Pursuit of the Truth

”Using the state of mind to move into fine control becomes much harder later… This is the limit of the 781st step. I have two blood veins left. The two blood veins seem to be stuck together. I can’t make them disappear separately…” Su Ming muttered softly.

”But this is the last number… This mountain can be said to be a holy training ground. Once I leave, it’ll be very difficult to find a chance like this again…” Su Ming’s brows gradually creased.

”32, 79, 248, 371, 563, 781… These are the six numbers the elder told me. This should be the secret the elder discovered during his time here, but… perhaps after the 781st step, there is another, or maybe multiple places like these… Those are the places that even the elder didn’t discover…” Determination gradually appeared in Su Ming’s eyes.

After falling into momentarily silence, Su Ming looked at the plate in his hands and at the rank he got. That rank made him so excited it seemed as if his Qi was about to start circulating around his body then and there.

‘Second…’

He retrieved his gaze from the plate and lowered his head. After eventually calming down, a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

”I’ve already attained my wish, now… I can give up…” As Su Ming mumbled, there was hesitation in his eyes.

”But once I give up, then the training with fine control will be stuck in this state, and I will never complete it… There must be a similar stage up there that has the same balanced pressure!” Su Ming did not hesitate for long. He did not want to give up this chance. He knew that the tribe was in danger and felt the elder’s worry. He had to become stronger!

”I cannot miss this chance. I have to find the place that the elder did not discover!” The hesitation in Su Ming’s eyes immediately turned into determination and resolution. He lifted his legs and abruptly moved towards the 782nd step!

The moment his foot landed, Su Ming immediately trembled. A strong and great pressure fell upon his body. As he trembled, a large amount of blood veins appeared on his body with a force akin to an explosion. The light from the blood veins scattered everywhere and seemed to resonate with the dimming moon in the sky. It caused Su Ming to growl, and he gritted his teeth as he continued onwards.

783, 784, 785… when he reached the 796th step, Su Ming’s hair was in a mess, and his body trembled in a manner akin to convulsing. Each step he took seemed to take all his strength. His entire body was in extreme pain as if he was about to break under the incredible pressure. The feeling that he was about to break was completely different from the sensation of the burning of his blood.

The burning of blood was a force that burst forth from within his body, as if he could no longer contain the energy. Yet now, the pressure from the mountain was a force pressing against him from outside as if it was trying to crush his body.

The blood veins were fighting against the pressure nonstop as the Qi in his body circulated, supporting his body so that he would not be crushed to pieces. His resistance towards the pressure also increased due to the nourishment provided by the moonlight.

With each step he took, a trickle of blood began leaking out from the corner of his mouth. His face began twisting into a furious expression, but within that viciousness was a shocking amount of resolution and determination.

‘I have to find that spot! I have to complete fine control!’

Su Ming took another step and arrived at the 799th step. At this moment, his vision was beginning to become fuzzy, and he seemed to be unable to take another step.

Ye Wang also looked quite pathetic. He was panting harshly, and his hair was a mess. There were veins popping on his face, and his blood veins surfaced on the skin all over his body. He struggled up the 837th step when a dull pain started in his chest. The rapid beating of his heart made him feel faint.

Yet the moment he looked at the plate, there was madness within his eyes.

”Mo Su!” Ye Wang lifted his head suddenly and growled towards the sky. He lifted his feet again and moved, but his speed had obviously slowed.

Su Ming tried five times, but no matter what, he could not lift his feet. It was as if a pair of giant hands pressed against his body, causing his entire body to be in great pain. It was as if his bones were about to be crushed. He could not lift his feet!

The invisible pair of giant hands were merciless and apathetic as they pressed against Su Ming, causing him to be unable to stand straight, and eventually his body started to bend. He was unable to continue standing and seemed to begin falling downwards.

Su Ming’s face was ashen, and sweat fell nonstop from his body. The dizziness became stronger, and a sense of powerlessness appeared in his heart. He struggled to lift his head slightly, looking at the dimming moon and the vast sky.

‘Wherefore doth thou cry, o blue sky?’

Gradually, these words echoed in his head. He laughed suddenly. That bark of laughter only served to make the pain in his body stronger, but within Su Ming’s eyes, the blood red moon became even clearer, and it erupted with a blazing fire.

”I won’t give up!” Su Ming lifted his head and roared suddenly. That roar echoed, reflecting the source of why he could suddenly rise up through the ranks. As he roared, Su Ming struggled to lift up his right hand and bit into it once again. There was madness within his eyes and once again, he wiped the blood on his left eye.

The moment he spread his blood over his eye, the entire mountain moved abruptly. The mist rolled forward like furious waves and billows of air erupting forth from the entire Wind Stream Mountain, like endless waves from all around the mountain towards Su Ming.

There was also the sound of a wild beast roaring suddenly at the top of the mountain at that moment. The roar was like an illusion that echoed through the entire mountain and reached into Su Ming and Ye Wang’s hearts!

Su Ming coughed out a mouthful of blood. Countless strange gusts of air entered his body and caused banging sounds to echo in his blood as his blood veins increased once again. He roared and gradually straightened his bent body as he resisted the pressure from the invisible pair of hands until he stood up straight!

The pressure from the hands seemed to be unable to suppress the endless amount of air entering Su Ming’s body and was also unable to suppress the power of the burning of his blood under the moonlight!

Su Ming stood up!

It was dawn. The moon, which should have been dimming away, seemed to give out its last glow at that moment. It suddenly looked clear in the sky, and as Su Ming stood up, he took a step forward abruptly and moved towards the 800th step, then took another few steps forward without stopping!

802, 805, 811, 814, 817!

He stood on the 817th step with bloodshot eyes. The blood in his veins seemed to be burning. He was halfway through the third burning of his blood. He had only managed to smear half of his left eye with blood.

There was an explosive force within his body that was bursting forth. His entire body seemed to be on the verge of breaking down and exploding. Su Ming knew that if he used external strength and forcefully commenced with the third burning of his blood, he would definitely be unable to take it. Yet within this mountain, there was a great pressure, and it aided him. With his body as the centre, there was an explosive force coming from within his body, and there was an oppressive force pressing against his body, causing him to obtain a chance to complete the third burning that he had been unable to finish!

Su Ming’s right index finger trembled. He let out a roar as he did so and smeared his entire left eye with fresh blood, and the burning of blood started!

The entire mountain trembled. More strange gusts of air rushed forward maddeningly and entered into Su Ming from every pore of his body rapidly, causing the number of blood veins on his body to increase at an incredible pace.

‘I have to go up!’

Su Ming lifted his feet and moved forward once again. 819, 823, 827… When he reached the 839th step, blood red mist gushed out from his body, but there was only perseverance and determination in his eyes!

He did not find the balance he was looking for among all the steps he had taken so far, but Su Ming believed that there must definitely be such a place on the remaining steps!

‘Mo Su!’

Ye Wang was also in a frenzied state. He was at the 845th step at that moment. When the plate showed that Mo Su took 839th step, how could he not be mad?

As the best among his peers, his pride did not allow anyone to surpass him. His dignity insisted that no matter the cost, he had to maintain his position as the most powerful person!

Veins popped out on his face and his eyes were completely bloodshot. The aloof and prideful look was no longer on his face, having turned into an expression of fury and vexation. He lifted his right hand in a struggle and roared as he hit his chest. Immediately, a large amount of power surged through his entire body. At the same time, the power travelled through all parts of his flesh and bones, a blood red mark appearing on his chest.

It was a horn, a blood red horn that belonged to a wild beast!

The horn was a picture. It was not bright red but was slightly dark in color. As Ye Wang hit his chest with his palm, the horn immediately glowed with a piercing red light and fused into Ye Wang’s body. It caused his entire body to gain new strength. He lifted his legs and rushed forward!

845, 846… and he continued right until he stood on the 861st step. Ye Wang coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood. The red light from the horn picture on his chest also faded away until the color became even dimmer, as if it was about to fade away at any moment.

‘Mo Su, you can be proud now! You are the only one who has managed to force me to activate the Mark of Calamity the Elder forcefully drew for me with thirty-seven drops of his Blood of Calamity so that I could absorb it and improve my chances of arriving at Transcendence Realm exponentially! I did not want to use this power forcefully. This has no benefit for me, and it would be much better if I just absorbed it slowly… Mo Su, you can be proud now!’

Ye Wang gritted his teeth and lowered his head to look at the plate as he panted. With just one glance, he widened his eyes.

”Im… Impossible!”

The number behind Mo Su’s name was increasing rapidly!

841, 843, 845, 849… Right before his eyes, Ye Wang saw the number change to 859!

There were only two steps between them! Ye Wang had forcefully absorbed the Blood of Calamity, yet not only did he not widen the distance between them, they had even become this close. However, if he did not make the decision to absorb the blood, then perhaps he would have been overtaken by now!

”Impossible!” There was disbelief and shock in Ye Wang’s eyes. He mumbled and lifted his right hand once again. Within that gesture was a hint of ruthlessness and madness as he pressed his palm on the dim picture of the horn on his chest.

He coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood, but a blood red glow that reached the sky burst forth from Ye Wang’s entire body. Only the faint outline of his body remained as he was encompassed by the blood-red glow.

”Mo… Su!”