Pursuit of the Truth

What Qi Bei Shan saw was a gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix in the sky and nearly a hundred long arcs behind it, as well as hundreds of cultivators on the ground running towards the area.

From the presence that covered the sky and earth, a loud bang went off in his head. It made him feel as if he was a lone ship in the midst of furious waves, and his body shivered as his heart roared.

This sight made him let out a shrill cry, and he retreated without any hesitation, wanting to return to his cave abode. To him, this was Yue Hong Bang coming forward to seek revenge, and he was here to destroy him.

There was no way they would be able to compromise in this. Even if he conceded to Yue Hong Bang, he might still end up dead!

Almost at the instant he retreated, the woman by his side intended to do the same, her face pale, but Qi Bei Shan lifted his right hand and seized the woman’s arm before flinging her outwards. Immediately, as the woman screamed in pain, her flesh was separated from her bones and all her blood as well as flesh broke down, turning into a layer of blood mist that spread out through the area with a bang as Qi Bei Shan cast some sort of unknown divine ability.

The hundreds of people that were following behind the Crimson Python Phoenix watched this scene with bright eyes.

”That’s Qi Bei Shan. He is in Heaven Cultivator Realm, and he’s a powerful warrior below only the World Paragons. He’s not the only one who’s in Heaven Cultivator Realm, though. That Yue Hong Bang, who was leading the way, is also in Heaven Cultivator Realm. I’ve heard that there was a grudge between the two of them. Seems like it’s true. This is clearly Yue Hong Bang coming here to kill Qi Bei Shan after he found someone to back him up!”

”It’s a good opportunity. We can use this chance to check just what sort of level of cultivation that mysterious person on the Crimson Python Phoenix has.”

The hundreds of people surrounded the area, and their low-voiced discussions reverberated in the air. At the moment the blood mist on the platform outside Qi Bei Shan’s cave abode spread out, it instantly activated all the Runes in the hill outside, creating a blood-red screen of light.

At the instant the woman turned into a skeleton and fell to the ground, Qi Bei Shan entered his cave abode. As the door to the cave swung shut, Qi Bei Shan’s eyes turned bloodshot. As if he had gone mad, he brought out all the crystals he had stocked up and placed all of them on the floor. Once they were absorbed by the small Rune on the ground, the blood-red screen of light outside the cave immediately gained a muddled hue.

Su Ming sat on the Crimson Python Phoenix’s head and looked at the actions Qi Bei Shan had taken within that short amount of time in a decisive manner. Without any emotion on his face, Su Ming patted the Crimson Python Phoenix’s head, and immediately, right under all the hundreds of people’s gazes, the ferocious beast charged towards the muddled-looking, blood-red screen of light on the ground.

It closed within an instant, but it didn’t execute any sort of divine abilities or Arts. Instead, it used its gigantic head to ram into the blood-red screen of light. At the instant it crashed into it, a violent bang reverberated in the air, and the Rune… did not shatter or crack. Instead… it disintegrated.

It turned into ashes and scattered into the air, seemingly so fragile that it was as if it had never even existed. When that happened, all the crystals before Qi Bei Shan in the cave abode shattered.

His expression changed, and Su Ming took a step forward in the sky above the cave abode. Once he walked off the Crimson Python Phoenix’s head, he appeared right outside Qi Bei Shan’s place. As his hair flew in the air and his robes fluttered, he lifted his right hand and struck the door of the cave abode.

When he did so, an endless amount of flames erupted from his body. The flames were like a sea and instantly covered his body. As they spread out, they cover an area of several thousands of feet. An illusory Crimson Python Phoenix also appeared within that sea of flame and rammed its head against the door to the cave abode with a roar towards the sky as Su Ming’s palm struck the door.

This scene caused many of the people who saw it to be unable to differentiate whether the one who crashed into the door of the cave abode was Su Ming or the illusory Crimson Python Phoenix. It was as if the both of them had overlapped, and everything that could be seen for thousands of feet were that sea of fire, while the only thing that could be heard were booming sounds.

However, it was precisely this strike that caused odd expressions to gradually appear on the onlookers’ faces. They could tell that this strike was not incredibly powerful, and there was a huge difference between this strike compared to what they had imagined.

They had previously thought that a person who could subdue a Crimson Python Phoenix and bring it along as he broke the seal would definitely possess power equivalent to a Lord of a World Plane, but now, the power Su Ming was showing was clearly only that of Earth Cultivation Realm.

However, they could only question it, without any certainty. After all, the act of sealing up one’s own power was not rare in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. However, if Su Ming continued to only show the power of Earth Cultivation Realm, then in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence where the strong preyed on the weak, after attracting so much attention, he would have to face the greed towards the Art that had allowed him to break open the seal as well as the blatant danger that came along with that greed.

At the instant the door to the cave abode opened, it shattered into pieces and fell backwards into the cave. The illusory Crimson Python Phoenix charged into the cave abode like a long arc of fire once the door shattered. The sea of fire that was several thousands of feet big also looked like it had found a gap and charged into the cave abode.

As an even more violent bang shook the sky and echoed in the air, Su Ming took a step back, returning to the top of the gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix’s head. Once a tremor shook the cave abode that was made of the blue stones, it shattered, and an endless amount of blue stones fell off the hill. A large part of that small hill collapsed, and as a shrill roar rang in the air. Qi Bei Shan then rushed out with messy hair.

Yue Hong Bang, who had been prepared to attack since a long time ago, let out a low growl and charged straight towards Qi Bei Shan. They then engaged in a crazed battle in the sky.

However, Qi Bei Shan had no intention to drag out the fight and enjoy it. He only had one thought at that moment, and that was to run away at the fastest speed he could muster. Once he managed to escape from this place, he swore that he would definitely think of a way to take revenge.

He had also managed to deduce that this person who had destroyed the door to his cave abode was the young man and whom Yue Hong Bang had asked for help was only at Earth Cultivation Realm, so he was of no match for Qi Bei Shan. The youth could destroy his door, but he could not injure him. The only thing he needed to be afraid of was that gigantic Crimson Python Phoenix.

Qi Bei Shan had also managed to tell that these hundreds of people nearby had followed the Crimson Python Phoenix to this place due to their shock towards it leaving its sealed region. They were not the man’s subordinates, and they had not come here to destroy him.

’I still have a chance!’

Qi Bei Shan did not have time to bother about anything else at that moment. He knew that he was caught in a life-threatening crisis. As he attacked, he executed his strongest divine ability, and an endless amount of black wind manifested around his body to turn into a bizarre shadow with six arms. Those six arms were holding onto six gigantic spiked maces, and they were charging towards Yue Hong Bang.

Su Ming’s expression remained as calm as ever. He did not bother about Qi Bei Shan and Yue Hong Bang fighting against each other, but looked towards the collapsed cave abode. His vision was filled with blue stones as he looked over there.

However, a glint appeared in the eyes of the bald crane behind him once it saw the black, six-armed shadow. It clacked with its beak, and an excited glare shone in its eyes.

’It looks… very delicious. I seem to have eaten something good like this before…’

The bald crane immediately moved and turned into a long arc that charged towards Qi Bei Shan. Once it closed in, it looked at the six-armed shadow and opened its mouth wide and sucked in a breath. The black six-armed shadow that was fighting against Yue Hong Bang immediately shuddered and withered within an instant, right before everyone’s eyes. Then, it turned into wisps of black threads that the bald crane began to devour.

This scene caused Yue Hong Bang to be momentarily stunned. before his spirits rose up once again.

’As expected of a first generation criminal, even his pets are amazing.’

Qi Bei Shan immediately screamed out in fury. He had intended to use the black six-armed shadow formed by his divine abilities to hold down Yue Hong Bang so that he could escape, but this bald crane had caught him completely off guard.

Malice appeared in his eyes as he made a decision, and he let out a shout.

”Explode!”

As he shouted, the black six-armed shadow exploded with a bang, turning into a violent wave that surged out in all directions. At the same time, Qi Bei Shan’s right arm exploded as well, turning into a monstrous bloody wave that swept up his body with a speed akin to warping.

The black six-armed shadow’s collapse made Yue Hong Bang immediately retreat. The bald crane was momentarily taken aback, then it was swept away by the wave of impact, ending up like an incredibly pathetic mess. The bald crane’s heart clenched in pain for being unable to swallow the rest of that delicious meal, and the crane immediately began to seethe with rage.

When it saw that Qi Bei Shan was about to escape, its piercing voice immediately reverberated in all directions, because in its mind, Qi Bei Shan should die for what he did.

”Kill him! Whoever kills him will get a reward from Grandpa Crane!”

As the bald crane screamed, it lifted its right claw, and a purple crystal the size of a fist immediately appeared in its claws. There was not a single hint of impurity in it, and it was even shining with a pure spiritual energy. It was not something the crystals full of impurities in this place could hope to compare to.

This crystal was a superior spirit stone among the bald crane’s vast collection of items!

Spirit stones of this sort of quality were the type that would disappear once they were used and their number would never be replenished in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Such crystals were incredibly rare in this place. At the instant the bald crane brought out that spirit stone, the eyes of the hundreds of people around immediately brightened. Some of those who had faster reflexes flew up swiftly and charged after the fleeing Qi Bei Shan with thick murderous aura.

This ended up as not a single person trying to kill someone, but almost half of the hundreds of people in the area flying out together. This scene made Qi Bei Shan let out a cry of despair. He had not expected that he would end up this way—being killed because a bald livestock had offered a reward for his head.

He was not the only one to think so, either. Even Yue Hong Bang’s eyes went wide. Clearly, he had not expected this to happen.

In fact, Su Ming had also averted his gaze from the blue stones in the cave and now looked at the bald crane. Even if Su Ming no longer had the ability to sense any emotions, he could not help but be taken aback. Then, he suddenly remembered the bald crane’s hobby and love for pillaging while they were in Yin Death Region.

When Qi Bei Shan saw the hundreds of people charging towards him as well as that he was completely surrounded, he let out a cry and lifted his right hand. A tri-colored crystal appeared within it.

”Soul Crystal!”

Someone immediately recognized that tri-colored crystal. Everyone came to an abrupt halt, and their expressions changed. Just as they were about to withdraw...