Pursuit of the Truth

The old man hesitated for a moment before he wrapped his fist in his palm and asked, ”Sir, are you asking about… Lords of World Planes?”

Based on the old man’s waves of power coming from his cultivation base, it could be seen that he should be from a race that was similar to the Immortals. He was around the peak of the Second Step, which was why he had been using the Third Step’s speed as a standard while talking about the distance and the time needed to move between planets.

However, since Barren Lands of Divine Essence was a place for the criminals from the four Great True Worlds and the mysterious alien races, the categorizations for the levels of cultivation were a little messy, which was why these people continued using the titles that were used in the four Great True Worlds.

Lord of a World Plane!

This was a standard for cultivators. Lord of a Plane was placed as a center of power, and those who reached it were divided into four stages - initial, middle, later, and completion. Above these were the Lesser Solar Kalpa Realm and the true Solar Kalpa Realm.

Since those who had yet to reach the stage of a Lord of a World Plane were numerous, the categorization of their levels of cultivation was even more confusing. After all, each race’s cultivation system was different. But over the countless years, a standard of cultivation had been slowly accepted by the four Great True Worlds, and it also became a standard within the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.

All those below the level of World Plane were known as cultivators of Heaven, Earth, and Man Cultivation. Based on the Barren Lands of Divine Essence’s categorization, the old man’s level of cultivation was at the peak of the Second Step in his race, and he was also at the peak of the Heaven Cultivation.

As for Su Ming, when he reached Life Privation, he had moved into the initial stage of Earth Cultivation within the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. If he could get past Life Privation Realm and enter Life Palace Realm, then he would become a cultivator of Heaven Cultivation.

If he could break through Life Palace Realm and reach World of Life, the final Realm within Life Cultivation, then he would reach the peak of Heaven Cultivation and could attempt becoming a Lord of a World Plane.

However, due to the differences between races, a Realm that seemed equal between the cultivation systems could result in a strength that was much higher or lower compared to that of another person. Due to the absence of resources in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence and the lack of spiritual energy, those differences in strength could be magnified exponentially.

Those who were below the Realm of Man Cultivation did not have a joint name within the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, because these people were only ants in this world.

Once Su Ming heard the old man’s words, a glint appeared in his eyes. He nodded. The seventy-eighty people around him might have extraordinary power, but Su Ming knew that he had come out of the volcano in an extremely shocking manner, and the ferocious beast with the phoenix head beneath him was exuding a frightening presence that terrified these people. Due to all of this, they had mistaken him for a Lord of a World Plane from the world outside that was passing by this place.

This was something Su Ming did not expect. He had originally intended to use the ferocious beast’s might and ask about some things in this land, so that he could have a better chance of surviving here.

’Could it be that most of the people here seal off their power..? Or else the old man wouldn’t have this sort of misunderstanding, especially since he can see my level of cultivation clearly.’ Su Ming remained as calm as ever. He already had a basic gist of what was going on based on the people’s expressions.

”Crimson Flame Planet is rather far from the center of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, closer to the galaxy of the True Worlds. The patrolling True Guards frequently check this place, which is why there are only two World Paragons here. One of them is in an area to the east, and the other to the west. They are usually in isolation and don’t bother with what is happening in the world.

”There are no other World Paragons in Crimson Flame Planet besides these two,” the old man said as he wrapped his fist in his palm.

”This place is the northern region of Crimson Flame Planet. There was another World Paragon five hundred years ago, but because he had let out a disrespectful aura when the True Guards were patrolling in space, they killed him.

”There are also quite a number of ferocious beasts and divine spirits here in Crimson Flame Planet that possess the power of Lords of World Planes,” said Yue Hong Bang respectfully by the side as he wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming. As he spoke, he cast a glance at the Crimson Python Phoenix. He was intent on improving his relationship with Su Ming because he was worried that the other would cause him trouble. That was why he had told him the things the old man did not say.

”From now onwards, when you come to this place and make your offerings, while the rules to offering corpses have not changed, you must also offer some of the items that are unique to this planet. If anything catches my fancy, I will reward you,” Su Ming stated calmly.

His gaze then fell on Yue Hong Bang. ”All of you can leave now, but you, stay back. I have further requests.”

Yue Hong Bang’s heart trembled. His followers immediately moved closer to him with wariness on their faces as ripples of power spread out from his body.

Anguish rose in their hearts, but once they remembered how Yue Hong Bang had taken care of them over the years, they found that they no longer had any attachments to this hellish life.

At the instant, they spread out the waves of their power, and the Crimson Python Phoenix beneath Su Ming’s feet looked towards them coldly. Low roars came from its mouth, and a vast, mighty pressure that was not in the very least weaker than that of a Lord of a World Plane spread out from its body.

Yue Hong Bang’s hair rose on end. The others in the area wrapped their fists in their palms and retreated without any hesitation, no longer bothering about Yue Hong Bang’s survival.

Even the old man in the lead wrapped his fist in his palm and retreated immediately. In the blink of an eye, the seventy-eighty people around the area turned into an equivalent number of long arcs that swiftly left the place.

”Move back. Wait for me outside.”

Yue Hong Bang hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and spoke to his followers. His potential was not the only reason why he had reached the Heaven Cultivation Realm. It was also due to his intelligence. If the stranger truly wanted to kill him, there would’ve been no need for him to go through so much trouble. He had asked Yue Hong Bang to stay in this place, and this… might be a chance.

Once Yue Hong Bang thought of this, an idea took shape in his mind.

The people behind him halted for a moment, but when they saw the resolute look on Yue Hong Bang’s face, they withdrew into the distance in silence.

At that moment, besides the huge and tiny Crimson Python Phoenixes at the entrance of the volcano, there were only Su Ming and Yue Hong Bang left.

Su Ming looked at Yue Hong Bang and after a moment had gone by asked, ”How are the levels of cultivation categorized in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence?”

Yue Hong Bang’s expression remained calm, but once he heard Su Ming’s question, his heart let out a thump. He came to a sudden realization that his previous assumption had been incorrect. The person before him was not a powerful warrior who had come from the inner parts of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, but...

Yue Hong Bang’s breathing quickened during that instant. He lifted his head and looked at Su Ming. As he recalled the moment he first saw this person, he became even more certain of his guess. He immediately wrapped his fist in his palm and told Su Ming everything about the three cultivation levels of Heaven, Earth, and Man as well as the titles associated with the Lords of World Planes without keeping anything back.

”The True World’s Galaxy is a place that exists once the four Great True Worlds are connected together. It is used to suppress the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, and it is also the only exit of this place.

”The four Great True Worlds will frequently send powerful warriors to patrol the True World’s Galaxy. They won’t get too close to the center of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, but would patrol the many cultivation planets at the periphery of this world.

”Those people who are sent out are the True Guards!

”Ouyang Shang mentioned the Barren Lands of Divine Essence’s Black Ink Planet just now. That planet has a great reputation in this world, and it is one of the cultivation planets in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence that serve as a landmark. It is the only one that has not been completely abandoned, because it is a cultivation planet that still possess some spiritual energy.

”Ouyang Shang is the old man you talked to just now. He thought that you were a powerful warrior from Black Ink Planet, because occasionally there are World Paragons who are indifferent towards their own lives and dare to move across the galaxy within the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to go to other cultivation planets in search of things they need for their cultivation,” Yue Hong Bang explained while looking at Su Ming.

”Then what do you think?” Su Ming asked flatly.

”I believe that you are not from Black Ink Planet, but… a first generation criminal that has just been sent to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence from the four True Great Worlds!” Yue Hong Bang said without any hesitation, and there was even eagerness on his face.

”All those who still have the memories from the world outside and have just been sent here for the first time are first generation criminals. They will give birth to their offspring here, creating a few people like me in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. We are people who live in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence from the moment we are born till the one when we breathe our last.”

Yue Hong Bang sucked in a deep breath and asked respectfully, ”Sir, I wonder which of the four True Great Worlds did you come from?”

Su Ming’s gaze was cold. He chose to neither deny nor answer Yue Hong Bang’s question, but instead patted the Crimson Python Phoenix beneath him. It let out a roar and returned to the entrance of the volcano, bringing Su Ming with it, and the both of them disappeared from Yue Hong Bang’s gaze as they sank into the volcano.

Yue Hong Bang stood there, his expression changing constantly. After a moment, he bowed deeply towards the mouth of the volcano, then turned around and left swiftly. Doubt rose in his heart again, and he began to second guess his previous judgment.

’Could it be that this person asked me these things to guide me towards a certain train of thought..?’ There was no answer to this question in Yue Hong Bang’s mind. When he thought back on the scene just now, he found that Su Ming’s cold gaze had been the thing that left the deepest impression in his memory. That emotionless gaze looked as if it was completely indifferent towards all forms of life.

’It doesn’t matter where he came from. I cannot incur his wrath, and neither can I speak about my guesses to the others when I’m outside the area,’ Yue Hong Bang decided in his heart and gradually disappeared into the distance.

Time passed by quickly in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Su Ming stayed inside the volcano with half of his body immersed in magma. It had been a whole year since he had first come out of the volcano for the first time. During the past year, Yue Hong Bang and the others had come four times. As of the last time, they to numbered to less than fifty, from around eighty a year ago.

When they had come to this place the fourth time, they had not just brought the corpses, which were a necessity, but also brought some of the items from around Crimson Flame Planet. One of them was an uneven blue crystal floating before Su Ming. There were quite a lot of impurities which looked like muscles within it, but there was not a hint of spiritual energy contained within the crystal.

This caught Su Ming’s attention.

After observing the crystal for a moment, he lifted his right hand, and it began rapidly withering away before his eyes. When his right arm had shriveled to the point that it looked as if it had been reduced to only skin and bones, he grabbed the stone.

As blue light shone from the stone, it began shrinking swiftly, turning into dust in Su Ming’s hand. This hand of his began to gain flesh and blood, recovering slightly from its emaciated state.

’If I compare my level of cultivation to theirs, it’s difficult for me to compete against many of the people here… but I didn’t expect that there would be items here that would allow Surging Indulgers to practice their cultivation here!’ A strange light appeared in Su Ming’s eyes as he stared at his right hand.

’This Barren Lands of Divine Essence are mysterious indeed. Crimson Flame Planet, which is located at the edge of this galaxy, produces this useless stone which possesses the power of flesh and blood.’

Su Ming seized the air in the direction of the magma beside him, and another blue stone that was the size of his fist immediately flew into his hand. As he looked at the impurities that looked muscles within the crystal, Su Ming narrowed his eyes.

’Could it be that this Crimson Flame Planet eats people? Or else why would the stones have flesh and blood?!’