Su Ming looked at the purple-robed person walking from beyond the snow plains with a look of concentration. That person gave him absolutely no feeling of familiarity, but the instant he lifted his right hand and pointed towards him, Su Ming felt his heart lurch. He could not explain it, but at that moment, that originally unfamiliar feeling suddenly became one of familiarity, as if Su Ming had seen this person somewhere before.
The moment the purple-robed person appeared, Phantom Dais’ Elder, who was about ready to fly off into a rage, felt his anger draining away instantly. His expression calmed down and he turned around in midair. His gaze also fell on Su Ming.
Tian Xie Zi had a stern look on his face and his robes were showing signs of changing color. They no longer looked white but were changing into a grey hue. That grey shade was not the end of the change. Purple flecks of color gradually began showing on his robes.
"Sir Tian Xie Zi, with all due respect, I harbor no ill-will towards your disciple. I only have a few questions I need to ask him." The purple-robed person’s face still could not be seen even as he spoke once again.
"Phantom Dais’ Phantom Equal… It has been rumored that ever since the tribe was formed, there has been no second Phantom Equal since… In fact, it is also said in the rumors that when the Great Tribe of Freezing Sky subjugated Phantom Dais Tribe, the Phantom Equal did not fight back either…
"I’d like to see just how strong you are, Phantom Equal!" Tian Xie Zi’s gaze was chilling. At that moment, he no longer looked crazy but, instead, murderous!
"Sir Tian Xie Zi, why don’t you ask your disciple whether he is willing to talk to me? If he isn’t willing, I won’t force him, but if he is willing, I hope you won’t stop us." The purple-robed man’s voice was raspy, but his tone remained calm.
Tian Xie Zi looked at the purple-robed man and the grave look in his eyes grew stronger. That expression rarely appeared on him, and as that grave look in his eyes grew stronger, a faint will to fight appeared as well.
He licked his lips but did not speak. Instead, he gradually lifted his right hand, and during that process, his robes started rapidly changing to a purple shade.
By Su Ming’s side, a grave look also appeared on second senior brother’s face. Even the dark skinned man, who was one of the 300 slaves belonging to the eldest senior brother, had the same reaction.
"You can ask, but you also have to answer my questions." Su Ming looked at the Phantom Equal and spoke suddenly.
"Alright," the purple-robed person agreed calmly.
"Master, I’d like to talk to him."
When Su Ming’s started speaking, Tian Xie Zi’s lifted hand came to a stop while he was in midair. He turned around to look at Su Ming, then after remaining silent for a moment, he lowered his right hand.
"Come with me." The purple-robed Phantom Dais Tribe’s Phantom Equal spoke hoa.r.s.ely before he turned around and walked towards the borders of the snow plains that were previously behind him.
Su Ming did not hesitate and moved forward. The purple-robed person walked in front, and Su Ming walked behind him. Soon, the both of them arrived at the border of the snow plains. Standing there, they could clearly see the city belonging to Phantom Dais Tribe and the land that was gradually being invaded by green gra.s.s behind the city underneath the cliff.
Silence fell among them. Neither of them spoke.
There were several dozens of feet between the purple-robed person and Su Ming. After a long while, he spoke languidly. "That is the Southern lands…"
Su Ming looked at the faint hints of green on the land lying at the very end of his sight. He remained silent.
"What is your name?" The purple-robed person turned around and, with his eyes still hidden underneath his robes, he looked at Su Ming.
"Su Ming. What is your name?" Su Ming hesitated for a moment and decided not to hide anything. Instead, once he finished answering, he threw out a question of his own.
The purple-robed person looked as if he had to mull over the question for a moment before he shook his head and answered hoa.r.s.ely. "Mine..? I have already forgotten it… Phantom Equal is my name.
"I can sense a unique presence from you. You… are not from the Land of South Morning." The purple-robed person spoke in a whisper, but when his words fell into Su Ming’s ears, it made his heart lurch.
That was not a question. That was a statement that did not require any feedback from Su Ming.
"What is this?" Su Ming avoided the topic and brought out a black stone from his bosom. The stone may seem hard, but in truth, when Su Ming first held it in his hand, it was very soft. That stone was the coc.o.o.n that had kept spitting out black bugs previously.
"This is a sacred item of Phantom Dais Tribe. Through it, a member of Phantom Dais Tribe can communicate with a unique world filled with countless Phantoms… You’re not from the Land of the South Morning, and neither am I…" the purple-robed person mumbled under his breath.
Su Ming cast that person a glance but remained silent.
"I can feel a unique presence from you, and there’s something familiar about you as well. It’s as if… we met before.
"Or perhaps I should say, you met the next Phantom Equal of Phantom Dais Tribe…" The purple-robed person turned around abruptly and gazed into Su Ming’s eyes.
"The Phantom Equal in Phantom Dais Tribe hasn’t always been the same person. When one dies, the next will awaken. But I’ve searched through the entire Land of South Morning and I still haven’t found the next Phantom Equal!
"I should have died many times in the past, but every single time, I persevered and survived, and I’ve kept searching… Tell me, where did you find that person…
"You know who I am talking about. Right at the moment you brought out our sacred item, I knew that you already had an answer in your heart, and you have questions as well. Tell me about the person who was the source of those questions. Where is he? What is his name? He is the next Phantom Equal of Phantom Dais Tribe!"
Su Ming felt shaken to the core. He looked at the purple-robed person and remained silent for a long moment before he shook his head.
"He’s not in the Land of South Morning."
"It doesn’t matter. Tell me where he is and his name. I will repay you with this!" The purple-robed person spoke in a raspy voice, then lifted his dried up right hand. In his palm, a purple bug appeared!
That bug was covered from head to toe in purple, and it was lying quietly on the purple-robed person’s dried up palm. A faint fragrance came from its body, and when that fragrance wafted into someone’s nose, uncontrollable hunger would arise within them.
"This creature is called Purple Harmony… Any ferocious beast that eats this bug will revert to their ancestral form. If they succeed, then their combat strength will increase by leaps and bounds, it they fail, they will die.
"Take this with you. If you run into danger during Sky Mist Shaman Hunt, with this bug, you can let any Shaman Tribe go mad for you… Refine this bug into your heart. If you do so, you can kill this bug with just one single thought. Unless you’re willing, others won’t be able to take it away from you. You can form a deal with anyone you like and not be framed for crimes you didn’t commit simply because you’re carrying this."
Su Ming’s heart pounded against his chest. He had originally not believed the purple-robed person’s words, but the moment the purple bug appeared, he could clearly sense that unknown rod insect-snake hybrid resting within Han Mountain Bell becoming restless as if it wanted to rush outside. It was as if the insect-snake hybrid’s attraction towards the bug had reached a level Su Ming could not imagine.
Su Ming stayed silent and shook his head. He could not tell whether the purple-robed person’s words were true or false. After all, this was a serious matter. He would not tell so easily.
"I’ll be taking my leave now." Su Ming turned around and quelled the insect-snake hybrid’s almost hysterical restlessness within Han Mountain Bell. He started walking towards Tian Xie Zi, who was standing far in the distance.
"I harbor no ill will. I just want to know where the next Phantom Equal is and what his name is. I cannot possibly walk out of the Land of South Morning to search for him…
"I just want to know his name and where he is, then tell him of that strange Phantom Realm and the Phantom Art of my tribe. This will be good for his growth. The Phantoms in this world will search for him and protect him…
"Please help me…" The purple-robed person’s voice was hoa.r.s.e, but Su Ming could hear his sincerity.
"I know that I can’t make you believe my words, but I truly harbor no ill will… I swear with the legacy of Phantom Dais Tribe that if my words hold even a hint of untruth and if I want to hurt the person in your mind, then Phantom Dais Tribe’s legacy will end and my tribe will forever cease to exist in this world!"
The purple-robed old man took a few steps forward and his raspy voice was tainted with a hint of distress.
Su Ming’s footsteps faltered. He could hear the unwavering resolution in the person’s words. In silence, Su Ming hesitated for a moment.
"This is my vow, and I swear using the G.o.d of Phantom Dais as my witness!" The purple-robed person knelt on one knee, raised both his hands, then lowered his head towards Su Ming.
When he knelt down, all those who saw it in the distance had a change in expression. Phantom Dais’ Elder even focused his gaze on them, but he did not get closer.
Tian Xie Zi frowned as he looked at the purple-robed person. He seemed to have understood what was going on.
Su Ming turned his head back to look at the purple-robed person kneeling on the ground for a long while. This person’s vow and his actions did not seem fake. He had even used his tribe to give his oath, and that act alone was enough to describe how severe the problem was.
"Alliance of the Western Region, Lei Chen…" Su Ming whispered.
Once he finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards Tian Xie Zi. The moment he did so, the purple-robed person lifted his head, and his hidden eyes shone with grat.i.tude. With a flick of his right wrist, that purple bug flew towards Su Ming. He caught it.
"Thank you. Don’t worry, there were no lies in my words!" After saying this, he bowed deeply towards Su Ming, then turned around and charged towards the depths of the snow plains.
Su Ming left with his second senior brother, Hu Zi, Tian Xie Zi, and that dark skinned man. They left Northern Frontier Tribe, found Bai Su, and flew back to the ninth summit, bringing with them Zhuo Ge and all their rewards.
Once they left, the face of Phantom Dais’ Elder turned incredibly dark. He turned around and charged down the snow plains. His wariness towards Tian Xie Zi was not the only reason why he conceded so many times. There was one more reason - it was the Phantom Equal’s request.
He was going to ask the Phantom Equal the reason behind it.
There was a tall tower within Phantom Dais City, which was located underneath the snow plains. That tower was entirely purple, and the purple-robed person was currently sitting at the top of the tower. There was a purple bowl before him, and within it was some purple blood.
"Alliance of the Western Region… Lei Chen, I, as the current Phantom Equal of Phantom Dais Tribe, call unto you… My successor… Awaken… Lei Chen… Lei Chen…"
As he spoke, he lifted his right hand swiftly and his right index fingernail shattered, revealing the torn flesh underneath. He pressed his index finger into the purple blood in the stone bowl before him.
"Lei Chen, let me see you!"
The purple-robed person let out a huge shout. As his voice started echoing in the air, the purple-robed person started trembling viciously. His robes were instantly torn apart, revealing an old but normal looking face. His eyes bulged out, and with a look of disbelief, he saw...
Translator"s Notes:
Lei Chen is Su Ming"s best friend in Dark Mountain Tribe.