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Chapter 574: Waking Up!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

A light rumble traveled forth. As the surface of the water before Hu Zi flashed violently and eventually crumbled, his fist struck the air a foot before Beiling, and his fist felt as if he had just landed on cotton, not managing to cause any effect.

Instead, a sharp sword aura spread through his entire body, causing Hu Zi's body to tremble, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He took a few steps back. Su Ming was right behind him as he moved back, but Hu Zi would rather be injured even more than move away from the spot where Su Ming was.

"You are a loyal one indeed, but your power is simply too weak…" Beiling averted his gaze from Hu Zi and looked towards Su Ming sitting on the mountain rock cross-legged. A barely noticeable glint appeared in his eyes.

"No wonder I didn't notice him much earlier, so he has sealed himself off!" Beiling lifted his right hand and positioned his palm straight before moving towards Su Ming. He would have his hand land on Su Ming's head the moment he closed in.

He wanted to search through this person's memories, but right when his hand was about to fall on Su Ming's head, Bai Su turned into a long arc and closed in on him.

Hu Zi also roared as he struggled to his feet and lunged at him once again while flinging all caution to the wind.

Beiling let out a cold harrumph. The sound was like thunder, and when it traveled forward, it turned into a loud bang in Hu Zi's ears, causing his footsteps to freeze, and he coughed up blood once again, but he did not move back. Instead, he rushed in between Beiling and Su Ming. Standing before his junior brother once again to use his body to protect him!

He let out a roar straight from his soul, his eyes entirely bloodshot.

Bai Su shuddered. As the rumbling sounds echoed in the air, blood trickled down the corners of her lips. Her vision blurred out, and when she could look clearly, she saw an endless desert stretching out before her.

To the others, Beiling's harrumph had caused a dazed expression to instantly appear on Bai Su's face. She stood there, unmoving. But Hu Zi had clearly not sunk into that illusion. Instead, with bloodshot eyes, he charged towards Beiling once again in a mad dash.

"If you hurt my junior brother, I will not stop hounding you till I die!" Hu Zi roared furiously, and without caring for the injuries on his body, he lifted his fist and charged forward.

Beiling frowned and looked at the man blocking his path. He had originally admired his loyalty, but once he heard his words, he was visibly moved.

"I see, so he is your junior brother. This is righteousness… Oh well, if you can still stand before me after withstanding three of my sword strikes, then I will forgive your disrespect."

As Beiling spoke, he lifted his right hand again, and with two of his fingers in the position of a sword, he swung his hand towards the roaring Hu Zi charging towards him. In the process of his hand swinging down, a piercing sword glare abruptly rose into the air and rushed out in the shape of an arc!

Hu Zi roared and lifted his right hand to strike that sword glare. An illusory wave of distortions also spread out from his body, causing the air around him to become indistinct as well, and during that moment, a Berserker Mark appeared on his face!

That Berserker Mark was a mountain, and that mountain… was the ninth summit!

"The ninth summit is my home, and the person behind me is my junior brother. When I'm around, it doesn't matter whether it is the sky or the earth, it doesn't matter whether it is any person or any living creature, none of you are allowed to hurt even a hair on my junior brother's head!" As Hu Zi roared, he hurled his right fist forward, and his punch crashed into Beiling's sword glare.

Loud booming sounds shook the skies at that instant. Beiling did not move. In fact, his robes did not even flutter, but Hu Zi took three steps back. He would have taken a fourth step, but he could not, because right behind him was his junior brother!

He forced himself to stop and coughed up a mouthful of blood. The flesh on his right hand was torn and bloodied, and there was even a deep sword gash at his chest. Blood was gushing out of it.

There was a dull and lifeless look on his face, but there was a ball of fire burning in his heart. At that moment, he looked as if he would burn everything within him, all for the sake of protecting his junior brother… Su Ming!

Even if he died, he would still be without regrets!

"Again!"

Hu Zi wiped away the blood at the corners of his lips, but since his right hand was already a bloodied mess, when he wiped his lips, even more blood was smeared over there. He shivered. He could already feel death creeping up towards him, but he… still did not withdraw even the tiniest bit!

"We will all eventually die, and if I die for my junior brother, it's worth it!"

Hu Zi clenched his left hand and struck his chest. More red appeared in his eyes. A dream-like presence abruptly spread out from his body and fused with his Berserker Mark. It actually gave Beiling the false impression that he was looking at a huge mountain.

He looked at Hu Zi and declared slowly, "You are the second person I've met that deserves my respect. But I'd like to see just how long you can last." Beiling lifted his right hand, but he no longer had two fingers in the position of a sword. This time, he had three fingers!

He looked as if he was forming a seal, and once he made it, he pointed towards the incoming Hu Zi. In that instant, an illusory longsword appeared before Beiling. Once it manifested, it let out a piercing sword whistle, as it charged straight towards Hu Zi!

The man and sword crashed into each other during that instant. Hu Zi let out a muffled groan, and the illusory version of the ninth summit before him collapsed while twisting in the air. The dream-like presence spreading out from his body also scattered away.

His left hand shattered with a bang. When he coughed up blood, his body began swaying and his face turned pale, but he forced his falling body to stop. Blood filled his mouth, his eyes were red, and his breathing gradually weakened.

The sword continued floating in midair, but it had shattered and was no longer in the form of a sword.

"You still have to endure one more strike. I will tell you this. I've only used two tenths of my strength previously. Now… I will use an eighth of my strength to show my respect towards you. Tell me your name. You have the right for me to ask you that question." Beiling lifted his right hand, and this time he had his entire palm positioned in the form of a sword!

A sword glare spread out from Beiling's right hand. That sword was seven feet long and did not look like an illusion, but instead looked incredibly real.

"I'm your grandpa!"

Hu Zi gave a weak, vicious grin. With his torn and bloodied right hand, he seized at the air in the direction of his bosom, and a pot of wine appeared in his hand. It had been a long time since he drank, but now, as death loomed over his head, he brought that pot of wine to his lips and took a big swig from it.

Beiling frowned and swung his right hand towards Hu Zi. Immediately, the illusory long sword in his hand spun into the air, and with an astonishing, sharp presence, it tore through the air, forming a crack in space, and charged straight towards his opponent.

Hu Zi's expression was calm. He stood his ground, protecting Su Ming behind him, and he closed his eyes. However, there was a ball of fire burning within him at that moment.

He was burning his own life so that he could use it to withstand this slash and protect his junior brother!

"Youngest junior brother, farewell…"

The sword came charging towards him with a howl, while invisible flames engulfed Hu Zi's body. Right at that moment, a hand pressed against his back.

When that palm touched him, an abundant amount of life force surged into Hu Zi's body like a flowing stream, extinguishing the flames burning in him and replenishing the life force he'd lost, even recovering the injuries he'd sustained slightly.

All of this happened within an instant. Just as Hu Zi was taken aback by this, the long sword closed in, and during that moment, Su Ming, who had been sitting behind Hu Zi while meditating, stood up with a dark look on his face. He took a step forward, and at the same moment he exchanged places with Hu Zi, he lifted his right hand and pointed towards the incoming longsword.

All of this might seem to have happen over a long period of time, but in truth, only an instant had passed since the moment Su Ming woke up to the moment he pointed forward. That finger touched the long sword, and an indescribably loud bang exploded into the air.

Because of it, Beiling withdrew for the first time ever, and this time, he even took a dozen something steps backwards. With each step, a deep footprint would be left behind on the ground, and it even made the entire mountain tremble. When he took his final step, he coughed up a huge mouthful of blood with a pale face. He lifted his head swiftly, with shock evident on his face.

Su Ming was not forced to take even a step backwards. He stood right where he was, and behind him was Hu Zi, his senior brother, the senior brother who had used his life to protect and defend him just moments ago!

This senior brother of his might like laughing and grinning foolishly, might think of himself as an incredibly intelligent person, might be so straightforward in his actions that he would at times cause others to not know how to deal with him, but he was his senior brother, the man who had used everything within him to protect his junior brother!

This was Hu Zi!

Su Ming's third senior brother!

"Senior brother, I'm here."

Su Ming did not look at Beiling. He looked instead at Hu Zi, and as he spoke gently, he pressed his left hand on his chest, and immediately, a vast amount of life force surged into his body once again.

Hu Zi grinned foolishly and looked back at him. That honest expression made Su Ming's heart clench in pain, because the injuries on Hu Zi's chest were incredibly grievous at the moment. His hands were also torn into bloody ribbons. His pale face, his honest, straightforward smile, and his mountain-like build were things that Su Ming would never forget in his life.

"Junior brother, am I going to die…? If I'm going to die, then let me die... I'm not afraid… Remember, you have to look for Master…" It was becoming hard for Hu Zi to breather, and his voice was disjointed.

"You won't die!" Su Ming stated stubbornly!

At that moment, Beiling, who was forced back a dozen something steps, stared at Su Ming. An incredibly grim look appeared on his face. He swiftly lifted his right hand, and a large amount of sword shadows appeared around him, and they looked as if they numbered to nearly a hundred. As he pointed forward with his right hand, those sword shadows whistled in the air, tore through space, and rushed towards Su Ming.

"You won't die. If anyone dares to take your life, I will search for them throughout heaven and earth, and I will destroy their clans, wipe their sects, and eradicate their families!" Su Ming declared through gritted teeth, and when he lifted his left hand from Hu Zi's chest, a blue glow appeared in his eyes. He formed a strange seal with his hand, and that seal looked like the word 'Life'.

"You won't die, because I will seize Life for you!"

Su Ming swiftly pressed his left hand on the center of Hu Zi's brows, and at the same time, he lifted his right hand and pushed in the direction towards the near a hundred sword shadows charging towards him.

With that one push, a power of time reversal swiftly erupted from his right hand.

Chapter 575: Beiling, Without any Space In-Between [1]!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The instant this power that reversed time burst forth, the hundred sword shadows that were charging towards Su Ming from behind him froze and abruptly started tumbling backwards. Beiling's pupils shrank. Almost the instant those swords fell back and his body started retreating against his will, he bit the tip of his tongue and coughed up a mouthful of blood. Right at the moment this blood appeared, it turned into a blood-red chain that surrounded the area, turning the place into a vortex made of chains.

The vortex crashed into the invisible power causing time to reverse and created a violent bang. The chain crumbled in an instant, the hundred sword shadows completely vanished, and Beiling took two steps backwards, but in the midst of time reversing, he forced himself to move forward!

At the instant he did so, Su Ming lifted his left hand from the center of Hu Zi's brows and turned around. Then, for the first time, he looked at Beiling face to face. Behind him, Hu Zi had closed his eyes and fallen asleep. His chest rose and fell, still alive, a mark similar to the word 'Life' at the center of his brows.

That mark sparkled at the same rhythm as Hu Zi's breathing.

Su Ming looked at Beiling, with a complicated emotion hidden within his eyes. In truth, right at the moment he woke up, he had already seen this figure that once existed only in his memories.

They were exactly the same… If he had to say that there was a difference between them, then the Bei Ling in his memories was a young teenager, and the person standing before him right then had the marks of time on his body. He might not look ancient, but there was an extreme arrogance and coldness about him.

If Su Ming had been his previous self from many years ago, then he would definitely be incredibly excited and worked up the moment he saw Beiling, but now, after going through the striking resemblance between Bai Su and Bai Ling, then experiencing the matter between Si Ma Xin and the corpse on the altar located on the continent in that galaxy, and once he learned of many other secrets, he was no longer excited. There were only mixed feelings within him.

Beiling did not know him.

Su Ming expected this since a long time ago. He looked at Beiling, and the man looked at him. At the moment their gazes met each other, Beiling felt his heart tremble. He had a sudden feeling that even though the person before him was an unfamiliar sight, but his gaze gave him an incredibly familiar feeling, and that sense of familiarity caused him to be momentarily stunned.

"Bei Ling, it's been a long time," said Su Ming calmly.

A glint appeared in Beiling's eyes. He stared at him.

"You know me?"

"Is your name spelled B-E-I, space, L-I-N-G?" Su Ming asked slowly. There was no way out of this, he had to take responsibility for what this person did.

"There's no space in-between!" Beiling said coldly. The ship in the distance closed in slowly, and the woman standing at the bow of the ship stared at Su Ming with a dumbfounded look in her eyes. Gradually, disbelief appeared on her face, and her breathing quickened.

"You too, Chen Xin, it's been a long time." Su Ming moved his gaze away from Beiling and looked towards the woman as he spoke softly.

"You… You are…" Chenxin widened her eyes and looked at Su Ming. Beiling saw the disbelief in her eyes, and it caused him to look closely into his opponent's eyes.

"It doesn't matter who I am. Bei Ling, let's fight!"

A sharp glare shone in Su Ming's eyes, covering the complicated look in his eyes. When he looked towards Beiling, he lifted his right hand and swung it to the side.

"This time, I will not fight for myself. I will fight… because you injured my senior brother!"

Beiling fell silent. A chilling glare appeared swiftly in his eyes, and with a solemn expression, he lifted his right hand and seized something behind his head. He looked as if he had seized at air, but in truth, he had grabbed onto something that no one else could see.

Then, as if a sword was slowly being pulled out from behind his back, the chilling glare in his eyes shone, and he lifted his right foot to take a step towards Su Ming.

At the instant he took that step, an anxious look appeared on Chenxin's face. She immediately flew out from the ship, and her voice rang in the air.

"Beiling, he's…"

"Quiet!"

Beiling did not turn his head back, and with a low growl, he cut off Chenxin's words. Then, with an extreme speed, he closed the gap between him and Su Ming until there was less than a hundred feet left between them. A red glare suddenly appeared in the air above his right hand, and a red longsword turned into a burning long arc as he let go of it before charging towards Su Ming like a shooting star.

At the same time, Beiling began forming seals with his hands and pointed towards the sky. Immediately, the clouds in the sky tumbled about and the Aquatic Dragons that had trapped the old man in white let out a roar together, leaving the old man to charge towards Beiling before turning into a robe with embroidered pythons [2] above his head!

That python robe danced in the air as if there was someone invisible wearing it, and it swung its sleeve at Su Ming.

But that was not enough to show just how powerful Beiling was. He pressed his left hand to the ground, and the seawater beneath them immediately started churning, turning into a huge face. That face was exactly the same as Beiling's and was made entirely of seawater. At that moment, it opened its mouth wide and rose swiftly from the depths of the sea to rush towards Su Ming.

Su Ming looked at the sword charging towards him. Behind him was Hu Zi, and right behind that divine ability before him was his companion from Dark Mountain, the companion existing in his memories. Su Ming would not forget his memories about Dark Mountain, and neither would he forget Hu Zi's camaraderie.

"I don't owe you anything…" he mumbled. In the face of the sword coming straight towards him, he closed his eyes.

At the instant he closed his eyes, the red sword glare closed in on him and stabbed his chest, right where his heart was. That sword was brimming with killing intent, and it was a sword that moved to kill Su Ming!

A bang rang in the air and spread through the entire area. Su Ming took a step back. A small portion of the sword in the long arc had pierced into his chest but could no longer plunge itself deeper into him, as if his body possessed incomparable durability, and this sword alone could not hope to pierce through him!

"With this sword… the debt of you teaching me the bow and arrow is over…"

Su Ming opened his eyes and lifted his right hand to press against the sword in his chest. Once he held it, he squeezed it tightly, and golden light swiftly shone on his entire body. That golden light came from every inch of his flesh and blood, originating from every single piece of his bone. There was a snapping sound once Su Ming squeezed down on the red sword, and it started shattering inch by inch before turning into a large amount of broken fragments that scattered into the sea.

Almost the instant Su Ming crushed the sword, the invisible person wearing the python robe closed in on him, and as the robe waved its sleeve, the illusions of the nine Aquatic Dragons manifested to open their mouths wide towards Su Ming. At the moment they snapped their jaws shut, they wrapped their bodies around him, and as they pulled their bodies tighter around him, a great force aiming to tear him limb from limb appeared!

Su Ming did not move. Yet no matter how much the Aquatic Dragons roared, they could only make his face turn slightly pale. His body still remained standing with his back straight on the ground. He was not torn apart.

"With this strike… our friendship since we were children is over…" Su Ming lowered his head and whispered softly. At the instant these words fell from his lips, the golden light spreading out of his body swiftly exploded.

When he lifted his right hand, wherever the golden light went, shrill screams of pain would come from the nine Aquatic Dragons. Banging sounds reverberated in the air, and the dragons shattered simultaneously. As their broken bodies fell down, they turned into pieces of cloth with embroidered pythons.

Su Ming's words fell into Beiling's ears, but not a single change of emotion could be detected on his face. Instead, his expression turned even more aloof. At that moment, the third divine ability he had executed, the huge face formed of seawater, closed in, and with a loud rumble it completely enveloped Su Ming and the entire ninth summit within.

Anyone looking from the distance would no longer see the ninth summit. They would only see a gigantic head. That head was tens of thousands of feet tall as it stood erect on the surface of the sea. Within it was the ninth summit!

"With this seawater, you drowned our memories in Dark Mountain. Bei Ling, from now on, you are Beiling… I, Su Ming, have never owed you anything. I have never owed you anything in the past, and now, I still do not owe you anything… You've injured my senior brother. Now, I will make you pay!"

The instant Su Ming's voice traveled out from the pillar of seawater, a loud rumble that shook the sky and earth swiftly rose into the air, and violent ripples came from within. As those ripples spread out and the rumbling sounds roared in the air, the pillar swiftly collapsed. The seawater formed a ring and started shooting outwards in all directions, like a wave of impact.

At that same moment, a blurry figure shot out and closed in on Beiling. It pointed towards him, a presence that belonged to Life Cultivation swiftly surrounding Su Ming's fingertip.

This presence of Life Cultivation was a power that could shake souls, and crush Life Matrices. The reason behind Life Cultivation's great power was precisely because it could allow the cultivator to rattle another's Life Matrix, to alter his own fate, to turn the universe upside down, and even to overturn the divine force that created all lives!

Su Ming had possessed a hint of presence belonging to Life Cultivation earlier, but that presence had been dull and lifeless due to his confusion, chaotic due to his uncertainty. Even so, that presence had been incredibly astonishing.

Yet now, even though he still had yet to obtain his full answer, Su Ming had a sort of understanding in his heart. He might be unable to use words to describe that understanding, but he could still sense its presence.

That was a comprehension towards the word - Life!

It was precisely because of this that the presence of Life Cultivation coming from Su Ming's body could make Beiling become visibly moved, and shock to appear on his cold face. He could clearly sense it. His soul started shaking because of that finger!

"This finger is your punishment for stepping on the ninth summit!"

Beiling did not have time to hesitate. In haste, he quickly retreated, and as he lifted his right hand, all the pores in his body opened up, and wisps of sword aura burst out to swiftly stand against Su Ming's incoming finger.

A loud bang echoed in the air. Beiling coughed up a mouthful of blood and staggered several hundreds of feet back. A sharp wave of pain filled every single nook and cranny of his body, and the large amount of sword aura that had spread out from his body crumbled and shattered nonstop.

A tiny wound appeared on the pad of Su Ming's finger. Fresh blood flowed, but he did not stop. With large strides, he walked towards Beiling.

As Su Ming closed in, he swung his arm and clenched his right hand into a fist before hurling it straight towards Beiling through the air. When he delivered that punch, the golden light on his entire body seemed to have gathered on his fist, and from the distance, Su Ming's right fist looked like a golden sun. Illuminating the entire area, it rushed towards his opponent.

Beiling did not have time to wipe the blood from his mouth. His pride would never allow him to accept this sort of defeat… especially losing against Su Ming. This made him lift his right hand to swiftly press against the top of his skull. His entire body started trembling, and right before Su Ming's eyes, a sword manifested itself in Beiling's body. That sword was within him and only about the size of his palm. At the moment Beiling struck the top of his skull, the sword flew out.

Translator's Notes:

1. Beiling, without any space in between: Just a reminder, Bei Ling → North Icicle, and Beiling → North Hill. Both pronounced as bei3 ling2.

Here is the original version of the title and the exchange between Su Ming and Beiling, for those who would like to know. The original only really makes sense and works if you can read the Chinese version.

Su Ming: Does the Bei in your name mean north, and the Ling in your name mean icicle?

Beiling: That Ling means hill!

2. Robe with embroidered pythons/python robe: Is actually supposed to be called Mang Robe. They are worn by Qing Dynasty officials. Some sources say they are also worn by Ming Dynasty officials, and some say otherwise. The patterns are little different. Mang Robe was scrapped because I feel like it's just an abuse of pinyin in this case.

Chapter 576: The Answer is, it is Fake...

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

At the instant the sword flew out, the sword aura that raged through the entire world swiftly reverberated in the air. As Beiling pointed forward, a black and white glow shot out from the sword and charged towards Su Ming with a howl.

"This punch is your punishment for hurting my senior brother!"

Su Ming's fist crashed into that small sword. A rumbling sound shot through the air, a wave of impact spread out. Beiling coughed up blood once again and took a few steps backwards. As his face turned pale, he saw Su Ming standing in his spot. He did not even budge a single inch. Instead, he unfurled his fist and casually grabbed the black and white small sword.

"Beiling, your strongest forte isn't the sword, but the arrow! You don't use swords like this…"

Su Ming shook the small sword in his grip a little, and his divine sense abruptly rose up to fuse with his powerful will before he sent it charging into the small sword. A shrill sword whistle shot out from the sword, as if it wanted to struggle against him and was calling for its master.

However, that sword whistle did not last for more than ten breaths before it died away, and as Su Ming gave that sword a light wave, it grew to be three feet long. As he held the sword in his hand, his comprehension towards swords, which Hong Luo had gained as part of his inheritance as a member of the Immortals' royalty and which Su Ming had inherited from him, emerged in his head.

This was a way of wielding the sword. However, Hong Luo himself did not use swords, and that was why he did not practice this skill. Su Ming had also tested it out with the small virescent sword before, but the sword had been unable to handle this different manner of control.

At that moment, as he held Beiling's sword in hand, Su Ming took a step forward and closed in on his opponent in an instant. He swung his sword towards him!

Beiling continued retreating. At that moment, his eyes were sparkling as he lifted his right hand to form a few seals before he moved his left hand to seize the afterimages left behind by those seals. A low growl fell from his lips.

"Explosion from the Crushed Seal!"

As those words were spoken and Beiling relaxed his left hand, a long string of loud rumbling sounds immediately came from in front of him. They sounded like muffled thunder claps. Turning into a wave of impact, they rushed towards Su Ming.

He remained calm. At the instant that impact came towards him, he lifted his left hand and flicked the sword. It started trembling violently, and a piercing hum sounded in the air. The sharp hum turned into a wave of sound that crashed into the rumbling sounds. The space between them instantly collapsed and shattered, turning into a void that could absorb anything.

At the same time, Su Ming bit the tip of his left hand. When blood flowed out, he smeared it on the body of the sword, and a murderous aura swiftly rose from it. Holding the sword in his hand, he swung it towards Beiling in a violent lash-like swing, as there were hundreds of feet between them. A hum sounded in the air, and a red glare was flung out of the sword to swiftly strike Beiling in a whipping motion. When he coughed up blood, Su Ming shook his head and let go of the weapon in his hand.

A fine crack appeared on the sword. There were few swords in the world that could withstand this extreme vibration caused by that one flick before they turned into a wave of sound and that lash that was as flexible as a whip. Even Beiling's sword had begun sporting cracks.

If it had been Su Ming's virescent sword, that full-force flick would have been enough to make it explode. This Art was also supposed to be cast with the Nine Transfigurations, Ten Transformations, and One Voice Art, according to Hong Luo's inheritance. By then, the effects of this strike would be incredibly terrifying.

Once Su Ming let go of Beiling's sword, he lifted his right foot and moved forward, then stomped the ground before him!

With that one step, the world rumbled. The clouds above them churned, and the illusion of a huge footprint gathered together before charging towards Beiling with an astonishing presence.

A loud bang rang in the air, and Su Ming lifted his foot again. Once he took seven consecutive steps forward, the clouds in the whole sky started tumbling violently. The banging sounds continued nonstop, and Beiling coughed up fresh blood once again. As he fell back, his hair spilled all over his shoulders, betraying his pathetic state. The cold look on his face was no longer around, replaced by disbelief and dumbfounded shock.

Once Su Ming took those seven steps, he appeared before Beiling, then lifted his right hand and slapped the other's right arm. Rumbling sounds echoed in the air, and Beiling's right arm was torn to bloody pieces, splattering his already gravely wounded body.

Su Ming did not stop. He tapped Beiling's left arm, and the man's left arm was shattered, with blood spilling into the air. There was deep gash on Beiling's chest and his arms were a bloody mess. At that moment, his injuries were the exact same as those of Hu Zi.

Su Ming lifted his right hand, and as his opponent staggered backwards, he grabbed Beiling's throat. As he looked at this person silently, the complicated look from before appeared on his face once again.

"Su Ming!"

An anxious voice called out to him. It was Chenxin. She had traveled to this place without care for anything else. When she saw Su Ming seizing Beiling with his hand, tears fell from her eyes.

Beiling also looked at Su Ming, and a broken smile appeared on his face.

"Su… Ming…"

Su Ming looked at Beiling. This was the first time he heard Beiling saying his name once he woke up.

"So you still remember me," he stated softly.

"Su Ming, we bear no ill-will. I didn't know you were here. I… I…" Chenxin cried. As she looked at Su Ming, sharp pain stabbed her heart. The two men before her had left incredibly deep memories within her, and she could not forget either of them.

"We're different from the others. We… There's no way we could possibly forget you…"

Chenxin looked at Su Ming. She originally did not think that she would meet Su Ming so quickly in the Berserkers' world. She had also thought about all sorts of possible scenarios that might occur when she ran into him again, but she had never expected they they would meet again under such circumstances.

"You two… came from the land of the Immortals… Tell me, what was Dark Mountain?" Su Ming asked softly as he looked at Beiling and Chenxin.

"Is Wu La not dead…?

"Is Bai Ling still around…?

"Is Lei Chen well…?

"Where… did elder come from?

"Ye Wang, Chen Chong, Wu Sen, and all the other people I met in Dark Mountain, are they going to appear in my world one after another…?

"Is the world where Dark Mountain lies true… or fake…?" he wondered in a mumble.

"Do you… really want to know?" The person who answered Su Ming was not Chenxin, but Beiling. He looked at him with a complicated expression on his face as he spoke hoarsely and with great difficulty.

Su Ming fell silent. Anguish and loneliness appeared on his face, and he slowly let go of his grip around Beiling's neck.

"I already know the answer. Both of you… leave…"

Su Ming turned around and no longer looked at Beiling and Chenxin. He walked towards the ninth summit silently, and behind him Beiling's expression turned even more complicated. Chenxin wept beside him, and as she looked at Su Ming's back, pity appeared in her eyes.

"Su Ming… We are who we are, but we are also not who we are…" Beiling said softly and turned around before moving towards the ship. Chenxin looked at Su Ming and closed her eyes before she left with Beiling. Once these two people landed on the ship, it turned into a long arc and gradually left into the distance.

Only the Dead Sea Giants in the area continued roaring…

"The answer is, it is fake…" Su Ming said softly while standing on the ninth summit. The sea breeze lifted his hair and covered his eyes.

Chapter 577: Seizing Life!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Is it important… whether it is real or fake…?" Su Ming looked at the sea and sky in the distance as he mumbled softly under his breath.

Is it important…? How could it not be important? Those were his most beautiful memories. That was his Dark Mountain… Those were memories left behind on nostalgia filled books, their yellowed pages lifted by a gentle, quiet breeze…

"No, it's not important." Su Ming closed his eyes. When he reopened them after a long while, he felt a little tired. That tiredness did not come from his body, but from his soul.

It was like all lamps had been blown out in a buried city. When he extended his hand out, he would not be touching darkness, but would be touching the unfamiliar sights he could not see. He would also be looking at the sun that belonged to someone else, the faces that belonged to someone else, and the dozen something years of his childhood that belonged to someone else…

The memories after he left Dark Mountain surfaced in his head. In the end, they turned into a huge ball of tangled threads that no one could see through, figure out, or unravel.

The fatigue that sprouted in Su Ming's heart grew deeper as time passed, and when it filled his entire core, it turned into a hint of lonely desolation.

Wind blew past the surface of the sea. The crystalline sparkles on the waves were the result of light coming from the darkening clouds in the sky. That light came from the setting sun beyond the clouds, and it was a charming sight to look upon. In the midst of it all, Su Ming looked as if he was drifting in a sea of memories, as he wrapped his arms tightly around a wooden raft called loneliness, but no matter what, he could not get out of this sea, and he could not bring himself to let go...

He stood there, and as his hair was lifted by the wind, it looked as if the strands were dancing to a tune called life. The wind that blew through the gaps between his hair brought with it a sound, and it turned into the saddest song of a xun in the passage of time.

When Beiling and Chenxin left, Bai Su woke up from the illusion. The instant her world became clear once again, she saw Su Ming standing and looking at the sea and sky.

It was quiet all around them. The old man in white and all the others who had chosen to stand to the left moments ago were all silent.

The fatigue in Su Ming's heart was like a quiet song. It spread out, causing everyone to be immersed in that silence, and no one was willing to make any sound to break it.

However… no one had any idea… who had managed to hear the coda to this song singing about Dark Mountain…

It had been a long time since Su Ming cried, but at that moment, tears gradually flowed down his eyes, yet he did not know about them. It was as if he had already forgotten about their existence.

Those tears were transparent, but when they trickled down his cheeks, they looked as if they had been dyed by his loneliness, causing them to gain a bitter, astringent taste when they reached his lips.

Perhaps everyone's tears are tasteless when they initially flow out, tasting just like the drops of rain that fell from the clouds. Then, as everyone lives through their lives, their tears gradually change, gaining the color of their cheeks, and they would slowly turn bitter.

At some unknown point of time, Bai Su arrived beside Su Ming. Her face was a little pale when she looked at him. She lifted her hand gently and wet her fingertips with his tears.

"Thank you," Su Ming whispered softly. The warmth of those fingertips that touched his face made him open his eyes.

The light from the sunset seeping through the clouds was crimson red. It scattered on the surface of the sea, giving it a brilliant glow while giving the water a muddy look so that they could no longer peer into the sea… This scene was incredibly beautiful. The slender Su Ming, the beautiful Bai Su, the wind lifting their hairs together, and also… the heads of the giants that popped up to the surface of the sea all around them.

However, the roars from the Dead Sea Giants ruined this beautiful scene and broke the silent atmosphere. Their low growls and howls had not disappeared due to Beiling's departure.

Almost the instant the Dead Sea Giants started roaring, Su Ming lifted his hand and seized the air in the direction of the sky gently, but instead of the sky, the sea was the one that moved. The seawater started rotating with loud booming sounds, turning into an incomparably huge whirlpool. As it spun with loud booming sounds, the Dead Sea Giants within struggled, but in the end, even their roars were drowned out by the sound of waves.

Gradually, the people's gazes became filled with great respect as they looked at Su Ming. There was also a hint of fear within their eyes. Because the whirlpool in the sea was spinning faster with each passing moment, and eventually, under that extreme speed, the wind that was stirred up and the water that was swept into the whirlpool, all turned into blades that could sever bones and cut through flesh and blood!

The shrill screams of pain and the giants' struggles as they tried to escape were all useless under the whirlpool's spinning. They could only turn into a pool of fresh, red blood, and also pieces of flesh that were ripped off from their bones.

Eventually… not a single intact Dead Sea Giant could be found on the surface of the sea. When all of them were reduced to crushed bones that filled the red ocean, Su Ming slowly furled his right hand together.

At the instant he clenched his fist, drops of blood floated up from the rotating sea. They gathered together to merge into a gigantic ball before Su Ming.

Once it formed, the seawater returned to its original color. The souls of the near hundred Dead Sea Giants flashed in the ball of blood that floated before Su Ming. Occasionally, they would let out shrill cries that could only be sensed with the mind.

The ball of blood looked as if it was boiling. As it continued gathering together, it began contracting and slowly shrinking. Eventually, it turned into an object that looked like a fingernail shining with a strangely enchanting shade of red as it floated towards Su Ming.

He lifted his head swiftly. The loneliness in his eyes and the forlornness on his face were hidden in the depths of his heart. What was shown was his usual composure. He lifted his right hand swiftly, and when he swiped his index finger past that condensed blood, it looked as if it got glued to it. It was as if his fingertip had turned into a pen, and he started making stroke after stroke in midair…

Su Ming did not know how many strokes he drew in the end, but eventually, a complex runic symbol floated before him. It shone with a bloody glow and exuded an abundant amount of life force. That was the accumulation of all the lives of the Dead Sea Giants.

Seizing Life. The word 'seize' alone could already mean everything!

Su Ming did not know how to tamper with lives, but while he had not completely understood the concept because he had woken up halfway through fumbling about as he continued trying to gain an epiphany through that black wooden block, he still had managed to touch the surface of a passage he had not known in the past.

Life!

Everyone had different lives! That was the matrix guiding their lives. It was the most brilliant light within a living being. Not everyone could see it, but if it was extinguished, then that life would be forfeit. If that light was changed, then the fate of that life would show a transformation of a degree that could turn the world upside down!

This was part of the Principles of Life!

In Su Ming's head, Hu Zi's smiling face appeared, along with his simple and honest expression, and also the figure that had stood like a mountain in defence to the end.

'I might have a faint inkling of what Life is, but I still don't know what Life truly means… I cannot tamper with the Principles of Life, and I can't revive the dead… But since my blood and hair can give life to Si Ma Xin's puppet, and since my life is such a mysterious existence in Yin Death Region, then with my Life, I can use other life forces and blood as a lead to let my senior brother… recover!'

Su Ming mumbled in his heart. The runic symbol he drew had been the only thing that had appeared in his head during the entire process of trying to gain an epiphany from that black wooden block, and that symbol had appeared right at the instant before he woke up!

It had appeared when Su Ming gained his epiphany, and when it appeared, he had a vague sense of familiarity towards it. This familiarity made him feel as if the runic symbol was he himself!

This was the mark that was formed from his Principles of Life. Su Ming could sense it was not complete, but even so, it still contained his Life.

Once he drew that runic symbol, the clouds in the sky looked as if they had frozen up and no longer moved. The sea was also mysteriously void of waves. It was as if they had just gained life, and now, they did not dare to show themselves.

An incredibly powerful presence of Life Cultivation spread out from Su Ming's body at that instant. It spread out through the entire area, and right when it surged into the clouds, the thick coverage in the sky faded a little. Gradually, it thinned out greatly, causing the light from the setting sun to shine down even stronger on the spot where Su Ming sat, compared to the other areas around him.

Bai Su stared at him with a dumbfounded expression as his hair gradually gained an ancient color…

It was grayish white, a boundless expanse of snow.

Su Ming continued drawing line after line, and when he drew his final line, he bit the tip of his tongue to cough up a mouthful of blood. It spilled on the blood-red runic symbol, causing it to instantly possess a spirited air. When Su Ming lifted his right hand, he dragged it along the symbol, which was shining with a piercing light, and took a step towards where Hu Zi lay on the ground.

With a step, Su Ming arrived before him. He tapped swiftly on the center of Hu Zi's brows, with the blood red runic symbol and his own vitality on his right index finger.

At the instant he did so, a large number of hair on Su Ming's head swiftly turned white, right from their roots!

Hu Zi shuddered, and the runic symbol was left on the center of his brows. As it shone, it looked as if it had Branded itself on the man's body and soul.

A bloody red shade shone at the center of Hu Zi's brows, then started spreading. When it reached his chest, the hideous gash there was wiped away. The red hue then continued flowing through him, and when it spread to his entire body, the bloody mess that was Hu Zi's arms was repaired to its original state.

Snores tumbled out of Hu Zi's mouth, sounding like thunder claps that shook the sky and earth…

Hu Zi's life had not been cut short. He had simply suffered a grave injury that was difficult to cure and so he had lost all his life force. This sort of restoration was much simpler compared to stealing life from the heavens itself, but it was definitely not something a normal person could do. Only those who walked down the path of Life Cultivation could completely restore the lives of people with such injuries!

Su Ming did not have the ability to change Hu Zi's Principles of Life, but he could use his own Principles of Life to provide nourishment for his third senior brother so that he could wake up!

Yet no matter what, Su Ming had not truly stepped into the path of Life Cultivation. He was only lingering about at the door to this path, hence he had to pay an incredible price to cure Hu Zi.

However, even if he had to pay an even greater price than this, Su Ming would not have hesitated for even a single moment, because… this was Hu Zi. This was his third senior brother!

Once Su Ming heard Hu Zi's snores, a faint smile appeared on his pale face. At that moment, as the clouds in the sky continued thinning away, a ray of golden-red light shone down through a gap. That light fell on Su Ming's body and illuminated his hair.

It was a mixture of black and white now, and also had an ancientness to it that made it look as if it was gray though it was actually not. The light made it look as if Su Ming was a lone flame which had no home to return to. Or perhaps, it was just unable to find its way there...

Chapter 578: Smoke

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Ming left.

When Hu Zi was safe, still deep asleep though, he chose to leave. Along with him, he brought the bald crane that had quietly turned back into itself from the Aquatic Dragon.

Departure is also a form of longing, which is not strictly limited to being between men and women. There are many times when longing is born due to the friendship between brothers.

The ninth summit stood tall above the surface of the sea. At the top of the mountain, a presence that belonged to Life Cultivation filled a gigantic stone monument. It was something Su Ming left decided to leave behind so it would be an eternal presence that would protect the ninth summit.

He was the one who erected that stone monument, and he was also the one who carved the words on it. There were not many, merely a few lines.

"Kill those who have harmed even a single plant of ninth summit!"

"Kill those who have harmed even a single follower of ninth summit!"

"Kill the entire tribe of the person who harmed even a single disciple of the ninth summit!"

These three lines exuded a great killing intent, as well as a powerful and intimidating air that filled the entire sky and earth in the area. Perhaps this alone would not be enough to intimidate the truly powerful warriors, but the hint of Su Ming's presence belonging to Life Cultivation contained in those three lines of words were enough to terrify even those who had attained great completion in the Berserker Soul Realm!

It was enough to shock even the Immortals!

Those words meant that there was someone in the ninth summit who had managed to arrive at the door leading to the path of Life cultivation. It meant that this person was one of the incredible people who had managed to truly breakthrough the limits in the Berserkers' cultivation method after the God of Berserkers had died!

More importantly, those words meant that whoever did things mentioned in them would have to face a terrifying enemy who will exact a burning vengeance that would not wane for as long as he lived!

This was a blatant threat, and exactly what Su Ming was feeling. Moreover, he had not just left behind his aura and words on that mountain rock. There was also a drop his blood on it!

It could lend life to Si Ma Xin. It could let Hu Zi recover. It contained his will, and once it erupted, it could bring out the power of one strike from Su Ming at his full power!

Because Su Ming's Principles of Life were gathered in that drop of blood!

That drop of blood was imprinted on the stone monument, but the control over it was in Hu Zi's hands. With it around, Su Ming would be able to notice if the ninth summit ran into a disaster that was too difficult for them to face.

On the day he left, Bai Su stood at the top of the mountain and watched quietly as his figure gradually disappeared from her sight. She liked Su Ming. She had not known about it in the past, but her feelings had only become more deeply engraved in her bones after they parted ways.

However… everything had changed. The mirages created by the reflections on the lake were no longer of the moon or the blossoming flowers...

As a member of the Bai family, Bai Su had inherited the Principles of Life that belonged to the river in the sky. She might not have practiced that strange Art in the black wooden block, but she had heard many things about it, which was why she knew that all members in the Bai family were bound to be alone for life. This was already set in stone.

Perhaps it was possible to change their fate, and perhaps… it was not possible.

If they tried persisting against their fate, the names that were etched into the Bai family records would die, and their corpses would turn into bloody proofs of the Bai family's Life of being part of the river of the sky. The water in the river comes from the sky, and in its loneliness, it would eventually return to the sky as well.

Those with this Life are bound to be like the flowing water in the river.

Especially for those… with the Life of the stone falling into the river. They would only have a short period of happiness, and would only reflect the colors of the water under the sun for an equally brief moment before they were gone the next instant.

Su Ming's departure caused the ninth summit to sink into silence. The protective screen of light around the island appeared once again and continued protecting the those within it.

Su Ming had no idea who was the one who created this screen of light. He had asked the old man in white before, but he did not know the answer either. He only knew that on the day the disaster arrived and the instant Heaven Gate rose into the sky, disappearing, this screen of light had appeared suddenly right at the moment all the people thought that their deaths were imminent.

No one knew why it had appeared. Neither had anyone seen… who it was who laid it down.

In the midst of the tranquility, the people who had been humiliated by Beiling's oppression returned to the ninth summit and found place there. Su Ming did not chase them away, but instead gave them a home.

He was also a person without a home, so why should he make things hard for people bearing the same plight…?

Su Ming left. He walked out of the screen of light and cast his eyes towards the east. That was where Eastern Wastelands was located.

As he stood above the Dead Sea, not a single soul could be detected around him. Only the waves from the sea and the moaning winds were his companions, and the loneliness buried in the depths of his heart increased.

He flew forward quietly, heading into the distance, towards Eastern Wastelands.

The Dead Sea beneath him covered all land. There were several places Su Ming was familiar with that were now buried deep in the depths of the sea, just like this spot… Han Mountain City was buried under the water here, as well as the Chains of Han Mountain.

A day later, Su Ming stopped calmly in midair. He had not met anyone on his way to this place. It was as if the entire world had died and he was the only one left on this planet.

Only the wind and the waves were his companions.

Su Ming looked at the Dead Sea beneath him. In his memories, Han Mountain City laid in this area, but he knew that Han Mountain could not be found presently in the depths of the sea.

The destruction of the continent was like a mirror being shattered. The distance between the broken pieces of land also differed. The location in his memories was only a recollection, the real place could be anywhere, just not here.

If he wanted to search for the place now, then he would have to dive deep into the bottom of the sea and search for it slowly in all directions.

All along the way, the bald crane had noticed the dispirited air looming around Su Ming. It did not bother him. Instead, as they flew, its eyes would wander around, occasionally looking towards the sea and everything around it, attracted by everything that shined.

Three days passed by before they knew it. Su Ming did not travel too quickly. As he walked in midair, the scenes in his memories slowly, but surely, started fading, replaced by what he saw now. In time, there were hardly anything left of the past.

At one point, he saw a small island on the Dead Sea.

They were already incredibly far away from Freezing Sky Clan. Judging by their current location, they should be close to the border separating the Berserkers and Shamans in South Morning all those years ago.

That island was a lonely existence on the Dead Sea. No screens of light offered any sort of protection, neither were there any other defenses. If no one looked closely during the dark night, they would not be able to notice it.

That island was simply too small…

Su Ming had seen some of these islands along the way, and none of them contained any signs of life. Dead silence filled them.

Even if there were any creatures, they had only been alive in the past, and were now just skeletons scattered around the grounds.

Su Ming averted his gaze from the island and took a large step forward, turning into a long arc. The bald crane followed behind him, and at the instant the man and crane were about to fly past the island, Su Ming's body came to an abrupt halt. He whipped his head around, and when he looked downwards again, he was momentarily stunned.

A dim light from a fire sparkled like a star in the sky in the midst of the darkness on the island, and it was not just one ball of light. There were about a dozen of them.

Joyful laughter could be heard traveling faintly into the air at that moment, and those sounds spread through the area, mixing with the crashing of the waves.

Su Ming could remember clearly that there had been no light when he looked towards the island just now. He did not think that any Berserker tribe would be able to survive in this sort of island over the past few years on the Dead Sea without any sort of protection.

This… should not be possible!

A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He cast his divine sense outward and covered the island, but what he saw within his divine sense was emptiness. There was not a single soul there.

But everything his eyes saw seemed so real.

In silence, Su Ming charged towards the island. The bald crane fluttered by the side and cast a sideways glance towards the place before following him while mumbling under its breath.

After a moment, Su Ming landed on the ground. The sea breeze filled the air, bringing with it the stench of the sea. Besides the dim light, everything else was shrouded in a layer of darkness. With a calm expression, Su Ming strode towards the place with the fire.

The island was tiny. Before long, he distinctly saw the light burning in the distance. Clear sounds of laughter rang by his ears, along with the sounds of children playing.

Su Ming continued walking, until he saw… a tribe before him.

He shuddered. This was a small tribe, and there was a simple fence built around it. Bonfires were burning brilliantly within it, and there were male and female Berserkers dancing and singing.

Children were playing tag by the bonfires, and their bell-like laughter flew clearly in the air.

Nursery rhymes could even be heard tumbling out of the mouths of these children as they continued chasing each other, and their young voices filled the entire tribe. They blended together with the joyful looks of the adults occasionally turning their heads to look at their children, causing the nursery rhymes to give Su Ming an indefinable feeling in his chest as they fell into his ears.

"A flower in blossom for a thousand years, watches the world change alone as time passes. She watches with a smile for a thousand years, to find that her beloved is already beside her… [1]"

As those naive voices sounded… the moaning sounds of a xun also came from a beast skin tent in the tribe. The xun's tune was filled with sadness, but harmonized perfectly with these singing, causing Su Ming to stop walking and just stand outside the tribe quietly. He listened, only listened.

He was familiar with this tribe. How could he not be?!

He came to this place twice in the past. The first time, he had come with his Master, Tian Xie Zi, and the second time, he came alone. This… was his third time!

Su Ming had originally forgotten this place. A small tribe like this would not be able to survive through the disaster, yet now, on this island, in this dark night, in this place where his divine sense found nothing but his eyes saw light burning… Su Ming returned.

"A flower in blossom for a thousand years. She watches with a smile for a thousand years…" he mumbled. This was the tribe where the old xun maker lived!

Su Ming moved quietly into the tribe. The children playing tag did not seem to see him. As they laughed, they ran towards him, and… phased right through his body as they continued playing.

The people gathered around the bonfire also did not seem to see Su Ming. It was as if they did not exist in the same world as he did…

At times, prosperity did not mean living in luxury, but a bustle of activity. In the middle of this bustling atmosphere, Su Ming's loneliness was an emptiness that could not be hidden by the light and smoke around him, no matter how hard they tried.

Su Ming moved through the crowd. As he looked at the happy, smiling faces, and listened to the adorable voices around him, he arrived quietly outside the tent from which the sad song of the xun was coming. After a moment of silence, he lifted the tent flap.

Translator's Notes:

1. A flower in blossom for a thousand years, watches the world change alone as time passes. She watches with a smile for a thousand years, to find that her beloved is already beside her: Is an excerpt from a poem, and here is the meaning.

Line 1: A woman waits for her beloved,

Line 2: But he does not appear.

Line 3: O, how naive is she!

Line 4: She has been waiting for so long, only to find he was right beside her all along.

There is another meaning to this excerpt, but this is the meaning I subscribe to, the other one is just too sad. Look, I'm a sap, okay?

(Translation of the meaning was done entirely by me, that's why the structure was done entirely by me, that's why you see a very much failed attempt at a poem)

Chapter 579: Big Brother La Su… [1]

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

When Su Ming lifted the flap of the tent, a gentle light from a lamp spread out from within. It looked like light beams shining on his body.

The sound of the xun became clearer once the flap of the tent was lifted.

An old man sat inside. He held a bone xun in his hands and had it placed against his lips. His eyes were closed while playing a sorrowful tune. As the notes filled the air, Su Ming felt as if he had been separated from the world.

He walked into the tent quietly and sat before the old man. He closed his eyes and listened to the song. His heart soared with the melody, flying to some unknown place… but, perhaps, it was actually just wandering around.

Time trickled by, but Su Ming's eyes remained closed. His soul continued wandering about, as if it could not find a place to stay.

The bald crane's feathers were all standing on its body, as it remained outside the small tribe. It continued looking around with wide eyes. Terror was evident on its face. In its eyes, this entire area was empty, and besides Su Ming, no other person could be found.

Su Ming had sat down in the distance on this vast mass of empty land and had even closed his eyes, occupied by his thoughts.

If it was just that, the bald crane would not have been terrified. What caused it fear was the strange power within the island. It was invisible, and made the crane unable to move even a single inch.

The entire area should be empty, but it could occasionally hear the sounds of children playing and laughter ringing by its ears. It was as if there was a bunch of children it could not see playing tag around…

At times, a cold chill would also travel through the bald crane's heart, as if the playing children had just phased through where it stood.

Its beak snapped open and closed a few times, but it could not move its body. It looked at Su Ming, looked at its surroundings, and a wave of fear towards the island stemmed right from the bottom of its heart.

Su Ming did not know how much time had passed. The sky was still dark, as if it would never know daylight. The song of the xun gradually weakened, and when it eventually faded away completely, an old voice reached his ears.

"You still came…"

Su Ming opened his eyes and saw the old man putting down the xun in his hand. There was a kind smile on his face, and his eyes looked like those of a normal person, but Su Ming knew… that he was blind.

"You knew I would come, senior?" Su Ming asked softly. This was the third time he had come to this place, and he had gained a different experience each of the previous two times.

"It's because of your confusion that you are constantly wandering about. That is why… you come here." The old man looked over. The smile on his lips was incredibly kindly when he said words that Su Ming could not understand.

Su Ming remained silent for a moment before he suddenly asked, "What do you mean by 'wandering'?"

"If you do not have a place in your heart you call home, you will wander no matter where you are…"

Su Ming's heart trembled. The words reverberated in his soul, causing him to be stunned for a long, long time, as he sat there. He did indeed not have a place he could call home in his heart. Dark Mountain was fake, and besides Hu Zi, the ninth summit was deserted. He… had always been wandering in his life.

He did not know where his home was, did not know the laws of causality affecting all these things, and neither did he know where the start of this entire cycle lay...

"Who are you?" After some time, a brilliant sparkle shone in Su Ming's eyes.

"When you know who you are, you will know who I am." The old man shook his head and caressed the bone xun in his hand. His fingers scraped the surface of the xun, creating scratching sounds.

That sound echoed in the tent before spreading outside.

"You saw what is outside, my child. Tell me, what did you see?" The old man turned his eyes towards Su Ming, but they looked blankly at the tent.

"This place doesn't exist, the island is empty. All the members of the tribe outside should be dead. There's a large amount of spectres occupying this land, and you should be one of them, senior," Su Ming said calmly.

"What you see might not be the truth, and what you believe doesn't exist… might not necessarily not exist." The old man closed his eyes while speaking.

Confusion appeared in Su Ming's eyes. That confusion ran deep, filling up his entire heart and surrounding his soul, refusing to leave.

"They exist. You saw them… but you refused to believe… Outsiders cannot see them, and they will be afraid. It is as if thousands upon thousands of people are asleep, but you are the only one who has opened your eyes. You are fortunate, but also unfortunate, because you don't believe in what you see, and because the moment you believe, the world will no longer accept you…

"Because… you will have woken from your slumber," the old man said gently. There seemed to be a deeper meaning to his words, and it caused Su Ming to be uncertain about his words.

"Thousands upon thousands are awake, but you are still asleep… Is it because you don't want to wake up, or is it because… you believe yourself to be awake? What does it mean to be asleep, and what does it mean to be awake? All of this… is just the world you see, and no one else… can see it," the old man said slowly. There was an ancient air to his voice, and if anyone heard it, they would feel as if they had just heard time itself.

"It is like fate, you can choose to submit to it or to fight against it. It is like life, where moments of joy and sadness exist together. It is like you and I. What I see, you cannot see, and what you see, I… cannot see.

"Do you understand, my child?" The old man opened his eyes and turned his blank eyes towards Su Ming as if he was looking at him as he smiled kindly.

Su Ming remained silent for a moment before he lifted his head and looked at the old man. A hint of understanding dawned in his eyes as he said slowly, "If I'm not bothered by my past, then why should I be bothered by my future? If I don't cling to the idea of who I am, then why should I think about who is me…? The high winds may be strong, but they cannot extinguish the flames in my heart. Sooner or later… they will set the world ablaze!"

When the old man heard Su Ming's words, delight appeared in his smile, and a hint of praise even bloomed on his face.

"Sooner or later, this world will be set ablaze! This… is Life. It is not your Life, not anyone else's Life, but the world's Life!

"Even the word Life itself goes through the same fate. Why cling to it…? In truth, you still don't understand…" The old man smiled.

Su Ming fell silent.

"When you learn who you are, you are no longer you… When you no longer know who you are, you... will be you." The old man lifted his right hand, and the bone xun in his hand immediately flew up to float next to Su Ming.

"Take it. It will be… the guide pointing you back home."

The old man's voice echoed in the air while Su Ming looked at the bone xun floating before him. More accurately speaking, the instrument was a beast's spine, and the surface of it was incredibly smooth. The signs of time could be found on it as well.

"It will help you… fend a disaster you are bound to face in your life! This disaster… is about to arrive soon. If you can live through it, then another line will be added into your Life [2], and from then on, it will be difficult for anyone else to control your fate." The old man looked at Su Ming with a smile, then closed his eyes.

"We've met each other thrice now, but it is as if our meetings were in three separate cycles of our lives. The moment you walk out of this tent, I will give you… a three day long serendipity to activate the basis for you to build your Berserker Soul."

The old man's voice was hoarse, as it echoed in the air. Su Ming's gaze fell on the bone xun and he silently took hold of it. When he looked at the old man, a slight hint of confusion appeared on his face. After a long time, when the old man no longer spoke, Su Ming wrapped his fist in his palm towards the old man and bowed deeply.

He might not know his name or his origins, but he could sense the wisdom and the ancient air about the old man. After quietly bowing towards him, Su Ming looked as if he had straightened his thoughts a little. He turned around to walk out of the tent. When he lifted the tent flap and was just about to lift his foot to walk out, a shudder suddenly ran through his body, and he looked as if time had stopped for him. He even forgot to place his lifted right foot down.

His body trembled. His soul shuddered from what he saw, and disbelief appeared in his eyes. His heart also begun racing in his chest at that moment.

Because the moment he lifted the tent flap, he did not see the island, nor the black sky, and neither did he see the thick clouds that had covered the moons, much less the waves tumbling about in the sea around.

He did not hear the roars of the waves either, and neither did he see the light around him. He did not smell the stench from the sea breeze or the bitter sting of loneliness in the air.

The disbelief in Su Ming's eyes made him unable to believe in what he saw, heard, and smelled. He turned around swiftly, wanting to see the old man in the tent, but he only saw emptiness. There was no tent behind him…

"A three day long serendipity…" The old man's words rang again in Su Ming's head. In silence, he closed his eyes, and tears flowed down…

He saw clear blue sky, and under that blue sky was a mountain with five summits that looked like five fingers, the Dark Mountain from his memories!

He smelled the presence of home, heard…

"Big brother La Su, I found you. So you were hiding here! You lost, now it's our turn to hide and yours to search." A young voice filled with joy reached Su Ming's ears.

…..

Among the fog in the clouds.

Eastern Wastelands might share the same sky as South Morning, but the weather in the two lands was completely different. The sky above Eastern Wastelands was filled with moving clouds and wind, which made it look like the fog had fused together with the sky!

Not all places were filled with rolling clouds, though. There were quite a number of them where light would shine on the ground during the day, and from the distance, these scenes were filled with astonishing beauty.

The dark clouds and powerful light formed the sky above Eastern Wastelands!

The Dead Sea filled the area around the Eastern Wastelands. The waves roared and surged into the air as if they contained the power to destroy the world, but they could not even shake Eastern Wastelands. They could only continue howling and roaring by the edge, unable to cause too much change to the gigantic continent.

Ever since the land of the Berserkers was torn apart all those years ago, the Eastern Wastelands had become the biggest continent, and also an incredibly powerful existence!

At the center of Eastern Wastelands was a mountain that towered into the clouds, while in another spot, close to the edge of the continent, located near South Morning, was another important ground. At that moment, the world rumbled, and at the same time, two powerful rays of light descended from the endless sky with a presence that was able to cause an endless amount of people to be stunned with shock, and to freeze the circulation of the power in their bodies!

One of the two powerful rays of light descended on the mountain at the center of Eastern Wastelands. At its base were ten thousand people prostrating themselves on the ground in worship. There was a big hall at the top of the mountain. As rumbling sounds shook the mountain, the powerful ray of light, which was about several thousands of feet wide and connected the earth and sky, shrouded the hall.

Translator's Notes:

1. La Su: The term used to call those who didn't manage to become Berserkers. Also what the little girl from Su Ming's tribe called him.

2. Life Matrix is created by Eight Characters/Eight Words forming a pattern which depicts your fate. When they say another line is added, it means that another line is added to this pattern, and it will make your entire Life Matrix become unpredictable.

Chapter 580: Di Tian Descended!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The other ray of powerful light landed on a flat plain at the edge close to South Morning. At the instant it touched the ground, it caused the land to shake, and a ring-shaped wave of force made all the Eastern Wastelanders in the region, along with all the islanders near the continent, to feel as if tens upon thousands of mountains had pressed down on their bodies. They coughed up blood. Some of them even exploded, unable to withstand this mighty pressure that suddenly appeared!

This… was the sign of a powerful warrior descending!

The appearance of the rays of light shook the entire Eastern Wastelands and attracted a large amount of attention. It also caught the gazes of all the powerful warriors.

It was especially so for a certain presence lying in the east of Eastern Wastelands. At that moment, a layer of fog that surged into the sky appeared out of nowhere. It swept through the land and spread out with a bang. The fog instantly covered a circular area of a hundred thousand lis, and as it covered the world, it turned into a huge face that had its eyes fixed on the two pillars of light.

"Di Tian!" The human in the fog let out a shocking roar which traveled in all directions

At the moment he spoke, the pillar of light at the hall in the mountain, located at the center of Eastern Wastelands and worshiped by ten thousand people, shone even more brilliantly. As it filled the air, a person descended. His face could not be seen. The worshipers could only see the person disappearing within the hall in a flash.

After a moment, the door to the hall swung open abruptly, and a person slowly walked out!

It was a middle-aged man, and he had a stern, awe-inspiring appearance. His black hair spilled over his shoulders, and he wore… a striking Emperor's robe, but he did not wear any crown. His eyes were long and narrow, revealing a murderous aura that could make all those who saw it feel terrified.

He walked out slowly, and the moment he arrived outside the hall, he swung his arms, then lifted his head to look at the sky in the distance… and took a deep breath.

"The long awaited Yin Death's air…"

The moment these words left his mouth, the ten thousand people worshiping at the foot of the mountain put on incredibly respectful expressions as they spoke together, and their voices traveled in all directions in waves!

"We are the disciples of Great Leaf Immortal Sect. Greetings, Progenitor Di Tian! We welcome your clone to the Berserkers' Eastern Wastelands!"

The booming voices were deafening to the ears. The middle-aged man completely ignored the people showing their respect. He breathed in the air, and slowly, the murderous aura in his eyes grew stronger. A thin layer of fog also spread out from his body. As it surrounded him, it surged into the sky, causing all the clouds above to disintegrate. It created a white pillar of fog that covered a circular area of a hundred thousand lis and became an incredibly striking existence above Eastern Wastelands!

The man was Di Tian!

He was another of Di Tian's clones that had once again landed in the land of the Berserkers after the numerous years since he sent the previous one!

Things did not end there. The instant Di Tian's clone descended on the mountain at the center of Eastern Wastelands and a large amount of people coughed up blood and even died due to the shock they experienced, there was another pillar of light. A shadow descended it in a flash in the plains near the continent's edge.

Almost the instant the shadow touched the ground, coming into contact with the ground, the entire plains shattered with a bang. Huge cracks tore through the land, and layers of earth tumbled about before they started sweeping outwards in all directions.

Shocking booms became a constant, turning into echoes that repeated themselves again and again. After some time, when they gradually started fading away, the plains were gone, and what appeared in their place was a gigantic pit!

It was as if a shooting star had fallen from the sky and crashed onto the ground. The pit covered an area of several tens of thousands of feet. Once the powerful light gradually disappeared, a shadow slowly floated out of the pit!

It was a middle-aged man wearing a crown and an Emperor's robe. There was a cold and detached expression on his handsome face, along with an ancient air. The Emperor's robe gave him a mighty, awe-inspiring air!

The moment he floated upwards, he looked towards South Morning calmly, and a chilling glare that could freeze heaven itself appeared in his eyes.

"Destiny, you can't escape!" he stated in hoarse voice. He lifted his right hand and seized the air in the direction of the sky with all five fingers. Immediately, an invisible layer of ripples surrounding him swept outwards in all directions.

The ripples continued spreading outwards. A hundred thousand lis, a million lis, ten million lis… and they continued spreading until they covered a small half of Eastern Wastelands. No one could notice the spots covered by the ripples, and it would not bring about any effect to the living creatures in those regions. However… the ripples had covered most of the land that had branched out of South Morning and was close to Eastern Wastelands.

Unless someone took a big circle around the Dead Sea and landed on Eastern Wastelands from another direction, then this middle-aged man in the Emperor's robe would definitely be alerted to their presence.

Moreover, even if there was someone who truly managed to move around these ripples and land on Eastern Wastelands, the middle-aged man would definitely be prepared for them with the large variety of methods he had at his disposal.

This person had the exact same appearance as the person who landed in the hall on the mountain at the center of Eastern Wastelands!

He was also Di Tian's clone!

This time, Di Tian had not just sent one clone to the land of the Berserkers… but two!

Di Tian's thoughts could be understood from the spots chosen to descend. The one who landed on the mountain at the center of the land would be used to defend Great Leaf Immortal Sect's branch in this land, and also… to fight against the evil black fog in the east of Eastern Wastelands!

As for the clone who had landed at the edge, close to South Morning, he was clearly there… for one person, and that was Su Ming!

This crown-bearing clone looked in the direction of South Morning and moved towards the outer parts of the pit. When he rose to the edge, there were four Eastern Wastelands Berserkers standing thousands of feet away from him. At that moment, their faces were pale as they looked towards him in shock. There were three exploded corpses lying by their side. There were originally seven of them, but three had been unable to withstand the pressure and died. The other four had coughed up blood and their entire cultivation base had broken down and collapsed, but they did not die.

Di Tian's face was chilly as he looked at South Morning, but there was a frown on his face. During the moment he arrived, he had sent his divine sense sweeping across the land… but he had been unable to discover Destiny's presence or the fluctuations of his Qi.

He could not find him!

After a moment of pensive silence, Di Tian let out a cold harrumph and decided to sit down. At the moment he did so, the four people several thousands of feet away coughed out blood. Their heads exploded, and they fell to the ground dead.

The seven corpses were all missing heads. Only their bodies remained. Their blood dyed the entire area, causing the place to be filled with a deathly silence. Di Tian did not pay any attention to any of this. He only lifted his right hand to form a seal before he flung his hand outwards. Immediately, the seven corpses shuddered… and they started crawling to their feet.

Once they climbed up, they ripped open their clothes to reveal their chests. An indistinct face of a ghost appeared on each one, and they all looked like they were screaming. The next moment, the seven corpses stormed towards seven different directions.

Everyone who came later due to their curiosity towards the pillar of light all found their heads exploding once they saw Di Tian, and when the face of the ghost appeared on their corpses, they would leave.

All of them left in different directions.

'I'll continue searching with my divine sense. I'd like to see how long you can hide from me!' Di Tian closed his eyes and remained still.

This… was the disaster the old xun maker had told Su Ming about!

The disaster had already arrived, yet during that moment, Su Ming was still on the tiny island in the Dead Sea. He stood there quietly, as if he had lost his soul. A layer of fog gradually appeared around him, covering his body. It even covered the bald crane, and eventually, once it enveloped the entire island, it…

...looked as if it had disappeared from the Dead Sea!

Su Ming stared at the little girl standing before him, hugging a doll in her arms while looking at him with adorable, wide eyes. There was joy on the girl's face, and it clearly showed just how happy she was at the moment.

"Tong Tong…" Su Ming stared at the girl before him blankly, and his body shivered. He did not just see this girl, but also saw… the incredibly familiar tribe around him that was etched deeply in his memories!

Dark Mountain Tribe!

The grass, the trees, the houses, everything, and even the familiar air… This was clearly the Dark Mountain from his memories, the place he thought he could no longer return to… That fictitious place!

Yet even though he knew it was fake, even though he had seen Beiling and Chenxin and went through all the changes, at that moment, he could not deceive himself. So even though what he saw could not deceive him, it was still… the place he longed for dearly… his home.

Dark Mountain.

He saw Bei Ling standing in the distance, practicing with his bow and arrow. He also saw the tall, towering figure of Dark Mountain's Head of the Guards, who was teaching his son how to fire the strongest arrow.

He saw Chen Xin sitting by the side, looking at Bei Ling with a gentle gaze in her eyes. There was a bowl filled with water in her hands, and she looked as if she was about to walk up and hand that bowl over to Bei Ling, who was sweating buckets.

He saw Wu La, who had died in his arms as she mumbled Mo Su's name until she breathed her last. This stubborn girl was surrounded by a bunch of children, and she was telling them stories. The lively changes in her expressions and her bombastic words caused them to let out tinkling laughter, and within that laughter was an air of happiness that came from the depths of their hearts.

Su Ming also saw Lei Chen. His best friend and brother in all but blood had a dejected look on his lowered head at the moment, as he was being scolded nonstop by a middle-aged woman.

Su Ming stared at all of this blankly. He had already forgotten everything. His mind was empty. Tong Tong's words seemed to have gone off into the distance, and he could no longer hear them clearly.

Then, he saw two men walking out of a big wooden house. One of them was Dark Mountain's tribe leader, Chen Long. He had a frown between his brows, and looked as if he was troubled by something. The man following behind him was one that had carved himself deeply in Su Ming's memories… Shan Hen!

The hunter was just as Su Ming remembered him. He was gloomy and as averse to speaking as ever. When he cast his gaze to his surroundings, his emotions could not be seen on his face, and he was just like a beast that had hid away its presence.