink Planet.
When they appeared, the bald crane immediately lifted its head and started letting out shrill screeches. As it did so, it looked like it was crying.
"Oh heavens, this bloody bastard locked me up for a full twelve years, seven months, and twenty-one days! It's been twelve years, seven months, and twenty-one days since I last saw crystals! I may have sinned, gods in heaven, but don't punish me this way! Next time, lock me up in a crystal… I swear! I swear I will cut all ties with Su Ming! I swear it!"
Once the bald crane finished screaming, it glared at Su Ming. Its expression as it gnashed its teeth exuded a deep hatred born after it had suffered greatly.
"Su Ming, this great, handsome, loaded Grandpa Crane will now part ways with you! We are now enemies! Heh heh, let me tell you, no one can lock me up for twelve years, seven months, and twenty-one days, no…" The bald crane was shouting furiously, but with just one flatly spoken sentence from Su Ming, its voice fell silent, as if its throat was seized.
"An entire race's crystals."
"What? What did you say?" The bald crane shuddered violently, and its eyes immediately went wide. Brilliant light shone in them as they focused on Su Ming.
The Abyss Dragon sighed by the side. As it shook its head, it felt that the bald crane would never be able to escape from Su Ming's palm its whole life. As it thought about it, it thought that it was slightly smarter. At the very least, it did not really like crystals that much.
When it thought about this, the Abyss Dragon instinctively looked at its own belly. Within it were the sparkling treasures it had hidden away during the past few years.
"Didn't you say that you want to cut all ties with me? Go, then," Su Ming said flatly.
"Who said it? Damn it, which bastard said it? I am the best of friends with the great, handsome, and powerful Su Ming. Who wants to drive a wedge between us? Is it you?" The bald crane glared at the stunned and innocent Abyss Dragon standing next to it.
"Didn't you say you want to part ways with me? You can leave now." Su Ming cast the bald crane a sideways glance without any expression on his face.
"Damn it all! Just who was it?! If I knew just who this diabolical person was, I would definitely bite him to death! I would bite his bum! This is too abominable, too shameless! How can such a kind crane like me say such callous words?! Su Ming, we respect each other so much, we love each other so much… No, I mean, we…
"No, there is definitely something wrong in this." Anxiety filled the bald crane's face. As it gnashed its teeth, it whipped its head around and glared at the Duke of Crimson Flame, looking as if it wanted to pounce on him.
"You are the one, you old coot. You're jealous of the beautiful relationship your master and I share, you…"
Su Ming frowned. The bald crane was getting increasingly out of hand with the words it said. He let out a cold harrumph.
The bald crane blinked and immediately grabbed its bald body, looking extremely regretful, but knowing it was too late for it to repent. It stared at Su Ming pitiably.
"O handsome master, o great master, o evil master, this bald crane has committed a wrongdoing. Every single thing that went wrong is my fault, but crystals are innocent. Speaking of, you were talking about an entire race's crystals just now?" Excitement appeared on the bald crane's face.
"Yes, and they are not any ordinary race. They are one of the four venerated races in Divine Essence Star Ocean, and those are the crystals they had accumulated among over the course of countless years," Su Ming replied calmly.
When he said this, the bald crane became so excited that it almost fainted. It hastily went forth and hugged Su Ming's leg while wailing.
"Master! This is a great deal! Don't abandon me and go on your own! I, bald crane, can help you count your crystals! I swear I will not put even a half of one into my pocket! I can even search for those crystals for you! My nose is extremely sensitive, and I'm fast too! Think about it, with how quick I am, I can immediately run once I steal those crystals, and no one will be able to catch up.
"AND I also know how to transform. I can transform into crystals, and no one will be able to tell."
"You really want to join?" Su Ming lowered his head and looked at the bald crane.
The bald crane bobbed its head up and down while staring at Su Ming with excitement.
"You'll have to pay a certain price…" When Su Ming said these words, the bald crane was immediately stunned, and its claws around Su Ming's leg loosened slightly.
"But I can give you a third of those crystals." Once Su Ming said this, the bald crane immediately hugged his legs tightly and refused to let go.
"Two thirds!" it said through gritted teeth, already prepared for Su Ming's haggling next.
"Deal, but you'll have to listen to me completely."
Su Ming nodded without any hesitation. The bald crane was momentarily stunned before its heart filled with slight surprise and bewilderment, but before it could say anything else, Su Ming raised his right hand and patted his storage bag. A buzzing echoed in the air, and the poison wasp with the God Ascension Nectar flew out, then stung the bald crane.
A slight bit of God Ascension Nectar instantly surged into the bald crane's body. Su Ming swiftly raised his hands and tapped a few parts in the bald crane's body. Immediately, a thick wave of God Ascension Nectar's fragrance spread out from the bald crane's body.
This fragrance instantly filled the entire area, and at that moment, endless piercing roars rang out in the originally calm galaxy.
At that moment, the thick fragrance of God Ascension Nectar coming from the bald crane had already turned it… into a thing that would cause all ferocious beasts in Divine Essence Star Ocean to go mad for it!
The Abyss Dragon was originally observing this by the side with the heart of an onlooker for something entertainment, but once it witnessed this, a shudder ran through its body, and it quickly moved backwards.
The Duke of Crimson Flame's pupils shrank as well, and without any hesitation, he grabbed the Abyss Dragon and retreated.
The bald crane was momentarily stunned before it lowered its head and sniffed its body, then immediately let out a shrill cry as if it had gone mad.
"God Ascension Nectar! Damn it, this is… this is Divine Essence Star Ocean, there are countless ferocious beasts in here! I-I!" As it cried, it even forgot its usual act of referring to itself as 'Grandpa Crane'.
"Lure one hundred thousand ferocious beasts, and I will give you seven-tenths of one-tenth of the crystals. Lure three hundred thousand ferocious beasts, and I will give you eight-tenths. Lure five hundred thousand, and I will give you nine-tenths. Lure one million… and I will give you all the crystals!" Su Ming stated flatly.
The bald crane shuddered, then gritted its teeth. It would do it!
Chapter 956: Attracting Monsters…
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The bald crane shouted out in in a tone as if it was about to risk everything. It screamed in a language Su Ming could not understand. This was the bald crane after it was excited by Su Ming once he said it could obtain all the crystals if it lured one million ferocious beasts.
The bald crane shuddered, but brilliant light shone in its eyes. This light could fuse into the universe, could overturn it, could make a weak being instantly turn peerless in terms of power, and could even make the bald crane go mad.
"Damn it all, I will do it! When a bird dies, its feathers will point towards the sky, but I don't have feathers! I'm destined to not die! I'll do it! I'll definitely do it!"
The bald crane's eyes were bloodshot as it shouted continuously. Those who understood it knew that this was just it boosting its own morale because it had gone into a frenzy due to the stimulation of the crystals, despite the fact that it was incredibly terrified.
However, if those who did not understand it saw the bald crane acting this way at this moment, they would definitely think that this bird… was a mad bird.
As it roared, it even circled around Su Ming, instinctively flopping about. Its screeches grew stronger, causing the Abyss Dragon to widen its eyes by the side, and it looked down on the bald crane for flinging all caution to the wind for crystals.
'Hmph. I am a noble Abyss Dragon. I won't lose my composure in such a manner for such a small benefit. The bald crane looked very smart during our journey, but in truth, it's just an idiot, huh?'
As the Abyss Dragon regarded the bald crane with scorn, Su Ming's voice suddenly reached its ears. That voice immediately stunned the Abyss Dragon, and then, it started shuddering like the bald crane.
"Abyss Dragon, do you want the Dragon Tendon you lost in the past?���
The Abyss Dragon stared at Su Ming blankly, speechless.
"You don't want it? Then forget it."
"I want it! But taking away my Dragon Tendon was the Emperor of Abyss' will in the past. He is a Kalpa Lord who is a Master of Fate, Lives, and Death!"
"The Heaven Traversers are one of the four venerated races. They lived in Divine Essence Star Ocean for many years, so you think there aren't any Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death among them?" Su Ming asked faintly.
The Abyss Dragon shuddered violently.
"I can promise you. When I leave Divine Essence Star Ocean and gain my footing in True Morning Dao World, I will go to the Emperor of Abyss' True World. I will let you reunite with Yu Xuan and seize back the Dragon Tendon taken from you in the past," Su Ming promised calmly.
"… I'll do it! I'll do it!" As the Abyss Dragon shuddered, its eyes turned red. Even in dreams, it thought to seize back its Dragon Tendon so that it would no longer be in this state.
"I don't need you luring those ferocious beasts. You can just run with the bald crane, and the rules will be the same for you. If you lure one hundred thousand ferocious beasts, I will give you seven-tenths. If you lure three hundred thousand, I will give you eight-tenths. If you lure five hundred thousand, I will give you nine-tenths, and if you lure one million… I will give you all of it. And I'm talking about your Dragon Tendon."
Once Su Ming finished speaking, the screeching bald crane stopped moving, and it looked at him with an expression filled with deep emotion, thinking that he was a great person. He was worried about its safety, which was why he sent the Abyss Dragon to be its companion.
"Alright, bald crane. Whether or not you can get those crystals will now depend on you!"
Encouragement appeared in Su Ming's eyes. This was the first time the bald crane saw this, and its heart was instantly filled with excitement. It began to think even more that Su Ming was truly great to it. Blood rushed to its head, clouding its judgment, and the excitement from the crystals caused it to roar. With a single move, it rushed forward.
The Abyss Dragon's eyes had also turned bloodshot. It flew forward swiftly, its goal one million ferocious beasts. After all, what it would receive was not crystals. It did not matter to it how many crystals there were lying about. In the end, they were just crystals, but if a portion of its Dragon Tendon went missing and it only received seven-tenths of it, it would no longer be a Dragon Tendon…
For a period of time, only Su Ming and the Duke of Crimson Flame were in the galaxy. The Duke of Crimson Flame looked at the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon leaving into the distance with a pitying gaze, then shook his head.
Su Ming sat down cross-legged and averted his gaze from the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon to look in the direction of Heaven Traversers. After a long while, he closed his eyes and immersed himself in meditating and training.
Su Ming might not know the full extent of the bald crane's abilities, but he could still somewhat guess that crane's origins. He knew that no matter how many ordeals it went through, it would not die, unless it ran into ferocious spirits that were on the same level as Ecang.
Besides, Su Ming had controlled the poison wasp when it injected the God Ascension Nectar into its body, and the amount in its body was just a tiny little bit. It would not be able to attract ferocious beasts that were on Ecang's level.
Most importantly, Su Ming had left a hint of his Atman in the bald crane's body, so he could learn of all the crane's actions clearly. This was something Su Ming had done intentionally after leaving Black Ink Planet because the bald crane had made itself infamous with the Dual Fiend's name there.
At that moment, when Su Ming closed his eyes, he trained with half his attention on the Atman inside the bald crane's body, just as if he was multitasking. If the bald crane ran into a danger it could not solve, then he would immediately have the Duke of Crimson Flame shift with him.
…..
The bald crane roared, and with a presence that screamed it would not turn back until it reached its goal, it charged forward like a shooting star. As loud whistles were stirred up due to its movements, it rushed forward. The Abyss Dragon followed behind it, and it was just as crazy as the bald crane.
The two old partners could be said to be giving their all, one for crystals, and the other for its Dragon Tendon. With a solemn, tragic air about them as well as excitement, a thick wave of God Ascension Nectar spread out, and like a bright lamp in the galaxy that was as dark as night, they attracted the attention of all the ferocious beasts in the area.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a muffled roar came from the space before them. Three incredibly huge Void Beasts manifested in the galaxy. They possessed bodies that resembled crocodiles, and once they appeared, they fixed their stares on the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon who passed by them in a flash. With loud roars, these three Void Beasts rushed out to chase after the bald crane.
The fragrance from the God Ascension Nectar had stimulated them so much that they had entered a frenzy.
"Come! Come to me, I've been waiting for you!"
The terror in the bald crane's heart had already reached its peak, but the excitement brought by the crystals had also reached its peak, which was why it continued screeching as it charged forward in its craze, as if it could only provide an outlet for its fears by doing so.
While roaring, the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon turned into two long arcs that charged about in the inner parts of Divine Essence Star Ocean. Gradually, a den of flying snakes that had the bodies of pythons but possessed human faces and wings on their backs closed in while hissing. There were tens of thousands of these ferocious beasts, and their tails were shivering. Their eyes had already turned crimson due to the stimulation by the God Ascension Nectar. With monstrous aggressiveness, they charged towards the bald crane as if they had gone mad.
Some time later, loud booms reverberated in a spot even farther away. Those sounds came from a swarm of speckled poisonous wasps packed densely together, each of which was as huge as an average man. They came towards the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon with a loud buzzing.
The bald crane roared and turned around to change its direction. It charged ahead once more, traveling at the fastest speed it could muster. There were nearly one hundred thousand ferocious beasts behind it at that moment, and they were all chasing after it as if they had gone mad. The moment the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon slowed down even a single bit, those creatures would immediately catch up to them.
"How many?!" The bald crane shouted. Fear had occupied most of its heart at that moment, and the thought of giving up rose in its subconsciousness.
"One hundred thousand!" the Abyss Dragon quickly said behind the bald crane. It was also incredibly terrified, especially of the murderous presence the horde of ferocious beasts exuded. That presence caused it to shudder.
"Damn it all, just this little?"
The bald crane was conflicted. There was not even three hundred thousand of these ferocious beasts yet, and Su Ming might not give it those crystals. Then a thought struck its head: Since it had already become bait, it should definitely not work for nothing.
It gritted its teeth and went charging in another direction. As it flew, it continued roaring fiercely. The God Ascension Nectar's fragrance spread even farther as it continued moving about in Divine Essence Star Ocean.
About an hour later, roars echoed in space, and hundreds of giants walked out. Each of them was nearly one hundred thousand feet tall, and all of them held giant wooden clubs in their hands. They had no eyes on their faces, only huge mouths. Their hair was made of countless thin threads that looked like snakes, and as they spilled over their shoulders, they exuded an incredibly great primitive presence.
Behind them were nearly a hundred thousand ferocious beasts of all sorts of appearances. At that moment, with a madness they had never experienced in their lives, they charged forward like an ocean of beasts coming forth in the form of a tidal wave.
All the roars caused Divine Essence Star Ocean to tremble, and it stirred up a storm that had not been raised for a very long time.
The bald crane shuddered. As it continued flying forward, it shouted out, "How many?!"
"Almost three hundred thousand… Huh?"
The Abyss Dragon had just said half of its sentence when it suddenly stopped. It looked ahead with a terrified gaze. At that moment, the bald crane also saw the galaxy roaring before them. Countless ripples spread out, and they had appeared due to more than tens of thousands of whirlwinds coming into existence.
Each of them was several tens of thousands of feet tall, and they were sweeping forward at a rapid speed. If anyone took a closer look, they would be able to see that there were purplish red things the size of a palm inside. All of them were spinning rapidly, which was how they turned into whirlwinds.
In fact, the galaxy behind them looked as if it had shattered, which was due to black ferocious beasts that looked like elephants that numbered more than a hundred thousand. With a brutal and crazed intent, they charged towards the area.
"Three hundred thousand… four hundred thousand! There are definitely more than four hundred thousand ferocious beasts!" the Abyss Dragon immediately roared. It could not see the end nor the edge of the swarm. There were ferocious beasts in front and after them. There was no end to them, and it was unknown just how wide of an area they occupied.
"Ah! Damn it, why is it only four hundred thousand?!"
The bald crane had almost gone mad. As it roared, it became conflicted again. If it was three hundred thousand ferocious beasts, it would have immediately chosen to bring them to Su Ming and complete its mission without any hesitation, but there were around four hundred thousand of them, and with just a little more, there would be five hundred thousand ferocious beasts, which would mean nine-tenths of the crystals…
The bald crane seized its bald scalp with all its strength. As it gritted its teeth, it let out a loud roar and did not choose to leave. Instead, it chose to change its direction to head deeper into Divine Essence Star Ocean. It sped up madly and charged forward.
The Abyss Dragon too gritted its teeth, then changed its body into that of a huge dog to flee swiftly with the bald crane.
Chapter 957: Idolization
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the deeper parts of Divine Essence Star Ocean were three planets. For some unknown reason, they had become connected together in the passage of time.
Xuan Shang and the other three cultivators were cautiously heading forward. Their expressions were of extreme vigilance, and they were occasionally observing their surroundings.
"There's something off about this place. There's a ruthless presence in this galaxy…" the person called Yun You said in a low voice.
"Perhaps it's due to the battle those two terrifying people instigated…"
"Quiet. Based on the marks on the map, Violent Flame Beasts are within these connected planets. The creatures are usually deep in sleep, so as long as we don't bother them, we will be safe."
The four of them fell silent. While their hearts beat nervously, they slowly approached the connected planets. Their actions made it clear that they were aiming for some sort of item in the planets, or else they could have just circumnavigated this place.
"Is the map accurate? Is the Flame Fiend really there?"
"It should be correct. We also saw it when we were on our way here. Now, as long as we can obtain Flame Fiend's blood, we will be able to open the Violent Sun Path leading to the Dust Burners."
The four of them spoke to each other softly while slowly approaching the connected planets. Suddenly, a piercing screech came from the connected planets. The ruthlessness and heat within that voice caused the expressions of the four people to change drastically, and without any hesitation, they retreated, rapidly casting their divine abilities. With nervousness, they prepared for a huge battle.
However, the scene they saw next made the four instantly lose all their will to fight. Terror appeared on their faces, and they brought forth a speed that was equivalent to the one they mustered when they were avoiding Su Ming. They coughed up blood and instantly executed Fleeing Blood, intending to hastily leave the area.
Because they saw…
Shadows of flames rushing out with loud howls from the connected planets. Within them were ferocious beasts in the shape of wolves. They formed large packs and numbered to about one hundred thousand. They rushed out together, and this sight was enough to shock all those who saw it.
Behind them were tens of thousands of human-shaped living beings. Their bodies were enveloped in flames, but there was indeed a person within those flames. However, these people's eyes were gray, and there no sign of life within them. Yet there was no aura of death in them either.
Some of them possessed wings, and some were cultivators. Some of them were members of the tribes in Divine Essence Star Ocean and were part of the alien races. All of them had been killed by the ferocious beasts in these connected planets over the course of countless years, and their bodies had been Possessed by Flame Fiends.
This scene was enough for the skins of the four cultivators to crawl. The shadow of death loomed over their heads and hearts, and even after they executed Fleeing Blood, broken smiles still appeared on their faces. In fact, before they even had the time to regret anything, they already made preparations to self-destruct.
They would rather die than become those puppets and be Possessed by Flame Fiends.
However, the hundred thousand something flame wolves, tens of thousands of puppets Possessed by Flame Fiends, and the flames they brought about in their wake did not even spare a glance at the four people at their doorstep. Instead, as they roared, they charged forward as if they had gone mad.
The four cultivators stood by the side of these ferocious beasts and watched wide-eyed as they were ignored and the creatures left into the distance. The cultivators were completely stunned.
The four of them looked at each other, speechless.
They remained silent for a moment before Xuan Shang mumbled, "What happened?"
"Could it be that a supreme treasure has appeared?!" Yun You immediately exclaimed, and his eyes shone with a bright light.
"That should be the case, or else the swarm of Flame Fiends wouldn't have ignored us."
"Yes, judging by their looks, they were very anxious… All of them must have left their nest!" The four of them exchanged glances, seeing the excitement in each other's eyes.
With shining eyes, they immediately turned into four long arcs that charged towards the connected planets. After a moment, they flew out, and when they did so, excitement could be seen on their faces. Clearly, they had not expected that things would go so smoothly for them.
They had successfully obtained the blood they needed in the connected planets. It might not be very fresh, but it was sufficient.
At that moment, there were two choices before them. They could leave and head to Dust Burners… or search for the swarm of Flame Fiends and see just what sort of supreme treasure it was that attracted these creatures, but there was a danger in the latter choice.
However, cultivators constantly ran into all sorts of dangers in the universe as they continued growing. This was something natural to them. After discussing among themselves in low murmurs, they made their choice.
They turned into long arcs and charged at full speed towards the direction where the Flame Fiends had headed. They wanted to see just what sort of supreme treasure it was. It would be best if they had the chance to obtain it, but even if they did not, it would still be better than avoiding it.
They had already obtained the Flame Fiend's blood and they now had freedom in their actions. If they ran into danger, they would not need to be bothered about anything and could just run at full speed. In fact, they had already discussed among themselves where they would meet if they parted ways.
As the four people charged ahead to search for the Flame Fiends' tracks, they dashed forth at full speed. About two hours later, their footsteps came to an abrupt halt. They had already been stunned once on that day, but now, they felt their jaws falling slack due to shock for the second time.
They heard indescribable roars, and they came from a swarm of ferocious beasts numbering to seven hundred thousand. They were all letting out astonishing roars, and the four cultivators saw a huge ocean in the distant galaxy.
That ocean was formed by ferocious beasts of various types occupying the entire galaxy. Among them were the Flame Fiends, but most of the ferocious beasts there were creatures that the four cultivators did not recognize. Yet the presence and mighty pressure coming from them as well as the feeling they gained from the Flame Fiends were enough to make their hearts beat with fear.
The edge of this sea of ferocious beasts could not be seen. The only thing they could see was… a bald crane that was being chased down in a frenzy at the front of this swarm of beasts. There was also a huge dog behind it, and they were both fleeing at a breakneck speed.
The four cultivators could not help but stare in shock. They watched the incredibly dazzling bald crane in dumbfoundedness as it shook its bum to lure the swarm of beasts in an incredibly coquettish manner.
"Is it in heat?" one of the four cultivators instinctively asked.
Soon, the bald crane's loud cries reached their ears from the distance.
"Damn you all! Come, chase after your Grandpa Crane! I'll trounce all of you! I'm invincible! I'm the greatest crane in the universe!"
Due to extreme terror, the bald crane suffered a mental breakdown. It could only continue shouting so that it would not fall limp due to its fear.
"I've walked through the universe and ran into all sorts of things! What are you?! You're not birds! I am the true bird here… Come! Come on! Make this beast swarm greater! I'll pummel all of you!" the bald crane roared and shook its butt fiercely while flying even faster. The dog that was the Abyss Dragon had already reached its limit while running and was incredibly exhausted at that moment, but it did not dare to relax. The beast swarm behind it made it think that if it relaxed, it would immediately be torn to shreds.
'Well damn me, why have I never discovered that I'm actually so fast?'
Not for the first time, this question rose in Abyss Dragon's mind as it charged forward. It did not know that their speed had been increased as Su Ming's Atman continued circulating in the bald crane's body. This was also one of the reasons why Su Ming dared to have them lure the beast swarm.
Their fatigue was mostly distributed between Su Ming and the Duke of Crimson Flame, or else the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon would have been caught a long time ago.
As the bald crane fled from the roaring beast swarm behind it, it asked loudly, "How many of them now?! Tell your Grandpa Crane!"
"Seven hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand! Maybe a few more or less!" the Abyss Dragon immediately roared.
"Damn it, damn it…" The bald crane was immediately in conflict once more. It did not dare to look back. It was afraid that at the moment it looked, it would faint in terror.
While feeling conflicted, the bald crane swiftly asked, "Say, just how many crystals do you think a venerated race would have?"
"No matter what, there would be around thirty to fifty million…" The Abyss Dragon turned its head back to sneak a glance at the beast swarm behind it, and already regretted promising Su Ming to do this. In its eyes, this was the same as it risking its own life. At just the slightest mistake, it would die here.
"DAMN IT ALL!!!"
When the bald crane heard these words, it was immediately stimulated. The conflict it felt in its heart instantly disappeared, and the light from crystals completely replaced the original shine in its eyes.
"I can get nine-tenths with the beasts I've lured now, so by one-tenth less, I will lose from three million to five million crystals. I won't allow it! I absolutely won't allow myself to lose three million to five million crystals! I'll give it my all! Abyss Dragon, do you want your Dragon Tendon to be missing a portion?! Darn it all, what's a Dragon Tendon when it misses a portion?! That's a belt!"
When the Abyss Dragon heard this, it was instantly furious. "Your tendon's the one that's a belt!"
"I want those three million to five million crystals!" the bald crane roared furiously.
"I don't want a belt!" the Abyss Dragon roared as well. The two old partners looked at each other and charged forward in a mad dash before changing their direction to lure in more hordes of beasts.
The sea of beasts behind them had grown to a monstrous degree. The galaxy trembled as it was swept by what seemed like a windstorm.
When they left into the distance, the four cultivators still continued to stare ahead blankly. They could hear the bald crane's words, but they were incredibly vague, and they were unable to know the details. At that moment, when they looked at where the bald crane had disappeared into the distance, their gazes were filled with terror and shock.
"That crane must be an incredibly powerful existence in Divine Essence Star Ocean!"
"Yes, it must have definitely done something that all of these creatures cannot forgive, that is why it's being chased by such a large swarm…"
"That dog is pretty pitiful. It must have gotten itself accidentally dragged into the mix…"
"But judging by their looks, they don't seem to be too willing. Still, no matter what, they must be very famous beasts in Divine Essence Star Ocean."
"When I have enough power, I will definitely tame a creature like this!"
The four of them exchanged glances with each other, and enchanted expressions appeared on their faces. They appeared to idolize the bald crane incredibly greatly in the depths of their hearts. Clearly, to them, being chased down by a million ferocious beasts in Divine Essence Star Ocean was an incredibly great feat.
That was right, there were already more than a million beasts behind the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon, but since the bald crane did not dare to turn its head back to look, it did not know that the Abyss Dragon… had an inborn, crippling flaw when it came to counting…
This flaw was one that not even Su Ming had noticed. At that moment, sweat broke out on his face, and the Duke of Crimson Flame's face had also turned pale. Only after using their full power were they able to have the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon maintain their speed. However, the duo… had clearly lured a million beasts already, yet they were still luring more…
"Damn it, just what does it want to do?!" Su Ming shouted angrily.
Chapter 958: The Frivolous Crane
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Eight hundred thousand something, eh..? No, looks like seven hundred thousand something…"
"Damn it all, we reached seven hundred thousand something just now! Do you know how to count?!"
As the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon shouted at each other, endless dust storms rose in the galaxy in front of them. They were due to meteors that were charging forth, but while these meteors might seem like stones at first glance, all those who looked closely would find that they actually had human faces.
These were clearly stone people. When they curled themselves into a ball, they would turn into meteors. At that moment, they were traveling forth and closing in on the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon. There was no end to them, and they numbered more than a hundred thousand.
The bald crane's eyes went wide. As it let out a shrill shriek, it heard the Abyss Dragon's voice behind it.
"Eight hundred thousand something. This time, I'm certain there are eight hundred thousand something of them. There's no mistaking it."
The bald crane turned around swiftly, and for the first time, looked behind, but when it did so, it nearly fainted. Even though no one would be able to tell with one glance just how many creatures there were, the densely packed and endless swarm of beasts behind the bald crane would allow all those with some experience and knowledge of how to count to be absolutely certain that there… were more than one million creatures.
���Well, damn me…"
The bald crane no longer knew how to express its indignation and grievance. With a loud roar, it charged into the distance. It had already decided that it would no longer lure the ferocious beasts in the area. Since there were already a million of them, then it would leave in the direction Su Ming had told it to go. The bald crane was so fast that it looked like a shooting star rushing through the galaxy.
"There's only eight hundred thousand of them! There's still a little more before we reach one million! Baldy, while you can be content with a few less crystals, I don't want a belt!" When the Abyss Dragon saw that the bald crane was fleeing, it immediately knew what it decided to do and became nervous and extremely anxious.
The bald crane was burning with anger and ignored the Abyss Dragon's words. It honestly did not want to pay any attention to this stupid mutt who did not know how to count and nearly brought about its death.
"Bald crane!" the Abyss Dragon roared.
"You idiot, you stupid mutt, y-y-you… Turn your head around and count properly. I could tell with just one glance that there is at least a million in that swarm of beasts, and you tell me there's only eight hundred thousand?! Do you want to bring about my death?!" The bald crane roared, and without turning its head back, it continued charging forward.
The Abyss Dragon was momentarily stunned before it immediately became perturbed. It remembered that Yu Xuan had once told it that it had some weaknesses when it came to counting…
While feeling awkward, the Abyss Dragon immediately stopped speaking and lowered its head to follow behind the bald crane, charging into the distance with gritted teeth.
At that moment, if anyone cast their gaze across the galaxy, they would see an incredibly magnificent sight. There was a beast swarm that occupied a boundless expanse of galaxy, and it was a swarm rarely seen in Divine Essence Star Ocean. It seemed like there was an ocean roaring, tumbling, and chasing after the bald crane and Abyss Dragon.
There were all kinds of ferocious beasts in the swarm, and even the weakest possessed power in Heaven Cultivation Realm. In fact, some of the powerful beasts even had power equivalent to those in Solar Kalpa Realm, but this was not important. The number of beasts in the swarm would make even the pupils of a normal Master of Fate, Lives, and Death shrink.
When the numbers of a certain group reach a certain extent, the strength of the individuals in the group would no longer play a big role. The presence and impact brought by the entire group would crush all barriers.
In the mid of this, all living creatures and races would have to face the threat of having all of their kind massacred, especially…. when the amount of creatures in this swarm was not just one million. There was actually more than one million and five hundred thousand of them.
Even though there were countless ferocious beasts in Divine Essence Star Ocean and these one million five hundred thousand something beasts were just a small speck of the total that lived in this small area, to Heaven Traversers, who only numbered to one hundred thousand something, this would be a disaster that their tribe had never faced before.
Even after they had lived in the inner parts for countless years, they had never met a swarm like this. In the past, there would only be form a hundred thousand something up to hundreds of thousands of beasts that would attack. This was the limit. There would also only be one kind of creature that attacked them. Hence, the presence brought by a sea of beasts like this, formed by multiple species and many ferocious beasts that usually moved alone, could crush all forms of willpower.
With its obsession with crystals, the bald crane rushed towards Heaven Traversers in long charges, without caring about its own fatigue, with a will that screamed that it would not turn back without getting its crystals, and with a fearless expression akin to the tragic heroes in songs.
The misery it felt was something that only it knew, but compared to crystals, all of this turned into excitement within the bald crane's heart.
"Fifty million crystals! Fifty million crystals… all mine! Damn it all, it's just luring the monsters, right? It's just about attracting these beasts' attention, right?! I've been doing this since ages ago… Huh? Why would I say I'm already used to it?" As the bald crane continued fleeing, it growled, and as it did so… it discovered a familiar feeling!
This was a feeling that made it think that it had often fled with such a large swarm of ferocious beasts in the past. This thought seemed to be buried in the depths of its memories, not able to appear during all other types of life-threatening dangers. Only in certain uniquely familiar situations would it rise up to the forefront of the bald crane's mind.
'Could it be that I often did things that made others bristle in anger, and was always hunted down?' The bald crane blinked in surprise. With its understanding of itself, it seemed like this… was actually highly possible.
As the bald crane mulled over it, it turned its head around and roared based on that familiar feeling it had in its heart. "Come, you bunch of bastards! Come chase after your Grandpa Crane! Did you see it, you bastards?! I can still run!" The bald crane was facing the endless sea of beasts and moving backwards. It even noticed to its shock that it was actually moving faster in this manner…
'Could it be that I truly did this often in the past..?'
The bald crane was feeling slightly excited. It no longer just flew, but as it flapped its wings, it started swaying left and right, flying in a curve. Because of it, it discovered that not only did it become faster, it gradually discovered a feeling in the depths of its heart.
As it cackled loudly, the bald crane even twisted its body. While speaking, it even started clicking its tongue continuously at the swarm of beasts chasing after them with bloodshot eyes, in a manner as if it was spitting in their faces.
"Heh, you bunch of dudes on fire, I just looted your nest and kidnapped the beautiful lass among you, you know?! Come on! Chase after me! I'll trounce all of you!
"You too, you golems! What now? You're even glaring at me! Oh wow~ One of these days, I'll disassemble all of you and use your body parts to build my house! Hmm..? I seem to have done something like this in the past," the bald crane instinctively said. As it did, the familiar feeling became even stronger, and its body became even faster. In fact, its actions became even more practiced. It continued 'striking poses', and a mocking look even appeared on its face without its knowledge.
In fact, it even came to an abrupt halt, and when the swarm of beasts were about to submerge it, it let out a strange cry, shook its butt, cursed, moved its body, and widened the distance between them once again. It occasionally moved by swaying left, then right, and sometimes even used its claws to make provocative gestures. Those movements, those expressions, and those actions had long ago stunned the Abyss Dragon when it saw them.
There were plenty of descriptions that could be used to describe the bald crane at that moment, but if it was to pick the most accurate and direct one, then there were only two choices.
Frivolous…
Despicable crane…
The response to the bald crane's actions were roars that were almost connected to each other. Those roars came from the entire swarm of beasts. Their voices were like waves that shook the entire galaxy.
"Louder!" The bald crane became excited. That familiar feeling had become stronger, and it had even almost forgotten about the crystals. As the swarm of beasts roared behind it, the bald crane began to shout loudly.
The Abyss Dragon watched the bald crane with admiration shining in its eyes. It had never thought that the sleazy crane would have such courage and that it would be able to show such a sight on this day.
Filled with a despicable, frivolous air, the bald crane triggered the madness within the sea of beasts. This was no longer them simply attracted by the God Ascension Nectar. In fact, it could even be said that if the bald crane had acted this way since the start, then even without the God Ascension Nectar, it would still have been able to complete the task Su Ming had given to it… and it might have even been able to lure even more ferocious beasts.
Su Ming opened his eyes in the galaxy and found himself admiring the bald crane's courage. In truth, if he was in that position, he did not believe that he would do any better than the bald crane.
'There are specialists in every single profession in the world. This crane… is an oddball, all right… Could it be that before it lost its memories, it often did things like these?' Su Ming was absorbed in his thoughts.
The bald crane was flying in a frivolous manner in the galaxy. The smug expression and excited look on its face made it seem like it enjoyed luring a million beasts very much. It continued shaking its butt and making provocative gestures with its claws, even occasionally shouting loudly. Coupled with its contemptuous expression, the bald crane became the most dazzling existence in the galaxy. The sea of beasts behind it were driven completely mad and chased after it even more quickly, as if they were no longer chasing the bald crane for the God Ascension Nectar, but were instead charging forward to tear apart that detestable creature alive.
The Abyss Dragon's admiration grew stronger. Several days later, this admiration rose to fanaticism when the bald crane stepped into Heaven Traversers' territory and turned around to let out a loud roar.
"Hey, you bastards, we're here! Trample this place, wreak havoc in this place. No matter what race they belong to, keep the pretty lasses for me! Find all the crystals and treasures here, and then send them all back to Whooping Crane Mountain!
"Damn it all, we're occupying this place!"
The bald crane turned its head around and roared at the sea of beasts. The excitement on its face reached its peak, and once it finished shouting these words, it became perplexed. It seemed like… these words only caused that familiar feeling to become stronger.
ROAR!
The roars from the one million beasts shook the entire galaxy and reverberated through the entire cosmos, rousing countless Heaven Traversers from their sleep. The Abyss Dragon also started roaring loudly while looking at the bald crane with a fanatic expression.
At that moment, those who did not know the details of what was going on would definitely believe that the bald crane was the leader of the sea of beasts… Its presence, its frivolous attitude, and its expression all exuded the temperament of the leader of beasts.
Chapter 959: What Is Your Dao
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
This was a calamity! It was a disaster!
Even if Heaven Traversers were one of the four venerated races, they had never seen a sea of beasts of this size. When all one million beasts rushed into the galaxy that belonged to Heaven Traversers, they were not the only ones who were shocked, even the Sand Spirit sitting on the gigantic ball of sand was left stunned.
The old man stared at the clamoring bald crane with a blank gaze, then looked at the one million beasts behind it, and a wry smile appeared on its face.
He finally understood why Su Ming wanted him to detain Heaven Traversers' Progenitor for one month.
"This crane… I seem to have some impression of it…"
The old man stared at the bald crane and sank into deep thought, but he had lived for far too long, and the number of memories that had accumulated in his mind, so he was unable to locate the right memory and have it surface in his mind instantly. He needed time to recall. Only then would he be able to find the thoughts that were buried in the passage of time.
"Heaven Traverser bastards, come out now and welcome your guests!" the bald crane roared smugly and charged towards Heaven Traversers. The beast swarm behind it roared and surged forward, and in the blink of an eye, they filled an extremely large area.
In fact, the bald crane did not even need to specifically guide them. The swarm of beasts simply destroyed everything that blocked its paths.
The only thing the bald crane needed to do was to continue rushing forward until it reached the end of Heaven Traversers' territory. Then… it would complete its task.
There were around one hundred cultivation planets in Heaven Traversers' territory. At that instant, countless powerful presences erupted forth from them, and tens of thousands of people rushed out. Yet once they saw the sea of beasts in the galaxy, their expressions instantly changed drastically.
The bald crane looked incredibly smug. As it shrieked excitedly, it continued rushing forward. Some time later, a piercing light suddenly appeared around it and the Abyss Dragon. With a flash, the two disappeared.
Su Ming and the Duke of Crimson Flame stood in the galaxy beyond Heaven Traversers' territory. As they watched what was happening in the distance, white light shone beside them. The bald crane and the Abyss Dragon appeared, and almost at the instant they did so, the Duke of Crimson Flame raised his right hand, and a sea of fire instantly enveloped the duo.
Su Ming also swung his right hand. A sealing power appeared swiftly, and with all his and the Duke of Crimson Flame's power, they covered up the God Ascension Nectar on the bald crane.
"Crystals! My crystals!" When the bald crane was Relocated, it was momentarily stunned, then immediately looked at Su Ming.
"When the impact brought by the sea of beasts is over, you can go over and loot all the crystals you want," Su Ming said while looking at Heaven Traversers in the distance. A cold glint shone in his eyes.
"No, I want to go now. What if they take everything away?" the bald crane asked with a slightly worried tone.
"The God Ascension Nectar is still on you. If you go, you'll be walking straight into your death." Su Ming looked towards the bald crane.
"God Ascension Nectar?" The bald crane licked its beak and sucked in a sharp breath. This action immediately caused Su Ming to look at it. In fact, his expression even changed at that instant.
He could clearly sense that the presence of the God Ascension Nectar on its body disappeared the instant it sucked in a breath. In fact, the nectar became completely non-existent, as if it had been completely absorbed.
"This bit of God Ascension Nectar is nothing to me. Look, there��s none of that now in me, right?" When the bald crane saw Su Ming's expression, it immediately became smug. It shook its body slightly, and with a swing, it turned into a big yellow dog and even bared its teeth at Su Ming.
The Abyss Dragon was already looking at the bald crane with an incredibly fanatic expression. In its eyes, there was practically nothing the bald crane could not do.
"Hmm? Little Su, why aren't you releasing the seal yet? Let me out. I'm telling you, Little Su, every single breath of my time you waste, several hundreds of my crystals are snatched by other people. Those are my crystals! Mine!" the bald crane shouted out loudly. It knew that it had committed a great meritorious deed and also knew that Su Ming would not berate it no matter what, which was why it was so proud of itself that it began shivering.
Su Ming remained silent for a moment before he opened the seal with a wry smile. The Duke of Crimson Flame also extinguished the flames, completely speechless. Brilliant light immediately shone in the bald crane's eyes, and it charged towards Heaven Traversers' territory.
The Abyss Dragon took the form of a big black dog at that moment and quickly chased after the bald crane. The two mutts were so quick that they charged towards Heaven Traversers' territory with a speed that would not lose to the one they used when they were escaping.
Su Ming could already imagine that the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon's arrival would definitely make Heaven Traversers suffer the heaviest blow in terms of crystals under this disaster.
Su Ming shook his head. As he took a step forward, he too moved towards Heaven Traversers' territory, where all the beasts in the swarm had now surged in. He did not move quickly, but when he stepped into the Heaven Traversers' galaxy, loud booming sounds and roars rang in his ears, moving past him like a wave of impact.
Su Ming arrived at the gigantic ball of sand where the old Sand Spirit was. He stood there and looked at the galaxy in the distance before he closed his eyes.
He might have closed his eyes, but he swiftly spread his divine sense outwards. This was Ecang's divine sense, and it could cover an incredibly wide area.
Su Ming saw an endless number of ferocious beasts. As they roared, having lost sight of the bald crane, and they anger exploded due to what happened before, they began to wantonly destroy everything in the area.
Even though they knew that the bald crane had nothing to do with Heaven Traversers, in their anger, they no longer bothered about these things. It did not matter whether it was the slaughter between the ferocious beasts themselves or the attempted counterattacks launched by Heaven Traversers, all of these things became the tipping point for this disaster.
A bloody stench filled the space and stimulated even more ferocious beasts to go mad. Their charge destroyed the planets one by one, and their slaughter brought damage to Heaven Traversers that they would never be able to recover from.
In fact, even if they were just fighting among themselves, the act of using the place as their battlefield was already enough to bring about great destruction to Heaven Traversers.
This was a disaster, a bloody feast.
In the face of this sort of beast swarm, even powerful warriors in Solar Kalpa Realm would be unable to last. Only a second Master of Fate, Lives, and Death could maybe do something.
Su Ming saw the bald crane moving through the cultivation planets with the Abyss Dragon. They continued changing their appearances repeatedly and took on various looks. Occasionally, they would roar in the beast swarm, and at other times, they would fly out of the cultivation planets in excitement. Sometimes, they would rush into a crowd of Heaven Traversers and snatch their storage bags as the people were too shocked to react.
The duo's actions were incredibly rampant, but they didn't attract too much attention to themselves with the disaster all around them.
Su Ming retrieved his divine sense. There was no longer any need for him to continue watching. Booming sounds were echoing from the ball of sand beneath his feet. They were the incensed roars and outbursts made by Heaven Traversers' Progenitor after his anger reached a boiling point. Clearly, he could sense the changes in the world outside.
"Heaven Traversers have paid the price for what they did in the past." Su Ming opened his eyes. "I know that you can hear me. You are an Almighty Master of Fate, Lives, and Death, and I am indeed not your opponent, but listen well… wanting to kill me isn't something that can be done easily.
"Your tribe has paid the price for what you've done, and I will no longer come to wreak havoc among you again… but if you try to hunt me down, then be prepared to be sealed again and have your race face the disaster of having a sea of beasts slaughter them.
"And if there really comes a time when this second swarm will arrive… then it will no longer be just one million ferocious beasts who will visit you. Instead, I will do everything that I can to lure more monsters and make sure that you are the only Heaven Traverser left. Then, from then on, we will fight until one of us dies!
"This is my threat to you," Su Ming declared flatly. As his voice echoed in the area, it seeped into the sand, falling into the ears of the trapped Heaven Traversers' Progenitor.
Almost at the instant Su Ming's words reached his ears, the roars and booms in the sand disappeared and turned into dead silence.
"You are a cultivator from the world outside. All of you talk about practicing Dao. This Dao is your heaven, and all of you practice the Dao that belong to heaven. You lured these monsters to destroy my race, does it conform to your Dao?!" The muffled voice of Heaven Traversers' Progenitor came from the sand ball with a loud bang.
"Dao…" Su Ming fell silent for a moment before he raised his head and looked at the galaxy.
"I've come into contact with quite a large number of cultivators from the galaxy beyond, and all of the Almighties possess their own Dao. I want to know. What is your Dao?
"You did this for a small matter in the past, your Master hadn't even died. He possesses the fifth stone on his person, and it is only natural that others would want to snatch it. Even if I didn't take action, others would still have tried to snatch that stone.
"And because of this matter, you harbor the desire to exterminate my race a thousand years later. Tell me, what is your Dao?!" As the muffled voice in the ball of sand echoed in space, even the old Sand Spirit sitting down cross-legged and meditating opened his eyes and looked at Su Ming.
He, too, wanted to know what Su Ming's Dao was.
Su Ming remained silent.
"You don't have Dao. You are empty!" The loud laughter from Heaven Traversers' Progenitor rang from the ball of sand. His laughter contained an ancient air as well as delight. As that laughter echoed in space, it shook the ball of sand so much that it started trembling.
"You are a person without Dao, and neither do you have a Dao heart. There are three thousand Great Daos in the universe and seventy nine thousand Small Daos, but you belong to none of them. You might seem to belong to the Killing Dao, but in truth, that is not the case. You also seem like you belong to the Life Extermination Dao, but true life extermination is not like this!
"I lost this battle. Don't worry, I will not go after you and bring trouble to you, because you don't have Dao, and you are not worth my time to kill. Because… in the laws of the universe, those without Dao are equivalent to having no future.
"I will watch you walk towards destruction. I will watch you become lost someday in the future, and continue to be lost until you perish!" The Progenitor's laughter reverberated in space, while Su Ming continued remaining silent.
"What is Dao?" He turned his head around and looked at the old Sand Spirit.
"I am an Ancestral Spirit, and I don't practice Dao. I only know a bit of it… Dao is the guiding principles for your actions as a cultivator. It is the path under your feet. As for the others, I am unable to say it clearly.
"But I do know that only those who possess a Great Dao can become a Master of Fate. Even as an Ancestral Spirit, I have a path given to me by some unseen force in the universe.
"This is not destiny. It's a trail that cannot be described clearly and distinctly. You must tread down that trail and strengthen your Dao heart, only then will you be able to break all walls and head to the end," the old Sand Spirit explained slowly, after having remained silent for a moment.
Chapter 960: Your Master's Name is Yu Xuan, Right
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The chaos among Heaven Traversers lasted for nearly half a month before the swarm of beasts slowly dispersed. Without their Progenitor, Heaven Traversers could not hope to stand up against beasts that numbered to more than a million. All forms of resistance were instantly crushed, and the entire race could only migrate in the face of the ferociousness and savagery of their attackers.
It was just like how Tian Xie Zi had been hunted down by the four great venerated races in the past. As he continued fleeing, he searched for a way to live.
However, there was also something different, and it was that the migrating Heaven Traversers were caught between despair and hope. They were in despair due to the fate they faced at that moment, while their hope lay in their Progenitor that may appear at any moment
During the past half a month, four-tenths of Heaven Traversers died due to the beast swarm. The death of these tens of thousands of people turned into a thick, bloody stench that filled the path the survivors took as they migrated through the galaxy.
To Heaven Traversers, this was an incredibly great blow. In fact, there was a high possibility that they would no longer be able to return to the galaxy in which they originally resided, because once the swarm of beasts occupied the territory, it also divided the area among itself.
It was just like how their Progenitor had seized this galaxy from the swarm of beasts that occupied it an endless amount of years ago.
Heaven Traversers did not dare to return to their homeland. The deaths of their people, many of whom were powerful warriors, caused the balance of power between the Heaven Traversers and the other venerated races to tilt.
While the matter of a beast swarm causing a ruckus in the inner parts of Divine Essence Star Ocean might not spread to the tribes in the periphery of Divine Essence Star Ocean, the other three venerated races in the inner parts of the galaxy would definitely learn of it after some time.
The four races worked together, but they also had a feud between them that lasted for generations. Because of it, once the balance was lost, what would await Heaven Traversers would only be a devastating fate.
Their migration meant that Heaven Traversers would disappear without a trace for a period of time. They would search for a rural area to rest and recuperate, and when they accumulated power that would allow them to rise in power again, they would make a comeback.
While there were plenty of ferocious beasts in Heaven Traversers' original homeland and these creatures occupied their territory, the bald crane's abilities and its obsession with crystals allowed it to sweep through these hundred something cultivation planets like a typhoon. With three rushes back and forth, it took away all the crystals that it could take.
When it returned to Su Ming's side with the Abyss Dragon, it was still in a state of such great excitement that it was practically dancing with joy. Its body shivered ceaselessly due to its exhilaration.
"I'm rich! Damn it all, I'm rich! Three crystals! There were three crystals in the entire territory of Heaven Traversers!" As the bald crane spoke excitedly, it sneaked a peek at Su Ming.
The Abyss Dragon was originally also very excited, but when it heard the bald crane's words, it was momentarily stunned. It remembered that they had looted tens of millions of crystals, but immediately after, the dragon saw the look in the bald crane's eyes.
Su Ming paid no attention to them. He knew that the crane was afraid that he would demand crystals from it, which was why it mentioned only three crystals. This number would render other people speechless when they heard it, and would think that the level of miserliness from the bald crane had already reached a state where it would cause others to bristle in anger.
However, since Su Ming understood the bald crane, he knew that it must have been in conflict for a long time before it mentioned three crystals with incredible willpower. After all, this was the bald crane that would consider itself to have lost crystals if it did not manage to pick up any when it left its house.
Su Ming looked at the galaxy that once belonged to Heaven Traversers with a calm expression. He did not have a compassionate heart, and there was only a little kindness within him. He could not distribute it for all the living in the world.
"Let's go." Su Ming stood up and cast a glance at the old Sand Spirit who was sitting on the ball of sand. This old man lifted his head to look at Su Ming. At the instant their gazes met, the old man's body dissipated and scattered into space. However, a voice that echoed in Su Ming's heart came from the space around him.
"You can ask to attack twice more. Don't forget our promise. Write my name into the ballad."
Su Ming nodded. He swung his arm, and immediately, the Rune he branded on himself a long time ago was activated. Once he did that, a layer of ripples spread out beneath his feet. The ripples covered the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon as well, and in the blink of an eye, the light from the Rune grew to a blinding degree. At that instant, Su Ming, along with the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon, disappeared from the ball of sand.
About ten breaths later, a loud bang spread out from the ball of sand. As the noise echoed in the air, cracking sounds shot up. Cracks appeared on the ball of sand. In the blink of an eye, they spread out until it looked like a cobweb covered the entire surface.
When a loud bang shot up in space, the gigantic ball of sand disintegrated, and Heaven Traversers' Progenitor appeared in the mid of sand.
His expression was dark, and there was extreme anger hidden within his eyes. He stared at the galaxy that originally belonged to Heaven Traversers, looked at the countless ferocious beasts that existed in it, smelled the bloody stench left behind in space by his people after they died, and did not say a word.
After a long while, the Progenitor let out a long sigh and did not choose to continue searching for Su Ming's tracks, because he knew that he could not kill him. Instead, there was a high possibility that he would be imprisoned once again, and at that time… He already believed wholeheartedly that Su Ming was not a merciful person, and was not the type to feel guilty after for killing many people.
At that time, what would await Heaven Traversers would be true genocide.
If it had been anyone else threatening the Progenitor, he would not believe in their threat, and he would also not leave matters as they were. However, just because others had hunted down his Master in the past, he already killed four-tenths of the people a thousand years later. This sort of brutal person caused the Heaven Traversers' Progenitor to absolutely not make light of Su Ming's threat.
'Based on my guess, that Sand Spirit should have made some form of promise and will not attack multiple times, but even so… As long as he takes action the next time, then even if I manage to kill him in the future… all of my people would have died, and it'll just be like what he said—I will be the only Heaven Traverser left.
'He has a ruthless and diabolical heart, and he can wipe out an entire race… He can bear with the consequence that come with it… but I can't.'
Heaven Traversers' Progenitor fell silent. With his level of cultivation and his status, he had never felt threatened before. As of then, this feeling in his heart caused him to have incredibly complicated emotions within him. After a long while, he sighed inwardly, then moved to head in the direction of his people.
'He doesn't have a Dao heart. I will wait for the day he rots and perishes!' The Heaven Traversers' Progenitor left into the distance.
Within the inner parts of Divine Essence Star Ocean was a quiet galaxy. In it was a large meteor. That meteor floated in the galaxy. There were some nests that belonged to some ferocious beasts within it, but half a month ago, a woman had arrived in the place, and with her power of Lunar Kalpa Realm, she had killed all the ferocious beasts and became the owner of the meteor.
Over there, Xu Hui laid out a Rune based on Su Ming's request before she sat down cross-legged and slowly counted down the time.
This place was far away from Heaven Traversers. The riot brought by the sea of beasts could not affect this place, which was why the galaxy appeared peaceful.
There was a gigantic Void Beast hidden in space beyond the meteor. That creature resembling a crocodile floated with its eyes shut at that moment. It did not move, but if any dangerous presences appeared, it would immediately wake. Needless to say, it was the ferocious beast that Xu Hui had tamed with Su Ming's help when they were on their way to the inner parts of Divine Essence Star Ocean.
Xu Hui had already been waiting for half a month. Based on the agreement she made with Su Ming, if he did not return a month later, she would no longer need to wait, but would have to immediately head back to meet up with the nine old Frail Darknesses.
However, Xu Hui had her own resolve. If Su Ming did not return a month later, then she would not choose to go back. Instead, she would head off to search for him.
She had been staring at the Relocation Rune in front of her for half a month. On this day, light suddenly erupted right before her eyes. At the instant it happened, Xu Hui's gaze focused. She might have seemed calm, but she was feeling slightly nervous in her heart.
When she stood up, the light from the Relocation Rune had grown to a piercing degree. The Void Beast beside the meteor also stared at it. Once the light reached its brightest, it disappeared, and Su Ming appeared in the Relocation Rune. Beside him were the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon, who had taken the form of two mutts.
As for the Duke of Crimson Flame, he had already returned to become a totem on Su Ming's arm.
Xu Hui stared at Su Ming, and a smile appeared on her face.
Su Ming saw Xu Hui as well and walked to her side.
"I take it everything went well?"
"Yes."
"That's good then." Xu Hui did not ask for details. Instead, she cast her gaze on the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon. She stared at the bald crane, and the bald crane stared at her as well in an incredibly arrogant and provocative manner.
As for the Abyss Dragon, once it saw Xu Hui, it was momentarily stunned before it became extremely indignant in its heart, thinking to itself that Su Ming was truly shitty because he always had beautiful women by his side, and it could not help but regard Xu Hui in a hostile manner.
It had to help monitor all the members of the opposite sex beside Su Ming for its young master no matter what.
Xu Hui smiled lightly at the bald crane's provocative and defiant gaze, and was completely not bothered by it. However, she was slightly interested in the Abyss Dragon's animosity-filled gaze.
"It's not yours, right?" Xu Hui was a mature and charming woman. Her relaxed attitude and wisdom was something that no one else among the woman Su Ming had ever met possessed.
He nodded.
"Then let me guess. It's a girl's pet, and for some unknown reason, it came to your side…" As Xu Hui spoke, a strange light shone in her eyes. When she looked at the Abyss Dragon, it immediately felt as if the form it took had been seen through.
"An Abyss Dragon..? I remember now. One thousand years ago, I heard that the Emperor of Abyss' True World sent an Abyss Dragon into the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to banish it and imprison it in this place. Could it be you?" Xu Hui's calm gaze immediately caused the Abyss Dragon to take a few instinctive steps backwards. It had a strong feeling that this woman before its eyes would be its young master's great enemy!
"The Abyss Dragons are a race that have an incredibly unique status in the Emperor of Abyss' True World, so unless they commit a great crime, it is impossible for them to be sent to this place. I remember that there was a piece of news that came out from the Emperor of Abyss' True World in the past. The third prince was about to get married, and the bride was a daughter of the greatest aristocratic family since ancient times in the Emperor of Abyss' True World, but the woman ran away from the marriage… If she could escape from the Emperor of Abyss' True World, then she must have had a World Traversing Abyss Dragon by her side.
"Coincidentally, one thousand years ago, this woman was found and returned to the Emperor of Abyss' True World, while you were sent here." Xu Hui smiled and looked at the Abyss Dragon. "Your master's name is Xu Hui, right?"
Chapter 961: They Are in the Same Group…
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Abyss Dragon almost sucked in a sharp breath. It staggered a few steps back before it looked at Xu Hui again, and when it did so, it looked as if it had seen a ghost. The shock on its face was a representation of the astonishment it felt.
It might not have a very intelligent mind, but it still knew that people who could deduce so many things in an instant by just casting a glance were definitely not someone ordinary.
Its young mistress also had this ability, but compared to the woman before it, its young mistress was still a little wet behind the ears.
"Looks like my guess is correct. Yu Xuan was the person who was supposed to marry the prince of the Emperor of Abyss' True World and was also your young mistress." Xu Hui turned her head and looked to Su Ming with a smile on her face.
"So is Yu Xuan your lover?" When she said these words, there was not a single hint of change in her expression. That relaxed demeanor made Su Ming remember how this woman had not acted embarrassed or annoyed like a typical girl when they talked about him changing her clothes, even though she clearly knew that he had seen her whole body naked. Her relaxed and easygoing demeanor was definitely not something a naive girl would possess.
Su Ming cast a glance at Xu Hui, but did not say a single word. Instead, he sat down cross-legged and started meditating. Only half a month had passed since his battle against Heaven Traversers��� Progenitor. He still had injuries within his body and had to recover as quickly as possible.
Besides, he had already dissolved the fusion of his three clones. His Ecang clone had returned to the foreign lands. If he nursed himself there, he would be able to recover much faster.
When Xu Hui saw that Su Ming did not choose to speak, she smiled and decided not to continue questioning him. Instead, she sat down beside him and protected him.
In the blink of an eye, several days passed. In truth, the reason why Su Ming had chosen this place to train was because he was waiting for Heaven Traversers' Progenitor to arrive. If the Progenitor had chosen to bow to his threat and compromise, then Su Ming could execute his subsequent plan without fear.
Three days was not long, but it was enough time to tell what course of action Heaven Traversers' Progenitor took.
If the Progenitor came here, then Su Ming would have the Sand Spirit trap him again without hesitation, and then, he would personally lure a sea of ferocious beasts to destroy all Heaven Traversers.
And since Su Ming had already thought of this plan, then even if the Progenitor had the idea of first hiding his Heaven Traversers before he chased down Su Ming, there was no way that he would not be prepared for this in case it happened.
Three days later, Su Ming opened his eyes. He lifted his right hand, formed a seal, and a sparkle appeared in his eyes. After a moment, his expression returned to normal, but a freezing glare flashed briefly in his eyes.
"Xu Hui, I will continue heading deeper into the inner parts of Divine Essence Star Ocean. Do you want to come with me or to go back and meet up with the nine old Frail Darknesses?" Su Ming turned his head around to look at Xu Hui.
"Since I'm already here, of course I won't go back alone." Xu Hui smiled elegantly.
Su Ming nodded. As he got back up, he took a step forward and landed on the Void Beast's head. The Void Beast shuddered, and a submissive expression appeared on its face. After all, over the course of the past few years, Su Ming was the one feeding it most of the time. It was rather fond of Su Ming, and had long since ignored the fact that he was one of the two responsible for the torment it went through when they tamed it in the past.
With one step, Xu Hui landed beside Su Ming. As for the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon, the both of them occasionally discussed the issue of dividing their spoils between them. At that moment, they were both incredibly satisfied with themselves and also ran up to the Void Beast's body, but the Abyss Dragon kept a wide berth from Xu Hui. Clearly, the trauma it suffered previously still remained in its mind, and it did not dare to provoke her.
But the bald crane had always held onto the idea that it was the Abyss Dragon's leader, and when it saw its lackey being so afraid of Xu Hui, the thought of standing up for it rose in its head. However, most of what it showed as an act of standing up for the Abyss Dragon was just provocation and deviance. It was as if only by doing so would it be able to show its statue, but it had indeed managed to make the Abyss Dragon look at it with a fanatic gaze.
"I saw four interesting cultivators just now," Su Ming said while standing on the Void Beast. As he spoke faintly, the Void Beast rushed forward swiftly, and it was so quick that it instantly left the meteor.
"Four cultivators?" Xu Hui blinked.
"Four cultivators with a secret. They invited me to travel with them, and I promised them to do so, but they went back on their word and did not fulfill their end of the promise," Su Ming said calmly.
Xu Hui smiled until her eyes were shaped like crescent moons. She could imagine that the truth was definitely not what Su Ming had just said. The four cultivators should have been forced to make the suggestion due to fear. That so-called invitation would have also been just a temporary measure.
"Yes, as cultivators, they should be people who honor their promises. How could the four of them do such a thing?" Xu Hui said by the side with a nod.
"That's right. They went a little overboard." Su Ming remained as composed as ever while speaking with a cold sneer.
"We'll have to teach them a lesson," Xu Hui chimed in.
"I'm thinking of leaving behind some seals on them," Su Ming said.
Xu Hui pondered for a moment before she made a suggestion. "That won't do. Why don't we leave some marks on them? I once saw an Art that could turn a man into a woman. This Art is incredibly useful, and I practiced it on other people many times before… Perhaps we can have their Nascent Divinities and bodies switch. It'll be like Possession. They will definitely remember this sort of punishment for the rest of their lives."
Her discussion with Su Ming fell into the bald crane's ears, whose gaze still held a provocation, and it also fell into the Abyss Dragon's ears. A shudder then wrecked the two mutts.
It was especially so for the bald crane, whose provocative intent quickly disappeared and was replaced by a look of flattery. It suddenly realized that this woman called Xu Hui was actually very sinister…
It looked at the woman and Su Ming's backs and listened to the duo's discussion, suddenly feeling that the two of them were incredibly suited for each other. As the bald crane mulled over that, it transformed into its original appearance so that it was no longer a mutt, all so that it would not provoke this woman and would be able to make a clean break with the Abyss Dragon.
The Abyss Dragon took several steps back again. In the depths of its heart, it had already elevated Xu Hui's status to a level where she was absolutely not to be provoked. The meaning behind the words she spoke sent a chill down its spine.
It could already imagine that if the four cultivators were truly tormented in this fashion, they would find it to be the most terrifying nightmare in their lives.
"This is… not very good, right?" Su Ming hesitated for a moment.
"How could it not be good? It's fine. It'll all be fine. Just watch me later. I did this kind of thing all the time in the past… Ahem…" As Xu Hui spoke, excitement appeared on her face, as if she was feeling incredibly enthusiastic about this.
"That is…" Su Ming turned his head to look at Xu Hui. Forget the bald crane, even Su Ming himself found Xu Hui's suggestion to be a little too cruel.
"Oh you, don't hesitate anymore. Just watch me. I'm very good at this. You don't have to worry about it. I'll definitely make them remember this lesson and know that cultivators must honor their promises." Xu Hui licked her lips. This action and the excitement on her face complimented each other, making her incredibly attractive. However, the words she said were ones that made Su Ming laugh wryly.
"… Alright, then." Su Ming shook his head. Then with the cues he received in his Atman through the Brand he left on the four in the past, he guided the Void Beast and charged forward.
In a galaxy some distance away from Su Ming and his group were Xuan Shang and the other three. They were pressing forward on their journey at that moment. They were all incredibly fast, and they moving as four long arcs. They were so fast that wherever they passed, not a single ripple would be formed in the galaxy due to their movements.
"It has been half a month now. Are we really leaving like this and not waiting for that person?" Yun You asked softly in uncertainty.
"That is a person filled with malice. With him around, we might not be able to obtain anything this time…"
"But I think that since he let us go, he would definitely have a way to find us. Hah…"
"Don't worry. In three more days, we will be able to step into a Relocation Vortex. At that time, we'll be far away from this place. Even if he has a divine ability that can find us or even left a Brand on us, as long as we have a sufficient amount of distance between us and he doesn't know about the Relocation Vortices here, he won't be able to find us."
"This is the only way now. Besides, if he fought against Heaven Traversers, there is no way that he wouldn't be injured. He might be nursing his wounds right now and not have the energy to pay any attention to us."
"That's right. Don't worry. Even if he manages to catch up to us, it'll still be fine. He didn't mention where we were supposed to wait for him but said he would look for us. If that's the case, it's not our fault."
The four sent words to each other with their minds as they charged forward. After discussing among themselves for a moment, they traveled even faster. Even though their hearts were still a little uneasy, they rushed towards the Relocation Vortex that was three days away from where they were.
Time trickled by, and when the third day arrived, light shone in the four cultivators' eyes. Based on the map they obtained, once they went through the Relocation Vortex, they would enter the core of the inner part of Divine Essence Star Ocean. That place would not be too far away from Dust Burners' territory.
"We're here. It's right ahead of us. That fiendish person still isn't here, so it's not as if we weren't waiting for him." Hua Yu smiled, and the other three let out a sigh of relief in their hearts.
Even though they might be saying that they were relaxed and no longer worried, in truth, during most of the past month, they were in a state of extreme nervousness. After all, the pressure and terror Su Ming brought to them in the past was incredibly great.
After a moment, the four of them stopped in the galaxy. Xuan Shang looked around him, then raised his right hand and swung his arm forward. A layer of dust immediately scattered into space. Then, some of the dust he scattered was swallowed by a small area not too far away from where they stood.
That spot was only the size of a fingernail. If they did not look carefully, it would be difficult for them to spot it in the vast galaxy.
"It's this place!" Excitement shone in Xuan Shang's eyes. But just as he was about to take a step forward into the vortex, a voice caused the four of them to completely stiffen up.
"The four of you move so fast. Could it be that you've already forgotten the promise we made?"
Once this voice spoke, ripples spread through the galaxy. In an instant, a crocodile-like Void Beast that was tens of thousands of feet tall appeared from space and entered the group's field of vision.
They saw Su Ming looking at them coldly from the Void Beast's head, along with an incredibly beautiful woman grinning with a hint of excitement, as well as two creatures standing behind the duo… the Abyss Dragon, who had now taken the form of a mutt, and the bald crane.
At the instant the group saw the bald crane, their expressions changed drastically, as if Su Ming was no longer of any importance in their hearts. All their attention was completely absorbed by the bald crane.
With just one glance, they were able to recognize that this bald crane was the ferocious beast they previously saw in the galaxy, the one that was chased by one million beasts!
'They are in the same group…' thought all four cultivators at once.