Pursuit of the Truth

Su Ming started moving again. He lifted his foot and placed it on the 100th step. He stayed on the 99th step for a long time before because the moment the 53rd blood vein manifested, the Qi in his body started churning madly and surrounded his body. He needed to get used to the sudden explosive appearance of the blood vein before he could continue onwards.

After all, the manifestation of that blood vein meant that he reached a breakthrough. It was not just some normal manifestation of a new blood vein.

Once he started moving, Su Ming rushed forward abruptly. His body seemed to continue absorbing the moonlight as he pressed onwards. In the blink of an eye, he reached the 115th step.

He did not stop. As he felt the pressure of the mountain increasing on him, Su Ming rushed forward. 120 steps, 130 steps, 150 steps, 160 steps!

Within the span of a few breaths, Su Ming took about 60 steps. When he was standing at the 160th step, Su Ming suddenly felt as if there was an abrupt increase in pressure from the mountain. It was as if a sudden force erupted forth and pressed onto his body.

Yet at that moment, the bright moonlight surrounded Su Ming’s entire body, causing his tied up hair to move on its own under the moonlight.

It would have been fine if he did not move, but now that he did, half of the people in the mountain and the entire field outside fell into dead silence!

Wu La was stunned momentarily. She had been worried about her own ranking. She originally felt affronted and defensive, but now, as she was stunned, the complicated feeling she had disappeared completely. She understood then that she was not at the same level as the other person. If they were not even in the same level, then why should she compare herself to him? If she did, then she would just be embarrassing herself, nothing more.

Lei Chen stood up abruptly and stared dumbly at the plate in his hands. He had been trying to guess the identity behind the person called Mo Su, but now, he was beginning to doubt his own guess. He could not say for sure whether what he had been thinking was correct.

Bei Ling glared at the plate in his hands as his heart pounded against his chest. There was a brief moment where he felt as if a chill crawled down his spine as he watched the person called Mo Su climb up 60 steps within the span of a few breaths. That speed was unbelievable and he almost forgot to breathe because of it.

He originally thought that the person was just trying to gain attention. That was why he chose to travel at night. Yet as he looked at it, there was no way Mo Su was doing it to gain attention. It was clear that he had the ability to do so since the beginning!

If that was not the case, it would have been impossible for him to climb up 60 steps within the span of a few breaths!

The entire mountain was in silence. Within that silence, Chen Chong blinked rapidly. He did not want to be bothered by it, but his instincts told him that that person called Mo Su was the one who brought about the sudden roar just now!

‘It should be him… It should be! But just who is he? He’s not from Wind Stream Tribe, that’s for sure. I wonder whether I saw him on the field just now.’

Chen Chong still did not know that while he was still on the field surrounded by people, there was one person whose smile was extremely faint as he stood among the crowd trying to get into his circle of friends by laughing. He was of average looks, so average that people would not notice him.

That person was looking at Chen Chong as he laughed and chatted with his friends, surrounded and practically worshipped by the people around him, and watched as he walked towards Bai Ling…

Just as Chen Chong was troubled by his thoughts, Bi Su widened his eyes where he sat on the stairway closest to Su Ming. It was as if he was trying to see through the mist and look at the person who was walking on the stairway right beside his.

Bi Su was different from Chen Chong. He was too close. He could practically tell that the person called Mo Su was very close to him, and he was right behind him on the other stairway covered by mist.

‘He’s just at the 160th step, though. There’s still more than twice the distance between us. He’s of no threat to me! If you can come close to me, then it’ll be not too late for me to pay attention to your existence.’

As Bi Su thought about it, he smiled coldly and closed his eyes.

On another stairway on the other side of the mountain, Wu Sen stared at the ranks on the plate with a dark face. His gaze stayed especially long on Bi Su and Mo Su’s names.

‘I’m at the 12th place and only at the 295th step… I won’t be able to get into the top 10. I can tell that I’m getting weaker… The person who stole my Blood must be one of these two!’

Wu Sen was not stupid. He was, in fact, very intelligent, or else he would not have been able to maintain a relatively high position within the tribe, which was filled with strife and confrontations, much less control Bei Ling and the others.

‘Bi Su!’

Wu Sen’s eyes swept past Mo Su’s name, and he stared at Bi Su’s name, who was ranked second on the plate with a vicious look in his eyes. Even so, there was a hint of fear and caution hidden deep within that viciousness.

Wu Sen had no confidence that he could snatch back his Blood from a person ranked second in this test…

Si Kong was nervous. As of then, his demeanor was similar to how Wu La had acted before. When he looked at ranks and at Mo Su’s name, who was at the 160th step, his heart pounded against his chest. He was afraid that he would be overtaken.

He would not be so worried if it was daylight, but it was night time now. He had no confidence to continue onward. Besides, he was currently ranked 49th. Once he was overtaken, then he would be placed at the 50th spot. It may seem like it was just small difference, but the meaning within the rank was completely different.

Besides them, almost everyone taking part in the test had their eyes fixed on Mo Su’s name on their ranking plates.

Only Ye Wang never looked at the plate. It was not as if he did not know about what was happening. It was just that with his personality, even if he knew, he would not pay attention to it.

However, the field was even quieter compared to the silence in the mountain. It was as if even breathing was halted, and the field was enveloped in dead silence.

The force that was halting the people’s breathing on the field was their own shock, which stemmed from the one name they were all looking at on the ranks shown on the eagle statues.

63rd: Mo Su, 160 steps.

After the sudden explosive increase in steps, many among them no longer treated Mo Su as an entertainment to pass time. They were regarding that name with importance because the sudden increase of 60 steps caused them to be in shock and disbelief!

If it was during the day, then perhaps they would be just shocked, but it was night. It was night, when the pressure in the mountain was a hundred times stronger than during the day. Most of them believed that if he could take 60 steps within the span of a few breaths during night, then that number would increase by several folds during the day!

There were few who could do what Mo Su did among all those participating in the test!

”Just… who is he..?”

”Mo Su… Mo Su… I just did a calculation. He went from 99 steps to 160 steps within less than 10 breaths…! This… is unbelievable!”

”His rank went up from 101 to 62 within the blink of an eye. This person… if he had this sort of ability, then if he did what he just did during the day, he would have gotten into the top 30 ranks. Why is he doing this at night..?”

After a long while, sounds of discussion gradually rose within the field, and they grew stronger by the moment. Even the leaders from other tribes were also looking at the ranks.

However, the old woman from Dark Dragon Tribe and the tribe leader of Black Mountain Tribe still paid no attention to it.

That night was bound to be different. On that night, all attention was bound to belong to one person – Su Ming!

There was a faint smile on Mo Sang’s lips as he looked at the ranks on the eagle statue. The expectation within him became stronger. He knew that Su Ming had completely understood the meaning behind the six numbers.

As for Jing Nan, he looked calm as he stood beside Mo Sang. There was no changes whatsoever on his face. If he could not hide his emotions, then he would not have been able to obtain his current power and status.

”Not bad, Mo Sang. You taught the child you brought back well. Honestly, I’ve always been curious about his birth…” Jing Nan smiled as he looked at Mo Sang.

”Curious? Would you believe me if I told you he was the prince of the Great Yu Dynasty?” Mo Sang looked at Jing Nan and smiled as he spoke. Jing Nan could not tell whether he was lying from his demeanor. Perhaps Mo Sang would forever be the only one who knew the secret to Su Ming’s birth.

”Why don’t you just say he’s the Son of the God of Berserkers? Interesting. How interesting.” Jing Nan was momentarily stunned, then he started laughing out loud.

”Perhaps he might be.” Mo Sang smiled as he spoke.

Jing Nan laughed, but in his heart, he was shocked. He was not sure whether he should believe in Mo Sang’s words. He did not like that thought. For all the years he had lived, he would always have that sort of feeling whenever he met Mo Sang.

At that moment, there was another cry of surprise among the discussions and commotion in the field!

”He’s moving! Just when is he going to stop! Look, 168 steps!”

”172, 179. This speed… he seems to be slower than before…”

”This should be his last charge. I say he’ll only reach 200 steps at most, nothing more!”

”That’s about it. I think the 190s would already be very difficult for him now. This is night time, after all. The higher he climbs, the stronger the pressure will be!” Numerous pairs of eyes were focused on the ranks on the various eagle statues amidst the sounds of discussion. Some of those gazes were cold, some disdainful, some expectant, some admiring, and some filled with jealousy.

At that moment, Su Ming’s entire body was surrounded by moonlight as he continued walking forward one step at a time on the stairway. As he walked, the 53 blood veins on his body let out a brilliant red glow. As he pressed onwards, the 54th blood vein also manifested suddenly.

The 55th, 56th, 57th blood vein also appeared simultaneously soon after the 54th, causing the blood red glow on Su Ming’s body to become stronger. It filled his body with a powerful force that seemed ready to erupt.

Su Ming growled and took another big step forwards onto the 186th step. Once he did so, the banging sounds that signaled the increase of blood veins reverberated once again through his body. That sound made Bi Su frown on the other mist covered stairway. It also made Chen Chong, who was listening carefully, grit his teeth, hoping and wishing fervently that his body would make the same sounds.

189, 192, 199… 200!

The ranks on the eagle statues in the field changed once again!

1st: Ye Wang, 600 steps.

2nd: Bi Su, 397 steps.

3rd: Chen Chong, 391 steps.

…

48th: Bei Ling, 206 steps.

49th: Si Kong, 201 steps.

50th: Mo Sang1, 200 steps.

Translator’s Note

1 So here, it’s actually Su Ming in the RAWs, but we all know the author is confused