Martial World (Web Novel)
chapter-1024

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News of Lin Ming rushing into the seventh level of the Hells of Flame and simultaneously forming an origin energy cloud at the seventh stage of Life Destruction spread out like a surging tide over the entire Ancient Phoenix Clan.

Without a doubt, this was the grandest event in the Ancient Phoenix Clan for the last tens of thousands of years!

In Phoenix Cry Palace, when Fairy Feng obtained this news she was pleasantly surprised. Although she had held high faith in Lin Ming, she never imagined that he would bring her such great and wondrous surprises.

However, those that had the greatest reaction to Lin Ming were the Ancient Phoenix Clan Headquarters as well as the great families.

At this time, at the Divine Realm’s Crimson Light World, within a sealed space, there was a large planet that had been shifted into it by some great supernatural power.

This was the home base of the Huo Family, one of the three great distinguished families of the Ancient Phoenix Clan. The Huo Family, a single family by itself, was able to occupy the entire planet. When all the direct descendants of the Huo Family as well as the branch descendants were added together, they were no fewer in number than the entire population of Phoenix Cry Palace! It was a figure that used a million as the base unit!

With so many people, not every junior of the three great families had a rich bloodline. Only the true top genius disciples among them would be allowed to remain at the family headquarters and be given focus in training. Most other juniors were sent to other faction palaces as their own personal smelting trial. They would stand with the juniors of the ordinary families and all of them would begin at the same starting line. They would rise based on their own talent. Perhaps they would be able to wield great power and become a pivotal figure at their branch palace, adding influence to the family. Or perhaps they would vanish in the sands of time, slowly forgotten by their family.

At this time, within the central core palace of the Huo Family, over a dozen Elders were sitting around a circular table. A flame-colored jade slip was mounted at the center of the round table. This was the message sent by Duke Golden Sword. In this jade slip, there were also some sealed images of Lin Ming’s crossing of the seventh stage of Life Destruction. The phenomenon of the origin energy cloud left everyone flustered.

And circling around this jade slip, the Elders present had divided into two camps, fiercely arguing with each other. The key question was just what they were quarreling about.

They were arguing over whether or not they should take in Lin Ming as the top core disciple of their Huo Family, and perhaps even faithfully push him into the position to be the next Patriarch of the Ancient Phoenix Clan to compete with the Huang Family and the Xiao Family.

On one side was the conservative faction of the Huo Family. They advocated for purity of bloodline, and believed that no matter what, Lin Ming was still an outsider that wasn’t worth the focused training of the Huo Family. They believed they should focus all resources on the juniors of the Huo Family.

And on the other side was everyone that was laughing at the Huo Family’s conservative faction. They believed that after spending 10,000 years diligently training the so-called ‘genius’ disciples, all of them had turned out to be useless idiots that couldn’t stand up to anyone. They had wasted so many resources and yet no one they produced had even come close to comparing with Huang Yuefeng or Xiao Chuji.

This sort of dispute had frequently repeated itself for the last several hundreds of years. But this time the argument was particularly nasty.

But no matter how desperately any side argued, the final judgment lay in the hands of the Huo Family’s Patriarch.

“Patriarch, in these past years, although our Huo Family has been called part of the Ancient Phoenix Clan’s three great families along with the Xiao Family and the Huang Family, the truth is that our family is slowly diminishing. In fact, we have already been long cast away by the other two. In the 72 branch palaces, most of the vital positions have been wrested away by the other two families. And as for the future position of the Ancient Phoenix Clan Patriarch, it seems likely that Huang Yuefeng or Xiao Chuji will take the throne. Regardless of which one of them takes the position of Patriarch, the other will still be the top Vice Patriarch! This is a major attack on our family! We must raise a talented disciple at all costs to compete with those two!”

“If they do not come from our family then the wishes and desires of their heart will be different. Can you guarantee that this Lin Ming isn’t some greedy and treacherous wolf? If we spend so much strength training him and yet he doesn’t help our Huo Family, then wouldn’t we just lose everything?”

“That’s still better than sitting here and waiting to rot away! Looking at the greater picture, even if Lin Ming isn’t a junior of our Huo Family, I am still willing to train him to become the next Patriarch of the Ancient Phoenix Clan. That result is still far better than to have the position fall into the hands of the other two!”

The Elders of both sides became increasingly intense in their arguing. The meeting continued for several hours. But at this moment, the Patriarch of the Huo Family, a red-robed old man sitting in the seat of honor, suddenly spoke up.

“Enough! No more arguing. Inform Highdragon. Have him bring along a drop of phoenix blood essence and follow me. I shall personally go to Atlas World’s Fire Spirit Star. And you too Whitejade, you’re coming along. Bring with you the Sacred Flame Testament. I want to see with my own eyes just what sort of heroic young elite this Lin Ming is!”

“…What?”

As the Elders heard the red-robed old man speak, all of them were stunned. The Huo Family Patriarch actually planned on going to Atlas World’s Fire Spirit Star to personally observe this Lin Ming? Moreover, he also wanted to take with him a drop of phoenix blood essence and the Sacred Flame Testament!

The Highdragon that the red-robed old man spoke of was Huo Highdragon, the Internal Affairs Envoy of the Ancient Phoenix Clan and also Monarch Sweetyfox’s immediate boss. He was part of the Huo Family, and regardless of strength or status, he far surpassed any ordinary Palace Master of the 72 palaces!

However, even Huo Highdragon couldn’t take a drop of phoenix blood essence whenever he wanted. Because this involved so many interests and oppositions, he had to go through and obtain the approval of the Ancient Phoenix Clan Headquarters as well as the three great families in order to do so.

However, because the standard that headquarters had set down seemed on the verge of being met, it was well within reason for Huo Highdragon to bring with him a drop of phoenix blood essence.

As for the Sacred Flame Testament, that was a set a totem stones. Moreover, it was the most precious set of totem stones in the entire Ancient Phoenix Clan. If someone called these totem stones number two, no one would dare to classify anything else as number one!

There was a total of nine carvings in this set of totem stones. However, these totem stones did not originate from the clansmen of the Ancient Phoenix Clan. Rather, they had been found by the first Patriarch of the Huo Family. That Patriarch had been exploring a mystic realm when he accidentally stumbled upon this set of totem stones. And, this Patriarch was also one of the most mythical characters of the Ancient Phoenix Clan. He had a great number of lucky chances in his life and nearly became a World King. This set of totem stones was one of his lucky chances.

This set of totem stones altogether was named the Sacred Flame Testament. As for who had carved them, no one knew anything except that it was absolutely some ancient supreme elder. It was even possible that they were left behind by an Empyrean level character!

The Sacred Flame Testament was the most precious treasure of the Huo Family, and also the foundation of the Huo Family’s glory and strength.

For all these tens of thousands of years, the Huo Family had relied on the Sacred Flame Testament and the blessings of the First Patriarch to slowly develop, eventually becoming one of the Ancient Phoenix Clan’s three great families.

“Patriarch wishes to bring the Sacred Flame Testament to Atlas World’s Fire Spirit Star?” Several Elders of the conservative faction gulped in unison. The Huo Family Patriarch also had another position at the Ancient Phoenix Clan Headquarters. That was… Highest Elder of the Ancient Phoenix Clan!

The Patriarchs of the three great families were all Highest Elders of the Ancient Phoenix Clan. Their status was not what a normal Palace Master could ever hope to compare with. And now he wanted to go and personally observe a Life Destruction realm junior disciple as he underwent the Ancient Phoenix smelting trial.

Moreover, if the Sacred Flame Testament was brought to Fire Spirit Star then it was certainly so that Lin Ming could meditate on it. The Sacred Flame Testament was the same as other totem stones. There were Law fragments that slowly accumulated inside, and once they were perceived, these Law fragments would be drained out. Not even the Elders of the Huo Clan had many chances to perceive them, and yet Lin Ming was going to be given a chance to do so. Without a doubt, the Patriarch had already decided that he would win over Lin Ming.

……………..

Two days later, Atlas World, Fire Spirit Star –

In these two days, Lin Ming had been in seclusion as he slowly combed over the Laws within his body. He had just broken through to the seventh stage of Life Destruction and had also withstood the baptism of the Laws within the origin energy cloud. He had accumulated a great deal of insights in the meantime and had to take this prime time to enlighten himself on the Laws. Closing up and meditating at this moment was the best method for Lin Ming to increase his strength.

During these last two days, Lin Ming felt as if his spirit was freely roaming through the highest heavens. His strength as well as his comprehension of Laws greatly increased every day.

On the third day, Lin Ming suddenly opened his eyes. In that moment, all of the light around him vanished. And within his body, the runes on his bones began to light up one at a time, blooming with a luminous light.

It was time for him to take the phoenix blood essence!

Lin Ming thought to himself. On this day, he had accumulated enough energy. His body was overflowing with strength. What he wished for was a happy and wild battle!

“Lin Ming left seclusion!”

Some disciples immediately cried out. In these two days, the many disciples of Fire Spirit Star didn’t train at all; at most they would rush through the 18 Hells of Flame. But none of them entered Totem Tower. They were waiting for the grand occasion that was coming. They all wanted to see Lin Ming complete the Thousand Slaughter of the Illusionary God Combat Array and finally obtain the drop of phoenix blood essence.

“It’s about to begin…”

Yan Littlemoon stepped out from a floating cave abode. She looked at Lin Ming floating in the sky, a complex emotion coloring her face. She didn’t want to see Lin Ming shine in brilliance yet again, but with her complex mood and her strange thoughts, she silently flew over to the Illusionary God Combat Array.

And behind Yan Littlemoon, the female disciples of Charming Phoenix Palace all flew out one by one. Today was destined to be carved in the history of the Ancient Phoenix Clan. With so much hope and expectation, they definitely wouldn’t miss such a scene.

“Lin Ming… truly miraculous…” On Phoenix Cry Palace’s side, White Daohong floated high in the sky. Behind him were the other Divine Transformation realm disciples of Phoenix Hall, the Divine Sea realm disciples, and then the rookie disciples.

Zhou Fei, the rookie disciple that had taken the number one spot in the qualification tournament, was naturally also in this group. After he witnessed Lin Ming break into the seventh level of the Hells of Flame and then summon a three mile origin energy cloud as he crossed the seventh stage of Life Destruction, he had already long discarded any thoughts of competing with Lin Ming. As he thought back to how he planned on surpassing Lin Ming, Zhou Fei only felt his cheeks blush red. Luckily, he hadn’t been audacious enough to say that to Lin Ming’s face, otherwise he truly would become the laughing stock of all.

The disciples of Phoenix Cry Palace, Charming Phoenix Palace, and Praying Phoenix Palace all left their respective spirit boats, cave dwellings, residences, or even returned from the 18 Hells of Flame if they were training there. They all returned to watch Lin Ming begin his final impact on the last standard for obtaining the drop of phoenix blood essence.

And in front of Totem Tower’s square, Blackwood, Duke Golden Sword, and Monarch Sweetyfox were all flying in the air. They saw Lin Ming approach, bursting with energy and potential. Monarch Sweetyfox lovably smiled and said, “Lin Ming, you seem as if you are prepared?”

“Yes!”

“Mm… good! Then I will first tell you something. To complete the Thousand Slaughter in the Illusionary God Combat Array is much more difficult than reaching the seventh level of the 18 Hells of Flame. The last person to complete the Thousand Slaughter did so 40,000 years ago. According to the standards set by headquarters, all you need to do is complete the Thousand Slaughter before the Ancient Phoenix smelting trial ends. Are you sure that you wish to attempt this now?”

“Yes, Lady Envoy.”

“Good. Blackwood, activate the array.” Monarch Sweetyfox said.

Beside her, Blackwood swept out his hand and a rumbling sound echoed through Totem Tower’s square. The great portal gate of the Illusionary God Combat Array emerged once again.