Chapter 59: Unimpeded!
Translator: Mogumoguchan/Zenobys Editor: - -
50th: Mo Su, 200 steps!
The faces of all people who saw that one line on the ranks shown on the eagle statues changed. The previous looks of disdain, scorn, or even amusement were completely gone like the wind.
No one treated Mo Su as an entertainment for them to spend their time anymore. They had just witnessed a miracle and saw something unbelievable happening before their own eyes!
This person made it from the last into the hundreds, then to the 50th place!
There were even some in the field who were in disbelief to what they just saw. They did not imagine that such an incident could occur.
Mo Su even did this while everyone was not moving, and he pushed forward from the last place to the top 50 ranks. He even did all this during midnight. This was too shocking, hence most of the people in the field had already ignored the striking results in the top 10 ranks, neglected Bi Su, who was in second place, and had all their attention drawn to Mo Su’s name.
"Just how far can he go…?"
"He’ll definitely make it to the top 30!"
"I don’t think so. He seemed to not have enough energy during the last charge. But no matter what, if he can enter the top 50, then it means he’s very powerful!"
The sounds of discussions continued like waves and did not stop. The night should have been quiet, but at that moment, it was impossible for the spectators to remain silent when they had just seen something they had never seen before. In fact, the field was even livelier than during the day.
Su Ming made it to the 50th place, and all eyes were on him, no matter whether it were the hundreds of people on the field, or the participants of the test who were also in the mountain.
While those who were below the top 50 were angry that he suddenly surpassed them, they were also filled with respect. As for those within the top 50, they were all staring at the plates within their hands and looking at Su Ming’s rank. To them, Su Ming had just become a threat. The threat may yet not be great, but nonetheless, they started placing some importance to his existence.
As for those in the top 20 and above, they did not place much importance on him.
However, the ones who were the most anxious at that moment would definitely be Si Kong and Bei Ling. One of them was placed 49th, and the other 48th. That person who suddenly made it to the top 50 was like a thorn in their side.
It was especially so for Si Kong, whose face was pale at that moment. He clenched his fist. He was the son of the tribe leader of Dark Dragon Tribe. He had gritted his teeth and made it to this rank after much difficulty. He had felt prideful for his achievements, but as of now, his heart was racing against his chest.
‘Don’t go up! Don’t go up! Don’t go up!’
He was screaming in his heart while he stared at the rank shown on the plate with bloodshot eyes.
On a stairway located further away, Bei Ling stood up. He was also extremely nervous. He widened his eyes and stared at the plate, but did not scream in his heart like Si Kong. Instead, he gritted his teeth and turned, walking towards the 207th step.
As most of the people were staring at the plate, Su Ming stood at the 200th step and took a deep breath. The persistence in his eyes was as hard as steel. On his body, all 58 blood veins were shining brightly. If there was no mist covering them, then the light would have definitely shone with dazzling brilliance, and even those far away would be able to see it. Yet now, due to the presence of the mist, everything was hidden away deep within the mountain.
Su Ming felt a strong power blossoming within his body. He lifted his head and then looked at the night sky and the moon through the thin layer of mist above him.
He did not know why, but ever since he started training in the Fire Berserker Art, he fell in love with the night. He did not hate the day, per say, but he no longer looked forwards to it.
"Among all those living on the land, who will be able to see the end of the horizon..?" Su Ming mumbled under his breath as he stared at the dark sky. There was a brilliant flash in his eyes that disappeared as soon as it appeared. If no one was looking into his eyes closely, they would not have discovered it.
Su Ming lifted his right foot and went forward once more. He stepped onto the 201st step and the 202nd step. The moment his feet landed, Si Kong, who was on a stairway further away from him, stood up with a vicious look and roared towards the sky, then moved forward in a frenzy.
He watched with his own eyes as his own ranking fell from 49 to 50. It was just a difference in one place, but that was akin to the difference between heaven and earth. It made Si Kong, prideful as he was, unable to accept it.
If he had been overtaken since a long time ago, he would not have minded it, but once he had managed to get into an advantageous position from the start and then had his position suddenly taken, he found it hard to accept. He gritted his teeth and walked forward step by step as he growled lowly under the incredible pressure caused by the moon on the mountain with a vicious look on his face.
At the same moment, Bei Ling also moved!
Their actions were like a butterfly effect. The people placed 47th, 46th, and 45th also could not hold still any longer and stood up, unwilling to give up. All of them began walking once more.
Once they started moving, it was as if the few hundred people in the field were given a powerful medicine that made them excited. The sounds of discussion were like the endless waves in the sea.
"Si Kong’s moving! 202, 203… He stopped…"
"Bei Ling won’t stay still anymore either. 207, 208, 210…"
"Interesting, with Mo Su getting into the top 50, the rankings are now thrown into chaos. There’s bound to be a person who’ll fall out of the top 50. If that’s the case, then they’ll definitely be nervous!"
The moment the discussions became louder, a sudden silence fell upon them. The sounds of speaking turned into the sounds of sharp intakes of breath. All of their gazes were focused on the one name climbing madly up the ranks!
Even the old woman from Dark Dragon Tribe, who was never interested in the ranks, opened her eyes and stared at the name on the eagle statue beside her jumping up the ranks. She looked calm. If there was any change in her thoughts, other people would find it hard to detect.
However, the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe still did not look at the ranks.
49th: Mo Su, 205 steps.
46th: Mo Su. 213 steps.
42nd: Mo Su. 221 steps.
39th: Mo Su, 232 steps.
37th: Mo Su, 239 steps.
34th: Mo Su, 247 steps!
Si Kong stared at the ranks on the plate in his hand. His entire face was pale while his body trembled. It was as if he lost all his strength and fell to the ground. He gritted his teeth, but it turned into a sense of helplessness. He only managed to take two steps and could no longer bear the pressure brought about by the night. He had to stop.
Bei Ling’s face was bitter as he also gave up on continuing. He did not have any more strength to move. The pressure of the night was not something he could withstand.
The others also stopped. As they looked at the shocking sight of Mo Su going from the 50th place to the 34th place, a sense of powerlessness arose within them.
Su Ming stood at the 247th step. That was not even half of the mountain. Compared to the seemingly endless stairway, he was only a small distance up the stairs. Even so, even if it was just a small distance, as he stood there, it was as if he was standing in midair. There was no wind where he was, and due to the mist surrounding him, it was difficult for him to see the world outside. Yet as Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the moon, he felt as if it was now closer to him.
Su Ming took in a deep breath and lifted his foot once again to land on the 248th step. The moment he stood there, the blood veins in his body increased once again, and it rose from 58 blood veins to 59 blood veins!
Su Ming lowered his head and looked at the blood veins on his body. There was a smile on his lips. He could clearly feel the similar balance on the 248th step, just like in the previous two places.
The sky was still dark. There was still some time before daylight, but Su Ming gave up on moving onwards. He sat down with his legs crossed on the 248th step and closed his eyes. He immersed himself within the circulation of his Qi and began controlling it with finesse.
Due to the increase in his blood veins, the difficulty in fine control had also increased. Yet Su Ming was not anxious. He did not want to give up on this sort of a rare chance. Besides, the purpose of the elder telling him the six numbers was for him to treasure the chance in the first place.
When Su Ming went into meditation to control the speed of the circulation of Qi in his body, time passed by slowly. Once the participants who were in the later 30s saw the final result, their uncertainty gradually turned into contemplation. As for those before the 34th place, they began to relax from their anxiety.
Those within the field were filled with different theories and expectations once Su Ming stopped once again.
"Just who is he?"
"Which tribe does he belong to?"
"Why did he choose to move at night?"
"Why did he stop once he reached 34th place? Is he tired, or does he have another plan?"
"Can he maintain his rank, or will he fall out of the top 50, or will he… get into the top 30, and even the top 20..?"
"Could he perhaps… get into the top 10?"
Numerous questions appeared within the hearts of the people in the field. As the sounds of discussion gradually died down, they buried their queries in their hearts and waited for the moment they would obtain their answer.
There were also quite a number of them who did not think highly of Su Ming. They believed that Su Ming would stop moving soon. More importantly, as daylight was about to arrive and the others would start moving once again, Su Ming’s rank would fall.
Yet no matter what, even those who did not expect too much from Su Ming had to admit that Mo Su’s name brought about a change during that night. Due to that, his name would be remembered forever by all the people. In fact, even after many years had passed, they would still remember it…
That night, Mo Su’s brilliance was greater than the people’s in the top 10 ranks, and it could even be said that it was greater than Ye Wang’s!
It was destined that Mo Su’s name would be taken into account occasionally even when day arrived. No matter what the spectators’ thoughts were, most of them held some form of expectation towards that name.
Mo Sang was still smiling as he looked at Su Ming’s rank. He might not know how and why Su Ming changed during the night, but he understood that everyone had their own secrets. As his elder and guardian, there were times where he did not have to know everything about his protégé, but would have to protect him.
"Do you believe what I said now?" For the first time since he came to this place, Mo Sang took the initiative to speak to Jing Nan.
Jing Nan’s face was calm as usual, but when he looked at the rankings, he frowned slightly. He became even more uncertain towards what Mo Sang said about Su Ming’s birth.
The night slowly passed by. The field sank into a peaceful silence. Almost everyone became quiet due to the different thoughts occupying their minds. Yet their gazes would still occasionally wander to the eagle statues and stay on the line belonging to Mo Su.
After a long while, the first rays of light brightened up the horizon. A new day had arrived.