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Chapter 50: The Third Method!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

It was a night where the moon was absent and the winds raged!

Within the walls of Wind Stream Tribe's city, winds howled as they rushed by. It was like they were angry. The winds lifted the dust off the land and up into the sky, blurring out the moon.

Several figures ran inside the city of mudstone in the middle of night as though they were looking for something. However, they were in the dark because they had no idea where to start looking. It was not until the first rays of sunlight, which lit up the horizon far into the distance that the people began leaving.

Bei Ling went back to Dark Mountain Tribe's lodgings fatigued and pale. That night, he lost a large amount of blood between his brows so his body was incredibly weak. He also watched with his own eyes the short but shocking fight!

There was the spear that flew towards them like a thunderbolt and caused the earth to tremble. Wu Sen's crazed roar in anger also echoed in his ears. To Bei Ling, Wu Sen was Wind Stream Tribe's blessed child. They may have both been at the sixth level but, Bei Ling knew that he could not win against him. In fact… he did not even dare challenge him.

He did not train in the usual Berserker's Method. He had worshiped the statue of the God of Berserkers when he was young. Yet apparently, there was a mysterious statue among all the statues of the God of Berserkers within Wind Stream Tribe. Those who received its inheritance needed to use the aura of corpses to train and gather their Berserker Blood to turn into a corpse. If it was successful, the practitioner would practically be invincible.

'Just who was that person who fought against Wu Sen… I can't gauge his strength but, if he pushed Wu Sen into a corner, he must also be a well-known Berserker. Could he be from Black Mountain Tribe?'

Bei Ling's gaze was dark. He was the most powerful Berserker among his peers in Dark Mountain Tribe but he knew that once he left his tribe, he was a nobody.

Bei Ling returned to the lodgings and to his room with these convoluted feelings as well as uncertainty regarding the test in the morning. However the moment he opened the door to his room, his body shook and his pupils shrank. The hairs on his body stood up and he breathed in sharply. There was shock and disbelief on his face.

There was a ball of fresh blood floating on top of the table in his room. There was a light green tint in that sphere of blood and it glowed in an incredibly strange manner. It was the refined blood that Wu Sen forced out of Bei Ling's entire body when he tapped Bei Ling's glabella.

He was momentarily stunned. Bei Ling immediately turned and looked behind him. There was only darkness and it was incredibly quiet around him. His heart pounded against his chest. After a moment of silence, he went straight into his room and as he stared at the ball of familiar fresh blood on the table. His emotions were unstable..

'Who… was that..? Why did he help me..?'

After a long while, Bei Ling grabbed the ball of fresh blood. The moment he touched the blood, it melted into his body and turned into a wave of heat. Bei Ling to quickly sat down with his legs crossed and circulate the blood in his veins.

At the same time, in another room within Dark Mountain Tribe's lodgings, Su Ming sat with his legs crossed on the floor. His face was pale and there was a trickle of fresh blood at the corner of his lips.

However his eyes were incredibly bright. He lowered his head and looked at the ball of dark green blood in his palm and smiled coldly.

'So this is the prodigy of Wind Stream Tribe! No one is allowed to surpass him. He is the only one allowed to surpass others! He's not that great. If I can complete the third burning of my blood along with this spear, even if I can't kill him, I can still heavily injure him!'

Su Ming lifted one of his hands and wiped away the blood at the corner of his lips. A fierce look flashed briefly in his eyes.

'I was only lightly injured. I'll be able to recover if I circulate my Qi. But that Berserker's Method he adopted is incredibly strange.'

The image of the burning corpses and green fire surfaced in Su Ming's head.

'If I can, I'd like to meet the 'prodigies'! But seeing how crazy Wu Sen was in the tunnel, this item must be incredibly important to him!'

Su Ming looked at the dark green blood in his hands and placed it into a small bottle. After a moment of thought, he raised his hand and grabbed the air. A sliver of moonlight appeared from nowhere and surrounded the small bottle. Then it disappeared.

Once he placed the small bottle in his bosom, Su Ming closed his eyes and circulated the Qi in his body as he waited for morning to arrive.

Time passed by and very soon, the sky was no longer dark. As it turned brighter, morning arrived!

This morning would be different from other mornings because it was the day Wind Stream Tribe held the test that all tribes in the area would partake once every few years!

Besides testing the young Berserkers, it was also a chance for all tribes to show their strength and for their future hopes to display stunning talent. This also decided Wind Stream Tribe's outlook towards the tribes in the future.

When morning arrived, Lei Chen, Wu La and Bei Ling followed the guide from Wind Stream Tribe along with the elder, Head of the Guards and Shan Hen as they left their lodgings.

Su Ming stood outside the house and watched them leave. He looked at Lei Chen waving at him with a confident look. He looked at Wu La, who had a faint look of disdain on her calm face. He looked at the Bei Ling, who was silent. His face had returned a normal healthy shade of color but he still refused to look at him.

There was also the elder, who was smiling sophisticatedly and nodding at him. The Head of the Guards on the other hand, was looking at him with a regretful expression. Then finally, Su Ming looked at the silent Shan Hen, who had a strange glow in his narrowed eyes. His gaze landed briefly on him.

Su Ming still stood at his place even after they slowly disappeared from his sight. However, his body and face started changing. After a moment, Su Ming had changed into a bulky looking man. His skin was slightly dark and he exuded a tough presence. He looked no different from a normal member of the Berserker Tribe.

The disguise Su Ming wore this time was different from the one he adopted the previous night. The straw hat the elder had placed within his body was truly amazing. He could change his appearance at will.

There was no shred of anxiety within Su Ming as he stood there. Instead, he looked at the sky and waited calmly. He knew that it was an important day for him and it was equally important to the elder.

On this day, Su Ming would either display shocking results or… fall into the depths of despair.

Su Ming was unsure if there was a force that controlled people's destinies. He looked at the sky. It was very blue and he could not see the end of it.

'Among all those living on the land, who would be able to see the end of the horizon?'

It was one of the opening lines in the beast skin scroll. When Su Ming first read it, he had been touched but also puzzled.

'People always speak of heaven and earth but, what is heaven and earth? It means all that is under the sky! If the heavens had a soul, it would be an oppressive one! It is oppressing us, the members of the Berserker Tribe and it wants us to humiliate ourselves…'

These words surfaced in Su Ming's head.

Sometimes, he would think that the heavens truly possessed a soul but its soul was too cold. If it was not cold, why would there be prodigies and blessed people? Why would there be common people? Why would there be people like the elder, who had unequaled talent yet whose presence dimmed and hair covered in white with time? And what about people like the man in purple, who could climb above all others and reach the Transcendence Realm?!

There was Bei Ling's complicated feelings and then there was Wu Sen, who stole other people's powers…

'The oppression of the heavens is invisible. We can only endure it and while we endure it, we must learn to live with it happily… If we do not, are we to fight against heaven?'

This was the last paragraph written in the prologue of the beast skin scroll.

Su Ming never understood it. Even now, he only understood the gist of it. He had asked the elder before and the elder's answer still remained fresh in his mind.

"This is something very simple but also very complex. Simply put, it means that the heavens oppress us, the Berserker Tribe. Either we choose to bear with it happily or we fight against heaven… But the last phrase was written in the form of a question."

"To my understanding, perhaps this question meant that besides going up against heaven, could there be any other way to fight against destiny… Once you grow up, perhaps you'll have a deeper understanding of it. If that day truly comes and you have attained the power which allows you to do as the words say, then perhaps you can think of a third way to fight instead of submitting to destiny or rebelling against it."

"After all, the last place I went to was where I obtained this beast skin scroll. It was also the biggest holy land of the Berserker Tribe I've ever seen!"

"That place is the Great Yu… The owner of this beast skin scroll is the Court Diviner of Great Yu…"

Su Ming was quiet as he continued watching the blue sky. After a long while, he heard footsteps approaching from afar. A person slowly walked towards him. Su Ming turned his gaze away from the sky and looked towards the person.

The person wore a white robe and had white hair. His face was burdened by the hardships of life but due to that, there was also wisdom in his demeanor. It was Shi Hai!

Shi Hai looked at Su Ming, at the unfamiliar face before him. He did not understand why the Elder, Jing Nan gave him the task to come to this place and bring the person to join the test in secret.

"Follow me." Shi Hai did not find anything strange about Su Ming. After he finished speaking, he turned around and left.

Su Ming's demeanor was calm as he followed him.

The moment he went out of the door, he saw Shi Hai swinging his sleeve. Immediately, mist spread from his body and surrounded Su Ming. Su Ming's heart jumped but he did not retreat. He let the mist surround and carry him into the air with Shi Hai. They turned into a rainbow of mist and sped into the distance.

This was the second time Su Ming looked at the land from the sky. He still felt a little nervous but Shi Hai ignored his anxiety. Instead, he increased his speed. Before long, he brought Su Ming away from Wind Stream Tribe and traveled towards a gigantic plain located at the north.

Su Ming looked at the huge plains ahead of them. From the sky, it looked as if it was an endless sea of land but as all the mist gathered towards them at lightning speed, Su Ming felt his body lurch after a moment. It felt like his body had hit an invisible barrier. The moment they went through it, everything started twisting like the ripples on the surface of water. Then he heard Shi Hai's cold voice by his ears.

"We've arrived!"

The plains were no longer there.. There was a mountain right before them!

Su Ming had never seen such a big mountain in his life! It was much bigger and taller than Dark Mountain. If they were placed side by side, Dark Mountain would be like a baby and this mountain would be a sturdy, full-grown man!

It looked as if it had already penetrated the clouds. The summit could not be seen and only half of the mountain was in view. The rest of the mountain was covered by numerous white clouds.

The size of the mountain was incredible!

Su Ming could see numerous stairs on the mountain leading upwards until they disappeared into the clouds.

There was a large field in the shape of a circle at the foot of the mountain. There were nine gigantic bird statues placed all around the field. Each of the statues exuded a presence of ancient savagery that made them look especially vicious.

At that moment, there were hundreds of people on the gigantic field. They were all spread out and talking amongst themselves.

Su Ming's arrival immediately attracted the attention of all the people on the field. However after they glanced at him, they averted their gazes and continued talking with each other.

Chapter 51: Lad, We Were Fated to Meet Each Other!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming did not find the elder and the others among those who looked at him. Most of the members of the Berserker Tribe were from Wind Stream Tribe. Su Ming had left after the elder and the rest but arrived quicker than them.

Once Shi Hai placed Su Ming down, he gave him a black plate. He did not say anything and left, turning into white mist.

Su Ming stood there alone and surveyed his surroundings. Not a single familiar face was in sight. He had no choice but to remain silent. He lowered his head and looked at the black plate in his hands. There was a number on it written in the language of the Berserker Tribe. It was 109.

The black plate looked normal. It was made of stone but when he held it in his hand, it felt cold.

"I heard that the amount of people taking the test this time is the largest in history. There's more than 100 people taking the test!"

"It's more than 100 people now. This is just the first stage. I'm certain there won't be so many people taking the tests for the second and third stage. After all, if they don't have enough strength to handle it, there's no need for them to be there to humiliate themselves."

"You're wrong on that account. There are three stages in the test and the first stage is the hardest! The second stage is about power and speed whereas the third stage is a test in actual combat. These two stages require a certain amount of power and it also involves luck. This is something that has been proven in the past. The firstt stage may not seem to require any sort of power but in reality, this stage is a test of stamina and potential!"

"There's no way to cheat in this and it's really brutal! No matter how much power you have, once your results in the first stage aren't good, it just means that you don't have enough stamina and potential. The tribe won't pay much attention to these tribe members after that."

Su Ming lowered his head and toyed with the black stone plate as voices of discussion from the people around him traveled into his ears.

"But still, in every single test that was ever held, the top 50 people mostly consisted of us, Berserkers from Wind Stream Tribe. The other tribes only barely made it in. It's especially so for the top 10 places. I heard that there has never been an outsider who made it in."

"Obviously, it'll be the same this time. Honestly, those who will place in the top 10 and top 40 will be the same people, especially the top 10. Besides those monsters in the tribe, no one else will be able to make it."

Su Ming listened and gradually heard similar discussions on the same topic. Not all of the people gathered here were going to take the first stage of the test. Most of them were only here to watch.

As he listened, he thought about the six numbers the elder told him. Suddenly, Su Ming lifted his head towards his side as he felt something. There was an elderly person approaching him quietly. When he saw Su Ming looking at him, the elderly man quickly smiled at him and closed the distance between them in a few brisk steps.

The old man wore beast skins and bone earrings. Judging from his attire, he should have been from Wind Stream Tribe.

"Lad, I am Bei Qiong. I saw a stone plate in your hands. You must be entering the first stage of the test. That's why I decided to come and talk to you. I have no ill-will, promise." The old man looked hilarious. He had a sharp mouth and cheeks that resembled a monkey. When he smiled, his entire face seemed to move, leaving a deep impression on other people.

Su Ming's demeanor remained the same. Once he heard the old man's words, he nodded.

"Lad, I'll say this straight. Don't mind me. The level of my training may not be high but I've lived a long time. If anything, I've got a pair of good eyes. I see your potential… and well… you're very normal." The old man winked.

"This test only happens once every few years. I've always come here to watch. With your potential, it'll be difficult for you to get into the top 50. Based on my experience, you'll only get into the top 100… but…" The old man took a few steps towards him with a mysterious look. He looked around to check whether there was anyone looking at them. Then, he quickly spoke in a low tone.

"But you're in luck since you have met me, lad. I have an herb here that allows a person to bring out his full potential for a short period of time. Entering the first stage with this, you can get a place in the top 50 ranks! If you buy more of these and eat them at once, entering the top 10 ranks is not impossible," the old man spoke in a low tone. He opened his shirt slightly, quickly revealing some of the herbs he had within before covering it up again. The mysterious air around him became stronger. He seemed afraid that the herbs would be discovered by too many people.

Su Ming was momentarily stunned. He looked at the old man and found himself speechless.

"You don't believe me?" The old man saw Su Ming's expression and immediately spoke in a low tone once again. "Lad, you're still too young. You can only determine the authenticity of these things after you've tried them. Once your placing increases, treatment towards you in your tribe will be completely different. Looking at you, it seems like you aren't treated well in your tribe."

"That's enough. If that herb of yours is really that effective, why is it that the top 50 places in the test mostly consisted of Wind Stream Tribe members in the past? No outsider has ever made it into the top 10 ranks either. I won't buy it. Go and sell it to other people." Su Ming frowned and retreated a few steps.

The old man widened his eyes and gave a thumbs up to Su Ming with his right hand, praising him.

"You're good, lad. You're really good! Great of you to think of this so soon. Looks like I've been wrong. You may not have a lot of potential but at least you have a smart head on your shoulders."

"But lad, you're wrong on this account. It's not that there have never been any outsiders who made it into the top 10 in the first stage. Fifty years ago, there was one person who managed to continuously get first place. Surely, you have heard of this person before – Mo Sang, the Elder of Dark Mountain Tribe! Do you know how he made it? He bought a lot of these herbs from me that year."

"There was also someone from Black Mountain Tribe. He too bought my herbs and got a place in the top 40. Then, there was also someone from Dark Dragon Tribe. She also did the same."

"Hey, don't go. I'll give you a recent example. In the previous test, there was a lad called Bei Ling who got into the top 50, who bought…" The old man was like a chatterbox who would not stop talking. Su Ming frowned and took a few more steps back.

"Lad, we were fated to meet each other. That's why I'm selling this to you. If it were anyone else, I would not be selling it to them. I sell this herb to others for 10 stone coins each. I'll sell this to you for three stone coins. How about it? Three stone coins is extremely cheap. Hey, if I shout out loud that I'mselling this herb for such a cheap price, there will definitely be a lot of people who will surround me to buy it. Since fate has allowed us to meet each other, if you buy one, I'll give you another for free, I…" The old man kept talking and as he spoke, his spit flew out of his mouth. Moreover when he spoke, he even clapped his hands together, getting more excited by his own pitch. Su Ming was stupefied. He instinctively took another few steps back.

The old man was about to continue when suddenly, there was a commotion in the field. The sky started twisting and a giant dark python entered. There were several people standing on the python – the elder and the others.

"It's the people from Dark Mountain Tribe!"

"I heard that the Elder of Dark Mountain Tribe is extremely powerful but there is no one in the tribe who can inherit his position. I heard that as of late, there's been a youngster called Bei Ling who got the 49th place in the previous test though."

The dark python disappeared. The elder and the others descended upon one corner of the field. He stole a glance at Su Ming from afar and averted his gaze. Bei Ling stood over there, carrying himself in an aloof manner. His face was cold.

Lei Chen and Wu La looked around with small hints of excitement.

"Do you see that old man and the cold-looking boy by his side? They're Dark Mountain Tribe's Elder, Mo Sang and Bei Ling." The old man standing beside Su Ming quickly spoke up. His face was still schooled to express mystery.

As he spoke, there was uproar once again and it was much louder this time. The space outside the field before them started twisting and five people sauntered in. The individual who led the team was a bald young man wearing a black robe. It was Wu Sen. His face was dark, showing small signs of anger. It was obvious that the incident on the previous night was a great humiliation to him, especially the loss of his dark green blood. It made him anxious but he did not reveal any of his anxiety.

The four people behind him were also silent as they followed Wu Sen into the field.

"Wu Sen!"

"He's one of the people from Wind Stream Tribe who'll definitely get into a spot in the top three. I heard that the Berserker's Method he's training with is really strange…"

"Quiet. His mood changes at the drop of a hat…"

"Shut up!" As Wu Sen walked, he suddenly growled. His surroundings fell into silence instantly. Wu Sen's face was dark as he walked past Su Ming. The moment he walked past, he turned around and looked at Su Ming coldly. There was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.

Still, after he scrutinized Su Ming closely, he found that the person before him was not the person he met the night before. He snorted and walked past him, sitting down cross-legged at a distant spot after that. The four people with him surrounded him to protect him.

Su Ming looked at Wu Sen and then at Bei Ling, who was standing in the distance before he shifted his gaze.

"Wu Sen trains in the Devourer of Corpse Blood. He worshiped an evil statue of the God of Berserkers in Wind Stream Tribe. He's a fierce one and he's always in a bad mood. He's not the good sort!" The old man standing beside Su Ming whispered softly as if he was angry but also afraid that Wu Sen could hear him. Judging from his looks, he had failed in his attempt to sell the herbs to Wu Sen and probably even suffered because of it.

"Lad, don't bother that person… But if you end up bothering him, it's fine. I have another type of herb with me. If you eat it, you'll get stronger physically for the rest of your life…" The old man looked back and tried to persuade Su Ming again.

Su Ming frowned, thinking that the old man was far more talkative than Lei Chen. In fact, Lei Chen was considered quiet compared to him.

The old man continued trying to persuade him. It seemed like he was not going to let Su Ming off unless he bought his herbs.

At that moment, the space outside the field twisted once more. This time, dozens of people arrived. These people were talking and laughing amongst themselves. They stood in a protective formation around the person in the center similar to how stars would surround the moon. The person was not tall and was slightly plump. He was laughing and talking to the people beside him while waving his hands around as though he was gesturing something.

He had a vague presence which stood out among the dozens of people. Everyone focused their gazes on him the moment they saw him.

"Chen Chong!" Wu Sen, who was sitting cross-legged opened his eyes and stared at the slightly plump person. He narrowed his eyes.

Su Ming's gaze also landed on the person. He could feel a faint presence but it was not Qi. It was something else he found hard to describe.

"Chen Chong is a lad everyone knows in Wind Stream Tribe. He's a good lad, much better than Wu Sen," the old man quickly whispered.

"Don't tell the others about this but Chen Chong is a huge customer of mine. He always comes to buy herbs from me."

Chapter 52: By the Side

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Before long, the rest of the representatives from the other tribes arrived. These people either came with their tribes, or alone.

Gradually, the amount of people in the field increased. The place bustled with activity as the people talked among themselves.

After all, the grand ceremony was only held once every few years. The number of people joining the test this year was also much higher compared to the previous years.

Su Ming used the chance when there were a lot of people around to take a few quick steps forward to avoid the old man who kept bothering him. The old man's constant chattering was giving Su Ming a headache. Once he avoided him, he saw - from between the gaps formed by the people - the old man looking around the crowd for him. Su Ming quickly lowered his body, not wanting to be spotted.

There may be a lot of people gathered in the field, but Su Ming did not recognize most of them. His appearance was also very normal among the crowd so no one paid any attention to him.

In truth, Su Ming was not the only who was trying to be unassuming. There were quite a large number of examinees who were not from Wind Stream Tribe entering the test for the first time.

"Look, that's Wu Sen! I heard that he's one of the prodigies from Wind Stream Tribe."

"Isn't that Chen Chong? His name is like thunder. I heard of him before, but I didn't expect him to look like that. He really does have quite the presence, though."

"Did you see Dark Mountain Tribe's Bei Ling? I heard that he's also an extraordinary one. He got a place within the top 50 in the previous test. If we can befriend him, it'll be good for us. There'll be a lot of people who will be jealous of us when we return to the tribe later as well."

The ones besides Su Ming did not seem like first timers. They were whispering to each other while their faces were filled with admiration.

"This might be our chance. If we can catch either Wu Sen or Chen Chong's eyes and stay by their side, then our position in the tribe will surely be different."

"Ha. There're plenty of those who have the same thoughts. Can't you tell that there're a lot of people who want to approach them to talk? Why don't we try it as well? Hey, you, I see that you're alone. This must be your first time, right?" an honest looking young man by Su Ming's side smiled and said to him.

Su Ming's lips curled up into a polite smile, and he nodded at the young man.

"Brother, not everyone has arrived yet, but it looks like the first stage of the test is about to begin. Why don't we go to Chen Chong and try talking to him? How about you all? Let's go together. If we go alone, he might ignore us," the young man quickly spoke as he tried persuading Su Ming and the people around him.

"Look at Wu Sen, his face is like thunder. I'm pretty sure his mood his terrible. We shouldn't go and bother him. That Chen Chong looks like a straightforward person, he should be easier to approach." Some of the people around him were swayed by the young man's words and he managed to gather about seven to eight people to go towards Chen Chong.

Su Ming did not want to go, but he was dragged along by that enthusiastic young man, so he had no choice but to follow the crowd.

Just as they were moving forward, the space outside the field twisted once again, attracting everyone's attention. As the space twisted, five people appeared. The person who led the team was a man in his forties. The man wore a sackcloth and looked incredibly strong. There was a shocking presence of Qi surrounding his body.

There was a clear scar on his face that stretched from his left brow diagonally until it reached the right corner of his lips, causing him to look extremely ferocious and terrifying.

"It's Black Mountain Tribe. That person… Could it be Black Mountain Tribe's tribe leader? I heard that there's a terrifying scar on Black Mountain Tribe's tribe leader's face, so it must be him."

"That's right. I heard that the Elder from Black Mountain Tribe is absent this time. Their tribe leader is leading the team."

There were four people behind the man. They slowly walked into the field. At first glance, the four people seemed normal, but if someone looked closely, then they would easily find that among the four three were young men about the same age, while the last one was a sturdy-looking man in his forties.

Strangely, the man and the other two youths following behind the tribe leader were surrounding one of the young men like they were his subordinates. They even instinctively did not surpass the young man as they walked.

That young man was about 18 to 19-years-old. He wore a black hide shirt and had long hair. His face could not be clearly seen because the collar of his black shirt was pulled up to cover his entire face besides his eyes. He also had his head lowered, thus preventing anyone from seeing his face clearly.

That young man was silent. He ignored the gazes that fell upon him and walked towards the crowd with his tribe leader. They sat down cross-legged at a corner far away from Dark Mountain Tribe.

It could also be seen by how he sat down that the young man was different. He sat alone, not mixing with the other members of his tribe. Nonetheless, once he sat down, he lifted his head slightly and looked towards Dark Mountain Tribe. Disdain appeared briefly in his eyes.

Su Ming's eyes also fell upon the people from Black Mountain Tribe, just like the others'. He paid special attention towards their tribe leader and the unsociable young man.

Su Ming was not surprised by the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe's power, but that unsociable young man made him feel a faint sense of danger. He could almost be certain that this person was extraordinary.

But in his heart, he hated this sort of behavior, of pretending to be much more intelligent and powerful than other people. Compared to him, Su Ming even felt that Wu Sen was much better than that person. At the very least, Wu Sen did not pretend to be mysterious.

Black Mountain Tribe's arrival did not incite much discussion. Compared to them, the people were much more interested in the prodigies of Wind Stream Tribe. After all, the reputations of these people were very impressive around the region.

Su Ming went with the crowd to Chen Chong under the very enthusiastic young man's persuasion. He did not stand out as he stood among so many people. No one would notice him because he looked so normal.

"I'm telling you all, I never go to those places in the tribe, and even if I went, I only go there to watch the fun. Don't you believe me?"

As he got nearer, Su Ming saw Chen Chong gesturing with his hands and talking with the people around him, eliciting laughter from them. But it was clear that most of the laughter was just to humor him.

There were even some laughing instinctively because they wanted to become friends with Chen Chong. It was as if they wanted to use laughter to fit into the group.

The young man and the rest of the people besides Su Ming were doing just that. They were laughing non-stop. Su Ming stood there and smiled. He felt calm. He looked at Chen Chong, who was surrounded by all these people, and knew that Chen Chong's status was very high, and it was something he could not compare.

He looked at the people beside him, who were laughing in order to try to join the group. They even used the chance to introduce themselves. They may not look as if they were trying to flatter Chen Chong, but no matter who it was, it was clear that they wanted to get closer to Chen Chong.

Dark Dragon Tribe walked into the field at that moment. When the tribe appeared, they did not incite much discussion. After all, Dark Dragon Tribe was really small. They could not even compare with Black Mountain Tribe's fame.

But the moment Dark Dragon Tribe appeared, all the people, even Chen Chong, who had been talking and laughing, and Wu Sen, who had been meditating and fuming, lifted their heads and looked towards them.

The young man in black from Black Mountain Tribe, who was pretending to be mysterious by covering half of his face, also looked in their direction.

They were looking at a girl in white with unparalleled beauty walking among Dark Dragon Tribe! There was a fragment decorating the center of her brows glowing brightly as it reflected the light from the sun. There was a certain wildness to her beauty that made hearts race as people looked at her.

She was Bai Ling.

Bai Ling blushed slightly because she was under so many people's scrutiny but did not lower her head. Instead, she swept her gaze quickly among the crowd. Once she found Dark Mountain Tribe, happiness appeared on her face, but once she looked carefully, the happiness disappeared. She did not find Su Ming.

Bai Ling lowered her head and followed behind the Elder of Dark Dragon Tribe towards the field. She did not notice a normal looking teenager watching her quietly from among the crowd in the distance. She also did not notice the looks of desire and greed from the young man in black from Black Mountain Tribe, who was pretending to be mysterious, once he saw her.

Wu Sen only looked at Bai Ling for a moment before closing his eyes again. Bai Ling may be unparalleled in beauty, but he was completely unmoved. At the moment, he was feeling anxious, and he couldn't spare another thought for anything else.

Su Ming looked at that beautiful face and stood quietly where he was. He suddenly felt that the distance between him and Bai Ling was incredibly large…

"Bai Ling!" A voice that suggested that the speaker was smiling spoke up from where Su Ming was. The voice was not loud, but it spread around the area and travelled to Bai Ling's ears.

"Brother Chen Chong." Bai Ling lifted her head and saw Chen Chong walking towards her from the crowd. There was a smile on her face, but there was also sadness hidden underneath that smile.

Chen Chong laughed loudly. The people in front of him immediately retreated. Su Ming stood there and did not move. He looked at Chen Chong walking by him towards Bai Ling.

As he watched, Su Ming closed his eyes. He did not know what he should be feeling at the moment. There was only calmness within him.

When he closed his eyes, it was as if he ignored everything around him until someone snapped him out by grabbing his arm and swinging it excitedly.

"Ye Wang! It's Ye Wang!"

"Look, that's Ye Wang, the most powerful person among the younger generation in Wind Stream Tribe! Ye Wang!

He is the Ye Wang who won 1st place in all three stages of the test for two consecutive times! That person has incredible talent and he's the strongest of the younger generation around the region! I heard that he has the highest hopes for reaching Transcendence realm among the younger generation! He's also currently being trained by the entire Wind Stream Tribe! He's the future Elder of Wind Stream Tribe!"

Su Ming opened his eyes and saw a person walking towards the field from a distance.

That person was wearing a red shirt. He did not have Wu Sen's sullenness, Chen Chong's popularity, nor the fake mysteriousness from the young man in black from Black Mountain Tribe. He was alone, and he walked by his lonesome self towards the field.

Chapter 53: Open the Path to Wind Stream Mountain!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

His red shirt was like fire!

It was as if there was an invisible flame on Ye Wang that made all eyes burn as they stared at him, forcing everyone to lower their heads before him.

He was of average looks and did not look handsome. His physique was not very powerful either, but as he walked into the field, he aroused a feeling that was difficult to describe among those who were looking at him.

Ye Wang's black hair swayed on his shoulders as he walked slowly towards them.

He did not have Wu Sen's sullenness, but the calmness within his eyes made others terrified of him, even more than they were of Wu Sen. Neither did he have Chen Chong's charisma to attract people to his side, yet though he was alone, he had a presence that far surpassed other people so much that it created pressure.

Similarly, he did not try to pretend to be mysterious, unlike the young man from Black Mountain Tribe, but as he walked towards the field, his power and his name brought about a sense of mystery that far surpassed that from the young man in black.

He was mysterious because he was Ye Wang. He was the best among the younger generation in Wind Stream Tribe. He was the most brilliant existence around the region. He was the one that was revered to as the future powerful Berserker of the Transcendence realm!

He walked towards them calmly like a king. He did not need to talk to anyone. There would be countless people who would ignore Wu Sen and Chen Chong while they bowed down their heads before him and cleared the path for him.

There were no longer sounds of discussion, either. Once he appeared, all sounds abruptly disappeared. The silence continued even when he reached the center of the field and sat down cross-legged.

After a long while, faint sounds of discussion begun to arise.

"Hey, you saw that big shot, right? We're lucky to see Ye Wang coming here, at least our trip wasn't wasted," the honest-looking young man beside Su Ming whispered softly as his eyes were filled with admiration and satisfaction.

Su Ming fell silent. After a while, he nodded his head lightly.

There were still some people who arrived after Ye Wang. In an hour, all participants of the test arrived, and when they did, the sky suddenly darkened.

As the clouds rolled forward, thunder roared and shook the area, making most of the people who heard the sound tremble. As they lifted their heads, they saw the clouds in the sky gathering together from all around at lightning speed. In the span of a breath, they had already fused together and turned into a gigantic man of clouds that was so tall its head could touch the sky!

On the head of the cloud giant sat a man in purple with his legs crossed. That person was the Elder of Wind Stream Tribe – Jing Nan!

He sat there cross-legged and did not look downwards. Instead, he was looking at the tall mountain located not too far away. That was the mountain that reached the clouds, and only half of which was visible to the eye!

"This mountain is the most important treasure of Wind Stream Tribe. There is none other like it!

"It was passed down to us by the Ancients. It is the origin of Wind Stream Tribe. Without this mountain, then perhaps there would be no Wind Stream Tribe! The mountain you're seeing is not complete. That is only the peak of the mountain… The peak of the real Wind Stream Mountain!

"There is a mysterious beast sealed at the top of the mountain. That beast has been sleeping for millions of years and has never woken up… Perhaps it will never wake up… This mountain has a pressuring might that surrounds the entire mountain and its surroundings. The higher you climb, the more pressure you will feel!

"There are paths up the mountain. There are 281 stairways leading straight to the peak of the mountain. This is the 1st stage of the test!

"The same rules from the previous tests apply. You have no time limit. All of you who are taking part in the 1st stage of the test and are holding onto the plate can find any route you want leading up to the mountain. We will determine your rank based on how many steps you managed to take at the end.

"There are a lot of you here who are taking this test for the first time. For fairness' sake I will tell you this. The pressure on this mountain is the strongest during midnight!

"Now, I will break the seal on this mountain. After that, you must go in quickly!" As Jing Nan spoke on top of the giant made of clouds, he lifted his right hand and waved at the towering mountain.

Once he brought his hand down, the giant made of clouds immediately lifted its head and let out a shocking roar. It took huge steps and moved quickly towards the peak of the mountain. It lifted its two gigantic arms and tore at the space before the mountain as if it was trying to tear apart heaven and earth.

Once it did so, heaven and earth roared. A giant crack appeared out of nowhere. The crack was horizontal, and it opened up vertically between heaven and earth. It was as if there was an invisible screen before the peak of the mountain, and it was now being torn apart, revealing the true view of the mountain within.

It was still a tall mountain, but it was no longer the mountain Su Ming saw before. The top of the mountain was covered by black mist that was rolling up towards the sky. The black mist looked gloomy and let off a presence that made hearts pound in terror.

At the same time, there was also a pressuring might that was nigh indescribable spreading out from within the cracks. It was like a typhoon blowing towards them from the sides. It lifted many people's hair, some even turned pale because of it and instinctively retreated a few steps. It was as if it was not a mountain within the crack, but a colossal mysterious beast that reached heaven and earth.

The moment the crack was torn open, multiple faint silhouettes of people quickly manifested beside the cloud giant and turned into eight people!

Shi Hai was one of those eight people. Each of them had shocking power, and at that moment, they bit through their tongues and each coughed out a mouthful of blood. Their blood mixed together and formed a complex looking mark that glowed red. It sped towards the crack as if to imprint itself on the mist mountain within the crack.

The mountain, surrounded by mist and clouds, roared the moment the mark touched it. The mist rolled upwards and revealed multiple ancient stairways that had endured through time.

"Once you enter the mountain, if your plates leave you for even a second, it will disappear. You will also lose your qualification to take the exam and will be automatically transported out of the mountain. This is the only way for you to give up once you find that you cannot handle the pressure of the mountain. The plate will also record the amount of steps you have taken and will accordingly show the numbers to all those spectating.

"Well, aren't you going in?" The person who shouted towards the crowd gathered below him was Shi Hai, who was standing among the eight people.

A person suddenly turned into a rainbow and sped towards the crack. That person was the young man who wore a red shirt, Ye Wang! Wu Sen was the second who rushed towards the crack, followed closely by Chen Chong. Gradually, a huge amount of people from all tribes taking the first stage of the test rushed towards the crack.

Bei Ling, Lei Chen, Wu La, Si Kong, and even Bai Ling were among the crowd going towards the crack. Once they entered the crack, they went to a stairway that was not taken by anyone and disappeared within it.

Once a stairway was taken by someone, a layer of mist would fall down and cover the path from view.

Su Ming did not choose to move alone. He chose to move with a huge crowd and walked into the crack. The moment he stepped in, he immediately felt the difference between the place and the world outside. There was a pressure there that felt as if an invisible pair of hands was pressing on his body, causing him discomfort.

Many of the paths leading to the stairways were already covered by mist—a clear sign that someone had already taken the path. Su Ming did not worry, but instead ran further away from the entrance. There were plenty of people that were like him, searching for a way into the mountain.

However, the shape of the foot of the mountain was uneven. Some of the paths leading to the stairs seemed to be shorter. These paths were usually fought over by people, and whoever took the first step on the stairway would lay claim to it.

Su Ming did not join them but went to a place that was further away. There were multiple paths there. He stood at the crossroads and fell into deep thought for a while. Just as he was about to move, he suddenly turned his head and looked to his right. As he did so, his pupils shrank, though it was barely noticeable.

He saw the young man wearing black beast skins from Black Mountain Tribe, who loved pretending to be mysterious, walking towards him with his face still covered. He did not even look at Su Ming as he walked towards one of the paths.

For a moment, Su Ming watched as mist rolled down from the mountain and covered the path that was taken by the person, then he looked away. He walked towards a normal looking stairway. The moment he took the first step, he felt as if the entire mountain trembled. At the same time, a wave of heat spread from the plate hanging over his chest, but it did not spread into Su Ming's body, it just kept giving off heat.

Soon, he was surrounded by a large amount of mist. He could not see what was by his side, neither could he see what was behind him. The only thing he could see was the faint outline of a winding staircase in the mist before him and the dim sun hanging above him in the sky.

It was quiet. That silence even gave him the impression that he was the only one on the mountain.

Su Ming took a deep breath. He did not move immediately but chose to feel the pressure of the land. Once he was slightly used to it, he moved forwards step by step with resolution and persistence in his eyes.

He did not know that the moment all of them went in, the crack gradually closed up. Shi Hai and the other seven people all sat down cross-legged at various corners in the field once they descended from the sky.

The Elder of Wind Stream Tribe, Jing Nan, also made the cloud giant disappear and descended upon the field. He went to Mo Sang's side and an invisible wave of air surrounded them, which prevented anyone from eavesdropping on them.

There were still hundreds of people on the field, and their gazes were all focused on the nine gigantic eagle statues around them.

Lines of words gradually appeared on the nine statues.

1st place: Ye Wang, 97 steps.

2nd place: Wu Sen, 51 steps.

3rd place: Chen Chong, 47 steps.

4th place: Bi Su, 46 steps.

…103rd place: Mo Su, 6 steps.

The steps taken by all the people taking the first test were clearly displayed for all to see due to the plates they had in hand.

"I knew it. The 1st place is Ye Wang. 97 steps, he has such a huge margin over the 2nd place… Look, it changed again! 115 steps! Didn't the test just start? That's too fast!"

"Who is that Bi Su? I've never heard of him before. He's not from Wind Stream Tribe, but he managed to get such a high rank since the start? I heard that during the last test, Ye Wang managed to take 803 steps. I wonder how far he'll go this time. It'll be more difficult the further they go. Since the very first test, no one has ever been able to make it past 930 steps!"

The Elder of Wind Stream Tribe, Jing Nan, was also looking at the bird statue by his side with Mo Sang. There was a smile on his face as he glanced at a name called Mo Su.

"Mo Sang, he should be Su Ming, right? But looking at his rank, it'll be difficult for him to get into the top 40. How about this? I'll make the conditions easier, if he can get into the top 60, then he'll pass."

Mo Sang did not speak. He just quietly looked at the name Mo Su on the bird statue. There was a hint of expectation hidden deep within his eyes.

Chapter 54: The Secret of the Six Numbers!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

There were a few hundred people on the field. At that moment, they were all looking intently at the nine eagle statues. All of the rankings on it were the same. When they looked at it, they began discussing among themselves.

Sometimes they would cheer when a person's name went up the rankings, and at other times they would feel sorry for another person who fell down the rankings.

It can even be said that the test within the mountain was secondary in this grand ceremony and that the most important part of the ceremony was in the field. There were a few hundred people in the field, and while most of them were from Wind Stream Tribe, there were still quite a number of them from other tribes. It would be accurate to say that almost all of the tribes in the region were gathered here.

They would bring the rankings of the three stages back to their tribes so that everyone would know about it.

That was the tradition, and it had been done in previous tests as well.

As time passed, Ye Wang, who was in 1st place, had taken his 345th step, and he was gradually slowing down.

Chen Chong was behind him. He had already taken his 189th step. As for Wu Sen, who everyone had high expectations for, was in the 9th place for some unknown reason. He had only taken 127 steps.

However, the person called Bi Su had brought a lot of attention from the field on himself. He was in the 3rd place, and he had taken 188 steps!

"Who is that Bi Su? How can he be so strong? Could this person actually make it to the top of the first stage this time?"

"This is interesting. It has been a long time since any outsider has managed to get into the top 10. Never mind that, no outsider has made it into the top 30 for a long time as well."

As the people were talking among themselves, the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe was sitting down cross-legged as he stared at the rankings on the eagle statue nearby. There was a prideful smile on his lips. He also swept his gaze to where Black Mountain Tribe was.

Shan Hen was seated with his eyes closed at where Dark Mountain Tribe was, seemingly uninterested with the rankings. As for the Head of the Guards, he was frowning as if he was feeling anxious.

He looked at the rankings on the eagle statue beside him and found Bei Ling, who was at the 57th place, Lei Chen, who was at the 73rd place, and Wu La, who was at the 91st place.

The old woman from Dark Dragon Tribe and the rest of the tribes were also intently staring at the eagle statues. There were not a lot of changes on their faces. As the leaders of the tribes, they had to learn how to conceal their emotions. Unless there was a great change, they would usually not show strong emotions on their faces. As for the Head of the Guards from Dark Mountain Tribe, if it were not for Bei Ling, he would not look anxious.

The situation in the hundreds of stairways within the mountain was different from the field, which was filled with hundreds of people discussing and staring at the statues. The people taking the first stage of the test felt as if they were the only ones on the peak of the mountain.

Not only did the thick mist cover their sight of each other, even the people outside could not see what was happening inside. Even Jing Nan, the Elder of Wind Stream Tribe, could not see through the mist which was created as a form of seal. He could not tell for sure what was happening inside.

Nonetheless, there would not be any danger in this place. After all, the test had been held far too many times.

Bai Ling bit down her bottom lip. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she walked forwards. She could not see the end of the stairs. It seemed like there was no end to it, causing the people who were walking on it to fall into the illusion that it was endless. The increasing pressure as they walked further ahead also made them feel as if they were being repelled by the place. It was as if there were a countless number of voices whispering in their ears to give up.

Lei Chen was growling nonstop not too far away from Bai Ling. He had even torn away his hide shirt and revealed a strong upper body. There were beads of sweat trickling down his body, making him look ferocious even though he was tired. He kept walking forward, eyes lit with madness and persistence.

Further ahead, Bei Ling's face was pale. He had given too much blood from the centre of his brows to Wu Sen lately. His body was still weak. He would be able to obtain a small drop of Berserker Blood from Wu Sen during the third stage of the test according to their promise, but he was worried. He did not know whether the promise still held.

Bei Ling gritted his teeth. He did not want to lose completely, so he walked forward with the pride of Dark Mountain Tribe on his shoulders one step at a time.

Compared to their difficulty, the most brilliant prodigy of Wind Stream Tribe, Ye Wang, was much more at ease. He had his hands behind his back as he walked forward one step at a time at an unhurried pace. This was not the first time he walked these steps, but the third!

He remembered clearly that he managed to make it to more than 800 steps during his second time. This time, he would make it to 900!

'The elder once said that the mountain seemed tall, but there were only 999 steps. The structure had some sort of mysterious power that seemed to change heaven and earth.

'The amount of steps you could take reflected how many blood veins you would be able to manifest at the end.'

"I have to eat less next time. Ah, I definitely have to eat less next time…"

At another path behind Ye Wang, Chen Chong was panting harshly as he walked forward, mumbling under his breath. He was slightly on the plump side, and as he walked, the flesh on his body seemed to tremble, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes. He looked at the plate in his hands. If he stared at it with the plate in mind, he could see all the rankings in it. He knew that there was a person called Bi Su who was right behind him!

Located further away was the young man in black hide skin from Black Mountain Tribe. His face was calm, as if there was no need for him to be serious about walking these stairs yet.

'This is the first time I've come here. Since I'm here, then Wu Sen, Chen Chong, and even Ye Wang, will have to stand behind me!

'This time, I will let everyone know that I, Bi Su, am the best of all the prodigies in the region!'

There was a crazed look on the young man's half-covered face.

Compared to these people, Su Ming was far behind them. His footsteps were slow. As of then, he had only taken his 32nd step.

In fact, when he was at the 32nd step, Su Ming did not move forward, but lowered his head and fell into deep thought. He stared at the steps underneath his feet, and his eyes began wavering as he fell into his thoughts.

'The elder mentioned 6 numbers… The first number was 32… Could he have meant the 32nd step on the stairs?'

As Su Ming was thinking, he slowly lifted his feet and stepped onto the 33rd step. Once he placed his foot down, he did not feel any different. It was the same amount of pressure he felt at the 32nd step.

'There's nothing strange about it… It's the same…'

Su Ming frowned, then went to the 34th step. Yet, the moment his right foot landed on it, his body trembled suddenly.

'Same… Same..? No!' He closed his eyes and felt the slight increase of pressure as his right foot remained on the 34th step.

Then he opened his eyes and quickly retreated to the 31st step. He raised his foot and stood on the 32nd step, then on the 33rd. At that moment, Su Ming's eyes lit up and he took a deep breath.

'I see. There is an increase of pressure between the 31st and 33rd step, but only the 32nd step retains the same pressure no matter whether I move forward or backwards. It's as if… the 32nd step doesn't exist. Even if the 32nd step is not around, everything is still the same.'

After a moment of thought, Su Ming did not move forward any longer. Instead, he sat down cross-legged at the 32nd step to feel the pressure from both sides as they pressed against his body. It made him feel uncomfortable, but 40 something blood veins manifested on his body.

The moment these blood veins appeared, the pressure against Su Ming's body lessened by a great margin. If he did not pay attention to it, he would not have realized it.

'I can feel two sorts of pressure on most of the steps in this mountain. One of them comes from above me, and the other is the residue pressure coming from behind me from the steps I've taken… Only this 32nd step can balance the pressure I feel… The six numbers the elder told me must mean that there are six similar spots in this mountain!

'Perhaps this is what the elder experienced when he took the test in Wind Stream Tribe. It's his secret…'

As Su Ming sat down, he closed his eyes slowly and activated the blood veins in his body. After a moment, Su Ming opened his eyes and frowned.

He did not feel that he benefitted from it. Even if he circulated his Qi around his body, he felt normal. There were no changes whatsoever.

Su Ming could not figure out the answer in his silence, but he knew that the elder would definitely not tell him the numbers because he felt like it. There must be some sort of secret within the elder's words that he had yet to discover.

Still… Su Ming scratched his head. The elder had always loved saying these sort of things since he was young to let him think and figure things out on his own. If he understood it, then that was that. If he did not, then the elder would occasionally tell him the answer.

After a moment of thought, Su Ming sighed. He looked at the 49 blood veins on his body. With their presence, he could ignore the pressure in this place.

'Really, elder..? Can't you just tell me the answer..? Ah, just what is the secret behind this..?'

Su Ming did not want to give up. He continued sitting there as he thought carefully.

'Pressure… the same amount of pressure from both sides… I could feel the pressure before, but when I sit here, the pressure will make my blood circulate faster, thus my blood veins will appear automatically to fight against the pressure… this…'

Su Ming's heart suddenly jumped, and a thought flickered through his mind, but he had a feeling that he could not handle it completely.

He opened his eyes wide and took in a deep breath as he looked at the 49 blood veins on his body.

'Could the secret behind the elder's words be actually to tell me how to control the blood veins in my body so that they could all appear at the same time, then disappear one by one..? Then precisely because the pressure in this place is balanced like the world outside, it could turn the impossible possible..?'

Su Ming jolted.

'The purpose of this is to let me have a much better control over my blood veins. When I swing my fist, I have to control the number of blood veins in my body so that with each punch, I will have just the right amount of power and not waste any of my energy…'

Su Ming licked his lips unconsciously and closed his eyes. In his silence, he tried to control the blood veins in his body and let them revert back one at a time.

It was difficult!

Chapter 55: Fine Control!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

It was very difficult!

All things were easier to do when you went along with the tide, but if you went against it, it became difficult! It was the same for the blood veins. They would appear one by one as a person circulated the Qi in his body. It was also possible for all of them to appear at once in an explosive force. That was easy to do.

If someone wanted to call back the blood veins one by one, then they would need to control the speed of the Qi in their bodies with extreme precision. Su Ming would have to control his Qi at a fine state to arrive at that level of precision.

It was extremely rare for a Berserker at the Blood Solidification Realm to do so. This was in fact, not something for a person still in the Blood Solidification to do. This was a skill for a strong Berserker in the Transcendence realm to understand and perform.

Su Ming did not know about this. What he knew was that the elder taught him to do it. It was like a riddle, he had to find the solution on his own and find out what he was supposed to do as he thought deeply about it.

He did not feel as if he was being forced into it, nor did he feel it was difficult trying to solve the problem. Everything happened naturally. So naturally in fact, that Su Ming felt that he should try it.

If he did not, then it would be a waste because he spent so much time thinking about it.

Two hours passed by slowly. During those two hours, Su Ming sat with his legs crossed and did not move. As he continued trying to control the circulation of his Qi, a strange change happened to the blood veins on his body. The number of blood veins would suddenly decrease by dozens, then would suddenly return to its full number - 49. As this change continued, it gradually progressed to a steady state.

All of this was largely related to the pressure in this place. It could even be said that it was by this external force that a Berserker in the Blood Solidification realm could even perform one of the detailed controls that only a Berserker in the Transcendence realm could do.

Time passed by, and very soon, it was dusk. The mist in the mountain thickened during dusk. It was quiet, but the situation in the field outside was different from the mountain. It was bustling with activity, and sounds of discussions rang through the air. There were even some who took out stone coins and started placing bets.

"As expected, the 1st is still Ye Wang. Look at him, he has already taken 561 steps! The 2nd is Chen Chong, he's only at 326 steps!"

"That's nothing. I'm paying attention to the 3rd place, Bi Su. This person is definitely the dark horse in this test. I believe everyone thinks the same way. This person, about whom we've never heard before, has taken 327 steps! He has been switching back and forth with the 2nd place for the entire afternoon."

"But I wonder what happened to Wu Sen, he's only at 12th place…"

At a corner of the field, Mo Sang and Jing Nan sat cross-legged. No one dared to bother them. There was an invisible barrier around them that separated them from the world.

"Mo Sang, Su Ming has been staying at the 32nd step for the entire afternoon. I think he's already exhausted. He's placed last." Jing Nan frowned slightly, feeling that something was out of place.

Mo Sang did not speak but chose to look at the rankings on the eagle statue instead. His face was as calm as usual, but in his heart, he was happy. He knew that Su Ming figured out his riddle.

To him, if Su Ming could understand it on his own, it was much more precious than obtaining the Berserker Blood.

The sun and moon appeared at the same time during dusk and started changing places with each other. Su Ming's rank did not bring about anyone's attention. They would only sweep a glance at him to see who was in the last place.

As of then, Su Ming still sat on the 32nd step. He did not seem any different, but if anyone looked closely, then they would see that the number of blood veins on his body was changing rapidly. It would sometimes be 46 blood veins, sometimes 47, and sometimes 48. The change was too rapid, hence if no one paid attention, they would not see it.

When the sun was completely hidden and the moon became clearer in the sky, the blood veins on Su Ming's body changed once again. Gradually, the number of times the blood veins went up to 48 increased from once to twice, to thrice… until it reached eight times, and nine times!

At that moment, Su Ming opened his eyes and a flicker of excitement appeared briefly in his eyes. He made it! It may not be perfect, but he made it!

During those ten times, there were nine times where he managed to only make one of the blood veins in his body disappear!

Making one blood vein disappear may seem insignificant, but it meant that Su Ming had begun managing to control the circulation of his blood and Qi. His blood was no longer like a wild horse rampaging around, he had managed to put a lasso around it!

Slowly, he sat there and gradually reduced the number of blood veins on his blood to 47, 46, 45… It was not until the 38th blood vein that Su Ming began to lose control, and his Qi began to go into turmoil.

Su Ming knew that the balanced pressure on the 32nd step was no longer enough to help him. If he wanted to improve, then he would need to go to the 79th step!

Su Ming's eyes were bright. He stood up without hesitation and stepped onto the 33rd step. He continued moving forward with certainty. As he moved forward one step at a time and the pressure on the mountain pressed onto him, all 49 blood veins from Su Ming's body appeared suddenly and circulated rapidly in his body. The fine control he gained that afternoon was not just an achievement, he also gained control over his blood veins, causing a muffled boom to resound in Su Ming's body as the blood veins appeared.

As the sound echoed in the air, the 50th blood vein suddenly manifested on his body!

The 51st blood vein also appeared once the 50th blood vein manifested itself, and it did not stop there. As Su Ming continued walking up the steps until he reached the 37th, 42nd, 49th, 58th…

Once he reached the 60th step within a short amount of time, the 52nd blood vein suddenly manifested on Su Ming's body!

Just one more, and he would reach the fifth level of the Blood Solidification realm! In fact, he could already begin training the Berserker Art – Dark Blood Dust!

The muffled sounds coming from his body may not have echoed too far, but Bi Su, who had taken 300 something steps on the path closest to him, heard it as he was walking. He stopped and turned back to look.

'This is the sound of someone surmounting the number of blood veins he currently has… Just who is it that managed to increase his blood veins in this place..?'

He fell into brief thought, but did not pay too much attention to it. He continued walking forward. It may be his first time being in this place, but he already made preparations before he came.

Bi Su knew that the pressure in the mountain would increase by several fold at night compared to the day. That was why almost all would choose to stop moving when it was night and the moon was hanging high in the sky. After all, if they continued moving forward, then they would have to pay a much higher price, and it was not worth it.

It was much better if they rested for a night and continued the next day. If they did that, they would be in the best possible condition. That was why, he would continue moving forward as much as possible before midnight arrived, and then would have to rest.

When the blood veins in Su Ming's body increased to 52, he continued moving forward. He moved quickly up the stairs towards the peak of the mountain that could not be seen.

He did not know that his speed had caused a small commotion in the field outside.

The few hundreds of people in the field may only be paying attention to the top 50 rankings in the test, but they would occasionally look at the person called Mo Su who was placed last and mock him in their hearts. To them, the person who stayed an entire afternoon at the 32nd step had already exhausted his strength.

But now, when one of the men in the crowd looked at the changes in the top 50 ranks with admiration and stole a glance at the last place unconsciously, he was stunned momentarily, then he widened his eyes. He saw with his own eyes the numbers behind Mo Su's name, who had been stuck at the last place, suddenly increase.

33, 37, 45, 48… up until 61, 63… and it continued increasing!

He also looked at the rankings and saw that Mo Su had climbed up dozens of ranks from the last place, and his rank continued increasing!

Very soon, he was not the only one who noticed the change. Many people noticed it and when they looked over, they were all astonished. From that moment, the interest towards the top 50 ranks was no longer as high as the increase in ranks by the person who was previously in the last place.

"That person called Mo Su has started to rise! Haha! Could it be that he rested for the entire afternoon and just woke up?"

"He's already at 137th place. He climbed up so many ranks from the last place. Is he the type that has sudden explosive power much later into things? Let's see whether he can make it within 120."

"He's in! 119th place, 79 steps!"

"Huh… why did he stop?"

"He stopped again!" The people who were paying attention to Su Ming's rank were looking at Mo Su's name at 119th place. When they saw that there was no longer any change to the number of steps he took, which was 79, they were disappointed.

"I thought I'd see another miracle, but it looks like he doesn't have enough strength. Looks like he's at his limit at 79 steps. He must have stored up an entire afternoon's worth of power and let it all out."

Gradually, no one in the field paid any more attention to the common looking name. They turned their attention back to the top 50 ranks. Midnight was near. According to tradition, no one would continue climbing the steps at midnight. The ranks at that time would be the final score for the day.

At a corner of the field, Mo Sang looked at Su Ming's name as he rose up in ranks until he finally stopped at the 79th step. A smile appeared on his face.

As for Jing Nan, who was sitting beside him, he was frowning. When he looked at the eagle statue, the hundreds of names on it seemed to have disappeared in his eyes until there was only one left.

119th: Mo Su, 79 steps.

As Su Ming's ranking rose, Wu La, who was at another small stairway in the mountain, grew nervous. She held the plate in her hands as she looked at the rankings on it.

118th: Wu La, 82 steps.

After a long while, when Wu La saw the person called Mo Su was still at the 79th step, she let out a sigh of relief and with gritted teeth continued climbing upwards.

Chapter 56: The Night Was His!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming sat on the 79th step. He looked around him, and especially at the moon in the sky. There was still some time left before midnight, even so, night was a comfortable moment for him.

Ever since he started training in the Fire Berserker Art, Su Ming fell in love with the night. He especially looked forward to the nights when the moon was full. Yet ever since Su Ming started practicing the Fire Berserker Art, he had never seen the full moon.

It may have appeared once, but the moon was covered by dark clouds that day. He could feel restlessness in his body when he was in the fire cave, but there was not much change within him in the end. Su Ming had analyzed it himself, if the moon had not been covered by dark clouds that day, then he may have had some obvious changes.

It was a pity that today was not a full moon either, but Su Ming still felt at ease. At the same time, as the pressure increased with each step he took, the pressure also increased as the moon rose into the sky.

'The Elder of Wind Stream Tribe did mention that pressure in the mountain would increase at night, looks like it's true.'

Su Ming smiled. He was not bothered by it. To him, as the pressure at night increased, it meant that his power would reach its peak.

Su Ming was much more terrifying at night than he was at day!

Su Ming averted his gaze from the moon and sat down cross-legged on the 79th step. He took a deep breath and began to quietly feel the difference in this place.

It was just as he expected. This was the 2nd place on the stairs where the pressure was balanced. The pressure may be balanced, but it was still much stronger than the pressure on the 32nd step. This place was extremely suitable for him to continue controlling the Qi in his body to a profound state and control the amount of blood veins he wanted to manifest on his body to extreme precision.

As of then, Su Ming also knew that the additional three blood veins that manifested when he walked to the 79th step were due to him being able to control the Qi in his body to extreme precision. Just one more, and he would be able to reach the 5th level of the Blood Solidification realm!

This made Su Ming extremely excited with the prospect of just how many blood veins he would be able to manifest once the 79th step was no longer enough for his training and he would have to go higher!

Su Ming slowly closed his eyes and began circulating his Qi around his body. Once again, he entered into the fine state of controlling his Qi and tried to control the speed of his Qi reverting into his body, making it slow down according to his will.

As time passed by, the 52 blood veins on his body gradually began to reduce at a steady rate from the erratic pace when he first started training at the 79th step as he began to get used to the state. Slowly, he began approaching his previous limit at the 32nd step, but now that he had three extra blood veins on his body, there were still 40 blood veins left on his body as the blood veins disappeared one by one!

Su Ming was calm. There was not a shred of anxiety on him. He slowly circulated his Qi and focused on exercising fine control. Very soon, two hours passed by.

At that moment, many people had already stopped moving forward in the mountain. They chose to sit down cross-legged on one of the steps to train and observe the rankings on the plate in their hands. They were also waiting for daylight to arrive so that they could continue competing against each other.

Wu Sen panted harshly. His face was pale. After he gritted his teeth and arrived at the 295th step, he finally caved under the pressure and sat by the side. His face was dark. As he looked at the mist, there was uncertainty in his eyes.

'My Blood of Corpses… Shit! That person stole my Blood. Without it, not only will I be unable to use my powers accurately, I'll also weaken rapidly… I can already feel myself becoming weaker…

'I cannot let the elder know about this. If he learns that I lost my Blood, then even if he helps me retrieve it, I'll lose my value in his eyes…'

Once he thought of the horrific consequences, Wu Sen clenched his fists. There was a hint of fear under the layer of uncertainty in his eyes as well.

'I definitely can't let other people know about this, especially the people who offered me their Corpse Blood in the past. I've been oppressing them these past few years because I was strong and my status in the tribe was high. If they knew that I lost the Blood of Corpses, they'll immediately betray me.

'What should I do..? What should I do..?'

Wu Sen's face was vicious as he gritted his teeth. Still, there was uncertainty on his features.

Chen Chong was panting harshly. He was mumbling under his breath as he walked. When he looked at the brightening moon in the sky despite it being covered by mist, he wanted to rest and wait for tomorrow. Yet the moment he looked at the rankings on the plate in his hands and saw that the person called Bi Su had surpassed him by two steps, he felt challenged.

"You bastard! I won't take this lying down!" Chen Chong gritted his teeth and continued walking.

At the same time, Bi Su from Black Mountain Tribe was also panting harshly as he looked at the plate in his hands and continued walking despite the increasing pressure brought by the moon. It was as if he was competing with Chen Chong and was forcing himself to continue climbing the steps.

It was not until an hour later that Chen Chong let out a huge roar and sat down by the side with his legs trembling. He growled a few times at the quiet mist around him.

"Go! Go on ahead! You bastard, I won't compete with you today anymore! I'll do it tomorrow!"

Perhaps Bi Su felt it, because after he took a few more steps, he flopped onto the ground. Yet when he looked at his rank, there was a dark smile on his lips.

Lei Chen was sitting somewhere around the 130th step with extreme unwillingness and was panting heavily.

Many people had already stopped, but there was one person who kept moving forward.

"563… 567… 572… Ye Wang is actually walking during midnight!"

"The 2nd place is Bi Su. He only took 397 steps, but Ye Wang is already up to 500 something steps. Could he be ignoring the stronger pressure at night and wanting to continue walking?"

"As expected of the strongest among the younger generation. That perseverance of his is not something the others can compare!"

The few hundred people in the field were all staring at the rankings on the eagle statues. Right now, the only number of steps that was changing on the board belonged to the person at 1st place.

The others who were partaking in the 1st stage of the test had all stopped.

"587! 589!"

"It changed again. This time it's 595!"

The field was in an uproar. Everyone's attention was focused on the 1st place. Even the leaders from other tribes were also sighing in respect for Ye Wang.

"Mo Sang, my tribe's Ye Wang has really high potential. How is he compared to you?" the Elder of Wind Stream Tribe, Jing Nan, smiled as he looked at the ranks on the statue and spoke slowly.

Mo Sang was calm as he smiled.

"Not bad."

Jing Nan smiled, but he no longer talked about it.

At that moment, Ye Wang's gaze was firm as he continued walking forward with his hands behind his back despite the sweat pouring down his forehead. Every single step he took was hard, but he did not hesitate. He only stopped when he reached the 600th step. There was a smile on his face as he sat down by the side.

"The last time I was here, I went up to 580 steps on the first night. This time, I surpassed myself by 20 steps. That's good enough… I wonder if there's anyone who'll be able to find the test at the 562nd step… Still, I'm pretty sure it'll be same as last time. No one will have the right to experience the test at the 562nd step," While mumbling under his breath, there was a prideful look on his face that could not be concealed.

The 562nd step was a trap. He failed it when he arrived at that place the first time he took the test and only succeeded the second time. It was now his third time, and he no longer paid too much attention to it. To him, there was no one among the people taking the test who could hope to compete with him. There was no one who had the right to obtain his attention, either.

He had been looking at the plate the entire day as well. However, he was not comparing his score with the other competitors but with himself.

Once he stopped, sounds of discussion arose continuously in the field outside. In their sights, once Ye Wang stopped, the competition for the day had also halted completely. After that, they would have to wait for the next day for the next round.

"The 1st is Ye Wang, 2nd is Bi Su, 3rd is Chen Chong… 12th is Wu Sen… until now, there's only one outsider among the top 10 ranks, the others are all from Wind Stream Tribe!

But the 48th place is Bei Ling, and the 49th place is Si Kong. They're also outsiders. I wonder whether those two will be able to maintain their rank in the top 50 tomorrow. After all, today is only the first day. The key that decides the results of the competition is tomorrow!"

"Just where did Bi Su come from? That's a shocking result he has, he's in second place! He even topped Chen Chong! This person will be a famous Berserker in the future!"

"It hasn't ended yet, something unexpected might happen…" The buzzing sounds of discussion gradually died down. The hundreds of people on the field sat down cross-legged and waited for the second day to arrive.

Gradually, the only sounds within the field that could be heard were ones of breathing.

"Mo Sang, let's go back to the tribe together and continue playing chess. We'll see whether your Su Ming can reach the top 50 tomorrow." Jing Nan smiled and looked at Mo Sang.

Mo Sang did not speak, but looked at Su Ming's name on the eagle statue instead. His rank had fallen from 120 to 123. He nodded his head.

Just as they were about to leave, the elder's pupils shrank as he saw something at that moment. Very soon, some of the people on the field who had yet to rest and were still looking at the ranking board occasionally let out surprised cries.

"He moved! That person called Mo Su moved!" That surprised cry immediately led those who had already closed their eyes to open them once more instinctively and look over. When they saw it, there was amazement on their faces.

Jing Nang, who was about to leave, stopped. He, too, turned over and stared at the statue.

He was not the only one. All the people on the field, including Dark Dragon Tribe's Elder, Black Mountain Tribe's leader, and the leaders from other tribes, looked over. After all, everyone who was partaking in the test had already stopped moving that night. The sudden rise in the ranks by that one person was incredibly eye-catching!

Deep in the mountains, Su Ming, who was sitting and meditating on the 79th step, suddenly opened his eyes. His control over the reduction of the blood veins in his body stopped at the 28th blood vein. That was his limit. He could no longer continue. This time, it was much easier and smoother than before. The time he spent was also much shorter. The reason was because it was night!

There was a faint hint of the red moon in Su Ming's eyes as he sat under the moonlight. He slowly stood up and looked at the winding staircase. A bright flash appeared briefly in his eyes.

'The next place…'

Su Ming lifted his right foot. Under the moonlight, there was no other person who would dare continue walking up the mountain besides him, be it Chen Chong, Bi Su, or even Ye Wang. No one else dared to continue moving forward. Only he, Su Ming, pressed on!

The night was his!