Martial World

The infinite universe, the vast and boundless space –

A massive spirit ship quietly sped through the starry space.

This spirit ship was named ‘Epoch’. The name signified humanity’s wish to usher in a new epoch, one where their people would rise to glory once more.

During this trip, Epoch would have to pass through over a dozen great worlds of the Divine Realm before finally arriving at a small world called the Bluesnow Realm.

This small world was hidden within a chaotic ocean of stars. Without accurate coordinates and a guide, it was basically impossible to find this land.

The end of the Bluesnow Realm pushed up against the God Lamenting Wall. And behind this God Lamenting Wall was another universe of the 33 Heavens – a wild universe.

Because the God Lamenting Wall separating the wild universes had never weakened, this universe hadn’t had an intelligent humanoid life form step foot in it for a long time.

Several months ago, 20 human Empyreans were sent to the Bluesnow Realm in order to join together and form a connection through the God Lamenting Wall using the Asura Decree and then maintain it.

Following that, the elites of humanity passed through this connection and entered the wild universe. They quickly sped towards the nearest lands, establishing their own bases to develop the area…

Epoch was an Empyrean level spirit treasure spirit ship. It was naturally far slower than the Ark of Hope, and from start to finish, it would require two months to reach its destination.

And during this long travel, many matters occurred. For instance, the great war between the remaining Empyreans and the saints…

In a grand hall within Epoch, many young elites had gathered.

Dragon Fang, Hang Chi, Xiao Moxian, Jun Bluemoon, Lin Ming, and even the celestial Smokeless…

These young elites had reunited once again.

Back during the Divine Realm First Martial Meeting, these young elites had been 20-40 years of age. They were high-spirited back then, looking to climb to the highest mountaintops.

They showed their abilities above the arena stage. They attracted the attention of the cosmos and became renowned to trillions of quadrillions of people. That was an incomparably magnificent time!

And after 100 years of life, they reunited once more. Although they each made considerable progress in their strengths, they actually gathered under such circumstances. Facing the great calamity of the Divine Realm they had been forced to flee from their homeland and become fugitives…

At this time, Xiao Moxian was looking out a porthole, gazing upon the endless starry skies. She rubbed her belly. It was unknown just what she was thinking.

To abandon her homeland and go to an unknown world, it was inevitable that she would feel a deep melancholy in her heart.

But, what she could rejoice in was that Lin Ming would always be there at her side to accompany her.

She silently looked at Lin Ming as he meditated in the grand hall. Xiao Moxian pursed her lips. In this great calamity, Lin Ming had become nearly her everything.

“I wonder how the seniors of my people and Empyrean Divine Dream are doing right now…”

Smokeless whispered, finding it hard to calm her heart.

Beside her, Hang Chi was praying sutras and twisting the buddha beads in his hands, deep in meditation.

Dragon Fang embraced his black sword. He had a pot of wine in his hand and was quietly drinking from it.

At some time, Dragon Fang filled a cup of wine. Then he silently raised it up in the air and slowly sprinkled it to the ground.

Seeing this, Lin Ming sighed. He knew that Dragon Fang was giving his farewells to his master…

In this bitter battle between the humans and saints, Divine Dream, Vast Universe, and some others might be able to return safely. But the older Empyreans had already entered the fray with the determination to die…

Lin Ming stood up and walked over to Dragon Fang. He joined him in drinking a cup of wine.

But at this time, his mind shivered and he nearly fell over.

“Big Brother Lin! What’s happening?”

Xiao Moxian had been looking at Lin Ming and his sudden reaction had left her startled. With his cultivation it was impossible that he would nearly tumble over for no reason at all.

“Lin Ming!”

The others stood up, all of them looking at Lin Ming with concern. Now was an extremely tense time. Even if they were fleeing to a relatively safe universe, all of them were on guard for any abnormalities. Lin Ming’s sudden change left them wary.

“I’m fine…” Lin Ming waved his hand, his complexion somewhat ill.

Just now, he had clearly felt an indescribable divine sense sweep through this hall, nearly causing his mind to fall to illusion. During this time his mind had completely blanked out, and he felt as if a feather had fallen into his spiritual sea, slowly immersing within it.

This feather was simple like an ordinary father, but this ordinariness was what scared Lin Ming.

This was the wisp of someone’s divine sense mark! He had been locked onto by someone!

And, what stunned Lin Ming the most was that no one else had detected it. If he was the only one who had sensed it then that meant this divine sense was most likely aimed at a single person!

This thought left Lin Ming’s palms cold with sweat. Not to mention the terrifying intensity of that divine sense, there was also the fact that this other party’s divine sense had quietly penetrated through the protective wards of Epoch without alarming the many peak Empyreans on board.

This was not something an Empyrean could accomplish.

This other party…

True Divinity!?

In that moment, Lin Ming felt as if he had fallen into a sea of ice. He had been locked onto by a True Divinity!?

This was incomparably horrifying information!

Without the peak masters of the Divine Realm like Divine Dream present, there was no one on this entire spirit ship capable of contending with a True Divinity!

Moreover, even the Ark of Hope wasn’t here. They didn’t even have the Asura Decrees that could wound a True Divinity…

In this situation, to be locked onto by a True Divinity was the same as being sentenced to death!

“Is it intentionally targeting me… or was it an unconscious probing…”

Lin Ming’s limbs were icy cold. He didn’t believe that there was a True Divinity randomly passing by, just happening to use their divine sense to investigate this spirit ship…

With a 99% certainty, this other party had come for him!

“Big Brother Lin, just what is going on!?”

Xiao Moxian anxiously looked at Lin Ming, worry filling her face.

“Benefactor Lin, what happened just now? At this time there is no need to hide anything from us. We must all be on the same boat. All these difficulties can be solved together. If we cannot solve them, then there are also the Empyreans here that can help.”

Hang Chi slowly said. Lin Ming bitterly sighed in his heart. This was something that not even an Empyrean could fix…

“I’m fine. I just felt an intense foreboding premonition, as if something unfortunate is going to occur.”

Lin Ming eventually didn’t speak the truth. This was because he wasn’t absolutely sure, and also because there was no meaning in saying it anyways. Instead, it would cause Xiao Moxian and the others to panic for no good reason. At this moment, no one here could stop a True Divinity.

It would be the same as telling everyone that he was going to die.

Moreover, the worst thing was that once this True Divinity overtook Epoch, everyone in this spirit ship would be buried along with him!

Lin Ming’s words left everyone half-doubting and half-believing him. Indeed, once a martial artist’s destiny accumulated to a certain level, they could indeed have strange premonitions which could allow them to avoid disasters.

Lin Ming’s unlucky premonition just now… could there have been some problem at the front lines?

Did Empyrean Divine Dream encounter an accident?

Gloomy clouds formed over everyone’s hearts. Divine Dream was the spiritual pillar of humanity. If she perished, not to mention the loss in strength it would mean for the human race, but the morale of the people would fall through the ground.

Finally, the group quieted down. During this time Lin Ming gripped his fists, his heart and mind on pins and needles, filled with unease.

That terrifying sense was like the summons of a death god. Would it come again?

Lin Ming thought. And indeed, after a quarter hour, that terrifying sense covered Lin Ming!

This time, the sense was extremely light, like a feather gently crossing over Lin Ming’s mind. But the resulting pressure nearly caused his spiritual sea to fall into chaos.

Moreover, this sense brought with it a faint and clear… killing intent!!

As delicate as a feather, a killing intent that left one drowning in desperation!

A True Divinity had truly locked onto him!

This feather was the mark of a True Divinity. Back in the Soul World’s Akashic Dream Universe, the Great Brahmic God King had used a similar method to mark Lin Ming.

This was a transcendent secret technique. When a person left behind blood, skin, hair, or even items they used before, these things would be marked with their ‘vital characteristics’. Then, by paying a sufficient price and using a certain amount of soul force, one could search the vast cosmos for these ‘vital characteristics’ and mark the position of the person.

In the past, the Great Brahmic God King hadn’t searched too large an area. It was normal for Lin Ming to be found by him.

But this time, the other party was able to search the entire Divine Realm with its 3000 great worlds and countless other smaller worlds to find and lock onto Lin Ming all the same!

Such supernatural powers left Lin Ming drowning in despair!

“Heavens, do you really wish for my end? I have resolved myself to climb to the peak of martial arts, yet I must perish here?”

Lin Ming mirthlessly smiled. The saints really thought highly of him. If he wasn’t wrong then the saints had especially sent a True Divinity to hunt him down and kill him.

Currently he didn’t even have the strength to fight an Empyrean, but now the enemy had sent a True Divinity to kill him. They had truly laid down the capital!

They wanted to take advantage of the time before he had grown to erase him from existence, forever severing any future troubles!

Lin Ming stood up in an absent-minded daze.

From when he had stepped upon his road of martial arts until now, he had faced death numerous times. But, never before had he felt despair like today!

“Lin Ming, you…”

Smokeless, Hang Chi, Jun Bluemoon, and the others all looked at Lin Ming. They felt that something was wrong.

“What is going on? What are you trying to hide?”

“Nothing.” Lin Ming suddenly smiled, his smile somewhat sad. “I’m sorry, I… don’t think I can go to the wild universe with you all and open up a new world…”

“What!?”

Lin Ming’s few words left everyone shocked. In particular, Xiao Moxian felt her heart shrink.

“Why!?”

Tears began to appear at the corners of Xiao Moxian’s eyes. She bit her lips and stared at Lin Ming, her voice shaking.

Lin Ming looked at Xiao Moxian, his heart mourning. He couldn’t remain on this spirit ship because it would only mean everyone here dying in vain. Even humanity’s gathering point would be exposed.

He wanted to say that he had been locked onto by a True Divinity, but as he saw Xiao Moxian’s teary eyes he couldn’t bring himself to say the words…

He didn’t want his last image of Xiao Moxian before he left to be that of her dying inside.

Moreover, he knew that if he said such words, if Xiao Moxian knew he would die without a doubt, she would not let him leave alone. She would die with him.

Finally, Lin Ming said, “There are some matters I must attend to. I will be leaving first…”

Hearing Lin Ming, Xiao Moxian’s response was to quickly rush over and throw herself into his arms. She tightly grasped him as if letting go would mean losing him forever.

“Take me with you.”

Xiao Moxian had already made up her mind to never let go. She had a faint premonition in her mind that after this parting, she would not see Lin Ming again.

Lin Ming could feel Xiao Moxian gently trembling in his arms and her vulnerable heart. He didn’t know just what taste was in his heart, but eventually he pushed her away. His expression was resolute as he said, “Stop this nonsense. Not only will you not be able to help me but you will only drag me down. If so then I will die for sure!”

Lin Ming’s heartless words and his heartless expression left Xiao Moxian stunned.

The other young elites were also helpless to do anything, but they knew something had happened with Lin Ming.

It was just that he wasn’t willing to tell them.

“If you go like this, the Empyreans on board will not agree.”

Jun Bluemoon frowned. Although he didn’t know what was happening, he could faintly feel that the reason Lin Ming left was for the lives of everyone on board.

“At these times, none of us fear death. What happened?” Dragon Fang stated in a manner more direct than the others. He pulled out his sword.

“I will explain myself to the guiding Empyreans. If I leave, there is still a chance to live. If I stay, I will die.”

Lin Ming turned around after he spoke. To leave the spirit ship he needed to inform the Empyreans in the main control room so that they could open the doors.

At this time, Xiao Moxian held onto Lin Ming once more.

“Big Brother Lin…” Xiao Moxian seemed to exhaust all of her strength as she grabbed Lin Ming’s hand. Her tone was nearly that of begging.

“Do you remember the Monster Emperor’s grand longevity feast where the Good Fortune Saint Son came to propose marriage to me, but you defeated him and married me instead?

“The you of the longevity feast was strong, aggressive, unstoppable. Numerous rulers of the universe were suppressed by you. And that was also the happiest day of my life.

“I have given up my race, abandoned my grandfather, and chosen to follow you to the wild universe. Even so, I have never regretted my decisions, not once, because no matter what I still have you… but… do you want me to lose even you?”

Xiao Moxian’s words were like a knife that thrust into Lin Ming’s heart.

Lin Ming’s body shook. His heart hurt so much he couldn’t even take a breath. He turned to Xiao Moxian to see her crying.

Finally, he held onto her.

He leaned down to her ears and said in a gentle voice, “Look after our child. It… is the continuation of my life…”

Lin Ming no longer tarried. He stepped away, leaving behind the mourning and shaking Xiao Moxian.

She helplessly collapsed against a wall, staring at Lin Ming’s back as he vanished into the corridors of the ship…

…….

The hatch leading out of Epoch opened.

A frail figure silently departed from the spirit ship, heading deep into space.

Lin Ming didn’t conceal anything from the Empyreans leading the ship and explained everything he could.

Although everyone was willing to join Lin Ming in blood-filled battle, senselessly sacrificing everyone was meaningless. Moreover, those onboard Epoch were the future hopes of humanity…

Like this, Lin Ming left.

In the infinite cosmos, Lin Ming’s form appeared more and more lonely…

“Life, really is small…”

Lin Ming looked at the endless space around him. This world would exist for dozens of billions of years or even trillions of years.

Compared to the universe, his life was only a short moment.

Even all those once peerless rulers of history had disappeared by now, turned to dust.

Years from now, would he also be nothing but a grain of dust?