Chapter 1674 – Sinister Tricks
Completion, 20%?
Lin Ming perked up and looked towards everyone else. At this time, Mo Brightmoon, Fanny Fafa, and the others were also looking at Lin Ming. It was clear that they also received the information on their completion percentage.
“20%, you?” Lin Ming asked.
“The same.”
Mo Brightmoon and the others glanced at each other. This completion percentage was better than they had anticipated. After all, when walking all the way here the truth was that they hadn’t encountered any true dangers at all.
“The completion percentage should be more difficult the later it is. After 80%, it is likely that every point will be more difficult than the last. Our current completion percentage isn’t strange at all.”
“Let’s go.”
Ho - !
The group finally emerged from the endless wild flow of energy and landed on the ground.
Here, dark winds howled, carrying with them a dry and desolate aura as they swept over the scattered gravel on the ground.
The sky in front of them was unusually high, as blue and transparent as sapphires.
In the far off distance, the shapes of the mountains were vague, resembling the outline of some sleeping great beast.
Beneath their feet was a vast rough land of sand and stone. Thick weeds grew up periodically, many patches as high as a person. There were only several ghostly-looking trees scattered around; the plant life here was sparse.
This was a windswept wilderness, bleak and dreary.
“This is the second level, right?” Xiao Moxian flew up into the skies a little, looking around before falling down next to Lin Ming.
Lin Ming thought for a moment. He didn’t know just how many levels the final trial had. Now that he came here himself, the first few layers weren’t too dangerous at all.
“Don’t worry, let’s rest up first.”
Lin Ming proposed. According to what he knew, the final trial would likely last for several years. Now that everyone had just passed the first level, they had inevitably consumed some of their energy. Since they didn’t know what the second floor was going to be like, they might as well stay here and adjust themselves to their peak condition. This was the safest plan of action.
As Lin Ming spoke, Mo Brightmoon and the others sat in meditation. Without noticing it, Lin Ming had already become the core of the team. On the first level of the smelting trial, everyone had been able to witness Lin Ming’s performance with their own eyes so they naturally listened to his opinion.
However, before the group had meditated for long, a sudden sad and high-pitched scream echoed out from the south of the wilderness.
“Mm?”
Lin Ming frowned. Someone was here!?
In the first level, they had touched a space trap and were transported somewhere else. After that, they hadn’t met any other groups; it was likely they had been cut off from the other groups. But here in the world of the second level, this place was vast and boundless; perhaps there were other squads here.
Should they go and investigate the source of that sad scream?
The other people glanced at each other before looking towards Lin Ming, wanting to solicit his opinion.
If they went to investigate what happened, it was likely they would encounter some dangers.
“Let’s go take a look. But be a bit more careful. If there’s anything wrong then we’ll flee at once.” Lin Ming succinctly stated.
Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!
The group of people rushed towards the direction of the scream like bolts of lightning.
The group fell onto a barren rocky hill a few miles away, looking towards the area that the horrible scream came from.
Lin Ming’s vision was as sharp as an eagle’s. With one glance he could see a gaping cave going into the ground, one that was covered with a giant bloodstain.
The blood was fresh and hadn’t yet coagulated. Besides that, there weren’t any other clues as to what happened.
It was clear that some macabre death had just occurred here.
At this time, from different directions in the distance, there were the deafening sounds of a sonic boom.
Lin Ming and the others felt their minds chill. They all restrained their auras together.
A milky white spiritual strength emerged from Fanny Fafa’s hands, cutting through the air and thoroughly covering the group’s auras.
Lin Ming couldn’t help but be curious about this milky white spiritual strength. This sort of strange spiritual strength seemed to be Fanny Fafa’s supernatural talent. It was an extremely strange and complex ability. He really had no idea just what cultivation method Fanny Fafa practiced.
“Fourth Junior-apprentice Brother’s soul lamp has been extinguished and his wisp of soul disappeared here. That bloodstain’s aura also belongs to Junior-apprentice Brother. Where is he? Could there be something strange in that cave?”
Both of the two people that flew over were tall and vigorous-looking. One of them was covered with transparent raging flames. These flames exuded a powerful momentum that surrounded the cave with the bloodstain.
The other person held a strange divine runic symbol in their hands.
As the divine runic symbol appeared, it emitted a pitch black fire energy.
“Big Brother Lin, that fellow is using the divine runic symbol you created!” Xiao Moxian whispered to Lin Ming as if she had discovered the funniest thing in the world. Her eyes were locked onto the divine runic symbol in the person’s hand.
Lin Ming’s vision was keen. He was immediately able to see the ‘Lin’ character marking the bottom right of the divine runic symbol. Indeed, it was one of the Lin logo divine runic symbols, and also the extremely expensive Heavenly Fire Symbol too. He couldn’t help but smile a little upon seeing this.
It seemed that these Lin logo divine runic symbols had spread to the upper levels of the Asura Road. The one who bought the Heavenly Fire Symbols was Empyrean Lionheart, but Empyrean Lionheart’s sect wasn’t experiencing war anytime soon, so it was possible for them to sell a portion of the divine runic symbols to others.
Then again, Lin Ming had produced just over a thousand of these specialized fifth grade divine runic symbols. If a person was able to possess one then they should have some status in their large influence, otherwise it simply wouldn’t be their turn to wield it.
Rumble rumble rumble! The divine runic symbol smashed into the cave tunnels.
There was a continuous blast of explosions echoing from within. Flames soared to the heavens and all of the soil and rock around the cave was instantly melted by the high temperatures.
Sharp shrieks sounded out. A number of figures fled from the burning cave, their bodies blackened. These creatures had thick tails extending from their backs and had bodies similar to a person’s, but their appearance was like a beast.
As these strange beast creatures appeared, runes began to shine on their foreheads. They rushed towards the person that used the Heavenly Fire Symbol, a beam of black lightning shooting out from between their eyebrows towards the two people.
“Shit!”
The trial challenger who held the Lin symbol was angered. Just as he was about to use the Heavenly Fire Symbol in his hand yet again, his companion stopped him. “Don’t be in a hurry, we must save it.”
The fierceness of the Heavenly Fire Symbol lay in the fact that even if a martial artist were at their weakest state, completely exhausted of strength, using the Heavenly Fire Symbol would still result in an all-out attack that remained the same no matter what condition the martial artist was in.
They definitely had to save this divine runic symbol as much as they could to use in critical moments to preserve their lives.
Bang!
With an explosive sound, the black light emitted by the monsters fell onto the ground, causing a dreadful eruption of power.
And as this violent fluctuation of energy shook the mountain, more and more monsters began emerging from all over!
The aura of these monsters was actually at the peak Holy Lord realm! One or two of these monsters wasn’t scary, but with dozens of them gathered together, that was truly horrifying!
In particular, the black light these monsters shot out could gather together and produce an effect of locking down space. These black lights were like a giant spider web, making it so that the two martial artists couldn’t escape even if they wanted to.
“We must last until Senior-apprentice Brother arrives!”
Even facing such a dangerous situation, the disciple who spoke wasn’t afraid at all. Rather, he put forth over 10 array discs and used these array discs to battle these monsters.
As for his companion, he wasn’t weak either. He pulled out his sword, displaying fierce and swift sword skills, perfectly coordinating his attacks!
It was clear that those people who had the qualifications to enter the final trial were all extraordinary.
At this time, a keening howl echoed out, as if something was flying towards them and tearing apart the atmosphere as it did. The two martial artists turned and were immediately overjoyed. “Senior-apprentice Brother has arrived!”
Lin Ming and the others turned towards the sound and saw someone rapidly flying towards them. Lin Ming frowned as he did. Really, enemies crossed paths far too often. This person was none other than Duke Fullmoon!
After entering the final trial’s first level, because they triggered trap array formations, the disciples of Divine Void Divine Kingdom were transmitted to separate areas. But they were truly incredible individuals. Even though they were split apart they were able to pass the first level of the trial and arrive at the second level.
As soon as they entered the second level they were able to use all sorts of methods to contact their companions. The two disciples who were surrounded by the monsters were subordinates of Divine Void Divine Kingdom’s Nine Nether Province; they were fellow disciples of Duke Fullmoon.
“It’s that fellow again, he keeps on haunting us like ghosts!” Xiao Moxian gnashed her teeth, thinking over multiple ways she could try to put Duke Fullmoon to death in this final trial mystic realm.
“Senior-apprentice Brother!” As the two disciples were overjoyed, at this time, some of the monsters that surrounded them began rushing towards Duke Fullmoon!
These monsters were all bloodthirsty to the point of craziness. Before Duke Fullmoon attacked they had already taken the initiative!
“Che!”
Duke Fullmoon immediately slowed down before coming to a stop in the air. Face these twenty some monsters, he frowned, hesitating somewhat.
He could see that these monsters were difficult to deal with. Even for him, they would be a great deal of trouble.
He began considering whether or not acting to save these two junior-apprentice brothers would harm himself. If the risk was too great then he would rather turn tail and run.
But at this time, Duke Fullmoon discovered Lin Ming’s existence.
Lin Ming and his group were far too obvious. In their haste when they rushed over they had only restrained their auras and hadn’t set up a concealment array formation, thus Duke Fullmoon had detected them.
“It’s you!?”
After noticing Lin Ming, Duke Fullmoon was stunned. He clearly didn’t expect to see Lin Ming here.
In a spark of lightning, the 20 some monsters had already reached less than a thousand feet in front of Duke Fullmoon.
Duke Fullmoon maniacally grinned. “The road to heaven you choose not to walk, but the gates of hell you would rush through!”
Without further ado, Duke Fullmoon took these monsters chasing after him and rushed towards Lin Ming!
His plan was clear; it was to drag Lin Ming down with him and have him share in the pressure of dealing with these monsters.
If possible, he would even look for a chance to use these monsters to kill Lin Ming or at least severely wound him. At that time, although he might not be able to obtain Lin Ming’s divine runic arts inheritances, he could still obtain the other secrets on his body.
“This damned bastard!”
Xiao Moxian was enraged. This Duke Fullmoon was cunning enough. The area he was flying in was from their rear; this just happened to trap Lin Ming and the others between the monsters!