Pursuit of the Truth

”Since it’s effective, then… bald crane, you’ve done far too many things for me, today… I’ll help you,” Su Ming mumbled under his breath as he stood in the area beyond Western Ring Nebula’s foreign land. As he did so, a determined look appeared in his eyes. He did not choose to search for the connection between the bald crane and Black Ink Planet.

After all, while it might seem certain that there was a connection between them, in truth, it might also be a coincidence, and the journey to the planet was long. Unless he absolutely had to, Su Ming would not choose to go there.

Besides, there was another path that led to the bald crane’s recovery laid out before him, and that was to search for the person who gave Kong Huan that feather. It did not matter what sort of scheme that person was plotting. Su Ming just needed to find the person, crush thet scheme, and take back what belonged to the bald crane.

This path was incredibly dangerous, because the defenses and the number of powerful warriors within the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping a lookout over the barren lands would continuously serve as a blockage in Su Ming’s path.

Besides, there would definitely be some old monsters among the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds. This could be seen by the presence of the two powerful warriors who were half a step away from Solar Kalpa Realm among those who came after Su Ming’s life all those years ago.

’I’ll have to make this quick and not drag the fight out. I’ll barge in at the fastest speed possible, find that person, and snatch away what I need. As long as I can do everything at the fastest speed possible… then there is a possibility that I will succeed in this matter.’

The Duke of Crimson Flame saw the light in Su Ming’s eyes, and he also saw the madness within him. He had originally thought that Su Ming was hesitating on whether he would go to Black Ink Planet, but at that moment, Su Ming swiftly closed his eyes.

At the instant he did so, his Ecang clone slowly opened his eyes.

Right when he did so, a dense power of Divine Essence erupted from within him. He stood up slowly and took a step into space.

With one step, the galaxy roared. With another, the world of the one hundred thousand stone monuments looked as if it was about to shatter. The hundreds of people in the purple stone monuments, including the cultivators in black armor who were forced into the land by Su Ming, fell unconscious.

The purple light on their stone monuments became dull, and in the end, not a hint of light could be found on them anymore, as if all of it had been sucked away during that instant.

He took another step, and a figure suddenly appeared in Sinful Barren Lands, in the area beyond Western Ring Nebula’s foreign land. That figure was dressed in purple and had long hair. His appearance was similar to Su Ming’s, but he looked even more ancient. He stood there quietly, and at the instant he appeared, a large area within Western Ring Nebula rumbled.

This was a rumbling sound that came out of nowhere, and it was a sound that caused the galaxy to tremble. An innumerable amount of cracks appeared in the galaxy, and as that rumbling rang in space, the laws and rules in Western Ring Nebula looked as if they had descended into a disorderly state during that instant and got entangled with each other.

The planets shone, the meteors stopped moving, starlight was distorted, and an endless amount of ripples spread out, causing the entire Western Ring Nebula to descend into huge chaos.

It was as if the appearance of Su Ming’s Ecang clone made this galaxy wary, and it became greatly averse to his presence. It was as if the galaxy had a will, and at that moment, it was seething in rage but was also in a state of anxiety as well.

White lightning descended with loud booms from space and instantly filled the area around Su Ming’s Ecang clone. As it spread out violently in all directions, this large area within the galaxy instantly turned into a lake of lightning.

That lightning was like a prison, and seemed to have been born from the galaxy to prevent Su Ming’s Ecang clone from moving out.

All of this was completely disregarded by Su Ming’s clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows whole. He still had his eyes closed, but in front of him, the Duke of Crimson Flame’s expression changed in such a drastic manner that had never been seen before. He instinctively retreated several thousands of feet backwards and stared at the purple figure that appeared within the white lake of lightning with a dumbfounded expression. A wave of respect born of extreme terror rose uncontrollably from his soul. His body trembled, and even his soul seemed as if it was about to collapse.

’Who… Who… is this?! This strength, this is… this is…’

The Duke of Crimson Flame looked as if his mind had become a muddled mess. Disbelieving shock appeared on his face. He saw how the laws and rules of the galaxy filled the area, and saw how the galaxy was greatly averse towards this person. He could not imagine just how strong a person who was repulsed by the galaxy could be. This was a strength that made a galaxy wary!

”You’re just a broken galaxy. How dare you try to prevent me from going out?” The purple hair of Su Ming’s Ecang clone danced in space. As he spoke flatly, he lifted his right hand and swung forward.

With it, all the white lightning around him turned purple right before everyone’s eyes. In the blink of an eye, this place… became a purple lake of lightning.

What was more, right at that moment, a will that made the Duke of Crimson Flame suffocate erupted from the purple figure whose face he could not see clearly. As that will swept outwards, it was as if all the spots where the will passed through in the galaxy would no longer belong to the galaxy… but would be in this person’s control.

The Duke of Crimson Flame could vaguely see all the laws and rules in the galaxy where this person’s will touched forcefully wiped off and replaced by new laws and rules.

He also saw the resistance of the galaxy turn into a power that restricts others, as if it was trying to stop this person’s will from spreading out. This was no longer something a cultivator could do. It was akin to a fight between a galaxy against galaxy, a scuffle between a cosmos against another cosmos.

The Duke of Crimson Flame’s jaw fell slack in shock as he mumbled, ”Just who… is this..?”

This sort of divine ability had already surpassed the Duke of Crimson Flame’s imagination. Only one thought was in his mind - to flee. He shouted at Su Ming’s clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole, and just as he was about to take it away, he shuddered, because the will that terrified him had already enveloped Su Ming’s clone.

At that instant, a faint voice echoed in the air.

”Broken galaxy, you can destroy all manner of lives, but you cannot destroy me, because you and I are the same sort of existence.” At the instant these words were spoken, the Duke of Crimson Flame saw a scene that he would never forget in his life, a scene that shocked him for all eternity.

Right then, he saw a gigantic… purple tree that towered into the heavens and was so big that it was difficult to describe its size appearing behind that blurry purple figure whose face he could not see clearly!

That tree used the galaxy as the earth it planted its roots in and as its nutrients. There was also a sound that came from within it, which sounded like a heartbeat. With each thump, the galaxy would tremble. At the moment the tree appeared, it occupied an area so wide that its end could not be seen, causing the laws and rules within Western Ring Nebula to be on the verge of crumbling to pieces.

His will spread out once again, and with a bang, it enveloped the area where the Duke of Crimson Flame was. Despair filled him, but he did not sense death coming towards him, which momentarily took him aback.

Not only did not he not sense death, instead, in that will, he found a hint of familiarity which pushed him into a state of disbelief.

”Broken galaxy, you cannot stop me, and neither can you destroy me… Today, I came out from my homeland not to destroy you, but to borrow one hundred thousand lis of your galaxy. Do not… try to stop me.”

At the instant these words were spoken, the purple lightning around Su Ming’s Ecang clone spread out, and in the blink of an eye, it covered the entire area where Su Ming’s will was, and it was… a galaxy that stretched out to one hundred thousand lis.

One hundred thousand lis of a galaxy filled with purple lightning became a galaxy that belonged to Su Ming’s Ecang clone!

This region of the galaxy was not big and could not compare to the galaxy which belonged to the purple Ecang in its homeland within the foreign lands. However, this was the world outside, not the foreign land. There was a will from the universe here, and he had already surpassed the limits of a cultivator by being able to do this.

As Su Ming’s Ecang clone spoke, the Duke of Crimson Flame looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. The repulsion from Western Ring Nebula… disappeared. It most likely hadn’t disappeared completely and was still monitoring him, but this was a form of compromise, and it meant that… this purple figure was on equal grounds with the galaxy.

The Duke of Crimson Flame then saw a sight that left his mind blank. He saw Su Ming, which was Su Ming’s clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole, opening his eyes and slowly walking towards the purple figure before they… gradually fused together.

This was not the Abyss Builders’ fusion, but a form of incorporation.

If the Duke of Crimson Flame still did not understand what was going on during that moment, then he would have wasted all his years of life. However, he was still in a state of disbelief. With a dumbfounded look, he watched the purple Su Ming walk towards him to stand before him. At the moment he Duke of Crimson Flame’s gaze met the Ecang clone’s, even his soul began trembling, and he slowly lowered his head to wrap his fist in his palm and bow to Su Ming.

He did not manage to finish that bow, because the mighty pressure gathered around him had instantaneously vanished.

”Senior, you don’t have to do this. This is the first time this clone of mine came out, and I still can’t really control him properly. I’ve offended you greatly just now, please don’t take it to heart,” Su Ming said calmly as he looked at the Duke of Crimson Flame.

He might have said these words, but the Duke of Crimson Flame’s shock would not disappear due to a single sentence. He looked at Su Ming in a daze, and for the first time… a strong wave of respect rose within him. This form of respect was something he had never felt for Su Ming before, and the connection he formed with Su Ming due to his desire to use him from before also changed instantly.

Forget now, even when he was at the peak of his condition in the past, he would still not have dared to disrespect this sort of person and existence. In fact, he had a feeling that Su Ming… might be the new Sovereign who could make their fifth True World prosper!

Once this thought sprouted in his head, it immediately started growing rapidly in his soul, causing respect and excitement to appear on his face. He took a few steps back and bowed to Su Ming once again.

”I do not deserve to be referred to as senior. I had approached you with the intention of using you previously, please forgive me. Young master, from now on, I will use all my strength to help you restore the glory of the fifth True World!” The Duke of Crimson Flame bowed deeply, revealing all the sincerity in his heart. It was also during this moment that he chose to truly treat Su Ming as his young master and never betray him in his life.

”But allow me to say this, young master. This clone of yours might be powerful and able to fight against the galaxy… but there are some old monsters in this world who can still kill you. Please… don’t let this clone of yours come out. It would be better if you had it stay in the foreign lands,” the Duke of Crimson Flame said excitedly.

”I know, but there are some things that even though I know are dangerous… I will still have to do.” Su Ming shook his head, and in his mind, the image of the bald crane’s smug look appeared. A hint of a smile appeared on his face. ”Let’s go. We will… head to the main camp of the four Great True Worlds keeping a lookout over this place!”

A freezing glare appeared in Su Ming’s eyes. He took a step into space, and within an instant, the purple lightning in the galaxy let out thunderous booms. Like a sea of lightning, he swept through the galaxy to charge swiftly into the distance.

Wherever he went, the galaxy would tremble, and all those who saw were shocked and amazed.