Pursuit of the Truth

The most important things to Su Ming in Divine Essence Star Ocean were all related to the Fifth True World, and if he wanted to go to there, he needed the fifth stone!

However, this fifth stone was incredibly rare. All everyone knew was that it was produced in the fifth kiln, but not who had it.

However, there was no regular pattern in the activation of the fifth kiln. Sometimes it would activate after a few decades. At other times, it would take several centuries, and occasionally, several thousands of years. The longest recorded interval was twenty thousand years.

As one of the most mysterious places in Divine Essence Star Ocean, no one except the people who went into the fifth kiln before knew what was inside, and even if someone managed to return alive, they would naturally not tell the others much about it. The information they obtained would become the greatest secrets of their race, so that it would be easier for the members of their race to head into the fifth kiln when it appeared again.

The fifth kiln’s location had always been a secret. Unless someone searched through the entire Divine Essence Star Ocean with the flames as their guide when it was activated, then the people who wanted to find it could only look to the east of their cultivation planet. There, they would see the strange sun, which was the fifth kiln.

Yet if they were to look for it, then even if they walked to the ends of the universe, they would find that they were still unable to reach the fifth kiln. This was like a mirage. A person could see it, could stretch their hand towards it, but what they would obtain in exchange would be just ripples. They would be unable to take anything.

Su Ming was not putting on airs when Xuan Shang invited him the first time. He was truly not interested in it. There were countless wastelands in Divine Essence Star Ocean, as well as countless places where Gods fell asleep. It could be said that there was a possibility that any of these places could contain a serendipity and treasures that would cause people to fight over them.

He could search for these serendipities alone if he wanted, not taking other people. However, Su Ming’s main focus was not on those serendipities. He wanted to go according to his plan and take revenge on the other three venerated races while waiting for the activation of the fifth kiln.

If it would happen, it would be good, but if he could not wait for long enough, then he could only return to True Morning Dao World with regrets in his heart.

That was why… the instant Xuan Shang’s second sentence landed in Su Ming’s ears, his eyes flew open. He raised his right hand and patted the Void Beast, which instantly stopped.

When Xuan Shang saw the Void Beast stopping, he knew that the fifth kiln had brought about the expected effect.

Su Ming stood up, and when he turned his head around, he looked at Xuan Shang and his group in the distance. He lifted his foot and took a step forward. At the instant his foot landed, he had already moved through space and appeared in front of Xuan Shang.

“Continue,” he said faintly.

Xuan Shang remained silent for a moment before saying decisively, “I am a True Guard from True Sacred Yin World stationed in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence! Or rather, there have been generations of members from the Xuan Family who have served as True Guards. We trace back to ten thousand something years ago. At that time, my ancestor coincidentally found a plate.

“It was a strange, with an everlasting flame on it. Generations of my family researched the plate and found that… the flames on it weren’t normal flames, but they were never able to figure out just what type of flames they were.

“You saw the color of the flames back then. This sort of flame will not extinguish for nearly ten thousand years, and it is stored in the plate. No one knows how it appeared or how it came to be, but no matter where it is, as long as we swing that plate, the flames will immediately appear and burn everything…

“Seven thousand years ago, a Progenitor from the Xuan Family used some unknown method to ascertain the plate’s identity in an auction held in Black Ink Planet. It showed up to be a relic left behind by the previous tribe leader of Dust Burners!

“Before the auction in Black Ink Planet ended, the Progenitor went through… a monstrous sea of fire that appears once the fifth kiln is activated. The sea of fire might not have swept up Black Ink Planet, but he could see it on Black Ink Planet. That indescribable flame and the dark color of the flame… was the fire on the plate!” Xuan Shang said calmly.

“Is the fifth kiln connected to Dust Burners?” A glint appeared in Su Ming’s eyes as he looked at Xuan Shang.

“They are definitely connected!” Xuan Shang nodded. “That is why, over the years, the True Guards from Xuan Family would secretly search for the path leading to Dust Burners. We spent several thousands of years, and we finally found an incomplete map. On it are some clues regarding the inner parts of Divine Essence Star Ocean. There are also some marks about Dust Burners,” Xuan Shang explained while looking at Su Ming.

“As one of the four venerated races, Dust Burners have a Master of Fate, Lives, and Death among them. On… what basis are you going there?” Su Ming asked flatly.

“Based on the first Progenitor of Xuan Family being friends with a person in True Sacred Yin World in the past. That person gifted my family’s Progenitor with a supreme treasure. Even a Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death will not be able to see any clues when this supreme treasure provides us with a cover.

“The meaning behind this treasure is greater than its effect. With this treasure around, Xuan Family can exist eternally in True Sacred Yin World, and no one will easily dare to snatch this treasure. More importantly, besides the treasure being connected to the blood of the Xuan Family, the person who gave us this treasure… is the current Sublime Paragon of True Sacred Yin World!” Once Xuan Shang finished saying these words, his eyes bore into Su Ming.

“We are also heading there based on our confidence with fellow Daoist Hua’s Soul Sealing Art, fellow Daoist Yun’s Aura Devouring and Transformation Art, as well as fellow Daoist Nian’s Great Annual Wheel Dharma Art, which is an Art passed down through generations of their family. It is a pity that three more of our friends died, or else with the seven of us together and the supreme treasure running through our bodies, we could have all turned into one.” Xuan Shang sighed.

A brilliant sparkle shone in Su Ming’s eyes. He smiled.

“You’re intending to disguise yourselves as a Dust Burner and blend among them, right? And you should be thinking about using the status of a lost son of the previous Dust Burner’s tribe leader. If I’m not wrong, your family’s Progenitor did not just obtain a plate in the past. He also obtained… a corpse!” Su Ming’s voice was calm, but once he said it, a huge storm stirred up in Xuan Shang’s heart, even though his expression remained the same.

He cast a deep look at Su Ming. This was the first time he met someone like him, who could discover the truth based on the few clues in his words.

It was just as Su Ming said. His family’s Progenitor had discovered a corpse in the past, but it was not the whole corpse, only half of it!

“Based on this, that supreme treasure of your family can not only hide your presences, but also transform them. Only then would no one be able to see through anything in your plan,” Su Ming said calmly.

Xuan Shang smiled wryly, then wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming. He might not have said it out loud, but the two of them already knew what was going on. As for the three cultivators by the side, there was now wariness in their eyes when they looked at Su Ming.

They were not just wary of his level of cultivation and his great power. They were also wary of how meticulous he was in his thoughts.

“I would not dare to hide from you, I had indeed thought of this. This was also what the members of the Xuan Family have concluded. This is the only way that we would be able to blend into the Dust Burners. After all… the Xuan Family does not have a Master of Fate, Lives, and Death.

“That is why we contacted our other old acquaintances in the other true worlds and gathered a total of seven people. Three thousand years ago, we stepped into the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, and we have been preparing for this for a long time. Once we perfected our coordination, we entered the inner parts of Divine Essence Star Ocean.

“But it’s a pity. On our way here, we ran into danger that we could not avoid, and three of our friends died.” Xuan Shang’s expression filled with grief as he spoke slowly.

“But since we ran into you, senior, it means that we have gained a greater chance in success. With you around, we will definitely be able to come into contact with the fifth kiln’s secret. In fact, there is even a possibility that we will enter the fifth kiln!” A hint of resolve and hope appeared in Xuan Shang’s eyes.

Su Ming stared at Xuan Shang. He could tell that this person was telling him partial truths, and there were things he did not say. This was understandable. After all, if he told everyone everything, then he would not have survived till now. It would also have been impossible for him to get to the later stage of World Plane Realm.

“How are you dividing the spoils?” Su Ming asked faintly. He was throwing this question out with the intention to test waters and learn just what sort of treasures were in the fifth kiln. After all, besides the fifth stone, Su Ming did not know the details of what else was in there. However, based on the resolve he saw on these four, it was clearly that they had a certain item that they were determined to get no matter what.

“Senior, do you have anything that you absolutely intend to obtain?” Xuan Shang immediately asked, avoiding Su Ming’s question. Clearly, he did not want to say what they wanted.

Su Ming smiled and did not continue with his question. Instead, he answered firmly and decisively. “I only want the fifth stone!”

Xuan Shang immediately nodded. The other three people beside him also let out sighs of relief. They might not have had much dealings with Su Ming, but their instincts told them that he was not a person who would go back on his promises. As for the fifth stone, even though they also wanted to obtain it, compared to their true goal, this item could be ignored.

“Then…” A faint smile appeared on Xuan Shang’s face. He quelled the excitement in his heart. He knew that the chances of success in this operation would soon become greater. Just as he was about to say something, Xu Hui suddenly chuckled lightly beside Su Ming.

“I want a rouge jade.”

When she said this, Xuan Shang and his group’s expressions immediately changed slightly.

“Hmm? Could it be that me joining you is not valuable, even with my level of cultivation?” Xu Hui asked with a smile.

Xuan Shang smiled wryly. He looked at Nian Yin, who remained silent for some time before gritting his teeth and nodding. The rouge jade was one of the two objects that he wanted in the fifth kiln.

“Your Grandpa Crane too! I want crystals! Loads and loads of crystals!” When the bald crane saw that Su Ming and Xu Hui had obtained benefits out of this, its spirits were immediately lifted and it shouted loudly.

Once it finished speaking, to make itself seem more convincing, it swayed its body and turned into Su Ming. Then it moved again. Judging by its actions, it looked like it wanted to transform into Xu Hui as well, but when she looked towards it with a grin, and the bald crane’s heart let out a loud thump against its chest. It then forced itself to stop after it had transformed halfway. The bald crane then quickly turned into Xuan Shang, then Yun You, Hua Yu, and Nian Yin’s appearances. It even took the form of a Heaven Traverser after that.

“How is it? Heh heh, if I join you, I should be worth several hundreds of millions of crystals, right?” In the end, the bald crane looked at the flabbergasted quartet with a smug look.

“All the crystals in the fifth kiln will belong to you!” Excitement appeared on Xuan Shang’s face. The bald crane’s transformations perfected the final step of his plan of blending into the Dust Burners.