Chapter 643: King of Perpetual Night Forest
Translator: Sigma Editor: Hitesh
(Translator’s note: From this chapter, I will use pinyin names for members of the Monster Clan with notes of their literal meanings. Since they have human forms, I think it’s better to call them with pinyin names. For example, Fiery Dragon will become Yan Long, Blood-maned will be Xue Lu. If you prefer the previous names, please let me know. Thank you!)
"For the future of our Monster Clan?" Yan Long didn’t understand anything, but he thought Shi Yan’s words were shocking. He was bewildered for a while. "Our Monster Clan’s doing well. How could it matter to the future of our clan?"
"Times have changed," Shi Yan said with a solemn visage. "Today, every clan is thriving. Demon Clan, Dark Clan, Corpse Clan, Dark Spirit Clan, Ghost Mark Clan… They're all the clans from the Antiquity. They aren't weaker than you guys. Since the Great Space Fission happened, experts from different clans have received the ancient inheritance. If the Monster Clan is stagnant, the other clans will dominate you… You'll decline gradually… You guys will become their mounts."
The faces of Yan Long and Xue Lu became grim immediately. This was the most forbidden word the Monster Clan never wanted to mention: mount.
No matter what era it was, after the Monster Clan declined, they would become the mounts of the other clans. They would be enslaved and become the other’s subordinates.
"The Monster Clan’s one of the ten clans. You’ve had your peak times. I know you used to be so strong. I know the experts of the Monster Clan like you two will never be willing to be enslaved." Shi Yan calmly talked to them while discreetly observing their expressions. He recognized that these two had taken his words seriously.
"I want to befriend the Monster Clan. Besides you two, I can help more members of the Monster Clan," Shi Yan smiled. "In this Perpetual Night Forest, there’re many strong monsters, and many of them have intelligence as you do. With my help, they can become like you. They will be much stronger very quickly. What do you think about it?"
Yan Long and Xue Lu couldn’t conceal that they were moved.
"Take me to see the strongest one of your Monster Clan. As long as we can deal with him, it will be the good news to every member of the Monster Clan in Perpetual Night Forest," Shi Yan tempted them.
At this moment, his situation was relatively safe. But in fact, dangers existed everywhere. Demon Clan, Dark Spirit Clan, Gosh Mark Clan, and the Corpse Clan would come to the Perpetual Night Forest shortly. This forest would become the hot zone of war on this continent.
The Human Clan was also cultivating hard, seeking for the methods to rally themselves. As Shi Yan was a human, and the seven ancient factions wanted his life, they would come to the forest for him soon.
With his current force, he had no significant advantage compared to the other clans or the seven ancient factions. He could be the sacrifice at any minute.
If he could establish a relationship with Monster Clan, it should be good news to him and his people.
His people, besides the Yang family and the Cao, included the Ghost Hunter, the Devouring Gold Silkworm, and the King of Demonic Insects. They were all members of the Monster Clan.
Shi Yan knew this clan was imposing. Moreover, they didn't have many wild schemes. Once he got accepted, he would have tremendous support.
"You want to see our King of the Perpetual Night Forest?" Xue Lu was hesitant. Then he became a little bit annoyed. "He doesn't want to meet us, though. Different from the other experts of the Monster Clan, he's too arrogant. He hasn't gathered any force under his regime. He has cultivated alone. We went to greet him, but he ignored us."
"Take me to him," Shi Yan was deliberate. "I believe he will meet me."
Yan Long and Xue Lu exchanged looks. They considered his proposal for a long while. Later on, they nodded.
"He stays near the Ice and Fire Secret Domain, in the Black Pool. It’s the prohibited area of our Monster Clan. When Human Clan got into the Ice and Fire Secret Domain, they didn’t dare to trespass that place," said Yan Long.
"Let’s go," Shi Yan smiled and urged.
Yan Long and Xue Lu were reluctant. But under his persistence, they couldn’t help but take him to that place.
Three days later, Shi Yan and the two warriors of the Monster Clan reached a pond where black smog was lingering above its surface. A bizarre, black froth popped everywhere.
This pond was large, more than a hundred miles squared. No foliage could be seen around the pond. Shi Yan couldn’t sense even a single life fluctuation of any insect.
After Yan Long and Xue Lu had taken him here, they looked at the Black Pool and said, "He’s there, staying in the bottom of the pool. Usually, he won’t appear. This is a prohibited area. No humans or beasts dare to put their foot here. He… Ah!"
Yan Long changed his expression before he could finish. He pointed towards the pool, his face as if he had seen a ghost. "Someone’s there! Oh, someone doesn’t care about life to trespass the Black Pool!"
As they had arrived at this place, Shi Yan felt the Black Pool was really strange. Nothing was floating above the pond. Even if someone could fly above the pool, he would be dragged into the pool by some unknown force.
Any creatures entering the Black Pool, no matter it was a human or a beast, it would never reappear.
It seemed something invisible and intimidating was staying in the bottom of the Black Pool, which could swallow both the body and the soul of any creature, making them stay forever under the pool.
However, a mild young girl was staying in the middle of the pool. She was riding some creature, taking in the black smog above the Black Pool. She seemed to be cultivating some secret technique.
Shi Yan was startled. He gathered his mind and observed carefully.
Next, he cried in fear, his face odd.
Yan Long and Xue Lu didn’t dare to speak. They stood dully by the Black Pool, as though they were waiting for something.
In the center of the pool, the girl opened her mouth and took in the black smog above the pool. Flows of magical, pure energy got into her mouth, increasing her aura. Her flesh body was accumulating the tremendous energy from the pool.
She was Zuo Shi.
Shi Yan felt his brain convulse. He thought the scene he was watching was unbelievable. At this moment, he was puzzled, didn't know what to say.
Why was she here?
Shi Yan suddenly remembered that since he had come to the Perpetual Night Forest, he had never seen Zuo Shi. But, he had met Zuo Xu, Chi Xiao, and the other warriors of the Zuo family in the Yang family’s shelter.
However, he didn't notice Zuo Shi. As he tried digging in further, he felt something wrong.
The young girl was riding a creature which was sinking into the pool. Her face was serious, as though she was cultivating something. She didn’t realize that someone was watching her.
The peak of Sky Realm!
Shi Yan observed for a while, and he got more surprised. He felt that his brain wasn’t working well enough. He wore a forced smile.
Zuo Shi had reached the Peak of Sky Realm! She was just a step from the Spirit Realm!
It had been years. He didn't know what kind of good chances this little girl had encountered. She seemed to have transformed, and had progressed fast. Apparently, she wasn't bad.
What was going on?
As he was looking at Zuo Shi, he found that the creature she was riding had suddenly started to move. Until he could recognize its movement, the distance between them was shortened rapidly. Shortly, Zuo Shi appeared in front of him.
Zuo Shi hadn’t realized anything yet. She was still closing her eyes and cultivating. She gently frowned, which made her look cute.
However, Yan Long and Xue Lu were frightened. They had transformed into their human shape. At this moment, they crouched down, slightly looking up to Zuo Shi with a respectful expression.
They were looking at the creature Zuo Shi was riding to be exact.
"Master Xuan Ming (lit. mysteriously black – TL)," Yan Long and Xue Lu cried, using the language of the Monster Clan to greet the other. Their voices even trembled.
Shi Yan knew the King of the Perpetual Night Forest’s name was Xuan Ming. He was an imposing expert of the Monster Clan, who had reached the Peak of level 9. He could enter level 10 at any moment.
During ten thousand years, this terrifying monster named Xuan Ming would only show himself when the Monster Clan in the Perpetual Night Forest had a big mess that they couldn't clean up themselves. He showed up to reconfirm the existence of the strong forces of the Monster Clan and maintain the order.
Xuan Ming of the Perpetual Night Forest was the King of the Monster Clan in the eyes of the warriors in the Divine Great Land. He was the Grand Master who ruled the beasts everywhere, the scariest existence.
Even the strong human forces like Pure Land didn't dare to provoke the beasts in the Perpetual Night Forest. It was because of Xuan Ming, the almighty of the Monster Clan.
"You two idiots, why are you here?" An old voice arose from under Zuo Shi. He was using the Monster language too.
Shi Yan had been together with the King of Demonic Insects and the Devouring Gold Silkworm for many years, so it wasn’t a problem for him to understand Monster Language. He could even hear and understand each word.
Zuo Shi was still cultivating, but when the voice arose, she woke up. Her eyes were as bright as stars in the sky. She rolled her eyes, then covered her mouth in surprise. "Hey, why are you here?"
Afterward, Zuo Shi got excited and stood up from the pool. Her slender legs moved, then jumped to the land, walking towards Shi Yan. "Shouldn't you be in the Endless Sea?" asked the girl curiously.
Shi Yan’s face was odd. He looked at the girl for a while and then forced a smile. "Well, I do want to know why you are here."
"Old Xuan Ming brought me here. He said that he wants to help me increase my realm. This old man had captured me not long after I arrived in the Perpetual Night Forest." Zuo Shi frowned, then put her hands on her waist, rolling her eyes at the thin, small old man who was slowly emerging from the pool. She pointed at him and mumbled. "That's him! Shi Yan gege, help me to teach him a lesson. I can’t help it anymore. He doesn’t let me go."
The old man wore a pure black robe. His head looked like a snakehead, paired with gloomy brown eyes. Turtle shells covered his face, which made him look more like a stupid, decayed stone.
Shi Yan forced a smile. First, he bent his body to greet the old man, then talked to Zuo Shi. "I can’t teach him. He will teach me instead. Anyway… Why are you here?"
"Little Shi’s cultivating the Black Tortoise True Star. She has my clan bloodline in her body. What’s wrong with staying here?" The old man’s eyes rolled around. His face grew longer as he dropped his jaw. "Little Shi has brought me the inheritance of my clan from the ancient time. It’s natural that I should take care of her. Kid, you are a human, but you dare to trespass my Black Pool. Aren’t you afraid that I will swallow you?"
"You are Xuan Ming?" Shi Yan was astounded for a while. All of a sudden, he shouted, "You are from the Black Tortoise Tribe?"