Pursuit of the Truth

”I didn’t mention anything about an Abyss Builder. You pissed me off, so I’m not telling you!” A smug expression appeared on the woman’s face. After casting a sideways glance at the old man in the circle of smoke, she put on a regretful expression.

”It’s a pity for that young man. He really has such good potential. He’s young, has shocking comprehensive abilities, can use his heart as his drawing board and his soul as his pen to copy the changes in the world!” As the woman spoke, she cast another glance at the circle of smoke.

The old man there might still be indistinct, but it could be seen that he was unmoved, and not a single hint of change in emotion could be detected on him. It was as if he was completely unbothered by finding a person who had high comprehensive abilities.

”Copying using the heart and soul isn’t much,” the old man stated slowly.

”With power that is equivalent to the Ascendant Stage, he fought against a person in the Second Step. He had laid out plot after plot against his opponent, and while he didn’t win in the end, he managed to push that person in the Second Step into an incredibly pathetic state. He also managed to escape,” the woman said once again.

”There might not be many who have an incredibly calculative mind and manage to fight against a person stronger than themselves, but they’re not really that rare.” This time, the old man in the circle of smoke remained silent for a moment before he spoke.

”Then what if I say he’s not really that old and has showed signs of the Abyss… and that he can turn back time?” The woman remained calm as she spoke with a light chuckle.

Yet once she said those words, the circle of smoke instantly distorted, and after a moment, the old man’s voice traveled forth swiftly.

”Turning back time?”

”That’s right. He also has the Abyss Builder’s presence. Based on my observations and judgments, I’m nine out of ten certain that he is an Abyss Builder, one of the member of the race that is rumored to have been wiped out in the Emperor of Abyss’ True World,” the woman said smugly after looking at the circle of smoke for a bit.

This time, the old man remained silent for an even longer period of time, and that silence lasted until his slightly excited voice traveled forth, despite his seemingly calm face.

”Are you certain he is an Abyss Builder and he showed signs of the Abyss?”

The woman did not speak. She lifted her right hand, and a jade slip flew out, floating into the circle of smoke. It shone with a brilliant light, and a scene was depicted within that light. This was naturally the fight between Su Ming and Di Tian, as well as Su Ming’s fight against Shen Dong.

”Where is he?” After some time, a low voice immediately came out of the circle of smoke, and as the smoke distorted, a faint sight of the old man standing up from his previously meditative position could be seen.

”Ah… This is such an aggravating thing! I was willing to sacrifice my future happiness for the Emperor of Abyss’ True World’s future by coming out here to search for your scion, is it an easy thing for me to do?

”I was even sorely misunderstood!

”Ahem. Oh well, I’ll write it off if you give me ten Abyss Piercer Swords, a hundred Dark Abyss Cores, three hundred Spirit Disintegration Pills, and a chance to undergo the Abhişeka Ceremony [1] in Abyss Lake.” The woman counted with her fingers and put on an expression as if she was suffering a huge loss as she spoke.

”You little brat… Fine. I’ll give these things to you. Now tell me, where is the child!” When the old man’s resigned voice reached the woman, she broke off into a smile, and immediately brought out another jade slip which she threw into the circle of smoke.

As a layer of ripples shone in the air, everything instantly vanished.

Within the universe was a galaxy, and within that galaxy was one of the four Great True Realms - the Emperor of Abyss’ True World. In the middle of an endless space was a black, floating continent. The end of it could not be seen, and its land was barren. Not a single hint of life could be detected there.

At the center of that continent was a ruin filled with a desolate air. Within its boundless space was a house, and the door to that house was pushed opened silently at that moment.

An old man in long white robes walked out. His entire body was indistinct and he could not be seen clearly, but the hint of expectation in his eyes shone clearly.

”He’s indeed an Abyss Builder… I didn’t expect that there would still be an Abyss Builder in this world… The only problematic thing is that he’s in True Morning Dao World… but even if he’s in True Morning Dao World’s Yin Death Region, I will still go and see whether he is real!”

As he spoke, he took a step forward. His body fused into the darkness and he vanished into thin air.

In another spot within the Emperor of Abyss’ True World was a river of black stars. Its precise area could not be determined, but it was shining so brilliantly that even those far away from it could see it vaguely from the distance.

A large number of cultivators could be seen moving about in that endless river of stars… Deeper in there was a lake, and at the center of it an island. A woman could be found sitting in there at that moment. She wore a black veil over her face, and stars were sparkling in her eyes. Almost at the same time the old man left, a floating vortex appeared before her, and within it were the youthful woman and her yellow dragon.

”Big sister Fu Shui… A hundred Ap Vat Vriksha[2] Cores, and five hundred Stella Via Lactea[3] pints. You also have to help me call off my marriage with the Emperor of Abyss’ fourth son, then I’ll tell you where that Abyss Builder is. You’re the first person I spoke to, if you refuse, then I’ll immediately go tell that old man Ming.”

The woman in the veil frowned and glared at the woman in the vortex, but the doting look in her eyes could not be hidden away even by the stern expression on her face.

When the vortex disappeared, a pensive look appeared in her eyes.

”There’s actually still an Abyss Builder in this world…? Abyss Builders… The last of them died tens of thousands of years ago under the Rho Leonis Disaster [4]...” When she mentioned the Rho Leonis Disaster, a hint of terror flashed briefly on the woman’s face.

”If we trace back further, it is even said that the entire Emperor of Abyss’s True World was created by that race, and if he’s really an Abyss Builder, then it will be a great fortune for the Emperor of Abyss’ True World!” The woman slowly stood up, and as her eyes sparkled, she took a step forward and disappeared into the air.

When light began lightening the world at dawn, Su Ming charged towards Hidden Dragon Sect’s branch like a specter. In his hand was a jade slip, and it was the thing left behind in Gu Yuan Hai’s storage bag.

A treasure cave in his sect under Thousand River Valley was clearly stated within it. All of the things that they could not take away in time when a sudden disaster fell on their heads were stored in that place.

As Su Ming moved forward, he did not make a sound. However, he could hear the occasional faint screams of pain from Hidden Dragon Sect. Those were the people Evil Spirit Sect killed as they continued with their pillaging activities, and these people were all being swiftly eliminated.

There was also the matter of the cage that was formed due to the seal. Besides Gu Yuan Hai, who might be able to escape with grave injuries using his power, all of the others would not be able to break free of the seal even if they managed to escape from Thousand River Valley.

That was why those faint screams of pain would reach Su Ming’s ears from all around him. These were the sounds Hidden Dragon Sect disciples let out before they were cruelly killed off once they were discovered in their hiding spots.

Su Ming remained calm. He was not about to become a saint and stop this massacre. This battle between the Immortals had nothing to do with him. He drifted along silently, and when he arrived at the foot of Thousand River Valley, which was also the canyon right under Hidden Dragon Sect’s hanging bridge, he stopped.

Once he checked the jade slip in his hand carefully, he spread his divine sense outwards, and after a moment, he charged down the canyon once more. Before long, he stopped again, and his gaze fell on the mountain wall before him.

That portion of the mountain looked normal. It was filled with moss, and there was an ancient air seeping out of there, a clear sign that it had existed for a long time. Not a single ripple of spiritual aura could be detected from the area, and neither were there any signs of the place being cut out before.

As Su Ming stood there, a surprised sparkle appeared in his eyes. He lifted his right hand, but just as he was about to form a seal, he frowned. Once he lifted his head and looked above him, he ignored whatever was up there and continued forming the seal before he struck that very normal mountain rock.

After a moment, as loud whistling that seemed to be able to slice through the air came from above, and as Su Ming continued delivering the seals on that mountain rock, that seemingly normal rock immediately started shuddering with loud rumbling sounds. Soon, as if a veil had been lifted, the moss disappeared to reveal a sealed off cave abode.

There was a notch on the door that was a perfect fit for a jade slip. Su Ming did not hesitate and threw it into the notch.

Rumbling sounds instantly came from the mountain door as it slowly opened up.

Right at the instant it did so, the whistling sounds that sliced through air from above became even more frequent, and a faint eerie voice reached Su Ming’s ears.

”Boy, where’s the treasure trove you said? If you were lying to us, then I will use your spirit as the missing primary spirit for my Heavenly Treasure Streamer. It’ll fill you with hate as you die from torture!”

That voice was somewhat familiar to Su Ming. After a moment of thought, he remembered that it belonged to the thin Inner Sect disciple who had wanted to use him as a Blood Sacrifice when they were on the flying Enchanted Vessel.

Su Ming ignored the voice and walked into the cave abode. At the instant he stepped in, the fog above immediately churned, and three long arcs charged out.

The person leading the group was the thin Inner Sect disciple, and the two people behind him had bloodshot eyes filled with greed and anticipation. They followed closely behind him, and one of them had a quivering young man clamped under his arm. By the looks of his clothes, he was a Hidden Dragon Sect disciple.

At the instant they showed up from the fog, the thin Inner Sect disciple leading the ground saw the opened cave abode on the mountain wall, and he also saw Su Ming standing over there.

He was momentarily stunned before he immediately started laughing.

”How dare an Outer Sect disciple like you try to steal our spoils? You’re in luck, because my Blood Sacrifice’s power is full right now. Get out of my face!” As the thin Inner Sect disciple laughed coldly, he charged towards Su Ming. This kid was nothing in his eyes, and if he did not move, he would just kill him.

He was more concerned of the treasure trove in the cave abode that the Hidden Dragon Sect disciple had spoken of.

The two people behind him looked at Su Ming coldly. As they charged forward, they closed in on the place. Only the young man under one of their arms was staring at the opened door with a dumbfounded expression. He had noticed that there was a jade slip inserted on the door in a barely noticeable fashion. He could not help but find his pupils shrinking as he looked at Su Ming swiftly.

”What? Not moving? You puny ant from the Outer Sect, if you want to die, then I’ll grant your wish!”

Once the thin person closed in, he saw that Su Ming wasn’t moving, and a faint hint of impatience stirred up in him. He lifted his right hand, thinking of killing Su Ming, but right at the moment he did so, he saw Su Ming’s eyes.

Those were a pair of calm eyes, so calm that they were terrifying. The calmness within them seemed to be such that would not shake a single bit even if the world crumbled before it. They were so calm that it made the thin Inner Sect disciple instinctively feel his heart trembling the moment he saw them.

Translator’s Notes:

1. Abhişeka Ceremony (灌顶, guan4 ding3): In layman terms, to ’expel’ and ’instill’. It is the most important and basic ceremony in Tibetan Buddhism, and each monk must go through it whenever they move up a new rank. All disciples must have their Master pour water on their heads. This water is supposed to be Buddha’s protection and mercy, and the head is supposed to be soaked so as to show the supremacy of Buddhism.

2. Ap Vat Vriksha (水榕, shui3 rong2 ): Ap is Sanskrit for water, and vat vriksha is Sanskrit for the banyan tree. Banyan trees are supposed to be sacred. Reason Sanskrit is used, it’s underwhelming to call it Water Banyan Tree Core.

3. Stella Via Lactea (天河星辰, tian1 he2 xing1 chen2): Is Latin for stars and Milky Way. Reason Latin is used? Well, Stars Milky Way is... pfft.

4. Rho Leonis Disaster (轩劫, xuan2 jie2): How do I even do this without spoiling stuff…? The word 轩 (xuan2) is very important, it’s related to a legendary Chinese mythological character said to have created China. It is part of his family name, which is two characters, and that family name is part of a constellation (in Chinese astrology) made of 17 stars. Rho Leonis is what is believed to be the head of this constellation (maybe, others say it’s Regulus). The eventual appearance of this character is the reason why I believe that the word 轩 refers to his family name, and not the other meanings associated with this word. When he eventually appears, I will give all the links.