Chapter 1540 – The Dust Settles
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Seeing Tian Mingzi’s head roll to the ground, Xiao Moxian still felt that all of this was unreal. She recalled the last 10 years she had spent with Lin Ming, experiencing all sorts of drastic changes and upheavals, ups and downs that they crossed through with repeated life or death dangers. Finally, their strength rose by a large degree and they slowly killed those that had hunted them down. All of this was like an eternal dream.
Xiao Moxian even felt that these last 10 years were far more rich and passionate than all her life experiences before that. All of those dangers and hopes had become unforgettable memories etched into her bones.
And throughout all of these dangers, Xiao Moxian had only played a supporting role. But even so, she had obtained a massive harvest. It wasn’t just her cultivation and strength that had risen, but her mentality and will had evolved.
Looking at Lin Ming once more, he was the one who had helped lead her through all of this. In terms of how his mentality and strength had been a steady constant this entire time, there was no need to mention it.
Xiao Moxian could approximately guess that most of Lin Ming’s near 60 years of life had passed in such an environment. He had grown to where he was by experiencing endless adventures, battles, and life or death slaughters.
Xiao Moxian suddenly thought that it wasn’t strange for Lin Ming to have such achievements at his young age.
Lin Ming was only a martial artist from the lower realms and as he trained in martial arts he had to overcome all sorts of unfavorable conditions. Compared with the Empyrean descendants of the Divine Realm, Lin Ming was no different from an ant to an immortal being. However, it was these layers upon layers of difficulties that led to Lin Ming’s myth. Lin Ming’s experiences and his near 60 years of hardships were his most precious treasures! A treasure sword was sharpened through tempering and the fragrance of a plum blossom came with the freezing cold. All of these things that Lin Ming experienced were far from what any Empyrean descendant could compare with.
For instance, in these last ten years, if it weren’t Lin Ming who had undergone these experiences but some ordinary Empyrean descendant, even if their strength was the same as his they would have died countless times already.
Of course, Xiao Moxian was also well aware that Lin Ming’s current achievements were impossible without lucky chances and fortuitous encounters. She immediately remembered the sudden response that Tian Mingzi had displayed after seeing the Magic Cube.
Just what was that thing? Xiao Moxian was suddenly filled with curiosity.
At this time, Lin Ming had walked near Tian Mingzi’s corpse. He took Tian Mingzi’s spatial ring and then formed seals with his hands, summoning a vicious-looking dao diagram to his front.
“Myriad Demon Karmic Wheel!”
The Asura Heavenly Dao was not some orthodox cultivation method. The Asura Road Master’s life was also filled with slaughter and death. While this Myriad Demon Karmic Wheel could be used to attack an enemy, it could also be used to absorb an enemy’s essence energy for oneself.
Then, all of the essence energy in Tian Mingzi’s body was drawn out by the Myriad Demon Karmic Wheel!
Even Ash Murder’s essence energy that had scattered into the air after his death was gathered by the Myriad Demon Karmic Wheel!
These essence energies were Tian Mingzi and Ash Murder’s life essence. If Lin Ming didn’t gather them with the Myriad Demon Karmic Wheel, then after several tens of thousands of years, these essence energies sealed within Bai Qi’s tomb would slowly evolve into existences without any thoughts of their own. They would only be ghosts that knew to swallow others. In many mystic realms, these types of ghosts would be a source of grave danger.
Now that Lin Ming had sealed all of this essence energy into the Myriad Demon Karmic Wheel, this situation naturally wouldn’t happen.
“Essence energy of all living beings, be used by me!”
Lin Ming flicked his finger and the essence energy within the Myriad Demon Karmic Wheel rerouted towards the Essence Spirit Embryo Stone!
Drawn out essence energy was more suitable to cultivate avatars. If it were Lin Ming’s true self then although absorbing these essence energies could increase the cultivation of his body, too much would leave behind hidden dangers within him. But, the Essence Spirit Embryo Stone was nourished from the infinite essence energy gathered by the God Beast Tomb array formation, thus there was no need to be careful with it.
Hu - !
In that instant, all of the essence energy poured into the Essence Spirit Embryo Stone. The Essence Spirit Embryo Stone’s entire body emitted crackling sounds as its muscles and organs wriggled about. All of this blood vitality was completely absorbed by it, and the strength and astral essence within the avatar continued to grow!
The body of the Essence Spirit Embryo Stone was similar to the saints’. In other words, it was an existence especially bred for body transformation.
Its cultivation method was also similar to the saints’. If one had to describe the Essence Spirit Embryo Stone’s cultivation base, then using the saint race’s Saint Lord boundary was more appropriate.
And after absorbing the essence energy of a Great World King and a half-step Empyrean, the astral essence within the avatar wildly circulated through its body, joining with the energy that was already within it to begin with. Without any hindrance, its cultivation rose by a small boundary.
This was something Lin Ming already expected.
The Essence Spirit Embryo Stone could easily rise in cultivation boundaries. Let alone a small boundary in the Saint Lord realm, there wouldn’t be a bottleneck even when entering the Holy Lord realm from the Saint Lord realm.
The only restriction to the avatar’s cultivation was Lin Ming’s own cultivation. In other words, if Lin Ming’s own cultivation was lacking then the Essence Spirit Embryo Stone would encounter a bottleneck. Moreover, if Lin Ming was much weaker than his avatar then he simply wouldn’t have the strength to control the much stronger Essence Spirit Embryo Stone.
Lin Ming let out a long sigh of relief as he finished. For Tian Mingzi and Ash Murder’s essence energy to be used by him after their death, they had truly died miserable.
“Lin Ming!”
Just as Lin Ming finished, Xiao Moxian blinked over and looked towards Lin Ming.
As Lin Ming met her playful eyes, his thoughts stirred. He was able to approximately guess what she was thinking of. He laughed, saying, “You want to ask me what the Magic Cube is, right?”
“What I want to know is… just what sort of thing allowed my lover to grow from a common martial artist from the lower realms into the number one talent of his race?” Xiao Moxian said, her eyes filled with curiosity. But, she suddenly changed the topic and said a bit contradictorily, “But, I don’t think you should tell me… this should be your life’s greatest secret, and if you tell me…”
Xiao Moxian dragged out her words, looking at Lin Ming all the while.
Lin Ming thought for a moment. Then, he straightened up and solemnly said, “This is indeed my greatest secret. But, the reason I was able to reach this step is not just the Magic Cube. The Magic Cube accompanied me during my youth when I first stepped on the road of martial arts and helped me traverse that most difficult period of my early road.
“Since I was willing to take out the Magic Cube during my battle with Tian Mingzi, I have no intentions of hiding the truth from you. Moreover, during this adventure through the Asura Road, I will slowly gain the power to protect the Magic Cube!”
Lin Ming’s current strength was high enough that he could defeat an ordinary World King. But, his trial through the Asura Road had yet to end. Lin Ming intended to continue to train here until he reached at least the late Divine Lord realm or half-step Holy Lord. Perhaps he would even wait until he broke through to the Holy Lord realm and was able to kill a Great World King before considering leaving.
At that time, Lin Ming would be able to fully refine the Primordius Gate and fully control Primordius Heavenly Palace. Then, by relying on this Empyrean spirit treasure, even if an Empyrean were to chase after him they still might not be able to kill him.
Only in that state would Lin Ming truly be able to freely wander the Divine Realm and display his skills in the upcoming great calamity!
Lin Ming raised his right hand and an ash gray cube floated into his palm, slowly revolving around, filled with a mystical aura.
He said, “Xian’er, this is the Magic Cube. I accidently obtained it when I was 15 years old, in a restaurant. At the time, I was working for the restaurant and –”
As Lin Ming was speaking, Xiao Moxian suddenly covered his mouth with her hand.
She grinned, “You don’t need to say anything. If you trust me enough to tell me your greatest secret, I am more than satisfied with that. Although I am curious, I don’t really need to know.
“When we leave the Asura Road I will have to return to Demondawn Heavenly Palace. If my parents, grandfather, or the Monster Emperor find out about what happened between us, then they will become enraged… moreover, there is my engagement with the Good Fortune Saint Son. If this matter were to become a problem then I would be confined to my quarters and not even the heavens know what would happen after that. If I know the secrets of your Magic Cube, then even if I don’t willingly reveal them, that doesn’t mean someone won’t use an arcane technique to learn information about you from me…”
Xiao Moxian had already considered this for a long time. As Lin Ming listened to this, he was silent for a while. “You… do you plan on returning to the monster race and demon race no matter what?”
If Xiao Moxian didn’t return to the monster and demon races and instead stayed within Lin Ming’s inner world, then no one would know about it.
Xiao Moxian lightly sighed. She nodded, “Yes. I will return, because they are my people…”
Xiao Moxian was a very independent and free-thinking woman. She was bold and brave, and if she favored something then she would recklessly pursue it no matter what others thought or said.
But at the same time, she would not degenerate into becoming a servile dependent of any man. She had her own martial art’s goal, her own pursuits, and her own faith in herself.
Just like Lin Ming who would never betray humanity, Xiao Moxian would not discard her own race. Although the future was filled with unknowns and uncertainties, she wouldn’t evade her future but face it head on.
“I understand.” Lin Ming gently embraced Xiao Moxian. “Let’s leave this place.”