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Chapter 892: Our Berserkers

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"We have been waiting constantly for other Berserkers to walk out of Yin Death Region and come to this place. We… have been waiting for you all along. Lord Lie Shan Xiu was known as Yin Death's Child by Yin Death Region's will, and he believed that after him, there would be a second, a third, and even more Yin Death's Children who would appear.

"He waited for all this while, and we have been waiting alongside him for people from our homeland to come to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. That's why… we controlled Black Ink Planet and brought about the change in it. This was a signal for you.

"We were waiting for you.

"We wanted to create… a Berserkers' world beyond Yin Death Region! This place belongs to us, but we are already old. This is… a world created for you by the First God of Berserkers, Lie Shan Xiu. Everything in this place was prepared for you!" Elder Feng looked at Su Ming attentively. His face was filled with sincerity, and there was not a hint of him putting up an act.

As he said these words, booming sounds rang out once again from the image of Black Water City in the screen of light. The noise was really loud, like thunder booming, and it was roaring endlessly in the city.

It was the sound that came from the fight between the Nine-Headed Dragon's three heads and the three Progenitors in Solar Kalpa Realm. A cold harrumph abruptly came from the sky and shook the entire place.

As that cold harrumph rang in the air, the sky was dyed instantly in a dark green shade. Within it was a gigantic mountain descending slowly from the sky.

The mountain was several hundreds of thousands of feet big, and it looked like there was no end to it. As it descended, the entire Black Water City shuddered and all the cultivators who were fighting immediately fell backwards.

The Nine-Headed Dragon's three heads and the three Progenitors in Solar Kalpa Realm trembled and swiftly moved back.

It was as if the giant mountain exuded a supreme mighty pressure because of which all forms of thought were forced to freeze and all the people to kowtow to it.

"Greetings, Progenitor Tai Ci!"

"I, member of the younger generation, greet Progenitor Tai Ci!"

Roars filled with excitement came from the mouths of all the members who had not betrayed the Tai Ci Family. An endless amount of hope seeped through their excited voices, along with an unshakable belief that all disasters would be resolved now that their Progenitor appeared.

As the mountain descended, Su Ming could see a gigantic face on its in the screen of light. The face protruded out of the mountain, and he could vaguely see that it belonged to an old man. That face was filled with dignity, making it seem that if he became angry, he could make the entire universe roar with him.

Elder Feng looked at the screen of light and asked calmly, "Do you know what is the requirement to become the strongest family in Black Ink Planet?

"It's a Master of Fate, Lives, and Death. A family must have someone who has already become a Master of Fate, Lives, and Death to become… the strongest family here. Only then can they become a force of power that can intimidate the forces from the four Great True Worlds stationed here, and only then can they… trade with Divine Essence Star Ocean and the four Great True Worlds in Black Ink Planet."

Elder Feng's voice echoed in Su Ming's ears.

He looked at the gigantic face on the mountain through the screen of light. A familiar wave of pressure made him suck in a deep breath. This familiarity did not come from having seen Progenitor Tai Ci before, but from having been chased down by someone of the same level of cultivation in the past.

"That's enough!" When the mountain descended, an old voice reverberated through the world with a bang. That voice contained a will that would allow no forms of resistance, as if it was the god in this world.

"Shadow kings of Black Ink Planet, Tai Ci Family has never offended you, and neither have you done the same to us. Let this be over… Leave Black Water City. As for the members who have betrayed us, you can take them with you as well.

"This is the last straw. Do not force me to fight all of you to the death. I can sense that you… do not have a Master of Fate, Lives, and Death in Black Ink Planet."

The voice filled with an ancient air reverberated in all directions. Endless ripples rose in the air and spread outwards to sweep up a large amount of dark green clouds, so the entire sky looked like it had turned into a huge ocean that had waves raging on its surface.

"Sometimes, we will give some powerful warriors the respect they deserve, such as telling them why they lost." As Elder Feng smiled and spoke to Su Ming, he took a step forward and moved into the screen of light and vanished into thin air.

He did not ask Su Ming to go with him; after all, not everyone has the bravery to face off a powerful Master of Fate, Lives, and Death. Su Ming watched Elder Feng disappear, then a faint smile appeared on his face and he took a step forward as well and disappeared into the screen of light.

Elder Feng walked out of the air in the sky above Black Water City. As he stood there, the gaze of the gigantic face on the mountain swiveled towards him.

That one gaze contained a power that could make the sky and earth tremble, and a mighty pressure descended swiftly on Elder Feng's body. It was also during this moment that Su Ming appeared beside him.

His appearance immediately brought the mighty pressure from Progenitor Tai Ci to descend on him as well.

This was not the first time that Su Ming faced off against this sort of pressure. He stood there with brightly shining eyes, but he did not move even a single step backwards.

"You are afraid." Elder Feng's expression was calm as ever under the mighty pressure coming from Progenitor Tai Ci, and he spoke coolly. His words were not aimed at Su Ming… but were directed towards Progenitor Tai Ci.

"You are afraid of the legendary shadow kings in Black Ink Planet and the true might of Black Ink Dao… You are afraid of why Black Ink Dao… would dare to provoke Tai Ci Family even though you cannot sense someone who is of the same level as you and would even fight till the last of us falls.

"You also became wary the instant I appeared, because you do not know why I dared show up before you even though my level of cultivation is not as great as yours.

"You are also uncertain as to why I dare say such words to you." Elder Feng's voice echoed in the air, and the pupils on that gigantic face on the mountain shrank.

"Su Ming." Elder Feng turned his head around to look at his companion.

Su Ming looked over.

"Becoming the Master of Fate, Lives, and Death is the peak to the eyes of the people in the world. Theirs is a will that is equivalent to the might of heaven that no one can fight against. It is the limit of the path of Dao, and there are very few people in the world who can kill those who have reached this Realm.

"In fact, some truly terrifying poisons can even be disregarded by Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death. In fact, it can even be said that poisons that can be fatal to Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death no longer exist in this world, even though they might have existed in the ancient past.

"That is unless you've schemed against that person for tens of thousands of years and placed poison into the spirit stones he uses to practice his cultivation every day, into the spiritual aura he breathes in every day, into the air he gets in touch with every day, and even on all his clothes and everything else that he gets in contact with during the tens of thousands of years he is alive. As he comes into contact with that poison every day for tens of thousands of years, that poison will become a part of him, and only then can a Master of Fate, Lives and Death's body and soul be destroyed after tens of thousands of years!" Elder Feng smiled.

"Should we have used this sort of poison before this person became a Master of Fate, Lives, and Death as well? In fact, should we have used it when he had just been born so that the plan would be even more perfect as his level of cultivation rose through the passage of time?" Su Ming asked calmly.

Praise immediately appeared in Elder Feng's eyes. He looked at Su Ming and nodded.

"That's right.

"Tai Ci Family became the strongest family under our control from the shadows. Your Progenitor Tai Ci Sha had disappeared a long time ago, and his life plate had shattered tens of thousands of years ago. You might have hidden this very well, but his death was part of Lie Shan Family's plan, so there is no way we would not know about this.

"Tai Chi Shan, you have great potential, but from the moment you were born, everything you came in contact with was due to Lie Shan Family's arrangements. There is not a single thing that you came in contact with that did not contain poison. We know all about Tai Ci Family's strengths and know that you have the legacy of the Shamanic Dao in you. Your family has the qualities to be awakened in your blood, and because of it, you will always have a Master of Fate, Lives, and Death among you. Tai Ci Sha's death only meant that another Master of Fate, Lives, and Death would appear in Tai Ci Family.

"All the people in your generation who could obtain the legacy died one after another, until only you remained. When you obtained the legacy and became a Master of Fate, Lives, and Death, everything that you came into contact was filled with poison.

"The dimensional crack you discovered in the past was something we let you discover. The color of your controlled world is dark green; have you never suspected it? That color… is filled with depression… along with death.

"You discovered it. That was why you tried to fuse with this Origin Mountain of Great Kindness ten thousand years ago in an attempt to get rid of the poison that had fused into your soul by using the mountain as your body. But… this mountain was something our Lord Lie Shan Xiu intentionally allowed you to discover in Divine Essence Star Ocean." When Elder Feng said these words, his expression turned ghastly, and he looked at the gigantic mountain coldly.

Su Ming stood by the side with his heart in great shock. A sudden wave of curiosity rose within him towards Lie Shan Xiu, a man who could plot against Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death, could control the entire Black Ink Planet, and could even affect a powerful family's rise and fall.

This man called Lie Shan Xiu.

After a long while, the gigantic face on the mountain asked slowly, "What is the name of that poison?" He did not refute Elder Feng's words, and in fact, there was not a single change in his expression.

"Berserker Seed number four. This is the name our Lord Lie Shan Xiu gave for the poison. It is also… your new name."

"Lie Shan Xiu…" The gigantic face on the mountain slowly closed his eyes to cover the anguish and dullness within them. He had appeared so late instead of coming right at the start to prevent his family's destruction because he knew… that he was no longer himself.

He also knew that even if he chose to die, another scion would appear in the future within the Tai Ci Family, and he or she would go down the same path.

"Let my family… leave." After a long time, Progenitor Tai Ci opened his eye. The anguish in his eyes had disappeared, replaced by a dull, lifeless look.

"Very well. In the future, a middle-tier family by the name of Tai Ci will appear in Black Ink Planet." Elder Feng smiled and nodded.

"All the members of the Tai Ci Family who belong to Black Ink Dao will fuse into the Yu Family. From now on, Black Water City will belong to the Yu Family. This is the gift we bestow onto you for what you have done for our God of Berserkers."

Once Elder Feng finished saying these things, he turned his head around to look at Su Ming.

"Didn't you say you wanted to meet Lie Shan Xiu? Come, I'll take you to him. I'll also let you see our Berserkers."

Chapter 893: Number One

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Our Berserkers…" Su Ming cast Elder Feng a glance and did not speak. He identified with those two words, but there was also a complicated feeling in him that he could not describe. This complicated feeling came from Tai Ci Progenitor's new name.

Berserker Seed number four.

If there was a number four, then while there might not be a number five and number six, but there would definitely be a number three, number two… and a number one.

Who were they..?

'With Lie Shan Xiu's intelligence and methods, if he decided to scheme against me, then perhaps I am… numbers one, two, or three.' Su Ming's expression remained calm and he did not reveal a single hint of his thoughts. All of this was just his guess, so while his thoughts might be correct, they could also be just him thinking too much.

It was just like how a person might not have the intention to harm others, but they must maintain vigilant of those around them, because… this was the world of cultivation. This was a world where the law of the jungle was the prime principle. It was a brutal era in which one wrong step would cause a person to be damned eternally.

Elder Feng walked in the air with Su Ming by his side, the two of them moving forward leisurely. Yu Rou and the Duke of Crimson Flame with the yellow and black dogs followed behind them. As for Yu Chen Hai, he had already gone back to Yu Family's base.

"More than half of the families in Black Ink Planet have been planted with the Berserker Seed, and as they are unconsciously influenced by it, they no longer think of themselves as cultivators but accept being known as Berserkers," Elder Feng said leisurely.

"We've control about an eight-tenths of the trades conducted between Black Ink Planet and the world outside. We can limit the number of a particular item being sold, and with this, we control one of the lifelines of Divine Essence Star Ocean and the four Great True Worlds.

"But the fights to seize the market have never disappeared. Once in a while, a force from the outside will come here to snatch the resources in Black Ink Planet, such as this Tai Ci Family. It is part of the Shamanic Dao from the world outside which came to this place after traversing through many galaxies. However, from the shadows, we divided them, and even if their family members had not provoked you today… before long, we would have wiped them off." Elder Feng's voice echoed in the world as he brought Su Ming through mountains, rivers, and meadows.

"Didn't you notice that you didn't feel too much unfamiliarity when you came to Black Ink Planet?" As Elder Feng moved forward, he turned his head around to smile at Su Ming.

"The rivers, meadows, and the terrain here… If you take a closer look, you will find… that everything has been modified and changed into… those of the world of the Berserkers that resides in our memories." When Elder Feng finished saying these things, he stopped speaking and chose instead to look quietly at Su Ming.

Su Ming remained silent. He had noticed this before, but as they were now moving through the land, he had been able to sense something. It was just as Elder Feng had said, there were certain parts in the terrain here… that gave him a sense of déjà vu.

"Ink Kirin City lies a distance away. The rules within its family are incredibly strict… and they are also the family upon which we have the least control. They are an important alien race from Divine Essence Star Ocean that serve as the core of all the alien races here, and they… have their own pride."

As they traveled through the land, Su Ming saw plenty of different families. When Elder Feng's spoke up, Su Ming looked over and saw a vast city built… upon a foreign creature!

It was a gigantic black kirin. That kirin stood on the ground with its head was tilted towards the sky. There was a yearning look on its face, as if it was looking at the star of its home.

That black kirin was several hundreds of thousands of feet big, and when Su Ming looked at it, he could see no end to the creature. A vast, mighty pressure spread out from it, and the its strength seemed to be same as the one that belonged to a Master of Fate, Lives, and Death.

Elder Feng did not bring Su Ming to Ink Kirin City, but instead they went past it. He brought Su Ming through almost the entire Black Ink Planet, and on their way they saw Worldly Star Planet as well.

In the end, when the sky gradually darkened, he brought Su Ming to a mountain range. It looked like a dragon's spine, as if a dragon had curled up on the ground and was deep in sleep.

The place was all dark.

When Su Ming looked down from the sky, he could see a vague shadow of a person standing at the peak of the tallest mountain. That person was incredibly tall and well-built. As he stood there, he gave off a feeling that he was even taller than the mountain under his feet.

It was as if wherever he went, everything would be centered around him. Even the portion of the world in this region seemed different from the other parts in the world. It gave a feeling as if it had sunken slightly, as if… it was worshiping this man.

Su Ming could only vaguely see that person's back. As he approached with Elder Feng, the large back slowly became clearer, and complicated emotions appeared on Su Ming's face.

Because… this was no longer a living person, but a stone statue.

Lie Shan Xiu's… stone statue!

Elder Feng descended on the mountain and stopped beside the stone statue. Su Ming landed beside him quietly, not saying a single word when his gaze fell on the stone statue.

After a long while, Elder Feng sighed and said calmly, "You were too late.

"This isn't a stone statue. Eight thousand years ago, Lord Lie Shan stood here and looked at the sun setting and rising as if he was thinking about something. He stood here for three years, and his body turned into a stone statue. We don't know where his soul went, just that his life force disappeared without a trace.

"However, before his soul disappeared, Elder Yu and I heard our Lord God of Berserkers' divine thought. He told us that he went… to a place where he could decide the fate of Berserkers. He might never come back from there, so we were told that if he didn't return within ten thousand years, then everything that he created would belong to the God of Berserkers who would come here after him.

"If the God of Berserkers who came to this place wanted to find him… then a competition between the Gods of Berserkers would occur!

"I don't really understand what the Lord God of Berserkers meant, but I think you should be able."

Elder Feng remained silent for a moment after saying this, then he cast a profound look at Su Ming and took a few steps backwards. He sat down cross-legged several thousand feet away and closed his eyes, speaking no more.

Su Ming's expression remained as calm as before. No one could see his thoughts. When Elder Feng moved back, he lifted his head to look at the statue before him and walked over. When he stood in front of it, he saw how Lie Shan Xiu looked like.

His a face was one filled with an ancient air and an awe-inspiring righteousness. The profound look in his eyes stood out starkly even after he had turned into a stone statue, and it gave off a feeling of sadness. When Su Ming looked at the statue, he could sense that grief.

Lie Shan Xiu was looking at the sky in this manner while thinking about something.

Su Ming looked at the statue. This image was the one that fit with the image of what he thought of Lie Shan Xiu in his heart, not the person who had used all those despicable means and used Berserker Seeds with a sinister air about him.

After a long while, Su Ming mumbled to himself, saying words that only he could hear. "Is he giving me the power to choose..?"

The words Lie Shan Xiu left behind were not complicated but very straight-forward. Elder Feng had lied when he said he did not understand his words. He had simply not wanted to understand them since he was not the one who could make the decision. This was a path that could only be chosen by the one who had the right to make this decision.

The only people who had the right to walk down this path were the Gods of Berserkers.

It did not matter whether it was the first, the second, the third, or the fourth… As long as they had been acknowledged by the land of Berserkers and won over the Berserkers' hearts…. they had the right to walk down this path.

Time trickled by as Su Ming continued looking at Lie Shan Xiu's statue until the night passed. When the sky grew bright once again, Su Ming lifted his head to look at the sky while standing by the statue.

His action was the exact same as that of Lie Shan Xiu. He might not be as tall and built as the other, but as he stood there, he looked as if he was stepping on top of the world.

He looked at the sky quietly.

One day, two days, three days…

Another person silently arrived to the mountain range. He was a person Su Ming had seen before on the screen of light - the old man sitting on the gigantic octopus. He was the Rain General of the four Generals of Wind, Rain, Lightning, and Fog.

His old appearance was incredibly similar to Feng Lai's. He arrived quietly and silently sat down beside Elder Feng. The two of them did not speak, just sat there as if they were waiting for Su Ming to make his choice.

Time passed, and even more people appeared behind them. These people were all old men and were all respectable personas in the Lie Shan Family. They seldom ventured out on normal occasions, but now… they had all come to this place and were looking at Su Ming's back with complicated expressions on their faces. In the end, they chose to sit down and wait for him.

Half a month later, nearly one hundred people arrived and fixed their gazes on Su Ming's body. However, he could no longer sense it. He looked at the sky as he pondered about what Lie Shan Xiu had seen in the past.

Having watched the sky for half a month, Su Ming had seen a dozen something cycles of the sun rising and setting, but he did not obtain his answer. When another half a month passed as he looked at the sky, he suddenly came to a realization while his mind was still in an absent-minded state.

There was nothing in the sky. Lie Shan Xiu had not been looking at the skyt, but was looking at… himself… at his own heart. He was hesitating as he mulled over something.

"The competition between the Gods of Berserkers…" Su Ming said softly. "But I don't want to compete." He looked at the sky. "If I don't want to compete and you still don't return in two thousand years, then everything here will belong to me… Are you telling me that this is your choice?

"But why do I feel like everything about this is just an illusion. This isn't your real choice. In the end, you would choose to have me compete against you…" Su Ming sighed. He slowly lowered his head and turned around to look at the nearly one hundred Berserkers who were thousands of feet behind him.

He was looking at them, and they were also looking at him.

Both parties were silent.

"Tell me. Who is Berserker Seed number three?" Su Ming asked slowly.

"A prodigy of the previous generation from twenty thousand years ago, who is a Heaven Stealer from Divine Essence Star Ocean." The person who answered Su Ming was Elder Feng.

"What about number two?"

"A cultivator from True Morning Dao World… who is among the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping an eye over this place," Elder Yu said hoarsely. This was the first time he spoke, and wherever his voice traveled to, it would felt as if there was water vapor around there.

Su Ming remained silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Who is number one?"

The moment he said these words, Elder Feng and Elder Yu cast their gazes at him at the same time. However, since Su Ming was standing beside Lie Shan Xiu's statue, their gazes also landed on it, but no one could tell if it was just a coincidence or not.

Chapter 894: The Back Filled with Anguish

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Ming turned his head sideways to cast a glance at Lie Shan Xiu's statue. Then, he sighed softly.

He understood now, and it could even be said that he understood everything completely. This was Lie Shan Xiu giving him… No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he was giving all the Gods of Berserkers who would come to this place from their homeland a choice that was not a choice.

Su Ming was number one, and Lie Shan Xiu was also number one.

This was… a competition between the Gods of Berserkers. The victor could obtain the legacies of all Berserker Seeds to obtain a form of supremacy in the level of cultivation and from there lead all the Berserkers to rise to power.

This competition might not seem brutal, since there was no fight in it, let alone a battle to the death, just a search.

If Su Ming found Lie Shan Xiu, then he would win. If he could not, then he would lose.

As for the time limit… it was ten thousand years. However, eight thousand years had already passed since then, so there were only two thousand years left.

'The First God of Berserkers, Lie Shan Xiu… hesitated in the past because of the brutality of this competition between the Gods of Berserkers, and it's not something he wants… That's why he gave a time limit of ten thousand years. If a God of Berserkers from his homeland arrived during the ten thousand years, then that God of Berserkers would have a chance to win in this choice that is not really a choice.

'However, if no God of Berserkers arrived during the ten thousand years… then he would take the place of the Berserkers in Yin Death Region and bring upon… a windstorm with which the Berserkers would rise to power.

'Then what… reason could it have made Lie Shan Xiu believe that there would only be one God of Berserkers from the land of Berserkers? What reason could have pushed him to leave this path for his descendants? There is no reason for this, but he still did it.' Su Ming closed his eyes, and the memory of the grief about Lie Shan Xiu's statue appeared in his head.

'Perhaps there are plenty of answers hidden within that grief.' Su Ming opened his eyes. He had already obtained his own answer. 'I will not compete against you, and neither will I search for you. I have my own path to take.'

Su Ming swung his arm and walked towards Elder Feng and the others. When he came over, the near one hundred Berserkers, including Elder Feng, stood up and looked at him with a complicated gaze. They were waiting for him to make his choice.

"I…" Su Ming looked at these Berserkers and at the old Elder Feng as well as Elder Yu. The moment he said that one word, his body suddenly froze, because he had suddenly thought of a possibility.

This possibility made his words come to an abrupt halt. His pupils constricted before he turned around slowly to look at Lie Shan Xiu's statue.

'Grief, hesitation, looking at the sky, contemplation… a choice that does not follow the conventions of logic. Are all of these… truly that simple..?

'The First God of Berserkers, Lie Shan Xiu, stood here in the past for three years… Berserker Seed number one…'

As the near one hundred Berserkers waited for Su Ming to make his choice, he once again looked at Lie Shan Xiu's statue. He slowly walked towards it again and looked at it in rapt concentration.

He saw hesitation, grief, and contemplation, but when these three emotions were fused together, his heart trembled, because what he saw then was that Lie Shan Xiu's expression seemed to contain… a faint hint of anguish that was hidden incredibly deeply within him!

Su Ming remained silent as he stood beside Lie Shan Xiu's statue once again. He lifted his head and looked towards the sky. As time trickled by, seven days went past, and hesitation appeared on Su Ming's face.

This hesitation was one he intentionally brought about on himself. He was recollecting all his memories and fusing all instances when he hesitated in the past before having that emotion reflect on his face.

Another ten days passed, and in the mid of that hesitation, grief appeared. Once that wave of sadness fused together with the hesitation, Su Ming's expression looked incredibly complicated.

Another half a month went by. Besides hesitation and grief, a third emotion appeared on Su Ming's face. It was… contemplation.

Only at that moment did he lift his head. When he looked at the sky, his voice could be heard for the first time after he had remained silent for a little over a month.

"Yu Rou, tell me. What is the first word that comes to your mind when you look at my face now?"

When said that, Yu Rou, who had been accompanying him all this while silently standing by his side, quietly and elegantly looked at his face. After a moment, she said softly, "Anguish and conflict."

Su Min's heart trembled. His eyes might have played tricks with him previously, which was why he had asked Yu Rou to verify for him, and with it, he that the hint of anguish he saw on Lie Shan Xiu's face was not a figment of his imagination!

There was an expression of internal struggle within that anguish, but this expression was incredibly easy to understand. It could be understood as Lie Shan Xiu not wanting the competition between the Gods of Berserkers to occur, but he had to do so, which was why they was anguish and conflict within him.

However… there could also be another explanation to this. Perhaps there was another form of truth hidden within that back filled with anguish, and it was what Lie Shan Xiu had wanted to convey to him in a not so straightforward manner.

Su Ming fell silent. As his pupils constricted, he made sure his expression remained the same when he lifted his head to look at the sky.

'First God of Berserkers Lie Shan Xiu, what is it that you want to tell me? Let me see it.'

Su Ming continued looking at the sky as he allowed time to pass, allowed wind and rain to fall on him, and allowed the clouds in the sky to continue disappearing and reappearing ceaselessly as the world changed with the passage of time.

One day, two days, three days…

One month, two months, three months…

The near one hundred Berserkers behind him had also discovered this strange aspect, especially Elder Feng and Elder Yu. The both of them cast a glance at each other, and their expressions turned incredibly solemn.

Ever since the Duke of Crimson Flame had acknowledged Su Ming as his young master, he never let his side. At that moment, he stood by him, on guard against the people of Lie Shan Xiu. He would not allow anyone to be of a threat to Su Ming.

Yu Rou had always been an elegant person. Time continued passing, but she continued sitting quietly by the side as she looked at the sun rising and setting.

As for the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon, the two of them had taken the forms of two big dogs. They had originally been lying about, but the bald crane had lost its patience and was able to convince the Abyss Dragon to run away with it a month ago. As of then, no one knew where they were, nor how the bald crane had managed to convince the dragon.

In the blink of an eye, half a year passed as Su Ming continued standing beside Lie Shan Xiu's statue in the mid of wind and rain. Even when the weather became cold and snow fell, he continued to stay unmoving, immersed in a state in which his mind was almost completely void of all thoughts as he looked at the sky and the clouds.

When winter slowly passed and spring arrived to allow all manner of lives to come back to life, the clouds in the sky slowly increased in number, and Su Ming's body suddenly shuddered.

He had been standing there for almost ten months, and only at that moment did he tremble. As he did so, the Berserkers behind him immediately cast their gazes on him.

In fact, Elder Feng even lifted his head to look at the sky, but all he saw was clouds. There was nothing else besides that.

Su Ming had his gaze trained on the sky. He could see clearly that at the instant the clouds in the sky intersected with each other, some changes occurred among them.

It was as if they were trying to show something, but in the end… there was nothing.

The shivers in his body gradually calmed down. He continued looking at the sky quietly, and time passed once again. In the blink of an eye… a little over a year passed, which meant that Su Ming had already stood beside Lie Shan Xiu's statue on the mountain for two full years.

During these two years, the Yu Family became the master of Black Water City and the strongest family in the planet, even though… they had no Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death in the family. Even so, they still managed to become one of the three greatest families in the planet.

During the course of these two years, Black Ink Planet organized plenty of auctions, and as people came and went, the planet bustled with activity. However, the area around Su Ming seemed to have been locked down since not a single person passed through during all that time.

It was as if this place… had turned into the forbidden grounds within Black Ink Planet!

The third year arrived, and it went by with spring, summer, autumn, and winter passing in sequence. When the sequence was over, it marked the third year that Su Ming had stood on the mountain!

On that day, Su Ming shuddered once again as the sun set. He moved with anguish and conflict on his face. He had been standing on the mountain and had never once blinked, just like what Lie Shan Xiu had done.

As of then, three full years had passed. He had not been able to see anything, but he had a feeling as if he had seen something. That feeling turned into the shivers when he closed his eyes.

At the instant he closed his eyes, all the movements of the clouds rising and falling he had seen for the past three years appeared in his mind like fleeting smoke. He seemed to be seeing the same piece of sky in his head, but there were slight differences in terms of the changes in the clouds, and these slight differences were rapidly connected together in his head as they swiftly flashed through his memory...

They formed six words!

These six words had existed in the sky since the start, but three years were required to form them as the clouds in the sky continued changing!

There was only one method to see these six words, and that was by watching the sky intently, just like what Su Ming had done. His stare had been focused intently on the clouds, branding all their changes into his mind. But only at the instant he closed his eyes would the words appear.

"Divine Essence Star Ocean, save me…"

Su Ming's heart trembled and he opened his eyes. Needless to say, what the six words said was a plea for help that was hidden behind Lie Shan Xiu's back, which was filled with anguish and internal struggle!

This plea for help was clearly something that no one else was supposed to know. In fact, it could be said that no one could not know about it, or else Lie Shan Xiu would not have delivered his message in such a cryptic manner and spent three years to slowly change the clouds in the sky with his divine sense so the changes in the sky would form a message that would allow the person who lifted his head to look at the sky for three years to discover his cry for help.

It was a distress call that came from eight thousand years ago. As Su Ming's heart trembled, he gained a new understanding towards the competition between the Gods of Berserkers Lie Shan Xiu had mentioned.

"Before me, was there anyone else who came to this place and stood here for three years?" Su Ming suddenly asked and turned around to look at Elder Feng and the near one hundred Berserkers behind him.

"No." Elder Feng shook his head.

"Prepare a map of Divine Essence Star Ocean for me; the more comprehensive it is, the better."

Su Ming was silent for a moment after, then after a long while, he sighed softly and said, "I cannot ignore the First God of Berserkers' cry for help for no other reason than respect towards him for the glorious life he led."

"This isn't difficult. We have always had an incredibly detailed map of Divine Essence Star Ocean, but there are plenty of changes within that galaxy, so there are always differences in the maps regarding that galaxy once every few hundred years. Still, Black Ink Auction, which is an auction held by various families working together once every few hundred of years will be held one month later. At that time, the alien races from Divine Essence Star Ocean will come, and they will have with them a map that is even more detailed and has the changes within Divine Essence Star Ocean that have occurred over the past hundreds of years," Elder Feng said in a low voice after he cast Su Ming a deep look.

"Black Ink Auction?" Su Ming's eyes sparkled. "Will the people from the forces of power keeping an eye over this place come here?"

"Since the past, the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds have sent someone to attend Black Ink Auction," Elder Feng answered.

"If Lie Shan Family's forces could discover the details of my bounty, then could they… find the list of those with incredibly great potential in the path of cultivation from the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds?" Su Ming asked languidly.

Chapter 895: Dao Kong

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Elder Feng cast Su Ming a look, then turned his head around to look at Elder Yu, who was beside him.

"Very well. We will need about a month or so," Elder Yu said flatly. As he spoke, water vapor filled the air around him, bringing a haziness to the area around him.

"All members of Lie Shan Family, all of your manpower within Black Ink Planet will now come under the Fourth God of Berserkers' name. You will need to listen to my orders," Su Ming said calmly as he stood beside Lie Shan Xiu's statue and swept his gaze over the crowd. When his words left his mouth, the acknowledgement he had from the land of Berserkers in his soul and the power of worship of the Berserkers in the land of Berserkers spread out from his body.

This was the dignity of the God of Berserkers. It was an invisible power that could make all Berserkers' Qi tumble.

The bodies of the near one hundred Berserkers trembled and they lowered their heads towards Su Ming. Elder Feng and Elder Yu remained silent for a moment, then wrapped their fists in their palms and bowed towards Su Ming.

The voices of the people as they bowed together turned into one single voice that said, "We greet the God of Berserkers."

…..

One month swiftly passed. During it, Black Ink Planet was filled with a bustle of activity, since cultivators continuously arrived from the world outside. These people were mostly powerful warriors from Sinful Barren Lands, and they had naturally come to Black Ink Planet for Black Ink Auction, which was only held once every couple hundred years.

The Black Ink Auction was incredibly famous in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. It was a large-scale auction in its truest sense, and every single time it was held, plenty of shocking treasures would appear.

The alien races from Divine Essence Star Ocean would also send their people to the auction, and they would bring with them a large amount of strange items from the galaxy in exchange for necessities as well as treasures and cultivation methods that would only appear in the four Great True Worlds.

The four Great True Worlds also placed an incredible amount of importance on Black Ink Planet's auction. Every single time it was held, plenty of True Guards would come. In fact, there would even be representatives from each True World who would come to the planet to trade.

Due to far too many cultivators arriving in the planet, preventing chaos became an incredibly great task. It would be taken by a group of guards formed by the powerful warriors from each family in the planet, and they made sure that no battles occurred during the auction.

In fact, the Protection Rune in Black Ink Planet would also be fully activated during the entire process. Once any sign of disturbance appeared, the Rune would immediately destroy the cause of the disturbance.

Thankfully, the auction had been held plenty of times in the past, so everything progressed in an impeccable and orderly manner.

Su Ming sat in a palace Yu Family had built in Black Water City after it became its owner. He sat at a spot from which he could see everything that was happening in the city. The thirteen Progenitors from the Yu Family stood behind him respectfully.

There was a jade slip placed in front of Su Ming.

Lie Shan Kang Jiu stood beside him respectfully. That respect came from the bottom of his heart while he waited for Su Ming's orders.

Lie Shan Kang Jiu had delivered the jade slip to Su Ming, and on it were the names of the prodigies from the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds. In fact, detailed descriptions of those who might possibly come to Black Ink Planet to participate in the auction were also recorded inside.

Su Ming held onto the jade slip with a calm look on his face. Not a single change of expression could be detected on him, even if the very first name he saw on that jade slip… was Ye Wang [1]!

'Ye Wang, the person with the strongest potential over the course of numerous years in True Morning Dao World, because of which Morning Dao Sect has placed an incredible amount of importance on him. He's known as the person who has the highest possibility of heading into Plane Kalpa Realm among the cultivators of his generation.

'He's also Heng Kong Zi's successor disciple, who is one of the Grand Sect Elders in Morning Dao Sect. Ye Wang had went with Dao Kong, a direct descent of Dao Chen, into the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.

'There is a high possibility that this person will come to Black Ink Planet.'

'Dao Kong, a direct descendant of True Morning Dao World's Morning Dao Sect. His potential in cultivation is incredibly shocking, and he can be considered to be among the top ten in terms of creating his own force of power among the direct descendants of Morning Dao Sect.

'This person is cautious in his actions, but he's fierce and ambitious. Most of the cultivators he gathers to his side are strong, and he means to bring Ye Wang to his side. Ye Wang had come to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence because Dao Kong had manipulated things so that it would happen this way.

Most of Dao Kong's followers cannot come to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, which is why he is at his weakest when he is here. However, he is bound to still have powerful warriors protecting him, and if it wasn't because this person had only been walking down the path of cultivation for a short period of time, he would have become one of the top three direct descendants of Dao Chen who have reached Ascendant Realm. Before Ye Wang appeared, he was known as the person with the best potential in Morning Dao Sect.

'This person will definitely come to Black Ink Planet!'

Su Ming scanned through all the names on the jade slip with his Atman. When he looked through all of them once, he placed his attention on Ye Wang and Dao Kong. After a long while, he placed his full concentration on information about Dao Kong.

'Dao Kong…' A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes before he retrieved his Atman. Then, he slowly narrowed his eyes.

When he made his decision to search for the First God of Berserkers in Divine Essence Star Ocean, Su Ming had already decided to search for his third clone as soon as possible. He needed clone who could gather up his cultivation base so that his level of cultivation could begin to rise.

In fact, Su Ming was confident that once he found that clone, his cultivation base would be able to rise abruptly. He would then be able to reach World Plane Realm from his awkward state of being stuck in Heaven Cultivation Realm.

When his three clones cooperated with each other, there was even a possibility that he could have his clone which focused on cultivation base reach the middle stage of World Plane Realm. At that time, with Su Ming's true strength, he would be able to gain an upper hand against those in the later stage of World Plane Realm even without bringing out his Ecang clone.

After all, the Qi within the physical body of his clone which practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows whole had already reached the later stage of World Plane Realm. Because of this, if his cultivation base reached the middle stage of World Plane Realm, he would have earned the right to enter Divine Essence Star Ocean.

'If everything goes smoothly, then with the treasure that is Peace Arrives when the Elephant is Here, I will have the power to protect myself even if I run into those in Lunar Kalpa Realm.'

A freezing glare appeared in Su Ming's eyes.

He chose Dao Kong because he harbored a grudge against Morning Dao Sect, while the memory of Ye Wang's gaze filled with determination as he refused to admit defeat while he was in Wind Steam Tribe still remained in his mind.

Su Ming looked at Lie Shan Kang Jiu and said in a low voice, "Have all the manpower of Lie Shan Family in Black Ink Planet keep close watch over Dao Kong. If he comes here I want to know everything about it."

Lie Shan Kang Jiu's expression grew stern. Once he voiced his obedience, he bade his farewell and left.

Once he left, Su Ming's orders spread through all the members of Black Ink Dao within all families in a discreet manner. An invisible net spread out in Black Ink Planet, and it was waiting… for Dao Kong to arrive.

At that moment, there were gigantic longships within the galaxy beyond Black Ink Planet. They were moving without any sound and were heading swiftly towards the auction. Judging by their speed, they would be able to enter Black Ink Planet's territory in a couple more breaths.

Dao Kong sat on a big black chair while dressed in a Sacred Constellation Robe. He had a wine cup in his hand, and while looking at the stars, he would occasionally take a sip from it. His expression was incredibly calm, and only a hint of a bright light occasionally shining in his eyes revealed his extraordinary bearing.

He looked incredibly handsome, and the Sacred Constellation Robe only served to make him look like a dragon amid people.

There were nine old men standing behind him quietly. These nine old men all had their eyes shut, but there were shocking waves of power spreading out from within and around their bodies.

"So you're saying that our prodigy Ye Wang left on his own?" Dao Kong smiled and released his grip around the wine cup. It plunged down towards the ground, but before it could crash down, a pearly white hand suddenly reached out from empty space and seized it.

Appearing along with that hand was an incredibly alluring body, and it was followed by an incredibly beautiful and young married woman. That woman knelt down beside Dao Kong when she grabbed the wine cup, then she smiled coquettishly at him.

"He left alone three days ago," a cold voice said coolly from the area in front of Dao Kong and that woman. An indistinct figure could be seen there. That person's face could not be seen clearly, but based on the form, it could be deduced that the person was a woman.

"Very well. During the past thousand something years, he has constantly refused to become my follower. The time for our return is almost up. Then… since he can't become my follower, I won't allow any of my other family members to be able to take him in either. Let's have him… run into an accident in Black Ink Planet," Dao Kong said softly and lifted his right hand to caress the coquettish woman's chin.

"I will only ensure your safety and will not help you do that sort of thing," the indistinct person said flatly. There was a hint of derision in her voice and a lack of embarrassment for speaking in such a manner towards Dao Kong, showing her complete lack of respect towards him.

The young man seemed to be used to the woman speaking to him in such a manner. He only smiled faintly and looked towards the spot where she was.

"Do not forget that you are a member of the Phoenix Sect and your Progenitor gave you to me for a wife."

"Do not forget that Phoenix Sect will only carry out the tradition when you reach Plane Kalpa Realm," the woman stated flatly. There was a layer of distortions in the place where she was, and she no longer bothered herself with Dao Kong, turning around to leave.

A chuckle escaped Dao Kong's lips. He held the chin of the woman beside him and looked at her beautiful face, especially her pointy ears, then gently pinched them.

The woman winced in pain, but she did not dare to show a single hint of it. As Dao Kong increased the strength of his pinch, tears fell from the woman's eyes.

"You came from the Phoenix Sect as well. Have you ever met their Sacred Lady Bai Feng?" he asked in a light tone.

The woman bit her bottom lip and shook her head.

"Understandable. When you betrayed the Phoenix Sect, Bai Feng had participated in the secret plan, so it's only natural that you didn't see her." Dao Kong smiled faintly.

"I have never met her before, either. There are two Sacred Ladies in Phoenix Sect. One of them is Bai Feng, and the other is my wife, Xu Hui. It's a pity that Xu Hui constantly has her face hidden, but sooner or later, I will be able to see her. The ancient inheritance from Phoenix Sect will also belong to me." Dao Kong released the woman's ears and suddenly slapped her, sending her a hundred something feet away.

"Get lost!"

The woman lowered her head, and her body slowly disappeared into the distance.

The area immediately fell silent. The expressions of the nine old men behind Dao Kong remained as impassive as ever. In fact, they did not even open their eyes, as if they were already used to Dao Kong's temperamental actions.

'Ye Wang… since you don't know how to appreciate what is good for you, then… don't blame me for being ruthless.' Dao Kong's expression became freezing cold, and he closed his eyes. 'I will complete the Progenitor's request in Black Ink Auction, which is to obtain enough resources by offering a spot to head to True Morning Dao World. Once I do this, it'll be fine even if Ye Wang dies.'

Chapter 896: Arrival

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Several days later, the longships that belonged to Dao Kong gradually entered Black Ink Planet's territory. Dao Kong walked out of his room and stood at the bow of the ship with his hands behind his back and his hair over his shoulders. His Sacred Constellation Robe shone with a light that was akin to the one emitted by rotating stars.

Because of it, Dao Kong looked incredibly graceful at that moment. His handsome face filled with determination gave him a masculine beauty, and it had to be said that his current appearance was very fitting to his status.

It was as if a large amount of kismet in the universe had gathered on his body, and he had the fortune to use quite a large portion of it, or else why would he be born as a direct descendant of Morning Dao Sect, obtain a potential that was second to no one beside Ye Wang, and have an appearance that would make all those who saw him want to praise him?

As he stood at the bow of the ship, the nine old men stood behind him like shadows, but they had their eyes shut. However, with the help of starlight, a scene that could not be seen when they were in the room showed up. These nine old men had their eyes shut… because they had been sewn tightly by thin threads!

They looked like dolls whose eyes had been sewn shut.

"Black Ink Planet…"

Dao Kong smiled faintly as he looked at the indistinct planet in the distance. Slight anticipation grew in his heart, since this would be his final stop in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Once the auction ended, he would leave; he would no longer need to stay around here to keep an eye over this place. Instead, he could use the exit and head back to True Morning Dao World.

By his side was the young married woman with pointy ears and a coquettish appearance. She stood there quietly with blank eyes. There was not a hint of emotion in them, and she looked like a puppet as well.

There was a collar around her neck with nineteen runic symbols on it. They were branded into the collar and appeared as bumps. Occasionally, they would shine, spreading out a freezing chill that could cause people's hearts to freeze.

Longships moved through the galaxy like fish in water, stirring up layers of ripples around them as they got increasingly closer to Black Ink Planet. Once they had traveled through the area that belonged to Black Ink Planet for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a sharp whistle rose in front of them.

Along with that whistling sound came a pride of strange, lion-like beasts with two heads. As they roared, they traveled forward in a group that consisted of hundreds of them.

A cultivator could be found sitting on each of the creature's backs. These cultivators were dressed similarly and their eyes shone with brilliant light, creating a stark contrast against the thin and pathetic physiques of the other people outside Blank Ink Planet in Sinful Barren Lands.

They were alert and full of energy, but showed not a single hint of respect towards the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping an eye over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Instead, they used a calm attitude to greet all those who came to the planet.

"Who goes there? Say your name!"

"How preposterous! We are the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds! How dare you criminals not bow and worship us?!" The arrogance contained in this voice was incredibly great, and a cold snort soon followed from one of the longships.

The cultivators from Black Ink Planet smiled to each other when they heard these words, but their expressions soon became steely cold. Every single time they held Black Ink Auction, these sort of ignorant fools would appear. This was related to their experience in being True Guards. After all, around the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, the cultivators in all planets besides Black Ink Planet and Divine Essence Star Ocean were incredibly respectful when they saw them.

With the system of the True Guards from the four Great True Worlds changing shifts, it was not surprising for those not knowing the rules to appear.

The leader of the cultivators from Black Ink Planet was an old man. He rolled his eyes before he speaking in a cold voice, "Bring out your invitations. We are in charge of the first inspection. If you do not have an invitation… then we will kill you as we would any invaders!"

"You're just mere cultivators of Black Ink…" The cultivator who had snorted coldly just then in his longship was about to continue speaking, but his words were swiftly cut short. Immediately after, a gentle voice came from the longships, and an old man with a kindly and gentle face walked out.

"My subordinate has been ignorant. Fellow Daoists from Black Ink Planet, I hope that you will not mind. We are from True Morning Dao World, and in response to the invitation for Black Ink Auction, we have come forth to attend the auction. This is our invitation." The old man brought out a jade slip from his bosom with a smile before he let go of his grip.

The jade slip immediately charged towards the cultivators from Black Ink Planet. Once the old man who stood at the head caught it, he cast it a few scrutinizing glances before returning it and leading the hundreds of cultivators behind him to separate into two dies so as to make way for the group.

The old man with the kind and gentle face wrapped his fist in his palm as thanks towards the people before he returned to his longship with a smile on his face. Soon, Dao Kong's vast fleet of longships headed into the distance through the path the cultivators from Black Ink Planet had cleared for them.

"Immediately notify our Progenitor that the people from True Morning Dao World arrived. By the looks of it, Dao Kong should be among them as well, but we don't know the details." The old man leading the group of cultivators from Black Ink Planet narrowed his eyes. As a barely noticeable glint appeared in them, he sent a thought to the cultivator standing next to him.

That cultivator immediately moved and turned into a long arc that disappeared without a trace.

After a moment, in Black Ink Planet, Lie Shan Kang Jiu once again arrived in the room in which Su Ming stayed. He stopped before him respectfully and bowed down.

"My Lord, the group from True Morning Dao World has arrived. They are currently beyond Black Ink Planet and are going through all the layers of inspection. We have already verified that Dao Kong is among one of the longships.

"He has nine old men beside him, and they all have outstanding power. They should be at the peak of the middle stage of World Plane Realm, and judging by their looks, they seem to be skilled in coordinating their attacks. They should have a Rune with them.

"Besides these nine people, Dao Kong also brought three thousand other cultivators. Each of them has outstanding power… and they should all be warriors who do not fear death.

"Also, according to our investigations, Dao Kong has run into two incredibly perilous situations over the one thousand something years he was in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. These dangers should have come from other True Worlds, and one of them was something that would be impossible to survive through if he was not in the later stage of World Plane Realm, while the other would have surely brought death to all who were not above Lunar Kalpa Realm.

"However, during both times, he managed to survive without getting injured, hence we suspect that there is a cultivator who is at the very least in Lunar Kalpa Realm hidden by his side.

"As for Ye Wang, who you have asked us to pay attention to, he came alone to Black Ink Planet yesterday and is staying in Worldly Star City at the moment. All his actions are monitored by us," Lie Shan Kang Jiu reported in a low voice. Once he finished speaking, he hesitated for moment, as if he wanted to say something else, but then decided not to continue.

Su Ming was meditating with his eyes closed. Once he finished listening to Lie Shan Kang Jiu's words, he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was profound, preventing others from telling what he felt at the moment.

"Continue," he said flatly.

Lie Shan Kang Jiu smiled awkwardly and lowered his head, then quickly said, "Um… My Lord, those two pets of yours… the black and yellow dogs? I've also investigated them. They are currently also in Worldly Star City, and they got themselves an illustrated book from some place. There are plenty of weird… things… drawn in there. Also, the yellow dog is skilled in transformation. He has turned himself into an old man.

"He took that illustrated book and has been proclaiming all over the place that the items in the book are the items that will be put on auction. Quite a large number of these have been sold off during the past half a year." Lie Shan Kang Jiu smiled wryly and brought out an illustrated book from his bosom and placed it before Su Ming respectfully.

Su Ming picked up the book and flipped through it. As he did so, a frown gradually appeared between his brows. Once he finished flipping through the book, he let out a cold harrumph and placed the book by his side. Those pictures were not the items that were going to be put on auction, since some of them… were Su Ming's own Enchanted Treasures!

However, the information and descriptions in the book were mostly of no relevance to the items themselves. In fact, there were even some illustrations of Enchanted Treasures that once belonged to the enemies Su Ming had fought against.

"That was half a year ago. What did they do before that?" Su Ming lifted his head and cast a glance at Lie Shan Kang Jiu.

"This is… Ahem. I have never seen such intelligent pets in my life. Half a year ago… they became Hua Family's guests in Worldly Star City.

"A year ago, they built an auction hall in Ink Kirin City.

"Eighteen months ago, they… became friends with Li Long… which is the dragon in Black Water City's swamp, and took away with them some of its scales.

"Two years ago, several small families in Black Ink Planet... worked together to kill them…

"Thirty months ago, they organized a formal marriage interview. The yellow dog turned into… an incredibly beautiful woman… and then they blended themselves into several small families, and with all sorts of… despicable methods, they looted an endless amount of crystals…

"Three years ago, when they had just left your side, they found… a small crystal mine that belonged to a small family."

Su Ming was stunned as he listened to all the exploits. As Lie Shan Kang Jiu continued recounting the tale, he could not help but have the non-malicious envy and admiration in his heart seep into his words.

"In fact, once Elder Feng learned about this, he let out a long sigh and said that if they had been in Black Ink Planet before us, then they might have become Black Ink Planet's true masters by now." When Lie Shan Kang Jiu said these words, he cast Su Ming an odd look.

Su Ming remained silent.

After some time, he let out a dry cough and said, "Make arrangements for Dao Kong to enter Black Water City, and we will act according to plan."

"Understood!" Lie Shan Kang Jiu immediately bowed to him, then got up and left.

Once Lie Shan Kang Jiu left, Su Ming's room immediately fell silent, and his expression instantly turned dark. He picked up the illustration book and looked at it carefully. When he thought of Lie Shan Kang Jiu talking about the things that the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon had caused during the past three years, he could not help but smile wryly in resignation.

Yu Rou was by his side. For the first time since she followed Su Ming, her elegant expression changed. She covered her mouth as if she was trying to hold back her laughter, but in the end, her body started quivering uncontrollably and her laughter echoed in the air.

"Young master, it is said that pets are like their masters. I wonder if this is true for you." Yu Rou chuckled softly and cast Su Ming a glance. This was the first time she saw him smiling wryly in resignation.

"That big yellow dog of mine should have the figures of a number of women in its memories, but based on what I understand of it, those figures from the distant past should have already become faded images in its head. Then whose form do you think it would have taken for that marriage interview?" Su Ming asked faintly.

Once those words left his mouth, Yu Rou's expression changed, and a murderous aura instantly appeared in her beautiful eyes.

Su Ming stood up and swung his arm to adjust his sleeves before he walked towards the door. The auction was just around the corner, and the plan was going to be set in motion at any moment. Before that, he would go and check on the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon, then would go to Worldly Star Planet… to see an old friend of his.

'Ye Wang…'

Chapter 897: The Two Fiends: the Crane and the Black

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Worldly Star Planet was a city with a beautiful name. It would usually cause people to think of a region that was akin to a starry sky the first time they heard of the city.

Yet in truth this was a desert.

This so-called city was really just an oasis in the desert, a place with fresh water surrounded by tents.

This was Worldly Star City during the day, a desert whose end could not be seen. The oases which looked like embellishments made it seem as if the desert still had some form of life. Quite a large number of cultivators could be seen meditating or moving in and out of the tents.

This did not seem like a city, but was more like a gigantic and disorderly market.

The scorching sun sent heat to the ground, and even the sand was blazing hot. In this vast land, no end could be seen so no one could feel boxed in, but if they stared into the distance for a prolonged period of time, they would still become agitated.

Because of this, Worldly Star City was also commonly known as the City of Frustration during the day.

However, when night fell, everything in the area would become like a mirage. Every little thing would be different, and the change was so great that the person who saw it for the first time would be left greatly astonished.

When it was night, the sky was bright with brilliant starlight. After being trapped in heat for an entire day, the sand looked like it had melted, revealing large stones that stood in an orderly manner on the ground.

There was also a watery blue screen that looked like an illusion spread over the land. Anyone who stood on it would feel a refreshing sensation under their feet, as if they were stepping on fresh water.

The tents shone with a light that gave the area a quiet and serene feel, as if the light from the sky had gathered on the ground and turned into solid, triangular structures. At the top of the tents were pillars of light that rose into the sky, and the number of tents corresponded with the number of light pillars.

The pillars of light looked like they were connected to the sky. As they intersected with each other, they formed silver streams that connected them together as well as the sky and earth. These silver streams functioned as lines that formed illusory palaces in the dark sky.

There were endless palaces that looked like they were illusions but also looked incredibly real. If someone walked over and touched them with their hands or used their divine senses to perceive them, they would find that the palaces really existed.

In this seemingly boundless desert, when night arrived, walls would appear out of nowhere and surround the area. It would seem as if the place had turned into… a city which existed in the mortal world and was home to Emperors.

If anyone looked from the sky, they would find that the silver streams and palaces formed an incredibly beautiful picture. That picture was like the sky that could only exist in heaven, and was beautiful without equal.

Those who looked from the sky would find themselves looking at the same sight as those who looked from the ground. As the streams of light intersected with each other, they formed a picture in which the stars and the world existed in the same level and formed the city that was known as Worldly Star City.

During the night, Worldly Star City was incredibly lively. Plenty of cultivators came and went all around, and this city could be said to even be a little more prosperous than Black Water City. Right then, since Black Ink Auction was just around the corner, the number of cultivators present had also increased.

Su Ming walked amid the crowd. Behind him was Yu Rou, who followed him with the veil covering her features. Her face remained cold and aloof all along the way to the city, but the murderous aura in her eyes was incredibly great. Every single time she thought of the big yellow dog changing into her appearance and marrying someone, even she who was always quiet and elegant could not help but pull her hair out in frustration.

If Su Ming had not been around, she would have sent her divine sense outwards a long time ago to search for the two dogs at any cost.

"Have you heard about it? The Dual Fiends, the Crane and the Black have appeared again!"

As the two of them walked forward, Su Ming's expression suddenly changed. He turned his head and looked into the distance. There was an inn in that direction, and there was a clamor coming from there. Inside the establishment there was a table, and around it were three cultivators who were talking to each other with enraged expressions.

"Damn it, do you mean that big yellow dog and the woman who called herself 'Grandpa Crane'?"

"That's right! Who else could I be talking about?! That woman who calls herself Grandpa Crane is definitely an androgynous human, or else why would she call herself Grandpa Crane? She was the one who brought that despicable yellow dog with her in the past, and several dozens of small families were enraged because of them."

"Eh? Brother Wang, I remember that you also attended that marriage interview, didn't you?"

"Don't ever mention it again! That woman is my mortal enemy!"

"But honestly speaking, that woman does indeed have an incredibly beautiful face. I saw her once. If she wasn't that beautiful, it would have been impossible for the direct descendants of several dozen families to go mad for her. It's said that there were even a few of them who did everything they could to see her up close and become familiar with her."

"Hmph, your news is outdated. Based on what I know, several people indeed saw her and became close to her, and after that they were all completely head over heels for her, or else why would the Dual Fiends have been able to take away so many crystals?"

"I saw that woman before as well. She is definitely a woman of absolute beauty. She's so beautiful, so why is she doing things like this? She could just go to any middle-tier family, and all of them would take her in. In fact, even the greatest families here would value such a gorgeous woman highly. If she practiced Seduction Arts, she would definitely become incredibly powerful."

As Su Ming listened, his expression became strange, and he glanced at Yu Rou sideways. At that moment, she was already so angry that she was trembling, and the murderous aura in her eyes had become incredibly thick. In fact, the area around her was now freezing cold.

She took a swift step forward and turned into a wisp of green smoke that appeared in the inn. Su Ming smiled wryly, but did not stop her.

He saw Yu Rou stepping into the inn, and at the instant she moved in, the place instantly turned cold, so she immediately attracted everyone's attention.

When the people saw Yu Rou, who still had a veil over her face, they were stunned for a moment, but some of them soon sported drastic changes to their expressions. In fact, some of them even stood up swiftly to stare intently at her with slight uncertainty on their faces.

It was especially so for the three people who had been talking among themselves just moments ago. Their expressions were slowly twisting as they stared at her. A burst of hatred that could burn the sky rose up swiftly. However, it was suppressed within as it turned into a hint of uncertainty.

Yu Rou looked at the people's expressions around her and immediately felt great dismay. She had originally harbored a hint of doubt in her heart that it might not be her they were talking about, but most of it had disappeared at that moment. Yet she was still slightly unwilling to accept reality, which was why she decided to lift her veil right in front of the crowd.

When she revealed her beautiful face and all the people saw it, enraged roars rose up like a windstorm in the inn.

"The Dual Fiends, the Crane and the Black!"

"It's the Dual Fiend! Damn it! How dare you appear here?! Return to me my crystals!"

"Those are my crystals! I was prepared to buy an Enchanted Treasures with those crystals! Y-y-you… I will not rest until you die!!"

Crazed roars echoed in the air, and there were quite a large number of cultivators who rushed out to attack her. The murderous aura in Yu Rou's eye instantly reached its strongest. She no longer had a single hint of doubt within her; that damned yellow dog had taken her appearance.

In fact, even the waiter in the inn had bloodshot eyes when he saw her. He brought an axe from some place and charged towards her while growling, "Damn it, it's you! You're the one who cheated me off my crystals!"

When Yu Rou saw the cultivators rushing towards her, she lifted her hand and swung it outwards. All the cultivators' bodies in the inn froze then tumbled backwards. Banging sounds echoed in the air, and all the cultivators coughed up blood as they fell back... and this was after Yu Rou had forced down her killing intent. With a cold harrumph, she turned around and walked out of the inn before disappearing without a trace.

In fact, she did not even bother about Su Ming. Instead, once she walked out of the inn, she immediately spread her divine sense outwards, sweeping through the entire Worldly Star City in search for the two dogs whom she could not wait to kill one thousand times.

Su Ming smiled wryly and shook his head. He saw Yu Rou scanning the entire city with her divine sense for a moment, then moving towards the distance in the form of a long arc with murderous aura raging around her. Once he saw this, he sighed and followed after her.

In a corner of Worldly Star City was an old man putting on a solemn air. As he stroked his beard, he looked at the two middle-aged men before him with a grin on his face.

"Ahem, my fellow Daoists, I can only let you see the first three pages in the illustrated book. If you want to take the entire thing with you, then you will need to pay me five hundred crystals," the old man said in a slow and calm manner.

There was a big yellow dog lying sprawled by his feet, and it was glaring at the two middle-aged men. Occasionally, it would let out a threatening low growl, as if it wanted to rush forward to rip apart the two men. Every single time its anger was about to reach its most ferocious state, the old man would kick it, and the yellow dog's rage would diminish slightly.

After a moment, the two middle-aged men took the illustrated book and left, and the old man counted the crystals once again. A smug expression appeared on his face, then he lowered his head and said to the yellow dog, "I've already told you plenty of times that you should only be fierce when you need to, and when you shouldn't be fierce, you must be gentle. Y-y-you… ah, fine. This time, I'll take away a third of your profits."

"How dare you?!" The big yellow dog immediately stood up like a man and glared at the old man fiercely.

The old man immediately put a smile on his face and walked forward to hug the yellow dog.

"Haha! Us dudes… Ack, don't bite me! Fine, the both of us, okay? The both of us… The both of us can settle this easily among ourselves. I won't cut your profits, alright?" The old man swung his arm over the dog's shoulder, and a thick, uncouth air immediately appeared around its body.

"I'm telling you, we have to occasionally show up as the Dual Fiends: the Crane and the Black. Only then will we continue to be popular. This identity is very good for us, you know? The more popular we are, the more shock we will create whenever we go out." The old man cackled in a low voice and walked away with the yellow dog.

Yet he only took a couple steps when his body suddenly trembled, and he quickly cast a sideways glance at the yellow dog. When he saw that the yellow dog still looked the same as usual, various thoughts immediately raced in its head.

'Its cultivation base has been damaged badly, and it's normal that it didn't manage to notice it.'

"Ahem, Big Brother Abyss Dragon?" The old man immediately lowered his back, making it seem as if the dog was his superior.

The yellow dog was taken aback by this scene.

The old man bent his back even more, and with an obsequious look, he started saying in a submissive and soft-spoken manner, "Honestly, I have always had a question in my mind. Big Brother Abyss Dragon, you see, I've always been very cautious and attentive in my work when I was with you during the past three years, so why don't you tell me something?"

Before the yellow dog could speak, the old man continued, "About that… why did you force me to become the beautiful, gentle, kind, unparalleled, adorable Big Sister Yu Rou who has my utmost respect from the bottom of my heart and whom I think is a trillion times more brilliant than that Su Ming?

"You must know that I have always regretted this in the depths of my heart for the past three years. In fact, it's something that's been tormenting me. I-I didn't want to turn into her, but you… why did you force me to change into her?" When finished, the old man crouched down and wrapped his hands around his head before he started crying in misery.

The yellow dog was stunned speechless.

At that moment, a chilling air filled the remote area, and within it a voice could be heard. It sounded like a volcano about to erupt.

"Dual Fiends!"

Chapter 898: Old Friend

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The bald crane shuddered, and it wept even more forlornly. As it wept, it began shouting and screaming loudly.

"Big brother Abyss Dragon, y-y-you… you knew that I had lived a bitter life during the past three years! I always felt that I had let Big Sister Yu Rou down, so why did you have to force me?!

"I know that your master is Yu Xuan, and she has an ambiguous relationship with Su Ming, that's why you found Big Sister Yu Rou disagreeable. With this in mind, you forced pitiful old me to listen to your words, but I… but I didn't want this to happen. I remember now, you changed in Big Sister Yu Rou as well…"

If the yellow dog still did not understand what was going on, then it would have wasted all it had experienced in its life. It might be heavily injured and not as cunning and quick-witted as the bald crane, but how could it not understand that the damned bald crane was pushing all the responsibility on it?

Especially when that chilling and sinister voice was still echoing in the air? There was even a woman walking towards them threateningly with a monstrous murderous aura.

"Damn you, bald crane!" the yellow dog roared in anger and kicked the bald crane, who let out a shrill scream of pain and fell backwards as it coughed up a huge mouthful of blood. When it fell on the ground, it struggled a few times, like it was about to breathe its last. Then, it turned its head with great effort to look at the woman walking towards them.

"Big Sister… Yu… Rou… I'm… sorry…" Once it finished speaking, its eyes rolled back, and it stopped moving.

"I'll fight you to the bitter end!"

The big yellow dog's face was filled with grief, and as if it had gone mad, its body transformed, and it turned into an Abyss Dragon that was several times smaller than its regular size. However, there were numerous wounds on its body, and it did not even have a Dragon Tendon, so it exuded a miserable air even after it had transformed back.

In fact, there were even some wounds on its body that started bleeding because they had been torn apart by the dragon's agitation. This appearance was enough to make all people's expressions change. The dragon rushed forward and charged towards Yu Rou, but when it was in the air, it suddenly started laughing brokenly. Blood gushed out from many of its wounds at the same time, and its body plunged down from the air. When it fell on the ground, it coughed up a lot of blood.

"Master, you told me to flee before you fell asleep and ordered me to not change into an Abyss Dragon again, because I have been wounded too badly. If I changed back, I would surely die. I listened to you and changed into a yellow dog.

"But now, since I cannot escape death, then I will die as an Abyss Dragon. Even if I die, I will be an Abyss Dragon of the world!" In its anguish, the Abyss Dragon trembled, and the aura of death instantly filled its body. It started swiftly rotting away, and then, the dragon closed its eyes and breathed its last.

Yu Rou, who was seething with monstrous anger and murderous aura from her desire to kill the two fiends, paused in her footsteps. Stunned, she looked at the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon with a dumbfounded gaze.

This scene was completely out of her expectations. She had not thought that everything would end in such a manner. In fact, she was a little unclear as to who exactly had taken her form. She had very clearly heard that the yellow dog was skilled in transformation, but based on what she saw right then, the yellow dog seemed to be very honest and well-behaved...

With her level of cultivation, she could tell with just one glance that the Abyss Dragon had truly died. Its body and soul had been destroyed because it had been injured too badly, and when the dragon returned to its real form, it could no longer bear with the wounds and died.

This was real. It was not fake.

The density of the aura of death and the decay on its body made Yu Rou slightly unable to think. In a daze, she turned her gaze towards the bald crane, which had entered an even more advanced stage of death.

She could not help but recall the bald crane's words before it died, the words of regret that sounded incomparably sincere and exuded an honest repentance. They left her in a daze.

The Abyss Dragon's dignified death seeking act also left Yu Rou slightly envious of the its master.

"How could… How could this be?"

Yu Rou had brought with her rage and murderous aura, but now, all those emotions had turned into something she couldn't describe. In silence, she stood where she was for a long time before sighing, then turning around and leaving.

When she left, the Abyss Dragon and the bald crane's carcasses continued decaying, as if the endless passage of time had increased its flow by several times for a short amount of time at the moment they died.

Su Ming walked out from the darkness and stood beside the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon's carcasses, then sighed.

Yu Rou might have outstanding power and had lived for a long time… but her experiences in life could not compare to Su Ming's. The ups and downs she experienced in her life were also something that she could not hope to compare to his struggles.

Besides… she did not understand the bald crane.

Su Ming, however, did, and so much so that this understanding towards the crane had already been etched into his soul. He looked at the two carcasses on the ground and shook his head.

"Quite a realistic performance…" He smiled wryly, then turned around and left.

At the same time, two middle-aged men wearing straw hats and long robes strode around through another corner of Worldly Star City.

If anyone looked at the faces underneath the straw hats, they would find that one of them had an uncouth look, while the other had an incredibly dignified expression on his face, but in the depths of that dignified expression was a hint of an uncouth expression that corrupted that dignified look.

"Heh heh, isn't the great Grandpa Crane amazing?"

"You're amazing!"

"Isn't the great Grandpa Crane awesome?"

"You're awesome!"

"Haha! That lassie Yu Rou didn't expect that we've thought about this when we pretended to be her in the past. Heh heh, I threw her off! My plan will be called 'Throwing Yu Rou Off'!

"One of the three scales our boss Li Long gave us can hide our presence so that we won't be discovered, while the other two can turn into our clones. Unless the person's level of cultivation surpasses our boss Li Long's, then it would be impossible for them to notice us.

"Heh heh, I'm smart, right? Let me tell you, we had to occasionally show up as the Dual Fiends because of this day. Look, the matter is settled now, isn't it?"

"But baldy, I've been meaning to ask you this. Why are we known as the Dual Fiends: the Crane and the Black? It should be the Dual Fiends: the Crane and the Yellow, right?"

"Ahem, let's not talk about this for now. Xiao Huang, you reacted a little too slowly just then. When I addressed you as Big Brother Abyss Dragon, you were stunned for a moment. Even though you were supposed to be stunned based on what we've rehearsed, you've been stunned for too long. It was too fake!

"Also, I remember that the final 'I'll fight you to the bitter end' wasn't in the rehearsal. Y-y-you… Do you know that improvising is really dangerous?!

"Oh well, based on our agreement in the past, I helped you ruin her reputation. Now, you have to work together with me and give me all your crystals. You also promised me that all your treasures in the Emperor of Abyss' True World will be mine."

The two middle-aged men were naturally the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon. The bald crane's Transformation Art was strong enough to transform the Abyss Dragon into all sorts of shapes. At that moment, as the two of them mumbled to each other, they walked into the distance.

However, in the mid of their excitement, they did not notice that Su Ming was watching them from the distance with a wry smile on his face.

In the dark night when the stars and moon hung high in the sky, the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon left. Yu Rou, too, left to an unknown direction, bringing with her all her complicated emotions. Su Ming was by himself now, only accompanied by the Duke of Crimson Flame, who had turned into a totem on his arm.

He shook his head and turned around, walking unhurriedly through the silver streams of Worldly Star City. Occasionally, some cultivators would pass by him. There would always be some who would lower their heads when they saw him and put on barely noticeable expressions of respect. Some of these people were members of the Lie Shan Family, and some of them were people who had affiliated themselves to Berserkers.

They might not know Su Ming, but they could sense the vague mighty pressure aimed towards Berserkers coming from him. Besides, due to Su Ming's status, he was secretly protected by members of the Lie Shan Family and other Berserkers wherever he went in Black Ink Planet.

These people were in all corners of Worldly Star Planet.

In fact, the Hua Family within Worldly Star Planet was also under strict surveillance. They had obtained some hints that left their Progenitor so shocked that he came out from isolation to personally issue an order to all members of his family that they were forbidden from venturing outside. The powerful warriors within the family then were on constant alert, telling all the guests within the Hua Family to not go out of their rooms on that night.

The lesson of Tai Ci Family had made them… unwilling to provoke any people they couldn't afford to provoke or offend anyone they should not offend due to some accident.

After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, a man walked towards Su Ming. He paused for an instant when he was beside Su Ming and respectfully handed him a jade slip. There was a hint of a zealous look in his eyes, but just as he was about to bid his farewell and leave…

Su Ming said faintly, "I like peace and quiet."

The man immediately voiced his obedience and left respectfully.

Su Ming cast his gaze on the jade slip, reading the mark of where Ye Wang was staying at that moment. Once Su Ming cast a glance at it, he crushed the jade slip and walked slowly towards his lodgings.

Gradually, the number of cultivators before him decreased, and in time, not a single cultivator could be seen in the silver streams he stepped. Compared to the loud hubbub in the other silver streams, the path Su Ming took was incredibly quiet.

However, no one paid any attention to this place. For if they did, someone would immediately move forward from the dark and monitor their every moment, but Su Ming did not pay any attention to this.

He liked peace and quiet, and hence… the Lie Shan Family gave him peace and quiet.

Su Ming continued walking for an hour. He was not in a hurry, and he continued walking until a tower appeared in front of him. This was an inn liked by all cultivators. There was an individual Rune in every single room which filled them with spiritual aura.

At this point in time, the place should have been incredibly lively, but right then… the inn was silent. Not a single person could be found in the hall. In fact, the near one hundred rooms that had originally been filled with cultivators had been completely emptied, except for one - Ye Wang's.

The silence around him created a stark contrast with bustle of activity that could be heard from the distance. With a calm expression, Su Ming walked to the door of the inn, went up the stairs, strolled to the end of the second floor, and stopped in front of a room.

He lifted his hand, placed it on the door, and knocked on it lightly.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Sir, you sent away all the cultivators in this place and made it so that not a single sound could be heard within a circular area of one hundred lis. If you can do such a thing in this lively Worldly Star City when Black Ink Auction is just around the corner… then you are definitely someone of status and power. There is no need for someone like you to knock on my door when you are outside my room," a cold and aloof voice said from the room. Not a single hint of emotion could be heard in it.

Su Ming smiled faintly and said in a light tone, "How could I barge into an old friend's room?"

When he said these words, the room immediately fell silent. After a long while, the door to swung open silently, and a gaze filled with complicated emotions as well as disbelief fell on Su Ming from the person sitting by the table.

"It's been… a long while."