Reverend Zi Long"s expression changed several times before he focused his gaze on Su Ming. After a moment, he looked towards the other three around him. The three sentences had allowed Su Ming to turn the tables and make Zi Long into the public enemy number one among them. He felt as if there was a sword hanging right over his head and he had a tiger by the tail.
Flame Fiends" Progenitor was still easy to deal with, and Reverend Zi Long did not pay special attention to him, but Progenitor Long Hai was an Almighty who had become famous many years ago. Even if he was only a Nascent Divinity and was no longer as he was during his peak, but when aided by Flame Fiends" Progenitor, he could be considered a real threat.
Besides, Progenitor Long Hai gave Reverend Zi Long a feeling that he wasn"t really just a Nascent Divinity.
Then there was Zhu You Cai. Originally, Reverend Zi Long did not pay too much attention to him. Even if he was able to take action to save Su Ming when he had no power while they were on the mountain with that Mountain s.h.i.+fter Art, Reverend Zi Long also had some methods at his disposal. That was why he had only cast him a sideways glance at that moment and raised his position only slightly higher.
What truly caused his heart to let out a thump against his chest was the name Su Ming had used to refer to that person just then. He had not called him Zhu You Cai… but Chang He!
Chang He... The instant Reverend Zi Long heard that name, only one person appeared in his mind!
The disciple of True Sacred Yin World"s Sublime Paragon who was known as the future Kalpa Lord of True Sacred Yin World—the War Immortal Change He!
He was an Almighty in Life Realm and could look down on the entire universe. Due to him becoming estranged and subsequently having a falling out with his Master, he was exiled to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence!
Zi Long had been in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence for many years and had heard of Chang He"s name before, but he had never been able to find a single hint of his presence in Divine Essence Star Ocean. That"s why when he heard Su Ming"s words, the shock Reverend Zi Long experienced was difficult to describe.
He stared at Zhu You Cai. After a long while, he s.h.i.+fted his gaze to Su Ming. The gray Su Ming brought about a great wave of wariness in him. It did not stem from his level of cultivation, but from his control over other people"s emotions. With just three sentences, he had trapped Zi Long in the current situation, and hesitation rose in his heart.
This was a battle between Almighties. He had not even taken action yet, but fear had already risen in his heart, and he was already hesitating. Because of it, there was absolutely no need to continue with this fight. He… would definitely lose!
It had been a long time since Reverend Zi Long had felt this sort of outrage. It was a different feeling from when he had been ambushed by Huang Mei and had his supreme treasure s.n.a.t.c.hed from his hands. Instead, it was a humiliation of not being able to even struggle and fight back when he was threatened.
Freezing light shone in his eyes. It was quiet all around him. Su Ming stared at Zi Long coldly, not saying a word more.
The battle was about to break out at any moment.
"To fight or not to fight… If I fight, I cannot win… but if I don"t fight and leave just like this, my reputation will be completely ruined!" Reverend Zi Long"s heart was in conflict. In the mid of his uncertainty, his heart trembled, and understanding rose instantly in his mind again.
"What a well-executed persecution! If I fight, I don"t have confidence to win, but if I don"t fight, then this matter will leave behind a Brand in my heart, and as my heart hesitates, it will ruin my chances of heading into Fate Realm!
"And I am the one who brought this on myself…"
Reverend Zi Long gritted his teeth. A powerful fighting spirit rose in his eyes. He no longer hesitated. He would… fight this battle!
However, the instant he decided to fight, Zhu You Cai, Progenitor Long Hai, and Flame Fiends" Progenitor released ripples of power for the fierce battle to start, Su Ming suddenly spoke up.
"Do you want this item?"
As he spoke, he lifted his right hand, and a small puncture that looked as if it was left behind by a poisonous wasp was revealed on his palm. Thick waves of fragrance spread out from within it.
The instant that fragrance spread out, Su Ming clenched his fist, causing the fragrance to immediately disappear.
However, even if it just appeared for a single moment, that fragrance was enough for Zi Long"s expression to change drastically. The fighting spirit in his eyes immediately turned chaotic again, under that attack against his heart.
He was not the only one affected. Zhu You Cai also lifted his head swiftly. Once he cast a glance at Su Ming, he lowered his head and no longer paid any attention to him. As for Progenitor Long Hai, his eyes sparkled, but he did not speak. Flame Fiends" Progenitor remained silent as well.
"What do you mean? What is that fragrance?" Zi Long"s expression changed. He had only taken a whiff of that fragrance just then, but the cultivation base within him had already started circulating on its own. This change was caused his heart to pound in excitement.
"Leave behind the war trophy and become my guard for a year. Then I will give you ten times the amount of the fragrance you had just now. This is an oath," Su Ming answered flatly.
This was a way out for Reverend Zi Long, and his expression became sullen. After some time, he brought his right hand up and swung it forward. Immediately, the white-robed teenager"s corpse was brought out of his storage bag and came to float in front of Su Ming.
If he could afford to not fight, then Zi Long did not want to fight.
"I"ll remember your oath. I will protect you for a year in exchange for ten times the amount of the fragrance just now. I will accept this!" Once Reverend Zi Long finished speaking, he cast a cold glance at the other three beside him.
"I can give you the corpse." Su Ming"s expression remained the same when it s.h.i.+fted to Flame Fiends" Progenitor.
"One year as your guard; I will definitely complete my task!" Flame Fiends" Progenitor said quickly. The thing he feared the most was Su Ming giving him the corpse without giving him the reason. That had caused him a great amount of internal conflict.
But at that moment, when he heard Su Ming stating his conditions, he immediately agreed to it, afraid that Su Ming would go back on his word. That was the reason why he quickly swore the oath to the universe as an Almighty.
"I left behind a seal on the corpse. Fuse into it," Su Ming said flatly.
Resolve appeared on Flame Fiends" Progenitor, and he turned into a long arc that charged towards the white-robed teenager"s corpse. He fused into it in an instant, and the corpse immediately exuded purple flames as it shuddered.
The flames burned the corpse, causing it to gradually wither and dry up. It shrank continuously. Judging by the looks of it, he would need some time before he could completely occupy the corpse.
"Protect me for a year, and I will return you your freedom!" Su Ming turned his head around and looked towards Progenitor Long Hai.
The man remained silent for a moment before he swore an oath as an answer to Su Ming"s request.
"One year later, I will give you hope to resurrect your wife." The final person Su Ming looked towards was Zhu You Cai.
He stared at Su Ming, and after a long while, he nodded. He was willing to give up on everything for a hope to resurrect his wife.
Su Ming raised his head to look at the galaxy. His long gray hair slowly changed. When it returned to his normal hair color, a glint appeared in his eyes, and he took a step forward. He turned into a long arc and charged into the distance.
Xu Hui immediately followed behind him. The other people followed in silence as well. Flame Fiends" Progenitor had already fused with his physical body and charged along with them.
Only Xuan Shang remained in the area. His expression was dark and sullen. He stared at the group leaving into the distance, and a sinister look appeared in his eyes.
"He needs these Almighties to protect him? I wonder what his goal is… But none of this is in any way related to me anymore. However, you s.n.a.t.c.hed Xuan Family"s supreme treasure, and I… will definitely make you pay!"
The hatred in Xuan Shang"s eyes was incredibly deep. As he let out a cold harrumph in his heart, he turned around. But just as he was about to leave, his body suddenly shuddered. At that moment, the fifth kiln was activated once again. As the flames from the kiln spread out, a powerful suction force came from it, giving Xuan Shang to no way to fight against it. He was swiftly sucked back into the fifth kiln.
The galaxy around the area gradually became calm once more…
"Xu Hui, I"m going to a place I know nothing about, you…" As Su Ming charged forward through the galaxy, he sent a divine thought to Xu Hui, who was by his side.
"The Fifth True World, right?" she asked calmly.
Su Ming turned his head around to cast a glance at Xu Hui. He did not speak, but continued charging forward. The people behind him also remained silent.
Time trickled by. Several days later, a thick layer of fog surrounded the galaxy ahead of them. Su Ming stopped just outside the fog.
Xu Hui knew this spot. This was the place where Dust Burners" tribe was located.
The moment Su Ming and the others arrived, the fog in the area immediately started tumbling about furiously. An indistinct figure walked out, and when he approached the group, his body was no longer a mere illusion, but gained corporeal form and turned into Dust Burners" Progenitor.
He swept his gaze past Su Ming, Zi Long, and the others behind him. Eventually, in silence… he bent his back and bowed towards Su Ming.
He was bowing to the current master of the fifth kiln.
"Progenitor, I would like to trouble you to send her to the periphery of Divine Essence Star Ocean." Su Ming cast a glance at Xu Hui, then looked towards Dust Burners" Progenitor before he wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed towards him as well.
Dust Burners" Progenitor lifted his head, looked towards Xu Hui, and nodded.
Xu Hui was silent for a moment, then asked quietly, "You"re set on going alone?"
"Go back and wait for me at the entrance to where the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds are stationed," Su Ming said calmly.
Xu Hui fell silent, then sighed softly and did not say anything else.
"Progenitor, please." Su Ming bowed again.
"Don"t worry. I will ensure her safety along the way. If you truly reach that place… remember that there is a place called Burning Dust Planet. It is said that it is Fire Spirits" birthplace. Please retrieve… a handful of dirt from there for me.
"Also… now that you have the fifth stone… you must be careful." Dust Burners" Progenitor delivered this sentence to Su Ming"s mind through a divine thought.
When he saw Su Ming nodding, he swung his arm and turned into a burning fire cloud that swept up Xu Hui"s body and charged into the distance. But at that moment, a shrill cry trang through s.p.a.ce.
"d.a.m.n you, you old fool, I won"t be going back!"
In the mid of that loud shout came a cold harrumph from Dust Burners" Progenitor in the fire cloud. At the same time, a long arc flew out from the fire cloud. It turned into the bald crane which swiftly returned to Su Ming"s side.
When it moved, it could not see Xu Hui staring at Su Ming behind it while she was being swept away by the fire cloud. Her gaze gradually went farther into the distance until it disappeared from the galaxy, and their companions.h.i.+p that had lasted for nearly one hundred years… ended.
Su Ming stared at the fire cloud leaving into the distance until it vanished from his field of vision. Then, when he turned around, his long hair turned gray, and his pupils gained a gray gleam, and not a single shred of emotion was left in him.
"My fellow Daoists, there will definitely be fierce battles during this one year. The promises I made to all of you will last just like how the universe will last for eternity. I will definitely not go back on my word. I will… have to trouble all of you during this year."
Su Ming stared at Zi Long and the others, then with a cold look in his eyes, he wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed towards them.
"Since we"re guards, you should at least tell us the reason why you want us to protect you," Progenitor Long Hai suddenly said.