Pursuit of the Truth

”You’re back…” The elder opened his eyes. There was no hint of color on his face, but he still looked at Su Ming with a gentle and loving smile.

”Elder… What… What happened? Elder, you…” There was a roaring in Su Ming’s head. When he saw how weakened the elder was, tears fell down his face. He was terrified. He did not know what to do. His mind was in a state of panic, even his voice trembled.

”Elder… Lei Chen, what happened?” Su Ming lifted his head abruptly and looked at Lei Chen. At that moment, he no longer cared about hiding his powers or his identity. There was only scorching anger raging in his heart. He wanted to know who injured the elder. Even if he was powerless to take revenge for him, he had to know!

He did not speak loudly, but there was an indescribable might within his voice. The moment he looked at Lei Chen, tears also escaped from Lei Chen’s eyes.

”I don’t know either… the elder just came back…”

”Alright now, listen to me…” The elder took a deep breath and stood up from the ground. His expression was serious as he swept his gaze over everyone gathered in the courtyard.

”I went… to Black Mountain Tribe,” the elder said slowly. His tone was low, but each syllable that fell into their ears sounded like thunder roaring.

The Head of the Guards’ expression immediately change. Beside him, a brief flash that was easily missed appeared in Shan Hen’s eyes. As for Bei Ling, he took a sharp breath, and Wu La’s face immediately turned pale.

Su Ming was the same. They knew that the tribe was in danger, and the source of the threat was Black Mountain Tribe. They may not know the whole picture, but the depressing atmosphere within the tribe these past few days had made them see some hints.

”When you took part in the second stage, I went to Black Mountain Tribe… I wanted to see Black Mountain Tribe’s Bi Tu’s level of cultivation!” the elder explained calmly. Everything was in dead silence, and there was only the sound of the elder speaking. It was as if even the sounds of the wind disappeared at that moment.

”He… has indeed transcended…” A bitter look appeared on the elder’s face.

The Head of the Guards fell silent, and a dark look settled on his face. He hesitated, as if he was thinking about what to say, but then the elder shaking his head. It seemed like the elder knew what the Head of the Guards was about to say.

”I had to go. Without knowing his real strength, I didn’t want to make all of us… leave our homes and become affiliated to Wind Stream… Who would want to leave their home, the one which they and their ancestors have lived in for hundreds of years..?” The elder’s face was gloomy.

”Time is limited. I’ve already recovered. I’ll take you all back to the tribe now. Bi Tu may have transcended, but he has not stabilized his power yet. I may be injured, but he can’t make a move either. We… will migrate!”

A determined look settled on the elder’s face, and his eyes shone with resolution. He swung his right hand, and the snow in the courtyard scattered as if burst apart. As the sound reverberated around them, the white carpet rose up into the air and knocked against the snow falling from the sky, forming a string of echoes.

Glittering light appeared in the sky soon after and abruptly gathered together to form a gigantic dark python. The python looked fierce, and the moment it appeared, it descended to Dark Mountain Tribe’s lodgings. As it descended, a great pressure immediately pressed on their bodies, causing Lei Chen and Wu La’s bodies to shiver slightly. Even Bei Ling looked as if he could not handle the pressure.

”Bei Ling, Lei Chen, Wu La… The three of you can choose to stay here or to come back with me to the tribe. If you go back, it’ll be dangerous.” The elder looked at Bei Ling and the other two people.

”Elder, I’ll go!” Bei Ling did not hesitate and took a step forward with an unwavering look appearing in his eyes.

”Elder, I’m not staying here!” Lei Chen clenched his fists. A murderous look appeared on his face. He wanted to go back and protect his tribe.

”Elder, I’m not staying here, either.” Wu La gritted her teeth and looked at the elder resolutely.

The elder looked at the three of them and nodded his head before swinging his arm. A huge gust of wind suddenly appeared out of nowhere, lifting Bei Ling and the other two onto the dark python. Once they were on the python, the Head of the Guards and Shan Hen jumped on as well.

There was only Su Ming and the elder left in the courtyard.

The elder looked at Su Ming. The affection in his eyes was very strong, incredibly strong.

Su Ming’s heart pounded. He had a feeling that something bad was about to happen. Without waiting for the elder to speak, he immediately said, ”Elder, I’m going back too. Let’s go.”

The elder closed his eyes and opened them after a while, saying firmly,”You can’t go back.”

Su Ming was stunned. His body trembled, and he lifted his head, looking at the elder.

”It’s useless even if you go back. There might be dangers lurking around while we’re migrating here. Stay here and wait for us to come back!” The moment the elder finished speaking, his body turned into a long arc and flew towards the python, leaving Su Ming alone in the courtyard with his body trembling furiously.

”Elder!” Su Ming lifted his head abruptly. There was great determination on his face, the kind of which he’d never showed before. This was the first time he did not obey the elder’s words!

”I want to go back to the tribe! Elder, I want to go back!” Su Ming’s voice was hoarse as he screamed as loud as he could towards the elder, who stood on the dark python in the sky.

”Elder, Bei Ling can go back, Lei Chen can, Wu La can as well! And here am I, also a member of the tribe! I want to go back! I want to protect the tribe! I want to fight for the tribe! Elder!” Su Ming’s eyes were red. His body was trembling as he roared, his body moving to ready itself for a jump.

”No!” The elder closed his eyes and pushed his right hand downward. A strong pressure bore down on Su Ming’s body immediately, causing his body to freeze on the ground at the moment he was about to jump.

”Wait here! Do not take even half a step out of this place!” The elder sat down cross-legged on the dark python. The python lifted its head and roared at the sky before gradually rising into the air. Bei Ling and the others on the python fell silent, looking at Su Ming roaring on the ground with varying complicated looks on their faces.

”Elder!” Su Ming’s voice turned hoarse, as if having changed. It echoed through the silent snowing night while tears ran like rivers from his eyes. His body fell with a thud, and he knelt down, kowtowing to the sky.

”Elder, I want to go back! Please, let me go back! I have to go! I don’t want to stay here! I won’t stay here! Even if I die, I won’t stay here!” As Su Ming roared, the blood veins appeared all around his body, though no one could feel it. However, a strong might appeared from his body, spreading outward, fighting against the elder’s restraint.

Nonetheless, the restraint was too strong. Su Ming could not break through it with his own power. Due to that, fresh blood trickled out of his mouth. Yet he continued struggling, screaming once again.

”Elder, even if you won’t let me go, even if I die, I will definitely leave this place! That is my tribe! That is the tribe that brought me up! I want to go back! Even if I die, I want to go back! Even if I die, I want to die in the tribe! I was born as a member of Dark Mountain Tribe, and I will die as a member of Dark Mountain Tribe!”

The Head of the Guards seemed like he wanted to say something as he stood on the python, but with just one look at the elder, he fell silent. Shan Hen, who stood by his side, chose to close his eyes and not look.

”Su Ming, you’re useless even if you go back. Why are you wasting our time like this? Stop pretending already, you’re really…” Bei Ling smiled coldly. There was an indifferent look in his eyes, and he looked at Su Ming on the ground, who was feigning the entire act in his eyes.

Yet before he could even finish speaking, he was interrupted by a roar from Su Ming.

”Bei Ling, shut up!” Su Ming’s face was vicious. He no longer cared about anything. This was the first time he had disobeyed the elder, and the first time he had talked back to Bei Ling. After all, Su Ming had always decided to keep his silence no matter what Bei Ling said due to the relationship they had when they were still children.

Nevertheless, he had his limits. There were things that he absolutely refused to be subjected to, and Bei Ling had just crossed the line. The moment Su Ming roared, Bei Ling was about to speak, but when he saw the bloodshot eyes on Su Ming’s face, his heart trembled, and he swallowed his words.

The dark python rose into the air. The elder opened his eyes, and there was sadness within. He looked at Su Ming, refusing to let him go in order to protect him. He did not want Su Ming to get into any harm. After all, the migration this time… was definitely dangerous. It contained dangers that perhaps even he could not fend off.

”No!” The elder looked at the blood trickling down the corner of Su Ming’s lips, and his heart clenched in pain. He swung his right hand once again. The snowstorm bellowed and moved towards Su Ming, who was still struggling to break through the pressure, instantly enveloping his entire body and pushing him into the house.

Su Ming was swept into the house in an instant. When the door was shut with a bang, the snowstorm spread and surrounded the entire house, turning it into a giant prison. There was also a strange picture drawn with snow on the house’s door. That picture was formed in the image of the statue of the God of Berserkers of Dark Mountain Tribe!

The moment the seal and the imprisonment was formed, Su Ming’s roars were also cut off.

The snowstorm continued. The dark python rose into the sky and soon disappeared, dashing towards Dark Mountain Tribe at an incredible speed.

‘Su Ming… this is the last thing I can do for you… From now on, you have to take good care of yourself…’

Mo Sang sat cross-legged on the dark python with a dismal face. Yet underneath his gloom, there was a fighting spirit burning within, a fighting spirit that screamed at him to fight till death stopped him!

Bi Tu!

As the dark python left, snow continued falling down from the sky and landed on the ground within the mudstone city, the buildings’ roofs, and Dark Mountain Tribe’s lodgings.

It was quiet. There was only the echoes of the wind moaning in the area, as if there was no other sound around… but within Dark Mountain Tribe’s lodgings, in the sealed house, there was a roaring voice that could rip through hearts. Yet it could not travel outward…

”I want to go! I want to go back to the tribe! I want to protect the tribe members! Elder, even if I die, I want to go back!” Inside the room, Su Ming’s hair was a mess, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was overcome by complete madness. He used all his strength and speed and rammed into the door. Every single time he did so, the entire structure of the room would shake, but due to the seal, it did not budge even an inch.