Pursuit of the Truth

With Dao Kong’s status, once he left Black Ink Planet, he would return straight to the galaxy where the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds were stationed. Through that place, he could return to True Morning Dao World, but should he..? He was not really in a hurry to leave. He could also head to Divine Essence Star Ocean.

With these two as options, Su Ming would naturally choose the latter.

Even if he really wanted to return immediately to True Morning Dao World… his Ecang clone still required a large amount of Divine Essence to grow stronger and devour the other nine Ecang souls, and the best place to obtain Divine Essence was naturally the mysterious and enigmatic Divine Essence Star Ocean.

After all, that was the place where numerous Gods died or fell asleep. That’s why the Divine Essence Su Ming needed was in that place.

Also, he had sensed Lie Shan Xiu’s cry for help, and there was no way Su Ming could just ignore it… He chose to search for Lie Shan Xiu’s tracks and do his best to try and find clues about him.

If in the end, he was truly unable to find him, then even if he had to leave, Su Ming would have no regrets.

However, he did not intend to publicly have his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole perform this task and instead chose to have Dao Kong’s body, his cultivation base clone, perform the task.

After all, this clone had three thousand fearless warriors, nine old men in the later stage of World Plane Realm, a woman with an astonishing speed, a woman in Lunar Kalpa Realm from Phoenix Sect who hid herself around him, and a dozen something galactic warships. This power was much stronger than what Su Ming’s clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole possessed and would allow him to protect himself in Divine Essence Star Ocean.

Besides, with Su Ming’s own power, he could explore even deeper areas of Divine Essence Star Ocean and head to regions where few people could enter on normal occasions.

With this thought in mind, Su Ming walked out of the room in the auction hall, bringing with him the nine old men with shut eyes and the catwoman. They returned to True Morning Dao World’s lodgings.

Su Ming chose a meditation room in that place and sent away the nine old men as well as the woman. He sat down quietly and meditated. Everything was silent around him. Once he sat down, the Divine Essence Runic Symbols shone in his eyes, and the Sacred Constellation Robe on his body immediately lit up. The runic symbols rose and fell, looking like they had always existed on the robe and making it hard for others to tell which light was a runic symbol and which a star.

Soon after, with Su Ming as the center, the power of Divine Essence erupted from the Star Constellation Robe.

This power swept outwards in all directions, and in an instant, it filled the entire chamber. If anyone looked over, they would be able to notice that there were endless waves contained within the chamber, making it look like the bottom of the ocean. The waves surrounded him layer by layer, looking like ripples on the surface of water.

This was not the power from the Star Constellation Robe, but Divine Essence that existed within Su Ming’s soul, and he was just using the Star Constellation Robe as a cover. Very little time had passed since Su Ming Possessed Dao Kong, so he hadn’t had the time to examine the Star Constellation Robe’s effects, but he knew that it could be used to hide the power of Divine Essence.

A soft gasp of surprise came from a corner of the chamber as those waves spread out. Xu Hui’s body was forced out of the air, and her expression changed. Shock appeared in her eyes as she stared at the Star Constellation Robe on Su Ming’s body. This was the first time she saw Morning Dao Sect’s Star Constellation Robe possessing such a well-hidden skill.

However, she was only astonished. After all, the mysteries of the Star Constellation Robe were something that even she did not completely understand, and she was from Phoenix Sect. In her eyes, this was definitely the members of the older generation from Morning Dao Sect showing favor to Dao Kong and executing a Protection Art for him.

”We’re in a chamber, and you and I are alone. Could it be that you intend to practice dual cultivation with me right now? If that’s the case, then I’ll welcome it with open arms,” Su Ming said in a lackadaisical manner, but there was a sinister tone in his words along with his flippancy.

Xu Hui let out a cold harrumph, and disgust appeared on her face, as usual. The only person who could say such words was Dao Kong, whom she was sick of. His sentence just then made quite a large amount of doubt in her heart to disappear once again. There was only a small hint of it left in her. After all, the feeling she obtained from the connection she had in her soul was still the same as ever. As she let out a cold harrumph, she disappeared once again and left the chamber.

Once she was gone, the waves in the chamber continued spreading outwards. When the time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed, the lackadaisical look on Su Ming’s face disappeared, replaced by calmness. He waited for another moment before he lifted his right hand and pushed his palm before himself.

Immediately, light spread out from the edges of his palm and the spot where his palm had landed. There was a relaxed look on Su Ming’s face, and when he lifted his right hand slowly, a Relocation Rune appeared in front of him.

This Rune… had existed within this chamber a long time ago. To be more precise, it had been there even before the people from Morning Dao Sect had appeared in Black Ink Planet, but it had been hidden incredibly well, and even Xu Hui had not noticed it.

Deep underground in another region of Black Water City was another chamber. There, Su Ming’s clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole opened his eyes as he remained seated. Once he did that, the light from a Rune spread out from his body. That light grew increasingly stronger, and in the span of a breath, it completely enveloped this clone.

Three breaths later, Su Ming’s clone disappeared without a trace.

At the same time, in the chamber where Su Ming’s cultivation base clone was, his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole appeared and gained form before he walked out with a single step.

This clone of his did not stop when his foot landed. Instead, he took another step, and in an instant, crashed into Su Ming’s cultivation base clone, and they… started overlapping, as if they were fusing together.

If anyone looked over, they would be able to tell clearly that the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole and the cultivation base clone did not exist in the same dimension. It was as if one had stepped through the other as he sat down cross-legged as well.

The place where the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole sat down was naturally the place where Su Ming’s cultivation base clone sat. At that instant, the two of them completely overlapped with each other.

At the moment that happened, distortions appeared in the air. After the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the distortions died down. When everything within the chamber returned to normal, the overlapping shadow about Su Ming’s body disappeared without a trace.

He still appeared as Dao Kong, but at that moment, if he brought out all his offensive abilities, then he would be much stronger than Dao Kong.

Su Ming smiled faintly, lifted his right hand, and swung it at the ground. The Relocation Rune started cracking inch by inch until it was completely wiped off and disappeared.

”Once we return to the galactic warship and head to Divine Essence Star Ocean, I will raise the level of cultivation of this cultivation base clone of mine to the highest possible limit of what he can endure,” Su Ming mumbled, and a brilliant light shone in his eyes. He had been waiting for this day for far too long. The increase in his level of cultivation for his cultivation base was his foundation, and it was the true divine ability that was stronger than physical strength.

”God Ascension Nectar, it’s finally time for me to use it…” Su Ming touched his storage bag. As his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole fused with him, a number of storage bags on his body had increased.

As for Dao Kong’s storage bag, Su Ming had sent his Atman to scan it and seen quite a large number of good items in there. However, since he had limited time and quite a lot of things to do, he intended to investigate those items once he returned to the galactic warship. He believed that he would be able to obtain many rewards at that time.

’It’s a pity that even the Lie Shan Family couldn’t manage to find even a single hint about the bald crane’s physical body. They’ve searched through everything, but found nothing.’

Su Ming went over his thoughts for a little while longer before closing his eyes and immersing himself in Dao Kong’s memories. He had to master all of Dao Kong’s interests and habits as soon as possible and then slowly change back to his own personality in a manner that no one would be able to notice.

The night went by quickly. When the second morning arrived, Su Ming opened his eyes, and once a strange light flickered briefly in his eyes, he stood up. With a swing of his arm, the door to the chamber slowly opened, and the nine old men with their eyes shut as well as the catwoman were all standing respectfully outside the chamber.

Su Ming did not say a single word. Once he walked out of the chamber, he turned into a long arc, and the nine old men as well as the catwoman turned into long arcs to charge with him into the sky.

Su Ming lifted his right hand in Black Ink Planet’s sky. There was a ring on his index finger, and when sunlight shone on it, a brilliant light immediately spread out from it. As Su Ming sent a thought into it, the light from the ring instantly became stronger, as if it wanted to compete against the sun on who was brighter.

At the same time, booming sounds echoed in the air, and in the blink of an eye, illusory figures appeared all around Su Ming.

There were three thousand of them, not a single one more, not a single one less.

Naturally, they were Morning Dao Sect’s fearless warriors, which were given to Dao Kong by Morning Dao Sect!

”Greetings, young master!” The same words and actions were repeated at the same time by all the three thousand cultivators. Their voices fused together to turn into a wave of sound that surged into the sky, stirring up a powerful presence. This presence was a murderous aura that told the world that these people would dare to rush forward and fight till the death even in the face of an old monster of Solar Kalpa Realm.

As Su Ming looked at these three thousand cultivators, a smile appeared on his face.

”Young master, the galactic warships have been activated and can leave at anytime. Young master… when do you want to board the ship?” the beautiful woman beside Su Ming said respectfully in a low tone.

”Later. For now, come with me… to Worldly Star Planet.”

When Su Ming said this, he took a step towards the direction of Worldly Star Planet. The nine old men immediately followed behind him, and the three thousand cultivators turned into three thousand long arcs who charged forward.

If anyone from the ground lifted their heads to look up, they would see a sight that would give the feeling as if thousands of shooting stars were slicing through the sky. Their presences were like waves that stirred up ripples in the world, and they could be seen from far into the distance.

As these people stirred up loud whistling sounds while the moved through the air, Wordly Star Planet soon appeared in their vision. A faint smile appeared on Su Ming’s lips. He could already sense the bald crane and the Abyss Dragon’s presences below.

In fact, as they got closer and appeared in the sky above Worldly Star Planet, he could see a cultivator surrounded by two men in one corner of the city. Those two men were saying something in low whispers, and the sleazy looking man who was the bald crane placed its arm deep into its bosom to bring out a corner of an illustrated book, as if it wanted to let the cultivator notice it.

”Did you see it, Fellow Daoist? Do you want to know Black Ink Planet’s secret? Do you want to know what sort of organization is Black Ink Dao? Heh heh, I have everything here.

”Are you interested in it? Are you interested in the Progenitor of Yu Family’s private life? Do you want to know the true identity of the Dual Fiends: the Crane and the Black? Do you want to see the private pictures of the mysterious, beautiful woman who appeared in the past? I even have with me the list of the Hua Family’s bastards as well as the truth behind Mo Family’s Progenitor castrating himself while enduring pain just to increase his level of cultivation.

”In fact, I even have with me solid proof that the members of the Lie Shan Family are not attracted to the members of the opposite sex but only those of the same sex!

”Three hundred years ago, why did nearly two hundred old women from eighty different families cry at the same time? One thousand years ago, why did all the female beasts in Black Ink Planet cry and wail for three years? Three thousand years ago, why did all the male beasts in Black Ink Planet roar for ten years!

”All of this is just for ten thousand crystals. Brother, for just ten thousand crystals, this picture book will belong to you. You’re lucky. Today, since today is the 300th anniversary since I opened shop, I will give a discount to the first ten buyers. It’s not ten thousand crystals and neither is it eight thousand crystals, and much less than five thousand crystals…

”Instead, it’s just 999 crystals! Fellow Daoist, for just 999 crystals, you can take with you all the secrets of Black Ink Planet!” The bald crane was speaking so excitedly that its spit was flying all over the place, and the cultivator was completely stunned while listening to it.

Su Ming sighed in midair, then lifted his right hand and pointed at the bald crane as well as the Abyss Dragon who was providing vocal support.

”Capture the two of them and take them with us.”