Pursuit of the Truth

The Tree of Dao Verification was in the third layer, which was from the world spoken in the legends of Ancient Zang. It was in the tunnel, right where the final barrier was before they could enter the world to where it had belonged before…

At the instant Su Ming stepped into the third layer, he saw wasteland. It looked as if someone had used powerful divine abilities to destroy it. There were ruins everywhere and thick waves of death.

The area was not big, and its borders could be seen. If anyone cast their gaze around, they would find that the ancient Tree of Dao Verification that had penetrated the land through its center stood tall on the ground. There were scarcely any leaves on the tree crown, but the complicated mess of branches covered the sky. Anyone who lifted their heads could not see the sky, just endless branches.

The tree had a sense of age, which made Su Ming’s heart tremble violently the moment he saw it. Those tremors came very suddenly. Su Ming even had a feeling that something that had always been in his soul was waking up at that moment.

Because he sensed… a hint of Ecang’s presence in the tree! Or rather, the past Ecang had a hint of that tree’s presence!

Su Ming sucked in a deep breath while one thought took over his mind. When the Emperor of Ancient Zang brought the tree back from that world, quite a large portion of it had crumbled. Some of its branches turned into the Sacred Wood, and some branches… had given birth to lives, though the reasons behind it were unknown.

Su Ming stared at the tree and sensed the ancient air surrounding it. At the same time, he also sensed the dreary and dismal air. Perhaps others would not be able to sense the latter, but perhaps because of Ecang… Su Ming could sense it clearly.

The Feng Shui compass appeared under Su Ming’s feet. He turned into a long arc that charged to the tree. When he had sensed the dreary presence from the tree, he also saw a big fruit and a small fruit growing at the very top of the tree crown that had replaced the sky. The big fruit shone with a dark light, and it was the size of a baby’s head.

The small fruit was the size of half a fist. At that moment, it was shining with a gentle, orange-yellow light. A thick, sweet fragrance spread out from it and filled the world.

Su Ming was the first cultivator to step into the third layer in the battle of Dao Verification. Even though he only had the advantage of dozens of breaths, if no external power interfered with him, then with that advantage in hand, he would already be halfway to victory.

As he charged forth in a long arc, in just a few breaths, he had already drawn close to the ancient Tree of Dao Verification. His eyes shone when he noticed that there was a powerful, mighty pressure in the third layer. It would only dwindle slightly when he touched the ancient tree.

Which meant… that he could not fly to the Phala. Such an act would be a sign of disrespect, and it was not allowed by the Tree of Dao Verification. If Su Ming wanted to obtain the Phala, there was only one way for him to do so—he could only climb up the tree!

Su Ming’s eyes sparkled. He leapt up from the ground and stepped on the Tree of Dao Verification. Without a hint of hesitation, he rushed up, and the closer he got to the tree crown, the stronger the sweet fragrance became. As Su Ming breathed it in, he could sense that his cultivation base growing so much that it felt as if it was about to boil.

The feeling of his cultivation base boiling caused Su Ming to notice that even his Dao Spirits had begun showing signs of receiving nourishment. The fragrance around him was the exact same as the one he absorbed in the first and second layers, and it was even thicker than before.

But the higher he climbed, the stronger the mighty pressure became. If it was not because of the fragrance providing him nourishment, Su Ming would have definitely been four- or five-tenths slower than what he was showing right then.

While Su Ming charged up the tree, several figures appeared on the ground. They were all Seven Moons Sect disciples. When they appeared, they lifted their heads and looked at Su Ming climbing the tree. Determination immediately appeared on their faces, and they rushed towards the tree. Once they sat down and began meditating under the tree, resolve lit up in their eyes.

Their goal for going there was to help Su Ming gain as great of an upper hand as possible over the others. This was the task given to them by the sect, and it was something they had to accomplish. Even if they had to sacrifice themselves, they had to make sure that they accomplished their task!

To succeed, the sect had given them a large amount of benefits. Even though it would be difficult for them to make use of them themselves, their descendants and their families could receive better treatment from the sect in the future.

Those people gritted their teeth and closed their eyes at the same time. Patches of purplish red instantly appeared on their bodies…

The advantage of dozens of breaths passed in the blink of an eye. By then, Su Ming was already forty thousand something feet up the Tree of Dao Verification. Even though he was still far away from the tree crown, he had gained a huge upper hand over the others by arriving where he was right then.

At that moment, several long arcs charged up the third layer. The two people in the lead were the first and second princes. Once they arrived in the third layer, the first thing they saw was Su Ming. Killing intent shone in their eyes, and the two of them turned into long arcs that charged to the Tree of Dao Verification.

But right when they closed in on it, the six Seven Moons Sect disciples sitting under the tree opened their eyes, and their bodies exploded with a bang.

Their levels of cultivation were not high, but they had prepared for it for a long time, which was why when they exploded, an astonishing presence burst forth from their bodies. That presence spread out with a bang and formed a pillar of light that surrounded the Tree of Dao Verification. It surged into the sky and even surpassed the spot where Su Ming was. In an instant, it covered a height that was nearly one hundred thousand feet.

The Tree of Dao Verification within those one hundred thousand feet was surrounded by the pillar of light, preventing anyone outside the light from touching the trunk. If the other princes wanted to obtain the Phala, they could only do so by flying up while withstanding the tree’s mighty pressure. They would have to go up one hundred thousand feet before they could touch the trunk and reduce the oppressive force from the mighty pressure.

The six Seven Moons Sect cultivators would normally be unable to create such a problem. In truth, the ones who provided the power for the pillar of light that was one hundred thousand feet in height were ten Dao Paragons from among the great sect elders of Seven Moons Sect. Without affecting their own cultivation bases, they had prepared for the instant release of power and subsequent explosive force for many years.

It could not last for long, however. The pillar of light would only stay for about thirty breaths, but those thirty breaths would help Su Ming gain an even greater advantage.

The moment the pillar of light appeared, the first and second princes drew close. Once they touched the pillar of light, booming sounds echoed in the air, and the two princes were swiftly bounced back.

“That accursed Seven Moons Sect!”

Powerful killing intent appeared in the second prince’s eyes. He immediately turned into a long arc that charged to the sky, clearly intending to face the mighty pressure head on and cover the one hundred thousand feet, but when he had only flown twenty thousand feet, his expression changed. The mighty pressure from the sky made him feel as if he had lost most of his cultivation base. He lifted his head swiftly and cast a glance at the one hundred thousand feet pillar of light. Based on his calculations, he could at best fly up thirty thousand feet.

The distance of one hundred thousand feet was a ravine that was difficult for anyone to cross. They could only wait for the pillar of light to disappear on its own. Both the first prince and second prince knew clearly that it was impossible for the pillar of light to last for long. At most, it could only last for a dozen something breaths.

However… they had already lost dozens of breaths, and if they had to lose another dozen something breaths right then, their chances of obtaining the Phala in the third layer would be slim to none.

Su Ming had already scaled the height of nearly fifty thousand feet, and he was still climbing up. This scene immediately caused resolve to appear in the eyes of the first prince. He originally did not want to use his trump card so quickly. After all, even Great Dao Paragons could not stay for long in the third layer. It was a method he intended to use at the most critical moment.

But right then… the development of matters had already forced him to use it!

The first prince lifted his right hand. When his eyes sparkled, he struck the center of his brow swiftly and sat down cross-legged. He then formed a seal with his left hand and pointed at his Dantian Region.

Loud booming sounds immediately came from his body. As they echoed in the air, his expression contorted, as if he was enduring intense pain. At the same time, his cultivation base erupted with a bang, and it surpassed the power of those belonging to Dao Paragons. It was even greater than that of a Dao Paragon. It stirred up the power of the world around him and instantly caused the weather to change.

A loud bang shot up, and the first prince immediately closed his eyes. At that moment, his cultivation base increased again… and it reached a breakthrough. Then, from a Dao Paragon, he became a Great Dao Paragon!

At the instant he became a Great Dao Paragon, the first prince opened his eyes slowly. There was an ancient look in the sparkle in his eyes… as if he was no longer the first prince at that moment, but someone else.

There was a chilling air in that ancient look in his eyes. He… was indeed no longer the first prince, but the Great Dao Paragon of One Dao Sect, Lin Dong Dong!

Lin Dong Dong had used the method for his consciousness to descend on the first prince by using the blood as a guide. With One Dao Sect’s Art of Kismet as well as the changes of the laws in the third layer, which was practically of the same origin as Ancient Zang and One Dao Sect, Lin Dong Dong could temporarily occupy the first prince as if he had Possessed him.

When he got up, Lin Dong Dong had a cold sneer on his lips. He moved… and did not even bother breaking that pillar of light. Instead, he walked up the air.

Breaking the pillar of light would also benefit other people, so he would naturally not do something like that. When he charged forward, he withstood the mighty pressure from the sky and instantly went up fifty thousand feet. When he continued charging forward, Su Ming cast him a look from the pillar of light and also rushed up.

The two of them were separated by the pillar of light. One of them was inside, and the other outside. Their speed also reached a sort of balance. After all, Lin Dong Dong was outside, so the mighty pressure weakened him, while Su Ming had the fragrance providing him nourishment. The mighty pressure was also much weaker on him, which was why as the two of them rose continuously, the balance between them was never broken.

The second prince’s eyes shone with a brilliant light while he was on the ground beneath them. When he lifted his right hand, nine jade slips immediately appeared on his hand, and he pushed them against the ground.

The nine jade slips spread out and formed a Rune that was about ten feet big. When they shone rapidly, their light grew to a piercing degree and enveloped the entire Rune. Then, the second prince’s voice echoed in the air with an anxious tone to it.

“Sect of mine, help me!”