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Chapter 567: Turning Point
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After a long while, Su Ming closed his eyes once again to cover the dejected look in his eyes. In the midst of his loneliness, he sensed that the warmth from the second God of Berserkers' left hand was the same as the sensation from the coarse hand touching the forehead in his memories.
It was as if he had returned to that palace that had existed many years ago, returned to the little warmth he had felt in that dark world.
"Perhaps Destiny truly exists in this world…" Su Ming mumbled.
The second God of Berserkers' left hand, the caress in the past, the touch this day, all of these things seemed like a circle. He had found the start of it all, and also found the end.
'Perhaps this is how memories really are… Once you find the end, you will also find the start… Is… this Life?' Su Ming closed his eyes, and pain appeared on his face.
He no longer needed to absorb the power from the God of Berserkers' left hand into his body. Instead, once the memories that existed since an unknown amount of time ago surfaced in his head, the power from the God of Berserkers' left hand automatically surged into him.
The difference between him absorbing on his own and the life force surging into his body to fuse with him on its own was incredibly great!
One of them was a forceful accommodation of the power into his body, and the other was a complete deliverance after he had been acknowledged.
Time gradually passed. The second God of Berserkers' left hand gradually withered away and shrank. All the power within it was sent into Su Ming's body without any hint of reservation, causing all of the Berserker Bones in Su Ming's body to start moving towards great completion once he had turned a ninth of his body into Berserker Bones!
It was as if this left hand that belonged to the second God of Berserkers had always been waiting for someone - waiting for the baby whose forehead he had caressed while looking at him with a complicated gaze before leaving all those years ago.
He might have perhaps mistaken Si Ma Xin for the baby all those years, but Si Ma Xin's death and Su Ming's arrival had caused everything to return to its original tracks.
The fan that Su Ming had taken away from Si Ma Xin… originally belonged to Su Ming!
'Destiny, Su Ming… Just what is my fate…?'
In anguish, Su Ming closed his eyes. The vast amount of life force within his body was surging like an ocean, causing all his blood, flesh, and bones to change rapidly while moving continuously towards reaching the true great completion in the Bone Sacrifice Realm that no one before Su Ming had ever accomplished!
When all the bones, flesh, and blood in his body had turned into that of a true Berserker, only then his body could be said to have returned to its roots. His strength would also surpass his current combat abilities.
Time passed by slowly, and the second God of Berserkers' left hand continued withering away and shrinking. Eventually, it even started to fade away.
Su Ming's hair had started dancing in the air at some point, and his presence surged into the sky. However… the anguish on his face remained.
The reunion after so many years had turned the warmth into the memory of a single touch. His memories were awakened bit by bit, causing him to be in anguish, and at the same time, at a loss.
Su Ming was confused as to what exactly Life meant. At that moment, he suddenly had a strong desire to know just what… exactly was Life.
In the midst of his confusion, loud rumbling sounds came from within his body, and it instantly turned gold. The brilliance of its golden light surpassed the light coming from the Five Direction Seal, and it was gradually piercing through the second God of Berserkers' transparent left hand before spreading through the area.
This light came from Su Ming's body, from every single one of his bones, every inch of his skin, every drop of his blood, every piece of his flesh… from every single part of him.
As the rumbling sounds echoed in the air, the golden light all over his body became stronger. He could clearly feel that almost every single one of his bones had already turned into Berserker Bones, and only his skull had yet to be completely turned, but the change was quickly spreading through.
The changing of his skull into a Berserker Bone was incredibly quick. After a moment, golden light shone brilliantly at the center of Su Ming's brows, and as cracking sounds rang gently in the air, a shudder ran through him, and his presence erupted, increasing rapidly at an extreme speed. After just a moment, it reached its peak!
During that instant, all his bones, his flesh, his blood, and his tendons were completely turned into those that belonged to a true Berserker!
At the same time, the second God of Berserkers' left hand under Su Ming's continued turning transparent and dissipated. It was as if it had completed its mission and finished waiting, and was now returning to dust.
When Su Ming opened his eyes, he saw the sight of the second God of Berserkers' left hand, which had been standing erect for a long time, disintegrating. When it turned into crystalline light and spun around in circles, it spread through the air all around, and some of it touched the center of Su Ming's brows, making him feel as thought that huge figure in his memories was caressing his forehead with the complicated emotion from the past that he'd seen in the dark world.
Su Ming looked at the crystalline light rising in the air quietly, watched it as it seeped through that Five Direction Seal and disappeared into nothingness, and a feeling of loneliness rose in his heart.
After a long while, Su Ming closed his eyes. When he reopened them, his gaze was calm. The confusion, loneliness, and anguish were hidden away. No one could see them. Only Su Ming himself could sense them within his heart.
His body rose into midair, still within the five-layered screen of light at that moment. He slowly stood up, but right when, he suddenly frowned.
He had a feeling that he was lacking something. In silence, Su Ming looked at his hands and went on to sense the vast amount of power within him at the moment.
That power was much stronger than what he possessed before, but he was only stronger by a fold compared to previously. He did not possess the oppressive power he imagined he would own after all his bones had turned into Berserker Bones.
After all, Su Ming's Berserker Bones contained the Wind Berserker's inheritance, the Lightning Berserker's inheritance, the Candle Dragon's blessing, the serendipity from the Blood Absconsion Tribe's blood, and the second God of Berserkers' legacy. All of these things formed his current power, which none of his predecessors had managed to do before.
However, the feeling he obtained after he had arrived at his current condition was that he was not really that much stronger compared to his previous self, and it gave him a feeling that there was something off.
It was especially so when he sensed a lot more potential contained within his Berserker Bones, his blood, and his flesh, but he could not gather it together and bring it out…
'Perhaps I'm lacking a turning point for me to be able to bring out my full potential swiftly! If I'm able to spend a long time polishing myself, then after a certain amount of time, I would be able to bring out my full potential… but now, I don't have time!' A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He understood quite well just what he was lacking!
But this was just his guess. After all, his current situation was something that was never heard of among Berserkers. He had to continuously fumble about looking for his way.
After a moment of pensive silence, Su Ming's eyes sparkled. The power in his cultivation base started circulating with a loud bang, and his hair started moving without wind. A violent and wild sensation filled the area.
'If I cannot bring out this potential, then I will force it out!'
The power within Su Ming started circulating even faster, but just as it was about to leave his body, it was forcefully retracted, causing two different types of pressure to appear!
One of them was within him and was pushing his aura outside, and the other was outside pressing down against him. By doing so, Su Ming's body was turned into the center of the fight, and as the two forces continued pressing against him from inside and out, his face grew increasingly solemn.
If a normal person carried out this sort of compression, then they… would end up triggering a self-destruction!
Self-destruction was a state of collapse once the body was pushed to its limit by the body's own pressure from within and the world squeezing down the body from outside. The greater the compression, the more shocking the force would be once after the explosion.
When a person self-destructed, all the potential within his or her body would be naturally brought out in the explosion. This was the method Su Ming thought of, and it was a very crazy idea.
Because he did not have the time to slowly polish his potential and gradually bring it out to fuse with his body, he could only use this extreme method to achieve the same results.
Su Ming was also the only person who could do it, because the tenacity of his body at the moment had already reached a terrifying level. On the downside, this tenacity would make it so that if Su Ming wanted to self-destruct, it would be much harder for him to do so compared to other people.
At that moment, as his body continuously went through the compression formed by the pressures from inside and outside him, a flicker of light appeared in his eyes, and the power within him started circulating at a faster pace. By doing so, the power from the compression became even stronger. Under this force, Su Ming noticed that a trace of the potential within his body was forced out and fused into his cultivation base.
"I knew it'd work!"
Su Ming gritted his teeth, and the circulation of his power within him increased once again, and this time, he was almost pushed to his limit. Rumbling sounds echoed in the air, and he started trembling. The compression formed by the pressures from inside and outside his body pressing down on him caused his eyes to become bloodshot, but this action caused another trace of the potential to split off once again and fuse into his cultivation base.
As his cultivation base circulated faster, the potential was continuously forced out, but… it was not much.
'I lack a turning point for this…'
A resolute look appeared on Su Ming's face. He swiftly lifted his right hand and positioned two of his fingers into the shape of a sword. As he stared at the tip of his fingers, he didn't hesitate and tapped the center of his brows.
The instant the fingertips touched him, a sharp stab of pain spread out from the center of his brows. That pain instantly reached its peak, and like a blown out balloon that had a hole punctured on its surface with a needle, an exit appeared on Su Ming's body under the compression. All the power within his body erupted with a bang!
The strength of that explosion far surpassed the circulation of power within Su Ming's body. Under the explosion, the full potential within his body was completely released. Intense pain shot through him, as if he was about to be torn apart, about to collapse. However, in the midst of this pain, Su Ming could feel himself… becoming truly powerful!
It was a strength that far surpassed his previous strength, a powerful sensation that truly belonged to him who had turned his entire body into Berserker Bones!
Su Ming lifted his head and let out a roar. It contained his pain, the strength of his cultivation base, and his will!
When it traveled forth, the Five Direction Seal started shaking, causing the roar to shoot through the screen of light and affect the entire sea. Its surface started trembling, and huge waves that surged into the sky were formed. In the midst of deep shock, all the people on the ninth summit heard Su Ming's roar traveling forth from the depths of the sea!
Chapter 568: Great Completion
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As Su Ming roared, all the veins on his body popped up, and his face twisted into a ferocious expression. Fine cracks appeared on his body, and once those cracks spread out and connected with each other, what would await Su Ming would be even more intense pain. Only when the power of his cultivation base within him exploded until it broke down would this pain stop.
Or else, he would have to control his power and cause it to calm down!
Su Ming's eyes turned bloodshot. At that moment, he no longer had his power continue spreading outwards, but instead retrieved all of it back into his body, as if he had just tamed a wild horse that had run wild once he'd let go of its reigns.
He had already managed to let the potential in his body explode. At that moment, the vast power of his cultivation base made him feel incredibly powerful, but also brought over a wave of madness to rage within him.
Su Ming did not hesitate for long. Remaining seated, he closed his eyes. The Qi within him was incredibly chaotic. It would occasionally be violent, and at other times tame. The powerful will he had gathered and refined in the Candle Dragon's Undying and Imperishable World played a critical role at this moment. His will contained a tenacious determination that would not be destroyed even after the endless amounts of reincarnations he went through, and this amount of danger he had to face, as well as the pain he had to suffer, was nothing, especially when he was doing this to obtain even greater power.
As time passed, the chaotic Qi within him started gradually becoming weaker. He did not know how much time had passed, but when there was no longer any hint of chaos within his body, he slowly opened his eyes.
Not a hint of a ripple from his cultivation base could be detected coming from within him. His skin was fair and his body slender. He looked just like an ordinary mortal, and not a single hint of any sort of cultivation base could be detected within him.
Only his eyes remained incredibly clear, and it looked as if the world was contained within their depths.
At that moment, even those who had reached great completion in the Berserker Soul Realm would not be able to detect any power from his cultivation base, unless, of course, they looked closely.
Because… at that moment, not only had Su Ming's entire body gone through a transformation, he had also reached a state of balance. It was as if his life itself had gone through a metamorphosis, and once he reached perfection, he had managed to cover the traces of his power.
The powerful warriors within the Berserker Soul Realm were strong because of the change in their spines. Those who had reached the great completion in the Bone Sacrifice Realm could not control the fluctuations within their body. The unique state where only their entire spine had been turned into Berserker Bones over all the other bones in their body was like several drops of black ink suddenly appearing in clear water. It would be incredibly distinct, and everyone would be able to tell that there was something different about them with just one glance.
However, if this transparent water was already ink to begin with, then when the rest of the world looked over, they would not be able to discover too much of a difference due to this balance.
This sort of situation had never appeared since the first day the Berserkers were formed, and Su Ming was the only one who had managed to do so!
He opened his eyes. The black shade in his pupils would be incredibly clear to all those who looked into his eyes. He slowly stood up, and not a single trace of his power spread out from his body. He was just like a common mortal. As he looked at the Five Direction Seal above him, he lifted his right hand calmly and swung his arm towards the five-layered screen of light.
That one swing did not cause any sort of astonishing boom that shook the sky and earth, but the first layer of the screen of light started cracking, inch by inch, without a single sound. It shattered, and the seal behind it also shattered…
However, the Five Direction Seal was the treasure used to suppress the God of Berserkers' left hand. It might have become one with the left arm over the millions of years and the sealing power within it had also become much weaker to the point that it no longer had the might it held all those years ago, it would still not be easy to break it.
The instant two layers of light shattered, the remaining three layers started shining, and Su Ming saw two other layers appearing right behind them, and because of that, the seal still had… five layers left!
Su Ming stood on his spot, looking as composed as ever. Not much change could be found in his expression due to the change in the Five Direction Seal. However, his eyes started sparkling, as if he was deep in thought.
After a moment, a glint appeared in his eyes. He lifted his right hand and pointed towards the five layered screen of light. At the moment he pointed over, the five layered screen of light shuddered with a bang. The first layer shattered, and so did the second, and the third… all five layers shattered at the same time at that instant, but the moment they shattered, another five layers manifested beyond the previous five.
It was as if there was no end to it, no bottom, as if it was an eternal seal.
'I wonder what would happen if someone attacked the seal from outside…?'
A flicker of light shone in Su Ming's eyes. When the five-layered screen of light expanded outwards, the area within also grew larger. By the looks of it, the seal would only continue expanding once it shattered and recovered.
Su Ming took a step forward. When he lifted his right hand, he pointed forward once more. Once he did so, he shot out like a long arc, and without a single pause, he pointed forward again.
After he did so several times, the five-layered screen of light continued shattering and reappearing. Every single time it reappeared, it would expand outwards a lot more. Because of that, after this process repeated itself several times, the screen of light located the furthest from Su Ming had already expanded to several tens of thousands of feet wide.
As Su Ming continued rising into the air, the screen of light in the outermost layer swelled up and started spreading towards the sea.
Su Ming did not stop; he pointed forward again.
The screen of light continued becoming bigger. As it continued breaking and reappearing, it looked as if it was a huge bubble of air underneath the seawater that was continuously expanding… and floating towards the surface of the sea!
After a moment, right before the eyes of all the people in the ninth summit, and amid their shocked gasps, there was loud rumbling sound that came from the surface of the sea in the distance. The seawater started churning even more furiously, and waves started rising endlessly as if the sea was boiling!
A golden ray of light appeared, and as that light spread out, a screen of light that looked like a bubble of air emerged.
The instant it came out, the dark sky was dyed in gold. A pressure that could intimidate the souls of all spread out through the world!
The golden screen of light caused the seawater to roar and fall backwards in all directions, as if it was avoiding it!
When the screen of light completely appeared on the surface of the sea like a huge bowl that was flipped over, uproars traveled forth from the ninth summit. All those who saw it trained their eyes upon it, with their hearts filled with shock.
The screen of light continued rising until it left the sea to appear in midair. Then, what appeared before all the onlookers' eyes was a spherical screen of light!
The screen of light shone with golden light, and it had five layers to it!
The outermost layer was several hundred thousand feet big, and the people could see a person underneath it. The person was obscured, so no one was able to see him clearly.
The hundred thousand feet spherical screen of light in the air looked like a sun with its golden light under the dark sky. It shocked all those who saw it, and at the same time, an endless amount of reverence rose within their hearts.
"Use all your strength and strike this screen of light!"
While everyone was still standing in shock, Su Ming's voice traveled out from the screen of light with a hum. It echoed in the world and spread in all directions.
"Su Ming… It's Su Ming!"
Once all those from Heaven Gate seeking refuge in the ninth summit heard the voice, excitement immediately overcame them. To them, Su Ming was not an enemy but their benefactor who had allowed them to break free of Si Ma Xin's control!
Even though he had killed many of their own in Heaven Gate, but the culprit for this was not Su Ming… but Si Ma Xin!
It was especially so for those who had gotten to know Su Ming a long time ago. When they saw this scene and heard his voice, a rather complicated expression appeared on their faces, and a great wave of emotions rose in their hearts.
Bai Su looked at Su Ming, and in her daze, tears fell from her eyes. However, even though there was joy contained within her tears, there was also a hint of complicated feelings as well. They were a sigh of regret when she remembered that one thing that had happened all those years ago.
Her father standing behind her looked at Su Ming within the five layered screen of light in the sky silently. Even up to this moment, he still could not link the person before him with the young man in the past.
"Execute all your attacks on this screen of light! I want to test its might!" Su Ming's voice traveled once more from the screen of light.
After a period of silence, someone from the crowd immediately flew up and charged towards the screen of light. Soon after, more people flew up, and long arcs shot through the air. When they charged forward and closed in on the screen, booming sounds echoed in the air. All the people within the long arcs launched attacks with their full power at the five-layered light according to Su Ming's wishes.
However, the screen of light only shook slightly and did not show any signs of crumbling.
"That's enough!" Su Ming's voice came again, and the people around him immediately withdrew with respectful expressions on their faces.
'This thing might be a seal, but if I can utilize it properly, it can also turn into a treasure used for protection!'
Su Ming's eyes sparkled and he lifted his right hand to press against his chest. A dark ray of light immediately flew out from his mouth, and as that dark ray of light shone, it turned into the Welcoming of Deities in Su Ming's hand.
The pill was dark. Even though Su Ming had brought it out, his presence did not change. He no longer needed to use this Welcoming of Deities to obtain the God of Berserkers' divine abilities; he had already obtained everything when he absorbed the God of Berserkers' left hand.
Once he put away the Welcoming of Deities, he looked at the Five Direction Seal that had never disappeared around him with a calm look. Then, he spread out his divine sense and fused it into the black stone fragment hanging off his neck, which he had not used for a long time.
The stone fragment could deceive all existences, the mere Five Direction Seal was naturally nothing to it. This was one of the reasons why Su Ming had the courage to search for his serendipity while putting himself at risk within the Five Direction Seal.
Almost the moment Su Ming's divine sense touched the black stone fragment, his presence changed abruptly. Gradually, the second God of Berserkers' presence faded away from his body.
It was as if he had turned into another person. Su Ming walked towards the five-layered screen of light before him, and the instant he touched the inner layer, he walked out without experiencing a single obstacle in his way. When he walked out of the remaining layers and stood in midair, he turned around and looked towards the screen of light.
Once Su Ming left, it looked as if the seal could no longer find the source of what it was sealing, and the screen of light gradually shrank. Eventually, with a flash of golden light, it turned into a golden Five Direction Seal that was about the size of a palm!
That Seal floated in midair and plunged down towards the sea. However, with a swing of Su Ming's arm, it changed direction and flew towards him. When Su Ming held it in his hand, he observed it carefully, and once he put it away, he turned his head around and cast his gaze at the ninth summit, as well as the people around him.
Chapter 569: Life of a Stone Falling into the River in the Sky [1]
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Greetings, Sir Su Ming!"
"Please accept our greetings… Sir Su Ming!"
The crowd that had been asked to attack the screen of light moments ago were standing before Su Ming and looking at him with respect on their faces. Some of these people had seen him before, and right then, their hearts were filled with mixed feelings, but they did not dare reveal it. Their faces were filled with extreme respect instead.
No matter what race it was, all powerful warriors would be respected. This respect might be sincere, and it might also be due to fear. The strong reign supreme - This was a universal law that would never change.
The crowd before Su Ming's eyes acted precisely this way.
They were the survivors left behind after Heaven Gate collapsed, and they had seen how Su Ming had murdered his way through the numerous layers. As their words traveled into the air, Su Ming's gaze landed on them, and the people lowered their heads, not having the courage to look at him.
Su Ming's gaze was not that fierce, but simply a clear gaze filled with a profound look. Yet this ordinary look in his eyes made all the people who saw it feel as if their inner thoughts had been seen through, and it felt as if they could keep no secrets from him.
Shock filled their hearts within that instant. As they lowered their heads, Su Ming looked at them. There were some among them whom he could recognize vaguely, but he could not remember their names. These were the people he had met by pure chance when he still stayed in the ninth summit.
After all, to the people who knew Su Ming, only twenty something years had passed. Twenty years might bring about many changes, but to those who walked down the path of cultivation, their memories would not have faded away too much.
But Su Ming had gone through a countless amount of reincarnations in the Candle Dragon's Undying and Imperishable World. His will might have become stronger, but unless his memories were about certain people and certain incidents, everything else had faded away, as if they were lifetimes apart.
In fact, even the emotions and feelings he had harbored for certain relationships in the past had largely faded away, just like how he felt towards a certain person. He stood in midair and swept his gaze across the crowd before his eyes fell on a person in white, who was as beautiful as she had been all those years ago.
Hu Zi's loud snores would still occasionally travel through the air. His voice broke the silence that fell among the crowd due to Su Ming's appearance.
Su Ming lifted his foot and took a step towards the ninth summit. When his foot landed, he vanished before reappearing in the sky above the ninth summit. When he took another step, he stood at the peak of the mountain.
Besides Bai Su and her father, there were some other Heaven Gate survivors who had ran to the mountain. One of them was the old man in white robes, who was one of the Lords of Heaven Gate who had his life force scattered and had fallen into a state of unconsciousness as if he had died.
The Berserker Threads in the old man's body had not vanished after Si Ma Xin died, but had instead buried themselves deep into his body and stayed there still and unmoving, as if they had lost their life.
The old man might be injured badly and had his life force scattered, but he was also gradually waking up. After all, if he had dared to take such a risk, then he would naturally have a way to recover his life force. In fact, everything that had happened to him beforehand might have just been an illusion.
At that moment, the reawakened old man in white saw Su Ming arriving, and with an excited look on his face, he went up and wrapped his fist in his palm before he bowed deeply towards him.
"I am Lin Hai Zi. Greetings, Lord of Freezing Sky's Great Frozen Plains."
Once the old man said these words, the rest of the people on the ninth summit, besides Bai Su and her father, wrapped their fists in their palms and greeted Su Ming.
"Greetings, Lord of Freezing Sky's Great Frozen Plains!"
These words were voiced by many and turned into a wave of sound that echoed in the air above the surface of the sea, refusing to fade away even after a long time.
After the crowd did this, Bai Su's father, who was the old man with the complicated expression on his face, also lowered his head and wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming.
At that moment, all the people in the area were voicing their respect towards Su Ming with voices filled with admiration. They might not know what had happened in the sea, but when the Threads from the Berserker Seeds in their bodies sank into silence as if they had lost their lives, these people sensed Si Ma Xin's death, and felt the threads controlling their fates over the past years abruptly snapping.
As Su Ming walked out from the sea, all the people in the mountain understood that no matter what the process had been, the fight between Su Ming and Si Ma Xin had ended… with Si Ma Xin's death!
"Lord of Freezing Sky's Great Frozen Plains, Sir Su Ming, what has happened to Si Ma Xin…?" The old man in white hesitated for a moment before finally asking. Si Ma Xin might be dead according to what he could sense, but the old man still felt a little wary. He wanted to hear it from Su Ming's own mouth.
"Si Ma Xin is dead!" Su Ming stated slowly, not too bothered by the old man attaching the title of Lord of Freezing Sky's Great Frozen Plains to his name.
At the instant he heard Su Ming's words, the old man sucked in a deep breath, and an excited expression appeared briefly on his face. He looked at Su Ming and wrapped his fist in his palm before bowing towards him once more.
As Su Ming returned and reported Si Ma Xin's death, the remnants of Heaven Gate felt at a loss in the midst of their excitement. They were lost as to where they should go next, and lost as to where their destinies laid.
When the night arrived, Su Ming sat outside Hu Zi's cave abode in the ninth summit, who was still in deep sleep. Besides a white figure beside him, there was no one else around. The entire area was very quiet, and only the swishing sounds of waves could be heard faintly, along with Hu Zi's snores that would occasionally travel outwards.
The remnants of Heaven Gate were scattered everywhere on the mountain. They did not get closer to this spot. Occasionally, someone would lift their heads and automatically look towards the figure under the moon at the top of the mountain. When they looked over, their gazes would be filled with gratitude and respect.
Bai Su sat beside Su Ming. They had been sitting side by side for almost two hours while watching the sky gradually turn dark and the sea turn dim. Neither of them spoke.
In truth, they were not the only ones there. Not too far away was a cliff, and at the edge of the cliff was a bald crane, who was lying on the ground in a lackadaisical a manner. There was a shining stone in its claws. It continued looking at it, and occasionally, its beak would curl up in a smug grin, and it would let out cackling sound.
"Are you going to leave again?" After a long while, when the bald crane looked away from the stone and cast a few scrutinizing glances towards Su Ming and Bai Su, Bai Su broke the silence.
"I will head off to Eastern Wastelands." Su Ming looked at the black seawater and spoke unhurriedly.
"I wish you a good life…" Bai Su lowered her head and looked at the seawater, as well, while speaking softly.
Su Ming did not speak. He turned around and looked towards Bai Su. Her dark locks were incredibly long and covered her face, blocking her countenance from his gaze, and also hid away the hideous scar on her face.
"I was immature in the past. Thank you for being tolerant towards me. I'm very happy to have met you again..." Bai Su spoke softly. She did not look at Su Ming, but lowered her head to look at the sea. There was a gentle smile on her face and it contained a hint of being carefree along with a hint of nostalgia.
After a long time, she stood up and walked past Su Ming.
"The ninth summit is your home. Leave at peace. I will stay here and take care of the place… If the day comes that I'm no longer in the world, I will leave my body behind… and atone for the harm I've done to you in the past," she said quietly. T
The instant she walked past Su Ming, he suddenly lifted his hand and grabbed her arm. She trembled lightly. She did not break free from his grip, and simply allowed him to hold her arm, but she kept her head turned downwards.
Su Ming stood up and looked at Bai Su, then lifted his right hand and moved away the dark locks on her face. She clearly flinched and moved away slightly, but he still saw the hideous scar on her face.
Bai Su closed her eyes, and tears fell down her cheeks. She lowered her head, as if she did not want him to see that ugly scar.
"You don't need to atone for anything. What has happened belongs solely to the past. I only want to see the adorable girl from all those years ago, the girl who had the wild beauty within her," he said softly while looking at Bai Su.
"People grow up eventually, don't they…? I'm no longer who I was in the past, and neither are you." Bai Su opened her eyes and looked at Su Ming. Her gaze no longer contained the wild nature from his memories, but had turned into signs of age and time.
There was also a deeply rooted fatigue and a look screaming that she was helplessly struggling against fate within her.
"My pa once told me that I'm burdened with the Life of a stone falling into the river in the sky. The splashes when the stone fell into the river have turned into me, and I'm destined to have tears as my companions. I'm destined to only be the splashes from the river forever…" Bai Su looked at Su Ming and struggled violently against the hold on her right hand, as if she wanted to break free from his hand.
"Wait for me. I'll search for a way to return to the Alliance of the Western Region, and if I find it… come with me to the Western Region." Su Ming did not let go. He looked at Bai Su, at this woman, and spoke slowly.
"The stone falling into the river in the sky is destined to be alone forever due to the fall. Even if there are splashes in the river, no one will be able to find the stone, because there is simply too much water in the river, and I… am merely a few drops within it.
"Su Ming, I will stay here and take care of the ninth summit for you, but I… will not leave with you." Bai Su turned her head around and broke free from his grasp. When she turned around once more, her dark locks danced in the air, cutting through some of the tears that fell from her eyes, causing the broken droplets to scatter into the air. When they floated past Su Ming's eyes, Bai Su left into the distance.
Su Ming quietly looked at her figure disappearing from his sight. Then, Dark Mountain's Bai Ling and the Celestial Maiden from the World of Nine Yin manifested in his head. The figures of these three women seemed to have fused together at that instant.
"The Life of the stone falling into the river in the sky… will only appear when the falling stone appears, will only be special because of that falling stone, and will be alone because of itself. In the end, the splashes caused by that falling stone will fuse into the river, and no one will be able to find the stone ever again."
An old voice spoke from the other side of the mountain. Along with it came a pale old man with a complicated expression on his face. The old man's life force was dim, as if there was not much life within him and as if all traces of his life could be wiped away at any given moment. He walked towards Su Ming. The old man was Bai Su's father, and he'd been a middle-aged man with a great reputation in Heaven Gate all those years ago.
Twenty years had gone by, and time had left too many of its tracks on his body.
"This is her Life, if she cannot break free from it, then she is bound to end up that way."
Translator's Notes:
1. Life of a stone falling into the river in the sky, with capital L for Life: 天河落石 (tian1 he2 luo4 shi4), originally translated as Falling Stone in Galaxy, because that was what 天河 means, which is another name for milky way, by the way, but when I read the description for Bai Su's Life, I changed my mind and decided to go for stone falling into the river in the sky instead, sounded more accurate that way.
Do remember that Life = life/vitality + fate.
Chapter 570: Life!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"What is Life?" Su Ming looked at the black sea and sky in the distance and asked calmly.
The sounds of footsteps grew closer. Bai Su's father, the old man whose face was now burned with age, stopped several dozens of feet away. He looked at the sea and sky Su Ming was staring at. There was only darkness there.
He fell silent for a moment before he spoke hoarsely. "All things in the world have Lives, and this Life does not mean the state of being alive, but is the manifestation of what we have sensed from our past lives in our current lives."
"How did you determine that Bai Su's Life was to be a stone falling into the river in the sky?" Su Ming still did not look at the man as he asked lightly.
"Because all of us descendants of the Bai family have the Lives of the river in the sky. We are to be hurt by love and are to be alone. Only our children will remain and stay with us until we grow old and die… The river in the sky is made of starlight, and there are a lot of stars that shine in the sky. When they fuse together, the river can be seen clearly, but when you try to look carefully, you won't be able to differentiate each one. This is my Life, and so it was for my younger brother Bai Chang Zai. And my daughter Bai Su… is burdened with the same fate. The entire Bai family has been burdened with the same Life for generations!
"But Bai Su is a little different. Her Life has been changed because of the stone. That stone… is Si Ma, and is also you!" Bai Su's father spoke slowly, and his voice was deep as it echoed in the area in this is dark night.
"Nonsense!" Su Ming turned his head around and cast a cold glance towards Bai Su's father.
"Si Ma's Life is different. Those with his Life are the light from the dew on grass that appears when it reflects the light from the morning sun. He should have originally been green grass, but due to the dew on his body, he became a striking figure under the sunlight.
"This is… borrowing Life.
"I don't know what his original Life was supposed to be, but the reason behind why he had such great power and serendipity was all because of the reflection of light on the dew, but this reflection can be cut off and turned against him, that is why I had been certain that if he died, he would definitely die because of the reflection of light!
"The person who can kill him will definitely be the one who gave him that dew, the one who lent his Life to him!" The eyes of Bai Su's father were originally dull and lifeless, but when he said those words, they started sparkling brilliantly, as if they were reflecting light. He looked towards Su Ming.
"I deduced your Life in the past. You had the Life of the veins within grass, wood, and stones. All of them contain veins, and they support their entire bodies. Those who have this Life are bound to be controlled like puppets, and they cannot escape… They are not suited for Bai Su's Life!
"But when I looked for your Life again now, it has changed greatly. I… can no longer see any signs of Life on you!" Bai Su's father looked at Su Ming and took a few steps forward. His voice gained an anxious edge.
"This shouldn't be possible. All manner of being in the world has Life, and even those who have died will have Life. Their Lives will not disappear, but you…" Bai Su's father stared at Su Ming, and a brilliant light appeared in his eyes.
Su Ming stared at the old man before him coldly. The Life this old man spoke about seemed to be connected to the Life Cultivation he had come to understand, but was even more subjective, and Su Ming could not find himself believing in him.
Besides, Life Cultivation was a new Realm after the Berserker Soul Realm. Perhaps there were truly people who had managed to step into that Realm, but they were incredibly rare. Even those who had managed to arrive at its doorsteps would surely be only a few.
Su Ming did not believe that this old man had managed to find his way to the door leading to Life Cultivation, or else, why would he be humiliated and oppressed by Si Ma Xin! However… even if Su Ming did not believe in his words, the meaning behind them had made his heart move slightly.
'Si Ma Xin turned into a puppet after he died… That puppet had a strand of hair from when I was still an infant and a drop of my blood at the center of its brows, and then there are the altars I saw because of that strand of hair scattered all over the continent.
'The reflection of light on dew…'
Not a hint of what Su Ming was thinking was revealed on his face. He looked at the old man, and his gaze was still filled with cold detachment.
"I know that you won't believe in this so called Art of Life so easily, but every single thing I said is the truth!" Bai Su's father said once again.
The words he said previously about Su Ming's Life echoed in his head, especially in regards to the first half of his words, when he was talking about the Life of the veins in grass, wood, and stones, and that he was supposed to be controlled like a puppet. These things caused a barely noticeable constriction in his pupils.
"Then what is your Life?"
"My Life is…" There was a slight hint of anguish on Bai Su's father's face, but when he looked at Su Ming, there was a strange glint contained within that pain in his eyes.
"My Life is that of the fish suffocating outside the river in the sky! Those with this Life cannot run into emptiness, because once they do, they will definitely die! They are just like fish that have left water, they will not live long.
"I had never understood what it meant until I met you again. You have no Life, so you are emptiness itself!" Bai Su's father looked at Su Ming and spoke with mixed feelings.
"Are you saying that you don't have a long time left?" Su Ming asked slowly and calmly.
"I may have only a few moments, or it could be a couple days, but no more. Then I will die." Bai Su's father said with a low voice, and sighed.
Su Ming narrowed his eyes and suddenly asked, "How did you manage to look into other people's Lives?"
"About that…" Bai Su's father hesitated for a moment before he cast a glance at Su Ming, and then, he gritted his teeth.
"The Bai family has a long history with Freezing Sky Clan and we are closely connected to them. Our ancestor, Bai Yuan Hua was one of the creators of Freezing Sky Clan, and during his time, his level of cultivation could be said to be so famous that his name rang through the entire South Morning!
"We don't know where he is now, since once he built Freezing Sky Clan, he left South Morning. But before he left, he once isolated himself for a hundred years, and when he left, he left behind a Life Scroll!
"It is damaged and in tatters, and our ancestor obtained it by chance. He should have left because he wanted to search for the other Life Scrolls, and in fact, the great power from his cultivation base might have come from the epiphany he gained from that Life Scroll!
"But us descendants of the Bai family do not have our ancestor's wisdom, and up to now, there is no one who has managed to understand that scroll completely, and since we were afraid of getting into trouble for what we have, this thing has always been a secret within the Bai family.
"A long time ago, my younger brother, Bai Chang Zai, had gained the most understanding from that scroll, but he still could not gain a deep enough one. As for me, I only possess superficial knowledge about the contents in that scroll, and I can only make simple deductions and calculations."
Bai Su's father was filled with sincerity, and his voice echoed in the darkness, able to cause all those who heard it to feel an ancient air about him.
"This is absolutely true. I have no reason to lie to you. I can give you the Life Scroll that is the legacy passed down in the Bai family, but I want to ask you for a favor!"
When Bai Su's father said these words, he swiftly lifted his right hand and pointed at the center of his brows. Immediately, dark light shone at the spot where his fingers touched. His body immediately started trembling, and he began withering away right before Su Ming's eyes.
As he withered away, the skin on his face started squirming as if there was something moving within his body. He sucked in a deep breath at that moment and lifted his left hand to swing at the air. Immediately, a lit incense appeared before him. The wisps of smoke from the incense curled up into the air, and as it rose upwards, Bai Su's father sucked in a deep breath in its direction, and it immediately turned into seven wisps of smoke that crawled into his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
This was an incredibly bizarre sight, and a focused look appeared in Su Ming's eyes as he watched. Once Bai Su's father sucked in those seven wisps of smoke, he began trembling, and a crack tore through the center of his brows.
No blood flowed, and it looked as if it had existed for many years but had been hidden away usually so no one could see it.
Only when Bai Su's father used a secret Art would this crack appear. Right then, Su Ming immediately sensed a presence that shook his soul spreading out.
It was difficult to describe this presence with words. It was like a sweet scent that would make people feel delighted the moment they took a sniff of it, their bodies relaxing. In fact, those who took a whiff of it would even find their own cultivation base increasing slightly, and joy would appear within the depths of their hearts, as if they had just experienced an incredibly joyous occasion, and they would be unable to control themselves and smile.
It would make these people try to sense more. Yet when unable to help themselves they would open up to get in touch with that presence, they would find that it was no longer sweet, having turned into a nauseating feeling. It would make them feel as if they were about to throw up all their organs in their bodies. It was as if what they had sensed earlier was just an illusion, and this was the real deal!
However… if that was merely the case, then this presence would not really be that strange. What shocked Su Ming was the bitterness that gradually emerged from within that presence once the nauseating feeling was gone. That bitter taste was as if he had just swallowed the thickest gallbladder in the world, and it had turned into an extreme bitterness as the taste traveled from within his body to his skin.
This complex and varying presence caused Su Ming's mind to be shaken, and at the same time, he saw Bai Su's father lifting his right hand pushing it into the crack at the center of his brows. There was a strange look on his face, as if he was laughing and crying at the same time, when he slowly pulled out a black wooden block from within!
This wooden block was only the breadth of two fingers and half a palm long. The presence that had caused Su Ming's mind to be shaken came precisely from it!
"This item is the Life Scroll our family's ancestor left behind when he left all those years ago! This scroll is not a scroll, because it has turned itself into a piece of wood with its own Art…"
The black wooden block's image appeared in Su Ming's eyes. The instant his gaze was trained on it, the cries of infants seemed to echo in his ears, along with the sorrowful mourning of women, and the grief filled voices of men, as well as the sounds of tears falling on robes as the elderly cried.
Those were the wailing sounds of people from different periods of time.
Su Ming's pupils shrank. With his current level of cultivation, it was rare for his facial expression to change visibly, but at that moment, he was visibly moved, and all of it was because of this small piece of wood!
'This item is definitely nothing ordinary!' This was the only thought that appeared in Su Ming's head at that moment.
Because while he heard crying sounds, he saw illusory shadows surrounding the block of wood, and they were all men and women married to each other. They were smiling… smiling in all sorts of situations, smiling during birthdays, during childbirth, during their marriages, their wedding night, and all sorts of other situations. There were all sorts of people among those illusions, and they were all smiling happily.
"I give this to you… and for this, I just have one request. Promise me, if the day comes where you possess the ability to change the Principles of Life1, help my daughter Bai Su change her Life…
"Before you possess this ability, then I wish… for her… to be safe in this chaotic world." Bai Su's father sat down cross-legged on the ground, and his voice grew weaker. Once he finished saying those words, he swung his right hand in the air, and the black wooden block immediately started drifting slowly towards Su Ming.
It continued until it arrived right before him.
Su Ming looked at that wooden block, and after a long while, he slowly nodded. He might still have doubts regarding the old man's words towards the Art of Life, but he still chose to agree to his request.
The instant he nodded, Bai Su's father smiled faintly. He lifted his head and looked towards the dark sky and sea in the distance. Vaguely, he seemed to have seen a woman walking towards him from the air, stretching her hand towards him.
"Hui Chen… is that you…?"
A dazed expression appeared on Bai Su's father's face, and when he uttered that question softly, he closed his eyes, and the presence and life force within his body disappeared at that instant.
Translator's Notes:
Principles of Life: 命理 (ming4 li3), actually just known as Chinese fortune telling or Chinese divination, but I highly doubt it. Maybe I haven't been able to find the official translation for it, but I gave it the name according to Life series, so we have here Principles of Life. The basic meaning of this 命理 is the principles that govern a person's fate. This fate has two meanings, one of them is the state of being alive, and the other is the eight characters/eight words (八字) that form your inborn natal chart or what we call here Life Matrix. This apparently shows what sort of stages you will go through in life (which is the 'life' mentioned earlier) and whether you will live your life in a series of blessings or disasters (which is 'fate').
Chapter 571: The Enemies Arrive!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The black wooden block floated before Su Ming while spreading out a dim light. His gaze fell on Bai Su's father, and saw a dazed smile still lingering on his lifeless body.
Su Ming originally would not believe him so easily, but at that moment, the words the old man had said previously surfaced in his head, and when he looked at his lifeless body, all of these things made him become uncertain about this Art of Life.
'Life…' Su Ming closed his eyes, and when he reopened them some time later, he looked towards the black wooden block before him and lifted his right hand swiftly to seize it. A sparkle of surprise appeared in his eyes. At the instant he touched that wooden block, he vaguely saw the sights of all sorts of people going through the cycle of life, of being born, getting old, getting sick, and dying right before his eyes…
The sights of those people going through their cycles of life flashed by his eyes. Those unfamiliar faces and unfamiliar voices all turned into a huge smiling face in the end. However, that smiling face was crying and rushed towards Su Ming abruptly, causing his heart to lurch forward, and at the same time, the dazed look in his eyes disappeared. Everything returned to normal.
Bai Su's father remained seated cross-legged on the ground. It was still dark all around him, and the sounds of waves crashing on the surface of the sea would occasionally travel into his ears from the distance, fusing with the contrasting silence in the area.
However, Su Ming could not calm down his emotions, because right in the depths of his heart, that instant when the smiling and crying face charged towards him kept repeating itself in his head, along with a faded voice saying the same words again and again.
"What is Life?"
It was a question. The voice did not seem to be seeking for an answer from someone else, but was a question the speaker had asked himself as he was in the process of gaining an epiphany. Due to a special fluctuation of power, that epiphany had filled the black wooden block, and it was precisely because of this epiphany gathering itself on the black piece of wood that it became extraordinary!
Su Ming had asked himself that question when he gained possession of that one thread of presence belonging to Life Cultivation. However, at that time, that question had been brought up with uncertainty and confusion.
Yet now, the faded voice traveling from the black wooden block brought with it insight. It was a question directed to the speaker itself once he gained that epiphany, and within that voice was a hint of nostalgia and sentiment.
The words were the same, but the meaning was largely different.
Su Ming understood, but he forgot the answer. He could not answer that question, because he was even more at a loss.
What is Life…?
Su Ming remained silent. He had a sudden feeling that the epiphany he had gained earlier through some of the thought processes he had went through were rather insignificant, judging by what was happening now.
The three words from the black wooden block sounded like a question directed to the speaker himself, but in truth, the feeling Su Ming obtained from those three words was that the speaker was actually expressing himself after he had come to an understanding of the question and had gained an epiphany.
'Bai family's ancestor gained a great epiphany as he trained with this Life Scroll, and he came to understand Heaven Art: Principles of Life… All of this might be because of these three words!' Su Ming closed his eyes, and those three words kept repeating themselves in his head.
The voice uttering those three words was ancient and gave off a feeling of endless time. It contained a boundless amount of wisdom and sentiment, causing those who heard it to be unable to help themselves but fall into an absent-minded state, and even their minds would sink into that voice.
Su Ming sat just like that on the mountain rock, with his eyes closed and the voice echoing in his head. He did not want to wake up.
Time trickled by. When the second morning arrived, a halo of light spread out from the thick clouds in the distance, causing the sea and the sky to look slightly brighter and the darkness in the area to slowly be hidden away.
Su Ming did not wake up. He continued sitting there to slowly reflect on those words, slowly mulling over them. He forgot about the passage of time.
Hu Zi finally woke up three days later. He yawned as if he was still sleepy. When he opened his eyes, he saw the bald crane and was momentarily stunned. Then he began to let his mind wander.
That bald crane was also looking at Hu Zi. The man and crane stared into each other's eyes for some time before the bald crane suddenly realized that this man seemed a little dumb…
A twinkle appeared in its eyes before it slowly opened its mouth to speak with a solemn expression on its face.
"You're finally awake. I've been waiting for you for many years. Boy, do you have any idea just how much strength I've had to spend so that I could wake you up…?"
The bald crane spoke slowly, with an intimidating air within its voice, but almost the moment that presence appeared, Hu Zi glared over, lifted his hand, and slapped the bald crane. That slap came too suddenly, and the bird absolutely did not notice it. In fact, it had even been deceived by Hu Zi's expression. When that slap struck its face, its body was instantly flung off to the side with a huge force.
"You little rascal, your Grandpa Hu is the smartest person in the ninth summit, how dare you try and lie to me?!" Hu Zi glared at the crane with his eyes wide open, then stood up while rolling up his sleeves before he started shouting at the bald crane.
"I was wondering why I kept feeling someone scratching an itch on my body, so it's you, you baldy! I'm going to strangle you!" As Hu Zi spoke, he became fuelled with rage and strode towards the bald crane that was nearly stunned by the blow.
When it saw Hu Zi glaring at it while walking closer with wide steps, as he fumed in rage, the bald crane immediately screamed, and was also overcome by rage. The few remaining feathers immediately stood up, and it even flapped its wings a few times.
"Ah ah ah, how could you do this to me, boy?! If you don't give me ten thousand crystals for this, I won't forgive you, even if that boy Su Ming is around!" While screaming, the bald crane started flapping its wings like a chick. By the looks of it, it did not want to get closer to Hu Zi, but wanted to leave his cave abode.
Hu Zi's expression was filled with disdain. When he lifted his right hand, a crystal immediately appeared in it and he threw it towards the ground. A clear sound rang in the air when that crystal fell on the ground. Just as the bald crane was about to leave, it heard the sound, and almost instinctively, it pounced on the crystal. There was no hesitation in its actions, it was really just acting on impulse.
Yet the instant it pounced on the crystal, Hu Zi had already lifted his right fist and punched towards it.
"Look at you, I had started playing these sort of tricks when I was three! How dare you try scheme against me?!"
On the third day since Su Ming immersed himself in his absent-minded state to gain his epiphany, Bai Su took away her father's corpse, as if she knew long ago that this would happen. There was no hint of surprise on her face, only grief and the tears that she could not hide away no matter what she did.
Some of the people who had sought refuge on the ninth summit chose to leave during these few days. Every single one of those who left would cast a respectful glance towards the spot where Su Ming had chosen to isolate himself for his meditation. They left the ninth summit to search for their homes, which might have drowned or might perhaps still exist in the land.
The Berserker Threads within these people's bodies still had yet to disappear, buried deep in their bodies after they lost their lives. As the people left, they brought the threads with them.
The people who chose to stay on the ninth summit chose to settle themselves at the middle section quietly, with the old man in white as their leader. They no longer had any homes and did not know where to go. This place was their only home.
Once Hu Zi learned of everything that had happened in Heaven Gate over the past few days, the shock in his heart turned into a foolish grin on his face, before it eventually settled into pride.
The ninth summit belonged to Su Ming and Hu Zi. In this place, he was the master, and the others were just guests, and because of Su Ming's existence, all the people who chose to stay on the ninth summit were extremely polite to Hu Zi. No one dared offend him, including the Lord of Heaven Gate, the old man in white.
As for the bald crane, the two of them would glower at each other every single day, but every time Hu Zi flung away a crystal, it would immediately smile and charge towards that crystal. However…
Once, Hu Zi threw a stone that was gathered together from discarded crystal powder which he'd made many years ago through much research, and the bald crane pounced on that stone. It looked just like a crystal, and even had an incredibly similar presence to a crystal, but was not actually one. Just like always, the bird rushed over and did not even notice that anything was off. A prideful feeling rose in Hu Zi's heart as he scoffed at that bald crane.
'What an idiot. As expected, I'm just so smart!'
'Heh heh, does he really think I don't know that this is a fake crystal? But even if it's a fake crystal, I can still use it to trick other people. Why shouldn't I take it?'
The man and crane continued toying with each other happily on the ninth summit as Su Ming continued immersing himself in his epiphany.
Besides Hu Zi, there was another existence that stood out among all the others on the ninth summit, and that was Bai Su. The matter between her and Su Ming was not a secret for Heaven Gate members. Many people even treated her as some sort of master within the ninth summit.
Time passed. One month went by, and Su Ming still did not wake up. He was immersed in his state to gain his epiphany, still lingering around the tone contained within the three words.
He was trying to search for the person who had Branded these three words on this black wooden Life Scroll as he spoke them, and was trying to find out what sort of epiphany he had gained that would make him say those three words with such sentiment.
Bai family's ancestor had once walked down the path Su Ming traveled all those years ago, and as he continued understanding the meaning of Life, he managed to possess such great power that he became one of the creators of Freezing Sky Clan.
It was this path that Su Ming was moving through.
However, epiphanies differed for each individual. When different people went on to understand the same sentence and the same tone, they would gain different results.
As Su Ming continued trying to understand the words, as the remaining people who chose to stay behind in the ninth summit continued living their lives peacefully, as Hu Zi and the bald crane continued playing with each other, and as Bai Su stood at the top of the mountain quietly while her black locks were lifted by the wind to reveal her beautiful figure, at that moment, right outside the protective screen of life surrounding the gigantic island where Freezing Sky Clan was located, far from the tranquil scene in the ninth summit…
The Dead Sea roared and raged with waves surging into the sky. Hundreds of gigantic heads emerged from the surface of the sea. Their eyes shone with a cold and detached dark light as they stared at the protective screen of light while continuously closing in on it.
Behind them were Aquatic Dragons that would occasionally reveal their gigantic bodies. As their roars filled the sky… a gigantic ship of a hundred thousand feet long appeared at the furthermost corner of the Dead Sea!!
At the top of the ship was a slender figure. His face could not be seen clearly, only his heartless and prideful eye, which were sparkling like brilliant stars!
There was a woman keeping him company by his side. The woman's dark locks danced in the sea breeze, and she was an incredibly elegant sight.
She looked at the island behind the protective screen of light and asked softly, "Big brother Beiling1, is this South Morning's Freezing Sky Clan?"
Translator's Notes:
1. Beiling: Is a major spoiler, holy crap. Remember Bei Ling? From Dark Mountain Tribe? Yeah, their names are written slightly differently. Beiling is written as (北陵) and Bei Ling is written (北凌). If you look at it, only the second word is slightly different, which the part we call the Chinese radicals. Also, due to a wordplay and spoiler later, Beiling has not been translated as North Hill, and neither has Bei Ling been translated as North Icicle, because I can't do that wordplay later on if I did that. BUT DO THEY HAVE A CONNECTION??!!! (Oh my, I don't know, look at my innocent eyes OwO)
ALSO, he won't be the only one.
Su Ming and Destiny, though, is a different matter, despite their names being homophones as well. You know, what with Di Tian treating him like an object instead of a person.
Chapter 572: The Immortals' Prodigy!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"This is one of the three big islands in South Morning that was formed after Eastern Wastelands crashed into the continent." The man with the heartless and prideful eyes stood on the warship and lifted his right hand before swinging his arm forward. Immediately, a jade slip appeared in his hand.
That jade slip sparkled and projected an illusory map before the man and the woman.
On the map was an impressive projection of the complete Eastern Wastelands and the islands that were formed after South Morning was split apart, as well as the duo's current location.
They could clearly see three words written on the island before them on the map.
Freezing Sky Clan.
"The three big islands in South Morning are the strongest forces among the Berserker remnants now. This should be where the Immortals from Great Leaf Immortal Sect descend, but from what our Sect Leader has deduced, Great Leaf Immortal Sect has suffered quite a lot of damage in the land of the Berserkers this time!
"Di Tian's projection has died, and there is absolutely no news about the Sect Elder of Great Leaf Immortal Sect here, so he must have run into an accident… Big brother Beiling, you shouldn't meet much resistance when we get there. This trip shouldn't be hard." The woman looked at the protective screen of light not too far away and spoke softly.
"If we don't meet much resistance, then it also means that this place might not be the spot where the second God of Berserkers' left hand was sealed." The man called Beiling spoke slowly, as his gaze turned even more aloof.
"There is a third of a chance that the second God of Berserkers' left hand is sealed in this place. We need luck for this. Besides, compared to the island where the Ocean Sky Sect descends in Sky Mist Dao, as well as South Morning's third island, which is controlled by Hidden Dragon Sect, I believe that this place has the highest possibility for us to find that arm," the woman said softly ater pondering it for a moment.
Beiling let out a cold harrumph and did not speak, which was a sign of him agreeing to the woman's words. He lifted his right hand and pointed towards the growing closer island where Freezing Sky Clan was located. Immediately, the Dead Sea roared. The hundreds of Dead Sea Giants before them opened their mouths wide and simultaneously let out low roars. As they did so, they swiftly emerged from a large area of the sea, and anyone who cast a glance towards the area would find hundreds of giants taking large strides and swiftly closing in on the screen of light around Freezing Sky Clan's island.
The waves roared, and as the sea churned, it turned into a vortex with the island located right at the center. With a loud bang, the vortex started turning.
"Big brother Beiling, don't worry. The person who went to search for the second God of Berserkers' left hand in the Ocean Sea Sect's island, which is where the Immortals descend in Sky Mist Dao [6], is Sikong [1]. He might have extraordinary power, but he's arrogant and too prideful. He'll definitely run into a lot of obstacles. It's still uncertain whether he'll be able to successfully occupy the place. This time, all of you prodigies will be ranked according to your achievements, and you, big brother Beiling, will definitely have a high rank." The woman looked at him, and there was a gentle look on her face.
"Sikong isn't a problem, but the person who is going to Hidden Dragon Sect's third island… is Chenchong 2]. He's the one enemy I'm the most worried about this time!" Beiling stated calmly. The moment he mentioned Chenchong's name, a hint of wariness appeared on his face.
"Sikong, Chenchong… and then there's Eastern Wasteland's Bisu [3] and… Justice Heaven Dao's Ye Wang [4]." Beiling narrowed his eyes. When he uttered that last name, his face darkened.
"Ye Wang…" The woman also frowned. Clearly, that name had left a deep impression in her mind.
The woman hesitated for a moment before she spoke softly. "Ye Wang, the best among all the disciples of this generation… and acknowledged by all the Immortals' Sects! The Five Immortals [7] offered him protection right from his birth and even opened up his Dao for him. He was fated to become an Immortal… It is said that when he was born, ten Immortal Spirits who had originally passed away were resurrected, and they were given to him by heaven to protect him."
Beiling remained silent and did not speak, but a will to fight burned in his eyes. He might be looking at the hundreds of Dead Sea Giants attacking the protective screen of light, but he was not too bothered by it. What truly caught his attention was the competition among all the prodigies from each of the Sects that had descended in the land of the Berserkers!
"I'll leave the screen of light to you, junior sister Chenxin [5]." Beilin closed his eyes and sat down cross-legged at the bow of the warship. The woman beside him nodded gently and looked at him. This person had been in her heart ever since she was young. She was willing to give up everything for him.
However… Beiling's cold and aloof attitude had caused her to feel dejected. Chenxin sighed in her heart, then lifted her hand. There was a jade bracelet on her wrist. It was letting out a gentle light at that moment, and it covered her entire body. One ray of light broke off to shoot through the Dead Sea. Once it connected with the protective screen of light, runic symbols used for deduction immediately appeared in her eyes.
Time trickled by. On the second day the warship and the hundreds of Dead Sea Giants appeared next to the protective screen of light, and hundreds of long arcs flew up from beyond the ninth summit. The people within them were those who had left the mountain. These people's faces were panic-stricken as they charged into the air. They flew towards the ninth summit to bring the people there a shocking news.
There were enemies approaching the island, and they were trying to break their screen of light!
Hundreds of Dead Sea Giants, powerful Aquatic Dragons, and a hundred thousand feet long ship. These pieces of news caused all the people on the ninth summit to wake up from their meditation.
It was especially so for the Lord of Heaven Gate. The old man in white immediately issued a few orders with a grave face. A dozen something long arcs left the ninth summit, and when night arrived, they returned. Not too far away from Su Ming's isolation grounds, Bai Su, Hu Zi, the Lord of Heaven Gate, and the other powerful warriors from the other tribes in the ninth summit silently looked at an illusionary picture before them.
Within that picture were the Dead Sea Giants, the Aquatic Dragons, the gigantic, terrifying ship, and also the black-haired man sitting on it.
They also saw the continuously fading protective screen of light, and also the petite figure standing beside the man with her arms wide open. She was clearly the cause for their protection screen waning.
"A person who can control the creatures in the Dead Sea… Who could she be…?"
"Could she be from Eastern Wastelands?"
"To hell with them! No matter who they are, if they dare touch the ninth summit, then I'll let them have a few pieces of my mind!" Hu Zi gave the picture a few glares and roared.
The bald crane cast a disdainful, sideways glance towards him, and started wondering how it should run away if the entire ninth summit were not these people's opponents.
"Miss Bai Su… do you know when Sir Su Ming will wake up?" The old man in white hesitated for a moment before he looked towards Bai Su.
She looked towards the spot where Su Ming sat, looked at him, then shook her head gently.
When she did so, a muffled rumble suddenly came from the distance and traveled to them swiftly. No one could tell precisely where that sound originated, because it came from all directions at the same time, as if it had rang into the air at the same time all around them.
That sound came incredibly suddenly, and almost the moment it reached their ears, they saw cracks appearing in the sky. They made it seem as if the sky itself was being torn apart, but if anyone took a closer look, they would find that the cracks had appeared on the invisible screen of light around them.
Due to the booming sounds and the cracks, the expression on the old man in white changed, and several people around him immediately stood up with incredibly grave expressions, as well.
Whistles and moans from a gust of wind resounded in the air at that moment. A stench that did not belong to the icy sea in this area but the Dead Sea traveled into the area along with that gust of wind as well!
The screen of light had shattered!
The strength of that screen of light had made even Su Ming frown, and it was able to withstand the Calamity of the Eastern Wastelands, but now… in just one day, it had crumbled. At that moment, all the people in the ninth summit who were awake felt their hearts tremble, and they gained a rough estimation of their enemies' strength.
However, it swiftly turned into anguish.
When the protective screen of light shattered and disappeared, blood trickled out of the corners of Chenxin's mouth, as she stood beyond the island. Her face turned pale, and she even had a dull and lifeless look about her. She took a few staggering steps backwards.
"Big brother Beiling, I can only intercept the protection here for three days. Three days later, it'll appear again, that's why… you have only that time."
Beiling had already stood up beside her. A bitingly cold air surrounded him, and there was a freezing look in his eyes. He did not look at Chenxin, but lifted his right hand and formed a seal, then pointed forward.
The hundreds of Dead Sea Giants immediately roared and rushed towards the island, right where Freezing Sky Clan was located. They strode towards the island with loud, booming steps. As the waves from the Dead Sea rose and fell, it submerged the edges of the island. Aquatic Dragons of tens of thousands of feet rose into the air, occasionally revealing their black bodies within the clouds in the sky. Their roars also reverberated in the air, spreading in all directions.
There were nine Aquatic Dragons who were charging towards Freezing Sky Clan, as they tumbled through the layers of clouds in the sky.
Beiling was standing at the bow of the ship, and the ship beneath him was tearing through the sea. At the instant it closed in on the island, it charged out of the sea and started rushing forward in midair!
At that moment, the entire area where Freezing Sky Clan's island was located was covered by roars and a ruthless as well as a harsh aura!
"I'm the Immortal Beiling, and I have come to retrieve the second God of Berserkers' left arm. All you Berserkers, kneel down and prostrate yourselves before me. You will be allowed to live if you accept being Soulsought, and if any of you resist… I will kill without exception!" His voice rang in the air like thunder, and as it traveled forth, all of those in the ninth summit could hear his words buzzing in their ears!
Almost at the same time Beiling spoke up, a great divine sense spread out abruptly from his body. That divine sense did not spread out in a large area, but once the ship beneath his body absorbed it, that divine sense spread out abruptly with the ship as its center.
Once the divine sense was transformed by the ship, it managed to spread out to an incredibly wide area. Almost in an instant, it covered the entire island.
Immediately, a picture appeared within the air above the ship and right before Beiling, and it was a shrunken map depicting the entire island where Freezing Sky Clan was located!
It did not matter whether it was the land itself or the icy sea right in the middle, everything was shown clearly on the picture.
There were a hundred something flashing spots within that illusionary map, and each of those flashing spots represented a Berserker, and on this map, the number of these white flashing spots was the most on the ninth summit!
There were also some who were scattered here and there. As Beiling lifted his right hand and swung forward, dozens of Dead Sea Giants underneath immediately spread out and charged forward, as if they knew exactly where the white flashing spots at the edges were located.
Beiling swept his gaze past the ninth summit on his map, and his expression remained as cold and detached as ever. There was even a hint of impatience on his face. To him, this place… was just a part of the uncultured and Barren land of the Berserkers.
Translator's Notes:
1. Sikong : Hey, remember the guy who tried to kill Su Ming when he went to search for Bai Ling in her tribe? Isn't his name Si Kong? This time, we have Sikong (思空) and Si Kong (司空). Sikong means thinking and emptiness, and Si Kong is Si (surname) + emptiness.
2. Chenchong : Gee, do you remember the charisma incarnate called Chen Chong (宸衝) from Wind Stream Tribe? Chenchong (陳衝) is his counterpart, and Chenchong means surname + vigor, while Chen Chong means house/mansion/star + vigor.
3. Bisu : The counterpart is Bi Su, the jerk from Black Mountain Tribe. Bisu (毕素) means surname/finish + white, and Bi Su (毕肅) means surname/finish + serious.
4. Ye Wang: His counterpart is Ye Wang, the genius from Sky Mist Tribe, tied with Su Ming during the stair climbing contest. And you know something? Their names are written exactly the same. I wonder what that means~ 葉望, for both Ye Wang from Wind Stream Tribe and Ye Wang from Justice Heaven Dao, means Leaf/Surname + watch
5. Chenxin: Her counterpart is the girl engaged to Bei Ling when they were all in Dark Mountain Tribe. Chenxin is (陳欣), meaning Surname + Joy, and Chen Xin (塵欣) is another surname + joy.
Wow, the amount of wordplay here, I wonder what that means OwO. Please remember that you are supposed to pronounce their names in the exact same manner. ALL THEIR NAMES, including Beiling/Bei Ling's.
6. Sky Mist and Justice Heaven Dao: In this sense, it means this group of people uphold a certain brand of Dao, Sky Mist and Justice Heaven is just a name they call their own group. They are by no means Dao.
7. Five Immortals: Is a legend in Guangzhou. In the past, Guangzhou had a series of famine, and everything was barren. This shocked five Immortals from South Sea/South China Sea. These five Immortals rode five-colored goats and descended on Guangzhou to provide grain for the hardworking folk and blessed them.
Chapter 573: Beiling
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
This was a part of their test. In fact, it could even be said that this was just the first step to their test. Even if this place had basked in incredible glory in the past, but now… it was just the uncultured and Barren land of the Berserkers, filled with a bunch of uncivilized people.
They could only become the crushed stepping stones of the Immortal prodigies in the process of their growth. The Immortals needed to crush these people under their feet so that they could build their own indestructible tower!
It did not matter whether it was the scattered Berserkers in this place or those who had gathered at the mountain on the surface of the sea, Beiling paid no attention to any of them. The only thing that was worthy of his attention was… whether this place was the spot where the second God of Berserkers' left hand was sealed.
As the dozen something Dead Sea Giants spread out, the Berserkers who had left the ninth summit would come to face an incredible danger. Even if they managed to survive the attack, they would be unable to escape Beiling's divine sense. In the end, they would end up getting killed after catching the slightest bit of his attention.
The nine Aquatic Dragons in the sky flew incredibly quickly, the Dead Sea Giants on the ground strode on the ground as they roared, the hundred thousand feet ship sliced through the sky, and as they charged forth, a vast expanse of sea appeared before them!
This sea was not the Dead Sea, but was formed after the ice melted, and right at the center of this sea… was the ninth summit!
The Aquatic Dragons moved through the clouds, and thunder roared in the sky as lightning crackled. The ground trembled under the feet of the Dead Sea Giants. Waves had even begun surging into the sky from the icy sea as they closed in.
A powerful, overbearing presence spread out from the ship in the sky, and wherever that presence went, the world would lose its color!
At that moment, most of the Berserkers on the ninth summit were seized by terror and anguish filled their hearts. They had just gone through the disaster within Heaven Gate and had finally settled themselves after much difficulty, but now… they had to go through yet another life threatening crisis!
They would occasionally cast their gazes towards that person sitting at the top of the mountain. Right then, this person was their only hope.
But Su Ming was immersed in gaining his epiphany and was completely unaware of the things happening outside. In his mind, the words 'What is Life' were echoing repeatedly.
Gradually, he seemed to have understood the meaning behind them slightly, but he still did not have a clear notion about it. When he tried to dig deeper into it, he would find that he seemed to have gained nothing.
As the overbearing presence from the world closed in on the ninth summit and as the seawater roared, the old man in white, the Lord of Heaven Gate, smiled bitterly and stood up. He was the person with the highest level of cultivation in this place, and when he looked at the ninth summit, he knew… that he had no way out.
This was, after all, a part of Freezing Sky Clan. If he left, then it would mean that he would truly lose his home.
"I won't leave. Even if I die, I will die in Freezing Sky Clan. You lot… if you want to leave, then go…"
Bai Su stood up quietly and looked at the sea and the sky in the distance. She did not speak, but the hint of calmness in her eyes showed exactly what she was thinking in her heart.
The people who chose to stay in the ninth summit fell silent. None of them spoke.
A depressing atmosphere instantly fell on the mountain. Even Hu Zi was glaring at the sky with clenched fists. He was the least fitting person to leave this place. Not only was this place his home, the fact that Su Ming was meditating in this place meant that he would absolutely not allow anyone to harm him even the tiniest bit, unless they walked over his corpse.
Hu Zi clenched his fists. Without bothering with the people around him, he quickly walked towards Su Ming and stood before him. His sturdy body covered the sunlight from the clouds shining on Su Ming like a hill, turning into a dark shadow that enveloped him within.
It was right at that moment that the clouds in the sky started tumbling about intensely. The Aquatic Dragons were the first to arrive. They started circling in the sky above the ninth summit, revealing their huge heads as they roared towards the direction beneath them.
The roars from the Aquatic Dragon shook the sky and the earth, causing the surface of the sea to shake and even greater waves to rise into the sky. The Dead Sea Giants also arrived at that moment, and their harsh breathing along with their low roars shook the people's hearts and souls.
"Is Freezing Sky Clan before us?!"
A cold voice traveled forth from the incoming ship behind the Dead Sea Giants. Beiling, who was standing at the bow of the ship, took a step into midair. In an instant, he stood in the sky and lowered his head to look at the people below coldly.
He did not see Su Ming, because Hu Zi's body had already covered him completely. The third senior brother was glaring at the sky.
The Lord of Heaven Gate, the old man in white, swung his arm and rose into the air with an extremely solemn expression. As the Aquatic Dragons in the sky howled and the Dead Sea Giants from the sea roared, he looked at Beiling, who was standing several thousands of feet away, and lowered his straight back, bowing towards him with his fist wrapped in his palm.
"This is indeed Freezing Sky Clan. Sir, I wonder…"
Before he managed to finish speaking, Beiling's cold and detached gaze gathered on him. The Immortals' prodigy cut his words off.
"Leave this mountain and stand to the left. Once I've finished performing Soulseek on you and find that you are without any problems, I will not cause trouble for you." There was a tone to Beiling's voice that did not allow refusal, and it sounded like if they did not agree to it, they would have to face death.
Once Beiling said everything, he lifted his right hand and positioned two of his fingers into the shape of a sword. Immediately, sword aura shot out from his fingertips. A sword glint appeared from his fingers, and it instantly grew to a piercing degree. At that moment, Beiling swung his right hand down on the sea in a slashing motion.
The instant he cut down, loud rumbling sounds came from the sea. A strong gust of wind charged forth and swept through all directions. The surface of the sea trembled, and a gigantic crack tore through the surface. That crack was a hundred something feet wide and thousands of feet long. It was as if a small part of the sea had been cut off, and the crack was so deep that they could even see the bottom of the sea!
All the people saw this scene, and a chill instantly emerged from the depths of their hearts. The might of that one slash was definitely not something a normal person could withstand!
"I will not repeat my words!" Beiling swept his gaze across the ninth summit, speaking slowly.
The entire ninth summit instantly fell silent. Several breaths later, three long arcs shot into the air, leaving the ninth summit to stand on Beiling's left side.
Once someone took the lead, even if the remaining people felt humiliated, the courage to fight back would not rise within them when they were in the face of absolute power. All of them turned into long arcs and left the ninth summit to fly towards Beiling's left. Incredibly complicated expressions could be seen on their faces as they stood in silence.
The Lord of Heaven Gate looked at the crowd leaving the ninth summit silently. At that moment, there were only three people left on the mountain. One of them was Su Ming, another was Hu Zi, who stood before Su Ming to hide him away, and the last one was Bai Su.
"The ninth summit is part of Freezing Sky Clan, and it is the only part remaining of Freezing Sky Clan now… I'm the Lord of Heaven Gate, and I will not allow you to perform a Soulseek as you please!"
The old man sucked in a deep breath and a brilliant light shone in his eyes. As he lifted his right hand, the power in his body instantly erupted forth to turn into a whirlwind that surrounded him.
He had his own dignity, and he had already been humiliated when Si Ma Xin planted his Berserker Thread in him. However, Si Ma Xin was still a member of Freezing Sky Clan, and because of that, he could endure the humiliation!
Yet now, this person before him was incredibly unfamiliar, and if he continued enduring through this, then he would have failed Freezing Sky Clan and his status as Lord of Heaven Gate!
'If we were still the Freezing Sky Clan of the past… We would never have let others humiliate us so with the number of powerful warriors we had…' The old man felt pain in his heart. He might value his life, but at the moment, compared to his dignity, his life… was nothing!
Almost the moment his power erupted, he lifted his right hand. Immediately, rumbling sounds echoed behind him, and a gigantic statue of the God of Berserkers appeared.
"You overestimate yourself."
As Beiling spoke flatly, the nine Aquatic Dragons in the sky roared and charged together towards the old man. Each of these creatures possessed the power equivalent to those who had reached the initial stage of the Berserker Soul Realm. Their bodies were also far stronger than that of a Berserker. As they rushed forth, they instantly surrounded the old man in white.
Loud rumbling sounds shook the sky. The old man was trapped among the Aquatic Dragons and it was incredibly difficult for him to be able to break free. He could only grit his teeth and execute his divine abilities to fight against the nine creatures!
Or more accurately, they were not just nine Aquatic Dragons… but ten!
At some unknown point of time, another one had appeared, swimming around the other nine while roaring. However, its eyes were moving around quickly, as if it was searching for a chance to leave.
Beiling did not pay any attention to this additional Aquatic Dragon. Instead, he took a step towards the ninth summit. His pride had caused him to be incredibly tyrannical and overbearing when he did things. Besides, if he wanted to make all the Berserkers here submit to him, he definitely had to do this.
"You will need to make the souls of this uncivilized race tremble and make even their bones shiver. This is the only way to make them submit to you."
Once they submitted to him, he still had to search through all of their memories and see if he could find any clues. After that, he would still have to think of a way to search for the second God of Berserkers' left hand.
He was used to this sort of submissive display towards him. This might be the first time he came to the land of the Berserkers, but he had already experienced many battles and performed many subjugations as he traveled through the stars that belonged to the Immortals. He could already be said to be incredibly familiar with this sort of thing.
Chenxin looked at Beiling from the ship. In her memories, he was not like this in the past. In fact, he had only begun to be arrogant and cold over the past few years, losing every single shred of emotion within him.
She sighed inwardly, and when her gaze fell on the old man in white trapped by the Aquatic Dragons as rumbling sounds traveled through the air, she was momentarily taken aback. She took a few closer looks, then frowned.
She noticed that there were ten Aquatic Dragons, not nine.
Chenxin did not open her mouth to say anything, but instead chose to pay close attention to the ten creatures. A light of deduction appeared in her eyes, as if she was trying to find out which was the extra tenth dragon!
Beiling took a step forward and stood on the ninth summit, then his cold and detached gaze fell on Bai Su.
"I don't kill women." When Beiling looked at her, his expression remained as aloof as ever, before he turned around to walk towards Hu Zi.
"There's someone behind you. The fact that you're protecting that person shows your loyalty. For being such a loyal person, I will grant you a dignified death."
When Beiling said that, his speed abruptly increased. In the blink of an eye, he had arrived before Hu Zi, and he lifted two of his fingers of his right hand. The sword aura that had cut apart the sea just moments ago emerged once again, and he cut towards the stoic man.
Hu Zi let out a low roar and clenched his right hand into a fist. Ripples immediately came from his body. As they fluctuated, they surrounded the entire area, turning into an existence that was akin to the surface of water. Then, he lifted his right hand and hurled his fist towards Beiling.
"Get lost!"