Chapter 1395: Second Level of Dao Divinity Realm!
The rain was falling. Those in Sky Beyond the Sky could hear it, but not touch nor sense it.
It was just like the past Bei Qiong spoke of. Su Ming could see the path he treaded clearly when he turned his head. He could find the tracks when he went forward, but when he turned around and walked back… he would find that the path had been split in two.
Su Ming stood on the cliff with smile appeared on his lips. His expression was chilly, and there was a profound meaning behind it. When it corresponded with the resolve in his eyes, it turned into an evil look that could not be spoken. It was as if his eyes could see through all the changes in the world, as if he could see through the cycles of life and death in the past, and as if he could see through everything about himself.
It was like an epiphany. If he lost himself within it, then on the day he woke up, he would only believe that he was awake, but in truth, he would still be lost.
If he did not get lost and kept true to his heart, he would never, ever… be lost again!
During that moment, his Dao Divinity, which was sitting and meditating in his third eye, opened its eyes. They also had the light of understanding. The rain… had come coincidentally, at the perfect timing, and also… too suddenly!
What Su Ming saw was not rain, but a figure moving further and further away in the rain at that moment. That figure was ancient and had a straw cape over his shoulders as well as a straw hat on his head… like a ferryman… and like the Master in Su Ming's memories.
During that instant, lightning flashed. When it illuminated the ground, the figure before Su Ming's eyes seemed to have come to a stop. It slowly turned its head around. Its gaze seemed to land on Su Ming, but when Su Ming saw the face clearly, the figure disappeared with another flash of lightning.
Su Ming closed his eyes, but his third eye remained open. The Dao Divinity in it did not close its eyes either. The light of epiphany grew stronger, and then, the Dao Divinity in his third eye curled its lips into a smile.
He… understood!
In the world that may be real or fake, he lit up with the light of enlightenment for the first time. The enlightenment caused Su Ming to be even more determined, and it also made his resolve firmer. His heart calmed down, and in that very first battle that could be said to be a battle of Arts against Xuan Zang… overlapping figures gradually appeared on Su Ming's Dao Divinity.
As his Dao Divinity overlapped, the rain in the world outside became heavier. The curtain of water covered everything. It seemed like even the fifth layer of the Sky Beyond the Sky had been covered by a curtain of rain, but it was still the same. Su Ming could see it, but he could not sense it. There were multiple worlds separating Seven Moons Sect into parts.
The feeling of his Dao Divinity overlapping with each other became stronger in Su Ming's third eye, then, the sky roared, and thunder shook the world. At the instant lightning illuminated everything… the feeling of his Dao Divinity overlapping in Su Ming's third eye became stronger.
But it seemed as if something was lacking. Even if the overlapping made it seem as if he had gained two Dao Divinities, it was difficult for him to separate them. They could not truly turn… into two Dao Divinities.
'Through all of my life, I pursued the truth and sought Dao. When I walk down this path, longevity is no longer important. Divine abilities are just decorations, and the essence of pursuing the truth is the Dao I seek…
'I seek to answer my questions. I search for an understanding, for… a Dao belonging to me, Su Ming!
'This Dao is my pursuit. This Dao is my way to understand the changes in the world, the changes in the cycles of life and death. When I walk down this path, I will persist in my beliefs. This… is the path of searching for my heart!
'It is like this rain. I look at it from Sky Beyond the Sky, but if I want it…'
A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He lifted his right hand and seized the air in the direction of the foot of the mountain. When thunder rumbled and Su Ming pulled his right hand back, there was rain on his palm!
The rain slipped through the cracks between his fingers, and Su Ming's lips curled into a smile. His smile grew brighter. When he threw his head back and laughed, the Dao Divinity in his third eye… swiftly split into two!
When the overlapping reached its limit, the second Dao Divinity appeared!
At the instant it happened, Su Ming reached a breakthrough in his level of cultivation. From the first level of Dao Divinity Realm, he stepped into the second level of Dao Divinity Realm. His hair flew, and his robes fluttered. The rain in the world outside became stronger, The thunder roared even louder, and the lightning became even brighter!
This rain came at an opportune moment, at the perfect moment!
Its arrival made Su Ming's epiphany instantly reach a higher level, allowing him to understand his Dao even better.
Su Ming's cultivation instantly erupted from his body. It immediately reached a breakthrough from the first level of Dao Divinity Realm and reached the second level of Dao Divinity Realm. If he took another step, he would reach a complete transformation. He would become… part of the few powerful warriors in all of Ancient Zang. He would step into Dao Spirit Realm!
'Xuan Zang, I believe that my world is real. I believe that I am Su Ming, not the third prince, much less… you!
'Xuan Zang, this is a battle of Arts involving Possession. You attack me, and I will counter… but there will come a time when I, Su Ming, will be the one who attacks, and you… will sink into this world. Let's see… who among us will be the first to wake up!
'Every single time the two of us engage in a battle of Arts… I will become stronger!'
A ferocious look appeared on Su Ming's face. When he swung his arm, his hair instantly turned purple. The purple hair did not belong to Wang Tao, but belonged to Su Ming.
He stood up at that moment. The rain around him turned red at that instant, having been dyed by the darkness of night and Su Ming's will. It was as if it had become a vast ocean of blood.
As it rumbled and roared, Su Ming stood on the cliff. Beneath him was a canyon and Seven Moons Sect. His long hair became messy due to the wind blowing against it, but it could not throw his heart into chaos.
He lifted his left hand, and immediately, a ball of fire that seemed like it would never be extinguished floated up from his palm. The fire burned, having been formed by Su Ming's will. That fire was like Su Ming's resolve—inextinguishable!
The flames shone with Su Ming's memories. In the wind and rain, on the cliff, and when everything in the area seemed to have turned into a raging ocean of blood… Su Ming lowered his head and looked at the fire on his palm. His gaze was no longer fierce, but had become gentle.
In the fire, he could see Arid Triad, the four Great True Worlds, his three senior brothers, his elder, Cang Lan, Yu Xuan, Xu Hui, plenty of smiling faces… and the bald crane!
In the flames were Dark Mountain, ninth summit, and all that Su Ming treasured and for which he was willing to give up on everything. It was… the source of the strength that allowed him to be firm and to keep walking down his path!
It was also… his taboo!
After a long while, Su Ming clenched his left hand gently, putting out the flames that were the manifestation of his memories and his divine sense. When he lifted his head, he looked at the curtain of rain in the sky and watched the lightning and the rumbling thunder.
Clarity appeared in his eyes.
"I am Su Ming."
The moment he spoke calmly, numerous runic symbols showed up in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky amid the thunder and lightning. Their appearance immediately stirred up howls and rumbles that drowned out the lightning and thunder. At the moment it attracted the attention of those in Seven Moons Sect, the runic symbols formed… a huge Feng Shui compass in the sky of the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. It could be seen on every single layer of Sky Beyond the Sky.
As the Feng Shui compass rotated with loud bangs, a figure moved towards it from a mountain far away. Once that figure stepped into the Feng Shui compass, it could be seen clearly. It belonged to a young man.
He was dressed in a white robe, and his eyes were like stars. His black hair fluttered in the wind, making him look incredibly handsome, and needless to say… he was Ye Long!
"I, Ye Long, will challenge the seventh formation of the Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune. Master, please grant me permission!"
Ye Long wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply towards the mountain from whence he came. His words were clear and echoed in the rainy night. They made the fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky tremble and many of the Seven Moons Sect disciples who were meditating in the rainy night to immediately open their eyes.
As their gazes gathered on Ye Long and a crowd formed up, a flash of lightning sliced through the air with a loud, thunderous boom. It illuminated the area and the huge Feng Shui compass as well as Ye Long standing on it to all those who looked over.
"Permission granted!"
At the instant the deep voice spoke, the lightning in the sky shuddered. It no longer dared to appear. Thunder became fearful and did not dare make a sound either. Even the rain seemed to ripple. Each droplet seemed to contain the figure of a red-robed man.
Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the sixth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. It was… the world which belonged to the red-robed man, the supreme treasure of Seven Moons Sect only the great sect elder in charge of managing the sect could control.
Only once the red-robed man's voice faded away did the lightning dared to shine again, the thunder dared to roar, and the rain dared to pour down.
Ye Long, while sitting on the Feng Shui compass floating in midair, stood up at that moment and threw his head back to roar.
"Seventh formation!"
His voice echoed, and the Feng Shui compass beneath his feet began rotating with loud bangs. The runic symbols spun and shone nonstop, while above him, the second Feng Shui compass appeared. At the same time, the third Feng Shui compass manifested as well!
The three Feng Shui compasses were each larger than the last. When Ye Long moved, he appeared above the third Feng Shui compass. He brought up his arms and pushed down on the Feng Shui compass. Immediately, the three Feng Shui compasses roared at the same time. Huge waves of power spread out, then gathered on Ye Long, which made his face contort. Veins popped up on his face, and he growled.
There was a total of thirty formations in the Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune. Only one Feng Shui compass would appear during the first formation, and during the third formation, the second Feng Shui compass would appear. When someone challenged the seventh formation, the fourth Feng Shui compass would appear. The general rule was that one additional Feng Shui compass would appear with every two formations, and right then, there were four Feng Shui compasses above Ye Long as he was growling.
The topmost was a talisman formed by rain. It floated above the three Feng Shui compasses as if it had fused with lightning and shone with endless light.
What Ye Long needed to do was to stand above the fourth Feng Shui compass. It would mean… that he had successfully cleared the seventh formation!
Under the people's gazes and amid the thunderous roars of thunder, Ye Long's roars became the most prominent sound in Seven Moons Sect. As he trembled, he slowly stood up and phased through the Feng Shui compasses above him. At the moment he stood on the fourth Feng Shui compass… he successfully cleared the seventh formation!
The thunder was like his might, and the lightning was like light shining on him. The rain and the world looked like they were a background for him.
Ye Long's black hair danced in the air. Once he stood up straight, he threw his head back and let out a long cry.
"Wang Tao, it's been eight years. During them, you've never answered my challenge! Today… I will still ask you this question: Do you dare challenge the Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune?!"
His voice resounded through Seven Moons Sect, and the eyes of all people who heard it sparkled.
While seated on the cliff, Su Ming slowly lifted his head!
His eyes sparkled with a brilliant light!
Chapter 1396: Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune (1)
At the instant Su Ming lifted his head, his eyes sparkled brilliantly. The rain became heavier, and as thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, they illuminated everything for a time.
As if he was an entity existing between darkness and light, Su Ming… slowly stood up.
His robes fluttered, and his purple hair danced while he stood on the cliff. Thunder roared even louder at that moment, and lightning intersected with each other. It looked as if night and day were joining together, changing places constantly… in an attempt to overlap with each other.
"As you wish," Su Ming said flatly.
His voice echoed in the fifth layer of the Sky Beyond the Sky, then entered the fourth layer. Once it attracted the attention of all the people in the fourth layer, Ye Long whipped his head up, and his eyes sparkled in a way that they had never done before.
Su Ming's voice continued echoing in the air. It entered the third layer, the second layer, and eventually echoed in the first layer. During it, even the roars from the thunder could not drown out his voice. They became faint, and the light from the lightning also seemed to fade away. There were no more flashing lights.
When all the people's gazes were directed at the sky, Su Ming swung his arm and took a step into the air. With that one step, he stepped off the mountain, and with another, he stepped into the fourth layer. He landed on the huge Feng Shui compass and stood… beside Ye Long.
All the people's gazes in Seven Moons Sect were gathered on Su Ming.
"That's Wang Tao?"
"He's Wang Tao! He's that Wang Tao! Have you heard? That person isn't a normal disciple. He's… one of the sect elders!"
"Sect elder, that's impossible…"
"Heh heh, I wonder how many formations this sect elder can clear. If he can't even clear three or five formations, then he's just a joke."
The buzz of discussion instantly reverberated through Seven Moons Sect, and it was especially loud among the outer sect disciples in the first layer. They paid attention to the event the most. After all, practically all of them knew about what had happened not too long ago in the outer sect, and their curiosity in regards to Su Ming was incredibly strong.
As for the Seven Moons Sect disciples in the second and third layers, not many of them knew that Su Ming was a sect elder. Once they heard that piece of information, they were surprised, and derision became the dominant emotion when they looked at Su Ming.
Even though they did not know how he had become a sect elder, but in Ancient Zang, the deciding factor for respect was still a person's level of cultivation. If it was not high, then no matter what status that person had, they would only be able to temporarily obtain respect and polite treatment.
It would not last long. They would be like a tree without roots. Once the chance arose, someone might ensure their untimely demise.
Only those with matching levels of cultivation compared to their status could live long, and only they could obtain true respect.
Besides those from the second and third layers, even those from the fourth layers also looked at Su Ming with mockery. They looked at him like a clown, and their attitude towards him was full of aloofness and disregard.
"I'd like to see just what sort of ability this Wang Tao has after not showing his face for eight years!"
"I admire this Ye Long somewhat, but Wang Tao? Hehe, we'll know once we watch him."
"He's just a coward, what's there to watch? Hmph. He lives in the fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky… Looks like the rumors from the outer sect disciples about this person being a sect elder are somewhat believable."
"Sect elder? What right does he have to be a sect elder?!"
Divine thoughts went back and forth through the fourth layer, and when the people training there looked at Su Ming, their expressions differed, but most of them were aloof.
"Sect members of the third line, when you see this Wang Tao in the future, you will have to immediately kneel down and worship him, then respectfully call him your Uncle-Master."
When the mocking words came from the fourth layer, the Seven Moons Sect disciples who were training in the projection of a mountain all had incredibly sullen expressions on their faces.
The mountain in which Su Ming had stayed for the eight years belonged to the third line. Right then, the disciples who stayed in it in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky were disciples whose status were one rank lower than that of Su Ming. All of them were scowling at that moment with dark expressions. The mocking laughter from the other lines in the mountain left them incredibly embarrassed.
"Eldest senior sister, this Wang Tao… He…"
"Damn it, why did he have to embarrass us? Since he already avoided the challenge for eight years, he should have continued doing that. Why must he embarrass us like this? He's just making our sect the laughing stock!"
The disciples of the third line knew more than the others, for example, they knew his status. They had not been willing to speak of it during the years, but right then… they were forced to face the problem.
"Let him know his own strength. When we meet him in the future after that, he will not put on airs just because he's our senior!"
"This is a disgrace, the third line's disgrace!"
A woman who looked to be twenty years old in the mountain in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky belonging to the third line frowned. When she spoke flatly, her voice echoed in the air, causing all the people in the third line to fall silent.
"That's enough. He hasn't challenged the Rune yet. Once he finishes challenging it, you can go on and humiliate him as much as you want, it won't be too late then!"
The woman was eldest senior sister and Lan Lan's head disciple.
Amid the buzzing noise in the area, Ye Long stared at Su Ming on the Feng Shui compass. Strong fighting spirit was in his eyes. During the trial in the past, he had never taken the step into Su Ming's blood moon-enveloped mountain, and it had become a constant thought in his heart.
It filled his mind and became the reason why he continuously used the Rune to prove himself over the eight years, and it was also the reason why he kept challenging Su Ming. His opponent had never appeared, but it only served to make Ye Long even more determined.
At that moment, he finally saw Su Ming, the person who could no longer avoid him. They met for the first time since eight years ago!
"With eight years, I've successfully cleared seven formations. Wang Tao, as the person known as the eldest senior brother due to the trial in the past, today, I want to see how many formations you can clear!"
Ye Long laughed loudly. He turned into a long arc and returned to his mountain. He turned around after landing on it and looked at Su Ming with brightly burning eyes.
When he had spoken, the buzz in the first four layers of Seven Moons Sect instantly became a little quieter, but soon, they grew loud once more.
"I remember now. This Wang Tao surpassed all the others in the trial in the past. It's said that he obtained one hundred forty something spirit plates during that time!"
"Hehe, you only remembered now? That's right, it's that person! But his splendor only lasted for a brief moment."
Amid the discussions, Su Ming stood on the Feng Shui compass and watched the fourth Feng Shui compass beneath him disappear. Then, it was followed by the third Feng Shui compass, and after it, even the second Feng Shui became an illusion. After they disappeared, Su Ming stood on the first Feng Shui compass right at the bottom.
"I, Wang Tao, will challenge the Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune!"
Su Ming's words were simple. At the instant he spoke, he heard quite a lot of mocking laughter. It was also during that moment that a languid voice came from the sixth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky.
"Permission granted!"
That voice belonged to Dao Han, the red-robed man. When Ye Long wanted to challenge the Rune, Dao Han had to approve of it, because Ye Long was his disciple. If it was anyone else, they would not deserve him opening his mouth for them.
But Su Ming… was a sect elder, and only the Greatmaster of Seven Moons Sect had the right to approve sect elders who wanted to challenge the Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Runes.
Perhaps the outer sect disciples from the first layer in Seven Moons Sect did not have much knowledge about it, but the disciples from the second to the fourth layers knew about it. At that moment, all of them instantly fell silent. The rumors regarding Su Ming being a sect elder seemed to have been true.
But even though the Seven Moons Sect disciples had become quiet, most of them had derision and scorn in their eyes when they looked at Su Ming. Only a small part of the outer sect disciples in the first layer of Seven Moons Sect were excited and hopeful.
While standing on the Feng Shui compass, Su Ming lowered his head to look at the runic symbols forming it and remembered the bald crane.
'If the bald crane was here, it would definitely open a betting pool, then with an excited and eager expression, it would wait for the harvest.'
As Su Ming thought about it, a smile appeared on his face. He shook his head, then lifted his right leg and stomped on the Feng Shui compass.
As booming sounds echoed in the air, the Feng Shui compass began rotating. A powerful pressure instantly spread out from the runic symbols to gather on Su Ming.
"I've been silent for eight years. It's about time that I show a bit of my power, or else… it's not too good for people to constantly call out my name."
When Su Ming spoke faintly, he did not even spare a glance at the pressure that was gathered on him. Instead, he lifted his right foot again and stomped on the Feng Shui compass.
With a bang, the pressure that had gathered on Su Ming instantly crumbled. Crumbling with it was the rotating Feng Shui compass. It fell apart, and the countless runic symbols tumbled backwards as if they could not withstand the power from Su Ming's stomp.
"Second formation."
When Su Ming spoke, the runic symbols that had spread out instantly gathered together to form a Feng Shui compass once more. At the instant it rotated, Su Ming lifted his foot again and put it down gently.
BOOM!
In front of the shocked faces of the Seven Moons Sect disciples, the Feng Shui compass crumbled again and tumbled backwards in every direction. It looked like its mighty pressure and the power of the Rune were so weak that they could not even withstand a single hit from Su Ming!
When the Feng Shui compass crumbled again, Su Ming levitated in midair. "Third formation," he then said flatly.
The moment he spoke, the hope and excitement within the outer sect disciples in the first layer grew, and the inner sect disciples in the second layer were all flabbergasted. They clearly knew the strength of the first and second formations. While they might not be too difficult… Su Ming had cleared them with just a few simple steps, which left them in disbelief.
Chapter 1397: Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune (2)
Compared to the inner sect disciples in the second layer of Sky Beyond the Sky, the Seven Moons Sect disciples in the third layer might have also been stunned, but their expressions remained the same. After all, it were just the first and second formations. They might not be able to clear those formations as easily as Su Ming, but they were not difficult for them.
However, the derision that was originally on their faces had mostly disappeared and were replaced by seriousness. Su Ming's act of clearing the formations just then had stunned them.
Only the people in the fourth layer remained contemptuous.
"That's nothing. We can do that as well, it's just that there's no need for us to do so."
"It's clear that he doesn't have enough confidence, that's why he's acting like this to redeem himself!"
"Heh heh, the first three formations are nothing. Once he gets past the fifth formation, only then will the Rune show its true strength. I wonder if he will even have the chance to see it."
They were not the only ones calm. It was the same for Ye Long. He did not have any sort of changes in expression because of how Su Ming had cleared the first two formations. He had never underestimated Su Ming in the slightest. In his eyes, Su Ming could clear up five formations, and only when it came to the sixth or the seventh that he would certainly experience difficulties.
Everyone's expressions changed the next instant.
When the Feng Shui compass beneath Su Ming gathered together and became whole, a large number of runic symbols also appeared above him to form an even bigger Feng Shui compass. At the instant the third formation appeared, Su Ming appeared above the second Feng Shui compass. He lifted his foot and placed it down gently.
Booming sounds instantly shook the sky and earth. When they echoed in the air, they drowned out the thunder. The Feng Shui compass under Su Ming's feet crumbled along with the one beneath it. The brilliant light formed by the two Feng Shui compasses breaking down at the same time… caused the pupils of all the disciples in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky to shrink.
In fact, some of the disciples in the third layer had already stood up. They went to their cliffs and stared at the sky with different expressions from before.
As for the disciples in the second layer, they had already begun making a huge ruckus, and it was even more lively among the outer sect disciples in the first layer. Their voices echoed in the air, many of them cries of surprise.
The collapse of the first and second formations was not enough to prove anything. After all, there was a limit to the power of the Rune's first and second formations. As long as someone had power that surpassed the limit, they could do what Su Ming had done.
If that limit was categorized into a number, and that number was ten, then if someone had a power level of eleven, they could also make the formation explode. It did not matter if they had eleven or ten thousand, they could make the formations explode. That was why cultivators could not tell just how powerful a cultivator who did such a thing was, but when the formations grew stronger, the limit would continuously increase. The third formation was already ten times the strength of the second formation.
But… Su Ming had still managed to crush it while looking as calm as ever!
Such a thing shocked many people.
But it was destined that the shock brought by that rainy night had only begun. At the instant the cultivators trained their gazes on Su Ming, he opened his mouth, and his words echoed in every direction, reaching the ears of practically every cultivator in the sect.
"Fourth formation."
Right when his voice appeared, the howls and whistles from the Rune grew piercing, and the two collapsed Feng Shui compasses formed by runic symbols instantly gathered together under his feet.
When the runic symbols rotated, waves of even stronger mighty pressure spread out. It felt like the descent of the might of heaven, as if an invisible hand had appeared from the air to seize Su Ming.
His expression remained the same, however. Nothing about him changed. The moment he called for the fourth formation, he lifted his right foot and placed it down. Booming sounds echoed in the world, and as the Feng Shui compass under his feet shattered, the second Feng Shui compass under it also did not last.
It looked as if it was not the fourth formation, but still the first formation. This brought shock to all the people watching, but before their discussions and shocked gasps could travel far, Su Ming rose up again.
His robes fluttered, and his purple hair seemed messy while it danced in the air. Behind him, thunder rumbled. As lightning intersected with each other, it illuminated his body, making him an incredibly clear sight to the crowd.
"Fifth formation!"
His words instantly caused the thunder to become background noise. Lightning had to avoid him, and rain froze. The third Feng Shui compass appeared under Su Ming's feet, and the two Feng Shui compasses that had crumbled gathered together once more.
The three Feng Shui compasses floated in the air, and Su Ming was above them. During that moment, he was the center of everyone's attention. In the distance, Ye Long's face turned a little pale. He fixed his stare on Su Ming, because he had not expected that Su Ming could so easily… clear four formations in one go!
It was not hard for him to imagine Su Ming clearing four formations, but he would have never guessed… that he could do it so easily. It almost felt like all the things that had happened to him during the eight years had just turned into a joke.
Ye Long remembered the challenges he had issued over the eight years. Right then, it felt as if it was just a mockery.
At that moment, the other cultivators in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky no longer had mocking looks on their faces. Instead, they paid full attention to Su Ming. They no longer said anything to the people from the third line either, because they had been shocked by the ease with which Su Ming cleared the formations.
Most of the people from the third layer were standing on cliffs and staring at Su Ming. As for the second layer, the cliffs there were filled with practically every single person from the second layer. And they were even more packed in the first layer of Sky Beyond the sky.
"It's just the first four formations. Let's see whether he'll be able to do things with such ease in the fifth and sixth formations!"
"Yes, all of us have already cleared more than seven formations, and it's especially so for eldest senior brother Fei Feng from the first line. He is the strongest in this generation. He has already cleared nineteen formations!"
"Besides senior brother Fei Feng, senior brother Chen Tao from the second line has also cleared seventeen formations!"
"That's right, there's also senior sister Yue Yan from the third line. I remember that she has already cleared sixteen formations. There are also some others who have cleared more than ten formations. This Wang Tao… is still going to be just a joke."
"Hmph, look at the thirteenth mountain. The disciples managing the thirteenth line have all cleared more than thirteen formations!"
As the disciples from the fourth layer discussed among themselves, the three Feng Shui compasses gathered together again, and Su Ming lowered his head to cast a glance at the one beneath his feet. A surprised glint appeared for the first time in his eyes.
'This Feng Shui compass… The more I look at it, the more it resembles Xuan Zang's Feng Shui compass…'
Su Ming's eyes shone. He could sense that the three Feng Shui compasses were exuding an increasingly stronger mighty pressure as they continued rotating, but despite it being far stronger than before, it could still not affect Su Ming.
However, as Su Ming looked at the compasses, he had a vague feeling that their rotations had a pattern.
'Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune. Since this Rune has such a name, then it is definitely related to the Seven Lives Art…'
Su Ming pondered it for a little while. He did not immediately make the Feng Shui compasses crumble like he did previously, but began to observe them closely.
His eyes suddenly shrank. He could see that… there seemed to be two shadows on the two Feng Shui compasses starting from the bottom. The two shadows were of him!
'The level of this Rune is still too low, I can't see too many changes…'
A brilliant light shone in Su Ming's eyes as he was deep in thought. Then, he no longer took a step forward. Instead, he swung his arm. With it, the world roared, and the Feng Shui compass underneath him trembled. As the people in the area cried out in surprise, the Feng Shui compass crumbled again, and the two beneath it also started shattered.
"Sixth formation!"
Su Ming lifted his head. A sparkle, one that showed when he was deducing something, shone in his eyes. When he opened his mouth to speak again, the three Feng Shui compasses manifested under him once more, and Su Ming lifted his right hand and swung it again.
Loud booming sounds shot up, shocking the hearts of all the cultivators beyond the third layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. There were even quite a number of Seven Moons Sect disciples in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky who had their previous assumptions shaken at that moment.
"This is… Could this be the signs of him wanting to clear the tenth formation?!"
"Could it be… Could it be that we can see another person clear the tenth formation today? In Seven Moons Sect, only one person can clear the tenth formation every ten years or so. Could it be that this Wang Tao wants to clear the tenth formation?!"
"It's impossible. His level of cultivation will not allow him to do so. Even for us, the tenth formation poses quite a challenge. There might be a number of us who have cleared it, but besides the senior brothers and sisters who have cleared up to the thirteenth formation, not one of us can be absolutely certain to be able to clear it again!"
"That's right, this is too absurd. He has only joined the sect for a few years. It's not so easy to gain the epiphany for the tenth formation!"
While the disciples in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky were discussing among themselves, Ye Long's face had turned stark pale, and he looked as if he was using all his strength to not fall back. He stared at Su Ming blankly, and anguish gradually appeared on his face.
He had come to finally understand what was going on. For the past eight years, Su Ming had not been avoiding him. Instead, he had simply deemed the challenge beneath him. Right then, there was a high possibility that Su Ming had been annoyed by Ye Long's continuous bothering and chose to make a move only because of that.
'Over the past eight years, I have just been a joke in his eyes… I can't accept this! I can't!' Strong fighting spirit appeared in Ye Long's eyes. However, even he did not know that his fighting spirit was fake and just created by himself. It was a weak existence…
"The seventh formation… He still hasn't cleared the seventh formation yet." When Ye Long murmured those words, he looked at Su Ming once more.
Three Feng Shui compasses gathered together under Su Ming, and above him, the fourth Feng Shui compass swiftly appeared. It was so big that it looked like a plains. At that moment, it levitated above Su Ming and rotated together with the three Feng Shui compasses beneath it.
As they did so, Su Ming lifted his head to look at them. The light of understanding gradually appeared in his eyes. While the people in the area watched and waited, he smiled.
"So that's how it is! Then, I might as well have the eighth and ninth formations appear together!"
While saying that, Su Ming lifted his right hand and swung his arm. This time, the Feng Shui compasses did not crumble. Instead, more runic symbols appeared above the fourth Feng Shui compass to form… the fifth Feng Shui compass!
Chapter 1398: Dao Divinity Shadow Descension (3)
At the instant the fifth Feng Shui compass appeared, a buzzing sound that could not be described with words stirred up in the Seven Moons Sect. The many outer sect disciples in the first layer of Sky Beyond the Sky all sucked in a sharp breath. They stared at the sky with wide eyes and disbelief on their faces.
They could not believe that the fifth Feng Shui compass had appeared before the seventh formation had been cleared!
"What-what's going on?!"
"I've been in the outer sect for many years. Besides Ye Long, I've also seen many inner sect disciples clear the Rune, but this is the first time… I've seen something like this!"
As the outer sect disciples went into an outburst, the Sect Master of Outer Sect, the white-robed scholar and the former guide for Ye Long let out a soft sigh. He knew that Ye Long's pride would not let him accept that there was someone else in his generation who was stronger than him. That was why he had issued all those challenges, and that was also why such a sight… would deal an incredibly great blow to him.
"Ye Long… lost. He completely lost. He chose the wrong opponent." The white-robed scholar lifted his head and looked at Su Ming, who was among the five Feng Shui compasses. A hint of respect appeared in his eyes!
That respect was not due to Su Ming's status, but because of Su Ming's actions. The white-robed scholar was the Sect Master of the Outer Sect, and he had been in Seven Moons Sect for many years, which meant that he understood the meaning of what was happening right then.
It was… something that would only happen after a person had come to gain an epiphany of the first nine formations. It did not mean that Su Ming was about to challenge the seventh formation, and neither was he going to clear the eighth or the ninth formations. It was… the tenth formation!
"He jumped straight from the seventh formation to the tenth formation… There has not been many who managed to do this since ancient times." The other attendants of the outer sect around the middle-aged scholar looked towards Su Ming with respect in their gazes.
The disciples from the second layer of Sky Beyond the Sky were in the same state of commotion as the outer sect disciples in the first layer. In fact, the uproar there was no quieter. At that moment, all the cultivators from the second layer were standing on their mountains and staring at Su Ming in disbelief.
They were inner sect disciples, and they knew what they were seeing, because they had seen it before. They had seen some who had succeeded, and they had also seen those who had failed, but when it happened, all those who tried to challenge the Feng Shui compass like that became famous people in Seven Moons Sect.
It was at that moment that everyone understood just how stunning was the appearance of the fifth Feng Shui compass!
"The tenth formation!"
"This is the tenth formation. This Wang Tao… gained an epiphany during the seventh formation and caused the Rune to change, so the tenth formation appeared!"
While the second layer of Sky Beyond of Sky was buzzing with noise, the commotion that stirred in the third layer of Sky Beyond the Sky was also astonishing. There was no longer derision in the cultivators' eyes; it had been replaced by excitement and anticipation.
They longed for Su Ming to succeed. They were excited to see it happen because it did not seem… like he would stop just there!
Compared to the Seven Moons Sect disciples in the third layer of Sky Beyond the Sky, the core disciples in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky all had differing expressions. They stares were fixated on Su Ming, since they had an even more thorough understanding of the tenth formation. The shock in their hearts was even stronger because of that.
The disciples who had mentioned previously that Su Ming was about to challenge the tenth formation had excitement on their faces. When they looked at Su Ming, the mockery on their faces had turned into expectation.
And those cultivators who cleared the tenth formation had respect appear in their eyes when they stared at Su Ming as well. At that moment… it could be said that there was not a single gaze that contained the derision they once had!
Su Ming had used his actions to crush all the scorn targeted towards him! It was especially so for the people from the third line. Right then, their excitement and cheers were even strongest and the loudest. Quite a number of them seemed to have accepted Su Ming, changing sides in a battle!
However, they had just accepted Su Ming as an equal. They did not have the respect towards him as a senior. Whether or not their acceptance would eventually turn into respect would depend on… which formation Su Ming would eventually stumble!
"It's impossible for him to succeed! It's not so easy to clear the tenth formation! I'll watch him fail!"
"Indeed, if the tenth formation could be cleared that easily, I wouldn't have needed to try eight times to clear it!"
There were quite a few people saying such words in the fourth layer. As their discussion echoed in the air, Ye Long stared at the five Feng Shui compasses before him, and blood trickled out the corners of his mouth. He took a few staggering steps back, and when he fell down on one knee, he coughed up a huge mouthful of blood.
He struggled to lift his head with anguish on his face.
"I can't accept this."
When he mumbled those words, Su Ming lifted his head to look at the even larger fifth Feng Shui compass that had appeared above him. His expression was still the same. When the fifth Feng Shui compass rotated with a bang, waves of mighty pressure instantly descended on Su Ming.
For the first time ever, he had a feeling as if his body was about to split while under the mighty pressure. The sensation was very weak, but it still managed to excite Su Ming. He observed the mighty pressure without caring that it was descending on him. Instead, he paid attention to the patterns of the five Feng Shui compasses' rotations.
When he saw figures on the five Feng Shui compasses which looked like his own shadows, his eyes sparkled.
'This Rune helps Seven Moons Sect disciples split their shadows from themselves… and it's the strongest in the five Feng Shui compasses that appear in the first nine formations. Once all of them appear, the feeling of splitting apart is meant for people to experience it. If a person can endure it, they will be able to split their first shadow figure! It is the second life mentioned in the Seven Lives Art, the one besides the person's very own life!
'I've already had a shadow figure split from my shadow, so I don't need the Rune to help me split my shadow, but I wonder if my shadow continues to split, will another shadow figure appear?'
Su Ming's eyes sparkled, and he slowly closed his eyes to sense the feeling of being split apart so that he could check his thoughts.
Time passed, and soon, the time it takes for one incense stick to burn was over. The people who were observing Su Ming in Seven Moons Sect were waiting to see whether he would succeed. They were not in a hurry, because all those who challenged the tenth formation would require quite a large amount of time to clear it. The longest stretch of time had lasted for several months, and the shortest was several days.
But when the time it takes for an incense stick to burn was over, Su Ming's eyes flew open. There was a hint of regret in them.
'The first nine Runes… or rather, the tenth formation is a little low in grade. Since I've already had a shadow figure split from my shadow, the formation is of no use to me. But I'm quite interested in it after seeing what it can do.'
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. A faint smile appeared on his lips, and he lifted his right hand. This time, he did not swing his arm, but pushed his palm at the center of his brow. With it, the shadows appeared on the other Feng Shui compasses and gained corporeal form. The five Feng Shui compasses let out loud bangs, and the Seven Moons Sect disciples in the area were completely stunned.
Their jaws fell slack in disbelief when they saw the five Feng Shui compasses… overlap with each other while the loud bangs roared in the air.
Su Ming's illusory figures on them also overlapped with one another. When the loud bang shook all the people's hearts, they saw…
Besides a huge Feng Shui compass left in the sky, another Su Ming had appeared across from the original one!
It was Su Ming's shadow figure. When it stood there, the first four layers of Seven Moons Sect instantly fell into dead silence. After a moment though, a loud commotion that did not lose to the one previously shot up into the air.
"This… This is… He actually succeeded!"
"In just the time it takes an incense stick to burn? He cleared it in just the time it takes an incense stick to burn! That's impossible!"
"He actually managed to clear the tenth formation. This is… but it's too fast. Could it be that the first ten formations are truly that easy for him? Wang Tao, Wang Tao, the Chosen eight years ago… Could it be that after being silent for eight years, he appeared to shock all of Seven Moons Sect!"
"It's impossible for him to stop now. Could it be that he wants to challenge the head disciples in charge of each line and clear thirteen formations?!
"If he can clear the fourteenth formation, he would obtain two shadow figures, and it would mean that he has managed to perfect the Three Lives Art!"
"What a joke. Starting from the eleventh formation, the Shadow of Punishment will appear. The many shadows are refined from the shadows from the cultivators we of Seven Moons Sect have killed over countless years. If this Wang Tao is lucky, he will run into the weaker ones, but if he has bad luck… Heh heh…"
"You can't say that. While the Shadows of Punishment will indeed appear starting from the eleventh formation, each formation has a limit to their power. It's impossible for a shadow that surpasses the limit of the formation's power to appear."
The commotion reverberated through the air. Compared to the fourth layer's understanding of the Rune, the understanding of the cultivators in the third layer was not great, but they could still see some things. That rainy night was bound to be unforgettable for them.
The outer sect disciples from the first layer and those from the second layer were in an uproar. Their voices echoed in the air, causing Seven Moons Sect to be in a state of commotion that it had never experienced before.
Ye Long had already lowered his head and no longer looked at Su Ming. Even the unwillingness to admit defeat in his heart had turned into numbness, and then, to stillness.
He had lost. He had completely lost.
It was at the instant Su Ming cleared the tenth formation that he… was noticed by the powerful warriors whose level of cultivation were second only to the head disciples and head disciples who were in charge of leading the thirteen mountains in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky.
However, the level of attention they gave him differed due to the difference in the number of formations each head disciple had cleared. The head disciple from the first line, Fei Feng, remained seated in his own cave abode without any changes in his expression. He did not even open his eyes, as if Su Ming's act of clearing the tenth formation was not something that posed a threat to him nor even something that would require Fei Feng to pay attention to him.
He was not the only one acting like that. Chen Tao of the second line—a man with a rather sullen face—also remained seated in his cave abode. He did not pay any attention to the matters in the outside world.
But it was different… for the eldest senior sister Yue Yan, who had previously spoken from the third line. Her eyes were as clear as water, and she had been paying attention to Su Ming since the start. At that moment, a fierce glare gradually appeared in her eyes.
"Where… will your limit be?" she wondered softly.
When the cultivators from the fourth layer gathered their gazes on Su Ming, he slowly lifted his head to stare at the night sky above him.
"I like darkness… Then, before daylight, let's see how many formations I will clear."
Su Ming lifted his right hand and swung his arm at the sky.
"Eleventh formation!"
When his voice echoed in the air, thunder roared. Clouds tumbled and spread outwards to reveal a clear piece of night sky adorned by stars. The starlight gathered swiftly on the Feng Shui compass where Su Ming stood to form a shadow!
"Who… awakened my shadow? Three thousand years ago, I was killed by the thrice cursed sect elder of the ninth line in Seven Moons Sect… I am Guru Xing Chen!"
Chapter 1399: Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune (4)
There was endless resentment in that voice, along with a hint of madness brought by an unwillingness to admit defeat. When it echoed in every direction and resounded through Seven Moons Sect, the figure in front of Su Ming on top the Feng Shui compass turned into a shadow.
However, that shadow stood vertical and soon began to distort. In the blink of an eye, it turned into an old man with a head full of white hair and dressed in a long robe with stars on it. Veins popped up on his face when he glared at Su Ming.
"Seven Moons Sect disciple, Seven Moons Sect disciple…"
Once the old man cast a glance at Su Ming, he laughed madly. Waves of powerful killing intent spread out from him!
At the instant the old man appeared, cries of surprise rang out in the first layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. Once the outer sect disciples joined the sect, there were few who managed to see the eleventh formation of the Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune. Upon seeing it, they immediately began paying attention to it.
Compared to them, the Seven Moons Sect disciples in the second layer of Sky Beyond the Sky were different. Their expressions changed at that moment. Their knowledge of the world was much greater, so most of them had already seen someone clear the eleventh formation… but they had never seen Guru Xing Chen before.
Different shadows had appeared when other people cleared the eleventh formation, but they had never exuded such mighty pressure and crazed killing intent as Guru Xing Chen.
Those in the second layer did not know who he was, but the disciples in the third layer of Sky Beyond the Sky did. At the moment they saw him, they took a few swift steps forward as if they wanted to take a closer look at him.
Their expressions changed, and in the end, a grim look settled on their faces.
"Guru Xing Chen… He's a powerful warrior who brought chaos to Ancient Zang three thousand years ago. He was then killed by a sect elder of our sect. I didn't expect… that this person would have already been refined into a Dao Shadow!"
"I heard about him before. Apparently, most of the cultivators who participated in killing this Guru Xing Chen from Seven Moons Sect came from the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. Those of us in the third layer might have been allowed to join the operation, but only a few of us had a direct hand in it. Most of us were in the periphery to set up a Sealing Rune.
"This Wang Tao… He might have quite a bit of difficulty in clearing the formation this time. It would have been fine if he had ran into someone else, but he just had to run into… Guru Xing Chen, who was infamous throughout the land!"
When the disciples in the third layer of Sky Beyond the Sky were shocked because they saw Guru Xing Chen and began discussing about him among themselves, the cultivators in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky who could be considered to be the most elite of the cultivators in Seven Moons Sect filled with killing intent that came from the depths of their souls.
The sect elder had not appeared in the beginning of the battle. The disciples had been the ones who attacked, but Guru Xing Chen had cast an unknown divine ability that increased his cultivation base exponentially for a short period of time, allowing him to reach the terrifying first level of Dao Divinity Realm. To him, killing them was as easy as crushing ants. He did it, of course, which stirred up the sect elder's anger, and he had personally descended there. Once they engaged in a fight that shook the sky and earth, the sect elder killed Guru Xing Chen.
They had never managed to find the Secret Art Guru Xing Chen used to increase his level of cultivation from the initial stage of Avanicaya Realm to the first level of Dao Divinity Realm within a short six hours. No matter how Seven Moons Sect searched his soul, they could not find it.
While the Secret Art could not really allow him to remain in the first level of Dao Divinity Realm for a long period of time, but it was so powerful that Seven Moons Sect placed high value on it. That was also the reason why… his body was destroyed, but his shadow was left behind and sealed in the Rune.
Most of the disciples in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky knew of that secret, but it was the first time that Guru Xing Chen had appeared in the eleventh formation. Upon seeing him again, old hatred rose in the hearts of the disciples from the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. The battle in the past had been a wretched one. Those of the same line beside them had died one by one, and even three head disciples in charge of leading the mountains had died.
"It's that person!"
"It's a pity that when I challenged the Rune in the past, I never met his shadow, or I would have definitely taken revenge for Senior Brother Xu!"
"His body was destroyed by the sect elder, so only his shadow remains. His level of cultivation has been reduced to the later stage of Plane Kalpa Realm. It wouldn't be difficult for me to kill him if he only has that level of cultivation!"
"Wang Tao, kill that person!"
"Wang Tao, that person killed a lot of disciples from Seven Moons Sect in the past! Kill him!"
Voices rose and fell from the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. When they landed in Su Ming's ears, he cast a glance at Guru Xing Chen, and a thought appeared in his heart.
'It's impossible that he brought chaos to anywhere in Ancient Zang with his level of cultivation. It's also impossible for Seven Moons Sect to have needed to mobilize so many cultivators to surround and seal him… Even if he was in the initial stage of Avacaniya Realm… Looks like this Guru Xing Chen has quite a number of secrets.'
A ghost of a smile appeared on Su Ming's lips when he cast another glance at Guru Xing Chen.
'And this is the first time this person appeared in the eleventh formation in three thousand years. I won't believe that my luck is so good that I met him. Someone… must have manipulated it!'
Su Ming shook his head.
Guru Xing Chen roared at that moment. He formed a seal with his hands, and two black phoenixes flew out of his hands. When they intersected with each other, they occupied most of the Feng Shui compass. Piercing screeches charged at Su Ming, closing in on and enveloping Su Ming.
"You've gone against the rules."
At the instant the black phoenixes enveloped Su Ming and hid him from view, a deep voice spoke from the fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. It echoed in the mountains and landed at the top of the mountain belonging to the third line, right in the palace where Lan Lan sat meditating.
"This person is not supposed to be released. We only use the Rune to suppress him. Sect Elder Lan, I will need an explanation."
Lan Lan opened her eyes and said softly, "Greatmaster, my Master sent a message in regards to this. If you have any objections, please ask my Master."
Once she said those words, the voice from before did not speak again.
Lan Lan cast her gaze to the area outside as if she could see through the palace to the Feng Shui compass where Su Ming was at that moment.
"Master is in isolation right now. It's impossible for him to have participated in this… Only when you kill the man in front of the disciples of the fourth layer… will they accept you.
"No one in Seven Moons Sect could find his secret, but I have a feeling… that you can."
As Lan Lan mumbled to herself, a loud bang that shook the sky and earth shot out from the Feng Shui compass in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky.
The two black phoenixes let out shrill screeches of pain. They disintegrated, and the Feng Shui compass became clear again. Su Ming was standing as if he had never done anything, but the eyes of Guru Xing Chen shrank.
"Bring out what made you bring chaos to Ancient Zang, or else you are not worthy of me attacking you," Su Ming said flatly.
His voice was calm, but when it traveled through the area, it shocked the cultivators from Seven Moons Sect.
With an unprecedentedly grave look on his face, Guru Xing Chen lifted his right hand and swung his arm at the air. Immediately, the world rumbled. An indistinct crack appeared in the sky, but if anyone looked closely, they would see that it was not a crack. It was… a huge whip!
The red whip did not have corporeal form and was just an illusion. When Guru Xing Chen lifted his right hand, he grabbed it.
"Besides having the Secret Art that allowed me to reach the first level of Dao Divinity Realm within a short period of time and become an overlord of a region, I also had this… Space Whip!
"It's a pity that besides me, no one knows where the real body of the whip lies. And you too… can only see the illusion of the whip… manifested from my heart.
"You won't have a chance to personally experience its real might. Still, it can be considered to be your serendipity to witness the might of this illusory whip."
A ferocious smile appeared at the corners of Guru Xing Chen's lips. When he lifted his right hand, the Space Whip let out a roar as if it had just cracked the space in the world. In an instant, it turned into a red line that charged towards Su Ming.
He remained as calm as ever, but a thought appeared in his mind. The old man had spoken too much, and the information he revealed as well as the discussions from the people around him caused Su Ming to smile when he looked at the old man.
Right when his smile appeared, the whip charged at him. Su Ming took a step forward, lifted his right hand, and grabbed it. Immediately, he caught the red whip.
But the instant he touched the whip, a loud bang shot up in his heart. Memories instantly rose in his mind, and they all came from Harmonious Morus Alba. They tumbled about as if they had been stirred up by a strange power in the whip.
Su Ming's body jolted. He felt as if his shadow and his soul were about to be extracted by the whip, as if he was about to be separated from Wang Tao, from the body he had successfully Possessed.
'This whip…'
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. He circulated his cultivation base to forcibly stop the whip's power to stir his memories. When he took a step forward, with the whip seized tightly in his right hand, he drew close to Guru Xing Chen, whose eyes had went wide and whose jaw was slack from shock. Su Ming raised his left hand and swiftly struck Guru Xing Chen between the eyebrows.
A wave of power belonging to Soulseek swiftly spread out from Su Ming's left hand. He planned to search through Guru Xing Chen's memories for the true whip from and the Secret Art that allowed his level of cultivation to increase exponentially for a short period of time.
"That's impossible… you… you managed to catch my Space Whip?!"
Guru Xing Chen saw Su Ming's left hand approach him, and a hint of scorn suddenly appeared on his face, but that scorn was not very strong, since the shock he experienced just then diminished it.
"No one can search through my memories! If the thirteen Great Sect Elders of Seven Moons Sect could not do it… you have no chance!"
Guru Xing Chen laughed loudly when Su Ming's left hand pressed down at the center of his brow. Su Ming leaned into Guru Xing Chen then and whispered softly into his ear, "That's because before me… there have been no Abyss Builders here nor any Arts that could reverse time!"
Chapter 1400: Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune (5)
"You…"
Once Guru Xing Chen heard Su Ming's soft whisper, his pupils shrank, but the next instant, his eyes became unfocused, as if he had become dazed. Su Ming's right hand was pressed against the center of his brow. The power to reverse time was revealed for the first time in Ancient Zang, and it fused into Guru Xing Chen's soul.
At that instant, a picture appeared in Su Ming's mind. A man in a black robe was standing in the picture. With a cold face, he stood on a tall mountain. A huge door was floating before him.
At that moment, the door was open. The black-robed man took a step forward to walk through the door, but he turned his head slightly around, as if he wanted to cast a glance at the world before he stepped inside.
In that man's right hand was a string of pearls… as well as a red thread that connected the nine pearls together, and that red thread was… At the instant Su Ming saw it, he remembered the illusory shadow of the Space Whip Guru Xing Chen had brandished just then!
"Those who search for my Dao, when you tread down this path of mine which might kill you or allow you to live… you may call out to the power I, Xuan Zang, left behind in my homeland!"
When the voice echoed in the air, the picture vanished from Su Ming's mind. At the same time, Guru Xing Chen let out a shrill scream of pain. He trembled while sounding incredibly forlorn.
At that moment… the rain turned into… snow. It was endless. As the snowflakes floated down from the sky, even the entire western side of Ancient Zang began snowing…
As well as the eastern side, the northern side, the southern side… All regions in Ancient Zang, including the seven sects and twelve clans began having snow at that instant, and it was the same for all the cities and land in Ancient Zang.
At first glance, it looked like snow, but when people took a closer look, it showed up to be dust… All of Ancient Zang, be it mountains, rivers, the seven sects and twelve clans, and the royal capital… felt a rotten presence at that instant.
It only appeared for an instant before it dissipated. Disappearing along with it was the snow that covered all of Ancient Zang…
Su Ming lifted his left hand. At that moment, Old Xing Chen eyes went wide, shining with incredulousness while he stared at Su Ming in a daze. Gradually, his body began to tremble…
"You… You are… master…"
As he mumbled, his body let out a bang, and he turned into bits of glittering light. They spread out and eventually turned black before shattering to pieces.
At the instant Guru Xing Chen's body disappeared, Seven Moons Sect fell silent, but soon, the loudest commotion erupted since Su Ming had begun clearing the Dao Divinity Shadow Descension.
It was especially so for the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. Su Ming's act of killing Guru Xing Chen allowed him to obtain many people's approval. The buzzing from the commotion at that moment was mostly filled with expectation, and it was even more so in the third layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. Very few people had derision and disapproval towards Su Ming's act of clearing the Rune at that moment. Instead, it had turned into acceptance!
Due to their acceptance, the words that tumbled out of their mouths were filled with chants calling out for the twelfth formation. Their voices echoed in the air, spurring Su Ming on, expecting him to challenge the twelfth formation!
"Twelfth formation!"
"Twelfth formation, Wang Tao! Challenge the twelfth formation, continue until you reach your limit!"
"If you can clear the fourteenth formation, you will gain a second shadow figure! Wang Tao, you have to clear the fourteenth formation!"
Various voices rose and fell. When they echoed in the air, Ye Long was already leaning against the wall of the mountain behind him with a pale face as he stared at Su Ming on the Feng Shui compass. He no longer had any idea how to express the mixed feelings and anguish in his heart.
Amid the cheers, more powerful warriors from the fourth layer began to pay attention to Su Ming, especially the head disciples of the thirteen mountains. At that moment, seven of them had opened their eyes and fixed their stares on Su Ming. There were solemn expressions on their faces.
Su Ming had already proven to be somewhat of a threat to those seven people.
With everyone's gazes trained on him, Su Ming stood on the Feng Shui compass. He closed his eyes to hide the contemplative glint in regards to the things he had just seen.
Soon after, when he opened his eyes, he looked as calm as before. No one could tell whether he was happy or angry nor if there were any emotions surging in his heart.
Su Ming lifted his right hand and pushed downwards, in the direction of the Feng Shui compass below him.
With it, the Feng Shui compass roared. In the blink of an eye, it began rotating, and as it did so, it grew to be nearly twice the size. If anyone saw it from a distance, they would find themselves shocked by the size.
It levitated in the air above Seven Moons Sect, and at the moment it rotated, the countless runic symbols began shining brilliantly before floating out of the Feng Shui compass. Then, they gathered in front of Su Ming… to turn into a figure which was thirty or so feet tall.
That figure was pitch black and full of explosive power, but in the blink of an eye, it gained corporeal form and turned into a huge man. He was covered from head to toe in scars, and once his body came into full view, he opened his eyes and let out a roar that shook the sky and earth.
"Great Mourner Huang Xian, the cultivator who was killed and sealed eight thousand years ago!"
"That's right! That's his shadow! He's the Rune shadow that most commonly appears for the twelfth formation!"
"I've seen several senior brothers challenge the twelfth formation, and the Great Mourner can appear in two states. One of them is his current state, and the other is when he goes mad. His power will increase exponentially, and he will reach a terrifying state!"
Amid the discussions, the thirty something feet tall man let out a shocking roar.
"I am the shadow of the twelfth formation, unless you defeat me, your progress will stop here!"
As the man roared, he charged at Su Ming. When he lifted his right hand, the air roared. He threw a punch at Su Ming, and his fist instantly closed in on him.
Su Ming's expression remained the same. At the instant the man closed in on him, he did not move back, but forward. Once he took a step, he lifted his right hand. He clenched his fist and threw a punch straight at the incoming man.
"I've laid low for eight years. It's about time for me to show my power."
At the instant Su Ming said those words, his punch clashed against the man's.
A loud bang instantly surged into the sky. It shook eardrums of all the cultivators in the area. The man jolted and let out a shrill scream of pain. His right hand crumbled, and when he staggered backwards, Su Ming took a step forward with a calm expression. Once he drew close to the man, he unfurled his fist, straightened it… and seized the man's neck. He squeezed down slightly, and the man's screams came to an abrupt halt. As he shuddered, veins popped up on his face.
A growl escaped his throat at that moment. His body became bulkier, and veins covered his skin. As his power increased exponentially, his expression became ferocious. Madness showed up in his eyes. In the blink of an eye, he grew from thirty feet to nearly fifty feet tall, and he still continued growing!
As he grew taller, even Su Ming, who had the man's neck in his grasp, floated up from the Feng Shui compass.
"Get lost!"
The man let out an astonishing roar. He raised his arms as if he wanted to grab Su Ming, but before he could touch him, without any change in his expression, Su Ming increased the strength of his grip. Immediately, the man, whose body was clearly growing stronger and bigger, jolted.
An incredulous expression appeared in his eyes. When his lifted arms fell, Su Ming released his grip. His body landed lightly on the Feng Shui compass while the man's body fell with a bang.
All his life force was crushed when Su Ming had increased the strength in his grip.
He had not crushed the man while he was at his maddest, but while he had his strength increase continuously in explosive bursts. It might seem easier, but only those with outstanding power could understand the principle behind it and which one was harder!
The power required to crush him while he had his strength increase in explosive bursts surpassed what was required when he had reached his full strength.
"Thirteenth formation."
Su Ming stared at the man's body as he gradually dissipated from the Feng Shui compass. The man did not die, but instead returned to the Rune to wait for the next person who came to challenge, and then, he would wake up again.
At that moment, all the Seven Moons Sect cultivators in the area had excitement on their faces. Before Su Ming had challenged the Rune, they had not expected that they would see something like that. In fact, when Su Ming had just begun challenging the Rune, they would have never expected that he… would arrive where he was right then!
The thirteenth formation was a checkpoint for all the disciples in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond of Sky. Those who cleared it were few even among the disciples of the fourth layer. Only the head disciples in charge of the mountains and the powerful warriors of each mountain could clear them.
To most disciples, clearing the twelve formations was already their limit, because the shadow serving as garrison of the thirteenth formation was an existence most disciples could not fight.
Because of that, there was a categorization the inner sect disciples of Seven Moons Sect had for the thirteenth formation that did not belong to the sect rules, and that was that the thirteenth formation… was a checkpoint where their status would increase by leaps and bounds once they cleared it!
Those who cleared the thirteenth formation would no longer be ordinary disciples, but powerful warriors serving as inner sect disciples of Seven Moons Sect. They would get most of the resources, best training as well as a status that would bring all eyes on them.
There were less than a hundred people among the disciples in the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky who had cleared the thirteenth layer!
And at that moment, Su Ming was going to challenge the formation that served as the great checkpoint. Everyone's excited gazes were on Su Ming. When the Feng Shui compass rotated with loud bangs and its size increased by leaps and bounds… an ancient voice echoed from the Rune.
"I am the one who guards the thirteenth formation… Sect Elder Wang, greetings."
When the man's words echoed in the air, a black figure appeared on the Feng Shui compass. It instantly became clear and turned into an old man dressed in a white robe.
Su Ming had seen him eight years ago. He was one of the thirteen sect elders!
Chapter 1401: Dao Divinity Shadow Descension Rune (6)
"You can call me Sect Elder Mu. I am in charge of the eleventh line in Seven Moons Sect, Mu Zhen!" the ancient voice said. The old man's expression was calm when he took a slow step towards Su Ming.
There was no shadow beneath him. It was just as he said, the one who appeared was just a shadow figure.
"Seven Lives Art is a cultivation method only the successor disciples in Seven Moons Sect can practice, but in truth, the goal of this Art is to gather together a Dao Shadow, Dao's figure." When the old man said those words flatly, he looked at Su Ming.
"And Dao Shadow is not something you can understand with your current potential. Sect Elder Wang, you aren't my opponent. I would advise you to give up."
The old man had a calm expression, but there was a hint of arrogance in his words, and it lingered in the air, allowing all those who heard him to be able to hear it clearly.
His arrogance might seem normal to the disciples of Seven Moons Disciple, and they would not feel anything because of it, but when it came to Su Ming, he frowned.
"Since you are a sect elder as well, I do not want to humiliate you too much. I do it for Sect Elder Lan too. Oh well, I will take the initiative and make the decision: I will not return your attacks. You have three chances to attack. As long as you can make me take half a step back, you will be considered to have cleared the formation.
"But Sect Elder Wang, this will only happen once. If you continue to attempt clearing the thirteenth formation, don't blame me for being ruthless."
From the moment the white-robed old man appeared, he spoke as if he was talking to himself. Each of his words gave others a feeling that he stood supreme above others. His final words also showed incredible arrogance.
Su Ming was originally frowning, but at that moment, the frown disappeared from his face. The ghost of a smile appeared in its place. When he cast a glance at the old man, he said, "Then I will have to thank you, Sect Elder Mu. I will obey you. Are… you prepared?"
"I will not need to prepare myself. You can attack at anytime you please," the old man said flatly.
His expression might have been calm and gentle, but the pride in his voice remained. In truth, he did indeed have a reason to be proud. With his real body, he had reached the second level of Dao Divinity Realm. Even his shadow figure had the power of those in the later stage of Avacaniya Realm.
His noble status of a sect elder in Seven Moons Sect turned his prideful actions into a habit. He was familiar with his own demeanor, and he did not feel even the slightest bit of discomfort behaving in such a way.
Su Ming nodded and swiftly moved forward. When he lifted his right hand, he did not clench his fist. Instead, when he approached, he pointed at Sect Elder Mu. At the instant he did so, the pupils of the white-robed old man shrank, but by then, Su Ming's finger had already touched the air seven inches away from the white-robed old man.
An arch-shaped barrier instantly appeared to block Su Ming's finger. The barrier fluctuated as if it was continuously neutralizing the attack.
The old man's pupils, originally shrunken, returned to normal. He smiled faintly, but just as he was about to speak, the barrier crumbled, and Su Ming's right hand shot forward… He tapped the old man's arm.
"Go away," Su Ming said faintly.
Since he intended to clear the formations, he did not intend to keep too much of his power a secret. Instead, he wanted to show it bit by bit. At that moment, one of his assumptions had been proved right. It was the one about what sort of things had been going on with the great sect elder of the third line—the middle-aged man in the sky-blue Daoist robe—taking Su Ming in as a disciple, causing him to become the fourteenth sect elder of Seven Moons Sect.
The white-robed old man's expression changed drastically. He instinctively wanted to move back, but he forced himself not to do so. His body distorted as if he was about to dissipate, and he… could not endure the power from Su Ming's finger. He could not help staggering and taking dozens of footsteps backwards.
When he stopped with much difficulty, his expression changed continuously. It was occasionally sullen, occasionally aloof, occasionally shocked. When he looked at Su Ming, there was a complicated expression in his gaze. In the end, he did not say another word and turned around. With a swing of his arm, he disappeared from the Feng Shui compass.
At that moment, all those who saw the proceedings from the different layers of Sky Beyond the Sky in Seven Moons Sect let out cries of surprise. They might have had incredibly high expectations for Su Ming, but none of them had expected that he… would so easily clear the thirteenth formation that could be said to be a barrier that reached the skies.
In fact, there were a few who instantly thought that Sect Elder Mu had intentionally done it.
Only the disciples who had cleared the thirteenth formation of the fourth Sky Beyond the Sky had solemn expressions on their faces. The scene when Su Ming had pointed the finger at the sect elder had made their hearts shudder.
It was especially so for the head disciples who were in charge of the mountains. At that moment, their expressions were the most solemn. Clearing the thirteenth formation would mean that Su Ming had similar power to theirs.
But… the ease at which Su Ming had passed the thirteen formations brought them great pressure. It caused them to be even more serious when they stared at Su Ming.
In fact, even the head disciple of the second line, Chen Tao, who had already cleared seventeen formations, opened his eyes at that moment. When he looked at Su Ming, a grim look that was rarely seen on his face showed up on his face.
There was also Yue Yan, Lan Lan's disciple who was also from the third line. She had cleared sixteen formations, but her eyes were burning brightly right then. Su Ming had shocked her time and again.
"Fourteenth formation," Su Ming called out flatly.
He lifted his right foot and stepped down on the Feng Shui compass. A hint of expectation appeared in his eyes. He was highly expectant of the split he would experience during the fourteenth formation, which was equivalent to the split of his shadow in the Seven Lives Art.
Booming sounds shot up into the air and echoed when the fourteenth formation appeared. The Feng Shui compass on which Su Ming stood began shining rapidly. As it rotated, the light spread out in every direction. In the blink of an eye, the countless runic symbols squirmed and turned into multiple copies of Su Ming.
Countless miniature versions of him had appeared around him at that moment. Soon after, a mighty pressure that caused even Su Ming to feel slightly uncomfortable descended with a bang. That mighty pressure felt as if the sky had collapsed and pressed down on Su Ming's body, causing his soul, his will, and everything in his body to feel as if they were about to be split apart.
If it was any other disciple who challenged the fourteenth formation, they would have long since sat down cross-legged, circulating all his or her their cultivation base to fight back, but Su Ming only lifted his head and looked at the sky where the mighty pressure came from. Then, he swept his gaze across the figures of himself that were formed by the countless runic symbols.
'The pressure still isn't enough. It can't split another shadow figure from me.' Su Ming frowned, and resolution appeared on his face. He lifted his right hand and struck the center of his brow.
With it, a loud bang came from his body, and his cultivation base was immediately thrown into chaos. The pressure from the world around him increased, and the shadow under Su Ming's feet instantly started distorting.
'It's still a little lacking.'
A contemplative sparkle shone in Su Ming's eyes. He lifted his right hand and formed a seal before he tapped his chest. A cyclone was formed in his body, and it turned into a seal that sealed off three-tenths of his cultivation base.
When he did so, the pressure from the world around him became stronger. It caused the feeling of his body being split to become stronger.
'One more time.'
Su Ming did not change the seal on his right hand. He tapped his Dantian region, and the cyclone appeared in him again to turn into a second seal.
Su Ming did not stop moving his right hand. When he brought it up, he tapped the center of his brow again. Immediately, the third seal appeared in his mind and soul. With three seals, he sealed off about nine-tenths of his cultivation base, causing his body to tremble for the first time.
The disciples of Seven Moons Sect in the area had been keeping a close watch, and practically all of them were stunned by his actions. None of them knew what Su Ming was doing. Only Yue Yan's pupils shrank when she saw his actions. For the first time since the start, she stood up and strode towards the cliff to stare at Su Ming. A hint of shock appeared on her face.
"Just-just what level of cultivation does he have? This method… is the exact same as the one that Fei Feng used for the fourteenth formation in the past. He had to seal his own cultivation base to have another shadow figure split from his body!"
She was not the only one who lost her composure. Even the pupils of Chen Tao of the second line shrank. He stood up swiftly, and while he did not walk out of his cave abode like Yue Yan, a hint of shock appeared on his face.
In fact… Fei Feng, who was the strongest among the youngest generation of disciples in Seven Moons Sect and who had stayed with his eyes closed as he meditated, opened his eyes a bit at that instant. They shone with a brilliant light.
"Wang Tao…" he murmured.
The three of them were not the only ones who reacted like that. The expressions of the thirteen sect elders in the fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky and the hundreds of thousands of cultivators who were in the same generation as them changed. They began paying close attention to everything that happened to Su Ming.
"Either this person hid his level of cultivation, or his potential… is unimaginable. What level of cultivation does he currently have? Could it be that he has already attained great completion of Avacaniya Realm?!"
"The Masters of each line sent word before that no one was to interfere or stop Wang Tao when he practices cultivation. A person who is so highly valued by the great sect elders… Even if he shows power belonging to those who have attained great completion of Avacaniya Realm, I wouldn't be surprised!
"But Mu Zhen, you are the first sect elder to have directly engaged in a battle with him. Lay down your judgment."
"Great completion of Avacaniya Realm!" A cold harrumph came from the eleventh mountain. It belonged to Mu Zhen.
At the instant the crowd's voice rose up in Seven Moons Sect's fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky, Su Ming let out a low growl. As his voice echoed in the air, the shadow beneath him distorted and began overlapping. In an instant… the second shadow appeared under him. It was the shadow figure which Su Ming had separated at the start, but once it appeared… a third showed up the next instant!
The third shadow was slightly blurry, but when it appeared, banging sounds came from Su Ming's body. Once all the seals were released, his cultivation base erupted, and the blurry shadow became clear. It instantly became complete!
"Fifteenth formation!" Su Ming's voice echoed and caused the entire region to tremble.
At that moment, the night seemed to be over, and… the first rays of light appeared in the distance.