Pursuit of the Truth

”Senior, greetings. Thank you for saving me.” Excitement appeared on Yue Hong Bang’s face, and once he struggled up, he immediately wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply towards Su Ming.

He had chosen to cry out for ’god’ instead of calling out for Su Ming by referring to him as senior in order to make the old man who was pursuing him lower his guard, making him fall into his trap when he scoffed at Yue Hong Bang’s actions. If he had asked for this senior for help straight away, then the old man who was after his life would have definitely been too terrified to get close to this place.

However, it was only natural that the old man had extraordinary wit, since he was able to survive in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Even if Yue Hong Bang’s words had indeed affected his guard, he still chose to remain cautious and not get close to the place personally. Once Yue Hong Bang saw it, he let out a sigh in his heart.

The old man’s pupils had shrank, and an incredibly grave expression appeared on his face. Su Ming’s level of cultivation might only be of Earth Cultivation Realm in his eyes, but the fact that this person had been training in the volcano was enough to tell him everything he needed to know.

It was especially so when he heard the roar from the volcano and the smaller Crimson Python Phoenix extended its body out to glare at him fiercely. The old man’s heart then let out a thump once again.

He took a few steps back without any hesitation. A smile appeared on his face as he wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming.

”I am Qi Bei Shan. It seems like I have interrupted your training, senior. Here is a small gift, it might not be able to show enough respect to you, but I hope that you will forgive me.”

The people in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence had developed incredibly cautious attitudes while living in this harsh environment that was incredibly difficult for anyone to survive in. Unless they absolutely had to or were fully confident in being able to take down their opponent, they would not attack.

Even if Su Ming was only at Earth Cultivation Realm in the old man’s eyes, he did not believe that a mere cultivator of Earth Cultivation Realm could reduce his follower’s body to ashes. Besides, Yue Hong Bang’s respect and excitement as well as the mysteries surrounding this person along with the fact that quite a number of powerful warriors in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence would seal off their power so that they could release it when it was necessary caused the old man to become cautious and choose to avoid conflict.

As he smiled, he lifted his right hand and immediately brought out a crystal that was filled with impurities from his storage bag. Once he placed it on the ground, he immediately moved backwards.

”Senior, you can’t let him leave. Once he leaves, he’ll definitely tell the leader of his group about what happened today, which will be detrimental to you! Besides, this person’s cave abode is made completely of blue stones. I went there to examine it for you, and that’s why I was chased to this place…” When Yue Hong Bang saw that the old man was about to leave, he immediately spoke to Su Ming anxiously.

Killing intent shone in the old man’s eyes, and he began charging backwards without any hesitation. The woman beside him also retreated with terror shining on her face, and they turned into long arcs that swiftly left the volcano.

Su Ming did not chase after them, but instead allowed the old man to leave swiftly with his follower. When they disappeared into the horizon, Yue Hong Bang’s face turned incredibly dark, but when he looked at Su Ming, he forced down his complaints and spoke bitterly.

”The blue stones you require are becoming scarce in the area around this place. To satisfy your needs, I’ve brought my companions into places that were further away to scout about. Qi Bei Shan’s cave abode is not too far away from this place, and I saw a large amount of blue stones outside it. His cave abode should also be dug out from the blue stone.

”It’s a pity that he has placed a Rune outside his cave abode. As he pursued me to this place, all my companions died in his hands… If you hadn’t attacked just now, I would have died as well.” Yue Hong Bang’s face was pale. His injuries were grave, and as he spoke, blood even trickled down the corner of his mouth.

Su Ming looked at Yue Hong Bang coldly. This purple-robed man was now in an incredibly pathetic state.

He asked flatly, ”Is it really that important for you to become my follower?” Su Ming’s words did not match with what Yue Hong Bang had been saying, and they came seemingly out of nowhere.

However, the moment he said them, Yue Hong Bang shuddered lightly. For a moment, he was taken aback, then an expression of wild joy appeared on his face. He bowed deeply towards Su Ming.

”I, Yue, am willing to become your follower and serve you. I will obtain even more blue stones for you, senior.”

”To become my follower, you’ve been making the people behind you who had seen me previously die one after another… The last person had also died just now for you without having any knowledge of what was going on,” Su Ming said, looking straight Yue Hong Bang.

Yue Hong Bang shuddered once again, then forced out a smile. Just as he was about to speak though, he was interrupted by Su Ming.

”The others had sent corpses over the past two years, but you’ve been sending blue stones. This time, when you cried out for help, you brought up that his cave abode was made of the stones that I needed so that you could lure me out to attack and help you kill that old man.” With each sentence Su Ming uttered, Yue Hong Bang’s expression would turn paler.

”In fact, you had most probably provoked the old man by walking into his Rune voluntarily. Your goal was to lure him out, and this so called chase was only real by seven-tenths, the other three-tenths of this was fake and planned!”

Su Ming’s gaze was aloof. His merciless eyes were seen by Yue Hong Bang at that moment, and his heart shivered. His face turned even paler, and respect that had never appeared in his heart suddenly took seed within him.

Su Ming might not have said all of his plans, but all the things he had said still made his heart go cold. Indeed, he had intentionally made these things happen.

”Senio—” Yue Hong Bang said with difficulty, but before he could finish speaking, his words were cut off by Su Ming.

”Give me all the items you still have to protect your life,” Su Ming demanded coldly.

Yue Hong Bang fell silent. After a moment, he put his right hand deep into his bosom and brought out a black bamboo piece, which he gave to Su Ming respectfully.

”Senior, you are wise. I cannot hide all of my schemes from your eyes. This is the item left behind by my ancestor. It is known as Emperor Yin’s Bamboo, and it can instantly turn into a shield made of ten thousand bamboos. Once a person is sealed inside, even a Lord of a World Plane would be trapped for a short while.” Once Yue Hong Bang handed over the black bamboo, he lifted his head and looked at Su Ming with respect on his face.

”Qi Bei Shan humiliated me in the past and nearly killed me. I have a personal grudge against him, that’s why I lured him to this place. I wanted to borrow your power to kill him.

”During the past two years, I’ve been discreetly making my comrades die so that no one would notice that something unexpected had happened here. I decided to silence them so that no one would know about your existence. They would only think that you came from the world outside… not a first generation criminal.

”I also wanted to make our relationship better with this and become part of your direct descendants in Crimson Flame Planet,” Yue Hong Bang said in a low voice, then knelt down on one knee.

”But I never wanted to harm you. Everything that I did was so that I could obtain your acknowledgment. Please allow me to become your direct descendant, senior.” Yue Hong Bang lowered his head.

”All first generation criminals that are banished to this place have something about them that causes the four Great True Worlds to be wary. Your level of cultivation might not seem high, but I believe that your true power is definitely extraordinary.

”All first generation criminals become people that all forces of power will want to draw to their side in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, and only first generation criminals have the right to build their own families here.

”I’m not a worthless person. I do not want any outsider knowing about your origins before I become your direct descendant. Everything that I’ve done previously and even the act of luring that person here was mostly to test waters, please punish me,” Yue Hong Bang said in a low voice.

Su Ming gave Yue Hong Bang a cold glance before turning around and ignoring him. Instead, he stepped into the volcano, his body gradually sinking inside. Anguish rose in Yue Hong Bang’s heart due to Su Ming’s actions. He sighed within, but as he was feeling slightly dispirited, Su Ming suddenly asked a question.

”Is Qi Bei Shan’s cave abode truly made of blue stones?”

”I’m not completely certain, but that should really be the case, because there is an incredible amount of this type of blue stone scattered around his cave abode!” Yue Hong Bang’s spirits rose, and he immediately lifted his head to answer the question.

Su Ming’s expression remained the same. He did not ask anymore questions, and his body disappeared into the volcano. Uncertainty appeared in Yue Hong Bang’s heart. He could not guess Su Ming’s thoughts. At that moment, he chose to sit down cross-legged on the mouth of the volcano and brought out several crystals filled with impurities to exercise his breathing quietly so his wounds would heal. His mind worked rapidly, but he still could not obtain even a single hint from Su Ming’s words as to what he was planning to do.

Su Ming lowered himself into the magma as a pensive look appeared in his eyes. His body soon completely sank into the magma, and as the magma churned violently, the gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix let out a roar and flew out. Su Ming was sitting cross-legged on top of its head. He had his right hand placed on the Crimson Python Phoenix’s body and his Atman spread out to fuse with the ferocious beast’s body.

The gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix rushed upwards with a roar, and when it rose from the volcano, the mighty pressure that belonged to a World Paragon caused excitement to instantly appear on Yue Hong Bang’s face.

The bald crane turned into a ray of yellow light and appeared beside Su Ming, carefully landing on the Crimson Python Phoenix’s body. Its current appearance was that of a mutt, and it had its tongue sticking out of its mouth as it looked at the area.

”Lead the way!” Su Ming said coldly.

Yue Hong Bang immediately flew up and wrapped his fist in his palm before bowing towards Su Ming. Then, as he turned around, killing intent shone in his eyes, and he charged into the distance.

Su Ming patted the Crimson Python Phoenix beneath him. The gigantic ferocious beast hesitated for a moment, then swiftly rushed out. Though before it could fly more than ten thousand feet outwards, a layer of blue light rose from the ground and covered the entire area. The Crimson Python Phoenix froze in terror and wariness appeared on its face.

”Bald crane.” Su Ming was not surprised by this. Instead, he cast a glance at the bald crane.

The mutt went off with spirit. When it flew out, it turned into its original form and crashed into blue screen of light that formed the seal in this place. After a moment, its body started warping and turned into an old man dressed in a robe with nine black dragons sewn on it. He closed his eyes and let out a low shout at the Rune.

”Open!”

With that one word, the blue screen of light immediately started trembling, and a crack appeared. Crimson Python Phoenix’s eyes went wide, and it let out an ecstatic screech before turning into a red light that shot through the crack.

The slightly smaller Crimson Python Phoenix did not come out. It was instead looking at Su Ming from the volcano while letting screeching loudly. The bald crane strutted about for a bit, then moved to stand on the gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix’s body. It was no longer as cautious as it was last time, and it was a clear sign that it thought it had done a meritorious deed.

At the same time the Crimson Python Phoenix flew out of the blue screen of light, it let out a roar that shook most of Crimson Flame Planet. Its huge body, which was several tens of thousands of feet big, caused the weather to change. In its memories, this was the first time… it flew out of that area of ten thousand feet around the volcano!

As it roared, Su Ming sat cross-legged on its head. An expression of excitement that had never appeared on Yue Hong Bang’s face before did so now, as he flew at the front. He knew that he had won the gamble!

”Lead the way.”

”Understood!”