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Chapter 311: Zi Che, Bring It Here

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"If I didn't know about it, I wouldn't have placed any bids."

Su Ming averted his gaze from the transparent mountain rock and his eyes fell on the Enlightenment Gathering tribesmen wearing the black and white long robe.

That thin man from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe stared at Su Ming with a sullen expression. He did not have that many stone coins on him, and he originally did not expect to take back anything, but he did not think that he would encounter this mountain rock here!

The moment he saw that item, the excitement that grew within his heart was enough to surpass most of those within the auction hall, and he had been ecstatic when he realized that due to the incredibly rare nature of this item, the others would definitely not know of its origins. Only he knew how to use this item!

He originally thought it would be easy for him to obtain this item, and the starting bid for the mountain rock was low as well, which not only made him excited, but also so eager and hopeful that he could not control himself.

But… right in the middle of the auction, Su Ming butted in!

1,000,000 was his limit. He did not have anymore stone coins to buy this item. Even if his desire for this item had reached an indescribable level, his lack of stone coins gradually made his eyes become bloodshot.

"He's lying! To the person who placed this item up for auction, only I know what it is! Besides me, no one could possibly know!" the tribesmen from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe shouted to the people around him.

Yet most of the people ignored him. Even the ones who looked towards him watched him with sparkling eyes as unknown thought flickered in their heads.

"The bidder from the ninth room. There is someone who suspects that you do not know what this item is. I will give you a chance to say what it is," a mild voice asked, traveling forth, but the person who spoke was not the mysterious owner of the mountain rock. Instead, it was the blue-haired old auctioneer.

"If you can't provide an answer, then please give up on the chance to bid for this item so that things remain fair!" A light appeared in the blue- haired old man's eyes as he spoke slowly.

"Oh? Could it be that all the people who want to buy this item have to say what it is right before the crowd?" The ghost of a smile appeared on Su Ming's lips and he cast a glance at the blue-haired old man.

"That's right. Those are the rules!" The blue-haired old man gave Su Ming a onceover before he nodded his head.

The tribesmen from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe felt his breathing quicken. He had already risked offending Su Ming for that mountain rock. In his mind, once he obtained that item, he would immediately leave, and perhaps before anyone else could find him, he would already be back in his tribe.

"That's rather unfair. If I said it, then if someone else places a bid, then he'll be able to just imitate my words. I can say it, only if there is no other bidder after me. The only ones who will continue placing bids are me and him. Only if you're willing to do this can Western Sea Clan be considered fair. Also, if I have managed to correctly identify the item's origins and buy it, then I don't need you to send it to me after the auction ends. I want to get it right on the spot," Su Ming said languidly.

The blue-haired old man laughed coldly in his heart as he hissed out in a dark voice, "Very well. No one has been bidding for this item before the two of you anyway. If that's the case, we will not accept anyone else placing anymore bids for this item. The only people eligible to obtain this item are the two of you. If you can get it, then take it away."

"This item is indeed a Soul in Stone. However, what's valuable isn't the small black humanoid inside but the mountain rock itself. With a special method, a person can put it into his or her own body, which will make their Qi become thicker. It will also nurture the mind, which will help in training when meditating.

"The small black humanoid within is actually formed after the mountain rock absorbed the polluted aura from the world. That thing is filled with venom, but that venom is not deadly. However, it will affect a person's growth in his training, and it must be extracted with a special method. Anyone who takes it out recklessly will only bring harm to himself," Su Ming stated in a mild mannered tone, and his voice filled the entire auction hall.

"Bullsh*t! You're wrong!" the tribesman from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe immediately shouted and glared at Su Ming with eyes dripping iwith hate. That hate burst forth all of a sudden and without a reason. To him, Su Ming was just doing this on purpose so that the tribesman could not get the item.

A smile appeared on Su Ming's face. He was not bothered by a person like this who could not conceal his feelings. He was more worried about the people who could hide their feelings and showed no hints of what they were thinking.

Su Ming looked at the person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe and said, "I've finished speaking. Now then, it's your turn to say what this is."

There was a sullen expression on the blue-haired old man's face, but he could not accuse Su Ming of saying the wrong thing. After all, he did not know what it was himself either.

"Since you're certain that the person from the ninth room is lying, then you can say what this item is right here. I can tell you that the person who placed this item for auction is here!

"If the answer you give satisfies him, then perhaps that person will change his mind." The blue-haired old man looked at the thin tribesman from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe.

"That's…"

The person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe found himself speechless for a long time. He did not know how to say it. Even if he spoke the truth, he was not certain whether he would be able to get it, and that was not all, just the potential dangers he might face on his way back would be enough to kill him multiple times. In fact, there was a high possibility that he might bring disaster back to his tribe.

Yet if he did not say it and had to watch that item be bought by someone else, he would feel really, really disgruntled.

As the person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe continued glaring at Su Ming, a sinister smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

"That thing's name is Magnetic Wraith Stone, and it's different from what you said. The most valuable thing about it isn't the mountain rock itself but the small black humanoid inside. That thing is called a Stone Wraith and was formed naturally after absorbing the aura from the world. A person would also have to put it in the body and refine it to use it, but while it can only boost a person's power slightly, its biggest use is when we of the Enlightenment Gathering Tribe use a special method to carve it into a treasure that could defend the user!

"That treasure would be tied together with the user's life and would die in place of the user once!"

As his words traveled out, the auction hall instantly fell into dead silence. Multiple pairs of eyes turned towards the transparent mountain rock, shining with a myriad of different emotions.

"I don't have the ability to buy this item anymore, neither do I want to buy it. If you like it, then you can take it away. I'd like to see just how you'll be able to keep that treasure that can die once for you safe on your person!

"Besides, without the special method from us in the Enlightenment Gathering Tribe, that item is completely useless!" That thin middle-aged man smiled darkly and sat down.

He was feeling smug that he did the right thing. By saying that and putting up the act of giving up on that item, he just made himself more convincing. However, he did not factor in the possibility of him offending not just Su Ming with his words, which were spoken entirely on purpose.

In fact, Su Ming was not even the main person he offended, the man had just greatly offended the mysterious person who had put that item up for auction. And that person was the most important person in this!

Perhaps the people from the land of Freezing Sky would face some problems in searching for this mysterious person, but it was incredibly easy for Western Sea Clan to do so, and since that person himself was in the auction hall right then, if Western Sea Clan believed in the words of the person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe, then he would immediately sink into deep trouble.

A hesitant look appeared on Su Ming's face. He looked at the mountain rock, then back at the person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe before he shook his head.

"Perhaps I was wrong about this. If its use is really as you say, fellow brother, then I'll give up on this item. This thing can no longer be considered a treasure but something that will cause me to lose my life." Su Ming sighed.

The moment Su Ming said those words, the person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe was stunned, then his expression changed. He just came to understand what was wrong with his words.

At the same time, within the crowd gathered in the auction hall was a man dressed in black robes and wearing a straw hat on his head. His face underneath that straw hat was incredibly dark and he clenched his right fist instinctively. When he lifted his head, a murderous intent appeared in his eyes. That murderous intent was not aimed towards Su Ming but the thin person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe.

He was the owner of the mountain rock who contacted Western Sea Clan. At that moment, his hate towards the person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe was so strong it could burn the skies. They were practically forcing him in a dilemma, and with the slightest mistake, he would not be able to walk out of the temporary tribe built by Western Sea Clan.

He could even sense the blue-haired old man's gaze falling on him occasionally, and within that gaze was surprise.

"Nonsense!" The man stood up swiftly and, with one leap, rose in midair. His voice rumbled like thunder in the hall.

"I was the one who brought that item and handed it to Western Sea Clan for them to put it up for auction for me. I've had this item for many years and have asked many people before. I might not have a detailed answer to its use, but this item is definitely not that Magnetic Wraith Stone. It's just like what that fellow tribesmen from the ninth room said. It only has one name, and it's Soul in Stone!

"Sir, by saying those words, you have just tried to harm me, and I won't let it slide! I'd like to see just how Enlightenment Gathering Tribe will explain what happened today right before all the people in the land of Freezing Sky!"

The man took down his straw hat and revealed a gruff face. He had to do this, because if he continued hiding his face, then it would be even more difficult for him to get himself out of trouble.

"You've seen my face now. There's nothing for me to hide. Enlightenment Gathering Tribe, I will invite Western Sea Clan along with me to act as my witness to test whether what you've said is the truth!

"If it's fake, then you must give me a satisfactory answer!" There was anger on the gruff man's face. Once he finished speaking, he turned towards Su Ming and the anger disappeared.

"My fellow tribesman from the ninth room, the uses for this item which you provided are about the same as what I understood, but there were some details about this thing that I did not know. Now I've gained a clear understanding of it.

"My fellow tribesman, thank you for stating the true use for this item. The promise I made before is not fake. Since you bought this item for 1,000,000 stone coins, I will return those 1,000,000 stone coins for you, and I will also give that black crystal to you as promised!"

As he spoke, he immediately brought out a bag from his bosom and threw it at Su Ming. Once Su Ming caught it, the man turned around and returned to his seat, looking incredibly sullen.

He felt his heart bleeding in pain, but he had to do it. If he did not pass the mountain rock and the other things he promised to Su Ming, then the persuasiveness of his words would become less.

Now all the people there had seen him pass the mountain rock and the other things to Su Ming. The people had just seen how generous he was, but at the same time, he also did this for another reason. Just in case what the person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe said was true, then he would have someone else to share his burden. Western Sea Clan's target would shift to Su Ming.

Though his thoughts could be ignored for now.

Su Ming caught the bag and cast a glance at it before he put it away in his bosom, then he wrapped his fist in his palm towards the man with a smile on his lips. After that, he brought out the correct number of stone coins and handed them to Zi Che before he pointed at the mountain rock in the auction hall.

"This item belongs to me now. Zi Che, bring it here."

With one leap, Zi Che's body turned into a long arc and he charged towards the center of the auction hall. As he stood beside the mountain rock, he swept it up with one wave of his arm and quickly returned to Su Ming.

Chapter 312: The Storm in His Heart!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The auction in Western Sea Clan ended on that day. Even though the final item that was brought out during the auction was very eye-catching, but it did not bring about a large amount of attention.

Su Ming's three acts during the three day auction had instead caught a lot more attention.

The conflict that arose due to that Soul in Stone also stirred up many different thoughts among the people. If what the person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe said was true, then that item would be priceless.

Even if it was fake, judging by how agitated he was at that time, that item was surely a fantastical treasure. However, its true use would then be a mystery.

However, there were plenty of people who were curious about it. The person from Enlightenment Gathering Tribe was controlled by Western Sea Clan and could not leave alone, having to return to Enlightenment Gathering Tribe along with the gruff looking man who originally owned that mountain rock as well as someone from Western Sea Clan to see whether what he said was true.

But before that happened, there were still quite a number of people who left at night to Enlightenment Gathering Tribe. They were going to use their own methods to investigate the truth about this matter.

After all, before they acquired accurate information, most of the people did not want to offend Freezing Sky Clan. The rumors circulating about the ninth summit were also a cause for these people to act so carefully.

Once Su Ming returned to his tent, he fell into deep thought for a moment before he asked Zi Che to pack up. He had two valuable treasures on his person, and he had already brought attention to himself. For him, leaving before anyone else was better than staying here.

However, he did not want to leave alone. Tian Lan Meng had helped him during the auction, causing the both of them to have arrived at an agreement without either of them saying anything.

Besides, Su Ming did not dislike Tian Lan Meng.

'Perhaps working together with her during Sky Mist Shaman Hunt isn't really impossible.'

When Zi Che was putting away the tent, Su Ming stood on the snow and nodded his head as he mulled over his thoughts.

Perhaps they really had a form of mutual understanding between them in terms of their souls, or perhaps it was because of his previous associations with Tian Lan Meng through art, which had allowed them to form a faint connection between them in terms of Picture Creation.

As Su Ming was immersed in his thoughts while he stood on the snow, before him, as snow floated down from the sky, a woman in white with her hair falling down her shoulders walked slowly towards him. She treaded lightly on the snow, causing crunching sounds to ring in the air.

That woman was incredibly beautiful. Her eyes were bright and her teeth pearly white. There was a certain gracefulness and an indescribable charm about her as she walked through the snow. She looked like a drawing.

Two people followed behind her. One of them was the girl Su Ming had seen before, and the other was the man in the white mask who had given Su Ming the stone coins previously.

The man had his head lowered and not a hint of power could be felt from him. He seemed like a normal person, but when Su Ming looked at him, he sensed the same depressing feeling he had when he stood on Sky Mist Barrier in the past and looked at the land of the Shamans.

"I was wondering whether you would want to leave." When Tian Lan Meng got closer, her gentle voice floated through the wind and snow and drifted into his ears.

"When are you leaving?"

Su Ming turned around and looked at the woman walking towards him. The snow added another charm to the woman's beauty. It was as if her existence caused the snow and wind in the area to go towards her and surround her, making her look breathtakingly beautiful.

"I've spent several tens of millions of stone coins on you, so it's only natural that I have to always follow you around. If something happens to you, my stone coins will all be wasted."

Tian Lan Meng's lips curled up in a smile, and that smile looked like a flower that had bloomed, causing the people who saw it to be unable to help but be attracted to her.

A rare awkward look appeared on Su Ming's face. He was incredibly unused to this sort of conversation, especially when he had to talk to his creditor.

"We're not in a hurry to leave. The auction this time hasn't ended yet. The real auction is about to start soon… Don't you want to go see it?" Tian Lan Meng winked at him. She found Su Ming's expression to be very interesting.

"Even if I see it, I won't be able to buy anything…" Su Ming laughed wryly.

"It's fine, I have money. You already owe me quite a lot of stone coins. I don't mind if you owe me more. Besides, being a creditor is quite fun." A hint of smugness that was rarely seen on Tian Lan Meng appeared in her smile.

However, the girl standing behind her was looking at Su Ming with disdain and scorn in her eyes. She rolled her eyes at him before she looked somewhere else.

"I'm not invited, though."

Su Ming hesitated for a moment. He had heard about the auction that would only be attended by the powerful Berserkers. Compared to the auction that lasted for three days, this small scale auction was another important part of the exchange between the two clans that only occurred once every century.

As he was hesitating, Su Ming���s expression suddenly changed and he lifted his head to look into the distance. Almost at the exact same moment he lifted his head, Tian Lan Meng also looked towards that direction.

A man with an aloof face, dressed in black, was walking over from that direction. Not a single footprint was left on the ground he stepped on, but his feet were indeed stepping on the snow.

The man in black stopped one hundred feet away from Su Ming and cast a cold look at him. A powerful might seeped out of his eyes, and it was the might that belonged to those in the Bone Sacrifice Realm.

In the presence of that might, the snow around them was immediately thrown into the air as if it was swept by a huge gust of wind, covering their gazes and preventing them from seeing each other.

"An invitation by my master."

The man in black only said five words, his voice as cold as the freezing wind. As he spoke, he brought out a wooden plate from his bosom, threw it at Su Ming, then turned around and left.

Su Ming caught the wooden plate and found that there was not a hint of force added to the throw. He caught it as it floated into his hand, but the moment he did so, a rebounding force spread out from the plate and surged into Su Ming's body, causing six muffled booms to appear in succession beneath his feet, snow flowing into the air once again.

Su Ming cast a glance at the wooden plate calmly.

By his side, Tian Lan Meng's eyes grew bright. She looked at the snow beneath Su Ming's feet and her smile grew more brilliant.

"Nine Forces Through One Breath. That is one of the Arts in the Great Tribe of Freezing Sky that won't be taught to outsiders. That person came from the Great Tribe of Freezing Sky. He's one of the followers of their Elder's second son." The person who spoke was the man with the white mask standing behind Tian Lan Meng.

That person's voice sounded old. Judging by his voice, he was an old man.

"The person in the third room was Second Young Master of the Great Tribe of Freezing Sky. You're invited to the auction now. Let's go." Tian Lan Meng chuckled lightly, and her voice was very pleasant to the ears.

Su Ming's eyes sparkled, and he nodded.

As Tian Lan Meng continued smiling, the two of them walked into the deeper parts of the tribe with the wind and snow blowing in their faces. Over there, they saw a golden tent located at the center of the tribe.

Zi Che and the girl followed behind them. That girl found Su Ming an eyesore, and Zi Che was also disliked in association. With a prideful look, she strutted before him and insisted on walking in front of him.

As for the person with the white mask and the old voice, he walked at the very end. Most of the time he would look at Tian Lan Meng fondly, and sometimes, his eyes would shift to Su Ming, and his gaze would turn into one of scrutiny.

"By the way, where's that little stalker of yours? I remember she came with you." As Tian Lan Meng walked with Su Ming, she looked at him with a smile, and her voice was like the lingering notes of a song echoing in the air after it finished.

"Little stalker?" Su Ming was momentarily stunned before the memory of Bai Su's ashen face when she left appeared in his mind.

Su Ming remained silent for a moment before he answered unhurriedly, "She left."

The smile on Tian Lan Meng's face fell away and she whispered softly, "It's better that she left. Her heart lies with Si Ma Xin. Putting her beside you must have been a form of torture for her… but it might also be a way for her to find her true self,"

Su Ming cast a glance at Tian Lan Meng and said nothing.

"Are you wondering why I know about it? Si Ma Xin can only come up with these sort of methods with his petty tricks. A person's Dao differs according to his or her own heart. Those with a great Dao can perceive the sky and earth, but those with a small Dao can only perceive others and themselves.," Tian Lan Meng stated calmly, twirling a few locks of her hair gently.

"You've gained a clearer understanding since the last time we met." Su Ming walked on the snow and listened to the crunching sounds of his feet walking on the snow.

He loved this sound.

"That is all thanks to you giving up on the grass woven crane. I can tell that it looked at you when it was flying in the air." Tian Lan Meng smiled. There was some snow stuck on her petite, smiling face, causing her soft and fair skin to look as if it was made of sparkling ice.

As the both of them continued speaking to each other, they arrived before the golden tent at the center of the tribe. The moment they stepped into the tent, an invisible wave swept past them. When it touched the wooden plate in Su Ming's hand, ripples appeared in that wave and Su Ming's vision blurred. When he could see clearly again, he was already in a dark room that was about several hundred feet in size.

There were quite a number of tables set on either side of the room. There were already around a dozen people sitting behind those tables. Their faces could not be seen clearly and everything appeared as a blur, a clear sign that their identities were intentionally hidden.

These people did not talk to each other. All of them sat silently behind the tables. When Su Ming and Tian Lan Meng arrived, their gazes traveled towards them.

Su Ming's heart thumped against his chest. All the gazes looking towards them pressured him grealy. That sort of pressure was not something a normal Berserker in the Bone Sacrifice Realm could bring on him. In fact, some of the gazes that swept towards him even made Su Ming feel shocked to the core. That sort of gaze… only belonged to those in the Berserker Soul Realm!

However, there were also some gazes that were quite ordinary when they turned towards them.

"How we see them is the same as how they see us. Unless we reveal our power on purpose, then they will not be able to tell our true level of cultivation." A gentle voice suddenly spoke in Su Ming's mind. That voice belonged to Tian Lan Meng. She stood beside him, and her face too, was blurred out.

Su Ming stayed silent. He cast a glance at Tian Lan Meng, then the both of them sat in the chairs placed beside each other on the right side of the room and waited for other people to arrive.

Before long, more people came. Most of them were familiar with the rules and moved to the empty seats. An hour later, when all the seats were filled and there were about twenty people in the room, Tian Lan Meng's voice once again spoke in Su Ming's mind.

"It's starting."

Almost the moment that voice turned to echoes in Su Ming's mind, loud, hearty laughter came from within the dark room.

When the laughter started, a young boy walked through the wall at the very front of the room!

That boy looked like he was only about seven or eight years old, but his voice was as loud as a tidal wave, and it was dripping with experience and ruthlessness.

"Most of us here are old friends. There are some of us here who are new, but since you're here, you must know the rules. I won't take up your time with idle chatter, so we'll just do things as we did. Let's start with something not so valuable!

"The first thing I'll be bringing out is a living thing!" As the boy spoke, he lifted his right hand and waved it in the air before him. Immediately, a black chain charged out, and at the other end of it was a bound living creature.

Its speed was exceptionally quick, and the moment it appeared, it instantly started running as if it wanted to escape, but the chains were tightly fastened around its neck. When it dashed quite close to Su Ming, the chain was stretched taut and strangled its throat, causing it to let out pained shrieks.

The moment Su Ming saw that living creature, he felt as if hundreds upon thousands of lightning had just struck him. A bang went off in his head, and in the blink of an eye, everything before him except that living thing vanished!

Chapter 313: Fire Ape!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

It was an ape!

It was an ape that was entirely dark red. There was madness on its face. There was a chain tightly wound around its neck, and there was pus on the skin underneath the chain. Some of its flesh had even fused with the chain itself.

That chain was stretched taut due to the ape's charge, and it cut into the animal's neck to the point that the ape had difficulty breathing, but it still continued struggling madly to break free of the chains.

Its dark red fur did not seem like the ape's original color but was because it had not cleaned itself for a very long time. If it could clean itself up properly, then its fur would surely turn into a fiery red shade, judging from the red hue at the very end of its fur!

It was not big and was only about the size of a child around three to four years of age. At that moment, it had all four of its limbs on the ground and was howling at the people around him. Hidden in its eyes were terror and hate, and as it looked around it, it trembled.

Su Ming shuddered. He stared at the fire-red ape before him and a boom reverberated in his head. He had already forgotten where he was. All he could see was the picture that was hidden deep within his memories.

In that picture, he saw a boy in beast skins laughing happily as he jumped around in the forest. On the boy's shoulders was a small monkey with fire-red fur. It held the boy's hair in a tight grip with one claw, and in its other claw it held a piece of fruit, gnawing at it while occasionally letting out delighted squeals.

"This is a new type of fire ape! This ape likes fire and it's impossible for it to live in the land of Freezing Sky. We've never seen a fire ape like this in Western Sea Clan territory before either!

"I've even checked through some ancient scrolls before and found that the climate and environment in the entire Land of South Morning isn't suitable for this type of fire ape to live, that's why I call this ape a new type!

"It's incredibly rare, and I don't know whether it's the only one of its kind in the world, but over the years, I've only ever seen this one." The boy smiled and cast a glance at the fire ape before he spoke slowly.

"It's just a monkey and you brought it here to be auctioned? You're overestimating its value," a sharp voice stated from the crowd sitting by either side of the room. The body of the person was entirely blurred out and his face could not be seen clearly.

"This is not a normal ape. It's so quick that even I have some degree of difficulty trying to chase after it… Also, the monkey's blood is good for your health and can lengthen your lifespan. If you continuously drink its blood, your power will also increase.

"But that's not the main value of this creature. Due to the rareness of this monkey, that's why if you take out its soul and put it into an enchanted Vessel, then the power of fire in that enchanted Vessel will reach astonishing heights!

"Also, this ape's physical strength is so great that it could compete against those in the Bone Sacrifice Realm! You can also use it to guard your cave abode, and that is discounting the possibility of it undergoing transformation," the boy said leisurely.

Perhaps no one else noticed Su Ming trembling, but Tian Lan Meng, who was sitting beside him, could tell with just one glance. She looked calm, but questions had already appeared in her heart.

She looked at the ape, then at Su Ming, and found herself not being able to understand what made Su Ming behave this way.

Su Ming did not hear what the other people were saying and only stared at the ape. After a very long time, he closed his eyes.

"It's a pity that this ape is too wild. I've tried everything that I can, but I still can't tame it completely. I've even subjected it to bear the weight of mountains, but the monkey has showed no signs of submitting to me…

"I wouldn't have been willing to sell it otherwise," the boy lamented. Once he finished introducing the ape, he brought out another few more items and explained their uses.

Each of the items he took out would have caused a stir if he had brought them out in the auction during the day, but it did not incite much if a reaction among the people in the room. He only managed to draw a few pairs of eyes to the items at most.

After all, the people who could join this small auction were all highly calculative people. Their faces were also blurred out and no one could see their expressions. Even if they could see them, they would not be able to see any clues there.

All those who could reach the later stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm or even the Berserker Soul Realm had definitely gone through multiple life and death situations. Anyone who could survive through these ordeals was definitely not any ordinary person.

Those who lacked in intelligence would not be able to survive so easily!

Su Ming did not hear the descriptions of the items the boy brought out later. He closed his eyes and quelled the vicious surge of emotions in his heart. The very first item that was brought out in the small auction had completely caught him off guard.

Its sudden appearance had caused Su Ming's heart to feel as if there were waves moving backwards and crashing against his heart. Before he even had time to accept the truth, the truth was forcefully brought right before his eyes.

'Xiao Hong…'

Su Ming's thoughts quivered and echoed in his heart as his memories in Dark Mountain surfaced in his mind. Xiao Hong was like family to him. It had been beside him since he was young and had shouldered through all his moments of happiness, anger, and sadness with him.

The memory of him getting to know Xiao Hong, the memories of him playing with it, the memories of him talking to Xiao Hong when he was lonely… all these memories appeared in Su Ming's mind uncontrollably.

His childhood memories were filled with beautiful and happy moments. In those moments, there was always a fire-red monkey that stayed with him as he grew up, went with him when he went to search for Bai Ling, joined him as he went to steal Dark Dragon's Saliva…

There were also moments where Xiao Hong was the only listener when Su Ming started talking to himself, even though Xiao Hong would be holding onto a piece of fruit in its claw every single time and would throw away the core secretly as it listened to him. These moments were the ones that occupied his memories with Xiao Hong the most.

Su Ming would never forget any of these. He would forever remember one particular action from Xiao Hong, and that was it sniffing its right claw while putting on an intoxicated face. That expression would forever be etched into Su Ming's memories.

Su Ming still remembered himself following Xiao Hong in secret, then witnessing Xiao Hong grabbing a bit of a bear's fur… and everything else that happened.

When the change in Dark Mountain happened, when the void appeared and sucked Su Ming in it, when he opened his eyes once again, Dark Mountain was no longer there, his elder was no longer there, his tribe was no longer there… Xiao Hong… was also no longer there.

The sky was not that of the Alliance of the Western Region's, and neither was the ground. Everything reeked of unfamiliarity, and it was so unfamiliar to him that he had to grow up quickly. He had to force himself to get used to being silent, force himself to use sinister methods to kill others… only when it was dark and quiet would he sit in the corner and look at the sky alone while bringing up memories to keep him company in his loneliness...

Su Ming opened his eyes. Tthe moment he did so, the silence around him quickly disappeared and everything in the room seemingly returned to normal in his eyes. He heard the Fire Ape's screeches in his ears, heard the boy's voice, and heard some voices of people negotiating over it.

In its continuous struggles, Su Ming saw the ape with the dark red fur beginning to suffocate, and it squatted down on the ground as if it gave up on the thought of escaping. Grief appeared in its eyes. Its gaze did not appear to be looking at anything in the room, and its soul also did not seem to be in its body any longer. It was as if its soul had gone to a place far away from here, and no one had any idea what it was thinking about.

Su Ming looked at it and felt a sharp stab of pain in his heart. That pain filled his entire body like a tidal wave that drowned him, even though he could tell that this ape was not Xiao Hong…

It possessed the same intelligence as Xiao Hong, had the same fur as Xiao Hong, had the same speed as Xiao Hong, but Su Ming had lived with Xiao Hong for many years. From the minor details, he could that tell that this was a Fire Ape, but it was not Xiao Hong.

It was just like the case with Bai Su. She was not Bai Ling…

As Su Ming stared at the ape, it noticed that there was one particular person among the dozen humans it hated and despised around it staring at it since the start. It was a gaze that was different from the people around it— it wasn't filled with indifference but with a type of sorrow. The ape had seen these sort of gazes before, when it was caught. However, in its memories, there was almost always pity and compassion lying underneath those sorrowful gazes.

The ape did not need that kind of compassion…

However, this person's gaze was slightly different. It squated down on its spot, and the highly intelligent ape turned its head around to look in the direction where that gaze came from.

The ape saw a blurred out person, saw the gaze that was looking towards it.

There was no pity in that gaze, no compassion, only pure sorrow. That sorrow made the ape shudder.

"I can't exchange anything of mine for that ape alone. Its value is either too great, or too small for my items. How about this? I'll use a ray of Starlight that I've been refining for nearly a hundred years to exchange for those two Sea Creation Stones of yours as well!"

"I may not have Starlight, but I obtained the skeleton of a sacred beast from the Shaman Tribe in the past and turned it into a puppet. This puppet's price is worth much more than all the items you showed us. If you give me another ten drops of that Western Sea Clan's Sea Marrow, then I'll exchange the puppet with you!"

This was an auction Su Ming had never seen before. The bidders did not compete using stone coins but with items, and the idea of the item going to the highest bidder did not exist. The person who brought out the auctioned items would be the one who decided who he would be trading those items with based on what he was lacking. His will could determine the results for everything here.

"I can refine Starlight myself, though it might take some time… as for the puppet made using the skeleton of the Shaman Tribe's sacred beast… If I spend some effort in this, I'll be able to get it from the Shaman Tribe myself...

"I want rare items. If you don't have them, then forget it."

The boy shook his head. There were four items floating before him. One of them was a jade bottle, while another one was a small umbrella, and the remaining two were two black stones.

Based on what the auctioneer said just now, the jade bottle contained Sea Marrow Liquid. While he might not have mentioned its uses, judging from the words from those around him, most of them seemed to know what it was.

The small umbrella was an enchanted Vessel embedded with some unique effects - It could make a person's aura disappear completely. The remaining two black stones were naturally Sea Creation Stones.

Its effects were just like its name. It could create an ocean out of thin air, and it contained incredible power.

The Fire Ape was also part of the auctioned items along with those four items.

However, there were only few among the people sitting on either side of the room who were interested in the items the boy brought out. Only those two people named a price, but it was not enough to make the boy satisfied.

"Does no one have anything rare? If you don't, then I'll have to let the next person bring out their treasures."

The boy was rather disappointed. He let his gaze sweep past both sides of the room and was just about to retrieve his things when a glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes and he spoke.

"Wait!"

"I'll exchange for it with Sky Pearls!"

Almost the moment Su Ming spoke, Tian Lan Meng's also voice also came from beside him!

It could be said that the both of them spoke at the same time. When the boy heard it, his gaze immediately fell towards them, but the person he looked at first was not Su Ming. It was instead Tian Lan Meng, who was sitting beside him.

The boy looked at her and asked with a smile, "How many Sky Pearls?"

Chapter 314: Another Item!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"How many do you want?" Tian Lan Meng asked calmly in a moderate voice.

"Lass, you must be one of the people chosen by Sky Mist's ancestor to be one of this generation's Mist Worshippers. Your name is Tian Lan Meng, and your elder sister is Tian Lan You." The boy's eyes sparkled as he spoke with a chuckle.

"The Tian Lan family has to send one of the Mist Worshippers of each generation to Freezing Sky and Western Sea, then they would choose one among the two to receive the coming of Sky Mist's ancestor. I respect Sky Mist, so if you want these items, then I'll give it to you for ten Sky Pearls."

The boy's words echoed within the dark room, though the people who heard it did not turn their gazes over. Most of them chose to ignore what was going on.

"Ten..?" Tian Lan Meng hesitated. She looked at the four items before the boy, then at the dark red ape before she fell silent for a moment. "I can only give you two," she stated softly.

"No can do, lassy. You need at least five Sky Pearls before they can gather together. Two isn't enough. You can't get any of my items with just two.

"Unless you have some rare items with you, that is. I'm especially interested in all rare items." The boy smiled, then turned his gaze to Su Ming. He remembered that Su Ming had spoken up just now as well.

'Rare items…'

Su Ming closed his eyes and reopened them a short moment later. Right at the moment Tian Lan Meng was about to speak again, Su Ming pressed his palm against her arm.

Tian Lan Meng offered the price because she saw the changes that occurred on him when he saw the ape. There was in no way that Su Ming would not know that. He committed her good will into his memories.

He could also tell with certainty that those Sky Pearls were incredibly valuable items. The value of those pearls were the same for Tian Lan Meng.

He could choose to give up. After all, he was not too interested in the other things brought out by the boy, but Su Ming found himself unable to turn his eyes away from the ape.

Even if it was not Xiao Hong.

"I have a rare item, but it'll depend on you on whether you can discern the uses of this item."

Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the boy. The difference in their levels of cultivation was incredibly great, but he was not afraid. This was a trade. At the very least in this dark room, both parties involved in the trade were in the same position.

If he became afraid, if he was stunned still by the boy��s power, then there was no need for them to negotiate anything.

"Oh?"

The boy gave Su Ming a lazy onceover, and there was a ghost of a smile on his lips. It was really hard for him to believe that the person speaking to him could really bring out anything that he would consider as rare.

He was a member of Western Sea Clan. He might not know the people invited to this auction, but if this person could sit beside Tian Lan Meng, then either he was a powerful Berserker in the Tian Lan family, or he was just her friend.

Judging by their actions, it was clear that the person who spoke was not a member of the Tian Lan family. There was only one other explanation for his presence then - he was Tian Lan Meng's friend. By his voice, the boy could tell that he was not an old person either, so his power was definitely not very great. At most, he would only be in the Bone Sacrifice Realm.

"You can bring it out and let me take a look, perhaps it's really something I don't know."

The boy did not sound too arrogant when he spoke, but that was just the way he was. It was not because he was attaching any form of importance to Su Ming.

Su Ming no longer wasted his time on idle chatter. He put his right hand into his bosom and brought out something from his storage bag. When he held that item in his hand, he hesitated for a moment, but as his gaze swept past the items floating before the old man and the ape, he swiftly brought out the item and threw it towards the boy.

It was a round object. Once the boy caught it, he brought it before his eyes and took a closer look.

With that one glance, the boy's face instantly turned serious. He lifted his right hand and waved it before him. Immediately, the space before him became clouded. That indistinctiveness surrounded him, causing the people to be unable to see what he was doing clearly.

However, since the auction was hosted by Western Sea Clan and the specifications for this auction were very high, the possibility of someone stealing anything was practically nil. The boy's power was also very great, and he, too, was an outstanding member of Western Sea Clan in terms of both his status and position. Naturally, he would not do something as degrading to his position as snatching a junior's possessions right before the eyes of many people.

That was why while that space appeared clouded to the other people, it was not so for Su Ming and Tian Lan Meng. This was naturally the boy's doing.

Su Ming could see the boy bringing that round object in his hand to sniff it. Once he did so, his expression changed once again and he stared at the item hesitantly. During that time, his expressions changed multiple times.

Su Ming looked at the item the boy held in his hands and felt a stab of pain in his heart. That item… was his Spirit Plunder!

This was the only thing he could bring out which could be considered as a rare item.

"What… is this?" The boy hesitated for a long moment before he lifted his head and looked at Su Ming.

"Can I get the things you offered?" Su Ming asked softly.

The boy looked at Su Ming and said sternly, "You can, but that depends on the effects of this thing."

"I don't know the name of the item, but the effects are quite simple. It can absorb all illusionary entities, such as Berserker Marks. There's even a Shaman's Totem contained within it," Su Ming stated slowly after sighing inwardly.

"So that's how it is. I was wondering why I sensed a hint of Shaman presence when I was observing this thing… This thing might not be incredibly useful and there's a crack on it, which can only mean that there's a limit to how many things it can absorb and will break once it goes past its limit, but it's indeed a rare item!

"But you can't get all my things. How about this? Besides the Sea Marrow, you can take another one of these items along with the Fire Ape!" The boy nodded his head solemnly.

Then he cast a look at Su Ming and explained, "I'm not taking advantage of you. It's just that this item can only be considered rare. Because of the crack, it can only be considered as broken goods. It won't be able to absorb many more illusionary entities. To me, it's biggest useis for research purposes."

"However, if you have more, then we can still talk." Once the boy finished speaking, he gave Su Ming a profound smile.

"I only have one of it." Su Ming swept his gaze past the items the boy offered before it eventually fell on the fire ape, then he looked away. "My Master gave it to me," he added, and once he averted his gaze from the items, he looked towards the boy.

"Oh? And who is your Master?" the boy asked casually with a smile on his face as he toyed with the Spirit Plunder in his hands.

"My Master is Tian Xie Zi. He's very protective of me."

Su Ming did not hide his identity. It was something incredibly hard for him to keep secret anyway. If Western Sea Clan wanted to know about it, learning his identity in the auction they held in this dark room was not hard.

More importantly, Su Ming had a feeling that there was something behind Tian Xie Zi's identity. This was something he sensed when he saw him in his purple-robed form, and he grew more certain of his thoughts during the trip to the land of the Shamans.

Besides, Su Ming had also found some odd things through a few clues lying here and there in the large scale auction held during the day. First, it was the actions of Western Sea Clan's Clan Elder, then there was also Second Young Master of the Great Tribe of Freezing Sky acting friendly with him.

Su Ming did not believe even for a moment that all of this happened because of him.

The smile on the boy's face froze the moment Su Ming mentioned Tian Xie Zi's name. That careless expression on his face instantly turned into one of stupefied horror. He lowered his head to look at the Spirit Plunder in his hands, then at Su Ming, then a wry smile appeared on his face.

"You're Su Ming of the ninth summit..? Er… please send my greetings to Senior Tian Xie Zi… Ah, fine. You can choose another one of these items." The boy shook his head.

Su Ming's heart pounded against his chest. He was just about to speak when Tian Lan Meng let out a fake cough beside him.

"I want the Fire Ape and five drops of Sea Marrow!"

The boy hesitated for a moment before he shook his head and said, "I can give you the Fire Ape, but I can't give you so many drops of Sea Marrow… Three drops, and that's only because of Senior Tian Xie Zi that I'm doing this."

"Alright, then we'll go for three drops." Tian Lan Meng winked at Su Ming before she quickly spoke.

The boy no longer wasted any time with idle chatter. He lifted his right hand and grabbed the jade bottle, opened it, then with a flick of his wrist, three blue drops of liquid flew towards Su Ming. Tian Lan Meng quickly lifted her hand and an ice bottle appeared in it. The three drops of liquid accurately fell into the bottle, and the ice bottle instantly turned a deep-blue color.

The boy then waved his arm and a chain flew towards Su Ming, who caught it.

The instant he caught the chain, Su Ming's mind shuddered. A feeling as if he could determine the Fire Ape's life and death, which was connected to the end of the chain, appeared in his heart. With just one thought, that Fire Ape would instantly die.

"I'll lend you that chain temporarily, but not for too long. Search for a way to control the Fire Ape as quickly as possible, and once you do, throw the chain into the sky. It'll return to me.

"The ape is brutal, be careful." Once the boy finished speaking, the cloudiness in the space before him vanished, allowing the others to be able to see his face and hear his voice again.

As for the dialogue between the three people and their expressions, well, no one could hear or see any of it. This was a special arrangement made by the small auction. It was a protection made in consideration of private negotiations between the parties involved.

The people on either side of the room did not pay too much heed to it. Only some of them cast a few looks at Su Ming and Tian Lan Meng, but Su Ming found it difficult to discern exactly how they were looking at him from their gazes.

After all, compared to these people, he was still a little green.

Su Ming did not join the subsequent auctions. Instead, he simply watched the people bring out rare items. Some of them made Su Ming's heart pound in excitement, but he did not have anything in exchange for those things, and there were only few of the people who would suggest using stone coins as a method of trading. Most of them preferred using the barter system.

"I won't be bringing out a lot of items. In fact, I'll only be selling one thing!"

All the people there had a chance to sell something, they could also say what they wanted to trade it for. At that moment, the person who spoke was someone sitting on Su Ming's other side.

That person's body was blurred out and his features could not be seen clearly. His voice was not old, but instead sounded as if it was drifting. There was a certain rhythm to his speech.

As that person spoke, he lifted his right hand and pointed to the space before him. Immediately, the space which he pointed to distorted, and a small bottle floated out from within.

Once the bottle appeared, it gradually became transparent and the bottle opened up by itself. A medicinal scent spread out from the bottle and filled the entire dark room. As the body of the bottle slowly became transparent and all the people's gazes turned towards it, they clearly saw four spherical shaped things the size of a fingernail in the bottle!

'Medicinal pills?!'

Su Ming did not expect that there would be two things that would throw him into such huge shock in this small auction!

Chapter 315: Return

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The medicinal scent filled the dark room and spread around, causing the people who took a whiff of it to feel refreshed. Su Ming looked at the four medicinal pills in the transparent bottle; they were green. The inside of the bottle seemed like an illusion, as if the four medicinal pills inside did not blend in with the surroundings.

Once the person beside Su Ming brought out the medicinal pills, he stated unhurriedly in his seat, "These are four second grade Shaman Cores. I've already verified their uses myself. They're used to treat wounds."

"Shaman Core…"

Su Ming looked calm, but his heart was trembling. This auction had let him get to learn of many items he never knew before. He stared at the transparent jade bottle and remained silent.

"You actually managed to snatch Shaman Cores from Shaman Priests? Interesting. But I don't really believe that those are second grade Shaman Cores!" a dark voice said. The person who spoke was someone among the people sitting on the other side of the room. While speaking, he lifted his right hand and seized at the air in the direction of the jade bottle.

That bottle instantly charged towards him, and once he held it, he poured one of the medicinal pills into his hand and brought it to his nose to sniff it.

The person beside Su Ming did not stop the other person from doing so. Clearly, doing such a thing was normal in the auction. He was not worried that the Shaman Core would be stolen.

There were also others who grabbed the bottle through the air and took out the medicinal pills inside to inspect them. Usually, they would only look at a pill for a moment before putting it back into the medicine bottle.

Quite a number of people inspected those pills. A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He waited for a moment, and once he saw that no one else inspected those pills, he lifted his right hand and clutched it in the direction of the medicine bottle. Immediately, that medicine bottle flew to him. He poured out one of them and took a few close looks before also choosing to sniff it.

A medicinal scent wafted into his nose, but there was also a bloody stench contained within it. He stared at the pill, and while Su Ming was certain that this was a medicinal pill, it was not of the few types he knew about.

The quenching process for this pill was also rather crude. It might look as round as a Core, but once Su Ming took a closer look, he could see numerous small holes in the pill. It was not as good as the medicinal pills Su Ming created, which looked natural.

'When I went to the land of the Shamans, the Patriarch of Lizard Shaman Tribe said that my Spirit Plunder was a Barren Core when he saw it… Now, by the looks of it, the Shamans do indeed have the methods to create medicinal pills, and they are similar to mine.

'But the products of the quenching process I learned are called medicinal pills, and the Shamans call theirs Shaman Cores… By the looks of these Shaman Cores, they are lacking compared to my medicinal pills.'

Su Ming put the Shaman Core in his hand back into the medicine bottle, then pushed it forward and kept silent.

The Shaman Cores did not incite a large scale competition, but there were some people who negotiated privately with the owner of those Cores while everyone else's sights were obscured. Then each of them obtained those Shaman Cores in exchange for some item of their own.

The small auction lasted for a long time. Su Ming renounced the chance to bring out anything to be auctioned. He did not have anything that could be sold, anyway. Tian Lan Meng was the same. Another hour passed by before the small auction ended.

This was the first time Su Ming had joined a private auction of such high standards. Most of the items these people brought out were things he had never heard about. As the private auction ended, while Su Ming might not have obtained a lot of things from it, he had gained new knowledge about more valuable items.

If it was not for this chance, he would have needed a long time to slowly accumulate this sort of knowledge. When the private auction ended, the boy waved his arm, and the blurred out figures of the people sitting by either side of the room started turning into illusions and slowly grew invisible before they eventually vanished into thin air.

To enter this place, people would need to step into the golden tent. There were about a dozen golden tents in Western Sea Clan, and it was not necessary for them to enter the dark room through the biggest golden tent located at the center of the tribe.

That was why when the people left the dark room, most of them would be separated, and once they left the golden tent, they would usually quickly leave the place.

Su Ming and Tian Lan Meng walked out. In Su Ming's hand was a chain with a Fire Ape with dark red fur at its end. When the ape left the tent, it lifted its head to look at the sky. As it watched the snow floating down from the sky, it shuddered.

"Brother Su, this bag of mine can store living things. Quickly, put that Fire Ape in there. We must leave this place immediately."

The moment they walked out of the golden tent and Zi Che as well as Tian Lan Meng's followers went back to them, Tian Lan Meng quickly spoke to Su Ming. At the same time, she brought out a small white bag before handing it to him.

Su Ming did not hesitate. He took the small bag and scanned it with his divine sense. Once he did so, he patted the bag gently, and instantly, a mighty and great power of absorption shot out from within it, sweeping away the Fire Ape and sucking it into the bag in an instant.

"Let's go!"

Tian Lan Meng turned into a long arc and rose into the air. Su Ming took a step and bounded forward. Even if Tian Lan Meng had taken off first and was charging forward, with that one step, Su Ming could stay by her side in midair.

Zi Che and the girl followed behind them while the man with the white mask stayed at the very end of the team. His footsteps were paced moderately and he looked rather relaxed.

They turned into several long arcs in the air and traveled into the distance gradually.

No one spoke on the way. Su Ming was caught in his thoughts. Sometimes, he would lower his head and look at the small white bag. He still did not know how to describe that feeling within himself. The very first moment he saw the Fire Ape, he had been shocked, and mixed feelings had even arisen in his heart.

He had hoped that the ape was Xiao Hong but found it hard to accept the possibility of it being the truth. When he saw that the ape was not Xiao Hong, his heart was filled with melancholy and longing for him.

With those complicated feelings in his heart, Su Ming flew silently with Tian Lan Meng. When the sky started becoming bright and they were some distance away from the temporary tribe built by Western Sea Clan, Tian Lan Meng turned around and gave Su Ming a look.

"The thing you used in exchange for the Fire Ape was also a type of Shaman Core." Tian Lan Meng's voice was gentle and no one else could hear it, because it appeared in Su Ming's mind.

Su Ming was on the receiving end of this method of communication before in the private auction. It had been a very strange experience.

"This is a simple Art belonging to the Immortals. It's easy to describe it, but it's difficult for Berserkers to master it." Tian Lan Meng smiled at Su Ming. She could tell that Su Ming was baffled by this sort of Art that could transmit sound.

"You don't need to tell me. I don't know whether you know its origins. If you know, it's fine, but if you didn't, well, now you do.

"But that Shaman Core of yours was very special. It was very different from the ones I've seen before. If it wasn't because I had seen plenty of Shaman Cores in my life, it would have been difficult for me to identify it. The boy from Western Sea Clan thinks he's very knowledgeable, but he still didn't manage to discern the origins of that thing at first glance."

Tian Lan Meng's smile was very beautiful. As she smiled, her eyes turned into the shape of a crescent moon, and it added a charm to her that would make people's hearts flutter.

Su Ming carefully sensed the way Tian Lan Meng's voice echoed in his mind. By using his divine sense to observe it, he could tell somewhat that the voice was transmitted through an aura. This aura was not the power of Qi that was contained in the flesh and blood, but it was another sort of power that was contained in the world.

It would have been difficult for other people to notice this aura, but it was not so for Su Ming. There was another path that had been opened up within his body, and that same aura was contained within that path!

He had sensed it before and given it a name himself - Aura Refinement Art.

After a moment of deep thought, a gust of aura started circulating within the opened path in Su Ming's body. The instant it surged out, it fused together with his divine sense. When his divine sense spread out and the instant it touched Tian Lan Meng, Su Ming gained an epiphany, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Perhaps it's not so." Su Ming did not use his mouth to say those words. His voice had instead traveled directly into Tian Lan Meng's mind.

"Oh? ...Eh?"

Tian Lan Meng had originally not discovered that he was talking to her without using his mouth, but very soon, she was stunned. She widened her eyes and turned around swiftly to look at Su Ming, and on her face was shock and disbelief.

"You… were you speaking just now?" Tian Lan Meng asked after a moment of hesitation.

"That's right, I said 'perhaps it's not so'." Su Ming sent his voice into her head.

"...You learn too quickly…" There was a strange look on Tian Lan Meng's face when she glanced at him before continued moving forward.

After a long while, Tian Lan Meng finally could not help it and asked, "How did you do it?"

"I did it just the way you did it. It wasn't anything difficult to begin with. Once I got the gist of it, it was easy," Su Ming answered, smiling.

"Oh well, it's fine if you don't want to say it. But it's a good thing for us if you can speak with your mind. Su Ming, I need your help during Sky Mist Shaman Hunt." A stern look appeared on Tian Lan Meng's face.

"Details." Su Ming sighed internally. There was no way he could refuse this now. After all, the things that happened during the auction had turned her into his creditor…

Tian Lan Meng looked at Su Ming and said after a moment of hesitation, "I can't tell you the details now. This isn't a good place to talk. When Sky Mist Shaman Hunt begins, I'll tell you everything in detail. Once you help me, not only will you not owe me stone coins, but I'll also reward you greatly in other ways."

"Alright, but I'll say this beforehand. I don't care how dangerous this is, if it exceeds my abilities and endangers my life, then I will choose to give up. I'll think of another way to return the stone coins I owe you," Su Ming said in a low tone.

"Alright." Tian Lan Meng smiled and nodded towards him.

Time trickled by as the two of them talked to each other with their minds, and it lasted until evening. They arrived back in Freezing Sky Clan without running into any danger. As Tian Lan Meng looked at the nine summits on the ground, she brought out a deep-blue ice bottle from her bosom, then poured a drop of the blue liquid in there into another ice bottle.

"I'll take one of the three drops of Sea Marrow as an interest, and I'll return the other two drops to you. This item is very valuable. Once you take in one drop, it'll produce a large life force within you. It's a life saver," Tian Lan Meng said and gave the ice bottle containing the two drops of Sea Marrow to Su Ming.

"With this thing around, our chances of survival during Sky Mist Shaman Hunt will increase." As she spoke, Tian Lan Meng smiled once again before she flew back to the seventh summit in a long arc. The girl followed behind her. The man with the white mask had already gone somewhere else.

Su Ming looked at Tian Lan Meng's departing figure, lowered his head to look at the ice bottle in his hands, turned around, and flew back to the ninth summit with Zi Che.

There were now less than two months until Sky Mist Shaman Hunt began...

Chapter 316: Xiao Hong

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The battle was practically hanging over Su Ming's head now!

Two months was incredibly short for him. That amount of time might even naturally pass while waiting to obtain an epiphany. That amount of time was not enough for him to isolate himself to train either.

Besides, there was not even two months. More accurately, there was only about one and a half month left.

The entire Freezing Sky Clan was in a state of silence akin to the calm before a storm. That was not to say that people were being quiet, it was just a condition formed by everyone's mental condition. It was a feeling.

All those who were going to enter Sky Mist Shaman Hunt were making their final preparations restlessly. Either they were going to cause a stir during the battle, or they were going to die in foreign lands.

The great Shaman battle that only happened once a century usually ended with blood-soaked Sky Mist City…

Once Su Ming returned to the ninth summit, he made a decision. He would not leave the ninth summit before the start of Sky Mist Shaman Hunt. He would use the remaining time to make his final preparations.

He had too many things to do.

He Feng's fusion with the Wings of the Moon had reached its critical stage. This was his final transformation. Once he succeeded, He Feng would become a strong guard for Su Ming during Sky Mist Shaman Hunt.

There was also the creation of Spirit Plunder as well. He had enough materials now, so all Su Ming needed was the aura of death, and once he had enough Spirit Plunders on standby, he would be ready for the battle in the land of Shamans.

He also needed to examine the Barren Cauldron he had obtained. After all, if he did not open it, then he would not be able to use it to create other medicinal pills. The battle in Sky Mist this time would last for years or even longer, that was why he needed to prepare a large amount of medicinal pills, or else, once an accident happened, he would die.

There was also the matter about Su Ming's own training. He had to spend more time on turning the black mist into Runes for his Divine General Armor and make it even sturdier.

Su Ming also had to train and refine his body even more for when he used Picture Creation's second Style and activated the Golden Roc's speed. Only by doing so could he be able to withstand even faster speeds.

He had also sensed the key for him to go from the later stage of the Awakening Realm to great completion in the Awakening Realm. He had to go and retrieve his repaired xun and play the song from Dark Mountain so that his cultivation base could reach great completion in the Awakening Realm.

Su Ming had to prepare all of these things. As for Si Ma Xin… well, he did not have time to care about him. The moment that person had failed to plant the Berserker Seed in him, he had already lost his courage to face Su Ming head on.

'Bai Su…' Su Ming sat on the stone platform outside his cave and Bai Su appeared in his head. She started to gradually fade away in his head, and eventually disappeared.

Once Su Ming calmed his mind, he brought out a small white bag from his bosom when it was dark and the moon hung high in the sky. He looked at the bag and sorrow appeared on his face.

It was a deep sorrow that was usually hidden deep within Su Ming's heart, only revealing itself occasionally, albeit rarely. Every single time that sorrow appeared, the scar on Su Ming's face would turn as red as blood.

After a long while, Su Ming patted the bag gently. Instantly, a layer of mist spread out from the bag, clinking of chains coming from within it,, and as it did so, a dark red shadow charged out of the mist with a speed so quick it was difficult to see with the naked eye.

That dark red shadow came to an abrupt halt several dozens of feet before Su Ming. Its body became clear—it was the Fire Ape. It squatted down before him and glared at him with hate and disgust, along with a strong desire to not submit to him.

From its gaze, Su Ming could sense the pride within the ape's heart and its hatred towards all the living. Clearly, it had gone through an endless amount of suffering and torture in the boy's hands. Yet not only did his actions not subjugate the ape, they instead fuelled it with a maddening killing intent towards all the people around it.

Even Su Ming, who had looked at him slightly differently previously, was completely hateful in its eyes as he sat before it at that moment. Once the ape had the chance, it would tear its body apart.

Zi Che stood up in the distance and took a few steps forward as he glared at the Fire Ape coldly. He could sense the intense rage and madness from the ape. If it was not for the chain binding it, it would probably have instantly jumped on Su Ming and killed him, and once it did so, it would roar towards the skies before running away.

Zi Che could also sense a powerful, threatening feeling from that animal. That ape might be weakened now, but there was a mighty pressure that was equivalent to the power of those in the Bone Sacrifice Realm coming from within it. That pressure might be faint and weak right then, but it was there, and it was a clear sign on just how strong the ape was when it was at the peak of its health.

The speed just now had especially shocked Zi Che.

Almost the instant Zi Che took a few cautious steps forward, that Fire Ape immediately turned around and glared at him with bloodshot eyes before charging towards him with a murderous aura. He only managed to see a dark-red shadow charging out, and in an instant, it was already only thirty feet away from him.

With a bang, that chain was stretched taut, causing the Fire Ape's speed to come to an abrupt halt and its claw swipe through the air twenty feet away from Zi Che. It might not have touched Zi Che, but it still stirred a strong gust of wind that stunned him where he stood. The wind against his face was so strong that it caused a faint stab of pain.

The Fire Ape that was tied down by the chain around its neck was howling at the sky at that moment. Its voice was filled with despair, resignation, and resentment. The flesh under its neck was also torn into a bloody mess because the chain was wound too tightly.

"Zi Che, stand down." Su Ming was staring at the Fire Ape when he whispered.

Zi Che bent his body down and bowed towards him. He took a few steps back but kept his eyes trained warily on the Fire Ape. That creature's savage presence was shocking, and he could already imagine that it would definitely turn into a huge disaster once it broke free of the chains and regained its freedom.

Though Zi Che retreated some distance away, the madness in the Fire Ape's eyes did not diminish, it instead became stronger. It could be seen from the ape's expression alone that it did not believe in anyone and harbored an intense repulsion and hatred towards everything around it. Su Ming could also tell… that it was using its savageness and madness to hide the loneliness in its heart.

These were the things Su Ming saw.

"I once had a companion," Su Ming whispered softly.

The moment he opened his mouth, the Fire Ape turned around and stared at him. The red glare in its eyes appeared once again. As the murderous glint appeared in its eyes, it turned around, squatted down, and ruthlessness appeared on its expression.

"Its name…"

When Su Ming said the last word, the expression of Zi Che, who was standing not too far away, changed.

The Fire Ape let out a piercing howl, and it rushed so quickly that it only left behind a shadow. It charged towards Su Ming so quickly that it arrived before him in an instant, its murderous aura burning so strongly that it could burn the skies. By the looks of it, it seemed as if the ape wanted to tear a hole through Su Ming's chest, tear out his heart, and eat it raw.

Sorrow appeared on Su Ming's face. The Fire Ape saw that sorrow, but not only did it not slow down, it became even faster. Yet the moment it was about to touch Su Ming's body, the ape suddenly let out a shrill cry. Its neck was bound tightly by the chain, causing it to be unable to breathe. The chain also jerked backwards, causing the ape to be dragged away and thrown against the wall beside Su Ming.

A bang echoed in the air, and cracks appeared on the wall. The Fire Ape's body fell down, but the beast immediately climbed up and continued howling at Su Ming with madness and ferocity.

"Uncle master, be careful!" At that moment, Zi Che's voice buzzed in Su Ming's ears. Everything had happened too quickly, and all of it only lasted for an instant.

"...was Xiao Hong…" Su Ming did not stop speaking, finishing his sentence. If anyone was going to describe the scene just now, then it could be said that everything happened during Su Ming's first sentence.

"When we became acquainted with each other, I was just a naive teenager, and it lived in the forest…" Su Ming spoke softly as if he was mumbling, but it also seemed as if he was speaking to the Fire Ape.

The brutality on the Fire Ape's face became stronger, as if it did not understand Su Ming's words. It charged towards him once again, even though it knew that it was useless. Still, it continued charging towards Su Ming.

It closed in on him in the span of a breath, but before its claw could tear through his skin, the chain around its neck instantly threw him back again and it crashed on the ground.

Zi Che let out a sigh of relief only then. He took a few steps back and looked in the direction where Su Ming and the Fire Ape were with wariness. That Fire Ape was very strong and its strength had delivered a large shock to Zi Che. Not only was it fast, it was also incredibly powerful, so powerful that the murderous aura in it was still burning intensely even though its body had already sustained such heavy injuries.

"I was weak, and besides being agile, there was nothing else good about me… but I was very familiar with that forest, that's why I usually ran around there. I thought that I was really quick…

"Until I met Xiao Hong…" As Su Ming mumbled, that Fire Ape let out a piercing screech and charged towards him once again. Yet once it arrived before him, it was still thrown back by the chain. A crashing sound reverberated through the air, and it covered Su Ming's voice.

"I remember that when we first met, it was sitting on a tree branch with a piece of fruit in its claw. It was laughing at me from that tree… It had fire-red fur just like yours…"

Nostalgia appeared in Su Ming's eyes. As he spoke, the Fire Ape appeared before him once again, yet what awaited it was it falling to the ground once again. This time, it coughed out a mouthful of blood.

Yet the madness and ferociousness on its face did not dwindle.

"It was very beautiful and I really liked it… I wanted to catch it, but it was just too fast… perhaps it was fate, but after that, every single time I entered that forest, I saw it…" A smile appeared on Su Ming's face. It was a nostalgic smile brought about by reminiscence.

The moment that smile appeared, the Fire Ape charged towards him once again. However, this time, before it could even get closer to Su Ming, it saw the gentle smile on his face and trembled.

It possessed high intelligence and could differentiate good intentions from bad. It had also never believed in people, be it their smiles or their words, because from its experiences, they were never true.

It did not believe in anyone. It only believed in its own instincts.

That was why while it had understood Su Ming's words, it chose to ignore him and instead used violence to fight against him. However, right then, at that very moment it saw the gentle smile on Su Ming's face, for a reason it did not know itself, that smile touched its soul, which was hidden deep inside.

There was not a hint of ill will in that smile, but neither was that smile aimed towards it…

Nonetheless, there was sincerity within that smile, and even a hint of sorrow that was hidden underneath joy.

That Fire Ape stopped and squatted down ten feet away from Su Ming. It looked at the person before it, and a hint of hesitation appeared on the brutal expression on its face.

"I gave Xiao Hong its name…" Su Ming mumbled and closed his eyes.

Chapter 317: Familiarity…

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Ming opened his eyes and looked at the Fire Ape that was squatting down ten feet away from him. He whispered softly, "I always wanted to catch it…"

Perhaps there would be someone who could truly tame this Fire Ape in the Land of South Morning, but all their taming methods would be related to brute force, because it was just like the boy had said, that Fire Ape was a new type!

That was why no one had any experience in taming Fire Apes. They could only use the taming methods they applied on other fierce beasts. Only Su Ming and Su Ming alone had the experience of befriending a Fire Ape.

Because when he was young, there was a Fire Ape that had been with him for his entire childhood.

"But I never managed to catch it…"

Su Ming stood up, and as he shook his head, he walked towards the Fire Ape. Almost the same moment, wariness appeared on the Fire Ape's face. It let out a low growl, and as it did, the savage look appeared on its face once again.

"This lasted for several years before it let me catch it on purpose… At that time, I was really happy, but it was not until a long time later that I realized that it let itself be caught on purpose, because it was also very lonely in the forest… just like me," Su Ming mumbled, walking towards the Fire Ape.

A fierce light appeared in the ape's eyes, and the moment Su Ming walked over, it suddenly leaped up and swiped its claw at his face. It was so fast that in the blink of an eye, a huge gust of wind blew against Su Ming's face.

Yet this time, almost the moment its claw was about to touch Su Ming, Su Ming's body turned to the side. It looked as if he was ripped apart by the Fire Ape, but in truth, the beast had only torn apart an afterimage.

"Only then did I know that it was not me who found it, but that it chose me to be its friend… a friend for eternity…" Su Ming mumbled and shifted his body to the side before he took a step to stand behind the Fire Ape. He lifted his right hand and brushed the fur behind its head lightly. His touch was very gentle, just like how he petted Xiao Hong in the past. This particular action made Xiao Hong the most comfortable.

The Fire Ape shuddered and turned around. It bared its teeth and anger appeared on its face to hide that thump of its heart during that instant.

Su Ming looked at the Fire Ape snarling at him and said softly, "You're very fast. If you weren't tied down by the chain, you'd be even faster… just like Xiao Hong. It's also very fast. When I was young, I could never catch up to it…

"This place isn't suitable for you to stay. Perhaps the land of the Shamans is a more suitable choice for you. I won't harm you. Once I go to the land of the Shamans, I'll release the chains, and I'll… return your freedom to you…" Su Ming mumbled and looked at the Fire Ape.

The ape took a few steps back and looked at Su Ming warily, as if it did not understand what he had just said.

"Let's make a bet and see who is faster."

Su Ming suddenly smiled. That smile contained a sense of naivety that was rarely seen on his face since he arrived in the Land of South Morning. It was a smile that belonged to a young boy, not a man.

"If you win, I'll unchain you right that instant and return you your freedom, but if you lose, then you must brush your fur. You look far too dirty right now." Su Ming looked at the Fire Ape, and the Fire Ape also looked at Su Ming.

"We'll race from here to the top of the mountain. Let's see whose speed is faster… You have to follow the rules."

Su Ming pointed towards the top of the ninth summit, then at the Fire Ape, before he let go of the chain in his left hand.

The moment he let go of the chain in his left hand, the Fire Ape charged forward, but it did not run towards the top of the mountain. It instead seemed to have jumped into the air and flown towards the world in the distance. It howled, and its voice was filled with mockery.

Zi Che was shocked still where he stood by the side. A wry smile appeared on his face. He had always thought that Su Ming was a bright person, but he could only smile wryly at the things he was seeing right now.

"At the very least, its first thought is to escape, not to attack me."

Su Ming looked at Zi Che with a smile, then took a step towards the sky. The moment his foot landed, booming sounds came from his body. Four of the sixteen ice hoops on his legs had exploded!

Because of it, Su Ming's speed instantly increased. In the blink of an eye, he rushed after the Fire Ape and even closed the distance between them. Once he did so, booming sounds came from his body once again, and four more ice hoops exploded. The moment that happened, his speed reached a level as if he could warp through space itself. With one step, his body seemed to have disappeared, and once he reappeared, he was already less than one hundred feet away from the Fire Ape!

The Fire Ape swiftly turned its head around, and disbelief appeared on its face. It let out a piercing screech, then as it charged forward at its full speed, two more booms fell into its ears.

Two more ice hoops exploded on Su Ming's body. His speed increased to the point that he appeared before the Fire Ape in the blink of an eye and blocked its path forward.

"You have to follow the rules," said Su Ming with a smile.

The Fire Ape widened its eyes and snarled, then it swiftly went backwards to run in another direction. Su Ming looked at its retreat, and praise appeared in his eyes.

Even the Fire Ape itself was not certain why it chose to change directions instead of brutally tearing apart Su Ming's body like it had wanted to do previously.

Perhaps Su Ming's words had had an effect on it, or maybe his smile had touched it, perhaps it was that gentle touch from Su Ming's hand that made it hesitate, or it could have been something else…

When the Fire Ape changed its direction, Su Ming took a step forward, and when he reappeared the next instant, he stood before the ape once again. It was not until the Fire Ape changed its direction a few more times, his path repeatedly blocked by Su Ming, did the savageness return to its face.

It let out a piercing howl and no longer changed its direction. Instead, with bloodshot eyes filled with madness, it lifted both its claws and swiped them at Su Ming with full intention of tearing apart the person that was blocking its path.

Almost the moment the Fire Ape swiped at Su Ming, black mist surrounded his body and his Divine General Armor instantly appeared as an illusion. That armor may look as it did usually, but if anyone took a closer look, they would see that the black mist had gathered into a large amount of lines that criss-crossed against each other to perfectly form the armor.

The instant the Fire Ape's claws were about to touch the armor on Su Ming's body, a booming sound echoed in the air and a powerful force spread from within the Fire Ape. That force was so great that it was definitely not something a Berserker in the Awakening Realm could summon. It was one equivalent to those in the Bone Sacrifice Realm!

This was also when it was tied down by the chain, weakened. If the ape was at the peak of its health, then the force of that strike would definitely surpass what it could summon now.

With the booming sound echoing in the air, Su Ming took a few steps backwards, but his expression did not change. Yet the Fire Ape did not continue with its attack. It instead used the bounce created by that boom and leaped backwards, charging… right towards the top of the ninth summit!

As it dashed forward, a smug expression appeared on the Fire Ape's face. Although it was still snarling, that pleased expression was still as clear as day. It only used the span of several breaths before it reached the top of the ninth summit. It stood there and pounded its chest with its fists, then scanned the area. Judging by its actions, it was looking for Su Ming to boast to him.

Yet the moment it saw him, it was very clearly stunned, because it saw two Su Mings. One of them was smiling while looking at it from where they clashed, and the other was standing by its side while picking up the other end of the chain binding its neck that had fallen on the ground.

"You lost…"

Su Ming smiled faintly as he held the chain in his hands. At that moment, the shadow of his in the air far into the distance turned into black fog. That fog tumbled about before turning into a Phantom Shadow that charged towards the platform outside Su Ming's cave. When that fog descended on the platform, it turned back into a three pronged fork, then with a buzzing sound, it stabbed into the platform.

Zi Che was also baffled by the scene before his eyes. He had clearly seen Su Ming himself chasing after the Fire Ape, but he hadn't managed to see when he swapped places with the Phantom Fork.

Anger appeared on the Fire Ape's face. It turned towards Su Ming swiftly and growled at him with its teeth bared.

"We're not redoing the match, I didn't cheat," Su Ming said with a smile. The moment he finished speaking, he was suddenly stunned.

He was not the only one who was stunned. The Fire Ape was also stunned.

Su Ming was stunned because during that instant, he had naturally understood what the Fire Ape wanted to say when it growled and bared its teeth at him. It was as if that Fire Ape had turned into Xiao Hong.

The years together with Xiao Hong had allowed them to reach a level where they could understand what the other wanted to say just by their actions and expressions alone.

But this ape was… clearly not Xiao Hong…

The Fire Ape was stunned, because in its memories, there was no one in the world who could immediately understand what it was trying to say as if they'd know what it was thinking. Just then, it had indeed expressed that it wanted to redo the match…

It suddenly began to somewhat believe that this person who was slightly different from the other humans and who also happened to be a person that it did not especially hate and despise did indeed have a friend called Xiao Hong...

Su Ming remained silent for a moment and looked at the Fire Ape with a dazed expression. After a long while, he shook his head.

"You lost. Let me clean your fur."

As Su Ming spoke, he walked to the Fire Ape's side and was just about to use snow to wash its fur when the Fire Ape shuddered. Clearly, it was not used to the cold, but after a moment of hesitation, it chose not to move away and simply allowed Su Ming to start rubbing snow on its body.

After a few rubs, the white snow turned black, and the Fire Ape was also clearly uncomfortable. It hissed and growled at Su Ming before retreating several dozens of feet away. Its eyes sparkled, and immediately, a ring of fire erupted and surrounded the Fire Are. Cracking sounds echoed in the air, and after a moment, when the flames disappeared, the Fire Ape's body immediately returned to its fire-red shade.

The fire-red color overlapped with the red in Su Ming's memories…

Just when a dazed look appeared in his eyes, suddenly, low growls came from his cave located lower in the mountain. Those growls were filled with pain and spoke of someone struggling, and that voice... belonged to He Feng!

He Feng's final fusion had just begun at that moment!

Su Ming immediately snapped out of his stupor and swiftly looked towards the cave. With one leap, he charged down, and the Fire Ape followed behind him with an impatient look on its face. Yet when it looked at Su Ming, that expression on its face was clearly different from before.

That different look had never appeared on its face ever since it could remember.

That look was one of bafflement, of puzzlement, of uncertainty, of … bewilderment it did not understand.