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Chapter 764: Crimson Flame Planet's Change!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
With a few flashes, the jade slip appeared in the western region of the Crimson Flame Planet. Right at the moment it rushed there, the air before it distorted. Tian Lin took a step forward from that distortion and grabbed the jade slip. Once he scanned it with his divine sense, a smile appeared on his face. Excitement that he could not hide flashed through his eyes, and as he laughed, he turned into a shooting star and charged into the sky. Clearly, he was going to leave Crimson Flame Planet and visit his good friends in the worlds beyond this planet to involve them in this conspiracy.
Another year passed. Su Ming had been in Crimson Flame Planet for four years by then. During the past two years, he hadn't taken a single step out of his cave abode. As he was in isolation, he would constantly absorb the physical power contained within the blue stones.
On this day, Su Ming's eyes suddenly flew open. A large amount of blue stones before him were reduced to powder at the same time, and wisps of physical power surged into his body. At that moment, he noticed four long arcs charging towards him from beyond the cave abode.
There was a person within each of the long arcs. One of the presences was familiar to Su Ming. It was naturally that of Tian Lin. The other three might be alien to him, but all of them, without exception, were those of Lords of World Planes!
Su Ming swung his arm, and all the dust that were the blue stones before him immediately scattered. He got up, and with one step, he walked out of the cave abode. His gray hair danced in the wind, and his white robe, which was formed from the Sacred Constellation Robe, fluttered in the wind.
Su Ming could not control the Sacred Constellation Robe completely, but its defensive powers were incredibly astonishing, and no matter how he tried to destroy it, it would recover completely after a moment. When he had fought against old Mei Lan all those years ago, no one had been able to see any hints of this robe. Even old Mei Lan had thought that the Constellation Robe's power was actually the strength of Su Ming's own physical power.
The big dog that was the bald crane came running out of the cave abode along with Su Ming. As it stood beside him, it was also looking at the sky, and there was an expression full of disdain on its face.
As for that Crimson Python Phoenix, it was looking at the sky coldly from the foot of the mountain. Due to its huge body, even if it was just lying down on the ground, it looked like a small hill.
The four long arcs charged over from the horizon, closing in in the blink of an eye. The person in the lead was Tian Lin. He had been able to see Su Ming right away, and a smile lit up on his face.
"Brother Su, thank you for the trouble of waiting here. I'm honored that you would do so."
As Tian Lin smiled, he appeared before Su Ming in a flash. The three long arcs behind him closed in within an instant as well. Once they landed on the mountain at the same time, three waves of powerful divine senses scanned Su Ming without even bothering with politeness.
There might not be any killing intent contained within these three waves of divine senses, but this act of scanning him without even bothering to hide their intentions showed just how overbearing they were.
"This is the fellow Daoist Su which you've been telling us about? He's just a mere cultivator at Earth Cultivation Realm. I no longer harbor any hope for the plan you mentioned earlier."
The group of three consisted of a middle-aged man, an old man, and a dwarf that was half an average man's height.
The old man had brown hair and the face of a child. He was also hunched slightly. His eyes were dull, without any shine, but if anyone took a closer look into his eyes, they would find that his right pupil was actually positioned vertically.
He stood there with an aloof expression, and no one could determine what sort of emotions were in his heart at that moment. Yet the divine sense that scanned Su Ming exuded a chilling air.
The middle-aged man had an average appearance. His skin was slightly darker than normal, and there was a scar that ran from the left corner of his lips to the other side of his face, revealing his yellowing teeth when he spoke and giving him an incredibly hideous and terrifying presence. He was not as thin as the other people in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, but incredibly burly. As he stood there, he gave Su Ming a feeling as if he was facing off a wall.
He did not have any hair, not even eyebrows. His upper body was unclothed, and there was a chain that came out of his chest, as if it was growing within him.
He was also the person who had said those words previously.
The dwarf that was half the height of an average man had a smile on his face as he stood by the middle-aged man's side. He looked incredibly friendly, and his small hands and feet made him look as if he was completely harmless. He had his hair tied in a braid. At that moment, his hands were crossed in front of him, hidden in the sleeves. This gave him the appearance of a shopkeeper in a small town in the mortal world.
Tian Lin frowned at the words spoken by the well-built middle-aged man without eyebrows, then looked at Su Ming apologetically. He then turned around and stood between the man and Su Ming. With a wry smile, he looked at the middle-aged man.
"Brother Ye, why must you do this? I've already told you everything in detail on the way, including the things about brother Su. I've also told you that we want to gain something together that is of vital importance to us, so we must not start arguing."
"Hmph." The middle-aged man let out a cold snort and no longer bothered himself with Su Ming, but he had agreed with Tian Lin's point of view.
"Brother Su, allow me to introduce my friends. This is fellow Daoist Long Li from Heaven Wheel Planet. Brother Long has astonishing power, and he's also skilled in using a large variety of divine abilities and Arts. He has incredibly great talent." As Tian Lin spoke, the old man among the three people cast Su Ming an aloof glance. He did not speak, only nodded slightly.
Su Ming cast the old man a glance. The vertical pupil in his right eye gave Su Ming a feeling that it was incredibly dangerous.
"This is fellow Daoist Ye Shen Tong from Peaceful Earth Planet. Fellow Daoist Ye has divine power within his whole body, and he also has an outstanding level of cultivation. He has come to understand the power of the earth's essence and can bring forth even greater power when he is in the depths of the land. He has once fought against a True Guard and survived it. Now, his injuries have healed, and his level of cultivation has increased even more."
While Tian Lin was speaking, the well-built middle-aged man without eyebrows gave Su Ming a ghastly smile. He looked like a boorish man, but in truth, he had his own reasons for the words he had spoken right upon meeting Su Ming.
"This is the last person. He is fellow Daoist Sun Kun from Dark Brilliance Planet. Fellow Daoist Sun is skilled with Runes, and he is known as 'Assorted Treasures'. His entire body is filled with poison, and his attacks with these poisonous substances has made him famous in all areas."
Once Tian Lin finished speaking, the dwarf that looked like a shopkeeper wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming in a friendly manner and let out a boisterous laugh.
"Brother Tian, you praise me too much. Brother Su, don't listen to his nonsense, my name is most definitely not famous in all areas. It's just that I usually move around the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to earn myself a living.
"Everyone has just gave me this title because they were being tactful. Don't take it as something real." As Sun Kun laughed, he shook his head, giving off a completely harmless look, and it was very easy for people to have a good impression of him due to his demeanor.
"I've already introduced brother Su to the three of you on the way here. Brother Su has extraordinary power. He has great physical strength and divine abilities that contain the power of laws. Even I admire him greatly." Tian Lin looked at the three people. When he spoke, Su Ming nodded coldly.
It did not matter whether it was the three people scanning him with their divine senses or Ye Shen Tong provoking him, Su Ming's expression never changed. At that moment, his face was freezing cold, and he did not say a single word.
His composure caused a barely noticeable glint to appear in Ye Shen Tong's eyes. Even the dwarf Sun Kun regarded Su Ming a little longer while continuing to smile. Only the hunchbacked old man remained unmoved.
Tian Lin looked at the sky and said, "Alright, we're all here now. We still have six years until the True Guards begin their patrol. We have to hurry."
"Why don't I see fellow Daoist Mei Lan?" Sun Kun asked with a faint smile.
"Fellow Daoist Mei Lan's ambitions are different from ours, she won't come." Tian Lin shook his head and avoided the topic. When he looked at Su Ming, his expression grew solemn.
"Brother Su, how many days would you need to release the seals on all the ferocious beasts in Crimson Flame Planet?"
"A month," Su Ming answered coolly.
"Alright, then a month later, once you have released all the ferocious beasts, the life force of the alien race's mighty cultivator won't be absorbed anymore. At that time, please assist me with the method I told the three of you previously. Once I open a gap in the seal, we'll move into the depths of the core.
"Fellow Daoist Su, fellow Daoist Sun, once we reach the depths, please use your talents with Runes to allow us to move deeper into the core. At that time, fellow Daoist Ye can open the path for us with his mighty physical strength. Fellow Daoist Long, your divine abilities are astonishing, and your divine sense is also stronger than all of ours, please point the way at that time. As for me, since I was the one who planned this, I will have my Nascent Divinity change places with my physical body. With my Nascent Divinity, I will help fellow Daoist Long scout the region and guide our path, I will also help fellow Daoist Ye open the path, as well as helping fellow Daoist Su and fellow Daoist Sun reduce the strength of the seal," Tian Lin said resolutely. Once he finished speaking, the three people's expressions changed. Even the aloof old man, Long Li, was visibly affected by his words.
"Having your Nascent Divinity change places with your physical body means having your Nascent Divinity replace your physical body. Fellow Daoist Tian, do you know the repercussions of this Forbidden Art?" Long Li asked in a hoarse voice, speaking up for the first time.
"Of course I do. If even the slightest thing goes wrong, my physical body will wither and my Nascent Divinity won't live long. I will definitely die then, but only this way can I increase our chances of success. I have to increase my level of cultivation by several fold, or else it will be difficult for any of us to head deeper into the core. Everyone, I will be paying a large price for this, and that is only because I wish for our success, so please, don't fight among ourselves, or else… don't blame me for falling out with you!"
Tian Lin's voice instantly turned cold and dark. He had always given others a feeling that he was a gentle person, so this sudden chill in his voice and his statement that he would have his Nascent Divinity change places with his physical body instantly caused this ghastly air that appeared about him to possess an incredible intimidating force.
"Brother Su, I will leave everything to you!" Tian Lin sucked in a deep breath, then wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply towards Su Ming.
Su Ming looked at Tian Lin and remembered everything he saw when the other had fallen into the illusion two years ago. After some time, he too wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed towards him. He then immediately charged into the sky. The Crimson Python Phoenix rose from the ground with a roar, and the big dog that was the bald crane barked as it followed behind him.
Three days later, the Crimson Flame Planet shuddered with a bang. A shocking roar came the spot where a ferocious beast from the alien races was sealed. It looked like a tiger, and excitement appeared on its face as it was finally able to rush out of its sealed region.
Seven days later, roars continued to ring throughout Crimson Flame Planet. The ferocious beasts from the alien races who were known as the 'gods' to the residents rushed out of their sealed regions, and their numbers did not dwindle. The beast roars shook the whole planet, leaving the cultivators in shock.
Half a month later, there was an astonishing change to Crimson Flame Planet. More than half of the ferocious beasts had been released. The sky and earth were dark, and booming shook them repeatedly. Within the stone house in the mountain located in the eastern region was old Mei Lan. She was sitting quietly in her house as a variety of emotions flickered on her face.
A month later, all the ferocious beasts from the alien races in Crimson Flame Planet let out a roar that surged into the sky. It was a sound that came from almost all the ferocious beasts that had rushed out of their sealed regions, regaining freedom.
Since the change in Black Ink Planet ten thousand years ago, the Barren Lands of Divine Essence would now welcome its second drastic change, and it would be known as… Crimson Flame Planet's change!
Chapter 765: God Ascension Poison Wasp
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The moment all the ferocious beasts in Crimson Flame Planet rushed out from the regions they had been sealed in, the screens of light of all sorts of colors in these sealed regions started flashing together. Once they flashed nine times, they let out a loud boom that could cause the sky and earth to crumble.
As that boom echoed in the air, all the seals on the surface of Crimson Flame Planet shattered. A tremor that could overturn the sky and earth wrecked the planet. As the loud bang reverberated in the air, Tian Lin used some sort of unknown method, and a large crack tore through the land at the center of Crimson Flame Planet, which was located at the middle of all the regions. That crack formed a gigantic ravine. It was several hundreds of thousands of feet long and ran so deep that the end could not be seen.
An incredibly thick Earthen Aura erupted from the depths of the ravine. It was so thick that it possessed color. The yellowish brown fog instantly filled half of the sky, to the point that if a person stretched out their hand before, they would be unable to see their own fingers.
Tian Lin's voice was full of urgency as it passed through the hazy yellowish brown fog.
"The seal has been broken. We must now leave immediately into the depths of the earth and gather together below."
Piercing sounds rang within the fog right after. Those were the sounds of people charging into the crack at full speed.
The yellowish brown fog had dyed the sky with its color, causing the murky sky in Crimson Flame Planet to look like an old man's face that possessed a sallow hue.
Su Ming sensed his surroundings with his Atman while his sight was blocked by the fog. Everything within his vision might be a blur, but he could sense that the others were already in the ravine. He was the only one still outside.
The Crimson Python Phoenix was staring into the distance with a slight irritation. There was also a hint of unease within it. But its body was too big, and it was difficult for it to follow Su Ming into the depths of the earth.
Su Ming patted the Crimson Python Phoenix's gigantic head, then in a flash, he turned into a long arc that charged into the crack. The bald crane followed closely behind him. As for the Crimson Python Phoenix, it hesitated for a while before deciding to wait outside.
The Earthen Aura in this place was thick, and it had a sticky sensation as it blew against Su Ming's body. He could not help but slow down slightly. It was as if he was moving in water. When the entered the ravine and charged downwards, the big dog that was the bald crane wrinkled its nose. As it sniffed the Earthen Aura, confusion appeared in its eyes.
'Well, damn me. Why does this feel so familiar? It feels as if I've taken a bath before in a place that has an even thicker Earthen Aura. And I seem to remember that there were even a few women by my side when I was bathing…'
The bald crane shook its head. For some reason, ever since it came to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, occasional bouts of absent-mindedness as well as waves of familiarity would rise in its mind.
Su Ming was surrounded by darkness as he charged forward. The ravine was incredibly deep, and it had a force that limited the reach of divine senses and Atmans, preventing him from scouting the area of less than a thousand feet. The farther down he went, the thicker the Earthen Aura became. It made it difficult for him to speed up, and the area of his Atman's perception also grew smaller.
Su Ming's expression was aloof, but there was caution in his eyes. He might not be traveling quickly, but he was moving forward at a steady pace. In fact, he could vaguely sense Ye Shen Tong and Sun Kun's presences before him. Clearly, it was difficult for them to continue accelerating in this Earthen Aura as well.
Tian Lin and the old Long Li might not be within Su Ming's area of perception, but they shouldn't be too far off.
Yet at that moment, Su Ming's expression suddenly changed, and his footsteps instinctively came to a halt. He swiftly looked into his storage bag. Right then, he had sensed something trembling and showing signs of awakening within his storage bag.
Su Ming was momentarily stunned, then surprised delight immediately appeared in his eyes, but his gaze instantly returned to normal.
"Did something happen at the back, fellow Daoist Su?"
Almost at the instant Su Ming's expression returned to normal, Sun Kun stopped moving due to Su Ming's sudden halt. While remaining cautious, he sent his words to him in the fog.
"It's nothing. A thought just suddenly came to me. It would be difficult for us to move even half an inch forward when we reach the area underneath when the fog is already so thick in this place," Su Ming answered while starting to charge downwards again.
"That should not be the case. The Earthen Aura in this place is gushing forward very quickly, but once it escapes, this area will become more suitable for us to move about." As Sun Kun spoke, he slowed down slightly and waited for Su Ming so they could travel side by side. His body might be indistinct, but his voice was very clear.
"Let's hope that's the case." As Su Ming answered, he charged downwards with Sun Kun.
As they moved downwards, Sun Kun's voice suddenly dropped to a much lower volume, and in a voice that only the two of them could hear, he whispered to Su Ming, "Fellow Daoist Su, be careful of Ye Shen Tong. That person regarded you with hostility when we met each other because he doesn't really need a lot of power of World Planes. He came here because he was attracted by the physical strength possessed by the alien race's mighty cultivator. He should be the same as you, having found a way to absorb the alien race's physical power."
Sun Kun, whose face was like that of a shopkeeper, spoke with a whisper, and once his words reached Su Ming's ears like a feather, he did not say anything else. His face hidden in the fog was as friendly as ever, and the smile was still on his lips.
"Oh? Thank you for your kind warning, fellow Daoist Sun," Su Ming said calmly, his face remaining as impassive as it usually was.
As the two of them spoke, a bang came from the area before them. It sounded like something had shattered. Su Ming's pupils constricted, but right then, Tian Lin's voice came from underneath.
"This is the end of the ravine. My fellow Daoists, please slow down slightly."
After a moment, Su Ming and Sun Kun reached the place, and everything before their eyes immediately cleared up. The Earthen Aura might still be gushing forth fiercely from the depths of the crack, but their vision had become much clearer.
This was the depths of a long crack that seemed like it was a canyon which was a horizontal line. There were seven spots on that line, and the seemingly endless Earthen Aura was gushing out of these seven spots.
This was why once they reached the bottom of the crack, their field of vision had become much clearer. They could see everything around them, besides the areas of the seven spots from which the earthen aura was gushing out.
Tian Lin's entire body had withered away, but there was a gentle layer of light covering his body. It made it seem as if he was an illusion, but at the same time, his aura had become much stronger than it had been a month ago.
Clearly, he had already cast the forbidden art of having his Nascent Soul changing places with his physical body.
The old Long Li was crouching down by the side, by some stones on the ground. There were a large number of cracks there, so, clearly, the booming and cracking had come from there.
Ye Shen Tong was looking around. His gaze was mostly on the Earthen Aura, though no one knew what he was thinking about.
Su Ming and Sun Kun's arrival caught Ye Shen Tong and Tian Lin's attention. Ye Shen Tong let out a cold chuckle before he ignored them, while Tian Lin nodded at Su Ming and Sun Kun.
"It's much better than what I thought it would be. This place is the depths of the seal on the ground. You can also consider it as a doorway. Fellow Daoist Long has already tried breaking it just now. The stone walls in this place are brittle, they seem like they will shatter with just one strike. This means that we are in the right spot. This is… the edge of where the alien race's mighty cultivator is sealed.
"It's like an egg shell. The Earthen Aura coming out of the seven holes is the aura that had gathered within the seal over an endless amount of years.
"We can rest a while here. We'll maintain our cultivation bases at peak condition and wait for the Earthen Aura to disperse a little more. Then we'll have an even higher chance of success once we enter the mighty cultivator's sealed region." Once Tian Lin finished speaking, he sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to begin meditating.
The slightly hunched Long Li seemed to have finished his observations as well. He, who was usually quiet and reserved, also sat down in the distance with an aloof demeanor. Sun Kun gave Su Ming a friendly smile. Once he swept his gaze around the place, he sat down in another corner. These three people were a certain distance away from each other. Clearly, the closer they were to the seal, the more estranged they would become with each other.
Su Ming took a few steps forward and also chose to sit down at a corner near the stone wall with a calm expression on his face. Once he sat down, his expression did not change, but he sent a small thread of his Atman outwards and had it fuse with his storage bag to observe the item that had caused his heart to tremble and ecstasy appear within him.
At that moment… there was a shattered jade box in his storage bag. That jade box had already been reduced to pieces… but there was a crimson-red poisonous wasp lying on one of the shattered pieces!
The wasp's wings were fluttering lightly. At the instant Su Ming's Atman landed on its body, the wasp lifted its head swiftly. Then, in the blink of an eye, it disappeared into Su Ming's storage bag.
Yet after a moment, the poisonous wasp appeared again. It was still lying on the shattered piece, and it was as if its previous disappearance had just been an illusion. It let Su Ming's Atman land on its body as it buzzed lightly. There was a gentle tone to that sound, accepting Su Ming's Atman.
'It's finally awake!' Su Ming quelled the excitement in his heart. This sort of emotion had rarely rising within him since he'd come to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
The poison wasp was naturally the wasp that possessed the God Ascension Nectar within its body. Su Ming had obtained it all those years ago in the World of Nine Yin!
Su Ming had chosen to leave his Brand on the wasp after some hesitation in the past to wait for it to wake up slowly on its own. The Brand had been left on the wasp as a method for him to take in the wasp as his pet. By doing so, he would be able to gain the God Ascension Nectar in its perfect form once the wasp woke up.
After so many years, it had finally woken up on this day, and at the instant Su Ming touched it with his Atman, his heart began to race with anxiety. The wasp was powerful. It was definitely no ordinary creature to have been able to obtain the God Ascension Nectar!
The poisonous wasps of this kind were extinct in this world, so none of its kin could be found anymore. If this wasp had not gotten itself sealed inside the Crimson Stone, it would probably have not survived this long as well.
'With this poisonous wasp around, my chances of obtaining a serendipity in this place will increase slightly.'
Su Ming's expression did not change, but when he retrieved his Atman, a focused glint suddenly appeared in his eyes. He saw Ye Shen Tong taking large strides in the distance towards the closest hole from which the Earthen Aura was gushing out. The Earthen Aura in that place was moving more swiftly and intensely compared to all other areas. It swept past his body, forcing Ye Shen Tong to stop when he was thirty feet away from it. Once he sat down cross-legged, sweat beaded on his forehead. He was actually using the Earthen Aura in this place as pressure to train.
Tian Lin's eyes lit up, and he remarked lightly, "Good idea, fellow Daoist Ye. If we use the Earthen Aura here as pressure against our bodies to train, then we'll be able to adapt to the environment in the seal even faster."
Chapter 766: Threads of Flesh
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"I currently have my Nascent Divinity as my body, so I don't need to use the Earthen Aura to train my body to get used to the environment inside the seal, but if the three of you are interested in it, you can try it." Tian Lin looked at Ye Shen Tong's method of training as he spoke to Long Li, Sun Kun, and Su Ming.
"It's fine. This small body of mine won't be able to handle that Earthen Aura spraying on me directly. I'll have to give this fortuitous encounter a pass." Sun Kun let out a hearty laugh and shook his head.
The slightly hunchbacked old Long Li stood up at that moment and walked towards another spot where the Earthen Aura was gushing out from a hole without a single word. When he was fifty feet away from the hole, he frowned and no longer continued onward, but instead sat down to quietly begin getting used to the pressure.
Su Ming remained silent for a moment before he cast a look at Ye Shen Tong and the old Long Li. He did not choose to go over, but instead sat down in his original spot, unmoved by this offer to train.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, half a month went by. During that time, most of the people in the area remained seated as they meditated while waiting for the Earthen Aura to dwindle. Five days ago, the Earthen Aura spreading out from the seven holes was no longer as strong as it was half a month ago, and on this day, the debilitation within the Earthen Aura could be felt clearly.
In fact, Ye Shen Tong was already less than ten feet away from the small hole where the Earthen Aura was coming out from. As for old Long Li, he chose to remain seventy to eighty feet away.
When Tian Lin saw that the strength of the Earthen Aura coming out of the holes had become weaker, his eyes shone brilliantly. Sun Kun's expression had become slightly grave, for they were all only waiting for the Earthen Aura to no longer gush out. When that time came, they would break the outer layer of the seal and step inside.
When old Long Li thought of the rewards he would gain inside the seal, even he spotted a faint glint in his eyes.
Su Ming sucked in a deep breath in the distance and also focused his attention on the seven holes.
Time trickled by. Six hours later, all of a sudden, not a single bit of Earthen Aura could be seen coming out of the seven holes. Ye Shen Tong opened his eyes. When he moved his body, he smiled and opened his mouth, but just as he looked as if he was about to say something, his expression changed drastically.
When that happened, Long Li let out a shrill cry. Tian Lin, too, immediately stood up. At the instant the Earthen Aura disappeared from the seven holes, seven red threads burst out. Each of them was as thick as a man's arm, and each of them was about thirty feet long. Once they flew out, Ye Shen Tong's right arm was immediately bound, because he was the closest to it. Signs of severe corrosion immediately appeared at the spot where his arm was bound.
Long Li was the second closest. A red thread charged to the center of his brows at a rapid speed, and the moment Long Li saw it, he let out a shrill whistle. At the same time his sound turned into a layer of ripples that shook in the air, he retreated swiftly, but that thread shot through the waves of sound rapidly closed in on him.
"What is this thing?!"
Once Tian Lin had his Nascent Divinity change places with his physical body, he became the strongest person in the group. The area of perception of his divine sense was also the largest, but he had been unable to sense the existence of these red threads previously. It was as if they were unable to be perceived by his divine sense.
A presence that was no weaker than that of a Lord of a World Plane came from the threads. The group's hearts began to shake, and two more threads founds their targets. One of them charged towards Tian Lin, while another joined the one chasing after Long Li.
Clearly, in their senses, Tian Lin and old Long Li were the most threatening in the group.
Besides the one thread on Ye Shen Tong, the other two red threads charged towards Sun Kun and Su Ming in a flash, one right after the other.
The four people immediately scattered, dodging and charging about to run away from the threads in the crack that looked like a canyon.
The bald crane had fallen to the side and turned into a stone, where it remained still and unmoving on the ground.
Su Ming immediately retreated without any hesitation, turning into a long arc that swiftly left into the distance. However, the red thread behind him was persistent in its chase, as if the command had been embedded into the core of its very being. It was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, it was already less than thirty feet away from Su Ming.
As the group dispersed and the red threads continued chasing them down, most of them began fighting against on their own, not having the time to look at the others.
The red thread was about to catch up to Su Ming, but his Arman could not detect it whatsoever. He was completely unable to lock onto it. At that moment, a piercing whistle reached his ears as the red thread sliced through the air at a rapid speed.
At that moment of crisis, Su Ming turned around swiftly, and when he lifted his right hand, the killing sword appeared in his hand out of thin air. Once he held it, he cut down at the incoming red thread. With it, the red thread was instantly cut into two, but Su Ming did not let his guard down. Instead, he became even more cautious, retreating once again.
The thread that had been split into two became two independent entities that charged towards Su Ming.
When he saw that the threads were getting closer still, a glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He still had other attacks he could use, but at that moment, a thought formed in his mind, and he swiftly patted his storage bag with his right hand. At the instant he did so, a flash of red flew out from there.
The red light's speed was incredibly shocking. Right at the moment it flew out, it disappeared and when it reappeared, it was already beside one of the red threads. The red light was naturally the poisonous wasp that had just woken up. At the instant it appeared, it used its violet needle-like stinger. Then, with its unparalleled speed, it instantly pierced the red thread.
A shudder wrecked through the red thread, and in the blink of an eye, it withered into ashes. Once the poison wasp disappeared again, in a blink of an eye, it appeared next to the second red thread before Su Ming, who had now stopped moving. The second red thread did not even manage to see the wasp's body clearly. It only saw a red flash… and it was poisoned to ashes.
Everything could be said to have ended within an instant. The poisonous wasp then moved to Su Ming's shoulder. There was shock on Su Ming's face as he turned his head around to cast a glance at the wasp. He sucked in a deep breath and lifted his right hand slowly, moving it little by little towards that wasp. It immediately lifted its head and let out a gentle buzz before flying straight into his sleeve.
It seemed to like his cuffs, and once it flew in, it hung onto them, refusing to let go no matter what.
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. He took a step forward and moved towards the spot where the group had dispersed just now. After a moment, when he returned to the place, he saw Tian Lin's body being covered in a piercing red light. As he attacked, the illusion of a large tree manifested behind him. The branches swept through the area, and the two red threads that surrounded him were now a dozen something threads, but their color had become much duller.
Not too far away was Long Li, at the center of whose brows three scales in the shape of diamonds had appeared. He had a gourd in his right hand, and there were two black illusions before him that looked like shadows, and they were fighting against the red threads.
Ye Shen Tong's enraged roars reverberated in the air. His right arm had corroded to the point that it had turned black. Most of the red thread had crawled into his corroded arm, causing a long line to pop up on Ye Shen Tong's body, and it was squirming around in a bizarre fashion.
Almost at the same time Su Ming returned, an ancient face appeared on the big tree that had manifested behind Tian Lin. That face opened its mouth and let out a soundless roar. Immediately, the red threads that had broken into a dozen something parts shuddered and froze in midair. During that instant, Tian Lin moved, and the red threads were all enveloped by his Nascent Divinity. Then, they immediately lost all their shine and fell to the ground, no longer moving.
Tian Lin's face was slightly pale. When he looked at Su Ming, who was walking over towards them, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes, then he nodded in a profound manner.
As for old Long Li, as the three diamond shaped scales spun rapidly at the center of his brows, he lifted the gourd in his hand, and two more black shadows flew out from within to pounce on the two threads. Muffled booms reverberated in the air, and the two threads instantly vanished. As for the four black shadows, they fell backwards and returned to the gourd. Long Li had a sullen look on his face, but he immediately turned his gaze towards Su Ming.
He had seen one of the red threads chasing after Su Ming, but before long, he had returned without a single scratch on his body. The meaning behind this immediately rose Su Ming's value in his eyes, and he smiled amicably towards him, which was a sight rarely seen. It was a form of acknowledgment, and he was acknowledging that Su Ming could be on equal terms with them.
Tian Lin saw veins popping up on Ye Shen Tong's face and immediately said, "Let us help fellow Daoist Ye."
"Don't need! I can do it myself!"
Ye Shen Tong let out a loud shout. He had seen that everyone had solved their own problems, but were completely unbothered by them. Su Ming, whom he had previously looked down upon, even had a relaxed look on his face, and this made him let out a cold harrumph in his heart. He lifted his left hand and struck his chest.
With it, a layer of yellow light immediately covered his boy. It instantly turned into a layer of dirt that was one foot thick around him. As the light shone, the layers of dirt added one upon another, and in the blink of an eye, Ye Shen Tong appeared before the people as a gigantic golem of dirt and stone that was a hundred feet tall.
The golem lifted its left arm and struck its chest seven times in succession. With each hit, cracks would appear on its body, and after a moment, once all seven strikes landed, Ye Shen Tong's body of dirt and stone crumbled with a bang. When it did so, a dull but still squirming red thread was trapped within the dirt.
Ye Shen Tong's face was slightly pale as he stared at the red thread that was trapped, and he let out a cold harrumph.
"If it wasn't because I wanted to catch one of them alive, I would have destroyed it a long time ago." The moment he finished speaking, the squirming red thread faltered and fell to the side, turning into dust. This made Ye Shen Tong's expression instantly turn as dark as thunderclouds.
It was at that time that a whistling sound came from the distance. Right before everyone's eyes, Sun Kun charged down with a slightly pale face. He held a transparent bottle in his hand, and within it was a red thread. Its color was bright, and it was continuously squirming inside, crashing against the walls in an attempt to break free and rush out.
"I spent a lot of effort before I finally managed to catch one alive. Apologies for the long wait everyone."
Tian Lin looked at the red thread in the bottle, then at the seven holes that no longer had any Earthen Aura rushing out of them before asking in a whisper, "Just what is this thing?"
"Threads of flesh!" The person who answered Tian Lin was Sun Kun.
"They are threads of flesh that contain life force, and since the alien race's mighty cultivator has been sealed for countless years, these threads of flesh absorbed some of his divine sense, which he had sent outwards during these years… They should be very delicious." Sun Kun smiled and put away the bottle.
Chapter 767: One Aeonic Barricade, Three Snare Sealants, Six Dao Bolts
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tian Lin and the others chose to remain silent in regards to Sun Kun's smile. Clearly, this matter was not funny to them.
However, the bald crane, which had taken the form of a stone, immediately moved when it heard that there was something delicious and turned back into the big yellow dog before it stuck out its tongue to look at the small bottle which Sun Kun had put away with bright eyes. No one knew what sort of thought had appeared in its head, but it looked as if it was about to start drooling.
"Fellow Daoist Su, this dog of yours which is skilled in transformations is very interesting." Sun Kun turned his head around and cast a glance at the big yellow dog before smiling at it.
"Hey, you jerk! You're the dog here, I'm a dragon!" The bald crane suddenly shouted and even bared its teeth at Sun Kun. This scene stunned Sun Kun momentarily, and even the people beside them looked over.
Su Ming let out a dry cough, then glared at the bald crane. In an attempt to avoid the topic, he said, "If there more of these… threads of flesh in the sealed region, then the level of danger will increase by far too much."
Su Ming's words caused Long Li and the others to fall into silence. The usually overbearing Ye Shen Tong also felt fear linger in his heart. All of them looked towards Tian Lin. After all, he had been the one who had planned everything.
Tian Lin remained silent for a moment. then spoke in a firm and resolute tone. "I didn't think this through. I didn't expect that there would be such ferocious creatures in the sealed region… How about this? I'm willing to go down first and check. If there is no danger, then you can all go down after me. If there is danger… then since I'm the one who had initiated this and also dared to have my Nascent Divinity change places with my physical body, I will naturally not drag all of you down to die with me."
Long Li and Sun Kun did not speak. A glint appeared in Ye Shen Tong's eyes, but he, too, did not speak. Su Ming remained silent by the side.
Tian Lin lifted his right leg and stomped on the ground without any hesitation. With that stomp, the big illusion of the tree manifested once again. As the branches squirmed, cracking came from beneath Tian Lin's feet, and a large amount of cracks formed at that spot. As a loud boom echoed in the air, the ground sank down and turned into a deep pit. Tian Lin flew in without any hesitation.
His voice came from the deep pit after a moment.
"My fellow Daoists, you can come down now. There isn't… any living threads of flesh in this place."
Long Li stepped into the sunken pit, followed by Sun Kun. Ye Shen Tong hesitated for a moment before he looked at Su Ming. He was clearly signaling to him that he wanted to be the last to enter the place.
Su Ming did not say anything either. He simply took the bald crane with him and charged into the pit. Once he entered, a glint immediately appeared in his eyes, and soon, he heard Ye Shen Tong sucking in a breath as he was the last person to enter the place.
This was a gigantic structure that looked like a bee's hive. Besides the uneven surface, there were an endless amount of densely packed circular holes. The surface of the ground was uneven and filled with bumps, because there was a layer of dark threads covering the ground. Their numbers seemed to be nothing less of several hundred thousands, and a rotten stench came from these thread. The people who stepped here couldn't help but spot grave expressions as they remained in the air.
Ye Shen Tong sucked in a breath and asked in shock, "Just-just how big is the body of the alien race's mighty cultivator?"
Tian Lin hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "Something's off. We might have never seen a sealed member of the alien race, but we've seen members of alien races who occasionally appear in the depths of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. They look the same as us, and I've never seen anyone who was big as the ferocious beasts…"
As everyone else was in shock and fear, Su Ming stared at the many holes before him. During that instant just now, he'd felt as if something was staring at him. This feeling disappeared within an instant, but there was no way Su Ming could be wrong about this, because it was not his Atman which had sensed it, and neither was it his body… but his soul!
A ripple had appeared in his soul of an Abyss Builder at that instant just then.
When he looked at the expressions on the other people's faces, it became clear to Su Ming that he was the only one who had sensed that strange gaze.
"I know what this is." Long Li's voice attracted all the people's attention. Su Ming became more cautious, but not a single hint of his thoughts was revealed on his face.
"The body of the alien race's cultivator is not this big. This entire area is a seal, and it should be the Bolt of Soul and Flesh, which is one of the ten seals from the four Great True World's One Aeonic Barricade, Three Snare Sealants, and Six Dao Bolts!
"These ten different seals are used by the four Great True Worlds to suppress the mighty cultivators of the alien races in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Thank goodness we only ran into the six Dao Bolts and not the three Snare Sealants, or else I would've immediately ran as far as possible, never daring to enter this place again," Long Li said slowly. Not only had Su Ming never heard about this, even Tian Lin and the others had never heard of it before.
"Oh? Fellow Daoist Long, please talk about this in detail. I don't have much knowledge regarding these seals."
"The six Dao Bolts are made of six seals of the same level. It is the seal that exists in most of the many cultivation planets here in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, used to suppress the members of the alien races.
"These seals are incredibly powerful, and they are used to suppress the powerful Generals. The strength of the seals differ based on the strength of those people who would be sealed, even if these six seals are of the same level.
"At most, all six Dao Bolts will appear at the same time. The weakest will only have one Dao Bolt appearing at a time," Long Li explained, and once he looked around him, his eyes sparkled.
"These should only be one seal in this area. Looks like the legends in the ancient scrolls about the alien race's Duke of Crimson Flame were mistaken. This person should be someone with a powerful physical body, not phenomenal spiritual power, or else the Bolt of Soul and Flesh would not be missing. But perhaps the other five Dao Bolts will appear in the deeper parts of this place. Whatever it is, the more seals that appear at the same time, the stronger the person would have been in the past." Long Li pointed at the many threads of flesh on the ground.
"It's actually easy to describe this so called Bolt of Soul and Flesh. Everyone, you know about the brutal execution method known as Death by a Thousand Cuts. The executioner will slice away the condemned person's flesh piece by piece, and if the condemned only dies after a thousand pieces of his flesh were cut, it will be known as a perfect execution. This Bolt of Soul and Flesh operates by the same principle. This seal will slowly cut away the flesh and blood of the alien race's mighty cultivator piece by piece… and while the mighty cultivator still has life force left in him, his flesh will slowly recover, and this execution will never end.
"This is the reason why all of us had the false conception that the mighty cultivator had a huge body when we saw this much flesh. Look at the signs of time on these threads of flesh, it's clear that they did not exist at the same time, but had instead accumulated slowly over a countless number of years." Long Li's words had a ghastly air to them. When his words fell into the group's ears, its members fell silent.
Su Ming looked at the threads of flesh on the ground. Even if he had lost his sense of pain, he was still affected when he thought of the torture the mighty cultivator from the alien race had to go through, and he also fell silent at the brutality of the four Great True Realms.
An expression of interest appeared on Sun Kun's face and he asked, "Fellow Daoist Long, you mentioned the One Aeonic Barricade, Three Snare Sealants, and Six Dao Bolts just now. Besides the six Dao Bolts, what sort of seal is the three Snare Sealants?"
"That's right. Fellow Daoist Long, please tell us." Tian Lin nodded, and Ye Shen Tong also looked towards him with concentration.
Long Li remained silent for a moment, then started speaking slowly.
"The difference between the three Snare Sealants and the six Dao Bolts is that the six Dao Bolts are used to seal a single person, but the three Snare Sealants… Heh, they're used to suppress an entire race! However, the three Snare Sealants are incredibly rare in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, and if we truly run into a seal that can suppress an entire race, then we would be better off relying on ourselves instead of luck to save us," Long Li stated flatly. When he saw that the others clearly still had questions, he decided not to hide anything any longer and began speaking once more.
"The one Aeonic Barricade is an even stronger seal than the three Snare Sealants. This seal isn't used to suppress powerful warriors or an entire race… but is used to suppress and seal… the king of each alien race!
"This seal is also known as King's Seal. All the people who are suppressed by this seal are renowned personas, but don't worry, this King's Seal is even rarer compared to the others." Long Li smiled mirthlessly.
Tian Lin was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist Long, how can you be certain of whether what you have said is true? Where did you hear it from?"
"I've lived in Black Ink Planet for a period of time, and I heard the people talk about this. I wouldn't dare to verify whether my words are true." Long Li looked as if he did not want to talk more about where he obtained the information and only went over it briefly.
"Is there a spot where all ten seals of the One Aeonic Barricade, Three Snare Sealants, Six Dao Bolts exist at the same time to suppress a single place?" Su Ming asked calmly.
Right at the moment he finished speaking, the entire area fell silent. After some time, Long Li nodded.
"There should be, but this sort of place would probably not be suppressing a great cultivator in Solar Kalpa. There's a high possibility… that it'd be suppressing those who have truly moved into Plane Kalpa, the terrifying existences who are already halfway into the state of controlling fate, life, and death."
Tian Lin sucked in a deep breath and spoke to Su Ming and the others. "Fellow Daoist Long, thank you for telling us about the seals. Right now, it would be best for us to break open the seal in this area a step at a time. The sooner we obtain our serendipity, the sooner we will be able to leave this place."
"Let's go according to plan. Fellow Daoist Long, please spread your divine sense outwards. I will assist you in finding the nearest spot where the seal is the weakest. After that, fellow Daoist Ye, please help fellow Daoist Su and fellow Daoist Sun test and break the seal." Tian Lin wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed to the group.
Long Li nodded and spread his divine sense outwards. Tian Lin did the same, too. As the two worked together, they immediately scanned the entire area, then sent their divine sense into each of the circular holes. After about an hour, with slightly exhausted faces, they retrieved their divine senses, and Tian Lin lifted his right hand to swing it in the air before him. Immediately, a gentle ray of light shone on one of the many circular holes.
"We can't send our divine senses deep into the area, either, but we give seven-tenths of a chance that if we break in through here, we'll be on the shortest path to the core."
Once Tian Lin finished speaking, Sun Kun took a step forward and arrived beside the circular hole. Once he scrutinized it, he lifted his right hand and started forming hand seals while working out the method to break the seal.
"Brother Su?" Tian Lin frowned and looked at Su Ming.
Su Ming took a few steps forward to stand by the screen of light. After looking at it for some time, he shook his head. "I would be able to try if this were the seal in the world outside, but it's difficult for me to break the seal here."
Tian Lin was just about to speak when Sun Kun turned his head back to look at Ye Shen Tong.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, please strike this spot at full strength. Remember to split the force of your strike into nine different charges. While you send the third and eighth charge in, you have to stop for three breaths, and while you send the sixth and ninth charge in, you have to stop for two breaths. These are the variations that you should have in your punch." Sun Kun pointed at a spot to the bottom right corner of the circular hole.
Ye Shen Tong came up without another word, and once his punches accurately fell on the spot, the area shook with a bang, and the circular hole instantly collapsed to reveal a wide tunnel.
Tian Lin was the first to rush in, followed by Ye Shen Tong, Sun Kun, and Long Li. Su Ming came last. At the instant he stepped into the tunnel, he turned his body around and looked behind him. A brilliant light shone in his eyes.
But there was not a single person behind him, and his Atman remained quiet. Yet during the instant just now, Su Ming had once again sensed that someone had looked at him from behind.
Chapter 768: The Member of the Alien Race Sensed Him
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming looked as calm as he usually was, but his level of vigilance had already reached its highest state. In fact, if it was not because he would feel incredibly regretful if he suddenly gave up after reaching this point, then he would have immediately left.
After all, this feeling of no one else but them noticing someone watching them from the back of a mysterious sealed region would make anyone's skin crawl.
At that moment, when Tian Lin and the others stepped into the tunnel and began charging forward, the endless white threads in Crimson Flame Planet that originally could only be seen in the True Guards' projection of light, covering all the area around… had already shattered to bits and pieces.
Almost one fifth of the threads had been reduced to dust, and the rest of them showed signs of following the same fate. These signs, however, had not showed up after Su Ming and the others entered the place, but had begun at the instant all the seals around the ferocious beasts in Crimson Flame Planet shattered.
Even if Su Ming and the others had not entered the place, the white threads would have still slowly become weaker.
At the deepest parts of the seal was a region that was not too far away from Su Ming and the others. The black sword that had pierced through the skull of the skeleton which was immersed in the endless purplish black magma was trembling furiously at the moment.
It was as if the sword was about to be forced out. Dark light shone in the skeleton's sockets, and even the other two swords that had pierced him were slowly becoming loose.
At the same time, signs of some flesh being restored showed up on his body, and threads of flesh and blood covered his skull, making it seem like the skeleton was coming back to life!
'I can sense… the presence of an Abyss Builder…'
Yet at the instant some flesh and blood had been restored, an endless amount of white threads suddenly appeared in the region where the skeleton was. These threads criss-crossed over, forming a net. One fifth of this net had disappeared and the remaining parts were slowly being dissolved, but they could still somewhat maintain their form. Clearly, the net formed by these endless white threads was the seal that was suppressing the alien race's Duke of Crimson Flame.
The white net gathered swiftly and soundlessly around the skeleton from all directions. It then phased through his body, intersecting with the threads from the other side. A shudder ran through the skeleton, and the flesh and blood that had grown on his face turned into pieces of shredded flesh that were separated from his skull.
The white net repeated this process again. Once it phased through his body while intersecting with the other threads nine times in a row and not a single bit of flesh was left on the skeleton, the net slowly hid itself away.
However, the skeleton seemed to have already become used to this sort of matter. The sword in his skull was still trembling and slowly becoming loose, and the dark light in the skeleton's sockets was gradually becoming stronger.
During all this, Su Ming and the others were traveling at an extreme speed in the external area of the region where the Duke of Crimson Flame was sealed. They ran through one of the holes within this area that was filled with an innumerable amount of densely packed holes which seemed like a beehive, outside the layers upon layers of seals that looked like membranes. However, before long, Tian Lin and the others in front of Su Ming were forced to stop.
A screen of light shining white was right before them, blocking their path.
Sun Kun observed the screen of light for some time before saying in a low voice, "The seal here is much stronger than the previous one. I will need some time."
Su Ming was standing not too far. The bald crane was by his feet, and it was letting out a lazy yawn while looking at Sun Kun in disdain, thinking that if it was the one who took action, then the seal would be broken within an instant, but since Su Ming did not seem to want it to do anything, the bald crane remained happily idle.
However, as it laid by the side, it looked at the area, and that dazed look appeared on its face again.
'Damn it, why does it feel like I've come here before… No, I've been in some place similar…' The bald crane vigorously shook its head, but no matter how hard it tried, it could not remember too much.
Su Ming stood silently by the side while his heart and soul remained in a state of high alert. The closer he came to the depths of the seal, the stronger the feeling became. He cast his gaze around the area, with all his cultivation base circulating through his body. Su Ming also had his Atman gathered on the poisonous wasp at the cuff of his sleeve.
Soon, Sun Kun wiped off the sweat that had broken out on his forehead. As he formed a seal with his hands, he pointed at the screen of light, and a Feng Shui compass appeared on his right hand. The needle on the Feng Shui compass was spinning rapidly, but once every ten breaths, it would stop for a brief instant. Every single time it stopped, Sun Kun would swiftly lift his left hand and point at the screen of light, which was like the surface of water. Once Sun Kun's finger landed on it, ripples would appear from the spot where his finger touched, then spread out.
When Sun Kun's finger touched the screen of light the ninth time, the number of ripples on the screen of light increased. When they intersected, it was as if billowing waves had stirred up on the screen of light.
"Strike these nine spots at the same time with all your strength!" Sun Kun immediately said, but before Ye Shen Tong managed to attack, a glint appeared in Tian Lin's eyes.
He lifted his right hand, and nine branches appeared on his right palm, growing rapidly. Those tree branches instantly touched the nine spots on the screen of light. As a muffled boom rang in the air, the screen of light shattered. Tian Lin's face turned pale for an instant. As he moved a few steps back, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked swiftly towards the tunnel that appeared after the screen of light shattered.
Sun Kun, Ye Shen Tong, and the old hunch-backed Long Li's expressions also changed at the same time. Su Ming's pupils shrank as well. As the screen of light shattered, an incomparably pure presence of a World Plane spread out from within.
"The presence of a World Plane! It's really the power of a World Plane! It's so dense… If I could just train here for several years, I'm confident that I'd be able to reach the middle stage of World Plane Realm!!" Long Li was visibly moved. As he took a step forward, the others also moved swiftly into the tunnel.
Su Ming was still the last to enter, but at the moment he stepped into the tunnel behind the shattered screen of light, even his breathing quickened slightly. The first thing he saw was that the walls of the tunnel had been formed from a deep blue stone. The physical strength coming from them far surpassed that of what he obtained at the surface of the planet.
In fact, there was simply no way to compare them. It was as if one was a faint, glimmering light, and the other was a bright moon.
"The power of the World Plane in this place is just what has escaped to the peripheral of the seal. The deeper we go, the thicker it'll be. The six screens of light that form these seals aren't something that we can usually break open. Right now, since the seals on the surface have shattered, this place also fell into a state of collapse, weakening a lot. That's why we obtained this chance.
"That's why… if we stay here and not move forward, we will regret it," Tian Lin stated flatly. As his voice reverberated against the stone walls, he was the first to move deeper into the tunnel. As his back was turned towards the group, no one saw the strange light flickering in his eyes at that moment. Besides excitement, there was both anticipation and madness in his expression.
Long Li sucked in a deep breath of the power of the World Plane in the place. A resolute expression appeared on his face, and he charged deeper into the tunnel. As for Sun Kun and Ye Shen Tong, they exchanged glances with each other, then chased after the other two.
Su Ming had been silent all along the way. At that moment, he had his right hand pressed against the stone wall, and only when the cycle of withering and becoming full repeated itself several times on his arm did he lift his hand. However, the increase in his physical strength during this short amount of time was already comparable to him absorbing the blue stones on the surface for several months.
'Fortune comes to those who take risks… it's worth it!' A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes, and he charged forward. However, he did not relax his guard in the slightest. He became only more alert as he followed the others.
While the group charged through the tunnel, Su Ming felt goosebumps suddenly raise on his skin. A strong sense of danger swiftly filled his heart, and piercing sounds that were connected with each other came at them from behind.
Su Ming grabbed the bald crane without any hesitation and turned into a long arc, then activated his full speed without holding anything back, catching up to the four people in front with one single loud whooshing sound.
"There's an anomaly at the back!" he immediately shouted. He did not stop, but instead went even faster. At that moment, the other people also sensed what had happened, and their expressions changed drastically. As the piercing whistles grew louder… numerous red threads showed up behind them!
"Why are there so many?!"
Ye Shen Tong felt his skin crawl. With a roar, he took a step and charged madly forward. As the other people's expressions changed as well, they too swiftly activated their full speed.
However, this was a tunnel. There were no paths to veer to the side. The only directions available for them was forward and backward. At that moment, there were too many red threads behind them, so once they caught up to any one of them, they would definitely die.
They could only move forward!
In this moment of crisis, the five people no longer bothered preserving their speed, and their levels could be immediately seen clearly. The fastest among them was not Tian Lin, but Long Li. Only an afterimage could be seen of him. The second was Tian Lin. Since his Nascent Divinity had changed places with his physical body, he was no longer held back by the limitations of his physical body, and he was only slightly slower than Long Li as he charged forward.
The third was not Ye Shen Tong or Sun Kun, but Su Ming!
Su Ming's area of expertise had always been speed. As he blasted forward at full strength, even Ye Shen Tong and Sun Kun found it difficult to surpass him. However, he could only surpass them because this was a tunnel and this was a short distance run. If they were in the world outside, then Su Ming would gradually slow down. He would not be able to maintain his speed for long, like those who had truly become World Paragons.
As the ground passed beneath them, they instantly widened the distance between them and the large amount of red threads. The piercing whistles by their ears became much fainter, but the sense of danger still lingered in their minds.
After a moment, Long Li suddenly let out a muffled groan from the front. His body tumbled backwards instantly, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Tian Lin's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and his expression turned incredibly sour.
Another screen of light appeared before them. There were ripples shining on it at that moment, a telling sign that Long Li had tried to use his robust power to break through, but had been bounced back. This alone was a telling sign that the third screen of light was much stronger than the previous two.
With a pale face, Sun Kun cast a glance at the screen of light and immediately said in a sharp voice, "I'll need an hour."
Tian Lin, a serious expression on his face, swept his gaze past Su Ming, then shouted fiercely, "There's no need to open the screen of light an hour later, because all of us would be dead. My fellow Daoists, let's all attack at the same time and hold nothing back! This is a matter of life and death!"
Chapter 769: Small Problem
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tian Lin knew that Su Ming was definitely hiding the true extent of his power, but it would have been better if it was any other time to find this. After all, he knew other people hid their levels of cultivation or skills as well. Most people did it, and it was difficult for anyone to say anything about this.
After all, if someone exposed all their skills in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, it would mean that they would no longer have any secrets and everyone would know the true extent of their abilities. Aside from this, it would also mean that it would be difficult for that person to replenish their power within a short period of time, and there would be endless problems waiting for them in the future.
However, they were in a life and death crisis at the moment. Tian Lin did not have time to bother with tact. As he shouted angrily, the intimidating power he had gained after he had his Nascent Divinity change places with his physical body spilled out from within him.
Piercing whistles were getting closer to them, for their sounds were becoming clearer. It was a telling sign that the red threads were swiftly closing the distance between them.
Once they caught up to the group, the only thing awaiting them would be a disaster.
A black light shone in Long Li's eyes. Five diamond-shaped scales immediately appeared at the center of his brows. The moment they shone with an enchanting light, the gourd he once held immediately appeared in his right hand.
He then lifted his left hand and swiped the gourd, even biting the tip of his tongue to cough up a mouthful of blood. Five black shadows immediately flew out of the gourd, and when Long Li let out a low roar, the presence that belonged to a World Paragon spread out from the five shadows, and they charged towards the third screen of light.
At that moment, Sun Kun's expression was incredibly grave. He lifted his right hand and struck his forehead. Immediately, his body shuddered, and the nails on all ten of his fingers instantly grew out, until they were seven inches long. They all possessed unparalleled sharpness, and as they grew longer, they sliced through the air. He opened his mouth and let out a roar, then spat out nine rays of different colored light in succession.
A blade, a spear, a sword, a halberd, an axe, a broadaxe, a hook, a fork, and a beast fang club appeared in the air. There were nine different Enchanted Treasures contained within the nine rays of light, and an extraordinary wave of power as well as an intimidating presence was spreading out from them. As Sun Kun swung his arms, these nine Enchanted Treasures turned into nine long arcs that charged towards the third screen of light. As for Sun Kun, he was positioning his hands into claws and flying over with a fierce whistle.
Ye Shen Tong glared at the red threads, and golden light erupted from his eyes. That light seemed to possess corporeal form and covered his face, once it spread out from his eyes. Once it covered his face, it spread to his neck, and in the span of a few breaths, it eventually covered most of his upper body.
All parts of his skin that were covered by this golden light exuded a powerful presence that would cause trepidation to rise in people's hearts. It was as if there was a physical strength that could overturn the world contained within him.
Clearly, Ye Shen Tong had also chosen not to hold anything back at this moment of crisis and had brought out his true power. As half of his body turned gold, the earth beneath his feet squirmed before charging to him. Layers upon layers of dirt gathered on him, and Ye Shen Tong was once again enveloped in earth, turning into a stone golem that was nearly a hundred feet tall. Strangely, even though he had turned into a golem, half of his body was still shining with that piercing golden light.
As he roared, Ye Shen Tong took a huge stride forward and charged towards the third screen of light.
When he saw that the three people had brought out their full strength, Tian Lin naturally did not hold back any longer. A layer of withered skin immediately appeared on his Nascent Divinity's body, making it seem like he had turned into an old tree. The shadow of a large tree manifested around him. As its branches swiped through the area, a strange light appeared in Tian Lin's eyes. He lifted his hands and pushed forward fiercely, and with it, the shadow of the large tree behind him grew so fast from the depths of the ground that it looked as if it wanted to break through the ceiling in the tunnel and rush into the sky. As it grew rapidly, it abruptly fell to the side.
The innumerable number of branches growing out from the crown crawled into the stone walls and disappeared for a short while before crawling out right outside the screen of light. These dozens of branches that crawled out from the dirt in the stone walls were densely packed together, and all of them stabbed the screen like vipers.
There was a solemn look on Su Ming's face, for the whistling behind him was getting clearly with every moment. When he saw that everyone else had used their full strength, he naturally did not hold back either. However, he did not choose to use the bald crane to break open the seal. Instead, he lifted his right hand, and the killing sword appeared.
Su Ming lifted his left hand and pushed against the ground. His body might have looked as it usually did, but all his power had swiftly gathered on the killing sword, causing it to let out a piercing screech before it turned into a long arc and charged towards the screen of light.
At the same time, Su Ming's left hand began to wither at a speed visible to the naked eye. In an instant, the withered state of his arm spread to his shoulder, and as it continued spreading swiftly, his body, legs, head, and everything else in his body… besides his right index finger, swiftly withered away.
However, a black light was shining about his right index finger. This was the peak of Su Ming's Surging Indulger's divine ability. That one finger did not just possess all of Su Ming's true physical strength, it also possessed an incredibly great suction force, as if it was a black hole that could devour everything.
The Crimson Python Phoenix's inborn divine ability, which was part of his physical strength and which he had inherited once he took over the creature, was contained in Su Ming's finger as well. The power of law that could disassemble all matters turned into ripples reverberating in the air around his finger, and during that instant, Su Ming's finger landed on the screen of light along with the other people's divine abilities.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The third screen of light might have been ten something feet thick, but as the five people's divine abilities attacked it, it flickered a few times, then shattered. At the instant that happened, a large amount of presence from World Planes gushed outwards like a stream of air, crashing into the group's faces before moving past their bodies.
In truth, if all the Runes sealing the ferocious beasts on the surface still existed, then this seal would have definitely not been broken so easily. Yet at that moment, it was blown apart like a tree without roots that was swept away by wind. The seal was shattering from within already, which was why it had shattered under the five's attacks.
Instead of saying that the seal had been broken by Su Ming and the others, it would be more accurate to say that it had shattered because it had suffered destructive attacks from both inside and outside.
At the time the screen of light shattered, five long arcs charged past it. However, seven breaths after they had fled past it, dense red threads charged past the spot, still chasing after them.
Instead of ending, the danger had become even greater. The five people were not slow. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, another screen of light appeared before them. This time, the screen of light was several hundreds of feet thick. The five attacked at the same time once again, but this time, the screen of light only swayed a few times before a rebound spread out from it, bouncing back its attackers. The five were sent tumbling backwards, just like what had happened to Long Li.
As Tian Lin looked at the screen of light that was a hundred something feet thick, he sucked in a deep breath. Freezing light flickered in Long Li's eyes. As for Sun Kun, he was breathing rapidly as he cried out in a sharp voice, "I don't know how many of these seals are left, but I'll need at least an hour for this screen of light!"
Ye Shen Tong glared at the screen of light and whipped his head around to look at the tunnel behind him before returning his gaze to the group.
"We're in a hurry, so I'll speak up. I am confident I could break this seal within thirty breaths, but once I cast this Art, I'll have to pay a huge price for it. It'll be difficult for me to recover for some time. Forget obtaining any sort of serendipity. At that moment, once I become weakened, there's a high chance that I will die here!"
When Tian Lin heard Ye Shen Tong's words, he immediately said firmly, "Brother Ye, don't worry. As long as you break the seal, I swear that I will ensure your safety."
"Brother Ye, you just need to attack, I'll definitely ensure your safety!" Long Li added in a low voice.
Sun Kun also nodded by the side. None of them showed what they truly thought on their faces.
"Heh heh, do all of you think that I am still a child? I've made these sort of promises to others more than ten times, and there was never a single one where even I believed in my own words.
"I can attack, but I will need to absorb most of the physical strength from among one of you by devouring his flesh. Only then will I not be affected once I break the screen of light. But don't worry, the person whose flesh I'll devour won't die. He will just have a large portion of his vitality sapped and take my place to be weakened." As Ye Shen Tong spoke, his gaze immediately fell on Su Ming. The ferociousness in that unflinching gaze was completely obvious.
The whistling sounds in the tunnel were becoming clearer. The blood red threads were already not too far away from them.
When Ye Shen Tong looked towards Su Ming, Long Li also cast his gaze on him. Sun Kun did the same. Even Tian Lin looked towards Su Ming after a moment of hesitation.
"Fellow Daoist Su, you have the lowest level of cultivation among us. Why don't you sacrifice yourself and help us achieve our aim? You might even have a chance to obtain a serendipity. Don't worry, I'll only take a ninth of your flesh and blood. I won't endanger your life." Ye Shen Tong grinned. He had a scar on his face, so when he smiled, he became even more hideous and ghastly.
Su Ming looked at Ye Shen Tong and said unhurriedly, "Oh? Looks like you're certain that I'm the weakest among you,"
Ye Shen Tong only smiled fiercely. He did not speak, but instead charged towards Su Ming.
In silence, Long Li took one step back, refusing to take any part in this. A glint appeared in Sun Kun's eyes, and he, too, moved back. Hesitation appeared on Tian Lin's face, but after he thought about something, he did nothing to stop Ye Shen Tong as well. However, he did not remind Ye Shen Tong that Su Ming possessed an eight-colored crystal, either.
Su Ming was calm. Almost at the instant Ye Shen Tong strode towards him, a sun appeared in his left eye and a moon manifested in his right eye. His heart was the star, and these three formed a strange loop in his body. At the instant he looked towards Ye Shen Tong, Su Ming activated the Art which he had gained in Crimson Flame Planet, which was naturally the illusion of the star, sun, and moon!
Almost at the moment he executed this Art, Ye Shen Tong's expression changed. At the instant a dazed look appeared in his eyes, Su Ming charged towards him. Su Ming's expression was cold and dark, and there was not a single hint of emotion reflected on his face. He closed in on his opponent in the blink of an eye and hurled a punch forward.
When Su Ming threw his fist, Ye Shen Tong coughed up a mouthful of blood. That was him biting the tip of his tongue while immersed in the illusion from Su Ming's eyes to jolt his pulse so that he would awaken. Then, as he roared loudly, golden light shone on half of his body, and he hurled a punch towards Su Ming.
Boom!
Blood trickled out of the corners of Su Ming's mouth when he fell backwards, but his expression only became more aloof, and there was even a faint mockery and killing intent within his eyes.
Ye Shen Tong smiled ferociously, but he wouldn't have been doing that if he had noticed a black shadow appearing at the instant Su Ming's fist connected with his body before disappearing the next moment. In fact, not even Tian Lin and the rest had noticed it.
"You little brat, I knew since the start that you were hiding your abilities… Hmm?"
Ye Shen Tong was about to take a step forward when his expression changed drastically. A black decaying spot had appeared on his right wrist, as if he had been stung by something!
Chapter 770: Intimidation
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"What is this… Ah!"
Just as Ye Shen Tong said these words, the rotting spot on his right wrist swiftly spread through his entire right arm, and within an instant, his right arm was reduced to a puddle of blood.
The poison from the wasp did not only destroy Ye Shen Tong's physical body, but also corroded his cultivation base, causing Ye Shen Tong's level of cultivation to plunge straight down once he lost his arm.
This sudden change of events happened too quickly, so by the time Tian Lin and the others heard a shrill scream of pain, it was all over. Ye Shen Tong's screams continued to echo in the tunnel.
His voice revealed a mind that had sank into madness due to pain. As Ye Shen Tong's shrill screams rang in the air, veins popped up on his face. Blood capillaries instantly filled the whites of his eyes. The pain he suffered at that moment made him lose control of himself despite his power and endurance. It was a clear sign that the pain he felt was so great that it exceeded the limits of what he could take.
Tian Lin's expression changed drastically. He swiftly approached Ye Shen Tong, but at the instant he took a step forward, a bloody stench immediately spread through the air, and Tian Lin's eyes shrank instantly. He had a strong feeling that he could not touch the puddle of blood that had formed when Ye Shen Tong's body melted, or else he would be in great trouble.
In his hesitation, he saw that Ye Shen Tong had not just lost his right hand. Half of his flesh and blood started flowing down like water, revealing the bones beneath, which were also turning into liquid.
All of this might have seemed to have happened over a long period of time, but in truth, only a few breaths had passed since Ye Shen Tong attacked Su Ming. However, Ye Shen Tong's status as a World Paragon was truly demonstrated when he forced himself to focus in the mid of all his shrill screams of pain and face off against the venom of the poisonous wasp. He swiftly lifted his left hand and seized the air, and immediately, eight medicinal bottles appeared in his hand. He swallowed eight different antidotes in one go.
However, no matter how many of those antidotes he swallowed, he still could not stop the spread of the poison. His legs shivered, and even they were reduced to liquid. He fell with a crash onto the puddle of blood, looking incredibly pathetic and wretched.
However, he was still a World Paragon. At the instant most of his body had melted and his level of cultivation dropped by a large margin, he rose his half-melted left hand with much difficulty and struck his forehead fiercely, which currently had its skin turning into blood and dripping down, showing his similarly melting skull.
Ye Shen Tong let out a shocking roar. All his power erupted from his body, forcing his Nascent Divinity to leave at the instant his body was about to melt completely.
Almost at the same time Ye Shen Tong's Nascent Divinity left his body, the remaining part of his body fell down, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a puddle of blood as well. His Nascent Divinity was lustreless while he floated in the air. As he shivered, he looked at Su Ming, and his gaze showed shock and terror, along with hatred as well as disbelief.
"Pity. If you had decided earlier to give up on your physical body and had your Nascent Divinity leave sooner, then you would have kept more of your power." The mocking look in Su Ming's eyes disappeared and he returned to his usual aloof expression as he spoke calmly.
When he spoke, there was a wasp that looked as if it was completely harmless lying on his shoulder. The wasp's wings were shivering lightly and letting out faint buzzing sounds. It had already pulled back the poisonous sting into its stinger, but the buzzing sound made Tian Lin and the others' expressions turn grave.
Tian Lin looked at Su Ming. He was the one who paid the most attention to Su Ming in the group, but this level of awareness only reached a state where he treated Su Ming as his equal. However, once he had his Nascent Divinity change places with his physical body, he had obtained a temporary increase in power, so he had naturally come to pay less attention and attach less value to Su Ming.
He had always believed that even though Su Ming posed some form of threat, that was because of the Crimson Python Phoenix, the strange power of law he possessed, and his eight-colored crystal. Perhaps he still had other mysteries surrounding him, but in Tian Lin's eyes, in the face of absolute power, all his attacks would just be party tricks.
Yet at this moment he discover that he had greatly underestimated the horrifying aspects surrounding Su Ming. Without using his bizarre power of law, without the Crimson Python Phoenix following him, without even using the eight-colored crystal, he had managed to poison Ye Shen Tong to such a terrifying extent by just bringing out a new pet.
This might be related to Ye Shen Tong's carelessness and this act of Su Ming could be considered as an ambush more than a real combat, but in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence where the strong preyed on the weak, no one could say anything about Su Ming's actions, because… before Ye Shen Tong attacked, they had consented to his actions silently, believing that it would help their cause.
'This person's level of cultivation might be nothing outstanding, but he's veiled in mysteries, and he has plenty of skills. Not only could he break the seals, he also has the Crimson Python Phoenix and this poisonous wasp… In fact, if he wanted to, he might have been able to control most of the ferocious beasts in Crimson Flame Planet… Could he be a Soul Ensnarer?!' Tian Lin's expression turned incredibly grave. When that thought appeared in his head, he wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed towards Su Ming.
"Brother Su, you truly hid yourself well. You've made me try to guess your power for quite some time a while ago. I didn't expect that you would be the incredibly rare Soul Ensnarer in the four Great True Worlds." Tian Lin smiled wryly. As he spoke in a low voice, the expression on Ye Shen Tong's Nascent Divinity immediately changed. The hostility in his gaze as he looked at Su Ming was shaken, and the shock in his eyes grew deeper.
He knew very well who Soul Ensnarers were. They were a type of cultivators who were incredibly vicious. Their levels of cultivation might not be incredibly high, but each Soul Ensnarer would possess many incredibly powerful ferocious beasts by their side. These ferocious beasts would seem to be controlled, for they would willingly follow after those cultivators. The beasts would also fight, ready to die at any time for them.
Long Li stared at the poisonous wasp on Su Ming's shoulder with an incredibly grave expression on his face. His heart was in an extremely shocked state at that moment. After all, even if he was the one who wanted to injure Ye Shen Tong this badly, he would have had to pay a certain price for it, and he would definitely have not been able to do such a thing so easily. If he only paid attention to the results of what had happened during that instant instead of bothering about Su Ming's level of cultivation as well as the process that had led to this, his heart would fill with weariness.
Even if the current Su Ming did not the possess the power of a World Paragon, in everyone's eyes, he was undoubtedly a powerful warrior, strong enough to make them be wary of him and make them pay a lot of attention to his person!
And it was only at this moment that Su Ming was truly acknowledged by these old monsters and become a person who could discuss certain conditions on certain situations on equal grounds with them.
"What domineering poison, what shocking speed. Brother Su, even though I believe myself to know many ferocious beasts, I've never heard of such a poisonous wasp before. Even if it was the ten great ferocious insects that existed during ancient times, only the Dark Shadow Dragonfly, which is ranked second, and the Poison Ocean Silkworm, which is ranked first, could compare to it!
"Brother Su, you have many attacks in your disposal. Even now, you might still have plenty that you have not shown us." Sun Ku narrowed his eyes to hide most of the light in his gaze, making it difficult for others to see his thoughts through his eyes. His words were also spoken in a cautious manner.
"I'm not the only one who has hidden their power, right?" Su Ming swept his gaze across the group of people before he swung his right hand. The poisonous wasp on his shoulder immediately vanished.
Sun Kun opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something else, but the buzzing of the red threads in the tunnel suddenly grew stronger, until they reached a piercing degree. As those sounds sliced through the air, an endless amount of red threads packed closely together appeared several hundreds of feet away. They were incredibly fast, and as they charged forward, they sealed off all paths of retreat.
Sun Kun's expression changed. By his side, Long Li and Tian Lin's eyes shrank as well. Only Ye Shen Tong's eyes alone were full of madness, even though he, too, was shivering at that moment. He knew that it would be difficult for him to escape this place with his current condition, but if he could have all of these people die with him, then at least he would not have to die in regret.
At this moment of crisis, a glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He did not choose to use the bald crane's power to break the seal. In his eyes, this was something that he absolutely could not reveal to others, or else, even if he solved his current predicament, many other problems would be added to his life in the future.
Besides, Su Ming did not believe for even a moment that these people before him truly did not have a way to break this seal. After all, even that cultivator in Heaven Cultivation Realm who had died in Su Ming's hands had prepared many trump cards to protect his life, so these World Paragons would only have even more of these things at their disposal.
The red threads might pose quite a threat, but the larger threat came from the group members. That was the reason why Su Ming had used such a brutal and ruthless attack to intimidate them. After all, his level of cultivation was the lowest among them.
At this moment of crisis, Su Ming took a few swift steps back, pressing his back against the stone wall. The deep blue stone wall that exuded a vast amount of physical power started melting at rapid speed at that moment. By the looks of it, it was clear that he wanted to sink into the wall to avoid the red threads closing in on him.
Sun Kun narrowed his eyes and immediately formed seven seals with his hands. Seven shadows immediately appeared on his body, overlapping with each other. A sparkle appeared in Long Li's eyes, but no one knew what sort of thoughts were running through his head. The whistles were traveling so swiftly that they sounded as if the source was right beside their ears. The red threads from several hundreds of feet away closed in within an instant and submerged all the people's bodies.
Almost at the instant the red threads filled the entire area like the sea, the Five Direction Seal shone with an intense light around Su Ming. With the sea of red threads, Sun Kun took seven steps back, the shadows still overlapping his body. At the instant he moved back and touched the screen of light, his body phased through the screen. A slightly smug smile appeared at the corners of his lips, and in the blink of an eye, he moved back and vanished.
At that moment, a low roar came from among the red threads. It was Long Li. His entire appearance had changed, and now he looked like a layer of black fog formed by an innumerable amount of shadows. He charged against the seal, turned into powder, and with some unknown method, also went through.
It was at this moment that a loud boom echoed violently in the tunnel. It was the sound of that boundless sea of red threads crashing into the screen of light!
As Su Ming remained inside the stone wall, booming sounds continuously reached his ears. The light of his Five Direction Seal continued shattering. The poisonous wasp shone before him as well to resist the red threads, though with much difficulty.
A cold sneer appeared on his lips. He had seen Sun Kun and Long Li's actions and knew that his deduction had been correct. All of them had their own methods to pass through the seals. They had only chosen to not use them and drag down the progress to the deeper parts of the seal simply because they wanted to cause more deaths. With more deaths, there would be one less person to share the power of the World Plane with.
'This is good as well. Let's all depend on our abilities to reach the bottom.' A chilling glare shone in Su Ming's eyes.