Pursuit of the Truth

Stars glittered in the sky. After some time, they gradually disappeared, and the night sky faded away as well. When noon returned, all the people in Ancient Zang also woke up.

It was as if those people had never come to know the nine Dao Spirit Voices and it was just a dream they had after falling asleep…

After retrieving his cultivation base back into his body, Su Ming descended, and the cultivators who had spread out around Seven Moons Sect returned to the sect while looking at Su Ming with respect.

There were inner sect disciples and the sect elders among them, and one of them… was Lan Lan.

Gu Tai and the other great sect elders turned into long arcs and arrived next to Su Ming. Xu Zhong Fan’s expression was the most excited. As for the others, most of them had a hint of respect on their faces when they looked at Su Ming.

They respected the powerful. Even if Su Ming was still just in Dao Spirit Realm, he had sounded the ninth Dao Spirit Voice, which meant that sooner or later, he would become a Great Dao Paragon that they could only dream of becoming themselves.

They could also imagine that before long, there would definitely be cultivators from other sects who would come to Seven Moons Sect to talk about forming an alliance. After all, the competition between the successors… was a shortcut for the cultivators of every sect to reach a breakthrough in their levels of cultivation!

Even though the price for it was incredibly great and they would have to face the risk of dying, the temptation was too great. It was enough to make most people come forth willingly. After all, no matter how long a person could live, it could not compare to reaching a breakthrough in one’s level of cultivation!

After all, those who could not obtain true growth yearned for it, and those who had already come in contact with it longed for it even more. They wanted to be able to take one more step forward in their paths of cultivation.

Dao was even more important than life! Only those with this sort of attitude were able to reach high levels of cultivation. As for those who valued their lives and believed that their lives were more important than Dao, they were bound… to never be able to reach the Realms of those who valued Dao more than life.

There were once people who said that those who pursued Dao were willing to die the moment they caught a glimpse of it! No matter in what place or what world, as long as there were cultivators in it, that sentence… would always form a sort of attitude!

That was why even Great Sect Elder Gu Tai had respect on his face when he looked at Su Ming. It was just like how the powerful warriors from Asura Clan had given up on attacking when Su Ming let out the voice of his Life Matrix. Their respect for Dao itself was something that could not be sullied.

Gu Tai stared at Su Ming, and after a long while, he spoke in an ancient and hoarse voice. “I did not expect you… to truly be able to sound the ninth voice!”

He did not think that Su Ming would really be capable of performing such a feat, and the other great sect elders did not even think that Su Ming would choose to sound the ninth voice. Dao Han stared at Su Ming. At that moment, he suddenly understood why Great Sect Elder Gu Tai regarded Su Ming so highly and with such importance. Perhaps… he did not value Su Ming’s status as the third prince, but Su Ming himself!

Su Ming shook his head. He did not speak, but instead stared at the sky in the distance. His ninth sigh was an ache that others would never be able to understand. There was nothing to brag about there.

He wished that he had never let out the voice of his Life Matrix, because if he had not, then perhaps he would not feel pain, and if he did not feel pain, then it would mean that the ninth summit, his elder, and all the familiar faces would still be by his side.

But there were no ‘what ifs’ in the world.

“I will bring you to meet someone. If that person can acknowledge you… then once we find the Space Whip, your chances of success in the competition for Phala three hundred years later will be greater!”

While Gu Tai looked at Su Ming, resolve appeared on his face. Clearly, the person he had just mentioned was someone… even he would not easily bother.

In fact, based on the solemn tone he adopted, it could be seen that the person he mentioned… was definitely not someone ordinary!

“If he can acknowledge you, then you can stay by his side, which will mean… that there will only be two people who can hurt you in all of Ancient Zang

“But this person is rather odd, and his personality is difficult to grasp. Whether or not he acknowledges you will depend on your own serendipity… Fortunately, you have already sounded the ninth voice. At the very least, he will pay some attention to this matter.”

“Who is that person?” Su Ming averted his gaze from the distance and looked at Gu Tai.

Gu Tai was silent for a moment before he said, “Once he acknowledges you, you will be able to guess,”

Su Ming did not say anything more.

“Let’s go. If you can stay there, then you won’t have to bother about the things in Seven Moons Sect. I will gather the people here to search for the Space Whip for you!”

When Gu Tai spoke, Su Ming fell into pensive silence. He then lifted his right hand, and a jade slip appeared on his palm. Once he squeezed it, he closed his eyes for a brief moment, and when he opened them again, he handed the jade slip to Gu Tai.

“This is the clue I obtained from Guru Xing Chen.”

Gu Tai took the jade slip. Once he put it away, he cast Su Ming a deep glance. With a swing of his arm, he turned into a long arc and left into the sky. As composed as ever, Su Ming turned and swept his gaze across the area. When he found Xu Zhong Fan, he wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed to him. Xu Zhong Fan smile immediately became even wider.

Then, Su Ming turned into a long arc to follow Gu Tai. He charged into the distance… Be it Lan Lan, De Shun, or Bei Qiong, Su Ming did not want to have too many connections with them. To him… they were, in the end, still residents of their world. They were not the people he was familiar with.

Fog tumbled about under Gu Tai’s feet, and he looked as if he was moving through space. Together with Su Ming, he disappeared without a trace, and soon… they reappeared in the northwestern region of Ancient Zang!

Gu Tai walked out of the air at a spot amid mountains and in a forest. Behind him was Su Ming. During the entire journey, Su Ming did not speak. Gu Tai did not say a single word either. His expression was solemn as he walked forward until he left the forest. From this, Su Ming could see the respect that came straight from Gu Tai’s soul towards the person they were about to meet.

Or else, considering Gu Tai’s level of cultivation and status, there was no reason for him to not fly while he was in the other person’s region.

When they walked out of the forest, Su Ming saw a mountain village. It was not big. There were only about a hundred houses, which meant that there were only a few hundred people in it.

It was noon at that moment. Smoke curled up from chimneys, and there was also the sound of children playing, which filled the place with a peaceful atmosphere. It was a peaceful color that was left remaining once all colors of prosperity were stripped away, revealing only a plainness.

The trails in the village were made of shattered stone. They looked incredibly normal, and there were some flowers and plants by the road. The extraordinary beauty of the place seemed to fill it with overflowing life force.

It was clear that few outsiders came to the village, hence Gu Tai and Su Ming attracted the attention of the children who were playing nearby. They giggled and ran behind Su Ming and Gu Tai, staring at them with curious eyes.

Su Ming and Gu Tai’s attire did not fit, so the adults in the village quickly called their children back to their houses while watching the duo warily.

The two men continued walking forward until they arrived outside a house with a courtyard in the easternmost spot in the village. They stopped there. Thumping sounds could be heard from the courtyard; someone was cutting wood inside.

“I am Gu Tai. Senior, you once said that I can come meet you once while I am still alive, and I have decided to use this chance now.”

When Gu Tai’s voice traveled into the air, the sound of wood being cut gradually stopped. The courtyard fell silent. After a long while, the door to the house opened with a creek, and Su Ming saw a hunched old man with a head full of white hair behind the door.

The old man’s hands were full of calluses, and his eyes were slightly murky. He was skinny and looked as if he would fall if wind blew on him. He appeared very old, but also seemed to have quite a bit of strength, or it would have been impossible for him to cut wood.

“Greetings, senior. I hope you will forgive us for bothering you.” Respect appeared on Gu Tai’s face as he wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply to the old man.

Su Ming was quiet. He did not speak, but also wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed to the old man.

“There is no senior or whatsoever here. You are guests, since you came here, then come in.”

The old man did not look at Gu Tai and Su Ming with his murky eyes. Once he opened the door, he turned around and walked into the courtyard to sit down on a stump.

Gu Tai voiced his obedience quietly, then walked into the courtyard. He did not even think that the floor was dirty and sat down beside the old man. Su Ming followed him and also sat down on the ground.

When Su Ming and Gu Tai were seated, the old man picked up a smoking pipe from beside him. Once he tapped it on the ground, he placed it by his mouth and took a sip from it. He did not speak. It didn’t seem like Gu Tai and Su Ming existed to him.

Not a single hint of impatience could be detected on Gu Tai’s face. He sat quietly and did not say a single word.

Time trickled by slowly. When the sky gradually turned dark and moonlight scattered on the ground, the old man put down his smoking pipe, stood up slowly, turned around, and walked into the house.

Gu Tai sighed softly. He stood up and wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed to the old man, then looked at Su Ming.

“Let’s go.”

Gu Tai turned around and walked towards the door. Su Ming’s expression remained the same. During the half a day, he had sat without showing any emotion on his face. At that moment, when he stood up, not a single emotion could be detected on his face because of the old man not acknowledging him either.

But right when the two men were about to walk out the door, the old man’s hoarse and weak voice came from behind them.

“Hmm? Why are you leaving? The old one can leave, but the young’un… Through the entire afternoon, you didn’t manage to read the mood. The blocks of wood are there, and my bones are old. You’re young, go and cut wood.”

At the instant the old man spoke, surprised delight appeared on Gu Tai’s face. He immediately turned around and looked at Su Ming, who still had not walked out the door. The ledge was between them.

“You already have an answer in your heart,” Gu Tai said slowly. There was a smile on his face. When he turned around, he stepped into moonlight and walked towards the night.

Su Ming stood still for a moment, then with a calm expression, he closed the door to the courtyard. Under the moonlight, the sound of wood being cut which had been absent for an entire afternoon could be heard again.

Thud. Thud. Thud…