OBS Chapter 236: Tan Ming Appears, Inheriting the Belief!
Chapter 236: Tan Ming Appears, Inheriting the Belief!
Following the index entry named after Tan Ming, another entry triggered by him appeared on the panel: Tan Ming Rune.Tan Ming, descending?
Cheng Ye looked up at the space above the Cavern. The red cloud representing Tan Ming had gradually gained the upper hand, continuously expanding in its energy clash with the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch.
Given the frailty of humans, they did not even have the ability to survive in the cracks of a battle between such transcendent monsters.
In other words, even if someone wanted to pick up the scraps, only a true Transcendent would be qualified to do so.
After all, the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch only needed to unleash a single target Mental Pollution. Even with the protection of the Heart-Protecting Fire, he might not have the power to resist.
On the flip side, if he chose to join one of the factions and participate in this struggle, not only would he be properly protected, but he could even reap exaggerated rewards.
"A struggle between Transcendents is incredibly similar to a clash of Beliefs,"
Cheng Ye muttered to himself, his thoughts gradually clearing. "Tan Ming represents the rules of Shi Province, forbidding the existence of any out-of-control life force, and especially forbidding the rampant birth of transcendent plants. Meanwhile, the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch represents the rules of the previous generation of Transcendents, seeking to transform this continent and create a natural world where all things compete and thrive."
"With such diametrically opposed Beliefs, unless one's strength transcends everything, how could anyone sit on the fence and remain neutral? You either agree or oppose; there simply is no middle path to choose."
He stood there in quiet contemplation until the blood-red energy possessing Luo Kuke completely dissipated and returned, condensing into new blood-red figures around him. Only then did he finally snap out of his daze.
Relying on this Tan Ming Rune, his current state felt somewhat like wearing a Shadowkhan mask from Jackie Chan Adventures.
Not only could he summon the Bloodshadow Legion anytime and anywhere to possess and fight on his behalf, but he could even grant energy to a human like Luo Kuke.
This was Tan Ming's power, and through the Rune, he temporarily controlled it.
But the cost was equally obvious. Before he gathered enough energy to summon Tan Ming's descent, he could no longer leave the Cavern from the Chamber.
As soon as he approached the Light Gate, the blood-red armor on his body would automatically force him to turn and move away, completely out of his control.
Cheng Ye could faintly sense that as long as he voluntarily deactivated the Envoy of Tan Ming state, he should be able to regain his freedom and leave. However, if he did that, the power Tan Ming left within the Chamber would be greatly weakened, and perhaps he would no longer be a match for the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch.
"The opportunity to weaken the conch is right in front of me, and I cannot give it up. If Tan Ming really tries to take over my body after resurrecting, I'll just cancel the skill then!"
Cheng Ye gritted his teeth. This was the downside of borrowing external power; there were always constraints.
But compared to the difficult-to-control power of the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse, Tan Ming's power was clearly stronger and much more manageable.
He stopped agonizing over the decision and turned to charge into the nearby dense forest area. The legion of blood-red figures followed closely behind him, launching a sweeping offensive against the remaining Crab-men.
As he continuously devoured the dense forest's Life Force, the progress bar of the Tan Ming Rune rose at a steady pace.
Meanwhile, under the siege of the commanded Bloodshadow Legion, the number of Crab-men in the Cavern began to plummet drastically.
The scales of victory tilted increasingly toward Tan Ming.
Noon should have been the brightest time of the day, yet the Cavern grew increasingly dim. It felt as if the Apocalypse was approaching, leaving only floating blood-red motes of light in the air to barely illuminate the surroundings.
Over two-thirds of the dense forest area had completely lost its greenery, entering a state of deep autumn.
Large swathes of vegetation withered and turned yellow. The branches and trunks lost their flexibility, snapping at the slightest breeze.
The aura of Withering Power permeated every inch of the space. Even the white cloud formed by the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch grew increasingly pale, its edges blurring as if it would completely dissipate in the very next second.
At the same time, the number of Crab-men sharply decreased under the eradication efforts of the Bloodshadow Legion. The energy that the conch could mobilize dwindled, making it seem powerless even to maintain the faint blue Halo over the Lake. The area of the Halo shrank by more than half of its original size.
Standing on the high ground at the edge of the Lake, Cheng Ye looked up at the conch in the center, and his taut nerves finally relaxed slightly.
Compared to its skyscraper-like size when he first saw it yesterday, the conch had now shrunk by dozens of times. It was roughly the size of his off-road vehicle. The luster of its shell had dimmed significantly, and even those dense and complex Runes no longer flickered.
Although it had not yet shrunk to a standard suitable for Containment, on the other hand, Tan Ming had not yet descended.
Both sides seemed to be accumulating all their strength, planning a life-and-death struggle at a critical moment.
Pulling out the Pendant, Cheng Ye glanced at the bottom right corner.
The previously fully charged power had already been exchanged by him into four standard portions of Living Water Essence, safely stored inside.
Within the index panel, there was still two hundred percent of the Living Water Essence Trait that he had not yet had time to exchange. Converted, that meant another two portions, making a total of six portions.
This amount was entirely sufficient to meet the demands of the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse. Yet, when Cheng Ye sank his vision into the Spiritual Body Space, he was still startled by the changes in the giant louse:
Its previously pale-gold insect body had grown a full size thicker, enveloped in a layer of gentle golden light.
Its originally dense and complex compound eyes had also begun to cluster inward, no longer scattered. Faint, fragmented Runes could be seen flowing deep within its pupils, granting it an added touch of sentience.
Even the Runes carved onto its carapace had undergone noticeable changes. Some fused together to form more intricate patterns, while others enlarged independently, taking up more prominent positions on the shell.
The Life Force extracted from the vegetation, although only the most basic Life Energy and mere nourishment, was far less pure than the essential energy of the Living Water Essence.
However, the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse was not a picky eater!
As long as it was energy it could absorb, it accepted everything without wasting a single drop.
Over ninety percent of the Life Energy had been devoured by the armor, but the remaining ten percent still allowed it to gorge itself to its heart's content.
The energy deficit required for Parasitism had been completely filled; it no longer needed him, the Host, to provide for it.
On the progress panel, the growth of the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse had also reached eighty percent and stopped changing.
'Does it need other special conditions to continue advancing?'
Cheng Ye guessed inwardly.
Perhaps in this wasteland, no ordinary person could be like him, providing such a massive amount of energy in a short period of time after being parasitized by a Benign Infection Source.
Let alone someone who already possessed Transcendent Power in their body, yet still took the initiative to accept an Infection Source, allowing the two forces to coexist and symbiotically bond within them.
The overlapping of these coincidences seemed to have truly set him on an unprecedented path.
Whether this path was good or bad was impossible to say right now. But one thing was certain:
These powers were enough for him to securely survive in the perilous Wilderness.
They were also enough to give him the ability to protect the people around him while building Dabo Town and advancing his personal ideals, ensuring that all his plans would land smoothly without being interrupted by any accidents.
[Current Progress: 75.3/100 (Tan Ming will immediately descend upon reaching maximum value)]
"Almost there..."
Cheng Ye glanced at the progress bar on the panel, stowed away all his stray thoughts, and continued leading the Bloodshadow Legion to sweep through the dense forest area.
By this time, the number of blood-red figures had surpassed six thousand.
He could not finely control each figure and could only barely transmit a general Intent, such as making scattered figures group up and concentrate their strength to slaughter the Crab-men.
Fortunately, the Crab-men lacked unified command as well, relying entirely on brute instinct, resulting in a temporary stalemate between both sides.
As long as he could arrive at the battlefield in time, the sheer numerical advantage would instantly turn the tide, turning it into a completely one-sided bullying of the weak.
80
85
The time quietly reached four in the afternoon.
When the progress just broke past the ninety mark, the last sliver of greenery remaining in the dense forest area was drained of its final trace of Vitality.
Buzz—
Indescribable waves of fluctuations suddenly erupted within the Cavern.
Under Cheng Ye's astonished gaze, those long-dried giant trees, vines, weeds, and even moss instantly turned into sky-filling black ash, scattering in all directions along with the fluctuations.
The Cavern abruptly became empty. The previously vibrant and lively aura disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only bone-piercing gloom.
The world was enveloped in a sheet of blood red. Only bare rocks and that blood-red portal standing not far away remained in his field of vision.
Even more bizarrely, the black ash did not completely dissipate. Instead, it was wrapped by an invisible force, condensing into a black hurricane that shot straight toward the blood cloud above the Cavern.
Crack!
A blood-red lightning bolt tore through the sky, followed immediately by a muffled clap of thunder exploding deep within the blood cloud. The dull rumble echoed repeatedly throughout the Cavern.
The power of the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch was further suppressed. Even the energy field that could originally cover the entire Lake area was forced to shrink down to a tiny patch of land right around itself, unable to expand outward in the slightest.
'What should I do now?'
Cheng Ye blanked for a moment. The absorbable Life Force had been exhausted. Did he have to go down into the Lake to find a new energy source?
But before he could sort out his thoughts, the blood-red energy on his body suddenly began to rapidly drain away. The progress bar that had halted at ninety plummeted to thirty in the blink of an eye, and it continued to drop relentlessly.
Simultaneously, the over six thousand blood-red figures around him began to disintegrate, melting into pools of dark-red blood that flowed together along the ground, surging toward the blood cloud hovering above the Cavern.
"My surname is Tan!"
A deep, resonant male voice suddenly echoed through the space, carrying a soul-piercing majesty.
Cheng Ye abruptly looked up, only to see that the blood cloud above his head was no longer in its previous scattered state. Instead, it slowly began to condense into a humanoid shape!
First was the head. Under the pull of the blood-red energy, the mist outlined a sharp, angular profile. The brow bone was as sharp as a knife's edge, and two clusters of dark-red flames flared in the deeply sunken eye sockets, looking as if they could pierce through anything. The bridge of the nose was tall and straight like a solitary peak, the lips pressed into a cold, hard arc, and the jawline was sharp and decisive. Every inch of the outline exuded an unquestionable Sense of Oppression.
Next were the shoulders, neck, and torso. The blood cloud cascaded downwards like flowing water, transforming into a red, wide-sleeved short shirt that only reached the waist. The collar and cuffs of the shirt were adorned with crimson glow patterns as fine as hair. Upon closer inspection, those patterns were actually woven from countless tiny Runes, faintly glimmering with light.
Finally came the limbs and body. The mist condensed into the outline of bones, while the crimson glow transformed into muscle texture. Every finger was long and powerful, with a faint red light lingering at the tips, as if a slight lift could stir the winds and clouds.
Standing as tall and straight as a pine tree amidst the blood cloud, even though it was merely a Transformation of energy, it already exuded a transcendent aura that looked down upon the world.
Tan Ming had achieved Transformation?
Cheng Ye's eyelids twitched uncontrollably, his heart pounding like a war drum in his chest.
He had never imagined that Tan Ming's descent would look like this, akin to the descent of an immortal from the era before the Transcendent Era.
But in the next instant, the figure condensed from the blood cloud suddenly turned its head, its gaze landing squarely on him.
The deep male voice echoed once more within the Cavern, carrying an undeniable majesty:
"For inspecting on my behalf... reward!"
Before the voice had even faded, Tan Ming raised his hand across the distance and gently pointed a finger.
Before Cheng Ye could even react, the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse within his Spiritual Body Space was snatched out by an invisible force and suspended in midair.
The pitiful giant louse had not yet figured out what was happening. Its plump insect body trembled slightly in the blood-red light, and its originally gold-gleaming compound eyes now revealed a hint of panic.
Immediately after, the air suddenly vibrated. A blood-red Rune took shape in the center of Tan Ming's palm. As the Rune flowed, countless tiny lines wriggled like living creatures.
Boom!
The Rune crashed directly into the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse. There was no loud explosion; instead, like water seeping into a sponge, it instantly permeated the giant louse's body.
The next second, pale red patterns began to entwine the giant louse's carapace. It looked somewhat similar to the scene when it fused with the Green Jewel Bug's skill, yet far more bizarre.
The previously pure golden insect body gradually took on a blood-gold luster. It retained the gentleness of Vitality while adding a touch of blood-red fierceness, exuding an indescribable sense of strangeness.
Following that, Tan Ming flicked his finger, and the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse was shot back into the Spiritual Body Space.
Cheng Ye could clearly sense that although the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse's once robust body exuded an unspeakable sluggishness—as if it had expended a massive amount of energy—its essence had undergone some ineffable metamorphosis.
But before he could experience it in detail, Tan Ming's actions did not stop. He pointed at the empty air once again.
Another tremor shook the Spiritual Body Space, causing Cheng Ye's mind to tighten. The slumbering Little Flame, which had severed its connection, was forcibly dragged out as well, floating in the blood-red light.
'Just what kind of monster is this?'
'What level of existence is he?'
'Between the Elders of Happiness City and this Tan Ming, who is stronger?'
'Could those Extinction-level Infection Sources in the black zones even match Tan Ming's current power?'
Cheng Ye felt his brain short-circuit slightly. These methods truly exceeded his imagination.
"For carrying my intent... reward!"
The deep male voice sounded once more, and another blood-red Rune condensed at Tan Ming's fingertip. This Rune was even more complex than the last, radiating a faintly warm fluctuation.
The Rune accurately struck Little Flame, but it did not leave behind blood-red patterns like it had when modifying the giant louse.
Instead, the golden light upon its head suddenly intensified. The flame feathers that had previously formed actually completely shed in the light, as if it had reverted to the moment it was just born.
However, Cheng Ye could feel that this was not a regression, but a kind of reconstruction. Little Flame's fluctuations were much more condensed than before, as if all impurities had been purged, making it far purer.
Tan Ming flicked his finger again, sending Little Flame back into the Spiritual Body Space.
Cheng Ye was no longer in the mood to check the panel notifications to see exactly what specific changes the two consecutive rewards had brought.
Because Tan Ming's gaze had once again fallen upon him.
As their lines of sight clashed across the space, Cheng Ye could even see his own insignificant reflection in Tan Ming's eyes, which burned with dark-red flames.
A Sense of Oppression as heavy as a collapsing mountain instantly engulfed his entire body, making even his breathing somewhat difficult.
But this time, Tan Ming did not bestow another reward. His deep eyes revealed a contemplative look, as if weighing a decision.
An invisible force began to wrap around him, clearly attempting to exert some form of control over him.
However, right at that moment, a transcendent voice suddenly echoed through the Cavern, shattering the suffocating atmosphere:
"Tan Ming, that is enough!"
'Is that... Elder Qian?'
The familiar voice made Cheng Ye tremble all over. The Sense of Oppression that had shrouded him instantly vanished without a trace.
In the air, a mist of water slowly took shape, morphing into Elder Qian's broad and somewhat plump figure.
His aura was not as domineering as Tan Ming's. Instead, like a firefly beneath the bright moon, it stood gently yet firmly in front of Cheng Ye, blocking out all potential threats on another level.
"Our people helped you discover the Immortal Item, and also helped you reconstruct your Thought Body."
"We only need the main body fragments of the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch. The energy it has accumulated is yours to take away. If you make another move, it will be overstepping the rules."
Elder Qian spoke continuously, but Tan Ming did not immediately reply.
The blood-red humanoid figure floated in midair, the crimson glow around its body fluctuating slightly, as if pondering something.
A moment later, an unexpected scene unfolded.
Tan Ming suddenly flicked a finger, and a bolt of blood-red energy smashed directly into Elder Qian's water-mist body.
There was no earth-shattering explosion. The form Elder Qian had condensed was instantly shattered, turning into a sky full of tiny water droplets that could no longer reform.
Immediately after, a blood-red barrier centered on Tan Ming instantly filled the entire Cavern, thoroughly blocking out all mental power attempting to infiltrate, without leaving even a hair's breadth of a gap.
At the same time, two dense and intricate Runes coalesced once more in Tan Ming's palm.
The first was still a blood-red Rune, wreathed in the aura of Withering Power that Cheng Ye was incredibly familiar with.
It was not hard to guess that this was the very core Rune used to summon the Bloodshadow Legion and extract Life Force to convert into energy.
However, the second Rune made Cheng Ye's pupils violently contract. It was a purely green Rune, and the Life Force it contained was several times denser than what the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch emitted!
Just glancing at it gave him the illusion of standing in a primeval forest, as if he could witness the growth of all living things and the thriving of vegetation. A wondrous feeling that everything was turning for the better welled up in his heart.
Tan Ming lightly flicked his fingers. The two Runes did not sink into Cheng Ye's body like when he modified the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse; instead, they floated right in front of him.
Blood-red on the left, green on the right, distinctly separate.
"Inherit my original Belief: you may absorb the Life Force of all things to foster vitality, leading to the miraculous flourishing of vegetation. From then on, step into transcendence, reaching the realm where the body commands the intent."
"Inherit my withered Belief: you may grasp the power to extract and devour Life Force, gathering dead remains to form a rampaging army. From then on, step into transcendence, reaching the realm where the intent commands the body."
"Choose one, and you may depart from this realm."
'A multiple-choice question has arrived after all!'
Cheng Ye's heart raced. This was the price of rashly borrowing an external entity's power. The richer the benefits you consumed, the heavier the subsequent shackles.
He just hadn't expected that even Elder Qian would fail to stop Tan Ming, getting directly booted out of the Cavern instead.
'Wait, no.'
'More accurately, before Elder Qian appeared, Tan Ming had intended to dictate terms himself and brand me with a controlling Rune.'
'After Elder Qian appeared, Tan Ming's intention didn't change, but he at least granted me the right to choose freely.'
'Can I just not choose?'
As soon as Cheng Ye's gaze flickered with hesitation, the vanished Sense of Oppression assaulted him once more. It was even heavier than before, as if it would crush him into powder in the next second.
He hurriedly shook his head, burying any hopes of getting lucky. His eyes fixed rigidly on the two Runes floating before him, while he swiftly called up the Collector panel to attempt recording them.
One represented withering, the other new life.
The blood-red Rune on the left clearly corresponded to Tan Ming's current Belief—forbidding the growth of any plants on the lands of Shi Province, and relying on the extraction of Life Force to convert into mineral resources to maintain a certain balance.
The green Rune on the right, however, radiated an incredibly rich Life Force. It likely corresponded to Tan Ming's Belief when he was alive—wishing to transform the desolate Shi Province into a land where all life thrived, even intending to cultivate transcendent plants in ordinary soil. This goal was even more outrageous than the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch's transformation plan.
'If I inherit his Belief, wouldn't I be stuck doing all this work for him?'
'But if I choose new life, am I supposed to brazenly farm right on Lord Tan's head?'
'Could this be a trap? What if, the moment I reach out and touch it, Tan Ming suddenly turns hostile and grinds me to ash?'
Cheng Ye was somewhat unsure, but the Collector did not go on strike. It swiftly materialized these abstract concepts into two clear segments that the Collector could understand.
[Tan Ming's Withering Rune: A special Rune containing a Belief constraint]
[Current Rune recorded (Due to Rank restrictions, parsing cannot be performed at this time. Please continue to increase Rank to unlock access)]
[This Rune contains a chain quest. Upon acceptance, the Collector must complete all tasks (Task content cannot be modified. Please continue to increase Rank to unlock access)]
[Current First Ring Task: Expand the Frontiers (Extend Tan Ming's power to other regions)]
[Task Reward: Obtain permission to use special powers]
[Task Penalty: None]
[Tan Ming's Life Force Rune: A special Rune containing a Belief constraint]
[Current Rune recorded (Due to Rank restrictions, parsing cannot be performed at this time. Please continue to increase Rank to unlock access)]
[This Rune contains a chain quest. Upon acceptance, the Collector must complete all tasks (Task content cannot be modified. Please continue to increase Rank to unlock access)]
[Current First Ring Task: Thriving Growth (Reclaim and plant roughly one and a half acres of farmland, completing one harvest)]
[Task Reward: Obtain a portion of the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch's Runes]
[Task Penalty: None]
"What?"
"These two Runes are chain quests?"
Cheng Ye pretended to frown in thought, but his peripheral vision locked firmly onto the panel information, a stormy sea of shock churning in his heart.
It turned out that these Runes were not fixed power vessels at all. Instead, they were more like human language. By writing them according to different logics, they produced different meanings and bound quests.
Tan Ming had actually mastered this language and could casually create rules?
If he chose the Withering Rune, he would have to spread its Withering Power beyond Shi Province or into environments like the Cavern, continuously maintaining the rule of trading plant vitality for minerals.
If he chose the Life Force Rune, he would have to fulfill Tan Ming's uncompleted dying wish: growing transcendent plants on the barren wasteland.
Noticing the lack of penalties listed at the bottom, Cheng Ye felt even more uncertain.
Did Tan Ming cancel the penalties out of respect for Elder Qian, or was it the effect of his identity as an Envoy?
If he chose the former, he would be able to obtain the power of the Bloodshadow Legion.
Having already experienced the terror of this power once, Cheng Ye hardly dared to imagine what would happen if he unleashed it in the outside world. He might be able to single-handedly block a small-scale Infection Tide. His Combat Power would skyrocket!
If he chose the latter, he could actually obtain the Runes of the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch.
Even though he didn't currently know what these Runes were for, they would inevitably be parsed out as Traits.
Right now, the Crab-men in the Cavern were almost cleared out. The most abundant Trait in the index, the aquatic Trait, had barely broken forty percent, while the others had just pushed past ten percent.
If he could get the Rune rewards, wouldn't he be able to exchange for the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch through the Collector?
'Good heavens, is Old Tan handing out free welfare?'
Cheng Ye's thoughts shifted rapidly, and his eyes soon fell upon the word chain in the chain quest.
The first ring only had rewards and no penalties, but what about the subsequent tasks?
Could it be that starting from the second ring, time limits and severe penalties would be introduced? Failing might even cost him his life?
Tan Ming clearly had a sufficient understanding of human nature. He first baited the hook with sweet rewards. Once the person inheriting the Rune completed the first ring, they would have no choice but to accept the subsequent demands.
But as long as he could steady his heart and refuse to complete the tasks, the Rune would have absolutely no impact.
However...
Tan Ming would absolutely never imagine that his Collector could parse and even modify Runes. No matter how harsh the subsequent tasks became, he would still have room to maneuver.
His mind made up, Cheng Ye closed the panel without further hesitation.
Half a minute had already passed. If Elder Qian had a way to break through the blood-red barrier, he would have made a move long ago.
Yet there was no reaction. If he wanted to get out, his only option was to choose a Rune.
Pondering, Cheng Ye hesitantly reached out his hand toward the green Rune, simultaneously keeping a close watch on Tan Ming's reaction.
Just in case the man turned hostile, he could still retract his hand in time.
But Tan Ming merely shook his head slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of exasperation at his extreme caution. Following that, he lightly raised his chin, as if telling him not to be so restrained.
Whoosh!
The green Rune abruptly lit up. A gentle yet dazzling green light enveloped Cheng Ye's right hand, bypassing the Obsidian Battle Armor to brand a pale green Rune mark onto the back of his hand.
'It's done just like that?'
Before Cheng Ye could recover from his astonishment, the other blood-red Rune in front of him shattered with a bang, turning into a mist of red that dissipated into the air.
Immediately after, a gentle force caught his body, slowly floating him in the direction of the Light Gate.
Tan Ming had already turned his head, refocusing all his attention on the Myriad Command Earth Dharma Conch in the Lake. The crimson glow around his body began to surge, clearly preparing to deal with his final opponent.
But in the next second, he whipped his head around in shock. An intermittent and somewhat urgent voice echoed out, filled with obvious anticipation:
"Lord... Lord Tan... I want that Withering Rune too!"