Su Ming left.
Once he left, the crowd in the field also gradually dispersed as the people went to the leaders of their tribes and went back to their lodgings in Wind Stream City.
The first stage of the test was over. There would be a night of rest before the start of the next part of the test the next day. The second stage may not be a test of actual combat, but it held a lot of importance by showing the participants’ power.
In the past, there would be a lot of people who entered the first stage of the test and did not participate in the other two stages, but these people were mostly ranked below the top 50. There had never been someone who had managed to place in the top 10 ranks and bowed out of the other two tests.
That was why Su Ming and Ye Wang’s conversation caused a storm to rage within the hearts of the people in the field. However, they did not talk about it. They only watched silently as Su Ming left.
The participants who were getting ready for the test next morning left especially quickly. They had to hurry up and use the night to train to make sure their bodies were in top condition while getting rid of the injuries they sustained due to the pressure from the mountain in the first stage.
The injuries sustained by Chen Chong and the others were not light because they had forcefully moved forward during the first stage of the test. They would require help from the powerful Berserkers from their tribes to be able to recover by next morning.
Even Wind Stream Tribe’s Elder, Jing Nan, did not waste time loitering in the field. Ye Wang’s forceful absorption of his Berserker Blood would have left behind a lot of problems; he would have to go and help him soothe his Qi.
When Su Ming came, it was Shi Hai who had brought him. It was the same when he left. Shi Hai seemed to be conflicted, and he hesitated as if about to say something, but he remained silent in the end. He swung his sleeve and brought Su Ming away from the place towards Wind Stream City in a whistle of wind.
As the crowd gradually diminished, the field became more deserted. Mo Sang stood in the field with a smile as he spoke to Jing Nan, who was standing by his side, about something.
Jing Nan’s face was no longer gloomy. He was frowning instead. After a long moment of silence, he looked towards Mo Sang.
"The first request you had regarding giving me the Ancient Berserker Art was to let Dark Mountain Tribe become a part of Wind Stream Tribe when you believed the time was right so as to receive Wind Stream’s protection.
"Your purpose for doing that was definitely to give Black Mountain Tribe’s Bi Tu a chance. You will take away three of the strongest Berserkers in Dark Mountain Tribe and greatly reduce the defense of your tribe…
"If Bi Tu comes to Wind Stream, then you will use the chance to observe his power. If he doesn’t, then it means something unknown has happened to his training. This move of yours, where you kill two birds with one stone, is ruthless indeed!" Jing Nan looked at Mo Sang and gritted out each word.
"I never intended to hide it from you," Mo Sang spoke, smiling.
"If Bi Tu had come, you could then have made changes according to your judgment. If he didn’t, then you’d be leaving behind a weakened tribe to tempt him into attacking it… I can tell that you have a backup plan within the tribe.
"If Bi Tu was to really attack Dark Mountain Tribe, then due to my promise to you, Dark Mountain Tribe would become part of Wind Stream, which would make Bi Tu wary. Due to your understanding of Bi Tu, if he had just arrived at a breakthrough, then his powers would still be wild and hard to control. I… would definitely need to lend a hand or else Wind Stream would lose all their esteem in the region since they couldn’t even defend an affiliated tribe.
"It would make others think that I’m afraid of Bi Tu," Jing Nan slowly spoke about these things. In truth, when Mo Sang had mentioned that to him in the secret room, he had already thought about all this, but did not say it. He wanted to keep those thoughts to himself and think about it later so that he could make Mo Sang pay a greater price. Now… he found the price!
"Not bad. That’s what I’ve been thinking. It’s a pity Bi Tu didn’t make a move." Mo Sang frowned slightly as he looked towards Jing Nan.
Jing Nan’s gaze was complicated as he looked into Mo Sang’s eyes. After a long while, he sighed.
"If it weren’t because that child looked so different from you, I’d truly think that he is of your blood." Jing Nan lifted his head and looked towards the direction Su Ming had disappeared.
"To me, he is of my blood." There was a hint of nostalgia in Mo Sang’s eyes as he spoke softly.
"Mo Sang, in terms of intelligence, I cannot compare to you… This has nothing to do with our cultivation. I knew that since I was young… You knew since a long time ago that I would figure out the hidden meaning within your request, and you knew that with my personality, I would not immediately reject you, but would find the chance to reap even more benefits from you…
"All this, you have predicted. That was why you pushed this benefit right in front of my face so that I would have no choice but to be attracted to it… All of this was not just for your tribe but also for the child, perhaps even more for him…"
"You knew since a long time ago how outstanding Su Ming is!" Jing Nan spoke slowly.
Mo Sang looked at Jing Nan with a smile. He did not speak.
"You made him hide his identity and use another appearance in this place to show off his potential so that I would see all of that… With this move, even if Dark Mountain Tribe becomes affiliated to Wind Stream Tribe, he would not be affected by this. You gave him another path… a path that you did not choose that year…" Jing Nan’s face became even more complicated as he looked at Mo Sang.
"You know that Wind Stream does not mind prodigies appearing in the tribes around the region. In fact, we even hope that there would be other young prodigies appearing in other tribes. Because the moment they appear, we would receive them the moment we find them and make them part of Wind Stream. We would also give a lot of benefits to their original tribes.
"Many people don’t understand why we do this, thinking that Wind Stream is jealous of those who have talent. Even if we explain ourselves, no one would believe us, only you… know the truth! You know the truth, and you asked him to disguise himself for his own good. After all, if he’s too outstanding, then it would be far too easy for others to be jealous of him. Putting him under a layer of disguise is a form of protection for him. At the same time, he won’t be burdened by the fate of being one of the members of an affiliated tribe. He can be independent."
"If he grows up and reveals his identity later, it would still be fine. At that time, he would already have the power to let others look up to him. He could also protect Dark Mountain Tribe by then, which would have already become an affiliated tribe." Jing Nan looked at the few people left on the field while speaking slowly.
"You made it. I like this child. Let him stay in Wind Stream. I’ll offer him the same help as I gave Ye Wang, just like what I promised before. Between him and Ye Wang, whoever reaches the Transcendence Realm first will become the Berserker’s Son of Wind Stream!
"Even if he reaches the Transcendence Realm later than Ye Wang, with his potential, I will still make him as brilliant as the blazing sun! He will develop Wind Stream together with Ye Wang! As for Dark Mountain Tribe… once the test ends, come to Wind Stream. Bi Tu won’t dare to stop you. If he makes a move, I will let him know the difference between us, even though we are both in the initial stages of the Transcendence Realm!" As Jing Nan spoke, he raised his right hand towards Mo Sang and waved it. In an instant, a small bottle sped towards Mo Sang.
"There are three drops of Berserker Blood in there. Treat the extra drop as a present for Su Ming!" Jing Nan looked at Mo Sang deeply and turned away, taking a step towards the air. He had to help soothe Ye Wang’s Qi tonight.
Mo Sang watched Jing Nan leave, then looked at the small bottle containing the three drops of Berserker Blood. His eyes were filled with contemplation. Jing Nan was right in many regards, but there was one thing he was wrong about. Mo Sang did not expect that Su Ming would be able to obtain such a rank.
His original plan had been to use Su Ming’s mysterious identity to make Jing Nan suspicious. Then he would pay up an incredibly great price for Jing Nan to agree to let Su Ming stay in Wind Stream.
After all, he understood that Wind Stream Tribe was incredibly resolute towards getting out of this place and becoming stronger. It would not give up any chance to do so, even if it was just a guess…
But Mo Sang did not expect Su Ming to be able to obtain this rank. With things this way, the tables for his negotiation with Jing Nan had immediately turned and now Mo Sang held the reins instead of being forced to go with the tide.
It was just a small change, yet the difference in the end results was so great!
‘Perhaps this time… the catastrophe looming over Dark Mountain Tribe can actually be solved…’
A bright flash flickered in Mo Sang’s eyes, and he went towards the people from Dark Mountain Tribe waiting for him in the distance.
In the air outside of the vicinity of Wind Stream Mountain, Shi Hai was speeding away with Su Ming back to the mudstone city. They did not say one word to each other while they were in the air.
Su Ming was just quiet, but Shi Hai was feeling conflicted. He would occasionally look at Su Ming. The person before him looked incredibly normal, and Shi Hai had been the one who bring him to the field. Back then, he’d not taken much notice of this person. Yet now, after he had seen Su Ming’s unbelievable raise up the stairs during the previous few days, Shi Hai’s attitude was forced to change.
‘This is a prodigy that can compete with Ye Wang!’
Shi Hai marveled in his heart.
Before long, the contours of Wind Stream Tribe gradually appeared on the land far into the distance. As the giant mudstone city gradually appeared before their eyes, Su Ming suddenly spoke.
He spoke as the gust was blowing fiercely against his face. His voice seemed to be about ready to be scattered away into the wind, but each word and syllable still reached Shi Hai’s ears clearly.
"Senior, I have something I don’t understand. You have yet to transcend, how is it that you’re able to fly in the sky?"
If it was before, Shi Hai would have definitely ignored him, as if he had not heard him. Yet now, after a moment of hesitation, he opened his mouth and began his explanation slowly.
"The flight after reaching Transcendence is different from mine. The reason I can fly is due to my Berserker Vessel. A part of it is also because of my Berserker Mark, which has yet to solidify. My Berserker Mark is of the clouds."
As Shi Hai spoke, a faint picture of a cloud appeared in the centre of his brows.
"To be exact, a Berserker who has reached the Transcendence Realm can walk in the air with his own power. As for me, I can only float. It may seem the same, but the basic principle behind it is very different," Shi Hai explained in detail.
Su Ming’s eyes were contemplative. He asked a few more questions. As they continued talking, they returned to the mudstone city. When Shi Hai let Su Ming on the ground, there was a smile on his face. He nodded his head towards Su Ming, then left after turning into a cloud.
The gigantic field at the foot of Wind Stream Mountain was now deserted. The only living beings there were the eight people sitting on top of eight of the nine eagle statues. They were powerful Berserkers from Wind Stream Tribe. Before long, Shi Hai returned and sat down cross-legged on the ninth eagle statue.
Since the seal on Wind Stream Mountain was broken, some time would be required to seal it again. The nine of them protected this place until the seal was complete, and they could leave.
That had been the case since before…
Yet this year, there was something unusual. In the deserted field, a person in black had appeared some time ago. That person was wearing a black robe that hid his entire body. It was the mysterious man who had appeared at Black Mountain Tribe!
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