Pursuit of the Truth

Amid Resentful Wei’s roars, the one hundred thousand feet wide sea of fire surrounding the black horse turned into a gigantic vortex that seemed to stir up an unprecedented circle in Divine Essence Star Ocean.

Su Ming closed his tired eyes. The scenes of the trip to the world in the vortex rose in his head. After some time, when he opened his eyes, a brilliant glint shone in them.

“We… will head to the fifth kiln!” Su Ming had the body he controlled raise its right hand and caress Resentful Wei’s fur as he sent his thought to it. The black horse’s two dragon heads rose swiftly, and as a roar reverberated in space, Resentful Wei charged forward with a dash.

It was so quick that within an instant, it already closed a distance of one hundred thousand feet.

As the horse charged forward, the sea of black fire surrounding it was also pushed forward, as if the horse was traveling against the flow of the flames.

At that moment, along with Su Ming, there were six living beings who were moving towards the fifth kiln in the entire Divine Essence Star Ocean. One of them was the handsome Reverend Zi Long dressed in a purple robe!

There was also the strange, wicked, and overbearing white-robed teenager who was actually a centipede, as well as the human who was the furred boar and had roared below Husband Gazing Mountain. There was also Flame Fiend’s progenitor and the yellow-browed man who had devoured the brains of an Ancestral Spirit.

These six people executed their divine abilities and turned into six long arcs which charged to the source of the sea of fire through the sea of fire.

This was the seventh day since the fifth kiln had sent forth blue flames. Once this day went by, it marked the fifteenth day since the sea of fire had erupted in the galaxy. At that moment, a hint… of purple finally appeared around the fifth kiln!

Right when the purple flames appeared, they immediately made it seem like the sea of blue fire was shuddering and showing signs of dying out. It was as if the blue flames were sentient and did not dare to burn before the purple flames.

After a moment, the purple flames erupted with a bang and swept out in all directions, intending to cover Divine Essence Star Ocean for the third time. Once it did so, it would be followed by the final black flame of destruction. Only when seven days after that passed Divine Essence Star Ocean disaster dissipate.

On the third day since the purple sea of fire had spread out, a long arc charged past the area beyond the place where purple flames surrounded the fifth kiln with a whistle. Within that long arc was an old man. He was thin and shriveled, but there was a strange and bewitching light in his eyes. He was mostly naked, and there was a huge bump on his back. There was also little hair on his head. Only a few locks hung down and floated in the air as he moved forward.

This old man was naturally Flame Fiend’s Progenitor. He was the closest to this place, which was why he was the first to arrive. On the way, he had devoured all flames around him, and had even tried to devour some of the purple ones.

Greed appeared in his eyes as he arrived at his destination. He squatted down halfway to it and stared at the fifth kiln, which was surrounded by flames. The spot in which he stayed might have seemed as if it was incredibly close to the fifth kiln, but in truth, there was still some distance between them. After some time, the old man blew a shrill whistle, and with one move, charged towards the fifth kiln.

A loud bang rang out, and a powerful rebound shot out from within the fifth kiln and spread through a circular area of one million feet, causing the thin old man to shake so much that he immediately tumbled backwards upon passing one hundred feet. Only when he was forced back all that distance did he stop. A ruthless look appeared in his eyes, and as he let out a low growl, his eyes sparkled for a moment before he forced down that ruthlessness in him.

‘It’s not time yet… The purple flames in this place are still rife. I’ll have to wait for it to dissipate slightly. Only during the instant the black flames of destruction are about to erupt will I have the chance to rush in.’

A contemplative look appeared in the thin old man’s face. After a moment, he let out a few cold chuckles before deciding that he might as well crouch down in the sea of fire and wait for the instant the purple flames dissipated and the black flames were about to erupt forth.

The old man’s body was thin and shriveled, but his head was not small. His body looked incredibly discordant, and most of his skin was filled with wrinkles. If anyone saw him, they would be unable to help the disgust that would rise within them.

The old man crouched there, and perhaps since he had been waiting for quite a long time, he started humming a song that was unique to his people, the Flame Fiends.

“Ding dong ding… dong ding dong… gru gru… waha waha…”

His voice reverberated in the sea of flame, possessing an incredibly bizarre rhythm. As he crouched with his head lowered, he moved his fingers around and swung them continuously. His originally bizarre figure coupled with that strange song caused him to exude a presence that could make a person’s skin crawl.

He hummed the song filled with a gloomy air, and on the fourth day since the purple sea of fire had spread out, another long arc suddenly charged over from the area beyond the fifth kiln.

That long arc was so quick that it was practically shooting through space. After a moment, it closed in and turned into an incredibly plump person. When he approached the area, the sea of fire let out an intense bang.

A mighty pressure that could make a person suffocate swiftly spread out of the plump person’s body. Even though he was out in the galaxy, he was still panting for breath. As he di so, it sounded like a boar was snorting.

He strode forward with large strides. Once he stopped beyond the fifth kiln, he stared at it. A crimson glare shone in his eyes, and as he panted, he revealed a set of tusks.

“Zhu You Cai… waha waha, Zhu You Cai…” A piercing voice reverberated in space. Flame Fiends’ Progenitor swayed and lifted his head to look at the plump person.

“Others gaze at their husbands, and you too bring good fortune to your husband… Ding dong ding… Others whine, and you too suffer from the brunt of other people’s grudges [1]…” When Flame Fiend’s Progenitor spoke in a piercing voice, there was still that bizarre rhythm to his speech as if he was not speaking, but singing.

The plump person looked towards the Flame Fiends’ Progenitor with a cold stare.

“You just woke up and haven’t eaten to your fill, right?” he asked coldly.

This question was incredibly abrupt, stunning the thin old man to be momentarily. At the moment he saw that the old man was stunned, the plump person known as Zhu You Cai rushed forward towards him. Wherever he went, the sea of fire would surge up and surround him. In an instant, he looked as if he had turned into a gigantic ball of flames.

He crashed into the thin and shriveled old man.

With it, the galaxy trembled, and the sea of fire tumbled backwards in all directions, as if a huge wave had been stirred up.

The thin and shriveled old man tumbled backwards as well. When he was forced ten thousand feet back, he raised his head, opened his mouth, and revealed a mouthful of blackish yellow teeth. As for the plump person, he was also forced back as he stared at Flame Fiends’ Progenitor.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment before killing intent appeared in their eyes.

Yet at that moment, the two of them turned their heads at the same time and looked at the galaxy in the distance.

Several breaths later, a man hobbled over. He held a gourd in his hand, and as he walked over, he drank from it, occasionally burping.

His hair was black, but his brows were yellow. They were so long that they grew past his ears. On his body was a strange, sweet aroma, intoxicating anyone who took a whiff of it.

Once he closed in, the yellow-browed man cast a sideways glance at Flame Fiends’ Progenitor and Zhu You Cai. A faint smile appeared on his face and he chose to sit by the side. Once he drank a mouthful of wine from the gourd, he sighed and said, “The two of you can’t fight…”

Right when he finished saying this sentence, he suddenly let out a faint gasp of surprise, then turned his head to look towards the galaxy behind him. Flame Fiends’ Progenitor and the plump person also looked over.

Right before their eyes, the purple sea of fire began seething intensely. As it tumbled about, a gigantic vortex spread out with a bang. From it, black flames that were starkly different from the purple flames tumbled out.

At the instant the trio in the area saw the black flames, their eyes gained a focused glint. The three of them knew each other, and they did not find it odd that they met in this place. Yet now, the black flames spreading out from the vortex in the galaxy gave them an incredibly unfamiliar feeling.

After a moment, the black flames from the vortex in the galaxy came charging towards them with a bang. At the same time they closed in, the vortex shrank down. When it appeared in the area beyond the fifth kiln, it completely disappeared to reveal a two dragon-headed Resentful Wei within it.

Su Ming controlled the body formed by the supreme treasure which was sitting cross-legged on Resentful Wei’s back. At that moment, he opened his eyes and cast a cold glance at the three people whose gazes had fallen on him.

Resentful Wei also lifted its head and looked at the trio with an aloof and prideful expression.

At the instant Su Ming saw the trio, his expression remained the same, but there wariness rose in his heart. The three people had strange appearances, but the mighty pressure spreading out from their bodies was nothing ordinary. They were clearly… Almighties who had become Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death.

However, he did not know whether they were in Mastery Realm… or Fate Realm!

While Su Ming was sizing up the trio’s power, the three of them were also measuring him up. They had been able to tell at first glance that the unfamiliar presence he exuded was slightly mixed. At its weakest, this mixed power reached Lunar Kalpa Realm, but at its strongest… it surpassed Solar Kalpa Realm and would allow him to fight against those in Mastery Realm.

Besides, the black horse under Su Ming’s body also caused the three people to focus their gazes. The mighty pressure spreading out from the horse belonged to those in Mastery Realm. Clearly, this creature was incredibly extraordinary. Furthermore, the three of them saw that once the horse appeared, the purple sea of fire around them started changing in color. It looked as if it would no longer remain purple, but would change to black. This phenomenon caused the trio’s hearts to still, and all of them gave up on the thought of testing this newcomer.

After all, there was not a single weakling who would be able to come here while facing the purple flames.

Su Ming averted his gaze and did not say a single word. He continued to sit cross-legged on the Resentful Wei, just closed his eyes and began circulating his cultivation base to rest. The three might be Almighties, but there was nothing about them that Su Ming should fear. It did not matter whether it was the power of the Resentful Wei or the offensive power provided to him by the body formed from the supreme treasure, Su Ming had enough confidence to stand up against them.

Besides, he still had two times he could tell the Sand Spirit to attack.

All of these were key to Su Ming’s confidence in obtaining the fifth stone, which had led to him to this place.

Translator’s Note:

1. Others *gaze at their husbands*, and you too, *bring good fortune to your partner*… Ding dong ding… Others *whine*, and you too, *suffer from the brunt of other people’s grudges*: Let’s look at pair 1 -> Gaze at their husbands + bring good fortune to your partner = The first is 望夫 (wang4 fu1) , and the second is also 旺夫 (wang4 fu1). If you notice it, the pronunciation is the same, but the characters are different. Pair 2 -> whine + suffer from the brunt of other people’s grudges = 哀怨 (ai1 yuan4) and 挨怨 (ai1 yuan4). The same thing.

If you noticed it, then you will find that in the first half of both pairs, the subject is the doer, and in the second half, the subject mentioned is the receiver. So the old man is basically mocking Zhu You Cai that he gets the brunt of things.