Chapter 1068 – Marriage
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As Huo Violentstone and Gold Evenmoon were speaking, the God Beast Mystic Realm’s ancient transmission array began to violently oscillate. Ripples appeared on the surface, spreading out. It was finally time for the smelting trial disciples to return through the transmission array.
“It’s time. I wonder just what the disciples who went in have managed to obtain.” Gold Evenmoon smiled, and the other martial artists present also appeared expectant. Normally, no more than 10% of the smelting trial disciples that entered the God Beast Mystic Realm would perish. Compared to the harvests that could be obtained, this was a necessary sacrifice. After all, the four God Beast Clans had a new batch of junior disciples every 20 or so years. Although it was a massive loss for some to die, that wasn’t enough to affect the destiny of their clans. Moreover, geniuses required life or death adventures in order to grow.
As the ripples became increasingly intense, the first wave of disciples appeared. These people all seemed glum and spiritless. Some disciples even had visible wounds. They had clearly had a hard time.
“Mm?”
Huo Violentstone’s eyebrows shot up. An ominous premonition appeared in his heart. Gold Evenmoon also stood up.
Huo Violentstone asked, “Was there a change in the mystic realm?”
The Ancient Dragon Clan disciples looked over at Huo Violentstone with dazed eyes upon hearing this question. They looked at each other, clearly not knowing what to say.
“Was there a problem? Did several people die?”
All the Elders stood up, each of them deeply frowning. It was clear that some great event had occurred, otherwise it was impossible for so many people to be involved.
“Around 20 disciples died; we’re not sure of the exact number.” The Ancient Dragon Clan’s Dragon Eight said in a stammering voice. Dragon Eight was a Divine Sea disciple and could also be considered a vice captain of the Ancient Dragon Clan squad that went in this time. Although Dragon One would receive the main punishment as the captain, Dragon One hadn’t reappeared ever since he dove into the black swamp. They had sent an Iron Dragon Command but there still wasn’t a reply. It was possible that Dragon One’s fate was more perilous than they thought.
Thus, the responsibility of this debacle would be assumed by the several vice captains.
“20!”
Gold Evenmoon was immensely shocked. This was absolutely a great matter! Even Huo Violentstone became nervous. His eyes wandered over the crowd, looking for Lin Ming and Huo Clearheart. Especially Lin Ming – his cultivation was limited, so if something so massive happened, would he still be able to live?
“What happened in there?” Gold Evenmoon hurriedly asked.
“It was… an Asura King. We came across an Asura King as it was going through its demonic tribulation. But, the Asura King was just far too strong. All of the disciples gathered together to attack it, but we failed to kill it in the end. Instead, we suffered critical losses and it’s likely that 60% of the disciples have died.” Dragon 12 said with a dose of shame. He was also a vice captain of the squad, and this sort of defeat upon defeat was truly a loss of face. It proved just how incompetent the decision maker had been.
“What!? 60% of the disciples! Gold Skyedge!? Just what the hell kind of sickness came over him!? The clan gave him so many resources and treasures and had him take the lead, but he actually issued such a preposterous order!?”
Gold Evenmoon said in an apoplectic rage. The Gold Skyedge he referred to was naturally Dragon One. He didn’t think that anything would happen to Dragon One. Dragon One was the strongest out of all the disciples of the four clans who had gone in, so if anyone died it shouldn’t have been him.
“Dragon One, he…” As Dragon One was mentioned, Dragon Eight and Dragon 12 both had ugly complexions. They eyed each other, motioning for the other to speak. Finally, no one said anything at all.
Gold Evenmoon felt his heart thump in his chest. Dragon One was the greatest talent that his Gold Family had produced in the last 1000 years, and also the most outstanding disciple of the Ancient Dragon Clan for the last 200 years. Although Gold Evenmoon had been yelling at Dragon One just now, if there really had been something that happened to him, then the losses would be unimaginable!
Dragon Eight and Dragon 12 didn’t reply.
Then, a light flashed and more disciples were transmitted out.
Huo Violentstone swept an eye over the newcomers and simultaneously saw Lin Ming and Huo Clearheart arrive. In addition, even the weakest Yan Littlemoon was still perfectly safe. He finally let out a long breath of relief. Everything was okay!
“Coming back alive is great, it’s great!” Huo Violentstone said, his palms a bit sweaty. At this time, he didn’t care what harvests they had. It could be said that their coming back alive was the greatest harvest of all.
Gold Evenmoon also swept through the crowd. When he didn’t find Dragon One, his complexion became thoroughly gloomy. After several more breaths of time, a few more disciples were sent out. And at this time, the fluctuating ripples of the transmission array began to die down. This was proof that no more disciples would be passing through the transmission array.
In other words, Dragon One… had perished!
The most outstanding young genius that the Ancient Dragon Clan had produced in the last 200 years, who had high hopes of becoming a Holy Lord level character, whose cultivation reached the middle Divine Sea realm, whose strength far surpassed all others’, and who also had multiple life saving methods, had actually died in the God Beast Mystic Realm!
This sort of matter had likely not occurred in the last 10,000 years!
“Who killed Dragon One!? Was it the Asura King!?”
Gold Evenmoon wildly growled, his eyes bloodshot. As he looked around he was like a wild beast. In his opinion, although Dragon One wasn’t the Asura King’s match, he should still have had the ability to escape, especially amongst so many other people. Could he have been tripped or stopped by someone, preventing him from escaping?
Lin Ming was watching from the side. He remained with an indifferent look on his face upon meeting Gold Evenmoon’s bloodthirsty eyes. It was indeed far too difficult to find evidence of who killed who in the God Beast Mystic Realm, so he didn’t fear anything at all. As for some special tracing mark being left on the killer, Lin Ming also asked Mo Eversnow to look over him and she assured him everything was okay. In this situation, as long as Lin Ming insisted it had nothing to do with him then everything would be okay.
Huo Violentstone also realized an accident had occurred to Dragon One. Normally, with his personality, he would have been gloating to Gold Evenmoon and even mocking him for several rounds, but with the Ancient Phoenix Clan also having lost several disciples, he wasn’t in the mood to do so. He only lightly shook his head and turned to his disciples, saying, “What did you brats obtain?”
The remaining disciples all took out the treasures that they obtained in the mystic realm for Huo Violentstone to see. Yan Littlemoon and Lin Ming took out their black coral. The value of this treasure wasn’t enough to make up for the cost of the violet sun stones for entering the God Beast Mystic Realm.
“Mm… your harvest is alright.” Huo Violentstone nodded. He was satisfied enough that Lin Ming had emerged alive.
Xiao Ping, the one with the highest cultivation of the Ancient Phoenix Clan disciples, had actually found something quite valuable. It was a bit of phoenix guide grass. Phoenix guide grass was a type of spirit grass that grew alongside a phoenix. It was extremely valuable and was even useful for a Holy Lord.
By all reasoning, there hadn’t been a God Beast in the God Beast Mystic Realm for countless hundreds of millions of years, so any phoenix guide grass should have already withered away. But, the phoenix guide grass that Xiao Ping found was actually sealed within a piece of wood spirit jade and preserved well, just like an insect in amber.
Xiao Ping’s harvest was naturally praised by the Protectors behind Huo Violentstone. With their status, they had to flatter Xiao Ping. After all, Xiao Ping was destined to become a high level figure of the Ancient Phoenix Clan.
But Lin Ming looked on indifferently. This Xiao Ping was not any sort of good or righteous fellow. When the disciples of the Ancient Phoenix Clan had been besieged by mystic realm demons and even some with 10,000 plus year cultivations, he had waited for the time when one of his teammates had died and then escaped by himself.
“Let’s go. We’re returning to the Ancient Phoenix Clan.” Huo Violentstone lightly sighed. Although the losses were serious this time, this was also the fate of those that chose to walk down the road of martial arts. There was nothing else to say.
At this time, Lin Ming said with a true essence sound transmission, “Honorable Master, this disciple does not wish to return to the Phoenix Clan for the time being. I wish to go out and adventure a bit.”
The supreme dragon bone could not be revealed, and absorbing it was also a very long and strenuous process. Lin Ming didn’t plan on absorbing it within the clan. He wasn’t even able to tell Huo Violentstone about it. After all, the supreme dragon bone was a type of treasure that even a World King would go mad with envy for. If Huo Violentstone found out, then even maintaining their current relationship would be more than he expected. It could be said that in some situations, not even the ties between a father and son could be trusted, much less the fact that he was not a direct descendant of the Huo Family to begin with.
“Mm? You want to go out and adventure?” Huo Violentstone frowned. There were indeed many disciples of the Ancient Phoenix Clan that went out adventuring to gain experience, but now wasn’t a good time for Lin Ming to do so. “Lin Ming, you aren’t even at the Divine Sea. Do you know how many masters exist in the Divine Realm? If you are not careful and stumble into some ordinary Divine Transformation realm martial artist, even they will be enough to kill you! Moreover, it is almost time for you to attack the eighth stage of Life Destruction. If you return to my Huo Family we can provide you with many resources to assist you, and there is even the Sacred Flame Testament which you can meditate over. There is even… well, I was planning on arranging a wedding for you. You two can be considered a young golden couple, perfectly suited for each other. A marriage like this is definitely a good thing!”
As Huo Violentstone spoke to here, he inadvertently glanced at Yan Littlemoon, who was standing beside Lin Ming. His eyes flashed with a barely traceable happiness. Although this happiness seemed simple, there was actually a mischievous and devilish meaning to it, as if he were up to no good.
Yan Littlemoon froze. From the start, she didn’t know what those words meant, but as realization began to slowly dawn on her, her large eyes widened. She looked over to Huo Violentstone in disbelief. Could it be…
The so-called young golden couple, perfectly suited for each other… that was… that seemed… to be her and Lin Ming!
Within the entire Ancient Phoenix Clan, there were actually several women that had the perfect Ancient Phoenix bloodline. But, besides herself, everyone else was a senior disciple or already married – they clearly didn’t suit Lin Ming. In addition, there was also that look that Huo Violentstone shot at her just now. She already had a firm grasp that she was the subject of this marriage talk!
As Yan Littlemoon realized this point, she didn’t know what to feel. For a woman with a perfect Ancient Phoenix bloodline, if a man was to take her primordial yin, that would have a tremendous effect on her own bloodline strength. After all, essence energy was the same as bloodline and double cultivation also meant to fuse a portion of her bloodline with the man’s, so how could she not be affected?
Yan Littlemoon had made a vow to never marry until she became a Holy Lord, because she didn’t want the power of her bloodline to be diluted. But now, if she married Lin Ming, then she…
As Yan Littlemoon imagined such a scene, she found this a bit difficult to accept, and yet not at the same time…
She couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Lin Ming.
Lin Ming didn’t seem to have any intention or interest in a marriage with anyone, thus he never even thought of it. He only looked at Huo Violentstone and said with all seriousness, “This disciple truly wishes to go out and adventure, I ask that Honorable Master approves!”