Pursuit of the Truth

At the instant the people sensed the murderous aura, they felt as if they had sunk into an endless darkness. This darkness was the boundless darkness from Su Ming’s memories when his soul still possessed a physical body.

It was a determination screaming one single thing: ’If I could see, I would know just what shade of blue the sky possesses.’

There was also the scent of death within that murderous aura. It came from Su Ming’s soul, for it was a madness contained within a soul that was originally dead but desired to walk from midwinter to spring.

This feeling of death was incredibly clear as it spread through the area. At that moment, all the people who sensed the density of the murderous aura had the same thought—it was not a murderous aura that could be accumulated in a single life!

When Su Ming was still in the ninth summit, his senior brothers and his Master, Tian Xie Zi, had sensed that terrifying murderous aura within Su Ming. Then, when he went into the Undying and Imperishable World, fought in a great many battles and spilled a large amount of blood, and eventually found that one point that he always went back to during those dozens of reincarnations, his murderous aura had become so thick that it was monstrous.

However, it was usually hidden in his soul, and it was difficult for him to spread it out entirely. At most, he would only let out a part of that murderous aura.

In fact, even if it spread out, it would not have such a vast presence as it did now. After all, when Su Ming was in Yin Death Region, he did not possess a real physical body. He did not have flesh and blood, only a soul. He’d been like a tree without roots, so it was difficult for him to unleash everything he had. Besides, Su Ming had emotions and could still sense pain at that time. Now that he was in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, he had gathered together a physical body from the Crimson Python Phoenix, and once this body fused with his soul and he no longer had any emotions and lost the ability to feel pain, he was able to have all his murderous aura spread out from his soul during, without holding a single bit of it back.

This was the first time Su Ming had spread out all of his murderous aura that he had gathered throughout all of his cycles of reincarnation, and even when he was still just a baby. At the instant he released that aura, Tian Lin’s expression changed. He instinctively took a few steps back and swiftly looked towards Su Ming. During that moment, a hint of shock appeared in his eyes.

Even with his status and his level of cultivation, he had never seen anyone else who possessed such thick murderous aura as Su Ming. Because of it, he had a strong feeling that his mind was playing tricks on him.

’Just how many people did he kill to possess such murderous aura?!’

Tian Lin’s heart trembled. Levels of cultivation were not the only way to determine whether a person was strong or weak in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Sometimes, the amount of blood spilled by a single person could even more accurately determine whether someone was truly strong or just pretending.

The old woman’s expression also changed drastically. She had originally wanted to leave, but at the instant the murderous aura within Su Ming’s body spread out, she turned her head around to look at him. Her pupils shrank swiftly, and her skin went all crawly, while her hair stood up on end.

If these two people were reacting in such a manner, then it was even more so for the hundreds of cultivators around the area. They retreated like one, with expressions of shock. When they looked towards Su Ming, their gazes were filled with terror that surpassed its previous self.

Even Yue Hong Bang was shuddering at that moment. When his gaze landed on Su Ming, he thought he saw a murderous spirit instead of a person. He felt as if his body had been plunged into ice and darkness, as if he was immersed in death, and that cold froze his body and soul.

In fact, even the Crimson Python Phoenix under Su Ming’s body had lost most of its surrounding heat at that moment. It twisted its body about, as if it was not used to the murderous aura spreading out from Su Ming.

The bald crane in the distance also widened its eyes. When it looked at Su Ming, a dazed expression appeared on its face. It thought to have remembered something, but no matter how hard it tried, it could not recall any details regarding it.

The only sound came from the killing sword in Su Ming’s hand which was letting out a piercing screech that was full of excitement and delight. A desire for blood could be sensed from the sword whistles, and its color had even changed from red to a near violet shade.

At the instant Su Ming’s words and murderous aura shook the sky and earth, he took a swift step towards the old woman whose expression had changed. At the same time, the Crimson Python Phoenix let out a roar and rushed out with him.

The current Su Ming was already much stronger than when he was fighting against those Dao Slaves in Yin Death Region. Back then, he had only been in the initial stage of Life Matrix Realm. Afterwards, due to Yu Xuan’s Abyss Death Breath, his soul was completed, and the three seals were broken. However, at that time, he was still incredibly weak, and it was difficult for him to fight against the thousands of Dao Slaves.

Yet at the instant Su Ming put on the mask, he moved from Life Matrix Realm to Life Privation Realm. As a cultivator in Earth Cultivation Realm, he had come to truly possess a body of flesh and blood, and during these two years, he had constantly been refining this body using the Surging Indulgers’ divine abilities. The combat abilities he could bring out now far surpassed what he possessed when he was in Yin Death Region.

As he took a step forward, he lifted his left hand and pushed at the ground. With it, the Surging Indulgers’ divine ability was immediately activated. His left hand started withering away, and even his torso as well as his right hand, which was holding onto the sword, was reduced to mere skin and bones within an instant. He then lifted his left hand to tap the center of his brows.

With it, black fog spread out and turned into a gigantic head of a malicious ghost. As it roared, it swept up Su Ming, instantly increasing his speed. In the blink of an eye, he had closed in on the old woman, while heinous murderous intent spread out from the killing sword.

All of this happened too quickly. While Tian Lin was shocked by the murderous aura on Su Ming’s body, he hesitated to take action for a moment, and during that time, Su Ming had already appeared right before the old woman.

Old Mei Lan’s pupils shrank. Once she let out a piercing cry that could terrify hearts, she lifted her right hand, and her power of a World Paragon erupted from her body to turn into a huge flag on her right hand. That flag was white, but damaged. There was a circle sewn on it using black thread. At that moment, that circle was spinning as if it had come to life. Once the old woman swung the flag with her right hand, the circle made of black threads manifested in the air and turned into several dozens of black threads that took the shape of rings before they charged towards Su Ming.

A shocking boom that shook the sky reverberated in the world. Sounds that were this intense would only rang out when World Paragons attacked each other or when great divine abilities or Arts crashed into each other. This sort of thing had not happened in Crimson Flame Planet for a long time. After all, resources were lacking in this place, so the recovery of cultivation bases was slowed down a lot. Because of it, unless they absolutely had to, very few people would waste the power they had stored in their cultivation bases.

The world roared. As that violent bang and its endless echoes spread through the air, numerous dimensional tears appeared in the sky. A wave of impact that looked like a violent gust of wind swept through the area, and the wind that was stirred up caused the hundreds of cultivators around to breathe rapidly. This… was a true battle between cultivators, not the small little disputes they had against each other because they did not dare waste their cultivation bases.

As that loud bang rang in the air, most of the ring-shaped black threads crumbled. Su Ming’s killing sword continuously cut through the black threads, but it was difficult for him to completely cut through all of them. Yet even so, a powerful suction force spread out from his killing sword, and the old woman’s right hand withered as she held onto the flag. It was as if a part of her flesh and blood had been sucked away, while Su Ming’s body had regained some flesh and blood from its emaciated state.

This strange Art caused the old woman’s expression to change. The head of the ghost formed from the black fog was also charging towards her from behind Su Ming with a roar. The old woman swung the flag in her hand backwards, but she did not move backwards herself. Instead, she moved forward. She took a step and lifted her left hand. Her fingernails instantly grew longer, and she swiped at Su Ming through the air, as if those fingernails were five sharp needles moving to him.

As for the ghost head, it had been torn apart once the old woman’s fingers touched it, slicing right through.

Su Ming staggered a few steps backwards. His killing sword could not cut through all the ring-shaped black threads, so the five black threads that remained moved past and landed on his chest. They inflicted heavy wounds on his body, and he now looked a bloody mess. An intense pain should have rushed through Su Ming, but he could feel nothing. He did not even spare those wounds a glance. His expression remained aloof, and when he took a step forward, he lifted his right hand and clenched it before hurling a punch straight on the old woman’s incoming five fingers.

Booming sounds rang in the air once again. Su Ming’s left arm was reduced to a bloody mess, and some of his bones even shattered to pieces, making him look incredibly wretched. The old woman’s five fingers swiftly withered, and a large amount of flesh and blood was absorbed from her hand. However, she only let out a cold harrumph and swiped at him once again with her left hand.

Su Ming was as calm as ever when he took a step forward instead of retreating, as if he was not injured. With his torn and bloodied left hand, he punched the old woman’s fingers once again.

Half of Su Ming’s left arm shattered with a bang. As it did so, blood spilled from his arm. Some white bone and torn pieces of flesh could even be seen still attached to his shoulder.

The old woman’s expression filled with shock, because in her eyes, Su Ming did not seem to be experiencing even a little pain. It was as if his body did not belong to him. In fact, she could even see Su Ming lifting his right hand to seize the broken piece of bone to swiftly pull it out. Once he completely tore off his left arm and threw it to the side and stopped the blood from flowing from the wound, he looked over with a cold smile.

This scene didn’t shock and terrify the old woman alone. Even Tian Lin sucked in a sharp breath. As for the hundreds of cultivators in the area, when they looked at Su Ming, an indescribable shock could be detected on their faces besides fear.

Just how brutal and ruthless must a person be to be so callous towards his own self? He was completely unconcerned about his pain, and was even… smiling.

If he could be so brutal to himself… then how would he treat his enemies?!

’This sort of person is born to live in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence!’ When the old woman looked at Su Ming, this sentence appeared in her head.

Su Ming’s divine ability was especially bizarre to her. They had just started fighting against each other, and her arms had already withered away. She had lost almost two-tenths of her flesh and blood, and she had also lost some of her cultivation base once she started circulating it. Since replenishing a cultivation base in this place was incredibly slow, her heart clenched in pain at this sort of loss.

However, that pain in her heart did not last for long. Her eyes went wide, because at that moment, Su Ming had let out go of the killing sword in his right hand. Dozens of crystals that exuded a thick spiritual energy appeared in his right hand, and he crushed all of them. Once a large amount of spiritual energy surged into Su Ming’s body, he lifted his head and flashed a cruel smile to the old woman before swiftly charging over towards her once again.

The Crimson Python Phoenix had already closed in by then. With a roar, it rushed towards the old woman, headfirst. The phoenix’s inborn divine ability to disassemble all materials was contained within its head, and the old woman’s face became incredibly dark.

Booming sounds continued reverberating in the air. After a dozen something breaths, the old woman let out a shrill roar and retreated swiftly. At that moment, half of her flesh and blood had withered away, and she looked as if she had just seen a ferocious ghost.