dark moon era
Right after Tang Long’s voice subsided, all he heard was the whistle of the wind.
In the next second, the copper-faced man single-handedly grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up into the air.
Then, without any reason, the copper-faced man punched him in the face.
“What’s the point? The point is to remember that Tang Ling is your brother! Shouldn’t you give a chance to your own blood and kinship?”
Right after that, he slammed Tang Long on the ground. Then, he looked at the kid and stretched his fist, “Sometimes, I think punches speak louder than words for someone who is lost. You will eventually make mistakes and I don’t mind lecturing you back to the correct path.”
The wind hissed and Tang Long’s long hair fluttered. A cold smile curled upon his lips. He then touched the edge of his mouth. The punch did not truly hurt him, but it would leave a bruise.
The copper-faced man’s attack was somewhat interesting. If the man was this powerful, should he not kill Tang Long instead?
Nevertheless, he did not seem to want to continue the conversation anymore, so he left Tang Long behind and went off.
Tang Long got back on his feet. Although the proud prince was treated so poorly, he did not have hatred for the man. Instead, he felt lost and a tormenting heartache.
‘Shouldn’t you give a chance to your own blood and kinship?’
The phrase replayed over and over again in his mind but he eventually returned to his calm self. If there was something he did not want to face, he would just force himself to forget it. It was a habit that he adopted many years ago.
Give a chance to Tang Ling? It’s like pushing me over the cliff. The hatred, the bitterness, the sourness, the refusal, everything will drown me…So I can’t give him this chance.
…
“It’s no good.” When Jian Fei said that, he sounded sympathetic, but his eyes were taking pleasure in the unfortunate moment. Why would he be impulsive if he already knew the outcome?
“I know.” In less than 3 minutes, the copper-faced man appeared in Jian Fei’s office again in the underground of the Floating Ice Black Market.
Who knew exactly how swift was the copper-faced man?
“If you know, why do it?” Jian Fei then handed a glass of alcohol to the copper-faced man. He was very interested to know what the copper-faced man had been through to get more information as a comparison or a reference for the other guy despite there possibly being slight differences.
“At least, I planted a seed in him.” The copper-faced man took Jian Fei’s glass and removed the lower part of his mask to drink it to the last drop. “Draconic Twelve feels like a venomous viper. If we do anything to him without any evidence, the Stardust Council might look at it the wrong way.”
“Planted a seed, eh? Hahahaha…” Jian Fei gawked. He shook his head as he continued, “Do you really think several simple words can bury the seed of brotherhood in Tang Long? And you expect him not to trust the Stardust Sixteen anymore, especially Draconic Twelve? You and I can’t even see through him…”
Jian Fei’s words were well-honed. The copper-faced man replied, “Draconic Twelve should be the council’s real…He should be the one behind what happened a year ago.”
“You know you need evidence for that, right? At least, the world now acknowledged that the tiny zombie wave that attacked Safety Sector No. 17 is the Stardust Council’s Shadow Troops’ handiwork.” Jian Fei suddenly looked serious.
That tiny little incident might actually be a butterfly flapping its wings and causing a storm on the other end.
“Hmm, evidence.” The copper-faced man looked at the ceiling and kept quiet.
Who would have thought that these two powerful figures could not even lay a finger on Draconic Twelve? It was similar to how the real complexity of the world would not simply show itself to commoners.
Forces were brewing in the dark and the new generation might be a little too young to the point that they did not even know who ruled over them.
…
The colosseum of the Hell Ledge had reached an unusual boiling point. Those who were able to watch the competition this day should be people of status. They should have more integrity than commoners, yet they never expected that this generation of young geniuses to perform this beautifully and they were also surprised that the stingy Darkness Port even brought out the prizes.
Indeed, the Simpering Pierrot acknowledged that the three items on the silver screen were actually prizes.
The contestants who returned to the resting room for a quick rest would also be informed about this encouraging good news at once.
What were the prizes?
Grown-ups with better insight would have a blurry image of the items because these items were very famous locally. It was safe to say that they were the specialty of Darkness Port. Even if they were not, they screamed of Darkness Port’s style, so how could anyone be a stranger to the items?
The first item would be given to the contestants who cleared stage 12. It had a famous name in Darkness Port—the Captain’s Mail.
The inner mail defense was not the best, but it was considered a quality item. Its defense alone did not make it famous. It was notable because it had the super-advanced patterns carved on it!
The super-advanced technological patterns were released by the officials of Darkness Port. As for the real identity of Darkness Port’s officials, whether it was the Darkness Court or some other organizations, no one cared.
The people only knew that the captains, who gained the qualifications to hunt on the inner hunting ground or to set sail on a free voyage, were able to apply for such an equipment.
Aside from its defense, the inner mail had two great points.
Firstly, it could keep its wearer at a constant temperature. No matter how hot or cold the weather was, with the inner mail on, the person’s body temperature would be maintained at a comfortable level. Never underestimate this particular function. Those who set sail at sea would know how terrifying the extreme temperature was at sea.
Secondly, the inner mail could provide a constant buoyancy force to its wearer. If the wearer fell into the sea, the inner mail would be a more reliable floating device than a life jacket.
As for how useful it was at sea, it was self-explanatory.
These two practical functions were provided by the mysterious super-advanced technology, and because of its simplicity, it did not need any energy source. The movement of the human body would be able to power it up.
Was that not fantastic?
It was indeed crazily fantastic! Regardless of whether they sailed or not, anyone who was involved with maritime matters would dream of getting a Captain’s Mail.
Unfortunately, the Captain’s Mail was exclusive to Darkness Port and one could not simply replicate the super-advanced patterns without a detailed blueprint unless a great scientist stepped up. Otherwise, it was impossible to replicate the inner mail.
Therefore, even though it would sometimes appear in the black market, and the price would spike up to 50,000 True Capital coins or more.
Now, the contestants who cleared stage 12 could get one Captain’s Mail! Was Darkness Port not being too generous?
“The Captain’s Mail is only a small gift from us. As for the second item, I believe people with better insight know what it is and how to get it. Those who’ve made it to stage 15, regardless of whether they cleared it or not, will be given this second item.”
The people reeled. Had Darkness Port gone out of their minds?
What exactly was the tiny crystal ball? The answer was simple—an underwater breathing device.
It was also a product of super-advanced technology and should come from that mysterious place. However, with Darkness Port’s power and their mysterious methods, they were able to replicate it. It might be a little lackluster compared to the original, but it was enough to shock the world.
If the Captain’s Mail caught attention and jealousy, the mass production of the underwater breathing device was an item that forced everyone, especially the intentional parties, to reckon with Darkness Port’s soft power, which was also the power of technology.
Therefore, the underwater product was a product that won the world’s attention.
As for its use, with a single piece of Universal Source Rock or another high-quality energy crystal, it could be activated and transformed into a 2-meter transparent ball, allowing a single person to enter.
After that, the user could control the underwater breathing device to submerge into the sea. It could go all the way to 1,500 meters without any problem. It was able to sustain the pressure from the water and protect its user from any discomfort.
Some said the underwater breathing device could reach 2,000 meters, but beyond 1,500 meters, it would lose its advantage of speed.
Indeed, the underwater breather was equipped with speed. It could submerge at a constant speed and was comparable to a nuclear submarine of the old civilization.
The latter could move around 30 knots underwater whereas the underwater breathing device could reach 40 knots if energy was not a problem.
There was one more powerful function. The underwater breathing device could release all of its energy at a critical moment to send the user back to the surface of the water in less than 20 seconds, only if it was within the 1,500-meter submerged depth.
Breathing underwater was not a problem at all. As its name suggested, as long as the user remained in the ball, the oxygen supply would be sufficient.
The super-advanced technology defied even logic. All the scientists wanted to replicate this godly item that could ignore pressure, especially its function of sending its user back to the surface in a short time. Only Darkness Port overcame the hurdles and would never reveal the secret.
Darkness Port’s excuse for its secrecy was that there was no such thing as benefiting mankind in this era, or rather, it was not time to benefit all men on Earth yet. The men in this era did not deserve such kindness.
What kind of excuse was that?
Regardless, was this logic-defying item the prize for the geniuses? It was no longer a problem with generosity anymore!
Darkness Port was practically slicing their own flesh! It might be mass-produced, but the amount was still limited. It was said that even with Darkness Port’s productivity, they could only produce 20 per year.
Now, stage 15 being the Blazing Road made sense. The underwater breathing device would be rewarded to the geniuses as long as they could make it to the stage. It did not matter if they cleared it or not.
The first two items were already shocking enough, so how bad would the last item be?
The last item was not only good, but it was also heaven-defying!
“Do I even need to explain the last item? Those who know its name, please say it out loud with me!” As the Simpering Pierrot moved his mic to the audience, a loud combined reply came, “The Great Captain’s Belt!”
Yes, it was the Great Captain’s Belt, the treasure that represented Darkness Port, the godly life-saving item that was famous throughout the world! It was actually a tactical movement belt!
Legend had it that the original version of this belt was the treasure that the mysterious Island Master brought back from that mysterious place. It was considered one of the better treasures from that place.
In the end, as the Island Master grew stronger and reached a certain level, things like the tactical movement disk or belt were no longer useful to him as he needed something even better to aid him.
Therefore, he donated the belt to Darkness Port.
Darkness Port was filled with hidden experts and its technology was astonishing. Therefore, some great scientists decided to lend a hand and make five replicants of the belt.
Why only five? Darkness Port did not say, thus no one knew.
In short, the replicant belts were placed in the Glory Museum of Darkness Port all year long, and only the great captains who had achieved a great deed for Darkness Port were qualified to get one.
Who were the great captains? They were all affiliated with the Darkness Court and the rest was self-explanatory.
Until now, there were only two great captains who got the belt, hence the naming of the belt.
How heaven-defying was the belt? People did not know much about it, but even a great captain, someone who was at least Rank 4 Purple Moon Warrior or above, viewed it as a treasure.
Now, such a belt was to be made a reward for the contestants? Had Darkness Port gone out of their minds?
In other words, in a smaller safety sector, the belt could very well be the highest-tiered equipment of the said safety sector, and maybe only the castellan was qualified to use it.
Even if Darkness Port was a safety city, the cost would hurt the higher-ups for a year or even more than that.
“Crazy isn’t it? It’s true! It’s because the Great Captain’s Belt holds a precious meaning. Even Darkness Port with its rich resources can only offer one as the prize. So, who will be the one who gets the belt? The answer is obvious. It will be the first-place winner of the Hell Ledge Challenge competition!” The Simpering Pierrot was excited when he announced that, and his hands were waving in the air uncontrollably.
The response from the crowd was as loud as a volcano eruption.
It seemed like Darkness Port took this challenge seriously and looked forward to the winner of this competition. Was the Great Captain’s Belt a token of friendship from the city? Was it really as simple as it looked?
Inside a VIP room in the colosseum, there was an old man sitting alone and watching the competition. He was none other than Elder Black, the old man who fished alone at sea.
The people were discussing whether or not Darkness Port was trying to rope in the winner of the competition.
Elder Black seemed to be able to hear the discussion through the noise-canceling room and he smiled at the discussion.
Rope in? No, Darkness Port was a free city. Everyone who lived in Darkness Port stayed by their own will, so there was no such thing as roping in others.
The meaning of the belt was something much more profound that only people with higher statuses could understand.
So, what exactly did the belt represent?
It meant that in the future, the free Darkness Port would take a side and would not stay out of the event.
As for what was the city’s stand and who the chosen one was, the belt had stated it all—Darkness Port would only choose the strongest and the rule would never change! However, it was also constantly changing because the strongest candidate would change according to time and the results.
When the day came, Darkness Port would stand firm. Even if it cost the city everything, they would follow the one and only strongest person.
An era would certainly have the strongest, and this person would stand out in the ever-changing situation, so no one would be able to surpass him or her anymore.
This person would be the king that Darkness Port followed, even if the city ended in ruins!
Time was ticking.
Elder Black drained the alcohol in his glass and looked further away as if his gaze pierced through everything and observed the distant sky.
…
The announcement of the three prizes made this competition a lot fiercer.
There were a lot of contestants who took turns in the resting area, and every minute that went by, more contestants would hear of the prizes.
Several of the Stardust Sixteen even revealed anxious expressions. Why had Tang Long not arrived? There were no orders from him. They were only told to wait for Tang Long to lead them into Hell Ledge.
However, Tang Long had not returned and as the competition went on, the first to cleared stage 12 had appeared. It was both expected and somewhat surprising at the same time because it was the black horse, Ro Li!
Ro Li had cleared stage 12! He was known as the black horse. The kid with the magical talent revealed his other trump card—puppets!
He was able to control puppets! It was a very rare ability and was not even considered as a talent. However, the practical value of his ability was immeasurable. It was probably the most effective trump card throughout the entire Hell Ledge Challenge.
Ro Li’s value multiplied on the spot! All the factions who came down for the competition started to figure out how to get in contact with him after the competition. Ro Li would be the popular candidate that all the factions would go after.
After all, he was already considered a top genius just by clearing stage 12, and now, he even had the ability to control puppets.
Looking at the crowd cheering, the younger ones of the Stardust Sixteen pouted sourly.
Ro Li might have won the hearts of the powerful audiences but definitely not the teenagers with competitive hearts.
A little hesitation later, Draconic Twelve spoke, “Why don’t we go in first? At least, Young Master Long is safe and we don’t know how long more he will take. I think he wishes to see us achieve something when he arrives too and not stand here without doing anything.”
He had actually taken down his hat and covered himself with a hood. It was his most familiar and safest look. When he spoke to the others, no one was able to see his face, but his words struck a chord in their hearts.
As a matter of fact, Draconic Twelve was the most mysterious. He felt the most distant, but he was the most revered among the Stardust Sixteen other than Tang Long.
He might have a low profile and was not a talker, but every time he spoke, the words sounded practical. Besides that, he was also powerful himself. At least, his peers could not see through the limit of his powers.
“Let’s go,” Draconic Twelve encouraged the others amidst their hesitation. He sounded calm, natural, and reasonable.
He was really an expert in manipulating people’s hearts. He would never waste time with meaningless arguments. Instead, he would calmly and naturally come up with a decision, then people would unconsciously follow.
As he spoke, he had already walked towards the passage and the other anxious members quickly followed him. As for the rest, the hesitation in their minds was soon removed when they saw their peers enter the passage. Their bodies moved and they started to walk towards the passage.
It was as he expected. Draconic Twelve was calm under the hood. It was not exactly a proud manipulation whatsoever.
As a matter of fact, he did not mind waiting for a little longer, but he started to feel anxious as he was afraid that his plan might be ruined by a minor detail.
Even Tang Long and Tang Ling’s absence were within his expectation, so he could not afford any more deviations.
The people might not know but the 28th of April was actually set by Draconic Twelve after he released some news and rumors. That was when his manipulation came into play and achieved the greatest effect.
After all, he needed Tang Long and Tang Ling to fight to the death. He would also need a chance to officially introduce himself to Tang Ling, a chance that the latter could not miss.
This chance would certainly be fierce to the point that no explanations were needed. That would be Draconic Twelve’s ideal outcome.
Then, Tang Ling’s death would ensue as a death that came smoothly with the flow. After all, Draconic Twelve was the one who truly knew Tang Long’s strength. Despite his reputation or how many miracles blessed Tang Ling, he would not be Tang Long’s match.
Did Tang Ling really think the council’s many years of education and investment of resources without a limit was a total waste?
Did Tang Ling really think Tang Long was not the No. 1 genius?
Perhaps in time, Tang Ling might have had the chance to overtake Tang Long, but the council would never allow him to succeed.
After all, Tang Long was destined to be the world No. 1, and the Stardust Council would be the organization behind him. Before this goal was achieved, every stone that hindered him would be shifted away.
With that in mind, Draconic Twelve’s lips rose into a faint smile. He walked through the passage and officially joined the Hell Ledge Challenge.
No one suspected anything because after Tang Long agreed to put Draconic Twelve in the competition, his subordinates had already settled the necessary procedures.
It was then that Tang Long finally arrived at Hell Ledge.
Along the way, he forced himself to remember the strange meeting and conversation he had with the copper-faced man. Unfortunately, he could not simply forget what he did not like such as Higan who still haunted him at times.
Therefore, Tang Long arrived with mixed feelings. While he did not know how he should think, the term ‘blood and kinship’ kept repeating itself in his brain.
However, although he could not accept Tang Ling, could he simply ignore the copper-faced man’s words and discard all his thoughts?
Tang Long was also a smart person. He knew someone as powerful as the copper-faced man would not have simply abducted him just to have a meaningless conversation.
Would he simply stop Draconic Twelve from joining the competition? He would not lose anything even if he complied. It was not exactly that he did not trust Draconic Twelve, but would he not feel a little better?
Tang Long frowned. When he looked at the colosseum, he saw the Stardust Sixteen walking through the passage to Hell Ledge.