Pursuit of the Truth

The change in Su Ming’s expression and his action of looking to the east, especially the brilliant light that shone in his eyes, attracted his eldest senior brothers attention, and his right hand stopped on the pot. The pupils of Hu Zi, who sat by his side, constricted when he looked at Su Ming.

The playful look on second senior brother’s face instantly changed as well. In fact, a grimness settled on him.

“What happened?” eldest senior brother asked in a low voice.

The moment Su Ming’s expression changed, everyone’s expression had become stern. An oppressed presence swiftly enveloped the entire land, causing the woman who followed second senior brother to have surprised expressions.

What shocked them was the solemnness of the fellow brothers being able to cause an oppressed presence in the galaxy. The whirlwind beyond the ripple seemed to have frozen, and everything in the place had instantly adopted an air of dead stillness.

Eldest senior brother’s murderous aura, second senior brother’s strange aura of the phantom, and Hu Zi’s fierce air of madness surrounded each of them at that moment, but it did not erupt from them. However, it felt like with just one word from Su Ming, the three of them would give up everything for their youngest junior brother.

They did this not because Su Ming’s level of cultivation was the highest and not because the three of them listened to his orders. I Su Ming was not their youngest junior brother, no matter how high his level of cultivation was, they would not even spare him a glance.

They only did this because Su Ming was part of the ninth summit and he was… their youngest junior brother!

“It’s nothing, I lost the connection with one of my clones in the east. Some power is suppressing my soul in it.” Su Ming’s expression was calm, and he spoke casually.

“The east… Hu Zi,” eldest senior brother said faintly.

The moment he finished speaking, Hu Zi grinned ferociously. He took a step forward and pressed his right hand on Su Ming’s shoulder before he closed his eyes.

Right away, Su Ming sensed Hu Zi’s presence vanishing without a trace, and he could not even detect him with his divine sense. If it was not because he could see him with his naked eye, it would have been difficult for him to know that he was still around.

“Hu Zi has progressed a bit with his Dream Dao since he left the land of Berserkers. Many years have passed since then, and he has experienced many things. His control over this Art must have improved because of it. With the method to enter Dreams, he can use your senses and find the portion of your soul.”

As eldest senior brother spoke languidly, Hu Zi’s eyes rolled up to reveal the whites of his eyes. A bizarre white light shone from within them.

“The east… nine huge incense sticks, two are still burning… one hundred thousand cultivators…” Hu Zi’s body stilled, and his eyes fell shut.

When he opened them, he lifted his right hand from Su Ming’s shoulder. After a moment of pensive silence, he formed a seal and pointed at space. Immediately, a picture appeared.

It was somewhat vague, but they could make out the Heavenly Incense Rune standing tall in the galaxy. Two of the incenses burned, and one hundred thousand cultivators sat around them while meditating. Their expressions were filled with excitement and madness.

In front of these people was a single figure. He was seated near the second incense stick, and his expression was distorted. His eyes were shut in struggle and his flesh squirmed as if he was going through indescribable pain.

And yet the expression on his face was one of extreme comfort.

Naturally, this figure was Su Ming’s clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole.

“Heavenly Incense Rune.”

Second senior brother’s pupils shrank. He stared at the nine huge incense sticks in the illusory picture.

“No wonder. Youngest junior brother, your clone is beside the Heavenly Incense Rune. It’s only natural that you would have the feeling that your connection with your clone has been severed. Heavenly Incense Rune can not only bring about the false impression of you reaching a breakthrough with your level of cultivation, but it also has a secret about which most people do not know.

“That place can cut off a person’s clone from their real body… and give them their own will. That is why the Almighties in True Morning Dao World will never allow their clones to come close to the Heavenly Incenses.

“But that clone of yours is clearly still struggling, youngest junior brother. This is slightly odd. Based on my understanding, the soul thread between the two of you should have been severed.” Second senior brother frowned and looked at Su Ming.

“Heavenly Incense Rune…” Su Ming stared at the illusory picture with a brilliant light shining in his eyes.

Hu Zi looked up and spoke in a low voice. “I have also heard of this Heavenly Incense Rune. It is said that it has existed since True Morning Dao World appeared. Based on its appearance, it is not formed naturally, but was set up by someone. In the beginning, all nine of the incense sticks burned, but as time passed, they extinguished one by one. Right now, only two of them remain burning.

“However, before this, it was three. At the very least, before the whirlwind in the galaxy appeared, three of them burned! I went to this Heavenly Incense Rune before. It is indeed a Rune, but it is ancient and archaic and not something I can break. In fact, from what I can sense, the Heavenly Incense Rune… is similar to me in some sense.”

When the others heard his words, they were shocked.

Hu Zi’s real form came from a vast Rune that surrounded Yin Death Region. He was a spirit born from it, and after Tian Xie Zi used some unknown ingenious method to extract him, he gained human form and was taken in as a disciple.

But the fact was that Hu Zi was another form of life created from a Rune.

If he said that the Heavenly Incense Rune was similar to him, then it was enough for them to tell what the problem was.

“When I was there in the past, I noticed that it is an empty Rune. After some investigation, I could not break it, but I discovered its deepest secret. I could tell that this Heavenly Incense Rune is in truth an ancient Summoning Rune!

“The summoning range for this Rune should be inconceivable, but clearly, since it has been around for a long time, it has already lost its usefulness. Unless we light all nine of the incense sticks again, it would have no effect.”

Su Ming stood up with a cold glare in his eyes.

“We have just been reunited, and such a thing happened. Senior brothers, please rest here for a while. I will go to this Heavenly Incense Rune and see just what makes this Rune so mysterious. How dare it break my connection with the portion of my soul?” Su Ming said faintly. As he got up, the presence of a powerful warrior naturally surrounded him.

“Oh well, let’s have Hu Zi go with you. He is skilled with Runes, and he can help you. ”

Eldest senior brother sank into a period of pensive silence before saying, “As for me and your second senior brother… since you want to make the Ninth Summit the only sect in True Morning Dao World, this will no longer be something that concerns you alone. It will be something that concerns all of us from the ninth summit. Your second senior brother and I will stay here and create the Ninth Summit!”

“Creating a sect is definitely not as simple as gathering disciples. There are quite a lot of things to do. At the very least, you will need to a place to set up your sect and its ideology. Eldest senior brother and I will handle it,” second senior brother said gracefully while opening his fan.

Hu Zi grinned and looked over.

Su Ming nodded. He wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed to his eldest senior brother and second senior brother. When he turned around, he raised his right hand and pointed at the white ripple in the area. The ripple instantly grew twice its size. It buzzed, and the ring charged towards Su Ming and fixed itself on his index finger.

Su Ming might have already taken away the supreme treasure, but the ripple in the area was as large as ever and could still push away the whirlwind. This was a projection the supreme treasure had left behind under Su Ming’s control. It could maintain the ripple for around a hundred years.

This was a preparation for any unforeseen circumstances. With the ripple around, he could give the Ninth Summit a place to serve as its foundation.

“The ripple in this place can prevent the whirlwind from coming inside. Eldest senior brother, second senior brother, have your divine senses fuse with it to control it. This is a projection I left behind with my treasure. With it, I can send my divine thoughts to you as well.”

Su Ming cast a glance at his eldest senior brother and his second senior brother again. When he turned around, he changed into a long arc that rushed into the distance.

Hu Zi laughed loudly and stood up as well. The bald crane looked around for a while, then quickly followed them. As their long arcs shone, Su Ming and Hu Zi disappeared.

When they were gone, eldest senior brother and second senior brother did not relax. They talked about everything they needed to do to set up the Ninth Summit, then started doing their part.

Su Ming was so fast that in an instant he covered a boundless distance. Hu Zi was not much slower. As he took big strides forward, he drank from his pot.

This was, of course, not Su Ming’s full speed, but he did not wish to use it anyway. Even if his connection with his clone had been severed, there was no use for him to be anxious, since it was already done.

The two people charged forward through the galaxy. Wherever they went, the whirlwind would fall back, and huge, long gaps would be torn open. Only when the two people had long since left the area would the gap slowly recover.

In just a few days, as Su Ming and Hu Zi charged forward with a speed akin to shifting, they arrived in the area of Heavenly Incense Rune. When they were hundreds of thousands of feet away from it, they found that the whirlwind there was thin. The galaxy distorted, and Su Ming as well as Hu Zi moved into the area with a single step.

Right away, Su Ming saw the nine vast Heavenly Incenses. The were one hundred thousand feet tall and gave off an incredibly grand feeling.

It was especially so for the two Heavenly Incenses which were still burning. Smoke curled into the heavens from them. It drifted in the galaxy, and the flickering heads of the incense sticks attracted the attention of anyone who looked at them.

Hu Zi had a grave expression on his honest face as he said in a low voice, “This is the Heavenly Incense Rune!”

Su Ming’s gaze remained normal, but his pupils constricted slightly. He could see the vast Heavenly Incense Rune and the one hundred thousand cultivators sitting near it. Their expressions were different, but all of them had madness in their eyes… He also saw a figure practically stuck to the second burning Heavenly Incense. It was surrounded by smoke and had a rather indistinct feeling.

It was Su Ming’s clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole!

Perhaps it was due to the haziness from the wisps of smoke, but the familiar clone actually gave Su Ming an unfamiliar feeling when he looked at it.