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Chapter 228: The Picture of the Blood Moon and Dark Mountain!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Right at the moment Su Ming opened his eyes, a brilliant light appeared in his eyes, but that light faded away in an instant. At the same time, the thick layer of snow that had accumulated on his body quietly floated away and surrounded him before it started circling around him slowly.

Second senior brother sat by his side with a smile as he watched with full attention.

At that moment, Tian Xie Zi, who had been putting away the plate with a prideful look, also noticed the changes and looked towards Su Ming. The youth seemed very different from how he usually was, and Tian Xie Zi slowly grew stern.

At the same time, Hu Zi, who was originally in his cave abode, walked out and stood outside to look in the direction of the platform at the mountainside.

An attentive gaze was also trained towards that direction from the basin in the ice layer under the ninth summit.

Su Ming opened his eyes, but there was only calmness within his gaze. That calmness was different from the one he'd showed previously. This was a stillness within his mind, a stillness that would remain unperturbed even if the mountain crumbled and the earth shattered before him.

The things that allowed him to remain in such a state of calm were the snow flowers before him. As they danced around him, Su Ming slowly lifted his right hand, and they immediately gathered there, turning into a snow brush between his fingers.

When Su Ming held the pen, he drew a stroke in the air before him.

He took a few more strokes, and snow would float to the places the tip of the brush passed through. With each brushstroke, the air before him turned into a canvas, and a mountain appeared on the mountain.

The mountain's lines were formed by snow and floated in midair. It looked like an ordinary picture, but if someone focused their attention on it for too long, they would start feeling that the mountain was alive.

When he drew this mountain, Su Ming's heart was in a serene state. It was a serenity that he had never experienced before. It was one that had never appeared in his heart ever since he left Dark Mountain.

In that serene state, Su Ming did not notice that his second senior brother was sitting behind him, neither did he know that Hu Zi was also looking at him from the distance, nor did he know that his eldest senior brother was concerned over him in the basin under the mountain, much less did he notice the old man in white robes on the top of the building.

All his attention was focused on the pen in his right hand and the snow that was drawing out the scene that he wanted to draw the most in his heart.

He was not in a trance but seemed like he was. He did not close his eyes to enter that strange state, yet he seemed to be deeply immersed in that state and refused to get out of it.

"Creation… Picture Creation1… This is the answer he gives me…"

The foolish act Tian Xie Zi had put up when he was facing the old man in purple robes was gone without a trace. There was instead an indescribable air of wisdom around him as he looked at his fourth disciple.

"What my eldest understood was Sound Creation. That's why he chose to isolate himself and go into a state of silence, away from the noise around him. Once he gets rid of all of them, what is left is his heart. That's why he walks the path of Sound of Creation.

"What my second understood was Flower Creation. He uses flowers and plants as his Creation and has turned his hands into the Hands of Creation, which allows him to take control of life and death.

"What my third understood was the word Creation itself. The act of dreaming itself is Creation…

"I didn't expect my fourth disciple would gain an epiphany on a fourth type of change… Picture Creation…" Tian Xie Zi mumbled and his eyes brightened up.

On the platform, Su Ming looked at the mountain he drew and he continued drawing with the brush in his right hand. With each brush stroke, the five summits on a mountain became clearer. Dark Mountain was drawn.

At the moment Dark Mountain was drawn, the Mountain Mark on Su Ming's face appeared faintly, as if it was shining, and it caused his power to show signs of changing, though he did not know about it.

Right at the moment Su Ming finished drawing the mountain, he drew a long line across it with the snow brush in his hands. That long line was a ghastly sight. It was like a sharp sword that exuded a shocking amount of killing intent.

The moment that killing intent appeared, Tian Xie Zi's expression immediately changed.

At the same time, Su Ming's second senior brother, who had been keeping watch over him all this while, also became serious. Hu Zi had the same reaction outside the cave abode.

Even the eldest senior brother who was in isolation also started breathing rapidly the moment he noticed the long line.

'What incredible killing intent!'

Su Ming did not notice this. He was only following his heart and calmly Creating a Picture to draw out his own life.

When his brush reached the end of the long line, he slowly started drawing out the Dark Mountain Tribe within the Berserker Mark on his body. The flowers, trees, and houses gradually appeared before him and started glowing in the air with his Berserker Mark.

He did not know how much time had passed by, but the moment he finished drawing the entire Dark Mountain Tribe, the brush in his hand stopped moving.

The picture in the air before him had mountains, plants, stones, wood, houses that stuck together, and fences that formed a seemingly complete picture of a tribe.

It was identical to his Berserker Mark.

Yet Su Ming's hand remained lifted, even though he had stopped drawing. It was as if he did not know what he should draw next. His eyes remained serene, but there was a lost look in the depths of that serenity.

A long time passed by…

"Sound Creation, Flower Creation, Creation, Picture Creation… All of these are creating something from nothing… There is shock in silence, a realm within a mirror… Youngest junior brother, I think that there's something lacking in that picture…"

Second senior brother's kind voice floated gently into Su Ming's ears.

Su Ming was silent. The sky gradually grew dark. The moon appeared in the sky and moonlight scattered on the ground and glowed with a silver light, causing people to feel cold just by looking at it.

No one was asleep on the ninth summit on that night. All of them were watching Su Ming. They knew that this was an incredibly important day for him. It was especially so since he had clearly found a method to clear his mind, but he was still a little lost and his understanding was not complete.

This was a critical moment for Su Ming.

Perhaps there were only a few from Freezing Sky Clan who were not from the ninth summit who understood this. Yet those on the ninth summit walked on a path that was different from others. They knew just how important the first epiphany was for this path.

As the darkness in the sky started changing and light reappeared in the horizon once again, the moon was about to be hidden away. It was just a shadow remaining in the sky when Su Ming's right hand, which had stopped in midair for a long time, suddenly started moving once again!

At the moment his right hand started moving, Tian Xie Zi's expression immediately became grave on the mountain. The second senior brother, third senior brother, and eldest senior brother, who remained in isolation, also had the same expressions on their faces.

They saw Su Ming's right hand move, drawing a circle with the brush right above the picture of Dark Mountain that was drawn on the air as there was a canvas before him.

That circle was simple. It was done with one stroke, but that simple stroke took Su Ming an entire night to finish. Right at the moment he drew it, Su Ming's body trembled viciously, and a circle also gradually appeared right beside the Mark of Dark Mountain on his face.

At the same time, Su Ming's power started circulating within his body with a bang. It reached its maximum point in an instant and his power started showing signs that it had reached the peak of the initial stage of Transcendence. It felt as if he just needed one more step and he could reach the middle stage of Transcendence!

At that moment, the circle on the canvas Su Ming created before him started glowing with a piercing light. That light was red, and the circle seemed as if it was burning before it turned into a moon!

The blood moon!

The burning blood moon!

This was the first Berserker Mark Su Ming gave up when he was in a trance. At this moment, it was drawn on his very first canvas in his serene state.

Right at the moment he finished drawing the blood moon, the presence within the canvas changed abruptly and turned into the Picture of the Blood Moon and Dark Mountain! A shocking amount of killing intent came from the Picture of the Blood Moon and Dark Mountain, and the strength of that murderous intent made even second senior brother's face become grave.

Hu Zi shuddered outside his cave abode and mumbled out a few sentences under his breath.

As for the eldest senior brother, he remained silent for a moment before he sighed.

"Looks like the ninth summit won't be peaceful any longer… But since he's my youngest junior brother, it's fine."

When the Picture of the Blood Moon and Dark Mountain appeared, it made Su Ming tremble and his power broke through his previous limits. Banging sounds echoed within his body, and his level of cultivation reached the middle stage of the Transcendence Realm from the initial stage!

One epiphany, one picture, and one Blood Moon. These things changed Su Ming's Mark and made his training reach a breakthrough!

"My disciples don't need any skills or abilities. They will only need to understand the rules of Creation lying in the world once they find the way to clear their mind…" Tian Xie Zi's words rose back in Su Ming's mind. At that moment, he finally understood what the old man was trying to teach him.

This was a completely different path that trained the mind!

The ninth summit did not practice any skills neither they did they learn any mystical abilities, but they honed their minds!

Tian Xie Zi was silent as he stood on the mountain. After a long while, he turned around slowly and walked towards the sealed hall. He may have seemed to be staggering, but his footsteps were stable.

He had turned around, so no one could see the sad determination on his face.

'Master, I'll prove to you that the path we Berserkers take… is wrong! You're wrong! You're all wrong!'

After Tian Xie Zi left, the picture before Su Ming gradually returned to being snow and scattered on the platform on the ninth summit as the serenity within his eyes disappeared and he truly woke up.

"Youngest junior brother, you have quite a nice place here. Do you mind if I plant some of my flowers on your platform?"

Right at the moment Su Ming woke up, his second senior brother's gentle voice reached his ears.

Su Ming was momentarily stunned, and he immediately turned around to see his second senior brother, who had appeared at some unknown point of time behind him. He quickly stood up and looked at the plants that now filled his platform.

"Er… Second senior brother, could you leave a place for me to meditate..?"

"Oh, alright. I'll leave a small spot for you…"

Second senior brother winked at him and gave him a gentle smile.

"Oh, that's right. When you were trying to understand those words, I caught something living for you. That thing's with your third senior brother. When you have time, go take a look.

"Also, a pretty disciple niece came to search for you. If you have the chance to see her, remember to ask her for the name of the lass beside her for me."

Translator's notes:

There's a MASSIVE play of words here. 造化 is Creation, and 造畫 is drawing, but I tried to make sure the word 造 retains its original meaning, and 畫 is picture.造嘩 is Sound Creation, and 造花 is Flower Creation. 造化 is read as zao4 hua4, 造畫 is also read as zao4 hua4, 造嘩 is zao4 hua1, and 造花 is zao4 hua1. 化 and 畫 have the same pronunciation, and 嘩 and 花 have the same pronunciation. All of them have different meanings.

Chapter 229: Don't Waste

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"A pretty disciple niece?"

Su Ming had just woken up and could not process too much in his head at the moment. When he heard the words 'disciple niece', he could not help but be stunned.

"Very pretty. She's a woman."

His second senior brother smiled gently and nodded.

"Er… What's her name?"

Su Ming remembered Tian Xie Zi's status and an odd expression appeared on his face.

Second senior brother scratched his head. After thinking about it deeply for a while, he eventually sighed and said, "She's called… Hmm? What's her name again..? Youngest junior brother, I was just paying attention to the lass beside her and I already forgot her name."

Su Ming looked at his seemingly absentminded second senior brother, then a warmth that stemmed from within him spread through his entire body. He might have just woken up, but he could still remember clearly that when he entered that strange state and sat on the platform, his second senior brother had not been there.

Yet right now, his second senior brother was sitting behind him. Su Ming could not imagine just how long he had been sitting. This was a silent show of care, a warmth that made Su Ming feel touched.

He stood up and instinctively lifted his head to look at the top of the ninth summit. With just a glance, he could see that there was a person walking into the distance slowly. That figure was gradually hidden away by the ice mountain, causing Su Ming to be unable to see him any longer.

However, while it may have been just one glance, but that aged back was familiar to Su Ming's eyes.

"Thank you, second senior brother."

Su Ming averted his gaze and looked at his second senior brother. He did not even know his name, but in his heart, the title of 'second senior brother' was already deeply embedded within him.

"We're brothers, there's no need for thanks between us. Besides, I didn't do anything, I only planted some flowers on your platform."

Second senior brother smiled and stretched lazily.

"I'm going to sleep. I haven't slept for the past few days. Youngest junior brother, remember to ask for me."

As he spoke, second senior brother winked. There seemed to be a rare and slight hint of red on his cheeks, as if he was a little embarrassed of himself, reminding Su Ming of this so many times.

"Oh, that's right. The method you used to clear your mind is the State of Creating Pictures. If that's the case, you'll need to immerse yourself in that realm for a long period of time. When you drew in the air just now, you used the power stored within your body. Gathering your power to draw is not good…

"That's called convergence through spreading out your power. You mustn't use it too often. You can't use it to calm your heart, so it's not suitable for your to train your mind. Look at my flowers. When did I ever use my power to make them grow..? Do it naturally, only then can you clear your mind.

Second senior brother let out a fake cough and advised him again, "How about this? Your third senior brother is familiar with the layout of Freezing Sky Clan. Have him bring you to the school's Artifact Storage Hall. I remember there are some canvases that belong to Freezing Sky Clan stored there. It may lean slightly on the more expensive side, but you can go to Master and have him give you the Clan Master's plate, then you won't even have to spend a single coin."

When a smile appeared on Su Ming's face, his second senior brother turned around and walked towards the mountain trail on the other side of the platform. He traveled with a natural grace, his hair flying behind his back from the wind, and he gradually disappeared from Su Ming's sight.

As he watched his second senior brother leave, the warmth in Su Ming's heart spread through his entire body. He looked at the mountain rocks on the ninth summit, then at his surroundings. Slowly, a faint sense of home slowly appeared in his heart.

Perhaps as time passed by, this feeling would grow stronger and deeper until he completely blended with the people here and would treat this place as his second home.

Once Su Ming meditated for another day in his cave abode, he managed to stabilize the power of the middle stage of the Transcendence Realm within him by noon and he walked out once again.

Su Ming did not quite understand the increase of his level of cultivation this time. He was confused, but he still knew that the main key for his increase in level was due to him training his mind.

'Training the mind, a state where you clear your mind to understand your own form of Creation…'

Su Ming touched his face, right on the spot that was now hidden, but belonged to the additional blood moon that manifested beside the Mountain Mark.

The blood moon was located in a rather strange position. It was placed within Su Ming's right eye itself!

'The blood moon in the right eye…'

Su Ming took a deep breath and his expression gradually became calm. He walked down the mountain trail, and before long, a cave abode appeared before him.

Before he even got closer, he could already smell the fragrance of alcohol and hear snoring coming from within. Those snores rumbled like thunder. When he stood outside the cave abode, Su Ming paused for a moment. He was really only here to see just what was the living thing his second senior brother had talked about.

It was a little difficult for him to understand, but now that he was here and was looking at his third senior brother's cave abode, Su Ming decided to bend his body down and walk through the door.

The moment he entered, the snoring reached a deafening volume, reverberating through the cave. Hu Zi lay not too far away, a long line of drool hanging off the corner of his mouth. There was an intoxicated look on his face, as if he was doing something that made him happy in his dreams.

Lying by his side was a person covered in plants. His right hand was captured by the unconscious Hu Zi. There were fewer plants covering his face, and Su Ming could see the pain on his face. That person also had his eyes closed, as if he was deep in his dreams and doing something that he did not like.

His body would even occasionally convulse a few times.

This was the first time Su Ming entered Hu Zi's cave abode. When he saw the person covered in plants, he was stunned, but did not think too much about it. He simply thought it was a unique feature in Hu Zi's practice.

When he saw that his third senior brother was still deep in his sleep, Su Ming sat down cross-legged by his side. He did not bother Hu Zi, but chose to sit down and wait.

Time trickled by, and after several hours, when the sky outside gradually darkened and dusk was about to arrive, Hu Zi's snores reached their loudest volume, and at that very instant, they were cut off abruptly.

He opened his eyes and rubbed them, then wiped away the drool at the corner of his lips. Only then did he see Su Ming sitting not too far from him.

"Haha… You're here…" Hu Zi laughed foolishly and ruffled his own hair before grabbing a pot of wine by his side and taking a big mouthful again.

"That was a good sleep. You brat, who gave you the right to disobey me?" Hu Zi put down his wine pot and looked at the person made of plants, slapping him. "Why are you still sleeping? Wake up!"

With that one slap, the person made of plants shuddered and opened his eyes. The first thing that entered his eyes was Hu Zi, who had suddenly put his head right before his face and was looking at him ferociously.

Once he saw Hu Zi, the person visibly shuddered, and a look of anger and fear appeared on his face.

"Hmph, so? How does it feel like sleeping with your Grandpa Hu?"

There was a prideful look on Hu Zi's face. He pulled his head back and slapped the person covered in plants with his right hand once again.

When Hu Zi moved away, the person covered in plants immediately saw Su Ming sitting by the side, looking at him calmly. The moment he saw Su Ming, a conflicted look appeared in his eyes. The range of emotions within that conflicted look could be interpreted as resignation, regret, sentiment, and misery.

"Third senior brother, who is this?"

Su Ming looked at the person covered in plants calmly. When he saw the conflicted look in his eyes, he was surprised.

"Hmm? Don't you know? Oh, that's right. You were trying to reach an epiphany. This person is called Zi Che, and he's very powerful. When you were within yourself, he wanted to harm you, but he was unlucky. He shouldn't have crushed my gourd, much less stepped on second senior brother's plants. He was tied up by second senior brother in the end and he said he was giving him to us."

Hu Zi let out a boisterous laugh and that prideful look on his face became even more prominent. He got up and gave a vicious slap to Zi Che's head once again, and that slap caused a bang in the air.

Zi Che was already used to Hu Zi's slaps, yet when he was slapped right before Su Ming, the anger in his heart grew stronger. To him, if that terrifying Hands of Creation were not there, then Su Ming and Hu Zi would have to look up to him, but now…

"Oh?" Su Ming's expression remained passive. "He must be the 'living thing' second senior brother spoke about," he said unhurriedly.

"Ah, so second senior brother told you about him? That's right, he's that 'living thing', but youngest junior brother, don't you dare snatch him from me. I'm not done playing with him yet. Once I take him into my dreams a few more times, I'll toss him to you. You jerk, how dare you break my gourd?!"

Hu Zi glared at Zi Che and lifted his hand to slap him once again.

"Third senior brother, wait. I want to ask him a few questions."

Su Ming stood up, walked towards Zi Che, and stood before him as he looked at the person completely covered in plants lying in front of him.

Zi Che glared at Su Ming coldly and disdain gradually appeared in his eyes. He might have been captured and humiliated by Hu Zi, but as a powerful Berserker, he had his own pride. In his eyes, Su Ming was clearly the weakest among all, just as weak as an ant. Even if an elephant was captured, it would never cave against an ant.

Su Ming crouched down and looked at Zi Che as he stated calmly, "By right, I just came to Freezing Sky Clan, so there shouldn't be anyone paying attention to me. As for the reason why you came to the ninth summit to find me… it's because of Si Ma Xin, yes?"

Zi Che's gaze remained cold and disdainful, as if he did not hear Su Ming's words.

"Third senior brother, just how much of his power was sealed by second senior brother?" Su Ming's expression remained passive as he asked softly.

"It's completely sealed. Once we're done toying with him, we can just ask second senior brother to release some of his power. It'll be more fun this way."

Hu Zi rubbed his hands and excitement appeared in his eyes, as if he had experienced this before.

Once he heard Hu Zi's words, Zi Che's expression clearly changed, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain calm. However, from the occasional glances he threw towards Hu Zi, Su Ming could tell that he was afraid of him.

However, he was clearly not afraid of Su Ming.

"This is such a rare material, I can't waste it now…"

Su Ming looked at Zi Che and smiled. That smile was very faint, so faint that it seemed like a light breeze, and it made him look completely harmless.

Yet when the words fell into Zi Che's ears, it made his heart tremble. For some unknown reason, the word 'material' suddenly made Su Ming's faint smile seem much more vicious and terrifying than Hu Zi.

Su Ming's smile made Zi Che feel a chill traveling down his spine. This was a completely different feeling than the one he got when confronting Hu Zi. To him, while Hu Zi's actions might not be completely predictable, but they were still predictable enough for him to know what he would do. He might be afraid of him, but his fears were only towards the viciousness in his dreams. In truth, he still largely looked down on Hu Zi.

Yet Su Ming gave him a completely different feeling. He could not grasp just what he intended to do, and as the word 'material' continued echoing in his head, he became increasingly more horrified.

Chapter 231: Freezing Sky Cave

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Don't be afraid."

Su Ming smiled faintly. His voice remained serene as he crouched down and put his right hand into his bosom and pulled out a few items unhurriedly.

His actions not only attracted Zi Che's attention and affected his mind, it also made Hu Zi incredibly curious. He quickly widened his eyes to watch.

It was a beast bone and a few shrubs of herbs.

When Hu Zi saw Su Ming taking these common items out, he was disappointed and started mumbling under his breath. He originally did not want to look at it, but when he saw Zi Che's expression changing drastically when he saw the items, he was immediately surprised.

"What do you want to do?!"

This was the first time Zi Che spoke after he was captured. His voice was hoarse, but there was terror in his voice, and he was indeed terrified. This terror far surpassed the terror of facing Hu Zi. It was one that stemmed from his heart.

Because when he saw the beast bone and the herbs, he suddenly understood what Su Ming meant by 'material'. In his words, the beast bone was the material, the herbs were the ingredients, and Zi Che himself was also treated as a material.

This understanding and terror forced him to speak.

"Hmm? You jerk… you can actually speak? Then why didn't you talk when your Grandpa Hu asked you a question?! Why didn't you speak even when you were in the dream?!"

Before Su Ming could say anything, Hu Zi had already widened his eyes in anger. He took a step forward and slapped Zi Che viciously again.

"How dare you lie to me?! I hate people lying to me the most!" Hu Zi slapped him a few more times in anger before he turned to look at the materials Su Ming brought out. "Fourth, what are the bone and herbs for?"

Hu Zi scratched his head with a puzzled look.

"Third senior brother, you may not know this, but before I joined the ninth summit, I was creating medicine myself… His body is in good condition, he's perfect for me to create a certain medicine."

Su Ming smiled softly and took up a shrub. His swept his gaze through Zi Che's body, and as he spoke, he crushed the herbs and took out some of the seeds before stabbing through Zi Che's chest with a finger. Just as blood flowed out of the wound, he pressed the seed into his flesh.

Su Ming immediately followed by tapping on several other spots on Zi Che's body in quick succession.

Zi Che did not feel too much pain, but his chest quickly grew numb, and when he lowered his head, he was shocked and terrified to see the seed on his chest growing at a bizarrely quick speed.

Zi Che's expression drastically changed when he saw the seed growing. This change of emotion was not at all weaker than when he was facing Su Ming's second senior brother's Hands of Creation. He could clearly feel the herbs absorbing his blood and life force to aid in their growth.

The roots of the herbs were even spreading out slowly through his body. While he could ignore the pain of having something force its way through his flesh, but the terror of the unknown made his breathing quicken. A terror that was never seen in his eyes appeared as he looked at Su Ming.

That terror reached its peak when Su Ming took some of the blood from Zi Che's body and let it drop on the beast bone.

Zi Che quickly asked, "Just what do you want to do?!"

Su Ming lifted his head and cast Zi Che a glance. With a faint smile, he said, "Make medicine."

"What medicine?"

Zi Che trembled.

Hu Zi was paying full attention to what was happening, but there was puzzlement on his face. However, when he saw Zi Che's expression, he could not help but admire Su Ming a little.

'Fourth is good… Just a few actions, and this man is already terrified. My intelligent self will have to learn this.'

Hu Zi nodded his head as if he was deep in thought.

"The procedure of making this medicine is easy. All I need is a living dead person. I'll plant some herbs in his body and use his blood and life force as nutrients for my herbs. Once the herbs fully mature, the living dead person will become an important material to create this medicine, call it a Medicine Human, if you will.

"And then, I'll need some aura of death to create the pill. Once the medicinal pill is formed, the Medicine Human will also die. When the Medicine Human dies, the medicine will also be ready.

"Don't worry, I've already made it once, so I'm very familiar with the process. I'll make sure that you won't feel too much pain," Su Ming said, smiling, and due to his words, his voice was naturally laced with a strange quality.

He brought out a few more herbs and planted them within Zi Che's body. His actions were very gentle, as if he was afraid of damaging the herbs and the 'material' before him.

Yet when his actions fell into Zi Che's eyes and his words which sounded casual but held a determined quality to them echoed in his ears, his face instantly turned pale. Terror or fear could no longer be used to describe how he looked at Su Ming. He was petrified.

Even Hu Zi, who was crouching beside Su Ming, sucked in a sharp breath when he heard those words. A strange look came to his eyes as he looked at Su Ming.

'Eldest senior brother is a turtle and he's always in isolation… Second senior brother likes planting stuff, but he steals the plants at midnight himself… as for Master, well, forget about him… I thought my new youngest junior brother would be the only other normal person besides me in this mountain…

'Who would have known that he has such a weird quirk? Treating a person as a material and turning him into medicinal liquid before drinking it down…'

Hu Zi shuddered and let out a long sigh.

He had already finished thinking about how he would describe the fourth to his fifth junior brother if he should ever have one.

"Your… Your second senior brother only took away three years of my freedom! He said he'll release me three years later!" Zi Che quickly said.

"It's fine. I can ask him to turn those three years to an eternity," Su Ming said and smiled. He did not lift his head but continued stabbing bloody holes into Zi Che's body and planting medicinal herbs inside him.

"We… We're from the same school! You can't do this! You… You… My Master won't let you off!"

Zi Che looked at Su Ming, who was still smiling, and his terror reached its peak. To him, this face could practically become the most terrifying sight he had ever seen in the world.

He suddenly understood why Si Ma Xin still asked him to take away that thing from Su Ming even though he was already on the way back.

"It's fine. I also have a Master."

Su Ming still did not lift his head. He brought out another herb with a serious expression, as if he was hesitating where he should place it on Zi Che's body.

In his terror, Zi Che gritted his teeth and cursed in his mind, 'Damn it, Si Ma Xin didn't ask me to return my debt to him, he just pushed me into a fire! This Su Ming may not have great power, but the terror I feel from him can't be fake. This person… is definitely abnormal! I can't use his power as a basis to judge him!'

"It's Si Ma Xin! He was the one who asked me to come to you and take the bell away from you!" he quickly said.

Su Ming held the herbs in his right hand and slowly lifted his head. His expression remained passive, but in Zi Che's eyes, that calmness was like the calm before a storm, a monstrous storm.

Zi Che even saw a hint of red in Su Ming's right hand. That red was murderous intent. While that murderous intent did not erupt forth from Su Ming's body, but as it appeared, the cave abode immediately turned cold.

Zi Che felt shaken, and he did not dare look at Su Ming's right eye.

Hu Zi also took in a sharp breath by his side and shuddered. He could feel that his youngest junior brother completely changed from how he was previously in an instant.

"Where is Si Ma Xin?" Su Ming asked unhurriedly.

His voice sounded the same as usual, but when it landed in Zi Che's ears, it sounded like thunder rumbling. There were even some lightning arcs traveling through his body, though they disappeared soon after.

Zi Che trembled and quickly explained, "He's rushing back to the school. He'll be back in two days, I think… I owed him a favor in the past, that's why when he sent me a letter to come, I couldn't refuse him. I didn't mean to offend you."

He did not know why he was saying so much to explain himself, but he had a strong feeling that if he did not come clear, then even if he did not end up dead this time in the ninth summit, he would still be in great trouble in the future.

This was what his instincts told him. This was an instinctual feeling that rose in him as he faced Su Ming.

Su Ming was silent for moment until the red light in his right hand flashed briefly and he asked calmly, "What is Si Ma Xin's current level of cultivation?"

"He has been away for many years. When he left, he had attained completion in the Awakening Realm. I haven't seen his current level of cultivation, so I'm not too certain… But if he reached the Bone Sacrifice Realm, he'll definitely think of a way to enter Freezing Sky Cave and try to sense the will left behind by our ancestors there.

"Then he'll have a chance to change all the bones in his body at the initial stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm and reach the great completion of the Bone Sacrifice Realm in one go!

"While the possibility of this happening is very low, and from what I know, there are only three people who had managed to do this, but if he can really find our Ancestor's bones in Freezing Sky Cave, then he might be able to do it…

"He was originally known as the prodigy of Freezing Sky Clan to begin with, and was also rumored to be the person who is most likely to become the fourth God of Berserkers. He has a lot of friends within Freezing Sky Clan. Besides the ninth summit, the other eight summits are practically filled with his friends.

"If he becomes your enemy… then you'd best be careful…"

Zi Che's voice echoed within the cave abode and lingered around for a long time.

"What's Freezing Sky Cave?"

This was the first time Su Ming had heard of that name.

"I don't know the details, but I heard that Freezing Sky Clan's Great Frozen Plains is built on Freezing Sky Cave. If that's the case, then… in the deep parts of the endless icy water under our feet is Freezing Sky Cave.

"After all, the ninth summit is still part of Freezing Sky Clan…" Zi Che said.

Once he was done speaking, he hesitated for a moment, then looked at the herbs on his body, gritted his teeth, and spoke again. This time, his voice dropped to a low whisper.

"If I were you, then I'd definitely settle all my grudges with him before he enters Freezing Sky Cave, or else… It won't matter whether he succeeds or fails, as long as he makes it out of Freezing Sky Cave, then he'll have a chance of entering Heaven Gate. Once he enters Heaven Gate, then his status will be completely different from us on the Great Frozen Plains.

"When that time comes, he will kill you… Unless the ninth summit has the power to go up against Heaven Gate, then you'll definitely die!"

Su Ming was silent for a moment before he asked, "Heaven Gate?"

"Freezing Sky Clan is divided into two sections, the Great Frozen Plains and Heaven Gate. Only those in Heaven Gate are considered to be the core of Freezing Sky Clan… Besides inheriting the right to enter Heaven Gate, the only other way to enter Heaven Gate is to obtain 1,000 Shaman heads and not die when you enter Freezing Sky Cave. You can only enter once you fulfill those two conditions!"

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT, VERY MAJOR, READ IT

Due to reasons of continuity, Transcendence Realm has now been officially changed to Awakening Realm.

Spirit Infant (灵婴）has also been changed to Nascent Soul.

But the major one is Transcendence Realm, the reason it's changed is because the Immortals and RI and ISSTH also have a Transcendence, so to avoid confusion, the following has happened:

Transcendence Realm --> Awakening Realm

Transcended --> Awakened

Transcend --> Awaken

Divine General of Transcendence --> Divine General of Awakening

Deity statue of Transcendence --> Deity statue of Awakening

Power of Transcendence --> Power of Awakening

Everything should have been changed, except for chapter 51. For some reason, I don't see the edit button for that chapter. I am waiting very patiently for that edit button to appear for me.

Anyway, all the changes for 365 chapters were done overnight in two hours to avoid the chaps looking like a mess of Transcendences and Awakenings flying all over the place, since it was done in a rush, I'll be checking through all the chaps starting from chapter 0 in case I missed anything, but if you peeps happen to stumble on any lurking Transcendences, please leave a comment in the chapter, either Gemmy or I will change it :3

Much thanks!

Chapter 232: He Saw It…

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Hu Zi crouched by the side, watching Su Ming asking questions and Zi Che answering them, and he had a dazed expression on his face. When he saw Zi Che's change between how he had acted previously to how he acted now, he could not help but think of his previous actions.

'Youngest junior brother sure has a good trick up his sleeve. I'll definitely have to learn to do this.'

Hu Zi ran through Su Ming's every single word and action in his head and once he believed that he had learned it, a prideful smile appeared on his face.

"Heaven Gate? Great Frozen Plains? That's utter nonsense. Youngest junior brother, if you don't like Si Ma Xin, then I'll teach him a lesson for you. If we can't win against him, then we can just run and go back to the ninth summit to look for second senior brother."

Once he heard Hu Zi's words, warmth blossomed in Su Ming's heart.

"By the way, youngest junior brother, why did you come to me? If you didn't come for me, then I'll go out for a while. I haven't been out of the mountain for days. I'm worried that the people outside will miss their Grandpa Hu."

Hu Zi picked up his wine gourd and swung it a little. There was not much wine left in it.

"About that, third senior brother, you're familiar with Freezing Sky Clan. I'd like to go to the school's Artifact Storage Hall and bring out some of the papers second senior brother spoke about for me to use on a regular basis when I practice clearing my mind.

"But before I go, I'd like to borrow Master's Clan Master's plate," Su Ming said, smiling

"Clan Master's plate? You don't need to go and get it from Master, I have several of them with me here."

As Hu Zi spoke, he ruffled through the things in his cave abode before bringing out a purple ice shaped in the form of a plate.

"Here, that's the one. Master has a lot of these. When I went there last time, I brought a few back. I'll give you one, take it and scare away other people when you feel like it."

Hu Zi threw the plate in his hand to Su Ming while speaking.

Su Ming was stunned. When he caught it, he immediately felt a freezing chill travel into his body and circulate around him once. By the looks of it, it was crafted with fine detail and did not seem fake.

However, he was not the only one stunned. Zi Che was also stunned. He sucked in a sharp breath, because he recognized what that plate was, and Hu Zi's words threw him into a state of disbelief.

'The ninth summit… So this is the ninth summit…?'

Zi Che's heart trembled.

"Let's go. I'm familiar with the Artifact Storage Hall. I taught a lot of the people there a lesson before."

Hu Zi patted his chest and was about to take Su Ming and leave, but once he took a few steps forward, he turned around and walked towards Zi Che to glare at him.

"Hey, jerk, your Grandpa Hu is about to leave. You're the 'living thing' second senior brother gave us. Remember to follow behind us. Second senior brother might have sealed your power, but he said that you have to protect my youngest junior brother when he goes out, so you have to do it. Don't lie to me anymore, or else I'll teach you a lesson in my dreams!"

Zi Che felt incredibly aggrieved and quickly said, "But… my power has been sealed, I can't fly on my own…"

"Shut up. Your Grandpa Hu will bring you out and throw you off in midair. If you don't know how to fly, then you'll fall to your death. Don't blame me for not saving you then."

As Hu Zi spoke, he lifted Zi Che and grinned at Su Ming before he bent his body down and went out of the cave abode before him.

Su Ming followed behind. When he looked at the plant covered Zi Che being lifted with an expression filled with anger and indignation, he smiled and followed after.

The three of them turned into long arcs and charged out of the ninth summit towards the center of the nine summits, located far in the distance underneath Heaven Gate. There were many buildings there and it looked so grand that it exuded a vast and mighty air.

The buildings seemed like they were cut from jades and gave off a magnificent aura. There were numerous people walking in and out of the buildings, and it gave the place a lively air.

Hu Zi, who was leading the way in midair, let his right hand go loose the moment he flew out of the ninth summit's area. He tossed Zi Che off and let out a huge shout, "Hey, I'm letting you fall now!"

Zi Che's face paled as he plummeted downwards, but once he fell about 1,000 feet, surprised delight suddenly appeared on his face. His plummeting body came to an abrupt halt and he flew up into the air.

Yet very soon, the joy on his face turned into anguish, because he realized he could only be in area not too far away from Su Ming and Hu Zi, or else his power would be sealed up once again.

He did not even need to try it. He already knew that if he attacked Su Ming and Hu Zi, then his temporarily released power would immediately be sealed once again.

"Hmph, how dare you pretend before your Grandpa Hu? Isn't it out now? What are you looking at? Hurry up and follow us."

With a single glare from Hu Zi, Zi Che fell silent and sighed, falling behind Su Ming.

As Su Ming watched Hu Zi's actions and his words, his smile grew wider.

"Youngest junior brother, that is the eighth summit. The eighth summit is very interesting. There're quite a lot of them staying there, and they're usually very cautious. It's as if they're hiding something.

"But I'm me, I'm the most intelligent Grandpa Hu on the ninth summit. There's no secret in the world that can be kept hidden from my eyes. I even know the things second senior brother does.

"I can pass through the enchanted maze in the eighth summit even if I close my eyes. I saw a lot of interesting things. In the past, I saw a disciple nephew who is actually a girl disguising herself as a boy! I even saw her taking off her clothes…"

As Hu Zi spoke, his eyes started beaming with joy.

"That's the seventh summit. All the disciples there are weak. The enchanted maze may be weak, but the people there are far too careful, which is a pity. I was almost caught a few times in the past… There were even a few times where I was captured, but I was fast enough to escape, still, it's a pity… second senior brother refused to help and simply stood by the side as I got hit…

"This is the second summit. It's also where Zi Che is staying. Hmph, they can't keep their secrets away from Grandpa Hu's eyes either. In the past, I…"

Su Ming did not think much about Hu Zi's boasts. While he simply started to think that they sounded a bit odd the more he heard about it, Zi Che was laughing bitterly by the side.

There was one particular rumor among those in the second summit that the disciples who ventured out at night would feel as if someone was watching them. They only learned much later that it was Hu Zi who was doing it.

This person would always appear in the summits whenever he was free and hide in secluded spots, all the while snickering as he watched other disciples. Almost everyone knew about it in Freezing Sky Clan.

The three of them flew through the air and after around the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, as Hu Zi kept on talking about his achievements in Freezing Sky Clan and all the secrets he learned through peeking at people, the three of them arrived at the center of the nine summits, which was also located under Heaven Gate.

Hu Zi took the lead and charged towards one of the many buildings on the ground with a huge leap. He flew down quickly, and there were quite a number of Freezing Sky Clan disciples venturing in and out of the buildings who would accidentally get in his way. Once they saw Hu Zi though, they would quickly move out of the way with odd expressions on their faces, as if they did not want to provoke this unreasonable person and end up having him sneak into their summit and peek on them.

It was especially so for the female disciples. Once they saw Hu Zi, they would grit their teeth. Some of them even looked as if they were about to fly towards Hu Zi, but when they saw Zi Che following behind him, they would move back hesitantly.

Zi Che's fame in Freezing Sky Clan was great due to him placing ninth in the Great Frozen Plains.

When he saw what was happening, Zi Che suddenly understood why Hu Zi insisted on bringing him here. Su Ming also understood, and laughed wryly as he cast a glance at Hu Zi, who was flying with a swagger and an incredibly smug expression.

"Hm, what are you Berserker Children looking at?!

"If you continue watching, I'll sneak into your rooms tonight and watch you as much as I like!

"Hey, disciple nephew! How dare you not come and greet your Grandpa Hu when you clearly saw me?! Can't you see that even Zi Che is flying behind me?!"

Hu Zi continued shouting on the way, and his words made Zi Che's expression darken continuously, while Su Ming did not know whether he should laugh or cry in this situation.

When he saw that Hu Zi was about to act even more outrageously even though he had been flying around the buildings in the center of the nine summits under Heaven Gate with a smug look, Zi Che, who had been following behind Su Ming, found himself to be unable to bear with the pressure any longer and whispered to Su Ming.

"Um… Su… Uncle master Su, uncle master Hu has gone past the Artifact Storage Hall eight times…"

As he spoke, he pointed towards a hall not too far into the distance.

Su Ming let out a fake cough. Once he cast a glance at the Artifact Storage Hall, he looked towards Hu Zi, who was shouting at some of Freezing Sky Clan's disciples before him, then he smiled wryly and said, "Third senior brother, how about we go to the Artifact Storage Hall first? If you still want to walk around, then I'll ask Zi Che to accompany you later. I… I still have to go back and train in the mountain."

The moment Hu Zi heard it, while there was a look on his face that said he had not fully enjoyed himself, he still turned around with a stern look.

"Youngest junior brother, who said that I like loitering around? Bringing my youngest junior brother to the Artifact Storage Hall is the most important thing to me. I just couldn't find the place. Let me see… Hmm? The Artifact Storage Hall is over there!"

Hu Zi pointed towards the Artifact Storage Hall not too far away with a look of surprised delight.

Hu Zi had arrived at the door to the Artifact Storage Hall while he spoke. However, the door to the hall was closed. Su Ming remembered seeing the people inside immediately closing the door when they saw Hu Zi passing by.

"Open up! Your Grandpa Hu is here! I'm not here to hit someone today! If you don't open the door right now, I'm going to get angry!"

Hu Zi went up to the door and lifted his foot to kick it.

Very soon, the door flew open, revealing a man with a handsome face, but with a sullen expression. He was frowning, but there was a clearly resigned expression on his face. The man stood behind the door and looked at Hu Zi, then opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

"Hmm? You're here today? So that's why the door was closed. Youngest junior brother, she's the person I said was actually a woman disguising herself as a man. I saw…"

The man's expression instantly turned incredibly dark, and veins even started popping on his face.

Su Ming quickly went up front to pull Hu Zi back, who was still shouting out in surprised delight, and smiled towards the man apologetically.

"Disciple nephew, about that…"

Su Ming had yet to finish speaking when a focused look appeared on his face. He heard the sounds of an uproar nearby. Even the man standing before him lifted his head and looked towards the air behind Su Ming with a fanatical and respectful look.

"The Seven Colored Light! Eldest senior brother Si Ma has returned!"

"There's no way we can be mistaken. That's eldest senior brother Si Ma's Seven Colored Mountain. Look, isn't that eldest senior brother Si Ma sitting on the mountain?! Hmm? There's a girl sitting beside him. That girl… seems rather familiar."

"It's really big brother Si Ma!"

Uproars broke out everywhere around him. From the corner of his eye, Su Ming saw a seven colored light piercing through the sky, traveling towards where they were. He slowly turned around and looked up.

Chapter 233: What is… Your Name…?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The entire sky was covered by a piercing seven colored light. The seven colors were like a rainbow, but the light was not as gentle as that of a rainbow. It spread all over the place instead, and every part of the world as far as Su Ming could see was filled with those colors.

The seemingly blinding seven colored light fell on all the summits and blended with the sky scattering on the ground. It filled everyone's vision with those colors.

There was an indescribably domineering air to the light, causing all the disciples from the other eight summits besides the ninth summit on the Great Frozen Plains to lift their heads and look towards the center of the seven colored light.

Uproars broke out all over the place, because this seven colored light could only come from one person in Freezing Sky Clan!

In Freezing Sky Clan, only one person could make himself known in such a manner!

That was the prodigy of Freezing Sky Clan, the one that was known to have the highest possibility of becoming the fourth God of Berserkers – Si Ma Xin!

"It's senior brother Si Ma, he's back!"

"I heard that senior brother Si Ma has been away for many years. When he left, his power had already reached the peak of the Awakening Realm. Now that he is back, could it be that he's now in the Bone Sacrifice Realm?"

"When senior brother Si Ma left the school, he said he won't return unless he reached the Bone Sacrifice Realm!"

The uproars shook the world. The appearance of the seven colored light shocked all of the disciples of the eight summits on the Great Frozen Plains. Some of those who were close to Si Ma Xin even turned into long arcs and flew out from their summits.

In the blink of an eye, numerous people flew into the sky and floated in midair to watch from the distance.

The crowd beside Su Ming who were gathered in the center of the nine summits underneath Heaven Gate and were walking in and out of the buildings just now also flew up into the air with fanatical and respectful looks on their faces. When they looked at the sky, they wrapped their fists in their palms and bowed towards the person in the light.

Even the man who Hu Zi said was really a woman disguising herself as a man also walked out briskly to bow towards the sky.

"Welcome back, eldest senior brotherSi Ma!"

These words were repeated by the numerous people on the ground, and seemed to have fused together to become one voice that shook the world.

Su Ming stood there and felt his eyes hurting slightly due to the seven colored light that seemed to want to pierce through him. He watched the people welcoming Si Ma Xin back respectfully while he, Hu Zi, and Zi Che, who was standing by his side, all seemed to have been forgotten by the world. In their eyes, the only thing they could see at that moment was the seven colored light.

Su Ming was not unfamiliar with this feeling. This sight reminded him of that time when he arrived on the field before Wind Stream Mountain when he was still in Dark Mountain. At that time, he also stood in a corner and was a nobody as he looked at the prodigies walking forth and being the center of everyone's attention.

Yet Su Ming was no longer how he used to be. In the past, he had to force himself to remain calm, but now, he did not need to do it on purpose. He could just stand there and remain calm.

His eyes were calm, his expression was calm, his body was calm, and his heart, too, was calm.

He looked at the source of the seven colored light located far away in the sky. Over there was a mountain floating in midair, a Seven Colored Mountain!

There was a man standing there with his face purposefully muddled. The color of the man's clothes could not be seen clearly through the seven colored light. Su Ming could only see his hair floating in the air and a girl standing by his side. However, that girl's face could not be seen clearly.

As the Seven Colored Mountain got closer, more shouts echoed on the ground. The sounds of worship sounded like waves rising and falling in Su Ming's ears. He looked at the people from all the summits floating in the sky and saw that they were all currently wrapping their fists in their palms to bow towards the approaching Seven Colored Mountain.

"Thank you for your warm welcome. I've prepared some gifts for all of you. Once I return to my mountain, I'll ask my good friends from each of the other summits to take them and distribute to all of you."

Si Ma Xin's gentle voice echoed in the air and there was a kind smile on his face as he wrapped his fist in his palm to return the greeting to the crowd.

There was a relaxed look on his face and a certain charm that could not be described around him, causing the others to feel as if spring wind was blowing against their bodies. They would naturally feel a sort of friendliness towards him.

"How fake. Grandpa Hu met this Si Ma Xin a few times in the past. His smiles are too fake. Second senior brother's smiles are much more soothing that his. Master wanted to take him in as his disciple in the past… thank goodness he didn't take him in the end."

Hu Zi stood beside Su Ming and picked his nose as he spoke in a condescending manner.

Zi Che was silent, but when he looked towards the Seven Colored Mountain in the distance, his eyes were dark.

He now resented Si Ma Xin. If he had not asked him to go to the ninth summit to cause trouble for Su Ming, he would not be in this sorry state now.

Su Ming was silent. He was still looking at the gradually approaching Seven Colored Mountain in the sky. Soon, he saw Si Ma Xin's face clearly. Si Ma Xin, who was dressed in white, had an incredibly handsome face and looked very gentle and elegant, as if there was not a hint of anger within him. His brows were sharp and his eyes sparkled. The smile on his face simply did not disappear.

A temperament that was clearly different from others was natural to Si Ma Xin, and once it blended together with his extraordinary looks, it turned into an indescribable charm.

This was not the first time Su Ming crossed paths with Si Ma Xin, yet strictly speaking, this was the first time he truly saw him. This was different from when Si Ma Xin had borrowed Fang Mu's body to attack him when he was in Han Mountain City.

Su Ming looked at Si Ma Xin. He watched his graceful demeanor and his gentle smile, but still remained calm and did not speak.

Hu Zi's disdain, Su Ming's calmness, and Zi Che's sullenness were completely different from the respectful expressions on the other Freezing Sky Clan disciples around them. Because of their different expressions and because they stood together, when other people swept their gazes over the crowd, they would not be able to help themselves but pay some attention towards them.

Si Ma Xin might also have noticed Su Ming, but he remained smiling and did not reveal any sort of changes in expression.

"Let's go, third senior brother. Once we get the papers, let's go back to the mountain," Su Ming said calmly.

The enmity between him and Si Ma Xin could be described as something simple, but could also be described as something complex. Nonetheless, there was only one conclusion to it, they had reached a point where their enmity could not be solved.

Unless he returned Han Mountain Bell respectfully, ignored his promise with Han Cang Zi, and asked for Si Ma Xin's forgiveness for what happened to Fang Mu, there was simply no other way to resolve this.

However, Su Ming simply could not do these things.

After his words, Su Ming was just about to turn around and walk into the Artifact Storage Hall to get his papers when the Seven Colored Mountain closed in. As the seven colored light gradually dissipated, Su Ming not only saw Si Ma Xin's face clearly out of the corner of his eye, but he also saw an excited petite face smiling beautifully behind him.

It was a beautiful girl. She wore a purple robe and seemed quite young. Her skin was like jade and her eyes like the moon. She stood behind Si Ma Xin with an obedient demeanor, yet the liveliness in her eyes would make others feel shocked by her charm while also sensing the wild beauty within her once they saw her.

That sort of beauty came naturally and was not formed as time passed by, neither was it an act. It was due to the environment she grew up in, her personality, and other factors that formed this rarely seen wild beauty within her.

Her sparkling eyes, curving brows, the arc of her lips that could captivate others with a smile were the true epitome of a beautiful smile. Although she might still be young and was yet to fully mature, this girl still made Su Ming shudder when he caught sight of her from the corner of his eye as he was just about to turn around.

At that instant, he felt as if hundreds upon thousands of thunders rumbled in his mind and exploded simultaneously, causing his body to tremble and shudder. His breathing also quickened in a manner that had never been seen on him, as if his breathing could no longer keep up with the rumbles in his heart, neither could it keep up with how hard his heart pounded.

The world had come to a standstill at that moment before Su Ming's eyes. The wind did not move, the clouds remained still, all the uproars he heard instantly disappeared. In that moment, in the world he saw, the people disappeared, the nine summits too disappeared.

The seven colors in the sky had completely disappeared in his eyes. There was no longer any Seven Colored Mountain, neither was Si Ma Xin there any longer.

In his sight and the world he saw, there was only one thing, and there could only be one thing – the person dressed in purple. The person with the wild and untamed smile. The person who's eyes sparkled and seemed to contain endless vigor within them.

That…

… girl filled with wild and untamed beauty…

The calmness in Su Ming's eyes shattered.

The calmness on his face crumbled.

The calmness in his body was replaced by shivers.

The calmness in his heart was gone…

At that moment, he forgot that he was standing in Freezing Sky Clan, forgot everything that he'd seen.

It was the girl standing behind Si Ma Xin that made him forget everything. At that moment, his mind was blank. He had no thoughts, his mind did not process anything. The only thing in his head was a mourning song filled with sadness that played in his heart without a sound. That mourning song was accompanied by a scene that made his heart clench in pain.

White snow floated down in that image in his head. In the snow, a boy and a girl held hands and walked through the storm. Snow fell on their hair, as if they had walked together until their hair had turned white with age.

"Su Ming, that's a promise…"

"I'll definitely come!"

Everything that had happened in that scene made Su Ming tremble. He stared at the girl who was gradually approaching them in the sky and looked at everything before him.

"Bai Ling..? How… How could this be?!" he mumbled.

There was disbelief in his eyes. At that moment, a strong urge suddenly erupted within him.

He did not want to suppress that urge, neither would he suppress it, because he could not suppress it!

Even if that urge would make his training to clear his mind come to a standstill, he just didn't want to suppress it…

He lifted his right foot slowly in that instant and at the very moment his foot landed on the air, he rose and started walking towards the Seven Colored Mountain.

Su Ming's actions temporarily stunned Hu Zi. Yet even though he was surprised, he still immediately followed behind him.

Zi Che hesitated for a moment before he too followed after.

As the seven colored light grew dimmer in the sky, Su Ming stood before the floating Seven Colored Mountain. He blocked the mountain from moving forward!

That sight immediately caught the attention of all those present. They all turned their gazes towards the place, and in an instant, a few thousand pairs of eyes were gathered on Su Ming, who was to them, an unfamiliar face.

"What's… your name..?"

Su Ming did not see the Seven Colored Mountain, did not see Si Ma Xin, did not see anyone else. He could only see the girl, or more accurately speaking, the person standing in the snow in Dark Mountain.

Chapter 234: Not Bai Ling!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Si Ma Xin's return attracted a lot of people's attention. Among them were two people who Su Ming did not notice. One of them was the fourth summit's Han Fei Zi.

She was wearing a white robe and stood on the mountain with a demeanor as cold as ice. Her expression was calm when she looked at the Seven Colored Mountain in the sky, though no one knew what she was thinking about.

Yet the occasional frosty glint in her eyes showed that she harbored a certain degree of animosity towards Si Ma Xin. That animosity was perhaps different from Han Cang Zi's. It was a scrutinizing look towards a rival.

The other person whom Su Ming did not take note of was the third summit's Han Cang Zi.

She stood on the third summit with the beautiful, oval shaped faced woman by her side.

They saw Si Ma Xin, heard the people's cheers, and saw the light from the Seven Colored Mountain falling on their bodies.

The moment she saw Si Ma Xin returning, Han Cang Zi's face turned pale. The woman beside her frowned and let out a cold harrumph before she took a few steps towards Han Cang Zi.

"He's not even placed first in the ranking board for the Great Frozen Plains yet. He's only second place, and he's already showing off so much!"

Han Cang Zi was silent. She lowered her head and did not say a word.

"Hmph, the rumor about him being the one person who is most likely to become the fourth God of Berserkers is simply the doings of the school. The school created his image and his chances. To many disciples, that Si Ma Xin has already been turned into a God of Berserker along with our eldest senior sister Tian Lan Meng and senior brother Chen Qing.

"The three people known as the three great prodigies of Freezing Sky Clan, hmm..? Let's see, who would be the first of the three who can enter Heaven Gate. Still, while Si Ma Xin's potential is pretty good, some of the things he does seriously disgust me. Even if eldest senior sister Tian Lan Meng and Chen Qing return to the sect, they wouldn't cause such a stir.

"Besides the school creating that image of his that makes the others so crazy about him, isn't it also because he keeps using all those tricks? He keeps using a large amount of things to attract other people to follow him and from there, he makes acquaintances with them."

The woman beside Han Cang Zi spoke with a cold smile on her face, then cast Han Cang Zi a look. There was pity on her face.

"Why do you always look this way whenever you see him? Why are you afraid of him? He simply planted the Berserker Seed of Love within you, that's all. If you're scared of him and keep hoping that someone will help you, then even if someone actually manages to free you, you'll be controlled by someone else in the end.

"Are women any less than men? Look at eldest senior sister Tian Lan Meng. She's our best example. Even when that Si Ma Xin sees our eldest senior sister, would he dare harm her?"

There was an aloof pride on her oval shaped face.

"When we were coming back, I saw the portion of the Sky Mist Barrier where uncle master Bai was guarding."

Han Cang Zi bit her lip and slowly lifted her head, and resolution appeared on her face.

"Uncle master Bai? You mean the person who was also rumored to have had the hopes of the entire school placed on him in the past? The person who also practiced the Creation Arts of the God of Berserkers, but eventually ended up practically estranged from the school simply because he did not follow the will of the school to practice the God of Berserkers Transformation but instead inherited his Master's right to become the Divine General of the Bone Sacrifice Realm? That uncle master Bai?"

Han Cang Zi nodded.

Once the oval shaped faced woman heard it, she sighed softly.

"Divine Generals are all revered people, and it's something a lot of people dream of attaining. Even in the school, the desire to become Divine General is second only to becoming the God of Berserkers, but… once you become a Divine General, it's practically impossible to become the God of Berserkers. They can only become the subordinates for the future God of Berserkers…

"There aren't many Divine Generals within the school. Most of them have already been sent out to gain experience in killing so that they could be a force for the future God of Berserkers.

"I heard that the person you like is also a Divine General?" she asked suddenly.

A red blush immediately appeared on Han Cang Zi's face, as if she forgot the stress brought by Si Ma Xin at that moment and was embarrassed like a little girl. Just as she was about to speak, her senior sister's expression suddenly changed.

"That person you like… what… is he doing?"

Han Cang Zi was stunned. Instantly, she turned her head back to look, and her expression changed.

The entire area was filled with silence at that moment. Including Han Cang Zi, all the people's gazes were focused on the person walking slowly towards the Seven Colored Mountain in the sky.

At that moment, even Han Fei Zi's cold and aloof face changed. There was confusion as she looked at Su Ming.

Hu Zi was also stunned. He rubbed his eyes and looked at Su Ming, who was walking from his side with a dumb expression towards the Seven Colored Mountain. Hu Zi did not hesitate, and with a single move, he charged towards Su Ming.

He would not bother thinking about Si Ma or whoever else, nor would he be bothered by the crowd's gazes. The only thing in his mind was that he was the one who brought his youngest junior brother here. He could not let anything happen to him.

Zi Che felt his heart lurch and his mouth go dry. He never expected Su Ming to walk out just like this and face Si Ma Xin!

"What's… your name..?"

Su Ming's body floated in midair. As he stood before the approaching Seven Colored Mountain, he could only see the girl filled with untamed beauty.

His voice echoed in the air gently, and as it fell into the people's ears, all those who heard immediately had odd expressions on their faces.

"Who is he?"

"That person is unfamiliar, but the ninth summit's Sun Da Hu is beside him. If Sun Da Hu is with him, and especially since he blocked senior brother Si Ma's path, then he must definitely be an unreasonable person as well."

"I heard that the ninth summit has received a new disciple. Could it be him? But all the people on the ninth summit are strange people. His actions and words at least follow the traits that belong to those in the ninth summit."

"Interesting. This person must be attracted to junior sister Bai's face, and blinded by his infatuation, he forgot his status and asked for her name."

"He's biting off more than he can chew. How could he be so rude to junior sister Bai? Hmph!"

Low mocking and disdainful voices gradually appeared as the people looked on with odd expressions on their faces. To them, Su Ming was simply a person who was too confident in himself. Being rude to a beautiful woman right in front of senior brother Si Ma was exactly what an unreasonable person would do.

Han Cang Zi was stunned. Her gaze immediately shifted from Su Ming to the girl behind Si Ma Xin, and gradually, a conflicted look appeared in her eyes.

'He once said that he broke a promise…'

Han Cang Zi sighed softly. The woman beside her was frowning, and there was a displeased look in her eyes as she looked at Su Ming.

At the same time, Han Fei Zi also cast a profound look towards the girl behind Si Ma Xin on the fourth summit, and she sank into deep thought.

Su Ming slowly came to a halt 30 feet away from the Seven Colored Mountain. Si Ma Xin looked down on Su Ming, who was blocking his path, from his position on the mountain.

In truth, when he was coming forth from the distance, he had already seen Su Ming, but he did not dare act rashly because Zi Che was by Su Ming's side. Judging by his looks, it seemed that he was a little sullen and resigned.

Yet he did not expect that while he was ignoring the man, Su Ming would come to block his path over here. It would have been fine if he was merely blocking his path, but Su Ming was not even looking at him, but at the girl behind him.

This sort of disregard, coupled with the grudges that couldn't be solved between them, made Si Ma Xin's eyes turn dark and chilly.

"Junior brother, you seem rather unfamiliar. Why are you blocking my path?"

Si Ma Xin smiled faintly and the cold look in his eyes disappeared. His voice was calm, as if he was not angry with Su Ming's actions and he had a big heart.

Su Ming did not speak. Up till this point, he still had not even looked at Si Ma Xin. He simply kept his gaze fixed on the girl filled with wild beauty.

The girl blushed under Su Ming's stare, but she was frowning and there was displeasure in her eyes. She cast a glance at Su Ming, then at Si Ma Xin, who was standing before her, and did not speak.

The person before him was less than 30 feet away from him, but the person in Su Ming's heart was so far away it was as if there was the distance of heaven and earth between them.

At that moment, Su Ming smiled.

That smile was very faint, and there was a sadness to it.

"If we continue walking in the snow, will we walk until our hair turns white..?"

Those words echoed in his head and eventually turned into a sigh.

Su Ming knew. The girl before him was not Bai Ling.

This had nothing to do with the Berserker Seed of Love. The girl's eyes were the same as Bai Ling's. In physical terms, they looked so similar that there were practically no differences between them, but since their souls were different, then they were completely different people.

Their aura was also different. Aura was something Su Ming could sense ever since he started practicing Aura Refinement and started observing people's aura around him once he activated the Branding Art in his mind.

This person… was not her… She may have the same face, but… she was not Bai Ling!

Su Ming closed his eyes. He did not ask her again, because he had already obtained his answer. That urge within gradually died down. When he opened his eyes once again, they had already returned to a calm state.

No longer looking at the girl, Su Ming turned around and started walking away to leave.

He heard the mockery and disdain in the low voices around him and felt the ridiculing gazes on his person, but these did not bother him.

Yet while he may not care about it, it did not mean that Hu Zi did not mind it. Hu Zi narrowed his eyes and cast an angry glare around the place from beside Su Ming, even growling with a hostile look on his face.

"What are you looking at? What, do you dare say all this right in front of Si Ma Xin's face? Laugh! You jerks, I'm telling you to laugh! Just you wait, I'll sneak into your places tonight and let you know my might."

Hu Zi was about to continue speaking, but his words were cut off bluntly by Si Ma Xin.

Si Ma Xin smiled as if he was pleased with what the girl behind him did and cast a look at Su Ming, saying slowly, "Junior brother, are you going to leave just like that? Take care of your senior brothers first, or else I'll teach you what respect is in place of your Master."

Su Ming paused in his footsteps and turned around, then looked at Si Ma Xin for the first time in midair.

When their gazes met, they seemed to have viciously clashed with each other.

"I am not your junior brother, disciple nephew Si Ma, I am your uncle master."

Chapter 235: The First Battle in Freezing Sky!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Ming's voice was calm when he spoke languidly, looking at Si Ma Xin. There was no pride in his voice, neither did he have the condescending manner Si Ma Xin adopted while he stood on the Seven Colored Mountain, but the meaning behind his words was a form of condescension under the rules of Freezing Sky Clan itself!

"I am your uncle master."

This sentence instantly made the people around him fall silent. There may be anger on their faces, but they did not dare refute his words. They could only accept the high status of the ninth summit with resignation.

A piercing, chilling light instantly appeared in Si Ma Xin's eyes. As he looked at Su Ming, his lips gradually curled up in a cold smile.

Hu Zi immediately brightened up and placed his hands on his hips as he lifted his head and shouted pridefully towards Si Ma Xin, "Oh, that's right. Hey, jerk. Your Grandpa Hu is your uncle master. Come here, Si Ma Xin, greet your uncle master."

Si Ma Xin simply ignored Hu Zi's existence. At that moment, only Su Ming existed in his eyes. With such close proximity and with the slight connection he had with Han Mountain Bell in the past, he could tell with certainty that Han Mountain Bell was within Su Ming.

"Uncle master, eh? Then allow me to consult you and see whether you have the right to be my uncle master."

As Si Ma Xin spoke, he took a step forward with his right foot and lifted his finger to point at the sky.

"Freeze!"

With his voice, a large amount of green, freezing air suddenly manifested on the originally cold sky. That freezing air seemed to have a physical form, and the air would freeze as it passed by it. Rumbling sounds echoed in the air.

An illusionary hand formed from the green mist appeared in the freezing air and manifested abruptly in the sky. That hand gave off a freezing presence and gathered together out of nowhere before it charged towards Su Ming to catch him.

"The Creation Art! As expected of senior brother Si Ma, he's indeed the person who will become the God of Berserkers! His first move itself is the Creation Art!"

"No ordinary person could cast the Creation Art so easily, even if it was just the One Creation Art."

"Besides Leader Liu on the ninth summit, the other people there are all trash. I heard that their eldest senior brother isolates himself all the time, the second is always planting flowers like a weak woman, the third is an unreasonable fellow, and that newest addition to the ninth summit just had the galls to block senior brother Si Ma's path!"

The green hand charged towards Su Ming, and a glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. Yet at that moment, anger appeared on Hu Zi's face and he let out a low growl.

"Youngest junior brother, move back. Jerk, how dare you attack my youngest junior brother in my face!"

Hu Zi lifted his head and sat down in midair. He lifted his right hand swiftly and overlapped his index and middle fingers together. As he lifted his hand, he drew an arc in the sky.

A mighty presence erupted forth from Hu Zi's body. The strength of that presence seemed to have caused the weather and earth to change, causing the incoming green hand to falter for a moment in midair.

"Entering… Dream…"

Hu Zi's expression was stern. At that moment, not a hint of recklessness could be seen on his face. His act of drawing an arc with his two fingers seemed to have contained some mysterious form of Creation, and when Si Ma Xin saw this, his expression turned grave.

The people around him also became nervous. As they looked at Hu Zi, expressions of surprise appeared on their faces, as if during that instant, the Sun Da Hu before them became completely different from the person in their memories.

Right at the instant the green hand froze in midair for a moment, Hu Zi's right index finger touched the center of his brows. His eyes immediately fell shut and he started snoring.

Nothing changed, except for the appearance of Hu Zi's snores in the air, and since he was in deep sleep, he could not cotinue floating in the air and fell from the sky…

All the people who saw this were stunned and burst out laughing a moment later.

Even Si Ma Xin started chuckling after the stun wore off. Yet a chilling glint appeared in his eyes and he pointed towards the falling Hu Zi with his right hand. Immediately, the freezing green hand charged towards Hu Zi, whistling through the air, a clear sign that while Si Ma Xin had laughed at Hu Zi's actions, he was also displeased, and for that, he wanted to hurt him.

Su Ming was silent. He did not laugh. It was clear that Hu Zi chose to act that way just now because he already considered Su Ming as his youngest junior brother under the same Master, and as his senior brother, it was his duty to protect him.

Hu Zi's power may not be great, but it was precisely because of this that his actions reflected what he thought even more prominently when he stood before Su Ming. That alone was enough.

Right at the moment Hu Zi started plummeting downwards, Su Ming turned into a long arc and charged towards him, catching his body in midair and landing on the ground.

But the green hand was still chasing after them. Su Ming did not bother with that hand. Right at the moment he landed on the ground, Zi Che flew up and charged towards the hand.

He had to act, or else he had no idea what sort of horrible fate would befall him when he went back to the ninth summit. Besides, he was also angry towards Si Ma Xin.

Rumbling sounds echoed above Su Ming, but he did not lift his head up to look. Once he landed on the ground, he gently placed the snoring and drooling Hu Zi on the ground.

He looked at Hu Zi's face. That silly look on his face made Su Ming smile.

Amidst the rumbling sounds in the air was Si Ma Xin's downcast voice.

"Zi Che, what's the meaning of this?!"

"Si Ma Xin, there's no use talking. If you attack Su Ming, then I have to act against you!"

Zi Che's appearance made all the people watching immediately burst out in to an uproar again.

"That's senior brother Zi Che, ranked ninth on the Great Frozen Plains ranking board! Isn't he good friends with senior brother Si Ma?!"

"Why is he suddenly helping an outsider?!"

"I saw him with the people from the ninth summit just now…"

The oval shaped faced woman beside Han Cang Zi let out a cold harrumph as the discussions raged around her, but it was clear that she had let out a sigh of relief when she saw Zi Che just now.

Si Ma Xin stared at Zi Che. As they gazes met in midair, his eyes gradually turned cold.

At that moment, as Su Ming looked at Hu Zi snoring as he slept on the ground, he slowly lifted his head and looked at Si Ma Xin standing beside the Seven Colored Mountain in the sky.

"Zi Che, stand back. Take care of my third senior brother," Su Ming said unhurriedly, then lifted his right foot to take a step into the sky. The moment his foot landed, his body left the ground and he stood in midair.

Zi Che hesitated for a moment before he wrapped his fist in his palm to salute Su Ming, then returned to Hu Zi's side.

"My power is not as great as yours, and I didn't want to fight you…" Su Ming said calmly, looking at Si Ma Xin. "You have your own thing to do, as do I… but you shouldn't have tried to hurt my third senior brother once he lost all power to fight back!"

Su Ming's voice still remained calm.

"He is my third senior brother… If you want to fight, then… I will fight!"

At that moment, a chilling glint appeared within the calmness in Su Ming's eyes.

At that very moment, an incredibly powerful killing intent surged out from Su Ming's body. That murderous intent came from his right eye, from the Picture of the Blood Moon and Dark Mountain!

The instant Su Ming declared his intention to fight, his entire demeanor changed. While he may still look calm, there was a pressure coming from within that calmness that made people feel as if it was pressing heavily on their bodies from above.

He lifted his right foot and took his first step towards Si Ma Xin. At the moment it landed, a clear Mountain Mark appeared on Su Ming's face.

It was the Mark of the mountain with five summits – Dark Mountain!

When that Mark appeared, an illusion immediately formed in the sky above Si Ma Xin. In the blink of an eye, the gigantic Dark Mountain that was exactly like the Dark Mountain Mark on Su Ming's face appeared in the sky!

The moment it appeared, an incredibly powerful pressure spread out and caused the people who were watching on the sides to withdraw with changed expressions.

Si Ma Xin gave a cold sneer and lifted his right hand and clenched his fist around empty air. The moment he did so, a large amount of cold air gathered together underneath Dark Mountain and turned into a gigantic ice fist that charged towards it.

Rumbling sounds reverberated through the air and the ice fist crashed into Dark Mountain, triggering a vicious wave of force that turned into a large wave of ripples that spread thorugh the air.

Once that punch was thrown, an ice layer instantly appeared on the spot where the ice fist touched the five peaked Dark Mountain formed from Su Ming's Mountain Mark amidst the rumbling sounds. The ice layer spread out rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, ice covered the entire mountain, turning it into a five peaked ice mountain.

The ice mountain floated in the sky. It was originally just an illusion, but at that moment, due to the ice fist created by Si Ma Xin's Creation Art, the mountain was caught between a state of having physical form and being an illusion.

"A simple trick. You are… as weak as you were when I met you in Han Mountain! I don't even need to use the power of my Berserker Mark, neither do I need to use my Origin Vessel, the Seven Colored Mountain!" Si Ma Xin said languidly.

There was no disdain in his voice. He was merely speaking in a tone that suggested he was looking down on Su Ming because they were not of the same level and he was more powerful.

As he spoke, Si Ma Xin placed his hands behind his back and looked at Su Ming coldly.

"I'll give you a chance to attack. If you disappoint me, then I'll make you despair! Bring out Han Mountain Bell. Let me see how powerful it is in your hands," Si Ma Xin said coldly.

Su Ming did not speak. He had firsthand experience of Si Ma Xin's arrogance, and this was not the first time he heard such words from his mouth.

His expression turned even more aloof in his silence. Underneath his robes was the other part of the Berserker Mark Si Ma Xin could not see, and it was now manifesting on his body. As it did so, Su Ming lifted his right hand and waved it in the sky.

A large area underneath the frozen Dark Mountain started distorting. The distortions spread out, and in an instant, an illusionary Dark Mountain Tribe appeared in the world.

The plants, the trees, the houses, all of these things were shown in such fine detail that they looked real. They covered the entire sky, and those who saw it felt as if their entire beings were about to be sucked into the tribe.

A grave expression appeared on Si Ma Xin's face.

"This is your complete Berserker Mark?!"

A depressing feeling that pressed heavily on the hearts of all those looking surrounded the entire area when Dark Mountain Tribe appeared…

The manifestation of this Berserker Mark made Si Ma Xin feel a force pressing heavily against him. This was the most complex Berserker Mark he had ever seen in his life. There was even a vague and indistinct grief coming from within the illusionary tribe formed from the Berserker Mark that affected his heart.

'What is with this Berserker Mark?! Why are there emotions in there?!'

Si Ma Xin's expression changed drastically.