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Chapter 992: Shifting the Direction of the Disaster
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming was not the only one who shifted his gaze to the sixth platform. The other four people also looked over, especially Zhu You Cai. There was even a hint of hesitation on his face. He was incredibly puzzled as to what reason could have made Flame Fiends' Progenitor be the last one to arrive.
As for the white-robed teenager who was the centipede, a dark light shone in his eyes, and when he looked towards the sixth platform, a speculative look appeared on his face.
It could be said that Su Ming's expression was the most normal among the group. He watched the sixth platform shine and waited for Flame Fiends' Progenitor to arrive. He wanted to see whether the Progenitor would dare tell the truth.
The sixth platform shone even brighter, and after a moment, an indistinct figure manifested on the platform. The instant that figure appeared, the yellow-browed man and Reverend Zi Long let out faint gasps of surprise.
Zi Long's eyes focused on the indistinct figure on the sixth platform before he stood up slowly. With surprise in his eyes, he looked towards the white-robed teenager.
His act of getting up and his gaze instantly caused the white-robed teenager to be stunned, and the surprise in Zi Long's eyes especially puzzled him. He could not understand why Zi Long would do such a thing, because to him, the sixth platform did not seem to have anything special.
Zi Long saw the stunned expression on the white-robed teenager's face, then frowned before looking towards Zhu You Cai, but he soon averted his gaze. His eyes lingered hesitantly on Su Ming for a moment before he looked towards the yellow-browed man.
At that moment, the yellow-browed man also rose up. His expression turned incomparably grim while he stared intently at the sixth platform. His eyes shone for a few times, and then he also looked first towards the white-robed teenager who was the centipede before he swept his gaze past Zhu You Cai and Su Ming. In the end, he looked at Zi Long, and their gazes met.
Su Ming watched all of this from the platform in the distance, and while his expression was calm, his heart had already become wary. He had been able to tell earlier that Zi Long and Huang Mei were the strongest. Judging by what happened at that moment, the depth of their power was not in Mastery Realm, but the laws of fate, or else it would have been quite impossible for them to see the change in power in the indistinct Flame Fiends' Progenitor who appeared while the sixth platform shone when the white-robed teenager, Zhu You Cai, and even Su Ming himself were unable to see it.
'The two of them first suspected the white-robed teenager attacking in the dark, making it clear that he is not as he seems. Perhaps it should be said that this person has a trump card that can make both Zi Long and Yellow Brows regard him seriously.
'Then it was Zhu You Cai, and the last one is me, but it seems that the two of them aren't certain of who it was… In fact, they are even suspecting each other.' Su Ming saw all of this clearly. At that moment, his expression was not his usual calm look, but he a shocked expression he put on while he looked at the sixth platform.
Of course, this shocked expression was an act, or else the perpetrator would be a little too obvious.
Zi Long and Huang Mei's unusual behavior also caused Zhu You Cai to stand up. He had a vague feeling that something bad had happened. Almost at the instant this feeling appeared, his expression changed drastically, because at that moment, even he had finally sensed that something was wrong about Flame Fiends' Progenitor, who had now appeared on the sixth platform!
"He-he lost his physical body!" Zhu You Cai said in a low tone, his expression changing.
The white-robed teenager from the other platform had already noticed this. His expression then changed as well. Clearly, he now knew why Reverend Zi Long's expression was so grim, why he looked towards him, and why the yellow-browed man also fixed his gaze on him.
After all, even if the fifth kiln was dangerous, to them, even though there were things that could endanger their lives in the area beyond the third level's border, these dangers were rare and few in between. The real dangers would usually appear more frequently the closer they got to the core.
Even though based on their experiences there were indeed cultivators who disappeared or died in the area beyond the third level's border, there were only one or two who died among those who had truly become Almighties in Mastery Realm.
No one knew the reason behind why those people had died. There was a possibility that they were ambushed and died, and it was also possible that they ran into the rare, dangerous dimensions and died within them.
That was why when they noticed that Flame Fiends' Progenitor did not possess a physical body, their first reaction was that he was ambushed, but there was also a possibility that he ran into one of the rare, dangerous dimensions, which was why he was in such a pathetic state. In fact, they could already imagine that if Flame Fiends' Progenitor hadn't resolutely given up on his physical body, then he would have definitely ended up having his body and soul destroyed.
'Was Flame Fiends' Progenitor ambushed or did he run into a dangerous dimension that forced him to become like this?' This was the thought that appeared in all the people's hearts except Su Ming's during that moment.
Several breaths later, the light around the sixth platform reached its brightest. When it reached a piercing degree, it swiftly darkened, and the exhausted Nascent Divinity of Flame Fiends' Progenitor appeared before the people's eyes.
Huang Mei and Zi Long stared intently at him with a fierce gaze.
As for Zhu You Cai, he sighed in his heart and looked at Flame Fiends' Progenitor with an expression full of emotion.
The white-robed teenager narrowed his eyes, and a faint glint shone within them. Even though it might seem normal, those who understood him would definitely be able to see the darkness in his eyes, along with the hint of greed within there.
It was very quiet in the area. Everyone looked towards Flame Fiends' Progenitor. Su Ming narrowed his eyes slightly, but the calmness and indifference in them didn't allow people to tell what he was thinking.
With the dead silence came an indistinct mighty pressure. It enveloped Flame Fiends' Progenitor, but it did not cause his expression to change. Clearly, from the moment he decided to walk out, he had already thought of all the things he might encounter. He thought about his companions' greed and the dangers he would have to face after he lost his physical body and his power fell.
After all, not only did his power fall, he also only had his Nascent Divinity left. A Nascent Divinity that belonged to an Almighty in Mastery Realm was a great supplement for some cultivators. They could also turn it into the best Vessel Spirit for a supreme treasure.
In fact, there were other uses as well, such as turning it into a puppet or a medicinal core. There were plenty of uses for him, and the level of misery in it was enough to make people regret why they had not died right away.
Everyone was silent. Flame Fiends' Progenitor was also silent. While standing on the sixth platform, he lifted his head to look around him coldly. At that moment, under everyone's gazes, the first one he looked towards was not Su Ming… but the white-robed teenager!
When he looked towards him, a powerful resentment appeared in his eyes. That resentment was so strong and distinct that it was immediately noticed by the others.
The white-robed teenager was first stunned, then his expression changed drastically, because not only did Reverend Zi Long look towards him, even Huang Mei and Zhu You Cai turned their gazes towards him.
"It's not me!" the white-robed teenager immediately shouted and glared at Flame Fiends' Progenitor. "You old fool, what's the meaning of this?! Do you want your entire race to die?!"
Su Ming saw this, and his eyes flashed slightly. A barely noticeable smile appeared on his lips.
'What a diabolical and scheming man you are, Flame Fiends' Progenitor…' Su Ming's smile gradually grew cold.
'He knew that he would definitely be targeted by others as a Nascent Divinity, but he doesn't want to die. If he told the others that he was injured by me, it would bring no benefit to him. It would just make the others wary. After all, it's unlikely for anyone who is wary of me to stand up for him and make things troublesome for me. Besides, he is of the same value as a supreme treasure right now. That's why… he forced down his resentment against me and chose not to say it because he's waiting for others to end up in the same state as he is.
'He directed the target to the white-robed teenager, making the others suspect him. This should be a part of his plan. If I were him, then my next step would be…'
When Su Ming looked towards Flame Fiends' Progenitor, he saw the Progenitor move, and with an incredibly quick speed, he rushed out of the sixth platform as a Nascent Divinity to instantly appear on Su Ming's platform.
This scene drew all the others' attention.
"Fellow Daoist, if you ensure my safety, then I am willing to give you the planet my race calls its home as a price, and I have a deep understanding towards the fifth kiln. I can help you avoid detours. I wonder what you think about it?" Flame Fiends' Progenitor wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming while he stood on his platform.
The others might not know about this, but Su Ming knew about it. The bitterness and grievances in Flame Fiends' Progenitor's heart had to be monstrous while he bowed to him.
'He's shifting the direction of the disaster.' Su Ming's expression remained the same, but he started laughing coldly in his heart.
Flame Fiends��� Progenitor had to have a good relationship with Zhu You Cai, which was why he did not want to drag Zhu You Cai into this mess. The one he hated the most was Su Ming, which was why as long as he stayed by his side, the disaster would be brought to him. The Progenitor himself would be a bait to draw the other people's greed to him.
Before he came over though, he first provoked the white-robed teenager, and it could be said that the person who would definitely not let him go easily would be the white-robed teenager.
The actions might have seemed sudden, but when Su Ming thought about them carefully, this was very logical. After all, Su Ming's power was the lowest among the group, and at that moment, the weakened Flame Fiends' Progenitor looked as if he was choosing Su Ming as an equal and it was something that was fitting in other people's eyes.
If he chose other people to protect him, then there was a high possibility that he would be walking straight into his own death.
Flame Fiends' Progenitor lifted his head. When he looked at Su Ming, there was a madness within them that only Su Ming could notice, and this madness was very easy to understand.
If Su Ming refused, then Flame Fiends' Progenitor would do everything that he could, even willingly become a Vessel Spirit for the person who agreed to kill Su Ming. This was him using his death to drag Su Ming down to hell with him.
However, he didn't really want to die, so his intentions were very clear.
He was betting that Su Ming was unable to kill him instantly and betting that the others would follow after them after they stepped into the next dimension.
Chapter 993: Put up an Act
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Progenitor was also betting that he could live through this chaos. Besides, there was nothing left for him to lose. Even if he misjudged the situation and no one would follow him into the next dimension he stepped into, causing him to die in Su Ming's hands, then once he disappeared, everyone would know that Su Ming obtained his Nascent Divinity, and because of that, he would truly be able to shift the disaster in another direction.
This situation made it seem as if no matter what Flame Fiends' Progenitor did, Su Ming would still find it hard to not be chased down.
If Su Ming could seal him so quickly that Zhu You Cai could not save him in time and cause others to be unable to take action, then he could be considered to have destroyed this trap. But the prerequisite was that he gave the Nascent Divinity of Flame Fiends' Progenitor to someone else.
However, Su Ming… did not choose to destroy the trap this way, even if he was confident he could do so if he had Progenitor Long Hai bring forth all his power and Su Ming fused it with his Ecang clone.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Very well," he said. Once he said these words, he instantly drew all the people's attention. Under the old monsters' gazes, Su Ming sat calmly, without a single change in his expression.
His words made even Flame Fiends' Progenitor narrow his eyes. The madness in them disappeared, replaced by a hint of uncertainty, but it was soon hidden when he bowed.
"Thank you, fellow Daoist." Flame Fiends' Progenitor forced down the resentment in his heart and was compelled to say these words.
Zhu You Cai frowned and scrutinized the Flame Fiend, then looked at Su Ming before looking away, occupied with his thoughts. As for the others, no one knew what they thought about, but based on their expressions, nothing much seemed to have changed. Only the white-robed teenager who was the centipede cast Flame Fiends' Progenitor a sinister look, then frowned and swept his gaze past Su Ming.
"Words are all empty promises. If you attack me while I am not on guard… It's difficult for me to make my decision, it'll be best if you swear an oath." Su Ming turned his head around and looked towards Flame Fiends' Progenitor. There was a ghost of a smile on his face, along with a calmness within his eyes that no one else could understand. Only Flame Fiends' Progenitor did.
The Flame Fiend hesitated for a moment, then looked at Su Ming, and their gazes met.
"I, Huo Kui, swear by my Nascent Divinity, and the universe bears as my witness. If you are truly willing to ensure my safety, then in the fifth kiln, I will definitely not attack you." Similarly, only Su Ming could understand his words.
This was him telling Su Ming that he only wanted to survive, and if Su Ming truly wanted to help him, then he would put all their previous enmity in the fifth kiln completely behind him.
As Flame Fiends' Progenitor swore his oath, an indistinct connection formed in Su Ming's heart, signaling that the oath had taken effect.
Su Ming nodded calmly. There were no other words exchanged between them. When he began meditating, not a single hint of what he felt could be seen on his face. Even though he knew giving his promise to Flame Fiends' Progenitor was a trap, Su Ming still stepped into it, because he had his own judgments.
If Flame Fiends' Progenitor had not chosen to provoke the white-robed teenager, he would not have bothered, but he had chosen the person Su Ming wanted to kill the most, and because of it, he could be considered to have fulfilled Su Ming's intentions.
"Alright, everyone's here now. Then let's move to the subsequent dimensions. The dimensions in this level will be much more dangerous than before. I hope that all of us will appear on the Spirit Trudging Platforms on the second border and not be buried eternally in this place," the yellow-browed man said coldly.
When he spoke, he lifted his right hand and pushed down swiftly on the Spirit Trudging Platform beneath him. Immediately, light shone, and a vortex appeared under his feet. It looked like a Relocation Rune.
The others followed his actions, and as the vortexes appeared, light blossomed under Su Ming's feet.
Once booming sounds came from the Runes on all platforms, large, tumbling waves immediately rose in the space in the distance. They were the Fire Spirits rushing over when they heard the noise.
Zi Long cast a profound look at Su Ming before he disappeared into the Rune beneath him. Then, the yellow-browed man looked as if he hesitated for a moment before he disappeared without a trace as well.
As for Zhu You Cai, he remained silent for several breaths. When he saw that the space around him was tumbling about even more and shrill roars were coming closer, he cast a glance at Flame Fiends' Progenitor before he moved and disappeared into the Rune beneath him. At that moment, only Su Ming, Flame Fiends' Progenitor, and the white-robed teenager remained on their platforms and did not move.
Su Ming's expression remained the same while he looked to his right.
The white-robed teenager stared back. After some time, when he saw that the shadows of the Fire Spirits had already appeared in the space around them, he let out a cold harrumph and disappeared without a trace. Once he was gone, Su Ming also stepped into the Rune beneath him. Flame Fiends' Progenitor's eyes flashed, and while he hesitated, he gritted his teeth and stepped into the Rune as well.
At the instant the two of them disappeared, the light on platform in which the white-robed teenager had stayed suddenly flowed in reverse, and the youth appeared again.
'My skills with Runes are above those of other people, but how could you peasants know about it?' The white-robed teenager took a step forward and charged towards the platform Su Ming had disappeared into, and when he landed, he entered the Rune there.
Once the people disappeared, a large swarm of Fire Spirits reached the platforms. In the blink of an eye, the filled the space. Shrill screams rose into the air and traveled faintly into the Rune before dissipating.
Su Ming appeared in a land filled with flames. The sky was burning, the earth was roaring, and when he looked over, volcanoes were erupting madly on the ground. Black smoke went up to the sky in billows, as if it could cover the sky, but it could not cover the sea of fire above, burning everything in all directions continuously.
There were rivers on the ground, but the water within them was red. It was not blood, but lava.
Not a single hint of green could be seen on the ground. This was a world of fire.
Once Su Ming appeared, Flame Fiends' Progenitor also manifested behind him. Almost at the instant he appeared, he moved back and maintained a set amount of distance between himself and Su Ming. There was no one else in this place, and he no longer hid the resentment in his eyes while he glared over.
"If you kill me, then everyone will know that you have my Nascent Divinity in your control, and it'll be difficult for you to escape from everyone!" Flame Fiends' Progenitor said in a dark voice.
"Why would I want to kill you?" Su Ming asked flatly and looked at the wary Flame Fiends' Progenitor.
"How would I know why you ambushed me and forced me to explore my physical body explode?! It's because of you that I'm stuck in this predicament!" The resentment in Flame Fiends' Progenitor swiftly erupted on his face. His hatred towards Su Ming had already reached a heinous extent.
"I attacked you because you harbored the intent to kill me. If you didn't direct your enmity towards me, then I would have naturally not attacked you. Destroying your physical body was just a warning. I'm warning you again now: Don't provoke me," Su Ming said calmly. As he spoke, a domineering presence spread out from his body. That presence spread in all directions, stirring up the sea of fire to tumble about even more furiously than before.
Flame Fiends' Progenitor stayed silent and did not speak.
"Since I already warned you and you chose me to protect you, then I will naturally not kill you, but do you want another physical body?" Su Ming asked faintly.
"The choice of a physical body for us Flame Fiends is extremely important. Unless it's a physical body in Mastery Realm, then the effect will be less than us with just our Nascent Divinities.
"That physical body of mine you destroyed was one I obtained after much effort in the past. Now, I have several physical bodies among my people acting as backups, but they are all just in Solar Kalpa Realm. They aren't in Mastery Realm," he began explaining in detail when he seemed to have vaguely come to understand Su Ming's thoughts. A glint shone in his eyes.
"And I am on rather friendly terms with Zhu You Cai…" Flame Fiends' Progenitor said again.
The meaning behind his words might have seemed indistinct, but in truth, it was already very clear.
"You will soon have a new physical body," Su Ming stated slowly. In truth, Progenitor Long Hai also needed a physical body, but Su Ming did not fancy giving him the white-robed teenager's physical body.
"Huang Mei and Zi Long are equal in terms of their levels of cultivation, and since they are both wary of each other, they are held back by each other. Neither of them will attack so easily, but the youth also has extraordinary power. He is also a manifestation of the Heavenly Centipede. I heard that he has the blood of Ancient Wu, which hails from the world beyond the four Great True Worlds… Once he activates his blood, he can activate the channel guiding Ancient Wu to him and turn into the Ancient Power."
Once Flame Fiends' Progenitor finished saying these words, a powerful, resentful aura instantly rose up with a bang in the originally empty spot beside Su Ming. That resentful aura swept through the entire area and caused the flames in the place to spread outwards.
As the resentful aura gathered together, the Resentful Wei manifested. The eyes of the two dragon heads shone with an eerie light as they stared at Flame Fiends' Progenitor, who instinctively took a few steps back.
"If you're added into the mix, will it be enough?" Su Ming asked flatly.
"He is so fast that he can break the universe," Flame Fiends' Progenitor said immediately. His eyes had already brightened up.
"Then let's put up an act so he won't want to run away." As he said these words languidly, killing intent shone in Su Ming's eyes, and he charged towards Flame Fiends' Progenitor.
The Resentful Wei moved, and the black, resentful fire under its hooves tumbled outwards in all directions, instantly filling the entire area around Flame Fiends' Progenitor. Su Ming had already closed in during that time. When he lifted his right hand, he seized the air in the direction of Flame Fiends' Progenitor.
With it, a myriad of thoughts appeared in the head of the Flame Fiend. He instinctively moved back, then opened his mouth to let out a shrill screech. As he did so, the power of his Nascent Divinity shone, and an arm bone flew out of his body. It was illusory, but it crashed swiftly against Su Ming's incoming palm.
Booming sounds rose into the air, and Su Ming took a few steps back. Flame Fiends' Progenitor also shuddered and staggered a few steps back, but he let out a big sigh of relief in his heart. Su Ming might have looked as if he had used his full strength in that strike just then, but in truth, since Flame Fiends' Progenitor had a marginal understanding of Su Ming's true power, he knew that he had not used his full strength.
Flame Fiends' Progenitor took a step forward, and when he attacked again, he sent a divine thought to Su Ming. "How long are we putting up this act?"
"Until he takes action."
"What if he doesn't attack?"
"Then we'll act until no one can tell whether this is true or fake." At the instant Su Ming sent this thought outwards, he lifted his right hand. The weather changed, the sea of fire tumbled about, and a gigantic palm manifested in front of him. It charged towards Flame Fiends' Progenitor with a bang.
Chapter 994: Real? Fake?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The battle caused the weather to change and the world to roar.
The sea of fire in the sky continuously tumbled about and fell backwards, the fire on the ground spread due to the impact, causing the lava to flow backwards, the air to sparkle in a dazzling manner, the sky to look as if black, resentful flames had sealed off all directions, and Flame Fiends' Progenitor to look as if he could not escape.
As loud, booming sounds spread out, Su Ming executed a myriad of divine abilities, and a different atmosphere gradually appeared as Flame Fiends' Progenitor continued acting in this farce of a fight.
He harbored a grudge towards Su Ming since the start, and no matter how many explanations Su Ming provided, it would be difficult to dispel that grudge. Originally, he had it suppressed, but at that moment, as they attacked, this resentment could no longer be suppressed. It fused into his attacks, causing the world to tremble in the mid of the booming sounds brought about as they fought.
As time trickled by, the two of them did not fight in one area, but instead continued moving forward as they battled in the sky. Yet no matter how much Flame Fiends' Progenitor attacked, he was still surrounded by the black, resentful flames, and that sea of fire was continuously shrinking. Each time it shrank to the greatest limit, it would force Flame Fiends' Progenitor to use his divine abilities to strike it, and only then could he send the resentful flames back once more.
The white-robed teenager still did not appear, but in truth, there was a figure hiding in lava on the ground since a long time ago. This figure was not big, only the size of a finger. It was a red centipede.
It was in the lava and did not stand out. No one would be able to notice its existence.
Through the lava, it saw Su Ming and Flame Fiends' Progenitor fighting in the sky. Its eyes shone, but it did not choose to show itself or attack. It wanted to first judge whether this was an act trying to lure him out.
It might have chased after them, but it always thought that there was some form of connection that it did not know between Su Ming and Flame Fiends' Progenitor.
While it waited, the battle between Su Ming and Flame Fiends' Progenitor became even fiercer. In fact, there were a few times that flames from the Resentful Wei almost caused the Nascent Divinity of Flame Fiends' Progenitor to be destroyed.
However, the centipede still did not attack. Instead, there was a cold look in its eyes, along with a hint of derision.
'What a fake act, and they have managed to act till now? The black horse only traps him and does not join the battle. There's something off about this. It's certain that they're trying to lure me out.' The centipede who was the white-robed teenager thought like this as he let out a cold harrumph.
Three days later, Su Ming and Flame Fiends' Progenitor were on a volcano. The divine abilities they used as they fought against each other were endless. Booming sounds spread all around. The Nascent Divinity of Flame Fiends' Progenitor was incredibly exhausted. In fact, there were several times when he wanted to escape, but he was swept up by the black resentful flames, forcing him back.
He also noticed that Su Ming's attacks were getting fiercer. His power was no longer like it was a few days ago and was continuously increasing. This caused Flame Fiends' Progenitor to immediately have endless thoughts spring in his mind.
'Could it be that he wants to kill me, and this isn't an act…' Flame Fiends' Progenitor could not decide. In fact, he could not tell clearly whether Su Ming truly wanted to lure the white-robed teenager or whether… he wanted to kill him.
'But if he wanted to kill me, he could have done so easily when he attacked at the start. Why drag on until now?' Flame Fiends' Progenitor became uncertain again.
Just as he thought that, Su Ming took a step forward. He lifted his right hand, and a huge mountain manifested in the air. That mountain was naturally Dao Avenue Mountain, and it charged towards Flame Fiends' Progenitor.
When it was about to close in on him, the Flame Fiend let out a low growl, then formed a seal with both his hands. His Nascent Divinity immediately changed and turned into a soaring bird that swiftly flew into the sky.
However, at the instant he flew up, a dark light shone in Su Ming's eyes. He formed a seal with his left hand, and the shadow of the sun, moon, and stars shone in his eyes. Immediately, the entire sky above Flame Fiends' Progenitor darkened as the world rumbled. The sea of fire spread out. A huge face appeared swiftly in the sky.
It was an illusion, Su Ming's Illusion of Stars, Sun, and Moon. It was the power which would exist if someone believed in it.
That face belonged to the body of the supreme treasure Su Ming controlled. Once it appeared, it opened its mouth wide and sucked in a sharp breath in the direction of Flame Fiends' Progenitor.
The expression of the old man changed drastically. When he moved back, he spread his arms outwards, and immediately, his Nascent Divinity changed again into a gigantic python. The python hissed, then curled up into a Rune, but at the instant he formed the Snake Rune, the Resentful Wei around it formed a sea of fire that tumbled backwards swiftly. The black flames, along with Dao Avenue Mountain as well as the gigantic face in the sky rushed towards Flame Fiends' Progenitor.
The expression of Flame Fiends' Progenitor changed again. He could sense a powerful killing intent, and it caused his Nascent Divinity to tremble. At that moment, he had no time to think about whether this was an act. The giant python he turned into immediately spread out and crashed into the incoming resentful flames with a bang.
As the resentful flames spread out, Su Ming's Dao Avenue Mountain closed in. The giant face in the sky pushed down, and Flame Fiends' Progenitor let out a roar that shook the sky. His Nascent Divinity shrank and turned into a huge ball of light. When they crashed into each other, the ball of light spread out rapidly. This was Flame Fiends' Progenitor using the essence within his Nascent Divinity. It was the first time during these three days that he did not hesitate to use his own Nascent Divinity to fight against Su Ming.
Booming sounds surged into the sky, causing cracks to appear in the sky and the ground to shatter. Amid these loud bangs, the face in the sky shattered, Dao Avenue Mountain collapsed, and Su Ming froze for a moment in midair. Flame Fiends' Progenitor retreated swiftly and turned back to human form, his Nascent Divinity had become incredibly dull.
"What are you doing?!"
Flame Fiends' Progenitor had a dark expression on his face, but he did not say these words outright. Instead, he sent his divine thought to Su Ming while he retreated swiftly. However, at the instant he retreated, the sea of fire formed by the Resentful Wei swept up and prevented him from leaving. Killing intent also spread out from those resentful flames. It and the obstruction formed by the flames immediately let Flame Fiends' Progenitor realize that he… could truly no longer escape from the ring of flames formed by this resentful aura!
After all, Flame Fiends' Progenitor had intentionally made it seem that he could not escape the previous few times. If he truly wanted to leave, he could have done so by sacrificing some of his essence, but now… he realized in shock that he… truly could not escape.
This realization also allowed him to see that this was not an act they put to lure the white-robed teenager to attack. This was… Su Ming wanting to kill him!
As for why he had not immediately attacked a few days ago, it was because he could still make his Nascent Divinity self-destruct. Once he self-destructed, Su Ming would not be able to get anything yet the others would have the mistaken notion that he was hiding the Nascent Divinity of Flame Fiends' Progenitor.
That was why Su Ming had used his words to deceive him. With this method and with the excuse of luring the white-robed teenager to attack, he slowly made him waste away his essence and… gradually lose his power to self-destruct. At that moment when he could no longer self-destruct, he was so exhausted that he even lost the right to self-destruct.
"Who are you?! There is no way for you to be an unknown person when you're so diabolical!" Flame Fiends' Progenitor roared as madness appeared in his eyes. He gathered his essence without stop, but to his grief realized that he had really wasted most of his essence during the past few days.
"You destroyed my physical body, then lied to me saying that you wanted to lure the Heavenly Centipede here, yet your true goal was always my Nascent Divinity! That Heavenly Centipede didn't even come here!"
Su Ming looked at Flame Fiends' Progenitor without speaking, then his attacks became even fiercer. The speed and rate of burning of the resentful flames around him also became much greater.
This scene was seen by the white-robed teenager hiding in the lava. He was at first uncertain, but that uncertainty was soon followed by a smile. At that moment, greed appeared in his eyes.
'What a diabolical person. He actually used this method to prevent Flame Fiends' Progenitor from self-destructing before he could obtain his Nascent Divinity. This method is incredibly sinister and vicious… but I like it!
'Looks like this isn't a trap. It seems like I've been overthinking it. If that's the case… then I'll let you know that… the words you used to lie to Flame Fiends' Progenitor… are actually real!'
The white-robed teenager's eyes flashed, but he soon forced down the greed in his heart and continued observing them. He was a skeptical person, and unless he was completely certain, he would not appear.
Flame Fiends' Progenitor had anger raging within him, but there was also despair along with it. His madness reached its peak, but by then, he had even lost his right to self-destruct. He knew that if he tried to self-destruct, he would not be able to succeed… but he still wanted to try!
"Even if I die, I still won't become a Vessel Spirit under your control!" As Flame Fiends' Progenitor roared, all his essence swiftly started boiling, and the explosive presence of self-destruction spread out from his body, but right at the instant it happened, Su Ming's eyes shone. With a step forward, his power instantly rose, and he fused with his Ecang clone, but he did not have Long Hai offer his power. Yet even so, it was enough to overpower Flame Fiends' Progenitor, who had lost his physical body.
The resentful flames formed by the Resentful Wei around the area also tumbled back. If anyone looked from the ground, it could be seen that when the resentful fire in the sky tumbled backwards, there were countless shadows of Resentful Weis in them, as if there were endless horses galloping about. In the blink of an eye, they swept towards the self-destructing Flame Fiends' Progenitor.
With a bang, the self-destruction of Flame Fiends' Progenitor and the resentful flames crashed into each other, then he froze. To his grief and despair, he realized that his Nascent Divinity was filled with resentful aura. It came from the charges from the resentful flames during the past few days.
The instant the self-destruction of his Nascent Divinity came to a halt, his body was occupied by the resentful aura. The resentful flames around him surrounded and trapped him in layers, like a seal, and Su Ming closed in on him with a step. He lifted his right hand, and a dazzling light shone in his palm. It was the light from the Soul Sealing Art, the one that belonged to Hua Yu from Xuan Shang's group.
The palm was about to land. Once it did, Flame Fiends' Progenitor would lose his consciousness, and perhaps he would never wake up again. Despair, grief, and madness turned into his last thoughts.
At the instant Su Ming's palm was about to land, a mighty power erupted from the ground, and a ray of white light instantly shot out. It was a centipede that was completely white, and this time, in contrast to the previous black centipede, it exuded a mighty power.
That centipede was so quick that it instantly rushed into the resentful flames. As a long string of laughter echoed in the air, he charged towards Flame Fiends' Progenitor in front of Su Ming and instantly pounced on him.
Needless to say, that centipede was the white-robed teenager. At that moment, he was completely certain that he… did not fall into a trap!
But did he truly not fall into a trap? Su Ming's lips curled up into a faint smile the moment the white-robed teenager stepped into the resentful flames.
Chapter 995: Peak of Mastery Realm
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Fellow Daoist, please don't bear a grudge against me for this. I'll be kindly accepting this old man's Nascent Divinity." A long string of laughter echoed in the air. The white centipede instantly appeared in front of Su Ming, and he was so quick that it seemed as if while his words were still in the distance, his body had already arrived like an afterimage. He opened his mouth in a hideous fashion to bite into the extremely exhausted Flame Fiends' Progenitor whose Nascent Divinity's essence had already been mostly wasted away.
When Su Ming saw that the white centipede wanted to devour the Nascent Divinity of Flame Fiends' Progenitor, a fierce look instantly appeared in his eyes. He had been waiting for this chance for a long, long time, and this cautious as well as cunning centipede had finally fallen into his trap. This was truly him using Flame Fiends' Progenitor as bait to lure him forward.
So how could he let that centipede just devour him?!
At the instant the piercing cold light shone in Su Ming's eyes, his power erupted in a frenzy. This was the power after Su Ming had his Ecang clone fuse completely with the supreme treasure's body. Under Su Ming's will, Progenitor Long Hai also brought forth all of his power and fused it in, creating the most powerful force Su Ming could muster at that moment!
He was no longer infinitesimally close to the power that belonged to Masters of Fate, Lives and Death. This was… the true power of Mastery Realm, and he was not just a normal Almighty in Mastery Realm. Instead, he had already reached the terrifying power of those at the peak of Mastery Realm!
After all, Progenitor Long Hai was an Almighty who was already near the peak of Mastery Realm. Because of it, when all the other people's power was added into the mix, they could bring forth the peak of Mastery Realm!
It was difficult to call this level of cultivation as being in Mastery Realm. This was already… half a step into Fate Realm! If Su Ming could understand fate, then he would reach the Fate Realm. He would be the same as Heaven Traversers' Progenitor, but his true power could far surpass that of that person.
As for fate… even if Su Ming did not understand it himself, he still had the three-leafed grass, and since this item could let the one thousand feet tree execute the power of fate, then it was naturally the rare type of treasure which had the same effect as Heaven Traversers' legacy treasure.
The body created by Xuan Family's supreme treasure, this extremely powerful, law-defying treasure forced Su Ming to admit that he was tempted. He was not just slightly tempted, but incredibly tempted to obtain it!
The offensive power at the peak of Mastery Realm turned into a mighty pressure, and at the moment it erupted from the body of the supreme treasure Su Ming controlled, wind rose, clouds surged, weather changed, and even the sea of fire that surrounded this world tumbled backwards.
A shocking scene appeared in the sky. The sea of fire tumbled about as if there was an invisible hand that swept it aside, as if the fire in the sky had turned into a veil, and when that hand lifted it, it revealed the sky after the flames had burned it!
The ground trembled furiously. Cracks appeared as it shattered. Booming sounds reverberated ceaselessly in the air, and a large number of volcanoes instantly collapsed. Lava flowed through the land while roaring, but an invisible gust of wind blew past it, and it instantly froze.
It was as if the world, the sky, and the earth had frozen up under the mighty pressure from the power brought by the peak of Mastery Realm that belonged to the body of the supreme treasure Su Ming controlled.
Almost at the instant that power erupted from Su Ming, the white centipede who intended to devour Flame Fiends' Progenitor had a swift and drastic change in his expression. Disbelief and shock appeared on his face. Even though Flame Fiends' Progenitor was by his mouth, he instantly felt chilled.
'A trap! This is a trap!'
The centipede was screaming at that moment, but he did not have time to think about it. With one move, he let go of Flame Fiends' Progenitor's Nascent Divinity, which was already by his mouth. Instead, he moved, about to use the speed it was proud of and which even the Almighties in Mastery Realm would have a headache with to instantly escape…
But Su Ming had taken precautions against this. It could be said that the real goal of his trap was to suppress the centipede's speed. How could Su Ming let him escape? Almost the instant the centipede was about to flee, the black resentful flames in the area tumbled backwards with a bang, and Flame Fiends' Progenitor also let out a furious roar to rush towards the white centipede.
The reason why he chose to rush out even though he was in a horrible condition was because Su Ming had said a few words to him at that moment.
"Do you want to make this act real, or make this real thing happening right now into an act?"
The white centipede let out a piercing roar. With one move, he was about to rush out of the resentful fire, but at the instant he touched it, the resentful fire at the spot he touched manifested into the Resentful Wei. It charged straight into the centipede.
Booming sounds surged into the sky. The Resentful Wei let out a loud roar. As it moved back, a powerful hatred appeared in its eyes. The resentment in the two dragon heads was incredibly great, and a great amount of resentful fire burst out.
"Wei… You are the manifestation of Ancient Wei's soul!"
The white centipede was also forced back by the impact and instantly turned into the white-robed teenager. Disbelief appeared on his face, and there was even a distorted tone in his piercing voice.
His expression changed drastically. He had harbored incredible hate towards Su Ming's black horse earlier but was unable to find the source of that hate. Yet during the clash just then, both of their presences were forced out of their bodies. Because of that, he immediately found the source of his hatred.
This was… Ancient Wei's presence. It was an ancient arch nemesis that had hidden since the beginning of time in the white-robed teenager's blood!
The three ancient kingdoms had waged constant war. Their hatred towards each other was branded into their people's souls, and as it was transferred through generation after generation, their descendants fought and killed each other generation after generation. If they did not destroy the others' country, they would definitely not stop!
"You are… a Resentful Wei!" The white-robed teenager's expression was incredibly sour. There was also madness on his face. He could not see any flaws in this situation. It had been his greed that tempted him to step into this trap.
In truth, even though the Resentful Wei was also in Mastery Realm, it was an inferior life form compared to the white-robed teenager. After all, the white-robed teenager could take human form, while the Resentful Wei could not. After all, the teenager possessed the blood of Ancient Wu, while the Resentful Wei was a life form formed by Ancient Wei's resentment.
However, during the battle Su Ming had waged for the past few days, the Resentful Wei had executed its power continuously. It had already changed the laws in this place. As they changed and the Resentful Wei burned the area, it could be said that a powerful prison had been formed in the place.
It would have been fine if that jail had been left alone, but once it started shrinking, then even with the white-robed teenager's speed, he would not be able to rush out within a short amount of time. At the instant he moved back, Flame Fiends' Progenitor pounced on him. The madness on his face was no less than that on the white-robed teenager. When he rushed out, there was a look on him that made it seem as if he wanted to die together with him.
Su Ming had made his point very clear with his words just then. If he did not take action, then he would make the conclusion to make the act real! After such words, how would the old man not use his full strength? Even if he was already extremely exhausted, he still rushed out as if he had gone mad.
There was also bitterness in his heart. He knew that he had completely outclassed by Su Ming this time. If the white-robed teenager had insisted on not coming out, then he would have ended up truly dead.
Even if the white-robed teenager appeared and he obtained his physical body, since he had already used up too much essence of his Nascent Divinity, he wouldn't be able to have his full power erupt for a short period of time. At the very least, while he was in the fifth kiln, he would only… be able to bring out power that was little different from his Nascent Divinity.
It could be said that Su Ming had not suffered any losses in this battle, but had obtained a great amount, and due to the situation that he had planned, he seized the upper hand. No matter how things developed, he would definitely not suffer any losses.
'These sorts of schemes, these kinds of diabolical plans… This person doesn't even bother with principles, and he's not a kind and merciful person. He's one of the fiendish, demonic, heartless people who are temperamental and suddenly turn hostile. Why did I think about provoking him? Damn it, I'll definitely not provoke this person again!'
In bitterness, wariness rose in Flame Fiends' Progenitor towards Su Ming. It even surpassed what he felt when Su Ming had destroyed his physical body. That wariness and respect that came from his heart and soul made him unable to harbor any intentions to exact revenge on Su Ming at all.
He did not dare.
The madness within Flame Fiends' Progenitor and his desperation caused the white-robed teenager to be unable to help but freeze for a moment.
If that was just this, then it would not have been able to make the white-robed teenager to descend into frenzy, but Su Ming exuded power that belonged to those in the peak of Mastery Realm at that moment, and it was enough to make the white-robed teenager break down in this situation.
At the instant he was held back by Flame Fiends' Progenitor, Su Ming lifted his right hand and threw a simple punch forward, but that punch was a punch that belonged to those in the peak of Mastery Realm.
The world crumbled, and all things in the world roared. The volcanoes on the ground shattered. The vortices in the sky looked as if space had been shattered. At the instant the punch was hurled forward, it brought about a great sense of danger to the white-robed teenager. He wanted to dodge, but Flame Fiends' Progenitor held him back in a frenzy, and the resentful fire from the Resentful Wei shrank and closed in while tumbling about and surging into the sky. The loud bangs caused the white-robed teenager to let out an indignant roar in despair.
Su Ming's punch landed on the air in front of the white-robed teenager. As the air distorted, the youth coughed up a large mouthful of blood, and as his body tumbled backwards, Flame Fiends' Progenitor remained stuck to him. He instantly burned up. The Resentful Wei closed in, its resentment surrounding the youth like venom, and it corroded his body, inside and out.
"Fellow Daoist, please forgive me. I've been reckless in this, but I only wanted to kill this damn Flame Fiends' Progenitor. I didn't have any form of hostility towards you. Fellow Daoist, could you let me go this once? I'll remember this for the rest of my life and will definitely repay you!" the white-robed teenage said swiftly with a pleading look in his eyes as he moved back in a disheveled state. His whole body was enveloped in flames and resentful aura. His skin withered, and black spots appeared on it.
What answered him were not words. Instead, with an aloof expression, Su Ming took a step forward, then lifted his right hand and struck with his palm to deliver an attack that caused the world to roar as if it was going to crumble!
A strike… in Mastery Realm!
It was a palm that covered the entire sky and earth. It manifested in front of Su Ming, then swept through the sky as well as the ground. With a presence that could destroy everything, it aimed to destroy the world.
"There's no enmity between us, yet you really intend to kill me?!"
The white-robed teenager retreated swiftly, but he could not escape from Flame Fiends' Progenitor's frenzied pursuit and the attacks from the resentful fire behind him.
"No enmity?" Killing intent shone in Su Ming's eyes, and his right hand swung down.
Chapter 996: Ancient Wu Shocks the World
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"You're pushing this too far!"
Once the white-robed teenager heard Su Ming's words, he was momentarily stunned, then he lifted his hands to strike his chest while roaring madly. This strike caused his bones to let out cracking sounds.
"Blood of Ancient Wu, I call upon the spirits of my ancestors to descend on me, and I will burn my blood to inscribe the will of Wu on me!" The white-robed teenager threw his head back and roared. At the instant he did so, the sky became cloudy.
Tumbling fog could be faintly seen above. It spun around in the mid of loud booms, until it turned into a gigantic vortex that replaced the sky. It didn't stop spinning then, and a vast, mighty pressure descended on the ground.
Soon, a gigantic golden pillar of light that was thousands of feet wide and born in an unknown place came out of the vortex. It descended on the ground to envelop the white-robed teenager.
At the same time, Flame Fiends' Progenitor let out a shrill scream of pain. His body started tumbling backwards as if it was evaporating. Only when he retreated thousands of feet back did he stop disintegrating. Fear appeared on his face. It was a look of pure terror.
He could clearly feel that there was a horrifying power within the golden light that appeared just then, and it was a power that could even kill Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death.
Thankfully, its area of effect was not big, or else Flame Fiends' Progenitor would have definitely died.
As for the Resentful Wei, under that golden light, a large amount of black smoke started spreading out from its body. Once the smoke distorted, it turned into indistinct figures. They lifted their heads and let out soundless screams towards that golden light.
The figures might look indistinct, but the hatred in them was obvious at first glance, as well as the golden light's disgust and madness.
The hatred was especially deep in the Resentful Wei. It roared towards the golden light and looked like it wanted to crush whatever was at its end!
Su Ming shuddered. When the golden light enveloped him, a cold chill filled his heart. That chill came from the golden light and seemed to be able to seal even a soul. However, Su Ming's current body possessed the offensive powers of those in the peak of Mastery Realm. He retreated one thousand feet away.
But even if he retreated, shrill screams of pain from Xuan Shang and his group rang out within the body of the supreme treasure. Just being enveloped by the golden light for a moment had severely injured their hearts and souls.
Brilliant light shone in Su Ming's eyes. He lifted his head and looked at the foggy vortex in the sky, from which the golden light was coming.
"I burn my blood and borrow the power of the ancient kingdom. Spirit of Wu, descend on me!"
As the white-robed teenager in the golden light roared madly, his body started withering swiftly while numerous veins popped up on his skin. Bumps swam about within them. It was all the blood in his body tumbling about, as he was swiftly turning gold.
In a dimension at the third border within the fifth kiln was Reverend Zi Long sitting cross-legged on a meadow. There were endless weeds swaying around him. The sky was black, but it was this black sky that caused the weeds to exude a boundless, bizarre air amid the rustling sounds.
Reverend Zi Long's expression was calm. The moment the golden light appeared, the black sky was replaced by gold. It illuminated most of the land. Shrill screams of pain instantly rang out in the air, and it could be seen that there were spiders the size of a fist in the weeds.
They disintegrated under the golden light. Screams of pain reverberated in the air, but it did not attract any attention from Reverend Zi Long. He stared at the sky. He had already stood up, and as the emotions in his eyes changed swiftly, he sucked in a deep breath.
"The power of Ancient Wu… Who… forced fellow Daoist Wu into such a pathetic state that he would spare no pains in burning his soul to borrow the power of the spirits of Ancient Wu?!"
At the same time but in a different dimension, the yellow-browed man was striding forward on the ground. A large number of ferocious beasts in the shape of bears were in front of him, but the man was not bothered by them. Wherever he went, the skulls of the ferocious beasts would be crushed. Their brains would gush out and fly towards the man. When he sucked in a breath, their brains would all be sucked into his mouth.
He was chewing when the sky suddenly brightened and a piercing golden light swiftly covered it. This golden light was very distinct and did not dissipate. The yellow-browed man's footsteps came to a swift halt, and when he lifted his head, his expression instantly turned incomparably grim.
"The power of Ancient Wu…"
At the same time, Zhu You Cai was about to step out of a dimension through the exit when his gaze was attracted by the golden light that suddenly appeared in the sky. When he looked at it, his body swiftly came to a halt. His expression changed constantly, and he fell silent without saying a word.
If this was just a drastic change in the fifth kiln, it would not have caught others' attention, but now… a powerful golden light had completely enveloped the fifth kiln. That golden light that was sent into the kiln… had come this way!
The direction from which the golden light came was not the depths of the galaxy, but from above it!
It came from above the endless galaxy!
Because of it, it wasn't just a few people who saw the golden light. Even though Dust Burners had disappeared from the galaxy, they were still around. Thus, they saw the golden light descending from above the galaxy. They also sensed a powerful, mighty pressure coming from within it.
Dust Burners, Virtue Rooters, and even Reng Wu Race saw that golden light.
Deeper into the inner part of Divine Essence Star Ocean were countless ferocious beasts. They were hiding from the sea of fire formed by the fifth kiln, but the instant they saw the golden light in the galaxy, their hearts were in shock.
Those in the region between the inner part and the periphery of Divine Essence Star Ocean also saw it. In fact, the tribe members of Ninth Tribe also saw the golden light while they were in the region in the periphery!
It was a pillar of light swiftly descending from above the galaxy, like a straight line!
In fact, those in Black Ink Planet could also see it clearly. Even the… forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping watch over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence could see it!
Within the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds were the Almighties who were in isolation all year long. At that moment, they walked out of their training grounds, and when they looked at the golden light, different expressions appeared on their faces.
"This is the power of Ancient Wu from fellow Daoist Wu…"
"What sort of danger did he run into that he brought the Ancient Wu's spirit here? Based on what I know, when he uses this power, he is unable to handle it. His blood is… too thin."
Farther away was the territory beyond the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. The people there could not see the golden light, but if there were those who had sent their divine senses into the Barren Lands of Divine Essence and pushed them continuously upwards, then based on different levels of cultivation… perhaps there would be some who could see the end point.
The spot where the golden light came from was the end of the area above the galaxy. Over there… was a foggy vortex. It was the exact same as the one seen in the fifth kiln. If there was anyone who had enough power, then perhaps their divine sense would allow them to see through the end of the vortex above the galaxy, and… a new galaxy there.
That was the galaxy… that belonged to the three Ancient Kingdoms.
The golden light came from the galaxy that belonged to Ancient Wu. The source… was a planet in the shape of a pentagram located at the edge. At the center of this planet… was a gigantic blade that was pushed into the planet!
Golden light shone through the entire blade. Under it was a centipede's carcass that was the size of three fingers' breadth. It had long withered away and was now lying there without moving.
It was the blade's light that shone through the endless space and descended on the fifth kiln. In the world where Su Ming was at that moment, he saw with his own eyes the white-robed teenager's body turn golden under the light. A fathomless, mighty pressure continuously grew stronger within him.
"The power of Ancient Wu…" Su Ming's eyes shrank. His expression was calm as he frowned when looking at the ground. He had noticed faintly that there seemed to be a presence waking up down below.
In the depths of the endless volcanoes was a world that was rarely ventured into, and was one that Su Ming hadn't noticed even after he'd been fighting against Huo Kui for several days.
It was an underground maze formed by countless tunnels densely packed together. In the depths of it was an incredibly spacious cave.
This place was completely dark. But if there had been light there, then it could be seen that… Fire Spirits were sleeping there while a weak wave of heat exuded from their bodies, but there was no light coming from them!
They overlapped one another. There was no end to them, possibly tens of thousands of them packed together. There were big ones and small ones among them, and there were even those who exuded the presence akin to those who were Masters of Fate. This was… clearly a Fire Spirits' nest!
In the depths of this underground cave where tens of thousands of Fire Spirits slept was a skeleton that laid at the end of the cave. This skeleton leaned against the wall, and no one could tell how many years it had been since its owner had died. His robes had decayed, leaving only his bones.
But not even the skeleton remained whole. Only his upper half was left. In one of the hand's was a long, purple spear. Even if this person had died, they still held the spear tightly in their hand.
This bizarre cave, peculiar skeleton, and the spear in the skeleton's hand were hidden in the depths of the ground. No one could say how many years they had gone unnoticed by others, since no one ever came to this place.
Yet at that moment, as the golden light descended on the ground, the originally dark underground cave was lit up by a golden light. It shone through the ceiling above, immediately illuminating the whole cave.
To the living creatures who were used to darkness, the light was incredibly piercing to the eyes. Almost at the instant it appeared, the countless Fire Spirits in the underground cave swiftly began roaring. When they opened their eyes, there was ruthlessness within them. Gradually, the roars became louder and stronger, and when all the Fire Spirits had opened their eyes, their roars reverberated through the whole underground cave.
What Su Ming noticed was the presence of the Fire Spirits waking up!
Almost at the instant that happened, the expression of the white-robed teenager that was enveloped in golden light in front of Su Ming twisted. Unbearable pain appeared on his face. Seven-tenths of his body had turned gold, and even his eyes gained that shade. At the moment, he was glaring at Su Ming with madness shining in his gaze.
He lifted his right hand and seized the air in the direction of the golden light above him.
"Lend me the ancient power to crack the heavens and split the earth!"
Chapter 997: I Promised
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As the white-robed teenager seized the golden light, it started distorting. At the same time, endless ripples stirred up. Immediately, the shadow of the golden blade appeared clearly in the white-robed teenager's hands.
When Su Ming looked over, it looked like the white-robed teenager had extracted th shadow of the golden blade straight from the golden light. Once it took shape, a great mighty pressure so powerful it was impossible to put to words descended on the ground with a bang. A loud bang rang out in Flame Fiends' Progenitor's body, and his Nascent Divinity plummeted to the ground as if it had been pushed to the ground by the mighty pressure that seemed to have gained corporeal form. He could not move an inch. His Nascent Divinity also started showing signs of disintegrating, which caused his expression to change to one of shock.
The body of the supreme treasure Su Ming controlled also shuddered under the mighty pressure. He began descending slowly, as if the entire universe was collapsing and its weight was pressed on his body. It pushed him to the ground until his feet sank into the earth.
All forms of life had to bow down and worship before this mighty pressure. If they did not, their bodies and souls would be destroyed. Su Ming remained standing with strenuous effort, his head raised to stare at the white-robed teenager in the sky. A cold glare appeared in his eyes.
The only being who was mostly unaffected by the mighty pressure was… the Resentful Wei.
This two dragon-headed black horse let out a roar filled with a sinister tone the moment the power of Ancient Wu from the white-robed teenager descended. This roar echoed in the air and turned into thick, black smoke around the black horse. As it distorted, it turned into indistinct figures. The shapes of these figures could not be seen clearly, but based on their outlines, it could be guessed that they were men and women, the elderly and the young. As if they had gone mad, they roared at the golden light around the white-robed teenager and the golden blade in his hands.
A hatred that even mortals could sense gushed out of the Resentful Wei's without restraint and it seemed to want to fight against the golden light.
"Crack the Heavens!"
The white-robed teenager had now mostly turned gold. He lifted the golden blade in his hands with much difficulty and cut down at the ground. It could be seen that this slash put a huge strain on him.
His body instantly turned incomparably thin, as if all his flesh, blood, essence, and even his soul had turned into the source to execute this one slash from the blade.
As he swung the blade down, the ground beneath Su Ming's feet immediately roared, and cracks appeared on it. His feet sank in deeper because of the mighty pressure, so only half his body remained above the ground. That mighty pressure caused all of Su Ming's blood to freeze, and this was when he possessed the body of the supreme treasure. If he did not have it and the mighty pressure was not divided among the people in the body, then even his Ecang clone would have almost shattered under the mighty pressure.
After all, Su Ming's Ecang was incomplete.
This slash was not aimed at Su Ming, but the roaring Resentful Wei beside him, and Su Ming could see clearly that since the color of the white-robed teenager was replaced by gold, he showed a spark of consciousness that did not seem to belong to him. Instead, it was a gaze of someone who regarded themselves superior to all, who looked down on the universe as if it was an ant.
"Filthy ants of Lower Realm, thou dost dare fight against the mighty Wu?"
The voice tumbling out of the white-robed teenager's mouth had a strange rhythm to it, along with a cold, merciless gaze that made him seem as if he was standing above the nine heavens and looking down at the universe.
It did not matter whether he was looking at Huo Kui or Su Ming, he regarded them the same. Only when he looked at the Resentful Wei did a grim look appear on his face, as if this Resentful Wei was the only thing worthy of his attention and could be regarded as an equal.
"An Immortal from the Higher Kingdoms!"
Flame Fiends' Progenitor shuddered. There was also a quiver in his voice. His words might have been faint, but Su Ming could still hear them. At the instant he did so, the freezing glare in his eyes became even colder.
The people from the three Ancient Kingdoms were indeed known as Immortals from the Higher Kingdoms in the eyes of the people from the four Great True Worlds.
With one slash, the youth cut through the sky, and the slash turned into a dazzling ray of golden light. There was an indescribable ray contained within it. This light was as breathtaking as the light that split apart space when the universe was born. It was the divine ability: Crack the Heavens!
That one slash contained the power to tear open the chaos in space, to turn the heavy parts into the earth and the light parts into the power of the sky. Even though the white-robed teenager could not bring forth the full power of the slash, but by activating the power of Ancient Wu within his blood, he still managed to bring forth a certain amount of power from the blade.
This was a divine ability that the white-robed teenager had to cast with his life. He could only burn his blood once in his life, so once he died, he would definitely die, but even if he died, he still wanted to burn his blood and reach his peak, to activate the pride of Ancient Wu in his blood.
With one slash, the weather changed. The dimension where Su Ming was instantly fell silent. Flame Fiends' Progenitor shuddered. The ruthless and rampaging Fire Spirits in the ground also fell silent at that instant.
It was not just them. All the living beings in the fifth kiln, even the one thousand feet tall tree, sensed the might of Ancient Wu cracking the heavens.
Reverend Zi Long's expression turned dark. He still stood on the meadow and looked at the sky. His expression continued changing, but after a long while, he sighed. He knew that the white-robed teenager would definitely die.
"It's a pity that we didn't manage to go through with our alliance. If that's the case, I might really have to work together with Huang Mei for the supreme treasures later." Zi Long shook his head.
In another dimension, the yellow-browed man frowned. When he looked at the gold hue in the sky, a hint of wariness shone in his eyes.
"I didn't expect that the fellow with the blood of Ancient Wu would be able to bring forth such offensive power…"
Su Ming stared intently at the slash the white-robed teenager executed. His body was forcefully suppressed by the mighty pressure, which enveloped him in a way that he was unable to move even a single inch. He could only watch helplessly as the golden blade went charging at the Resentful Wei.
As for the black horse, as it roared, the black smoke around its body started spinning. It turned into a vortex that looked like a black hole.
In the face of the incoming slash that cracked the heavens, the Resentful Wei did not retreat. Instead, it charged forward.
But before it did so, it turned its head around to cast a glance at Su Ming, who was suppressed on the ground and unable to move. In that one glance was a farewell. When the black horse turned its head back, it had already turned into a black shooting star that rushed at the golden blade that cracked the heavens.
This was its mission. It was the brand formed by the resentful aura from Ancient Wei left in its soul. The resent towards the universe reached its peak when it saw a blood descendant of Ancient Wu. It wanted to rush out and fight against him!
Su Ming saw the Resentful Wei cast that look, the farewell within it, and his heart trembled. Faint hints of red then appeared in his eyes. He remembered his promise to the Resentful Wei!
"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 my promise to the whole universe!"
"My promise…"
The red deepened in Su Ming's eyes. His heart was trembling, his soul boiling, and all the willpower in his body fighting furiously against the mighty pressure that came from the outer world.
At that moment, a violent bang rang out in the world, as if it wanted to separate the world again. It reverberated through the area, and it was the sound of the golden blade that could crack the heavens crashing against the black shooting star that was the Resentful Wei.
As booming sounds echoed in the air, the Resentful Wei fell backwards. Its body was forcefully sliced apart in midair, and amid the loud bangs, it turned into black smoke. Quite a large part of it instantly dissipated, while the remaining part gathered together to turn into the Resentful Wei. Its body was filled with injuries, and it was a startling sight to behold. The presence spreading out from it was also incredibly faint and weak.
A thick aura of death surrounded the black horse.
As for the golden blade, it paused for a moment in mid air. The golden light became weaker, but its attack did now slow down. With the white-robed teenager holding onto it, it slashed down at the Resentful Wei again.
Su Ming's body trembled furiously. A low roar came from his mouth, and it was as loud as a clap of thunder. He had made a promise with the Resentful Wei, and he would fulfill that promise!
Even if the price was too great, but since he made that promise, he could not just let the Resentful Wei bear the attack executed by the white-robed teenager when he was in no danger. After all, the white-robed teenager would die soon after, and Su Ming would win just like that.
However, while other people might hesitate before they chose to interfere with this, Su Ming would definitely not do so!
He could not rush out with the body of the supreme treasure under the mighty pressure, but he still had his methods. At the instant the slash that cracked heaven from the golden blade charged with its remaining might towards the nearly dead Resentful Wei, Su Ming sent forth a thought to Xuan Shang, one so firm that it allowed no one to refuse him.
"Open the body of the supreme treasure, I want to go out!"
Almost at the instant Su Ming mentioned that, a huge force erupted with a bang from his soul within the body of the supreme treasure, causing Xuan Shang's mind to tremble and immediately choose to obey him. However, he did not dissolve the body of the supreme treasure. He only nullified the connection between Su Ming and the body.
At the moment he did so, a powerful light suddenly flashed between the brows of the body formed by the supreme treasure. As it shone, overlapping shadows immediately appeared. Su Ming's real body stepped out of them in one step.
At the instant he walked out, the mighty pressure descended on him with a bang. Su Ming lifted his right hand and clenched his fist. Within it, there was a certain creature.
It was… the poisonous wasp that contained the God Ascension Nectar.
The stinger from the wasp was already out. When Su Ming clenched his fist, no one noticed anything unusual about it. But right then, the stinger pierced his palm. Poison that was fused with the God Ascension Nectar instantly surged into his body.
Su Ming felt as if his heart was going to burst. During that instant, as a loud bang rang out in his mind, the blood in his body started boiling. As the God Ascension Nectar swam through his blood, veins popped up on Su Ming's face while he fought against the mighty pressure from the sky.
Chapter 998: Stand Till the End
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As Su Ming resisted it, intense pain shot through his body. That indescribable pain came from his body being crushed and his soul tearing under the pressure.
There were certain times when pain was the source of a person's madness, and it was the case for Su Ming at that moment. The more pain he felt, the more bloodshot his eyes became, and the more the God Ascension Nectar in his body fused with his blood.
"Ecang!"
At that moment, Su Ming no longer cared about whether he would expose himself. He had made a promise with the Resentful Wei, and he would definitely deliver on it!
When Su Ming said the word, his Ecang clone let out a projection with a bang, and under it, Su Ming rushed forward swiftly. With it, he crashed into the mighty pressure.
With a bang, Su Ming coughed up blood. The Ecang projection that appeared behind him crumbled, but this collapse completed the arrival of the Ecang clone. Once it appeared and fused with Su Ming, his strongest offensive power erupted from his body, and he took a step forward again.
This step immediately caused cracks to appear on his body. Blood covered every inch of him, but as he threw his head back to laugh, he did not bother to wipe away the blood at the corners of his mouth. Instead, he summoned the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole!
When it fused with him, Su Ming's physical strength reached its strongest. When he took a step forward again, the sky roared. He coughed up a large mouthful of blood, and his vision became blurry. By then, he had already turned into a blood-soaked person.
A thick fragrance from the God Ascension Nectar spread out. Under the stimulation provided by the nectar in his broken body, he started rapidly recovering. An abundance of life force filled him. It felt as if even if he was a dead person, this life force would bring him back.
The God Ascension Nectar, his Ecang clone, and his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole allowed Su Ming to take his fourth step forward. All of this might seem to have happened over a long period of time, but in truth, only a few breaths had passed since the moment Su Ming appeared to the instant he took his fourth step. At that moment, when the fourth step landed, he appeared right in front of the incredibly exhausted and nearly dead Resentful Wei!
Su Ming stood by it while drenched in blood. At that moment, he looked as if he had turned into a blazing sun, causing everyone's gazes to be unconsciously attracted to him.
Flame Fiends' Progenitor was already struck dumb. His mind was blank. As he looked at Su Ming and his unfamiliar face, he instinctively looked at the body of the supreme treasure, and soon seemed to come to a vague understanding.
The moment he grasped it, his body was stimulated by Ecang's presence spreading out of Su Ming's body and the God Ascension Nectar. It caused his breathing to quicken, and disbelief appeared on his face.
The sight of Su Ming fighting back head-on against the mighty pressure caused a storm in his heart.
The people in the body formed by the supreme treasure were also in shock. Xu Hui was relatively calm, but Xuan Shang, Yun You, Nian Yin, and Hua Yu's expressions had turned into a mess. They originally thought Su Ming was very powerful, but when they looked over at him at the moment, all of their previous impressions of him were overturned.
It was especially so for Progenitor Long Hai. His eyes sparkled brightly. He might have been able to tell that this body was formed by the Xuan Family's supreme treasure, but he did not manage to tell that there were so many secrets contained in Su Ming's body.
As for that God Ascension Nectar, even he desired it.
While standing in front of the Resentful Wei, Su Ming lifted his head to look at the golden blade the white-robed teenager had swung down with much difficulty. He did not know that the Resentful Wei was looking at his back quietly at that moment.
Just then, when it cast that one glance, Su Ming had remembered his promise.
As the Resentful Wei stared at Su Ming, he also remembered the promise he was given. At the moment, Su Ming was using his actions to fulfill that promise, even if the price for it was incredibly great.
Su Ming's appearance caused the now golden-eyed white -robed teenager's pupils to shrink, but the golden blade slicing down did not stop. It charged towards Su Ming, who threw his head back and roared. Even if his body was about to shatter, he still lifted his left hand, then formed a seal and pointed at the incoming blade.
With it came Su Ming's greatest Origin divine ability—winter, autumn, summer, spring!
The Art of his Life Matrix—the flames of summer brought forth a thick sea of fire that instantly erupted from the blood of Su Ming's body. They fused into his left index finger, which then turned into a fire finger that pointed at the incoming golden blade.
This finger contained Su Ming's determination, his promise, and the explosive charge of his willpower. At the instant it crashed into the golden blade, the world roared!
Loud booms shook the sky and earth and turned into an impact that swept through all directions. Su Ming coughed up blood and retreated, but forced himself to stop in front of the Resentful Wei. His face was pale and he trembled, but the light from the golden blade had grown weaker again. However, it still continued drawing closer.
At that moment, Su Ming was already severely injured. If he did not have the God Ascension Nectar with him, even if he had not died from the slash just then, he would have definitely been unable to stand up.
However, he the God Ascension Nectar, which allowed him to stand up. Its domineering power was a force that would allow a person to possess life force no matter what condition their bodies were in.
In fact, it could even be seen that the God Ascension Nectar had formed thin threads in Su Ming's body and connected it together. If anyone could within it, they would realize that there were countless injuries to his organs and even his soul, but they were all connected by the power of the God Ascension Nectar.
This was the God Ascension Nectar!
Su Ming could not retreat. Behind him was the Resentful Wei, whom he had promised to protect no matter what. At the instant the golden blade came forth, Su Ming closed his eyes, then lifted his right hand to point at the sky, and pushed his left hand at the ground.
"That which exists between the past and the future is Destiny!"
This was a divine ability that he had not used for a long time. A purple-haired man immediately appeared above him, and beneath his left hand was an infant with his eyes closed.
Once these two figures overlapped with Su Ming's body, a ripple of power erupted with a bang from his body, causing his hair to fly. His appearance instantly changed to that of a seven- or eight-year-old child. He rushed out swiftly and charged towards the incoming golden blade.
The boy Su Ming turned into lifted his right hand to form a seal and pointed forward. Immediately, the golden blade looked as if it had stopped in midair, then as if it had sliced apart space itself, it let out a loud bang and charged towards Su Ming once more.
Su Ming tumbled backwards and coughed up blood again. The injuries on his body grew even more severe, but the previous test had allowed him to know that he could not change the trajectory of time for the golden blade!
However, during this battle, the white-robed teenager had been reduced to mere skin and bones. He was so thin that he looked as if he was going to die if wind blew against him. An incredibly thick aura of death surrounded his body. That aura of death spread out to bear witness to him walking swiftly towards death.
The youth glared at Su Ming. The hand holding onto the blade was already trembling, and he was gritting his teeth to persevere.
This was a battle where the first to fall would be the first to die!
When Su Ming moved back, blood capillaries filled his eyes, and a hint of madness appeared about him. His transformation into Destiny did not have any effect. Then… what would happen if he went through another transformation while he was Destiny?!
Su Ming had thought about this before, but he had never tried it. However, he wanted to try it right then.
As he moved back, he stopped once again in front of the Resentful Wei. Then, Su Ming lifted his head and closed his eyes. With his right hand lifted towards the sky while his left hand was lowered to the ground, he once again… executed the transformation into Destiny!
"That which exists between the past and the future is the present!"
Su Ming's voice was hoarse when he spoke. The moment his body went through the transformation into Destiny again, pain that surpassed what Su Ming had ever experienced was suddenly reflected on his face, and he threw his head back to roar.
As he did so, a large part of his skin cracked. Fresh blood gushed out of his body, but a presence that had never come from Su Ming's body erupted.
The explosive charge of this presence caused Su Ming's hair to instantly turn white. As his face charged, he turned into a teenager of about thirteen- to fourteen-years-old from a child of seven- to eight-years-old. The powerful presence about him lashed against the world. When Su Ming opened his eyes, there was an aloof look within them.
Three breaths!
At the instant Su Ming went through the second transformation of Destiny, he immediately gained an epiphany. He knew that he only had three breaths in the second transformation. However, within these three breaths, the offensive power he could bring forth…
… was no longer below Mastery Realm. He could execute… the power of Mastery Realm!
When Su Ming moved forward, he instantly closed in on the white-robed teenager, and booming sounds instantly echoed in the air. Two breaths later, when the two of them fell backwards, Su Ming stopped once more in front of the Resentful Wei. A decaying presence spread out of his body, and his appearance instantly changed. When he turned into his original self, his body trembled and he coughed up blood as if he was about to fall over.
When he looked at the white-robed teenager, he saw that when he was forced back, he also coughed up blood. The golden hue on his body was disappearing right before his eyes. The golden blade in his hand was also turning into golden light. By the looks of it, it was about to dissipate.
As the youth laughed brokenly, a bit of the white-robed teenager's consciousness seemed to have returned to him. The golden hue in his eyes had already become so faint that it could barely be seen. The burning of his blood had reached its end.
"I… still have one skill left… Split the Earth!" The white-robed teenager swung the golden blade that was about to dissipate, having forced himself to gather up his final strength.
Su Ming's pupils shrank. When he sucked in a deep breath, he prepared himself to summon the Sand Spirit.
He could still summon the Sand Spirit twice. Su Ming did not want to use it so easily; if he could afford not to use it, he intended not to use it. Yet if the white-robed teenager still had strength in him to fight, Su Ming would have to summon the Sand Spirit.
But the moment the white-robed teenager lifted the blade, it suddenly disintegrated. A confused look appeared on the youth's face. His body trembled, and his presence disappeared without a trace. He… plummeted to the ground.
He had already burned all of his blood. As he plummeted, the golden light within his body completely disappeared. Even what was beyond the fifth kiln in the world outside had also vanished completely.
The battle ended with the white-robed teenager burning all his blood. Su Ming… won, but his victory did not mean that he was stronger than the white-robed teenager. Instead, due to the existence of the God Ascension Nectar, he could last longer, and this fight was one where the one who could last till the end would win!
But at the instant the white-robed teenager plummeted to the ground, before Su Ming could relax, the ground roared. A huge crack tore through the earth. Countless Fire Spirits that seemed to have been suppressed for a long time surged out from the crack. In the blink of an eye, they filled the entire area.