Martial World

Lin Ming was stunned as he heard Xiao Moxian’s question. He asked in response, “Why would we be mortal enemies?”

“I mean, if.” Xiao Moxian said, not explaining much.

Lin Ming looked at Xiao Moxian strangely. At this time, she was asking such strange and bewildering questions. “These ifs that you speak of have no meaning at all. In this desperate life or death situation you still have the mind to ask such confusing questions; just what are you thinking?”

Xiao Moxian’s complexion darkened. She coldly said, “If the monster race and demon race were to stand on the opposite side of humanity? If our races must be foes with each other, will you kill me then?”

Xiao Moxian’s words caused Lin Ming’s heart to turn cold. He immediately understood what Xiao Moxian was trying to say.

In the war between the humans and saints, the monsters and demons were indeed able to stay uninvolved. And if they were to choose a side, it was hard to say which side they would decide to join. And, as the most important future figure of the monster and demon races, Xiao Moxian would likely become the eventual ruler of both races!

Even being hunted down by the saints was something that was only aimed at Lin Ming, not Xiao Moxian. If Xiao Moxian were to be captured by the saints then they would only think of forcefully marrying her away. As for killing her and seizing the bloodline in her body, when this was compared to alliance of their two races, then the benefits Xiao Moxian’s bloodline brought were unworthy of mentioning.

As for using Xiao Moxian for alchemy, those were only Tian Mingzi’s thoughts.

“So you’re saying… that Empyrean Demondawn and the Monster Emperor are leaning towards the saints?” Lin Ming asked.

“I do not know, and even if I did I cannot change their decision.”

Xiao Moxian earnestly said.

“I understand…” Lin Ming quietly responded. He was silent for a long time, and then he said with a serious expression, “It is impossible for me to have you betray your people. Similarly, I also cannot betray my people. This isn’t just because of the blood that flows through my veins, but because my family, my friends, my teachers, my masters, all those that I know, all of them are humans. If humanity and the demon race must become enemies, then as a member of humanity, I will fight for them until the end.”

Lin Ming had received the deep graciousness of Empyrean Divine Dream and had also inherited the legacy of both Empyrean Primordius and Empyrean Divine Seal. Whether it was Empyrean Primordius or Empyrean Divine Seal, both of them had died bravely in battle for the existence of humanity, and Lin Ming had inherited their hopes and wishes. How could he possibly betray the human race?

“If there really comes a day where you and I represent our own races and there is no path left for us to go, then I can only hope that you do not hold back.”

Lin Ming stared straight into Xiao Moxian’s eyes. For a time, it seemed as if her body was shaking.

Her vision blurred, seeming as if she was lost in thought for a moment. Then, she slowly said, “I understand…”

The truth was that Xiao Moxian already knew the answer to this question before she asked it. She didn’t need to be a genius to know what Lin Ming’s reply would be, because if he replied otherwise then he wouldn’t be the Lin Ming she knew.

But for some reason, even though she knew the answer, she still mulled over this question and kept it close to her mind, a pressure that perpetually hung over her heart. Now, she asked this question just because she wanted to release it from her heart, and to convince herself to thoroughly give up all thoughts of anything else happening.

Give up…

Xiao Moxian felt a strange and unknown ache in her heart.

Xiao Moxian had a feeling that the Monster Emperor and her grandfather had already sided with the saint race. This was because the method to break into the True Divinity realm was far too fatal a temptation!

Then after they left the Asura Road, just what would await them? She and Lin Ming would both go on their own separate roads, and the next time they saw each other, they would be mortal enemies, fighting to the bitter end?

As Xiao Moxian imagined this result, she felt her heart hollow out and a painful hitch as she tried to breath.

When Lin Ming rescued her in the Great Desolate, when they spend nine years of days and nights in Tragic Death Valley, when they held hands to escape the demonic tide, when they rushed into the God Beast Tomb array formation, as well as when they stumbled into Bai Qi’s tomb, resolving danger after danger as he struck down foes dozens of times stronger than he was…

All of these scenes flashed through her mind, lingering in her consciousness. The final image in her mind was when Lin Ming stumbled into her arms, severely wounded, and the two of them freely gave their energy to each other, trying their best to break free from this hopeless situation…

For a time, a bitter grief swelled up within her.

Xiao Moxian didn’t think that Lin Ming would betray humanity. Similarly, she would not betray the demon race.

They were doomed to never have anything good come from their relationship.

As Xiao Moxian was lost in her thoughts, Lin Ming sat in front of her, silent the entire time. After all, he wasn’t the youth he was in the past, one that didn’t know anything about human thoughts and emotions. He was able to faintly guess just what Xiao Moxian was thinking.

And regarding this, he could only remain silent.

He certainly hoped that whether or not the monsters and demons opposed humanity, Xiao Moxian would still stand by his side, together. However, this thought was too selfish and not practical. So, Lin Min Ming decided not to say anything and simply remained silent.

“Let’s continue to cultivate. But, I hope your mood isn’t affected.”

Xiao Moxian looked at the Grandmist Spirit Bead essence in front of her, seeming as if she couldn’t concentrate at all.

Lin Ming frowned. He said, “Don’t absorb the Grandmist Spirit Bead essence. Your current mood is not suitable for making a breakthrough.”

Breaking through to the Divine Lord realm was an extremely important matter. Many martial artists would spend hundreds of years preparing for this moment. They would undergo a long ritual, burning incense, praying, and even then there was a chance they might fail, much less someone like Xiao Moxian right now whose mood was so shaky. If she were to fail her breakthrough now, then the massive amount of energy would turn chaotic in her body, causing her to fall into depravity and damage her cultivation.

“No! I can make this breakthrough!” Xiao Moxian stubbornly said.

“That… alright.”

Lin Ming agreed. If Xiao Moxian could arrive at this step, she naturally had an outstanding cultivation ability and talent. In terms of cultivating experience she was no worse than Lin Ming. Lin Ming didn’t need to worry about her because she knew well enough what her limits were.

Lin Ming’s thoughts stirred and the time enchantment covering them was immediately removed. This time enchantment could be used to heal from wounds, but wanting to make cultivation breakthroughs was not possible. This was because if Xiao Moxian wanted to break into the Divine Lord realm, she had to enlighten herself with the world Laws. As for Lin Ming, if he wanted to break into the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace, he needed the Dao Palaces within his body to correspond with the nine stars in space. None of these things were possible to accomplish within the time enchantment.

Lin Ming formed dozens of seals as he revolved the Grandmist Heavenly Dao, drawing out the blood vitality from the Grandmist Spirit Bead essence.

This blood vitality essence split into two, floating towards Lin Ming and Xiao Moxian like ancient pythons.

These two pythons had fierce appearances and their aura was formidable. Their bodies were covered with scales that clearly shimmered with lines. They didn’t seem like manifestations formed from blood vitality, but true ancient vicious beasts.

As these pythons approached Lin Ming and Xiao Moxian, the two of them felt all the blood vitality within their bodies being pulled by them, as if their blood wanted to roar out from them.

In that moment, Xiao Moxian had also settled her thoughts, eliminating all distractions as she fully invested herself in making her breakthrough.

She could feel a wild and brutal will from this Grandmist Spirit Bead essence in front of her. This would not be easy to absorb. If she failed to subdue it, she would fall into madness.

Then, Lin Ming turned his hand, revealing a crystalline pill in his palm. This was the Nine Star Heaven Pill!

In the past, just before Lin Ming returned to the Sky Spill Planet, he had encountered Tian Mingzi in the Demondawn Great World. The cause was this Nine Star Heaven Pill. The Nine Star Heaven Pill was a lost recipe in the Divine Realm. It was an ancient pill that was once used to help humans break into the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace, but now its effects were much diminished.

Afterwards, Lin Ming had obtained the pill recipe for the Nine Star Heaven Pill. Empyrean Divine Dream had gathered the materials and helped him refine the pill. Now, he was finally able to use it.

The Nine Star Heaven Pill was swallowed down by Lin Ming. At the same time, the python of Grandmist Spirit Bead essence rushed into Lin Ming’s body, bringing with it a savage and tyrannical aura, as if it came from a primal and desolate era.

This energy crashed into Lin Ming’s meridians, seeming as if it would wash away his veins and split apart his body!

In the Eternal Demon Abyss, Lin Ming and Mo Eversnow together had only absorbed 10% of the Grandmist Spirit Bead essence. But now, in Bai Qi’s tomb, Lin Ming directed 20% of this essence energy into his body.

The ancient python ravaged through Lin Ming’s body. But at this time, Lin Ming’s True Dragon energy came wildly galloping out, suppressing it with overwhelming force!

With his own blood vitality, Lin Ming had forcefully suppressed the Grandmist Spirit Bead essence that he swallowed. In that moment, all of Lin Ming’s energy rushed towards nine points on his body, seeming to form pearls of blood!

These nine points on Lin Ming’s body seemed to echo with some strange and unknown power in the endless skies. Lin Ming felt his sight fade away and in the next moment he had arrived in a completely pitch black space.

This space was empty, with only nine stars hanging high above. These nine stars were arranged in a strange manner, sprinkling endless starlight down, shining upon the world.

As this starlight illuminated Lin Ming, he felt his flesh, blood and bones all stretch out and all the pores and acupoints over his body automatically open to recklessly swallow up the starlight from these nine stars. As this starlight entered his body, a vast river of strength followed, one that seemed as if it would never end!

Beneath this powerful strength, Lin Ming could feel his flesh, bloodlines, meridian channels, everything within him transforming. His mortal body rapidly increased in strength.

The first time Lin Ming saw the boundary of the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace was when he absorbed the blood vitality of the great emperor heart in the Eternal Demon Abyss. Then, when he absorbed the Grandmist Spirit Bead essence, he had touched upon the threshold of the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.

At that time, Lin Ming had only been 34-35 years old. Now, he was over 50 years old. Over 20 years had passed.

In these 20 years of accumulating strength, Lin Ming had remained stranded beneath the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace. All sorts of lucky chances and fortuitous encounters had been slowly gathered by him, all for today’s breakthrough!

Even so, Lin Ming only had a 10% chance of breaking into the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace!

In this dark void, If Lin Ming could pull down one of the stars in the sky and refine it into the Dao Palace within him, then he would truly have stepped into the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace!

The Nine Stars of the Dao Palace that Lin Ming saw were no illusion. Above where Lin Ming was sitting, there were indeed nine stars that shined, their starlight sprinkling down. Even Xiao Moxian was able to clearly see them.

“The Nine Stars of the Dao Palace, it really is the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace!”

Xiao Moxian’s eyes brightened. At this time she couldn’t even give further praise because she had to complete her own breakthrough. However, whether it was because she lacked accumulations or because her mood was in chaos, although she had managed to subdue the Grandmist Spirit Bead essence within her, she was still a single breath away from stepping into the Divine Lord realm.