Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
In the chamber, after Su Mo had consumed the Dosu Fruit, it turned into a gentle force sweeping through his limbs.
The force nourished the power in his body and flesh, infusing him with the essence of the Life and Death Rule.
This Rule was quite mysterious. Its essence flowed into Su Mo’s mind, giving him a clear understanding of the Life and Death Rule.
Next, Su Mo devoured some Dawn Stones, then he studied the Life and Death Rule as he trained.
Not only could the Dosu Fruits help ease the bottleneck of the Realm, it could also enable people to grasp the Rules within. Therefore, Su Mo got ready to break through to the Realm of Ninth Grade, High Rank and study the Life and Death Rule.
All was quiet in the chamber as Su Mo and Ling Chang trained in silence.
Between the two, one of them was filled with the mysterious power of Life and Death, while the other exuded strong vitality, filled with the power of the Rule of Life.
The Life and Death Rule was far more mysterious than the Life Rule. It was as mysterious and unpredictable as alternating between life and death, or the rotation of the sun and the moon.
While Su Mo and Ling Chang were training quietly, Jin Wu Manor and Palmy City got busy.
On that day, as many as three hundred Chief Elders from all major Branches had gathered there.
Im the hall, Reverend Jin Wu sat on the main seat.
Priest Tian Hua sat on his left while Quan Ruhai stood behind his teacher.
Only a few hours had passed but Quan Ruhai’s external wounds were no longer obvious, but he still looked pale from all the internal injuries.
On either side of the hall sat about three hundred people. There were old men with gray hair, middle-aged men with solemn faces, and rickety old women.
“Please, do tell, what is your purpose for coming here?” Reverend Jin Wu surveyed the crowd and asked, despite already knowing what they came for.
“Elder Jin Wu, your disciple Wu Shan had committed a heinous crime, don’t you know?” said one elder with mostly grayish hair. He was Reverend Tian Jue, who pressed charges on Su Mo immediately.
“Elder Jin Wu, Wu Shan has taken the Dosu Tree!”
“Lord Baiye brought back the Dosu Tree from the Primitive Continent as a treasure of the Ancient Cloud Star Alliance, and one used to train and challenge the disciples of out branches.”
“That’s right. That good-for-nothing Wu Shan took it!”
Several spoke up. They were unsure how Su Mo had managed to take the Tree, but it had to be returned quickly.
“Jin Wu, summon Wu Shan at once, and demand that he return the Dosu Tree!” said Priest Tian Hua. The Dosu Tree was a treasure indeed, but not for personal gain. It had to be given back, or chaos would befall them.
“Hold on!” Elder Jin Wu nodded without refuting. He knew the Dosu Tree had to be returned.
“Lin Ya, go get Su Mo!” Reverend Jin Wu commanded his eldest disciple, Lin Ya, who stood not too far behind him.
She nodded and left the hall to look for Su Mo.
Soon, she arrived at Su Mo’s palace but found the place to be empty. Only the stone door to the training chamber was shut tight.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Lin Ya knocked on the stone door, making low sounds.
“Junior Wu Shan, the teacher commands your presence,” Lin Ya said. She believed the the people inside could hear her.
From within the chamber, Su Mo certainly could. Ling Chang heard her as well, but they did not get up to open the door, because they were at the critical points of their training.
This was especially true for Ling Chang, whose training had come to the brink of a breakthrough, as aided by the Dosu Fruit’s effects.
As for Su Mo, although he showed no signs of impending breakthrough, he had also reached a critical period in his study of the Life and Death Rule.
The power of the Rules contained in the Dosu Fruits were not very powerful, but it enabled people to master the Rules in the shortest time possible, allowing them to complete an Order of Great Completion.
Su Mo was at the most critical moment. It would not be long before he had completely mastered the mysteries of the Life and Death Rule.
After many moments, the stone door did not budge. Lin Ya, frowning, raised her hand and was about to force it open.
She withdrew her hand just as quickly as she had raised it, feeling rather uncertain.
‘Wu Shan could not possibly shut himself on purpose. Since he did not want to come out, it could mean he was at a critical stage of his training and could not afford to be disconnected.
But hundreds of Chief Elders were waiting for him out there. Lin Ya could not decide what to do.
After a moment’s consideration, she did not attempt to open the door by force, but chose to wait outside the chamber. She knew that even her teacher would not charge into the chamber by force.
And so, Lin Ya waited outside the chamber.
In the hall, all the branch Elders were discussing with Reverend Jin Wu.
“Elder Jin Wu, those three thousand Dosu Fruits are supposed to be gifts for the outstanding disciples of our branches. It’s not right for Su Mo to take all of them!” an old woman said hoarsely. She knew Wu Shan had taken two thousand, nine hundred and ninety Dosu Fruits, but that might as well have
been all of them.
Most importantly, Reverend Jin Wu’s other disciple had also taken the remaining one.
“Yes, the three thousand Dosu Fruits were supposed to be shared by the outstanding disciples across all our branches. Wu Shan’s very greedy to take them all for himself!”
“I think Wu Shan can claim a few of those Fruits, but the rest should be divided between us to be given to our own disciples.”
The Elders spoke. It should not have been an issue for Wu Shan to hand over the Tree. They just wanted the Fruits.
The Dosu Fruits might have been of no use to them, but they would work wonders for the disciples below the Supreme Being Realm.
“But, my dear peers, the winner gets the gold. The fact that Wu Shan was able to collect all the Dosu Fruits says a lot about his superior abilities!” Reverend Jin Wu grinned and added, “My disciple is greatly skilled indeed to be able to perform such a remarkable act. He has certainly exceeded my
expectations. Perhaps your disciples are relatively mediocre.”
As soon as this remark came out, many faces paled. Reverend Jin Wu’s statement not only refused to hand in the Dosu Fruits, but he had also managed to mock the disciples of the other branches.
“So, do you plan to take the Dosu Fruits for yourself? Reverend Tian Jue squinted and said. The Dosu Fruits could not be consumed indefinitely, for only the first one would be effective in breaking through the bottleneck. As for the Rules, no one would study too many of those. Two or three Rules would
have exceeded their range of capabilities.
So, he believed Wu Shan wanted to give the Dosu Fruits to Reverend Jin Wu.
“Elder Tian Jue, don’t joke around. What do Wu Shan’s Dosu Fruits have to do with me? He can feed them to the dogs, for all I care!” Elder Jin Wu shook his head.
“y-You…!” Reverend Jin Wu raged, but he had no words to rebut the man with. It was true, the Dosu Fruits had always been first come, first serve.
1
“Reverend Jin Wu, my apprentice is prepared to study the Immortal Rule. Perhaps it’s not too much to ask for that single Dosu Fruit?” said an Elder in green robe.
Quan Ruhai, who was right next to Priest Tian Hua, immediately paled.
He had come for the Dosu Fruit with the Immortal Rule too.
Back at Dosu Star, when he had been challenging Su Mo, that was what he had been after, but he had failed.
But he knew that all the Dosu Fruits would be pretty much useless to Su Mo. There was no way he could consume them all.
He had come with Priest Tian Hua this time so that his teacher could ask Elder Jin Wu for the Dosu Fruit with the Immortal Rule on his behalf.
He was a disciple of the Palmy Branch. Along with Priest Tian Hua’s request, Elder Jin Wu could not possibly refuse. And if Elder Jin Wu asked Su Mo for it, Su Mo could not reject him either.
Therefore, at this very moment, Quan Ruhai got anxious. If Reverend Jin Wu promised that Elder, then his plan would be ruined.
“It depends on Wu Shan, I’m afraid. The Dosu Fruits belong to him, after all. Even as his teacher, I do not have the authority to decide!” Elder Jin Wu said reluctantly.
The Elder in green did not like what he had heard. A single order from Elder Jin Wu could have decided Wu Shan’s willingness. Obviously, the master just did not want to give in.
The Elders looked disgusted. Reverend Jin Wu, simply put, was just a miser.
It seemed that their mission to take back the Dosu Tree, as well as the Dosu Fruits from Su Mo, had proven to be difficult…
