Pursuit of the Truth

In the face of absolute power, all other forces of power were nothing.

Su Ming already possessed this power. He watched the cultivators from Dark Dawn and Saint Defier, who had now broken down and were like a plate of scattered sand, and the cultivators from Ninth Summit and the Berserkers charging out in streams in pursuit, and his lips curled into a smile.

There were deaths in this battle, but the path of cultivation was always a fight over life. It was a rough path, but dying on the way was not frightening. What was frightening was the fear towards death and losing confidence.

Su Ming looked at the galaxy, then took a step forward. When his foot landed, he was already in Ninth Summit, appearing right next to his second senior brother, who was observing all the changes in the battlefield with all his attention, and who had confidence on his face as well as an air of elegance.

“Second senior brother,” Su Ming called out softly.

At the moment he spoke, his second senior brother turned his head swiftly. Eldest senior brother, who was sitting not too far away, also seemed to have opened his mind’s eye at that moment and directed his attention at him.

Su Ming’s figure manifested before second senior brother, and with a smile on his face, he wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed.

Eldest senior brother did not have a head, but at that moment, his body was brimming with joy. Second senior brother also looked as if his spirits had been lifted, and laughing, he hugged Su Ming.

“I knew you’d be fine.” As second senior brother laughed, he pushed his hands on Su Ming’s shoulders and observed him closely. There was love between brothers on his face.

“You must have arrived a long time ago. How do you think I performed here?” A smug look appeared on second senior brother’s face while he spoke with a smile.

Their eldest senior brother stood up as well and strode over. He lifted his right arm and hugged Su Ming. He did not speak, but all his care and concern were contained in that hug between brothers. There was no need for words.

When he sensed his eldest senior brother’s powerful heartbeat, even if Su Ming’s level of cultivation had reached an unfathomable stage and his will was so strong that he was only second to Arid Triad, during that moment, he forgot his own power. He only knew that he was the youngest in Ninth Summit, and the youngest junior brother of his senior brothers, who would forever want to protect him.

With a smile on his face, Su Ming looked at his proud second senior brother and said softly, “Second senior brother, you showed off your talents in this battle.”

While second senior brother laughed, a long arc charged over from the distance. Before that figure even approached the area, Hu Zi’s voice reached their ears like thunder.

“Darn it all, that fight felt really good. Eldest senior brother, second senior brother, did you see how many of those… Huh?” Hu Zi charged forward while speaking, but right at the moment he was about to approach the area, his voice died abruptly—he had noticed Su Ming.

“Youngest junior brother!”

Hu Zi’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt. He stared at Su Ming, then walked forward with huge strides and hugged Su Ming.

“Y-y-you… Do you have any idea how many times second senior brother went to the area right outside Yin Death Vortex and watched it in silence? Do you have any idea how many times eldest senior brother worked hard to reach a breakthrough in his level of cultivation without regard for the cost? All of it so that you won’t have to be so close to death all the time!

“Do you have any idea how many days I didn’t sleep to set up the Runes? Youngest junior brother, if you listen to me, then don’t go anymore, now that you’re back. Stay in Ninth Summit, and let’s make sure that we senior brothers can stay together for eternity!”

As Hu Zi spoke, the excitement in his voice turned into a sob. To the outside world, he was a man with a personality like a tiger. He was a ferocious entity who would not blink even when he killed. When he smiled, there would still be a ferociousness to it, and his entire body exuded a heinous, murderous aura.

But before Su Ming, second senior brother, and eldest senior brother, he was like a child. He was just Hu Zi who loved laughing, crying, and peeking at others.

Second senior brother was silent for a moment before he looked at Su Ming. “Youngest junior brother… are you going to leave again?”

Eldest senior brother might not have said anything, but at that moment, he gave a feeling to the others that he too was waiting for the answer.

Su Ming was silent. He did not speak and only stared at his eldest senior brother, his second senior brother, and Hu Zi. After a long while, he nodded slowly.

“After I finish settling three final matters, I will return to Ninth Summit and not leave for a hundred years.”

…..

It was night. During it, Ninth Summit’s night sky was filled with stars that reached ten thousand lis. It was brilliant. The battle during the day had ended. At that moment, most of the cultivators were resting and meditating, but there were some who were swiftly mending the Runes so that the gap could be closed

Moonlight shone on the ninth summit. There was a table on it. Eldest senior brother sat at the head of the table, second senior brother to the left, Hu Zi to the right, and Su Ming at the end of the table.

This was a reunion of the brothers under the same Master. There was no distinction of status based on their levels of cultivation, and neither was there a ranking system used by the other summits in Freezing Sky Clan. Their seats were only determined by the time each of the disciples of the ninth summit had spent under their Master’s tutelage.

The eldest was like Master. When Master was not around, eldest senior brother was the master of the sect.

Behind Su Ming was Fang Cang Lan, who stayed beside him quietly. Her face was one of composure and elegance. She did not mind Xu Hui’s existence on his other side.

Xu Hui had long since returned to Ninth Summit. Su Ming did not ask her about De Shun, and she did not say anything about him either.

“Ninth Summit won this battle, but the reason and the prerequisite for our victory was the overall levels of cultivation of the cultivators from Dark Dawn and Saint Defier being suppressed. Youngest junior brother… were you the one who did this?” second senior brother said after hesitating for a moment.

He simply could not think of any other answer, and so he said it out loud and looked at his youngest junior brother.

Su Ming had a calm expression on his face while he nodded.

Once he did so, Hu Zi sucked in a sharp breath and stared at him in a daze. Second senior brother’s breathing instantly quickened as well. His expression changed swiftly, filling with disbelief.

They clearly knew the significance behind the suppression of the overall levels of cultivation for the cultivators from Dark Dawn and Saint Defier. This allowed them to know that Su Ming probably had the ability to destroy all the cultivators who descended from Dark Dawn and Saint Defier by himself.

Eldest senior brother was silent, but his right hand shivered slightly, a telling sign that a storm had started raging in his heart during that moment.

Among the three of them, eldest senior brother had always been the one with the highest level of cultivation. Second senior brother hadn’t noticed the Sovereign of Dawn Yan Pei’s existence, and it was even more difficult for Hu Zi, but eldest senior brother had formed a connection with the Predecessor of Dao Ocean. Wits his help, he could clearly sense that there was an existence who caused him to feel terrified in that battle.

It was… the Sovereign of Dawn Yan Pei. Eldest senior brother had obtained information regarding that person’s statue and reputation from Dark Dawn cultivators on which he had performed Soulseek after capturing them.

To be able to seal six-tenths of the power belonging to the cultivators from Dark Dawn and Saint Defier with someone like the Sovereign of Dawn Yan Pei around… This power already surpassed what eldest senior brother could imagine.

Second senior brother remained quiet for a while before he spoke in a serious yet muffled tone. “Youngest junior brother… what is your level of cultivation right now? How is your strength… compared to the Sovereign of Dawn Yan Pei?”

Su Ming was silent for a while before he answered honestly, “He… does not have the right to be my opponent.

“Right now, besides some of the sleeping ancient monsters, there should be very few cultivators in Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos and the four Great True Worlds… who can be my opponents.”

When Su Ming said those words, his eldest senior brother fell silent. Second senior brother’s breathing became quicker, and Hu Zi gaped, unable to speak for a long while.

They did not doubt Su Ming’s words. Excitement and exhilaration immediately appeared on Hu Zi’s face. He picked up the wine cup in front of him and took a big gulp from it, allowing the wine to trickle down the corners of his lips.

“Haha! Youngest junior brother, what should we do for our next step? Should we get rid of all the cultivators who descended from Dark Dawn and Saint Defier? Second senior brother, what do you think? Does my idea sound good?”

“Is there something strange about Dark Dawn and Saint Defier?” A contemplative expression appeared on second senior brother’s face. He ignored Hu Zi and looked at Su Ming instead. He seemed to be thinking of something.

“Dark Dawn and Saint Defier are also part of Arid Triad. They might seem to be invading us through this war, but they are really just returning. It might seem dangerous, but it is really just the final bout of madness in their lives.

“The people who think they are the players do not know that it had been decided a long time ago that they are chess pieces… Even if we chase them away and kill them, it would make no difference, because the Arid Triad disaster is not now, but five hundred years later.”

When Su Ming said those words slowly, he sighed softly. He told them some of the things he had experienced, including the disaster five hundred years in the future, Harmonious Morus Alba Expanse Cosmos, and the ancient monsters who would wake up before the disaster.

As his voice echoed in the air, disbelief appeared on Hu Zi’s face while his heart trembled. Second senior brother shuddered, and his eyes sparkled swiftly.

While Hu Zi and second senior brother were silent because they were digesting the shocking truth, eldest senior brother asked in a muffled voice, “Youngest junior brother… you mentioned that you had three things you had to deal with just now. What are they?”

Su Ming raised his head and looked at his eldest senior brother before he said softly, “The first would be going to the Emperor of Abyss’ True World. I’m going there to search for a woman and to retrieve my True World. I will return him something… and end a grudge that has tied me down for one thousand years.”

“Is it Yu Xuan?” Fang Cang Lan suddenly asked.

Xu Hui had remained silent by the side since the start, but at that moment, she seemed to have remembered something. When she lifted her head, she looked at Su Ming as well.

Su Ming nodded.

Fang Cang Lan did not say anything. Her expression was still as calm as water, but her lashes over her half-lidded eyes quivered ever so slightly.

“The second would be me going to an old haunt that will make me stronger. I will make all preparations for the disaster five hundred years later.” When Su Ming spoke, a fierce light appeared in his eyes.

“And this is the third. I will go… to Dark Dawn’s camp and find our Master!”

The moment Su Ming said those words, Hu Zi’s head snapped up. Second senior brother’s expression also immediately filled with shock. Eldest senior brother fell silent, but determination filled him.

“Searching for our Master is something our levels of cultivation will not allow us to do. Only you… can bring Master back. It’s been a very long time… since we saw the old man,” said eldest senior brother. His voice was deep, and there was longing in his words.

Su Ming did not tell them that besides searching for his Master in Dark Dawn’s camp, he had another goal. He wanted to go to the Spiritlings and have a look at his mother’s homeland.

“Once I finish doing these three things, I will return to Ninth Summit and will wait for time to pass. I will wait for the day the disaster arrives… I’ve promised a certain group of people certain things in my life. During the next few hundred years, I will fulfill all those promises.”