Martial World (Web Novel)

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“You’ve even made yourself into a bargaining chip? It seems you really are willing to do everything you can.” Sheng Mei faintly smiled. “To go to war for the spiritas for 10 million years and destroy the saints? For a race that is already in steep decline, is it worth it? You entered the Asura Road, entered the Soul World, and I don’t know what price you must have paid to do so or what dangers you experienced along the way, but all that you’ve done cannot change the end result. With your miniscule amount of strength do you really believe you can affect the rise and fall of an entire race?

“In the past when the saints invaded the Divine Realm, Empyrean Divine Seal had already broken into the boundary of True Divinity, and even so he failed, much less the current you. The saints will not give you the slightest chance!

“Do you know that when you came to look for me, hoping to form an alliance between humanity and the spiritas, in the time you were proposing your conditions I was already able to feel a tiny strand of dissolute mourning from you.”

Sheng Mei’s words were like needles that jabbed into Lin Ming’s innermost feelings. Lin Ming’s thoughts shook. As he looked at Sheng Mei, his breath caught in his throat.

“You are a young Divine Dragon that hasn’t fully grown into your own skin, and yet you wish to place such heavy shackles upon yourself? Is it worth it? I advise you to give up on humanity. With your talent, there is no need for you to tie yourself to the sinking ship that is humanity. You cannot imagine what your future can be like. If you follow me we can create a foundation that will last for billions of years! Your talent is even beyond mine. Together, we can study the ancient inheritances and create our own legends, becoming existences that usher in a new, prosperous era! Just like the Asura Road Master! Just like the first ancestor of the spiritas!

“In the past, the Asura Road Master and the first ancestor of the spiritas each left behind their own worlds. 10 billion years later, they are still revered by the people, and all bow before their name. But… do you know anything about their races? Do you know which race the Asura Road Master comes from, or what race the spiritas’ first ancestor comes from? The Spiritas Holy Scripture may be called the Spiritas Holy Scripture, but the truth is that the golden pages never mention the spiritas to begin with. As the most powerful race in the 33 Heavens, us spiritas recklessly formed relations with the first ancestor to call ourselves his descendants!

“When your strength stands high above an entire race, what significance does that race still have for you? If they can do this, why can’t we?

Sheng Mei’s voice was ghostly, her words containing a horrifying ambition. In that moment, she was like a sorceress that tempted the will of all mankind, her every word filled with the power to lead the heart astray.

In that moment, Lin Ming really did fall into a daze. But, he quickly composed himself. He could feel a powerful soul force emanating from Sheng Mei that filled her words with an incredible attractive power, making it so that anyone who listened to her couldn’t help but desire to comply with her wishes.

“Me and you, a foundation for billions of years? One era will not accommodate two peerless characters. In the past, the Asura Road Master and the creator of the Holy Scripture fought a life and death battle. Moreover, within the ranks of the spiritas there is also the true master of the Soul Rapture Holy Lands – the Soul Emperor. How could he not also desire to establish his own foundation that will last for billions of years?”

Lin Ming’s words were chilly, but his heart was all over the place.

He couldn’t see the road ahead of him, he couldn’t completely understand Sheng Mei, and he definitely did not know just what the mysterious Soul Emperor desired.

Everything was nothing but a jumbled mess. In these changing times he was nothing but a tiny splash of water. No matter how much he struggled his actions didn’t seem worthy of mention at all.

From when he had stepped onto the road of martial arts until now, this was the first time he had felt such a deep sense of hopelessness.

Even when he was 15 years old and left Green Mulberry City to go to the capital of the Sky Fortune Divine Kingdom, even facing his childhood girlfriend Lan Yunyue who left him for someone else, even when the army major tried to put up obstacles in his way, even when he had no place to go and was forced to go to Great Clarity Pavilion to work in the kitchen deboning beasts, he had never felt so useless.

At that time, he had believed that as long as he was diligent enough and put in enough effort, he would be able to succeed. No matter how thorny the path was before him, he would struggle for a brighter future with his will and perseverance.

But now, Lin Ming felt that even if he wanted to put in as much effort as he could, he didn’t even have a direction he could go in. There was nothing but confusion all around him.

However, even if he was confused, he knew that even in Green Mulberry City where he grew up, there were people he knew. In this world, there were still people he considered his friends and family. There was the Lin Clan, his parents, the disciples of Divine Phoenix Island, the Ancient Phoenix Clan, Mu Qianyu, Qin Xingxuan, Lin Xiaoge, Mo Eversnow, Xiao Moxian, Senior Divine Dream, Empyrean Vast Universe…

There was also the person who he had never met before but had died trying to resist the saints in battle – Empyrean Primordius. And there was Empyrean Primordius’ comrade who had entrusted Lin Ming with his greatest legacy, the Black Dragon. There was also the ancient goddess, who had handed over her body to Mo Eversnow and saved his life…

Finally, there was even Lin Ming’s unborn child…

In several breaths of times, the countless people that Lin Ming had encountered through his journeys flashed through his mind. After growing for over a hundred years, he had come into contact with innumerable people. Some of them were only passing acquaintances, but some of them he shared extremely deep and complex relationships with. Some had helped him grow and given him a new lease on life. Some of them were elders who had recognized and supported him. Some had saved his life before. And some were even his wives.

They were all a part of humanity.

Humanity had nurtured him and made him who he was.

And now, these people had to fight together with humanity, even if their strength was insignificant.

They might all perish and be annihilated along with the rest of humanity.

To live alone and for himself, this caused Lin Ming to feel an inexplicable emptiness.

A person always needed a group to recognize them.

When everything was destroyed, when his family and friends were all gone, leaving him all alone, then even if he could grasp the heavens and earth in his palm in millions of years, even if he could rule over the universe by himself, what meaning was there in that?

Even if he obtained eternal life, what remained would be nothing but eternal loneliness and eternal torment.

“I will not abandon my roots, nor will I have my child be born into a world where his own race doesn’t exist anymore.”

Lin Ming muttered, as if he were telling Sheng Mei this and also telling himself.

Sheng Mei looked at Lin Ming and lightly said, “I just didn’t want to see you ruined because of this. But since you insist, I won’t try to change your mind any longer. However, if you only wish for the spiritas to intervene with the saints, your chips are far from enough…

“The only exception is if you can obtain all the golden pages and also help me find the approximate path to cultivate the Law of Eternal Life. If so, then I can probably change the decision of the spiritas and have them attack the saints so that humanity has more time. But… I don’t think you have this ability.”

Sheng Mei put forth her own conditions. But upon hearing this, Lin Ming felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. Not to mention the golden pages, but just helping Sheng Mei find the approximate path to cultivate the Law of Eternal Life left Lin Ming completely clueless. The only possible way would be for him to give Sheng Mei the Magic Cube.

Lin Ming found it hard to imagine. With Sheng Mei’s talent, if she were to obtain the Magic Cube, what boundaries would she reach?

At this time, Sheng Mei turned around and looked at all the young elites surrounding Lin Ming. She faintly said, “All of you, disperse!”

These words brooked no room for argument. Everyone felt their hearts skip a beat.

“Empress!”

The disciples from Great Brahmic God Mountain nearly collapsed to the ground. The Great Brahmic God King had even used his Boundless Great Art, using up a part of his cultivation to seek out Lin Ming’s whereabouts. And after that, many disciples had died and they had even shouted out a sky high price to have all these people attack Lin Ming to kill him. But with Sheng Mei’s few words, she wanted them all to leave?

Then all of their efforts would be wasted!

If they returned like this, how could they face the Great Brahmic God King?

If they still wished to kill Lin Ming, they would have to attack Sheng Mei first. But to attack the Soul Empress of the spiritas, none of them had the courage to do so.

Even if they tried, they would be instantly slaughtered by Sheng Mei. They were on completely different levels!

“Soul Empress! I am here because the Great Brahmic God King has decreed that we must kill Lin Muk, and we have paid an immeasurable price to do so. But because of Empress’ few words, we must give up midway? Empress, aren’t you pushing us too far?”

The leading yellow-clothed disciple from Great Brahmic God Mountain said.

But Sheng Mei’s complexion simply turned a bit colder. The surrounding temperature rapidly fell and the yellow-clothed disciple felt his heart freeze over. He lost all courage and desire to say anything else.

“I will explain matters to the Great Brahmic God King myself. Now, you may all leave. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Sheng Mei’s attitude was overwhelming, causing the disciples of Great Brahmic God Mountain to all have rapidly racing hearts, like a drum in quick tempo. They all lost their will to continue. Let alone Sheng Mei’s status, just her strength alone was more than enough of a qualification to have them all retreat.

“How is this Lin Muk related to the Soul Empress?”

Many people thought to themselves, puzzled. They didn’t know what Lin Ming had spoken to Sheng Mei about in their sound transmissions, but they could confirm that Lin Ming had some unusual relationship with Sheng Mei, one that wasn’t ordinary at all. Otherwise, Sheng Mei would not have spoken with Lin Ming for such a long time.

“This brat, is he also from a large influence?”

“It seems we made a mistake. We’ve really kicked the wall this time.”

Many martial artists on the shrine platforms glanced at each other in blank dismay. They had long since severed all thoughts of killing Lin Ming after Sheng Mei’s order.

Everyone began to draw back one after another. None of them dared to disobey Sheng Mei.

Only those from Great Brahmic God Mountain were unwilling to retreat. Although they could agree with not killing Lin Ming, they still needed to take away the golden page he had on him. But, this was refused by Sheng Mei.

“I will take the second wood golden page to Great Brahmic God Mountain myself and allow the Great Brahmic God King to view it. But if you wish to take it yourselves, that is impossible. I will repeat myself one last time. Leave now, or don’t blame me for being heartless!”

As Sheng Mei spoke, a cold energy wafted out from her body. Covered in this cold energy, everyone from Great Brahmic God Mountain felt as if they had reverted to common mortals and had been thrust into a field of endless snow and ice. They turned cold from their head to their toes.

Finally, they bowed their heads in submission and began to leave.

In several breaths of time, no one was left remaining.

Although Sheng Mei had driven them away, she wouldn’t needlessly offend the Great Brahmic God King. She would agree to let him look at the second wood golden page and also provide him with adequate additional compensation for today.

After all, he was still a True Divinity powerhouse of the spiritas. This was a factor Sheng Mei had to take into consideration.

The truth was that the relations between the spiritas True Divinities weren’t perfectly harmonious. They would only unite together when facing an external threat.

After everyone left, Sheng Mei looked at Lin Ming. She said, “Let’s begin. Your first condition; we will exchange golden pages, one for one!”