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Chapter 626: A Powerful Warrior's Respect!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"We Immortals have a saying that goes like this: The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it [1]... My fellow Daoist, you must have hidden your face because you were afraid someone might recognize you. If that is the case, I shall call you fellow Daoist Oriole," Shen Dong said languidly, taking a step forward.

He stared into Su Ming's eyes. His face was dark, but there was also a grave expression on him. In truth, he had long since detected that there was something off about this person when he sensed a presence within him that made him wary. That was why Shen Dong had not attacked, but had instead let the others test his strength, but even he had not expected that the person would only need to take three steps before he killed the second strongest in Evil Spirit Sect.

Even he would have to make preparations to report this matter to Evil Sect's Sir Ji An. After all, the person who died was not a Berserker who had changed his bloodline, but a true pureblood Immortal who had descended in Evil Sect.

The death of such a person, especially when he was also a powerful Immortal in Ascendance, was absolutely nothing trivial to Evil Sect!

"Fellow Daoist Oriole, you are a shrewd man. You must have snuck in while we invaded Hidden Dragon Sect. The things you pilfered are surely more than all of the things we of Evil Spirit Sect have pillaged, no?

"Especially this Bright Yang Stone… But my fellow Daoist, this battle is not entirely worth it for you. From what I understand of Gu Yuan Hai [2], he definitely had a backup plan. The storage bag he brought out is most likely just a diversion.

"He should have hidden away the real Bright Yang Stone." As Shen Dong spoke, his eyes started sparkling, and as he looked into Su Ming's eyes, he took another step forward.

Su Ming remained calm and did not speak. He merely looked at Shen Dong taking that step forward.

"You killed one of Evil Spirit Sect's Sect Elders, and we cannot let this slide easily. Evil Sect's Assassination Squad will naturally search for you… But before that, this humble Shen would have to fight against you, fellow Daoist Oriole…

"You must not want to waste time here, fellow Daoist Oriole. You're holding us back here so that you can give Gu Yuan Hai time to escape. This must also be one of the deals you made in the trade between the both of you, right?

"That Bright Yang Stone isn't in that storage bag, but it should be within one of Hidden Dragon Sect's treasuries, or else with your cunning, you would have definitely not have fallen into his trap, fellow Daoist Oriole.

"If that's the case, then let's exchange three blows. We will fight for these three blows, and regardless of whether we manage to kill the other or not, and after the three blows, we will not bother each other anymore. What do you say?" Shen Dong offered slowly. At the moment his words left his mouth, some of the people around them who were a little slower in the head immediately spotted confused looks on their faces.

Su Ming narrowed his eyes, and a sparkle of surprise flashed within them. That Shen Dong had practically spoken the truth, and if he could tell what had transpired with just these clues, his intelligence was definitely nothing to be scoffed at.

The truth was just as Shen Dong had said. Su Ming was not too concerned about that Bright Yang Stone. He did not have much knowledge about that thing, anyway, so it was only natural that he would not stain his hands in too much blood for that item, and it was also impossible for him to kill all of the people here just so that he could have that item for himself.

Doing so was contrary to his interests, which was why when that Nascent Soul of the Hidden Dragon Sect's old man was in danger, Su Ming had sent a ripple from his divine sense to send a message to him.

He did not want that Bright Yang Stone. He only wanted the treasures of Hidden Dragon Sect and the things he took away in his storage bag. If Gu Yuan Hai could deliver those things to him, then Su Ming would help him stall for time.

This was a trade, and during that critical point, Gu Yuan Hai did not have time to think about his profits and losses. He had to agree to it, which was why that scene of a few moments ago had transpired.

Su Ming smiled faintly. Since this Shen Dong had managed to see what was going on, then there was no need for him to hide anything. Smiling, he opened his mouth to speak.

"If it's just three blows, then I'll agree to it!"

Shen Dong's eyes flashed with a brilliant light. He was waiting for these words, or else he would not have bothered wasting his breath saying so many things just now before he finally mentioned the exchange of three blows. This person's strength made him incredibly wary, and he was not confident that he could win against such a powerful warrior, but if this person persisted in interfering with his task, then it would be incredibly difficult for him to complete his mission.

After all, as time passed, that Gu Yuan Hai would manage to escape even farther, and while Evil Spirit Sect had sealed off all the Relocation Runes in the area, the old man would still be able to escape this sealed area if they continued delaying their search. Trying to track him down then would be incredibly difficult, and it would also be incredibly easy for unexpected situations to pop up.

"All of you, go and chase down Gu Yuan Hai!"

As Shen Dong spoke, he took a step towards Su Ming and lifted his right hand. Immediately, a red whip appeared in his palm, and with a flick of his wrist, thunderous roars instantly traveled from his weapon. A large amount of lightning balls also manifested in the air. As they let out sizzling sounds, they fused together and charged towards Su Ming.

All seven people, including Bao Qiu, looked at each other for a moment then instantly turned into long arcs that flew into the sky. Bao Qiu originally did not want to leave, but it was not convenient for her to stay at the moment, so she left with the crowd.

It was difficult for her to calm her heart. That image of Su Ming killing a person with just three steps and three spear thrusts was deeply etched into her mind, and it still refused to leave even after such a long time had passed.

Su Ming did not stop those people from leaving the area. He only looked at Shen Dong, and battle intent gradually appeared in his eyes. As he lifted his right hand, he tightened his grip around the Undertaker of Evil's Spear, and immediately, that spear let out a humming sound and a large amount of black smoke seeped out. Moments later, he threw the spear at the incoming balls of lightning from the sky and the whip in Shen Dong's hand.

With a bang, the Undertaker of Evil's Spear turned into a puff of black smoke before closing in on the balls of lightning in an instant. Booming sounds echoed in the area, and the spear shot through the air and appeared right before Shen Dong.

A glint appeared in Grand Sect Elder's eyes, as if he had come to understand something. He let go of the whip in his hand, and immediately, the Undertaker of Evil's Spear swept it up before swiftly charging several thousands of feet ahead. Then, with a bang, it stabbed the ground.

"You can't win against me in terms of Enchanted Treasures. Let's fight using divine abilities!" Su Ming said flatly.

He would not use the Undertaker of Evil's Spear anymore in this fight. Chances of meeting powerful warriors like Shen Dong were rare for Su Ming. Now that he met this man, he wanted to see how much he had improved without the aid of any external powers.

"A fight without Enchanted Treasures… one only of divine abilities… Alright!"

Shen Dong might usually be a sullen man, but if he could become the Grand Sect Elder of a sect, then he would naturally have his own manner of courage and resolve when solving problems, as well as his own charms. Once he heard Su Ming's words, he nodded.

Right after that, he started forming seals with his right hand. Once he changed them multiple times, he waved his right hand before him, and a purplish red light appeared out of nowhere before him. As it shone, it turned into a purplish black bird. At the same moment a brutal look appeared in its eyes, a big bump started squirming on its back, and a small black humanoid crawled out of that bump before it let out a piercing screech towards the sky.

Its body seemed to be connected to the bird, which looked like a cuckoo, but was incredibly ferocious and murderous in appearance. Almost at the same moment it appeared, another bird manifested beside it. This was a crimson eagle with blood-red eyes shining with madness. There was also a bump squirming about on its back before another small black humanoid left it.

Right behind that eagle appeared an Andean condor, and behind it was a Garuda. Each of these birds was slightly bigger than the last, and all four of them were screeching as they flew before Shen Dong.

"This is my Four Moving Birds Art. This Art was formed once I killed four Immortals in Ascendant Stage, who were at the same stage as I was. With their souls and Nascent Divinities, I created these birds…" Shen Dong said calmly. He did not attack immediately, but instead chose to look at Su Ming.

Su Ming looked at the four birds. He could clearly feel a deep grudge surrounding these birds. That resentment seemed to have been suppressed within them for a long period of time, and because they could not vent their frustrations, that grudge grew deeper as time passed, causing their enmity to immediately make the world begin to feel a little indistinct right at the moment they appeared. It was as if they had even affected the endless amount of resentment in this land, and it was all gathering to this spot from all directions.

"What powerful grudge…"

Su Ming cast the four birds a glance. He knew that the matter of Shen Dong telling him the name of his divine art and how he had created it was a form of respect towards Su Ming, no matter whether his words were true or false.

This was the respect given to powerful warriors, and it was also an acknowledgement towards his status. Clearly, Su Ming was already a person who should be treated as an equal in Shen Dong's eyes. Even if Su Ming was a Berserker and they were both from different races, he would still give him the respect he deserved.

This was the first time Su Ming felt the respect from a powerful warrior. He cast Shen Dong a glance and lifted his right hand to position two of his fingers into a sword, then slowly swiped his left hand up those two fingers from the base to the tip, as if those two fingers had turned into an invisible sword. The whole motion was done slowly, and even when Su Ming swiped through those two fingers, he still continued having his left hand rise into the air. When his left hand was seven feet away from the two fingers, they immediately shined with a golden light.

As it grew to a piercing degree, Su Ming spread his right hand wide open, and immediately, the golden light that was spreading outwards flowed back like streams of running water to cover Su Ming's right hand, causing it to look as if it had turned gold!

Su Ming formed another seal with his right hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the golden light became much brighter. His right hand also started withering slightly right before his eyes.

But he was not done just yet. He continued forming eight other seals, and with each one, his right hand would change. When he formed the ninth seal, it was already in an emaciated state. The golden light also changed to black. By doing so, Su Ming's right hand looked as if it had turned into a skeletal hand!

The black fingers and long fingernails were a stark contrast to his arm.

"There is no name to this divine ability… I gained it through an epiphany in the Candle Dragon's Undying and Imperishable World after I went through fifty reincarnations. I fused my understanding of the source regarding binary opposites in this hand… and those who have died under this divine ability… can no longer be counted!

"That was what you saw in the beginning. After it went through my Nine Transformations Art, it changed nine times, and now, it can execute its strongest form…" Su Ming lifted his stated slowly as he lifted his head and looked at Shen Dong.

The Grand Sect Elder's pupils shrank. His divine ability was born from killing four powerful Immortals in Ascendance, and it was an incredibly remarkable divine ability among those in the same stage, but when he heard Su Ming's words, he could not help but suck in a sharp breath. In truth, when he saw Su Ming executing this divine ability, his heart was already in shock, and a vague memory surfaced in his mind, but he could not be certain of his guess.

"Candle Dragon… Nine Transformations…" Shen Dong's expression turned incredibly solemn, and he became even more cautious than when he was facing the Berserkers' Disaster.

Translator's Notes:

1. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it: A word by word translation, since Shen Dong decided to name Su Ming after the oriole. It is a Chinese idiom derived from a story in the Writings of Chuang-Tzu. It means that a person who only cares about the profits and gains before him will not be able to see the troubles or problems lurking behind him.

2. Gu Yuan Hai: The old man with that Bright Yang Stone who self-destructed earlier. His surname/family name is Gu.

Chapter 627: Understanding

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Ming made his right hand go through the nine transformations so that the pinnacle of the power of one seize he'd come to understand in the Undying and Imperishable World could erupt forth. It caused his right hand to be reduced to such an emaciated state that it looked skeletal.

Shen Dong formed a seal with both his hands and pointed forward with an incredibly solemn expression on his face. Starting from the cuckoo right up to the Garuda, the four birds in front of him immediately started screeching and flapping their wings before they charged towards Su Ming. The four small black humanoids that seemed to be part of the four birds opened their mouths wide on the birds' backs and let out piercing shrieks. As they formed various seals with their hands, they controlled their mounts so that they could close in on Su Ming in the blink of an eye.

Su Ming's expression remained calm. He did not look at the four incoming birds, but instead placed his attention on his right hand. Almost at the moment the divine ability closed in and stirred up such a powerful gust of wind that it caused Su Ming's hair to dance wildly in the air, his right hand gained an amazing shade of gold.

It looked like a golden skeletal hand!

He lifted it and he made a seizing motion in the direction of the four incoming birds. At that instant, the cuckoo instantly trembled and froze in midair, as if the laws governing the world around it had changed to make the air around it to gain corporeal form in an instant. A powerful pressure squeezed down on it from all sides, as if it wanted to forcefully flatten that cuckoo in midair.

Immediately after, the eagle let out a shrill screech several dozens of feet behind the cuckoo. It was also forced to stop due to the power within that one seize. Loud booming sounds came from within its body, and it also froze in midair, just like the cuckoo. As it struggled, the power freezing it in place became stronger.

Soon after, the Andean condor started trembling violently as well, and a shrill screech escaped from its beak before the bird managed to rush forward a hundred something feet more before being frozen in midair by that one seize.

Once the Andean condor was frozen in place, Su Ming took two steps backwards. A serious expression appeared on his face, and it was clear that this sort of confrontation using divine abilities was not easy for him.

The giant Garuda, which was the final bird, swiftly closed in on him with a loud whistle. Su Ming's power contained within the one seize could only slow it down marginally. It could not make it stop in midair.

When he saw that the Garuda was getting increasingly closer to him while causing a violent gust of wind to howl in the air that changed the weather, a glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. His right hand, which was previously positioned in the manner as if he was seizing the air, furled into a fist.

At the instant he completed the act of forming that fist, the cuckoo immediately crumbled with a bang, stirring up an endless air wave that swept in all directions. During that moment, the eagle also trembled and exploded, followed by the Andean condor.

As the three birds exploded and the force that was stirred up by their explosion spread out, it filled the sky with endless booming sounds, and made the gigantic Garuda face the whole force of impact with its slowed down body.

Wisps of white smoke flowed out from the three broken birds when Su Ming clenched his right hand into a fist. It was soon surrounded by the smoke, which continued gathering around the hand, and Su Ming's face turned even more serious.

He was already incredibly used to this Art of seizing and absorbing. Right then, once he made this Art go through the nine transformations, he had a strong hunch that there was a new transformation waiting in his clenched fist.

At the instant that feeling appeared, a furious screech came from the impact formed by the three crumbled birds. As that sound traveled through the air, the Garuda's huge body shot out of the waves caused by the impact as if it had broken free from them.

It was so quick that the bird closed in on Su Ming in the blink of an eye, which caused everything within his vision to turn blurry. Only that ferocious Garuda remained clear!

The black humanoid let out a piercing shriek on its back, and a destructive power crashed into Su Ming's face.

His eyes flashed with a brilliant light, and almost at the instant the Garuda approached him, he unfurled his right hand, pressed his fingers tight against each other, and pushed his palm forward.

Right at the moment he did so, those white wisps of smoke surrounding his palm instantly started twisting, and the vague shadows of the three birds could be seen within them. Then, in the blink of an eye, right when Su Ming pushed his palm forward, his hand swiftly crashed into the Garuda!

This scene itself was like a picture. Within it was Su Ming, whose his hair was dancing from the wind while his body remained in midair. He had his right hand lifted before him, and he was pushing against a gigantic Garuda, on whose back was a small, ferocious looking, black humanoid.

Time seemed to have stopped when this scene happened, but it only stopped for an instant before it was immediately ripped apart by a loud, shocking bang.

As it reverberated in the air, the Garuda started shattering inch by inch. Once those cracks went through its entire body, it fell to pieces. The small black humanoid on its back also let out a shrill shriek before it started dissipating like a person made of sand being blown apart by a violent gust of wind…

Su Ming was previously concealed by the Garuda's gigantic body, and only when it completely disappeared did he reveal himself. His face was slightly pale, but he continued standing in the air and did not even take a single step backwards. His hair was still dancing about, but his eyes were closed at that moment.

When the smoke around him gradually disappeared and everything returned to normal, Shen Dong stood not too far in the distance with a slightly pale face. There was also a complicated expression on his face, along with a hint of shock.

'Gaining an epiphany during a battle… This is… I actually met a person who could do this! Only a person with an incredibly high level of comprehensive abilities could gain epiphanies during a battle.'

In hesitation, he stared at Su Ming, and after some time, gave up on the idea of launching an ambush. He was a powerful Immortal in Ascendance, and he could accept dying in battle, but he would not be able to overcome his own principles to lay an ambush.

Su Ming opened his eyes. During that instant he struck out with his palm, he had unconsciously sunk into a strange condition. It was difficult for him to describe that feeling, but it had felt as if everything around him had slowed down, so slow that he had gained enough time to think and counterattack.

In that state where everything had slowed down, he saw himself positioning his right hand flat, and at the instant he pushed forward, the white smoke turned into three birds, and they were the creatures that had been formed through Shen Dong's divine abilities.

He continued watching, and a faint, strange feeling rose within him, giving him the sensation as if he had come to possess a Creation Art… With this hand, he could destroy everything, and then make all the things he destroyed manifest themselves…

Seize, absorb… and push.

Seizing was to destroy, absorbing was to take the pieces in, and pushing… was to create them anew!

When he was in that strange state, he also saw Shen Dong's face. In truth, that man's changes of expression at that time had slowed down greatly in Su Ming's eyes, and he could observe him in detail and analyze his every move. If Shen Dong had truly attacked him, then Su Ming would have had enough time in that condition to wake up from the strange state.

This sort of feeling where the world had slowed down and only he remained the same made Su Ming's thought processes become much more active. He had a strong hunch that if he could stay in this sort of condition to understand all that was going on around him, then he could control the world and the universe.

But unfortunately, this feeling only lasted for several breaths before it immediately disappeared. When everything around him regained its normal flow of time, Su Ming woke up.

As his eyes started sparkling brilliantly, Shen Dong lifted his right hand.

"I failed to match up to you in our first match…"

A flash appeared in his eyes, and when he lifted his right hand, he formed a circle with his index finger and his thumb before he swiftly pushed his hand towards the sky. Immediately, a large amount of black fog swiftly seeped out of his right hand and started rapidly spreading through the area. In the blink of an eye, it covered Shen Dong's entire body, and when there were multiple layers of it, a huge figure of a hundred something feet tall stood before Su Ming.

That figure was formed completely of black fog, and it looked almost alive. Once it appeared, it let out a roar that sounded like the clap of thunder. Su Ming knew that Shen Dong was within this giant. This was the second time he saw this divine ability.

Shen Dong had executed this ability once before Su Ming when he was fighting against the Berserkers' Disaster in Evil Spirit Mountain. The shadow figure might have been destroyed by the bell, but Shen Dong had been completely uninjured!

"This Giant Spirit Transformation Art is one of the three ultimate Arts in Evil Spirit Art. The giant spirit formed by this Art contains the power to support the world, and it can absorb the spiritual aura around the world so that it would never die!

"Fellow Daoist Oriole, please accept this strike from my giant spirit!"

Shen Dong's voice rumbled in the air when his words tumbled out of the giant's mouth. The giant did not move, but lifted its right hand and stretched it behind itself, its whole body bent backwards like a bow. Soon after, as a shocking roar reverberated through the area, the giant clenched its right fist, its bent body pulled taut and straight, and hurled its fist forward with a loud bang.

The gigantic fist stirred up a piercing sound that sliced through the air. It also caused the air to truly shatter, as if it could not withstand Shen Dong's divine ability. Wherever his fist went, the signs of air shattering could be seen.

Su Ming's pupils shrank. He could feel sharp stabs of pain all over his body at that moment, and he even felt as if his breathing froze at that moment. He could clearly feel all the air in the area having been extracted as that fist came charging through, causing the place to instantly turn into a state similar to when he cast the third Style of his Wind Separation.

It was as if all the air around him had been absorbed by that fist to turn into a shocking power that came charging towards him. However, Su Ming did not back down. He could do so, and neither did he want to!

'As expected of a powerful Immortal who has reached Great Circle of Ascendance, the equivalent of a Berserker who has attained great completion in the Berserker Soul Realm!'

A fierce battle spirit appeared in Su Ming's eyes. If Shen Dong respected him, then he would also respect this powerful warrior.

Even if their races were different, even if their dreams were different, and even if the way they lived was different, Su Ming would still give him the respect he should receive as a powerful warrior.

"This is the God of Berserkers' Roar… though I have no idea just which God of Berserkers invented this…"

At the same time that punch came charging towards Su Ming, he spoke calmly, and the instant his words echoed in the air, he let out his strongest roar at the incoming punch!

That roar rose swiftly into the air, causing booming sounds to instantly ring through the area.

Su Ming's power started bursting forth from his body at the same time. Clearly, he… had held back during the first match.

Chapter 628: Amicable

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

A roar that sounded like a clap of thunder that filled the entire world spread out, and during that instant, it caused Shen Dong's punch to instantly start slowing down several dozens of feet away from Su Ming. The giant also started trembling, as if it was about to disintegrate.

At that moment, Su Ming was using up an eighth of all the power in his body!

Those eight-tenths of his power was equivalent to the pinnacle of his strength when he fought against Di Tian in the past. But even though he brought that power out, that fist might have slowed down and looked as if was about to disintegrate, but it still continued moving forward and continued getting closer to Su Ming. The destructive power behind it seemed to be able to destroy Su Ming's physical body and soul if it struck him!

Shen Dong, who was hidden in the giant's body, had veins popping out on his face at that moment. All his power had erupted from his body and turned into the strongest power he could muster within the giant. It was the power that could stand up against the Berserkers' Disaster, and the fist swiftly increased in speed. With a bang, it closed in on Su Ming, as if it had just overpowered his strength of when the pinnacle of his state in the past.

Yet those eight-tenths of the power was just the pinnacle of what Su Ming had in the past. He might not have reached full recovery right then, but he had already recovered almost nine-tenths of his cultivation base, and the additional amount of power was released for the first time at that moment.

An explosive force burst out swiftly from Su Ming's body and fused into his God of Berserkers' roar, causing the wave of sound to suppress all manner of sound within the world, as if taking all of them over. At that moment, that roar exploded forth.

At the instant it reverberated through the air, the huge fist before Su Ming crumbled. As it shattered, inch by inch, the pieces fell backwards. The fog dispersed, and Shen Dong coughed up a mouthful of blood. He staggered ten steps back, and with each one, he would make the air shake, and the distance between each step was equal to ten feet!

After those ten steps, he was pushed a hundred feet backwards!

Su Ming's face was pale. When he finished the roar and when the fog giant Shen Dong had transformed into collapsed, Su Ming also coughed up a mouthful of blood and similarly retreated ten steps before managing to stabilize his body.

His breathing was rapid, and when he lifted his head, he looked at Shen Dong, who also had blood trickling down the corners of his mouth.

The two of them watched each other, just like that. Both of them had clearly held back during their first match, and that was why Shen Dong had put up a slightly less than stellar fight. Yet during their second match, he had brought out all his power, and the strength of it had caused Su Ming to be unable to fend against it even with the pinnacle of his power before he was injured. If he had not possessed hidden strength, then he would have lost this battle.

When he revealed the one-tenth of that power he had gained during his recovery and stirred up a loud bang that surged into the sky, both of them coughed up a mouthful of blood and were pushed back ten steps, a clear sign that they were both equally matched!

Only a completely evenly matched fight could bring forth the greatest amount of satisfaction and delight. The two of them continued watching each other while standing some two hundred feet apart. Neither of them spoke, only their gazes meeting one another.

After some time, a faint smile gradually appeared at the corners of Shen Dong's lips, and Su Ming's reaction was a mirror-copy. A smile curled up his lips, and it slowly grew wider until eventually turning into a loud peal of laughter.

Shen Dong laughed, and Su Ming, too, laughed. In this empty battlefield, the two people who had been fighting just moments ago were both laughing from the bottom of their hearts, and there was, strangely enough, not a hint of discordance in this. Instead, there was a perfect harmony in their laughter born from an appreciation of each other's presence, a respect towards each other, and an acknowledgement as well as affirmation towards the other.

"This battle… is enjoyable indeed!" As Shen Dong laughed, he lifted his right hand and patted his storage bag, and a gourd immediately flew out from within. Once he held it in his hand, he flicked off the cork, and a thick aroma of wine wafted into the air. He threw his head back and drank a mouthful from it.

"Fellow Daoist Oriole, would you like some?"

Once Shen Dong drank that mouthful of wine along with the blood in his mouth, he smiled and looked towards Su Ming. There was a hint of respect within his eyes, one that hadn't appeared once after he came to the Berserkers' world. Even when he was before Evil Sect's Ji An, he only held that man in reverence. It was not the same thing as respect.

"I'm a Berserker." Su Ming was still smiling, but it was gradually tainted with a hint of mixed feelings.

They were born from how this person had gained his respect through due to both his words and actions during this one battle, even though they had not had much contact with each other before this. That sort of appreciation towards each other's presence had not just appeared within Shen Dong's heart. It had also appeared within Su Ming's heart.

But the difference of their races was the final nail in the coffin of their relationship.

"So what? You're the second person I've met among the Berserkers who deserves my respect and admiration. Fellow Daoist Oriole, you are courageous but cautious, and you do things resolutely. Even though you have plenty of Enchanted Treasures and even possess the power of the Undertaker of Evil's Spear, you still chose to not use it...

"You also had the chance to gravely injure me when you pushed me back with that power from your roar, but you chose not to… We might be of different races, but I only know that I enjoyed this fight very much!

"Fellow Daoist Oriole, I will only give those I acknowledge this wine. I'll ask you one more time, do you want it?" Shen Dong looked at Su Ming, and his laughter rang in the air. His honest and straightforward presence revealed itself and instantly chased away all the gloominess about him.

He might be from Evil Sect, but true men also existed within Evil Sect!

Su Ming looked at Shen Dong and lifted his right hand swiftly to seize that gourd through the air. The gourd instantly flew out from Shen Dong's hand and charged towards Su Ming. Once he grabbed it, he looked at Shen Dong and placed the gourd by his lips before he took a big swig from it.

"This battle is indeed enjoyable! But this wine is even more enjoyable!" The wine in Su Ming's mouth turned into a burning wave of heat that spread through his body as if it had drawn up a line of fire, and it actually managed to make a hint of his cultivation base recover.

It might be just a hint, but it was enough to show just how precious this wine was!

"If you like it, then this humble Shen will give you that gourd in your hands as a gift!" Shen Dong laughed, and a delighted expression appeared on his face. This was an incredibly rare expression on his face, which was usually schooled to a gloomy look.

However, Su Ming could tell based on his experience that there was not a hint of deceit in that expression. Shen Dong was sincere.

"I came to the land of Berserkers to break out of Ascendant Stage and a chance to reach the second step. Fellow Daoist Oriole, your Berserker cultivation method is very unique. You must have also reached a critical stage. If we can both reach a breakthrough, I'd like to fight against you again!" Shen Dong looked at Su Ming and brought out another gourd from his storage bag before he started drinking huge mouthfuls from it.

"We still haven't exchanged our third blow. Do you still want to fight?" Shen placed the gourd down and started laughing heartily.

"Of course!" Su Ming, too, laughed heartily. As they met each other's gazes, they could no longer find any hate in each other's eyes, but a glint screaming of a refusal to admit defeat was shining in both their eyes.

"I will be casting a divine ability I obtained purely by coincidence when I was in the land of Immortals. This Art was left behind by the Immortals of the past. I've been practicing it for many years, but I still haven't mastered it completely. This Art… is called… Seven Abyssal Yin Death Seal!

"With my current level of cultivation, I can only bring forth the power of one seal. Fellow Daoist Oriole, please have a look!"

Once Shen Dong finished speaking, he suddenly bit the tip of his tongue and coughed up a blood arrow. It abruptly exploded, and when it scattered into the air, seven indistinct shadows manifested. Once they appeared, an incredibly thick and great aura of death instantly surged in from all directions. Once the shadows absorbed all that aura, they swiftly became more corporeal.

All seven of these people wore crowns and were dressed in robes with the sky embroidered on it. Their faces could not be seen clearly, but a mighty pressure that made Su Ming's heart tremble came from those people.

Immediately after, the seven shadows dressed with the sky patterned robes lifted their right hands, and with a swing of their arms, the weather changed, and the land in all directions changed. The sky disappeared as well, covered by a layer of green fog.

At the same time, the seven shadows dressed in sky patterned robes also disappeared, but right at the moment they vanished, a great wave of danger came crashing towards Su Ming from below him.

When he whipped his head downwards, his pupils shrank. He saw that the ground that had been replaced by the green fog had now turned into a gigantic seal.

It was green in color, and it was spreading out the pressure that was causing Su Ming's heart to tremble. It looked as if it was about to begin operating at any moment to bring forth the destructive power that belonged to the Seven Abyssal Sinister Yin Seal. One that could destroy the world.

However, this gigantic seal was not centered on Su Ming. He was only located at the edge of of it. At the instant he looked over, Shen Dong let out a low growl that reverberated in the air.

Immediately, a piercing green light erupted from the green fog seal, and it covered everything within it. No rumbling sounds could be heard, and neither did any sort of ripples that shook the sky appear. When the light disappeared, Su Ming was still standing on the ground, and Shen Dong was standing in the distance with a pale face.

The green fog disappeared, and the Seven Abyssal Sinister Yin Seal vanished with it.

However… there was an empty space about several thousands of feet away from this place at that moment. It was a hundred lis in size, and a gigantic pit seemed to have appeared over there, because the ground there had disappeared. The sky there had also become an indistinct mess. In fact, there was a gigantic pit at the top of the sky that was slowly closing up at that moment.

Su Ming fell silent.

Shen Dong's breathing was quick. After some time, he looked towards Su Ming, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Fellow Daoist Oriole, there might just be one seal in the Art I cast just now, but what do you think of its might?"

Su Ming closed his eyes, then reopened them several breaths later before he wrapped his fist in his palm towards Shen Dong and bowed towards him. He did not answer the Immortal's question, but chose to lift his right hand with the back of his hand turned towards the sky and his palm turned towards the ground.

"If my hand symbolizes time, then one side represents the past, and the other represents the future…" Su Ming mumbled softly. For the first time, the black dye in his hair that Ugly Little Thing's family had used to cover him up faded away, revealing a startling combination of white and purple!

At the same time, the shocking sight of time flowing back appeared when Su Ming said those words and waved his hand.

Shen Dong's eyes went wide, and disbelieving shock as well as astonishment appeared within them. He stared at the time on the ground and sky swiftly flowing back with a dumbfounded expression. The pit in the ground in the distance disappeared, the hole in the sky vanished, then, when he saw the gigantic Verdant Abyssal Seal appearing once again between the sky and earth, he sucked in a sharp breath.

'What divine ability is this?!' Shen Dong's heart trembled, and he suddenly felt fortunate that he had not thought about killing Su Ming with the Verdant Abyssal Seal, or else...

Su Ming looked at the restored Verdant Abyssal Seal in the world, and a sparkle of curiosity appeared in his eyes, so he started looking at it carefully.

He looked as if he was copying it, using his heart as his drawing board and his soul as his pen...

Chapter 629: Sold Off…

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The first thing Su Ming copied in his life allowed him to create Berserker Obliteration. He might have gradually reduced the use of this Art as his level of cultivation increased, but it was his first step towards becoming a powerful Berserker.

In his second copy he recreated the Roc's great speed, allowing his speed to surpass his limits. His understanding as well as mastery towards wind then gave him the opportunity to obtain the Wind Berserker's Inheritance, which let him master the three styles of Wind Separation.

And on this day, during the final exchange in the promised three divine abilities duel in his match against Shen Dong, Su Ming decided to copy something once again!

This time, he did not have a drawing board, because his heart was the drawing board itself! This time, he did not hold a pen in his hand, because his soul was the world's pen!

With Destiny's control over the cycles of time, he watched time flow back and observed the changes in the Verdant Abyssal Seal before he fused all his observations into the copy in his heart. At that moment, the world Su Ming saw in his eyes was surrounded by green fog. Then, after it appeared, it gathered together into a seal before eventually exploding with a bang. The thing that triggered the explosion was not the power of cultivation, not the life force within the world, and neither was it the spiritual aura in the universe. It was instead triggered by… a faint wisp of the power of death.

The power of that blast had moved Su Ming, caused his heart to race, made his pupils shrink, and even made his breathing immediately quicken.

He now knew why such a huge pit would appear in the sky. He now knew the source of Verdant Abyssal Seal's great strength. He had seen that the pit in the sky was not formed because of the sky's collapse, but had been caused because of the endless Yin Death aura behind the sky having spilled forward, tearing through the sky to descend to this place, as if it had been summoned here.

This Yin Death aura was the power from the Yin Death Fog beyond the sky!

'Seven Abyssal Yin Death Seal… Verdant Abyssal Seal!'

A brilliant light shone in Su Ming's eyes. If it was not because of Destiny, he would not have seen the source of Verdant Abyssal Seal's power. If time had not flowed back, he would not have been able to see the entire process of the seal fading away!

If this was his first time copying something, just like he did when he was at the ninth summit and copying something to clear his own mind, then he would not have been able to see the source of this Seven Abyssal Yin Death Seal with just one glance!

Green gradually appeared in Su Ming's eyes, though it instantly vanished. He closed his eyes.

Shen Dong's eyes were wide from disbelief and shock at the moment. There was also a hint of incredulity in his gaze as he looked towards Su Ming.

'That divine ability just now… Time reversal… With that divine ability, he observed my Yin Death Seal and actually managed to find some clues about how it works. By the looks of it, he had also come to understand it somewhat… Just what sort of comprehensive ability does this person have? If he truly understood the Seven Abyssal Yin Death Seal, I… I… This is impossible!'

Shen Dong laughed wryly. He remembered that he had used a long amount of time to practice this Seven Abyssal Yin Death Seal, and even now, he had only managed to somewhat master the first seal.

If Su Ming had truly managed to see through the true form and the origin of the Art, then this would definitely deal a huge blow to Shen Dong's pride.

As he laughed wryly, Su Ming opened his eyes. A green vortex shone in his eyes, and when Shen Dong saw it, a loud roar rang in his heart.

"Thank you for you Art, brother Shen!"

Su Ming's eyes regained focus. The green vortex in his pupils vanished, and with a stern look on his face, he wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply towards Shen Dong.

The Immortal was momentarily stunned, then he carefully asked, "You… You learned it?"

"There are still some parts that remain unclear to me, and I only managed to understand some of it. This Art uses the will of death within itself to stir up the aura of death from the world to form this Rune so that it can summon the Yin Death Fog beyond the sky. Once everything connects together, the Yin Death aura that is filled with death will explode," Su Ming said calmly.

Shen Dong's breathing quickened, and his gaze as he looked towards Su Ming was filled with astonishment, shock, complicated feelings, and also distress. After a long while, he laughed wryly and shook his head.

"My fellow Daoist, I've only seen that sort of comprehensive ability you possess in Ye Wang, who is among our generation. This match has ended, and I have lost. Even if that Seven Abyssal Yin Death Seal had landed on you just now, that time reversal divine ability of yours would still have been able to break my Art." Shen Dong sucked in a deep breath and wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming.

"Our match today was truly delightful. I've also obtained quite a lot from this match, and I can feel that I'm no longer far away from reaching my breakthrough. For this, I must thank you, my fellow Daoist...

"But you must be careful. The death of an Evil Spirit Sect Elder in Ascendance is no trivial matter. I have my duties at hand and must report this… I hope you will remain safe." As Shen Dong spoke, he cast Su Ming a deep look and turned around before he changed into a long arc and charged into the distance.

Su Ming watched Shen Dong leave, and after a long while, the green vortex of fog appeared in his eyes once again. As it spun, Su Ming slowly lifted his right hand, and the same green vortex of fog could be seen on his right hand. A thick aura of death seeped out.

'You are not from Yin Death Region, that's why mastering this Art is so difficult for you… The senior who created this divine ability must have surely come from Yin Death Region…

'Judging by Shen Dong's words, he obtained this Art in the land of Immortals. If that is the case… then if the senior who created this divine ability truly came from Yin Death Region, how… did he manage to get out of this place?'

Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the sky. A chilling glare appeared in his eyes.

"One of these days, I will definitely break through this sky… and step into your world. I can feel it, that day is no longer far away," Su Ming mumbled. He clenched his right hand tightly into a fist, and the green vortex on his palm immediately disappeared. He turned around and strode towards Hidden Dragon Sect's branch, which was now gradually brightening up as the light of dawn was slowly chasing away the darkness.

Almost at the moment Su Ming moved towards Hidden Dragon Sect's branch, a gigantic dragon head peeked out of the clouds in the endless sky above the ground, right before darkness was broken by light.

That dragon's head was yellowish brown, and there was a murderous look on its stern countenance. As it lowered its head, it swept its gaze across the land, as if it was looking at Su Ming. On its back was a woman with rosy cheeks. There were roasted seeds in her hands, and she was eating them as her eyes twinkled with a lively sparkle.

'He's a rare Abyss Builder, a race rumored to have gone extinct in the Emperor of Abyss' True World… and he has high comprehensive abilities as well… And when I was watching him fight against that Immortal from the inferior world in True Morning Dao World… he showed the signs of the Abyss as well. I didn't expect to be able to see such a person here!' The woman's eyes sparkled, and when some unknown thought struck her head, she slowly started chuckling, with evident smugness.

'He's from the Emperor of Abyss' True World, and also a rare Abyss Builder, and he has such incredible comprehensive abilities, and has even showed signs of the Abyss to boot... Aaah~ Just what sort of good things can I get if I sell this person off?

'Who should I sell him to? Should I sell him to grandpa Prince Ming, or big sister Fu Shui, or should I just straight up sell him to the Emperor of Abyss?' As these thoughts raced in the woman's head, her spirits lifted and her eyes shone in excitement. She had even stopped eating the seeds.

"Ah, I don't care. I'll sell him to everyone. Then at least my efforts for saving him previously won't be wasted. I'll just treat it as getting paid for saving him, but I don't think I'll go to the Emperor of Abyss. That old man is too shrewd and miserly. He won't even give a single spirit stone!"

Once the yellow dragon heard those words, it immediately shuddered, and terror appeared on its face.

The woman's expression grew even more smug, and she reached out to grab the yellow dragon's head with her right hand. The dragon shuddered and instinctively ducked its head, causing the woman to grab empty air.

"Xiao Huang, you're being disobedient!" The woman glared at the dragon, but her voice was incredibly sweet, able to make all those who heard it to feel their bodies tingle. That is to say if they did not see her face.

The murderous and stern look was gone from the yellow dragon's face, replaced by a miserable expression. It closed its eyes, and the woman grabbed its head with her right hand. Then, with one quick yank, she plucked three whiskers from its head. The yellow dragon yelped in pain.

The woman took one of the three whiskers and opened her petite mouth before blowing on it softly. A breath of her life drifted into the air. When it touched the whisker, it was immediately set afire.

As it burned, a wisp of white smoke floated into the sky, but it did not dissipate. Instead, it gathered together in midair and turned into a ring-shaped circle. The inside of it was muddy, and whatever was inside could not be seen clearly.

"Grandpa Prince Ming, I know you can hear me. Stop hiding." The woman blinked and let out a fake cough before she spoke sweetly.

The circle remained murky, and not a hint of change could be detected. The white smoke was also slowly disappearing, and by the looks of it, it would not take too long before it completely disappeared.

"Ah… and here I just found a person with great potential. The first person I thought of to tell was you, you know? But oh well, since you're not here, then I guess I'll have to go to big sister Fu Shui…"

The woman put on a regretful face, but she was staring at the circle of smoke without so much as blinking. When the circle became even thinner, a thought appeared in her head.

"Oh well, I guess this Abyss Builder is simply not fated to meet you, grandpa Prince Ming. Oh well…" As the woman spoke, she lifted her right hand, but just as she was about to wave her hand to dispel the almost completely gone circle of smoke—

At the instant she said her final sentence, the thin circle of smoke immediately froze and no longer continued fading away. Instead, it swiftly gathered together, and the murkiness within instantly went away to be replaced by clarity.

A chamber was shown within the circle, and there was an old man with a head full of white hair sitting cross-legged within it. The old man's form was indistinct, and his face could not be seen clearly. However, his gaze could be felt piercing through the circle of smoke, and he was looking at the woman.

"Hey there, old man Ming. It's been a while." The woman's lips lifted into a playful smile, and she lifted her hand to give him a little wave, as if she was greeting him.

"Hmph, how rude! Where are your manners?! You're always acting so wildly! How dare you steal the Cross Borders Spirit just so that you can run away from getting married to the Emperor of Abyss' fourth prince? Do you have any idea just what sort of trouble you've got yourself into this time?!"

"Eh… Gee, old man, that's my personal problem. Why are you butting into my business? So what if I want to run away? What Cross Borders Spirit are you talking about? I don't know what you're saying…" the woman said with a huff, glaring. As for the Cross Borders Spirit, she could only express confusion.

The yellow dragon beneath her put on a miserable face. Just as it was about to lower its head, the old man's voice traveled through the circle of smoke.

"Fine. I don't want to be bothered by this anyway. What Abyss Builder were you talking about just now?" The old man changed the topic and finally talked about the reason behind him showing up.

Chapter 630: The Emperor of Abyss's True World Expectations!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"I didn't mention anything about an Abyss Builder. You pissed me off, so I'm not telling you!" A smug expression appeared on the woman's face. After casting a sideways glance at the old man in the circle of smoke, she put on a regretful expression.

"It's a pity for that young man. He really has such good potential. He's young, has shocking comprehensive abilities, can use his heart as his drawing board and his soul as his pen to copy the changes in the world!" As the woman spoke, she cast another glance at the circle of smoke.

The old man there might still be indistinct, but it could be seen that he was unmoved, and not a single hint of change in emotion could be detected on him. It was as if he was completely unbothered by finding a person who had high comprehensive abilities.

"Copying using the heart and soul isn't much," the old man stated slowly.

"With power that is equivalent to the Ascendant Stage, he fought against a person in the Second Step. He had laid out plot after plot against his opponent, and while he didn't win in the end, he managed to push that person in the Second Step into an incredibly pathetic state. He also managed to escape," the woman said once again.

"There might not be many who have an incredibly calculative mind and manage to fight against a person stronger than themselves, but they're not really that rare." This time, the old man in the circle of smoke remained silent for a moment before he spoke.

"Then what if I say he's not really that old and has showed signs of the Abyss… and that he can turn back time?" The woman remained calm as she spoke with a light chuckle.

Yet once she said those words, the circle of smoke instantly distorted, and after a moment, the old man's voice traveled forth swiftly.

"Turning back time?"

"That's right. He also has the Abyss Builder's presence. Based on my observations and judgments, I'm nine out of ten certain that he is an Abyss Builder, one of the member of the race that is rumored to have been wiped out in the Emperor of Abyss' True World," the woman said smugly after looking at the circle of smoke for a bit.

This time, the old man remained silent for an even longer period of time, and that silence lasted until his slightly excited voice traveled forth, despite his seemingly calm face.

"Are you certain he is an Abyss Builder and he showed signs of the Abyss?"

The woman did not speak. She lifted her right hand, and a jade slip flew out, floating into the circle of smoke. It shone with a brilliant light, and a scene was depicted within that light. This was naturally the fight between Su Ming and Di Tian, as well as Su Ming's fight against Shen Dong.

"Where is he?" After some time, a low voice immediately came out of the circle of smoke, and as the smoke distorted, a faint sight of the old man standing up from his previously meditative position could be seen.

"Ah… This is such an aggravating thing! I was willing to sacrifice my future happiness for the Emperor of Abyss' True World's future by coming out here to search for your scion, is it an easy thing for me to do?

"I was even sorely misunderstood!

"Ahem. Oh well, I'll write it off if you give me ten Abyss Piercer Swords, a hundred Dark Abyss Cores, three hundred Spirit Disintegration Pills, and a chance to undergo the Abhişeka Ceremony [1] in Abyss Lake." The woman counted with her fingers and put on an expression as if she was suffering a huge loss as she spoke.

"You little brat… Fine. I'll give these things to you. Now tell me, where is the child!" When the old man's resigned voice reached the woman, she broke off into a smile, and immediately brought out another jade slip which she threw into the circle of smoke.

As a layer of ripples shone in the air, everything instantly vanished.

Within the universe was a galaxy, and within that galaxy was one of the four Great True Realms - the Emperor of Abyss' True World. In the middle of an endless space was a black, floating continent. The end of it could not be seen, and its land was barren. Not a single hint of life could be detected there.

At the center of that continent was a ruin filled with a desolate air. Within its boundless space was a house, and the door to that house was pushed opened silently at that moment.

An old man in long white robes walked out. His entire body was indistinct and he could not be seen clearly, but the hint of expectation in his eyes shone clearly.

"He's indeed an Abyss Builder… I didn't expect that there would still be an Abyss Builder in this world… The only problematic thing is that he's in True Morning Dao World… but even if he's in True Morning Dao World's Yin Death Region, I will still go and see whether he is real!"

As he spoke, he took a step forward. His body fused into the darkness and he vanished into thin air.

In another spot within the Emperor of Abyss' True World was a river of black stars. Its precise area could not be determined, but it was shining so brilliantly that even those far away from it could see it vaguely from the distance.

A large number of cultivators could be seen moving about in that endless river of stars… Deeper in there was a lake, and at the center of it an island. A woman could be found sitting in there at that moment. She wore a black veil over her face, and stars were sparkling in her eyes. Almost at the same time the old man left, a floating vortex appeared before her, and within it were the youthful woman and her yellow dragon.

"Big sister Fu Shui… A hundred Ap Vat Vriksha[2] Cores, and five hundred Stella Via Lactea[3] pints. You also have to help me call off my marriage with the Emperor of Abyss' fourth son, then I'll tell you where that Abyss Builder is. You're the first person I spoke to, if you refuse, then I'll immediately go tell that old man Ming."

The woman in the veil frowned and glared at the woman in the vortex, but the doting look in her eyes could not be hidden away even by the stern expression on her face.

When the vortex disappeared, a pensive look appeared in her eyes.

"There's actually still an Abyss Builder in this world…? Abyss Builders… The last of them died tens of thousands of years ago under the Rho Leonis Disaster [4]..." When she mentioned the Rho Leonis Disaster, a hint of terror flashed briefly on the woman's face.

"If we trace back further, it is even said that the entire Emperor of Abyss's True World was created by that race, and if he's really an Abyss Builder, then it will be a great fortune for the Emperor of Abyss' True World!" The woman slowly stood up, and as her eyes sparkled, she took a step forward and disappeared into the air.

When light began lightening the world at dawn, Su Ming charged towards Hidden Dragon Sect's branch like a specter. In his hand was a jade slip, and it was the thing left behind in Gu Yuan Hai's storage bag.

A treasure cave in his sect under Thousand River Valley was clearly stated within it. All of the things that they could not take away in time when a sudden disaster fell on their heads were stored in that place.

As Su Ming moved forward, he did not make a sound. However, he could hear the occasional faint screams of pain from Hidden Dragon Sect. Those were the people Evil Spirit Sect killed as they continued with their pillaging activities, and these people were all being swiftly eliminated.

There was also the matter of the cage that was formed due to the seal. Besides Gu Yuan Hai, who might be able to escape with grave injuries using his power, all of the others would not be able to break free of the seal even if they managed to escape from Thousand River Valley.

That was why those faint screams of pain would reach Su Ming's ears from all around him. These were the sounds Hidden Dragon Sect disciples let out before they were cruelly killed off once they were discovered in their hiding spots.

Su Ming remained calm. He was not about to become a saint and stop this massacre. This battle between the Immortals had nothing to do with him. He drifted along silently, and when he arrived at the foot of Thousand River Valley, which was also the canyon right under Hidden Dragon Sect's hanging bridge, he stopped.

Once he checked the jade slip in his hand carefully, he spread his divine sense outwards, and after a moment, he charged down the canyon once more. Before long, he stopped again, and his gaze fell on the mountain wall before him.

That portion of the mountain looked normal. It was filled with moss, and there was an ancient air seeping out of there, a clear sign that it had existed for a long time. Not a single ripple of spiritual aura could be detected from the area, and neither were there any signs of the place being cut out before.

As Su Ming stood there, a surprised sparkle appeared in his eyes. He lifted his right hand, but just as he was about to form a seal, he frowned. Once he lifted his head and looked above him, he ignored whatever was up there and continued forming the seal before he struck that very normal mountain rock.

After a moment, as loud whistling that seemed to be able to slice through the air came from above, and as Su Ming continued delivering the seals on that mountain rock, that seemingly normal rock immediately started shuddering with loud rumbling sounds. Soon, as if a veil had been lifted, the moss disappeared to reveal a sealed off cave abode.

There was a notch on the door that was a perfect fit for a jade slip. Su Ming did not hesitate and threw it into the notch.

Rumbling sounds instantly came from the mountain door as it slowly opened up.

Right at the instant it did so, the whistling sounds that sliced through air from above became even more frequent, and a faint eerie voice reached Su Ming's ears.

"Boy, where's the treasure trove you said? If you were lying to us, then I will use your spirit as the missing primary spirit for my Heavenly Treasure Streamer. It'll fill you with hate as you die from torture!"

That voice was somewhat familiar to Su Ming. After a moment of thought, he remembered that it belonged to the thin Inner Sect disciple who had wanted to use him as a Blood Sacrifice when they were on the flying Enchanted Vessel.

Su Ming ignored the voice and walked into the cave abode. At the instant he stepped in, the fog above immediately churned, and three long arcs charged out.

The person leading the group was the thin Inner Sect disciple, and the two people behind him had bloodshot eyes filled with greed and anticipation. They followed closely behind him, and one of them had a quivering young man clamped under his arm. By the looks of his clothes, he was a Hidden Dragon Sect disciple.

At the instant they showed up from the fog, the thin Inner Sect disciple leading the ground saw the opened cave abode on the mountain wall, and he also saw Su Ming standing over there.

He was momentarily stunned before he immediately started laughing.

"How dare an Outer Sect disciple like you try to steal our spoils? You're in luck, because my Blood Sacrifice's power is full right now. Get out of my face!" As the thin Inner Sect disciple laughed coldly, he charged towards Su Ming. This kid was nothing in his eyes, and if he did not move, he would just kill him.

He was more concerned of the treasure trove in the cave abode that the Hidden Dragon Sect disciple had spoken of.

The two people behind him looked at Su Ming coldly. As they charged forward, they closed in on the place. Only the young man under one of their arms was staring at the opened door with a dumbfounded expression. He had noticed that there was a jade slip inserted on the door in a barely noticeable fashion. He could not help but find his pupils shrinking as he looked at Su Ming swiftly.

"What? Not moving? You puny ant from the Outer Sect, if you want to die, then I'll grant your wish!"

Once the thin person closed in, he saw that Su Ming wasn't moving, and a faint hint of impatience stirred up in him. He lifted his right hand, thinking of killing Su Ming, but right at the moment he did so, he saw Su Ming's eyes.

Those were a pair of calm eyes, so calm that they were terrifying. The calmness within them seemed to be such that would not shake a single bit even if the world crumbled before it. They were so calm that it made the thin Inner Sect disciple instinctively feel his heart trembling the moment he saw them.

Translator's Notes:

1. Abhişeka Ceremony (灌顶, guan4 ding3): In layman terms, to 'expel' and 'instill'. It is the most important and basic ceremony in Tibetan Buddhism, and each monk must go through it whenever they move up a new rank. All disciples must have their Master pour water on their heads. This water is supposed to be Buddha's protection and mercy, and the head is supposed to be soaked so as to show the supremacy of Buddhism.

2. Ap Vat Vriksha (水榕, shui3 rong2 ): Ap is Sanskrit for water, and vat vriksha is Sanskrit for the banyan tree. Banyan trees are supposed to be sacred. Reason Sanskrit is used, it's underwhelming to call it Water Banyan Tree Core.

3. Stella Via Lactea (天河星辰, tian1 he2 xing1 chen2): Is Latin for stars and Milky Way. Reason Latin is used? Well, Stars Milky Way is... pfft.

4. Rho Leonis Disaster (轩劫, xuan2 jie2): How do I even do this without spoiling stuff…? The word 轩 (xuan2) is very important, it's related to a legendary Chinese mythological character said to have created China. It is part of his family name, which is two characters, and that family name is part of a constellation (in Chinese astrology) made of 17 stars. Rho Leonis is what is believed to be the head of this constellation (maybe, others say it's Regulus). The eventual appearance of this character is the reason why I believe that the word 轩 refers to his family name, and not the other meanings associated with this word. When he eventually appears, I will give all the links.

Chapter 631: Eight Doors with Runic Symbols!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The thin Inner Sect disciple had quite extraordinary power, but that description of being extraordinary could only be applied when he was being compared to his fellow sect members. To Su Ming, this sort of person with only that kind power had provoked him twice, so there was no way he would continue indulging him.

He was calm, and that calmness was an expression of his aloofness.

The thin Inner Sect disciple's heart was trembling at that moment. He suddenly felt a wave of terror he had never sensed before from Su Ming, and especially from those aloof eyes. When he met their gaze, he felt as if two sharp swords pierced right through him, rushing into his eyes and sweeping into his mind before stabbing his heart. They then turned into tens of thousands of lightning bolts in his body, and they were all letting out explosive sounds within him.

Those rumbling lightning bolts shattered his heart and ripped through his soul, causing his breathing to quicken and his eyes to widen when he was less than five feet away from Su Ming.

He abruptly coughed up a mouthful of blood, and it dyed his shirt red, causing the thin Inner Sect disciple to tremble, and at that moment, numerous bloody cracks immediately appeared on his skin. They continued spreading outwards, and in the blink of an eye, they filled his entire body. He could feel an invisible pressure that fell on him like mountains, ready to crush and flatten him. It was as if his entire world had crumbled completely at that moment.

His heart raced madly, thumping loudly against his chest. It was gaining speed rapidly, and the thin Inner Sect disciple's face turned stark pale. A bang rang out in his chest, and his heart exploded, unable to bear with the pressure.

Once that happened, his organs were also crushed in that instant. His body turned into a bloody mess with a loud bang, as he stood five feet away from Su Ming. The torn pieces then collapsed to the ground.

The blood and flesh spilled all over the place, but none of it fell on Su Ming's body. It was as if the thin Inner Sect disciple did not dare to get close to Su Ming even in death.

Su Ming had not cast any sort of divine ability, had not even lifted his hand to cause the thin man's death. He had only used the might formed by his own power to press down on him. This sort of power had practically gained physical form as Su Ming's level of cultivation increased!

The two fellow sect members of the deceased thin man stood dumbfounded and confused by what they saw. The person to react first was the one who was not holding onto the young man from Hidden Dragon Sect. With a pale face, he immediately retreated without any hesitation, turning into a long arc and leaving this place in haste.

Terror filled his entire body, and the rhythmic beat of his heart was replaced by tremors. Shock and fear became the only things in his heart, and as he retreated, only one thought remained in his mind - he had to get as far away as possible from this place, without care for anything else.

A flash of crimson appeared, and it swept past him as he continued escaping. Confusion surfaced in his eyes and just as he was about to lower his head to look, his head was separated from his body in the middle of his act of dipping it downwards. His head fell into the canyon, and his body, too, plummeted down with a shudder.

A storage bag flew out from the corpse, and it was swept up by the crimson light before it charged towards Su Ming. It floated before him and revealed itself. It was the small snake!

Its injuries were mostly recovered after these few years. It might still look a little feeble, but its body was at least complete.

"How long are you going to hide?" Su Ming stroked the small snake's head, and the snake looked as if it enjoyed his touch. It wrapped its body around his arm.

Su Ming's question was clearly not directed towards the small snake. Besides him, there were two people in this place. One of them was the stunned Evil Spirit Sect disciple. The other was the young man he held under his arm.

Almost at the instant Su Ming asked that question, the Evil Spirit Sect disciple's heart trembled, and he whipped his head downwards to look at the Hidden Dragon Sect member he was holding. During that instant, he saw a chilling glare shining within the young man's eyes.

This was the final ray of light he saw in his life. The next moment, that young man lifted his right hand and waved it swiftly like a ray of lightning, and blood gushed out of the Evil Spirit Sect disciple's neck. A muffled bang sounded in the air, and the Evil Spirit Sect disciple's body was torn into pieces, falling into the depths of the canyon.

The young man from Hidden Dragon Sect floated in midair. Then with an incredibly solemn expression mixed with wariness and nervousness, he wrapped his fist in his palm in a greeting towards Su Ming.

"I am Sun Shan, from Hidden Dragon Sect. Greetings, senior… If you know how to open this cave abode and also possess the jade slip to it… then I won't bother you…"

Sun Shan's heart was racing at that moment. As he spoke in the mid of his nervousness, he started slowly backing away. He could not tell Su Ming's level of cultivation, but if he could use his might alone to cause that thin man's entire body to collapse without even once relying on a single attack, then even at the lowest, his level of cultivation would be at the Soul Transformation Stage. There was even a high possibility that he was already in the Ascendant Stage.

Yet right when he took eight steps backwards, Su Ming cast him a flat look, and with it, Sun Shan's feet immediately froze. He forced out a smile, and just as he was about to speak, Su Ming lifted his right hand and waved it in his direction.

Immediately, a gust of wind that appeared out of nowhere charged towards Sun Shan with a loud roar. Sun Shan's pupils shrank. He wanted to dodge, but after a moment of hesitation, he stood still and did not move, simply allowing the gust of wind to close in on him before turning into a whirlwind around him.

That whirlwind swept up his body and came rushing back towards Su Ming before moving past him and charging into the cave abode. Eventually, it reached the depths of the cave abode and pushed Sun Shan onto the mountain wall, as if sealing him there!

Su Ming's expression was calm. He cast a glance at Sun Shan, who had been thrown into the cave abode. If he had resisted that wind just now, then he would have died, but since he did not, Su Ming would not kill him. He was not a person who would kill on sight, anyway.

Once he sealed him up, he no longer bothered with him and stepped into the opened cave abode. When he moved inside, he waved his arm, and the jade slip that was inserted into the stone door fell off to turn into a ray of crystalline light that fell into Su Ming's hands. As he entered the cave, the stone door closed up with rumbling sounds. If anyone looked from the world outside, they would find that everything had returned to as it was in the beginning, and not a single thing off about this place could be found.

Su Ming walked in the cave abode calmly. This place was not incredibly large. Besides the hall in the middle, there were eight other chambers. Each of the chambers was sealed off by a stone door, and each of the doors had a runic symbol shining on it.

All of the runic symbols were different, and all shining with dark light. When Su Ming looked over, he found that each of the symbols seemed to contain a different meaning.

It was quiet in the hall where Su Ming stood. Besides the eight chambers sealed off by the stone doors, the cave abode was empty. That is, besides Sun Shan, who was kept in place by the wind around him on the stone wall before Su Ming. The young man was looking at him nervously at that moment.

His heart was racing, and cold sweat seeped out of his forehead. He was thanking all his lucky stars in his heart that he had not chosen to dodge or fight back just now. His level of cultivation was nothing to this person, and if he wanted to kill Sun Shan, he could do so with no more effort than it required to crush an ant between one's fingers. I he chose to act obediently before this sort of powerful warrior instead, he might have a chance to survive.

At that moment, he knew that he had made the right move. This person had not chosen to kill him but had merely sealed him up. Clearly, he did not want Sun Shan to go out and cause unnecessary trouble for him.

With a wry chuckle, Sun Shan thought to himself that even if he went out, he would still not dare to provoke this person. Yet similarly, he also grew deeply respectful towards Su Ming, who was unfathomable in his eyes.

This respect was aimed towards Su Ming's caution and his thinking process.

'This old monster has great power, and he's a careful person as well. He won't allow anything to go out of his control. That's why even if I'm nothing to him, he still chose to seal me here…

'And even though the seal is powerful, it won't do any harm to me. This is also to make sure that I won't feel a great sense of danger from this subconsciously, and he can prevent me from struggling against it in desperation.'

Sun Shan's eyes flashed with a light. He believed that he was considered one of the more calculative types in Hidden Dragon Sect, and it was precisely because of his power and his cautious attitude that he had been able to survive through this disaster.

'Wait! He might not be killing me because he's thinking of some other thing!'

Sun Shan's pupils shrank in fear once again, and his heart let out a loud thump in his chest. He quickly lowered his head and checked his entire body. Then, panic instantly appeared on his face.

Su Ming completely ignored Sun Shan, who he was busy overthinking things on the wall. When Su Ming's gaze fell on the first runic symbol that acted as a sea for the first stone chamber to his left, his eyes flashed with a brilliant light. He stared at that runic symbol, and a feeling of a stirring wind rose in his heart. In fact, he could even see a whirlwind appearing out of nowhere around him.

Su Ming had the highest amount of understanding when it came to wind. He was, after all, the Wind Berserker's Scion. As he sensed that gust of wind around him and within him, the light in his eyes grew brighter.

'This wind from the void appeared with just one runic symbol…'

While immersed in his thoughts, he looked towards the seal on the second stone door. At the instant he focused his attention on it and everything else became indistinct, he felt a wave of humidity in the air.

He could smell rain, and it was the smell of rain that was pouring down endlessly from the sky… Rain also started pouring around him. It appeared suddenly and fell on Su Ming's body, causing the pensive look in his eyes to become deeper.

After a long time, he moved his gaze to the third chamber. There he sensed the rumble of a thunderclap. On the fourth chamber's seal, he felt lightning swimming before it erupted into a shocking ray of light and power.

'Wind, rain, thunder, lightning…'

Su Ming turned his head around and started looking at the chambers to his right. Once he swept his gaze past them, he felt the abundance of life from spring, the heat from summer, the blend between them and death in autumn, and also the death of all lives as snow floated down onto the land during winter.

"Spring, summer, autumn, and winter…" Su Ming mumbled. The light in his eyes became even brighter.

'Forget the items in these chambers, these runic symbols alone can already be considered as treasures! If I can fuse all eight of them into my mind, then it would mean that I've mastered the power of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, as well as wind, rain, lightning, and thunder!'

Su Ming lowered his head and lifted his hands. A glint appeared in his eyes.

'Is this a coincidence…? There are five fingers on my left hand, but only four mean wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, and four of the five fingers in my right hand mean spring, summer, autumn, and winter…'

A faint smile appeared on Su Ming's lips. With a single move, he appeared before the first stone chamber to his left and sat down cross-legged before it. With bright eyes, he stared at the runic symbol on the stone door and started copying it!

Chapter 632: Overturning the Path of Life and Death within the Four Seasons!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Sun Shan stared at Su Ming with a dumbfounded expression, his heart filled with shock. As a Hidden Dragon Sect disciple, he naturally knew about the eight seals on the stone doors. Once he saw Su Ming sitting cross-legged before the first stone door, looking as if he wanted to understand and gain an epiphany regarding the wind runic symbol, disbelief appeared on his face.

He also scoffed coldly in derision at Su Ming's actions in his heart.

'This person might be powerful, but he's overestimating himself. Trying to understanding Hidden Dragon Sect's runic symbols? Ha! There are only a few who have managed to do it in the past. There's no way he'll be successful!' Sun Shan might be thinking this way, but he did not show even a single one of his thoughts on his face.

Time trickled by. Light appeared in the sky. Rain also started falling when it was daybreak. It fell on the ground and washed away the blood in Thousand River Valley.

As thunder started roaring outside the cave, a flicker of light shone in Su Ming's eyes as he continued staring at the first chamber. At some point in time he lifted his left hand swiftly, and with a flick of his index finger, he drew a runic symbol.

It was written in air, but it was the exact same as the seal on the door.

This was the wind seal, and due to Su Ming's outstanding knowledge towards wind, he had come to understand this seal the fastest among all who had ever tried. At the instant the seal was written, a runic symbol gradually appeared on the pad of his left index finger.

Once that runic symbol appeared, a loud rumble shot into the air, and the first door opened slowly to reveal the chamber inside, but it was empty. There was nothing within the chamber.

Su Ming remained as calm as ever. There was not a hint of change on his expression. To him, it was no longer important whether there was any treasure in this chamber. He had already found the most valuable thing to him in this place.

The eight runic symbols!

Gu Yuan Hai would have never expected this to happen in the scheme he devised. He had wanted to use Su Ming to ward off his pursuers so that he would have time to escape and that he would not have to pay too much of a price for it. He only had to give up the few things he had in his storage bag and the jade slip to open the cave abode to the treasure trove in this place.

That jade slip could be considered as a valuable treasure usually, because it was the only token that could open this cave abode, and this place also contained the items Hidden Dragon Sect had accumulated for many years.

However, that jade slip was useless to him at that moment, because the cave abode was now empty, and all the things inside had been hidden away in some other place.

Yet he did not expect that the eight seals on the stone doors to the chambers would become Su Ming's greatest reward during his trip to Hidden Dragon Sect!

The eight runic symbols were something inherent to Hidden Dragon Sect, and it was present within all of its branches. Their usual function was to be used as seals, but there were also rumors that if someone possessed high comprehensive abilities, they would be able to understand the changes in the world with their help.

Because the eight runic symbols were left behind by Hidden Dragon Sect's ancestor.

Over countless of years, only a handful of people in Hidden Dragon Sect had been able to obtain a serendipitous event from the eight runic symbols. The others had not been able to sense anything, and their numbers were too great to be counted. That was why Gu Yuan Hai had instinctively overlooked it and had instead believed that the things he took away from the chambers were the real treasures.

If he knew about Su Ming's change right at that moment, he would probably be shocked by it.

Su Ming only gave the empty chamber a flat look before he got up to move towards the second chamber. There he focused his full attention on the second runic symbol.

Su Ming, who had all his attention trained on his target, did not notice Sun Shan's widened eyes and his expression of disbelief and shock.

The young man's breathing had sped up some time ago. He had been watching Su Ming all this while, and when he saw the wind runic symbol appearing on the kid's left index finger, the powerful mental blow left behind by what he saw made his heart race, causing him to be unable to believe in what he saw.

'He understood the wind runic symbol within four hours?! Even if the eight runic symbols here are mere copies and not the real ones from our sect in the land of Immortals, but to be able to understand them fully within four hours… This is…' Sun Shan sucked in a sharp breath and only managed to recover after a long time had passed.

When he saw Su Ming not taking even a moment to rest and moving to understand the second stone chamber rain runic symbol, Sun Shan could not help but become nervous. This time, he was not anxious for his own safety, but for Su Ming's actions, because they had completely overturned his beliefs.

Twelve hours later, when the sky outside turned dark once more, Su Ming lifted his right middle finger, and with a bright sparkle in his eyes, he drew out the rain runic symbol on the stone door. At the instant he did so, a runic symbol also appeared on the pad of his middle finger, just like it did for his index finger.

At the same time, the second chamber opened up with a rumble.

Su Ming did not even look inside. He got up and walked towards the third chamber and sat down cross-legged before it. As he looked at the thunder runic symbol, his eyes began shining brightly.

Sun Shan watched the wide-open second chamber with an awestruck face. His mind was completely blank, but before long, when the third chamber, too, opened up with a loud rumble, his gaze as he looked towards Su Ming became filled with terror once again.

He was still not afraid for his own survival, but of Su Ming's frightening comprehensive abilities!

'What's with his comprehension skills?! Just who is he?!'

Sun Shan felt that if he spread what he just saw and Hidden Dragon Sect learned about it, it would stir up his entire sect. In fact, perhaps even the other Immortal sects would be shocked by what they heard.

Two days later, with a slight hint of fatigue on his face, Su Ming drew the lightning runic symbol on his left little finger. One he printed it on his finger pad, the four chambers to his left were open.

Su Ming did not look at them. Instead, he lifted his left hand and cast his gaze on the four fingers on his left hand. Gradually, his lips curled up into a smile, and he had a strong feeling that his left hand had now obtained control over wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. He might only have a small amount of control over these elements, but that control was like a seed that was buried deep within him!

At that moment, Sun Shan was gradually growing numb towards all the shocking sights he saw during these past two days. As he looked at Su Ming, besides laughing wryly in his heart, he only felt miserable. It did not matter whether it was Su Ming's appearance or his power, he had far surpassed him in both aspects. Even his comprehensive abilities were terrifying. His intelligence was nothing to be scoffed at either. There might just be a simple seal placed around Sun Shan, but the more he thought about it, the more he believed that there was something else lying in wait for him. No matter what it was, there were problems lurking all around for him.

One small mistake, and it would be over for him.

'Either this old monster has been walking down the path of cultivation for an unknown amount of years, or he's a prodigy of some sect. Ah… I might be lacking compared to those prodigies, but the achievements I've gained up to this date due to my upbringing are not something they can compare!' Only by thinking this way could Sun Shan feel a little comforted in his heart.

Su Ming did not immediately head off to understand the four runic symbols of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Instead, he chose to sit down and rest for some time. Once his fatigue disappeared, he opened his eyes and looked towards the first chamber to his right - the spring runic symbol!

"Spring means to have an abundance of life. It is the season where all manner of life wake up from their slumber…" Su Ming mumbled. He looked at the spring runic symbol, and this lasted for several days!

All that time lasted only for an instant to him, but he never managed to immerse himself completely within the symbol, and could not copy it down just as he did after understanding wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

During those days, the fatigue in Su Ming's eyes appeared once again, and this time, it was stronger than before. He did not go on to try and think about what was happening in the world outside, but poured all his heart and soul into trying to understand the runic symbol and to copy it. Nothing about the world outside mattered to him at that moment, even if it meant that Thousand River Valley was by then occupied by Evil Spirit Sect once the Hidden Dragon Sect was completely annihilated. The valley thus then turned into the location for Evil Spirit Sect's branch, which resulted in the place becoming a line of defense for the eastern front of Eastern Wastelands, and one of the ways to reach the continent's center.

Numerous long arcs flew about in the sky. The members of Evil Spirit Sect were not the only ones occupying the valley, the people from the other Evil Sects also came to the place, causing Thousand River Valley to bustle with life.

Compared to the liveliness outside, Su Ming's cave abode was filled with silence. His breathing was not loud, and even though his eyes were slightly bloodshot, he still continued trying to understand the spring runic symbol.

The difficulty in his efforts to try and understand the symbol this time made Sun Shan breath out a sigh of relief. At least this person was slightly more normal because of this. If he had truly come to understand all eight runic symbols, then this would have become a huge slap in the face of Hidden Dragon Sect.

'This old monster might have extraordinary comprehensive abilities, but our eight runic symbols aren't that easy to understand. These ones might just be copies, but they still won't be easy for him to grasp!' Sun Shan cast Su Ming a glance, and he started laughing coldly in his heart again.

In the blink of an eye, another three days passed. Su Ming's face was colored in fatigue, and there was even more red in his eyes as he stared fixedly at the spring runic symbol. Over the past few days, no matter how he tried to understand it, he never managed to immerse himself, as if the life force contained within it was out of his element!

'Yin Death Region…' Su Ming closed his eyes for the first time since several days ago. In his mind, the memory of him rapidly aging and fading away as he stood on the ancient bronze sword as he left Yin Death Region surfaced.

Right after this scene was the memory of his blood turning into the aura of death on Fang Cang Lan's finger before it disappeared.

'Spring is the revival of all life, and summer is when all lives reach the pinnacle of their being… Autumn is the decline of life and the beginning of death, and winter… is the cold state of death for all lives!'

Su Ming's eyes flew open. He did not look at the spring runic symbol, but chose instead to look at the fourth runic symbol on the fourth door - the winter symbol that meant the lifeless state of all lives!

'I am in Yin Death Region, and that spirit from Nine Yin World once mentioned that I was dead, and I can also tell that from what I saw. I might not want to accept it, but there is a high chance that his words were true!

'Since I'm dead, then it's natural that I can't sense the life force of spring, but I can try and understand the lifeless state of winter, and I will reverse the flow of spring, summer, autumn, and winter to that of winter, autumn, summer, to spring, and with this order, I will walk down the path of revival from death!'

Su Ming's eyes flashed with a brilliant light. He had been lost for many years, and still could not see the path before him clearly. He had only been walking forward in this path that he could not see with a single-minded thought, and only at this moment, within this cave abode in Hidden Dragon Sect, did he gain a chance and found the path from death to life!

This path overturned the world, which reversed the flow of the four seasons. This path was a path depicting life and death, and it would start from winter before leading him straight to spring!

If everything in the world started from winter where all manner of life slept deeply in the lifeless state, then when autumn arrived, the snow and ice would melt, and the aura of death would exchange places with the faint traces of life. When summer came about, the aura of death would disappear, and life would erupt forth, which would allow a person to use it to move towards spring, and during spring, he would be fully revived, and he would wake up from his sleep!

Su Ming's eyes shone. At the moment he looked towards the winter runic symbol and came to understand the path of life and death in his heart, he lifted his right little finger and swiftly drew the winter runic symbol!

And with a bang, the door with the winter runic symbol opened!