Chapter 82 – Sima Tian
He was the Shi Jian who had sought out Liu Ming earlier. His cultivation companion called Lu Yun was also here. For the other two people, one was a man dressed into a tight fitting clothes and the other was a youth wearing seven or eight blood colored rings around his arms.
“This trip to Ten Thousand Bone Cave will definitely be lead by a Martial Uncle; even though we know that this brat is within the group, we absolutely cannot do anything. This brat really is cruel to himself; in order to avoid us, he unexpectedly goes to Ten Thousand Bone Cave. He really isn’t afraid of not returning. Senior Wu, you are experienced and knowledgeable, do you have a plan?” The eyebrows of the youth with the arm rings raised as he turned his head and directed a question toward the man in tight clothes.
“Since he’s going to Ten Thousand Bone Cave, at the very least, he will not be returning to the sect for three or four months. Thus, if we still want to cause trouble, we can only send a group of people to participate in the Suppression of Ten Thousand Bone Cave Mission in order to have a chance.” The stalwart man slowly said.
“Don’t joke around Senior Wu, despite the fact that we can earn Contribution Points every time we kill a Bone Ghost in Ten Thousand Bone Cave, it is too hazardous. Aside from those madmen who seek a cultivation path of slaughter and indulge in this pleasure, all of the others participating in this mission were forced by their Martial Uncles and teachers to attend this mission.” When the youth heard the man’s words, his face changed as he replied.
“If this really is the case, then we can only leave the matter for the time being. I also do not wish to go to Ten Thousand Bone Cave. It’s a good thing that Junior Gao is still training, so he doesn’t know about the brat and Mu Ming Zhu’s marriage. When the brat returns, it won’t be too late to help Junior Gao get rid of this inconvenience.” The Senior Wu spread out his hands as he spoke.
These words, when heard by the youth with arm rings, caused him to remain silent and furrow his eyebrows.
“In order for us to teach this brat a lesson, going to Ten Thousand Bone Cave really isn’t a good idea. However, if we were to get those already participating in this suppression mission to do the deed for us, then it won’t be too much of a problem.” Shi Jian opened his mouth and spoke.
“Senior Shi’s idea is to…” When the youth heard this, his expression changed.
“I am acquainted to disciple Sima of Baleful Yin Faction and it seems that he is one of those participating in the Ten Thousand Bone Cave Suppression Mission this time. If he is willing to, dealing with a mere new disciple should naturally be an extremely easy task. However, Junior Brother Sima is a core disciple who is among the top twenty on the Lunar Monument. If we want him to undertake this task, the price will not be small.” Shi Jian slowly said.
“Don’t worry, he doesn’t actually have to kill that brat. He only has to teach him a few lessons and get him to agree to annul the marriage. Whatever amount of Spirit Stones Senior Sima wants as his price, I can provide for it all. How about that? Does Senior Wu have any opinions?” When the youth with arm rings heard Shi Jian’s words, he lightly laughed.
“Since Junior Xin is willing to do so, I naturally don’t have any issues.” Senior Wu’s gaze flashed a couple times before he nodded his head.
“Okay, Senior Shi, in the next few days you should find time to contact Senior Sima.” The youth did not hesitate to reply.
Shi Jian naturally agreed.
Thus, the few discussed the particular details for a while before they all left for their respective dwellings.
…..
Three days later, nearby an enormous decorated building outside the Barbarian Ghost Sect, a few Barbarian Ghost Sect disciples started to appear one after another.
Most of them were about thirty or forty years old and there were no twenty year old disciples.
The expressions of these disciples were gloomy as all of them seemed to have something heavy on their minds.
However, a few people were still talking and laughing and displaying completely different expressions from others.
After a while, over thirty male and female disciples had gathered under the decorated building when a graceful figure, seemingly slow, but actually quick, walked toward them from the distance.
It unexpectedly was a pretty female with a face like a blossoming flower. She looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and was wearing a purple robe with a cold expression visible on her face.
“Ah, it surprisingly is Dancing Ghost Faction’s Martial Aunt Lin!”
“Greetings, Martial Aunt Lin”
“My respects, Martial Aunt Lin”
When these Barbarian Ghost Sect disciples clearly saw the purple-robed female’s facial features, most of them sucked in a cold breath of air and proceeded to successively pay their respects with a tinge of fear.
This woman astonishingly was Dancing Ghost Faction’s current leader. Apparently, she was also one of Barbarian Ghost Sect’s few Middle Spirit Masters.
“Mmm, stand up. The time has just about come; has everyone arrived?” The woman with the surname of Lin spread her hands and let all the disciples stand up. Her gaze swept from left to right and her eyebrows creased as she asked her question.
“Martial Aunt Lin, we are still missing two people.” A thirty something year old seemingly responsible disciple hastily walked forward and replied.
“Then we will wait. If they have yet to arrive in fifteen minutes, we will just remove their names from the list!” Spirit Master Lin said without the slightest hesitation.
This male disciple naturally responded in a respectful manner.
Thus, everyone continued to wait in this area.
However, because of Spirit Master Lin, nobody dared to say anything nor did they casually move about. Everyone rigidly stood still with their hands behind their back.
Ultimately, after a short while, two gray clouds appeared from the direction of the sect. They proceeded to fly toward the decorated building.
When everyone else saw this, they couldn’t help but stare.
The two gray clouds seemingly simultaneously descended under the decorated building before dispersing. From each cloud walked out a figure.
One person was a twenty-six or twenty-seven year old gloomy male. He was wearing a black robe and a white human skull was embroidered on each sleeve.
The other person seemed to be a sixteen or seventeen year old youth who was wearing a green inner disciple apparel. His figure was quite large.
“My respects, Martial Aunt Lin.”
When the gloomy male made out Spirit Master Lin’s facial features, he seemed to be startled and hastily went forward and payed his respects.
As for the sixteen or seventeen year old youth, he proceeded to silently greet her.
“Martial Nephew Sima, why is it you? The Large Competition is about to start, yet you aren’t properly cultivating in the sect. What are you going to Ten Thousand Bone Cave for?” Spirit Master Lin seemed to recognize the male with a gloomy expression. Her gaze flashed as she asked a question.
“Martial Aunt Lin, you should also know that although my cultivation path isn’t completely on the Path of Slaughter, if I wish to increase my strength, fighting is the quickest way to do so.” The gloomy male calmly replied.
“I heard last time that you charged into Ten Thousand Cave’s fourth level by yourself. This time, are you still thinking of entering this level? If this is the case, you may not have the same luck as last time and manage to escape unscathed. Don’t tell me that Senior Chu didn’t tell you about this sort of stuff?” The woman named Lin insipidly asked.
“The reason for me coming here this time is because it is a must for entering the top ten core disciples. I request for Martial Aunt to not hinder me.” The gloomy male held his head high and replied without thought.
“Fine, since neither you or Senior Chu is willing to listen, why should I meddle in someone else’s affair? As for you… you seem a bit familiar. What faction are you from and what is your name?” Lin’s eyebrows slightly creased before looking at the other youth and produced a slight expression of suspicion.
“Bai Cong Tian from the Nine Infant Faction pays his respects to Martial Aunt Lin!” The youth bowed his body as he spoke; it was Liu Ming.
“Bai Cong Tian, Nine Infant? So you are that youngster!” The woman with the surname of Lin had a flash of understanding when she heard this. During the last Spirit Opening Ceremony, she had nearly accepted this Three Spiritual Pulse disciple into her faction.
“Martial Aunt Lin unexpectedly recognizes this new disciple!” Liu Ming was slightly stunned.
“Of course I recognize you. However, being a mere new disciple and entering the Ten Thousand Bone Cave, you must have a lot of courage. Nonetheless, since it is your own choice, I will identically not obstruct you. Okay, everyone has arrived, let us depart.” Spirit Master Lin faintly smiled as she spoke. He hand flipped over and suddenly, a pure white jade gourd appeared.
Immediately, she threw the gourd into the air, performed a single-handed technique and muttered an incantation.
In an instant, the gourd rode the wind and surged into the sky. It proceeded to spin and a dense white miss spat out of the opening. In a short while, it had turned into a three hundred to four hundred meter white mist python.
This python made live animal like movements and instantly, an astonishing aura spread out. The Barbarian Ghost Sect disciples standing in the vicinity only saw a vast expanse of whiteness appear in front of their eyes and they couldn’t help but continuously step back.
Most of them couldn’t refrain from emitting an expression of shock.
Spirit Master Lin’s figure moved and emerged on top of the misty python’s head. She proceeded to instruct, “What are you waiting for? Get on.”
The Barbarian Ghost Sect disciples came to sudden realizations and successively rose into the air and boarded the misty python.
In the next instant, a gale engulfed the mist python’s body and it carried the thirty something people into the air. It proceeded to fly in a certain direction.
“You are Bai Cong Tian?”
When Liu Ming arrived on the mist python, he had casually found a seat when a figure suddenly appeared in front of him. This person was the gloomy male who had arrived with him and unexpectedly appeared in front of Liu Ming.
“That’s right, it is me. What business do you have?” Liu Ming raised his head and met the opposing party’s gaze. Faintly, he felt a trace of ineffable animosity radiating from the opposition and immediately spoke in a non-courteous manner.
“My name is Sima Tian, remember it well.” The gloomy male identically sized up Liu Ming before replying without any expression.
“What does that mean?” Liu Ming’s eyes narrowed as he shot a question back.
“When we arrive at Ten Thousand Bone Cave, we may often see each other.” Sima Tian coldly said before aloofly walking away and finding a separate spot to sit down.
When Liu Ming heard this arbitrary sort of talk, his eyebrows creased. However, his expression remained normal and he closed his eyes as he began to rest. It seemed as if he had never even heard the gloomy male talk.
……
Half a month later, on top of a few dozen hills encircling a basin.
A white mist python’s shrill cry that could be heard for miles, sounded. In an instant, the python arrived in the middle of the basin above a stone stronghold before slowly descending from the air.
Under Spirit Master Lin’s commands, Liu Ming and a bunch of Barbarian Ghost Sect disciples successively disembarked from the mist python and inquisitively examined the surrounding area.
They found that the stone stronghold was abnormally simple and was comprised of an encompassing tall cyan stone wall and a few buildings within. Moreover, most of the buildings were exceptionally basic stone huts.
Furthermore, with one glance they were able to tell that there were very few people in the stronghold. Only in the distance were a few taller buildings and there seemed to be people talking there.
“Listen carefully, although the Barbarian Ghost Sect is the master of this Ten Thousand Bone Cave, there are occasionally other disciples from other sects who come here to train. Thus, if you meet another sect’s disciple, do not feel baffled. One other thing, those who have never come to Ten Thousand Bone Cave before should read the rules written over there; do not violate them. Now, you are on your own.” Spirit Master Lin’s outstretched finger pointed to a stone monument in the center of the stronghold that was full of silver-colored words. After speaking a few sentences, she proceeded to independently walk toward a building that was slightly taller than the others.