Chapter 1573 – News of Blood Moon
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It wasn't a secret that the Divine Runic Masters Guild cooperated with nearby great influences. This was an extremely vital source of the Divine Runic Masters Guild's resources and wealth.
However, when it involved an assassin organization, the Divine Runic Masters Guild considered this to be a considerably taboo subject. After all, an assassin organization had many tenuous and strange connections that involved many vendettas.
The Heaven's Net assassin organization had offended many great influences and they had killed many well-known individuals. If the Divine Runic Masters Guild cooperated with this assassin organization they would inevitably have to face some pressures, thus non-core members of the Divine Runic Masters Guild wouldn't know the details of their cooperation.
As Lin Ming suddenly mentioned the Heaven's Net assassin organization, the white-robed Elder and Old Xue frowned. However, Old Su's eyes shined with a strange light.
"Do you have a grudge with someone from Heaven's Net?"
Old Su suddenly asked. Since Lin Ming was interested in them, his first thought was naturally that Lin Ming had some enmity. After all, Heaven's Net had far too many enemies; it was simply impossible for them to keep track of all of them.
"No, this junior simply wants to meet someone – one of the leaders of Heaven's Net, Blood Moon! To be honest, there is a cultivation method that I would really like to obtain which is in Blood Moon's hands."
Lin Ming looked towards Old Su. He faintly sensed that Old Su had some sort of connection with Heaven's Net, or, at the very least he knew some of their people.
"Blood Moon…"
Old Su thought for a moment. It was hard to make out what he was thinking of from his expression.
"Old man, do you know Blood Moon?"
Old Xue asked as he saw Old Su thinking of something.
"Senior, if you know Blood Moon, then I request that you recommend this junior to them. I am willing to make a pledge on my heart of martial arts so that I won't reveal anything related to Blood Moon's identity."
Everyone's eyes turned to Old Su. Old Xue and the white-robed Elder naturally hoped that Old Su would help Lin Ming with this Blood Moon matter, because then Lin Ming would be considered as owing a favor to the Divine Runic Masters Guild.
Old Su said, "I don't know where Blood Moon is but I do have ways to make contact. As for whether or not Blood Moon is willing to meet you, that is something I cannot guarantee…"
Lin Ming was overjoyed to hear this. He said, "Thank you Senior Su!"
As long as he could find some way to contact Blood Moon then his chances of meeting him were much higher. With Lin Ming's current status as the youngest third grade divine runic master as well as a disciple of someone who might be a True Divinity, if this Blood Moon wasn't too strange and eccentric then he would be willing to meet him.
After all, in the eyes of many people, Lin Ming might become a seventh grade divine runic master in the future! It would be extremely significant if they could befriend Lin Ming before he grew up.
Old Su rose and said, "Tonight I will try to find a way to send a message to Blood Moon. I should be able to obtain an answer by tomorrow. If Blood Moon is willing to see you then I can lead you there, otherwise… if Blood Moon doesn't wish to see you then there is nothing I will be able to do."
Lin Ming was already more than satisfied with this answer. "Thank you Senior Su for the help. No matter if this matter succeeds or not, consider this junior to owe you a favor."
"It's not that big a deal." Old Su waved his hand. "That's right, since you just came to the Divine Runic Masters Guild you can have those two girls Clearshadow and Dreampearl show you around the area so you can familiarize yourself."
"That's right, there are many places in the Divine Runic Masters Guild that you don't know of yet!" Old Xue echoed. In truth, he wanted Dreampearl and Clearshadow to be on goo good terms with Lin Ming. If they could get to know him then that would be greatly beneficial to their future growth.
Thus, after an incense stick of time, Lin Ming, Clearshadow, Dreampearl, as well as the brother and sister Yue Liuxing and Yue Qifeng went to explore the Divine Runic Masters Guild.
From the outside, the Divine Runic Masters Guild only covered an area of several dozen miles. But, the inside actually contained its own world.
Within the center of the Divine Runic Masters Guild there was a separate space-time that was sealed away. This was a dimensional realm, similar to the one that the Forsaken God Clan lived in within the Sky Spill Continent.
This dimensional realm was thousands of miles long and wide. After entering, the space was incomparably broad. There were majestic palaces that floated between pillowy clouds, looking grand and extravagant.
"Junior-apprentice Brother Lin, I hope that you don't mind me calling you this…" Dreampearl sweetly said from beside Lin Ming. She had already joined the Divine Runic Masters Guild a long time before this so calling Lin Ming her junior-apprentice brother was actually quite reasonable.
"Of course you may, Senior-apprentice Sister Dreampearl."
Lin Ming faintly smiled. After being so easily recognized as a senior-apprentice sister, Dreampearl lit up with pleasure.
"This is the treasure storage palace. The Divine Runic Masters Guild has many rare and precious materials that are kept here. If you want to exchange for them then you'll need enough origin energy runes, but they also take contribution points. These contribution points are the currency of our Divine Runic Masters Guild!"
Dreampearl said, pointing at a grand palace in front of her.
The palace was surrounded with enchanting landscapes, serene and beautiful.
At this time, there were many young disciples milling about outside the palace, one of them someone that Lin Ming had met before.
"Senior… Senior-apprentice Brother Luo?"
Yue Qifeng shouted out from beside Lin Ming.
This senior-apprentice brother Luo was Luo Yubai. He, Yue Qifeng, and Yue Liuxing had the same master and the three could be said to come from the same sect.
A year ago when Lin Ming first visited the Divine Runic Masters Guild, he had casually encountered Luo Yubai.
After Luo Yubai saw Lin Ming and the others he was a bit startled. His eyes quickly focused on Dreampearl and Clearshadow.
He faintly smiled. "So it's Junior-apprentice Sisters Dreampearl and Clearshadow, and there's even Qifeng and Liuxing, and, there's also one more…"
Luo Yubai was surprised as he saw Lin Ming. He felt that Lin Ming looked somewhat familiar.
Martial artists had extremely good memories and even though Luo Yubai had bumped into Lin Ming a year ago, he still immediately recalled who Lin Ming was.
"You… shouldn't be that…"
After remembering who Lin Ming was, Luo Yubai's expression filled with incredulity. A year ago, Yue Qifeng and Yue Liuxing had brought Lin Ming to visit the Divine Runic Masters Guild and they had given him a tour of the outside. But, the place they were right now was the core region of the Divine Runic Masters Guild and it was impossible for outsiders to enter. Moreover, there was also Lin Ming's appearance and the divine runic master badge on his chest…
That was clearly… a third grade divine runic master badge!
And Luo Yubai himself was also a third grade divine runic master!
Just how… would it be like this?
Luo Yubai was thoroughly shocked. Yue Qifeng quickly explained, "Senior-apprentice Brother Luo, Big Brother Lin Ming here has just passed the Divine Runic Masters Guild's examination so he's also a third grade divine runic master now!
After Yue Qifeng explained the situation, Luo Yubai was left shell-shocked. Yu Qifeng's words were spoken so casually as if he were buying vegetables from an outside stall.
This was a third grade divine runic master examination! He had passed it so easily and had done it all in a single try!
Luo Yubai felt as if he were lost in a dream. And at this time, Clearshadow had given Lin Ming a price list that included many precious materials of the Divine Runic Masters Guild.
Lin Ming had inherited the memories of three divine runic masters so he had a good understanding of materials needed for the divine runic arts. After casually sweeping over the list he spotted several materials that couldn't be purchased on the outside. If one wasn't a part of the Divine Runic Masters Guild then it would be difficult to find these materials.
This made Lin Ming feel that it was an increasingly good choice that he joined the Divine Runic Masters Guild. In the future, with the backing of the Divine Runic Masters Guild it would be much easier for him to refine pills for the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.
"How do I earn guild contribution points?"
Lin Ming asked, clearly interested.
Dreampearl said, "There are many ways to earn points. For instance, you will obtain some through a monthly salary or you can even complete missions for the Divine Runic Masters Guild. The amount of contribution points you receive will vary depending on the difficulty of these missions. You can also trade for points with others. These methods usually only give you a small number of points. If you want to earn a massive amount of points, the best way would be to contribute your own unique divine runic arts techniques."
Many divine runic masters were self-reliant, similar to freelancers. The Divine Runic Masters Guild was a loose organization that definitely didn't want to see the other divine runic masters keep to themselves more and more, thus they had set up this provision where any person that contributed their own secret techniques would be rewarded with points.
"I understand." Lin Ming rubbed his chin. It seemed that there were several ways for him to earn points.
As Lin Ming was doing some calculations in his mind, the flame of a sound transmitting talisman flashed in front of him.
The message came from Old Su and the contents were extremely simple – it was that Blood Moon, a leader of Heaven's Net, had agreed to meet with Lin Ming.
Chapter 1574 – Marvel Blue City
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Tens of thousands of miles west of Divine Rune City, there was a vast and limitless ocean.
Above this ocean were countless islands. Some islands were several thousand miles large, and some had more surface area than a giant planet.
Among these many islands, there was a large island with a 10,000 mile radius. This island was called Blue God Island.
This island was hot and humid, lit up with sunlight. Most of it was vast tracts of lush forests.
And surrounded by these lush forests, there was a tropical nation filled with greenery. This nation was called Marvel Blue Nation and its capital was Marvel Blue City.
Marvel Blue Nation was no mortal country. This was because this area produced a type of resource called blue snow gold. Moreover, these verdant forests were also filled with ancient vicious beasts and all sorts of heavenly materials. Thus, although Marvel Blue Nation was situated in a vast ocean, most of the citizens were martial artists and it wasn't strange to see amazing top masters here.
Although its quality and quantity of martial artists couldn't compare to Divine Rune City, Marvel Blue City was still outstanding when compared to many major cities of the Divine Realm. The entire Marvel Blue Nation could be called a peak World King Holy Land.
On this day, a massive spirit boat anchored on the outskirts of Marvel Blue City. A young human man and woman leapt off the spirit boat. Then, the man received the spirit boat into his inner world.
This young man and woman were Lin Ming and Xiao Moxian, and this spirit boat was only a disguised Primordius Heavenly Palace. After Lin Ming obtained Blood Moon's reply, he had journeyed west until he came to Marvel Blue City with Xiao Moxian. This city was where Blood Moon was located.
After arriving at this hot tropical island, the weather was extremely wet and humid. The martial artists here exuded an extremely deep and exotic atmosphere.
Most of the men wore hats tied down with cloth. They were shirtless or wore extremely short crop tops with loose pants and boots.
As for the women, they wore short, tight-fitting clothes with plunging necklines that proudly revealed their chests. They often wore bold leather skirts that revealed their slim waists and slender legs.
Some women with higher statuses had beautiful metal accessories hanging off of their faces and necks. These accessories were a metallic silver blue. This was the national resource of Marvel Blue Nation – blue snow gold.
As Lin Ming walked, he evaluated everything around him. Most of the martial artists walking outside were at the Divine Sea or Divine Transformation realm, and even Divine Lord realm martial artists weren't rare. This level of strength was extremely exaggerated. In the Divine Realm, a Divine Transformation realm martial artist possessed the ability to freely travel through the universe, and a Divine Lord realm martial artist could be the ultimate ruler of a small planet.
Soon, Lin Ming arrived at the gates of Marvel Blue City.
The tall city walls didn't seem as if they had experienced many years. Rather, they had a very new feeling to them. It seemed that this Marvel Blue City wasn't as ancient as Lin Ming had thought.
The city gates were manned by two teams of soldiers. After Lin Ming paid the city entrance fee, he stepped inside.
According to the address that Old Su had given him, Lin Ming continued inquiring for directions along the way. Finally, he arrived in a small materials shop that seemed common and insignificant.
Within this materials shop were all sorts of materials required for the divine runic arts and alchemy. There were even furnaces, divine runic pens, and so forth.
Because these things weren't too valuable, the shop seemed quite lonely and desolate.
Lin Ming only glanced over the shop a few times without the slightest desire to purchase anything. This was because he wasn't here to buy materials to begin with.
Lin Ming quietly took off a spatial ring and stepped in front of the shopkeeper. This shopkeeper was a short and pudgy middle-aged man. His cultivation was ordinary and sloppy. If he were in a crowd, one wouldn't notice him at all.
Lin Ming traced the spatial ring and pulled out several dozen materials. Then, he said in a low voice, "I'm selling, this is a total of 1,263,400 origin energy runes."
Upon hearing Lin Ming and seeing the materials that Lin Ming had taken out, the fat shopkeeper narrowed his eyes and looked deeply at Lin Ming.
The materials that Lin Ming took out as well as his asking price were all a single code word for him to make a connection in Marvel Blue City.
"What is your name?" The fat shopkeeper asked.
"Lin Ming."
His name had already been passed to Blood Moon ever since Old Su contacted her.
"Mm… follow my person. He will bring you to the one you wish to see."
As the fat shopkeeper spoke, an old man with eagle-like eyes brushed open the curtains leading to the back of the shop and slowly walked out.
Although this old man's movements were slow, his eyes were sharp. As he walked across the tiles, his steps were steady to the point of being startling.
"Come with me!"
The old man said, his voice sharp. It was hard to discern whether this was the voice of a man or a woman, and it was also quite harsh to the ears.
"Peak Holy Lord!"
Lin Ming judged in his heart. This old man actually possessed a peak Holy Lord cultivation, and he was even a human at that. In the Asura Road, humans were rare to begin with but in Marvel Blue Nation, over half the citizens were humans.
Lin Ming and Xiao Moxian followed this eagle-eyed old man out of the shop. From the body of this old man, Lin Ming could feel a surging essence energy. He raised his guard, remaining vigilant of his surroundings as he kept his focus on this eagle-eyed old man.
They walked without speaking. The eagle-eyed old man brought Lin Ming meandering left and right, passing through busy streets and squares, slowly approaching the center of Marvel Blue City.
Marvel Blue City covered an area of hundreds of miles and it was extremely broad. As for the center of Marvel Blue City, there was a massive and magnificent building complex! Now, Lin Ming was standing in front of this building complex.
Tall walls were manned by steely guards. As Lin Ming saw this, he was shocked. This place… could it be…?
The Imperial Palace!?
Marvel Blue Nation was not some small influence. Its sovereign was equivalent to sect masters of ot
her large influences. This Imperial Palace was the core of Marvel Blue nation and could be called a den of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. There were many masters living in the Imperial Palace!
Lin Ming had already looked up information on Marvel Blue Nation before he arrived. Because Marvel Blue Nation was rich in great vicious beasts, medicinal herbs, and even the extremely valuable blue snow gold, the Marvel Blue Royal Family was extremely wealthy. Besides the masters in their court, there were many other elders and officers in their employ. In the event that a battle broke out, Marvel Blue Imperial Palace would have a terrifying combat strength.
Was Blood Moon in the Imperial Palace?
Lin Ming felt a bit odd as soon as he thought about it. Could there be some connection between Marvel Blue Nation and the Heaven's Net assassin organization?
The eagle-eyed old man brought Lin Ming to the back gates of the Imperial Palace. This was the smallest gate leading into the Imperial Palace but there were still 20 guards standing here.
The eagle-eyed old man lifted the plate card hanging on his belt and the guards immediately smiled, "So its Eunuch Liang. Please enter!"
The eagle-eyed old man stepped forwards past the gate, but Lin Ming and Xiao Moxian were blocked.
"These two are…"
"These two are entering the palace for business reasons. These are their sign cards. " The eagle-eyed old man continued to speak in his strange not-like-a-man and not-like-a-woman voice and tossed a jade slip to a guard.
The guard looked over the jade slip and allowed them to pass.
This scene caused Xiao Moxian to stick out her tongue at the guards. She said with a true essence sound transmission, "This old man is a court eunuch!?"
Xiao Moxian had thought that the eagle-eyed old man's voice was a bit strange. So, it seemed that he was a court eunuch.
To Xiao Moxian, a eunuch was an extremely strange existence because this sort of occupation did not exist in Demondawn Heavenly Palace.
"Why would such a master be willing to be a eunuch? Moreover, if their cultivation has reached this boundary, then they could even regrow their body with certain top materials!"
For instance, when Tian Mingzi had hunted down Lin Ming in the Sky Spill Planet, he had severed his own hand to do so. After Tian Mingzi returned to the Skydark Holy Lands he had used secret techniques and heavenly materials to regenerate his severed hand. The only problem was that this hand had yet to be tempered so it was far inferior to his original hand.
Lin Ming was also curious. As for Eunuch Liang, who was walking in front, he seemed to guess what Lin Ming and Xiao Moxian were thinking of. He chuckled mysteriously and then said with a true essence sound transmission, "You two are dual cultivation companions, right?"
Upon hearing this question, Xiao Moxian was startled. Then, she confidently said, "That's right!"
"Hehe, for you to find an appropriate dual cultivation companion to increase your cultivation speed is your good fortune! However, while you may have heard of nourishing yin with yang and yang with yin, have you ever heard of locking in your essence energy to nourish yourself? In this world there are some martial arts where one must cut off their own manhood before one can cultivate them! Us eunuchs who sever our seven affections and six desires are perfectly suited to practice this type of martial arts! The average person must give vent to the physical temptations of the flesh, but for us, we can reverse this process, locking in our essence energy within our body. Slowly, our essence energy will accumulate, filling us with daily energy and bestowing upon us plentiful physical strength.
Some people who wholeheartedly pursue the peak of martial arts would castrate themselves to establish their own unrivalled martial arts. Even on this road there are still transcendent divine mights! And in our Marvel Blue Imperial Palace, there are over 1200 eunuchs. What we practice is the Sunflower Melody, a transcendent divine might that was established by someone who castrated themselves and became an Empyrean!
"When ordinary people cultivate martial arts, those who fail are innumerable. But, when we eunuchs cultivate the Sunflower Melody, we can produce masters at a rate countless times higher!"
Eunuch Liang said, clearly filled with pride. Indeed, the road of martial arts had extremely high standards and not everyone had the ability to cultivate. But, if one chose to cultivate the Sunflower Melody, the restrictions were far lower.
However, there was one caveat. For someone who cultivated the Sunflower Melody, if they ever developed the desire towards men and women and no longer wished to be a eunuch, they could restore themselves with heavenly materials but this would mean that all the martial arts they cultivated would be wasted.
But in the legends, if one was able to practice the Sunflower Melody to the highest levels and reach the extreme Empyrean boundary then they could still regenerate their body and have their physical flesh reach perfection. But, this was far too distant a matter. For the average person, an Empyrean was nothing but a fairy tale.
Upon listening to Eunuch Liang, Lin Ming was left stupefied. The roads of martial arts of the 33 Heavens were endless and infinitely varied. The cultivation methods consisted of every possible thing that the mind could imagine!
However, Lin Ming didn't have the thoughts to think further about this. What he came here for was Blood Moon. He asked, "Eunuch Liang, this junior would like to know, is honored Blood Moon in the Imperial Palace?"
"Hehe, honored Blood Moon is certainly in the Imperial Palace, or what would I have brought you here for? Just follow me and you'll be fine. I'll bring you there!"
Chapter 1575 – Imperial Concubine Moon
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Marvel Blue Imperial Palace was extremely broad within; there were over 108,000 houses in it. Many imperial palace layouts were similar to those of mortal imperial palaces.
At the front of the Imperial Palace were the formal halls. There was the Heaven and Earth Hall, Primal Chaos Hall, Spiritual Cultivation Hall, Golden Dragon Hall, and over a hundred other such halls. When the Emperor met with his royal advisors and ministers he would do it in these halls.
But at the back of the Imperial Palace was the harem. This harem had over 3000 occupants. Every concubine was beautiful, graceful, and incomparably enchanting.
In the world of martial artists, a martial artist would found their own influence to create their own sect and become the sovereign. As for those martial artists like the Marvel Blue Emperor who chose to found their own country, construct their own Imperial Palace and make themselves an Emperor, that was somewhat rarer.
In the Imperial Palace there were at least 18,000 imperial guards, 20,000 palace maids, and 10,000 court eunuchs. When Eunuch Liang said there were 1200 eunuchs, he had been referring to those who had the qualifications to cultivate the Sunflower Melody. These eunuchs were supervisors and leaders of the other eunuchs.
As Lin Ming walked forwards he saw many of these chief eunuchs. They were at the Divine Transformation or Divine Lord realms, with some even at the Holy Lord realm. Those at the Holy Lord realm wore different clothing. They wore yellow robes, indicating a higher status of court eunuch.
Lin Ming rubbed his chin as he saw this. In the Imperial Palace, just the military force of the eunuchs was considerably terrifying. He wouldn't be surprised if the head chief eunuch was a World King powerhouse.
As they followed Eunuch Liang they were stopped at several more checkpoints. At each checkpoint, Eunuch Liang would take out different tokens. As they passed through an arched door, Lin Ming smelled the intoxicating scent of perfume and the clear atmosphere of women. This left him startled. This was clearly… the Marvel Blue Imperial Palace Harem!
Looking at the various palaces here and the many carvings of phoenixes, the architectural style here was much simpler and more composed. The paths were lined with red carpets and groups of charming maids carried lanterns and trays of fruits and they shuttled back and forth throughout.
"Harem…"
A strange color came over Lin Ming's face. According to common reasoning, the harem was a restricted area. Besides eunuchs, no other men were allowed entry. Did these usual rules not exist in Marvel Blue Imperial Palace?
As Lin Ming was thinking, Eunuch Liang brought Lin Ming to an elegantly modeled courtyard. The palace in this courtyard was carved from jade and the gardens were planted with lush plants. There were all sorts of heavenly treasures and exotic flowers planted in the garden.
Above the entrance to this courtyard was a large plaque – Full Moon Hall.
These three words were written in a flowing and beautiful script; they clearly came from the hands of a woman.
Lin Ming followed Eunuch Liang into Full Moon Hall. As soon as they entered the rooms he was able to smell the faint scent of light powder. In Full Moon Hall, even within the guest rooms, everywhere was filled with fine red silk, screens of peacock feathers, and velvet carpets. This could be called an opulent aesthetic that was pleasing to the eyes.
In this hall, above a large expanse of red silk, there was a woman in a red skirt, dancing barefoot.
This woman's red skirt seemed connected to the silk beneath her, making the entire hall look as if it were lit on fire. Her skin was pure white, like the most perfect jade, and her smooth hands were as fine as orchids. When joined with her slender arms, her movements were gentle and glamorous.
The woman's legs were wrapped in a long gauzy skirt but one could still make out her perfect curves beneath the slinking fabric. Although she wore a long red skirt, she actually wore the common clothing of the Marvel Blue Nation. She wore a tight-fitting top that revealed her waist and stomach, and as she waved about she undulated like a snake, flexible and fascinating.
This woman's charms were extreme to the limit. However, her face was covered by a veil so it was impossible to see her facial features.
After this woman danced for a quarter hour she finally stopped. She wrapped herself in a heavy shawl and sat down in the honored seat. Eunuch Liang bowed to her and said, "This old servant greets Imperial Concubine Moon."
Lin Ming was stunned upon hearing this – Imperial Concubine Moon?
"This shouldn't be…"
A bizarre thought appeared in Lin Ming's mind, one that he found hard to react to for some time. But as he joined this together with where he was and what he had seen and heard, this was the most reasonable conclusion.
Without needing Lin Ming to say anything, Imperial Concubine Moon spoke up. She turned to Lin Ming and said, "You have come to me to seek out a cultivation method manual?"
"Yes."
Lin Ming was darkly shocked. Blood Moon, one of the leaders of the Heaven's Net assassin organization was actually Imperial Concubine Moon of the Marvel Blue Imperial Palace. Just what was going on here?
Imperial Concubine Moon, Blood Moon, Full Moon Hall…
These three terms all shared the 'moon' word. For Imperial Concubine Moon to be Blood Moon was the best explanation.
Then, could it be that the chief leader of Heaven's Net was the Marvel Blue Emperor?
Lin Ming immediately shot down this thought as soon as it appeared.
Marvel Blue Nation had bountiful resources and considerable national military strength; it simply wasn't worth it for the emperor to work as the chief leader of an assassin organization in his spare time. In an assassin organization, the core figures would always hide their identities in order to avoid being targeted by others who wanted to retaliate against them.
For an influence like the Marvel Blue Nation, the gains simply weren't worth the losses. This was because it was possible that their identity could be uncovered by others if there were enough clues and traces. If their real identity was exposed and multiple enemies targeted them then the entire nation could be wiped out overnight!
If Heaven's Net didn't have some close relationship with the Marvel Blue Nation then there could only be one explanation as to why Blood Moon was here. That was that her status as Imperial Concubine Moon was only one of her identities and her true status was hidden.
But if this was true, there were even more questions.
Blood Moon was clearly extremely secretive about her identity as Imperial Concubine Moon, so why would she expose herself and let Lin Ming know who she was?
Of course, even though Blood Moon revealed her identity, she still wore a veil, making it so that one couldn't see her face.
In fact, even her cultivation was hidden. Lin Ming simply wasn't able to see through it.
This was something common for a leader of an assassin organization.
As all these thoughts flashed through Lin Ming's mind, Imperial Concubine Moon seemed to know what he was thinking. But, she didn't explain, instead smiling and saying, "Which cultivation method of mine did you want?"
Lin Ming awoke from his thoughts. He composed himself and honestly said, "The Celestial Tyrant Manual's Nine Stars of the Dao Palace section!"
As soon as Lin Ming spoke, Imperial Concubine Moon's complexion changed. "Celestial Tyrant Manual!?"
"Yes." Lin Ming nodded. Although he was curious about Blood Moon's identity, he didn't ask her. It was impossible for her to answer him nor did he expect her to.
"You know I possess the Celestial Tyrant Manual?" Imperial Concubine Moon's eyes narrowed, as if she wanted to see through Lin Ming. Lin Ming calmly looked back at her. After an incense stick of time, she suddenly nodded and said, "That's right, there were some other people that knew… I never thought that you would be able to find out, but you must have asked Heaven's Secret. Heaven's Secret…"
A cold light flashed in Imperial Concubine Moon's eyes. No one liked having their own information being traded around by others. In a way, the intelligence organization Heaven's Secret and the assassin organization Heaven's Net were the same. Both of them were extremely unlikable to certain people and it was easy for them to offend others.
"Celestial Tyrant Manual… so you actually dual cultivate body and energy. You have opened the complete Eight Inner Hidden Gates and have even managed to peer into the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace. That is quite… incredible!"
Imperial Concubine Moon whispered, her eyes still locked onto Lin Ming. But, Lin Ming remained composed throughout. Although Imperial Concubine Moon had covered her appearance with a veil and even her inner world was covered with a fog so that he couldn't see into her, Lin Ming could still faintly feel that she was a human.
As a human martial artist, she would have a thorough understanding of how difficult the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace was.
"If you want the Celestial Tyrant Manual's Nine Stars of the Dao Palace section, that is possible. But, you need to put forth sufficient conditions!"
Imperial Concubine Moon spoke straight to the point. The reason she was willing to see Lin Ming was because she valued something that he could offer her.
"If it is within reason, then please say it Imperial Concubine Moon!"
Lin Ming certainly didn't think that Imperial Concubine Moon would give him the Celestial Tyrant Manual for nothing. That was a transcendent divine might! If he wished to obtain it then he would have to pay a high enough price.
Now, it would depend on what Imperial Concubine Moon wanted from him.
Chapter 1576 – Blood Moon's Conundrum
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Imperial Concubine Moon sat down on a couch and bid a servant to steep a pot of tea before waving for Lin Ming and Xiao Moxian to also take a seat. Then, she slowly said, "I heard that Sir Lin Ming had a teacher whose cultivation is above the Empyrean realm?"
As Imperial Concubine Moon said this, Lin Ming finally understood what she wanted. No wonder she was willing to see him; it was because she had the idea to connect to his teacher through him.
She needed help from the 'master' that Lin Ming had conjured up on a whim, a master that didn't even exist.
Lin Ming thought for a moment. Then he said, "What is the matter? Must it need my master to emerge from seclusion? Can it not be me?"
"You?" Imperial Concubine Moon gently shook her head. Her cherry red lips opened as she said, "You are far too weak..."
"How do you know if we are weak or not?" Xiao Moxian mumbled, not feeling very happy at these words.
Imperial Concubine Moon lightly chuckled as she heard this. She had taken Xiao Moxian's remarks as the spirited and self-confident nature of a junior. "Lin Ming, I sincerely hope that… I can obtain your master's help. I am willing to offer the entire Celestial Tyrant Manual! But, let me give you a word of caution. The Nine Stars of the Dao Palace is a road that defies the will of the heavens. Try not to be too stubborn about these matters."
Imperial Concubine Moon advised with good intentions. Lin Ming faintly smiled. "Thank you for the advice, but… I'm afraid my master… will not meet you."
Imperial Concubine Moon pressed her eyebrows together. "Why…?"
In truth, she also thought that if the status of Lin Ming's master was too high then he truly wouldn't want to meet her. After all, she was nothing but a small and unimportant nobody to an extreme Empyrean. And to a True Divinity, she was nothing more than a speck of dust.
However, she didn't believe that Lin Ming had a True Divinity level master. In the entire Asura Road, if one counted all the rumors, those that were either dead or alive, or those that had gone into seclusion for hundreds of millions of years and could never be found, even if all of these factors were added together there were only several True Divinities. If a junior she casually saw was the last disciple of a True Divinity then she felt that was far too unbelievable.
"Is that so… then, Lin Ming, you've come out to adventure and gain experience all by yourself? Your master has washed his hands of you?"
When a master taught their apprentice, although they would do their best, sometimes they wouldn't be willing to do everything for them. These masters would allow their apprentices to roam free without any interference. Only like this would the apprentice experience the trials and tribulations of the world and grow through being tempered.
If Lin Ming was in such a situation then it would be impossible for Imperial Concubine Moon to request help from Lin Ming's master.
Lin Ming didn't confirm or deny anything. Instead, he asked, "Why don't you tell me what you need? Perhaps I will be able to help you."
"You?" Imperial Concubine Moon looked at Lin Ming and shook her head again. "Unless you have an extremely mighty martial artist that can help you, there is no way for you to help me. This is because my troubles are extremely great and involve a battle between World Kings. You two are far too young. If you are involved in my mess then you will only be killed!"
"Then why don't you tell? If I cannot help you then I naturally will not try to force it."
Lin Ming insisted, not giving up. He needed to obtain the Celestial Tyrant Manual at all costs.
"Alright…" Imperial Concubine Moon was silent for a moment. Then she stood up and said, "Follow me to my chambers."
Imperial Concubine Moon was tall and slender, only slightly shorter than Lin Ming. With her proud figure accentuated by her long skirt, it surrounded her with the atmosphere of a woman who renounced the world and stood above others. Although her face was masked by a veil, one could still see the faint but perfect outline of her face. Above her nose hung a chain of red crystals that only served to add bit of mystery to her.
The chamber that Imperial Concubine Moon mentioned was located in a separate time-space deep beneath the ground. There was a solid soundproofing array formation here. If one was within it, then even a half-step Empyrean wouldn't be able to listen in.
Eunuch Liang did not follow. In the chamber, only Lin Ming, Xiao Moxian, and Imperial Concubine Moon were present.
"I am Blood Moon – you should have already guessed this by now."
Imperial Concubine Moon sat down in a spacious stone chair before motioning for Lin Ming and Xiao Moxian to also sit.
She lifted her hands and dexterously picked up a pot of tea, pouring a cup for Lin Ming and Xiao Moxian. If Imperial Concubine Moon hadn't heard of Lin Ming's awe-inspiring performance at the Divine Runic Masters Guild and knew he was an amazing junior of his generation then it would have been impossible for her to treat him with such courtesy.
"I did guess your identity, but I was still surprised. I originally thought that Blood Moon was one of Imperial Concubine Moon's secret identities, but the more I thought about this the less likely it seemed…"
"Oh? Why do you think that's not possible?" Imperial Concubine Moon smiled.
"Because if Imperial Concubine Moon wanted to see us then you could definitely conceal your identity and leave the palace. You wouldn't even need us to come to Marvel Blue Nation and could just meet us with your identity as Blood Moon. If so, then we would have only known you as Blood Moon and wouldn't know of your identity as Imperial Concubine Moon. For you, this would be far safer. I don't think there is anything I have done yet or shown that would have you place so must trust in me."
Lin Ming slowly explained. Imperial Concubine Moon nodded, saying, "Continue on."
"Mm… so I guessed that Imperial Concubine Moon is not your true identity but only a temporary one. Only like this would you meet us without caring for us knowing your identity. The only thing I'm not clear about is why you have such authority in Marvel Blue Imperial Palace that you can have others leave and enter as they please. And, does the emperor of Marvel Blue Nation have any relations with the Heaven's Net assassin organization?"
Lin Ming's words evoked a smile from Imperial Concubine Moon. A look of appreciation flashed in her eyes. "Your analysis is quite good. Imperial Concubine Moon is indeed a temporary status of mine, and Marvel Blue Nation and Heaven's Net only have cooperative relations with each other. The reason I entered Marvel Blue Imperial Palace is in truth to accomplish a mission. I am not any Imperial Concubine Moon. That is a title especially bestowed upon me by the Marvel Blue Emperor in order to make my mission easier."
As Imperial Concubine Moon spoke, Lin Ming nodded in understanding, suddenly aware. "So that's how it is. Then, Imperial Concubine Moon's employer is the Marvel Blue Emperor?"
You could say that."
This brief exchange finally explained the suspicions in Lin Ming's mind. But, this was also reasonable. Imperial Concubine Moon was only a fake identity and Lin Ming still had no idea as to what Blood Moon's true identity was. That veil around her face still wrapped her with a sense of mystery.
"Then how difficult are Imperial Concubine Moon's troubles? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Lin Ming asked. This was what he wanted to know.
Imperial Concubine Moon hesitated for a moment and then said, "My Heaven's Net organization has had some changes occur internally. Because of this, someone is trying to harm me. This person has a World King cultivation and many helpers…"
Imperial Concubine Moon lightly said, not revealing anything further. This was because if she spoke more then she would have to reveal some inner secrets of Heaven's Net, and these were not secrets she could speak of to Lin Ming. This was because she didn't have much hope that Lin Ming would be able to help her.
"World King…"
Lin Ming thought for a moment. World Kings were divided into ordinary World Kings and Great World Kings. If one simply said the term World King then they were usually referring to an ordinary World King.
Of course, ordinary World Kings were still divided into the weak and the strong. Lin Ming could deal with a weaker World King, but it wouldn't be easy for him to handle a formidable World King.
"If it is only an ordinary World King then Imperial Concubine Moon shouldn't need to fear too much…"
Lin Ming looked at Imperial Concubine Moon. From the information that he had gleaned, this Imperial Concubine Moon was also a World King powerhouse, otherwise she simply wouldn't have the ability to become a leader of Heaven's Net.
And, as one of the leaders of Heaven's Net, even if there was some inner turmoil within Heaven's Net there should still be those that supported her. She should have the ability to compete for control.
If everyone became hostile to Imperial Concubine Moon after the change within Heaven's Net, then it could only be said that her relations in Heaven's Net were far too pathetic.
As Lin Ming mentioned this, Imperial Concubine Moon sighed. "My situation isn't as good as you think it is."
As Lin Ming heard this, his thoughts stirred. He couldn't help but meet Imperial Concubine's eyes for several moments. To probe her body with his sense was extremely impolite, thus Lin Ming hadn't done so. But now that he listened to her, he seemed to realize something.
"It seems that Imperial Concubine Moon is… wounded?"
Imperial Concubine Moon sighed. She self-mockingly laughed, saying, "There have been many matters that have occurred these past few years. In the face of benefits, many people will choose betrayal… and now, the situation I am in is very bad…"
"I about understand what is happening…"
Imperial Concubine Moon's explanation was short, but Lin Ming was able to faintly make out what was happening. This difficulty of hers should be some sort of internal struggle within Heaven's Net.
"Then I will bid my farewells. I shall return to visit tomorrow." Lin Ming didn't immediately reply. He needed some time to think and ready himself.
"Mm, if you wish to see me tomorrow, then follow the same method as today."
Imperial Concubine Moon said, not seeing her visitors out. As soon as Lin Ming left, a figure flashed within the chamber and Eunuch Liang appeared.
"Miss, should I follow them? I feel that it is extremely unusual for them to suddenly appear at this time…"
Imperial Concubine Moon said, "No need. He shouldn't have been sent by the other side. There is no reason for Old Su to deceive me. And, this Lin Ming is indeed a young and talented divine runic master. Although others in the organization must harm me there is no way they have the ability to find this type of genius to be their helper. He really should have come here for the Celestial Tyrant Manual. Since he has opened the complete Eight Inner Hidden Gates he has more than enough motive to seek out the Celestial Tyrant Manual. Of course, it is impossible for him to successfully practice the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace…"
Upon mentioning the Celestial Tyrant Manual, Eunuch Liang's thoughts stirred. He said, "Isn't this Celestial Tyrant Manual something that Miss brought from the Divine Realm. If this matter becomes too widespread, then would Miss' blood enemy in the Divine Realm become involved?"
As Eunuchs Liang brought up the topic of her personal enemy, Imperial Concubine Moon took a deep breath as a thick killing intent flashed in her eyes!
Within Heaven's Net, because their big boss was missing, the things that were left behind had caused tremendous turmoil due to the layers upon layers of entangled benefits. Even one of her trusted subordinates had betrayed her and wounded her at a critical time. But even so, she hadn't developed a deep hatred towards this person.
However, when it concerned her enemy in the Divine Realm, she wished that she could eat his raw flesh and drink his blood!