1037 - 1043
Chapter 1037: You Can Choose Not to Come Out
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When Su Ming Possessed the purple Ecang, he had spent dozens of breaths to complete the process, while fusing and absorbing it had required cycles of sixty years for him.
If he had used a long time to devour the blue Ecang, the other Ecangs wouldn't have been too asnotished. However, Su Ming… had only spent an instant to devour it!
It was only an instant. His collision against the blue Ecang only lasted for the duration of the blink of an eye, and everything… was complete. At the instant the blue galaxies were covered by a shade of purple as if ink had spilled on them, the one hundred thousand blue galaxies turned into a purple world and made the number of galaxies Su Ming's Ecang possessed to increase to two hundred thousand!
It also caused Su Ming to become the strongest Ecang at the moment he completed the devouring of the blue Ecang. In truth, he was already the strongest even before that, but then… he became even stronger!
The whole galaxy was purple as invisible ripples spread out in all directions. Su Ming turned around, and his eyes… were still purple, because that purple was the foundation of his strength. However… the shade of purple then was even more dazzling than before. It was even more piercing, even more enchanting, and the malicious presence spreading out from him was even more monstrous!
His long hair fluttered while his robes moved without wind. As he stood in the purple galaxies and lowered his head slightly, a wild and untamed string of laughter tumbled out of his lips and spread out from him. When it echoed in the galaxies, it had the feeling of Su Ming looking down on the whole universe. As it spread in all directions, the eight other fragments of Ecang's soul retreated swiftly as their hearts trembled, intending to leave the blue galaxies which Su Ming had devoured.
They were in the core of the world with the one hundred thousand stone monuments located in Western Ring Nebula's foreign land. Everything that happened there would cause a chain reaction in the world outside. The moment the blue galaxies turned purple and the blue Ecang was devoured by Su Ming, a powerful purple light erupted from the ten thousand purple stone monuments in the land with the one hundred thousand stone monuments, instantly covering the whole place.
Immediately, shrill screams of pain rang out. The ones who screamed were not the ones with the purple stone monuments… but the ten thousand people that belonged to the blue stone monuments!
No matter what level of cultivation they possessed, no matter whether they were men or women, the elderly or the young, those ten thousand people all let out incredibly shrill screams at that instant. Blood poured out from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. They knelt down on the ground, and as their bodies trembled nonstop, a complicated runic symbol appeared as a bump at the center of their brows. It looked like a Brand, but also as if it had grown at the center of their brows. Its color was blue, and it was shining with a blue light.
Cracks ran down their monuments, spreading swiftly, and a faint blue light erupted from within them. This scene immediately shocked the people around the area. They could not help but allow fear to enter their expressions.
Even though the onlookers were not the ones screaming in pain, the feeling as if they were going through the same pain was incredibly clear. Not knowing what happened to cause this turned into fear at the bottom of their hearts, causing the land with the one hundred thousand stone monuments to immediately rise in commotion. However, the uproar from the tens of thousands of people still could not drown out the incredibly shrill and forlorn screams of pain from the people of the blue stone monuments.
"What happened?!"
"What… What's going on?! How could this happen?!"
"Their stone monuments… are cracking!"
At the instant the uproar rose, the ten thousand blue stone monuments suddenly shone with blue light from the cracks. It dulled soon, until completely disappearing without a trace. Once it was gone, an incredibly dense and powerful purple light shot out from within the monuments. In the blink of an eye, the originally blue stone monuments became… purple!
The ten thousand cultivators underneath those stone monuments… did not die even though they were screaming at the top of their lungs. Instead, the originally rapidly flashing blue mark at the center of their brows turned purple!
It shone several times before disappearing, and the shrill screams of pain gradually grew weaker. However, as sweat covered those people's bodies, they looked at their stone monuments with fear.
There were twenty thousand purple stone monuments standing tall within the land with the one hundred thousand stone monuments. This scene instantly attracted the attention of everyone present, and was immediately followed by a silence akin to death itself.
The people seemed to have come to a vague understanding, but the confusion in them and the fear towards the unknown was even greater.
In the core of Western Ring Nebula's foreign land where the vast one million galaxies were located, unseen to others, were the two hundred thousand purple galaxies that belonged to Su Ming. At that moment, he raised his head, and an indescribable malicious presence spread out from his body. The smile on his lips had a strange enchanting air to it. The gaze of his purple eyes landed on the rapidly retreating fragments of Ecang's soul who intended to leave his purple galaxy.
Su Ming did not take any action to stop them. He simply allowed the eight Ecangs to leave. After all, even if he stopped them here, it would not bring about much effect. Su Ming's goal was to devour their real bodies.
Almost at the instance the Ecangs were about to disappear, Su Ming whipped his head around and his body turned into a long arc. The two hundred thousand purple galaxies were swept up and formed a presence that he'd never possessed before charging into the distance like long arcs.
"I wonder which color will be next."
Purple light shone in Su Ming's eyes, and his speed increased exponentially. Booming sounds reverberated in the galaxy. In just a few breaths, he approached another barrier.
Boom!
Loud booms echoed in the galaxy when Su Ming rammed his body against the invisible barrier. Under the impact, a wide-area tremor shook the barrier. When Su Ming crashed into the blue galaxies' barrier, he had rammed against it about three times before it broke. Yet right then, with just one try, he had already almost made the barrier shatter. He lifted his right hand to strike it fiercely, and immediately, the two hundred thousand purple galaxies gathered on his right hand. When the strike landed, booming sounds rose to shake the sky and earth.
That invisible barrier… was torn to shreds. With loud booming sounds, it was completely disassembled, and a red screen of light spilled out from within. Along with the light came the roars from the crimson Ecang.
"It's crimson."
Su Ming moved. With the vast purple galaxies behind him, he rushed into the crimson galaxies. The purple hue instantly spread out and filled the area while Su Ming fixed his gaze on the crimson stellar river in the galaxy. His body turned into a long arc which looked as if it was going to tear through the crimson galaxies while he charged forward.
"Thou art desireth to fuse with me? 'Tis shalt be impossible for thee!" An enraged roar came from the stellar river, and the galaxy immediately started rotating. Booming sounds echoed in space, and as the galaxy spun, a gigantic vortex manifested to form a gigantic gust of wind.
It brought with it a destructive will. When it swept through the area, Su Ming could see that there was a big red tree in the vortex. That tree was huge, and its crown was crimson. The Ecang was filled with a destructive will and madness… but it did not dare step out of the vortex. Instead, it hid itself within it. The two eyes resembling annual rings revealed on the tree trunk were glaring at the approaching Su Ming.
The rotating vortex and the crimson Ecang within it were reflected as inverted images in Su Ming's purple eyes. He did not speak, but lifted his right hand and spread his fingers wide in the direction of the galaxy above him. When he slowly clenched his fist, the purple galaxies he'd brought with him instantly covered the crimson galaxy. Anyone who looked at it would be able to see that besides the center, all the other areas around it were purple.
Almost the instant Su Ming lifted his right hand and clenched it into a fist, the purple that filled the area came to a stop momentarily, as if it had been frozen. Su Ming slowly swung his right arm to form a full circle, and the frozen purple shade immediately began spinning with his arm.
Su Ming then swung his arm to form another circle, the speed of rotations increasing by nearly a hundred times from before. Booming sounds shook the sky and earth, shaking the whole area. If anyone took a closer look, they would be able to see clearly that the direction of the rotations of the purple galaxies were the exact opposite of the rotations of the vortex in the stellar river!
"You can choose not to come out," Su Ming said in a ghastly manner.
The crimson Ecang in the vortex looked over with fear. Clearly, it had seen through Su Ming's goal, and it swiftly roared. "My fellow kinsmen, if you don't think of a way to save me, then this… will be the day when Ecang disappears!"
At the instant the crimson Ecang roared, Su Ming lifted his right hand and swung it to form the third circle. The booming sounds instantly became even stronger. The speed of the rotations from the purple galaxy in the area did not just increase by a hundred times at that time, but by a thousand times!
In the mid of those bangs, Su Ming pointed towards the vortex in the stellar river. Immediately, the purple galaxies shrank swiftly, and while rotating in the opposite direction, they crashed against the vortex in the stellar river.
BOOM!
It felt as if the galaxy was trembling. The loud bang drowned out the crimson Ecang's roars. At the instant the two vortices spinning in two different directions crashed against each other, the vortex in the stellar river looked like something without a foundation. It was unable to fight against the vortex formed by the two hundred thousand galaxies and collapsed with a loud bang. The crimson Ecang looked at Su Ming with despair. With their differences in status as life forms and the devouring of the blue Ecang, it understood that it was facing a destiny against which it could not fight.
While it was in despair, Su Ming charged towards the crimson Ecang with the rotations from the purple galaxies. They spread out to cover him and his target. After a moment, when the originally crimson galaxy was turned completely purple, Su Ming walked out with an even more eye-catching demeanor.
His long hair reached his waist. As it fluttered, he walked through the purple light. His lean body, the countless swaying branches that filled the area around him, and the even brighter shade of purple in his eyes created a savage and primitive presence. It spread out from his with a violent energy even though he had his head lowered.
That presence… came from Ecang.
Chapter 1038: Sowing Discord
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The crimson Ecang was devoured, and leading to it was the ten thousand crimson stone monuments in the land with the one hundred thousand stone monuments changing color, causing the ten thousand cultivators previously belonging to them to let out shrill screams of pain before the runic symbols at the center of their brows turned purple.
Because of it, there were already thirty thousand stone monuments out of the one hundred thousand in the land which had turned purple and belonged to Su Ming.
Panic and alarm descended on the group of people in the land with the one hundred thousand stone monuments. The commotion grew louder, their fear continued. They might have stopped screaming in pain, but their voices were still echoing in the minds of the people in there, causing an unprecedented drastic change to appear in Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands.
In fact…
Since this drastic change affecting all the blue and crimson stone monuments, it naturally affected the owners of the blue and crimson stone monuments which had reached one million feet or were even taller. They might no longer be in Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands, but even if they were in the world outside, they still could not escape from the change in their souls.
On Western Ring Nebula was a dull planet. There was a middle-aged man sitting beside a lake with a branch in his hand. On that branch was a brilliant green bud from a weeping willow. It was drooping in the water. There was an indifferent expression on his face, as if he was fishing.
There were two beautiful women beside him. They were kneeling beside him and were gently hitting his shoulders. The sky was murky. The land was filled with fog, but only he remained as a clear sight, just like his expression. It was as if nothing could bother him, and his expression was as clear and cool as water.
However, at that moment, his expression suddenly changed. As his expression changed, a violent power erupted swiftly from his body. The two women behind him immediately cried out in surprise before they tumbled backwards. The weeping willow in his hand instantly shattered and was reduced to powder. The lake on the ground also evaporated in that loud bang, causing the place where he was located at that moment to be filled with a violent power for a moment.
A shrill scream of pain travelled out of his mouth. His body trembled. The two servant girls far behind him had blood trickle out of his mouths. In their panic, they saw the person known as their Progenitor on the planet, the person no one dared to provoke at all to have fear that was never seen before appear on his face. That shrill scream was especially something they had never heard before.
In the midst of that pained scream, a runic symbol appeared at the center of the man's brows. That mark was crimson red, but it was swiftly turning purple. A moment later, when it completely turned purple, the man coughed up a large mouthful of blood. Shock appeared on him, and he lifted his head swiftly to stare at the galaxy with respect shining in his eyes.
'What happened…? Why do I have a feeling that… my stone monument in the Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands… has changed masters?!' His body trembled. As the man's expression changed continuously, he stood up swiftly to charge towards the sky. He wanted to return to Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands to check what had happened. The scene just now caused his heart to feel fear. If he did not understand what was going on, he would feel uneasy. After all… his stone monument was in Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands.
The same scene appeared at the same time in plenty of areas in Western Ring Nebula. In fact, the same sight appeared on a few people among the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds stationed to keep an eye over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. However, once they finished screaming shrilly, all the people would have fear and alarm appear on their faces while their hearts were filled with anxiety.
In Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands, Su Ming, who had devoured the blue and crimson Ecangs, walked out of the three hundred thousand purple galaxies. At the same time, he closed his eyes slightly and lifted his arms to simultaneously punch his sides swiftly.
That was two punches. At the instant he threw them out, the three hundred thousand purple galaxies tumbled about and surged to the sky. As loud booming sounds reverberated in space, two gigantic purple vortices appeared swiftly beside Su Ming to charge towards the distance while rumbling.
This time, Su Ming was not going to devour just one portion of Ecang's soul, he was going to devour two of them!
Booming sounds shook the sky and earth. It lasted for only a few breaths. At the instant two loud sounds of something trembling surged into the heavens, the barriers by Su Ming's two sides crumbled. Orange and green lights spread out from the shattered barriers.
"Today is the day Ecang descends in the universe. Why… do all of you resist. With my will, I will rebuild Ecang. My glory is also your glory!" Su Ming's voice echoed in space, and during that moment, he moved to charge towards the orange galaxies.
"Stop him! If we don't stop him, then all of us will be destroyed by him! If I'm devoured, he will become stronger, and it'll definitely be impossible for all of you escape from being killed!!" With a voice filled with panic that had never appeared in it, the orange Ecang in the orange galaxies cried out, and its voice echoed swiftly in space.
"How do we stop him?"
"He has already devoured blue and crimson. He is also a complete life form. His current might is something we absolutely cannot hope to stand against. How… do we stop him?"
"Green, the barrier leading to your galaxies has already been opened. Attack! Fight together with orange. If you don't attack, you won't be able to escape from the fate of fusing into him!"
"That's right, green. Take action first and resist him. Our barriers have yet to open. Even if our wills descend in the place, it'll be useless. Since purple is so conceited that he dared break two barriers at once… you have to work together with orange and make him fuse into you!!"
The divine thoughts of the remaining portions of Ecang's soul echoed in space. A hysterical roar travelled out from the green galaxies, and a violent impact rushed into the green galaxies to turn into a gigantic green Ecang tree. A rampaging life force spread out swiftly from its body, and the green Ecang turned into a long arc to charge forward towards the orange galaxy where Su Ming was.
However, at the instant it approached the orange galaxy, the orange Ecang's despair-filled roars echoed swiftly in the galaxy.
"It's not that I am against you devouring me and wiping off my existence, but you intend to devour me, not have me fuse into you. This… is something where I'd rather destroy my own will and break the promise so that my body, which will no longer possess any form of consciousness, to return to the universe's embrace!!"
There was a crazed will in that voice. At the instant it echoed in the air, a loud bang that shook all one million galaxies immediately travelled into space. As that sound rose up, the orange galaxies immediately shattered to pieces and completely collapsed.
At the same time, as the orange Ecang chose to wipe out his consciousness and return to the place of its origins, the ten thousand orange stone monuments it possessed in the land of the one hundred thousand stone monuments immediately had a large number of cracks appear on them before they simultaneously turned into ashes. Even the ten thousand cultivators in possession of those stone monuments shuddered simultaneously, and without any pained screams, their bodies were completely torn, and their bodies as well as their souls were destroyed and scattered into nothingness.
At the same time the orange Ecang was willing to return to its place of origin and as it disintegrated, seven seeds shining in orange light spread out swiftly to rush towards the green Ecang. They instantly rushed into its body, causing a jolt to run through the green Ecang's body, and during that same moment, it let out a long howl.
As it howled, the aura from the green Ecang swiftly increased exponentially, and it was several times stronger than before. At the same time, five howls echoed in space from the one million galaxies. The other five-colored Ecangs had also absorbed the origin of power from the purple Ecang's body after it wiped out its consciousness. After it fused into them, all of them instantly became stronger.
There were six orange seeds. Su Ming also absorbed one of them, but it was just a fragment of it, and it was a far cry from when he previously devoured the complete portions of Ecang souls. With one move, he charged towards green Ecang, who had frozen in space while the orange galaxy crumbled.
There was madness within the green Ecang's eyes, which looked like annual rings. Once he fused with the rampaging life force spreading out from its entire body, it shut its eyes swiftly.
"The person who eventually has the rest of us fuse into you and forms the complete Ecang, remember this… kill this person as an offering to me for willingly becoming a source of power!" The green Ecang knew that even if it had absorbed one of the seeds that was the source of power formed by the orange Ecang, it still would not be able to escape from Su Ming. Since the orange Ecang could wipe off its consciousness and return to its place of origin, then… it could also do the same.
As it closed its eyes, a bang came out from its body, and a power that caused the heavens to roar immediately travelled into space. As its body crumbled and it exploded into pieces, it turned into six green seeds that shot swiftly into the space around the area. Even Su Ming could not manage to stop the six green seeds from disappearing with his speed. One of them charged to his body and fused instantly into him, and during that moment, five roars immediately shot into space.
Even more powerful ripples of power were contained in those roars. The remaining give portions of Ecang souls became much stronger than before. However, individually, they were still not Su Ming's opponent. However… if four more of the five portions of Ecang souls were willing to turn into the origin of power, then the final Ecang who would appear… would be the Ecang who could shake the universe and existed in the Old Man Extermination's ballad!
It had been set up by Sui Chen Zi in the past and was forced to split up to heal themselves and wait till their injuries were recovered before they could fuse together to be born again. Yet now, if they fused together in this manner, while it might still become the Ecang in the past, it would not be as strong as it were in the past. However… even if it was no longer as strong as it was, it would still pose as a threat to Su Ming once it possessed its memories.
Su Ming had thought about this previously, which was why he had been so efficient and firm in his actions when he devoured the previous two… but such a change had still occurred.
But since he had already predicted that this would happen and Su Ming still had the galls to devour the portions of Ecang souls, then he would naturally have other methods to handle this. At that moment, the connection between him and the remaining five portions of Ecang souls was very intriguing. The Ecang he chose would turn into an origin of power, and the last one who was not chosen would become the dominant will to make the real Ecang awaken.
Because of it, the portions of Ecang souls he chose would mean that they would have lost the right to become the real Ecang. For the remaining five portions of Ecang souls, this was the most important thing to them, and it was even more important than their lives.
Su Ming's lips slowly curled up into a strange and enchanting smile.
"It's not that I, Su, must devour all of you today. I only want to devour three complete portions of Ecang souls. Now… I am lacking one more.
"If I just devour one more, I will stop. I wonder which of the five of you will be willing to fulfill my wish." Right when Su Ming finished speaking, the five portions of Ecang souls immediately had their hearts tremble furiously. The threat from Su Ming was incredibly great to them, but they did not want to wipe out their own consciousness either… but who among the five of them would be willing to be devoured?
Chapter 1039: White, Black, Gray
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Ecangs could not choose. None of them would willingly allowed themselves to be devoured, but Su Ming's goal was not to make them choose. The three hundred thousand purple galaxies gathered on him, and he turned into a long arc that charged towards another invisible barrier.
The power of three hundred thousand galaxies allowed Su Ming to move as if he was splitting apart bamboo in one smooth move. At the instant he touched the invisible barrier, it let out a bang and was crushed in one blow. When it was torn into pieces, a white galaxy spread out from within.
It was the white Ecang's place!
In truth, the ten Ecang's souls were not truly equal in terms of power. Black, white, and gray were the strongest, while the remaining seven colors were close in terms of strength among themselves. At the instant Su Ming saw white light, his eyes sparkled.
He stepped into the white galaxy and saw that there were no stellar rivers there. It was a stark difference from the other seven colors, for at the center of the galaxy an old man was sitting in white robes. He had opened his eyes at that moment and was staring at Su Ming calmly.
"I've been waiting for you to come," the old man in white said faintly. His voice echoed in the galaxy, and there was an ancient and gentle tone to his words.
"It doesn't matter whether you are Ecang or a cultivator, the signs of your life belong to Ecang. It doesn't matter whether you were previously Ecang or if you will just become Ecang in the future, you… will still be Ecang." The old man stood up slowly. His voice was mild, and there was a tone to his voice that would make others feel fond of its owner.
"The ten Ecang souls have three colors acting as the dominant souls, and the remaining seven are complements… White controls Ecang's kindness and manipulates the changes in the universe. Black controls Ecang's evil and manipulates the madness which would bring about the world's destruction. Gray… is stillness. It will live with the universe, and die with the universe."
Su Ming's expression remained the same. He stared at the old man in white before him coldly. He took a step forward, and as he approached, the old man did not dodge. There was not even a hint of change on his face.
"Which is why as long as you are Ecang, it does not matter to me whether you will devour or fuse with me. I hope… that there will come a day when Ecang will descend into the universe once more. Since you can do it, then why should I be stingy with my consciousness? Why should I be bothered… if you devour me?" The old man smiled faintly. When Su Ming came to his side, he closed his eyes slowly.
His demeanor immediately made a barely noticeable glint appear in Su Ming's eyes. The previous fragments of Ecang's soul he'd met were mostly violent and did not possess a great amount of intelligence. However, the old man in white that was the white Ecang was completely different from them.
Su Ming did not speak. As his eyes sparkled, his speed increased exponentially, and he closed in on the old man. When he raised his right hand, a large number of branches stretched out from his fingers to charge towards the center of the old man's brows before seeping through it.
The old man's body began withering before his eyes. A large amount of the essence of life that belonged to Ecang surged into Su Ming's body. The amount far surpassed what he got from the blue and crimson Ecangs, and it was so great that the purple light in Su Ming's eyes instantly became even brighter.
However, at the instant Su Ming was about to devour and absorb the essence of life from the old man that was the white Ecang, the old man's eyes flew open. A sinister look appeared in his gaze and he formed a seal with his hands before he flinging them to his sides.
"If Ecang is an illusion, then the universe is real. If Ecang is real, then the universe is an illusion!"
As the old man's voice echoed, the white light from the white galaxy where he was located instantly grew to a piercing degree. Booming sounds reverberated in space, and the entire space… turned into a gigantic white Ecang tree during that instant.
The tree was caught between the state of being an illusion and something that had corporeal form. It filled the entire galaxy… or rather, the white galaxy was part of its body. At that moment, if the body of the Ecang tree appeared, then it would mean that it had already swallowed Su Ming.
"This person intends to sow discord among us. My fellow kinsmen, do not be deceived by him. I am willing to wipe out my consciousness and self-destruct with him. If I succeed, then someone among you will definitely be able to awaken Ecang. If I fail… then you must do the same thing as I did!"
At the instant the old man's voice echoed in all directions, the gigantic white Ecang collapsed, torn into pieces. It activated the destructive power within it and swept up Su Ming… intending to make him die with it.
However, the instant the white Ecang exploded, a purple hue that surged into the heavens spilled out from Su Ming's body, and the purple Ecang appeared inside the white Ecang. This scene was just like how Ecang had replaced Sui Chen Zi in the past and was born within the universe!
Su Ming's purple Ecang was born from the white Ecang's destruction. At the instant he appeared, purple and white flashed rapidly in the galaxy. When loud booming sounds shook the place, the white Ecang completely broke down. Its origin of power was split into five parts, and one of them fused with Su Ming's body. The remaining four seeped through space and headed to the other four Ecangs.
This scene was the equivalent of the previous events repeating themselves. If this continued, then there would definitely be one Ecang who would eventually awaken its roots and have the will of Ecang from the past to descend once again in the universe.
This was the one thing Su Ming did not want to happen the most. At that moment, he was watching the four origins of power disappear into space. Right when he appeared from the disintegrated white Ecang, his voice echoed in the one million galaxies with a monstrous killing intent and determination into the hearts of the four remaining Ecang.
"Whosoever snatches my origin of power will be the next to die! Let me devour this white Ecang, and I will give you a relative amount of time!" As his voice reverberated in space, his words reached the black, gray, indigo, and yellow Ecangs.
Among them, the black Ecang was the first to devour the origin of power from the white Ecang without any hesitation. Soon, the gray Ecang did the same thing. The galaxies in which they were located spread out and became stronger.
However… the indigo and yellow fragments of Ecang's soul hesitated for a moment before deciding not to devour the origins of power. Instead, they activated their own powers and sent them outwards to push away the origins of power from the white Ecang out of their galaxies. Soon, the color of their lights spread out so that Su Ming would know of their decisions.
A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He sucked in a deep breath and instantly absorbed the two white origins of power from the white Ecang. He threw his head back and let out a long roar. Purple light filled his body, and the three hundred thousand galaxies he previously possessed increased to around four hundred thousand.
"Black, gray, you're just asking for death!" A purple glare shone in Su Ming's eyes. He ignored the galaxies belonging to the yellow and indigo Ecangs and moved swiftly towards the other two.
"Then go on ahead and devour us. There are four of us remaining. As long as I can last till the end, I will definitely be the one who will take the initiative to awaken Ecang. By then, even if I still can't fight against purple, at least I can still protect myself."
A glint appeared in indigo Ecang's eyes. It realized that once it had devoured a part of the orange and green Ecangs' origins of power, it seemed to have gained enlightenment and become more intelligent.
The yellow Ecang had the same thought.
Su Ming was so quick that he instantly rammed his fist against the invisible barrier. As the it crumbled, black light spread out. A low roar reverberated in space, and a fist stretched out from the crack in the barrier to collide against that of Su Ming.
With a loud bang, the fist from the black galaxy tumbled back to reveal an old man dressed in black robes. With killing intent on his face. He forced himself to stop as he moved back before rushing at Su Ming again.
A glint shone in Su Ming's eyes. With a cold snort, he took a step forward.
"Desolate!"
The old man who was the black Ecang threw his head back and roared. Immediately, the black galaxy where he was instantly turned into a gigantic black Ecang, and as if it was collapsing, it fell towards Su Ming.
"Desolate!" Su Ming shouted as well. The four hundred thousand purple galaxies around him turned into the purple Ecang. With the same posture and the same manner of falling down, the two Ecangs crashed into each other, and booming sounds surged into the heavens. The invisible barrier connected to the black galaxy also let out a loud rumble.
In the mid of those rumbles, it sounded as if there was someone ceaselessly pounding against the barrier, intending to walk out from within. Clearly, behind that invisible barrier were the galaxies belonging to the gray Ecang.
"Disaster!"
The old man who was the black Ecang allowed a large amount of his essence of life to trickle out from his mouth. It was not blood, but his origin of power. When they had crashed into each other, he found that he was absolutely not Su Ming's opponent. As he roared, the leaves on his tree crown shuddered. As they swiftly shot out, they formed a storm and charged towards Su Ming with a howl.
"Disaster," Su Ming said flatly. He also knew the same divine ability!
The purple Ecang turned around, and immediately, countless purple leaves fell off to turn into a vortex before charging forward. Booming sounds reverberated in space again. The old man who was the black Ecang coughed up a large amount of essence of life again. As his body fell backwards, the invisible barrier behind him shattered with a bang. A large amount of gray light spread out, and an old man dressed in gray robes stepped out.
Once he appeared, he did not look towards Su Ming. Instead, he charged towards the old man in black. Understanding and resolve appeared in the eyes of the fallen man. As he gritted his teeth, he did not avoid and simply allowed the old man in gray to approach him. The other pushed his palm against the top of his skull, and the old man who was the black Ecang shattered with a bang. A great amount of origin of power which was Ecang's essence of life turned into fog and charged towards the old man in gray who sucked in a breath before fusing with him.
At the same time, Su Ming's eyes sparkled. He brought his arms up and took a few swift steps forward before he swinging his arms and stretching them out. He then brought his palms together in front of him with a loud clap. It instantly stirred up a violent gust of wind in the galaxy at the spot where his palms collided. The wind howled with a shocking momentum, his clap having been formed with the power from the four hundred thousand purple galaxies merged together. Because of that, the wind that was stirred up was also purple.
It charged forward. In the blink of an eye, it blew against the origin of power from the black Ecang, which the old man in gray was absorbing. When the origin of power which resembled fog was blown apart, it was sent behind the old man in gray.
When Su Ming delivered his attack, he did not hesitate. The effect it was to bring was incredibly important, since it forced the old man in gray to stop in his act of absorbing and fusing with the origin of power.
Chapter 1040: Becoming the Master of the Foreign Lands
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
At the instant there was a pause, Su Ming took a swift step forward. The four hundred thousand purple galaxies behind him rotated with a bang and turned into a boundless mouth. As Su Ming closed in, he sucked in a deep breath in the direction of the old man in gray.
The gray Ecang's eyes shone with a deadly still light as he glared at Su Ming. At the instant the boundless mouth came to devour him, he roared towards the heavens.
"Indigo, yellow, what are you waiting for?!"
As he roared, the eyes of the indigo Ecang in the indigo galaxy immediately sparkled. It moved and charged towards the invisible barrier where the yellow Ecang was before ramming into it.
A hint of conflict appeared in the yellow Ecang's eyes, but it soon turned into resolve. It charged forward as well and rammed against the invisible barrier separating it from the indigo Ecang.
Booming sounds surged into the heavens. The barrier collapsed, and the indigo and yellow Ecangs were able to see each other, and the greed in mirrored in the other's eyes. Without exchanging a single word, they crashed into each other. This was a fusion that did not require any form of divine ability, but it was difficult to determine just who would become the dominant soul, since the both of them were very similar to each other in terms of power.
"Is this your plan?"
Su Ming laughed coldly. The gaping mouth formed by the four hundred thousand galaxies behind him closed in with a roar. The deadly still look in the old man in gray's eyes became stronger. He raised his arms and grabbed his right wrist with his left hand. Once he straightened his right hand to perform the knife-hand strike, he lifted it, and his eyes brightened before darkening once again. A destructive power that caused Su Ming's heart to tremble erupted from the old man in gray.
"Purple, you don't have this skill in the memories your obtained… Ecang Slices the Heavens!"
The old man in gray shouted fiercely, then brought his right hand down in a slicing motion in Su Ming's direction!
A gray flash of light appeared in front of the old man in gray, tearing through the galaxy. Su Ming's pupils shrank. The torn galaxy reminded him of what he'd seen at the edge of the fifth ocean, when Zhu You Cai cut through heaven and earth with a swing of his Life Inequity Spear and managed to create… a crack in space that devoured thousands of cultivators and several Almighties.
The gray crack gave Su Ming a familiar feeling, and the same sense of danger rose in his heart. He saw the old man who was the gray Ecang shattering after he executed that slash to turn into a large amount of origin of power that spread through the area.
The slash it executed was clearly one that required it to wipe off its consciousness as a price!
The origin of power spreading out from the gray Ecang tumbled backwards and charged into the galaxy where the yellow and indigo Ecangs were fusing together. Judging by the looks of it, it wanted to fuse with them and be absorbed by the remaining two Ecangs to speed up their fusion and help facilitate the speed in awakening the real Ecang from the ballad.
The origin of power from the gray Ecang was not going to fuse with them alone. Instead, it swept up the origin of power formed after the black Ecang broke down as well. If Su Ming dodged the incoming gray crack, then he would lose the initiative, allowing that origin of power to fuse with the yellow and indigo galaxies. Not only would it speed up the manifestation of Ecang's real self, it would also allowed the awakened Ecang to be much stronger.
The only way for Su Ming to stop it and grow strong was to face that incoming slash head-on. Only then would he have enough time to devour the black and gray Ecangs' origin of power so that the yellow and indigo Ecangs would be unable to face him even after they had fused together and awakened.
A fierce light shone in Su Ming's eyes. His hair transformed into gray, turning him into the gray Su Ming who symbolized absolute rationality and composure. At that moment, even if the galaxy crumbled before him, his emotions would not change even a single bit. During that instant, the Malicious Eye he had obtained also rose at the center of his brows and opened. An enchanting light shone from within it.
The third eye could allow Su Ming to magnify everything by numerous times, allowing him find weaknesses. With the absolute rationality, it was enough for Su Ming to erupt with power that surpassed what he usually possessed.
At the same time, the four hundred thousand galaxies roared behind him. The gaping mouth formed in space became even more ferocious. Its presence was like a tidal wave, and behind it, a gigantic gray moon that belonged to those in Lunar Kalpa Realm manifested.
The galaxy trembled upon its arrival As clouds surged in all directions, booming sounds tumbled about and reverberated in space.
Su Ming seized the space beside him with his right hand, and the purple-black ring on his thumb immediately turned into the Life Inequity Spear. Once Su Ming seized it, he closed his eyes. Only the third eye at the center of his brows remained open, staring at the incoming dimensional crack formed by Ecang's slash. In his head, the attack Zhu You Cai had executed beyond the fifth ocean to sweep through the galaxy repeated itself!
What joy was there in living?
Su Ming replayed that attack in his mind a thousand times. His third eye had also used an Art to notice minute details to ceaselessly magnify Ecang's slash, which allowed him to see every single subtle change within it as well as the presence spreading out from it.
Ecang's slash came charging forward with a howl. When it was less than a hundred feet away from Su Ming, it became so quick that it closed in on him in an instant. However, when Su Ming looked towards it with his third eye, the flow of time around him seemed to have become much slower. Zhu You Cai's attack which had sliced apart the heavens had been replayed nearly ten thousand times in his mind by then.
"There is a will in the universe. It is the domineering will of the Almighties in Life Realm. That is… what belongs to a person when he has almost reached Death Realm and has understood life and death in his life. That is why he said those words…
"What joy is there in livin?
"What joy is there in living?" Su Ming mumbled.
The crack formed by Ecang's slash brought with it a desire to destroy everything as it closed in on Su Ming. At that moment, it was less than ten feet away from him, and Su Ming's robes fluttered madly. The gaping mouth formed by the purple galaxies behind him started showing signs of disintegrating. The moon formed when he reached Lunar Kalpa Realm also started trembling.
"What joy is there in living? If someday, all my friends leave me, my mother will never be able to wake up again, Su Xuan Yi disappears, and my elder, Tian Xie Zi, my senior brothers, and all the people I know… disappear into the passage of time and I am the only left in the universe…
"Then… what joy… is there in living?" A lonely air spread out from Su Ming's body. He opened his eyes, and there was loneliness as well as an absent-minded look in his eyes. At the instant Ecang's slash was about to touch him, he gripped the Life Inequity Spear, brought it up before him, and swung it gently.
While his appearance and the feeling he gave to others might not be the exact same as that of Zhu You Cai, it was quite similar. With that one slash, the moon behind Su Ming broke down and turned into countless shards that charged towards the long spear in his hand before fusing into it. Su Ming's Life Inequity Spear then swept forward with a power that seemed to be able to slice apart the galaxy… and a crack was torn open!
At the same time, as if the Life Inequity Spear in Su Ming's hand had turned into a black hole, the gaping mouth formed by the four hundred thousand purple galaxies behind Su Ming was absorbed by the tip of the spear as if they were fog, and the power to slice apart the galaxy instantly increased exponentially.
Su Ming's body trembled, and it was because he could sense that quite a large amount of his cultivation base, his life force, and all the essence in his body had been absorbed by the Life Inequity Spear to slice apart a dazzling crack in the galaxy. It was around five feet long.
At the instant that crack appeared, a destructive power spilled out from within to charge towards Ecang's incoming slash.
Violent booming sounds shook Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands. The Life Inequity Spear in Su Ming's hand bounced back. He coughed up a large mouthful of blood and staggered a few steps back. When he raised his head, an aloof look appeared in his eyes.
That strike could be said to be his strongest attack. It was what he executed after he imitated Zhu You Cai's attack. He might not have done it perfectly, only managing to imitate three-tenths of it, but that amount alone was enough for it to severely wound all… Almighties in Fate Realm. It could also fight against the Ecang's slash executed by the gray Ecang with its consciousness as the price. It had not been complete though, only possessing one-tenth of the power of the real Ecang.
As loud bangs reverberated in space, Su Ming forced his body to stop. A feeling of weakness filled him, but resolve appeared on his face. He forced himself to rush forward, then opened his mouth wide to suck in a sharp breath in the direction of the origins of power from Ecang who intended to fuse with the yellow and indigo galaxies.
With it, the vast amount of origins of power from the gray and black Ecangs tumbled backwards and seeped into him through all parts of his body. As they provided nourishment to him, he threw his head back and roared. Cracking sounds came from within him, and his long hair grew until it reached his feet. His appearance grew even more strange and enchanting, and the purple glare in his eyes became more aggressive than ever!
At the instant Su Ming prevented the origins of power from the gray and black Ecangs fusing with the yellow and indigo galaxies and his roar reverberated in space, a ruthless, brutal presence filled with endless savage air erupted from the yellow and indigo galaxies. A will that looked down on the whole universe and which seemed as if it had just been awakened filled the yellow and indigo galaxies.
Su Ming's eyes shone. When he raised his right hand, the Life Inequity Spear returned to his palm, and he held it again to stare at the tumbling yellow and indigo galaxies.
"You… want to devour me?" A muffled voice tinted with an ancient and archaic presence came from all directions.
The instant that voice spoke, a destructive power spread out from the yellow and indigo galaxies with a bang, before Su Ming could do anything. As that loud bang surged into the heavens, Su Ming's expression changed. It was not the level of cultivation or the strength of the awakened Ecang which caused his expression to change… but the determination and the conniving nature in that creature from the ballad!!
At the instant it self-destructed, Su Ming sensed the twenty thousand stone monuments from the yellow and indigo stone monuments in the land of the one hundred thousand stone monuments explode at the same time. Ecang's presence turned into twenty thousand parts and swiftly crawled into the bodies of the twenty thousand cultivators affiliated to it, causing those cultivators to instantly swell up. As they roared, the whole Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands began trembling furiously. Then, as if an exit had been forcefully opened, a vast suction force swept up the twenty thousand cultivators with Ecang's presence and instantly… relocated them outside Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands to appear in different corners of Western Ring Nebula!
"There are twenty thousand of us! As long one of us escapes, there will come a day when I… Ecang, will rise to power again!" Twenty thousand voices like thunder roared and reverberated in Western Ring Nebula.
This was the same as when Ecang had separated itself into ten to heal after its battle against Sui Chen Zi. However, it was injured even worse after Su Ming's actions, up to the point that it did not dare to stand but instead chose to split itself… into twenty thousand parts!
Su Ming's expression was dark as he stared at the empty galaxy in the foreign lands. That action had exceeded his expectations; it was something he had not predicted beforehand.
Yet no matter what, he had already become the master of Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands.
Chapter 1041: My Universe
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As Su Ming stared at the empty galaxy in the foreign lands, his face turned a little pale. Once he coughed up a mouthful of blood, it returned to normal. There was a vast amount of life force rising in his body to surround him and turn into a presence that surged into the heavens. It stirred up Su Ming's cultivation base and caused it to continuously rise.
Behind him, the gray, red, and golden moons appeared at the same time. They flashed continuously, and Su Ming's long hair, which had reached his feet, flew up to form a circle behind him. It filled him with an incredibly strange and enchanting air.
His pupils were purple. There were purple galaxies all around him, and standing there, he was… the master of the land!
"With the thought processes of my gray self's personality, I won't be able to imitate the epitome of affection… which is contained in the Art that questions whether there is joy in living. When I forcefully copied it… I could only obtain its form and not its meaning, and I even injured my own body," Su Ming murmured.
Fortunately, he had devoured most of the Ecang's soul. Because of it, he could recover from his injuries after he coughed up a mouthful of blood, or else, his injuries would have definitely been worse.
'The yellow and indigo Ecangs might have split into twenty thousand and fled… but I have become complete a long time ago. The devouring of the other Ecangs was only to make myself stronger. If I had devoured all of thm, I would have become even stronger, but it's not gonna be much of a problem.' Purple light shone in Su Ming's eyes, then he slowly closed them.
After a moment, when he opened them again, Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands rumbled so loudly that the sound surged into the heavens. Eight hundred thousand galaxies all turned purple, and a thick purple hue dyed the foreign lands.
'I am already complete, so… I will not have two hundred thousand galaxies lacking in this place because of the yellow and indigo Ecangs departure.'
Su Ming raised his right hand and swung it towards the galaxy before him. With it, the galaxies in Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands shuddered and started dividing. As they split up, loud rumbles reverberated in space, and the missing two hundred thousand galaxies took shape.
Because of it… there were still one million galaxies in the place. However, they were no longer of ten colors, like before. Instead, there was only one color—purple!
The purple had become the master of the area!
The purple had become the paragon in that place!
Su Ming lifted his head and stared at the galaxy. His gaze seemed to be able to penetrate Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands and see the universe beyond.
'The twenty thousand fragments born from the yellow and indigo Ecangs… I look forward to the day when you will rise in power and be able overturn the heavens, then devour one another until all you will mold yourself to perfection…
'I look forward to that day greatly.' Su Ming smiled faintly.
Within Western Ring Nebula were twenty thousand faint long arcs charging forward before disappeared in the galaxy. Faint booms reverberated in space at that moment. It was the self-destruction of twenty thousand cultivators. That was where the real Ecang's ruthlessness lay. To prevent Su Ming from chasing it down, it gave up on the twenty thousand cultivators as nourishment and chose others to serve its purposes.
At the instant the bodies of the twenty thousand cultivators collapsed, nearly twenty thousand male and female cultivators shuddered. It did not matter what they were doing, be it fighting or meditating, all of them trembled at once. It was as if an invisible force had rushed into their minds, taken root, and hidden itself to start growing in peace.
On one planet, the cries of an infant echoed in the air. In a corner, a woman lay on the ground. Blood pooled all over the ground beneath her as she stared upwards with her eyes wide open, but she was no longer breathing.
The infant climbed out of his mother's body by himself. When his cries rang out, his body suddenly shuddered. He quietened, and a yellow glow shone in his eyes. That glow lasted for only a moment before disappearing, and his eyes returned to their usual hue.
At the same time, there was a True Guard in Western Ring Nebula, the area which belonged to True Sacred Yin World among the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping watch over the place. He was originally patrolling, but a jolt suddenly wrecked his body. He lowered his head, and when he raised it again, an indigo light flashed through his eyes before it disappeared the next moment.
Su Ming stepped in space within Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands and disappeared from the purple galaxies. When he reappeared, he was already in the land with the one hundred thousand stone monuments. However, by then there were only eighty thousand of them.
The land was dead silent. All the cultivators were pale. They stared at the empty spots where the twenty thousand stone monuments had been with fear in their eyes.
They had also noticed a long time ago that all the stone monuments had turned purple.
When Su Ming walked out of thin air, a powerful, mighty pressure descended on all the people's hearts. Su Ming had not even needed to release that mighty pressure; it had appeared naturally. Due to it, the cultivators below felt that they had to worship Su Ming, that if they showed even the slightest amount of disrespect to him, their bodies and souls would be immediately destroyed.
"Greetings, my liege!"
As everyone trembled, no one knew who was the first to say those words, but after that first person, the people in the area bowed down and worshiped Su Ming, who had walked out of the air.
"Greetings, my liege!"
Their voices were as loud as thunder which reverberated in all directions, Su Ming swept his gaze across the land before fixing his eyes on the empty spots where the yellow and indigo Ecang stone monuments had been. As a glint shone in his eyes, the empty spots suddenly started squirming. Stone monuments shot up from the ground, and in an instant, the empty spots filled up. The number of stone monuments in the land returned to one hundred thousand once more.
One hundred thousand purple stone monuments, one million purple galaxies—that was Su Ming's universe!
Tens of thousands of people knelt on the ground and worshiped him. Their shivers, their respect and fear, and all the other emotions could all be seen easily.
Su Ming stood in midair and stared at the cultivators calmly. He did not speak, and the sound of worship that lingered in the air for a long time echoed in his ears. The more time he spent being silent, the more suffocating and oppressive air covered the land. It was heavy and pressed on everyone's hearts, causing them to have difficulty breathing. Gradually, sweat broke out on their foreheads. The feeling as if life and death might be only a moment away, something they could not control became a powerful Brand that was left deep in their souls at that moment. Their respect towards Su Ming reached an unprecedented height, though no one could see it.
After a long while, Su Ming said faintly, "I am the master of this land."
When he said those words, the tens of thousands of people beneath him worshiped him together again. Their voices echoed in the air, and Su Ming spoke again with cold indifference,
"Do all of you… wish to go out?"
His words fell into everyone's ears, but no one dared to speak. All of them remained silent.
"I will give you some time. Perhaps it will be a few decades or a few centuries, but when I return… I will take all those who have reached the later stage of World Plane out of this place. They will be by my side and we will fight against the heavens, and I will… also bring them out of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to wage war against the four Great True Worlds.
"Then… I will grant you your freedom and the glory you deserve!"
The impact from the words 'out of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence' and 'freedom' instantly shook the cultivators' hearts. They lifted their heads at the same time, and when they looked at Su Ming, there was an unrestrained desire shining in their eyes.
"Your ancestors were all in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Entering my universe was your fortune. Train towards the later stage of World Plane Realm, because I… am the only one who can bring all of you out of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence in the most forthright manner!
"When I return, it will be the day where I will bring you out!"
Su Ming cast a glance at Zhou Kang and found that he had an apathetic look on his face. His expression as if his heart was already dead made Su Ming sigh in his heart. When he turned around, he took a step into the air and his body vanished. At the same time, a piercing purple light erupted from the one hundred thousand purple stone monuments in the place.
Beyond Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands, purple light seeped out of the countless cracks and illuminated the area, dying Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands in purple. At that moment, Su Ming calmly walked out from the crack.
His long hair returned to its normal color, changing from the previous gray. Su Ming might still be unable to completely control the changes in his emotions, but with the passing time he learned how to use his surroundings and the enemies he was facing to indirectly change his thoughts and emotions, thereby allowing his different personalities to show up.
At the instant he walked out of the crack leading to Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands, Zhu You Cai—who had been meditating with his eyes closed and did not pay any attention to the twenty thousand yellow and indigo long arcs that had rushed out—suddenly opened his eyes. When he looked at Su Ming, his pupils constricted, and the light of surprise showed up in his eyes.
"You became stronger," he said calmly. The strange light in his eyes became stronger, and he stood up slowly. Fighting spirit rose in his eyes. At that moment, he was clearly no longer Zhu You Cai, but the War Immortal Chang He.
"You have the presence of my divine ability on you… You should have copied that skill when you were in Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands… and while your presence might seem similar to mine, it contains a hidden primitive presence. It… is madness, ruthlessness, and seeks to destroy the universe!" The fighting spirit in Zhu You Cai's eyes gradually disappeared. When his eyes returned to normal, he cast a profound glance at Su Ming again, but did not speak anymore.
He was not the only one who noticed something different about Su Ming. Beside him, Flame Fiends' Progenitor's heart filled with fear. He had always regarded Su Ming with great respect before, but when he saw other then, his body started trembling. The mighty pressure coming from the young man actually caused him, an Almighty in Mastery Realm, to feel terror and fear.
It was as if there was a monstrous malice hidden in Su Ming's body. That malicious power wanted to destroy the universe, and it was spreading out a boundless pressure on all forms of life. Flame Fiends' Progenitor couldn't help but shudder at it, and when he looked at Su Ming, there was great wariness contained in his gaze.
If it was any other cultivator, perhaps they would not feel it so greatly. However, Flame Fiends' Progenitor was not any other cultivator. He was a member of an alien race, which was why his spiritual sense was much stronger than that of a cultivator who was at the same level as he. Because of that, he could see things that were hidden deeper.
'I could still fight against him in the past, but now… if he attacked with his full strength, I wonder how long I would be able to last…' Flame Fiends' Progenitor instinctively bent his back and put on a fawning expression towards Su Ming.
When the bald crane saw Su Ming, it sensed the least. It strutted over to Su Ming's side, and when it turned around, it had its head held high while casting a sideways glance at Flame Fiends Progenitor.
"I only obtained a small serendipity in Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands," Su Ming replied faintly. Once he swept his gaze past Zhu You Cai, he fixed his gaze on a distant galaxy. Over there… the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds were stationed.
A brilliant light shone in Su Ming's eyes.
"Baldy, do you want to retrieve your physical body?"
Chapter 1042: Do You Really Want to Die?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The bald crane was holding itself in a smug manner, but the instant it heard Su Ming's words, it shuddered before turning around swiftly to look toward him.
"Let's go. In the past, I did not have enough power to help you retrieve your physical body, but now… I believe that I will be able to." There was no killing intent in Su Ming's gaze while he stared into the distant galaxy, just a strange and enchanting light.
He charged into the area ahead of him. At that moment, the bald crane no longer cared about quarrelling with Flame Fiends' Progenitor and hurried over to follow Su Ming.
"My physical body? Are you talking about my physical body?"
"Within the camp of the forces of power from True Sacred Yin World is half of your physical body," Su Ming said calmly while taking a step forward.
"Who has it?!" A fierce glare appeared in the bald crane's eyes.
"Huo Zhu [1]!" Su Ming turned into a long arc and charged into the distance.
In the past, Wu Li Zi [2] had used a green feather in hopes of luring the bald crane to the camp. That feather had been given to her by Huo Zhu, who was the person controlling her actions. Wu Li Zi had been threatened by Huo Zhu, which then resulted in the bald crane being lured to their camp. Huo Zhu's final goal was to unravel a certain mystery contained in the bald crane's physical body.
In the past, Su Ming might have already known all of it, but he could not enter the deeper parts of the True Worlds' camps in search of Huo Zhu. His level of cultivation was just not high enough, and he was forced out by the Almighty in Mastery Realm who appeared later on. He had only escaped disaster after running into Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands.
However, it could be said that the difference between the current Su Ming and his past self was like heaven and earth. Besides, he did not intend to use his power to win. He had an even more persuasive thing that would allow him to enter the place—his status as a direct descendant of Morning Dao Sect, Dao Kong!
They charged forward with a whistle. Su Ming was in front, and the bald crane by his side. Zhu You Cai followed behind them, while Flame Fiends' Progenitor was the last. The group charged forward through the boundless galaxy, straight toward the place where the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds were stationed.
Time trickled by. With their speed, they had already shot through the endless galaxy in just one day and saw… the barrier formed by shattered stars which Su Ming had passed through in the past.
At the instant he saw the barrier, he brought up his right hand. The bald crane had been with him for many years, so it naturally understood what he intended to do. With one move, it immediately turned into a long arc that entered Su Ming's storage bag, and he took a step towards the barrier formed by the shattered stars.
A loud bang rang out. The sound might have billoweed into the sky, but it did not stop Su Ming in his tracks. A rampaging force spread out from the Rune serving as a barrier, but at the moment it touched him, it turned gentle, and the Sacred Constellation Robe appeared on his body!
During that instant, he was no longer Su Ming, he had transformed into Dao Kong.
With the Sacred Constellation Robe, a head of black hair falling to his feet, a handsome face, and an awe-inspiring presence, Su Ming moved through the barrier with ease.
The barrier could prevent outsiders from entering and serve as an alarm. However, for Su Ming who had Possessed Dao Kong, the four Great True Worlds would naturally not start a hunt.
As for Zhu You Cai, at the moment the rampaging force touched him, it was as if he had turned into empty air. The rampaging force… did not seem to have noticed his presence, allowing him to calmly walk through the barrier.
Flame Fiends' Progenitor was the weakest, but he was, after all, an Almighty in Mastery Realm. There was no way he would be stopped by a Rune that had not been fully activated. At the instant the rampaging force came towards him, he let out a cold harrumph, and that force instantly tumbled backwards with a bang, allowing Flame Fiends' Progenitor to step into the territory where the forces of power from four Great True Worlds were stationed.
However, the instant he touched the Rune, all the Almighties stationed from the four Great True Worlds instantly noticed him.
When Su Ming initially arrived, they remained in isolation and continuing to be in deep sleep. He was strong, but in truth, he could not attract their attention.
However, the arrival of Flame Fiends' Progenitor was completely different. With his status of being an Almighty in Mastery Realm and his power, the instant he stepped through the barrier, three powerful presences stirred up a loud bang that surged into the heavens in the territory where the four Great True Worlds were stationed. It caused all the cultivators in the camp of True Sacred Yin World to become apprehensive, and the three presences rose swiftly from the depths of the ground.
In the blink of an eye, they turned into three wills in front of Su Ming. The galaxy trembled, and the three wills turned into three people. They allowed their vast presence as great as the universe to spread out without restraint. It was so strong that it caused the cultivators in True Sacred Yin World to tremble. When they looked towards the sky, zealousness and respect appeared on their faces. They knew that this was the presence that belonged to the True Saints stationed to keep watch over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
"Progenitor Huo Kui, you've overstepped your boundaries!" Booming sounds came from one of the three people. It turned into a thunderous roar that rang out in all directions. As the voice spread out, a large amount of lightning swept through the area.
The person who spoke was an old man. He was a big and tall, and dressed in a long robe. His eyes looked to have lightning contained in them, which could make all those whose level of cultivation was not as great as his to feel their hearts and minds breaking down at the instant they stared into them.
The two people standing beside him were a man and woman. They appeared to be middle-aged, but their power and the feeling of time from their presences made it clear that they were old monsters that had been alive for an unknown amount of time.
The first one they looked towards was Flame Fiends' Progenitor, then Zhu You Cai, and only then at Su Ming.
When they saw Flame Fiends' Progenitor, their expressions remained normal, but when they saw Zhu You Cai, their pupils shrank in a barely noticeable manner. Zhu You Cai might have seemed as if he was only in Mastery Realm, but the feedback provided to them by the Rune told them that Flame Fiends Progenitor alone was in Mastery Realm. To the Almighties who had lived for umpteenth years, it wa obvious that something was off.
If this peculiarity had happened about someone who was not an Almighty, it would not have caught their attention, but if when it was regarding an Almighty, then this peculiarity… would signify variance.
It caused the three of them to be unable to help themselves but think of many things. Zhu You Cai's composure had also forced them to pay special attention to him.
On the other hand, the three of them only swept their gazes past Su Ming before automatically overlooking him. A cultivator in Lunar Kalpa Realm simply did not deserve their attention. Besides, they naturally knew Su Ming's identity from the Rune.
"My fellow Daoists, I wonder what is the meaning behind your journey to True Sacred Yin World's camp? And you even brought along a direct descendant from True Morning Dao World's Morning Dao Sect!" The old man with lightning spreading out of his entire body had a freezing glare. When he looked towards Huo Kui and Zhu You Cai, he completely ignored Su Ming.
Zhu You Cai did not speak. As for Flame Fiends' Progenitor, he only chuckled. With Su Ming around, he felt that there was no need for him to greet those three people. After all, this was the main camp that belonged to the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds stationed in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Besides, he was also making his guesses regarding Su Ming's connection with the people present.
With a calm look on his face, Su Ming also did not spare the trio even a single glance. He simply walked forward.
However, his act of walking forward caused displeasure to the Almighties from True Sacred Yin World. The old man did not say much, his gaze still fixed on Hou Kui and Zhu You Cai, but the middle-aged woman beside him smiled faintly.
"Morning Dao Sect's brat, this isn't the camp of True Morning Dao World. It's not some place where you can come and go as you please. Go and wait by the side until the people from True Morning Dao World can come to pick you up."
Su Ming did not seem to have heard her and continued walking forward. In other people's eyes, the three people were superior Almighties and True Saints, but in Su Ming's eyes, killing them was easy.
The middle-aged woman, who was not too fond of True Morning Dao World in the first place, frownd. While the four Great True Worlds might have seemed connected, there was ceaseless internal strife among them. The hostility, however, was not so bad that they would kill a direct descendant from another world when there was no necessity, especially one of such status. Besides, the three of them were not the only ones to have sensed the Rune. The Almighties from True Morning Dao World would have definitely noticed the new arrivals the moment Su Ming stepped through the barrier as well. By then, they might already be hurrying over, but it was not impossible for them to teach the disrespectful boy a lesson about respecting his elders.
She raised her right hand and pointed towards Su Ming.
"Then let me teach you the price of disrespecting your seniors on behalf of the elders in your family."
At the instant the woman pointed to him with her right index finger, Su Ming turned his head around and cast a cold glare her way. "So noisy, are you asking for death?"
While his voice was still echoing in space, he disappeared. When he reappeared, he was already in front of the woman. He raised his right hand, and with a calm look on his face, slapped her.
A loud smack rose into the air. The middle-aged woman coughed up a mouthful of blood. Many of her teeth were shattered by the slap. As she fell back, her left check instantly swelled up. Disbelief appeared in her eyes, but she did not have time to be angry before her expression turned into one of shock. She saw Su Ming's action just then, but did not manage to dodge. It was not that Su Ming was fast, but that the instant he looked at her, a loud bang had rang out in her mind, and she lost all her senses.
The old man beside her had whipped his head around and stared fixedly at Su Ming. There was a grim look and an expression of shock that had never appeared before on his face.
The middle-aged man beside them sucked in a sharp breath. When he looked towards Su Ming, his gaze was filled with shock. He also saw that strike, which was definitely not a divine ability that a person in Lunar Kalpa Realm could execute.
"Detain these three here. Injuring them will do. We'll let them keep their lives for now," Su Ming said flatly.
"Those who dare disrespect my master should indeed have their mouths struck!" The wild and arrogant words from Flame Fiends' Progenitor reverberated in the air. He then charged towards the trio.
With a relaxed expression on his face, Zhu You Cai raised his right hand to seize the empty space in front of him. Immediately, the galaxy roared, and the expressions of the trio changed drastically. As they moved back together, the galaxy around them distorted as if it had been sealed and completely locked away.
���Master? You…" The middle-aged woman's expression changed again. The other two acted the same. Loud bangs rang out in their heads. This was a title they had never imagined Flame Fiends' Progenitor using to address Dao Kong.
What caused them to be in even more shock was that Zhu You Cai's casual grip had completely sealed the three of them in that galaxy. To the middle-aged man and woman, that power and that divine ability was definitely something that did not belong to those in Mastery Realm. It… was Fate Realm!
However, the old man did not believe so. His pupils shrank drastically. When he looked towards Zhu You Cai, terror appeared in his eyes. When he turned his head around and looked towards Su Ming, his shock became even greater.
Su Ming, who had obtained the fifth kiln and absorbed Ecang's soul, was the strongest person in the entire Divine Essence Star Ocean and the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. He could be as wilful as he wanted.
The strong ruled. If a person had enough power and did not have any yokes on his shoulders hindering him, then forget any Almighties, even if he wanted to wreak havoc throughout the entire Barren Lands of Divine Essence and slaughter all lives in there, it would just be a matter of wanting to do it to him.
The middle-aged man forced down the shock in his heart and immediately said, "Dao Kong, what exactly do you want to do? This is True Sacred Yin World. As a direct descendant of True Morning Dao World, if you break into our camp, then you must provide an explanation for your actions to True Sacred Yin-"
"Do you really want to die?" Su Ming turned his head around and stared at the middle-aged man with a serious gaze.
The middle-aged man's heart trembled. It were the same words as before. He trembled, but just as he was about to say something, the old man by his side let out a low shout.
"Shut up!" The old man's words were directed to the middle-aged man, and immediately after, he wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply towards Su Ming. "Fellow Daoist, if you have any personal grudges against someone in True Sacred Yin World, then we will definitely not stop you!"
The old man forced down the shivers in his heart and the rarely seen fear that had risen in his body. He could already tell that the plump person was not in Fate Realm… but Life Realm!
So how terrifying would be a person who could make a person in Life Realm follow him willingly? He did not dare to think about it!
Translator's Notes:
1. Huo Zhu: The one who has a grudge against Su Ming and had given permission for the True Guards to use the bald crane's feathers to wait for Su Ming to appear from Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands the first time. Has a grudge against the bald crane.
2. Wu Li Zi: Says she's friends with the bald crane, but also seems to hate him.
Chapter 1043: So What If I Destroy a World?!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"We will definitely not bother you in the least. Please release the seal on us, and I will personally lead you to the person who has offended you!" The old man wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply.
He did not underestimate Su Ming because he seemed young. In this universe where the strong ruled, the Dao Kong before him no longer had to show any hint of his power. The feat of having an Almighty in Mastery Realm as his follower was already something very shocking… much less when that Almighty was in Life Realm!
Besides, through that slap just then, his personal strength was enough to make the old man apprehensive. At that moment, the middle-aged man and woman beside him also made plenty of connections in their minds. With complicated expressions on their faces, they became sombre.
If the person in front of them was not Dao Kong or a direct descendant of Morning Dao Sect, then even if he had come from the four Great True Worlds, the three of them would not be so wary of him. After all, even if Su Ming and the rest were strong, they had stronger people in the four Great True Worlds.
However… he was Dao Kong. He was a direct descendant from True Morning Dao World's Morning Dao Sect. This status alone cut off most of the tactics the old man and the other two could use against him.
Su Ming turned his head around and cast the old man a look before nodding. Zhu You Cai looked as calm as ever. He lifted his right hand and swung his arm forward. Immediately, the restraining seals immediately disappeared without a trace, allowing the three to regain their mobility. The old man bowed again towards Su Ming. This time, the man and woman beside him also wrapped their fists in their palms and bowed to him. Their expressions were vastly different from the faint arrogant and conceited looks moments ago.
"I want to look for Huo Zhu," Su Ming said flatly.
Once those words left his mouth, the old man's gaze focused back on him. He turned his head back to look at the middle-aged woman beside him. He was not the only one, the middle-aged man cast a sideways glance at her too.
At the instant the middle-aged woman heard Su Ming's words, she immediately became confused. When she saw her companions looking towards her, her expression changed slightly before she sighed.
"Might I know how my junior sister has offended you?"
"She took something she should not have," Su Ming replied calmly.
"Oh? This is easy. I will have her deliver what you need to you. Might I know what it is?" the middle-aged woman immediately asked.
"Once I see Huo Zhu, she will naturally know what is the specific thing I want." Su Ming's eyes gradually turned icy cold.
The middle-aged woman fell silent. Once she nodded, she turned into a long arc that charged into the distance. Su Ming's expression remained the same. He took a step forward and followed behind her. With an extremely quick speed, the group rushed into the True Sacred Yin World's base within an instant. As they charged forward, Su Ming saw the spiral-shaped Radix Planets and others around him, and the scenes from the past rose in his head.
This was the second time he come there. There was a relaxed air around him compared to the first time. His power was also vastly different from before. Besides, this time, he had in his hands complete dominance over the situation.
Soon, Su Ming saw the farthest he'd went back then, which was the planet where Wu Li Zi was located. They moved past it, and as the middle-aged woman continued guiding them forward, gradually, a vast vortex appeared in front of Su Ming.
That vortex spun with loud, rumbling sounds, looking incomparably radiant. If anyone observed it carefully, they would be able to tell that the vast vortex was formed by planets.
"Huo Zhu, what exactly did you take that you should not have?! Open the Rune and let us in!" At the instant they closed in on the vast vortex, the middle-aged man spoke up. Her voice reverberated in all directions and entered the vast vortex like a buzz.
The old man's expression changed. He turned his head around to glare at the middle-aged woman. The middle-aged man also could not resist the change in his expression.
That kind of straightforward manner of speech was clearly telling Huo Zhu that someone had come seeking for her and was also an indication that she should prepare herself.
That scene caused the old man's expression to change continuously, until he finally opened his mouth and growled at the vortex formed by the planets.
"Huo Zhu, open the Rune. This matter is incredibly important. I want you… to immediately open the Rune!"
The old man's voice reverberated in space and traveled into the vortex, but he did not receive any sort of reply.
Within the vortex was a planet where the land was a desert. Numerous cultivators had prostrated themselves on the ground and crawled forward with great difficulty. Their goal was a palace located in the distance.
At that moment, it was quiet in the palace. There was a table in it, and on it was a lit candle. The fire swayed, and the faces of all lives flashed through it. As that light swayed and the faces in it changed, half of an ancient book under the candle unfurled.
Within the fire and among the faces of all manners of lives was a woman's face. There was an aloof look in her eyes. She lifted her head to look at the area above her before closing her eyes and ignoring the voices.
Beyond the planets and beyond the vortex, the old man's expression grew dark. He was just about to turn his head to offer an explanation when Su Ming smiled. It was cold and dark, and contained a heinous killing intent that was about to erupt from him. The thought of destroying the entire camp where the forces of power from True Sacred Yin World were stationed was not a difficult matter for him. He could do it with just one thought.
"Huo Kui, blast apart that vortex, and search through all the planets until we find that person called Huo Zhu."
When Flame Fiends' Progenitor heard this, a glint shone in his eyes. A loud bang shot up from his body, and immediately, a purple sea of fire erupted within him and tumbled forward in all directions. He then took a step towards the vortex formed by planets, stretched out his arms, and swung them forward. Immediately, the sea of fire around him tumbled about and charged towards the vortex.
Booming sounds surged into the sky and shook the entire galaxy, deafening all the cultivators in True Sacred Yin World's camp. In shock, they flew out from where they had been, and in the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of long arcs rushed out into the galaxy to charge towards this vortex.
The old man was anxious, but a cold sneer appeared on the middle-aged woman's lips. She would not have cared if Dao Kong wanted to cause trouble to others, but Huo Zhu was her junior sister. There was no way she could let him succeed. What she needed was for Su Ming to act in a forceful manner. There were plenty of cultivators in the planets within the vortex. All of them had extraordinary power, but more importantly, there lived the old fellows who were acting as garrison.
With them around, the boy from Morning Dao Sect would certainly not be allowed to cause trouble.
The vortex was formed by countless planets, and each one had an individual Rune. If it was not released from within, then no outsider could step into the planet. An outsider would need to blast away the Rune to be able to enter.
This was to give absolute protection to all those who had earned the right to stay there.
After all, there were four of the vortices of planets within the camps belonging to the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds… and each of them were where all the key forces of each True World were located.
A purple sea of fire attacked the whole vortex. The instant it touched it, booming sounds shook the galaxy. The faces of the tens of thousands of cultivators who had come turned pale, and all of them retreated.
The old Almighty had a look full of anguish while he sighed, but he was laughing coldly in his heart. He did not warn the middle-aged woman regarding Zhu You Cai. Since she insisted on provoking someone she should not even after he'd tried to stop her several times, her survival no longer had anything to do with him.
As for the middle-aged woman, the cold sneer on her lips became even darker and more sinister. At that moment, there was fiery pain on her face as she longed to kill Su Ming.
Among the three of them, the middle-aged man was the calmest. First of all, he could not tell Zhu You Cai's level of cultivation, so he did not have the old man's anxiety. Second, Huo Zhu was not his junior sister, so her survival had nothing to do with him. As for Su Ming, the middle-aged man was rather eager to see how he would handle the situation once he lured out the old monsters.
The trio each harbored their own thoughts. However, none of them expected that if they blew it out of proportion, then what awaited them would be a real catastrophe, that the forces of power stationed in True Sacred Yin World would be… completely annihilated.
The devastation was still brewing. If everything went smoothly, then perhaps it would not happen, but if it did not go smoothly… then to Su Ming, it was not impossible to destroy the whole galaxy.
At the instant Flame Fiends' Progenitor sent the purple sea of fire towards the vortex of planets and booming sounds reverberated in all directions, shocking the tens of thousands of cultivators in the area, a cold harrumph came from the vortex.
The moment Su Ming heard that sound, a barely noticeable glint shone in his eyes. He was rather familiar with that sound. It belonged to the Almighty in Mastery Realm who had pursued him until he reached Western Ring Nebula's foreign lands!
There was anger contained in that sound, along with a cold tone that chilled a person to the bones. The moment it appeared, it was as if a cold gust of wind had risen in the galaxy. When it touched the purple sea of fire in an unseen manner, it looked as if a violent gust of wind had come upon it, threatening to extinguish. Flame Fiends' Progenitor lifted his head then and roared. A purple sea of fire erupted from his body once more, turning into a gigantic hand of flames. When it stretched out, it was big as the vortex of planets, and it pushed down on it!
"This place… isn't a place where you can cause trouble as you please. Even if you are a direct descendant from True Morning Sect… you will still have to immediately leave!"
A cold and dark voice reached everyone's ears. At that moment, a palm… that was just as huge appeared in the vortex. It crashed against the palm of flames summoned by Flame Fiends' Progenitor.
Booming sounds caused the galaxy to tremble as if it was about to be torn apart. The expression of Flame Fiends' Progenitor changed, and he took a few staggering steps back. He might also be in Mastery Realm, but he had not completed it. When he moved back, the final word from the cold voice in the vortex reverberated in space, turning into endless echoes that shook the universe.
Su Ming smiled. This was the second time he had smiled after he came to the camp that belonged to the forces of power from True Sacred Yin World. There was a malicious air to his smile. He would not give them a third chance. If True Sacred Yin World continued acting in that way, then when he smiled for the third time… he would destroy their whole galaxy!
By his side, Zhu You Cai sighed. With a single move, he reached the vortex of planets. He might not have been acquainted with Su Ming for a long time, but he still knew more than anyone else present, especially about what Su Ming's smile signified. He knew its meaning, and he also knew that with the fifth kiln in possession, he was a formidable opponent. Even when Zhu You Cai was at the peak of his condition, he would still need to be incredibly wary of him, and that went even more for the people around them.
And no matter what… he was still from True Sacred Yin World, which was why without even needing Su Ming to order him, he walked out.
"Open the Rune, we will only take a single person."
At the instant Zhu You Cai walked forward and approached the place, he had his true power erupt from his body. When it took shape, the galaxy roared, and all the people's expressions changed drastically.