977 - 983

Chapter 977: Resentful Wei!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

As the voice echoed in space, the nine old Frail Darknesses immediately saw the one hundred thousand feet long centipede shrink. Within an instant, a purplish black light spread out. The centipede then turned into a teenage boy dressed in a white robe.

The teenager might have been dressed in a white robe, but the marks of a centipede clearly covered his face, causing him to look incredibly ferocious. Anyone who saw him would be incredibly shocked.

Judging by how he acted, he seemed to know Reverend Zi Long.

"Can you even be considered a person?" The man in purple robes turned his head around and cast the teenager a flat glance. Reverend Zi Long was incredibly handsome, and there was an indescribable temperament contained in his expression.

"Haha! It doesn't matter whether I am a person, but this time, it's just you and me. I wonder how many among those in the galaxy have awakened. Whether or not we will work together will depend on just one sentence from you." The teenager in white robes was completely unconcerned with Reverend Zi Long's words and spoke with a laugh.

"Naturally, we'll be working together," the purple-robed man replied calmly.

"Alright, let's meet just outside the fifth kiln."

The teenager in white smiled faintly. However, that smile seemed like a illusion. His emotions could not be seen in it. He turned around, and when his gaze swept past the nine old Frail Darknesses, a smile appeared once more at the corners of his lips, and he even licked them.

The nine old Frail Darknesses's hearts immediately trembled. Their bodies became limp under his gaze. They were not the only ones affected. The thousands of fearless warriors and the catwoman around them felt the same way, and the numbness they felt was even stronger.

That was due to a mighty pressure that was so strong that they could not resist descending on them, and all of this was due to a single gaze from the teenager in white.

'A Master of Fate, Lives, and Death! This is also an Almighty!!' The nine old Frail Darknesses felt their hearts let out a thump.

"They are servants of Kalpa Lord Dao Chen. If you have the guts to eat them, then I am very willing to enjoy your performance, Sir Wu," the purple-robed man said faintly.

"Dao Chen? That old man who is constantly in isolation?"

The teenager in white smiled and averted his gaze from the nine old Frail Darknesses. Instead, he lifted his right hand, and with a hook, the pale catwoman was immediately surrounded by a force and shifted in front of the white-robed teenager, in a manner completely out of her control.

"You look pretty good. I lack a servant girl on my trip here. I'll take you," the teenager said with a smile after sniffing the catwoman. He had still listened to Reverend Zi Long's words, though. Dao Chen might have been in isolation for many years, but he was a Kalpa Lord, and he was someone that a person in Mastery Realm like him could not provoke.

That was why he treated these people as if they did not exist in his eyes, but catwoman's presence was somewhat beneficial to him. He turned this matter over in his head and believed that with his status, even if he kidnapped the woman, Dao Chen would not egress and come to him to bring trouble.

The catwoman shuddered. Terror appeared in her eyes and on her face, and she instinctively spoke with a quiver in her voice. "My-my master is—"

"I don't care who your master is!" The teenager swung his arm, and impatience appeared on his face. At that moment, a row of sharp teeth was revealed in his mouth. The color of those teeth… was black.

Then, the teenager rushed into Divine Essence Star Ocean within an instant. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared without a trace.

The purple-robed man did not bother with all this. He had said those words earlier because of the patronage True Morning Dao World provided to the Fourth True World over the years. As for the other matters, he would not interfere in them.

Zi Long did not find anything strange about the white-robed teenager's actions. There was a savageness to this person's origins and status, so he would naturally not control himself like other cultivators.

When Zi Long saw that the white-robed teenager had stepped into the galaxy, he fell into a period of contemplative silence before he, too, took a step into the galaxy. With just three steps, he had already shifted and covered an endless distance, disappearing from the limits of the nine old Frail Darknesses' vision.

Once the entire Divine Essence Star Ocean was enveloped by crimson flames and Reverend Zi Long as well as the white-robed teenager appeared beyond the galaxy, strange changes occurred in three spots within the galaxy.

The first change came from Flame Fiends's planet. It was the spot where Xuan Shang and his group had headed by seizing the opportunity caused by the chaos brought by the bald crane and obtained Flame Fiend's blood. At that moment, besides the rumbles of the flames in the planet covered by the sea of fire, not a single sound could be heard.

All of the Flame Fiends were cowering underground. They were all kneeling while trembling in fear.

Anyone who looked over would find they were in a gigantic karst cave. At the center was dried up lava ash that had gathered in a lake and solidified. At the center of the lake were numerous Flame Fiends packed densely together and kowtowing on the ground.

Complicated and difficult incantations spread out ceaselessly from the shivering Flame Fiends' mouths, and it sounded as if there was a certain level of cooperation with the booming sounds from the sea of fire in the world outside.

As the incantations reverberated in the air and the sea of fire in the world outside let out loud bangs, the solidified lava ash lake surrounded by numerous Flame Fiends let out cracking sounds. Cracks appeared on its surface.

They spread out and gradually grew denser, causing the solidified surface of the lake to look like a spider's web.

The second place where a strange change occurred was on a gigantic meteor floating in the sea of fire in the region between the inner part and the periphery of Divine Essence Star Ocean.

It was a meteor that was nearly ten thousand feet tall. It floated in the sea of fire, but if anyone looked closely at it, they would find that this was not a meteor, but a human head!

More accurately speaking, it was a caved human head. If Su Ming was there, he would be able to recognize at first glance that this was a God's head he saw when he and Dijiu Mo Sha were flying past the place.

At that moment, cracks appeared on the head in the sea of fire. They spread out, as if wanting to tear the head into pieces.

There was also a third place where an abnormal change occurred. It was… a mountain, a gigantic mountain that towered over the clouds and whose summit could not be seen. That mountain stood tall in the galaxy, and it was the one about which Su Ming had heard a beautiful legend who caused grief for the bald crane!

Husband Gazing Mountain!

The legend spoke of a woman who stood eternally at the boundless summit. She looked at the galaxy as if she was watching her deceased husband. The abnormal change that occurred on this mountain did not happen at the distant summit. Instead, it came from a gigantic cave at the mountainside. Low growls were coming out from it.

Those roars did not sound as if they came from a human, but from some type of ferocious beast. After a moment, a gigantic ferocious beast that was thousands of feet tall walked out.

It was an entirely black boar!

Its long fur hung down from its body at first, but once it walked out, all that fur stood up to show off a light that was unparalleled in its sharpness. As the beast stood outside the cave, the sea of fire swept past it, but did not manage to hurt it even a single bit.

The board stood quietly outside the cave, it head raised to look at the misty and barely discernible summit. When it looked over there, pain surfaced its eyes.

It threw its head back and let out a loud roar. It reverberated in the galaxy and caused the sea of fire to tumble backwards, clearing the area around the mountain of flame.

As the boar raised roared, several tears fell from the corners of its eyes. However, before the tears fell on the ground, they had already disappeared without a trace. Soon, the creature's body shrank down until it turned into an incredibly plump human. His eyes were crimson red, and he had a set of tusks in his mouth. With pain hidden in his expression, along with a great self-loathing, he charged towards the sea of fire.

All of this happened on the seventh day since the fifth kiln started spewing fire. When the eighth day arrived, at the spot where the fifth kiln was in the core of the inner part of Divine Essence Star Ocean, the crimson flames disappeared, and blue flames erupted.

The aggressiveness of the blue flames and the high temperature they stirred were several hundreds of times stronger than those of the crimson flames. Almost at the instant they appeared, they melted the galaxy. Layers upon layers of space fell backwards and turned into emptiness.

At the same time, it looked as if the blue flames could devour the crimson flames. They spread out swiftly, and wherever the blue flames went, they replaced the red!

The sea of fire tumbled about violently. Those who understood the fifth kiln knew that once the blue flames came, the second wave of flames had erupted from the fifth kiln.

After that was the third wave – the purple flames, and then would come the final wave… the destructive black flames.

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, three days were gone.

The plump person continued onward in the face of the sea of fire. He was the first to come into contact with the blue flames among the few who had chosen to enter. Within them, even his speed slowed down by quite a considerable margin, but he still charged forward without care.

On the seventh day after the blue flames had burst forth, all the flames within Divine Essence Star Ocean became blue. The high temperature spreading out from the blue sea of flame killed many living creatures, and it also caused the nine old Frail Darknesses to retreat once again while watching the distance with shock.

Black Ink Planet was now swathed in dead silence. Almost all the cultivators there were looking in the same direction from a distance. The blue there was reflected in their eyes as indestructible flames.

On the seventh day the blue sea of fire spread out, the lava ash lake in the planet where the Flame Fiends had been worshiping for many days shattered with a bang. A dried up arm stretched out from the depths, and slowly, a skeletal existence who was incredibly thin and shriveled up stood up from within. As its body floated up, a complete body was revealed.

It was a cultivator's body. He was an old man with a hunched back and thin hair. He was entirely naked, and when he opened his eyes, dark light shone within them.

Zealous shouts immediately erupted from the mouths of Flame Fiends around the area once the old man appeared. All of the Flame Fiends prostrated themselves on the ground in excitement and kowtowed continuously, causing the ground to shake.

The old man lowered his head and looked at the numerous worshipers below him. There was a vacant expression on his face, and a huge tear on his abdomen. It could be seen that there were only black bones within his body, without any organs to be seen.

"How… many years have I slept? Who… am I?"

The old man closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them, and the vacant look in them was gone. Instead, a strange and enchanting light shone from within them, and the wound on the old man's stomach healed on its own.

"I am the Emperor of Flame Fiends. I am the master of flames!" The old man threw his head back and roared. As he did so, he moved and disappeared within an instant. When he reappeared, he was already in the blue sea of fire in the world outside.

"The fifth kiln…"

The old man grinned, his expression incredibly hideous. With a sharp intake of breath, some of the blue flames from the blue sea of fire charged into his mouth and he devoured them just like that. The old man's eyes sparkled, then he turned into a long arc to charge into the depths of the galaxy.

Wherever he passed, the blue flames would be be reduced, and it was due to him devouring them as he moved past them.

However, the blue sea of flame covered the entire Divine Essence Star Ocean. Compared to it, the portion the old man devoured was insignificant. However, the terrifying aspects of the old man could be seen based on this.

…..

On that same seventh day since the blue sea of flames had spread out, more cracks appeared on the head of the statue in blue flames. Eventually, it shattered with a bang.

As the numerous shattered stones fell backwards, a huge man carrying a gourd behind his back walked out. He was dressed in hides, and his expression was filled with a stern, awe-inspiring air, especially his brows. They were yellow, giving his entire person a strange air.

"The Ancestral Spirit's brain doesn't taste bad at all… but the tasted was somewhat weird once I roasted it well… the temperature of the fire might have been wrong, hmm… That's right, I'll go get more fire clay next time."

As the man mumbled to himself, he licked his fingers, and as if he felt that the taste was not bad, he decided that he might as well put his whole thumb in his mouth. Looking like he was sucking on it, he cast a glance at the blue flames around him, and then, completely unbothered by them, walked towards the depths of the galaxy.

He did not move quickly, but with each step he took, he would make the blue flames seethe. He stepped into the sea of fire while still sucking on his thumb and gradually left into the distance.

While all of this was happening, in the inner part of Divine Essence Star Ocean was a place that originally had a Relocation Vortex but was now submerged in a sea of fire. A roar rang out there, and the blue flames stilled under it!

The still blue flames formed a stark contrast with the tumbling sea of fire around them. As the roar echoed, more flames became still, and the area grew quiet. In the blink of an eye, all the flames in a circular area of one hundred thousand feet in the galaxy… became still!

As they did so, a black horse with two dragon heads rushed out of the Relocation Vortex covered by flames while their roars shook the galaxy.

That horse was several thousands of feet tall. Once it appeared, the color of the still sea of fire that stretched of one hundred thousand feet turned entirely black, and the flames surged at the horse to surround it. If anyone saw this from above, this would definitely have a strong premonition regarding this.

The one hundred thousand feet wide area of sea of fire seemed… to be rejoicing and… worshiping the horse as if it had met its king!

The black horse lifted its head and once again let out a shocking roar. There was an incredibly great pride in its roar, along with an indescribable grudge against all the living!

It's back was not empty, though. There was a person sitting on it…

Naturally, this was the body of the supreme treasure Su Ming controlled. There was fatigue on his face, but his eyes were shining brightly, with great confidence and vigor.

"Resentful Wei, from now on, I will kill all living beings who want to kill you. This is the promise I made with you, and it is a promise to the entire universe!"

The black horse fell silent, then a moment later, resolve appeared in its eyes and it roared again, as if it was responding to Su Ming's oath, but also like it was swearing its own oath.

Chapter 978: All the Old Monsters Have Come

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Amid Resentful Wei's roars, the one hundred thousand feet wide sea of fire surrounding the black horse turned into a gigantic vortex that seemed to stir up an unprecedented circle in Divine Essence Star Ocean.

Su Ming closed his tired eyes. The scenes of the trip to the world in the vortex rose in his head. After some time, when he opened his eyes, a brilliant glint shone in them.

"We… will head to the fifth kiln!" Su Ming had the body he controlled raise its right hand and caress Resentful Wei's fur as he sent his thought to it. The black horse's two dragon heads rose swiftly, and as a roar reverberated in space, Resentful Wei charged forward with a dash.

It was so quick that within an instant, it already closed a distance of one hundred thousand feet.

As the horse charged forward, the sea of black fire surrounding it was also pushed forward, as if the horse was traveling against the flow of the flames.

At that moment, along with Su Ming, there were six living beings who were moving towards the fifth kiln in the entire Divine Essence Star Ocean. One of them was the handsome Reverend Zi Long dressed in a purple robe!

There was also the strange, wicked, and overbearing white-robed teenager who was actually a centipede, as well as the human who was the furred boar and had roared below Husband Gazing Mountain. There was also Flame Fiend's progenitor and the yellow-browed man who had devoured the brains of an Ancestral Spirit.

These six people executed their divine abilities and turned into six long arcs which charged to the source of the sea of fire through the sea of fire.

This was the seventh day since the fifth kiln had sent forth blue flames. Once this day went by, it marked the fifteenth day since the sea of fire had erupted in the galaxy. At that moment, a hint… of purple finally appeared around the fifth kiln!

Right when the purple flames appeared, they immediately made it seem like the sea of blue fire was shuddering and showing signs of dying out. It was as if the blue flames were sentient and did not dare to burn before the purple flames.

After a moment, the purple flames erupted with a bang and swept out in all directions, intending to cover Divine Essence Star Ocean for the third time. Once it did so, it would be followed by the final black flame of destruction. Only when seven days after that passed Divine Essence Star Ocean disaster dissipate.

On the third day since the purple sea of fire had spread out, a long arc charged past the area beyond the place where purple flames surrounded the fifth kiln with a whistle. Within that long arc was an old man. He was thin and shriveled, but there was a strange and bewitching light in his eyes. He was mostly naked, and there was a huge bump on his back. There was also little hair on his head. Only a few locks hung down and floated in the air as he moved forward.

This old man was naturally Flame Fiend's Progenitor. He was the closest to this place, which was why he was the first to arrive. On the way, he had devoured all flames around him, and had even tried to devour some of the purple ones.

Greed appeared in his eyes as he arrived at his destination. He squatted down halfway to it and stared at the fifth kiln, which was surrounded by flames. The spot in which he stayed might have seemed as if it was incredibly close to the fifth kiln, but in truth, there was still some distance between them. After some time, the old man blew a shrill whistle, and with one move, charged towards the fifth kiln.

A loud bang rang out, and a powerful rebound shot out from within the fifth kiln and spread through a circular area of one million feet, causing the thin old man to shake so much that he immediately tumbled backwards upon passing one hundred feet. Only when he was forced back all that distance did he stop. A ruthless look appeared in his eyes, and as he let out a low growl, his eyes sparkled for a moment before he forced down that ruthlessness in him.

'It's not time yet… The purple flames in this place are still rife. I'll have to wait for it to dissipate slightly. Only during the instant the black flames of destruction are about to erupt will I have the chance to rush in.'

A contemplative look appeared in the thin old man's face. After a moment, he let out a few cold chuckles before deciding that he might as well crouch down in the sea of fire and wait for the instant the purple flames dissipated and the black flames were about to erupt forth.

The old man's body was thin and shriveled, but his head was not small. His body looked incredibly discordant, and most of his skin was filled with wrinkles. If anyone saw him, they would be unable to help the disgust that would rise within them.

The old man crouched there, and perhaps since he had been waiting for quite a long time, he started humming a song that was unique to his people, the Flame Fiends.

"Ding dong ding… dong ding dong… gru gru… waha waha…"

His voice reverberated in the sea of flame, possessing an incredibly bizarre rhythm. As he crouched with his head lowered, he moved his fingers around and swung them continuously. His originally bizarre figure coupled with that strange song caused him to exude a presence that could make a person's skin crawl.

He hummed the song filled with a gloomy air, and on the fourth day since the purple sea of fire had spread out, another long arc suddenly charged over from the area beyond the fifth kiln.

That long arc was so quick that it was practically shooting through space. After a moment, it closed in and turned into an incredibly plump person. When he approached the area, the sea of fire let out an intense bang.

A mighty pressure that could make a person suffocate swiftly spread out of the plump person's body. Even though he was out in the galaxy, he was still panting for breath. As he di so, it sounded like a boar was snorting.

He strode forward with large strides. Once he stopped beyond the fifth kiln, he stared at it. A crimson glare shone in his eyes, and as he panted, he revealed a set of tusks.

"Zhu You Cai… waha waha, Zhu You Cai…" A piercing voice reverberated in space. Flame Fiends' Progenitor swayed and lifted his head to look at the plump person.

"Others gaze at their husbands, and you too bring good fortune to your husband… Ding dong ding… Others whine, and you too suffer from the brunt of other people's grudges [1]…" When Flame Fiend's Progenitor spoke in a piercing voice, there was still that bizarre rhythm to his speech as if he was not speaking, but singing.

The plump person looked towards the Flame Fiends' Progenitor with a cold stare.

"You just woke up and haven't eaten to your fill, right?" he asked coldly.

This question was incredibly abrupt, stunning the thin old man to be momentarily. At the moment he saw that the old man was stunned, the plump person known as Zhu You Cai rushed forward towards him. Wherever he went, the sea of fire would surge up and surround him. In an instant, he looked as if he had turned into a gigantic ball of flames.

He crashed into the thin and shriveled old man.

With it, the galaxy trembled, and the sea of fire tumbled backwards in all directions, as if a huge wave had been stirred up.

The thin and shriveled old man tumbled backwards as well. When he was forced ten thousand feet back, he raised his head, opened his mouth, and revealed a mouthful of blackish yellow teeth. As for the plump person, he was also forced back as he stared at Flame Fiends' Progenitor.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment before killing intent appeared in their eyes.

Yet at that moment, the two of them turned their heads at the same time and looked at the galaxy in the distance.

Several breaths later, a man hobbled over. He held a gourd in his hand, and as he walked over, he drank from it, occasionally burping.

His hair was black, but his brows were yellow. They were so long that they grew past his ears. On his body was a strange, sweet aroma, intoxicating anyone who took a whiff of it.

Once he closed in, the yellow-browed man cast a sideways glance at Flame Fiends' Progenitor and Zhu You Cai. A faint smile appeared on his face and he chose to sit by the side. Once he drank a mouthful of wine from the gourd, he sighed and said, "The two of you can't fight…"

Right when he finished saying this sentence, he suddenly let out a faint gasp of surprise, then turned his head to look towards the galaxy behind him. Flame Fiends' Progenitor and the plump person also looked over.

Right before their eyes, the purple sea of fire began seething intensely. As it tumbled about, a gigantic vortex spread out with a bang. From it, black flames that were starkly different from the purple flames tumbled out.

At the instant the trio in the area saw the black flames, their eyes gained a focused glint. The three of them knew each other, and they did not find it odd that they met in this place. Yet now, the black flames spreading out from the vortex in the galaxy gave them an incredibly unfamiliar feeling.

After a moment, the black flames from the vortex in the galaxy came charging towards them with a bang. At the same time they closed in, the vortex shrank down. When it appeared in the area beyond the fifth kiln, it completely disappeared to reveal a two dragon-headed Resentful Wei within it.

Su Ming controlled the body formed by the supreme treasure which was sitting cross-legged on Resentful Wei's back. At that moment, he opened his eyes and cast a cold glance at the three people whose gazes had fallen on him.

Resentful Wei also lifted its head and looked at the trio with an aloof and prideful expression.

At the instant Su Ming saw the trio, his expression remained the same, but there wariness rose in his heart. The three people had strange appearances, but the mighty pressure spreading out from their bodies was nothing ordinary. They were clearly… Almighties who had become Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death.

However, he did not know whether they were in Mastery Realm… or Fate Realm!

While Su Ming was sizing up the trio's power, the three of them were also measuring him up. They had been able to tell at first glance that the unfamiliar presence he exuded was slightly mixed. At its weakest, this mixed power reached Lunar Kalpa Realm, but at its strongest… it surpassed Solar Kalpa Realm and would allow him to fight against those in Mastery Realm.

Besides, the black horse under Su Ming's body also caused the three people to focus their gazes. The mighty pressure spreading out from the horse belonged to those in Mastery Realm. Clearly, this creature was incredibly extraordinary. Furthermore, the three of them saw that once the horse appeared, the purple sea of fire around them started changing in color. It looked as if it would no longer remain purple, but would change to black. This phenomenon caused the trio's hearts to still, and all of them gave up on the thought of testing this newcomer.

After all, there was not a single weakling who would be able to come here while facing the purple flames.

Su Ming averted his gaze and did not say a single word. He continued to sit cross-legged on the Resentful Wei, just closed his eyes and began circulating his cultivation base to rest. The three might be Almighties, but there was nothing about them that Su Ming should fear. It did not matter whether it was the power of the Resentful Wei or the offensive power provided to him by the body formed from the supreme treasure, Su Ming had enough confidence to stand up against them.

Besides, he still had two times he could tell the Sand Spirit to attack.

All of these were key to Su Ming's confidence in obtaining the fifth stone, which had led to him to this place.

Translator's Note:

1. Others *gaze at their husbands*, and you too, *bring good fortune to your partner*… Ding dong ding… Others *whine*, and you too, *suffer from the brunt of other people's grudges*: Let's look at pair 1 -> Gaze at their husbands + bring good fortune to your partner = The first is 望夫 (wang4 fu1) , and the second is also 旺夫 (wang4 fu1). If you notice it, the pronunciation is the same, but the characters are different. Pair 2 -> whine + suffer from the brunt of other people's grudges = 哀怨 (ai1 yuan4) and 挨怨 (ai1 yuan4). The same thing.

If you noticed it, then you will find that in the first half of both pairs, the subject is the doer, and in the second half, the subject mentioned is the receiver. So the old man is basically mocking Zhu You Cai that he gets the brunt of things.

Chapter 979: Enter the Kiln

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Ming's arrival might have attracted the trio's attention, but this didn't last for long. For these three old monsters with mysterious pasts, the level of threat Su Ming brought to them was not great.

However, those who can survive to their age are naturally all farsighted and scheming foxes. The faces might not reveal anything, but they all had different thoughts in their hearts.

Yet those who could come to this place with the purple flames charging towards them would never be seeking death. If someone came, they had to have some hidden methods, and because of that, the trio would not provoke Su Ming too much. After all, the group had not entered the fifth kiln, and the instant when the purple flames disappeared and the black flames erupted would only last for the blink of an eye. It was still uncertain whether they could enter the fifth kiln, so there was no need to attack at full strength and instead give others the chance to enter.

As for Flame Fiends' Progenitor and the plump Zhu You Cai's fight, it had been just a warmup. It was a form of greeting between the two of them.

Based on principle, these two people's relationship shouldn't be too good, but in truth… they were sitting together at that moment. In fact… while the plump Zhu You Cai was sitting in the sea of fire, the thin and shriveled Flame Fiends' Progenitor was crouching on his shoulder. He was also still humming that strange song of his.

Zhu You had his eyes shut, as if he was listening to it. No one knew what sort of hidden emotions were stirring under that apathetic expression of his.

The yellow-browed man, on the other hand, was lying not too far away, snoring.

'These are three incredibly strange old monsters,' Su Ming said quietly in his heart after sparing them a glance. He closed his eyes after that, but he did not know that if there was a fifth person in the area, then when looking at the four of them, that person would feel that Su Ming was also strange old monster.

After all, Su Ming was sitting alone on a two dragon-headed black horse within a sea of fire. This sight would also give a unique feeling to others.

As time passed, the seventh day since the start of the purple flames came, and it marked the final day before they dissipated. The flames beyond the fifth kiln had already reached a certain degree of heat, and the booming from the flames became the only sound in the place.

Suddenly, the yellow-browed man yawned and rubbed his eyes, then placed his right thumb into his mouth and began sucking on it. With a sideways glance, he looked at the galaxy in the distance.

At the same time, the humming Flame Fiends' Progenitor let his voice die in his throat. A sharp look flashed briefly in his eyes. When he focused his gaze at the distant galaxy, a ghastly, cold smile appeared on the corners of his lips.

The plump Zhu You Cai opened his eyes slowly. A ferocious red glint appeared in them as he stared at the galaxy in the distance.

After a moment, a piercing whistle spread through the area and drowned out the booming sounds of the sea of fire. When Su Ming opened his eyes to look over, he saw a centipede that was several tens of thousands of feet long moving towards them.

The centipede's thousand feet moved together, making its speed surpass even that of lighting. At a glance, the creature was still in the distance, but in the blink of an eye, it closed in on the group. The centipede with one thousand feet stopped abruptly. Its body shrank and turned into a teenager dressed in white. There was a woman beside him, and needless to say, it was the catwoman.

At that moment, her face was pale and her eyes were without focus. There were two black holes on her throat, as if she had been bitten by poisonous fangs.

"Oh hoh, it sure is lively here."

The white-robed teenager smiled faintly. His face was beaming. He swept his gaze past the three old monsters, then shifted to Su Ming. It stopped on him for a moment.

Su Ming also looked at the white-robed teenager, remaining as calm as ever. Not a single hint of emotion could be seen on his face, but the white-robed teenager naturally did not know that when Su Ming saw the catwoman, a wave of killing intent had already risen in his heart.

This killing intent was not targeted towards the catwoman, but the white-robed teenager.

The catwoman had stayed together with the nine old Frail Darknesses. Now that she appeared here, there was a high possibility that a disaster had fallen on the nine old Frail Darknesses' heads, and the instigator for all of this was naturally the white-robed teenager before him.

Almost the moment the white-robed teenager appeared and spoke, another rumble came from the galaxy That rumble was actually a ferocious beast's roar which belonged to a crimson dragon. It was swimming about in the sea of fire while between its horns a purple-robed man sat cross-legged.

This man was incredibly handsome, but he was filled with an indifferent air. Clearly, he was not a person of many words. When the crimson dragon showed up, he reached the group in the span of a few breaths.

His arrival caused the eyes of Flame Fiends' Progenitor to become strangely bewitching. A frightful expression also appeared on Zhu You Cai's face as he remained seated.

Only the yellow-browed man continued sucking on his thumb after he cast a sideways glance at them. Outsiders could not tell that he had already become incredibly wary in his heart.

He sensed an incredibly great danger from the purple-robed man, and it was the greatest in this area. As for the second… it did not come from Zhu You Cai or Flame Fiend's Progenitor, and neither did it come from the white-robed teenager that was the centipede with one thousand feet. Instead, it came from… Su Ming.

While the yellow-browed man felt wary, the crimson dragon the purple-robed man sat upon suddenly raised its head, and an incredibly nervous expression appeared on its face. With an incredibly great hostility, it looked at the Resentful Wei Su Ming sat upon.

The Resentful Wei raised its head coldly and looked towards the crimson dragon. Its expression was one of pride, and a hint of derision also appeared on its face.

As if it had been provoked by this derision, the crimson dragon immediately opened its mouth and let out a swift roar, but right when this roar reverberated in the sea of fire, the four eyes from Resentful Wei's two dragon heads shone with a cold glare at the same time, and they let out low growls.

The purple-robed man was naturally Reverend Zi Long. His gaze fell on the Resentful Wei, and then he looked at Su Ming. Without any expression on his face, he patted the crimson dragon's horn. The dragon immediately lowered its head, moved, and brought Reverend Zi Long to the side. Once it did so, Zi Long closed his eyes, and appeared to completely ignore the people around him.

The white-robed teenager that was the centipede with one thousand feet smiled at that moment, then walked towards Zi Long. He sat down not too far away, and the catwoman behind him followed after him with a glazed look.

Su Ming swept his gaze across the area, already able to tell quite a number of things.

There were two or three camps. One of them was the purple-robed man and the white-robed teenager. These two were the last to arrive, making it clear that they had been quite a long distance away. With the addition of the catwoman, Su Ming could tell that these two… should have come from an area beyond Divine Essence Star Ocean.

"The purple-robed man is Reverend Zi Long. He is an Almighty Master of Fate, Lives, and Death from the forces of power from the Fourth True World stationed to keep watch over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence! As for the white-robed teenager who captured the catwoman, I've heard a few things about him. He's a rogue cultivator, but is affiliated with the four Great True Worlds. His family name is Wu, and his origins are incredibly mysterious," Xu Hui explained in a solemn voice.

This proved Su Ming's guess.

The second camp was Flame Fiends' Progenitor and Zhu You Cai, who had fought against each other just a few days ago. As for the yellow-browed man, he seemed normal, but from his location alone, Su Ming could tell that he did not want to be too close to either side, yet it could be vaguely seen that both sides did not want to get too close to him either.

This relationship was incredibly subtle. Anyone without sufficient experience would find it difficult to notice the details and discover these clues.

When Su Ming understood all this, a barely noticeable smile appeared on the corners of his lips. The power between the three camps was clearly not balanced, and the strongest camp should be Reverend Zi Long and the white-robed teenager.

The second strongest should be the camp formed by Flame Fiends' Progenitor and Zhu You Cai, whose power should be on equal grounds with that of the yellow-browed man.

Because of that, the yellow-browed man naturally became an important point. If he helped Flame Fiend's side, then they would be able to overcome Zi Long and the white-robed teenager. And even if he continued working alone, he would still be able to obtain some benefits. After all, both sides would not want to pressure the other too much.

Su Ming could also obtain some benefits in this complicated relationship. After all, his existence became another important point in other people's eyes. However, the degree of this importance would depend on Su Ming's offensive ability shown later on.

When the seventh day was about to end, no one else came. Su Ming knew that there was a high possibility that along with him, these were the only people who would enter the fifth kiln.

As the purple sea of fire vanished, besides the yellow-browed man and Reverend Zi Long whose expressions remained the same, all the other people spotted changes. Flame Fiends' Progenitor stared in the direction of the fifth kiln, while Zhu You Cai's expression turned grim. The white-robed teenager became fierce. They were all waiting for the instant the purple flames vanished and the black flames erupted.

Besides the booming sounds of the flames, the place was quiet. In this comparative silence, Su Ming stared intently at the fifth kiln one hundred thousand feet away. Even though everything that he saw at that moment were purple flames, they started showing signs of diminishing with the passage of minutes.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Su Ming saw the purple flames beyond the fifth kiln disappear!

At the instant this happened, he saw an incomparably large kiln. This kiln was green, and Su Ming did not know what sort of metal had been used to make it. It exuded a mighty pressure that caused people's hearts to shudder.

Almost at the instant the purple flames disappeared, the yellow-browed man became took a step forward. He was so quick that he charged towards the fifth kiln in an instant. When he moved forward, his brows danced in space. They transformed into two yellow dragons and surrounded his body, causing his presence to reach a shocking, monstrous degree.

The second to move was Zi Long. He patted the crimson dragon with his right hand, and the dragon disappeared. As it moved forward, a strange roar came from its body. It turned into a long arc, changing into a purple dragon. With a presence that caused the galaxy around it to shudder, it rushed forward with a bang.

They were followed by the three people, with Su Ming being the last.

The Resentful Wei beneath him let out a roar. As the sea of fire tumbled around, they turned into a powerful grudge that could not be forced out of existence. The black did not signify destruction, but resentment!

Chapter 980: Gamble

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Ming stared at the fifth kiln one hundred thousand feet away. At first glance, the kiln seemed like it was made of bronze, and it exuded an ancient and primitive presence. But at the same time, when he looked closely at it, he could see layers of blood!

The bloodstained appearance seemed to bear witness to how this item had traveled through space to come to this place from the Fifth True World. The process had to have been filled with horrors, and it was likely that Su Xuan Yi and his wife had forced their way out thought one encirclement after another.

Numerous months had passed since then, and plenty of things had disappeared in the long river of history. However, the blood on the fifth kiln surpassed the power of time and continued telling its tale, causing all those who saw it for the first time to shudder.

At that moment, once the purple flames disappeared, a short period of tranquility appeared around the fifth kiln. Su Ming did not know for how long this period of tranquility would last, but based on the other's actions, it would pass in the blink of an eye.

The first to cross the one hundred thousand feet wide galaxy was the yellow-browed man. He was so fast that he closed in on the fifth kiln in the blink of an eye. As the two yellow dragons roared while surrounding him, he did not slow down in the slightest. With a bang, he came into contact with the fifth kiln. He stuck himself tightly onto it, and a rarely seen expression of pain appeared on his face. However, he kept his hands fixed tightly on the kiln, not loosening his grip in the slightest.

The fifth kiln was so great that the yellow-browed man looked incredibly insignificant before it. As Su Ming charged forth and approached the kiln, it continued growing bigger and bigger in his field of vision. Right then, he saw that there was a faint crack near the yellow-browed man.

The second to approach the kiln was Reverend Zi Long. His body turned into a purple long arc, and when he closed in on the kiln with a bang like a purple dragon, he fixed his right hand on the kiln. The spot which he approached was also the edge of the crack.

At the instant he touched the kiln, sizzling sounds could be heard. Clearly, the heat of the kiln made even Zi Long frown. His expression of pain might not be as evident as that of the yellow-browed man, but it was clear that he was enduring something painful. He knew the level of difficulty in this, and so did the yellow-browed man.

They were followed by the white-robed teenager, Zhu You Cai, and Flame Fiends' Progenitor. The three of them approached the kiln almost at the same time. The place they approached was similarly part of the crack. When Su Ming looked over, he could see all of them fixing their hands tightly on the kiln, next to the crack, but they did not do much after that, as if waiting.

Su Ming was the final person to approach the place. When he closed in on the fifth kiln, he lifted his right hand and seized the crack to the side of the kiln's walls. At the instant he did so, he sensed a powerful wave of heat surge through his right hand into his body with a bang.

Once the black horse brought Su Ming to the fifth kiln, the two dragon heads immediately opened their mouths and bit down on the kiln with their teeth. Like human fingers, they took hold of the kiln.

Almost at the instant Su Ming arrived, a powerful tremor shook the fifth kiln. Su Ming felt the heat of the kiln rise up. Almost in the blink of an eye, he reached the limit of what his current body could endure, but it was also the moment that the black flames of destruction erupted with loud bangs from within the crack.

The flames of destruction spread out from the kiln. At that moment, Su Ming saw endless cracks on the fifth kiln. Those flames came out from them and swept through the entire Divine Essence Star Ocean.

At the instant the black flames of destruction erupted forth, the yellow-browed man let out a low roar and let go, then lifted his hands to provide protection in front of himself. With large strides, he brought forth a wave of impact that shook the surrounding air, and with a single move, he rushed inside the crack through which the black flames were gushing forth.

Once he rushed in, the black flames of destruction instantly submerged him, but it could be seen that there was a gigantic ball of fire that was charging forth with an incredibly speed within them.

The yellow-browed man was naturally in that ball of fire. The two yellow dragons around him were rotating swiftly, forming a tight defense and allowing him to rush into the distance. He disappeared without a trace.

Reverend Zi Long flew up almost at the same time. With an expressionless face, he released his grip on the kiln. He then turned into a dragon to charge forward, allowing himself to be devoured by the black flames. Yet those flames could not make him falter for even a single moment. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the black flames.

There was no sky and earth in the fifth kiln. There was only a platform that was about ten thousand feet tall. This platform was made of bronze, and there was an incredibly great heat spreading out from it. Everywhere around the platform was endless space that was filled with a boundless sea of fire tumbling about. It exuded an incredibly dense heat. The flames there would sometimes be red, sometimes blue, at other times purple, and once in a while black. There were even times when these flames mixed together to form a multi-colored sea of fire.

As it tumbled about, some flames suddenly seethed and let out booming sounds. The yellow-browed man rushed out from the sea of fire. His entire body was like a burning ball of fire. When he landed on the platform, he stomped his feet, and the flames on his body were immediately extinguished.

Only then did he let out a sigh of relief. He lowered his head and looked at his body, noticing that the corners of his sleeves had turned into ashes. His expression immediately turned slightly sour. When he raised his head, an expression of lingering fear appeared briefly on his face.

'The flames of destruction are so powerful. I've only been here for a small amount of time, and they've already burned my sleeves. If I remain for a while longer, even my life might be in danger.

'It's a pity that the period of time when the purple flames disappear and the black flames erupt is the moment when the barrier is at its weakest, or else it would have been great if I could have stepped in when the flames were purple.' The man shook his head. When he sighed, the sea of fire above him suddenly tumbled furiously once more, and a purple figure rushed out.

That purple figure was so quick that it instantly landed on the platform. When the flames were extinguished, the long arc turned into Reverend Zi Long. There were a few strands of his hair that had turned into ashes and scattered into the air the moment he stepped on the platform.

The yellow-browed man looked at Zi Long, and Zi Long looked back at him. Their gazes met for a moment before they both averted them. Yet even so, they had once again made a general guess towards the other's level of cultivation.

"Fellow Daoist Zi Long, I am Huang Mei. I've heard of your great name a long time ago. Now that I met you today, it's just as the rumors say, your power is extraordinary. You are already half a step away from Fate Realm." The yellow-browed man let out a loud bark of laughter, then wrapped his fist in his palm towards Reverend Zi Long.

"Fellow Daoist Huang Mei, you have a similarly great reputation in Divine Essence Star Ocean. Even if I am from the galaxy beyond this place, I've also heard about your liking for the bodies of Ancestral Spirits. Compared to me who is half a step away from Fate Realm, you might already be close to attaining completion of Mastery Realm," Zi Long said faintly. When he turned his body towards Huang Mei, he swept his gaze across the gourd behind his back in a seemingly casual manner, then wrapped his fist in his palm to return the greeting.

"Haha! Fellow Daoist Zi Long, you are too polite. I wonder what sort of treasure are you aiming for by coming here this time?" Huang Mei asked while smiling.

"I don't have anything that I am set on getting. I'll just leave it to chance. I'm more curious at the moment about who will be the third person who will step out of the black flames," Zi Long said while lifting his head to look at the sea of fire above him.

Huang Mei's expression remained calm. When he looked towards the flames above his head, he asked with a smile, "Oh? Fellow Daoist Zi Long, would you like to make a bet?"

"What's the bet?" Zi Long averted his gaze and looked at Huang Mei. His previous words were precisely so that he could bring up the issue of a gamble. The both of them were scheming and farsighted people. They were both slightly wary of each other and needed to find a solution to resolve the effect and threat the other would bring.

Almighties who had reached their level always found it best to not attack if they could choose to not attack.

"Let's make the bet on one-time abnegation!" Huang Mei immediately said.

"The person who loses will have to choose to give up on a piece of treasure the winner wants, hmm? Very well!" Zi Long nodded.

"Alright, then I will choose first. I choose… Flame Fiends' Progenitor! I wonder who you will choose, Fellow Daoist Zi Long? Is it Sir Wu?" A glint appeared in Huang Mei's eyes while he spoke with a smile.

Reverend Zi Long fell into a period of contemplative silence before he suddenly said, "I will choose… the cultivator riding that black horse."

Huang Mei's gaze focused. He did not expect that he would choose the person on the black horse. In his eyes, that man was the weakest among them. The black horse of his was slightly strange, but from his previous performance, he was still the weakest among them.

"Alright, then let's see who among the people we chose will be the third to show up." Huang Mei pondered it over for a moment, then lifted his head and looked at the sea of fire in space. With a glint in his eyes, he started waiting.

Within the sea of fire in the fifth kiln were Zhu You Cai and Flame Fiends' Progenitor. At that moment, both of them were charging forward. The power of the black flames was incredibly terrifying. Even if the both of them were Almighties and old Flame Fiend identified himself as the Emperor of Flames, he still felt a powerful sense of danger.

This pushed them to be even faster. Next to them was the teenager in white. His body had already changed. While he retained the upper half of the human, the lower half of his body had become that of a centipede, and he was so quick that his speed was on equal grounds with that of Zhu You Cai and the Flame Fiends' Progenitor.

Behind them was Su Ming sitting cross-legged on the Resentful Wei's body. With a will screaming to destroy all lives, the black flames burned in all directions. The Resentful Wei could withstand it, but Su Ming's heart faced the fear from Xuan Shang, Yun You, Nian Yin, and Hua Yu.

The black flames would cause people to feel as if they were placed in the kiln of the universe. Their whole bodies would burn in their minds. And in fact, even their cultivation bases would seem to melt in these flames.

Su Ming's hair was burning. The brows of the body he controlled had already turned into ashes. In fact, he even had a feeling that the body he controlled was about to melt.

"Since the four of you dared to place your ambitions on the fifth kiln, then hurry up and bring out the methods you've hidden for this purpose!" Su Ming immediately ordered them by sending his thought to their minds. Since Xuan Shang and his group had been planning for this for years, it was impossible for them to not have prepared anything.

Chapter 981: Su…

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Ming was naturally not so considerate as to do all the work himself and let others enjoy the benefits.

Xuan Shang and his group might not be the main souls, but under the black flame, all of the pain the body suffered would be divided by everyone inside. Because of that, the four of them would sense the pain incredibly well. That pain of their bodies and cultivation bases burning prevented the four of them from having any room to refuse Su Ming's order.

A moment later, Su Ming lifted his right hand while sitting cross-legged on the Resentful Wei and struck his own body. With it, a black medicinal core appeared on his palm.

This medicinal core was not something to be consumed, but was a Fire Warding Core!

It was made of many precious materials and was something created only after Xuan Shang and his group had spent many years in collecting the materials required for it. Su Ming immediately crushed the core before flinging it away.

With it, the flames before him started letting out loud booms, and during them, the flames' temperature was reduced slightly.

At the instant this happened, the Resentful Wei let out a roar, and its speed increased exponentially. As Su Ming circulated his cultivation base, he resisted the burns brought by the black flames.

His hair and eyebrows had already disappeared, and there were many signs of destruction on his body. Even if it was formed by the supreme treasure, it could not last for long under the destructive flames.

Besides, the faster a person traveled through the sea of fire, the worse the burns way suffered, but if they did not travel quickly and remained in place for a time, it would also become progressively worse for them. In fact, once the black flames erupted in a greater magnitude, then not only would the person be unable to step into the fifth kiln, even their life would be threatened.

As Su Ming moved forward and the body showed even more signs of falling apart, he sent another thought to the group. "One isn't enough! Bring them all out!"

Xuan Shang hesitated for a moment before saying, "But-but if we use up all of them, how are we supposed to rush out of the sea of fire when we want to go back?"

"If we can't even get in, then why even mention returning?" Su Ming did not slow down. Zhu You Cai, Flame Fiends' Progenitor, and the white-robed teenager had already widened the distance between him and them.

While speaking, Su Ming struck his body with his right hand again. This time, five Fire Warding Cores appeared. Once he crushed all of them and swung the powder forward, the temperature of the flames in front of him were instantly reduced for a moment. His speed increased endlessly, and in an instant, he covered a lot of ground.

Within a moment, he was already side by side with the white-robed teenager, who was the last among the three. The white-robed teenager looked at Su Ming, and a flash of surprise appeared on his face. He did not expect that Su Ming would be able to catch up.

"I don't have anymore! There were only six!" Xuan Shang immediately sent this thought forward with anxiety in his voice. Clearly, even if he did not tell the truth, he would only have at most about one or two of those cores left.

Su Ming did not pressure him too much. He did not speak, but as a brilliant sparkle shone in his eyes, a resolute look appeared on his face. He could not stay for much longer in the sea of fire, or else his body created by the supreme treasure would shatter.

"Resentful Wei, move at full speed, don't bother about me!"

Once he sent this thought to the black horse, all six of the Resentful Wei's eyes shone at the same time, and they let out a roar together. This roar caused the expression of the white-robed teenager to change, and even Zhu You Cai and Flame Fiends' Progenitor were not unaffected. At that instant, the black horse's speed increased without comparison right before their eyes.

As it rushed forward, it surpassed the white-robed teenager in the blink of an eye and then passed Zhu You Cai and Flame Fiends' Progenitor. As for Su Ming, a feeling of being burned instantly drowned all of his senses. With it, intense pain shot through him. That pain of being burned was immediately split into six parts. Once it was shared equally among all, the Resentful Wei beneath Su Ming became faster again.

Su Ming knew that the others could maintain the average speed to move forward through the black flames, but he could not, because the other people's bodies were real and were formed by their cultivation bases, but his body was formed by a supreme treasure. Since it was bound to be damaged, then between the injuries he would suffer by rushing out of the sea of fire at full strength and the injuries he would have to bear by moving forward at uniform speed, he would choose the former!

As he was rushing out, his body burned and dried up, but the Resentful Wei beneath him was like a bolt of lightning that surpassed the white-robed teenager, Zhu You Cai, and Flame Fiends' Progenitor. Once it did so, the Resentful Wei crashed straight into an invisible barrier hidden in the flames.

With a bang, a powerful rebound shot out of the invisible barrier. That rebound attacked Su Ming's body and was immediately shared between him and the other five. At that moment, he activated Ecang's presence in his body and even summoned his Ecang clone to fuse together with him, making the body's power reach its absolute peak. Once the Resentful Wei crashed into the barrier again, a loud bang that shook the sea of fire around them spread out, and the invisible barrier shattered swiftly. The Resentful Wei rushed out!

Right behind him was Zhu You Cai, Flame Fiends' Progenitor, and the white-robed teenager, but they also had to face the invisible barrier. That barrier closed up incredibly quickly, and unless they acted at the same time, then in the span of a few breaths, it would close up and heal. Those behind would then still have to face the barrier's obstruction.

As booming sounds echoed from the barrier, the Resentful Wei jumped out, and Su Ming's body shot out of the sea of fire. He appeared in the area above the platform.

He saw Huang Mei and Zi Long and noticed that their gazes were focused completely on him at that moment. He also saw a vague smile at the corners of Zi Long's lips as well as the crease between Huang Mei's brows.

Su Ming did not have time to think about it too much. Once he rushed out, he immediately descended on the platform. The Resentful Wei looked the same as usual, but a large amount of burns had appeared on the body Su Ming controlled. He sucked in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and circulated his cultivation base. At the same time, Xuan Shang, Yun You, Nian Yin, and Hua Yu sighed and relaxed from the highly-strung state they were in previously. They started making the best use of their time by repairing their own bodies.

Xu Hui might not have said a single word since the start, but in truth, the worry in her heart was naturally much greater than that of Xuan Shang and his group. When she saw that Su Ming was well, her mind was set at ease, and she started circulating her cultivation base to heal herself.

Because of it, the body Su Ming controlled, which was originally in an incredibly pathetic state, started healing rapidly before Huang Mei and Zi Long's eyes. The flames on the body disappeared, the burn marks faded away, and with just a few breaths, most of the body was already healed.

However, Su Ming knew that this was just what was shown on the surface. In truth, the body formed by the supreme treasure had suffered some damage that could not be healed. He did not know for how long it could continue maintaining this form, but clearly, it would not be for too long.

This item had been created by a Sublime Paragon. If it was not for this supreme treasure, even with his Ecang clone, it would have been difficult for Su Ming to last for so long in the black flames. Besides, he was not fast enough, which would have made it difficult for him to enter the fifth kiln. Unless, of course, his Ecang clone had become stronger. Then perhaps he would have been able to do it.

He might have taken advantage of his current situation and added the Resentful Wei's speed into the mix to be able to enter, but even if he was taking advantage of his circumstances, as long as he could enter the fifth kiln, it was all that mattered!

When Su Ming opened his eyes, he saw Reverend Zi Long nodding towards him with a faint smile. As for the yellow-browed man, he let out a cold snort, but did not say a single thing.

A barely noticeable glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. These two people's attitudes towards him had changed, and it was clearly different from how they regarded him when they were outside. There had to be reasons he did not know behind this.

As he thought about it, intense bangs shot out from the sea of fire above him. They rang out one after another, and several bangs later, Flame Fiends' Progenitor became the first to rush out. Behind him was Zhu You Cai, and the last was the white-robed teenager.

When these three people landed on the platform, they lifted their heads to look at the sea of fire above them. There was lingering fear in their gazes. The three of them looked incredibly pathetic. Clearly, even with their levels of cultivation, the journey through the destructive flames had been incredibly strenuous.

Once these three people looked at the sea of fire above them, all of them looked at Su Ming at the same time. There was a grave look on their faces, along with a hint of surprise. This was the first time they truly acknowledged Su Ming's existence. They had previously made a few vague guesses in their heads, but in truth, they did not pay too much attention to him. They only thought that all those who could come to this place would not be too weak.

Yet once they experienced the trial just then, Su Ming used his actions to show that he had the right to be regarded with importance by these three people.

"You are a Flame Fiend, but you didn't manage to arrive before us. Instead, you let a cultivator get ahead of you!" Huang Mei cast Flame Fiends' Progenitor a look before he sighed.

Flame Fiends' Progenitor rolled his eyes before narrowing them. A fierce glare shone in them, but he did not say anything.

'They were gambling just now!' Su Ming's expression was calm, but a thought had formed in his mind.

'Yellow eyebrows chose Flame Fiends' Progenitor, and Reverend Zi Long… chose me!'

Su Ming swept his gaze across them. When he looked towards Reverend Zi Long, a hint of surprise appeared in the man's eyes. However, it quickly turned into praise and he nodded. Clearly, he had managed to tell what Su Ming was thinking based on his gaze, and he knew that Su Ming had managed to guess what had happened.

Su Ming's heart stilled and he once again felt that while these people's appearances varied, all of them were farsighted and scheming people. The yellow-browed man's words might have made him seem as if he was grumbling just then, but in truth, it was a form of sowing discord between them.

The white-robed teenager cast a profound look at Su Ming before walking next to Reverend Zi Long. He lifted his right hand and swung it forward. Immediately, the space distorted, and the catwoman's figure manifested from within. Her face was still as apathetic as ever. The white-robed teenager moved towards her and bit down on her neck to begin sucking her blood. Several breaths later, he lifted his head. There was still blood at the corners of his lips, but the injuries on his body had healed slightly during that short moment.

He then put away the catwoman. Once he sat down cross-legged, he closed his eyes and began meditating. Zhu You Cai chose to meditate a bit farther away as well. As for Flame Fiends' Progenitor, he crouched down on Zhu You Cai's body. Occasionally, he would look towards Su Ming, and a ferocious smile would appear on his lips.

"Alright, we'll rest here for several days. When the black flames in the world outside have finished erupting and the flames in the kiln disperse, we'll be able to enter the kiln," the yellow-browed man said calmly, sat down by the side, picked up his gourd, and began drinking.

Reverend Zi Long's expression became indifferent once again. When he sat down, he closed his eyes. The area instantly became quiet, and as the sea of fire tumbled beyond the platform, the lingering echoes of the booming sounds from the flames occasionally reached their ears.

"Su…"

At the instant Su Ming closed his eyes, he heard an indistinct voice hidden in the booms ringing in the space around him.

That voice drifted about and echoed in the area.

At the instant that voice spoke, all the people opened their eyes.

Chapter 982: Enter the Kiln

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"What sound is that?!" The yellow-browed man frowned and stared at the tumbling sea of fire around him coldly. That sound had entered their minds and was reverberating nonstop at the moment.

"Su…" the white-robed man that was the centipede with one thousand feet said faintly, and a barely noticeable glint shone in his eyes.

Flame Fiends' Progenitor narrowed his eyes while remaining crouched on Zhu You Cai's body. No one knew what sort of thoughts were in his mind.

Zhu You Cai shuddered lightly. He lowered his head and hid away the hint of complicated emotions that appeared on his face when that voice spoke.

"It is rumored that the master of the fifth kiln is called Su Xuan Yi. This person came from the Fifth True World, and it is said that he ventured out with his wife in the past. From then on, he has never been seen again. Could this voice be the kiln calling out to its master?" the yellow-browed wondered aloud after contemplating it for a moment. When he spoke, he looked towards Reverend Zi Long.

Zi Long remained as calm as ever. He looked at the sea of fire in space and did not say a single word.

No one in the area noticed that Su Ming had also lowered his head at that moment. His eyes were shut, and he looked as if he was meditating, but in truth, he was hiding the hint of grief in his eyes.

'Even they know about Su Xuan Yi. Looks like the words of Dust Burners' Progenitor were real.' After a moment, the vague voice echoed in the area once more.

That single word that the voice spoke lingered for a long time and did not disappear, as if it was truly calling out to its master. There was a deep, ancient air within it, causing those who heard it to be unable to help themselves but to find their hearts growing heavy.

Soon after, the people resumed immersing themselves in exercising their breathing and waited for the sea of fire in space to disperse. They simply allowed that indistinct voice to occasionally ring in their minds.

Su Ming closed his eyes, but his right hand had moved to his storage bag. There was a jade slip on his palm, and its contents appeared in Su Ming's mind.

The Resentful Wei stood proudly beside him and looked at the area and the people indifferently. It regarded all manner of lives with hostility, and even if Su Ming had already formed an agreement with it, it still found itself to not really be able to get used to it. However, it could sense that Su Ming truly valued it.

Most importantly, it sensed a similar loneliness and grief within Su Ming.

With the Resentful Wei around, Su Ming could be at ease and immerse himself within observing the map in his mind. It had been given to him by Dust Burners' Progenitor, and within it was a rather detailed description of the fifth kiln.

Inside it, there were ninety-nine balls of fire, and they were the reason why the fifth kiln was known as a kiln!

Each ball of fire contained a supreme treasure, and when all ninety-nine of them were gathered together, they would form the vast power possessed by the fifth kiln.

Over the course of countless years of the fifth kiln being activated continuously and an endless stream of people entering it in hopes of obtaining a serendipity, some people managed to truly obtain a supreme treasure. They extinguished the fire and took away the treasure.

Because of that, the fifth kiln gradually lost its power to move about and could only stay in a single spot in the galaxy. When all of its supreme treasures were taken away, it would dissolve and disappear.

As of then, not even Dust Burners knew how many balls of fire were still within the fifth kiln, how many supreme treasures were yet to be taken away.

Su Ming knew that the Almighties beside him were aiming for the supreme treasures contained within the balls of fire that still remained.

Besides these ninety-nine balls of fire, there were nine hundred and ninety-nine complementary treasures. They formed the structure connecting the ninety-nine supreme treasures, and not even a single one could be missing.

Over the years, these complementary treasures were the ones who were most commonly taken away.

The ninety-nine balls of fire formed ninety-nine big dimensions within the kiln, while the nine hundred and ninety-nine complementary treasures formed nine hundred and ninety-nine small dimensions. Even if the balls of fire were extinguished and the supreme treasure within them taken away, their dimensions would still exist.

Each dimension was a world, and there were ferocious beasts within them to protect the treasure. These ferocious spirits varied in strength, and it was often based on the might of the treasure itself.

A cultivator in Solar Kalpa Realm might be able to win against the spirit protecting an ordinary complementary treasure and obtain it, but if there was an incredibly powerful complementary treasure, the ferocious spirits within its dimension would also be stronger.

If the treasure in the dimension was taken away, the dimension would remain, and so the ferocious spirits within it would also continue to exist. On top of that, because they had lost their treasure, they would become even more ruthless. They would not stop until they killed all lifeforms that entered their dimension!

It was even more so for the beasts defending the supreme treasures. The balls of fire in the dimensions with supreme treasures could not be extinguished by those who were not in Mastery Realm or Fate Realm. Furthermore, these supreme treasures were categorized in different levels. Based on the information Su Ming obtained from Dust Burners' Progenitor, nine of the ninety-nine supreme treasures were in the core of the fifth kiln.

The level of difficulty in obtaining these nine supreme treasures surpassed all of the others. It was related to a person's level of cultivation, chance, and also serendipity.

Dust Burners had a record of them, and they knew through a unique method of theirs that many years ago, when the kiln was activated, there were nine people who had stepped into a dimension.

It was difficult for people to take even an inch forward there, but they saw a sight which drove them mad. There was a prime flame in the sky of the dimension. This meant that this was one of the ninety-nine dimensions with a supreme treasure, but this was just secondary in importance. The most important thing was that there was a blade contained within the ball of fire that the nine people saw!

At the instant they took note of this, the blade's voice reached their minds, telling them that its name was Life Envying Blade.

A supreme treasure that would tell its own name to others was one of the nine treasures within the core of the fifth kiln – a supreme treasure which would come to them only by luck!

It was that blade that caused all of the nine people to die in the end, and among the nine, seven of them were Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death. These seven people had come from the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds stationed to keep watch over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. It was also due to the deaths of these seven people that the four Great True Worlds gave up on their plan to occupy the Divine Essence Star Ocean in one go, which they had been preparing for at that time. Instead, they simply decided to keep watch over it.

It could be seen from this alone that the nine supreme treasures in the core contained incredible temptation and power. When Su Ming saw this, questions rose in his heart.

Why did Su Xuan Yi not take the fifth kiln with him when he ventured out in the past? If he had taken it, then perhaps he would not have suffered such a tragic fate in True Morning Dao World.

Su Ming could not understand this. It caused him to be momentarily silent before continued to read through the introductions in the map in regards to the fifth kiln.

There were lifeforms existing in the space between the many dimensions in the fifth kiln, and they were known as Fire Spirits.

They were created by Abyss Builders and given the task of refining the supreme treasures as well as protecting the kiln. Over the course of countless years, intelligence was born within some of them and they chose to leave to become Dust Burners.

However, the price for leaving was the loss of the powerful offensive power they possessed as Fire Spirits. There were quite a large number of Fire Spirits who chose freedom despite that, but many chose to stay even if intelligence had been born within them. Instead, they continued carrying out their mission within the fifth kiln.

There were also plenty of Fire Spirits who did not possess intelligence and just drifted in a daze between the dimensions of the fifth kiln. They killed all lifeforms which did not belong to the place and maintained the normal operations of the fifth kiln.

Time slowly passed as Su Ming investigated the information regarding the fifth kiln. When the seventh day of the black flames of destruction erupting passed, the heinous sea of fire that had lasted for nearly a month within Divine Essence Star Ocean disappeared in an instant.

Not a single flame could be seen any longer. Only ruins were left behind, as well as worlds that no longer had any traces of green within them. Far too many planets were reduced to ashes by the sea of fire, and far too many floating continents had disappeared along with it. None of them would exist in Divine Essence Star Ocean any longer.

There were also far too many ferocious beasts who had died in the sea of fire. The ones remaining would exist in a period of emptiness within Divine Essence Star Ocean, but even so, the hidden forces would remain strong. If powerful ferocious beasts and various races could survive here, then they naturally find ways to avoid the sea of fire until they even got used to the eruptions from the fifth kiln.

Their existences were the foundation of Divine Essence Star Ocean.

When the sea of fire in the world outside disappeared, the flames that existed in space in the area around the group on the platform started dimming one by one. Yet as they became dimmer, all the people, including Su Ming, instantly saw… figures that had their eyes closed and were sleeping in the extinguished flames,

They… were Fire Spirits!

When the sea of fire from the fifth kiln erupted, they fell asleep, but when it disappeared, they would gradually wake up and carry out their mission – to kill all those who did not belong in this place.

At the instant Huang Mei and Reverend Zi Long saw the Fire Spirits, their faces turned grim. They did not say a single word, because there were far too many Fire Spirits around. They were so densely packed together that their numbers could not be counted.

They might be sleeping, but the mighty pressure spreading out from their bodies was enough to make all people's skin crawl. These Fire Spirits' levels of cultivation varied, but even the weakest among them were at Lunar Kalpa Realm!

The strongest among them were existences akin to Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death. However, they had not reached that Realm and were just exuding the mighty pressure and offensive power that belonged to those in that Realm.

Thankfully… most of them did not possess intelligence.

However, it could be seen that some of their eyelids were shuddering, as if they were about to wake up, and it gave a sense of oppression to people.

"Fellow Daoists, if you could come to this place, then you must surely have your own understanding regarding the fifth kiln. There are six of us here, if all goes well, we can occupy six Spirit Trudging Platforms. At that time… heh heh," The yellow-browed man lifted his head to look at the Fire Spirits.

Right at the instant he finished speaking, nine huge light screens appeared around the platform on which they stood. At the instant light shone from them, piercing roars reverberated through the kiln. Those shrill cries came from the Fire Spirits who had opened their eyes from their deep slumber and let out that sound once they saw the six intruders.

Chapter 983: Splitting Up

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Once the continuous string of shrill sounds traveled outwards, the Fire Spirits who had awakened rushed towards the platform at an incredible speed.

Due to the noise, even more Fire Spirits woke up, and their piercing screeches shook the entire kiln for a time. It sounded as if it would not stop until all of the intruders were killed.

While they screeching, they rushed to the platform. The hot wave that came with them swiftly rose to an apprehensive degree.

At that moment, the yellow-browed man rushed into one of the light screens. He was so quick that he disappeared in an instant. Reverend Zi Long reacted at almost the same time and stepped into another light screen, disappearing.

As for the white-robed teenager, Zhu You Cai, and Flame Fiends' Progenitor, they spread out and rushed towards different light screens. Flame Fiends' Progenitor cast Su Ming a seemingly casual glance on his way. A glint flashed past his eyes, and an unknown thought formed in his heart.

However, plenty of Fire Spirits were coming towards them at that moment, and he did not have much time to think about it. He could only move towards the closest light screen, and in an instant, he stepped into it.

Su Ming moved swiftly as well. With one step, he landed on the Resentful Wei. Its speed surpassed Su Ming's own, which was why borrowing the Resentful Wei's power at that moment was the best choice.

The Resentful Wei could sense the mighty pressure brought by the shrill voices from the space above it. With a single move, it charged towards another light screen like a bolt of lightning.

Su Ming did not know whether it was just a figment of his imagination, but before he stepped onto the Resentful Wei, the Fire Spirits seemed to be surging towards them from all directions. Their shrill voices echoed in his ears, but they did not seem to be focusing on him. Yet when he got onto the Resentful Wei, they immediately charged towards them.

Su Ming did not have time to think too much into it. With its extreme speed, the Resentful Wei rushed into the light screen and the two of them disappeared.

On the platform, a large number of Fire Spirits rushed into all of the light screens that the intruders had entered. The moment they did so, the nine light screens around the platform started revolving, and booming sounds rang out in the air. The light shining from them reached one hundred thousand feet. This sort of revolving motion made it seem as if the fifth kiln was in operation.

…..

The instant Su Ming walked out of the light screen, he had his Atman spread out to sweep the area. The Resentful Wei beneath him did not stop and immediately galloped forward.

Above them was a blue sky. The ground was filled with green, and everything seemed to be at peace, as if there was nothing dangerous in the place. Even if Su Ming spread his Atman outwards, he did not notice any dangers.

However, he did not relax his guard in the slightest bit. This was one of the many dimensions within the fifth kiln, so it was impossible for there to be no dangers in this place.

As he rushed forward, a myriad of thoughts passed through his mind. Su Ming knew what was the Spirit Trudging Platform that the yellow-browed man had mentioned. The platform the group stood upon before was one of those things.

There was an introduction to these Spirit Trudging Platforms in the jade slip that Dust Burners' Progenitor had given Su Ming. That item was originally not named as such, and it was only coined with this name by those who came to the kiln later on. Gradually, as time passed, most people came to know it by this name.

Knowledge about its true use had long disappeared in the passage of history. Perhaps Dust Burners knew about it, but it was not mentioned in the jade slip. As of then, the platforms were useful due to their locations, which was why they were incredibly important to all the people who challenged the fifth kiln.

If anyone divided the myriad of dimensions in the fifth kiln into an inner and outer layer, then they could treat the kiln as a gigantic sphere. The countless dimensions were scattered all over the place. There were primary and complementary dimensions, and there were three borders dividing the inner and outer layers. These three borders were formed by many platforms that formed a ring, and it divided the entire fifth kiln into four regions.

It did not mean that the dimension with the supreme treasures would definitely be located in the innermost layer, but the innermost regions would definitely have dimensions with supreme treasures.

The yellow-browed man was clearly talking about the first border just now. The meaning behind his words was that if all of them were successful in their journey, they would gather there and step into the dimensions of the fifth kiln between the second and third borders.

The fifth stone which Su Ming wanted was located in the deepest depths of the kiln, which meant that it would only appear in the inner layer of the third border. This fifth stone's role was to suppress certain things in the fifth kiln!

It existed to suppress some powerful supreme treasures!

Su Ming's eyes sparkled. As the Resentful Wei charged forward, he continued spreading his Atman outwards and searching for the exit. The world's area was not very big, so he could tell that this was one of the dimensions with a complementary treasure, but there was no light from a treasure in the sky. Clearly… the complementary treasure in this place had already been taken away many years ago by someone else.

These sorts of places were the most dangerous. It would have been better had the treasure still been around. As long as a person was not dead set on obtaining the treasure, then the ferocious spirits in the place would most often not take the initiative to attack.

However, in places where the treasure had been taken away a long time ago, the ferocious beasts would kill all those who came to the dimension.

Su Ming was alert. When he moved forward, he did not forget to observe the area behind him. In just about a dozen breaths, his expression changed swiftly. He noticed that three Fire Spirits had rushed into the region he was Relocated, and they were chasing after him.

He frowned. These three Fire Spirits were not especially powerful. Two among them possessed offensive power comparable to those in Solar Kalpa Realm, while the final one was slightly weaker. It only possessed a mighty pressure that was equivalent to those in Lunar Kalpa Realm.

Compared to them, Su Ming was more concerned about what sort of ferocious spirits existed in this seemingly peaceful world. The most important thing for him to do right then was not to chase away the Fire Spirits behind him, but to leave this dimension as quickly as possible.

His eyes sparkled. The Resentful Wei beneath Su Ming could notice his thoughts. It became even faster, and Su Ming sent out a divine thought to Xuan Shang and his group, who were still excited about being able to enter the fifth kiln. He also sent one to Xu Hui.

Soon, the divine senses from Xuan Shang, Yun You, Nian Yin, Hua Yu, and Xu Hui gathered on Su Ming's body, and under his control, they spread outwards swiftly, then in the blink of an eye, the entire land was enveloped in their divine senses.

'Where is it?!' Su Ming's eyes focused, and he immediately noticed a faint distortion in the space in a region in the distance. That distortion looked ripples on a calm surface of water. Clearly, there was some form of Relocation force there.

'It's just as Dust Burners' Progenitor said. If there is an entrance to a dimension, then there will definitely be an exit. This is an unchanging law that will last forever…'

The Resentful Wei beneath Su Ming became even faster and turned into a long arc that could not be seen clearly. In an instant, it disappeared. When it reappeared, it was already beside the distorted region. Just as it was about to step in, Su Ming's pupils suddenly shrank.

'Something's not right. This dimension is a little too simple…'

Without any hesitation, Su Ming stopped. He lifted his right hand, sending out a wisp of Yun You's divine sense. This was his ability as the main soul, and Yun You could not refuse it.

That divine sense disappeared into the distorted region, but soon, Su Ming's expression changed. He heard a pained scream from Yun You echoing in his mind.

His divine sense had been devoured.

Su Ming immediately moved back, but the instant he did so, he saw violent ripples coming out from the distorted region, and it turned into a gaping mouth. Ghastly black rays of light were revealed within, and the mouth open wide to devour Su Ming in one gulp.

At the same time, about a dozen distortions suddenly appeared in the originally empty space around him. A dozen something gaping mouths like the first one took shape, and with a foul gust of wind as well as low growls, they charged towards Su Ming.

The blue sky became murky in an instant as well. A gigantic crack that was enough to terrify all appeared above. If anyone looked over, they would immediately see that this was not a crack, but an incomparably huge, ghastly, gaping mouth!

With the Resentful Wei's speed, it disappeared into the distance in an instant and avoided being devoured by the dozen something gaping mouths. However, the hose could not avoid the ghastly mouth formed in the sky. It charged towards them from above and below.

When Su Ming looked over, it was as if the entire sky was descending on him. It looked as if the mouth wanted to gobble up the land.

His expression turned dark. By then, he had already seen the ferocious spirits' appearance. These were semi-transparent ferocious beasts that looked like tadpoles. They were not big, but their skulls were several hundreds of times bigger than their bodies. When they opened their mouths, it was an alarming sight.

There might only be around a dozen of them around, but each of them exuded the offensive power of those in Solar Kalpa Realm, and a wave of madness and resentment also came from them, especially the ferocious beast which replaced the sky. The mighty pressure spreading out from it was the presence that belonged to Almighties in Mastery Realm.

The dozen something ferocious spirits were in front of Su Ming while above him was the gaping mouth that filled the sky. Behind him were the three Fire Spirits, charging swiftly towards him. These three Fire Spirits did not have intelligence. In their eyes were a great killing intent, so it seemed… that only the ground was safe.

Su Ming looked at the ground, and a cold sneer appeared on the corners of his lips. The safer a place appeared, the higher the possibility that it was the most dangerous. This was something that could be seen by what had happened moments ago.

He stopped in midair, then closed his eyes and soon opened them again. Ecang's presence erupted from him. Once it filled the supreme treasure's body, a brilliant light shone in Su Ming's eyes. He did not retreat, but moved forward, and took a step towards the dozen something ferocious spirits in front of him.

He lifted his right hand and swiftly struck the area in front of him.

At the instant his palm landed, the sun, moon, and stars shone in Su Ming's eyes. His palm swiftly turned into a gigantic illusion in front of him. That illusion was enlarged rapidly and turned into a palm that was several thousands of feet big. With loud bangs, it collided with the ferocious spirits, and booming sounds surged up into the sky. From the distance, it could be seen that these ferocious spirits were swatted backwards, and a path for Su Ming was cleared.

He moved. As the Resentful Wei, Su Ming left its back and rushed towards the incoming gaping mouth which brought up a torrential wave as it came from the sky. At the same moment, the Resentful Wei lifted its head, stared at the mouth in the sky, and let out a shocking roar.

Once it roared, infinite black flames instantly erupted from its hooves. Endless resentment was contained in those flames, and they filled the place in all directions, forming a gigantic black ball of fire that swept up the Resentful Wei and charged towards the gaping mouth in the sky.

Su Ming and the Resentful Wei rushed forward from two directions. In just the span of a few breaths, they crashed into the gaping mouth one after another. Booming sounds and roars reverberated in the air, and the entire sky tumbled backwards. The gigantic ferocious spirit was clearly not an opponent when Su Ming and the Resentful Wei worked together. As it retreated continuously, the true sky was revealed!

It was fragmented, with countless cracks in it. Su Ming's eyes sparkled, and without any hesitation, he charged towards one of the cracks with a long whistle. The Resentful Wei was even faster. As it charged forward, it met up with Su Ming, then in the blink of an eye, rushed into a crack and disappeared without a trace.