1280 8 - 15

Chapter 8: Barrenness!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

As the cold light appeared, Su Ming could clearly feel a strong wave of heat emitting from his chest and travelling through his entire body quickly. It spread throughout his body in an instant and fused together with the cold brought by the Dark Dragon's Saliva, permeating into his blood.

A clear roar could be heard from within Su Ming's body. As he was sitting down trembling furiously, the fourth blood vein manifested itself.

At the same time, a large amount of black filth seeped out of Su Ming's pores. There was even a terrible stench in the air, but it disappeared along with the wind.

With three blood veins, one could reach the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm. Now, Su Ming had become a Berserker who reached the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm!

Still, he kept his eyes closed. There were no signs of him waking up. As time passed, the solidification of his blood gradually stopped as the fourth blood vein manifested.

When the little monkey returned the next morning while sniffing at its right claw with a pleased look on its face, it was surprised when it saw Su Ming covered entirely in black filth. It scratched its head in confusion then circled Su Ming a few times.

It may have obtained intelligence, but it did not know what was happening then. Curious, it approached Su Ming and reached out a claw, wanting to pat Su Ming.

Just as it was about to touch Su Ming, the light once appeared strongly from within Su Ming's body. It reached its brightest in an instant and enveloped Su Ming entirely, making the monkey hang its mouth open in shock. Then before its very eyes, Su Ming's body disappeared.

To the little monkey, Su Ming was taken by the light. This scene made it widen its eyes and let out a piercing screech. It rushed towards where Su Ming disappeared and began searching in frenzy, but it found nothing. It stood there, unmoving and stunned.

Su Ming did not know where he was. He was currently looking at his surroundings in confusion. The place was enveloped in white mist. He could see too far into the distance, but he could see the vague outline of the peak of a mountain before him.

He had just woken up, but he remembered he was in Dark Mountain. He could not understand how he got there.

His gaze slowly turned cautious. He first lowered his gaze and looked at his chest, then felt his heart missing a beat. The strange black piece of debris was missing from his chest.

"It's gone…" Su Ming was shocked. He looked around at his surroundings, then stood up slowly. His gaze was dark and alert as he started walking towards the mist covered mountaintop.

The mountain was not far away. Within a short amount of time, Su Ming was standing at the foot of the mountain. As he lifted his head, he took in a sharp breath.

It was the peak of a mountain for sure, but there were no plants on it. It was instead a barren land, as if it had been polished smoothly. There were a lot of pictures carved on it, mountains, rivers, strange beasts, the sky… and even words that Su Ming have never seen before. The place gave off a feeling as if it was from ancient times, as if came straight from the stories about the age of the Savages.

At the very moment Su Ming looked at the carvings on the mountaintop, a roaring sound echoed in the air. A crack appeared right in the middle of the mountain, as if it was cut apart by an invisible force.

The crack was narrow, and he could see how far it went down. It stopped under Su Ming's feet.

Su Ming briefly hesitated then gritted his teeth. He was already here, and he did not know how to get out of the place. He did not even know where he was. Now that there was a path before him, he had to trudge forward.

Somewhere in his mind he felt that this was connected in some way to the black piece of debris, because he remembered clearly the heat emitted by the debris.

Su Ming felt as if he walked for a long time as he went into the mountain following the narrow crack. The road before him gradually grew wider. There were also a lot of weird carvings on the walls around him. Su Ming could not understand it, but there were various plants and herbs on the cravings. There were also some naked people with messy hair surrounding an odd big pot fiddling around with the herbs.

He continued observing the carvings until he caught a glimpse of the end out of the corner of his eyes. There was a door at the end, and Su Ming paused in his footsteps as he stood at the door.

The same carving was on the door. There were give different herbs carved in the drawing. Uneven strings emitting the cold light Su Ming was already familiar with surrounded the drawing of the five herbs and formed a circle, completely covering the door.

Right at the centre of the door were fifteen small holes. They looked as if something could be placed within. The holes formed a circle.

Su Ming frowned then scrutinized the door. He took a look at his surroundings again, then cast his gaze at the five herbs on the door.

"This is… Iron Core Flower. That's right, it's the Iron Core Flower!

"This is… it looks like Joyleaf, but it also looks like the Iced Catalpa Plant…"

"This is the Night Glitter Branch! I often collect these."

"What is this…? It looks really familiar…"

"I've never seen the last one…" After looking at it for a while, Su Ming hesitated. He did not know whether he should try and push the door open.

Just as he was hesitating, he saw the strings surrounding the five herbs move and shine so brightly it could blind the eyes. As Su Ming was stunned by the moment, the light floated from the door and sped towards Su Ming.

The light was too quick, and Su Ming had no time to dodge. Within just a moment, he was enveloped by the light.

At the same time, a lot of memories not belonging to Su Ming flooded into his mind. These memories seemed to have been brought along with the light and forced their way into his head. It made Su Ming uncomfortable.

He saw the figure of a person. He was just like the other people in the other drawings, throwing herbs into a big pot. The person's actions were very fluid. Each time he threw the herbs in, he would take a sniff at the herbs, then his gaze became serious. He waved at the air with his right hand and a wave of fire appeared in the air encircling the big pot.

The process was extremely complicated. Even the size of the fire had to be controlled. Su Ming had never seen this before. It was not as complicated in the tribe either. They would usually just eat the herbs or at most turn them into a concoction to increase the effects.

Su Ming became engrossed with the memories in his head. A long time passed before the person slammed his right hand against the pot.

Immediately, the flame around the pot disappeared. The person opened the lid of the strange pot, and Su Ming immediately saw three green spherical objects the size of nails within the big pot.

Even if they were just memories in his head, Su Ming could still faintly smell the scent of medicinal herbs in the air. When he looked at the three spherical objects, he became completely stunned, as if he was hit by lightning.

He had been making medicine since he was young. With just a glance, he could tell the quality of various medicines. As he was now, he could not even begin imagining the effects of these spherical objects.

The light around his body disappeared and returned to the door, causing the numerous strings that formed the circle on the door to also move.

As the light faded, Su Ming's sight became clouded. He moved as if he was pushed by an invisible force. When his view cleared, a red blur came screeching towards him in joy.

The red blur was, of course, Xiao Hong. It climbed over Su Ming and jumped happily on his body. When Su Ming disappeared, it had been terrified. Now that it saw Su Ming return, it was happy.

Su Ming was stunned. He immediately looked at his surroundings and found that he had returned to the big rock on the Dark Dragon Mountain. He lowered his head and saw the piece of debris that had disappeared still hanging on his chest.

"All of this must be connected to this thing. Perhaps when I arrived at the first level of in the realm of Blood Solidification, I activated it, and all of that happened. Looking at Xiao Hong's reaction, I must not have been dreaming, but went physically to that place. Just what is this thing? Why is it here?" Su Ming mumbled softly as he recalled the memories in his head.

"Quenching… the medicinal pills…" After a long while, Su Ming mumbled out the name of the refining process he saw in his head.

"Scattering Dust…" This was the name of the medicinal pill, and it was also one of the many memories that appeared in his head.

Su Ming spoke in a low tone. In his mind he saw the carving on the door. His eyes lightened up gradually. He may not know where the place was, but it was clear that quenching thing he saw had piqued his interest.

In his view, the training to become a Berserker is related to those herbs that increased the blood rate in the body. They needed to consume lots of it to make their bodies stronger. That quenching process he saw in his head might be able to help immensely in his training.

"I've never seen a round medicinal pill like this in the tribe, not even the elder has seen one before, or else I would have definitely seen it. But that round medicinal pills seemed to be working pretty well. I wonder how strong the effects of the herbs would be once I finish refining it."

"Then my next step would be to look for those five herbs. Xiao Hong, have you ever seen these two types of herbs." Once Su Ming made his decision, he called out to Xiao Hong and picked up a stone, then drew the two herbs that he was unable to identify on the ground before he looked expectantly at Xiao Hong.

Xiao Hong looked at them with his teeth bared, then gave a nod.

Su Ming felt his spirits lift. He walked around the big rock several times as his mind quickly processed his thoughts.

"I can find the herbs, but making that sort of medicinal pills will be complicated. There's even fire involved. It'll be just like cooking rice… Interesting." Once Su Ming had his thoughts sorted out, he frowned.

He remembered that the pot itself was also odd. It was different from the pots used to cook rice in the tribe. As he was searching through the memories in his head, he learned the pot used for the quenching process had an odd name – the Barren Caldron.

"The pots used in the tribe should be useless… I'll also need fire." Su Ming lifted his head suddenly as he was mumbling. His eyes were bright as he looked at one of the mountains located further away among the five mountains in Dark Dragon Mountain.

That mountain was completely brown in color, and at this moment, there was smoke rolling out from the top of the mountain.

Chapter 9: Red Mud

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Each one of the five mountains in the Dark Dragon Mountain are different. The mountain which produced the Dark Dragon's Saliva was the closest to the Dark Mountain Tribe. If he went any further, he might accidentally run into other people from other tribes.

That was why Su Ming spent most his time here. He would only venture to the other mountains to collect some rarer herbs, and he did so with caution.

Now, within Su Ming's sights, was the mountain which had smoke rolling down from its peak, Black Flame Mountain.

It is said that there was a huge amount of earthen fire1 within this mountain. A long time ago, this place was the centre of the Land of the Fire Berserker Tribe. Centuries may have passed since then, but if anyone approached this place, they could still feel waves of heat rolling off the very ground.

Su Ming was not unfamiliar with Black Flame Mountain. He had stepped foot in this place multiple times. He had even met the people from the Black Mountain Tribe before. If it were not for his speed aiding his escape, he would have died much earlier.

That place was very close to the Black Mountain Tribe. The Black Mountain Tribe had held grudges against the Dark Mountain Tribe for generations. The sizes of both tribes were about the same. There may be no battles between them, but there were scuffles among their hunting teams, and these scuffles tended to be bloody and cruel.

There was a moment of hesitation, but very soon Su Ming's eyes lit up as he had a plan. He turned his gaze away from Black Flame Mountain after a long while, then quickly walked towards the deeper parts of the flat stone. There were a few big stones at the hollowed part of the stone. When Su Ming took them away, he saw an object that had been hidden underneath by the stones.

It was a crudely made bow!

It may be crude, but the string of the bow, which was the size of a finger, was stretched tautly across the bow. Its power could be felt just by looking at it.

Only hunters were allowed to possess bows within the Dark Mountain Tribe. It was difficult for other tribe members to obtain one. Su Ming made the bow himself after he exchanged some materials with the herbs he collected. He did not take it back to the tribe but kept it here. This was a secret that only Lei Chen knew.

As he held the bow, Su Ming's lit up brightly. He took out another five arrows from underneath the big stones. The arrowheads were made from stone, and Su Ming would usually polish the arrowheads so that they would remain sharp.

He placed the five arrows on the basket over his back. Su Ming held the bow in his hand and whistled at the little monkey before pointing at the herbs he drew on the ground.

The little monkey understood him, and grinned at him displaying all its teeth before rushing forward in a red blur.

Su Ming followed closely behind carefully. With just a few leaps, the man and the monkey disappeared from where they stood.

If they were comparing their level of familiarity towards Dark Dragon Mountain, then Su Ming would never be able to compare with Xiao Hong. Under Xiao Hong's guidance, as the sun became a bright red and started to set, Su Ming's basket was filled with various medicinal herbs.

There were about seven or eight types of herbs in the basket, and there were plenty for each type. These were all the herbs that Su Ming saw from the drawing, and even herbs that were similar to the drawings. He was unable to identify them completely, that was why he decided to take the herbs that bore similarities to the drawings as well.

"You mean there's another herb that looks alike here?" It was almost twilight by this point. Su Ming and Xiao Hong were standing in the forest near Black Flame Mountain. He was pointing at a patch of black mud on the ground before them, looking at Xiao Hong.

Xiao Hong bobbed its head up and down, then gestured at Su Ming wildly before pointing at the setting sun in the sky.

Su Ming's eyes lit up in understanding. He squatted down and fixed his gaze at the swamp, waiting for the sun to set. Seconds ticked by slowly, and after half an hour, the light in the forest grew dim. It was almost as if everything outside a hundred feet radius within the forest had been consumed by darkness.

As soon as night fell on the land, bubbles suddenly emerged from the mud. There was also the vague shape of a red plant. It was rising up so quickly as if it was swimming forward. The odd sight made Su Ming's hair rise, but he did not move.

He watched as the red plant continued to swim in the mud, then slowly rise from it. It was the bud of a red flower. The roots were still hidden in the mud. It was obvious now that the flower had been moving about in the mud just now due to the movements of its roots.

As he watched the flower buds emerge from the mud, they bloomed before Su Ming's eyes and let out a nice fragrance. Su Ming only took a whiff and immediately, he felt as if his blood was boiling. It was as if his entire body was surrounded by flames and his skin burnt by the heat.

At that moment, Xiao Hong let out a nervous screech. Su Ming did not hesitate and rushed forward, grabbing the red flower closest to him. There was a sharp spatula made of stone in his hand, and with practiced movements he cut the flower part from its roots, then threw it into the basket over his back.

Once he was done, Su Ming did not linger and left quickly with Xiao Hong.

As soon as Su Ming left, there was the sound of a roar from a beast from within the mud, and all the red flowers immediately closed their petals before sinking into the mud once more. Soon, fresh blood emerged from the mud and the stench of blood filled the air.

Su Ming and Xiao Hong left in a hurry. When they sky darkened completely, they were sitting on a tree and looking through their haul using the moonlight.

There were many types of herbs in the basket, a sight which made Su Ming excited. He saw the quenching scene in his mind once again, and he became even more excited to do it.

"It's a pity I don't know the effects of the Scattering Dust…but it should be really good nonetheless." Su Ming licked his lips, casting his gaze towards two of the herbs in the basket.

These two herbs were similar in color, and if he was not looking at them closely they would look exactly the same. They are both red, and the only difference between them was that one of them had six petals, and the other five petals.

Su Ming was not familiar with those two herbs. They were the only ones he had never seen before in the making of the Scattering Dust. It was fortunate that Xiao Hong had seen them before and could bring Su Ming to them.

"Just which one of them is the one necessary to make the medicine?" Su Ming frowned, he swept his gaze along the two herbs. He had obtained the six petal flower from the mud. As he remembered the strange sight that had happened when it bloomed, Su Ming had a feeling that if he ate this raw, his body would explode.

He placed the herb once more in the basket and laid down on the branch, then took a bite at a piece of fruit. He watched the stars in the sky and breathed in the air in the forest. He could hear the sounds of the beasts and birds around him. It was as if he had become one with the forest, and it was a comfortable feeling.

Xiao Hong was grooming itself by the side, its eyes warily surveying their surroundings.

The man and the monkey spent the night on the tree just like that.

As the sun rose the next morning, Su Ming and Xiao Hong left the tree and hurried towards Black Flame Mountain as the forest was covered by darkness and surrounded by a thin veil of mist.

Su Ming remained on alert as he held the bow in his hands. Xiao Hong was also affected by this and was also wary of its surroundings. When the sun rose to the sky, the snow-like mist disappeared from the forest. There was a gigantic mountain before his eyes. The mountain was brown, and he could feel waves of heat rolling off the ground onto his face.

He could even see puffs of black smoke rising into the air at the very top of the mountain. It was a sight to behold from afar.

"Black Flame Mountain…" Su Ming muttered softly, then cast a wary eye at his surroundings before rushing up the mountain with no hesitation. He was already prepared before he came. There were a lot of heat repellent herbs under his feet, and with their presence, Su Ming could climb to the top the mountain without stopping.

He may be climbing really quickly, but he remained alert, and his wariness only increased as he climbed further up. He did not how long he took, but as he was halfway up the mountain, Xiao Hong let out a screech as he was about to continue upward.

Su Ming immediately hid his body in one of the cracks by the side of the mountain without any hesitation as soon as he heard the screech. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and lifted the bow in his right hand as he quickly took out an arrow. It was all done within the span of a breath. Xiao Hong arrived before Su Ming, and was now pressed closely to him.

Su Ming breathed slowly, his eyes cold. From where he stood, if any of the members of the Black Mountain Tribe noticed him, then they would have to fight till the death.

Very soon, soft voices travelled to where he stood, and there were even sounds of stones falling as they spoke.

"Why are they asking us to mine stones so early in the morning? What is this for anyway?"

"Stop complaining. This is a request from the tribe leader, we just need to do it. By the way, did you hear? The elder is about to reach the next level…"

"I also heard about it from the other tribe members that the elder is different than how he is usually. He's a bit terrifying now."

"Could the tribe leader be asking us to mine these stones for the elder?"

The voices became clearer and then gradually faded, Su Ming remained still as he stood pressed against the crack. It was not until the two people had gone further away that he let out a sigh of relief.

"Black Mountain Tribe's elder is about to reach the next level…I remember the elder once saying that the elder in Black Mountain Tribe was at the eighth level of the Blood Solidification Realm, but he has mastered an evil art just so that he could go up against the elder." Su Ming narrowed his eyes. He would have to return later to tell his elder about this.

He waited for a bit longer to make sure those two had gone far away, then Su Ming continued scaling the mountain. But at that moment, the little monkey by his side grabbed his shirt.

Su Ming immediately turned his head in alarm, but he only saw the monkey's face bright with excitement, pointing towards the crack they had stayed. There was a small, naturally formed hole over there, and steam was rising from it.

Su Ming immediately gave up on climbing the mountain any further and decided to approach the small hole. After careful scrutiny, he took off the basket on his back and brought it into the hole as he crawled into it, with Xiao Hong keeping close to his footsteps.

The hole was not big, and Su Ming only managed to get in because he was on the smaller side. If it were any of the other members of the Berserker Tribe, they would not have been able to make it in.

Translator's Notes

1 earthen fire (地火) actually refers to lava but since the word di huǒ was used, I decided to go the "we're from ancient times and we're really superstitious, what is lava?" route.

Chapter 10: Quenching

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The hole was strange. It was completely even in size. When Su Ming saw the end of the hole some hundred feet later, he started slowing down.

He approached the exit carefully. As he looked out, he was momentarily stunned, then he took a deep breath.

This was a fire cave. There were vast amounts of stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The surface of these rocks were dry and cracked, as if they would crumble into pieces at any moment. The ground was black, but there were lines upon lines of red rocks flowing downwards, turning the place brown. The heat was even stronger in here compared to when they were outside.

There was a black skeleton hanging near him. The skeleton was about eighty to ninety feet long, and Su Ming could tell with just one glance that it was the skeleton of a python.

On the python's head was a horn about the size of an arm. It was black in color.

Su Ming had never seen such a long python before, but he remembered hearing from his elder that there was once a species of pythons in Dark Dragon Mountain. They were fierce creatures, and these pythons all possessed horns on their heads. They were known as Horned Pythons, and the sharpness of the horn could be given to the tribe as tribute.

There was one such horn in the Dark Mountain Tribe, and it was treated as the symbol of the tribe leader in the tribe.

"Could this be the Horned Python?" He looked at the Horned Python's skeleton, then at the cave he was located, and an answer formed in his head.

In his silence Su Ming took out one of the herbs from the basket and threw it downwards.

As the herb floated downwards and was about to touch the floor, it let out a sizzling sound. About fifteen minutes later, it withered. He tried a few more times to test the heat on the ground, and decided that while the heat was strong, he could withstand it for some time, as long as he did not touch the red stones.

Xiao Hong was already growing impatient. If it did not know the dangers of this place, it would have jumped down much earlier.

Su Ming climbed out of the hole carefully, then jumped downwards and landed on the floor. Immediately, there were sizzling sounds coming from underneath his feet. A wave of heat seeped into his body from his feet, but it would not be strong enough to burn his feet for the time being.

When Xiao Hong entered the fire cave, sweat poured down its body like a river. It pondered for a while before returning once more to the small hole, refusing to go back into the fire cave. Instead, it chose to go somewhere else to play.

Su Ming did not continue trying to persuade it, but chose to carry the basket on his back and hurry onward. He could tell that this was connected to the inner parts of Black Flame Mountain, and there just might be a suitable place for quenching herbs later.

Not far down the road was an empty space. Su Ming did not know where it was connected to. There were a few potholes on the ground, and the heat was even stronger over there. Su Ming could even feel a scalding heat underneath his feet.

He was just about to step on the empty space after a brief moment of hesitation when he felt a strong wave of heat bursting forth. Su Ming let out a yelp and immediately retreated, his pupils dilating in fear. He saw a blast of fire the size of an arm rushing forth from one of the potholes, lighting up the cave instantly.

Su Ming took in a deep breath and retreated once more until he reached the mouth of the cave. Then he cast his gaze forward. About half an hour passed before the fire gradually disappeared. But no sooner than it did, another blast of fire emerged from another pothole.

As soon as it disappeared, another blast of fire came out once more. It was an endless cycle.

"Fire…" Su Ming stared at the potholes, then his eyes gradually lit up in excitement.

"There is fire here! But they will appear only once in a while, and it's not a stable source of fire either…" Once the excitement faded, Su Ming took a moment to gather to gather his thoughts, feeling a little disappointed.

"No matter. I might be able to reach the deepest parts of the mountain through the peak of the mountain, and I might even find a better place which might be hidden here. If there's any danger, I can leave quickly as well."

"Very well, this will be my very first place to perform quenching!" Su Ming's eyes were bright with excitement as he looked around.

"I have fire now, so the only thing I'm missing now is the Barren Caldron…I'll make one myself!" Su Ming then cast his gaze on the scattered rocks on the ground.

These stones have been here for many years, but have not turned into ashes. They must be able to withstand a great amount of heat, so they should be able to be used for quenching…" Su Ming scratched his head then changed the herbs underneath his feet before jumping down once more. He chose a more suitable looking piece of stone, then touched the surface after a brief moment of hesitation. It was not too hot, just a bit warm.

Once he was certain of using the big stone as a material, Su Ming took out his own spatula. The spatula was extremely sharp and had been constantly polished by Su Ming himself. As he took up the spatula, he used every ounce of his strength and started cutting into the stone.

It was an extremely dull process, but one Su Ming was already used to. There was no hesitation within his movements, but as he was cutting into the stone, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He looked at the skull of the python, and especially at the horn on its skull.

Su Ming went over quickly and looked at the skull for a moment. He gave a light knock at the skull, and when he did, there was a cracking sound, and the entire skeleton immediately turned into ashes.

Only the black horn remained unscathed.

"I knew it. This horn is extraordinary. I was just wondering how the python came to this place." Su Ming picked up the horn and sliced it across the wall to his side. There was a crack following his motion, but the scene did not surprise Su Ming.

"But why did the Horned Python climb into this place?" Su Ming did not understand, but he still took up the horn and went to the rock and started cutting into it.

With the help of the horn, after a few hours, a stone stove that was almost similar to the Barren Caldron in Su Ming's memories was born. Su Ming even made a lid for it to keep the heat from escaping from within the caldron.

"Let's try it out first." Su Ming was excited. He pushed the Barren Caldron to the potholes and forced himself to calm down as he waited.

After a few hours, after numerous blasts of fire, fire finally emerged from the pothole near Su Ming.

As soon as the fire erupted, Su Ming pushed the stone stove right on top of the erupting pothole.

Su Ming was nervous. It all depended on whether the caldron he made could withstand the heat now.

Very soon, the caldron became red and heat rolled off from its surface. There were even sizzling sounds, and Su Ming saw the surface of the caldron cracking in multiple times. Su Ming felt his heart still, but when there were no signs of the stone crumbling, he gradually began to relax.

"Two hours… There is only two hours each time. I don't think it's enough." Su Ming sank into his own thoughts. It can even be said that he was truly spending all his effort to make sure this quenching process would work.

"Then how about this?" Su Ming took a few steps back. He may have a plan in his head, but he did not dare act recklessly. Instead, he stood at a place that was not too hot and focused on those potholes. A day passed by while he was doing that.

During that period of time, the little monkey dropped by and left some fruits on a place that was not too hot before leaving once more to play.

As for the stone caldron, it withstood the test of fire and did not crumble no matter how many times it was burned.

"There seems to be some sort of rule for the eruptions, but there doesn't seem to be any rules either…" After a day, Su Ming picked up the horn and went to the potholes, cutting a ravine on the ground, connecting one of the potholes underneath the caldron.

He did not stop there, but instead make six other ravines before retreating. Very soon, one of the potholes erupted once more, and most of the flames flowed into the ravine and went underneath the caldron.

"I made it!" Su Ming only looked at it for a moment before going off to make another five ravines, then he backed off to observe for another day. As he was sure his method worked in extending the period of time for the fire underneath his caldron, he became relaxed.

To tell the truth, he was worried about it. The lines of the ravines were not drawn on a whim. He had to make sure that the flames underneath the caldron were not too strong or too weak, or else the pills would come out misshapened.

After all, there were times when several potholes erupted at once. If this happened multiple times, then it might be dangerous.

Once he solved two of the most basic of his problems, Su Ming calmed down and began his very first quenching process according to the memories in his head.

He had the little monkey preparing his meals for him, and there were times when Su Ming went out to hunt some smaller prey before bringing them into the cave to roast it. Su Ming also used the chance to tell the hunting team from his own tribe about the elder in Black Mountain Tribe as he met them by chance while he was out hunting.

Time passed by, and sounds of frustrations could be heard from this place that he claimed as his own for the purposes of quenching. Half a month had passed by. Su Ming's eyes had turned red by this point. For the entirety of the half a month he spent, for all the numerous times he tried refining the herbs he had, there was not once where he was successful!

He was now at the first level in the realm of Blood Solidification, and he even manifested four blood veins. If only he could manifest two more, then he would reach the second level in the realm of Blood Solidification.

Once he reached the second level, then Su Ming would be able to use the first of the Berserker Arts which he inherited from the statue of the God of Berserkers!

This was a dream for Su Ming, and also the reason why he did not give up on trying to create the medicinal pills.

But after a month's worth of failures, Su Ming was at the verge of giving up. But his obstinacy did not allow him to give up so easily.

"I won't believe it! Xiao Hong, collect herbs for me again!" Su Ming threw the basket towards the little monkey baring its teeth at the mouth of the cave, then continued trying to create the pills.

The little monkey caught the basket and grinned before running out.

Days passed…

Failures upon failures…

Another half a month passed by. During this day, as Su Ming stood in front of the caldron with his hair in a mess, he held two herbs in his hands. They were both red in color. One of them had six petals, and the other five petals.

"Which one should I use…" Su Ming knew he did not have much time to think, so he grit his teeth and made his decision.

Chapter 11: Blood Boiling

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

"I might as well try everything!" Su Ming grit his teeth and threw the flower with six petals into the stone caldron.

The herb with six petals was the one he found from the mud. It was the one that gave off a scent that seemed to make the blood boil.

The moment the herb touched the medicinal concoction in the caldron, Su Ming saw a red, alluring light from within it. He did not cover the caldron with a lid, but chose to step forward and walk around the caldron. He selected a few of the ravines that still had the liquid fire flowing down like a stream and jammed the horn horizontally in their paths to stop the flow temporarily, making it easier for him to control the fire.

The ravines on the ground have increased since a month ago, and most of them were covered in horizontal marks that looked like scars. This was a method Su Ming invented to control the fire after a month of trial and error.

Su Ming was incredibly nervous. Almost all of his attention was on the Barren Caldron he made. According to his observations in the past month, the place he was standing was safe for the next hour, so he did not need to care about anything else.

Time passed by, and as soon as the hour was up, Su Ming immediately retreated from the place. Not long after he left the place, a huge blast of fire erupted from the ground.

As the fire continued bursting forth, Su Ming was also sweating like a river as he stood not too far away from the source of the fire. But he kept his gaze on the caldron. From the experience he had accumulated a month ago, he knew that there was still fourteen to eighteen hours left before he could see the results.

During this time, he would need to adjust the strength of the flames according to the changes with the medicinal concoction, and he especially needed to put the lid on the caldron at the final moments of making the medicine pills so that the heat within the caldron will increase to incredible levels and the heat will gather to create the medicinal pills.

He had been repeating this act numerous times in the past month. It could even be said that he was already used to it by now.

Two hours, four hours passed by. Slowly, the caldron started letting out a red mist. The mist had no smell, but as the strange light shone, it made Su Ming's blood boil when he looked at it.

During this time, he adjusted the strength of the fire a few times, and he did so until it turned dark outside. Su Ming's eyes were red and bloodshot. He had used almost the entire day on creating the medicinal pills, and if everything had been working well so far, then there was only one final step left.

Through the red mist, Su Ming could see that there was not much liquid left within the caldron, and it was bubbling inside. When each bubble burst, the red mist would rise from within.

"It's almost done!" After numerous failures, Su Ming's eyes lit up. Without any hesitation, he grabbed the lid by his side and covered the caldron.

The moment he closed the caldron, a low rumbling sound could be heard echoing within the cave.

"It all depends on luck now." Once he covered the caldron, Su Ming let out a huge breath and retreated a few steps before sitting down with his legs crossed. He closed his eyes and rested. He knew that he had done everything that he could, and success depended entirely on luck now.

Two hours went by. The roaring sound from within the caldron increased exponentially and continued nine times before it gradually became quiet. There was no longer any sound beside the fire underneath the caldron.

Su Ming did not open his eyes but chose instead to continue resting and wait. It was not until the brief period of time when the next eruption was about to start and when the fire underneath the caldron began growing weaker that Su Ming opened his eyes and grabbed some heat resistant herbs in his right hand before moving forward and pushing the lid on the caldron away.

The moment the lid was opened, a red wave of heat rushed into his face, but Su Ming was already prepared. The instant he opened the lid, he moved backwards.

He waited until the red wave of heat dispersed then with his heart beating in trepidation and excitement, he moved forward slowly and looked into the caldron.

With just a glance, Su Ming began laughing loudly.

Right at the very bottom of the caldron were three red medicinal pills!

He retrieved the pills carefully, then sat by the side in excitement as he kept looking at the very mysterious object he had only seen in his memories.

Su Ming loved the little round pills, and he even brought them to his nose to smell them. But instead of a medicinal scent, they emitted a faint stench of blood.

The pill was also abnormally fragile. If Su Ming used a bit more strength, the pills would crumble into dust. But Su Ming did not care much about that.

"One month has gone by, and I've finally managed to make it once!" The more Su Ming looked at it, the happier he was, and as he was about to pop one into his mouth, he hesitated.

Su Ming forcefully quelled his excitement. In his mind, he saw the odd scene when he was picking the red herb with six petals.

"If this herb was the key to creating these pills, then I wonder whether the other one can do it as well…" Su Ming placed the three pills at a safe location, then took out the red herb with five petals.

There was a moment of silence before Su Ming made up his mind. Once he took note of the time, he closed his eyes and meditated, he started moving the blood in his veins all over his body to recover from fatigue.

The little monkey returned at midnight, and as it climbed into the cave its face was seemingly intoxicated as it sniffed its right claw. It did not bother Su Ming, but chose to lie down in a place that was not too hot.

It had already gotten used to this place over the past month.

Yet even though it was lying down, it still kept sniffing at its right claw, the intoxicated look becoming more visible on its face. It started cackling as it remembered something.

It was not until the next morning before Su Ming opened his eyes and moved his body. The fatigue he felt on the previous day was completely gone.

With his stamina recovered and almost overflowing, Su Ming took the herb with five petals and continued with the quenching process.

After a few days, Su Ming stepped out of the fire cavern as he had not left for quite a few days. When he saw the sun, he felt its glare on his eyes. He was already used to the red glare of the fires within the fire cave, and now that he looked once more at the brightness from the sun, he was a little unused to it.

As he stood there breathing in fresh air, Su Ming waited for his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the sun, then carefully surveyed his surroundings before climbing down.

He was quick as he did so, and he remained alert of his surroundings. With the little monkey keeping watch as well, they did not encounter any dangers and made it down the mountain safely.

They found a river that let out hot steam at the feet of the mountain. Su Ming took off his clothes and soaked himself in the water, feeling the fatigue that had accumulated in his body disappearing.

He and Xiao Hong hurriedly left the river reluctantly. He had much more important things to do.

Su Ming and Xiao Hong travelled with blinding speed in the forest. After covering some distance, Su Ming caught some terrifying looking beasts in his hands.

There were also some in the little monkey's claws.

At a slightly more remote corner in the forest, Su Ming took a glance at the four tied-up beasts roaring at him, then ignored them and took out two small bottles from his bosom.

Within the two bottles were two types of pills. One of them was red and slightly terrifying to look at, while the other was green, with a faint medicinal smell travelling to his nostrils. With just a whiff, he felt refreshed.

The green pill was the one Su Ming made a few days ago using the herb with five petals.

"The Scattering Dust… If I follow my instincts, then the green one is the Scattering Dust, then what on earth is the red pill?" Su Ming narrowed his eyes. There were three pills each in the bottles. He took one of each out and looked at the beasts before moving towards them.

Once he fed the two pills to two different beasts, Su Ming retreated a few steps back and observed them nervously. Even the little monkey was affected by his mood and grew nervous.

He waited for a long time, but there were no changes within the two beasts that consumed the pills. They were still hissing and roaring at Su Ming, their faces contorted in rage.

Su Ming frowned. He waited for a bit longer, but nothing happened.

"How could this be? Logically speaking, something must have happened… But at least it's not poisonous. Could it be… this isn't to be consumed, but to be used externally?" Once Su Ming got the idea, he took out the horn and went to the other two beasts that did not take the medicine, then cut open two small wounds on their bodies so that blood flowed out.

The little monkey quickly followed behind him to watch.

Su Ming then took another two pills from the bottle and placed it on their wounds.

At that moment, something happened!

The moment the red pill touched the wound on the creature's body, within just a few seconds, its entire body started trembling furiously and it turned into a pool of blood. Before the blood could even fall onto the ground, it burst into flames and turned into red mist. The little beast did not even have time to scream.

All of this happened in an instant, and it happened so quickly Su Ming let out a cry of alarm before retreating quickly. The little monkey was also shocked and let out whimpers of alarm as it retreated hastily.

"This is…" Su Ming took in a sharp breath, his eyes filled with terror. He did not expect that the red pill he made would have such shocking effects!

When the red mist disappeared in the air, there was only a pile of purplish red bones left on the ground. A terrifying sight to behold. The other creatures, while they were very close to the beast just now, were not affected, but it was clear that they were frightened by it.

Su Ming's breathing was erratic and quick. After a long while, he looked at the bottle containing the red pill. There was only one left, but that pill alone was enough to make him think that it was a bloodthirsty item.

"There are no effects if it was consumed, but if it comes into contact with blood, then death is assured! Since I was the one who made this, then it will be named Scattering Blood!" Su Ming murmured. He forced his fears to go away and put away the pill carefully. He had a feeling that this object could very well be used as a weapon in the future!

"Then this green pill should be the real Scattering Dust. Just what are the effects though?" Su Ming fell momentarily silent, then his gaze fell upon the little beast that was still completely fine even though the pill had melted into its wound.

Chapter 12: Su Ming's Wrath

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

Su Ming thought for a long time but he still could not figure out the effects of the Scattering Dust. In the memories he obtained, he only acquired the methods to make the pills, not their effects.

Su Ming only left the place with the slightest bit of hesitation when the sun was at its highest in the sky.

They ran back to the place where he had performed the quenching. The little monkey did not stay long. It ran outside as soon as it came back to the cave.

Su Ming felt the breeze on his skin as he leaned against the wall of the mountain. In his hands were the green pills and he began thinking as he held them.

'Just what is its use…? Neither consuming the pill nor applying it externally worked…'

He frowned. He finally managed to make the pills but he could not determine their effects. It made Su Ming feel as if the past month had been a waste.

He stared at the pills and made his decision.

'I'll just have to try it on my own! Let's see what happens once I swallow it!'

Su Ming was the decisive sort. Once he made a decision, he never hesitated. He quickly placed the Scattering Dust in his hand, into his mouth.

The pill immediately melted once it touched his tongue. A strong medicinal taste filled his mouth and turned into a strong wave of heat that flowed into all parts of his body. It disappeared soon however, and Su Ming did not feel much from it.

Su Ming was stunned. He sat down hurriedly and meditated, trying to solidify the blood in his veins. However, it was to no avail. It was no different than before. He still felt that there was not enough blood in his body.

He pulled at his hair, frustrated. This was the first time he truly felt that he had wasted the past month.

'Impossible, there must be some other use!'

Su Ming was disappointed but he did not give up. Yet, no matter how much he pondered about it, he could not find any clues. The only thing he could do was sigh and laugh bitterly.

After a while, the little monkey returned and approached Su Ming. It jumped around for a while before throwing some fruits in front of him, then leaving once more.

Su Ming sighed. He was hungry so, he picked up one of the fruits and began thinking as he ate.

'One, two, three…'

Before he knew it, Su Ming let out a burp and spat out the core. He stroked his belly and started thinking again. His gaze traveled to the fruits left on the ground and just as he was about to look away, it struck him.

'I'm full?! What?!'

Su Ming stared at the fruits and immediately began counting the cores he spat on the ground. There were 15 in total.

He felt that he had just come across something important. His heart pounded in excitement.

'I've always loved eating this fruit and Xiao Hong has always picked them for me…but I don't like eating too much in one go. At the same time, I'm usually only half full even after eating 10 of them… But just now, I only ate 15 of them and I'm already full! Is it because my appetite has decreased? Or perhaps…it has something to do with this!��

Su Ming licked his lips. He remembered that he had taken a Scattering Dust pill earlier on.

'Perhaps the Scattering Dust is actually a pill that can replace food... Or perhaps, the Scattering Dust can… increase the effects of other things!'

Su Ming felt his heart pounding. He took a deep breath. He had been thinking carefully and exhaustively about the effects of the pill but had obtained no clues. Now that he had stumbled onto something, he was going to pursue it no matter how ridiculous it may seem. He immediately crawled back into the little hole which he used for the sole purpose of quenching herbs.

He remembered that he still had a little bit of Dark Dragon's Saliva left. This was a rare item. It was impossible to obtain it without rain and he had been reluctant to drink what little amount he had left.

He quickly ventured into the cave. Su Ming took out the bottle that contained the few drops of Dark Dragon's Saliva left from the basket. He then swallowed it all in one gulp without hesitation.

Su Ming was extremely familiar with the Dark Dragon's Saliva. With just a few drops, he immediately felt the faint traces of coldness from the liquid traveling to all parts of his body before seeping into his blood.

The cold sensation brought upon by the Dark Dragon's Saliva suddenly increased a little, at least by one fold. It may not seem much, but Su Ming could really feel it.

As the coldness became one with his blood, it felt like his blood started to boil. It caused the four manifested to glow a bloody red. as he controlled the flow of blood in his body.

After a long while, Su Ming opened his eyes and let out a shaky breath. His eyes were filled with happiness and excitement.

'I knew it! There are no effects if the Scattering Dust is taken alone but if taken with other objects, then the effects of those objects will increase. It seems like a simple effect, but it's really quite extraordinary!'

Su Ming felt his spirits lift up. The process of creating Scattering Dust was now a huge motivation for him.

'There were 15 tiny holes on the door which gave me the methods to create Scattering Dust. It must be for me to place 15 of these pills in there but, I don't even have enough for myself now…'

Su Ming fell silent. Then, he let out a string of murmurs slowly after a brief period of hesitation.

Once he made up his mind, he immediately went to the Barren Caldron and began processing the remaining herbs by quenching.

Besides processing the herbs, he also made the little monkey continue searching for the herbs his grandfather would take away in huge bundles. Then using the method in his tribe, he mashed the herbs and turned them into liquid before drinking it. With the help of the Scattering Dust, his training speed grew faster.

Two months had passed by. Su Ming barely left the cave during those two months. The fire cavern had practically become his second home. The location could not be easily discovered, hence, Su Ming felt at ease training there.

Within those two months, he had prepared a lot of Scattering Dust. With the help of the medicinal concoction which helped increase his blood rate, he gradually managed to manifest the fifth blood vein on his body.

The sixth blood vein too, had begun appearing vaguely on his body. If this continued, then it would manifest very soon.

Winter had already arrived outside. The other mountains were covered by snow except Black Flame Mountain. Snow would melt before it could even touch the surface of the mountain. Due to this, the mountain was surrounded by a thick layer of fog. It was a strange sight to see from afar.

If an outsider saw it for the first time, the mountain would definitely pique his or her interest. Su Ming grew up there so, the strange sights of the mountain were nothing new to him.

That day, Su Ming sat down with his legs crossed and the blood red glow was incredibly strong within his body. The five blood veins crawled all over his body as if they possessed life. It was a shocking sight to behold.

As the blood red glow kept spreading around his body, sweat accumulated all over Su Ming's body. His body trembled but his face was filled with determination. This was his third attempt at manifesting the sixth blood vein during the past half a month. Once he managed to do it, he would successfully become a Berserker at the second level in the Blood Solidification Realm.

More importantly, he would be able to use the very first Berserker Art. It was one that belonged only to their tribe; an Art known as Spirit Devourer!

The Spirit Devourer was not a skill that could be used without preparation. Some fresh animal carcasses would be required. By gathering the Berserker Blood in their bodies, practitioners could sense the spirit of the deceased animal and bring it out to increase their own strength temporarily.

Only after they have mastered this particular skill would they be known as a Berserker. They would then be different from the other members of the tribe. They would be much stronger.

After a long while, Su Ming's body continued to tremble. The bloody glow surrounding his body gradually disappeared and the five blood veins on his skin also sank into his body once more. The solidification of the sixth blood vein had failed once again.

Su Ming let out a deep breath. After a moment of silence, he mixed some medicinal concoction with the Scattering Dust and drank it before continuing with his training.

Another month passed by. The entire Dark Dragon Mountain was covered by a thick layer of snow. The fog surrounding Black Flame Mountain had also grown thicker. Even the heat seemed to disappear in the weather.

The year's coldest season was about to arrive.

However for Su Ming, this was the most important moment. His diligence in training coupled with his supply of herbs and Scattering Dust, increased his training speed exponentially in the Blood Solidification Realm. The sixth blood vein had appeared and it was at a critical moment of manifestation.

The little monkey also refused to go out in winter. Its entire body was red and that made it extremely eye-catching in the snow. Even if it was not winter, it would have to lay low.

It squatted down beside Su Ming and yawned as it watched him. All of a sudden, the little monkey lifted its head,. Its eyes were filled with a fierce glare and its ears twitched.

Faint voices traveled into the cavern from the outside…

"Yu Chi, are you sure the Sky Stone grows here? We've been searching this place for half a day and we still can't find any. Are you sure you got the right information?" It was a cold voice and the little monkey quivered the moment it heard it.

"It can't be. I remember seeing shrubs of the plant, that's why I cast a Berserker Art to hide it. It should have grown by now. The other members of the tribe come here often to collect herbs. They should be able to identify my spells." The voice that answered was sharp.

"Then hurry up. If the Sky Stone is really here, then I'll be able to break through the third level soon and reach the fourth level. As for you, you should be able to reach the third level."

"Don't be in such a hurry. It should be here. I can feel the presence of my spell… If you can reach the fourth level, then you will be able to join the Black Mountain's hunting team. I heard that the elder made a new rule that says anyone can keep their own game this time."

Their voices were getting closer and sounded like they were right outside. The little monkey was so nervous it did not dare to breathe. It could feel that the two people outside posed a serious threat.

It turned back to look at Su Ming multiple times but Su Ming still had his eyes shut. His body was trembling slightly and the bloody glow on his body was becoming stronger. The sixth blood vein seemed to show signs of complete manifestation as well.

Yet, at that very moment... "Found it! Huh? Look, there's a small hole here!"

"It's the Sky Stone! As for the hole…this was once the Land of the Fire Berserker Tribe. There's hot air around the hole. It should be empty. Since we're already here, we might as well go in and have a look. A simple hole can't stop me." Their voices traveled into the cave and their words made the little monkey's face grow pale.

It gritted its teeth and looked back at Su Ming for a long period of time. Then, it bared its teeth and rushed out of the little hole.

Immediately, sounds of delight could be heard from the outside.

"It's a Fire Ape and a baby at that, haha!"

"This must be its refuge from the cold. Catch it! Its blood can help me replenish my blood, and I'll offer its fur to the elder!"

Mournful cries could be heard after that and then the voices gradually disappeared. However within the cave, Su Ming's face had contorted in anger and he shook furiously.

"You asked…for this…" Su Ming lifted his head and roared in rage.

Chapter 13: Killing Motive!

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

The moment Su Ming lifted his head, his eyes were bloodshot. His entire body glowed madly with a blood red light and it lit the entire fire cavern.

His entire body kept trembling. As the blood moved around his body, his heart pounded faster and faster as if it was going to break his chest. It only served to make his face even more twisted.

He was at an important moment in his training so, he was unable to stop abruptly. Nonetheless, he knew and clearly heard everything that had happened earlier.

He saw with his own eyes, the little monkey running out to lure the two outsiders to protect him.

Su Ming had never been that mad before. The little monkey was his only friend in the forest. Over the years, he had come to treat the little one like family. The madness within his eyes caused the veins from Su Ming's body to pop out and blazing sounds to reverberate throughout his body.

The five blood veins that manifested on his body were now giving off a piercing glow. Within the red glow was the sixth blood vein which was on the verge of completely manifesting itself. It looked like it was on the verge of breaking out of its cocoon.

"This damned second level!" Su Ming roared. He had been gentle in his previous attempts. Even if he did not make it, there were no serious repercussions.

However, the little monkey's life was now in danger and Su Ming grew more anxious with every passing second. He gave everything he had and controlled the blood in his veins, forcing them to move in the way they should as a Berserker Practitioner. He focused all of his blood towards the sixth blood vein.

There was a loud boom and Su Ming coughed up blood. His entire body trembled as his face turned pale. Such a reckless move was taboo for Berserker Practitioners. It was important for them to arrive at each new rank smoothly and steadily. They could not march forward recklessly.

The booming sound was not as loud to the outside world but Su Ming felt like the world had crashed in his head. The sound kept echoing itself.

'Damn it!'

Su Ming glared at the entrance to the cave. It was as if he could still see the little monkey's helplessness, fear and resolution.

There was no time for hesitation. Su Ming once again controlled the blood in his entire body and attempted to break through for the second time!

More blood came out of his mouth and trickled down his chin onto the floor…

The third time... fourth time... fifth time!

During his fifth attempt, Su Ming coughed out a huge mouthful of blood. His face became completely ashen but on his face was also a strong intent to kill. With all that blood, Su Ming looked horrifying.

He immediately picked himself up and the moment he stood up, there was a loud bang within his body. The sixth blood vein had completely manifested itself.

As the sixth blood vein formed completely, a totally different aura compared to the first level of the Blood Solidification Realm erupted from within Su Ming's body. There was no wind but the aura blew his hair and the sixth blood vein moved rapidly on his skin as if it was alive!

It was the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm!

Without waiting for his body to get used to the second level, Su Ming ran at a speed faster than he previously could by one fold. He grabbed a bow and horn by the side and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared.

He quickly crawled out of the small hole. When he arrived outside, it was snowing heavily and the sun was about to set. It was already dusk outside.

'One of them is a second level in the Blood solidification Realm…the other in the third level…'

Su Ming's eyes were bloodshot and cold. No matter how strong his enemies were, Su Ming felt no fear. He only felt a strong urge to kill!

He had already forgotten what fear felt like. The moment the little monkey was captured, the two Berserkers from Black Mountain Tribe became his mortal enemies.

Su Ming would have to be dead if they did not die by his hands!

It did not matter if he was rushing into fire. It had nothing to do with recklessness. Instead, it was a matter of survival! If the fire did not cease to burn, he would be burnt to ashes.

Su Ming did not hesitate. He ran forward at full speed. He was a member of the Berserker Tribe. He had been playing and collecting herbs around the mountains since he was young. He was familiar with these parts of the land and was even better at tracking for answers around the place.

As he ran, he kept his eyes on the ground. He wiped the blood away from the corners of his mouth and his hands. After a while, he saw some messy-looking tracks on the dried leaves ahead. He grabbed some broken twigs and looked at them. The killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger. He threw away the twigs and changed his direction.

Su Ming continued to run at full speed and maximized his body's full potential. On the way, he found a lot other traces and even a pool of blood.

There were some traces of red fur in the pool of blood. It was the little monkey's!

However the blood was already beginning to dry up, a clear sign that the two people caught the little monkey there and had left for quite some time.

'I can't catch up…'

Su Ming's eyes darkened. He clenched his fists, his eyes filled with anger.

'They're from the Black Mountain Tribe, so surely they'll return to their tribe…If that's the case…there's still a shortcut from here to the Black Mountain Tribe!'

Su Ming turned around and leapt forward, lithely disappearing into the snow covered forest.

'Faster!'

Su Ming ran ahead quickly like he was flying through the forest. Yet, he still felt his speed was too slow. As he traveled, he left his footprints on the snow. Just as he was about to take another leap forward, the snow before him flew up from the ground.

A small creature that looked like a fox but was entirely covered in white fur and had the horns of a deer leapt from the snow. Its speed was so quick it almost reached Su Ming in an instant.

'Mink raccoon!'

Su Ming did not slow down. When the little creature jumped out from its hiding place, he swung his right fist towards it.

Previously, Su Ming's strength would not have been enough to kill a wild beast with just one punch. However, he was now a Berserker in the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm. He already had six blood veins manifested and he was controlled by an almost boundless amount of blood lust. This caused not just his speed but also his strength to increase exponentially.

The punch landed squarely on the mink raccoon's body and it let out a cry. It narrowed its eyes, wanting to change its course midair but Su Ming rushed forward and cut the creature apart with the horn in his left hand. He had equipped himself with it sometime during the encounter.

Fresh blood poured out of its wounds. The little creature struggled and cried in the snow. Its blood stained the snow a bloody shade of crimson.

It was a clean cut. Su Ming looked at the dead mink raccoon and lowered his body. He raised his right hand as he took in a deep breath. After that, he began controlling his blood. His body emitted a red light as if it had fused together with the blood on the ground. The six blood veins manifested themselves on Su Ming's body.

He placed his right hand slowly on the dead creature and a strange glow appeared in his eyes. One of the blood veins on his body began to twist around oddly as if it came to life. It crawled along his right arm to his palm and into the little creature's body.

Suddenly, the dead carcass began shaking. Its fur fell off and its body began withering rapidly. Within the blink of an eye, it turned into bones. At the same moment, wisps of white mist rose from its body to create an image of its former self. But it was a vague image, like it would disappear as soon as the wind blew.

This was the first time Su Ming had cast the Spirit Devourer. According to the information he obtained about the spell, he would usually need to refine the spirit first before devouring it. However Su Ming did not have the time. He opened his mouth and breathed in the spirit form of the mink raccoon.

Su Ming's body trembled. He could feel that he had just obtained additional strength but it was also rapidly disappearing. It would not be long before it disappeared completely and his strength would return to normal.

Su Ming did not linger. He immediately rushed forth. This time, his speed was slightly faster than before and it was increasing. He became more and more like the wind.

As the wind blew past his ears, there was only one thought in Su Ming's head. He had to catch up to the other party, stop them and then save the little monkey.

As for the method, he was not a reckless person to begin with so, he already had a plan.

An hour later, the additional strength Su Ming obtained disappeared but it allowed him to cover more distance. He had already left Black Flame Mountain and was near the Black Mountain Tribe.

He was at a small hill which looked like a slope. If he stood there, he could see quite far ahead and his peripheral vision would also increase.

As he was near his destination, Su Ming's eyes became fierce. He kept his gaze on Black Flame Mountain and very soon, he saw his targets. Two figures appeared and one of them was holding onto a motionless Xiao Hong!

Su Ming stood there and took out a small bottle with his right hand. There was a red pill within the bottle. Once he made sure there was no fresh blood on his hands, Su Ming took the pill out and held it in his hand.

The pill was his trump card!

He stabilized his breathing and took out his bow. His eyes were calm, almost like dead water. The two people were approaching him, with only a few miles between them. They would have seen him if they paid attention.

The two people were big and burly. They looked strong. The man holding onto the little monkey was only wearing a thin piece of hide even though it was winter. His upper body was bare. There was white mist coming off his body as if he was dispersing the cold with the energy emitted from his blood.

Su Ming only cast him a glance before focusing on the other person. He was also big in build with several long spears slung over his back. He was slightly shorter than his companion. However, Su Ming could feel that his Qi was much stronger than his companion and much stronger than his own.

This person was powerful.

Su Ming narrowed his eyes and lifted his bow before pointing it towards the second man.

Just as Su Ming looked at the person, the man also saw Su Ming. His eyes became cold and fierce.

Chapter 14: The Fallen Berserker

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

It's a Berserker from another tribe and he's alone! Judging by his Qi, he should only be at the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm…It'll be easy to kill him! We're also near the tribe and we're going up two against one. There's no need for us to be afraid of him. Nevertheless, since this person has come to challenge, he must have some tricks up his sleeve. But with my power as a third level, it'll be fine." The slightly shorter third level Berserker from the Black Mountain Tribe smiled fiercely. He was not at all worried about Su Ming. In his view, the difference between them was too big. Su Ming was also frail looking so he did not look as if he posed a threat.

More importantly, besides the Wind Stream Tribe, if any of the Black Mountain Tribe members saw a person from another tribe wandering around alone, they would definitely kill the person without mercy. There was no room for negotiation. It was a world where the strong preyed on the weak.

If Xiao Hong had not ventured out to lure them away, they would have entered the cave, killed Su Ming and taken his head back to the tribe for rewards.

"Yu Chi, I'll kill him. Wait here." As he spoke, the big man leapt forward like a tiger, closing the gap between him and Su Ming in just a few breaths.

The man holding onto the little monkey, Yu Chi did not object. He knew that if he killed a Berserker from another tribe and brought his head back to the tribe, he would receive rewards. However, he did not dare snatch away his companion's achievements.

"It's fine. That man is also at the second level like me. If we fight, then we'll be wasting some time. If he goes, then he'll definitely be able to kill him. Maybe I'll even get to share some of his rewards." To Yu Chi, this was a meaningless battle. His eyes were cruel as if he could see what would happen next. He was getting excited by the prospect of the spilling of blood.

The third level Berserker who was getting nearer to Su Ming also had a similar thought. He jumped forward and quickly closed the distance. Very soon, there was not even 1,000 feet between them.

800 feet, 700 feet and then 600 feet!

As he got closer, the man saw Su Ming's face clearly. He let out a roar as he grinned fiercely. His roar alone caused the snow around him to quake and toss into the air. They exploded in a loud bang, creating a layer of white mist which blinded their sights.

At that moment, the man grabbed a long spear from his back with his right hand. He threw it with all his strength at Su Ming, who was standing more than 600 feet away from him.

A sharp and piercing sound sliced through the air. Su Ming felt a sharp and fierce aura coming straight at him. Without thinking, he stepped aside and a whistling sound whipped by his ear. The long spear flew past and just missed him by a hair's breadth.

The man did not approach to check his kill once he threw the spear. Instead, dark wisps of air surrounded his legs, increasing his traveling speed instantly by a dozen fold. Very soon the distance between them was cut down from 600 feet to 300 feet.

"Die!" The man raised his right hand and took out a second spear. Just as he was about to throw it, the mist created by snow scattered. This allowed some of Su Ming's field of vision to return. As it did, an arrow pierced through the snow and rushed towards the man like a flash of lightning.

The man laughed. He raised the spear in his right hand and knocked down the arrow easily. With a crash, the arrow broke into pieces. However at the same time, whistling sounds whipped through the air again and another three arrows came straight towards him.

The arrows were too quick and the angle at which they traveled made it extremely difficult to dodge. It was becoming problematic for him. It made the man frown but still, he scoffed at them and let out a huge blast of dark air underneath his feet. It quickly surrounded his entire body like mist. As the three arrows approached him, they melted into a pool of black water as they touched the black mist.

Even so, much of the black mist had dispersed, causing the man's body to be exposed.

"You're only at the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm and you dare oppose me?" The man took a leap and the distance between them had shortened again. This time, to 200 feet.

Su Ming's face was pale but he held his ground. There were no traces of anxiety within his eyes, just the same chilling calmness.

He took out a few more arrows and fired them rapidly at the man. Once, twice, thrice and with incredible speed, he fired five arrows in succession!

The five arrows practically formed a straight line and the whistling sound they caused as they sliced through the air made it seem as if they had a lot of power. They reached the man almost immediately. When he saw it, he frowned slightly. In their tribe, there were few who could use bows like that.

"The Five Connected!" The man raised the spear in his right hand and swung it against the first arrow. There was a loud crash and the spear broke along with the first arrow.

The second arrow followed quickly. The man let out a low growl and made the black mist surround his body, causing the second arrow to melt as they touched.

The third arrow approached like lightning but the man dodged it by stepping aside. He was quickly chased by the fourth arrow. The man growled and clenched his right fist with a fierce expression. Then he swung it at the arrow. As the arrow broke, a wound appeared on his right hand.

At that moment, the fifth arrow followed closely like a shadow. The man wanted to dodge it but the arrow managed to leave behind a wound on his shoulder as it whistled by him. Fresh blood immediately poured out of his wound.

"I will tear your head off from your shoulders!" The man was not seriously wounded. He only had small wounds and they were considered inconsequential to the members of the Berserker Tribe. However to the man, it was different. He grinned fiercely and traveled another 100 feet closer to Su Ming.

He was already victorious. This was a battle that posed no danger to him. He was at most only slightly bothered by the arrows.

As for Yu Chi, he licked his lips from where he stood. He loved watching such bloody scenes. They served to make him feel excited.

Just as the man was about to take another step, Su Ming approached him. His face was pale but his eyes were still cold and calm. He then did something that momentarily shocked the man and Yu Chi.

He gave up on using his bow and arrow but chose instead to use his fists to face the man.

No one realized that within Su Ming's right hand was the powder of the red pill that he had crushed!

"You asked for it!" The man continued closing their distance and within the blink of an eye, they were only dozens of feet away from each other. Then it turned into thirty feet, twenty feet and ten feet…

The man gathered all the power of his Qi in his right fist and swung it against Su Ming's head. If he had hit it, Su Ming would have undoubtedly died.

But right at that moment, Su Ming lifted his head. The coldness in his eyes was gone and it was replaced with a terrifying killing intent. The strong desire to kill even stunned the man.

It was already too late. Just as Su Ming lifted his head, he swung his right hand at the man and as he did so, the red powder spread in the air. Some of them landed on the man's wound on his right fist while some landed on his shoulder wound.

The man trembled slightly but there were no blood curdling screams, no struggles. Right before Su Ming's eyes, he turned into red mist and disappeared into thin air. It was as if was he was boiled alive and erased by the laws of nature. A pile of bones without any flesh were all that was left on the ground. When the wind blew pass, they crumbled into dust.

Among the bone fragments was a strange herb that was black and white in color. It emitted a soft and dim glow.

The sudden turn of events stunned Yu Chi, who was standing nearby. He could not accept it. He could not even believe what he just saw. His gaze was empty due to the shock. Then, he saw the fragile looking boy turn and look at him with cold eyes and an equally cold countenance. He watched as the boy sped towards him.

"The Fire Ape's carcass will be a great supplement. I want it!" Su Ming suddenly said as he approached Yu Chi.

Yu Chi shivered. As he snapped out of his stupor, he found that he was drenched in cold sweat. Su Ming's words also made him realize that he had forgotten to use the monkey as a hostage. He concluded that Su Ming came just to snatch the monkey away.

The moment the idea struck him, he immediately escaped. He still could not fathom how and why his companion died. The chilling sight of his death made him so terrified, he could not accept it.

"You're Fallen! You're a Fallen Berserker!" Yu Chi screeched as his face turned pale. He was completely overcome by terror. He could not accept it. He was so terrified that his legs were shaking. He did not dare to face Su Ming and thus, used up every ounce of his strength to escape. Su Ming was blocking the way back to the Black Mountain Tribe so, Yu Chi could not go back. He could only run towards Black Flame Mountain.

Su Ming was about to give chase when he was suddenly hit by a wave of dizziness. He felt like he was completely drained. He shook his head and forced himself to concentrate.

He cast a glance at the pile of bones on the ground. This was the first time he had killed someone but it was not the time for hesitation. He had no choice but to give chase. He quickly cleaned up the place and picked up whatever usable arrows were left. After that, he took away the strange looking herb from the pile of bones. Su Ming gazed at the direction Yu Chi ran off to, his eyes filled with killing intent once more.

'Xiao Hong is still in his hands. I've already killed one of them. So, I might as well kill the other then the land which I used for quenching will never be found!'

Su Ming gritted his teeth to bear with the fatigue and chased after him.

The two of them ran into the forest. Yu Chi did not even dare look back to see Su Ming. He chose instead to concentrate on fleeing, trying to widen the distance between them. Despite this, if they were to compare their level of familiarity with Dark Dragon Mountain, he could not compare with Su Ming.

Besides, his speed was also still inferior to Su Ming's. He may have had a head start, but very soon Su Ming started to catch up to him with all the tracks he left behind.

Su Ming gritted his teeth to bear with the fatigue. He kept his gaze focused on the man from the Black Mountain Tribe. He knew that the man was scared by his actions. That was why he did not dare engage in battle. It was all part of Su Ming's plans.

With the Scattering Blood, he could kill a person in the blink of an eye and also stun others who saw it. After all, it was something that most people had never seen before. As such, it would terrify them.

Su Ming did not chase after him too closely. However, he was constantly blocked by some obstacles along the way, causing the gap to widen every time he was just about to catch up and pounce on the man. Not long after, the obstacles started to make Su Ming hesitate.

Chapter 15: Metamorphosis

Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -

There was a saying that went like this, "If you only have fighting spirit but no physical abilities to support it, in the end, you will still lose." Su Ming had been learning under the elder since he was young. The elder had a lot of scrolls in his house and Su Ming had read almost all of them. There was a lot of knowledge there and he always wanted more.

The wisdom left behind by his ancestors had made their way into Su Ming's head gradually as time passed by. However, they never had a chance to shine. As Su Ming was in pursuit of someone's life, the little bits of wisdom that had been residing in his head began to surface.

Yu Chi was feeling extremely anxious. He originally thought that he could not escape and had made up his mind to give it his all in an attack of desperation. Yet right before his eyes, he saw the distance between them increasing. Then just as he thought he could escape, the distance between them closed once more and this process kept repeating itself.

After this happened a few times, he no longer had any desire to give it his all for a fight to the death. It was hard for him to get into that state of mind anymore.

However in Su Ming's eyes, the Berserker from the Black Mountain Tribe was just a prey, and a terrified prey at that. As soon as he started feeling the slightest bit of hope, he could slowly tear him apart.

Su Ming used this method to wear down Yu Chi's confidence and courage. As the pursuit continued, he would widen the gap and let the other man have the illusion of safety.

Su Ming vaguely remembered one of the scrolls saying that once the prey went through a long period of time switching between the state of anxiety and relaxation, its fatigue and suffering would increase exponentially. That sort of torture was enough to destroy one's soul.

Su Ming only understood the logic behind it the last time but when he was giving chase, he slowly began to fully comprehend. The knowledge he had obtained slowly became instincts. He did not even need to do it on purpose, his body moved on its own and brought him the results that he wanted.

That day marked the first time Su Ming killed someone and the first time he hunted a human for the purpose of killing him. It was the first time in his life that he was experiencing a change in his personality. Yu Chi on the other hand was the only person who would experience the process of Su Ming change.

Yu Chi could feel it clearly but he did not know what caused the change. He only felt his confidence and courage diminishing after the strange scene of his companion's death, They were gradually worn down bit by bit during the chase.

In fact, at one point, he no longer had the urge to turn his head back anymore. Although Su Ming was a second level Berserker in the Blood Solidification Realm just like him, he had the feeling that once he turned back he would surely die. If he continued fleeing, he felt that he would have a chance of surviving.

He was so afraid that he did not feel his exhaustion building up. This was especially so when he discovered that the young man had disappeared at some point when the distance between them kept increasing. The exhaustion almost made him sink into his knees when he finally realized but he could not rest. He chose instead to grit his teeth and persevere.

Unfortunately, this did not last long. When he saw Su Ming's silhouette appear at the corner of his eye again, the exhaustion he felt immediately increased by tenfold. It almost drove Yu Chi mad.

"He's a Fallen Berserker! He's definitely a Fallen Berserker!" Yu Chi felt himself trembling in fear. As he was escaping, he came to a junction. If he turned left, he would have gone into the deeper parts of the forest and left Black Flame Mountain. If he turned right, he would have gone around Black Flame Mountain and gone back to the Black Mountain Tribe.

Su Ming had known about that junction for a long time. He narrowed his eyes and ignored his own fatigue. He focused all of his energy to his feet, increasing his speed by one explosive burst. He did not give chase, choosing instead to cut through the forest and approach the right turning at the junction.

It was clear that he had predicted Yu Chi's choice to travel right. That was why he chose to turn right and close the distance between them. As he rushed forward, Su Ming brought out his bow and shot a few arrows at the direction of the right turning. As the arrows whistled through the air, all of them hit the trees on the right path. The arrowheads buried their way into the stumps and their fletchings even hummed as they vibrated in the air.

The humming sound seemed to possess some sort of strange force. As the sound traveled into Yu Chi's ears, he hesitated.

Su Ming pursued Yu Chi at full speed once more and attacked with his bow again. Yu Chi let out a hysterical cry and was about to turn right when Su Ming suddenly increased his speed, giving Yu Chi a false impression.

He had a feeling that if he ran to the right, Su Ming would most definitely catch up to him. If he escaped to the left, he would then be able to widen the distance between them because Su Ming made the wrong decision.

He could still hear the humming sound from the arrows. Yu Chi gritted his teeth and changed his direction, turning left instead. Very soon, he disappeared into the forest.

A frightening look crossed Su Ming's eyes amid the fatigue and his lips curled up in a cold smile.

Quickly, he pulled out the arrows from the trees and continued pursuing the man from the Black Mountain Tribe.

"If you can control the direction of your enemy's escape, then you can control his body," Su Ming murmured. He remembered reading these words somewhere in one of the beast skin scrolls. He was not able to understand them before but now he understood what they meant.

As he gave chase, time passed by slowly. Very soon, night came and the moon rose up high in the sky. As the moonlight touched the snow on the ground, it reflected a white light which illuminated the forest in a silvery gleam even though it was night time.

During the chase, Su Ming had already changed Yu Chi's course of escape three times, gradually controlling the other man's body to run in the direction he wanted.

He touched the unconscious little monkey lying against his bosom, a gentle expression appearing in his tired and bloodshot eyes. Yu Chi had thrown the little monkey away in the opposite direction during the first time Su Ming forced him to change his course. However because of that, the distance between them increased.

Throwing away the little monkey had worked out for Yu Chi. Su Ming immediately ran towards the little monkey, causing Yu Chi to let out a sigh of relief and his speed increased.

In spite of that, it did not last long. Soon after, Yu Chi noticed arrows upon arrows whistling by his side, all coming from behind. This again almost drove Yu Chi mad.

The stars in the sky shone brightly like eyes that were looking at the chase in the forest.

Yu Chi was already exhausted. His footsteps faltered but what he felt physically was inconsequential. What mattered most was his mental state. It was already broken. He regretted it. He regretted discovering the little hole. He regretted chasing after the Fire Ape. All of this would not have happened if he had not done any of it.

Before him, there was a forest filled with a variety of plants. Even though it was winter, he still could not see into the deeper parts of the forest. When Yu Chi was still hesitating and contemplating on going into the forest, Su Ming's silhouette appeared at the edge of the forest.

He stood there, breathing heavily. Huge amounts of white mist flowed out from his mouth and his eyes were laden with steely coldness. He did not immediately give chase but chose to wait.

"This place will be the burial ground I give you! If you can step out of here alive even with such exhaustion, you can count yourself extremely lucky!" Su Ming's muttered once his breathing began to even out.

Just as he finished speaking, a terrifying cry traveled across the forest in the quiet of the night. The cry echoed in the forest, causing a shiver to travel down the spines of all who heard it.

After a while, the cry gradually grew weaker before finally turning into a faint moan.

Su Ming walked towards the direction of the voice in solemn silence. He walked into the forest slowly with each step carefully calculated. Every time he took a few steps forward, he would look around before choosing to either retreat, go around a certain place or leap forward.

It was the hunting spot for the Dark Mountain Tribe. That area of the forest was filled with traps and the locations of the traps were unknown to all except the members of the Dark Mountain Tribe.

Even Su Ming only knew the locations of most of the traps, not all of them.

If Yu Chi had been in perfect condition when he went in, he might have been able to get out alive. However due to the condition he was in, he sealed his fate once he stepped into the place. It was the same as stepping into his own death trap.

Su Ming walked forward carefully. The moans gradually became weaker as they traveled to his ears. As Su Ming walked forward slowly, he saw that Yu Chi was impaled to a tree by a line of sharpened, and thick wooden spikes, the size of adult men.

His entire body was drenched in his own blood but he was not dead yet. He was still shivering and moaning weakly..

Su Ming stepped forward quietly and once he was by Yu Chi's side, he looked at him. After a long while, he took out his horn and sliced Yu Chi's throat.

Yu Chi struggled furiously for a few moments before breathing his last. Before his eyes lost their life, they were focused on Su Ming and filled with hatred.

Su Ming was silent. He cut through the trap's ropes and took away whatever remained on Yu Chi's corpse. He brought out the small amount of Scattering Blood powder he had left and turned the corpse into a pile of bones. He then turned it into dust by touching it.

He turned around silently and walked out of the forest. Once he was out, he looked at the moon in the sky with uncertainty in his gaze. It was the second time he killed someone. He could not describe how he felt. There was nervousness, fear, uncertainty…

After a long while, he let out a sigh. The Black Mountain Tribe was from the same denomination as the Dark Mountain Tribe but after so many years, they had turned into mortal enemies. If one of the tribes became stronger, the other would have been faced with the threat of being massacred. All of the men would have been killed and the women would have been taken away to help with the reproduction of the tribe.

It was good thing that this had not happened. For many years, the elders of both tribes had been on the same level. They would not easily incite war.

He took a deep breath. Fatigue took over Su Ming's entire body. He gritted his teeth and dragged his exhausted body far, far away…

When dawn arrived and the sun rose, Su Ming returned to the place he used for the quenching of herbs in Black Flame Mountain. His face was a sickly yellow. He crawled into the cave, and once he was inside, he fell to the side and fainted.

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