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Chapter 418: It's that Thing!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When the old Patriarch of White Bull Tribe saw Su Ming actually losing his cool, he was momentarily stunned before he became ecstatic. He was not in any sort of pain from parting with the sacred item. No matter how strange and mysterious of a treasure this was, it could not match with the importance of his tribe members in his heart.
If he had to choose, even if he would one day come to know that this item left behind by his ancestors in his tribe for generations was an incredible treasure, he would still not regret his decision… As long as more of his people could survive through this disaster, then there would come a day where the children in his tribe would grow up, and the adults of the tribe would have a chance to see themselves grow white hair.
If he could do this, then he could give up on everything. To him, this was the biggest meaning in his life ever since he became Patriarch!
At the same time he felt that ecstasy in his heart, the old man also felt uneasy. This was the first time he ever saw Su Ming being unable to control his own emotions. When he seized that item, the old man had a misconception that if he retracted his hand, he would definitely bring about a massive storm of killing intent on himself.
The old man took a few steps back and wrapped his fist in his palm before bowing towards Su Ming. As Su Ming observed his tribe's sacred item, the old man spoke respectfully.
"It doesn't matter whether you will help the weak White Bull Tribe, this item will belong to you… but on behalf of the three hundred seventy-nine people in the tribe, I beg for you to have compassion on us and help us this once…"
As he moved back, this old man, this Patriarch of White Bull Tribe, this person, who was not very attractive, had a sharp mouth and the cheeks of a monkey, knelt down before Su Ming.
He was the Patriarch of White Bull Tribe, he had his pride, he was a Medial Shaman, he had his own dignity… In truth, if his tribe did not exist, even if he died, he would die standing. He would not kneel easily.
Yet at that moment, for his own tribe, for the familiar faces there, for the young voices calling him 'Grandpa patriarch', for the young adults he watched grow up in the tribe, he knelt down.
He would never forget how his people treated him kindly when he was young even though he was ugly. He would also never forget himself having a crush on the most beautiful girl in the tribe when he was a young man.
Even less so could he forget the previous Patriarch appointing him as the Patriarch the moment of his death. That kindly gaze and hopeful eyes, all of these things were his warmth. They were the most important things in his life.
For his tribe, it did not matter whether he had to kneel and beg, did not matter whether he had offer up his tribe's sacred item, did not matter whether he had to come under question for his actions by his entire tribe. In fact, he could already imagine that when his people discovered that their sacred item was gone and that the 'sacred item' placed in the tribe right at that moment was a counterfeit he made, they would probably hate and hold a grudge against him for the rest of their lives.
However, he chose to bear through all this! To silently bear through everything, all for the sake of… the continuity of his tribe.
Su Ming was his only hope.
Su Ming's gaze slowly moved from White Bull Tribe's sacred item in his hand to the Patriarch of White Bull Tribe kneeling over there. The intelligence the old man showed was something gained by him through time. His resolution was a part of his personality.
Su Ming might not know all that he had done for his tribe, but he could still somewhat tell some of the things he did.
"I am your only hope?" After a long while, Su Ming spoke slowly. Even if the old man was a Shaman and Su Ming himself came from the Berserkers, even if both of their races were at war, but the old man's actions reminded Su Ming of his elder…
The old man kneeling on the ground nodded lightly.
Su Ming was silent for a moment before he asked, "What if I wasn't here?"
"I would choose to merge with Black Crane Tribe, even if the price would be huge… In fact, I can already imagine that Black Crane Tribe will search for the strongest Shaman in this area - Madam Ji. Honestly, if Madam Ji really came looking for trouble, I would still have a way for her to stop…"
The old man lifted his head and looked at Su Ming. His wrinkles and that monkey face made him radiate with wisdom and age at that moment. There was also a deeply rooted fatigue showing on him.
"If those two tribe members of yours cannot find a tribe that will find them to be an asset or manage to find any powerful Shamans who are willing to help you migrate from this place, what will you do?" Su Ming asked calmly.
The old man remained silent, and after a long moment, a smile appeared on his face and he said softly, "This will be our tribe's fate, then. If that's the case, I will stay here with my people and watch the Calamity of the Eastern Wastelands come upon us. As we head to our destruction, we will sing our ancient folk songs, dance the dances passed down in our tribe. Death isn't really that terrifying."
Su Ming looked at the old man, and respect gradually appeared on his face. This was a person who deserved his respect. Even if he was a Shaman, when he said those things, Su Ming could not feel any hint of deception in his words.
If he did not truly have those thoughts, even if he said those words, it would be difficult to convince anyone.
"Bring your tribe members here on the eve of the Month of Spirits." Su Ming closed his eyes, then when he reopened them, he spoke with a flat tone before turning around to the sealed mountain range. A wave of ripples spread through the now empty looking place, and he disappeared.
The old man from White Bull Tribe watched Su Ming leave and gratitude appeared on his face. He stood up, wrapped his fist in his hand, and bowed down deeply towards the place before he left with hope.
Su Ming walked out of the air into the sealed mountain range. He held White Bull Tribe's sacred item in his hands and sat down cross-legged beside the black wooden club. As he dipped his head down to look at the item in his hand, an excited look appeared on his face.
"I didn't expect to meet this thing again here… Just… what is it..?" Su Ming took a deep breath. The thing in his hand was a round stone plate.
The stone plate looked very normal. Besides some rather fine carvings on it, there seemed to be nothing else strange about it. There was only a fragment the size of a fingernail embedded at the center of the bowl. The fragment's color was quite different from the stone bowl, which was why it looked quite distinct.
What made Su Ming lose his control before the old man from White Bull Tribe was that embedded fragment in the stone fragment. This fragment the size of a fingernail was entirely black and was letting out rays of dark light!
That item gave Su Ming the exact same feeling as the strange stone fragment hanging off his neck. However, compared to Su Ming's stone fragment, this was much smaller.
This was the only item that could make Su Ming lose his cool. When he seized it, the old man had discovered some clues about him, but these things were nothing compared to him obtaining the item.
Su Ming stared at the fragment, and his face was occasionally filled with confusion, and at other times nostalgia. The memories of the things that happened in Dark Mountain surfaced in his mind subconsciously.
From the moment he obtained the black stone fragment, to the moment he deceived the statue of the God of Berserkers causing him to be able to practice the Ways of the Berserkers, to the moment Dark Mountain was destroyed, to the moment he obtained the inheritance of the Wind and Lightning Berserkers…
The black stone fragment changed everything about him.
Su Ming was caught in a daze for a long time as he looked at the stone plate. When the sun set in the sky, he sighed with a complicated look on his face. Those memories made him want to sigh for the first time.
He calmed his mind down and brought out the black stone hanging on his neck. The instant he placed it in the stone plate, the fragment there immediately shone with a brilliant dark light. At the same time, Su Ming's stone fragment also shone strongly with that dark light, as if they were reflecting off each other.
Soon after, something made Su Ming suck in a sharp breath. The carvings on the stone plate with the fragment embedded inside started shining with a white light, then those carvings started spinning as if they had come alive in Su Ming's eyes.
However, once they spun around three times, their light instantly turned dim. Cracks immediately appeared on the plate and the plate looked as if it was about to shatter. A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He put away his own stone fragment, and only then did he manage to prevent this stone plate from shattering completely.
'This stone is embedded in the stone plate, but I wonder what sort of mystery lies within the plate itself. Next time, when the Patriarch of White Bull Tribe comes, I'll have to ask him.' Su Ming stroked the bottom of his chin. He quelled the excitement in his heart and put the stone plate away into his storage bag.
'World of Nine Yin… An ancient ruin, huh? The Nine Abyss Flower can increase the chances of success when I go through the life and death disaster as I try to breakthrough into the Berserker Soul Realm. I've never heard about it before, but the old man didn't seem like he was lying.
'The Curse actually came from there as well, and it's controlled by the Shamans. If that's the case, then there should be some ancient treasure in the World of Nine Yin, such as…' Su Ming lowered his head and looked at the red ring on his finger. He did not have time to examine this thing up till now.
'The Berserkers are also thinking of ways to enter, huh? Perhaps I'll be able to see some familiar faces there, along with those from the Shaman Tribe…'
When he thought of the Shamans, Su Ming felt a slight headache pounding in his head. The chaos Hong Luo caused made him not know what to say if he ran into Wan Qiu and the others.
He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head and no longer thought about this troublesome thing. He knew that he could not go to the glacier in the Dead Sea for the time being, and the fusion of the Lightning Crystal of Inheritance would not be complete within a short time as well.
As he waited for the people from White Bull Tribe coming over, Su Ming decided to examine the Curse. At the same time, he also went on to stabilize his control over the three styles of Wind Separation that he'd gained from the inheritance of the Wind Berserker.
Also, he had to examine that black wooden club which he had snatched after going through that incredible danger to see whether there were any other uses to it.
Besides these, his Nascent Soul in his clone was also heavily injured. He would need to pay a lot of attention to nurse it back to health. However, the power of the world in this place was thick. Even if he did not have any Spirit medicine, he could still lighten the injuries he sustained slowly.
Most of the month passed by in the blink of an eye. During those twenty-odd days, the injuries the clone sustained recovered slightly. Su Ming's Nascent Soul was no longer in a constant state of scattering away. It might still be rather weak, but it regained its liveliness.
As for the black wooden club, while Su Ming could not find a way to put it away into a storage bag, he found out that not only could he change the item's weight at will, he could also change its size. Once he shrank it down, he could bring it with him.
There was also the matter with that red ring. There was a power contained within it that made Su Ming rather enthralled as he examined it. The power of the Curse was incredibly great, causing Su Ming to still be unable to make heads or tails of it in the midst of his confusion. However, every single time his mind was immersed in that ring, he would be caught in a daze.
During one morning, Su Ming emerged from his immersion in that ring. There was still a dazed look on his face, and he only snapped out of it after a long moment.
"The power of the Curse…" he mumbled softly. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he lifted his head to look at the spot outside the seal.
After a moment, the voice of the old man from White Bull Tribe traveled forth faintly from the area outside.
"Sir Soul Catcher, I, the Patriarch of White Bull Tribe, would like to meet you. I brought the tribe members with the Soul Catcher's constitution here."
Su Ming stood up and waved his arm. Immediately, the small snake flew towards him and disappeared on him. At the same time, the Poison Corpse turned into a ray of black light and Su Ming put him away into his storage bag. His Nascent Soul instantly flew out from his clone, and once it crawled into his jugular notch, he put away Ji Yun Hai along with the black beetles that returned to slumber once again. Only then did he lift his right hand and point forward at a moderate speed.
Immediately, ripples appeared in the air before him, and a gap formed up. The old man from White Bull Tribe brought a boy and a girl, both of whom looked nervous, and walked over.
Chapter 419: The Boy and Girl
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When the old man from White Bull Tribe, the boy, and the girl entered the sealed area of the mountain range, Su Ming had already put on that black mask on his face and hid his appearance.
He stood there dressed head to toe in black robes. Due to the freezing air still remaining in his body and the layer of ice freezing the Gate to the Void, this place was freezing compared to the burning world outside.
Once the boy and girl anxiously entered the place, they instinctively shuddered. Their breaths came out in white puffs, and their gazes were filled with respect as they looked towards Su Ming. This Medial Soul Catcher had left too deep an impression on them. The scene of the red-haired Su Ming going to their tribe that day was carved deep into their memories.
"Sir, these are the two children." The Patriarch of White Bull Tribe took a few steps forward and wrapped his fist in his palm before bowing towards Su Ming.
"The first quarter of the Hour of Spirits tomorrow will be the start of the Month of Spirits. The God of Shamans Temple will cast the ancient Spell, and all the children with the blood of Soul Catchers in the entire land of the Shamans will sense that faint pull. Then, with the call coming from their blood as Soul Catchers and the pull from the Soul Stone [1], they will be able to be Relocated from this place. You will also need Soul Stones to leave."
As the old man from White Bull Tribe spoke, he brought out three white rocks from his bosom. The three stones were round and looked as if they were sparkling slightly, but they were not transparent.
The three Soul Stones were passed down through generations in White Bull Tribe. It was specially made for those with a Soul Catcher's constitution to activate their power as Soul Catchers. The old man from White Bull Tribe placed all of them respectfully by the side.
"Sir, once you help these two children completely obtain the cultivation method for Soul Catchers, you can just send them back to the Shaman City. You must definitely be thinking of going alone after that. No matter what time, you can come back using the Soul Stone at any place with a Shaman Tower in the World of Nine Yin."
The old man bowed deeply to Su Ming once again, and when he lifted his head, he looked towards the boy and girl. A stern look appeared on his face.
"Listen well, the both of you. You must listen to the Soul Catcher during this trip. If you don't obey his orders and if you harbor any ulterior motives, then think of your tribe! Sir, if these two children don't obey your commands, you have the right to kill them. If they are not willing to care about the troubles of the tribe, then it's better for this sort of person to die in the Word of Nine Yin."
Respect immediately appeared on the girl's and boy's faces. They voiced their compliance with their heads lowered, their hearts beating nervously.
"Sir, if you would please…" The old man from White Bull Tribe cast the boy and girl a complicated look, then eventually looked at Su Ming.
"Let them stay. You can leave now," Su Ming said slowly.
The old man from White Bull Tribe cast another look at the boy and girl once more, then turned around swiftly and walked outside, but the instant he was about to leave the sealed area, Su Ming suddenly opened his mouth.
The old man paused in his footsteps and turned his head around to look at Su Ming.
"It has been generations since anyone has been able to control this item. However, it is recorded in our tribe's ancient records that this item will choose its own owner. Its biggest use is tracking. As for its origins, I'm already looking into it…"
As the old man spoke, he hesitated for a moment and brought out a wooden slip from his bosom, then sent it out gently. The wooden slip floated towards Su Ming, then once he held it in his hand, he scanned it with his divine sense, and he nodded his head.
The old man bowed towards him and walked out of the sealed area. As the ripples filled the air, his body disappeared, and Su Ming, along with the boy and girl, were the only ones left.
Without bothering about the boy and girl, Su Ming sat down cross-legged on the ground, then brought up the wooden slip to examine it closely.
The boy and girl from White Bull Tribe were very pretty, but in their fear, they looked as if they were shivering. They looked at each other, then sat down demurely at a spot not too far away from Su Ming. They remained silent, as if they did not know what to say.
Time passed by slowly, and soon, it was midnight. There were no stars in the dark sky. Even the moon was hidden behind the clouds, and only when it occasionally peeked out would moonlight shine gently on the ground.
It was quiet all around the area. Su Ming held the wooden slip in his hands and closed his eyes, sinking into his thoughts.
Perhaps it was because the boy and girl had remained immobile for too long in this freezing place that their bodies became rather stiff and numb. However, they did not dare stand up. They only used their hands to rub their arms.
When dawn arrived, due to the chilly air that originally existed in the place, the area turned much colder. The boy and girl had already exhausted their minds in the cold and fear, and they gradually began to feel drowsy. However, the moment they started nodding off, a strange cry suddenly came from the mountain range.
The sound came too suddenly, causing the boy and girl to be instantly shocked awake. When they looked over nervously, they saw a fiery red figure charging towards them through the dark from the mountain range not too far away. When it got closer, the boy and girl saw that the creature was a fire-red ape.
The Fire Ape scratched its head and circled around Su Ming several times before it looked at the boy and girl and bared its teeth, showing a ferocious look. It also put up a show that it was drooling and its saliva was dripping all over the floor as it walked towards them while growling.
The boy and girl's faces instantly turned pale. The murderous aura spreading out from the Fire Ape's body caused their originally freezing bodies to shiver even more.
When the Fire Ape rushed towards them, the boy let out a scream and rapidly moved back while rolling and crawling. However, when a huge gust of wind blew past his side, the Fire Ape instantly closed in on him. It did not chase him down, but only looked as if it was having fun while also regarding the boy with scorn. It sat down beside the girl, who looked pale but did not retreat, then turned its head to regard her closely.
The girl looked to be only fifteen or sixteen. She was fair skinned and her eyes were like that of a phoenix. While she might look terrified, she was looking resolutely at the Fire Ape.
The Fire Ape bared its teeth at her, but even so, the girl continued sitting there, though her face became even paler. However, she did not do anything that would show that she was overly panicking.
As if it felt rather bored, the Fire Ape laid down on the spot. Before long, it started snoring. Soon, the girl immediately noticed that it was no longer as cold in the area once it appeared. Waves of heat were spreading from the ape's body, causing her freezing body to gradually become warm.
Her eyes instantly brightened up, and when she looked at the snoring Fire Ape, she no longer felt that it was ferocious. She was originally intelligent to begin with, and knew at that moment that the Fire Ape meant no harm.
"Thank you, senior," the girl stood up and said softly to Su Ming, who was meditating with his eyes closed not too far away.
Su Ming continued meditating there as if he did not hear it.
The girl was not bothered by it. She treaded lightly to the Fire Ape's side and lifted her hand as if she wanted to touch the Fire Ape's fur. But at that moment, the boy who had crawled into the distance and was so terrified that he was shivering immediately widened his eyes. He wanted to remind her of something in his panic but was afraid that the ape would wake up.
The instant the girl almost touched the Fire Ape, it opened its eyes and started growling and baring its teeth her. It looked incredibly terrifying, as if it wanted to devour her.
Fear emerged in the girl's heart, but she smiled faintly and pressed her right hand resolutely on the Fire Ape's fur, stroking it lightly. The boy's breathing was practically frozen at that point.
The Fire Ape's growls gradually weakened. It cast the girl a look, then decided to lay down once again, letting her stroke its fur. Before long, it looked as if it was enjoying itself, and it made the girl let out tinkling laughter in her joy.
"Ahu, come here. It's alright, this place is warm," the girl called out to the boy.
The boy hesitated for a moment, then right when he was about to move his feet and walk over, the Fire Ape lifted its head and bared its teeth at him. The boy immediately froze in his footsteps, and did not dare get closer no matter what.
Yet even so, the spot where he stood gradually became less cold, and warmth spread through his body.
The night went by just like that. The girl lay against the warm Fire Ape and yawned, actually falling asleep while leaning against it. However, during that night, while being envious of her, though it was envy without any bitterness, the boy found himself to be terrified, and he could not sleep.
While these two teenagers' personalities could not be entirely gauged with the Fire Ape's arrival, but Su Ming could figure them out slightly. When the first rays of sunlight fell in the morning, he opened his eyes and swept his gaze past the boy and girl.
'The boy is just envious, there's no jealousy or bitterness in him. He might be weak-willed, but when he saw his companion doing something so risky, he panicked. He's an honest fellow… but he needs to go through some hardships to become a stronger person.
'As for the girl… This child is bold, but sensitive. She can tell from the details that as long as she doesn't make any mistakes, she won't be in danger. She can also tell that I made the Fire Ape come to get rid of the cold for them.
'In fact, once she makes a decision, she won't give up easily. If she can continue being like this, then she might be able to go farther than the boy in her path of cultivation. However, that sort of personality makes her rather stubborn, and it might cause her to show extremist behavior. She's also the type to easily believe in other people, and she's rather childish...
'Then we talk about the chances of survival, then the chances of her dying are much higher than the boy's. The two people sent by White Bull Tribe aren't too bad.'
Su Ming averted his gaze and closed his eyes once again. He always used himself as the standard when he judged a person.
Time flowed by once again, and when noon arrived, the boy and girl had already woken up. The Fire Ape was nowhere to be found.The instant Su Ming opened his eyes once again, the three white Soul Stones placed before him suddenly shone with a gentle light.
It was as if they had absorbed the rays of the sun from the sky. However, that light was not strong. Su Ming cast them a look, and lifted his right hand to wave it at the sky. Immediately, a gap appeared in the seal in the air, causing sunlight to descend downwards without any obstructions, illuminating the three Soul Stones.
The boy and girl had also stood up and were looking at the three Soul Stones nervously.
"Se… Senior, can we go over?" The one who spoke was the girl. Her voice was weak. Clearly, in her eyes, Su Ming was still a person who deserved respect.
Once Su Ming nodded his head, the girl took a few brisk steps forward and sat down beside the three Soul Stones. The boy followed close behind with slightly shivering legs before he sat down. The two of them closed their eyes at the same time, then after they did something, the three Soul Stones immediately shone with a piercing light. The light spread outwards swiftly, and once it enveloped Su Ming, it shot into the sky in a strong ray!
The light lasted for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before it gradually disappeared. As the light dissipated, Su Ming, along with the boy and girl, also disappeared. The gap in the seal in the sky also started closing up gradually, and only then did the place regain its peace and quiet.
When that strong ray of light rose, the old man lifted his head to look at the sky while within White Bull Tribe, and an expectant look appeared on his face.
'The hope of White Bull Tribe… lies in the both of you…'
Translator's Notes:
Soul Stones are not spirit stones!
Chapter 420: World of Nine Yin!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"The World of Nine Yin was discovered by the Nine Li Tribe when the Shaman Tribe just appeared in the land. It is one of the bigger ruins left behind from ancient times. It seems to be located in a different dimension compared to the World of the Berserkers…
"Nine is contained in its name because the Nine Li Tribe was the one who explored the place and occupied a small region within the area. From then on, it became the territory of the God of Shamans Temple and they built the one and only city belonging to us Shamans in this place.
"The name of the city is Shaman City." The boy's somewhat young voice rang in Su Ming's ears lightly.
In this place, there was a gray sky, covered by tumbling clouds. Occasionally, bolts of lightning would flash past. Thunder boomed in the sky, and due to the clouds sinking because of their heavy weight, it gave people an oppressive feeling.
"The word Yin is due to the dense aura of death contained in this place when it was first discovered. That aura of death could instantly kill a living person, and there are a lot of dangers and threats in this place as well. That's why it was named Yin." As the boy whispered, Su Ming swept his gaze past the area.
They were in a mountain forest filled with fog. There were no leaves on the trees in the forest, but those trees were not dried up. Instead, they had quite the hideous appearance, looking like fingers on a person's hands, and they were scattered all over the mountain range.
"The World of Nine Yin is go big that us Shamans have only occupied a tiny part of it. However, the discoveries we made in several spots in this place allowed three types of cultivation to appear among us.
"One of them are the Soul Catchers. This cultivation method was discovered when our ancestors found a Candle Dragon's complete carcass. Even if there are some records about ancient ferocious beasts like this that only exist in legends, most of those records are incomplete. Most people believe they were just rumors as well.
"It is impossible for there to be a being that can bring daylight by opening its eyes, then plunge the world into darkness by closing its eyes. We thought this was just a myth created by the Ancients because they did not understand how day and night works.
"However, the discovery of this corpse changed everything…" The boy's breathing quickened and anxiety appeared in his eyes as he spoke quickly. Su Ming sat cross-legged on a mountain rock while looking at the hideous mountain forest before him. The boy stood by his side.
As for the girl, she was currently tied up by the branches of a big tree several hundreds of feet away. Her face was pale and she was struggling nonstop. There was a knife in her hands, and that knife was stuck in that tree. Green liquid seeped out of it.
"Continue," Su Ming said languidly.
"The Candle Dragon might be dead, but there is a powerful will left in its complete carcass. The ancestors of Shamans discovered that only certain people with certain constitutions can absorb a hint of that will into their bodies and use it for their cultivation. With the body as the foundation, the person will practice the divine abilities contained within the Candle Dragon's will!
"This is the origins of Soul Catchers… But for some unknown reason, the Candle Dragon's corpse cannot be brought out of this place, that's why we hold the legacy of the Month of Spirits once every decade… On the beginning of the Month of Spirits, each tribe will bring out the Soul Stones they've prepared and let the tribe members who can let these Soul Stones shine enter the World of Nine Yin through the power of the Soul Stones activated by the God of Shamans Temple's Spell."
The boy's voice was trembling. He saw that the girl's face had turned stark white, and she seemed like she was already losing her grip on the knife. There was even a hint of the aura of death on her face.
However, she was still struggling.
"Senior, please save Lan Lan. She…she's going to die. She should know that she made a mistake now. Please…"
Su Ming's expression still remained as calm as ever. He cast a cold glance at the boy and stated, "Continue."
The boy shuddered, then after remaining silent for a while, he spoke softly once again.
"Besides the Candle Dragon's corpse, they also discovered an altar here. That altar is made of a creature's skull. Rumors say that it's incredibly big. There's a power contained in that altar that won't lose to the Candle Dragon's. That power is not a will, but is instead a strange power that cannot be described.
"Most of the Shamans who fall under the influence of this power will start hallucinating until they die… Only some people will not die after they see those hallucinations. Once they break out of those hallucinations, they will possess a similar power to that altar. Those are Thought Soothsayers…"
As the boy spoke, the girl's struggles gradually grew weaker. She had trouble breathing, and her face was breathless. The knife in her hand fell to the ground. At the same time, the strange tree lifted another branch slowly. The tip of that branch was beyond sharp, and that tip was sent hurling to the girl's forehead.
Yet the moment the branch closed in, green light shone on Su Ming's body. The small virescent sword shot out and swept past that branch with one slash, cutting it down. Then, the small virescent sword flashed one more time and moved on to cut down all the branches on the tree. It also circled the girl once to immediately shatter the branch around her body. She fell to the ground.
She gritted her teeth, and once she struggled to her feet, she grabbed the knife. She did not immediately run back to Su Ming, but instead turned around and stabbed the knife deep into tree, causing it to tremble violently. During that time, the girl pulled out the knife and quickly ran back to Su Ming.
When she was ten feet away from him, she fell to her knees with a crash and her head lowered. She was still pale.
"Senior, I… I made a mistake…"
"What is your mistake?" Su Ming cast the girl a glance. There were many bruises on her skin, and she was also covered in her own blood.
"I should not have gone for the knife on the tree due to my own greed after we were Relocated here and before you said anything about it, then went a hundred feet away from you to try and get it… Please give me one more chance, I won't be so reckless anymore."
The girl had her head bowed down. Fear was still lingering on her face. The thing that had happened just now made her truly feel death and despair.
"You didn't do anything wrong." With a profound gaze, Su Ming looked at the girl through the mask.
She was taken aback. She lifted her head to look at Su Ming, and confusion appeared on her face.
"If you want to obtain something, then you must pay for it. If the reward is great, then the price for it will be greater… Riches will only be gained if you take risks. If you like this knife, then you must be prepared to pay the price when you take it.
"Your experience about that encounter is that price. Think about it carefully. I might have made a promise with your patriarch, but I will only save you three times," Su Ming stated calmly.
"You are bold, but sensitive. You knew that even if you ran into danger, I would save you. You are better than him in this regard. However, even though you are still weak, you have already become very reliant on others and are not cautious enough, nor do you have much awareness of the threats around you. In this regard, you cannot compare to him." Su Ming averted his gaze from the girl and looked at the gray sky in the distance.
"Ahu, continue speaking."
The boy cast a concerned look at the girl kneeling on the ground, then lowered his head and voiced his obedience before he continued speaking beside Su Ming.
"The third place is a mass grave that is the burial ground for an unknown number of corpses. The thickness of the aura of death over there is said to be so thick that it has already gained physical form. That spot is the birthplace of Spirit Mediums.
"Those with a Spirit Medium's constitution are said to be able to sense the grief of the deceased over there, and from there, begin to pity the dead while becoming cold towards the living, and they will gain the power of death from that feeling.
"The area of a million lis about the Shaman City is Shaman territory, it is also where the Shamans have set their roots in this land. The area past that one million lis is forbidden grounds. All the tribe members who come to this place are not allowed to step into the forbidden grounds…
"Few of those who step outside manage to survive…" As the boy continued speaking, the girl sat down beside Su Ming, and the words he had told her previously echoed in her head. She dipped her head down to look at the knife in her hands, as if she was absorbed in her own thoughts.
"As the Month of Spirits arrives, there will be different people with Soul Catchers' constitutions who will be sent to different locations within the Shaman's territory here, and none of them will be able to control where they are sent to.
"However, once they arrive, they must remember three things. One, do not try and explore the area. Check the mark on the Soul Stone quickly and head to Shaman City with the fastest speed possible.
"Over there, register your identity and your tribe to obtain the map and items provided by the God of Shamans Temple. Only then will you be able to start your journey to obtain the cultivation method of Soul Catchers…
"Two, it is forbidden for any Shamans to fight amongst themselves. All Shamans who have not completed their journey and obtained the cultivation method of Soul Catchers are not allowed to form alliances with those from other tribes who have also come for the journey. Forming alliances and joining teams can only be done after we have completed our journey and obtained the cultivation method for Soul Catchers.
"Three, do not be greedy. Once you completed your journey and obtained the cultivation method for Soul Catchers, immediately head back to Shaman City." Once he said those words, the boy cast Su Ming a glance. When he saw that Su Ming still looked as calm as ever, he continued speaking.
"There are several types of dangers in the World of Nine Yin. The first type is invaders from other worlds. It would be difficult for us to avoid killing each other if we ran into them.
"The second type is from the tribes of the Shaman Tribe itself. Since there are less than a hundred who complete the journey and obtain the cultivation method for Soul Catchers during each Month of Spirits, we can deduce somewhat that there might be a set amount of people who can obtain the cultivation method for Soul Catchers.
"Perhaps if there are too many people, it will be difficult for us to absorb a sufficient amount of the Candle Dragon's will, but there might be other reasons as well, so we have to be careful of the other Shamans…
"The third is the numerous seals in this place, along with the threats caused by the countless amounts of ferocious beasts here…" The boy stopped speaking for a moment.
"Senior, I've finished speaking… My patriarch told me to tell you these after I came here. I didn't miss a single world. I already memorized this countless times in the tribe." As the boy spoke, he looked at Su Ming nervously.
Su Ming looked as calm as ever, but he was feeling rather displeased. The Patriarch from White Bull Tribe didn't mention that there would be fights between other Shamans here. If that's the case, he won't be able to complete this task so easily.
However, due to his respect for the old man from White Bull Tribe and the fact that he was shocked by the item the old man brought out, since Su Ming agreed to help, he would not say much about it.
He stood up and said flatly, "Check where Shaman City is and how far it is from here. We'll go and register your tribe there first. We won't stay for long after that. We'll be leaving the city immediately."
The girl immediately brought out the Soul Stone from her bosom, bit her finger, forced out a drop of blood, and pressed her finger on the Soul Stone. The stone immediately shone with a weak light that showed them the way.
"We need to travel approximately three hundred thousand lis from here…" The girl let out a sigh of relief and pointed in the direction of the strange forest. They were already considered lucky to be able to be sent to a spot three hundred thousand lis away from Shaman City, under the circumstances that they could be randomly Relocated within an area of a million lis.
"Let's go." Su Ming walked forward calmly. Green light shone on him, and the small sword circled around them to protect the boy and girl as they followed him into the strange forest.
Chapter 421: Forest
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
By what the girl originally thought of, Su Ming should have blasted all the weird trees in the forest all along the way and used the fastest way to walk out of the forest.
This was why his current actions were causing confusion in her heart.
Each and every step Su Ming took was made with extreme caution. Most of the time, he would walk in the spots where the trees were not dense. By doing so, their speed became significantly slower.
The girl did not dare speak, but she was starting to become dubious of Su Ming's power in her heart. Nonetheless, the red-haired Su Min had left a very deep impression within her. That was why even though she was skeptical, she still believed that her patriarch's choice was right.
After they had walked for a full day in the forest, several long arcs charged past in the sky, and they came with an astonishing momentum. Wherever they went, the layers of clouds would look as if they were ripped apart. There were five people in those long arcs.
Four among those five people were teenagers, and the one other person was right in front, leading them. He was an incredibly handsome middle-aged man. His expression was as cold as ice, and his whole entire being exuded power. When they passed over the strange forest, that person cast a look downwards, as if he saw Su Ming and the two youths. Once he swept his gaze over them, he chose to ignore them, rushing past the area with the four teenagers behind him.
When the girl saw all of this, she became agitated. She cast Su Ming a glance, and after a long moment of hesitation, still chose to remain silent.
The boy, however, felt completely different from the girl. To him, this was great. They could avoid as much trouble as possible this way, and when he saw the five people flying in the sky, he thought that they were a little too flashy. In the danger filled World of Nine Yin, flying in such a flashy manner was not a good thing.
When the three of them spent their first night in the forest, nine moons appeared in the sky for them. Su Ming's pupils shrank the moment he saw the nine moons shining above him.
The nine moons shone with a gentle light that scattered on the ground, causing the earth to shine in a glittery light, which also made the sky look much gentler. The layers of clouds seemed to have scattered themselves during the night.
"Rest!" Su Ming came to a halt at a place where there were not many strange trees in the area. He spoke in a calm voice, and once he said his piece, he sat down cross-legged on the ground, then averted his gaze from the moons in the sky and closed his eyes to meditate.
The girl felt that she was being forced into stopping and could do nothing about it. She felt that they should keep moving and head to Shaman City as quickly as possible. In fact, it was to her belief that they should be flying, not walking in the forest. If they continued walking like this, then it was completely unknown just how long they would need to take to cross those three hundred lis.
"Lan Lan, do you want to drink?" Just as the girl was feeling as if she was being forced against her own will, the boy moved to her side and brought out a water skin for her.
The girl took the water skin, and after she took a sip, she asked softly, "Ahu, if we continue walking like this, how long do you think it'll take for us to reach Shaman City?"
"I think… it doesn't matter how long it'll take for us. As long as we can ensure our own safety, it'll be okay." The boy called Ahu scratched his head and answered with a smile.
"Safe. That's the only thing you think about all the time. You're always like this in the tribe. This is called being cowardly, get it? Besides, I don't think it's safe for us to walk on the ground, it's only safe if we travel in the sky. We'd be able to leave this weird forest sooner then…" The girl glared at him, displeased. Clearly, she was venting all her frustrations during the day on the boy.
The boy mumbled a few words under his breath and did not dare speak more. It was clear that he was afraid of the girl. After some time, he brought out some food from his bosom and placed them before the girl.
"Eat! That's the only thing you know how to do!" The girl nagged him a little more, and when she saw his expression, she rolled her eyes, then ignored him.
Su Ming might have seemed calm as he sat there, but in truth, he remained vigilant. He had spread out some of his divine sense in the area during the day and found that the weird forest completely covered an area of one hundred lis.
In fact, he had a faint feeling that as he walked through this place, there were countless pair of eyes watching them. However, compared to the number of invisible gazes on him, Su Ming noticed that there were even more such gazes within the dark clouds in the sky.
In fact, when Su Ming swept his divine sense through the area, he had felt slight a twinge of surprise in him, which was why he did not choose to fly, especially when he saw the five people flying past in midair during the day. He had immediately sensed all those invisible gazes locking onto the five people with greed, and it made Su Ming completely give up on the idea of flying in the sky.
Even if the path he took in the mountain forest did not reveal anything, this particular trail was only chosen after he had spread out his divine sense and found that it was the road with the least amount of gazes focused on him.
Only by doing so did he feel marginally safer.
However, the boy and girl clearly did not know about this. Su Ming had seen the girl's disgruntlement at being forced to walk on the ground and her thoughts but did not find the need to explain anything.
As he remained seated, Su Ming opened his eyes to a slit, and looked at the nine moons in the sky once again. A glint appeared in his eyes.
'Nine moons… I wonder what would happen… if I cast the Fire Berserkers' Art here and executed the burning of blood…' Su Ming did not act recklessly. That thought only flashed by in his head before it disappeared without a trace.
The night went by without a single word exchanged between them. When morning arrived, Su Ming stood up and continued moving forward with the boy and girl. The path they took that day was even more incomprehensible to the girl, because there were several times where they looked as if they were just going round in circles. The only thing that was similar was that there were fewer trees in the area they traveled through. In fact, there were even certain places where there were absolutely none of those strange trees around.
If she had nothing to compare, perhaps the girl would have endured it, but when dusk almost arrived on the second day, they heard a violent bang from the distance.
When they heard that bang coming towards them, Su Ming stopped and turned around to look. His gaze pierced through the forest, and he saw a half-naked man walking one thousand feet away from him with a savage laugh. There was a gigantic battle axe in his right hand, and wherever he went, the trees would be shattered, leaving behind a large amount of green liquid.
There were two boys following behind that man, and their faces were lit in excitement. They followed closely behind, stepping on that green liquid and passing through the area quickly.
There was a girl sitting on the man's shoulders. The girl also looked to be about fifteen to sixteen years of age. She swung her legs about, looking incredibly smug.
When Su Ming and the two youths looked towards them, both parties could still see each other even though the trees were blocking them and there were one thousand feet between them.
The girl sitting on the man's shoulders chuckled and asked them, "Hey, you there, which tribe are you from? We came from Tranquil Field Tribe. Where did you come from?"
Lan Lan stared at the girl sitting on the man's shoulders with non-malicious envy. The presence spreading out from the man made it clear that he was a Medial Battle Shaman. When she saw the strange trees shattering under the man's axe and the group of people moving forward with a speed much faster than theirs, her displeasure towards Su Ming grew stronger.
"We're from White Bull Tribe. I'm Lan Lan," the girl immediately said. Su Ming frowned, and the boy went forward to tug at Lan Lan's sleeves.
"The patriarch told us not to get into too much contact with the other tribes before we complete our journey and become Soul Catchers…" Ahu whispered to her.
"White Bull Tribe? I never heard of it before. It must be a small tribe. The path you take is rather remote. Could it be that you're afraid of these trees? How about this? I'll allow you to walk behind us." The girl sitting on the man's shoulders smiled, and her tone contained a slightly arrogant quality to it.
Once she finished speaking, without waiting for Lan Lan's reply, the girl swiftly left with the man and the two boys behind him as the man continued opening the path. One of the two boys turned back to cast a glance at Su Ming and the two youths when they were far into the distance, and there was slight disdain on his face.
"Let's go." Su Ming remained as calm as ever. He averted his gaze, then turned around to continue walking down the path his divine sense had perceived.
During that instant, he could strongly sense those invisible gazes in the forest instantly focusing on the man. His existence was like a ball of fire in the dark, attracting all manner of darkness towards it.
"But… But why do we still have to walk through this place? They already opened the path there! Why can't we take that path?!" Lan Lan could no longer hold her frustration in after having endured for two days.
"And everyone is flying in the sky, and they're traveling really quickly! Even if we don't fly in the sky, we can charge through the forest. We can get out of this stupid forest faster that way and arrive at Shaman City earlier too. If we're earlier, we can also attract other people's attention. This will be good for White Bull Tribe!"
The girl rambled off, and when she spoke, Su Ming acted as if he did not hear her. He did not even turn his head back, and there was not a hint of change in his expression as he continued walking forward.
There was a torn look on the boy's face as he looked at Su Ming walking in the distance, then at Lan Lan.
"Lan Lan, the patriarch chose him to protect us. I think… the senior definitely has his own reasons for his choice…"
"Shut up!" The girl was originally annoyed that Su Ming ignored her, and was directing all her anger at the boy.
He mumbled a few sounds under his breath again and simply let the girl vent her frustrations as he continued trying to console her. Eventually, in the midst of all her disgruntlement, she chased after Su Ming with the boy.
Four days passed by in the blink of an eye. During those four days, the girl saw several people flying in the sky once more, and she had already become skeptical of Su Ming's power.
However, she did not notice that several big trees in the path they took the day previously had faces protruding out of their tree barks, and all of them looked as if they were suffering. However, it was difficult for her to see those faces at first glance as they were all the same color as the tree bark. She would simply think that those were the lines on the tree bark itself.
If she had looked closely, she would have found that those faces belonged to a man, a girl, and two boys...
Chapter 422: Old Acquaintance
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
'I don't understand why the patriarch chose him! He's just as cowardly as Ahu! We've already been walking for ten days in the forest!'
Another five days passed by, and Su Ming brought the girl and boy out of the forest. All along the way, they did not run into any sort of danger whatsoever. On the final few days, Su Ming increased his speed by quite a large margin, which caused the girl's resentment to disappear slightly, but it was still very strong.
'There's no danger here, and we wasted ten days. Those people who overtook us must have already arrived in Shaman City, but we only managed to travel such a small distance.'
The girl was extremely livid, and Su Ming's unfazed attitude towards everything had especially made her feel as if she could not vent her frustrations, making her feel really horrible for having to keep her anger in.
Because of that, the boy turned into her punching bag and had to be scolded by her all the time during those few days, but there was never a hint of displeasure on the boy's face. Every single time, he would try to console and comfort her.
Even after they walked out of the forest and there was an endless plain before the girl, she still did not know that there was a large number of trees in the forest behind her that contained numerous corpses. Those corpses were all impaled by an endless amount of tree branches, and there was liquid flowing out of their bodies, nourishing the trees.
Those corpses were all drying up one by one, and as time passed by, they would become part of the trees…
Su Ming turned his head around and cast a glance at the strange forest with a calm expression. Most of the time, he did notice the corpses that were absorbed into the forest using some unknown method.
'As expected of the World of Nine Yin, it's already so dangerous even though it's just the Shamans' territory… But the Shamans have already occupied this place for many years, and they should know about the dangers within their territory like the back of their hand. If that's the case, why are the people who come in here acting so recklessly?'
This was something that Su Ming did not understand.
It was explainable as to why White Bull Tribe did not understand the dangers in the place. After all, White Bull Tribe was practically cut off from the world and they were located in a remote region. It was difficult for them to know the details of this place, but there was in no way the other tribes were the same as White Bull Tribe…
As Su Ming was engrossed in his thoughts, his expression suddenly changed, albeit only slightly, and his gaze fell on the forest. Rustling sounds came from within the place, and it was followed soon after by a middle-aged man walking out, exhausted.
Behind him was a boy. His face was pale, and his right arm was withered up!
Su Ming had seen the middle-aged man once before. He was the aloof person who had charged through the sky with four teenagers behind ten days ago!
Not only did Su Ming recognize the middle-aged man, even Ahu and Lan Lan had managed to recognize him with just one glance. Ahu's pupils shrank, and as for Lan Lan, she was momentarily taken aback.
The middle-aged man also saw Su Ming and the other two youths behind him. There was surprise on his face. Clearly, he had also recognized Su Ming. He could remember somewhat that he had seen these three people in that strange forest ten days ago.
At that time, he had been calm, and he did not bother himself too much with those not connected to him. He only noticed these three people because they were walking in the forest and not charging through. That strange action made him give them a second glance, but that was all.
However, when he saw Su Ming, the middle-aged man was shocked in his heart, and a hint of amazement could be seen faintly in his eyes. He found that there was not a hint of injury or patheticalness on Su Ming, but that was not all. The stranger was clearly the same as he was and was tasked to protect these children, but…
No sign of injury or patheticalness could be found on the boy and girl as well. This caused the middle-aged man to not be able to help but be surprised.
He knew too well of the strangeness and terrors of forest by then, and it could be said that he had escaped death narrowly. In fact, he even had to use Enchanted Vessels and divine abilities that could protect his life before he managed to bring one person out, albeit with much difficulty. Yet even so, the boy he managed to bring out already had his right arm rendered useless.
It was because he knew of the changes and the terrors of the forest that he was shocked by the trio's current appearance.
He immediately recalled Su Ming walking leisurely through the forest ten days ago. If he did not run into Su Ming right at that moment, he would not have thought too much into it, but once he did, he immediately recalled his discovery when he was escaping from danger a few days ago.
He had found that the faster he moved in the forest, the more dangerous it was, but if he moved at a relaxed pace, the level of threat would reduce by a large half. Besides his divine abilities, a large part of the reason as to why he managed to escape from the forest with his protégé was this!
When he remembered just how the man had been walking this way since ten days ago, the middle-aged man found himself in shock, but at the same time, he also became wary of Su Ming. He absolutely did not believe that he was merely lucky. This sort of thing had absolutely no connection with any luck whatsoever!
"I am Nan Gong Hen. I'm afraid I've embarrassed myself before you with my current sorry state compared to me ten days ago." Nan Gong Hen smiled wryly and wrapped his fist in his hand towards Su Ming before he bowed. His attitude towards Su Ming was extremely polite.
"There's no embarrassment whatsoever. I am Mo Su." Su Ming returned the greeting with a wrapped fist and replied without even batting an eyelid.
"Fellow tribesman Nan Gong, I remember seeing you fly in the sky a few days ago. Why did you walk out of the forest now?"
"Brother Su, why are you asking what you already know? The forest suddenly changed and caught me off guard. I was surprised when I saw you walking in the forest a few days ago. By the looks of it now, it seems that you have already foreseen this coming." Nan Gong Hen shook his head and laughed bitterly.
"I only thought that this forest was slightly strange. I only got out by pure luck. If I exchanged places with you, it might have been difficult for me to walk out alive," Su Ming stated calmly.
"Brother Mo, there's no need for you to be humble…" Nan Gong Hen shook his head, but he already had quite a good opinion about Su Ming. He cast a glance at Lan Lan and Ahu beside him before asking, "Brother Mo, which tribe are you protecting?"
"Just a remote little tribe. You wouldn't have heard about us before, Brother Nan Gong." Su Ming smiled faintly and avoided the topic.
"We came from White Bull Tribe!" But when the girl saw this middle-aged man, excitement appeared on her face, and she quickly spoke.
Su Ming frowned, and Nan Gong Hen was also taken aback slightly, but he soon smiled and ignored the girl. He had merely asked out of mere politeness and did not expect that Mo Su would answer. The girl butting in already allowed him to somewhat tell that there were some problems between this Mo Su and White Bull Tribe.
Nan Gong Hen hesitated for a moment before he cast a glance at Su Ming, then wrapped his fist in his palm and spoke politely. "Brother Mo, both of our destinations should be Shaman City. There's still quite some distance before we can reach it. Why don't we team up? We'll be able to take care of each other this way." .
Su Ming did not answer immediately. Instead, he cast the girl a cold glare first, and there was a warning look in his eyes, along with a freezing glint. The girl also knew that she had acted rather recklessly just now. When she saw Su Ming giving her that aloof glare, she immediately lowered her head.
As for the boy, he was looking at Su Ming earnestly.
'Do this one more time, and you will no longer receive my protection. I made a promise with your Patriarch that I would only need to have a single person complete the journey.'
Su Ming's voice echoed in the girl's head, and this method of sending his voice directly into her head without being heard by anyone made the girl's heart tremble.
Once he was done dealing with the girl, uncertainty appeared on Su Ming's face. After some time, as Nan Gong Hen continued waiting, he nodded his head.
Delight immediately appeared on Nan Gong Hen's face and he let out a bark of laughter.
"Brother Mo, in all honesty, with you by my side, I feel slightly more confident, or else, I don't know whether there will be any more sudden changes in the forest.
"This forest is truly strange. The wooden slip provided by the God of Shamans Temple never mentioned anything about the terrors of this forest, and I remember that I never ran into any sort of danger when I first came here with my companions and walked through this forest…"
"Brother Nan Gong, could you let me see the wooden slip? I don't understand the changes in this place either." Su Ming asked unhurriedly. He had only agreed to travel with these two because he was not familiar with this place, and he was also wary of this so called 'sudden change' in this forest.
Nan Gong Hen cast a glance at the boy and girl beside Su Ming. Then, as if he had understood something, he smiled and brought out a wooden slip from his bosom, handing it to Su Ming.
Once Su Ming took it, he scanned it with his divine sense. There was a complete map on the slip, and the map covered an area of one million lis. Right at the center of the map was a city.
The Shamans' territory was mapped out clearly.
This was precisely what Su Ming needed. Once he engraved that map in his head, he handed the wooden slip back to Nan Gong Hen, but right at that moment…
"Brother Mo, this is a gift for you. I have another map with me," Nan Gong Hen said with a smile.
"If that is the case, thank you." Su Ming smiled and saluted Nan Gong Hen with a wrapped fist as a form of thanks. The two of them flew up at the same time and charged towards the sky in the distance. Su Ming did not find any of those gazes focusing on him in this area, so he decided it would be good for them to be able to not walk.
As for the three youths, they were all carried into the air by Su Ming and Nan Gong Hen's divine abilities and flew behind them.
As the five people charged forward, Su Ming spread his divine sense out in the area and observed his surroundings carefully. Nan Gong Hen swiped his right hand across the center of his brows, and immediately, a pair of violet eyes appeared at that spot. Those eyes blinked seven times in succession, then multiple spirits flowed out of Nan Gong Hen's body, turning into a vortex as they swam about in the area, and that vortex covered an area several tens of thousands of feet wide.
Clearly, Nan Gong Hen was a Spirit Medium.
The three youths behind Su Ming and Nan Gong Hen were all quiet. The boy who lost his right arm looked extremely determined, but he would occasionally frown and pain would appear between his brows.
Ahu was looking at Su Ming's back while lost in his thoughts.
As for Lan Lan, while she had been uncertain as to why the powerful Nan Gong Hen in her mind would be so courteous to Su Ming, she still believed that luck was a big reason as to why Su Ming had been able to bring them out of the forest.
Since Su Ming and Nan Gong Hen had to bring three youths with them, the group could not travel too quickly in the sky. They traveled for a few days, and on this day, as they were still flying in the sky, a gigantic ship broke through the clouds in the sky and charged forth from another direction.
There were eight people on that ship. Some of them were sitting cross-legged, some of them were looking into the distance from the railings, and some of them were talking to each other.
At one of the corners of the ship was a girl. She looked incredibly average and not a hint of extraordinariness could be seen on her person. The only thing that stood out about her was the distinct tranquility in her eyes. She was dressed in white and was frowning at that moment, absorbed in her own thoughts. She swept her gaze casually through the area, and when she saw Su Ming, her eyes widened, but her eyes soon filled with uncertainty, and a torn look appeared on her face.
'He might be in the land of the Shamans, but there's no chance for him to come here… Su Ming, where are you..?' the woman thought silently in her heart, sighing.
Chapter 423: Treasure Gambling Event
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The ship traveled incredibly quickly, breaking through the clouds. It stirred up a large amount of ripples that reached Su Ming and Nan Gong Hen's east, and as if the sky was the ocean to it, the ship charged past.
The ship was incredibly luxurious and shone with a multitude of colors. The ripples spreading out from within made Lan Lan and Ahu widen their eyes. They looked envious, though it was without resentment.
As for the boy with the withered right arm, he simply lifted his head to cast that ship a glance. His expression remained aloof, and not many changes in his expression could be found.
"That is the Sky Deck Ship from Divine Cyclone Tribe. Among the great tribes in the land of Shamans, that ship is very famous. It is said that when it travels at full speed, it can compete with a Latter Shaman who has arrived at the peak. Its defensive powers are also incredibly strong, that's why it's the best method of transport when going to dangerous places." Nan Gong Hen looked at the ship leaving into the distance, then smiled at Su Ming.
Su Ming seemed rather preoccupied by his thoughts. When he scanned the ship previously with his divine sense, he had felt a power repelling him, which was why he did not force his divine sense inside to explore. However, when he swept his gaze past the few people standing on the ship, there was a girl in white who gave him a feeling that they had met before.
"Brother Mo, are you interested in the Sky Deck Ship?" Nan Gong Hen saw Su Ming looking at the direction where Divine Cyclone Tribe left and asked with a smile.
"Even if a small Shaman like me is interested in the Sky Deck Ship, I can only be envious of the people who own it." Su Ming shook his head.
"Brother Mo, you don't have to belittle yourself. If you truly want to obtain that Sky Deck Ship from Divine Cyclone Tribe, there is a way…" A glint appeared in Nan Gong Hen's eyes, and he spoke in a hushed tone as he continued traveling with Su Ming.
"Oh? Brother Nan Gong, please enlighten me." Su Ming looked towards Nan Gong Hen.
"From what I understand, every single time the World of Nine Yin opens up, Divine Cyclone Tribe comes here not just to help their tribe members obtain the cultivation method for Soul Catchers, but for the treasure gambling event as well.
"Brother Mo, don't tell me that you didn't come here for the event." Nan Gong Hen smiled and cast a glance at Su Ming.
"What does this have to do with the Sky Deck Ship?" Su Ming asked calmly without even batting an eyelid.
"Perhaps you don't know about this, brother Mo, but as long as you have enough luck during the treasure gambling event and manage to find an herb that Divine Cyclone Tribe needs, then they will definitely go to you in attempts to try and exchange for it. At that time, you can just ask for the Sky Deck Ship." Nan Gong Hen let out a boisterous laugh.
"About that…" Su Ming let out a wry laugh and shook his head. He did not continue speaking. His current look could convey a lot of meanings, and it all depended on how the person who saw it interpreted it.
"Brother Mo, are you worried about your own luck? Indeed, this is truly hard to predict. I once met a Medial Shaman who managed to find a Nine Abyss Flower!
"It might have been just a remaining segment of its leaf and it was not complete, but it was still bought by a person from a big tribe at an exorbitant price. Not only is this item useful to Berserkers, it's also very useful to the Latter Shamans." As Nan Gong Hen spoke, his expression was filled with envy.
"Nine Abyss Flower?!" A sharp look appeared in Su Ming's eyes.
"That's right. Ah… why don't I have that sort of luck? That crystal didn't even look flashy, and no matter what, it didn't look as if it contained the Nine Abyss Flower. It's luck, all of it boils down to luck!" Nan Gong Hen smiled wryly.
Su Ming remained silent for a moment before he suddenly asked, "But the person who found that Nine Abyss Flower must have had a tragic end, right?"
"That's true. But he ended up in that state because he was too greedy and made several mistakes. He should have immediately left, but if he didn't want to leave, it was fine too, as long as he rented the Spirit of Nine Yin from the God of Shamans Temple from the city with half of the items he got in exchange for his Nine Abyss Flower. With the protection of the Spirit of Nine Yin, as long he didn't go further than one million lis from the city, he would basically be safe.
"After all, the World of Nine Yin is very mysterious. Over the years, only one End Shaman is allowed to be on garrison duty here. If two End Shamans appeared, then within a few days, drastic changes would immediately appear in the area, and it might even affect the entire Shaman City…
"I heard that this matter has been pretty accurate so far. That's why the God of Shamans Temple will never allow a second End Shaman coming to this place. They can only come here in turn to be garrisons, though their true goal in coming here is to search for treasure.
"Unless… we act like the time we did that year when we just developed this place. We could bring all the End Shamans and Latter Shamans here and forcefully suppress the changes in the area.
"But this is the time of war. It's just not possible for us to do that. As for Berserkers… Heh heh, even if they do manage to come here, they will at most be at the initial stage of the Berserker Soul Realm. All those who are in the middle stage and beyond cannot avoid being found out by the God of Shamans Temple when they are Relocated." Nan Gong Hen seemed to have in depth knowledge about this and told Su Ming with a smile.
Su Ming was as calm as ever. Once he nodded his head, his expression suddenly changed and he looked at Nan Gong Hen.
Nan Gong Hen was momentarily stunned. There was something slightly off on Su Ming's face, and it made Nan Gong Hen puzzled.
"Brother Nan Gong, the forest was originally supposed to be clear of threats, but there was a change recently. Could that be… the change you were talking about?" Su Ming asked.
Nan Gong's expression changed drastically, and there was a variety of expressions on his face. After some time, he started laughing bitterly.
"It doesn't matter whether it is or isn't. This isn't something we can control. But if that's the case, then we will have to be even more careful… Oh well, once we are in Shaman City, I'll immediately rent a Spirit of Nine Yin, then I'll have a higher chance of protecting my own life. Once I enter the treasure gambling event and let the boy behind me obtain his cultivation method as a Spirit Medium, then I'll immediately leave the place.
"Brother Mo, we might have just got to know each other, but we managed to hit it off right from the start. Here's a piece of advice. Don't be stingy with your money, go and rent a Spirit of Nine Yin as well.
"After all, while the Spirit of Nine Yin cannot leave the World of Nine Yin, it can bring out a battle power so great that it is equivalent to a Latter Shaman's. They are also the locals here. They've signed an eternal treaty with the God of Shamans Temple many years ago." Nan Gong Hen's words were filled with sincerity as he told Su Ming.
Su Ming smiled and nodded.
They continued flying in the air, and several days passed by. Most of the clouds had dispersed on this day, and they could somewhat see the sky. The end could not be seen no matter where they looked, and there was not a single human soul besides theirs that could be spotted.
As the five people continued moving forward, Su Ming suddenly came to a halt, then with a grave look on his face, he spread out his divine sense once he stopped and started checking the area closely.
Nan Gong Hen also came to a stop. He quickly spread out the wandering souls around him and had them search in a wider area, but he did not find any sort of threat in the area, and he could not help but look at Su Ming with a puzzled look in his eyes.
Su Ming's eyes sparkled as he stared at the empty space before him. When his divine sense had covered that area just now, some of it disappeared, as if it was devoured by some mysterious creature.
It was precisely because of this that he suddenly came to a stop. He sent his divine sense to that area where it had disappeared earlier, and once he scanned through it carefully, that feeling of his divine sense disappearing happened once again. This time, more of his divine sense was devoured.
But strangely, when Nan Gong Hen's wandering souls went through that area, they did not find anything out of ordinary. Su Ming watched those wandering souls circle it, and they did not show any signs of being devoured.
Su Ming's pupils shrank and he frowned. He retracted his divine sense, no longer letting it cover that strange space.
"Brother Mo, what's wrong?" Nan Gong Hen was slightly bewildered as he looked at Su Ming.
"There's something wrong over there." Su Ming no longer had that slightly humble tone in his voice which he used when he spoke to Nan Gong Hen earlier. He went straight to the point this time.
When he heard Su Ming's words, Nan Gong Hen became even more cautious. A dark light shone in his eyes, and immediately, the wandering souls around the area let out piercing screams, then all of them surged towards the space Su Ming was looking at.
No matter how he looked at that space, it looked the same as the sky around the area. There was not a hint of abnormality that could be seen. Even if Nan Gong Hen had sent a large amount of wandering souls over to that place and they were circling around it, nothing different happened.
"There's… nothing there." A puzzled look appeared on Nan Gong Hen's face. If Su Ming's actions in the forest had not left a deep impression on him and he had seen that Su Ming and his two protégés were completely unharmed, he would definitely think that Su Ming was deliberately putting on an air of mysteriousness.
Among the three youths behind the two of them, the boy with the withered right arm remained as aloof as ever as he was absorbed by his thoughts. Ahu was very nervous as he stared at the area. He completely believed in Su Ming's words and there was not a hint of doubt within him.
However, Lan Lan frowned and grumbled in her heart.
'Hmph, he's just pretending to be mysterious. There's nothing there, or else it's impossible that Sir Nan Gong wouldn't have noticed anything.'
"Brother Mo…" Nan Gong Hen sent his wandering souls circling several times in that area once again, and once he was certain that there was nothing different over there, he looked towards Su Ming.
"Brother Nan Gong, if you want to go there, I won't stop you. But I suggest that you don't. I'm steering clear of that place." As Su Ming spoke, he turned around and waved his arm, immediately bringing the still grumbling Lan Lan and nervous Ahu to fly in another direction. By the looks of it, he truly intended to skirt around that place.
Nan Gong Hen hesitated for a moment, and as he stared at that obviously normal space, he suddenly lifted his right hand, flipped his palm over, and a ray of black light shot out from his sleeve.
That ray of black light sparkled before him and turned into a black python one hundred feet in size. The python hissed, and a cold glare appeared in its eyes. It looked at Nan Gong Hen, and with one point, it let out a hiss and flew towards the empty space Su Ming had avoided.
In an instant, Nan Gong Hen's pupils shrank as he stared at the black python, and at the same time shock appeared in his eyes. The boy with the withered right arm behind him widened his eyes as well, and for the first time, his expression changed.
Right before their eyes, once that black python entered the area, it suddenly let out a piercing cry, and a large part of its body disappeared into thin air…
It was as if there was an invisible mouth that devoured most of the black python's body in one bite.
Nan Gong Hen felt his skin crawl. He already knew that if he had went in there rashly, then it would be difficult for him to escape from that sudden danger. At that moment, as his heart beat in lingering fear, he cast his gaze at Su Ming, who was flying in another direction. Wariness appeared in his eyes and he quickly flew towards him.
Lan Lan also saw this. Her eyes popped out and she looked at Su Ming's back with a dumbfounded expression. At that instant, she suddenly felt that they did not come out of the forest safely due to pure luck…
Ahu's eyes were shining, and his gaze as he looked at Su Ming was filled with respect.
Chapter 424: Shaman City
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Brother Mo, the depth of your cultivation and your keen perception has really impressed me! Wherever we go to next, as long as you give the word, I will definitely follow you!" Once Nan Gong Hen caught up, there was a slight awkward look on his face as he wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming.
The boy with the withered right arm behind him no longer looked at Su Ming with an aloof gaze. There was instead a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"I was just lucky. Brother Nan Gong, if you look closely, you will also be able to discover some clues." Su Ming shook his head and spoke calmly.
"Brother Mo, you don't have to be humble. I'll be honest with you, I couldn't tell that the place was that dangerous…" Nan Gong Hen laughed wryly and bowed once more towards Su Ming.
Su Ming smiled and no longer spoke. He continued charging forward with Nan Gong Hen with the three youths behind them.
With Su Ming's divine sense and Nan Gong Hen's wandering souls swimming about in the area, while they might have run into some dangers on the way, they managed to avoid all of them. Even if they had to take certain longer paths, they did not run into any life and death crises.
As time passed by and they got closer to Shaman City, Nan Gong Hen grew to respect Su Ming even more, and he deeply believed that he had made the right choice when he first invited him to travel with him.
Nan Gong Hen was really curious as to how Su Ming managed to deduce the dangers. There were one time during their journey that while he had followed along with Su Ming's suggestion to change their path, he turned around and saw with his own eyes several long arcs charging through the place they avoided. Without any obvious reason, those people suddenly let out piercing, shrill cries, and their bodies exploded into bits and pieces.
Nan Gong Hen was then struck dumb, and thoroughly convinced by what he saw, he trusted Su Ming's judgments and decisions wholeheartedly, following his instructions right down to a tee without any hint of hesitation.
Ahu was already practically holding Su Ming in position akin to that of a god in his mind The zealous look in his eyes was clear to everyone watching. As for Lan Lan, the things she went through on the way made her skin crawl, even though she was a bold girl. She felt cold chills crawling down her spine, and her gaze as she looked at Su Ming became very different.
The boy following behind Nan Gong Hen was the same. He could remain aloof to everyone, and he treated Nan Gong Hen in the same aloof manner, but when he looked at Su Ming, that aloof gaze disappeared, and it was no longer replaced with curiosity, but with respect.
Somewhere along the way, Su Ming became the leader of the team. When he suggested changing their course, every single one of them would obey without question. Eventually, he did not even need to speak. He just needed to move, and Nan Gong Hen, along with the others, would immediately follow.
'White Bull Tribe is really lucky to have been able to find someone like Brother Mo as a guardian for their tribe members who have been sent for the trial…' Nan Gong Hen would occasionally cast his gaze at Lan Lan and Ahu all along the way and sigh deeply in his heart.
He knew that the others might perhaps have a way to reach Shaman City, but with Nan Gong Hen's power, if he did not have Su Ming guiding the way, it would be difficult for him to protect the boy behind him, and his own life would be in danger as well.
However, the boy and girl from White Bull Tribe were completely unscathed all along their journey, and all of this was because of Mo Su.
One month later, in the midst of that frightening but safe journey, Su Ming and co arrived at the center of the Shaman Tribe's territory - Shaman City. Once they were a hundred li away from Shaman City, they were no longer allowed to travel in the sky. Su Ming and Nan Gong Hen descended from midair and landed on the ground.
Shaman City was not very big, but it was built to look incredibly majestic. It was cubic in shape, and there were gigantic walls of one hundred feet surrounding it. The city was entirely crimson, as if it was dyed in blood. The crimson city walls occasionally shone with a red glare, forming a mighty pressure that would make people's hearts tremble.
There was only one gate to Shaman City, and all people used that gate to enter and exit. From a hundred lis, several unique buildings could be seen shooting off the ground within the city, and they their distinct characteristics stood out.
It was especially so for the stone pillar that shot high into the sky at the center of the city. It gave off an ancient feeling, and at the same time, there was a gigantic head placed at the top of it. That head was one thousand feet in size, and due to some unknown method of preservation, only a small part of it had decayed.
That head's appearance could still be clearly seen. Its inside was empty, and it was lopped on the stone pillar, turning it into the most eye catching building and road mark within Shaman City!
It was a gigantic head that was filled with drooping branches. It had the appearance of a human, but had the skin of a dried up tree bark. The head was entirely brown and its facial features could be seen clearly. Anyone who saw it at first glance would think it was a human head, but if they looked closely, they would find it was clearly a giant block of wood.
There were numerous branches drooping down like tentacles from that gigantic head. The longest of them all was nearly one thousand feet long, and the breadth of each branch was different, along with all their lengths. They were all supported in the air by the stone pillar. If anyone looked from the distance, they would find that the stone pillar looked like a huge long spear that had lifted the head high in the sky.
"We're finally in Shaman City… Brother Mo, I cannot express just how grateful I am for all that you've done during the trip…" Nan Gong Hen looked at Shaman City and let out a huge sigh of relief. He wrapped his fist in his palm to Su Ming with gratitude radiating off his face.
"Brother Nan Gong, you don't have to do this. I also wanted to come to Shaman City. We could take care of each other if we traveled together. Besides, you want to enter the treasure gambling event as well. I've heard quite a lot about it when I was previously in the land of the Shamans, but I didn't manage to enter it due to certain reasons in the past. Now that I'm here, I'd like to experience it no matter what. I will need your help in introducing me to the place." Su Ming said with a smile.
After experiencing all the things on the road, Nan Gong Hen had become even more intent on becoming friends with Su Ming. Once he heard Su Ming's words, he immediately spoke.
"That's easy, I've entered the treasure gambling event a few times before. Since you're here, brother Mo, you should indeed experience it. Perhaps if you're lucky, you will be able to find a priceless treasure. But brother Mo, before we go, we should rent a Spirit of Nine Yin…"
Nan Gong Hen fell silent for a moment, then extended his invitation to Su Ming.
"How about this? If you don't mind, why don't we stay in the same inn in Shaman City? If that's the case, we will be able to communicate with each other easier."
Su Ming thought about it for a moment before he nodded with a smile and expressed his gratitude.
Nan Gong Hen let out a boisterous laugh and walked forward briskly towards Shaman City with Su Ming, bringing with them the three youths behind them. Before long, the group arrived right outside the city. There were already quite a number of people waiting to enter at that moment, and there was already a very long queue in line.
Most of the people in the queue were teenagers, and there would be one Medial Shaman standing in between some of the teenagers acting as their protector.
It did not matter whether it were those teenagers or the Medial Shamans, most of them had injuries on their person. There were even some of them who looked pale, as if they were injured terribly.
The queue waiting to get into the city was very long, but the examination right in front was incredibly strict. There were a dozen something Medial Shaman dressed in uniform standing right outside the city gate. Usually, once they finish each of the examinations, they would receive some money before they allowed the people into the city.
There were quite a number of impatient looking people waiting in the long queue to enter the city, but once they looked at the Medial Shamans in uniform, they would force down their irritation.
However, there would occasionally be someone who arrived and did not need to queue up due to their unique identities. They could walk straight to the gates and enter the city after a simple examination. All of these people belonged to big tribes or had close relations to the God of Shamans Temple.
"There are so many people here! We're gonna have to wait until tomorrow before we can go into the city…"
When Lan Lan saw the long line once she arrived outside the city gate, she sighed. However, she also noticed that most of the teenagers that were like her, waiting in line, looked defeated. Clearly, they had gone through a lot of hardships on their way here. There were even some of them who had grief on their faces, and it was plain as day that their companions had died on the way.
When Lan Lan remembered just how her journey to this place had been more frights than true danger, she could not help but look at Su Ming.
Su Ming swept his gaze past the crowd with a calm look. He did not mind waiting till tomorrow, that matter was not a problem to him.
"We don't need to wait, we can just go in."
Once they arrived near Shaman City, Nan Gong Hen felt his spirits lift up. When he heard Lan Lan's words, the idea of letting Su Ming know the vast amounts of connections he had popped up in his head. After all, to people with their current level of cultivation, making friends was not because they could get along well, it was also because they could mutually benefit each other.
Su Ming's nonchalant attitude during the entire trip was incredibly valuable in Nan Gong Hen's books, that was why it was necessary for him to befriend Su Ming. However, he felt that he still had yet to show his own value to Su Ming. As he spoke, he brought the group straight to the city.
Su Ming's lips curled up into a light smile. He could somewhat tell what Nan Gong Hen was thinking. Judging by how confident the other looked, he definitely had a way, and if Su Ming did not have to wait, he would naturally choose not to wait in line until tomorrow.
He followed behind Nan Gong Hen, and Lan Lan, along with the two boys, followed suit. The act of those five people not lining up and going straight to the city gate immediately caught a large amount of attention from the crowd. When they looked over, a large number of the Medial Shamans who were protecting the children immediately appeared shocked when they saw Nan Gong Hen. Some of them even wrapped their fists in their palms from the distance and greeted him with a smile.
"So it's you, brother Nan Gong? Which tribe are you protecting this time?"
"Brother Nan Gong, it's been a long while. How are you?"
"Haha, brother Nan Gong, once we get into the city, you and I have to drink till we're drunk."
With a smile on his face, Nan Gong Hen continued walking forward while wrapping his fist in his palm to return his greetings to these people. He was not at all disoriented because there were too many people greeting him. Everything was done methodically, and it was obvious that he was already used to this.
When Nan Gong Hen arrived right outside the city, the Medial Shamans who were dressed in uniforms and were examining the people smiled. They did not examine Su Ming and the others at all, but simply moved out of the way, and when they did so, Su Ming was shocked by the connections Nan Gong Hen had.
There was always a smile on Nan Gong Hen's face. Once he greeted the Medial Shamans guarding the place, he brought Su Ming and the others through the city gate.
As they walked through the city gate's tunnel, Su Ming remarked with a smile, "Brother Nan Gong, the amount of people you know is really impressive, though the reason why the guards from the God of Shamans Temple let us in without an examination isn't because you were close to them, am I right?"
"Brother Mo, it seems like I've made a fool of myself before you. I like making friends, and since my father also has a large number of friends, I've grown up in the God of Shamans Temple since I was young… That's why, please excuse me for making a fool of myself," Nan Gong Hen said with a smile.
Su Ming smiled. He was just about to speak when his smile suddenly froze and his pupils shrank. He saw a woman walking towards him from inside the city through the tunnel.