Pursuit of the Truth

The galaxy was like an ocean. However, the color of this ocean was black. It did not have ferocious, surging waves or shocking billows. However, it did have an endless to it.

Occasionally, cultivation planets in it would shine with a brilliant light. From the distance, it looked as if the sparkling spots in a sea of fog and the endless land formed the galaxy.

More accurately speaking, the Barren Lands of Divine Essence were formed of three parts. In the deepest region was Divine Essence Star Ocean. The middle part was the Sinful Barren Lands, and the outermost part was the galaxy where the four Great True Worlds kept a lookout over the place.

If anyone compared the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to a gourd, then Divine Essence Star Ocean would be the bottom third of the gourd. The Sinful Barren Lands would occupy middle the space, while the topmost third would be occupied by the four Great True Worlds keeping a lookout over the place. That third was also the galaxy that controlled the entrances and exits of the gourd.

Western Ring Nebula, where Su Ming currently resided, was part of Sinful Barren Lands. The forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping a lookout over the place could intimidate the four regions in Sinful Barren Lands. However, including Western Ring Nebula, these four regions did not exist in the north, south, east and west. They were side by side, next to each other.

The internal structure of the galaxy where the four Great True Worlds kept a lookout over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence was the same. The entrance near the gourd were their main camp. The parts that were near Sinful Barren Lands were spread out into four regions that were placed right next to each other. They were each keeping a lookout over their corresponding region in Sinful Barren Lands, and among those four regions was Western Ring Nebula.

True Sacred Yin World was in control of monitoring Western Ring Nebula.

Black Ink Planet, which many cultivators spoke about, was in truth a boundary line, a transition point. It was located in the middle of the two parts of the gourd, in the spot of the gourd where it would cave in.

Once someone moved past Black Ink Planet, it would mean that they stepped into Divine Essence Star Ocean. The four Great True Worlds seldom came there. They were incredibly wary of it. In fact, there were even rumors that the four Great True Worlds were not keeping a lookout over the cultivators in Sinful Barren Lands, but the alien races… that might still exist in Divine Essence Star Ocean!

When Su Ming was fleeing in Western Ring Nebula because he was a wanted criminal in Sinful Barren Lands, the galaxy that belonged to the four Great True Worlds in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence was organizing a shift change that would only occur once every hundred of years.

Each shift change would mean that there was a certain group of True Guards that had completed their length of service and could leave the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to return to their True Worlds. Similarly, there would be newcomers from the four Great True Worlds who would be sent here to become new True Guards.

It did not matter whether they were leaving or coming to the place, the cultivators who would be swapping places would be doing so in the main camp of the galaxy that belonged to the four Great True Worlds. The old timers would leave, and newcomers would be taken away by the people from their True Worlds in the main camp to head towards the galaxy which they were supposed to keep under guard.

Three ancient bronze swords of a hundred thousand feet long were used by the True Guards from True Sacred Yin World who brought the newcomers back to the galaxy that belonged to their True World in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. These three ancient swords were flying quietly in the galaxy at that moment. Two of the swords were protecting the one in the middle on either side. The sword in the middle was the most important one. All of them were heading back to the region where they were stationed from the direction of the main camp.

This time, True Sacred Yin World sent nearly a hundred people over. Each of these people were already Lords of World Planes. On that hundred thousand feet sword in the middle were a hundred people sitting down cross-legged in meditation. Standing in front of them was a middle-aged man in armor.

That middle-aged man had white hair and an awe-inspiring expression. Once he swept his gaze past the hundred people, he focused his attention on three.

The first person he paid attention to was an ancient man. He was incredibly tall and built. As he sat there, he towered over the others. In fact, the area around him was empty. Besides his two companions, no one else dared to get close to him.

When the middle-aged man in armor looked towards him, the old man lifted his head and met his gaze coldly.

’I’ve heard of the Progenitor of the Spirits of Nine Yin [1] returning to the True World many years ago, and he was regarded with high importance by Lord Yin Sheng. He even personally recovered all the forces of power that belonged to that race in the past from the galaxy, and after he modified those forces of power, he returned them to the Spirits of Nine Yin.

’In fact, he even used the treasure of the True World to create physical bodies for the Spirits of Nine Yin, so their souls could gather up within them, which would result in a state similar to being reborn. They became living beings that are half-dead.’ A barely noticeable glint appeared in the eyes of the middle-aged man in armor.

He looked at the old man and suddenly asked, ”Sir, you have extraordinary power. How may I address you?”

”Spirit of Nine Yin, Ze Long Shen [2],” the old man replied flatly.

”Ze Long Shen… What about you two?” The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and looked at the only two people by the old man’s side. One of them was a big, sturdy man whose physique was only second to the old man’s. His expression was calm, but there was a freezing glare that occasionally shone in his eyes. It was as if there was an endless amount of murderous aura contained within him.

He looked at the middle-aged man and grinned.

”Spirit of Nine Yin, Li Huo [3].”

The final person was dressed in a wide black robe. There were black patterns covering the skin that was exposed in the air, and they were even on his face. He did not have hair. In fact, his eyes were dull and lifeless. However, the hint of murderous aura hidden in his lifeless eyes made the pupils of the middle-aged man shrink once he saw them.

”Ji Yun Hai [4].” The man in black robes spoke hoarsely. His voice was incredibly piercing to the ears. It sounded as if bones were grating against each other, and there was also a thick wave of aura of death within his body, causing people to be apprehensive when they saw him.

”Alright. I didn’t expect that three Spirits of Nine Yin would come here. Your people had disappeared from the True World for a long time. After your return, this should be the first time you came to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.

”True Sacred Yin World monitors and keeps a lookout over Western Ring Nebula, one of the four great regions of Sinful Barren Lands. There are some powerful warriors in that region, but they aren’t our main cause for concern. True Sacred Yin World’s true cause and enemies are the alien races from Divine Essence Star Ocean!

”We are to prevent them from rushing out and just keep them intimidated.” The middle-aged man swung his arm, and the three ancient bronze swords charged forward through the galaxy. As they gradually left into the distance, the man’s voice could be heard faintly traveling through space.

”Recently, something quite interesting happened in Western Ring Nebula. A person called Mo Su became a wanted criminal for the four Great True Worlds… You’ve just become True Guards. If any of you manage to kill this person, then you will be considered to have committed a great meritorious deed.”

As the people from True Sacred Yin World headed off to their stations, two huge dragons of a hundred thousand feet long roared and came forward into the area that belonged to the forces of power from True Morning Dao World.

These two dragons had monstrous appearances. Every single one of their scales was covered in shining runic symbols. There were quite a large number of cultivators on them as they flew forward. On one of the large dragons’ heads stood a person. That person looked to be in his thirties. His face was cold and aloof, and he was wearing a Sacred Constellation Robe. The stars on his robe were rotating slowly. Behind him were numerous cultivators, and all of their faces were filled with respect.

”Young Lord, this is the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Once we get out of the area where True Morning Dao World is stationed, we will reach Sinful Barren Lands. That place is filled with malicious people. It can become the best training grounds for you.”

The young man in that Sacred Constellation Robe nodded lightly. He turned his head around to look at the other dragon not too far away from them. Over there, he saw a young man who was dressed in white and had a calm expression on his face as he too stood at the head of the dragon.

That young man had a handsome face, along with an air of a loner. He was like sharp sword that was about to be drawn out from its scabbard, so all the people who saw him were unable to help themselves and fixed their eyes on him.

It was as if that person had an indescribable temperament that could make him to instantly become the most eye-catching person no matter where he was. He did not wear a Constellation Robe, but that calm presence of his that showed the pride within his heart dominated all manner of status.

There were plenty of cultivators behind him, all of whom were dressed in different clothing. Clearly, they were from different factions.

”Ye Wang [5],” the young man in the Sacred Constellation Robe mumbled under his breath as a freezing glare shone in his eyes.

”The person who has the greatest amount of potential among all the Immortals in True Morning Dao World in the latest years. He even managed to catch the attention of those old monsters in Morning Dao Sect. He’s said to be the person who has the highest chance of heading into Plane Kalpa Realm among the cultivators of his generation.

”He is also the successor disciple of Heng Kong Zi, one of the three Grand Sect Elders in Morning Dao Sect… Ye Wang, if I can make you my servant, then my power will become greater than anyone else’s in my family, and I will reach the top five of those in Ascendance!” The young man in that Sacred Constellation Robe narrowed his eyes.

At the same time, in the area of Emperor of Abyss’ True World were four World Traversing Abyss Dragons charging forward. There were a hundred people on each of the dragons meditating with closed eyes. None of them were speaking.

The four Abyss Dragons looked similar, but there was one whose color was dull, and there were gigantic metal chains that pierced its body to keep it chained. In this form, it no longer looked like a noble Abyss Dragon but a common livestock.

This was not the case for the other three Abyss Dragons. They had no chains on their bodies, and when they occasionally looked at the one that was bound, there would be grief on their faces.

The chained Abyss Dragon would always have a nostalgic look in its dull eyes, as if it was thinking back on the things that had happened in the past. It was remembering that there was a time where a young woman would laugh joyfully while sitting on his back.

”The Lord of Abyss has declared his order. This Abyss Dragon has committed a great sin. Its power to traverse worlds has been disabled, and it will be delivered here to be transported to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. From now on, it will no longer belong to the Emperor of Abyss’ True World. Its survival will now depend on its own fate!” As a cold and aloof voice echoed in the area, the chained Abyss Dragon’s eyes turned duller.

As that voice spread out, a booming sound rang out. A gigantic vortex manifested before the chained Abyss Dragon. That vortex was like a ghastly, gaping mouth that devoured the Abyss Dragon straight away, and it vanished without a trace.

The grief within the other three Abyss Dragons increased. As they looked at the spot where their companion had disappeared, they let out sorrowful cries. They knew that they would no longer be able to see their companion in this life and that their companion would become the embarrassment of all Abyss Dragons. It would be burdened with despair and face eternal damnation in this place.

There were only two outcomes for this dragon: It would either lose itself, or die.

If Su Ming had been there, he would definitely be able to recognize with just one glance that this Abyss Dragon was the one that had always been by Yu Xuan’s side, and was also the big yellow dog that the bald crane idolized.

Perhaps fate truly existed in this universe, and it played with people’s lives. Perhaps there was a fine thread that connected each life in the universe, so Ye Wang, the Abyss Dragon, Ze Long Shen, and Li Huo would appear in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence… and Ji Yun Hai too. He was the clone that Su Ming had been unable to find when he was in the World of Nine Yin, and it had then been taken away by the ancient bronze sword.

Translator’s Notes:

1. Spirits of Nine Yin: The people Su Ming ran into in the World of Nine Yin whom he could rent. Later on they were also the reason why he could leave.

2. Ze Long Shen: The old Spirit of Nine Yin that Su Ming had rented out, the powerful old man. Also the one that conned Nan Gong Hen.

3. Li Huo: One of the Spirits of Nine Yin that Su Ming had rented out in the past, the weaker of the two. Also the one who refused to attack when Su Ming went to retrieve the crimson dragon.

4. Ji Yun Hai: One of the two clones Su Ming had in the past. It had disappeared in the World of Nine Yin. He was Madam Ji’s husband, and the one who taught her the Curse.

5. Ye Wang: The one who fought toe-to-toe with Su Ming during the stair climbing competition back in Wind Stream Mountain. Later mentioned multiple times by the Immortal doppelgangers that he’s the best among them. Also the ONLY one who doesn’t have an alternate name, unlike all the others.