Pursuit of the Truth

With the sentimental voice only it could muster, the ancient voice mumbled softly, “Sometimes, you need to forget what you’ve learned so that you can become even more focused…”

The ancient voice’s words were all gems. Each word and each phrase caused Su Ming’s heart and mind to roar when he heard them. He felt like he’d come to understand something vaguely, but when he mulled over it, he could not get a grasp on it.

As he charged forward, he closed his eyes. He focused all of his mind so that it would not spread out, and while listening to the ancient voice’s words, he gradually and intentionally forgot everything. He forgot about how he had turned into a long arc and was charging towards the Ancient God’s incoming fist.

All of this might seem simple, but in truth, doing it was incredibly hard. In just the span of a few breaths, a shocking rumble reverberated in the universe.

Su Ming’s body jolted. When he opened his eyes, he saw his body shattering, his soul leaving, and the Ancient God with the seven stars in the center of his brows being forced back while his right arm shattered along with a small part of his body.

“Your heart is not calm. You didn’t forget everything. Your mind has not fused with your soul… Do you want to try again?” As the area came to a halt, the ancient voice echoed in space once more

“Yes!”

Resolve appeared in Su Ming’s eyes. The instant he opened his mouth, time flowed back once more and he returned to the moment of the strike. Su Ming moved, turning into a long arc again. As he charged forward, he closed his eyes and forgot everything except his fist. It was the only thing in his mind.

BOOM!

A loud bang rang through the space. Su Ming’s body had shattered completely once more, but the Ancient God with seven stars lost his right arm as well as half of his body. Numerous cracks spread through his body, and when he was forced back, he turned into a bloody mess before shattering.

However, due to his great power and vitality, the Ancient God did not die even though he suffered such grievous wounds. Instead, when he moved back, disbelief appeared on his face.

“It’s still not enough. Perhaps… you are not suited to do all this. You cannot learn to forget…” The ancient voice sighed softly. When it reverberated in the air, Su Ming stayed silent for a moment.

“One more time!”

“It will be the last. If you can shatter the Ancient God with one punch, then I will continue helping you adjust the rebound. If you cannot, then you will be sent out of Dao Ocean.” With the words of the ancient voice, the world before Su Ming’s eyes flowed back and returned to moments earlier.

This time, Su Ming did not turn into a long arc to charge forward. At the instant the huge fist of the Ancient God with seven stars came forward, he sat down cross-legged. When he raised his right hand, the galaxy in front of him distorted, as if a canvas had been formed.

With his mind as ink and his soul as brush, he forgot everything and merged the two together in the canvas in front of him. He forgot himself. He did not close his eyes, but everything in the world before him had already disappeared.

This was a state he had reached in the past. It was the Art of Picture Creation which helped him clear his heart. The method taught to him by Dao Ocean was one that Su Ming was unable learn well, but if it was just about forgetting himself, he could achieve it using another method.

He would clear his mind, then focus it on his soul to fuse them together, thereby forgetting everything about himself. This was what was meant by focusing!

This sort of focus could allow him to gather all the power in his body into one single spot to prevent it from spreading outwards when it erupted. It was similar to painting. If he did not focus and clear his heart of other thoughts, he could not draw.

At that moment, Su Ming did not see the Ancient God’s incoming punch and did not hear the light gasp of surprise from the ancient voice. He forgot everything by immersing himself in the canvas. The instant the Ancient God’s fist came crashing on him, he raised his right hand with all his willpower and drew one line in space with his index finger.

That one stroke was like a hook, an arc…

It crashed against the incoming Ancient God’s fist in space.

Booming sounds echoed through the entire galaxy. Su Ming’s fingertip shattered. His hand, arm, body, and the canvas all crumbled at that moment.

However, the Ancient God with seven stars did not move back. Instead, during that moment, his huge fist turned into ashes along with his arm and whole body. Only his head remained to fall back. He might not have died, but the shock which appeared on his face showed how shaken his soul was. He could not imagine how the person who had struggled greatly when fighting against the black-robed man… could make his huge body crumble with just one light swing. The price for it might have been instant death, but to him, this was still unbelievable.

“This is quite a good method. It helped you to gather eight-tenths of your power. All living beings in the universe except for those in Death Realm are unable to have absolutely none of their power spill out but gather in one spot.

“You have already exceeded my expectations by being able to gather eight-tenths of your power. Next, I will tell you how to gain an epiphany in regards to the power of tremors.

“Based on what I have learned from the body of the Ancient God before you, the power of tremors is a form of resistance as well as dissolution. It is just like how you would stir up ripples when you throw a stone into a puddle.

“If you gathered all of your power together, you would not be able to see ripples. However, there would still be deterrent forces. Focusing your power so that it will not spill out is turning your power into a sharp force!

“Rebound is the third form of power formed the instant the power you send out crashes against this deterrent force!

“This is a form of power utilization, and it’s not that complicated. They say it is celestial origin, but that is just the cultivators from the other worlds not understanding what they do and giving it a mysterious name. Based on my memories, this utilization of power is common knowledge…”

As the ancient voice resounded in space, the area around Su Ming reversed and returned to the moment before. The Ancient God’s fist came charging towards him once more.

“This time, do not choose to forget everything. Instead, treat yourself as a mountain and regard him as a mortal with slightly greater physical strength. Think of him as a mortal using his strength to push a mountain, and the amount of force he uses will be rebounded back to him in the exact same amount.

“This is what the outsiders call the ‘celestial origin of tremors’. The difficulty in it lies in you having to deliver multiple rebounds, but nine is not the limit. They say that nine is the limit because these cultivators from the other worlds do not understand it… In truth, there is a fourth form of utilization of power. It is called borrowing power to strike back[1].”

Su Ming grew more confused with every word spoken by the ancient voice. He felt that what the voice said was logical, but at the same time that he could not wrap his head around it.

The ancient voice sighed softly.

“Oh well. Observe carefully.”

After the last words, Su Ming’s body shuddered. He could sense a will descending on it and seizing control over it while turning him into an observer. He could no longer control the body, but he could see everything even more clearly.

Soon after, Su Ming saw the will which descended on the body take a step forward while controlling it, charging straight towards the Ancient God’s fist coming at them. He instantly closed in, and at the instant he came into contact with the fist, the body stopped and turned his back towards the Ancient God. He raised his right hand and struck his chest fiercely.

“A person’s back is the thickest part of the body. It is also the spot which can suffer the greatest impact. Due to its thickness, the rebound will be even more distinct. Observe well,” the voice said in Su Ming’s head.

The instant the Ancient God’s fist rammed against the back, it was as if both parties had delivered a punch with the body acting as the center!

Su Ming could clearly see a destructive power charge into the body when the palm struck his chest. At the same moment, the destructive power from the Ancient God’s fist behind him also rushed into him. The two forces crashed against each other, then tumbled backwards together. This led to the right hand of the body controlled by the will to bounce off the chest. The Ancient God behind him shuddered and took a few staggering steps backwards. Once he coughed up blood, his right hand was completely crushed.

Yet strangely, the internal structures of the body Su Ming had used did not suffer much damage. It only trembled.

“Do you understand now? When two forces collide, it does not necessarily mean ruin. There is also a possibility of dissolution and retreat. These are tremors.

“Causing multiple tremors is also easy. Observe well.”

When the ancient voice echoed again, Su Ming saw the body controlled by the will turning around to take a swift step forward. The Ancient God with seven stars let out an enraged roar. There was shock on his face as he threw a swift punch with his left hand.

However, the instant the punch landed on the body controlled by the will, Su Ming saw it moving backwards, as if he was going along with the flow of the punch coming towards him. Since his speed and the speed of the fist were the same, he did not suffer much damage. Once the force of the ancient god’s punch faded, the body moved forward, and as if he was borrowing the power from the punch, he struck the Ancient God’s fist with his palm.

Bang!

The Ancient God shuddered and was forced back. His left arm shattered, and madness appeared on his face. At the instant he was forced back, he threw his head back and let out a roar that shook the entire galaxy.

At the same time, one of the stars on the Ancient God’s brows shattered, then another. When four of them shattered in succession, the destruction stopped. The remaining three stars were left incredibly dull.

When the roar which paid the price of the four stars rang out, the galaxy collapsed, the universe shattered, and countless cultivators beneath them collapsed from the tremors.

Even Su Ming’s body was sent tumbling backwards and crumbled

“Ancient Gods, they’re mysterious existences. I can decipher their power… but it is difficult for me to completely understand their inborn ability on a short notice, but as I continue studying it, why do I find something familiar? It is as if a familiar existence has created… the Ancient Gods!”

Translator’s Note:

1. Borrowing power to strike back: The Tai Chi self-defense principle. You can’t seem to hit them, and they seem to never use any sort of strength when they hit back, but it packs a punch and makes you feel out of breath when they hit back. It also hurts when they hit your solar plexus; it hurts like a b*tch.