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Chapter 87: Black Mountain Tribe's Pursuit!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The northern wind moaned and lifted the snow from the ground. The snow swayed in the wind, as if having no roots and not knowing where it should go, just like the crowd walking through it. The Dark Mountain tribesmen slowly left the tribe that had served as their home for generations and moved forward quietly through the forest.
Gradually, no one spoke anymore. Even the crying sounds of the children stopped soon. They were either placated by their parents, or chose to grit their teeth and turn their sorrows into determination and hate.
Most of the hundreds of people within the tribe were normal people. There were also the old and the weak among them, hence they could not speed up their journey. The cold wind that blew past seemed to freeze their bones, and the thick snow underneath their feet further decreased their speed.
The Berserkers from Dark Mountain Tribe remained alert in the midst of their sorrow, keeping watch over their tribe members. They did not dare to let down their guard because a fight to the death might occur at any moment. Once they died, then there would be no one who could protect their tribe members, leaving them completely defenceless to attacks.
The girl in Su Ming's arms held tightly onto his shirt. The wind during winter might be cold, but what was colder were her dreams… Yet, perhaps Su Ming's warm embrace was enough, and the child gradually calmed down as if finding peace within her dreams. Nonetheless, tears continued escaping from the corners of her eyes.
Su Ming hugged the child gently and moved forward, walking on the snow on the ground. His gaze travelled to his surroundings frequently, and when his gaze landed on the familiar faces belonging to his tribe members, he saw sadness and unwillingness, but at the same time, he also saw resolution and resolve.
Su Ming gritted his teeth and hatred appeared in his eyes. He walked forward quietly and would sometimes support the weak elderly to help their shivering bodies travel faster in the snow.
'If we don't stop and walk continuously day and night, at this speed, we'll need at least three days before we reach Wind Stream Tribe. Three days…' I wonder how many of us will survive by the end… Su Ming's heart was bleeding. He was afraid, not for his own safety, but of how many familiar faces he would no longer be able to see three days later.
Su Ming knew that if there were any other faster method to transfer their tribe members to Wind Stream Tribe, the elder would have used them. Yet although the dark python's speed was quick, it could not carry a large number of people in one go. Besides, the normal members of the tribe could not withstand the pressure of travelling in the sky. They would need several powerful Berserkers at the level of the Head of the Guards to protect them if they did so.
Yet once these powerful Berserkers left, it would be practically impossible for the remaining people to survive.
"Mama…" As Su Ming remained silent, the girl in his arms mumbled in her dreams and wrapped her arms tightly around Su Ming's neck, as if the moment she let go, she would lose her peace.
'Indeed, I was right to come back!' Su Ming patted the child's back lightly.
Time passed by slowly. When it was almost dusk, the migrating crowd from Dark Mountain Tribe had travelled a large distance away from their homes. They gritted their teeth and moved forward through the forest and the cold. Suddenly, from the back, a piercing whistle that shook the sky sounded!
The moment the piercing whistle rang out, howls of excitement immediately followed after. At the same moment, the silhouettes of people dashed towards them from behind.
Almost all the people in Dark Mountain Tribe were shocked. A cold glint appeared in the elder's eyes. The Berserkers beside him, the Head of the Guards, and all the other Berserkers looked murderous.
Their tribe members trembled in fear as they were surrounded by the threat of death. They were afraid, and they cried, unable to help themselves. Things started to get a little chaotic.
"Those in the front and middle, remain in your positions. Continue protecting the tribe and move forward. All those protecting the rear, kill the enemies!" the elder immediately gave a command.
Su Ming gave the girl in his arms to a normal member of the tribe and was just about to move to the back when he heard the elder's words. He froze, then gritted his teeth and remained in his place, protecting his tribe as they left under the guidance of the tribe leader. Behind them, the elder and seven other Berserkers from his tribe stood like a wall that shielded them from their enemies!
Whistling sounds echoed in the air, and twenty something Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe appeared from the forest behind them. When Su Ming saw so many Berserkers appearing at once, his heart jolted.
They only had thirty something Berserkers in Dark Mountain Tribe. Yet Black Mountain Tribe managed to send out twenty something Berserkers in one attack alone. It was a fact that was difficult for him to believe.
Among these Berserkers, most of them were around the fourth or fifth level of the Blood Solidification Realm. However, there were five people who had reached the sixth level of the Blood Solidification Realm, and another three who had reached the seventh level.
There was no one in the eighth level in their team, but leading the charge were two men wearing black robes. These two men's clothes were completely different from the rest of Black Mountain Tribe, and they stood out. They also exuded a great and strong presence of Qi that made Su Ming's pupils shrink.
That power of Qi had already surpassed the Head of the Guards, Shan Hen, and the tribe leader's Qi. Their level of cultivation and the feeling of countless lives that had been slain in their hands showed that they were Berserkers around the tenth level of the Blood Solidification Realm!
However, Su Ming could tell that the eyes of these two black robed men were dull and lifeless, a clear sign that differentiated them from normal people. Yet their movements were agile. Under their leadership, the twenty something Black Mountain Tribe Berserkers rushed towards the elder and the others with excitement and bloodlust.
Strange cries were emitted from their lips, and when the sound travelled into the normal tribe members' ears, they trembled fearfully.
"Go quickly!" the elder turned his head and said in a low voice, then turned back and moved towards the Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe. With one swing of his arm, black wind appeared out of thin air and stirred around him, causing a large amount of snow from the area to be lifted before he rushed towards the twenty something Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe.
The two men's in the later stage of the Blood Solidification Realm's target was clear. They did not look at anyone else. Instead, as their blood veins erupted in explosive power and let out piercing light, they rushed into the black wind and headed straight towards the elder as banging sounds echoed around them.
From the other Berserkers who were swept into the black wind, seven to eight of them immediately coughed out blood. Their bodies trembled and immediately collapsed, bursting apart into pieces of flesh and blood. A stench of blood instantly filled the air.
The massacre started!
Besides the elder, there were only seven Berserkers from Dark Mountain Tribe protecting the rear. Resolution appeared on their faces, and they absolutely did not cower. Behind them were their tribe members and their families. They could not shrink back, they absolutely would not retreat!
The seven people lifted their heads and howled with sadness and determination before they rushed towards the dozens of Berserkers charging towards them. They would do everything to hinder these people and buy time for their tribe members!
Their level of cultivation was not high. The strongest among them was at the seventh level of the Blood Solidification Realm. Most of them were around the fifth level. Yet at that moment, there was an indescribable presence coming from them. That presence screamed out their desire to protect their homes and their tribe members. Even if they died, that will of theirs would never die. Even if their bones were crushed and their bodies turned to ashes, they would not allow their enemies to break through!
This was the human wall made with their flesh and blood! This was the ravine created with their lives! This was the desperation created from their souls! This was their choice!
Su Ming's eyes became red. He was not the only one. Most of the Berserkers around him had become possessed by madness. Some of the normal tribe members had already started shouting. They wanted to fight!
"Don't look! Your duty is to protect the tribe as we migrate! We… have to leave!" Just as Su Ming and the others were about to rush out and join the fray, the tribe leader spoke from where he was in the front. There was a determined look on his face, but underneath that determination was sadness.
He was the tribe leader of Dark Mountain Tribe. His duty was to help as many people from Dark Mountain Tribe to survive as he could, so that the tribe could continue existing…
Su Ming clenched his fists. His eyes were bloodshot, but he had to quell his killing intent. He looked at those seven tribe members hundreds of feet away from him, who were assaulted by dozens of screeching Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe that came like a tidal wave.
When a thunderous sound reverberated in the area, Su Ming clearly saw one of his tribe members coughing out a mouthful of blood. His right arm exploded, and he staggered backward. Still, he stopped even though both of his legs had collapsed. He continued to cry out ferociously and banged his head into his bloodthirsty and excited enemy's head. He even opened his mouth and bit down on the dumbstruck enemy Berserker's neck and tore out his flesh. His enemy let out a sharp and painful cry.
The man from Black Mountain Tribe was terrified. His neck was bloody and torn, and screaming in pain, he punched the Berserker's chest, causing him to cough out blood. Still, the man viciously bit deeper into his opponent's flesh. That cruel look on his face and his insane act made the man from Black Mountain Tribe's heart tremble.
At that moment, the tribe member who swallowed the flesh turned his head abruptly and looked at the column that was getting farther away from him. He seemed to have seen Su Ming looking at him from the crowd. A warm smile appeared on his lips. He was a man in his thirties. In his eyes, Su Ming was still just a child.
That smile was filled with the kindness of an adult towards a child. It was a completely different look compared to the vicious one he had before. Once that smile appeared, he turned back and closed his eyes. In that instant, all his blood veins exploded, which affected his entire body and caused it to explode in a bang. That violent bang turned into a sound that shook the sky. The moment the person's body exploded, terror appeared in the eyes of the man whose neck was torn. He wanted to retreat, but it was too late.
That was… the self-triggered explosion of blood veins! That was the last cry made in their lives using every part of their flesh and blood. That voice told all their pursuers from Black Mountain Tribe that if they wanted to destroy Dark Mountain Tribe, they would have to pay a price they could not have imagined!
Amidst the roaring, the man from Black Mountain Tribe coughed out a mouthful of blood. His arms had burst apart. He struggled, retreating. No will to fight remained in his body. His heart was trembling. He was afraid.
Chapter 88: Who is the Traitor?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
There were other members of Black Mountain Tribe who were also afraid. That sort of self-triggered explosion had happened three times within that short amount of time. From those three explosions alone, Black Mountain Tribe lost seven men!
Yet the battle still continued!
Tears fell from Su Ming's eyes. He bit down on his lip and averted his gaze while running forward with his tribe members. He knew that his tribe members defending the rear were using their lives to buy time for them. They were using their flesh and blood to stall their enemies. What Su Ming needed to do at that moment was to not let their lives be sacrificed in vain. They had to protect the normal members of their tribe within this limited amount of time and go farther!
The situation was just as intense at the elder's side. The two men in the later stage of the Blood Solidification Realm seemed as if they did not know pain. Their faces were void of expression even though many parts of their bodies had sustained injuries. Even so, they continued pestering the elder. Yet the elder's true strength was unknown to most people, including Su Ming himself.
The elder let out a cold huff, and numerous ripples appeared around them. The ripples rushed towards them, and the two men in the later stage of the Blood Solidification Realm immediately trembled. The elder took one quick step forward and arrived before them within the span of a breath. He touched one of their heads with a finger, and with a bang, his head exploded. The moment his body fell, the elder swung his fist at the other person, and as a thunderous roar shook through the sky, the man's body also trembled and burst apart.
Yet the moment the two men died, a large amount of black mist appeared from their corpses. The black mist gathered together in the blink of an eye and turned into the vague shape of a person that charged towards the retreating elder.
"Bi Tu!" The elder narrowed his eyes. He knew that the black mist was not Bi Tu's original body, but the result of a Fallen Berserker Art. However, if this Art was used, then it meant that Bi Tu was around the area, or perhaps, he was rushing towards this place!
At that moment, a sharp cry suddenly came from ahead of the crowd. The sudden appearance of the sound immediately changed the expressions of the tribe leader, the Berserkers from Dark Mountain Tribe, and all the other tribe members!
From the two sides of the forest, the same sharp sound could be heard. A huge gust of wind bellowed, as if telling them that a large amount of their enemies from Black Mountain Tribe surrounded them!
If that was the case, it would have been fine. They could leave behind the Berserkers, and they would use their deaths in exchange for the tribe members to continue their migration. But the moment the shouts of excitement and bloodlust echoed around them, the ground trembled from hundreds of feet in front of the tribe leader. The earth sank down as the land shook, and it was quickly followed by a large amount of giant wood around thousands of feet in length and hundreds of feet in breadth suddenly shooting up from the ground like a giant door, completely blocking the tribe's path!
On top of that giant wooden barricade stood three men from Black Mountain Tribe. The leader of the trio was dozens of feet tall. In his hands, he held a bow that was about his height and stared at the people below him with a cruel smile on his lips.
At the same time, on both sides of the tribe, two large wooden barricades also appeared from the ground. The height of the barricades, which were around thousands of feet in length, completely trapped Dark Mountain Tribe within them!
Several people also stood on top of the two wooden barricades on the sides. They looked down coldly at the people standing below them, and there was a teasing look in their eyes.
This was a trap that had been set a long time ago!
The expressions of everyone in Dark Mountain Tribe immediately changed. The tribe leader's face was pale, but his eyes were filled with shocking killing and battle intent. The other Berserkers were the same.
'How did they know about our route? How did they manage to lay down this trap beforehand?' Those were the questions that appeared in all their hearts at that moment.
'Who is it? Just who is the traitor of Dark Mountain Tribe?' Su Ming trembled. In his mind, he recalled the elder once telling him that there was a traitor within their tribe!
At the same time, the elder, who was fighting against the black mist formed by Bi Tu's Fallen Berserker Art in the distance, also saw this scene. Sadness and anger appeared in his eyes. He had suspected that there was a traitor among them, and he used everything that he could to find him, but that person hid himself too well. No traces or hints could be found, as if the traitor had never existed. However, now, the elder was certain. Nonetheless, he still could not figure who the traitor was… and his motives for betraying the tribe…
At that moment of danger, the people from Dark Mountain Tribe were filled with fear and panic. The normal members of the tribe were pale. Just as they thought they were powerless to fight back, whooshing sounds came from the tops of the three barricades, and more Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe appeared. There were about fifty or more people standing on top of the barricades. The elder raised his right hand and abruptly pointed towards the tribe in the distance.
The moment he pointed towards them, the weather above the trapped Dark Mountain Tribe suddenly changed. The sky and the land trembled, and a black light that could pierce through heaven appeared. That light gathered together and turned into the astonishing statue of the God of Berserkers from Dark Mountain that was about hundreds of feet in size!
It was a ferocious statue that was half man, half beast and filled with the air of savagery since ancient times. It held a dragon in one hand, and in the other, a long spear. There was madness and bloodlust in its eyes.
Its appearance immediately turned the sky dark, as if the weather itself was stifled by its mighty presence. However, the statue was not completely distinct in shape. It was slightly faded, as if it could not materialize completely within a short amount of time. Black light scattered from its body and enveloped the people below it, protecting all the people from Dark Mountain Tribe within.
"Berserkers of Calamity, go forth! The tribe members stay within! Fight till we breathe our last!" At that moment, the tribe leader from Dark Mountain Tribe let out a long howl. He leapt upwards at the giant wooden barricade before him. He knew that if they wanted to leave this place, they had to destroy this barricade. Retreating was not an option!
"Kill them!" All the Berserkers from Dark Mountain Tribe dashed madly towards their enemies that were already charging at them. The Head of the Guards from Dark Mountain Tribe leapt forward with his bow in hand and drew it. With a thunderous cry, he fired an arrow towards the left barricade.
Two other Berserkers followed behind the tribe leader as they too, charged forward with resolution!
Bei Ling, Wu La, Lei Chen, and the Berserkers were all fueled with madness and fought with their lives at stake! Shan Hen fell silent and hesitated for a moment before he too, went forward.
Su Ming's heart was filled with killing intent. Just as he was about to move, he heard the sounds of weeping from behind him. The girl he had been carrying was jolted awake and was looking at him with tears falling from her eyes.
Su Ming did not turn back. He bounded forward and leapt on the barricade before him. The dozens of Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe on the barricade let out strange cries as they charged towards Su Ming and the other Berserkers by his side, engaging in battle of life and death.
It was dusk. The sun in the sky was dim, and the moon was beginning to show itself, a clear sign that night was just around the corner. Su Ming's blood was boiling. His heart was burning, his anger roaring, and his eyes were bloodshot. He broke through the seal in Wind Stream and dashed madly back to the tribe for only one purpose - to live and die for the tribe! Now, the time had come!
'I was born a member of Dark Mountain, and I will die a member of Dark Mountain!'
Su Ming did not hesitate and let all 243 blood veins in his body burst forth with power, showing off his power as a seventh level Berserker in the Blood Solidification Realm. However, there was only chaos in the battlefield. No one took note of his existence.
Before him, there was one person who was in the seventh level of the Blood Solidification Realm among the dozens of men from Dark Mountain Tribe. The others were all around the fifth or sixth level. The man in the seventh level originally had a vicious look on his face as he charged forward with his team. In his eyes, the seven to eight Berserkers from Dark Mountain Tribe were nothing. He was the vice chief of hunters in Black Mountain Tribe. Killing these people was the same as flicking his wrist.
Yet the moment he approached them, his pupils shrank and a look of disbelief appeared on his face. He could clearly feel a vast and powerful amount of Qi that made his heart tremble coming from that the frail looking teenager among the seven to eight people.
'Who is he?How could he have such an amount of Qi at his age!'
The man did not have time to think. Su Ming had already come close to him within the blink of an eye. His first target was this person!
All of it happened in an instant. The two sides clashed together with a loud bang, and the sounds of battle rang through the air, as did voices filled with pain and agony. Su Ming hurled his fist forward. The moment he did so, all 243 blood veins in his body became one and crashed into the man in the seventh level of the Blood Solidification Realm from Black Mountain Tribe.
Thunderous sounds echoed in the air, so that sound was like a speck of dust in that intense battlefield. While Berserkers fought for their lives, the tribe members who were under the protection of the light from the statue were all trembling with pale faces. Yet, they were all determined, and they did not shrink back. They were afraid, but being afraid did nothing to help them.
There was deep seated hatred and anger that seemed to be able to burn the sky and the earth within their eyes.
They were silent. Everyone was silent. The girl who just woke up no longer cried. Instead, she watched Su Ming's back as he fought for the tribe!
When he threw his fist forward, his opponent roared and did the same thing. A thunderous clash sounded as their fists met each other. Blood trickled down from the corner of the man's lips. There was a dumbfounded look on his face, and his arm seemed to be on the verge of breaking. As the gigantic amount of power rushed towards him, he retreated on instinct. Yet as he retreated, it made Su Ming howl, and without care for his own pain, he blasted forth with shocking speed and got closer to the man within the blink of an eye, then punched him again, and again!
Within the blink of an eye, Su Ming had already thrown eight punches, and all of them had landed on the man's body. It made him stagger backwards with an aghast expression appearing in his eyes, and a large amount of blood flowing out from his mouth. The man hadn't expected to meet such a mad and powerful Berserker in this place!
"Die!" Su Ming closed in on him again. This time, he did not use his fists. Instead, the moment he got closer, he used his head and slammed it against the man's head. The man let out a sharp cry of pain, and his body was pushed back until he crashed into the giant wooden barricade. With a bang, the man coughed out a large amount of fresh blood. He was completely taken aback by Su Ming's speed. There was no time to retaliate. Su Ming… he was too fast!
Chapter 89: Funeral Song
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
'Who is he! There's no one in Dark Mountain Tribe who has this level of power at this age!'
The man coughed out blood as shock appeared on his face. His mind was in a mess, and he cried out in his heart.
Yet Su Ming was too quick. The moment the man crashed into the giant wooden barricade, he closed in once again with madness and murderous intent. As he thrust his fist forward, he bit down on his tongue and coughed out a mouthful of blood. When the blood appeared, it turned instantly into blood mist, a clear sign that Su Ming just casted Dark Blood Dust.
The moment the Art was casted, the mist rushed towards the man. It closed in on the man, who was now in a state of disbelief, and Su Ming's right hand pierced through the blood mist at the fastest speed he could muster and crashed into the man's chest.
With a loud bang, the giant wooden barricade trembled. The man widened his eyes, and all light disappeared from within them. A large amount of blood escaped from his mouth. There was a hole in his chest, where Su Ming's fist had blasted through.
'Kill them!'
Su Ming's eyes were bloodshot. He did not stop once he killed that one person. He turned around and rushed towards the other Warriors from Black Mountain Tribe. His fight with the man might have been over in a moment, but all the people from Black Mountain Tribe nearby had seen the entire fight.
They could not believe it. They just watched their vice chief of hunters die before their eyes. They did not even manage to follow Su Ming's body, only seeing an afterimage dashing around.
It was not just them. The other Warriors around Su Ming were also stunned. They knew Su Ming. They were familiar with Su Ming. In their memories, he was just a normal member of their tribe. Previously, they didn't have time to think why Su Ming had stood in the midst of the other Berserkers, but at that moment, when Su Ming's strength exploded forth, besides being shocked, they also felt strongly inspired!
As Su Ming let out a low growl, the other seven to eight Warriors from his tribe also roared.
"Kill them!"
"Kill all those who destroyed our homes!" Su Ming's eyes were bloodshot. A strong and boundless presence of Qi erupted from his body, and he threw a punch!
"Kill all those who slaughtered our tribe members!"
One more punch.
"Kill all those who murdered our people!"
Another punch.
Su Ming's body flickered around dozens of terrified men from Black Mountain Tribe and showed off just how deep he had sunk into his madness. He had never killed so many people before, had never felt so much hate. At that moment, he was no longer a teenager who had yet to reach seventeen years of age, but a maddened killer.
As fresh blood splashed all over the place, a thunderous sound rang out beside Su Ming's ears, and his heart bled. That was the sound of a tribe member choosing to trigger the explosion of his blood veins because he had sustained too many grave injuries!
This was a battle. This was a battle between the invaders and the defenders. This was a crazed battle between two tribes. This was the battle sparked from the hundreds of years of hatred between Dark Mountain Tribe and Black Mountain Tribe that would never end until one of them was completely destroyed!
The sudden increase of Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe caused the battle to become so much more intense and tragic. The number of Berserkers from Dark Mountain Tribe was not great. It was less than that of Black Mountain. Yet at that moment, all the people from Dark Mountain Tribe were persistent. They were willing to give up everything to protect their homes, their tribe members, and their tribe!
Death was nothing! Fighting for their homes, for their tribe, for their children, and for their parents was the most brilliant moment of their lives!
The light from the statue protected the crowd. In the silence, a sob could be heard, and it echoed outwards. The tribesmen were calling out for the Warriors. They were crying for those that fought to protect them: their children, their fathers, the Berserkers...
"Mama, why is the sky blue..? Is it because papa is protecting us from above..?"
"Papa, why do the stars blink at night..? Is it because mama is there watching us..?"
No one knew who was the first to start mumbling the lyrics, but gradually, almost all the tribe members who were protected by the statue's light started singing amidst the wails and sobs.
Their voices mixed together and gradually turned into a low musical wave. The sound was gentle and sad, but within that gentleness and sadness, there was also an indescribable emotion.
Those lyrics belonged solely to Dark Mountain Tribe. When someone from their tribe died, their tribe members would gather around the fire and look at their deceased tribe member as they sang the song of mourning.
"La Su, you are not alone in the sky. Do not be sad. Do not cry. Mama and papa will look at you from where we are… Every year, every day… we will look at you…"
"I will not cry. I will not be sad. I will not be lonely. I know that you are there, watching me… I am happy…"
The singing voices gradually grew louder and more distinct amidst the sounds of weeping. When the Warriors from Dark Mountain Tribe fighting without fear of death heard the voices of their tribe members and heard the familiar words, sadness appeared on their faces, and they let out depressed growls.
They will fight! They will fight until they die!
Su Ming trembled. Tears fell from his eyes. His body was covered in fresh blood. Some of it was his own, but the larger part belonged to his enemies.
He did not know fatigue, he did not know fear. All he knew was only that he had to fight till he breathed his last. Once he could no longer move, and once his body was too heavily wounded for him to continue fighting, he would trigger his blood veins and self-destruct!
"Mama… Papa… Pipi…" From behind, Su Ming heard the wails of the little girl who had woke up.
Su Ming's heart clenched in pain. It was bleeding. It was as if a countless number of needles had pierced through his heart. It made his speed increase even more. It made his punches even more powerful. Amidst the sadness and killing, a song filled with tears echoed in the air.
The song was filled with desolation, sadness, and separation… Not too far away, Liu Di sat under a tree. His legs were already bloody stumps, and his body was covered in blood. His face was pale, and his eyes dim.
He raised the xun made of bone with his trembling hands and placed it by his mouth, and begun to play a tragic song. The moaning sound was like the cry of a mother, and it mixed with the low rumbling song sung by their tribe members on the tragic battlefield, turning it into a song that made hearts clench in grief.
The sad moans floated with the wind and melted into the snow on the ground. They sank into the tribe members' blood, causing every single one of them, who heard it, to start crying on the battlefield.
Su Ming trembled. This was not the first time he had heard the funeral song, but it was the first time he cried like this. It made him feel as if he lost his heart, turning him into a heartless person. The only thing left behind were the injuries decorating his entire body and the endless sadness he felt.
Besides the sorrowful funeral song, Su Ming also heard the sounds of exploding caused by self-destruction. Each boom symbolized another Warrior from his tribe choosing to make his blood veins explode.
"Don't count me out from the road to hell!" Su Ming smiled brokenly. He threw another punch outward and blasted another enemy of his tribe into pieces of flesh. Su Ming, too, coughed out a mouthful of blood. As he turned around, he saw his tribe member playing the song underneath the tree before his death.
That tribe member's eyes may have been dim, but there was still a hint of light within. He played the song, and the blood on his hands stained the xun made of bone. Nonetheless, it could not dampen his song, his sadness, and his parting words.
This was the very last song he would play for his tribe. This time, he played the song with his life…
Su Ming closed his eyes and averted his gaze. The moment he did so, his pupils shrank suddenly. He saw, in the other direction, three men from Black Mountain Tribe standing before Bei Ling. They forced Bei Ling to continuously retreat with their vicious excitement. Bei Ling's bow was broken. There were a lot of wounds on his body, and especially on his chest. A large amount of blood poured out from the wounds on his chest. His face was pale. In his hands, he held a knife made of bone. There was stubborness and solemnness in his actions as he madly continued to attack his enemies.
He could not retreat. Behind him were his tribe members. Even if his tribe members were protected by the light from the statue, he could not retreat. There was a girl behind him. That girl was crying as she looked at Bei Ling, at his trembling body, and at his back, which stood firm before her like a hill.
That girl was Chen Xin. She seemed to be shouting something, telling something to Bei Ling.
Su Ming was standing far away from them. He could not hear them, but he could tell the gentleness hidden in Chen Xin's eyes as she looked at Bei Ling.
She liked Bei Ling. At that moment, she became even surer of her feelings. She… liked him.
Tears fell from her eyes when she saw Bei Ling tremble and one of the three men from Black Mountain Tribe approach, laughing viciously. As the bone knife went to Bei Ling's head as quickly as lightning, Chen Xin let out a sharp and mournful cry before she… rushed forward.
Bei Ling smiled brokenly. He was too tired and could no longer continue fighting. Since yesterday, he had been immersed in one battle after another. He knew that he could not avoid the attack. Just as he was about to self-destruct, he looked at Chen Xin, who was hugging him.
"Alright, since you came, then leave with me…" Just as Bei Ling closed his eyes and was about to make his blood veins explode, a sudden thunderous roar resounded through the sky and shook their entire surroundings. Every single one of the Warriors, including the people from Black Mountain Tribe fighting against them, felt their hearts tremble when they heard the sound, which reverberated and shook the sky and earth.
A long red spear rushed towards Bei Ling's direction at an incredible speed. That long spear exuded a powerful murderous intent, and with an of air madness, turned into a giant red eagle that was seen by everyone present on the battlefield. Within the span of a breath, it whizzed past Bei Ling and pierced through the chest of the man from Black Mountain Tribe who was about to swing his knife downwards. With a thunderous boom, the man's body was impaled to the ground. At the same moment, a huge wave of Qi erupted forth and spread to their surroundings. The man's body exploded abruptly, turning into pieces of flesh and blood.
The other two men from Black Mountain Tribe trembled and took a few steps back on instinct as they coughed out blood. At that very moment, a person leapt towards them like lightning and stood before Bei Ling, replacing everything in their sights!
The moment he saw the back of the person, a huge wave stirred in Bei Ling's heart. He was familiar with this sight. He experienced this once in Wind Stream Tribe. There was one person who had stood before him like this. Even if their faces and body shapes were different, at that moment, their bodies overlapped in Bei Ling's eyes.
"Su… Ming…" Bei Ling's eyes were filled with disbelief. He stood there, stunned, and he understood everything…
Chapter 90: It Already Happened, so Let It Go
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He knew then, that the person who had appeared before him with the same method in Wind Stream Tribe and fought on equal grounds with Wu Sen was Su Ming.
He knew then, that the person who had placed his blood that was extracted from the center of his brows in his room when he had returned completely exhausted to Dark Mountain Tribe's lodgings in Wind Stream Tribe, whose identity he had kept trying to figure out… was also Su Ming!
At that same moment, when he saw Su Ming's back before him, in his dumbfounded state, he also saw the figure of the person who had been the center of everyone's attention when he returned from the first stage of the test. That feeling was so incredibly familiar that he knew, he knew that that person… was also Su Ming!
All these thoughts appeared like thunderbolts in Bei Ling's head. They were like lighting travelling through his mind. It made his body tremble. He did not dare to believe all of it, finding it hard to comprehend how it could be true. Su Ming had, at some unknown point of time, silently obtained such an amount of power that even Bei Ling had to look up to him.
In his memories, Su Ming was the one he had always been jealous of, whom he had treated with disdain in his heart, spoken to indifferently, so the change now threw his heart into a state of chaos.
That complicated feeling made him forget that he was still in the battlefield, surrounded by slaughter, and everything else around him. His head was completely blank, and he was at a loss.
"How could this be..?" Bei Ling mumbled. Chen Xin hugged him tightly, tears faling from her eyes. She did not see Su Ming, there was only Bei Ling's pale face before her eyes and the sight of his back standing before her like a mountain.
This might seem to have happened slowly, but in truth, the moment Su Ming's spear stirred up the wave of Qi on the ground, and the body of the man with the knife exploded, Su Ming took a leap forward. His speed left behind an afterimage that rushed towards the person who was pushed back by the wave of Qi. That person was in his fifties, but he was only at the fifth level of the Blood Solidification Realm.
He only managed to take a few steps back when his vision blurred. His pupils immediately shrank, and he was about to retreat backwards when he felt a strong sense of danger. But Su Ming was just too fast. Before the man managed to retreat, he closed in on the him just as a loud booming sound reverberated through the air. There was a vicious expression on Su Ming's face, and it was filled with furious murderous intent. He did not use his fists, but his entire body, and crashed into the man's chest.
Rumbling sounds echoed in the air. Blood trickled down the man's lips. His back exploded abruptly, because his body could not bear the incredible force brought by Su Ming's attack. In an instant, all the bones in his body were crushed. His body was thrown to the back, and before he even landed on the ground, he breathed his last.
The hate in Su Ming's eyes did not decrease. It only became much stronger. He hated everyone from Black Mountain Tribe. He turned around suddenly and fixed his eyes on the last of the three Warriors from Black Mountain Tribe who had wanted to kill Bei Ling. He was standing not too far away from Su Ming.
That person was sturdy looking, but he was not tall. The vicious smile and excited look he had when he wanted to kill Bei Ling was now gone. That smile was replaced with a horrified look on his face, and his eyes were filled with terror. He could only watch in shock as Su Ming killed a person with a throw of his spear, and then another with his body.
The quick and clean kills made the man feel as if Su Ming was surrounded by cruelty and madness. His heart pounded against his chest. When Su Ming turned his eyes towards him, he immediately let loose a terrified scream and retreated without care for anything. He was afraid. In his mind, Su Ming was definitely at the same level as the leaders in Dark Mountain Tribe. This was not someone who he could fight with.
Yet before the man could even take three steps backwards, a sharp cry cut through the air. An arrow travelled from the distance, seeming to slice through the air. It closed in on the man in an instant and pierced through his neck before sinking into the tree behind him with his blood on its body. The arrow thumped upon contact, causing the tree to jolt.
The man held his neck, but blood continued pouring from his wound. His eyes dimmed, and he fell to the ground. His corpse was soon trampled by all the Warriors who were still trying to kill those from the opposite tribe.
In the distance, the exhausted Head of the Guards quickly turned his gaze away and continued fighting against the leader from Black Mountain Tribe, who was at the eighth level of the Blood Solidification Realm.
Su Ming walked towards Bei Ling and stopped before him, then pulled Blood Scales out from the ground. Once he managed to free it, something flickered in his eyes. He was about to continue fighting against those from Black Mountain Tribe when he heard Bei Ling's voice, filled with conflict and hesitation, travel into his ears.
"Thank you…"
The voice was caught between the sounds of battle and the moans of the xun. It sounded weak. Su Ming did not seem to hear it. Once he pulled out his spear, he walked away. Yet, he only took a few steps forward before faltering.
"It already happened, so let it go… You have to live for Chen Xin…" Su Ming said,, then bounded towards the crowd closest to him fighting against each other.
The moment Su Ming sped forward, an aloof look from the barricade far away from him turned towards him. That gaze belonged to a man wearing a sackcloth. He seemed to be in his forties. His body was incredibly strong and looked like an iron tower. He was covered in fresh blood, but most of it belonged to the Berserkers from Dark Mountain Tribe.
The strength of his Qi spoke of a man at the eighth level of the Blood Solidification Realm. His power was about the same as Ye Wang's, who had fought against Su Ming some time ago.
The moment he looked towards Su Ming, that man lifted his right hand. There was a long knife made of bone in his hand. The moment he swung that knife down, he decapitated a Warrior from Dark Mountain Tribe who was fighting against him.
That tribe member did not even have time to trigger the explosion of his blood veins. His head was caught by that man, and he threw it towards where he had seen Su Ming.
The head fell by Su Ming's feet, blood flowing from the severed neck. The blood dyed the snow red, and the heat from the blood quickly melted the snow into a puddle of blood and water.
Su Ming stopped and lifted his head in the direction the head had come from. His eyes met with the other's through the crowd, and Su Ming saw the cruelty and aloofness in the man's eyes. The man too, saw Su Ming's madness and killing intent in his bloodshot eyes.
The moment their gazes met, the man moved. He rushed towards Su Ming, just as Su Ming stomped on the ground and charged at the man just as quickly!
The man wore a sackcloth, not beast skins, which indicated that his status in Black Mountain Tribe was rather high. If Su Ming could kill that person, then it would definitely deal a heavy blow on Black Mountain Tribe's morale.
The moment the man moved, due to his status, it immediately attracted the attention of a lot of people from Black Mountain Tribe who were engaged in battle. It was as if he stirred up their morale, and the Warriors let out strange cries as they rushed forward and continued their massacre.
The two people closed in on each other, and within an instant, they clashed with a loud bang and engaged each other in an intense battle to the death.
Yet at that moment, right in the forefront of the Dark Mountain Tribe, their tribe leader coughed out blood. His face was pale as he staggered back. Before him, more than half of the people from Black Mountain Tribe had died, but a man who wore black robes similar to those the two who had fought against the elder earlier appeared. With an astonishing force, he injured the tribe leader in one move and forced him to move back.
The man's, who was dressed in black robes, eyes were blank, but there was a hint of bloodlust within them. He took a large step forward, and behind him, there were two other Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe. They rushed towards the retreating tribe leader. By the looks of it, they wanted to kill the injured tribe leader with just one move. The other Warriors who fought beside the tribe leader previously had all self-destructed. He was left alone in the front.
Just as the tribe leader seemed as if he could not escape from death, and the people behind him let out cries of anger and sadness, one person suddenly rushed out from the crowd. That man was an elderly person. He was Dark Mountain Tribe's Nan Song!
The moment he stepped forward, he let out a light sigh and stomped the ground with his right foot. It did not produce a loud sound, but the man in black robes who had attacked the tribe leader and was currently in pursuit of his life trembled suddenly and staggered. As shock appeared on his face, Nan Song walked out before the old man. With his skinny right arm, he swung his fist forward, completely stopping the man's footsteps. These two people engaged in battle right before the tribe.
Yet there were two other Berserkers by the side of the man dressed in black robes. One of them, who held a big bow in his hands, was the Head of the Guards from Black Mountain Tribe. This person might have been surprised by Nan Song's appearance, but with the man dressed in black around, he gritted his teeth and continued chasing after Dark Mountain Tribe's tribe leader. There was cruelty and excitement in his eyes. He could already imagine the glory he would gain in the tribe the moment he killed Dark Mountain's tribe leader and obtained his head.
The tribe leader smiled brokenly. He was still several dozens of feet away from the crowd protected by the light of the statue. At that moment, he knew that he could not go back.
Nonetheless, there was no regret in his eyes. There was only reluctance. He did not regret dying in battle. He was the tribe leader. Dying in battle for the tribe was a feat of glory. But he did not want to leave them… He did not want to leave the tribe so soon. He had to bring his people to a safe place…
Su Ming saw the danger the tribe leader was in, as did many other people. Yet under the vicious assault by Black Mountain Tribe, no one could rush over to help him. After all, the tribe leader's life from Dark Mountain was in question. All the Warriors of Black Mountain Tribe started blocking the other Warriors' path excitedly, trapping each and every single one of them so that they could not save their tribe leader.
Su Ming wanted to rush over, but the man wearing the sackcloth from Black Mountain Tribe sneered coldly, blocking Su Ming's path and causing him to be unable to rush over. He did not even have the chance to throw his long spear.
At that moment, when Dark Mountain Tribe's tribe leader could no longer avoid death, dozens of normal teenagers came to the barrier's edge closest to the tribe leader and stood before the crowd whilst under the protection of the statue.
These teenagers trembled. They were a useless bunch in the tribe. They did not possess the Body of Calamity, nor did they have strong bodies. Usually, while the tribe was busy working, they would be hanging around doing nothing because they were the family members of Warriors who once died in battle. It made them think that they were somehow priveleged, and no matter what they did, as long as they did not betray the tribe, they could live that way forever.
They never forgot the glory their families once had, but they did not choose to inherit the responsibility that came with the glory. Instead, they chose to let the protection offered by the glory be an excuse for their laziness and arrogance.
Chapter 91: Death of Young Martyrs
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
They feared death. Their terror towards it made them feel as if their hearts were about to be crushed. That was why they had not dared to walk at the back of the column, but rather chose to walk in the middle. Yet the middle of the crowd was filled with orphaned La Sus. That was why they could only choose to rely on the tribe leader and walk at the forefront of the crowd, believing that place to be safe. They thought that the tribe leader could protect them from everything.
Yet now, their tribe leader was in danger right before their very eyes. If they chose not to walk out of the light from the statue, they would still be safe…
At that dangerous moment, the face of one of the dozens of teenagers in front of the crowd was pale, and his body trembled. Fear seemed to have conquered his entire weak body. Nonetheless, for the first time in his life, desperation and red lines appeared in his eyes.
"I've lived most of my life like an ignorant fool. I lived every single day of my life easily and wasted them away while waiting for death. I did not do anything for the tribe, but wasted so much food. I know that there are a lot of tribe members who look down on me. I know that all the La Sus think I'm a useless person…
"And I am a useless person. I don't have a Berserker Body. I'm lazy. I don't have a strong body. I don't have anything… The only thing I have is the glory obtained in exchange for my father's death when he was killed by a wild beast while out hunting for the tribe…
"Today, I'll tell you all this. I may be useless, but I'm still a member of the tribe!"
The teenager's eyes were bloodshot as he roared and rushed outside, straight towards the tribe leader. He would use his flesh and blood and die for the tribe leader! Using his own life, he would become a wall that would protect the tribe leader!
With a bang, the teenager exchanged places with the retreating tribe leader, and the young man stood behind him, facing the enemy. At that same moment, a sharp arrow sliced through the air and pierced through his body. He burst apart and died.
"Dad… your La Su… is not useless…" Before the teenager died, he smiled brokenly.
The very same moment the youth rushed out and died, all his friends, too, howled and dashed out madly. They would use their lives to repay the tribe for all the years it had provided for them. They would use their lives, and once again welcome the glory they once obtained when one of their family had died.
"We may be useless, but we're still part of the tribe!" the dozens of teenagers roared.
They would use their fragile bodies and blood to create a wall for their tribe leader and their people. Thunderous booms continued crackling in the air. It was clear that the two men from Black Mountain Tribe who were pursuing the tribe leader did not expect the normal members of Dark Mountain Tribe to rush out at this moment. Nevertheless, there was only disdain and scorn in their eyes. To them, these normal people were so weak they would all die from one hit.
Amidst the blasts, these dozens of people were all dyed in their own blood, their limbs torn off, but they continued using their lives and willpower to block the enemies' advance. Some of them even clutched tightly onto the Head of the Guards from Black Mountain Tribe. Even if their bodies were blown apart by the shock, they continued gritting their teeth and holding their ground.
It was disastrous. The devastation of the battle seemed to have reached its peak at that very moment. The willpower of these teenagers seemed to have shaken the two men in pursuit. They did not expect these normal people from Dark Mountain Tribe to posses such insanity and determination, so much so that they managed to delay their chase by the span of around two breaths.
The time of two breaths may be short, and these young men had paid for it with their lives, but these two breaths, they changed the fate of the tribe leader's life. Consumed by grief, the tribe leader reached the light coming from the statue. His heart felt as if it was being stabbed by knives, but he knew that he could not die, not because of his own wish to live, but because of the tribe.
He looked at the corpses that filled the ground before him, at the bunch of people who had once given him headaches, and who he even somewhat disliked. He stared at the once familiar faces now turned into mangled corpses, and the tribe leader, a man built like a tower in his forties, cried.
Behind him, many of the tribe members also cried. These dozens of teenagers used their lives to tell all of them that they may be useless weaklings, but they were also members of the tribe. They could also die for the tribe!
Su Ming bit his lip and clashed repeatedly against the man before him. All 243 blood veins in his body had gathered as one, and as he growled, he continued fighting against the man.
His specialty was speed, and the man's was strength, similar to Ye Wang. This fight was extremely eye-catching, even amidst the battlefield. Lei Chen saw it, Wu La saw it, and many of their tribe members saw it, too.
The little girl stood in the crowd and watched Su Ming as she cried, terrified.
At that moment, a shocking rumble came from the distance. Far away, the black mist formed using a Fallen Berserker Art casted by Black Mountain Tribe's Elder, Bi Tu, abruptly crumbled apart after fighting for a long while with the elder. It turned into numerous black puffs of air that swept around its surroundings. The elder then went back to the tribe with an indescribable presence.
The elder had returned!
It was as if he simply took three steps in the air to come back. When his first step landed, the elder suddenly appeared beside Su Ming. The man from Black Mountain Tribe was caught by surprise, and the elder touched the center of his brows with a finger. Then the man trembled and coughed out a large amount of blood, staggering backwards. At the center of his brows, a bloody hole appeared, and soon, light disappeared from his eyes, and he fell to the ground, dead.
The elder did not stop. He took another step and appeared at the forefront of the tribe, right beside the man in black battling against Nan Song. With a ghastly wave of his right hand, the man shook furiously before his body burst apart and he died.
A presence that seemed to shake the sky and earth appeared explosively on the elder's body as he killed a person with each step he took. His presence birthed fear in all the people from Black Mountain Tribe, and they retreated.
Agitation appeared in Su Ming's eyes, and he was not the only one filled with such an emotion. All the people from Dark Mountain Tribe let out excited cries.
At that moment, the elder took the third step and appeared right before the giant wooden barricade blocking the path forward. With one kick, the barricade crumbled with a bang, turning into countless shards that were about to scatter to the ground when the elder swung his arm. The shards all turned into sharp arrows and sped through the empty spaces between the people of Dark Mountain Tribe, and straight towards all the retreating Berserkers of Black Mountain Tribe.
In an instant, cries of pain echoed in the air.
The moment he finished taking those three steps, a sickly red flush appeared on the elder's face, but it disappeared very soon, and once it did, he turned around before speaking calmly, "Don't stop here, move!"
The moment he spoke, the people from Dark Mountain Tribe left under the guidance of the tribe leader while all those from Black Mountain Tribe did not dare to try and stop them due to the grievous blow they had sustained to their numbers.
Dark Mountain Tribe quickly moved forward. Liu Di, who was leaning against the big tree and was on the verge of dying, was also lifted up by the people and carried away.
Very soon, the battlefield became silent. The only things left were the corpses that filled the ground and the stench of blood that stayed in the air for a long time.
Su Ming stood in the crowd, his body drenched in blood. He moved forward quickly and silently. Beside him was a tribe member holding onto the little girl. She was no longer crying. Strength appeared within her innocent eyes.
She was still young and did not understand a lot of things, but during this night, she too, grew up.
Moonlight scattered on the ground, lighting up the path for the now homeless people of Dark Mountain Tribe, so that they would no longer be bewildered and helpless.
"Tribe leader, Elder… Let us old folks stay behind. Don't let our people take care of us anymore and affect their the speed at which they can travel…" an old voice said from within the crowd.
The man coughed. He was a normal old man from the tribe and was already very old, unable to keep up with the long journey. In his mind, instead of having someone support him while dragging down the tribe's speed, he would rather stay behind.
"Let the young'uns leave. I'll stay… Honestly, we should have chosen to stay in the tribe… Ha."
Another old man also stopped moving.
Very soon, almost all of the old people from the tribe walked out of the crowd one by one. They numbered to about forty people, and all of them chose to stubbornly stay behind. They could not use their remaining lives to tell the tribe that they were useful, but they could not allow themselves to drag down the tribe's advancement.
"You…"
The tribe leader was stunned. He closed his eyes, then soon reopened them and bowed deeply to these old people of the tribe.
"Go… We're tired…"
The old folks smiled. They waved towards their tribe members. Their families were within that crowd of people, and they cried, but could do nothing to stop them. Some of the stronger tribe members volunteered to stay, but were not allowed to do so.
One of the elderly walked out and looked at the elder with a smile on his face. "Elder, is there a method for us old folks to use so that we can explode and hurt others just like the young'uns did? Tell us."
The elder fell silent for a while before walking forward. He placed an object in the hands of the old man and patted his shoulder, letting out a soft sigh. He knew that this was not a time for him to be weak. There were far too many tribe members that needed to move quickly. He turned around.
"The rest, continue moving!"
The elderly watched their tribe leave them, its members silently crying and frequently turning their heads back. Warm and gentle smiles appeared on the old people's faces. They sat down, panting harshly, and started talking about the things that had happened to them when they were young, about their past glory.
Moonlight illuminated their silhouettes.
Once the old folks stayed behind, the column moved much faster…
After a long while, once daylight appeared in the horizon, the home of Dark Mountain Tribe, which was left behind by its people, turned into a desolate ruin under the illumination of the moonlight.
It seemed like there was no sign of life within those ruins, and they would eventually turn into a remnant of the passage of time. Perhaps the few remaining trees and plants would continue growing there and slowly turn the place into a part of the forest, making it difficult for people to come looking for their memories and the beautiful moments that had happened during their time here.
Wind was blowing at the moment. It sounded like the moaning of the xun as it lifted the snow off the ground and swept gently through the land. It also lifted a lot of things left behind by the tribe members, and as they were whisked away from the ground, they created sashaying sounds that brough out a feeling of desolation.
Among the things left behind, there were toys belonging to children, hides that the tribe members did not manage to take with them, ashes from extinguished fires, scattered herbs, a lot of kitchen utensils, and pieces of the houses that had broken off.
Besides the sound of the wind, the ruins of the tribe were in silence, but one of the collapsed houses moved at that moment. A furry and round little creature poked its head out from the ruins. This little creature was very cute. Its fur was originally white, yet at that moment, its fur was grey. Its eyes were filled with fear as it quickly ran out of the house. It trembled under the snowstorm.
Squeaks came out from its mouth, as if it was calling out to its owner. Its name was Pipi, and it was the little girl's pet.
Yet its owner could not hear its cries… It stayed behind alone in the ruins of the tribe, refusing to be too far away from the collapsed house because that was its home.
As it continued squeaking, the little creature slowly retreated as if no longer able to withstand the cold and wishing to return to the house. Yet at that moment, footsteps came from the distance. Dozens of people walked through the tribe's broken gate.
A strong man led the team, but his face was gloomy and dark. If Su Ming had been here here, then he would recognize the man as the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe.
Behind him was a teenager who had a similar gloomy and dark look on his face. The young man licked his lips as he looked at his surroundings, a cruel smile appearing on his face. That person was Bi Su!
"They sure left quickly! After them. The elder should be here soon. This time, besides the women from Dark Mountain Tribe, leave no one alive!" the tribe leader said slowly and left the ruins.
Bi Su looked away from his surroundings. He was just about to follow the tribe leader when a glint suddenly appeared in his eyes. He saw the little trembling creature that did not dare to move. His lips curled up slightly, and he waved his right hand at it.
Immediately, the little creature jolted and light faded away from its eyes. A green presence rose from its carcass, which Bi Su caught in his hands and placed at the center of his brows. After a moment, a cruel look appeared in his eyes.
"Pipi, is it..? You miss your owner, don't you? Then I'll send her to you."
Chapter 92: Bi Tu of Black Mountain Tribe!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Midnight had arrived a long time ago. There was already a faint and dim light at the horizon. Pale moonlight fell on the snow in the forest, making the light seem cold. As messy crunching sounds appeared, the people of Dark Mountain Tribe moved quickly before dawn.
It was quiet all around them. Besides the sounds of crunching snow, there was virtually no other sound. All the people of Dark Mountain Tribe were silent. The elderly, the women, and even the La Sus fell silent as they continued migrating during that night.
Several hours had passed since the previous battle. The level of devastation from that battle was deeply imprinted in all of their minds and souls. They would never forget it.
Before they left, without including the elder, Dark Mountain Tribe had more than thirty Berserkers. After the battle, there were only fourteen Berserkers left. The blood on these fourteen Berserkers' body had dried up. As they moved forward with grief and sadness, they carried with them a murderous air as they silently protected their tribe members.
Dozens of their own had died, but Black Mountain Tribe had paid an even greater price. This was related to their levels of cultivation, but more importantly, the intruders from Black Mountain Tribe did not have the persistence that the people of Dark Mountain Tribe had because they were forced to leave their homes.
It was called a protector's courage. If they had only self-destructed once, perhaps it would have only brought disdain to the intruders from Black Mountain Tribe, but once it happened twice, thrice, four times… then it bring about terror among those from Black Mountain Tribe.
Dark Mountain Tribe may be weak, but within that weakness, there was strength!
Su Ming walked silently. After the battle, he had yet to speak a single word. He was originally just a cheerful child with the recklessness of a teenager, but now, he had learned how to be quiet and not scream out his feelings like a wild beast.
Yet the price for him to learn how to be quiet was too great. It made his heart hurt.
Su Ming knew that from this day onwards, his innocence was destroyed and had left his body. From this day onwards, his happiness had melted and disappeared into his body. From this day onwards, his tears were replaced by silence.
Time passed by. Very soon, daylight arrived. The tribe had walked for an entire night, but they did not stop even though they were tired. All of them gritted their teeth and supported each other as they moved so quickly it was close to a running speed.
Daylight gradually passed by as they continued moving. During the journey, some of them fell down, unable to bear the fatigue. After resting for an hour, they would continue moving.
The people of Dark Mountain Tribe continued walking quickly in their silence, even when the second midnight fell upon them and moonlight once again shone on the snow in the forest.
"Su Ming…"
A frightened and fragile voice travelled to Su Ming's ears. He turned his head and saw the little girl beside him who was being carried by another tribe member.
When he saw her clean and innocent eyes, Su Ming forced out a smile. Yet that smile looked really creepy when it was matched with the blood on his face.
Nonetheless, the girl did not feel afraid. She widened her eyes instead and looked at Su Ming. After a moment of hesitation, she lifted her slightly dirtied hands and wiped away some of the dried blood on Su Ming's face.
When he felt the little girl's delicate hands touching his face, warmth appeared through Su Ming's painfully bleeding heart.
"Su Ming, don't be afraid… Tong Tong is not afraid either…" The little girl retrieved her hands. Some blood flecks stained her hands. She looked at him, and in her bright eyes, there was a resolute look that was rarely seen in children.
Su Ming patted the little girl's head. He did not look at her, but chose to look ahead. The road ahead was hidden by the forest, and he could not see where their future lay.
Lei Chen stood on the other side of the crowd. He still had his fists clenched tightly. The blood on his back had dried up, and he ignored the pain in his body. There was bloodlust in his eyes, but there was also sadness. He would never forget the battle that had happened the previous night. If it were not for a heavily wounded adult Berserker self-destructing to save him, then his corpse would now be left behind in that battlefield.
Before him was Wu La. The girl's face was pale, and she looked exhausted. There was dried blood on her left arm, and she seemed unable to lift it up. There was a large bloodied part on her face, causing her originally pretty face to be gone.
Yet there was no sign of surrender in her eyes. She still had the stubborn persistence that was within all the other members of Dark Mountain Tribe.
Behind them were Bei Ling and Chen Xin. They held hands as if they never wanted to be separated. They continued protecting the crowd as they walked.
The elder continued his vigil at the back. His white hair and face full of wrinkles made Su Ming's heart clench even tighter from pain when he saw them, because he could feel the elder's fatigue.
The moon was not in a crescent shape during the second night. It was slowly leaning towards becoming a full moon. Nonetheless, it was clear that it was not yet the night of the full moon. Perhaps it would be tomorrow, or perhaps the day after tomorrow.
As the tribe continued migrating, sometimes, some Berserkers of theirs would rush back towards them. Their numbers were few and consisted of a team of four people. These four people were the tribe's scouts. They risked their lives to report any and all changes back to the tribe after a certain amount of time.
If they did not return, then it meant something had happened.
Very soon, two hours passed by. The sky was dark and it was as if there was a pair of terrifying eyes in the sky staring at the ground and at the people of Dark Mountain Tribe as they travelled quickly.
At that moment, only three of the four people returned when another scouting session ended. The one scouting the back disappeared without a trace. All the hairs on Su Ming's body rose. A sharp look appeared in his eyes as he stopped and turned around. There were also others who noticed that something bad was about to happen. A glint appeared in the elder's eyes, and he gripped the bone cane in his hands.
Suddenly, a faint booming sound came from the distance. When that sound travelled into their ears, Su Ming's grief became even stronger.
He knew that sound. It was a Berserker triggering his own blood veins to explode.
He knew that their enemies from Black Mountain Tribe had arrived once again!
"Don't stop! Increase your speed! All Berserkers protect the tribe! We will fight as we retreat!" The elder slammed the bone cane in his hands on the ground. He lifted his left hand and swung it over the tribe. Immediately, the space above the tribe twisted and Dark Mountain Tribe's statue of the God of Berserkers appeared once again. It floated above the tribe and gave off a protective light.
It moved with the tribe as they travelled. With it around, as long as it was not broken, then the light would ensure the tribe's safety.
The moment Dark Mountain Tribe's statue appeared, the elder lifted his head abruptly. A grave look that had never once showed during that entire battle appeared on his face. The darkness came to his eyes as he stared at the dark sky above him.
The darkened sky suddenly changed. A red light appeared out of nowhere and fused together with the darkness, turning it into a shade of purple. The red light continued expanding like fresh blood, and within the blink of an eye, it covered half the sky.
A hoarse and sullen voice came from the sky, and the sound travelled all around them.
"Mo Sang…" As the voice echoed in the air, a strong pressure suddenly descended upon them. All the people from Dark Mountain Tribe instantly felt the pressure on their bodies the moment it appeared. Even Dark Mountain Tribe's statue shook because of it.
Su Ming's heart raced in his chest. He had felt this incredible pressure before from the Elder of Wind Stream Tribe, Jing Nan. This pressure belonged to a Berserker who had transcended!
This was the natural might executed from the Berserkers in the Transcended Realm towards those still in the Blood Solidification Realm. Under this pressure, the Qi within the Berserkers still in the Blood Solidification Realm began to circulate on their own.
As the pressure appeared, and the red light continued spreading across the sky, and as the moon in the sky started turning blood red because of it, an indescribable feeling rose within Su Ming. One that no one else but him felt and experienced at that moment.
It was the sort of feeling similar to the one when he saw the blood red moon as he performed the burning of blood. In fact, it even gave him a sense of familiarity. It was as if there was a gigantic Wings of the Moon hidden in the sky at that moment.
This sort of misconception that threw him into disbelief made Su Ming's heart lurch. Very soon, he saw a person walking slowly out of the red light from the sky.
That person wore a black robe. He was thin, and his skin looked dry. His face was very dark and sullen. He walked forth one step at a time with his hands behind his back until he stood in the sky and looked down at the land beneath him.
At the center of his brows was a picture of Wings of the Moon. The picture looked vivid, almost as if it was real. It let out an enchanting red light that made it seem almost alive.
Bi Tu!
The Elder of Black Mountain Tribe, Bi Tu!
"Mo Sang, stop waiting for Jing Nan and Wen Yan. They… are in enough trouble as it is, and will definitely not have time to bother about your tribe!" Bi Tu let out a dark laugh and looked at the elder standing behind the crowd.
The elder was silent. He was indeed waiting for Jing Nan, but when Jing Nan did not appear on their journey towards Wind Stream Tribe, he knew that something had happened in Wind Stream Tribe.
"Nan Song, you were only slightly beneath Mo Sang in the past. You were as bright as the sun, yet once you ran to Dark Mountain Tribe, you became a worthless piece of garbage. All these years, I've been thinking about the expression on your father's face when he begged me to spare you before he died. It's a pity, I never intended to let you live, but you still managed to escape. Nan Song, the previous Berserker's Son of Black Mountain Tribe… we meet again." Bi Tu's lips curled up slightly, but very soon that smile spread wider and wider until he began laughing maniacally.
Standing outside the crowd, the white haired Nan Song looked at Bi Tu standing in the air. He was not at all angered by Bi Tu's words because he had already learned to let go of everything. He let out a faint sigh.
"Compared to you, who poisoned the previous Elder of Black Mountain Tribe, went after the life of the previous Elder's Berserker's Son, then sacrificed half of Black Mountain Tribe in exchange for a Fallen Berserker Art, I can't compare…" Nan Song remained calm, but the wrinkles on his face seemed to have increased by a large amount in that instant.
"We should settle the grudge we harbored all those years ago. Mo Sang, Nan Song, I'll give you both a chance! I'll let you both fight against me!" Bi Tu laughed loudly, then swung his right hand. Thunderous roars shook heaven and earth immediately. Behind Bi Tu's back, the never ending red light in the sky turned into extremely thick blood fog in an instant. The fog tumbled like waves, then turned into a gigantic Wings of the Moon!
The Wings of the Moon spread its wings, covering the sky and the moon.
"Nan Song, leave Bi Tu to me… I'll hold him back… I leave the tribe to you!" The elder took in a deep breath and swept his gaze across his tribe. He looked at their silent faces as if he wanted to find the traitor among them, but only let out a sigh in the end. All his people were exhausted and covered in fresh blood. How could he suspect his people who fought for the tribe? He saw the grief on the Head of the Guards' face and the deep gash on Shan Hen's neck.
'Perhaps there isn't a traitor at all…' Before the elder averted his gaze, he looked at Su Ming deeply, then abruptly leapt into the air. A giant dark python materialized and dashed into the sky like a shooting star with him.
Thunderous rumbles echoed in the sky. As the elder approached him, Bi Tu laughed loudly. The sky was covered by red fog, and it enveloped both of them within it. The people in the tribe could not see what was inside, but the sounds of thunder shook the sky and earth nonetheless.
Chapter 93: The Blood Moon!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming's heart raced. He saw the elder leaving and also how the elder had looked at him before he left. There was an emotion within the elder's eyes that made him afraid.
'Wings of the Moon… Wings of the Moon… The Fire Berserker Art…'
Su Ming looked at the Wings of the Moon in the sky which was created from the red fog. He might be afraid, but a vague thought appeared in his head. Yet the thought was a little scattered, and he did not manage to make any sense of it. Still, he had a feeling that once he cleared his thoughts, then whatever that idea was, it would turn out to be extremely useful.
As thunderous rumbles echoed in the sky, a strange cry appeared from their back, the darker parts of the forest. Dozens of people ran towards them. These people were the third wave of pursuers from Black Mountain Tribe. The head was the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe, and behind him, Su Ming saw the sullen Bi Su!
The moment the pursuers from Black Mountain Tribe arrived, Su Ming ran to the back without hesitation. With him were Bei Ling, Lei Chen, the Head of the Guards, and some other Berserkers.
The other Berserkers from Dark Mountain, besides the tribe leader and another three people, too charged forward! They will protect their tribe, and they will fight as they retreat with the tribe!
The tribe leader of Dark Mountain Tribe averted his gaze from the end of the crowd as tears filled his eyes. He led his people and continued onward under the protection of the light from the statue. The tribe ran,, supporting each other so that no one would be left behind. Wu La also stayed back to protect others beside the tribe leader. Her powers were not great, and she was forced to stay with the crowd.
The last person who stayed with the migrating crowd was Shan Hen. He did not choose to fight, but quietly stood outside the column and lifted a few children who could no longer run due to exhaustion as he ran with the tribe.
Su Ming did not turn back to look. Instead, he silently dashed towards the dozens of Black Mountain Berserkers with killing intent boiling within him and started fighting against them!
He held a long spear in his hands. That spear was entirely red, and it continued to be dyed in fresh blood as it stayed by Su Ming's side fighting with him against the pursuers from Black Mountain Tribe amidst the huge clashing sounds in the air!
The strongest pursuer from Black Mountain Tribe was their tribe leader. The one who fought against him was Nan Song. At that moment, a strong presence of Qi exploded from his old and frail body, as well as a shocking amount of killing intent.
Su Ming's Qi rumbled in his body. All 243 veins turned into one under fine control. With astonishing speed, he threw his spear with the intent to kill towards one of the people from Black Mountain Tribe. Once his body burst apart, Su Ming closed in on his corpse like a blurred out image. He grabbed the spear and turned around abruptly, clashing his spear with the bone knife slashing towards his back.
The clash made his body tremble, and his right hand numbed for a moment as he took a step backwards. The man whose attack was blocked by his spear staggered back three steps, blood trickling down from the corner of his lips.
Before the man could stabilize himself, Su Ming dashed forward and closed in on him without a care for the injuries he had sustained himself. He threw his left fist forward.
The man from Black Mountain Tribe did not manage to dodge. He could only bring his bone knife upward and block the attack with the blade facing Su Ming. Yet Su Ming did not stop. He threw his left fist straight at the bone knife. Blood from his fist scattered in the air, but there was a crashing sound, and the knife shattered into thousands of fragments that flew back towards the man, because it could not handle Su Ming's strength. An aghast expression appeared on the man's face, and he coughed out blood as he quickly retreated.
However, Su Ming was even faster. He closed in on the man, and just as he was about to kill the man under that intent for murder stemming from intense hate, he felt a strong sense of danger. His expression did not change, but right away he took half a step to the side. Pain erupted in his chest, as if a strong force had just landed on his back and turned into sharp needles piercing through him. Blood spilled out from his the right side of his chest as a sharp arrow penetrated his body, seemingly about to pierce through him. Under that power, Su Ming's body was also forcefully pushed to the side.
Yet the moment the arrow penetrated his body, Su Ming's left hand caught the half the arrow coming from the right side of his chest. With a jolt from his left hand, he neutralized the power of the arrow and forced it to remain in his body.
Su Ming knew that the most grievous arrow injuries happened when the arrow went through the body completely. With that sort of destructive force, once the wound was penetrated through, a large amount of blood would be lost. Yet if the arrow remained in the body, then it could serve to block the wound, decreasing blood loss. He could then continue fighting.
He turned his back abruptly and saw the Head of the Guards from Black Mountain Tribe standing in the distance, the very same person who had fled when he failed to kill the tribe leader of Dark Mountain Tribe in the previous battlefield. When he was about to draw his bow again, the Head of the Guards of Dark Mountain Tribe growled and closed in on him, drawing his own bow. Right then and there, in the forest, those two people who were skilled with the bow engaged in a battle to the death.
Su Ming averted his gaze. The moon may have been covered by the red fog at that moment, but there were still shreds of moonlight penetrating through it. No one noticed as these rays of light fused into Su Ming's body. It was night, and night belonged to Su Ming. Still, it was a pity that the moon was covered by the red fog.
He swung his left hand before him, and an invisible ray of moonlight rushed towards the man who had originally escaped death. He lurched forward, and in his muddled state, a red line appeared on his neck, and his head fell. Before it even landed on the ground, Su Ming kicked the head upwards, and as it bled, it sped towards the person fighting against Lei Chen not too far away.
Lei Chen was caught in a dangerous situation. His powers were not great enough, and he was also injured. At that moment, he was fighting with the last vestiges of his strength. The person fighting against him was an ugly looking man in the sixth level of the Blood Solidification Realm. The man gave a vicious laugh and punched Lei Chen's chest, causing blood to spill out of his mouth.
He was about to tear off Lei Chen's head excitedly when there was a whistling sound, and the head, which Su Ming had infused with his Qi as he kicked it, rushed towards him quickly. The man was caught off guard. The head landed on his body and abruptly exploded, causing the man to stagger back as he coughed out blood.
Lei Chen lifted his head and pounced on him. The man was thrown down and his Qi was thrown into a disarray. He knew that his life hung on a line, and in his panic, he bit his tongue, shooting out a blood arrow towards Lei Chen. Yet Lei Chen knew that he could not dodge the attack. Once he missed this chance, and his opponent had the time to to circulate his Qi back to normal, he would definitely die!
He let the blood arrow close in on him and raised his left hand to block it. Sharp pain immediately travelled down his entire left arm, and some of the blood that splashed out landed in his right eye, turning into unimaginable pain. The vision in his right eye immediately became blurry, and black blood flowed out, but he managed to close in on the man. As the man screamed for help in terror, Lei Chen's right fist landed on his head again and again until his body blew apart.
Lei Chen laughed brokenly. All he could see from his right eye now was darkness, but there was no regret in him. Even as he let out a sad laugh, he was still persistent.
At that moment, he saw two Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe out of the corner of his left eye. He gave a vicious laugh, and a voice shouted in his heart, 'Come closer! Closer! I'll use my flesh and blood and let all of you people not be lonely in hell!'
Just as Lei Chen was about to make his blood veins explode, a person suddenly appeared before him in a flash. It was Su Ming!
Su Ming's eyes were completely red. He wanted to save Lei Chen. His speed tore at his wound, and as blood flowed out, Su Ming waved his right hand before him. Immediately, strings of moonlight sped towards the person by Lei Chen's side who was just about to cut down Lei Chen's head. The moment the man lifted his knife, he immediately saw the madness in Lei Chen's left eye and was terrified. Just as he was about to retreat, he felt sharp pain in his entire body, and his gaze turned dark. He was torn into pieces.
During the moment of the man's death, Su Ming arrived. He did not care about the other person who was also taken aback by the madness in Lei Chen's eyes, but kicked the expanding blood veins on Lei Chen's body, which were on the verge of exploding.
Su Ming's level of cultivation was greater than Lei Chen's. The moment he kicked Lei Chen, the Qi in Lei Chen's body scattered due to the shock, causing his act of self-destruction to be halted. While Lei Chen was still stunned by his actions, Su Ming did not hesitate and carried him tied to his back using moonlight as ropes.
"Su…"
"Don't talk! If you want to die, we're dying together!"
Su Ming turned around and resumed his slaughter once again.
Tears fell from Lei Chen's eyes. He looked at Su Ming's face from the side, but did not speak even after a long while. An oddly shaped horn was given to him by Su Ming himself. Once he held it tightly, he started fighting with Su Ming!
Compared to battles on Su Ming's side, Nan Song's fight against the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe was even more shocking. Nan Song was fighting alone against not just the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe, but against five other people, including Bi Su, all while showing no signs of being outmatched!
However, the most gruesome fight was the battle between the Heads of the Guards of Black Mountain Tribe and Dark Mountain Tribe!
The sounds of arrows slicing through the air were quick and devastating. By the end, these two people shot all their arrows at once. Bei Ling's father's killing intent spilled forth. He must kill the Head of the Guards from Black Mountain Tribe. If this person remained alive, he would pose a great threat to the tribe!
At the end of the battle, the legs of the Head of the Guards from Dark Mountain Tribe were crushed—that was the price paid for an arrow piercing through the chest of the Head of the Guards from Black Mountain Tribe! The moment his enemy died, the Head of the Guards of Dark Mountain Tribe smiled.
This battle to stall for time only went on for a few moments, yet there were still people who died. There were only six remaining Berserkers out of the nine who had rushed out from Dark Mountain Tribe. These six people continued fighting as they retreated with Nan Song leading them.
Bei Ling was heavily injured. When he saw that his father had lost both his legs, he too, carried his father on his back and staggered to keep up with the team. Nonetheless, Bei Ling himself was also running dry.
There were also numerous corpses lying on the ground belonging to Black Mountain Tribe. There were only nine people left among them. The tribe leader from Black Mountain Tribe also sustained injuries. Blood trickled down his mouth as he looked at Nan Song. He did not expect Nan Song to be so powerful!
However, they had to kill all these people as quickly as possible. Under his leadership, they continued pursuing those from Dark Mountain Tribe. Among the hunters, Bi Su's eyes flashed. He had already taken notice of Su Ming and was surprised by his power. He was familiar with Dark Mountain Tribe and knew that there was no such person among the younger generation of the tribe.
He looked at Su Ming as he retreated with Lei Chen on his back. As he looked into Su Ming's eyes, a familiar feeling surged forth in his heart. The persistence in Su Ming's eyes reminded him of the mysterious person that Black Mountain Tribe could not find no matter how hard they tried!
"Mo Su! You're Mo Su!" Bi Su narrowed his eyes, and he shouted as he pointed at Su Ming.
While his words did not incite much reaction from the other pursuers from Black Mountain Tribe, the instant the words left Bi Su's mouth, the tribe leader from Black Mountain Tribe, who had sustained injuries as he fought against Nan Song, turned abruptly his head towards Su Ming. A brilliant flash appeared in his eyes.
"Whoever kills him will get ten women from Dark Mountain Tribe!" the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe shouted out suddenly, and the moment he did so, all the pursuers focused their gazes on Su Ming.
The battle in the sky was still ongoing. As thunderous roars shook the sky and earth, and the red fog rolled in the sky like waves, a large part of the moon in the sky revealed itself.
At that moment, the moon was at its brightest!
The moment it appeared, a large amount of moonlight spilled onto the ground and descended on Su Ming, causing his body to recover rapidly. The moonlight surrounded his body, and at that very instant, the shadow of the blood moon appeared in his eyes! It was not a vague shadow, but was incredibly clear as it covered his entire pupil!
At the same time, all five summits of Dark Mountain trembled! Within the summits, countless Wings of the Moon cried out in excitement as if preparing to madly dash out.
The moon might not have been full that night, but it was close to being so! The moment moonlight shone on the ground, an indescribable presence erupted forth from Su Ming's body.
The first to sense that presence was Lei Chen. He was quickly followed by all the retreating Dark Mountain Tribe members, all of whom could clearly feel it. All the people from Black Mountain Tribe looking at Su Ming felt their hearts lurching forth. They saw the blood moon in Su Ming's eyes.
"What is that..? What is that in his eyes!"
"The moon… It's the blood moon!"
"The blood moon is in his eyes!"