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Chapter 57: The Fifth Level of the Blood Solidification Realm!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

There was brightness in Su Ming's eyes. Under the moonlight, when no one dared to move an inch in the mountain, he welcomed the incredible pressure brought by the mountain and walked forwards one step at a time.

80th step, 81st, 82nd…

The pressure in the mountain during midnight was much stronger than in the day, and it became even more startling the higher he climbed. The moon shone brightly in the sky, and nothing seemed out of place. Yet it was precisely because it was night, and the night belonged to Su Ming, that as he walked, fine threads of moonlight that were unnoticeable fell onto the land and fused with Su Ming's body, causing the faint shadow of the moon in his eyes to become clearer.

Slivers of cold circulated in Su Ming's body, causing the speed of his footsteps to increase as he continued walking. 87, 88, 93… Very soon, Su Ming arrived at the 99th step.

Just as his right foot landed on the step, Su Ming trembled. Waves of heat caused by his Qi erupted forth from his body, making him shake slightly. Immediately, 52 blood veins appeared on his body. The blood veins seemed to twist around to form a strange picture.

Su Ming stopped and roared towards the heavens. The sound was not loud, and it only echoed around his surroundings. Nonetheless, the 53rd blood vein manifested suddenly on his body!

The appearance of that blood vein meant that Su Ming broke through the fourth level of the Blood Solidification realm and reached the fifth level!

There was a muffled sound of thunder roaring within his body at that moment, and the sound echoed in his surroundings, causing a string of booming noises. Yet the sounds seemed to be swallowed by the black mist by his side, and he did not know where the sounds went.

The moment Su Ming broke through the fourth level of the Blood Solidification realm and reached the fifth, on another stairway nearby was Chen Chong, who was sitting down exhausted as he was mumbling under his breath and was about to rest. His body suddenly jolted due to shock, and he looked at the black mist by his side instinctively. There was a muffled booming sound echoing in his ears. It was a sound he was familiar with!

"This… This is..! Damn it! Someone actually managed to breakthrough in this place?" Chen Chong was stunned momentarily, and disbelief filled his eyes. The flesh on his face trembled. He had never heard of anyone who managed to breakthrough and reach the next level in the first stage of the test. This was the first time it happened!

He rubbed his eyes with force, then, when he felt that there was something wrong with his actions, he immediately changed to rubbing his ears. He turned his head to listen carefully, and his ears moved strangely before they turned red in the blink of an eye.

Chen Chong had been blessed with great talent, and his hearing was especially good. Even if the distance was great and no one else could hear a thing, he could still hear clearly.

This was something he was used to since he was young. Now that his powers increased the higher he was in the Blood Solidification Realm, he became even more proud of himself.

As he listened, bitterness appeared on Chen Chong's face. He also felt indignant.

"Damn it, just what sort of luck is this? How could he breakthrough here, of all places! God, why didn't this happen to me..?" Chen Chong lamented as if he was extremely jealous.

Most of the other people besides Chen Chong, who had exceptionally good hearing, did not notice the muffled boom in the air. The only other person who noticed was Black Mountain Tribe's Bi Su, who was extremely close to Su Ming. He was sitting somewhere above Su Ming when he opened his eyes abruptly. He looked surprised as he turned and looked at the mist behind him.

'Someone broke through to a new level!'

Bi Su's face was dark. He remembered hearing the sound of blood veins increasing on a person some time ago. Once he connected the dots, there was a flash in his eyes, but he was not too bothered by it.

He took out the plate and looked at the change in the rankings. With just one glance, he saw a name suddenly rising through the ranks rapidly as everyone else was staying put!

At that moment, there was an uproar in the field outside the mountain due to Su Ming's actions. Almost everyone's focus was on the one line belonging to Mo Su on the ranking board on the eagle statues.

In the past, everyone would choose to rest during the night for the first stage of the test. It was the action chosen by those within the mountains, and it was the same in the field. Yet this night was different from those of the past!

All of this was because there was a name rapidly rising up the ranks at that moment!

"He moved! 99 steps! He moved from 79 steps to 99 steps! That person has been like that since the beginning. Once he rested enough, he'll start climbing at a mad pace!"

"He's Mo Su, I remember him! He was in the last place previously, then suddenly rushed forward with an explosive force and went up to the 119th place before he stopped. He fell to the 123rd place after that!"

"Look, he's now ranked 113th… No, 109th, 10- 101st! He's ranked 101st now! He's good!"

"Haha! I didn't expect to see such a thing tonight! Very well, let's see just how far that Mo Su can go!"

There were multiple discussions as the field went into an uproar. It was even livelier than it was during the day. The people who did not bother looking at the names after the hundredth were also looking with their eyes wide open.

In the previous tests, almost no one would pay too much attention to those placed at the bottom. Their attention would usually be on the top 50 ranks, or even fixed at the top 30 ranks up till the top 10. Some would even only look at the top 3.

But it was different this time. A situation that was rarely seen brought about talk among the people in the field.

Yet as they talked among themselves with excitement, keeping their eyes glued to the ranking board, they did not put much importance on it. To them, that young man called Mo Su just found a way to spend his time while everyone else taking part in the test was resting.

Once daylight arrived and all the contestants started moving once more, they would automatically ignore Mo Su. After all, Mo Su could not hope to compare with the prodigies no matter how high his rank or how many steps he took.

At that moment, Su Ming's actions also caught the attention of most of the contestants on the mountain. Most of them were resting as they looked at the plates in their hands. The ones who were placed at the lower end of the ranks were especially nervous, but those who were placed higher up just took a look at it and no longer paid attention to it.

Wu La was very nervous. She was sitting at the 112nd step as she widened her eyes and stared at the plate. She took special notice of the person called Mo Su because that person had managed to climb up many ranks from the last place in one go, and it made Wu La feel extremely stressed.

'I've worked hard for the entire day to make it to here and finally managed to get into the top 100! That damn Mo Su! Just who is he? How could he do this? Everyone is resting right now, and the pressure has increased due to the night! Why is he doing this?'

Wu La gritted her teeth due to her anxiety and grievance.

But after a moment, Mo Su stopped moving up the ranks once he was at the 101st place as if he had stopped moving. Wu La let out a sigh of relief.

'He's at his limit…'

Lei Chen was sitting down cross-legged at the 135th step and looking at the plate in his hands. He was also looking at Mo Su's name, but there was a different look in his eyes. It was as if he was deep in thought.

At the same time, Bei Ling, who was sitting at the 206th step, was also looking at the ranks on his plate, but he did not pay much attention to it. To him, that person was just trying to get attention. He did not move during the day but only moved at night, what else could he be doing besides trying to get attention?

'Such a cheap trick!'

Bei Ling smiled coldly.

Situated somewhere around the 200th step, but at a location lower than Bei Ling, was Si Kong from Dark Dragon Tribe. He was frowning. He had been looking at the plate multiple times during the day and was searching for Su Ming's name, but he could not find it. He automatically ignored Mo Su's name climbing up the ranks.

To him, Su Ming's rank should be around his. There was no way he could be in the hundreds. If that was really the case, then he would find it hard to accept that he lost to a weakling.

On another staircase was Bai Ling, who was sitting somewhere around the 130th step. She lifted her head and looked at the moon. She did not look at the ranks. There was uncertainty on her face as she thought about something.

The people on the field waited for a while. When they saw that Mo Su was stuck at the 101st place, they became disappointed but were also not too bothered by it, as if they expected that to happen.

The leaders of the tribes averted their gazes and no longer looked at the ranks.

The old woman in Dark Dragon Tribe closed her eyes slowly. She never looked at the ranks since the beginning, as if she was never interested in them in the first place.

There was a mocking smile on Black Mountain Tribe's tribe leader. The only person he was paying attention to was Bi Su. If there was anyone else worth his attention, then it would be Ye Wang. To him, the only person who could be Bi Su's opponent was Ye Wang!

Once they saw that there was no change in Mo Su's rank after a while, the sounds of discussion gradually disappeared in the field.

"It's clear that that person accumulated his strength and chose to move when no one else was moving. He must know that he won't get much attention otherwise and is using this method to gain some fame."

"That's right. That's a good move though. At the very least, I remember him now. I'd like to see how he looks like."

"Forget it. Let's go rest. Tomorrow is the main event. The top 50 ranks might change… Ah, he's moving! He's moving!" Just as the excitement from before was about to completely die down, a surprised cry echoed through the surroundings.

Mo Su's rank climbed up once again. The number of steps behind his name was also rising up at an unbelievable pace.

100 steps. 103, 107, 112…

Chapter 58: Do You Believe It?

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming started moving again. He lifted his foot and placed it on the 100th step. He stayed on the 99th step for a long time before because the moment the 53rd blood vein manifested, the Qi in his body started churning madly and surrounded his body. He needed to get used to the sudden explosive appearance of the blood vein before he could continue onwards.

After all, the manifestation of that blood vein meant that he reached a breakthrough. It was not just some normal manifestation of a new blood vein.

Once he started moving, Su Ming rushed forward abruptly. His body seemed to continue absorbing the moonlight as he pressed onwards. In the blink of an eye, he reached the 115th step.

He did not stop. As he felt the pressure of the mountain increasing on him, Su Ming rushed forward. 120 steps, 130 steps, 150 steps, 160 steps!

Within the span of a few breaths, Su Ming took about 60 steps. When he was standing at the 160th step, Su Ming suddenly felt as if there was an abrupt increase in pressure from the mountain. It was as if a sudden force erupted forth and pressed onto his body.

Yet at that moment, the bright moonlight surrounded Su Ming's entire body, causing his tied up hair to move on its own under the moonlight.

It would have been fine if he did not move, but now that he did, half of the people in the mountain and the entire field outside fell into dead silence!

Wu La was stunned momentarily. She had been worried about her own ranking. She originally felt affronted and defensive, but now, as she was stunned, the complicated feeling she had disappeared completely. She understood then that she was not at the same level as the other person. If they were not even in the same level, then why should she compare herself to him? If she did, then she would just be embarrassing herself, nothing more.

Lei Chen stood up abruptly and stared dumbly at the plate in his hands. He had been trying to guess the identity behind the person called Mo Su, but now, he was beginning to doubt his own guess. He could not say for sure whether what he had been thinking was correct.

Bei Ling glared at the plate in his hands as his heart pounded against his chest. There was a brief moment where he felt as if a chill crawled down his spine as he watched the person called Mo Su climb up 60 steps within the span of a few breaths. That speed was unbelievable and he almost forgot to breathe because of it.

He originally thought that the person was just trying to gain attention. That was why he chose to travel at night. Yet as he looked at it, there was no way Mo Su was doing it to gain attention. It was clear that he had the ability to do so since the beginning!

If that was not the case, it would have been impossible for him to climb up 60 steps within the span of a few breaths!

The entire mountain was in silence. Within that silence, Chen Chong blinked rapidly. He did not want to be bothered by it, but his instincts told him that that person called Mo Su was the one who brought about the sudden roar just now!

'It should be him… It should be! But just who is he? He's not from Wind Stream Tribe, that's for sure. I wonder whether I saw him on the field just now.'

Chen Chong still did not know that while he was still on the field surrounded by people, there was one person whose smile was extremely faint as he stood among the crowd trying to get into his circle of friends by laughing. He was of average looks, so average that people would not notice him.

That person was looking at Chen Chong as he laughed and chatted with his friends, surrounded and practically worshipped by the people around him, and watched as he walked towards Bai Ling…

Just as Chen Chong was troubled by his thoughts, Bi Su widened his eyes where he sat on the stairway closest to Su Ming. It was as if he was trying to see through the mist and look at the person who was walking on the stairway right beside his.

Bi Su was different from Chen Chong. He was too close. He could practically tell that the person called Mo Su was very close to him, and he was right behind him on the other stairway covered by mist.

'He's just at the 160th step, though. There's still more than twice the distance between us. He's of no threat to me! If you can come close to me, then it'll be not too late for me to pay attention to your existence.'

As Bi Su thought about it, he smiled coldly and closed his eyes.

On another stairway on the other side of the mountain, Wu Sen stared at the ranks on the plate with a dark face. His gaze stayed especially long on Bi Su and Mo Su's names.

'I'm at the 12th place and only at the 295th step… I won't be able to get into the top 10. I can tell that I'm getting weaker… The person who stole my Blood must be one of these two!'

Wu Sen was not stupid. He was, in fact, very intelligent, or else he would not have been able to maintain a relatively high position within the tribe, which was filled with strife and confrontations, much less control Bei Ling and the others.

'Bi Su!'

Wu Sen's eyes swept past Mo Su's name, and he stared at Bi Su's name, who was ranked second on the plate with a vicious look in his eyes. Even so, there was a hint of fear and caution hidden deep within that viciousness.

Wu Sen had no confidence that he could snatch back his Blood from a person ranked second in this test…

Si Kong was nervous. As of then, his demeanor was similar to how Wu La had acted before. When he looked at ranks and at Mo Su's name, who was at the 160th step, his heart pounded against his chest. He was afraid that he would be overtaken.

He would not be so worried if it was daylight, but it was night time now. He had no confidence to continue onward. Besides, he was currently ranked 49th. Once he was overtaken, then he would be placed at the 50th spot. It may seem like it was just small difference, but the meaning within the rank was completely different.

Besides them, almost everyone taking part in the test had their eyes fixed on Mo Su's name on their ranking plates.

Only Ye Wang never looked at the plate. It was not as if he did not know about what was happening. It was just that with his personality, even if he knew, he would not pay attention to it.

However, the field was even quieter compared to the silence in the mountain. It was as if even breathing was halted, and the field was enveloped in dead silence.

The force that was halting the people's breathing on the field was their own shock, which stemmed from the one name they were all looking at on the ranks shown on the eagle statues.

63rd: Mo Su, 160 steps.

After the sudden explosive increase in steps, many among them no longer treated Mo Su as an entertainment to pass time. They were regarding that name with importance because the sudden increase of 60 steps caused them to be in shock and disbelief!

If it was during the day, then perhaps they would be just shocked, but it was night. It was night, when the pressure in the mountain was a hundred times stronger than during the day. Most of them believed that if he could take 60 steps within the span of a few breaths during night, then that number would increase by several folds during the day!

There were few who could do what Mo Su did among all those participating in the test!

"Just… who is he..?"

"Mo Su… Mo Su… I just did a calculation. He went from 99 steps to 160 steps within less than 10 breaths…! This… is unbelievable!"

"His rank went up from 101 to 62 within the blink of an eye. This person… if he had this sort of ability, then if he did what he just did during the day, he would have gotten into the top 30 ranks. Why is he doing this at night..?"

After a long while, sounds of discussion gradually rose within the field, and they grew stronger by the moment. Even the leaders from other tribes were also looking at the ranks.

However, the old woman from Dark Dragon Tribe and the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe still paid no attention to it.

That night was bound to be different. On that night, all attention was bound to belong to one person – Su Ming!

There was a faint smile on Mo Sang's lips as he looked at the ranks on the eagle statue. The expectation within him became stronger. He knew that Su Ming had completely understood the meaning behind the six numbers.

As for Jing Nan, he looked calm as he stood beside Mo Sang. There was no changes whatsoever on his face. If he could not hide his emotions, then he would not have been able to obtain his current power and status.

"Not bad, Mo Sang. You taught the child you brought back well. Honestly, I've always been curious about his birth…" Jing Nan smiled as he looked at Mo Sang.

"Curious? Would you believe me if I told you he was the prince of the Great Yu Dynasty?" Mo Sang looked at Jing Nan and smiled as he spoke. Jing Nan could not tell whether he was lying from his demeanor. Perhaps Mo Sang would forever be the only one who knew the secret to Su Ming's birth.

"Why don't you just say he's the Son of the God of Berserkers? Interesting. How interesting." Jing Nan was momentarily stunned, then he started laughing out loud.

"Perhaps he might be." Mo Sang smiled as he spoke.

Jing Nan laughed, but in his heart, he was shocked. He was not sure whether he should believe in Mo Sang's words. He did not like that thought. For all the years he had lived, he would always have that sort of feeling whenever he met Mo Sang.

At that moment, there was another cry of surprise among the discussions and commotion in the field!

"He's moving! Just when is he going to stop! Look, 168 steps!"

"172, 179. This speed… he seems to be slower than before…"

"This should be his last charge. I say he'll only reach 200 steps at most, nothing more!"

"That's about it. I think the 190s would already be very difficult for him now. This is night time, after all. The higher he climbs, the stronger the pressure will be!" Numerous pairs of eyes were focused on the ranks on the various eagle statues amidst the sounds of discussion. Some of those gazes were cold, some disdainful, some expectant, some admiring, and some filled with jealousy.

At that moment, Su Ming's entire body was surrounded by moonlight as he continued walking forward one step at a time on the stairway. As he walked, the 53 blood veins on his body let out a brilliant red glow. As he pressed onwards, the 54th blood vein also manifested suddenly.

The 55th, 56th, 57th blood vein also appeared simultaneously soon after the 54th, causing the blood red glow on Su Ming's body to become stronger. It filled his body with a powerful force that seemed ready to erupt.

Su Ming growled and took another big step forwards onto the 186th step. Once he did so, the banging sounds that signaled the increase of blood veins reverberated once again through his body. That sound made Bi Su frown on the other mist covered stairway. It also made Chen Chong, who was listening carefully, grit his teeth, hoping and wishing fervently that his body would make the same sounds.

189, 192, 199… 200!

The ranks on the eagle statues in the field changed once again!

1st: Ye Wang, 600 steps.

2nd: Bi Su, 397 steps.

3rd: Chen Chong, 391 steps.

…

48th: Bei Ling, 206 steps.

49th: Si Kong, 201 steps.

50th: Mo Sang1, 200 steps.

Translator's Note

1 So here, it's actually Su Ming in the RAWs, but we all know the author is confused

Chapter 59: Unimpeded!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

50th: Mo Su, 200 steps!

The faces of all people who saw that one line on the ranks shown on the eagle statues changed. The previous looks of disdain, scorn, or even amusement were completely gone like the wind.

No one treated Mo Su as an entertainment for them to spend their time anymore. They had just witnessed a miracle and saw something unbelievable happening before their own eyes!

This person made it from the last into the hundreds, then to the 50th place!

There were even some in the field who were in disbelief to what they just saw. They did not imagine that such an incident could occur.

Mo Su even did this while everyone was not moving, and he pushed forward from the last place to the top 50 ranks. He even did all this during midnight. This was too shocking, hence most of the people in the field had already ignored the striking results in the top 10 ranks, neglected Bi Su, who was in second place, and had all their attention drawn to Mo Su's name.

"Just how far can he go…?"

"He'll definitely make it to the top 30!"

"I don't think so. He seemed to not have enough energy during the last charge. But no matter what, if he can enter the top 50, then it means he's very powerful!"

The sounds of discussions continued like waves and did not stop. The night should have been quiet, but at that moment, it was impossible for the spectators to remain silent when they had just seen something they had never seen before. In fact, the field was even livelier than during the day.

Su Ming made it to the 50th place, and all eyes were on him, no matter whether it were the hundreds of people on the field, or the participants of the test who were also in the mountain.

While those who were below the top 50 were angry that he suddenly surpassed them, they were also filled with respect. As for those within the top 50, they were all staring at the plates within their hands and looking at Su Ming's rank. To them, Su Ming had just become a threat. The threat may yet not be great, but nonetheless, they started placing some importance to his existence.

As for those in the top 20 and above, they did not place much importance on him.

However, the ones who were the most anxious at that moment would definitely be Si Kong and Bei Ling. One of them was placed 49th, and the other 48th. That person who suddenly made it to the top 50 was like a thorn in their side.

It was especially so for Si Kong, whose face was pale at that moment. He clenched his fist. He was the son of the tribe leader of Dark Dragon Tribe. He had gritted his teeth and made it to this rank after much difficulty. He had felt prideful for his achievements, but as of now, his heart was racing against his chest.

'Don't go up! Don't go up! Don't go up!'

He was screaming in his heart while he stared at the rank shown on the plate with bloodshot eyes.

On a stairway located further away, Bei Ling stood up. He was also extremely nervous. He widened his eyes and stared at the plate, but did not scream in his heart like Si Kong. Instead, he gritted his teeth and turned, walking towards the 207th step.

As most of the people were staring at the plate, Su Ming stood at the 200th step and took a deep breath. The persistence in his eyes was as hard as steel. On his body, all 58 blood veins were shining brightly. If there was no mist covering them, then the light would have definitely shone with dazzling brilliance, and even those far away would be able to see it. Yet now, due to the presence of the mist, everything was hidden away deep within the mountain.

Su Ming felt a strong power blossoming within his body. He lifted his head and then looked at the night sky and the moon through the thin layer of mist above him.

He did not know why, but ever since he started training in the Fire Berserker Art, he fell in love with the night. He did not hate the day, per say, but he no longer looked forwards to it.

"Among all those living on the land, who will be able to see the end of the horizon..?" Su Ming mumbled under his breath as he stared at the dark sky. There was a brilliant flash in his eyes that disappeared as soon as it appeared. If no one was looking into his eyes closely, they would not have discovered it.

Su Ming lifted his right foot and went forward once more. He stepped onto the 201st step and the 202nd step. The moment his feet landed, Si Kong, who was on a stairway further away from him, stood up with a vicious look and roared towards the sky, then moved forward in a frenzy.

He watched with his own eyes as his own ranking fell from 49 to 50. It was just a difference in one place, but that was akin to the difference between heaven and earth. It made Si Kong, prideful as he was, unable to accept it.

If he had been overtaken since a long time ago, he would not have minded it, but once he had managed to get into an advantageous position from the start and then had his position suddenly taken, he found it hard to accept. He gritted his teeth and walked forward step by step as he growled lowly under the incredible pressure caused by the moon on the mountain with a vicious look on his face.

At the same moment, Bei Ling also moved!

Their actions were like a butterfly effect. The people placed 47th, 46th, and 45th also could not hold still any longer and stood up, unwilling to give up. All of them began walking once more.

Once they started moving, it was as if the few hundred people in the field were given a powerful medicine that made them excited. The sounds of discussion were like the endless waves in the sea.

"Si Kong's moving! 202, 203… He stopped…"

"Bei Ling won't stay still anymore either. 207, 208, 210…"

"Interesting, with Mo Su getting into the top 50, the rankings are now thrown into chaos. There's bound to be a person who'll fall out of the top 50. If that's the case, then they'll definitely be nervous!"

The moment the discussions became louder, a sudden silence fell upon them. The sounds of speaking turned into the sounds of sharp intakes of breath. All of their gazes were focused on the one name climbing madly up the ranks!

Even the old woman from Dark Dragon Tribe, who was never interested in the ranks, opened her eyes and stared at the name on the eagle statue beside her jumping up the ranks. She looked calm. If there was any change in her thoughts, other people would find it hard to detect.

However, the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe still did not look at the ranks.

49th: Mo Su, 205 steps.

46th: Mo Su. 213 steps.

42nd: Mo Su. 221 steps.

39th: Mo Su, 232 steps.

37th: Mo Su, 239 steps.

34th: Mo Su, 247 steps!

Si Kong stared at the ranks on the plate in his hand. His entire face was pale while his body trembled. It was as if he lost all his strength and fell to the ground. He gritted his teeth, but it turned into a sense of helplessness. He only managed to take two steps and could no longer bear the pressure brought about by the night. He had to stop.

Bei Ling's face was bitter as he also gave up on continuing. He did not have any more strength to move. The pressure of the night was not something he could withstand.

The others also stopped. As they looked at the shocking sight of Mo Su going from the 50th place to the 34th place, a sense of powerlessness arose within them.

Su Ming stood at the 247th step. That was not even half of the mountain. Compared to the seemingly endless stairway, he was only a small distance up the stairs. Even so, even if it was just a small distance, as he stood there, it was as if he was standing in midair. There was no wind where he was, and due to the mist surrounding him, it was difficult for him to see the world outside. Yet as Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the moon, he felt as if it was now closer to him.

Su Ming took in a deep breath and lifted his foot once again to land on the 248th step. The moment he stood there, the blood veins in his body increased once again, and it rose from 58 blood veins to 59 blood veins!

Su Ming lowered his head and looked at the blood veins on his body. There was a smile on his lips. He could clearly feel the similar balance on the 248th step, just like in the previous two places.

The sky was still dark. There was still some time before daylight, but Su Ming gave up on moving onwards. He sat down with his legs crossed on the 248th step and closed his eyes. He immersed himself within the circulation of his Qi and began controlling it with finesse.

Due to the increase in his blood veins, the difficulty in fine control had also increased. Yet Su Ming was not anxious. He did not want to give up on this sort of a rare chance. Besides, the purpose of the elder telling him the six numbers was for him to treasure the chance in the first place.

When Su Ming went into meditation to control the speed of the circulation of Qi in his body, time passed by slowly. Once the participants who were in the later 30s saw the final result, their uncertainty gradually turned into contemplation. As for those before the 34th place, they began to relax from their anxiety.

Those within the field were filled with different theories and expectations once Su Ming stopped once again.

"Just who is he?"

"Which tribe does he belong to?"

"Why did he choose to move at night?"

"Why did he stop once he reached 34th place? Is he tired, or does he have another plan?"

"Can he maintain his rank, or will he fall out of the top 50, or will he… get into the top 30, and even the top 20..?"

"Could he perhaps… get into the top 10?"

Numerous questions appeared within the hearts of the people in the field. As the sounds of discussion gradually died down, they buried their queries in their hearts and waited for the moment they would obtain their answer.

There were also quite a number of them who did not think highly of Su Ming. They believed that Su Ming would stop moving soon. More importantly, as daylight was about to arrive and the others would start moving once again, Su Ming's rank would fall.

Yet no matter what, even those who did not expect too much from Su Ming had to admit that Mo Su's name brought about a change during that night. Due to that, his name would be remembered forever by all the people. In fact, even after many years had passed, they would still remember it…

That night, Mo Su's brilliance was greater than the people's in the top 10 ranks, and it could even be said that it was greater than Ye Wang's!

It was destined that Mo Su's name would be taken into account occasionally even when day arrived. No matter what the spectators' thoughts were, most of them held some form of expectation towards that name.

Mo Sang was still smiling as he looked at Su Ming's rank. He might not know how and why Su Ming changed during the night, but he understood that everyone had their own secrets. As his elder and guardian, there were times where he did not have to know everything about his protégé, but would have to protect him.

"Do you believe what I said now?" For the first time since he came to this place, Mo Sang took the initiative to speak to Jing Nan.

Jing Nan's face was calm as usual, but when he looked at the rankings, he frowned slightly. He became even more uncertain towards what Mo Sang said about Su Ming's birth.

The night slowly passed by. The field sank into a peaceful silence. Almost everyone became quiet due to the different thoughts occupying their minds. Yet their gazes would still occasionally wander to the eagle statues and stay on the line belonging to Mo Su.

After a long while, the first rays of light brightened up the horizon. A new day had arrived.

Chapter 60: A Shocking Move!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

It was the second day of the first stage of the test!

The moment the first rays of sunlight arrived, some of the pressure on the black misted mountain, where the Ancients sealed the strange beast, left. The moment it returned to normal, Ye Wang was the first to move.

He opened his eyes calmly and got up before moving towards the 601st step. He had no idea what happened last night. To him, who had always been prideful, there was no need to look at the plate. He still believed that there was no one who could become his opponent. The only person who could compete with him was himself.

Ye Wang walked pridefully one step at a time up the stairs. He had a resolve. He must make it to the 900th step this time during the first stage of the test this time. He could still remember clearly that the final step he took last time was when he was in the 800s. He had been exhausted and was unable to move any longer. When he had to finally give up, he lifted his head and seemed to see a strange stone statue at the summit of the mountain far away.

It was a pity, however, because he could not see the statue clearly due to the distance between them. Nonetheless, that one glance alone made Ye Wang become persistent. His pride and extraordinary talent would not let him rest. He would see that summit that no one has ever seen before!

He longed to stand there and look down towards the people beneath him.

He was prideful, and he continued walking further up the stairs within the mist in his fire-like clothes. He might not have looked at the rankings, but he knew that he was in the 1st place!

Chen Chong was gritting his teeth as he continued mumbling under his breath and climbing upwards with all his strength. He might be panting harshly, but he did not stop to rest. Instead, he would occasionally look at the plate in his hands to check Bi Su's rank.

Bi Su was still higher than him by three steps. Both of them seemed to have made rivals of each other and were constantly competing against each other. In truth, this had already happened since yesterday, and Chen Chong absolutely refused to resign himself to losing.

"You bastard. Choose either to walk faster and widen our distance so that I won't be bothered so much, or slow down a few steps. Aren't you tired? Well, if you're tired, I'm tired too!" Chen Chong was drenched in sweat. It may be day time, but he, who was currently in the 400s, could feel the pressure from the mountain beginning to suffocate him. Fatigue rushed forward through his entire body like a tidal wave.

Bi Su was also panting harshly. He may have rested for an entire night, but as he continued climbing upwards, and the pressure continued increasing, the arrogance within his heart was gradually stifled. It was especially so when he saw Ye Wang, who remained in first place, walking steadily up the stairs in the 600s. It made a bit of respect grown in him towards the man.

Without the desire to compete for first place any longer, he started directing his attention towards Chen Chong, wanting to win against him. To him, his opponent was only Chen Chong. Once he completely overcame this person, even if he lost first place to Ye Wang, his name would ring throughout all the tribes around the region.

Especially since the elder was now… Bi Su smiled coldly. There was a hint of yearning and fantasizing within his eyes.

Wu Sen's face was pale. He may have rested for an entire night, but his condition did not become better. As time continued trickling by, the weakness brought by the loss of the Blood of Corpses from his body began revealing itself. His face was dark as he continued walking forwards. He would occasionally look at the ranks in the plate and at Bi Su, who was ranked 2nd. There was a look of discontent on his face.

He was still ranked 12th, but Wu Sen knew that he no longer had any hope to enter into the top 10. The people before him were usually no match for him in the tribe, but now...

Wu Sen sighed.

Compared to them, Su Ming was much calmer. He did not continue climbing up the mountain but was sitting cross-legged on the 249th step controlling the speed of the Qi circulating in his body to a profound state.

He was using every ounce of his abilities and the balanced pressure in this place to limit the increase and decrease of his blood veins to only one at a time.

To him, exercising fine control was very interesting. This was the same to him as when he was quenching herbs, but this time, his body was the cauldron, the Qi in his body was the flames, and his body was the herbs. He would control the strength of the fire and refine his body.

As time passed by, the hundreds of people in the field outside looked at the ranks on the eagle statues and started talking among themselves again.

"There's no doubt that Ye Wang will be in the first place. He's in the 680s, no one can catch up to him."

"The second and third place are definitely Chen Chong and Bi Su. Look at them, those two are chasing after each other. I'm pretty sure they're competing against one another."

"It's a pity for Wu Sen. I wonder what happened to him. I just can't understand it."

"It's a pity for Mo Su too. It's already noon, but he hasn't moved at all. Now his rank has been overtaken multiple times, and he's at the 47th place…"

As they were discussing among themselves, one name ranked in the 100s suddenly glowed with a gray light on the nine eagle statues. As it flickered, the name turned gray.

The sudden change immediately caught the crowd's attention, but they were not surprised.

"Someone gave up!"

"Since the past, a huge number of abdicators will appear on the second day of the first stage of the test. They no longer have any strength to continue onwards and can no longer withstand the pressure in the mountain. If they don't leave, then they will face the danger of their blood pressure increasing."

The air suddenly twisted, soon followed by a wisp of mist coming from the mountain towards the field. Once it disappeared, a young man around 20 years of age staggered and almost fell onto the ground with a pale face. It was clear that he was forcefully transported out.

It was as if he felt uncomfortable with the gazes of the people on him. He lowered his head and quickly went to his tribe located in the distance. He sat down quietly with disappointment.

The number of people who gave up like him increased in the afternoon. The names that turned gray, and the black mist that transported the people out of the mountain from the twisted space became the spectators' main attraction on the second day.

The people who gave up would mostly sigh in disappointment and return to their tribes. There were quite a number of them who came from Wind Stream Tribe.

"Those ranked in the 100s have all given up. Hey, look. By tonight, all those ranked below the top 50 will give up, and by midnight, there'll also be a number of people who will give up. After all, even if they don't move forward during midnight, they won't be able to resist the incredible pressure in their exhausted state."

"Every single time during the first stage of the test, the rankings are not the only entertainment. Looking at the people who gave up is also a form of entertainment."

"Isn't it? It's especially so for those who got a pretty good ranking and gave up. Those looks of anxiety and fear that someone else will overtake them are really interesting."

Just as the sounds of discussion echoed in the air, a person's face suddenly lit up in excitement as he looked at an eagle statue.

"Mo Su moved!"

The moment the words were spoken, it immediately caught almost everyone's attention. Numerous eyes fell upon the statues and on the line that belonged to Su Ming.

Su Ming opened his eyes. After spending half the day exercising fine control, the blood veins in his body had reduced to 21, and he could no longer continue decreasing the number. Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the stairs shrouded by mist before him. He slowly stood up.

He did not know that he was under the scrutiny of a lot of people. As of then, he only had two thoughts in his mind. Besides using this place to exercise fine control and train, he also did not want to let the elder down.

'I'll do my absolute best and give it my best shot!'

Su Ming was, after all, still a teenager. He had a teenager's spirit and determination.

There was a flash in his eyes before he took a quick one step forward and landed on the 249th step. An incredibly strong amount of pressure pressed against him, causing Su Ming to tremble.

'What great pressure!'

Su Ming's face was pale. He felt as if there was a ferocious mythical creature roaring towards him down the stairs.

Su Ming's eyes were firm. As the pressure came forth, he activated and circulated the Qi in his body until all 59 blood veins appeared, then he rushed forward.

251, 255, 258… Su Ming took a deep breath and continued taking 20 something steps. When he stood at the 270th step, only then did he exhale slowly.

There was sweat beading on his forehead. Without the help of the moonlight, walking on the stairs during the day to Su Ming was more draining. Yet the more it was so, the more firm he was in his resolution. More importantly, as the pressure increased on his body and lashed against the 59 blood veins on him, it made Su Ming feel as if his blood veins were about to increase once again.

He knew that this was all due to him being able to discover the secret of the six numbers and continuing to exercise fine control over the circulation of his Qi. Because of this, not only did he gain precise control over his Qi, the potential within him was also forced out due to the fine control.

It was especially so since the elder used the True Awakening on him and Su Ming obtained a drop of Berserker Blood from him. Those gifts given to him by the elder were truly absorbed into himself once he practised fine control multiple times on the mountain and was aided by the pressure as he continued climbing upwards.

Su Ming gritted his teeth once more and continued moving forwards quickly. Muffled booming sounds echoed within his body as he continued moving ahead, and the 60th blood vein immediately manifested on his body!

61 blood veins, 62 blood veins… The moment Su Ming landed onto the 301st step, the 67th blood vein manifested itself with an explosive force on his body!

The 67 blood veins surrounded Su Ming's entire body and made him feel as if he had an unlimited amount of energy. He may be drenched in sweat, but the unwavering determination in his eyes became even stronger.

Su Ming did not know the amount of shock he brought onto the hundreds of people in the field the moment he moved from the 248th step to the 301st step!

The tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe looked towards the statue abruptly. There was a rare serious look on his face.

"60 steps again! When that Mo Su doesn't move, he's unassuming, but the moment he does, he shocks the world!"

"Haha! I was waiting for him to move all this while. He didn't let me down. Mo Su, get into the top 30! Even better, get into the top 10!"

"He didn't move for the entire day. Even if he did now, he's only placed 36th, unlike yesterday…" There were hints of jealousy within the voice of the person who was pretending to be speaking in disdain among the sounds of discussion. That person who spoke suddenly widened his eyes and swallowed down the words he was just about to speak.

Chapter 61: They Were Afraid!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The person who was suddenly silenced was not the only one shocked. As of then, the hundreds of spectators on the field and the people who dropped out from the first stage and returned with gloomy faces all widened their eyes. There was astonishment on their faces.

Some of them already rose up from their sitting positions unconsciously, and there were some who moved forward instinctively towards the eagle statue located a little further away from them as if they wanted to take a closer look.

The old woman from Dark Dragon Tribe was staring at an eagle statue not far away with bright eyes shining with a strange light. She was staring at Mo Su's rank.

The leaders of the other tribes were also staring intently at the statues with serious faces.

The Head of the Guards of Dark Mountain Tribe, Bei Ling's father, had kept his gaze trained on the rankings on the eagle statue since the beginning, and most of his attention was on Bei Ling's rank. At that moment, he ignored his son and stared at Mo Su's name and the numbers showing the amount of steps he took behind him increasing at an exponential speed.

At that moment, the entire field fell into dead silence.

36th: Mo Su, 301 steps.

34th: Mo Su, 310 steps.

31st: Mo Su, 322 steps.

28th: Mo Su, 335 steps.

26th: Mo Su, 344 steps.

23rd: Mo Su, 351 steps.

19th: Mo Su, 371 steps!

It was not until Mo Su stopped and remained at the 19th place and at the 371st step after a long while that there were sounds of sharp breath intakes in the field.

That scene made most of the people who saw it to be in disbelief. They may have witnessed a miracle yesterday night, but the change this time was too great compared to last night!

If yesterday night was a miracle, then the unbelievable sight that happened right now could only be called a legend!

"He didn't even take the span of 60 breaths and managed to go from the 248th step to the 371st step… This is… He managed to take more than 120 steps… And all it took was less than 60 breaths!"

"Wu Sen cannot do it. Chen Chong cannot do it. Even Ye Wang took more than two hours to take more than 100 steps!"

"Just who is Mo Su?" Amidst the sharp sounds of breaths being taken in, the field was enveloped in an uproar. The noise was much greater than it was during the previous night.

"This is only the afternoon. What will happen when it's evening, or night? With the strength that he showed us yesterday, how far will he go? Just what rank will he obtain in the end?"

"Top 10! He'll definitely make it to the top 10!" There were people who were jealous of Su Ming's achievements, but there were still plenty of them who were nobodies within the tribe. No matter whether it was Chen Chong, Wu Sen, or even the people ranked in the top 10, top 20, or even the top 30 or 40, these people were all prodigies way above them who deserved respect. There was also a longing to approach these people within them, yet at the same time, they also harbored feelings of disgruntlement and helplessness.

Now, they saw a person who suddenly rose up the ranks with their own eyes. They saw the miracle of the person who was in the last place the previous day, who used a momentum and speed that was indescribable to speed up from the last place to get up to the 19th place!

It was precisely because they saw it with their own eyes that they felt excited. It was as if Mo Su were themselves. Yet, people were complicated. This was not a simple change in attitude. Amidst their excitement, they all had complex feelings along with admiration. Those feelings tangled with each other and formed an emotion that they did not know how to describe.

They wanted and hoped that Su Ming would continue to rise up and fulfill their longing to continue seeing the miracle, yet they were also deeply jealous that a nobody like him could suddenly climb up the ranks. They could only wish that he would be like them and be forever stuck at the bottom.

"Top 10? Hmph, I don't think so. He just got lucky and might have used some sort of low handed trick to get so far!"

"That's right! Look at him. Every single time he walks a distance, he'll have to rest for a long time. I say that's where his secret lies!"

The discussions were filled with contradictions. The people were excited for one moment and jealous by the next. Yet at that time, there was an old man with a sharp mouth and cheeks of a monkey within the crowd. The old man's eyes moved around as if a thought just crossed his mind. He would occasionally get close to the people who were deep in discussion and pull one of them backwards. Under their dissatisfied looks, he would lower his head and murmur in their ears, then quickly open his shirt before closing it just as quickly, as if he was afraid someone would see it.

The people who were dragged out by the old man all looked at him strangely with looks of disbelief. Yet after the old man told them something, most of them would believe him somewhat. There were even some who were brought further away by the old man to trade.

The participants still within the mountain shared the complex feelings of those in the field. Most of them were looking at the plates in their hands and at the name that entered their sights since the previous night. They did not know what exactly they were feeling. There were feelings of admiration, jealousy, and perhaps even disbelief within them.

Lei Chen looked away from the plate. There was a boyish smile on his lips, but there was still uncertainty in his eyes. As he continued walking, he kept wondering whether Mo Su was Su Ming…

Ever since he saw Mo Su's name the previous night, Su Ming's face immediately appeared in his head. Now that he saw Mo Su's rank going higher and that he managed to get into the 19th place, besides feeling shocked, he also began to doubt himself.

"Ah, maybe it's not him…"

Bei Ling was drenched in sweat. He looked at the ranks on the plate and at the person called Mo Su rising up the ranks. He shook his head and lowered his head as he sighed.

'He's so good at being patient… From now onwards, his fame will definitely shake the heavens… But this has nothing to do with me. He's not from my tribe.

'But there's a 'Su' in his name… I hate that word.'

Bei Ling lowered his head and continued slowly walking upwards.

There was also Si Kong, who was situated at a stairway further away. He no longer cared about Mo Su, who suddenly rose up the ranks. In his sights, that person had already surpassed a lot of people. He was not someone Si Kong could compare to. Right now, he had his eyes on Bei Ling, who was placed right before him.

'I have to get into the top 50!' S

i Kong clenched his fist and walked forward with gritted teeth.

It was the first time Bai Ling looked at the ranks on her plate for a long time. She was looking at Mo Su's name, and like in Lei Chen's, there was uncertainty in her heart.

'Is it him…?'

Bai Ling smiled bitterly and shook her head. She knew that Su Ming was a Berserker and had some power, but she did not believe that he was like Mo Su, who glowed like the sun.

Compared to them, the one who was truly nervous was not Ye Wang, who was absolutely clueless to what was happening, nor was it Chen Chong and Bi Su, who were engaged with each other in a fierce competition.

It was Wu Sen!

Wu Sen was nervous. He looked at the ranks on his plate and at Mo Su's name, who managed to make it to the 19th place all of a sudden. His face was dark. He was no longer sure now who between Bi Su and Mo Su was the biggest suspect that stole his Blood.

Yet that wasn't the source of his anxiety. He was panicking over the possibility of being overtaken by not one, but two outsiders. Where could he possibly show his face after that?

"Damn it!" Wu Sen let out a low vicious growl. His face was pale as he gritted his teeth, but he went forward in a frenzy. It was as if there was a roar in his head telling him to absolutely not be overtaken!

All the people within the top 20 ranks were working hard. The moment Su Ming made it into their ranks, it immediately changed the situation within the top 20. It was akin to a stone being thrown into water. While it brought about ripples on the surface of the water, it also caused the fishes within the water to be shocked.

Yet they were fortunate that the source of their shock, Mo Su, who was currently placed 19th, stopped when he arrived at the 271st step and did not move for a long period of time. It made them breathe out a sigh of relief and quickly continue upwards, using the chance to increase the distance between them.

They were afraid.

They were afraid of the strange acts made by the person called Mo Su. They were afraid of him, who would be unassuming when he did not move, yet when he did, he would bring about a shocking change. It was the first time that they were so aware of a person. Even when they were moving forward, they would occasionally look at whether that person was moving.

They were also worried because they had the feeling that once this person started moving once again, he would move like thunder and quite possibly make it into the top 10!

Su Ming sat on the 371st step. He had guessed that he might have caught the attention of quite a number of people, but he did not expect that the name he used, Mo Su, had already brought about a typhoon upon the first stage of the test.

Besides Ye Wang, there was no one who did not know his name. There was even a huge decrease in the amount of eyes looking at the top 10 ranks that instead paid attention towards Su Ming's rank. They were waiting for the next time he would move forward explosively once again.

Su Ming was calm. He closed his eyes. The number of blood veins that were circulating under his will was no longer 67, but 71!

The 71 blood veins glowed in a brilliant red light as they surrounded his body. As they disappeared one by one, they would reappear again. As Su Ming was controlling them in a profound state, not only did he force out his latent potential, but he was also refining his own body so that he could obtain more power and become stronger!

It made him look forward to how fast he could go once he could run at full speed. After all, Su Ming excelled at speed!

Time passed by, and it was soon dusk. During the entire afternoon, there would occasionally be mist going towards the field and transporting those who yielded. The looks on their faces also gradually changed. The higher they were ranked, the less gloomy they would look as they came out of the mountain. There were even some who returned with excitement on their faces.

As dusk arrived and the sky began to darken, most of the names ranked below 60 became gray on the nine eagle statues. There were only two people left who persevered.

67th: Wu La, 159 steps.

61st: Bai Ling, 178 steps.

Chapter 62: Release the Hair Tie!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Yet it was a pity, because Wu La and Bai Ling's perseverance only lasted until it was after dusk. Once the moon started revealing itself in the sky, both names became gray.

Two wisps of black mist appeared and sped towards the field as the space in the distance twisted. Both wisps turned into two girls who were pale.

Bai Ling was calm. She had already given it her all. Truth be told, the moment she did not find Su Ming taking part in the test, she lost all interest in competing. The moment she came back, Bai Ling lowered her head and walked towards her tribe under the scrutiny of hundreds of people. She did not say a word and sat behind the old woman as she looked at the ranks on the statue. She stared at Mo Su's name and bit her lip, her thoughts unknown.

The old woman beside her lowered her head as if she was talking to Bai Ling, but Bai Ling seemed to be ignoring her and pretending not to hear her. She did not speak.

Compared to Bai Ling's untroubled manner, Wu La was incredibly discontent. She went to where Dark Mountain Tribe was located and the Head of the Guards welcomed her with a kind smile and comforting words.

"Wu La, you did well. This is the first time you participated in the first stage of the test, and yet you managed to get into the top 70. Go back and train more. Next time, try making it into the top 50."

Wu La nodded her head slightly. She may not be satisfied with her results, but there was a pride within her that made her think that she achieved a pretty good result. It was just as the Head of the Guards said. If she could obtain this kind of result the first time she took the test, it was good enough.

When Wu La lifted her head and looked at the ranks displayed on the eagle statue, she saw Bei Ling ranked 49th, Lei Chen ranked 53rd, and she looked at Mo Su. Once she saw Mo Su's name, her eyes brightened up.

'Who could he be..?'

Sometimes, time would pass by slowly, yet during the fierce match in the first stage of the test, everyone thought that time was passing by quickly. In the blink of an eye, the moon in the sky was no longer partly hidden in a crescent shape, but was turning brighter, revealing its whole form as it hung high in the sky.

There was only a bit of time left before midnight. The pressure in the mountain gradually grew stronger.

Lei Chen conceded. His final rank was 52. As he was transported back to the field by the mist, his face was not gloomy. There was still a boyish smile on his face. Once he came back, there were a few people who came up to him to greet him. It was clear that ever since the representatives from Dark Mountain Tribe came to Wind Stream Tribe, Lei Chen made quite a number of friends.

Once he returned to where Dark Mountain Tribe was located, Bei Ling and Si Kong also gave up. As they returned with the black mist, Bei Ling came back with his usual aloof demeanor. He was still placed 49th. He had managed to get his wish and made it into the top 50 ranks.

It was different this time compared to the previous test. A few years ago, he had only made it with Wu Sen's help. This time, he made it on his own.

Bei Ling believed that if he had not given Wu Sen the large amount of Blood from the center of his brows a few days prior to the test, then perhaps his rank would be even higher. He walked towards where Dark Mountain Tribe was located pridefully.

"Wu La, you were pretty good. You might not have been able to make it into the top 50, but this rank is already very good. However, don't be arrogant. There are still two stages left," Bei Ling looked at Wu La and spoke slowly.

Wu La quickly stood up and nodded her head lightly. There was respect in her eyes as she looked at Bei Ling. Now that she participated in the test, she knew just how hard it was to make it into the top 50.

"As for you… Lei Chen, you should have been able to make it into the top 50 ranks, but now you're only ranked at 52nd place. It's fine, there're still two stages left. You have to work harder. There are only three of us representing Dark Mountain Tribe. We have to give it our all!" Bei Ling looked at Lei Chen and spoke calmly.

Lei Chen lowered his head and did not speak.

When Si Kong returned, he was dejected. He was still ranked 50th. He walked back towards his tribe disheartened and looked at Bai Ling, who was quietly sitting by the side. He was just about to speak to her when Bai Ling looked at him coldly. He immediately swallowed his words.

As time passed by, those within the top 50 gradually gave up. As the names began to turn gray and more people returned to the field, the place started becoming lively.

Those who were ranked in the top 50 came back with pleased faces. There were also quite a number of people who would go up to them to celebrate and they laughed together joyfully.

There were people who gave up, but there were also people who persevered. At that moment, Chen Chong gritted his teeth and persevered in a bout of madness. His entire body was drenched in sweat, and the flesh on his face was trembling as he continued climbing up the mountain.

He was already panting harshly. There were numerous stars swirling before his eyes, making him so tired he could barely go on. Yet at the same time, he continued mumbling under his breath.

"You bastard, damn it, I'm so tired!"

"537… You damn Bi Su… 538… You damn Bi Su… 539… You damn Bi Su, you're on, I'll definitely fight against you until I die!" Chen Chong wiped his sweat. There was madness in his eyes as his mutterings became louder.

"Are you a mad man? Why the hell do you insist on competing with me? You bastard, Bi Su, if I die of fatigue, I'll come back and haunt you! 538… Huh? That's not right, it's 539."

Chen Chong's face was bitter and in his madness, he panted like thunder roaring. He even went down on all fours and took onto the increasing pressure as he continued climbing forwards. His heart was pounding against his chest as if it was about to explode. The amount of sweat that fell from him could even be seen staining the stairs behind him.

"You're going to make me die from exhaustion. You bastard, you're thinking about making me die from exhaustion! With this amount of sweat, I've definitely become thinner. I'm definitely thinner…" Chen Chong kept on panting as he continued climbing upwards. Suddenly, his ears moved. Once he listened carefully, he immediately laughed loudly.

"I'll make you die from exhaustion. How dare you compete with me? I'll make you die by exhaustion, you damn Bi Su!" His exceptional hearing allowed him to hear the sounds of panting that was not at all weaker than his coming from a stairway further away from him.

Bi Su was also in a pathetic state similar to Chen Chong. His sweat kept dripping down, and his eyes were so bright it was as if there was a fire burning within them. He had been competing against Chen Chong for a long time, and he was just climbing upwards madly while gritting his teeth. He was already so tired he could feel a stab of pain in his chest when he panted, but he refused to give up.

"Chen Chong, I'll definitely surpass you! I am the strongest among our peers besides Ye Wang!"

Yet, the higher they were, especially in the 500s, the amount of pressure, notably the exponential increase of pressure during the night, became incredibly terrifying. It was still slightly bearable during the day for Chen Chong and Bi Su, but now that it was almost midnight, it could be said that even lifting their feet alone was a difficult task.

Besides these two, the rest of those who persevered were the same. It was especially so for Wu Sen. He continued walking upwards with gritted teeth. He did not want to be overtaken. Even if he could not make it into the top 10, at the very least, he had to maintain his current rank.

Midnight was about to arrive, and the pressure in the mountain was about to rise to its peak. Some of the people who were still within the mountain had begun to stop. After all, according to the tradition of the first stage of the test, the final battle was tomorrow morning!

The moment midnight arrived, Chen Chong's entire body trembled. He could clearly feel the pressure of the mountain reaching to a point where he was terrified by it.

"547… 5… Damn it, I quit! Bi Su, if you want to be number 2, I'll give it to you! If I continue, I'll definitely die from exhaustion here! All my body mass is gone…" Chen Chong fell down exhausted by the side and roared towards his surroundings.

"I'll take number 3. It's fine, as long as I don't fall out of the top 3, I won't embarrass myself! Wu Sen is still at the back anyway. Bi Su, continue if you can. Take a few more steps, better yet, just drop dead!

"Damn it, if only I had Mo Su's ability and had a breakthrough, then I'd definitely… Huh…? Ah!" Chen Chong panted harshly and fanned himself with his hand as he continued mumbling under his breath. Suddenly, his body trembled and his ears perked up. His face was gradually replaced by shock.

Bi Su was looking at the ranks on the plate. Once he saw that the figures showing the number of steps Chen Chong took became still, he laughed towards the sky. There was a ruthless expression on his face.

"I am the strongest besides Ye Wang!" He gritted his teeth and climbed a few more steps, panting harshly. When he arrived at the 553rd step, he stopped. Yet, the moment he looked at the plate once more, the pleased expression on his face immediately froze. He saw Mo Su, who fell to the 21st place, move once again!

Wu Sen and the others within the top 20 also noticed the change. Besides Ye Wang, everyone saw Mo Su moving in succession!

At the same time, the field outside was also enveloped in such an uproar that it seemed like it was a typhoon that was about to turn the world upside down!

All the people on the field, including the old woman from Dark Dragon Tribe, the leaders of the other tribes, and even the tribe leader from Black Mountain Tribe, who had refused to look at the ranks in the beginning, all turned towards the eagle statues immediately.

Numerous pairs of eyes - Lei Chen, Wu La, Bai Ling, Si Kong, Bei Ling, and the rest of those ranked after 20, who had given up - looked towards the same name on the 9 eagle statues with stilled breath.

Mo Sang's eyes were bright as he stared at the ranks on the eagle statue. The brightness in his eyes was so strong that Jing Nan, who was beside him, no longer looked calm. His pupils shrank in anxiety as he looked over.

Su Ming moved!

Midnight belonged to him. Su Ming stood up, bathed by the moonlight. His blood veins had already been reduced until there were only 15 left on his body under fine control. All of them sank back into his body.

As he lifted his head and looked at the moon in the sky, the shadow of the red moon gradually appeared in Su Ming's eyes. His hair was tied up by a string made of grass and was moving in the air despite the absence of wind. Su Ming took in a deep breath and untied his hair with his right hand, causing his hair to tumble down. He lifted his right foot abruptly and landed on the 372th step.

The moment he landed on the stairs, all the blood veins in Su Ming's body manifested themselves with an explosive force. It was also the first time he would show his current fastest speed in this place!

A blood red light spread towards his surroundings, and Su Ming ran forwards like a shadow of blood!

327 steps, 393 steps, 424 steps, 448 steps, 471 steps…

His speed was like a typhoon sweeping by the night. It made all the people who were watching in the mountain and in the field fall into silence…

Chapter 63: A Great Threat!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

It was impossible for the crowd not to fall into silence because it had all just begun!

On the nine eagle statues and on the plates showing the rankings to the people left on the mountain, which numbered less than 20, the rank that belonged to Su Ming was rising madly with a terrifying speed!

20th, 19th, 17th, 15th, 14th, 12th, 10th!

The moment he made it into the 10th place, the ranks changed once again and he was placed 9th!

Wu Sen was struck dumb. He stood at the 457th step and stared at the ranks on his plate with a stunned expression. He could not believe his own eyes. He may have predicted that Mo Su would bring about another shocking change the moment he started moving once again, but he did not expect the level of shock that Mo Su brought would be so horrifying!

It was almost within an instant, but his rank fell from the 12th place to the 13th. There was not even time for him to counterattack. He was not given any chance to fight back or struggle.

He was not the only one who was stunned. Besides him, the others from the 11th place right up to the 20th place experienced a change in their ranks within an instant. That sort of change brought about a sense of powerlessness within them. They did not even have the time to generate the desire to fight back. What was left was only the sense of awe and shock.

Wu Sen let out a low growl and the blood veins on his face popped up. He gritted his teeth and rushed forward madly. He could not accept it! As he moved, the others who were surpassed by Su Ming in rank also rose up from their resting position and joined the chase with gritted teeth!

Those who could enter into the top 20 were not any common practitioners. Their pride did not allow them to give up so easily. At that moment, they did not care about the increased pressure during midnight. All of them moved!

Even Chen Chong, who was resting on the 547th step, trembled in shock. He stared at the plate in his hands with a dumbfounded expression and took in a sharp breath. He heard a muffled boom just now that signaled the increase of blood veins. It was the sound that he had longed for and envied just moments ago!

Bi Su, who was at the 553rd step, could hear the sound even clearer. There was only a layer of thick mist separating him from Su Ming. He could hear the sound of the muffled boom clearly and distinctly feel the person called Mo Su climbing up the stairs on the stairway by his side at a terrifyingly maddening speed!

It was not just them. The ones who were the most anxious at that moment were the five people ranked from 4th to the 8th place. These five people were all from Wind Stream Tribe. They might not be as famous as Chen Chong and Wu Sen, but they were definitely extraordinary.

Yet at that moment, their anxiety caused their hearts to pound against their chests, and they all stood up to continue climbing!

Nonetheless, it was night. It was midnight, when the pressure of Wind Stream Mountain was at its strongest. The resistance they felt as they climbed was incredibly strong. That sort of pressure that seemed like the might of heavens pressing onto them could make a normal person's spirit break.

It was especially so when all of them stood up, yet before they even took a few steps forward, they checked the ranks on their plates once again, and the shock they felt turned into dumbfounded astonishment. All of them began to stop in succession.

Su Ming's hair floated behind his back. Without the string made of grass tying his hair, they moved in the air even in the absence of wind. His eyes were blood red, and there was a moon burning within his eyes!

He did not stop. Once he arrived at the 471st step, his entire body started roaring nonstop as the blood veins manifested increased one by one on his body. He did not even bother to count how many blood veins had appeared, but simply continued pressing onwards.

The pressure from the mountain fell onto his body like one from numerous mountains, almost making Su Ming cave under it. He circulated his Qi around his body and surrounded it with moonlight, then continued firmly at a quick speed under the pressure!

472, 483, 494, 506… 523, 537… 546!

Su Ming only stopped when he was standing on the 546th step. He was drenched in sweat and was breathing heavily, but his eyes were filled with determination!

The booming sounds in his body continued. Once he stopped, all 87 blood veins manifested on his body. They were scattered in a disorderly manner on his body, which enveloped Su Ming with a strong presence.

4th: Mo Su, 546 steps!

There were only three people before him! Behind him were all the rest of the people left taking part in the 1st stage of the test!

He may not be at the top of the mountain looking down on the others, nor could he climb right to the top in one go, but at that moment, Su Ming was already standing among the crowd of the most powerful people of his generation!

Chen Chong shuddered. He may not be looking at Su Ming, but he could feel a strong presence rushing towards him from the plate in his hands. He could even hear the booming sounds that made him dumbfounded in his ears.

He could not see Su Ming, but the latter had a force that made him even more shocking compared to Bi Su. Perhaps it was precisely because he could not see him that the mysterious feeling around Su Ming caused Chen Chong to feel a rare sense of fear and caution.

Chen Chong may seem like an easygoing person, but in reality, there was still a sense of pride within his heart. He looked onto Bi Su with disdain. He only gave up because he was too tired and decided to let it be. He did not want to compete too much for that rank. Why should he make himself so tired? More importantly, Bi Su was not even considered an opponent in his eyes.

So what if he surpassed him? Without that sort of presence that would make people shiver, it was all empty-talk. To Chen Chong, only one person had that sort of presence, and that person was Ye Wang!

Yet now, he was shocked as he found that same presence that was supposed to be unique to Ye Wang on Mo Su's name! Chen Chong became serious. He no longer continued to mumble, but instead gradually revealed the presence of a powerful Berserker on his person.

He stood up and looked towards the deeper parts of the mist. It was faint, but he saw the silhouette of a person standing on the 546th step on a stairway somewhere with his head tilted towards the sky. There was an oppressive might on that person that caused Chen Chong to pay extreme attention towards him.

Compared to Chen Chong, it was obvious that Bi Su could not compare to him in that field. There was a vicious look on his face at that moment, which caused him to look ruthless. He was glaring at the mist. He could even hear the faint sounds of the person breathing behind the mist.

"No matter who you are, it's impossible for you to overtake me!" Bi Su growled lowly towards the mist. His words spread into the mist and scattered gradually into nothingness.

At that moment, the tribe member of Wind Stream Tribe placed last among those still left within the mountain fell into a brief silence and chose to give up. He chose to leave.

He knew that there was no need to wait for daylight, the final battle for the first stage of the test had begun. Yet he did not have the ability to participate in this battle. The mountain only belonged to a limited amount of people. He did not want to become a mere useless decoration for them. That was why he would rather leave than stay.

Understanding their own limits and knowing when to step down was something that was not seen on most people. Still, most of the prodigies within the top 20 still understood that concept.

Most of those who were powerful would usually respect each other, even if they were not within the same tribe. As the person left, besides Wu Sen and another two people, those ranked after the 4th place gave up and left the mountain for the four people who stood at the top.

They left the place for them so that they could have the battleground for themselves!

Wu Sen struggled for a moment, then let out a long sigh. He chose to surrender and left as well. The other two seemed to not want to surrender, but when they saw the rest leaving, after a slight hesitation, they chose to yield as well.

As the wisps of black smoke appeared in succession in the quiet field in the middle of the night, no one spared a glance for them. At that moment, all the people on the field were looking at the ranks on the eagle statues with rapid breathing.

The old woman from Dark Dragon Tribe had already stood up with a grave face. The strong man beside her did the same thing. They were not the only ones who did so. All the other members of the other tribes did the same thing.

No one continued sitting down. Even the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe was glaring at the ranks on the eagle statue with a dark face.

Bei Ling, Si Kong, Bai Ling, Lei Chen, Wu La… and the rest of them were all looking at the ranks silently.

Even the prodigies who returned to the field did not mind that they were not given attention when they returned. Instead, they all turned to look at the statue and at the only four names that were still lit on the ranks when all the other names had turned gray.

Mo Sang was looking at the ranks with a serious expression on his face. Jing Nan was also looking at the ranks, though his face did not betray his thoughts.

Su Ming stood at the 546th step and took a deep breath. The pressure at that place was incredibly strong. It was difficult for him to move forward with his previous speed. He lifted his leg and stood on the 547th step, then continued moving forward one step at a time.

His pace was not quick, but it was steady.

He could hear faint sounds of roaring, as if someone was saying something, but he did not pay any attention to it. He simply continued onward and moved up one step at a time.

Chen Chong's face was serious. He no longer mumbled under his breath and no longer looked at the ranks on the plate. Instead, he tore away the shirt on his person with a grave face and exposed his slightly plump upper body as he too walked forward one step at a time.

As for Bi Su, his face was twisted viciously. He gritted his teeth, took on the incredible pressure on his body, bore through the pain that was brought by the oppressive might, and continued onward. Every single time he took a step, he would look at the rank on the plate!

1st: Ye Wang, 791 steps.

2nd: Bi Su, 554 steps.

3rd: Chen Chong, 548 steps.

4th: Mo Su, 547 steps.

Only Bi Su was looking at the ranks among the four of them. The other three did not. For Ye Wang, it was because he did not care about any changes. Right from the start, he believed that the only opponent for him was himself.

For Chen Chong, it was because of his pride. The faint presence of Su Ming's aura had caught his attention and made him pay great importance to it. That was why he decided not to look at the ranks to avoid affecting his state of mind.

Su Ming also did not look at the ranks. He was only looking at the steps on the stairway and walked forward one step at a time. With each step he took, Su Ming's entire body would tremble and a huge amount of sweat would appear as he felt the exponential pressure on his body. Yet, his unwavering determination and the indescribable resolution within him allowed him to persevere under the pressure like a small tree in a storm!

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

Su Ming looked at the sky and mumbled as he continued walking

Chapter 64: The Test of the Heart!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The moon hung high in the sky. That day, the moon was slightly different from the other nights. There were no clouds in the sky, causing the moon to look incredibly bright. Moonlight fell on the land as if lowering a soft curtain between heaven and earth.

It may seem beautiful from a distance, but within the gigantic mountain, where the peak reached the sky and the summit was invisible to the eye, the moon turned into something terrifying!

Under the moonlight, the pressure in the mountain was continuously erupting forth at a terrifying speed that turned into an invisible typhoon and distorted the entire peak of the mountain. It caused all those within to see the chaotic state around them without even needing to lift their heads.

It was midnight. It was the time when the moonlight was the strongest. It was also the time of day when the pressure on the mountain reached its peak! If there was no mist on the mountain, and if anyone lifted their heads and looked from the distance towards the mountain, then they could see Su Ming and the other two standing at the top of the sky. If the watcher lifted its hands, they could touch it!

Those who continued upwards past 500 would seem to have entered the sky, and that was so for Ye Wang. He did not know what was happening outside, neither did he know that there were three other people fighting hard behind him. He only cared about walking slowly on his path one step at a time, panting harshly.

'Today, I'll make it to 803!'

Ye Wang gritted his teeth and walked forward with eyes filled with a burning pride that seemed as if it could scorch all those who looked into his eys.

No one could take more than a dozen steps on the stairs if they had no perseverance while under that pressure. Bi Su was persistent, but within that persistence was a lack of confidence, or else he would not need to look at the ranks on the plate in his hands with each step he took.

'556, 557… Damn it, Chen Chong surpassed me, he's at 558!'

Bi Su was vexed. He gritted his teeth and took another step, but the moment he did so, his entire body trembled. He heard a faint roar coming from the highest part of the mountain.

That roar was definitely not of man but belonging to a beast!

As the roar echoed through the air, Bi Su trembled. There was a sharp pain in his chest, and he coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood. His body swayed, and he nearly fell to the side unconscious.

His face was pale. During that instant, he felt as if the entire mountain turned into a mysterious beast whose form could not be seen.

Chen Chong also felt it. He was standing on the 558th step and was just about to take another step forward when his entire body shook viciously. He lifted his head abruptly. His eyes were bloodshot, and blood trickled down from the corners of his mouth.

Su Ming was drenched in sweat, but the determination within his eyes did not dim. Instead, it became even stronger. He pressed onward step by step. 548, 549… until he stood at the 557th step. He too, heard the faint roar.

That roar seemed to be filled with rage toward the heavens as it rushed towards him. The moment it came to Su Ming, he froze. There was a sharp pain in his chest, and he coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood. There was a pressuring might within the roar itself, as if it wanted to make all the people who heard it submit to the sound.

Yet at the moment his blood stained the ground before him red, the blood red moon in Su Ming's eyes suddenly burned stronger with a brilliant light!

He would not yield!

Su Ming lifted his head instinctively, looked towards the top of the mountain, and let out a loud roar. The sound he made was like thunder roaring, and it echoed through his surroundings. The fire burning within his eyes seemed to be ready to spill out as he lifted his right leg and stomped fiercely onto the 558th step.

The moment his feet landed, Su Ming trembled and veins popped on his skin as all his manifested blood veins spread all over his body. The red and blue colors crisscrossing all over his body showed that Su Ming was experiencing an indescribable pain, but he did not give up!

He would make it to the 563rd step. He would reach the fine control step over there. He did not want to give up this chance. Most of all, he did not want to make the elder disappointed. If he was to make a move, then he would definitely not make himself regret his decisions, now and forever!

What he wanted to do was to have no regrets. He would give it his all and fight so that he would never regret!

559, 560, 561! Su Ming took another 3 steps. With each step he took, he could feel his body trembling harshly and letting out sounds that screamed that he could no longer continue. It was as if his flesh and bone were about to be crushed. That sort of pain was nearly unbearable for him, who was merely a teenager of 16 years of age.

'2 more, 2 more!' Su Ming roared within his heart.

He kept telling himself that he had to make it to the 563rd step!

Su Ming growled again. He lifted his feet and took another step! The moment he placed his foot on the ground, he felt as if the earth and mountain moved and shook. However, he knew clearly that the earth did not move, neither did the mountain shake. It was he himself that moved.

The feeling as if the earth and mountain moved made Su Ming's face void of color instantly. He lifted his head and looked at the sky. It seemed to gradually move away from him, as if the sky itself was moving before his eyes. At that moment, time seemed to have slowed down.

Su Ming could tell that his body was falling down slowly. The earth did not move. The mountain did not shake. It was his body that had reached its limit and was falling backwards slowly.

'The 562nd step is a test…'

A bitter smile appeared on Su Ming's lips.

'The earth does not move. The mountain does not shake. Even if you move, none of this changes…'

"Elder, why is it that when I run, it seems like the trees around me are moving? I don't understand. I don't know whether it's my body that's running, or if it's the trees that are moving backwards. Elder, just what is happening?" As he was feeling bitter about the situation, a memory of his younger self asking the elder that question surfaced in his head.

"Your eyes will lie to you. La Su, once you grow up, you'll understand. What you see might not be real. Perhaps your eyes are deceiving you. Look at that tree, is it really moving? Is your body moving or the tree moving? Or is it… something else?"

Su Ming remembered that he was still slightly confused and could not truly understand the elder's words when he heard the answer. Yet now, as he recalled it, he was stunned.

'The one that changed is not the earth, nor the mountain. Because the body moved, that's why everything seemed to have moved… But in truth, the earth did not move, neither did the mountain move… The one that moved…'

Su Ming widened his eyes. He felt that he had grasped onto a line of thought.

'The one that moved is my mind! [1]

'When I ran, my body moved, but the trees didn't move. Yet what my eyes saw were the trees moving, that's because my mind… my mind was tricked by my eyes, and it's my mind that moved…

'Even if my body moved, but if my mind didn't move… then the land, the mountains, the trees, everything wouldn't move! Even my body might be deceived. My eyes, my body, everything can trick my mind and make it seem like I'm moving…'

Su Ming shivered. Once he understood the concept, there was a roar in his head. The strength of the roar made him feel faint. When the dizziness gradually disappeared, Su Ming stood there, stunned.

He lowered his head and looked at the steps underneath his feet, then looked at his surroundings. He was still standing on the steps. His right foot was on the 562nd step, and his left foot on the 561st step.

In reality, his body never experienced any change.

Su Ming silently lifted his left foot and went to the 562nd step. Once he did so, he took a deep breath and understanding appeared in his eyes.

"I get it… If my mind doesn't move, then nothing will move! This is the meaning of fine control…" Su Ming mumbled as he walked towards the 563rd step. He stood there, and a faint smile appeared on his pale face. He slowly sat down in a meditative position and began the first true fine control after he understood the meaning behind it.

It was different from the previous four times. Before, he had only performed it with ignorance. All his strength was placed in controlling the speed of his Qi. This was just relying on external strength!

Now that he finally understood, he knew that true fine control did not rely on external strength to control the speed of Qi circulation, but on the mind!

Qi will only move when the mind moves. If the mind does not move, then Qi will also remain still!

At the same time Su Ming sat down, Bi Su let out a frustrated roar. His right leg trembled and hung above the 562nd step. Yet no matter what, he could not place it down. He had a strong feeling that if he placed his foot down on the step, his body would not be able to bear it. The feeling was extremely powerful. It was so real that he had no choice but to believe in it. Slowly, he chose to stop with a pained expression. He… did not dare to take the risk!

Chen Chong had a grave expression. It was an expression that was rare on him. He stood at the 561st step and looked at the 562nd step. He was silent for a long time. Some time ago, he had heard of the story regarding this step…

After a moment, Chen Chong gritted his teeth and walked towards it. Yet the moment his feet landed on the step, his entire body seemed to freeze and he stood there, dumbstruck. His eyes were empty and blank. Time passed by, and after seven breaths, Chen Chong coughed out a huge mouthful of blood and fell between the 561st and 562nd step. In the end, he did not manage to pass the test of the heart that existed on that step.

Yet compared to Bi Su, Chen Chong had the heart and mind that could turn him into a powerful Berserker!

The field was in dead silence. There were no discussions, no commotion. All of the people were breathing rapidly as they looked at the ranks on the eagle statues. The shock in their hearts replaced all thoughts in their minds.

1st: Ye Wang, 803 steps.

2nd: Mo Su, 563 steps.

Those two lines garnered all their attention. Mo Su was just a normal name that no one had heard before the test. Yet now, his name was famous!

Time passed by gradually. That night was bound to be extraordinary. It was bound to be even more stunning than the previous night. That night was bound to belong to the two people in the mountain for their final battle!

There was no one who was growing impatient in the field. In the midst of their silence, they waited. They waited for the moment that the both of them would move! When midnight passed by and there was only a small amount of time left before dawn, the number of steps behind Mo Su's name on the nine eagle statues changed!

The weather did not change, neither did the wind blow once he moved. Yet the moment he did so, his movements turned into a storm that raged within the hearts of all those who were watching!

Translator Notes

[1] The one that moved is my mind! : In this case Su Ming is describing an optical illusion and perspective here, but since it's impossible for them to know what an optical illusion is, the word is not included