Chapter 337: A Group Of Ruthless People!
Chapter 337: A Group Of Ruthless People!
Translator: AstralGhost Editor: Kurisu
What was originally a peaceful land of lotuses, blooming with resplendent flowers, had now turned into a land of destitution. The mountain valley was filled with numerous massive pits and scars left after battles.
The trading event had been canceled, but as there was only a single opportunity for trading in a long time, the crowd did not plan to leave yet.
Instead, everyone began to set up their own stalls and commence their own private trades in the spacious mountain valley. Bei Feng walked out and watched the numerous high and mighty Evolved Jing masters and Xiantian Lords acting like street hawkers, squatting around in random spots and bargaining like housewives in a market.
"Everyone's doing this for resources. What a pity. If these people had been born a thousand years ago, they would all be powerful geniuses of their generation. There's no reason for them to be lingering in their current realms so miserably."
Bei Feng sighed as he shook his head. At the end of the day, everything boiled down to the word: resources.
He himself was extremely fortunate to have obtained the Myriad Heavens Fishing System. If not for it, even if he managed to step into the cultivation world, he would also be vying tooth and nail with the crowd for resources.
"Senior, the old master invites you for a meeting!"
A middle-aged Daoist walked forward and greeted politely as he saw Bei Feng walking out.
"En."
Bei Feng nodded and turned around. He also intended to meet with Kong Ming Zi.
Jing Hai walked in front, leading the way. The precipitous rock faces and sheer cliffs were as flat ground to him. With a light tap of his foot, his entire body shot upward like an eagle.
The mountain peak they were approaching was the highest among the four cliffs. All kinds of trees and flora grew luxuriantly atop it, and numerous odd-looking rocks and boulders could be seen sitting around randomly.
An ancient-looking Daoist temple which seemed to have existed for countless years could be seen within them. On a wide, empty grounds, a group of young Daoists were training diligently.
The numerous young and curious eyes turned to look at Bei Feng as soon as he approached. In their memories, they had never seen this strange-looking person on the mountain before.
Jing Hai stood just outside of the yard and reported respectfully, "Master, the young Heavenly Lord has arrived!"
"Please come in, Fellow Daoist."
"Ge-ji!"
The yard's door opened slowly, creaking lightly.
Bei Feng strolled idly through the courtyard, completely relaxed.
A tall, aged pine tree stood steadily in the yard; although its bark looked cracked, large amounts of vitality could still be sensed from within it!
Kong Ming Zi was minding a small vegetable patch meticulously like an elderly gardener. Bei Feng smiled lightly and said, "Fellow Daoist seems to be in a good mood."
"I'm just seeking some joy in the bitterness of life. I'm already at the end of my martial path. Compared to a regular person, we enjoy a longer lifespan. However, who could understand our sorrow?"
Kong Ming Zi set down his work and brought Bei Feng to the yard where he poured them a cup of tea.
Bei Feng fell silent and sipped on his cup of tea quietly. He, too, understood what Kong Ming Zi meant by a peak level cultivator's sorrow.
The Heaven and Earth's Ling Qi on Earth was getting thinner with every passing day. It was already too weak to allow them to make any more breakthroughs. A mere 400 years was already enough for entire dynasties and the power system to change. Truly, time brought great changes to the world; the seas had changed into mulberry fields, but as one turned their neck and looked backwards, everything had changed in but the time it took to snap a finger!
Practicing martial arts from a young age, these powerful martial practitioners had their lives transformed step by step. Friends, families, spouses, and even their children eventually all succumbed to the passage of time, ending up as dry bones buried beneath the ground before their very eyes. However, as long as a path yet remained before them, they could struggle onward resolutely. They would afford a passing glimpse at the events around them, but that was all there was to it.
"Fellow Daoist has really thought things through."
Bei Feng raised the cup to his mouth silently. The tea leaves were not anything expensive or rare. It carried a slight bitterness to it as he swallowed.
"We are born in wrong times."
Kong Ming Zi sighed again and sipped on his cup of tea as well. It'd already been 280 years since he started cultivating. Throughout this period, he witnessed the Heaven and Earth's Ling Qi growing sparser and sparser.
From the time he broke through to the Controlled Dan realm a hundred years ago, his cultivation had stagnated completely till this date!
"From the various books and scriptures of the previous age, there is a number of records that point to how glorious the martial world was during the ancient times. However, why has the Heaven and Earth Ling Qi fallen to such a state in just a few short hundreds years?" Bei Feng asked with some curiosity. The way the Heaven and Earth Ling Qi thinned so rapidly was extremely illogical.
"This one has no idea, either. Not just me; the entire martial world is currently searching for the answer! According to some ancient scrolls and writings, a huge event happened several hundred years ago. Countless powerful Transcendent beings died or were gravely injured. Those that were left either disappeared without a trace or had departed somewhere. Who knows? Perhaps a few are still alive somewhere in the most dangerous regions on Earth."
Kong Ming Zi had an exceptionally grave expression on his face. One had to say that this was a huge source of sorrow for the martial world. With the fall of so many Transcendent beings, a great amount of legacies also disappeared from the world, like clouds and smoke.
"Departed?"
Bei Feng lingered on the key word in Kong Ming Zi's words.
"Right, departed. They left this planet!"
Kong Ming Zi's brows stiffened slightly as he nodded his head.
Bei Feng narrowed his eyes darkly at this. There seemed to be some dark mysteries underfoot. Although the ancient cultivators were powerful, they should have no means to leave this planet and go to another world!
But judging from Kong Ming Zi's serious tone, he didn't seem to be making this up. With regards to the news about there being other worlds apart from Earth, Bei Feng was also not shocked by it.
"Did you witness this?" he continued asking.
"No."
Kong Ming Zi's face fell as some regret came over him.
"Although I've never witnessed it myself, and the ancient writings did not record such an event, the later generations have already deduced that the remaining powerful martial cultivators must have left this planet."
A hint of hope could be seen on Kong Ming Zi's face as he continued, "According to ancient legends, the First Emperor was perfected as a heavenly man. Using the entire Qin Dynasty's resources, he created a gateway to the rest of the worlds! Following that, he brought away the most elite powers of the Qin Dynasty!"
Bei Feng pursed his lips and remained silent at this. This was most likely just a rumor. Perhaps it was a tale that Kong Ming Zi kept close to his heart so as to give himself a shred of hope.
He might not even believe this legend himself, deep down in his heart. But for the sake of holding onto that tiny shred of hope, Kong Ming Zi held onto that slight possibility resolutely, in hopes that such a gateway truly existed. If there was really a way to leave this planet and go to another planet, he might be able to reach the realms above Controlled Dan!
To reach the Controlled Dan realm in such a barren world and under such circumstances meant that one was not lacking in either talent or intelligence. Although he was only at the primary Controlled Dan realm, his comprehension with regards to the martial path was definitely not limited to only the primary Controlled Dan level!
"Fellow Daoist, 10 years from now, I and a few others have decided to enter the mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor!"
An incredibly serious look appeared on Kong Ming Zi's face as he suddenly threw out a bombshell.
"All the Controlled Dan Heavenly Experts are going?"
Bei Feng gasped with shock. These words were completely unexpected.
"Right. This time, it's to conquer or die!"
Kong Ming Zi's breath quickened as he balled his fists up resolutely. After a brief moment, he regained his calm again.
"The Qin Emperor's mausoleum is a place filled with countless dangers. However, we do not have any more choices. At most within a hundred years, we would all return to dust if we do not do anything. This is our last chance!"
Kong Ming Zi shook his head bitterly. If they had a choice or any alternatives at all, they would never risk themselves like that.
No one knew the degree of danger in the Qin Emperor's mausoleum. The real mausoleum grounds was even termed as a forbidden land in the world!
This was a place built at the peak of the Qin dynasty. God knew how scary it was!
"You guys are all crazy! Aren't you afraid of ending up buried alongside the Qin Emperor?"
Bei Feng stopped his words as he spoke till here. That ancient Qin legend was indeed the last stream of hope for these Controlled Dan Heavenly Experts. On the surface, they might seem to only have around a hundred more years of lifespan. But if they really could go to a world with stronger Ling Qi and better resources, this hundred years was definitely enough to allow them to break through from the Controlled Dan level!
But if they waited too long and their bodies began to fail and weaken, even if they managed to go to another world with better resources and more powerful Ling Qi to cultivate, with them at the end of their lifespans and their bodies weakened, they would still only be able to watch as the opportunity slipped through their fingers!
"We are indeed crazy! But if we cannot break away from the Controlled Dan realm, we will not be able to rest in peace! Some of the Western experts are already showing signs of aggression, hoping to spread their ideologies through our land and eyeing our resources after we die. Before we leave, we intend to fight one last round with all the Controlled Dan Heavenly Experts who pose a threat to us, ridding the country of any future troubles!"
A furious blaze burnt in Kong Ming Zi's eyes as he spoke this sentence with a heavy killing intent!
Bei Feng pointed at Kong Ming Zi speechlessly. His mouth were hanging slightly open with shock. Who would have thought that those old fogies were actually so ruthless and decisive!
However, he understood their position in an instant. Without any knowledge of their future fates, Kong Ming Zi and the other experts did not wish to see their beloved land left without protection if something happened to them.
As soon as the outside world found out that something had happened to all the Controlled Dan Heavenly Experts in the country, all the foreign experts would surely swarm over like a bunch of sharks that'd smelt fresh blood!