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Chapter 353: The Signs of the Bone Sacrifice Realm!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The roars of the war drums thundered in the air. Even the thick green fog in the sky had also started tumbling about even more intensely. It was as if the battle between the powerful warriors within the fog was near conclusion.
Su Ming and his team of several hundred heard the war drums from Sky Mist City where they stood beyond the battlefield. The fiery war drums were filled with a strong penetrating force that reverberated through the land and echoed in Su Ming and the other people's ears.
"Those who follow me! If you don't die even after numerous battles, then you'll have become a powerful warrior!"
Su Ming's previous shout had fused with the roars from the war drums, causing the willpower of these hundreds of men to turn into a motivation for them to move forward without fear. At that moment, they had forgotten about death. In their eyes, they only saw Su Ming, only saw him as he continued moving forward.
Where that figure was, so would his willpower be. Where that figure was, so would that presence be!
At that moment, they had already attracted a large amount of attention. An increasing number of Berserkers had turned their gazes towards them, and even the aloof Tian Lan You was also looking at them coldly.
It was the same for Sky Mist City.
This small team's performance had now reached its most intense moment. Su Ming charged right in front, and about three hundred people followed behind him, displaying an iron will that was like a murderous dragon, a furious tiger that did not care about anything and only charged forward to kill.
The idea behind the courageous one winning when two adversaries fight against each other could occasionally not be aimed at just one person, but also an entire group! Just like now, the hundreds of people right behind Su Ming were precisely like that!
Their levels of cultivation may not be equal, but they had a presence that allowed them to stare at death with an unflinching gaze!
"There's nothing to fear about death!" With blood all over his body, Yan Bo let out a huge roar. He followed behind Su Ming with a ferocious face and started fighting madly.
The hundred something Shamans may be strong, but no matter how strong they were, there was still a limit. If one person among the hundreds of people following Su Ming could not win against that Shaman, then two of them would fight against him, if two could not make it, then they would fight with three!
If the three of them could not make it, then the person who was the most grievously injured would definitely grit his teeth and choose to self-destruct. That force triggered by the self-destruction, the thunderous rumbles, and the level of devastation brought by the fights were much more grand but tragic compared to the battles elsewhere.
Courage was needed for a person to self-destruct. That courage needed was usually more than what was required to kill someone or what was required to be killed. This was a personal choice, and that person would need to struggle with his own thoughts, would need true courage before he could do it.
Perhaps there would be plenty of times where many people did not have this sort of courage, but on a battlefield, even if someone did not choose to self-destruct, there was a high possibility that he would not be able to leave alive anyway. A true man would rather die and bring his enemy down with him!
Booming sounds reverberated through the air. The sounds of explosions caused by self-destruction continuously rang out. The vicious smirks before their faces shattered, the final words they said before their bodies exploded drove the others on, stirred up all the Berserkers who were watching them.
In the midst of the war drums roaring in the air, as the hundreds of Berserkers fought on madly, as Su Ming charged forward right at the forefront of the team, a large number of Shamans died in this close quarter battle!
Death was just one of the things that happened to them. More importantly, for the first time, their gazes as they looked at Su Ming became tainted with fear.
It was impossible for them not to fear. In the face of all those eyes filled with madness, in the face of all these people who, if they did not manage to kill them, would definitely choose to rush forward and trigger a self-destruction once they were gravely wounded, how could they… not be afraid?!
Su Ming's battle was also horrifying to watch. His right arm was already a bloody mess, and blood poured down from his chest. His hair was in disarray, and a deep sense of fatigue continuously spread through his entire body.
However, his eyes remained clear. His left eye still retained that aloof gaze, and his right eye was still shining with that bewitching shade of red. His hair had already turned purple due to the blood, and even if it was twilight, he was still eye-catching.
He had already activated his full speed. As he moved forward in a flash of light and his followers continued chasing after him madly, the group of Shamans remaining after most of their companions had died began to crumble!
It was the breaking down of their minds, a signal that they wanted to back down!
The remaining thirty odd Shamans, including the two Hunters left, chose to retreat simultaneously. They chose to gather together with the second wave of warriors who were swiftly rushing towards them from the back.
They were afraid!
The Berserkers had also paid a huge price. Besides the people who had run away previously, now, there were only a hundred something Berserkers following behind Su Ming.
These hundred something men were all covered head to toe in blood, were all looking ahead with bloodshot eyes shining with a freezing glare, were all… heroes!
The instant these thirty odd Shamans began retreating, Su Ming panted harshly and lifted his head. Suddenly, he took a huge step forward with his right foot. With that one step, his afterimage was left behind on the ground, but his body seemed to have shot through space itself, and they could see clearly that a layer of blood mist suddenly appeared in the air not too far away from the thirty odd Shamans who were running away. Almost the instant that blood mist appeared, Su Ming, with a brief distortion of his body, stood beside the two Hunters.
Su Ming's appearance was incredibly bizarre. Once he appeared, his legs started rapidly turning into a bloody mess. That layer of blood mist just now was due to his body being unable to withstand the effects of him activating that sort of speed for far too many times, and that layer of blood mist appeared when a part of his body exploded.
Along with his appearance came a strong gust of wind that lifted up the desolate air on the ground and charged straight towards the two Hunters from the Shaman Tribe. With a thunderous roar in the air, one of the Hunters was caught completely off guard and shivered. What awaited him was his world turning upside down, because his head had been sliced off cleanly by Su Ming's palm.
That Hunter should not have been so weak, but his mind had been broken during the previous battle, and he had also seen the reinforcements during his escape. The instant his mind broke down and he became relaxed, Su Ming's extreme speed brought about his doom.
However, he was still a Hunter. Almost the instant his head was sliced off, his body exploded. He'd chosen to self-destruct when he knew he was already dead.
The act of the Hunter triggering a self-destruction was borderline madness, because there were other Shamans around him besides Su Ming. Su Ming bore the brunt of the attack, but the instant the force of the explosion rammed into him and he was pushed into a crisis, while he had no idea whether it was just a misconception on his part, but at that brief instant, he had a feeling that the sacrificed bone he obtained from Han Mountain's ancestor melted a little…
However, it had just melted a tiny little bit. Su Ming did not have time to mull over it. He activated his speed once more and quickly retreated. In a moment, he disappeared, and when he reappeared, he was already right in front of the remaining hundred odd Berserkers.
Almost the instant he appeared, thunderous booms shook the sky and earth. The Hunter's self-destruction had dragged in many others into the explosion, causing a lot of Shamans around him to be unable to dodge it. Shrill screams of pain filled the air, and about a dozen of them died or were injured.
Blood flowed down Su Ming's mouth and he staggered, coughing out a huge mouthful of blood. His face was stark white, and the world before his eyes became clouded. He only managed to hang on after gritting his teeth.
His heart pounded against his chest. The feeling he had during the explosion made his eyes lit up. By then, he was already very certain. During that instant just now, that bone within his body had indeed melted a little!
He stood there and looked ahead. Behind him were his hundred followers, and before him were the first wave of Shamans who suffered a huge blow to their numbers, along with the second wave of Shamans who were closing in on them rapidly.
"Su Ming, the Hunter!"
"Su Ming, the Hunter!"
No one could say who exactly was the first to start the chant among the hundred Berserkers behind Su Ming, but soon, almost every single one of them began roaring at the top of their lungs. Their eyes burned with fervor. They had seen Su Ming's final act, seen that head in Su Ming's hand right now!
Zhou De took a deep breath in the southern warzone and a faint smile appeared on his lips. He had seen Su Ming's final act and heard the mad cries from the hundred Berserkers behind him.
Tian Lan Meng stared at the light screen before her blankly, looking at a certain figure on it. She looked at his blood soaked robes and the many parts of his body that had turned into a bloody mess, then she bit her lip, was immersed in her own thoughts.
As for the old man from the northern warzone who had been calculating with his fingers, he had also become visibly affected.
Only Tian Lan You frowned, remaining as aloof as ever.
The sounds of the war drums from Sky Mist City grew even more heated. The old men standing on the wall were no longer speaking, but were simply staring at the spot where Su Ming was.
The three people sitting in the ball floating on the gigantic cone in Sky Mist City had also sunk into silence.
Su Ming's level of cultivation was not the cause for their attention, in their eyes, he was very weak and could be finished off with just one blow. They were looking at the willpower that enveloped the hundred people, the willpower that was brought to them by Su Ming as their leader.
What they valued was Su Ming's resolution and determination, along with that courage of his!
Su Ming handed over the head in his hand to Zi Che, who was standing behind him, and panted harshly. At that moment, the second wave of Shamans were already less than 10,000 feet away from them; they would be here soon.
Behind him, the hundred Berserkers were already exhausted. They had fought for an entire day, some even longer. Compared to these well rested Shamans, they were at a disadvantage.
He could already imagine that once the second wave of Shamans rushed over, there would be very few of his companions left…
Especially when this was only the second wave. There would still be a third wave… and the dozen odd 1,000 feet beasts, and also… the 10,000 feet inferior sacred beast!
"The performance has ended! Zi Che, Yan Bo, take them and withdraw back to the southern warzone!" A resolute look appeared in Su Ming's eyes when he suddenly opened his mouth to speak.
Zi Che was momentarily stunned, and Yan Bo instantly looked towards Su Ming.
"But sir, Commander Zhou…"
"Retreat!" Su Ming gave Yan Bo a look.
Su Ming's one single glance made Yan Bo fall into silence and nod his head. He gritted his teeth, but there was no need for him to lay out the order. Su Ming's words were heard by all the hundred something Berserkers.
"I want all of you to live. Now, retreat! Zi Che, you move back as well, this is the order of the ninth summit!"
Zi Che gritted his teeth and nodded.
Chapter 354: Dark Light from the Stone Fragment!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When the second wave of Shamans charged over, many people did not expect that the hundred Berserkers behind Su Ming would rapidly retreat under Zi Che and Yan Bo's lead.
Almost the moment they chose to retreat, displeasure instantly appeared on Zhou De's face and he frowned.
As for the cold Tian Lan You, scorn appeared in her eyes, and she was just about to avert her gaze to no longer pay any attention to them when her pupils suddenly shrank.
Because she saw one person standing there even as all the other Berserkers retreated. He stood there, right in between the retreating Berserkers and the advancing Shamans. At that moment, this person was like a ravine between the sky and earth, separating the crowd of people who were advancing and retreating!
Su Ming did not retreat!
'This is a performance. A bloody performance. Since you want to see it, since all of you want to see it, then there's no need for so many people to die… I will perform for you!'
Su Ming stood there and turned his head around to look towards the southern warzone. He could somewhat see that there was a person over there staring at him solemnly.
'Since I decided to join this battle, then I will do my part. I will obey your orders, but… I will use my own ways to obey them!' Su Ming averted his gaze from the southern warzone and looked towards Sky Mist City.
'My actions and will all belong to me! No one, absolutely no one, can interfere with them or impose their will on me. Not Di Tian from the void, not Zhou De from the southern warzone, and if I don't want to… not even Sky Mist City!' Besides the blood light and aloofness in Su Ming's gaze, there was also a wild and untameable will.
That untameable will was one that would not submit to any of the wishes in the world, it was a light that would not bend down to any power!
'I have already reached completion in the Awakening Realm, and there's only a slight distance left for me to reach the Bone Sacrifice Realm, but that small distance has always been difficult for me to conquer… What happened just now was definitely not a figment of my imagination… Perhaps this is my chance to break into the Bone Sacrifice Realm from the Awakening Realm!
'If I can completely melt that Berserker Bone in my body, then perhaps… I will be able to reach the Bone Sacrifice Realm!'
After going through so many things from Dark Mountain right up to the war between the Shamans and Berserkers now, Su Ming had finally grown up. He was no longer a teenager, but was now a fine young man.
Not only did his body grow, but his spirit did as well, and due to the birth of his willpower, Su Ming was like a new man who now had determination within him. He had been like a wooden puppet who was bound by a cord, and now, that cord was showing signs of snapping.
He had obtained his own thoughts, obtained his own will, and obtained the courage to press onward resolutely!
He turned around and looked at Sky Mist City. Around 7,000 something feet behind him were several Hunters from the Shaman Tribe at the peak of their form, leading over a hundred Shamans. There was a strong will to kill in their eyes.
These Shamans came like an army and stirred up the dust on the ground that was not overly soiled by blood. As the dust flew into the air, they seemed to have turned into a gigantic and hideous mouth in midair that wanted to devour Su Ming, who was blocking their path as they swept across the land.
Su Ming had his back against the Shamans. The hundred retreating Berserkers were several thousands of feet before him. As these people retreated, they began to realize one by one that Su Ming did not follow them. Gradually, they slowed down. Some of them even turned back to look at him standing behind them.
When they saw Su Ming, they also saw the flying dust and the murderous Shamans behind him.
"Don't turn back, retreat to the warzone!" Su Ming bellowed.
There was a will contained within that bellow. Perhaps that will would not be as effective on the other Berserkers, but to these hundred who had followed and fought with him, the existence of that will turned those words into the strongest voice in their lives!
"Go back to the warzone and wait for me there!" When Su Ming's voice reached the crowd, he turned around. At that moment, the advancing Shamans were already less than 4,000 feet away from him. They could already see each other's faces clearly.
"If you charge forward when you face a powerful warrior, it is a form of courage. If you charge forward when you face hundreds and thousands of powerful warriors, it is still a form of courage… Perhaps some day, you will come to understand how it feels like." Su Ming lowered his head and his elder's words echoed in his head.
The Shamans were getting closer. In the blink of an eye, they were already less than 3,000 feet away!
2,000 feet, 1,500 feet, 1,000 feet!
The instant these Shamans were only 1,000 feet away from Su Ming, he lifted his head and a low roar flew out through his lips. In an instant, he charged forward.
'A life and death crisis can make the Berserker Bone in my body melt. I need to be exposed to a stronger danger and go through an even harder trial of life and death. Only then can I make that Berserker Bone melt completely, and only then can I… attempt to Sacrifice my Bones!'
At that moment, he reached his absolute fastest speed ever since he joined the war!
A strong gust of wind howled in the air. Su Ming was so fast that in an instant, he had traveled several hundreds of feet. He was now very close to that group of Shamans.
'This is a very difficult task to complete. Even if everyone died, it would still be very hard to finish this task… There's only one way… and that is for me to use this extreme speed to go to that place and place this cone there…
'With my speed, it's not impossible for me to do it. I can even return alive… but the others can't! Besides, in this sort of danger, that Berserker Bone in me will definitely melt!
'Faster! I need to be faster!'
Su Ming shouted in his heart. Banging sounds echoed from within his body. Under his willpower and with that unique method of refinement, his speed increased explosively once more. At the same time, due to the increase of his speed, he could clearly sense that the Berserker Bone in his body melted a tiny little bit.
'It's still not enough, I'm still too slow. I have to be faster so that it'll melt even more!' Su Ming's felt his spirits lifting. He knew that his theory was correct, and now, the only thought in his head was to become even faster.
The desire of wanting to become faster fused with his thoughts, turning into his will. With this will, the strange black stone fragment hanging on his neck suddenly let off a dark light.
The origins of that stone were unknown, and at that moment, it was glowing with a dark light as if it had sensed Su Ming's will. It was just like that time when he received his Berserker's Initiation before Dark Mountain's statue of the God of Berserkers. Due to his desire to become a Berserker, that black stone had shone with a dark light and tricked the statue to acknowledge Su Ming's blood as good enough to become a Berserker. Right now, the feeling Su Ming obtained from the dark light was the same as the one in the past.
That dark light shone, and Su Ming suddenly felt as if his body had turned into wind. That feeling came too suddenly, and soon after, his whole body was wrecked with a pain as if he was being ripped apart. His speed increased explosively, and he left behind an afterimage right before the incoming Shamans.
A violent gust of wind howled and blew against them, and pained screams came from among the Shamans. There were even some of them who seemed like they had exploded without reason. The incoming gust of wind was so strong that it was like a typhoon.
After a moment, Su Ming had already appeared behind the crowd consisting of over a hundred Shamans. He did not stop and charged straight towards that 10,000 feet gigantic beast and the spot that the Shamans were protecting.
Besides the howls of the wind in his ears, Su Ming could hear nothing else when he used that extreme speed. The feeling as if he had turned into wind became stronger.
However, Su Ming knew that this was definitely not a speed he could achieve. That black stone fragment had used the same method it did all those years ago when he was in Dark Mountain. It had, in some unique and unknown way, turned him into the wind!
He was the wind, and even his heart and mind were immersed in the feeling of having turned into it!
There was no need for him to resist, no need for him to let wind seep through his body, because he had already become a part of it. His will was the wind's will, and wherever he was, so would the wind be.
At that moment, he was 35,000 feet away from his destination. Su Ming did not notice that at that same moment he had the feeling as if he had turned into the wind, his body was letting off a dazzling light. That light was as blue as the sky during the day!
Similarly, he did not notice that as his body shone with that dazzling blue light, the Berserker Bone left behind by Han Mountain's ancestor in his body was melting away at a nigh inconceivable speed.
That bone belonged to a powerful Berserker in the Bone Sacrifice Realm. Its existence had let Su Ming manifest almost 1,000 veins and had also let his power increase at a much faster rate in the Awakening Realm compared to the others.
Right then, there was only a tiny portion left of the bone compared to before, but as it continued rapidly melting away, in an instance, it… completely dissolved!
As it vanished, a large amount of energy filled Su Ming's body, causing his power to explode forth and his speed to increase even more.
But that was not all, as Su Ming's speed increased, the feeling as if he had become the wind turned stronger. His spine was rapidly absorbing that energy into it, and the blue light on his body actually came from his spine.
The feeling if he had turned into the wind was not just a figment of his imagination. In truth, at that moment, there was indeed wind stored in his body. That wind should have passed through his body once it crashed into him, but as Su Ming's spine shone with that blue light, absorbing the energy in his body, the wind did not come out from within him, it was instead sucked in at a mad pace by Su his spine. It was as if it had turned into a black hole!
Su Ming also did not see that the rolling green fog in the sky was tumbling about intensely like angry waves at sea. As booming sounds continued coming from within, a burst of energy seemed to be charging forth from all directions in the sky to press on that green fog that contained the powerful warriors, as if it wanted to crush it.
Thunderous roars came from the sky. Those violent sounds shook the earth and sky, almost becoming the loudest sound in the battlefield at that moment. Many people averted their gazes from Su Ming and instinctively looked towards the sky.
Yet that one look brought about a wave of shock that not only affected the Berserkers, but the Shamans as well!
Chapter 355: The Change in the Sky!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As the green fog tumbled about in the sky, it looked as if a pair of invisible hands were plunged deep into the fog, and with one vicious tear, ripped it apart.
That layer of fog disintegrated completely, and as it scattered around the area, the three powerful Shamans within retreated with an expression of shock on their faces. The five powerful Berserkers also quickly fell back with the same expression.
It was as if the green fog in the sky was ripped into shreds in an instant and was tumbling backwards in all directions, and as it did so, the black sky was revealed!
In that sky, they could see clearly that there were rays of blue light shooting out towards them from the distance, and as the light appeared, the originally dark sky turned blue! Yet that shade of blue was different from the blue hue of the day. It was a dark blue filled with a strange solemnness.
At the same time, whistling sounds appeared out of thin air in the sky. Those whistles sounded as if someone was singing, as if someone was roaring, and though people could not discern it, they could still feel an indescribable wave of pressure rapidly gathering in the sky, then descending upon the land and spreading in all directions.
"The deity statue of Bone Sacrifice!" someone instantly cried out from among the six powerful Berserkers who were falling back in the sky.
"This is the sign of the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice about to descend upon us. The deity statue from the Great Yu Dynasty is crossing over through space to come here!
"Someone has reached a breakthrough in the battlefield and has called upon the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice!"
The six powerful Berserkers were not ignorant fools. With just one glance, they already knew that someone had reached the Bone Sacrifice Realm. This should have just been a trivial thing to them, but at that moment, their expressions had revealed that this was definitely not something minor!
"A normal Berserker breaking through the Awakening Realm to reach the Bone Sacrifice Realm definitely won't be able to summon the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice. The only way for the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice to appear is through… the birth of a Divine General in the Bone Sacrifice Realm!" one of the eight old men watching the sky from the walls of Sky Mist City commented in a hoarse voice.
"And this is its true self! If it was just a projection, then it would definitely not have the power to tear apart that fog, neither would it create a pressure so mighty it could put a stop to their battle!
"This is its complete, true form! Someone actually managed to summon the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice to reveal its complete form! From what I can remember, there is only one Berserker who managed to summon the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice in its complete form in the past one thousand years. Just who is it that managed to summon the deity statue in its complete form?!"
"Even if a Divine General in the Bone Sacrifice Realm was to be appointed, only half of its true self would show up. But now… the deity statue is here in its complete form! In this year, the second True Divinity of the Land of South Morning has appeared!"
Compared to these powerful Berserkers making their guesses regarding the change in the sky and their knowledge towards it, while some among the tens of thousands of people on the ground already had an inkling of what was happening, most of them were still in a daze and did not know what was happening. They were filled with shock in their hearts as they looked at the sky.
At that moment, Zhou De had also shifted his gaze to look at the sky. His attention was no longer on Su Ming. On the entire battlefield, only Tian Lan Meng and Su Ming's hundred followers still had their eyes glued on him.
Only they were looking in his direction.
Su Ming's entire person had turned into a dazzling ray of blue light. That blue light existed in itself. The people could only see the light and not see what was inside it. As that blue light flashed, Su Ming's speed continued increasing, and in an instant, he was already only 10,000 feet away from his destination compared to the 35,000 feet from a moment ago.
Everything else had turned into a blurry mess besides his destination in Su Ming's eyes. He only saw a woman 10,000 feet away with groups of people around her to protect her.
That woman wore a long robe and was also looking at Su Ming elegantly. She was not a breathtaking beauty and could only be called as pretty and clean. There was a colorful feather stuck in her hair, and she wore no other accessories in her long locks.
Her gaze was profound, as if it contained some unknown power that could make all those who fell into her line of sight feel as if they had sank into her eyes and could not get out.
When Su Ming was 10,000 feet away from the woman with his current speed, the sky had already turned into a dark shade of blue. Under that dark blue hue, the entire sky turned into a giant vortex, and as it spun rapidly, an indescribable pressure descended upon the land swiftly.
With that pressure, the Shamans and Berserkers on the ground were no longer able to continue fighting. The Berserkers were not the only ones who felt respect growing from the depths of their hearts under that pressure, the Shamans were the same.
For the first time, a ceasefire had appeared on the battlefield!
Only Su Ming continued moving towards the only place that existed in his eyes. However, there were only a few people who were watching. Even most of the Shamans had their eyes turned towards the strange sight in the sky.
When Su Ming was 8,000 feet away from the woman, a powerful and brilliant light that illuminated the entire ground shone out from the center of the giant vortex in the sky. That light was blue and covered the entire land in an instant.
Almost the moment that strong blue light illuminated the land, a deity statue of 10,000 feet slowly descended from within the vortex.
The deity statue's light shone far and wide. Its face could not be seen clearly, but as it appeared, it was as if even time was forced to stop. That incredible pressure made all the Berserkers on the ground immediately prostrate themselves on the ground.
They were not the only ones. Visible struggle appeared on the Shamans' faces, but without being able to control themselves, they also prostrated themselves on the ground. It was as if the existence of the deity statue could make not just the Berserkers revere it, even they had to show their reverence towards it.
At that moment, if there was a foreigner who looked down from the sky, he would definitely not be able to tell just who was a Berserker and who was a Shaman. They looked as if they belonged to one race and were battling against each other for two different causes.
The only ones who were not kneeling down were the powerful Berserkers with truly incredible power. They were standing in midair in Sky Mist City, and while their expressions were respectful as they looked at the deity statue in the sky, they were not too deeply awed by its might and pressure.
Besides these people, the ferocious beasts were also not kneeling down, along with the woman with the long hair dancing in the air. She was standing alone underneath a 10,000 feet sacred beast and in the middle of the dozen over ferocious beasts, while everyone else besides her were prostrating on the ground.
That woman was even lifting up her hand and picking up a lock of her hair that was dancing in the wind. There was a ring on her finger.
The Berserker Bone in Su Ming's body had completely dissolved and was absorbed into his spine, which had also sucked in an endless amount of wind. That wind disappeared into Su Ming's body, causing him to be so fast that with one move, he already appeared 5,000 feet away from that long-haired woman.
Right then, the eight old men who had their heads lifted as they stood on the walls of Sky Mist City to observe the change in the sky suddenly experienced changes in their expressions. Gradually, looks of disbelief and shock appeared on their faces.
They were not the only ones who reacted this way. The six powerful Berserkers and the three Shamans all reacted the same way.
"The pressure… has increased!"
The pressure that had originally existed in the sky as the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice descended suddenly increased. At the same time, the center of the vortex in the sky suddenly started spinning backwards.
In an instant, the direction of the vortex completely changed, but that was not all, the vortex even started spreading in all directions while emitting huge rumbling sounds, surpassing the presence of the deity statue's appearance. It spread to an area so wide that it did not just go past the entire battlefield, but also went past the entire Sky Mist City.
"This is… this is the sign of the deity statue of Berserker Soul appearing!" Someone from the eight old men standing on the city walls immediately cried out in surprise.
As he spoke, a shocking boom came from within the vortex in the sky as if the sky itself had shattered. A small part of a deity statue that could not be described with words slowly peeked out from within.
It was just one small part, and it already made the entire land tremble, made all nine of the powerful warriors from the Shaman and Berserker Tribes floating in the sky to rapidly retreat and fall to the ground, as if they could no longer stay in midair.
That small part that was revealed was shining with a brilliant red light, and it could be seen that this was just an edge of the very bottom of this deity statue whose size was completely unknown. It was just an edge, and it was already showing off such a powerful might. If the entire deity statue descended upon them, then the pressure alone might cause several tens of thousands of people on the battlefield to burst apart.
The deity statue of Bone Sacrifice and the deity statue of Berserker Soul had appeared together. This sight had completely surpassed everyone's expectations. This strange sight was never recorded in any ancient texts, and when it appeared, it made all those who saw it be struck dumb with awe.
Once that small part of the deity statue of Berserker Soul came out, the deity statue sank down several inches once again, and even the powerful Berserkers in the Berserker Soul Realm could not withstand this pressure and were forced to prostrate themselves.
"Just what is going on? Why is this happening?!"
"Could it be that someone had just gone straight from the Awakening Realm to the Berserker Soul Realm? This… This is…"
"Just what is the reason behind two deity statues appearing at the same time?!" Just as everyone's minds were thrown into a confused mess and the war was suspended because of this incident, a small voice came from within Sky Mist City.
"This is the Wind Berserker… he is the first to receive his legacy…"
That voice was ancient, as if it had traveled far along the passages of time. That voice spread in all directions and fell into all the ears of the powerful Berserkers in the Berserker Soul Realm. As for the others, they could not hear it.
"Divine Generals in the Bone Sacrifice Realm are different from the Divine Generals in the Awakening Realm. They have some slight divisions of class between them, and the True Divinity has the highest class of them all… The will of the True Divinities had disappeared along with the first God of Berserkers, and their will now only exists in an indistinct haze...
"I have some information regarding the True Divinities remaining in my fragmented memories. There are four classes of True Divinities. The head is Wind, and what comes next is Cloud, then Lightning, and finally Fog.
"Scions of Cloud, Lightning, and Fog have appeared throughout the ages, but the Wind Berserker has never appeared… Now, the scion of the Wind Berserker has appeared.
"Because only the first scion receiving his legacy from the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice will have the true form of the deity statue of Berserker Soul appearing to anoint him personally… If that person dies, then the subsequent scions of the Wind Berserker won't find this happening to them."
When the deity statue of Berserker Soul revealed a small part of itself from the gigantic vortex, Su Ming was less than two thousand feet away from that woman.
Chapter 356: Thou Art the Wind Berserker!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Affected by the pressure from the deity statue of Berserker Soul, the dozen odd ferocious beasts lurking around shivered as they knelt down. They did not stop Su Ming. In truth, even without the appearance of the deity statue of Berserker Soul, with that rod snake, Su Ming could still pass through these ferocious beasts safely. This was also the reason why he came alone and why he was not afraid of these creatures.
In a flash, Su Ming was only a 1,000 feet away from the woman. The 10,000 feet ferocious beast floating in midair was also retreating while shivering under the pressure from the deity statue of Berserker Soul.
The woman still remained calm. As she looked at Su Ming charging towards her, uncertainty and confusion appeared in her eyes, but in an instant, those emotions turned into surprise.
"It's you…"
That was the first sentence spoken by that woman!
The moment she said those words, a complicated look appeared on her face, along with a hint of pity…
"Destiny…"
At that moment, Su Ming had stirred up a violent gust of wind with that indescribable speed as he charged through the Shamans who had lost all power to resist and were shivering as they prostrated themselves on the ground.
The instant he arrived at his destination and the very moment he was about to stabbed that black cone in his hands into the ground, those two phrases, the three words from the woman fell into his ears.
Destiny!
It had been a long time since Su Ming had heard that word.
The instant he heard it, his body trembled, but he did not stop moving his hand and threw the cone onto the ground.
The woman did not stop him during the entire process. Su Ming did not plan to take the woman's life either, because while the woman was standing along over there, the presence coming from her gave Su Ming the feeling that she was an incredible threat to him, but strangely, even though she was a threat, there was also a hint of familiarity that he could not describe.
That familiarity was just like when he had met Si Ma Xin in the past and when he met Han Mountain's ancestor all those years ago…
The two phrases, those three words echoing in his ears made Su Ming's heart lurch. Just as he was about to retreat once he accomplished his task, he lifted his head and looked at that woman.
The complicated emotions and pity in the woman's eyes made a bang go off in Su Ming's head. This was not the first time he had heard of the word 'Destiny'. He had already etched that word into his heart a long time ago, and that was why while he was shocked, the bewilderment and lack of knowledge he had when he heard that word from Han Mountain's ancestor was absent.
Instead, as those rumbles went off in his head, Su Ming's heart went through an intense transformation; he had finally found another person who called him Destiny!
This was a chance, a chance that Su Ming had been waiting for a very long time. He was no longer a teenager, neither was he an immature child any longer. He had already experienced many things, and these experiences had allowed him to grow up, to gain his own will.
"Is my little sister alright..?" he suddenly asked, but the instant he opened his mouth and spoke, the black cone he stabbed on the ground suddenly shone with a black light. That light shot outwards and covered the entire area, and as if it knew where Su Ming was, it charged towards him.
A powerful force of absorption came from that black light. From Su Ming's experiences, he could tell with one glance that the black light was not harmful to him. What was contained within was a power akin to that of Relocation.
Clearly, Zhou De had already thought of a way of retreat for the person carrying out the mission when he gave it to them. Judging by the area it surrounded, the Relocation was not limited to just one person. It could cover all the Berserkers in its area and quickly Relocate them.
Almost the instant that black light enveloped Su Ming, the woman heard his question. She was stunned, then gave him an answer that made him feel as if he his soul was devoured by millions of lightning bolts.
"To her, Dao Chen… You… You…" The woman instinctively said the first half of her sentence before her expression suddenly changed drastically. Terror appeared in her eyes and she took a few consecutive steps backwards.
Su Ming's breathing quickened. He had asked that question to test whether the voice in his dreams truly existed and was really connected to him.
Even though the woman had not finished her sentence, Su Ming had understood.
His body was swallowed by the black light, and in an instant, he disappeared from the land.
The instant Su Ming disappeared, suddenly, a voice that shook the sky and earth came from the deity statue of Berserker Soul that had revealed a small part of itself in the air. There was not a hint of emotion in that voice as it echoed in all directions, only aloofness and mercilessness.
"Thou art the Wind Berserker… Thou hast fulfilled the laws governing the True Divinities set by the first God of Berserkers, I shalt grant thee the name of the Wind Berserker… Make haste to the Great Yu Dynasty and receive the True Spirit…"
When the voice spread in all directions, Su Ming, who had originally disappeared with that black light, was suddenly surrounded by a ray of blue light and appeared in the sky above the battlefield, right underneath the deity statue of Berserker Soul that had revealed a small part of itself.
Confusion appeared in Su Ming's eyes, but that confusion soon disappeared. He forced down the emotions that had stirred up due to the woman's words. Right then, as he looked at the small part of the deity statue revealed under the endless vortex, a strong wave of pressure crashed into him.
The strength of that pressure was one Su Ming had never encountered in his life, but he could tell that this pressure did nothing to his body. Almost the instant he appeared, the countless number of Berserkers on the ground all saw him appearing, but what they saw was different for each of them!
Most of the people could only see a piercing blue light. They could not see Su Ming's face within.
There were only a few who could see his face. One of them was Zhou De. Tian Lan Meng also saw him, the old Commander of the northern warzone saw him as well, and even Tian Lan You's expression changed. She, too, saw him.
The old men from Sky Mist City also saw Su Ming in the sky.
It should have been the same for the Shamans since the Berserkers saw him, but the moment Su Ming appeared in the sky, a cold harrumph came from within Sky Mist City.
That harrumph started off weak, but as it begun, it stirred up a large amount of ripples that echoed in the world. If it had been some other time, the appearance of these ripples would not have been anything, but now, with the mighty pressure coming from the revelation of a small part of the deity statue of Berserker Soul that seemed to have sealed off all power in the world, it could be seen that the person who let out that sound was incredibly strong—that cold harrumph had still managed to cause this amount of ripples.
The sound of that harrumph echoed in the ears of all the powerful Shamans, causing their minds to instantly begin ringing. Their vision became clouded, and as if all their senses had been sealed off, they found themselves unable to see Su Ming!
If this sort of power was used during the battle just now, it would have brought about miraculous effects, but it never happened. Clearly, casting this sort of divine ability was not easy.
Su Ming stood in midair and looked at the deity statue that had revealed a small part of itself in that gigantic vortex. He could not hear that harrumph, all he could hear echoing in his ears were the deity statue's cold words.
A huge storm had stirred up within him and his heart started pounding against his chest. Among all the living things in this land, including this deity statue, only Su Ming himself knew that he was not that Wind Berserker!
He was not the Wind Berserker, if he was, then it was impossible that he would not have noticed anything prior to this. If he was, then he would have definitely not needed such a long time to understand the concept of speed, he would also not have needed to repeatedly train and refine his body to withstand that sort of speed.
He was absolutely certain that he was not that so called Wind Berserker!
However… that deity statue, so mighty that it made him feel like an ant, had just stated without a doubt that he was the Wind Berserker.
This made Su Ming's heart race, and at the same time, he remembered how the black stone had shone with that dark light when he willed himself to become faster so that he could make that Berserker Bone melt.
It was that dark light that had turned Su Ming into wind, causing his speed to arrive at an extreme pace that had surpassed his previous attempts.
'Deceiving the world, huh..? It tricked Dark Mountain's statue of the God of Berserkers in the past, allowing me to gain the method to practice the Ways of the Berserkers so that I could become a Berserker… and this time… it deceived this deity statue!' Su Ming was taken aback for a moment, and he found himself somewhat in disbelief.
'It's lying to the deity statue so that it thinks I'm the Wind Berserker?' Just as Su Ming sank into a state of shock, the voice of the deity statue of Berserker Soul appeared in his ears once again.
"Thou art the first Wind Berserker, by the will of the first God of Berserkers, I shalt grant thee the Provenance of Wind… This item is no longer in the world, and was refined personally by mine own master, the first God of Berserkers…"
As the deity statue's voice echoed in the air, a crystalline light shot out of the vortex in the sky and went straight towards Su Ming. In an instant, it fused into the center of his brows and started dissolving once it entered his body.
When it started dissolving, Su Ming trembled. He could feel the presence of wind within his body. The power of that gust of wind was so strong that it dried his throat right when he noticed its presence.
"Thou art the first Wind Berserker, by the will of the first God of Berserkers, I shalt grant thee the Wind Separation Slash Art…" That aloof voice echoed in the air, and another ray of crystalline light shot out from the vortex to disappear into the center of Su Ming's brows.
"Thou art the first Wind Berserker, by the will of the first God of Berserkers, I shalt grant thee the Crystal of Inheritance…"
The Crystal of Inheritance was clearly an incredibly valuable item. It shone with a dark blue light and descended slowly from within the vortex, then went before Su Ming as if it wanted to fuse into the center of his brows. Yet the moment it touched his forehead, the crystal suddenly started shaking violently as if it wanted to retreat!
At the same time, a change instantly appeared in the voice of the deity statue of Berserker Soul that seemed to be coming from within the vortex.
"Thou art not…"
The instant the deity statue of Berserker Soul spoke, Su Ming swiftly lifted his right hand and grabbed the Crystal of Inheritance that was shivering and withdrawing from his forehead. At the same time, he began rapidly shouting in his heart.
'Deceive it!'
The two encounters had allowed Su Ming to gain a vague sense of the black stone fragment's other uses. As he shouted in his heart, that stone shone with a dark light once again. During that one single flash, Su Ming had already grabbed the Crystal of Inheritance and put it away into his storage bag.
"Thou… art the Wind Berserker!"
Su Ming's heart pounded against his chest. He was feeling slightly nervous at the moment, because once the deity statue of Berserker Soul finally finished handing him all the things that belonged to the Wind Berserker, the eyes of the true and complete form of the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice right underneath the small, exposed part of the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice began shining with a brilliant light.
"Thou art the scion of the Wind Berserker. Thou hast fulfilled the first law set by the first God of Berserkers for those in the Bone Sacrifice Realm, I shalt grant thee… the Southern Barren Square Caldron. Make haste to the Great Yu Dynasty to obtain it…"
Chapter 357: Bone Sacrifice!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The voice belonging to the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice was devoid of emotion and filled with indifference as it echoed in Su Ming's ears. Su Ming's heart was pounding intensely against his chest, and he felt a hint of nervousness within him.
He was nervous because he knew that all of this should not have come into his possession!
Yet due to some unforeseen circumstances, all of these things now belonged completely to him. He also obtained the legacy of the Wind Berserker and everything that belonged to a Wind Berserker because of this.
The fusion of the Provenance of Wind had especially allowed him to clearly feel a gust of wind that was different from the wind in the world around him. While he might not be able to control that wind at will, once he refined it, he would definitely be able to stir up strong gusts of wind within him that may or may not be the same as the wind in the world.
Once he managed to do it, then his speed would surely… reach a level so amazing that the mere thought of it was making his heart pound in excitement
This alone was extraordinary in itself, but he had also obtained the Wind Separation Slash Art. That Art had also fused with the center of Su Ming's brows and was left deeply etched into his memories, like a brand.
It was the strongest wind related divine ability among the Berserker Tribe - Wind Separation!
Su Ming had only glanced through the Art in his head, and was already shocked by its level of strength and terrifying presence. Although this Art was not his own creation, but its power was definitely anything but ordinary. After all, this was an Art personally created by the first God of Berserkers, it was a legacy Art he created for the Wind Berserker under his command!
Su Ming's throat was dry, because besides these two things, he had obtained the even more important Crystal of Inheritance. That item was now in his storage bag, and just now, the instant he grabbed it, he sensed the astonishing life force and power within the crystal. If he could obtain that power, then he would definitely be able to instantly reach another level of cultivation!
It was a pity that the Crystal of Inheritance possessed a strange sensory ability. It was the first to notice that there was something off about Su Ming. If the black stone fragment had not shone once again with that dark light, he would have been exposed.
The surprise came too suddenly, and Su Ming felt a little overwhelmed. Once the title of the Wind Berserker was bestowed upon him, the voice of the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice immediately followed suit and reverberated in the air.
"Thou art the scion of the Wind Berserker. Thou hast fulfilled the second law set by the first God of Berserkers for those in the Bone Sacrifice Realm, I shalt grant thee the illusionary armor of Bone Sacrifice. Make haste to the Great Yu Dynasty to retrieve the true armor…"
As that aloof voice spread out, the blue light on the 10,000 feet deity statue shone and a ray of light shot out from the center of its brows straight towards Su Ming. When it surrounded Su Ming, the Divine General Armor of the Awakening Realm automatically manifested on his body. The black smoke appeared in the form of threads and swirled around him, fusing rapidly with the blue light.
The black smoke and blue light blended with each other. Gradually, that black shade disappeared, and a dark blue armor appeared on Su Ming's body. That armor looked incredibly mighty, covering Su Ming from head to toe. In fact, judging by its looks, his armor was about the same as the Divine General Armor he'd seen Bai Chang Zai wearing in the past!
The Divine General Armor of the Awakening Realm could not even hope to be at the same level as this!
This was just an illusionary armor to boot. The true armor would definitely be even more outstanding.
Yet even now, the string of gifts bestowed onto him had not ended…
"Thou art the Wind Berserker…"
"Thou art the Wind Berserker…"
Humming sounds appeared in Su Ming's head. He listened to the words bestowing those gifts to him, but felt that it was a pity that all of them were in the Great Yu Dynasty and that he needed to go and obtain them himself. Yet even so, those gifts were already enough to make all those people who heard go mad with envy.
"Thou art the scion of the Wind Berserker. Thou hast fulfilled the laws set by the first God of Berserkers, thou wilt… Sacrifice thine Bones now!" The 10,000 feet deity statue of Bone Sacrifice spoke with a thunderous voice, then lifted its gigantic right hand and pointed towards Su Ming.
That gigantic finger looked to be about several dozens of feet in size, and it was charging straight towards Su Ming. Su Ming did not dodge. He already had a similar experience when he Awakened, and he did not want to deny Sacrificing his Bones either. After all, he knew that he did not exactly obtain his identity as the Wind Berserker through the regular way…
'Sacrifice my Bones! I want to Sacrifice my Bones!' A bright light appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He wanted to become stronger, wanted to obtain great power, because only by doing so could he become a powerful Berserker and gain the right to be above all wills!
Only then could he be his true self and search for the answers he wanted, to open his eyes and look at a world no one else could see!
That finger closed in on Su Ming in an instant and touched the center of his brows. Although it came charging with an incredibly mighty presence, when it tapped the center of Su Ming's brows, its touch was as gentle as the wind.
That one touch made Su Ming's body tremble furiously. He could feel an indescribable wave of energy swiftly surging into his body, charging into him with a force like a hot knife cutting through butter and starting to flow through his veins.
Once it circulated through his body nine times, that wave of energy let out a huge bang and rushed straight into his spine.
A person's spine was different when he was an adult compared to the time when he was a child. Normally, a child's spine was formed by 33 vertebrae, but once that child became an adult, he would only have twenty-six vertebrae.
But due to the differences between people, there were also some who had a different number.
Su Ming's spine was formed by twenty-six vertebrae! The spinal cord formed from twenty-six vertebrae was now trembling under the power coming from the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice.
It absorbed that power, and had even absorbed that Berserker Bone Su Ming had obtained earlier. At the same time, it had also sucked in an endless amount of wind.
Su Ming's Qi had dissolved and turned into the power of Awakening when he Awakened in the past. That power of Awakening was stored within his body like blood and flowed through him just like blood. If he needed it, that power would also burst forth from within with incredible strength.
However, the Bone Sacrifice Realm and Awakening Realm were completely different from each other. This was not just an increase in power, it was also a change of Realm, and even his body would have to go through an astounding transformation.
Bone Sacrifice! Bone Sacrifice!
The meaning of these words was to sacrifice the bone in a Berserker's body, and that bone was the spine!
The Ancients of the Berserker Tribe believed that the most important part of a person's body was the spine. As if connecting the sky and the earth, it allowed a person to stand and allowed people to be known as humans!
The spine could also let people summon an explosive amount of strength, and at the same time, it was also the pillar of the mind. It supported a person's will and his body. It was the source of everything in a body.
The Blood Solidification Realm in a Berserker's cultivation was to continuously manifest their blood veins so that the Berserker Tribe's source of the power could burst forth from within their body. As they continued gathering that power and as their blood veins increased, it would cause their blood to become purer as if it was refined.
This was the goal of Blood Solidification. Only by doing so could the power of Awakening be born from that pure blood when a Berserker Awakened, a power that was akin to blood and was stored within the body, a power that could not be seen but could be felt!
This would be the first time the person would use the power of the Berserker Tribe's blood, which would allow Awakened Berserkers to fly and draw their own Berserker Mark. With their Berserker Mark, they could stimulate the very basic level of power from their blood.
The Bone Sacrifice Realm was different!
This Realm required a deeper level of utilization and application towards the power of the Berserker Tribe's blood. Due to the belief of the Berserker Tribe and the importance they placed on the spine, they placed all the power of Awakening in their bodies onto a piece of bone on the spine with a unique method. At that time, when that bone had absorbed all the power of Awakening, it would go through a transformation, and as it continued to be refined and sacrificed, it would turn into a true Berserker Bone!
Only then would that Berserker be considered to have entered the Bone Sacrifice Realm!
The powerful Berserkers in the initial stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm were not that much different from the Berserkers who attained completion in the Awakening Realm. There were still not too many obvious changes. After all, if there was only one bone that was turned into a Berserker Bone, the power of the Bone Sacrifice Realm could not be revealed.
As long as a Berserker had turned one of the vertebrae into a Berserker Bone, he would be considered to have reached the initial stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm according to the stage division among the Berserker Tribe. However, it was precisely because of this that the subsequent refinements would be increasingly more difficult.
When a Berserker obtained his or her second Berserker Bone, then that Berserker would be considered to have arrived at the middle stage of the Bone Sacrifice, if he or she wanted to arrive at the peak of the middle stage, then thirteen Berserker Bones were required to do so.
This was also the reason why Su Ming could kill those in the initial stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm and even some in the middle stage. Yet if he ran into the powerful warriors in the middle stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm, Su Ming's battle would be incredibly arduous. He would need to use all his attacks in his disposal with all sorts of combinations to be able to put up a fight.
Once a person had fourteen Berserker Bones, then he would be considered to be in the later stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm. The powerful Berserkers in that stage could be said to be at the most magnificent moment of the Bone Sacrifice Realm. Their power could usually turn them into the rulers of an area.
That sort of glory would reach its peak when they obtained twenty-five Berserker Bones in the later stage of the Realm! In fact, the people in that stage would be considered the strongest among all those below the Berserker Soul Realm!
This was because the completion of the Bone Sacrifice Realm was to offer all twenty-six vertebrae in the spinal cord and turn them into true Berserker Bones, and once they did so, it would be as if they had opened a path between heaven, and from a mortal they would become a saint!
However, the sacrifice of the twenty-sixth Berserker Bone was too difficult. Even if by a pure stroke of luck a Berserker obtained a great opportunity and managed to offer up the twenty-sixth Berserker Bone, once it appeared, he or she must immediately attempt reaching the Berserker Soul Realm.
There was only one chance!
If that person succeeded, then he or she would arrive at the Berserker Soul Realm and become one of those who had reached the highest level among the four great Realms in the Berserker Tribe. If that person failed, then his or her entire spine would be crushed into dust and disappear into nothing, and he or she would instantly die!
The completion of the Bone Sacrifice Realm was like a cord of life that bound all the Berserkers who had reached that Realm. If they managed to break free, they would turn into saints. If they did not, they would die.
That was why there were many who did not dare try and were willing to stop at twenty-five Berserker Bones, becoming the strongest among all below the Berserker Soul Realm!
Su Ming had already known about these things regarding the Bone Sacrifice Realm when he was at the ninth summit. As his body shuddered and the deity statue's power surged into the very first vertebrae at the top of his spine, that piece of bone started transforming rapidly, and gradually, it became different from his other bones.
It shone with a dazzling blue light that shot out of Su Ming's body and spread in all directions. If anyone looked from the distance, they would see that his entire body was covered in blue!
The speed of the transformation was so quick that in the span of a few breaths, that bone was utterly transformed and turned into Su Ming's very first Berserker Bone!
Chapter 358: That 1000th Blood Vein!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The instant the first Berserker Bone appeared, sweat broke out on Su Ming's forehead, because during that instant, he felt that everything within him - his blood, his power of Awakening, everything, including his own life force, had surged into that recently appeared Berserker Bone.
It was as if that Berserker Bone had turned into a void and was devouring everything madly.
Su Ming's body started withering away rapidly. His cheeks became sunken and his flesh was shriveling swiftly. In just a few moments, he became thinner.
Everything about him was absorbed by that Berserker Bone!
However, Su Ming did not resist. He continued standing there with a calm gaze. That Berserker Bone only stopped absorbing his life force when a third of it was sucked away.
The instant it stopped, the blue light shining on it gained an intensely piercing glare!
'It just absorbed a third?'
A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. Although he had become thinner and did not have his full strength any longer, he had a feeling, a feeling of power that came because he had obtained that Berserker Bone!
It may seem contradictory, but in truth, that moment of weakness was only temporary. As for the strength he felt, it was because he had broken through the Awakening Realm and become a true, powerful Berserker in the Bone Sacrifice Realm!
The entire world had become different in his eyes. Right then, he could see a faint, gigantic shadow in the vortex in the sky, something that he could not see before.
That was the true self of the deity statue of Berserker Soul hidden within the vortex!
He saw now that the world was not perfect. There were numerous fine cracks on it that were exuding an ancient presence. These cracks did not just appear, but had existed since the start!
He also saw He Feng, who he could not find earlier. He had already changed to another body and had turned into another Berserker on the ground. He stood there with sparkling eyes, immersed in his own thoughts. It was as if he did not notice Su Ming's gaze at all.
Besides that, Su Ming could also sense a vast amount of power in the world. That power belonged to the world itself. He could see it, but he could not use it.
"Bone Sacrifice… When you offer up your bone and turn it into a Berserker Bone, you will be able to begin controlling the vast amount of power in the world…" Su Ming mumbled and understanding formed in his mind.
At that moment, silence had washed over the Berserkers and Shamans on the ground. They were looking at the sky, and even though they could not see Su Ming's face, the strange sight and the deity statue's cold words allowed them to understand just what sort of fortuitous event that person whose face they could not see was going through.
They also knew that this person had… broken through the Awakening Realm and arrived… at the Bone Sacrifice Realm!
The Shamans were also watching. The humming sounds were reverberating through the powerful Shamans' minds, causing them to be unable to see Su Ming's face. The only people who could see Su Ming were the few people in the Berserker Tribe. However, they could only see his face. Under the pressure of the deity statue, they could not see too many changes happening within Su Ming's body and could only make their own deductions based on the presence they felt.
"It has ended… Once he inherits the legacy of the Wind Berserker, he will become a True Divinity of Bone Sacrifice…
"The only person who could make Sky Mist's ancestor help him conceal his appearance even though the ancestor is in isolation can only be the True Divinity of Bone Sacrifice."
"But he has a long way to go. Inheriting the legacy requires time, becoming stronger also requires time. It could depend on him alone whether he can become a powerful Berserker at Bai Chang Zai's level."
Tian Lan Meng could also see Su Ming. Joy could be seen in her eyes as she looked at him and a gentle smile appeared on her face.
The cold Tian Lan You was still frowning, but she kept her gaze trained on Su Ming. This was the first time she met this person on this day, but he had already left an incredibly deep impression on her. It did not matter whether it was when he led the charge with his thousand men or when he stayed alone with a steadfast resolution, or even when he had turned into most striking sight in the battlefield, all of these were things she could not ignore.
However, the person who had the most complicated feelings would definitely be Zhou De. He never expected that the person he valued and the same person he arranged for the performance this time would turn out to be a True Divinity of Bone Sacrifice!
"It has ended… He now has a Berserker Bone and has become a Berserker in the Bone Sacrifice Realm," someone from the eight old men standing on the walls of Sky Mist City slowly remarked.
Most of the others had the same opinion. This matter would end here and then, and it would be followed by the two deity statues' departure. After that, perhaps the battle would continue…
Yet at that very moment, Su Ming, who was right beside the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice, suddenly started shining with an even stronger blue light in the sky. That light was incredibly striking, and as it shone, surprised eyes immediately looked over.
"This is… the sign of the second Berserker Bone appearing!"
"Almost everyone who just broke through the Awakening Realm caan only use their power of Awakening to complete the sacrifice of one Berserker Bone. He… could it be that he…"
"What's his name? Which tribe or clan did he come from? How many blood veins did he manifest when he Awakened?!"
"Could it be that the power of Awakening he managed to accumulate within himself when he Awakened had far surpassed a normal Awakened Berserker?"
"That must be. Look at him. He was just a Berserker who had reached completion in the Awakening Realm just moments ago, and he could already kill those in the Bone Sacrifice Realm. That's already enough to tell us what is going on!"
Surprise appeared on the eight old men's eyes.
"His name is Su Ming, and he is from Freezing Sky Clan… When he Awakened, he had manifested 999 blood veins!" That old voice that had spoken just a moment ago traveled out once again from Sky Mist City.
That voice was still sent out in a manner that only a few limited people among the Berserker Tribe could hear it.
Once those words were spoken, Tian Lan You's expression was the first to change. Disbelief appeared on her face, and she was not the only one to react like that. Zhou De reacted in the same manner and even sucked in a sharp breath. The old monsters in the Berserker Soul Realm who would usually not appear but were now in the battlefield as the absolute strongest Berserkers found themselves with a spark in their eyes.
"When he sacrificed his first Berserker Bone, he had only used up about a third of the power in his body…" the old voice said once again, causing all the people who heard to turn their gazes sharply towards Su Ming.
At that moment, once the first vertebrae in his spine had turned into his first Berserker Bone, the blue light that had been covering Su Ming's body all along suddenly grew even brighter, and the source of its sudden increase in intensity was his second vertebrae.
The blue light shining out from the second vertebrae could only mean one thing - when Su Ming Awakened, the power of Awakening that was stored within him had far surpassed the amount contained within a normal Awakened Berserker.
If they looked into it, they would find that this was directly related to the fact that Su Ming had 999 blood veins during the Blood Solidification Realm. He was already standing at the very top of the Blood Solidification Realm when he was still at that Realm, and along with the Berserker Bone from Han Mountain's ancestor contained within him, Su Ming's power far surpassed all his peers when he Awakened.
With the addition of his Creation Art and Tian Xie Zi's guidance, the instant he arrived at the Bone Sacrifice Realm, all the potential within these things exploded forth.
That was the meaning of letting all his accumulated strength surge forth at the same time!
The abundant blood veins during Blood Solidification and the dense power of Awakening in the Awakening Realm had caused Su Ming to have a seventh of his strength remaining after completing the sacrifice of his first Berserker Bone. That power was enough for him to offer his second Berserker Bone as a sacrifice!
After all, he would only be at the initial stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm if he had just one Berserker Bone, but if he had two, then he would be in the middle stage!
It was not as if there had been no one who managed to do this in Berserker history, but there were just too few people who managed to do it. This required a very solid foundation and an incredibly great stroke of luck. None of these could go missing!
Right then, as the blue light on Su Ming shone with that intense glare, his blood and everything else started withering away once again. A large amount of his blood and life force were being sucked away at a frightening speed by the second, newly appeared Berserker Bone.
The first Berserker Bone had only required a third of his blood and life force, but the second Berserker Bone simply continued absorbing those things even after absorbing another third of it in the blink of an eye!
Clearly, the price required for each new Sacrificed Berserker Bone would increase exponentially.
Su Ming could feel his body rapidly weakening, but in exchange for that moment of weakness was a great power. The moment the second Berserker Bone was about to appear in his body, it brought about an indescribable feeling, and Su Ming could also sense that vague power in the world even more clearly.
It was a power that existed everywhere, a power that could not be sensed by those in the Awakening Realm. Only those who had reached the Bone Sacrifice Realm would be able to sense it due to the Berserker Bones in their bodies. However, they would need to be in the later stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm to be able to control it even somewhat. Only those in the Berserker Soul Realm would be able to completely control the power of the world!
Su Ming felt as if he had fused together with the world. It was as if he had become a part of it. Perhaps it could even be said that the world was a part of him now!
In the blink of an eye, Su Ming's body had already largely withered away. Just when he appeared so fragile that he looked beyond recognition and there was only a two tenth of life force and blood left within him, the second Berserker Bone finally revealed itself completely on his spine.
The instant it did, Su Ming let out a long howl towards the sky. That howl shook the sky and spread out in all directions, stirring up a wave of ripples that spread out with a rumble.
The decline of Su Ming's body and the feeling of power, these two contradictory senses fused together and spread all around him along with that howl.
Two Berserker Bones!
The progression of events had far surpassed the expectations of the Berserkers underneath. They had originally thought that Su Ming had reached his limit when he sacrificed the two Berserker Bones.
Even Su Ming himself had thought the same thing, until…
The moment there was only a two tenth of his blood, life force, and power of Awakening left within him, all the blood vessels in Su Ming's body swelled up rapidly and appeared on his skin. They looked incredibly hideous, like there were green centipedes crawling all over his body!
That was what it seemed like, but if anyone took a closer look, they would be able to tell that all the blood vessels on Su Ming's body had grouped together to form a twisted blood vein!
It was a green vein, a vein that contained fresh blood… It was the vein that Su Ming did not choose to manifest in the past, but in truth, it had still come to him. It was hidden in Su Ming's blood, and now, it had turned all the blood vessels on his body… into the 1000th blood vein!
Chapter 359: Turning Aura to Liquid!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The 1,000th blood vein!
It had always existed, but Su Ming did not know about it right up to this moment. If when he arrived at the Bone Sacrifice Realm, he'd been satisfied with just one Berserker Bone, that 1,000th blood vein would not have appeared.
If he'd chosen to stop after the second Berserker Bone appeared, it would also not have appeared.
However, even if he did not say anything, his decision was reverberating in his heart like a shout.
He wanted to become stronger. He wanted to become a powerful warrior, the type that would dominate over all other wills, a presence that no one could control in the world, an untamable person over whose decisions no one could place any control, whom no one could force to obey to their will!
He wanted that third Berserker Bone, wanted to fulfill his will when the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice was still there, wanted to use its strength and go forward a few more steps at the moment he had just arrived at this Realm!
This was Su Ming's desire!
That 1,000th blood vein appeared due to his desire. Almost the instant it appeared, the third vertebrae in Su Ming's spine burst forth with a powerful blue light. That blue light penetrated through his body and covered a circular area of 1,000 feet around him, causing the sky, the area underneath the vortex, and the side of the deity statue to be completely dyed in blue!
"What powerful greed… but it's a good sort of greed! 1,000 blood veins… 1,000… Send my orders out. Su Ming will now be a Child of Sky Mist!" The old voice from Sky Mist City seemed to be letting out a long peal of laughter that boomed in the air.
At that moment, all the people who could see Su Ming's face clearly were shocked to the core.
"He actually has 1,000 blood veins?! This is something that hasn't happened in the Berserker Tribe for a very long time!"
"How could it be possible that we have never heard about him when he has such potential..?"
"It doesn't matter how famous he was previously, from now on, he will be the center of attention in the Land of South Morning!"
Su Ming did not know what was happening underneath. At that moment, all his attention was placed on the third, recently appeared and rapidly transforming, Berserker Bone.
At the same time that the Berserker Bone started transforming, the two tenth of his remaining blood and life force were continuously devoured. The appearance of the 1,000th blood vein also delivered a large amount of energy incessantly, and gradually, when all the blood vessels on Su Ming's emaciated body sank back down and disappeared into his skin, at that instant, a deep wave of weakness filled his entire body.
Yet it was also at that moment that the third Berserker Bone appeared within him!
As the three Berserker Bones shone, the powerful feeling coming from within them allowed Su Ming to feel the vast amount of power in the world, even if he had his eyes closed.
He could now sense the power in the world even more clearly now.
"This power existing in the world… This aura that exists in every corner… I… should be able to use it…" Su Ming mumbled. At that moment, he was in a state of weakness he had never been in before. In fact, he felt as if he could be blown away with just one gust of wind. His body was as dried up as a corpse; that was the price of Sacrificing his Bones.
There was a certain amount of time required before he could recover. However, once he recovered, he would definitely be unable to use a method such as this to manifest another Berserker Bone, because without the strange power existing within the deity statue of Bone Sacrifice to create pressure and solidify his power, it would be impossible for him to reach the Bone Sacrifice Realm from the Awakening Realm.
He had only one chance!
And it depended on him on just how much he could seize!
The next time the deity statue appeared would be when Su Ming reached the Berserker Soul Realm. Of course, the premise would be that he managed to reach it and not die when he attained completion in the Bone Sacrifice Realm.
After all, to most people, the later stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm was their final target!
When Su Ming closed his eyes and went on to sense the power of the world, the deity statue of Berserker Soul that had revealed a part of itself started showing signs of disappearing from the vortex in the sky. The deity statue of Bone Sacrifice also started becoming transparent, as if it was about to disappear…
The pressure on the land also started fading away. Before long, the world would return to normal, and it would mean that the serendipity Su Ming encountered this time would also be over.
As the pressure disappeared, some of the people on the land stood up, though with great trouble. However, their eyes still remained fixed on the sky to look at the indistinct person covered in blue light.
Time passed by, and the deity statue of Berserker Soul in the vortex had mostly disappeared. Judging by its looks, it would fade away completely in a moment. The deity statue of Bone Sacrifice was also about to disappear completely.
Su Ming still had his eyes shut. He was incredibly weakened at that moment, and he felt exactly like the time before he had become a Berserker and was just a normal tribe member. Yet the more weak his body was, the clearer he could sense the power of the world existing around him.
He gradually discovered that while he might be weakened, but he… did not seem to be completely crippled… It was as if there was still a presence existing within him. However, it was very weak and was usually an insignificant existence in his body due to the power of Awakening. However, as the power of Awakening faded, it slowly started to gain prominence.
That was… the Refined Aura!
It was the aura stored in the opened path within Su Ming's body which allowed him to gain his divine sense!
'This is… the Art of Aura Refinement. It's the other cultivation method I named after I perceived and learned it from He Feng…'
Su Ming opened his eyes. He was not sure whether it was a figment of his imagination, but he could feel that the aura in the passages within his body was rather similar to this power in the world.
This similarity made him recall having a familiar sort of feeling when he first obtained this Refined Aura, and it was the reason why he named this Art Aura Refinement!
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. That aura contained within the opened path in his body now stood out prominently to his senses. With a glint shining in his eyes, he opened his mouth and took a deep breath.
That one inhale allowed him to clearly feel the aura in the passages of his body starting to rapidly circulate within him. The instant that aura swiftly circulated through his body once, the power of the world surged towards him and he sucked in a huge breath of it.
That one breath of power from the world made Su Ming's body suddenly swell up. The life force and blood he'd lost was also somewhat restored.
But that was not all. More importantly, Su Ming could feel that the aura contained in the passage became several times stronger, and was now swimming through his body rapidly like a dragon.
Su Ming was slightly puzzled, but he knew that he did not have a lot of time to think about it. The two deity statues were about to disappear. He immediately opened his mouth wide and sucked in another breath.
This time, once the power of the world went into his mouth, his body filled up and all his blood and life force was instantly restored to full, but at the same time, a sharp pain that was almost unbearable appeared within him.
Once again, the aura in that opened passage became much stronger, and as it circulated within him, it almost connected with the power of the world!
Almost the moment Su Ming made this move, the expressions of the three powerful Shamans on the ground changed drastically. Their pupils shrank, their eyes were fixated to the sky.
Although buzzing sounds were going off in their minds and their divine senses seemed to be sealed off, their bodies could still sense the changes within the power of the world. The force coming it charging forward gave them the impression that the person in the sky was not a Berserker in the Bone Sacrifice Realm, but one in the Berserker Soul Realm!
The expressions of the old Berserkers in the Berserker Soul Realm also changed to ones filled with disbelief and shock.
"That's the power of the world! He can actually control the power of the world!"
"This is a power only those in the later stage of the Bone Sacrifice Realm can marginally use, and only those in the Berserker Soul Realm can control. Just how did he do it?!"
"There's something off about him…"
Su Ming's life force and blood recovered, and the feeling as if he was about to explode became stronger, causing him to lift his head and let out a howl towards the sky. When he did so, blue light burst forth from the fourth vertebrae on his spine.
The instant the blue light spread out, the two deity statues that were about to disappear suddenly stopped vanishing. Instead, they gained physical form once again. As their bodies materialized, Su Ming's body immediately started withering away under that unique pressure they used to help those who were about to arrive at the Bone Sacrifice Realm.
The blood and life force contained within his recovered body due to the power of the world surging into him were instantly sucked away by the fourth Berserker Bone, and he started shrivelling up at a rapid speed.
Excitement appeared in Su Ming's eyes, he had never expected that his unintentional act could bring him such great serendipity. His heart pounded against his chest, and when his body started withering away, he opened his mouth towards the sky and sucked in a large breath once again.
The power of the world surged towards him as he inhaled and was sucked into his mouth. It allowed his body to recover once again, and at the same time, his newly restored life force and blood were absorbed by the fourth Berserker Bone. On the other hand, the aura that was like a dragon coursing through the opened path in his body swelled up, and its head connected with its tail as it continued circulating in his body.
The instant the aura's head connected with its end, Su Ming closed his eyes and his body lurched forward. A large amount of black ooze was immediately forced out of his body, making it seem as if he had just gone through another metamorphosis.
With that metamorphosis, the opened path in his body instantly swelled up, and the connected aura within it also rapidly merged together. Then, Su Ming sensed that once the aura gathered together as if it was pressed into each other, it started turning into droplets of liquid.
His aura had turned into liquid!
His body also changed because of this. He became even more slender than before and lost all the characteristics of a member of the Berserker Tribe. His hair, too, became longer and his skin turned so fair that it looked as clear as crystals. A unique temperament came from within him - it was a quiet air, but at the same time, strangely captivating!
Right at that moment, Su Ming opened his eyes. His gaze held a profundity within that seemed to be able to suck in all things in the world, and at that moment, his temperament became astonishingly similar to that of the female Shaman who had called him Destiny moments ago!
It was as if they were cut from the same cloth, as if they practiced the same cultivation method!
It was also at that moment when Su Ming opened his eyes that he finished sacrificing his fourth vertebrae and turned it into a Berserker Bone!
"If I'm going to aim for something, then I'll definitely… aim high." Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the two deity statues above him. A hint of madness appeared in his gaze as he mumbled under his breath.