Chapter 404 – I Just Want to Get Stronger Now

Recalling everything that had just happened, even Su Ming felt a lingering palpitation.

There was no helping it. That sensation of his entire consciousness slowly slipping out of control, his very soul seemingly dragged away by invisible chains, feeling as though it might depart from his physical body at any moment—it was truly terrifying.

If the Demon Emperor Sword, as a divine artifact, was domineering and forceful in its erosion of the mind, bringing only pain and madness, then the Soul Lock was a torment to both spirit and soul.

Though not intensely painful, the feeling of clearly sensing one’s mind, soul, and body being slowly disintegrated and bound was perhaps even more frightening than pure agony.

At the very least, Su Ming absolutely did not want to experience it a second time.

Just moments ago, if Hai’er hadn’t forcibly awakened him through their spiritual connection, allowing his nearly scattered consciousness to coalesce once more, Su Ming would have lost consciousness entirely, just as Old Ling had warned.

If that had happened on the battlefield, losing consciousness would have left him utterly defenseless, at the mercy of others.

Thinking of this, Su Ming fell silent, unable to utter a single word in response to Old Ling and Old Qin’s inquiries.

Seeing Su Ming’s silence, Old Qin opened his mouth as if to say something more.

But at that moment, Old Ling spoke up.

“Hey, old man, you’ve gone too far,” Old Ling said with a displeased expression, bluntly criticizing Old Qin. “To deal with a junior, you actually resorted to the Soul Lock—and he’s just an eighteen-year-old kid.”

Old Ling’s words made Old Qin shut his mouth.

He knew himself that he had overstepped.

Eighteen years old—that was even younger than his own great-granddaughter, Qin Qing.

Although Su Ming’s strength far surpassed that of most Professionals in their forties or fifties and wasn’t far from the peak of the Seven-Star level, using the Soul Lock—a signature move specifically designed to counter Seven-Star Professionals—against a junior who hadn’t even reached that level and had boundless potential did indeed seem excessive.

This was the signature technique of Qin Yue, the world’s second strongest person and the one ranked just below the Guardian Deity.

Normally, even those top-tier Seven-Star Professionals might not be able to force Old Qin to use this move. For Old Qin to employ it against an eighteen-year-old youth—even if others could overlook it, Old Ling certainly wouldn’t stand for it.

But Old Qin couldn’t afford to lose.

Losing wasn’t just a matter of losing face; it would also cost him a degree of leverage in future dealings concerning An Zijin.

That was something Old Qin was unwilling to see.

Coupled with Su Ming’s unexpectedly formidable combat skills—he had even managed to exploit the weakness of the Dawn Star Orbit, nearly causing Old Qin to stumble—Old Qin had lost his composure and brought out his signature move.

In the end, not only did he fail to win, but his long-renowned, world-dominating ultimate technique was also broken.

Who could Old Qin even complain to about this?

Even Old Ling was saying as much.

“Since you even used the Soul Lock and still couldn’t subdue him, consider this duel your loss,” Old Ling declared with finality.

Clearly, he wasn’t just expressing dissatisfaction—he was also prepared to stand up for Su Ming.

And Old Qin had no retort.

What else could he do?Just moments ago, if Old Ling hadn’t intervened, he would have either been killed by the fall or finished off by Su Ming’s astonishingly powerful punch.

Moreover, he himself had declared that if Su Ming could withstand the [Soul Lock] without losing, then Su Ming would be considered the winner.

Now that Su Ming had indeed withstood the [Soul Lock], how could he possibly go back on his word?

If he did, he would completely lose face.

“Sigh…”

Old Qin could only sigh and admit his defeat.

“This time, I have truly lost.”

If nothing else, the fact that he had ended up in such a state, nearly losing his life, left Old Qin with no grounds to claim he hadn’t lost.

However…

“My loss is insignificant. As a fellow human, I can only feel gratified to see the younger generation performing so exceptionally.”

Old Qin looked at Su Ming and spoke.

“But, young friend Su, the matter concerning Zijin is far too important to the Qin Family. We absolutely cannot compromise on this.”

This was the one point Old Qin had to insist on, no matter what.

The Qin Family had made so many sacrifices, exerted so much effort, paid such a heavy price, and spent a thousand years to reach this point.

Did they expect them to give up now?

Not even Su Ming alone, nor even the Guardian Deity Old Ling himself, could make the Qin Family compromise.

Of course, from Su Ming’s attitude, Old Qin could also tell that he, too, would never compromise.

This unprecedented Prodigy and their Qin Family were now locked in an irreconcilable conflict.

Thus, Old Qin had mentally prepared himself for a complete fallout with Su Ming.

Unexpectedly, Su Ming, who had just been utterly unyielding and refused to give Old Qin any face, was no longer pressing the issue.

He merely glanced at Old Qin, then turned around.

“Boom!”

With a gust of fierce wind, Su Ming shattered the ground beneath him, transforming into a streak of light that shot into the sky and vanished into the distance.

“This…”

Old Qin was stunned.

“He’s gone?”

Old Ling was equally astonished.

Su Ming had left, just like that.

Without another outburst, without another word, he had departed in silence.

But instead of reassuring Old Qin, this only made him uneasy.

“What does this mean?”

Old Qin hurriedly asked Old Ling.

“How should I know?” Old Ling also frowned, muttering, “He left without even a word?”

At that moment, not only Old Qin but even Old Ling instinctively felt a sense of unease.

After all, Su Ming was clearly not the silent type, nor was he someone willing to compromise.

Neither Old Ling nor Old Qin believed Su Ming was admitting defeat, showing weakness, or planning to ignore the Qin Family’s actions toward An Zijin.

If that was the case, what did his attitude signify?

Both elders felt that Su Ming’s behavior was, in fact, more alarming.

Perhaps he was about to do something earth-shattering—who could tell?

This left Old Ling and Old Qin feeling unsettled.

“It’s all your fault, you old fool,” Old Ling glared at Old Qin. “If my successor does something impulsive and makes the situation irreparable, you’ll bear the greatest responsibility.”With that, Old Ling no longer lingered, transforming directly into a streak of light as he shot toward the direction Su Ming had departed.

The scene was left with only Old Qin, clutching his chest and still feeling somewhat unwell.

Old Qin stared in the direction where Su Ming and Old Ling had vanished, his heart unsettled and conflicted.

He felt that the situation might have truly escalated.

Especially the glance Su Ming had given him before leaving—when Old Qin recalled it, he couldn’t help but feel deeply uneasy.

From this, it was clear that Su Ming was no longer a simple figure in the mind of this Qin Family ancestor.

Someone who could withstand the attack of his Soul Lock, inflict such a heavy loss on him in this battle, and nearly cost him his life—if such a person truly decided to clash head-on with the Qin Family, the days ahead for the Qin Family could become exceedingly difficult.

Particularly since Su Ming was so young, so small in age, with such astonishing and terrifying potential.

If he could already cause him such great harm now, what would happen when he grew stronger and opposed the Qin Family? Could the Qin Family truly withstand it?

“No.”

Old Qin clenched his fist tightly.

“If such a fearsome individual truly opposes the Qin Family, even if we manage to hold out, the losses would be devastating.”

At that point, forget about being a dual-profession family—even maintaining their current status would become a major issue.

In that instant, Qin Yue thought of many things.

For instance, eliminating the threat while it was still in its cradle.

But he immediately dismissed the idea.

“If I really do that, that old fellow Ling Xiao would definitely fight me to the death.”

Not to mention, the Qin Family might not even be able to eliminate Su Ming.

Don’t forget, Su Ming still held a Divine Artifact in his hand.

If pushed to the brink, disregarding his own safety and unleashing the Divine Artifact, the Qin Family’s troubles would truly become immense.

“The only way is to find a means to reconcile with him.”

After much deliberation, Old Qin could only settle on this solution.

Immediately, Old Qin turned his head and looked toward the rooftop of a building.

Then, mustering the small amount of Spirit Power he had barely recovered, he activated the Dawn Star Orbit Spell Formula, transforming into starlight as he sped toward that rooftop.

There, Qin Qing was preparing to leave.

…

Meanwhile, after leaving without a word, Su Ming headed straight in the direction of his own villa.

“Kid Su Ming!”

From behind, Old Ling’s voice called out.

But Su Ming acted as if he hadn’t heard, continuing on his way.

Unfortunately, his speed was no match for Old Ling, an existence unrivaled in the world.

Thus, Su Ming was quickly caught up by Old Ling.

“You brat, facing your teacher and guide, and you won’t even acknowledge me? Isn’t that a bit too rude?”

With a somewhat helpless tone, a large hand pressed down on Su Ming’s shoulder, forcing him to land on the roof of a building.

Old Ling held Su Ming’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks, his face full of resignation.

“What exactly are you trying to do, kid?”

Old Ling stared straight at Su Ming, as if trying to see through him.

Su Ming, under Old Ling’s direct gaze, remained expressionless.

“What are you worried about?” Su Ming asked, surprisingly calm. “Worried that I might not be able to resist using the Divine Artifact and go on a rampage at the Qin Family’s headquarters?”

“Would you?” Old Ling countered without answering, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Su Ming. “I don’t think you’re that kind of person.””Is that so?” Su Ming responded with a question of his own, “You have that much confidence in me?”

“It’s not a matter of confidence,” Old Ling shook his head, unusually calm as he replied, “If you were truly an impulsive person, you wouldn’t have concealed yourself so deeply at such a young age, nor would you have resisted the Demon Emperor Sword’s mental corruption until now.”

This was precisely why Old Ling had knowingly allowed such a dangerous Divine Artifact to remain with Su Ming without intervening.

All Divine Artifacts carried the risk of corrupting their wielders, driving them mad, transforming them into walking disasters that would destroy everything in frenzy. Had Su Ming shown any signs of losing control over the Demon Emperor Sword or clear indications of mental erosion, Old Ling would never have permitted him to remain in Tianfeng City, move freely, or be considered as his successor.

It was only because Su Ming appeared capable of resisting the Demon Emperor Sword’s corruption, maintaining his sanity and even demonstrating cautious rationality, that Old Ling temporarily overlooked the sword’s presence and allowed Su Ming to leave his cottage.

Therefore, these words weren’t spoken lightly—Old Ling genuinely believed them.

The problem was, Su Ming didn’t seem indifferent toward the Qin Family either.

Old Ling had reason to believe that Su Ming still intended to cause trouble.

Even if not committing atrocities that would outrage both gods and men, he would likely stir up trouble that would shake the entire Tianfeng City.

This was the only thing Old Ling wished to prevent.

“Though I don’t know why your negotiations with that old fellow broke down, or what the Qin Family did to upset you so, you must understand what it truly means to oppose them.”

Old Ling offered this advice.

“The Qin Family are the administrators of Tianfeng City, the former Royal Family. Opposing them means not only confronting a great Family with millennia of Legacy, but essentially declaring war on the entire Tianfeng City.”

As Tianfeng City’s Guardian Deity, Old Ling couldn’t bear to see humans conflict internally, weakening their own strength, nor would he stand by watching Su Ming and the Qin Family lock horns.

These two parties—one a future existence that would surpass himself, the other an ancient lineage that had contributed greatly to Tianfeng City and the human world—if either were damaged in their confrontation, it would be a devastating loss for all humanity.

One was humanity’s future pillar, the other had been humanity’s pillar for generations. Old Ling wished to see neither come to harm.

Therefore, whether considering public duty or private sentiment, reason or emotion, he needed to properly counsel Su Ming.

However…

“Old Ling.”

Su Ming suddenly spoke.

“I need resources. Lots and lots of resources.”

These words made Old Ling freeze.

“Resources?” Old Ling sounded somewhat puzzled, but still responded, “I already intended to properly nurture you. Don’t worry about resources—I’ll take full responsibility for them.”

This was the truth.

Having witnessed Su Ming’s Aptitude and potential, Old Ling’s current greatest desire was to cultivate him into a talent as quickly as possible, accelerating his growth.

If Su Ming could elevate both his professions to the Seven-Star level, he would surpass Old Ling himself, surpass the mutated Nightmare Species, and perhaps even challenge the legendary, most terrifying Horror Species.

Therefore, Old Ling had long prepared to leverage his authority and mobilize Tianfeng City’s resources to provide Su Ming with the best possible conditions for growth.He had already issued the orders, and the Tianfeng City authorities were taking action. It was believed that a large amount of resources would soon be delivered to Su Ming for his use.

Su Ming seemed to have anticipated this as well.

Thus, he spoke.

“Then have the resources delivered to my residence as soon as possible,” Su Ming said indifferently. “Rest assured, I don’t intend to do anything for now—I only wish to grow stronger.”

After saying this, Su Ming transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky once more.

Old Ling watched him depart quietly, his brow furrowed.

Only after a long while did Old Ling let out a sigh.

“Never mind, I’ll trust him for now.”

As he spoke, Old Ling took out his Terminal and began issuing instructions.

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(End of Chapter)