Chapter 25Chapter 25 – Blood Moon’s First Ascent
(TL By: PiggyBottle and 生豆)
After waiting outside for a long time, he was then told he could enter the tent. With a deference expression, he went in. It was an hour later when he respectfully left, wearing am ecstatic look on his face.
Within the purple tent sat two people, both elderly with a head full of white hair, but their eyes alert. In front of them was them was a seemingly ordinary empty vial.
The elder wearing a white robe had a medicinal pill between his fingers. Observing it carefully, his eyes shone, but also revealed suspicion and hesitation.
Pondering for a moment, he gave the medicinal stone a sniff before his nose. He eyes gradually narrowed, but after a long while, opened suddenly.
Just like he said, it has that unbelievable property! I have been at FengZhen all these years, yet I never came across a medicine like this. From the looks of it, it should not be some ancient medicine and there is no trace of wear on it, probably it is made not too long ago! Just what is this……
“Too bad quite some time had pa.s.sed, and that rouge-Mán pract.i.tioner does not seem like one to be messed with. Otherwise, I could find out where this came from.” The other elder spoke slowly.
“Do not act recklessly. Someone who could offer such a treasure is most likely a high level blood condensation cultivator, perhaps even a pseudo-awakened rouge-Mán pract.i.tioner. Brother Zhou, I will bring this medicine back to the tribe, perhaps our Mán-patriarch of FengZhen Tribe will be able to identify it.” As the white-robed elder spoke, he placed the pill into the vial with care. With a wave of his right hand, the vial disappeared.
“Yes, you should.” The other elder nodded.
“This object is just too precious, I will take my leave first. I will let you know of any results.” The white-robed elder rose, and bowed to Zhou, hurriedly walking out of the purple tent. With a stomp, his body suddenly blurred, and became a white mist that shot to the skies, quickly vanishing.
As the sky became lit, at a wide gra.s.s plain some distance off from the bazaar, was a vast settlement. The size of the tribe was akin to a city, surrounded by six other tribes similar to WuShan. At the center of which, was a huge city of mud!
The greatness of the city was like a mighty beast on the land. Just normal tribesmen numbered in the thousands, it was not something WuShan Tribe can compare to.
As for the six tribes outside the city of mud, some were va.s.sals that were previously conquered by FengZhen Tribe. Others were those who joined FengZhen seeking protection.
FengZhen Tribe was a medium sized tribe, and even a weaker one among its counterparts. However, the Mán tribes around WuShan were geographically isolated, as such FengZheng could become the overlord of the region, ruling its surrounding and receiving tributes from numerous smaller tribes. It was also the only tribe that could communicate to bigger tribes.
At this moment, as the sun began to peek above the horizon, a white mist arrived at great speed, and condensed outside the mud city, turning into the white-robed elder.
The elder wore a serious look. When he enter the city of mud, tribesmen who saw him all bowed respectfully.
At the center of the mud city was an entirely pitch-black altar in the shape of a pentagon, standing for 3 meters in height. It was etched with engravings of birds and beasts, giving of a primitive sense.
As the white-robed elder stood respectfully before the altar, a gentle voice sounded from it after a moment.
“What’s the matter, Shi Hai?”
“Reporting to Ma-patriarch, at Zhou Ran’s bazaar, Shi Hai discovered a previously unseen medicine, with an unbelievable effect.” The white-robed elder drew a deep breath and spoke lowly.
“Oh? Let me take a look.” The gentle voice upon the altar spoke casually.
The white-robed elder raised his right hand. With a flash in his palm, a small vial appeared. As though led by a mysterious force, it floated slowly towards the altar.
It was all silent, except for the howling wind that swept the the robe of the elder. However, he did not flinch, but stood waiting without a word.
A moment later, the gentle voice came again, except this time, a carried a tinge of surprise!
“Just this one pill?”
“This is the only one.” the white-robed elder responded immediately.
“I have never seen such a medicine… The composition I just cannot understand… Furthermore, it is obvious that it was made recently. Who is the person who exchanged this? The gentle voice sounded a bit heavy.
“It was a rogue Mán-Pract.i.tioner.” The elder replied in a soft voice.
“Find him, with every means possible, find him! Tell him to join our FengZhen Tribe, I will give him the status of an honorary guest!” The gentle voice rose in volume.
The white-robed elder drew a deep breath and agreed respectively Although he could tell the medicine was out of the ordinary, he hadn’t expect the Mán-patriarch to offer that person the status of a honorary guest. This superiority of this position was equivalent to the heads of various trades, just below that of the patriarchs.
With the white-robed elder’s dismissal, the entire tribe began executing this order, as though spreading out a huge net to look for that supposed rouge-Mán-Pract.i.tioner!
Presently, Su Ming was in his home back at WuShan Tribe, having made up his mind. The next day morning, he left the tribe alone. Entering the jungle, he hurried in the direction of Black Flame Peak.
Within the jungle, Su Ming sped down the familiar path. After attaining the second layer of blood condensation, his agility and speed improved significantly, even Lei Chen had to use full strength to keep up with him.
With every leap, he ascended Black Flame Peak. When he reached his refining cave, Su Ming put down his wooden basket, within which was a variety of herbs. He had prepared these for this round of refining.
Xiao Hong wasn’t within the cave, probably out somewhere playing. Sweeping his gaze around the cave to ascertain that nothing was amiss, he then sat cross-legged and began to circulate his blood. The ten blood veins gleamed on his body, bringing his body to peak condition.
Su Ming could feel that his was on the verge of breaking through, as though the eleventh blood vein was about to coalesce.
“When grandpa helped me with the true Mán-awakening, he did say I could soon reach the third layer… It hasn’t been long since then, and I can already feel excess blood qi… The ancient Mán-technique is indeed mysterious.” A flash shone in Su Ming’s eyes as he opened them as he recalled the scene when his body excreted the black substance.
“I might as well put aside the refining for now, and focus on breaking through the second layer!” Su Ming spoke softly. He retrieved an object, that was the Heaven Stone Gra.s.s. Giving it a look, Su Ming first swallowed an Enlightening Pill, followed by a leaf of the Heaven Stone Gra.s.s.
Shutting his eyes, he once again cultivated. Some time later, Su Ming was drenched in sweat. A blood-red light filled with cave as the eleventh blood vein coalesces.
After several hours, Su Ming’s body emitted a humming noise. The eleventh blood vein was condensed at last, and a surge of stronger blood qi erupted from Su Ming’s body.
Su Ming opened his eyes, which glowed.
“The third layer of blood condensation!” He muttered while standing, excitement written across his face. Moving his body, he then took the herbs and began the refinement of the Mountain Spirit Pill according to his memory.
This time, Su Ming wasn’t ignorant like he was months back. He was very familiar with the refinement process, and was skilled in using the flames of the place. As the temperature rose, Su Ming took off his leather top. With his upper body bare, standing beside the cauldron, he occasionally gave herbs a sniff, other times grinding them with his hands before tossing them into the cauldron.
Time pa.s.sed unknowingly, and the sky outside darkened. Gradually, the jungle became quiet, and even the chirping of birds were so soft that it was barely audible.
As the sky dimmed, the moon rose high into the heavens. However, the night’s moon was vastly different from usual times. The colour was much redder, as if a blood moon hung in the sky.
This strange phenomenon had a mysterious effect on the land, especially in the region of WuShan. The calling of birds seemed to cease, even the the soft occasional ones,, as though they dare not to make a noise.
In the jungle underneath Black Flame Peak, a red silhouette moved. That was Xiao Hong. Its expression was grim, its eyes alert. Looking at the red moon, a flash of panic flashed in his face.
As he hurried forward, he hesitated for a moment. Not knowing whether Su Ming had returned, he immediately set off in another direction, not towards Black Flame Peak, but disappeared in the jungle, hiding.
As the night grew, the colour of the moon became even more p.r.o.nounced. Eventually, the entire WuShan was soaked in red.
It was at this moment when faint howl sounded within WuShan. As time pa.s.sed, the howling got louder, until it had spread all over WuShan.
The howling voice seemed to be filled with relentless vengeance, capable of shaking a person down to his core, as though their soul was affected. Extended periods of hearing could even make one’s blood roil as if burning, instilling a deep sense of fear in people.
The howls resounded across the lands, seemingly in resonance with the blood moon’s ascent, enveloping WuShan in a mysterious atmosphere.
This night, the three tribes in the vicinity of WuShan were all in a state of alert.In WuShan Tribe, ordinary tribesmen came under the protection of Mán-cultivators, and retreated to their homes early, not stepping out lightly. Under the direction of the patriarch, the Mán-cultivators guarded the tribe.
Grandpa stood at the high point in the tribe, a giant platform constructed from wood. Wielding the black bone staff in his hand, a trace of worried flashed in his eyes as he gazed into the distance.
He was aware of Su Ming’s departure, but little did he expect that the thrice a year blood moon would take place tonight. Apparently, this blood moon was brought forward by several months. This strange occurrence filled him with suspicion.
“Fire!” Grandpa spoke after a long while. Immediately, tribesmen that were gathered underneath the platform brought torches and set the platform ablaze. Amidst the burning platform, Grandpa seemed to be in a sea of fire, but his expression was calm as he muttered a strange incantation.
It wasn’t only the WuShan Tribe that was in this situation. In another direction, the same scene could be seen in WuLong Tribe. The WuLong Tribe Mán-patriarch wore a huge robe, and his mess of a hair concealed his ident.i.ty. In his hand was the skull of some strange horned-beast. Raising it above his head, a piercing noise emitted from it.
Some distance away, within WuLong Tribe, a beautiful young lady stood among the crowd. Her face was pale as she raised her head, her sights on the blood moon.