Martial World

“Brother Lin, are you leaving?” A shy voice sounded out. It was Ruby.

“Mm… I must leave. If I have the chance to return then I will definitely help you solve the riddle of your life.” Sheng Mei had long since left the vast forest. Lin Ming had been standing beneath the great starry skies for several hours.

He didn’t want to bring Ruby away. She was an energy body formed from pure soul force and if she left the Akashic Dream Universe she wouldn’t have a physical body. Although she would still exist, it would feel like a bird losing its wings. If she went to the catastrophic universe where the hundred ancient races dwelled, she might not be able to play a major role and would easily fall into danger.

Plus, with the uncertainty of Lin Ming’s own continued existence lying on the edge, he decided to leave by himself.

“Mm… then I… will wait for you to return.”

Ruby clenched her small fists and vigorously nodded. Towards Lin Ming, she felt a natural affinity. This was because of the Magic Cube and the Eternal Soul…

Over the years, Lin Ming’s soul had been nourished by the Magic Cube and had become extremely pure. It now possessed a trace of never-changing attributes.

This was also another reason why Lin Ming was special in Sheng Mei’s eyes.

Lin Ming deeply looked at Ruby. Then, he floated upwards and decisively turned away, welcoming the endless night winds as he quickly flew.

………

This was a desolate and bleak universe.

In this universe, the heaven and earth origin energy was particularly thin, only 60-70% that of the Divine Realm’s. But this universe was actually flooded with a boundless primal aura, as if it had existed for a trillion years.

There weren’t many stars in this universe. As for those that still hung in the skies, they seemed gloomy and dark, as if they were on the verge of being extinguished.

Lin Ming calmly sent out his divine sense and discovered that in the starry skies, there were many hidden black holes. Black holes were formed from the death of stars and were one of the most terrifying types of celestial bodies to exist in the universe. They were condensed from the overwhelming might of the Heavenly Dao Laws and even an Empyrean wouldn’t be able to come out if they entered.

“This universe seems to be fading…”

Lin Ming stood before the porthole of a spirit ship. He sighed. In the boundless universe, there was life as well as death. When a universe had existed for a long time, many stars would begin to die out one after another, becoming black holes. This was one of the signs of a universe moving towards entropy.

This process took an incomparably long time, perhaps even a hundred billion years.

“I never thought that the universe of the primal god race and other ancient races would be like this…”

Although Sheng Mei was almost hostile with Lin Ming, she had still arranged for people from the Soul Rapture Holy Lands to help Lin Ming enter the universe that the saints ruled over and subsequently enter this Primeval Universe.

This was a long journey. They had to pass through several God Lamenting Walls and the process lasted for over a year.

Wishing to make a trip that crossed several universes wasn’t easy at all. One had to use great void shifts countless times, consuming endless amounts of energy stones like nine sun jades. Even a Great World King would lose all their wealth in this attempt.

And at this time, Lin Ming discovered that in the starry space there was a giant floating temple.

This temple shimmered all over, dazzling to the eyes.

From this temple, Lin Ming could feel a familiar aura. That was astral essence, an energy as deep and vibrant as the sea!

The saints!

“Halt, identify yourself!”

Thousands of miles away from Lin Ming, a group of martial artists rapidly flew towards him, blocking his way.

These saint martial artists wore golden combat armor and held thick halberds and lances in their hands. They surrounded Lin Ming’s spirit ship.

“Come out!”

The leading saint martial artist shouted, his voice causing space to shake.

Lin Ming calmly flew out from the spirit ship. He had already used the Bodily Rebirth Technique to change his appearance and had even concealed his status as a human. Even an Empyrean wouldn’t be able to see through Lin Ming.

“Mm? Someone of our race. What influence are you from?” This aggressive squad of saints had a Holy Lord as their leader. It was naturally impossible for them to see through Lin Ming’s disguise.

“I am just a lonely wandering martial artist. I came to the Primeval Universe in order to fight and temper myself.”

In a war that involved two races, it wasn’t something that could be accomplished by several influences. Rather, all martial artists within the race could freely enter as they please to sharpen their skills in battle and also obtain valuable war loot.

For instance, the attack on the primal god race was coordinated by the Good Fortune Saint Sovereign. It involved over 150 Empyrean influences participating in addition to countless World King and Holy Lord level influences.

With all of these influences gathered together, the temporary army they formed was incomparably massive and chaotic.

Many saint martial artists could temporarily enter the army and become members of the army. They could take this opportunity to temper themselves, just like Lin Ming had said. Thus, it wasn’t sudden or a surprise for Lin Ming to appear here.

“Don’t move.”

The leading Holy Lord martial artist said. He took out an array disc and scanned Lin Ming, confirming his status once more. This was to prevent any spies from infiltrating their ranks.

However, it was impossible for such an ordinary array disc to penetrate through Lin Ming’s Bodily Rebirth Technique.

The array disc didn’t have any response. The Holy Lord sergeant nodded and tossed a token towards Lin Ming.

Lin Ming took this token and glanced at it. The writing on it said – ‘Sergeant Number: Holy Lord level 12,968. Subordinate under Empyrean White Heaven, First Mixed Legion.”

Seeing these words, Lin Ming was shocked. In a battle between races, the scale was truly astronomical. In a legion led by an Empyrean, there were over 12,000 Holy Lords.

In the past when humanity fought with the saints, Empyrean Divine Seal had led several hundred Empyreans and over a million Holy Lords in battle. This left a deep impression on Lin Ming.

In such a dreadful war, unless one’s individual strength reached that of a peak Empyrean or True Divinity, it was difficult to display much of an effect.

Lin Ming received the token and like this joined the saints’ army.

The reason he joined the saints’ army was mainly to uncover information. He had come to the Primeval Universe alone. In such a vast world he didn’t have a map or a guide and he didn’t know anything at all.

If he continued like this, he could wander around for a thousand years without finding the primal god race.

But if he joined one of the saints’ legions, that was different.

Like this, Lin Ming stayed in the saints’ army for several days, carrying out training exercises and combat practice.

Fighting in a legion was completely different from fighting one-on-one. In a situation with outstanding martial artists present, a short period of training could improve the overall combat strength of the team.

During this training period, Lin Ming deliberately stayed far away from the giant temple. This was because he could faintly feel a horrifying aura emitting from the temple. It was likely that this Empyrean White Sky was in command of the temple.

With Lin Ming’s current level of strength he didn’t want to come into any contact with an Empyrean. If he had to face an Empyrean he wouldn’t be able to run, much less escape.

During training, Lin Ming was able to learn a great deal of information from the conversations between the sergeants.

The situation in the Primeval Universe was more complex than Lin Ming had first imagined.

In the Primeval Universe, there were over 70 ancient remnant races. These remnant races were the descendants of the races that had been incredibly prosperous 10 billion years ago. Even though they fell into decline, they still possessed deep backgrounds.

It wasn’t just the primal god race that possessed the decree of the gods; the other races also had them.

The most powerful of them was the primal celestial race.

10 billion years ago, the primal celestial race was also swollen with pride and power, unexcelled in the world.

According to the rumors, it was said that in the past, of the 33 Heavens, the god race occupied 18 Heavens and the celestial race occupied 15 Heavens!

The two races had divided the 33 Heavens between themselves, unlike today where many universes existed in a semi-obsolete state.

During ancient times, the other races were in truth races that co-existed in the universes that the god race and celestial race had captured.

Now, since the saints wanted to annihilate the Primeval Universe, their main threats came from the god race and celestial race. If the peak Empyreans of these two races desperately burned away their own lives and also used the decrees of god left behind by the Asura Road Master, they could absolutely cause heavy losses even to a True Divinity!

These so-called heavy losses weren’t as simple as injuries. At the level of an Empyrean or True Divinity, their vital essence energy reached unimaginable heights and it was difficult for even rare heavenly treasures to make up for the losses they suffered. If a True Divinity were to suffer grievous wounds that caused damage to their vital essence energy, it would likely have a tremendous influence on their remaining strength and lifespan.

But although Lin Ming learned so much information, he still didn’t figure out how to find the primal god race. The primal god race had united several races together and had gone into hiding in a place called the Chaos Star Ocean.

This Chaos Star Ocean had once been the core of a titanic galaxy. But, the galaxy had withered away, and this core region was flooded with numerous space storms and black holes. If one recklessly rushed in and was sucked in by a black hole, that would mean certain death!

After understanding all of this, Lin Ming wasn’t surprised at all. The races of the primeval race were able to struggle with the saints for so many years with so few numbers, so they naturally must have something they could rely on.

If these ancient remnant clans fought on equal ground with the saints, the war situation would likely be completely different.

Lin Ming patiently waited for a chance to contact the primal god race. Two months passed, and on one day, a chance appeared before Lin Ming.

A squad of the primal god race had their whereabouts scouted out by the saints. And the group who discovered them was the legion that Lin Ming was a part of.

Lin Ming was suddenly shifted to the front lines. He accompanied a crowd of saint martial artists to surround this primal god squad. As for their orders, they were to capture them alive!

“Gather up!”

Before the legion set off, a sergeant shouted out loud.

“Hurry up and don’t dawdle around. Do you think this is your hometown? If you join the army that means you must follow the mindset of the army! Those who disobey orders will be executed!”

A World King loudly roared. He came from the White Sky Holy Lands and could be called part of the true army. As for this mixed legion that had people of all various levels of strength, he loudly reprimanded them and even attacked them at times.

This was the tradition of an army, completely different from that of a sect.

In this hastily formed mission, the saints had transferred over a hundred Holy Lords. The one leading them was a red-clothed man, a direct disciple of Empyrean White Sky. He had a Great World King realm cultivation.

And behind him also followed three ordinary World Kings, amongst them the one who had just shouted. There were also other direct disciples of Empyrean White Sky, but their status and talent were inferior to that of the red-clothed man.

“Is everyone here? I am the commander of this troop, Red Leaf. Now, set off!”

The red-clothed man dispensed with all the small talk. He brought the mixed legion and soared to the skies!