On the third morning after Su Ming returned to the tribe, the group gathered at the center of the tribe where the Berserker's Awakening was held with the elder as their leader. The elder was still dressed in his coarse robes. His white hair was braided into many braids and he looked to be in good spirits. His gaze fell on Bei Ling, Lei Chen, Su Ming, and a girl who was the same age as Su Ming.
The girl's name was Wu La. She was found to have a Berserker Body during the Berserker's Awakening. A few months had passed and she had reached the peak of the second level of the Blood Solidification Realm. She could manifest her eleventh blood vein at any time and become a Berserker at the third level of the Blood Solidification Realm.
There were two other people standing behind the elder. One of them was the Head of the Guards in the tribe, who was also Bei Ling's father. His strong body was like an iron tower, and there was gentleness in his bright eyes.
The other person was the chief of the hunting team, Shan Hen, who had a cold expression on his face and seemed to be a man of few words. The beast skin he wore made him look even more valiant. He had never liked to talk much, but most of the Berserkers in the tribe respected him greatly. Besides, his hunting team was the main guardian of the tribe and the main source of food, which was why he had a very high position in the tribe.
"Dark Mountain Tribe is small and cannot compare to Wind Stream Tribe. That is why we have to pay tribute to Wind Stream Tribe every few years as a form of respect. "I did not go in the past but this year, I will go personally. "Besides Dark Mountain Tribe, Dark Dragon Tribe, Black Mountain Tribe, and a few other smaller tribes that are further away will also gather in Wind Stream Tribe.
"That is why this trip is a test for all of you. You will have to face many of your peers from other tribes. Whether or not you can stand out and not bring shame to Dark Mountain Tribe's name will depend on you.
"I chose all of you because you are the best of the best in Dark Mountain Tribe. If you can gain some knowledge, it will be of great help to you in the future.
"Among you, Bei Ling has participated twice. He knows some of the details. You can ask him," the elder said slowly. His hoarse voice echoed in the air.
Bei Ling agreed in a low voice. His gaze fell on Lei Chen, then on the girl called Wu La. Finally, he looked at Su Ming by the side and frowned.
"Elder, will this trip be the same as the previous two trips? Will there be … a test?" Bei Ling hesitated for a moment before he asked the elder respectfully. When he saw the elder nodding his head, a glint appeared in Bei Ling's eyes and he pointed at Su Ming.
"Elder, I don't think Su Ming should go. He's not a Berserker. Even if he goes, he won't be of any help. It's better to give the spot to the other tribe members."
The moment Bei Ling's words left his mouth, Lei Chen, who was by his side, immediately looked hostile. He took a few steps forward and shouted.
"I can't go if I'm not a Berserker? Bei Ling, what do you mean by this?! "
The girl called Wu La had a calm expression on her face. She swept her gaze past the silent Su Ming, and a hint of disdain appeared in her eyes, but she did not speak to join the conversation.
"Elder, we can only bring four people from the younger generation to participate in the pilgrimage. In the previous tests, I was the only one from Dark Mountain Tribe who was able to get into the top fifty. This year, Lei Chen is here. Perhaps he can get in as well. Even Wu La might not have a high level of cultivation, but since she managed to flash nine times during the Berserker's Awakening, she might be able to get into the top hundred.
Such a result was much better than in previous years. Wouldn't it be even better if another person could enter the top 100? This Su Ming is just wasting his spot, "Bei Ling said calmly. He did not even look at Lei Chen, who was glaring at him.
"Su Ming won't be joining the test. I'll bring him there. I have my own plans," the elder said slowly.
Bei Ling wanted to say something else, but the Head of the Guards standing behind the elder glared at him, causing Bei Ling to swallow his words. Bei Ling had always been afraid of his father since he was young.
"Alright, we don't have much time. Let's go." The elder lifted his right hand and seized the air in the direction of the clear sky. Immediately, thunder roared in the sky and shook the entire area. The white clouds in the sky immediately turned black.
At the same time, a Berserker Mark formed by numerous blood veins appeared clearly on the elder's face. It was a dark python. Once the Berserker Mark appeared, the clouds in the sky that had turned black immediately looked as if there was a pair of invisible hands moving around them. In an instant, they gathered together and turned into a gigantic, ferocious, dark python that was several hundreds of feet long!
This scene shocked Lei Chen and Wu La. They were stunned. As for Bei Ling, he could still maintain his composure and force himself to remain cool.
Su Ming stood by the side and looked at the giant dark python. As he took a deep breath, desire appeared in his eyes.
The head of the guards, who was standing behind the elder, looked at the giant python with a hint of reverence in his eyes. As for Shan Hen, when he looked at the giant python, a hint of fanaticism flashed in his eyes.
When the python transformed, even the scales on its body could be seen clearly. An incredibly powerful presence spread out from its body. The python swung its head. There was originally a ferocious look in its red eyes, but at that moment, that ferociousness slowly disappeared and turned into gentleness. It descended from midair and lowered its head, lying obediently by the elder's side.
The elder lifted his foot and walked onto the python's head.
"Come on up."
Bei Ling was the first to leap onto the python's back. Once he sat down cross-legged, Lei Chen and Wu La followed suit. Su Ming hesitated for a moment before he jumped onto the python's back as well. He was just about to take a few steps back to sit with Lei Chen when the elder's voice traveled into his ears.
"Su Ming, come to my side!" The elder's voice was stern. Su Ming's face fell as he went to the elder's side. The moment he sat down, he saw the elder glaring at him.
"Elder … I was wrong … I was really wrong …" Su Ming quickly whispered.
The elder ignored him. He waited for the Head of the Guards and Shan Hen to get onto the dark python before he swung his right hand. The dark python let out a roar towards the sky and flew up into the clouds.
The tribe beneath them became smaller and smaller. Eventually, it became a small dot. As the dark python flew up, the wind howled like thunder. Su Ming's face immediately turned pale.
It was the same for Lei Chen and the others. However, at that moment, the Head of the Guards and the leader of the hunters stood in the middle and tail of the dark python to protect Bei Ling and the other two.
As for Su Ming, his breathing quickened in the wind. Very soon, a gentle force enveloped him. It was the elder's might that allowed Su Ming to withstand the discomfort he felt when he was in the sky for the first time.
"You know that you were wrong? What did you do wrong? It was La Su from Dark Dragon Tribe who borrowed 5,000 stone coins from you as a pawn for his spear. " The wind howled around them but the elder's words fell clearly into Su Ming's ears. With the pressure from the elder's Qi, no one else on the dark python besides the two of them could hear what he said.
"This …" Su Ming's face was filled with embarrassment. When he returned to the tribe, he excitedly went to tell the elder about it. He did not expect that the elder's face would immediately darken and he would lecture him. He even took away the long spear, causing Su Ming to sigh when he returned to his house. He did not know what he did wrong.
"Elder, I was wrong … I shouldn't have taken Si Kong's Berserker Vessel. I shouldn't have been greedy …" Su Ming's face was bitter as he observed the elder's expression and spoke carefully.
"I shouldn't have let him write that letter. Ah, elder, I know I was wrong." Su Ming looked at the elder with puppy eyes.
"Oh? That's all? There's nothing else. Think again. What did you do wrong? "The elder looked at Su Ming and spoke slowly.
Su Ming was stunned. He scratched his head instinctively and thought about the elder's words. There seemed to be some other meaning to them. Did he make other mistakes besides these?
Su Ming frowned and thought about it seriously for a while. Suddenly, a cold glint appeared in his eyes and he lifted his head.
"Elder, I know now. I should have killed him and gotten rid of his body before I took the Berserker Vessel!"
When he heard Su Ming's words, the elder's pupils shrank. He looked at Su Ming with a dumbfounded expression. It was as if he was not looking at the boy before him but was looking at him with a meaning that Su Ming did not understand.
"Oh? Why do you think that's your mistake and why did you want to kill him? "The elder looked at Su Ming and asked slowly.
"Because he wanted to kill me. Elder, you don't know this. If he really wanted to kill me, if I wasn't careful, you wouldn't have been able to see me. "But … but I couldn't bear to do it. I thought that if I really killed him, it would bring trouble to the tribe …" Su Ming remembered what happened a few days ago and his heart was still filled with fear. After a moment of hesitation, he explained himself in a low voice.
"You're right … Su Ming, you must remember this. If you run into people who want to kill you in the future, you must kill them before they're in danger!" The elder closed his eyes. After a long while, he opened them slowly. There was kindness in his eyes as he looked at Su Ming.
"But this is not the mistake I mentioned. Think again. Is there anything else you haven't thought about? Killing is easy, but how can you ensure your own safety after you kill someone? How can you find a way out from a dead end when you're in danger? "The elder looked at Su Ming and asked softly.
Su Ming scratched his head. He was still a teenager. Even if he performed well, he was still a teenager. He was slightly confused by the elder's words but he still did not understand them.
"Think about it. Don't give me an answer in a hurry. Tell me when you understand. You must learn to think and learn to think." The elder closed his eyes.
This was something that the elder would often do during the years Su Ming was growing up. The elder's teachings played a key role in Su Ming's growth.
Su Ming was deep in thought as he recalled everything that happened that day. From the time he was attacked by the long spear outside Dark Dragon Tribe to Si Kong chasing after him, and finally …
Time passed by slowly. Very soon, an hour had passed by. When they were only halfway to Wind Stream Tribe, a strong gust of wind blew towards them from afar, causing the dark python to tremble. The people on it also trembled. As Su Ming's body trembled, he felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind.
"Elder … I understand …" Su Ming mumbled. His back was drenched in cold sweat.
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