Martial World (Web Novel)

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Elder Xiao had died!

Watching the old man still hanging on Lin Ming’s spear, the martial artists present all subconsciously, gulped, their throats twitching.

The Lin Ming in front of them right now was a fierce tiger, and they were nothing but little lambs that had no ability to resist!

Lin Ming expressionlessly drew out his spear, and then swiped the front, flicking off the blood.

Then, he turned around to glare at the Great Ax Tower Master.

The Great Ax Tower Master’s heart thumped, his face pale and queasy-looking.

“Young… Young Hero Lin, if you let me live, I promise you I can help you leave the Blood Slaughter Steppes from Great Ax Tower. Great Ax Tower is only a mere 2000 miles from the edge of the Blood Slaughter Steppes and it is also a full 10,000 miles away from the Blood Slaughter Divine Temple where the Steppes Master resides. If you come to my Great Ax Tower, that is the best place for you to leave these lands from. Moreover, when you leave, there will be people that can help you, and I can even be your shield. Leaving will be much easier. Otherwise, you might arouse some suspicion…”

As the Great Ax Tower Master spoke, he was carefully paying attention to every minute change in expression on Lin Ming’s face. He was afraid that Lin Ming wouldn’t agree with him and took off his spatial ring in advance. Even his heaven-step double-headed ax was placed into the spatial ring so that he could give it to Lin Ming.

Lin Ming considered his options for a moment, not speaking. He turned and glanced towards Duanmu Qun, and saw that Duanmu Qun gave him a slight agreeing nod. The Great Ax Tower Master wasn’t lying. The Eternal Demon Abyss’ northern entrance was connected to six different Skysplit towers. If they left from Great Ax Tower, the position was much more friendly and was a shorter distance to leave from than from Polaris Tower.

Lin Ming’s silence caused the dire atmosphere to becoming even more dismal. At this point, the Great Ax Tower Master didn’t even dare to breathe too heavily. As someone who had lived above countless others, this was the first time he had experienced such treatment. It was like he was no different from a criminal of the mortal world about to be executed on the stands.

“Hehe, boy, do you really distrust this fellow?” At this time, Demonshine’s voice sounded out in Lin Ming’s mind.

“Yes.”

Lin Ming was indeed wary of the Great Ax Tower Master. After becoming a twelve-winged Heavenly Demon, he naturally wouldn’t stay in the Blood Slaughter Steppes any longer.

While they were in the Eternal Demon Abyss, they were completely isolated from the outside world. But, once they left here, all of these High Lords present might inform the Steppes Master as to what had transpired here. If the Steppes Master found out, then he might not be able to leave the Blood Slaughter Steppes safely.

But, if he killed all of them and only four or five people stepped out of the Eternal Demon Abyss, then that was just too brazen. It would naturally attract the suspicions of others.

“Hey, it’s easy! How about we just plant several slave seals in them! This sort of thing is just some low level skill of the demonic path. Even that Polaris Tower Master could do it, so did you think this Saint couldn’t?”

“Oh?”

Lin Ming’s eyes brightened. If he could plant this sort of slave seal then it would be fantastic.

“But yes… there is a limit to how many slave seals I can use to control others. That Polaris Tower Master was likely able to control three or four people, and in my weakened state, I can still do more, but no more than 10. It’s up to you to choose who.”

“10 is enough.”

Lin Ming only needed to use 10 High Lords to control others so that they weren’t able to secretly inform others of what was happening. This should give him enough time to leave.

He looked at the Great Ax Tower Master, his voice icy as he said, “Great Ax, if you desire to live, you have one choice. That is to let go of your spiritual sea and willingly allow me to plant a slave seal within you!”

“Slave seal!?”

The Great Ax Tower Master’s complexion changed as he heard these words.

A martial artist that had a slave seal planted within them couldn’t even hold onto their former personality. It could be called a fate worse than death!

Although the Great Ax Tower master didn’t want to die, he didn’t want to continue living on as a useless zombie either. “That’s impossible! If you must plant a slave seal within me, I’d rather die fighting!”

“Don’t worry so much.” The Great Ax Tower Master’s response was within Lin Ming’s expectations. “I will only place the slave seal within you for three months, which is enough time for me to leave. I’ll be frank with you. I do not trust you one bit at all.

“Three months from now, I will naturally release my slave seal and you will be freed. If you believe me then let go of your spiritual sea. If you do not believe me, then my only choice is to kill you right here and right now.”

As Lin Ming spoke, the Great Ax Tower Master hesitated for a moment. Three months wasn’t anything to him, but he feared that three months from now, Lin Ming would decide not to honor his promise and release the slave seal. Then he really would remain as a mindless puppet with no personality for the rest of his life.

“Can I take an oath to my heart of martial arts?”

The Great Ax Tower Master said after fumbling for words.

“Take an oath?” Lin Ming frowned, his voice turning colder, “I think that you’ve come to misunderstand something. I am not negotiating with you, but am informing you of the decision I have made. It is up to you whether you wish to accept or refuse, because you lack any power to bargain with me!”

Lin Ming’s character had always tended towards being strong and forthright. The promises he made he would complete sooner or later; he disliked when others doubted him.

The Great Ax Tower Master heard the killing intent in Lin Ming’s voice and his heart jumped. He was wavering at this moment when Lan Xin curled her lips and contemptuously said, “Who the hell do you think you are? Lin Ming will undoubtedly become the number one powerhouse of the entire Holy Demon Continent in the future. I wonder then just how many people would kill you all in order to serve as Lin Ming’s little brother here? Do you think he needs to go through so many tricks just in order to have you work under him? You are not worthy!”

Lan Xin’s few words cut towards the Great Ax Tower Master’s temper.

The Great Ax Tower Master wryly smiled. This was true. Someone like Lin Ming would inevitably stand at the peak of the entire Holy Demon Continent in the future. Perhaps, step into the stage that was the Realm of the Gods. At that time, a single call of his would have hundreds and thousands of enthusiastic men jumping to his side, each and every one of them willing to be his slave. If he could follow Lin Ming, then that might actually be a great lucky chance that brought him advantages for his entire life.

Thinking of this, the Great Ax Tower Master no longer hesitated. He simply handed over his spatial ring and relinquished control of his spiritual sea.

“Young Hero Lin, please begin.”

Lin Ming took the spatial ring, passing through it with his perception. Then, he calmly formed a black seal. This black seal had a wisp of Demonshine’s soul force, and with the addition of Lin Ming’s energy supporting it, controlling a martial artist at the level of the Great Ax Tower Master was child’s play.

After the slave seal entered his spiritual sea, the Great Ax Tower Master shook for a moment. His eyes became dull for a moment, and then right afterwards they were refreshed with complete clarity.

He faced Lin Ming, bowed towards him with a hand over his chest, and then respectfully stood behind Lin Ming.

A martial artist with a slave seal planted within them didn’t usually show any difference. It was only when they were faced with their master did they manifest their absolute obedience and loyalty.

“And you lot too!”

Lin Ming turned to stare at the other High Lords. “I will choose nine of you and also plant a slave seal. The period for this is also three months. You can choose to accept, or you can choose to die!”

Lin Ming’s voice was decisive and detached. None of the martial artists present dared to protest. If even the Great Ax Tower Master was willing to accept, then none of them had anything to say.

Lin Ming chose the nine martial artists with the highest cultivation and planted slave seals in them. None of them resisted.

Then, he received the spatial rings of Elder Xiao, the Polaris Tower Master, as well as the six or seven ordinary High Lords he had killed.

He sunk his consciousness within them, probing a bit; there really were some good things in here.

Those martial artists that were able to survive through this trip in the Eternal Demon Abyss were mostly upper level High Lords. In addition to the harvests they had made during this trip into the Eternal Demon Abyss, their wealth could be imagined.

After investigating, he found that there were eight heaven-step treasure as well as 30 jins of human-step Demon God Bones and 12 egg-sized earth-step Demon God Bones. These earth-step Demon God Bones were all obtained from the three Tower Master level powerhouses.

Worth mentioning among them was an earth-step Demon God Bone with a crimson sheen that emitted a faint blood energy. Lin Ming thought for a moment; this should be a medium-grade earth-step Demon God Bone, and one that was approaching a high-grade one at that.

“F*cking shit! These broke little bastards! Even those Tower Masters were useless!” Demonshine was uttering profanities within Lin Ming’s spiritual sea. “There is a single Blood Form Bone and everything else is garbage! Garbage!”

The so-called Blood Form Bone was that medium-grade earth-step Demon God Bone. It was a Demon God Bone with the concentrated blood essence of an Emperor level powerhouse within it; it would certainly be useful for Demonshine to recover his soul.

As for everything else, with Demonshine’s judgment, it was difficult to enter his eyes.

“You don’t want it?”

“I want it! Of course I do, who wouldn’t… a grasshopper’s meat is still meat. This Saint will kindly take this Blood Form Bone. It should just barely be able to restore this Saint’s soul a little bit. As for the rest, you can do with it what you want.”

Lin Ming faintly smiled. He modestly took some useful resources into a spatial ring, including the five jins of human-step Demon God Bones. These would be for his friends and family that needed them. As for the 11 earth-step Demon God Bones that were left over as well as the eight heaven-step treasures, he handed them all to Feng Shen, Duanmu Qun, and Lan Xin.

“Brother Duanmu, I thank you for your help just now. I, Lin Ming, will remember this kindness.”

Lin Ming’s tone was understated. Although his voice was calm, Duanmu Qun knew that once someone like Lin Ming made a pledge, they would forever etch it in their hearts.

In other words, Lin Ming had now truly recognized him as a friend.

Duanmu Qun shook his head, “Brother Lin is too humble, please don’t see us as strangers. What we did just now were only some minor efforts. Within the 1000 mile forbidden zone, Brother Lin had already rescued us several times. Without Brother Lin, we would already be dead within the forbidden zone, much less having a chance to obtain anything like resources.

Lin Ming faintly smiled, “In the face of adversity, that is when true feelings are exposed. In my life, I have made very few friends, but today, I’ve suddenly gained so many!”

At that time, saying that true feelings would be exposed in the face of adversity was no exaggeration. When Lin Ming was facing the simultaneous attack of three people and hadn’t yet become a twelve-winged Heavenly Demon, he had been at a great disadvantage. At that time, Duanmu Qun and the rest had abandoned their own resources, taking a risk that Elder Xiao would kill them all in order to obtain a new spear for Lin Ming. None of this was an easy decision to make.

As Lin Ming traveled along his road of martial artists, all the way until this point, he had seen countless grudges and enmities exposed. He had seen intrigue, danger, hatred, all the worse facets of human nature. But, as for those people that were grateful and remembered the kindnesses that were given to them, he had actually seen very few.

Duanmu Qun originally hadn’t wanted to receive this spatial ring, but after Lin Ming’s repeated insistence, he finally chose not to decline.

“Brother Lin, where do you plan on going after leaving the Eternal Demon Abyss? If you have nowhere to go, then how about adventuring with us?”

Duanmu Qun really wanted to know just where Lin Ming had come from. It was impossible for such a talent to not have some tremendous background. While winning Lin Ming over to the Divine Wood Holy Land was impossible, having him come to his sect as an honored guest and enhancing their relationship also wasn’t bad.

Lin Ming shook his head, “After I leave the Eternal Demon Abyss, I will return to my home.”

“Oh? Where is that?” Duanmu Qun casually asked. After he asked, he felt that he had been a bit indiscreet.

However, he never thought that Lin Ming had no intention of hiding anything to begin with. Lin Ming directly replied with a true essence sound transmission, “It is another continent. It is a land that exists outside of the Holy Demon Continent…”