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Chapter 1166: One Hundred Thousand Locusts
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
God Ascension Nectar was contained in the poisonous wasp's body. It was a treasure Su Ming had obtained when he was in Yin Death Region, and it had accompanied him for most of his life. Even when he was in the world with the endless light under space and beyond the universe, it remained in his storage bag. Su Ming had made his storage bag fuse with the Resentful Wei, which was why it was not hurt in any manner.
This was something he had done on instinct, and it allowed him to preserve his storage bag in a perfect condition. It was not damaged in the slightest.
When the poisonous liquid with the God Ascension Nectar was brought out, all the gray threads around Su Ming instantly stopped moving. All of them seemed to be completely attracted by the God Ascension Nectar.
After a few breaths, the gray threads let out a shocking screech and charged towards the poisonous liquid in front of Su Ming. They were so fast that in the blink of an eye, they merged together with a bang, turning back into a small gray ball in front of Su Ming that enveloped the poisonous liquid.
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. He stared at the ball, and after a moment, its color began to change swiftly. It went from gray to crimson red, then changed back to gray with a few scattered red spots.
There seemed to be countless creatures squirming in the ball. They would occasionally sink inside before rising back up from the surface, creating an incredibly bizarre image. Su Ming could clearly sense that the poisonous liquid with the God Ascension Nectar was being digested at an indescribable speed.
The one drop of poisonous liquid with the God Ascension Nectar might not be much, but if Su Ming were to absorb it, he would need a long time to make it fuse perfectly with his body. If he wanted to do it fast, he could only absorb a very small amount.
Yet at that moment, the gray threads absorbed the drop of liquid so quickly that surprise appeared on Su Ming's face.
In just the span of a dozen breaths, the small gray ball's squirms returned to normal. Buzzing sounds reverberated in the air, and the small ball shattered. Countless gray threads flew out simultaneously. The drop of poisonous liquid with the God Ascension Nectar had completely disappeared.
At that moment, Su Ming gained a new understanding of the gray threads. He noticed that they had not just devoured the God Ascension Nectar… but had also devoured the poisonous liquid!
It was incredibly terrifying, but to the gray threads, it was still something to be used.
When the threads surrounded Su Ming once more, they let out piercing screams and formed a whirlwind. As it howled, cracking sounds rose into space nonstop.
Su Ming's pupils immediately shrank. He could clearly see that one of the countless threads had cracked. As the cracks spread, gray and red lights rushed out while intersecting with each other rushed out. They acted like they had broken out of a shell, and the thread became much faster than when it had been part of the whirlwind.
A glint shone in Su Ming's eyes, but his expression was grim. He lifted his right hand, and when he spread his divine sense outwards, the gray-red light changed direction and rushed towards him. It instantly appeared on his right palm before turning into… a locust… with a gray body that had red spots!
Its wings were thin, like those belonging to cicadas, but when Su Ming looked at them, he sensed waves of chilling air. If one of those wings slid past a person, it would definitely cut them as easily as a blade slicing through air.
The locust's compound eyes were black. Even if it was looking at Su Ming, it was difficult for him to see it. He could only sense it with his divine sense.
At that moment, cracking sounds rang out one after another. Su Ming lifted his head and saw all of the countless threads in the area cracking up. Immediately after, locusts which were identical to the creature on his palm broke out from their shells. Soon, the whirlwind surrounding Su Ming was no longer formed by threads, but of locusts!
Su Ming's pupils shrank, but he gradually calmed down. He lifted his right arm and swung it forward. Immediately, a crystal flew out. The moment it appeared, the swarm of locusts instantly rushed over, and the crystal disappeared without a trace.
Thankfully, the bald crane was sleeping in Su Ming's storage bag. Otherwise, if it saw something like this happening, it would definitely fight tooth and nail against the locusts.
"Wherever locusts go, not a blade of grass grows, huh?" Su Ming mumbled.
As he said those words, the swarm of locusts spat out some residue as their bodies rotated in the whirlwind. Every single one of the near one hundred thousand locusts only spat out a bit of it. Su Ming's expression changed, and he brought his right hand up to seize space. Immediately, the residue was gathered up, forming something the size of the crystal.
But there was not a hint of spiritual aura in it.
'It's not that they devour everything.'
Su Ming hesitated for a moment. When he raised his right hand, he cut the skin on his palm and squeezed out a drop of blood. The moment it flew out, Su Ming's expression changed.
When the locusts saw the drop of blood, their bodies shuddered like one. The small creatures were struggling incessantly to gobble up the blood, but with Su Ming's will controlling them, they could not act on their instincts. They could only continuously send forth their desire to Su Ming.
This was feedback at the appearance of the drop of blood in the form of a will from nearly one hundred thousand locusts. It was so strong that Su Ming had a feeling that if he did not issue an order soon, it was likely that they would turn on him.
During the short span of time in which Su Ming's expression changed, eight of the one hundred thousand locusts flew out to charge towards Su Ming's blood. They had freed themselves from his control and did not care that he had not issued an order. They were going to devour the blood on their own.
Su Ming let out a cold harrumph, lifted his right hand, and made a few flicks. Banging sounds echoed in space, and the locusts instantly let out shrill screams of pain. Their bodies shattered and they disappeared without a trace.
However, one of them who was not destroyed by Su Ming's attack. It endured it with brute force, and with most of its body destroyed, it closed in on Su Ming's blood with a single charge. It opened its mouth and swallowed the blood.
The next moment the locust threw its head back and roared. Its body instantly swelled up twice its original size, becoming much larger than the other locusts. When Su Ming saw this, he was shocked.
'Demon cultivators of Dark Dawn, what power! Right now I'm seeing just the baby of that demon cultivator. It's an existence akin to a clone, but it has such powerful potential. Given enough time, it could grow to a terrifying level.
'This sort of demon cultivator would be incredibly hard to control…'
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. He raised his arms and formed a seal. Brands flew out, and he even let out a puff of his breath of life to envelop the clearly larger locust. He Branded it with all his power and began refining it again.
As for the other locusts, they gathered together under the control of Su Ming's divine sense and turned into a small ball that floated in front of him. That ball might not be big, but in it were nearly one hundred thousand locusts. It might seem impossible, but that was the truth.
'This is a demon cultivator born with the ability to control dimensions. That is why its baby could do this right after it was born.'
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. After a moment, when he finished refining the locust which was much larger than the rest, he sent it into the small ball and brought out another to refine.
He did not think that it was troublesome. He had to completely refine all of the locusts.
At the same time, the hundreds of cultivators and ferocious beasts who had holes at the center of their brows in True Morning Dao World and the other three Great True Worlds shuddered simultaneously.
At the holes at the center of their brows slowly closed up, a divine thought with ghastly air and a cold bark of laughter was shared among them.
"He managed to open the first seal? The eggs have turned into nymphs, but to do this, that person must have paid a large price. Continue nurturing them. The better my baby is nurtured, the better it will serve me in the future.
"Foolish cultivator from Saint Defier, one of these days, I will let you know just how idiotic your actions are. That day is not far away. When all of my bodies return to normal, all of us will make the Cultivation Blood Offering. When we reach enough power, our bodies will fuse together, and I, An Fang, will descend in Arid Triad!"
As this divine thought echoed in their minds, the hundreds of cultivators and ferocious beasts closed their eyes together.
Time trickled by without their knowledge. When Su Ming refined most of the one hundred thousand locusts, his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole had already cleared a portion of the world in the easternmost region of True Morning Dao World. Over there, he was leading nearly one hundred thousand cultivators to sweep through the galaxy.
With the white ripple, even the whirlwind could not stop them in their tracks. Wherever they went, those who submitted gave up their souls, and those who did not… had their leaders killed while the remaining ones were forced to submit.
The world of cultivation had always been built on the basis of strong preying on the weak, and this was especially prominent in the galaxy where the whirlwind raged. With the disaster around, the principle of the strong preying on the weak became even bloodier, and actually the only principle in this True World!
However, compared to Su Ming's Ecang clone, it could be said that his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole was incredibly gentle in his actions. In the westernmost region, the Ecang clone, which possessed Su Ming's destructive will, had stirred up a heinous wave of blood.
There was no mercy nor reasoning. He only accepted obedience. Wherever he went, there would be endless slaughter. In the disaster laden True Morning Dao World, only this sort of unflinching method would allow someone to unite everyone in a short period of time.
The two clones had left around the same time, but while the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole had not covered the entire east, the Ecang clone could already see the barrier connecting the east of True Morning Dao World and the fourth True World!
It was like a snowball that had been sent rolling. The start was always the hardest, but once a momentum was formed, it would be easier. The charge of an army made of tens of thousands of people could crush all willpower. Even if the singular entity was incredibly powerful, in the face of such a disaster, they would still have to submit.
All those who dared fight back would not just have themselves killed, but their entire bloodline!
One day, while still refining the one hundred thousand locusts, Su Ming's right hand shuddered. Even though he swiftly recovered, he raised his head, and a hint of excitement and sentimentality appeared in his eyes when he looked into the distance.
Chapter 1167: Eldest Senior Brother!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming stared at the galaxy. With his power, he could see very far away, and his gaze could penetrate the whirlwind beyond the ripple. There, he saw a group of people approaching swiftly from the distance.
Chen Wen was in the lead along with Si Ma Yu. They were followed by… a headless man who was leading thousands of cultivators. He was striding forward at a calm pace, and when he swung the axe in his hand, the whirlwind would be blown to the sides with a roar, revealing a path for everyone to travel.
Su Ming stared at the headless man, and the excitement as well as the sentiment in him mixed together. Her had been separated from his senior brothers for more than one thousand years. At that time, he was still slightly naive, but now, he had completely grown up and become mature. Yet even if a longer time had passed, the friendship between him and his fellow brothers would be like aged wine. It would only continue getting better and would not disappear.
"Eldest senior brother…" Su Ming mumbled.
There was no surprised delight on his face, and neither was there excitement. This was because both of them had grown up, and because there was no need to have any sort of external expression for real friendship. It existed in the heart and soul, and it was a sort of… brotherly love which would allow them to understand what the other felt the moment their gazes met!
Su Ming brought his right hand up and put away the locust he had been refining. He then stood up, and with a smile on his face, he slowly walked forward. His eldest senior brother's arrival was a great joy in his life. This was the first reunion since he was separated from his senior brothers more than a thousand years ago. There was no way he could just sit around and wait for his senior brother to come to him. He had to welcome him!
While Su Ming could see his eldest senior brother, his eldest senior brother could not see him. When around a dozen breaths passed, the headless man moving through the whirlwind suddenly came to a pause, and while he had no head and his expression could not be seen, his hand which held the battleaxe shuddered slightly.
His murderous aura gradually disappeared. He stopped, and with the eyes of his soul, he stared into the distance. Gradually, he smiled in his heart, and joy filled him.
The whirlwind in front of him howled at that instant. A white ripple spread out swiftly and violently. As it expanded, the whirlwind fell back to reveal a vast, empty galaxy, and in that galaxy was Su Ming walking over with a smile.
When Chen Wen and Si Ma Yu saw him, they immediately wrapped their fists in their palms and bowed deeply.
"Greetings, master!"
With the black hood covering his face, Su Ming slowly approached the area. He walked past Chen Wen and Si Ma Yu to arrive right in front of the headless man.
Su Ming was silent. The headless man, too, remained silent.
All the people in the area were quiet.
The silence lasted till Su Ming pulled back the black hood and revealed to the headless man an incredibly unfamiliar face. However, the eyes of that unfamiliar face made the battleaxe in the headless man's hand disappear, and he spread his arms wide open.
With a smile on his face, Su Ming opened his arms wide as well, and under the gazes of thousands of cultivators, the two people hugged each other for the first time after one thousand something years had passed!
Neither of them spoke. As the fellow brothers hugged each other, they patted each other's backs hard, as if they wanted to show the friendship which had lasted for more than a thousand years in that one hug.
"You've grown."
Eldest senior brother took a step back and stared at Su Ming. His voice was filled with an ancient and sentimental air. In held nostalgia along with the will to protect the ninth summit even if he had to destroy the universe for it. This was something that he shared with his junior brother.
He had said a single sentence. It were two simple words, but they contained everything that had happened in the past one thousand something years. Su Ming's eldest senior brother was not used to expressing his thoughts, and his ancient voice quivered at that moment. Perhaps the others would not be able to sense it, but Su Ming could detect it.
"I've grown…" Su Ming said with a smile while staring at his eldest senior brother. His expression held the nostalgia for the ninth summit, his fond remembrance of his senior brothers… and his longing for home.
…..
Chen Wen and Si Ma Yu sat cross-legged in the empty space, occasionally raising their heads to stare at Su Ming and the headless man, who were beside the Relocation Rune in the distance.
The thousands of cultivators took the initiative to sit down to meditate away from Chen Wen. They were quiet and did not move.
No one dared bother Su Ming and his eldest senior brother.
When Su Ming sat down beside the Relocation Rune, a pot of wine appeared in his hand. Another pot of wine appeared beside his eldest senior brother. He did not drink it, but occasionally, he would tap it with his right hand, and the wine in the pot would reduce.
When Su Ming saw him drinking in this manner, a hint of pain appeared on his face.
He would never forget how his eldest senior brother had beheaded himself in the land of Berserkers to turn into Xing Gan. Even if a long time had passed since then, the memory of that moment still remained in Su Ming's heart.
"When you were forced into Divine Essence Star Ocean, I made the decision to leave the land of Berserkers with the second and Hu Zi once I woke up. We wanted to step into the galaxy belonging to the Immortals and search for you in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence!" eldest senior brother said hoarsely, then tapped the pot of wine with his right hand. At that moment, he finished all the wine in it.
"You are my junior brother, our youngest junior brother. We might have different blood flowing in our veins, but we are cultivators of the ninth summit. Destiny has gathered us together, so we… will be family which is much closer than those that share the same blood!
"Since you were willing to give up on the status of the God of Berserkers and go to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence for us… then as your senior brothers, we could give up our lives for you!
"You don't know how many times I saw Hu Zi crying on his own while drinking and staring at your cave abode after you left and I woke up…
"Your second senior brother has also changed a lot. Most of the time, his expression is dark. I know that he hated himself for not being strong enough, for not being able to change what transpired.
"I know it because that hate exists in my heart as well!
"After you left and we woke up in succession, the three of us decided that we will become stronger no matter what price we had to pay, and we would grow stronger for the rest of our lives. We had to become strong enough to decide our own destinies!" eldest senior brother explained hoarsely. When he raised his right hand, another pot of wine appeared. He patted it, and all the wine within it disappeared.
Su Ming stared at his eldest senior brother quietly. He watched the headless man who was incredibly tall and strong, and a smile appeared on his face. It held the ancient feeling of time that had passed as well as a will that Su Ming could cling onto.
Because the person before him was real. He was one of the few real existences in his life. This did not mean that he was real in terms of his physical body, but his soul, his will, and his friendship towards Su Ming.
All of it was real.
After experiencing all the things he did and going through Su Xuan Yi's plans, Su Ming no longer had the courage to believe in real or fake, because once he believed in something and became serious about it, then if all the things he believed ended up being mere falsehoods once more, the damage would be incredibly great.
But Su Ming firmly believed that from the day he stepped into the ninth summit, that place had been real. His eldest senior brother, his second senior brother, and Hu Zi were all real!
The three of them were the most precious things in Su Ming's heart. They were the treasures in his life for which he would give up the world.
Su Ming had thirsted for blood before, had been cold-hearted, enveloped by madness, but there was always a fragility in his heart which only a few people could understand. That fragility came from all his family members and the ninth summit.
"How… did all of you leave the land of Berserkers?"
Su Ming stared at his eldest senior brother. He could sense the murderous aura emanating from the other's body. It was definitely not from ordinary slaughter, since it was a monstrous killing intent which could only be formed after surviving in a sea of blood for years.
"The land of Berserkers…" Eldest senior brother fell silent for a moment. "If you could head to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence for us, then we could go out to search for you.
"We were willing to obey that damn ancient will from Yin Death Region and become its generals to conquer the other continents in Yin Death Region. We fulfilled his requests, one after another. I don't know how the second and Hu Zi got through it, since they did not mention it, but Hu Zi had automatically forgotten about those memories once we left.
"But I do know that I killed countless lives during those conquests… I obtained my power through murder. My level of cultivation isn't high, but my murderous aura is beyond compare!
"If I had to say that I cultivated something, then I cultivated a path of murder, a river of souls!"
When eldest senior brother said those words, he raised his right hand and swung it. In an instant, the galaxy roared, and a long river manifested. It went on without end. Within it, countless living spirits howled shrilly and roared while struggling. Their voices did not dim with time.
"As for how we walked out of Yin Death Region, it's because… of it!"
Eldest senior brother pulled his hand back and seized his chest. Immediately, it turned into a bloody mess. As flesh and blood flowed out from his wounds, a complicated Brand formed on his chest.
That Brand looked like the face of a ghost, and it was laughing hideously.
"This Brand is known as Dark Dawn's Ghost. Only when we took upon this Brand and became Dark Dawn Expanse Cosmos' Sacrificial Children did those ancient wills let us leave Yin Death Region.
"It's the same for your second senior brother and… Hu Zi.
"Once we left Yin Death Region, we split up. I made your second senior brother enter any sect he liked to practice his cultivation. With his status as the Phantom King, he could change his form in any way he wanted and blend in with the children of all families to perfect his Phantom Dao!
"I had your third senior brother join the Immortals' Union and raise from the bottom, because he was too honest and straight. It is both good and bad, but if we spared the rod, the child would grow up spoiled. I had to make him suffer a bit so he would practice the laws of his original form as a Rune in the battlefield, creating… his own Dao!
"As for me, I joined one of the many races and became their sword to train myself. Then, I turned against them to practice my Murderous Dao!
"I made the three of us split up so we could use our own methods to search for the path to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence and you. If it was not because of the war with Morning Dao Sect, we would have long since headed out to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence…"
Eldest senior brother's words were calm. In fact, it did not sound like he was describing dangerous experiences, but since Su Ming knew his eldest senior brother's personality, he knew that what they had lived through was much more difficult compared to what his words entailed.
Chapter 1168: Reunion!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming was silent. He stared at the Brand of the ghost face on his eldest senior brother's chest and picked up the pot of wine, finishing it swiftly. Wine spilled out from the corners of his lips and splattered on his body, but he did not care.
Su Ming did not have good alcohol tolerance. In fact, while he did occasionally drink wine on his own, he needed to digest the alcohol with his cultivation base when he drank, but on this day, he did not do so.
"Let's talk about you. What happened to you… You…" His eldest senior brother sighed. There were certain things he knew even if he did not speak of them. The youngest junior brother of his sitting in front of him had an unfamiliar face. Clearly, it was due to Possession.
When eldest senior brother observed it, he also felt that Su Ming's level of cultivation had reached a fathomless state, and it was precisely because of it that he knew that he had to have gone through incredibly perilous situations for it.
In the past, he had been a mere cultivator in Earth Cultivation Realm. Yet in such a short time, he had become an Almighty. The gap in his level of cultivation and his Possession of another body made everything clear; there was no need for him to say anything.
As Su Ming drank, in a soft voice, he spoke of the things he went through from the moment he found himself akin to a corpse lying in Crimson Flame Planet upon stepping into the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
Su Ming did not seem to believe in his own words when he shared his story. The mild way in which he spoke about everything made his eldest senior brother drink ten whole pots of wine without realizing it.
"Divine Essence Star Ocean, the tribes, and the foreign lands belonging to Ecang…" Su Ming mumbled as if recounting his tale, but also as if just talking to himself.
When his eldest senior brother heard of Su Ming managing to find Tian Xie Zi's tracks, he shuddered. When he heard Su Ming speak of their Master taking in a fifth disciple, he fell silent.
When Su Ming spoke of his experiences and assumptions in the fifth ocean, his eldest senior brother's right hand trembled, but he remained silent.
"I don't know whether Master is among those people, but I feel that he should be…" Su Ming dipped his head down and picked up his pot. When he finished it, he was drunk.
"I Possessed Dao Kong, and with his identity, I left the Barren Lands of Divine Essence and went to Morning Dao Sect to become its Dynast… At that moment, I saw the person I thought was my father."
Su Ming smiled. There was no anguish in that smile, only a feeling that he was free from his burdens, as if he was talking about someone else's story which had nothing to do with him.
"The Seed of Life Extermination is just a joke. It was simply a parasite, and there was not a single happy moment left for me to treasure in the dream about Dark Mountain. Even if I don't want to understand it, I still understand that all of it was fake.
"All of it was just part of Su Xuan Yi's plan, and I… was just a single piece of his plan which he can cast away once he was done with it."
When Su Ming spoke of his past, he downed one pot of wine after another, and his words echoed in his eldest senior brother's ears. They lingered for a long time, refusing to disappear.
"So you're saying that you want to turn True Morning Dao Sect into the laws under your will, which is why you built a sect called the Ninth Summit in this broken True Morning Dao World? In fact, you want to replace the will of this True World with yours?
"But if you name the sect after the ninth summit and grow to power, there is no way Su Xuan Yi won't understand it. He will definitely be able to guess… that you made a comeback!" eldest senior brother said softly while casting Su Ming a glance. "If you dared to do such a thing, I refuse to believe that you have not made preparations for it."
"That's right. I named the sect after the ninth summit to find all of you, and I don't care whether Su Xuan Yi or anyone else learns of it. It's useless even if they know. What I need to do is to control True Morning Dao World. When the whirlwind around us disappears and Saint Defier descends, with my status and my forces, even Saint Defiers will have to think twice before they act.
"If they dare to do anything… Since Su Xuan Yi could tear a gap in Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos, I can imitate his actions and make a True World crumble. If there was no gap beforehand, I would not be able to open another one out of the blue, but now that there is a gap, Arid Triad is no longer complete, and it will be much easier. The self-destruction of a True World can also tear a hole in Arid Triad!
"This is something Dark Dawn's camp needs, but definitely not something Saint Defier needs. In fact, I can already guess that when the people from Dark Dawn arrive, they will have the same thoughts and make these specific preparations.
"I have a feeling that this is part of Su Xuan Yi's plan, and he has already predicted this sort of conclusion!" Su Ming took a big gulp of wine and laughed loudly as he spoke. "Arid Triad will be destroyed. This is something not even the power of heavens can reverse.
"The four Great True Worlds will be destroyed; this is something that is impossible to change. I know that this is how things will end, so I will naturally expand my own influence before this becomes reality. I will increase my own level of cultivation to fight for a slim chance of survival and to get a serendipity during the disaster!
"If it is not destroyed, I won't be able to form my own power. If Arid Triad is destroyed, then if I can obtain a serendipity and a slim chance of survival, why would it be impossible for me… to replace Arid Triad? Possessing a person is nothing. Perhaps my thoughts are pure madness to all other people, but I will still try… to Possess Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos!"
Su Ming laughed loudly. His voice echoed in space, but it did not travel outwards. No one else could hear it.
Only eldest senior brother, who was like family, could make Su Ming reveal his ambitions, shocking the other!
His eldest senior brother's heart trembled furiously. He stared at Su Ming and watched him finish drinking his wine with an air of someone free of burdens but also someone with an air of madness alongside it. He seemed to look down on the entire universe. Eldest Senior Brother could even vaguely see the signs of someone who could destroy Saint Defier and overturn Dark Dawn.
This was what he sensed, and other people might feel that it was ludicrous. In their eyes, the act of a mere cultivator declaring to want to Possess Arid Triad was plain ridiculousness. In fact, any other cultivator might find the feeling in the heart of Su Ming's eldest senior brother to be hilarious, and the whole thing impossible.
Yet at that instant, Su Ming's eldest senior brother had indeed sensed these things.
It was an indescribable presence which was not a ripple formed by any cultivation base or temperament, and neither was it a ripple formed due to the area around them changing because of something coming out of Su Ming body. It was… an arrogance which could shake people's hearts, and it was born from absolute madness, a desire for destruction, slaughter, and twistedness intersecting with each other!
"If you want to do this, then I will join you." Without any hesitation, eldest senior brother spoke hoarsely and laughed. In his laughter was a heinous, murderous aura.
Su Ming picked up his pot and placed it by his lips before drinking swiftly from it. When he downed half of its contents, he suddenly put down the pot. His eyes, which were originally unfocused due to him being drunk, shone with a brilliant light at that moment, and he stared into the distant galaxy.
His eldest senior brother's expression changed, and he looked over as well. After a moment, he threw his head back and laughed loudly. He even stood up, and when he looked at Su Ming, he found that a smile had made its way to his face a long time ago. There was excitement in that smile, along with joy, which was made more obvious by his drunkenness.
"Today, we have to become thoroughly drunk. Today… is the day all of us fellow brothers of the ninth summit reunite after being separated for more than a thousand years!" eldest senior brother said in a hearty tone.
As his voice echoed in the air, it spread through the entire galaxy, even reaching the lone ship charging through the whirlwind beyond the ripple.
The gentle man stopped drinking and dazedly stared into the distance. Excitement slowly appeared in his eyes. Tears streamed down the face of the honest-looking man behind him while he mumbled to himself, "It's eldest senior brother's presence, and beside him is… is…"
Chapter 1169: Heavenly Incense Extinguished
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the easternmost corner of True Morning Dao was Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole. At that moment, it was bringing nearly one hundred thousand people who had obeyed his will and joined the Ninth Summit. They formed an army of cultivators who had delivered to him the Brands of their souls. At that moment, they stopped at the region near the barrier set between the True Worlds.
In front of them were nine huge incense sticks. Each of them was several thousands of feet thick, and were more than one hundred thousand feet tall. From the distance, they looked like nine huge pillars that stood tall in the galaxy, but no one could tell what they were supporting.
Wisps of smoke rose to the heavens from the nine gigantic incense sticks, which turned the area indistinct.
Six of the nine incense sticks had been extinguished. Only three were still burning, and they looked like they would do so without end, but strangely, no matter how long they burned, their height did not diminish. They still reached up to the heavens and gave off a presence of majesty.
This was… Heavenly Incense!
It was one of the three great mysterious lands in True Morning Dao World—Heavenly Incense Rune!
No one knew who had set it up or when. It was as if they had existed since True Morning Dao World had appeared.
Over the years, countless powerful warriors had come in an attempt to unravel the mysteries of the Heavenly Incense Rune, but no one was able to do so.
In the beginning of time, nine of the incense sticks had burned together, but with the passage of time, only three continued to burn. They had borne witness to the changes, witnessing True Morning Dao World's birth and its march to glory, then oversaw its fall.
During its most glorious moment, Morning Dao Sect had sent a lot of manpower and resources to research the secrets of the Heavenly Incense Rune, but those people had returned empty-handed.
Even Su Xuan Yi had investigated the place before, but he had not obtained any answers either. The mysterious veil cast over the Heavenly Incense Rune seemed impossible for any cultivator to lift.
It was as if it was waiting for a special someone to unravel its secrets, but up till then, that living being had yet to appear, even as the incense sticks extinguished one after another.
Su Xuan Yi had investigated them before, but he had retreated when he could not solve the mystery. The cultivators who descended from Saint Defier Expanse Cosmos had investigated it as well, but also found no answer. It was as if… it was so ancient that it had existed long before the age of Old Man Extermination…
Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole stared at the nine Heavenly Incenses in the distant galaxy. He watched the wisps of smoke rising into the heavens as the three incense sticks burned, and uncertainty appeared in his eyes.
"This is Heavenly Incense Rune. It is known as one of the three great mysteries of True Morning Dao World along with Yin Death Region in the territory of the Immortals' Union and the Sun Sinking Talisman southwest to us. The mystery of the Heavenly Incense Rune stems from the fact that it had definitely not formed naturally. We do not know who set it up, and we do not know what will happen when all nine of the incense sticks extinguish.
"And it is also because… Master, you must have sensed it by now. The closer one gets to the Heavenly Incense Rune, the more their cultivation base will boil, and they will get a vague sense of being near a breakthrough. If you get a little closer, the feeling will become even clearer. When you reach them and have a breakthrough, your level of cultivation will increase exponentially.
"But all of this is fake. You might feel like your level of cultivation had increased, but in truth, it is just an illusion. When you leave the place, everything will return to normal. The cultivators of True Morning Dao World are strangely attracted to this Heavenly Incense Rune. Once they get close to it and experience the feeling of their cultivation bases increasing, they are unable to forget that feeling and constantly want to return to this place…
"However, once a cultivator gets close to this place more than three times, they will never be able to walk out. As if they had lost their intelligence, they will move into the space between the nine incense sticks. The cultivator will fuse into them and have his body as well as spirit destroyed.
"This is the only way to enter the Heavenly Incense Rune, but all those who enter it die, so all cultivators avoid this place unless they have to.
"Only when a cultivator has run into a wall for years and their level of cultivation is stuck in the same place would they come to this place to experience the false breakthrough and gain an epiphany. In conclusion, this Heavenly Incense Rune can be thrice treated as a mirror. It will reflect your own cultivation base so that you can reach a pinnacle in the future," Miao Feng explained in a low voice while staring at the Heavenly Incense Rune in the distance.
He was forcefully suppressing his urge to walk into the Rune. Thankfully, the Heavenly Incense Rune did not possess a domineering force and was not something that would prevent people from suppressing their own urges. As long as a cultivator's willpower was firm, they could easily suppress their urges until they left the area. They could recover then, albeit with great difficulty.
"Then what about the Sun Sinking Talisman you spoke about previously?" Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole said faintly.
"Sun Sinking Talisman is slightly more mysterious. It is a talisman that has been placed in the southwestern part of True Morning Dao World for countless years. Once every hundred years, it will shine once. This does not affect the cultivation planets which are experiencing night time, but those who have daylight will instantly will become dark. Their suns would forcefully be sent to set.
"This is why the mysterious talisman is known as the Sun Sinking Talisman. Besides this, it can absorb all the light around it. All objects which can have light will lose it and turn dark.
"But compared to the Heavenly Incense Rune, the talisman is easier to approach. As long as they can walk through the darkness, they can get close to the talisman and investigate as well as copy it as they like. In fact, they can even use all sorts of methods to try and bring it under their control, but over the course of countless years, it has never been heard that anyone had managed to do so.
"No matter how much time passes and how the universe changes, no matter whether disaster falls on us or whether we are in an age of glory, it still exists in the southwest, as if it is an eternal existence.
"The third mystery would be Yin Death Region, which is in the Immortals' Union. It is a vast vortex, and it is rumored that it leads to another world. That is a world where the dead live," Miao Feng said, sharing all he knew.
Su Ming's clone stared at the nine incense sticks. The ripples in his body made him feel as if his physical body was becoming stronger, but it was a faint feeling. He felt like there were countless ants crawling inside his body, causing him to feel itchy inside out, but he could not scratch it. He could only endure this increasingly stronger urge formed by the numb itchiness.
The urge even agitated the portion of the soul in the clone, causing ripples of power to manifest around it as well, but it was not impossible for Su Ming to suppress them. Soon, he did so, and with a sullen look, he cast a glance at the incense sticks in the distance, then turned around, intending to leave.
However, at the instant Su Ming's clone was about to leave, one of the three incense sticks which were still burning among the nine Heavenly Incenses… suddenly extinguished!
The nine Heavenly Incenses which had been burning since an eternity ago extinguished one after another as time passed. Only three of them remained burning, but at that moment, another one of them stopped, leaving only two sticks still burning.
At the instant one of the three incense sticks extinguished, a powerful ripple that was even stronger than before spread out through the area in an unseen manner. In an instant, it touched Su Ming's clone and the one hundred thousand cultivators behind him.
Su Ming's clone trembled furiously. The feeling that he was getting stronger erupted within him… and it overpowered the portion of Su Ming's soul, causing him to throw his head back and roar. In an instant, he charged towards the Heavenly Incense Stick.
The clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole originally belonged to the portion of Su Ming's soul, but now, it left its control. This sort of thing was something that had never happened in the history of Abyss Builders, since their inborn ability made it so all their clones were not too different from their originally bodies. Possessing one soul and several bodies had always been a form of perfection for the Abyss Builders.
Yet at that moment, Su Ming lost control over the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole. If Su Ming knew this, his heart would definitely tremble in shock.
At the same time, the one hundred thousand cultivators behind him, including Miao Feng, looked like they had lost their intelligence and descended into madness. They only knew that they had to get closer to the Heavenly Incenses, because the closer they got to them, the faster their cultivation bases would increase. Delight curled their lips upwards, but hidden under those ecstatic expressions were confusion.
…..
Ten hours before Su Ming's portion of the soul in the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole was overpowered beyond the Heavenly Incense Rune and he lost control over it, Su Ming smiled while being drunk. Excitement was on his face. His eldest senior brother was by his side, and they at the whirlwind in the galaxy beyond the ripples. There, they could see a lone ship that was charging forward at an incredible speed.
The ship was originally not headed towards them and was supposed to pass by, but when Su Ming saw them with his divine sense, they too noticed their eldest senior brother's presence.
It acted like a guidance that caused the ship to change direction and charge in their direction.
As the ship drew closer and shot out from the whirlwind, it touched the white ripple, then rushed inside. At that instant, Su Ming saw the people on the ship with his eyes.
His gaze automatically ignored all the other people besides the two men on the deck. One of them was as gentle as a flower, and the other was as built as a tiger. He stared at them with a smile full of happiness that had rarely seen on his face over the last one thousand years.
Eldest senior brother stood beside him. He had no head, but the murderous aura spreading out from his body had long disappeared and was replaced by joy. Perhaps it would be difficult for other people to notice it, but Su Ming could see this clearly.
The ship drew closer, and the man who was like a flower stared at the two figures in front of him in a daze—the large figure without a head and the man by his side, who appeared rather thin and frail, and who had an unfamiliar appearance. But the excitement in his eyes and the faint bond existing between brothers caused the man who was like a flower to shudder.
Behind him, Hu Zi fixed his stare on Su Ming, and soon, he laughed loudly. As he did so, tears streamed down his face. With a single move, he rushed out of the ship and charged straight towards Su Ming.
Hu Zi had always been the one who was the least capable of hiding his emotions in the ninth summit. When he wanted to cry, he would cry, and when he wanted to laugh, he would laugh. No matter how much he had changed due to his experiences, his honest personality was part of his nature that would never change.
Perhaps he had learned how to hide his emotions before other people. Perhaps he had learned how to laugh heartily before others while hiding killing intent in his heart. However, all of that seemed to have melted away before his senior brothers and junior brother. All of it was gone without a trace.
He took huge strides forward, and with the fastest speed he could muster, he appeared in front of Su Ming. Once he cast a careful glance at him, he swiftly hugged his youngest junior brother with tears in his eyes. The man before him was a little unfamiliar to his eyes and divine sense, but his instincts told him that he was certainly his junior brother who had been separated from him for years and who he had missed dearly in his dreams.
He might have changed his face, but that smile belonged to youngest junior brother. He might have changed his eyes, but the excitement in them was real, and it was definitely not something an outsider could fake.
If they did not share the ninth summit between them, then that smile and gaze would definitely not be present. With this similarity, even if his appearance had changed, Hu Zi believed that he would definitely not mistake his youngest junior brother.
"Youngest junior brother!"
Hu Zi could not stop his tears. He remembered the ninth summit he had protected alone while he was in the land of Berserkers. While he waited in endless pain brought by the torture of the outsiders, he believed that he had to protect his home. He protected that place because there would surely be a day when his senior brothers and his junior brother would return home. He had to protect it so they would have a home to return to. He could not let his senior brothers and junior brother not have a place to gather once they returned.
In his heart, he was afraid that once they no longer had the ninth summit, he would not be able to see his fellow brothers scattered in the universe.
He also remembered the excitement he felt when he saw Su Ming return to the ninth summit all those years ago and how he had bawled. Compared to his two senior brothers, even if his mindset was still like that of a child, he still remembered that he was Su Ming's senior brother and that Su Ming was his junior brother. He also remembered the principles of the ninth summit!
He hugged Su Ming and bawled.
"Youngest junior brother, it's your senior brother Hu Zi's fault! If I was strong enough in the past, I would have pummeled those damn ancient wills who forced you into the Barren Lands of Divine Essence!
"After you left, I trained madly, but… but no matter how much I trained, I still missed you. When I think that you were all alone in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, I felt so horrid. I was about to go mad, and I wanted to kill…"
Hu Zi was slightly rambling. His voice was thunderous, but his words did not travel too far. The people who should not hear him could not hear him
Su Ming stared at Hu Zi hugging him. This was his third senior brother, Hu Zi, who had walked up to him after he entered the ninth summit and patted his own chest before he let out a loud roar, declaring that he would protect Su Ming. This honest and straightforward man could give up his life for the ninth summit as well as his senior brothers and his junior brother. Hu Zi was the senior brother who had always remained in Su Ming's thoughts.
Compared to his respect for his eldest senior brother and his feelings of resignation towards his second senior brother, the brother Su Ming had been the most worried about when he left was Hu Zi, who was hugging him right then. The man didn't seem capable of growing up.
There were times when Su Ming felt that he was Hu Zi's senior brother and not his junior brother…
With a smile on his face, Su Ming hugged Hu Zi back and said softly, "Hu Zi, don't cry…"
He had said the same sentence many years ago. When they had reunited back then, the same words had left Su Ming's mouth, and now it caused more tears to flow from Hu Zi's eyes. It made him so excited that he hit Su Ming's body.
Chapter 1170: Bosom Friend…
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Compared to Hu Zi being so excited that he could not hide his emotions and bawling as he hugged Su Ming, even drenching Su Ming's robes with his tears, his flower-like second senior brother walked down from the ship with calm. There was a smile on his face, and in was filled with joy and relief.
He stared at Su Ming. He disregarded the unfamiliar face and looked to be looked straight at Su Ming's own face.
"It's good that you're safe. I did say that even if our youngest junior brother was sent to an even more dangerous place, he would still grow miraculously, like a weed.
"What Barren Lands of Divine Essence, even if it was an even more dangerous region, as long as it is one of us from the ninth summit, we will definitely survive and will live even better.
"I have to say that sometimes, I am very envious of our Master. His level of cultivation might be nothing extraordinary, but when it comes to his talent in taking in disciples, there is no one who can compare to him in the universe."
Second senior brother smiled faintly. He flipped open the fan in his right hand, let out a few fake coughs, then raised his head to stare at the galaxy as if he was composing something.
This expression took his eldest senior brother aback.
"I just reunited with second senior brother as well. This person no longer changes his personality at night and plays around with flowers and plants while thinking that someone is stealing his herbs. He now has another quirk. He… He likes to recite poetry…" Hu Zi quickly explained, updating Su Ming and his eldest senior brother.
"This is a beauteous moment, when all of us brothers from the ninth summit have reunited. Ah, I suddenly feel an urge to create poems. I would like to recite a poem to all of you from the ninth summit."
Second senior brother let out a fake cough and swept his gaze past Su Ming and the others. He suddenly swung the fan in his hand a few times, and his eyes brightened.
Hu Zi immediately put on a long face. He looked resigned. Their eldest senior brother sensed that something bad was about to happen, so he took a few steps back.
Su Ming stared at his second senior brother's current demeanor in a daze. He had never heard his second senior brother recite poetry before, and in fact, he was a little unclear as to what exactly was poetry recitation. He was ignorant to all of it.
"Ah!"
When Su Ming prepared to listen somewhat seriously, his second senior brother suddenly shouted. This shout caused Hu Zi to take a few steps back and eldest senior brother to regain his murderous aura, a telling sign that he had been shocked.
Su Ming felt his heart thump against his chest. The shout had been too sudden, and there was even a hint of a forlorn tone to it, causing Su Ming to almost instinctively send his divine sense outwards…
"Ah! Ah! Ah! O ninth summit!"
Second senior brother shook his head, looking intoxicated. He had his eyes half shut and looked like he had been so edified by his poem that he was savoring the endless aftertaste that came with it.
Su Ming was taken back. His eldest senior brother was clearly also stunned. Hu Zi blinked, and a bewildered expression came onto his face.
This time, even the beautiful women who disembarked with second senior brother and were now behind him as well as the person who was once his second senior brother's Master but had now turned into his woman hesitated for a moment. No one spoke for a moment.
"Ahem… Second senior brother, what's next?" Su Ming coughed dryly. He did not want to disturb his second senior brother while he was intoxicated in his own satisfaction, but he could not help but ask.
"Hmm? What do you mean what's next? There's nothing else. I've already finished reciting my poem! Can't you feel the appeal of it? Don't you sense the emotions contained in the poem? Did you truly not sense my fond remembrance towards all of you and the ninth summit..?"
Second senior brother looked like a person at the top of the world and lonely because of it. He looked a little sentimental, a little resigned, and a little lonely because he could not find a bosom friend who could understand his poem.
Eldest senior brother was silent. He instinctively seized space with his hand, and a battleaxe appeared in his grip.
Hu Zi cast a glance at Su Ming, then at their eldest senior brother, and a ferocious smile suddenly appeared on his face. He clenched his fists.
Su Ming fell silent. With a wry smile, he stared at his second senior brother who was like a flower. He was currently intoxicated and looked like he was asking for a beating. He suddenly had a feeling that his second senior brother who had loved turning his face sideways while he was under the sun so that the light could shine on his side profile because he thought that it gave him a very sunny disposition, made him look very manly, and could attract a lot of gazes from opposite sex was much easier to handle than the narcissistic person before him.
"Good poem! Sir, it is such a good poem!"
"That's right, this poem is filled with great emotions. It's definitely nothing ordinary…"
"That's right, this poem should only exist in the heavens, the mortal world…"
"This poem…"
The women behind second senior brother quickly spoke, but as they continued, they noticed Su Ming's strange gaze and could not help but turn red. They swiftly lost their ability to continue.
It was quiet all around them… At that moment, a ray of black light suddenly flew out from Su Ming's storage bag. Once it turned into the bald crane, it stared at second senior brother with an expression of idolization. With a voice like a drake, it screeched loudly.
"Good poem! This is definitely a good poem. It's been so many years since I heard a poem filled with such emotion. That first exclamation should be a sigh of seeing your eldest senior brother. The second one should be due to the surprised delight that you managed to think of such a poem, and the third exclamation is clearly slightly lower in tone. You must have done so because you thought Hu Zi wouldn't understand it. The fourth one is filled with joy because you saw Little Boy Su.
"The final three words, o ninth summit is the highest form of art! It's the highest form of art!" The bald crane shuddered while screaming in excitement.
When it spoke, the wry smile on Su Ming's face became even wider. Eldest senior brother slowly raised his battleaxe and rubbed it a few times against his leg. Only Hu Zi stared at the bald crane dumbly, like he was deep in thought, as if… as if he was truly mulling over the meaning of the poem.
Second senior brother experienced a full body shudder and turned his body sideways to scrutinize the bald crane. A long while later, excitement appeared on his face.
"A bosom friend! This is a bosom friend! My fellow Daoist, you have great literary talent, you… you actually managed to help me think of the appeal and meaning in the poem, which I haven't even thought of…
"It is difficult to find someone who understands you in your life. This won't do, I must break the rule of reciting at most one poem every single day. I must recite another one to celebrate meeting a bosom friend here!" second senior brother said with great excitement.
Ever since he learned how to recite poems, he thought that it was much better than having the sun shine on the side of his face, and his interest in it grew stronger. He had never met someone who could match up to him, but he was also happy just amusing himself, though he did feel a little regretful about it in his heart.
On that day, however, when he heard the bald crane's words, he felt his spirits lift. He also had a sense that his literary talents had become much greater at some unknown point in time without his knowledge. With great delight, he quickly began composing another poem.
"Hu Zi, youngest junior brother, let's help wake him up. It's been years since we met second, and what does he do, he chatters nonstop. Reciting poetry? Reciting poetry, my foot!"
Eldest senior brother let out a cold harrumph and took a step forward. Second senior brother had his eyes closed with an intoxicated look on his face as if he was about to finish composing another poem after much difficulty. When he opened his eyes and was just about to open his mouth to speak, eldest senior brother took another step forward and kicked him.
A ferocious smile lit up on Hu Zi's face. He quickly ran over, raised his leg, and stepped on him while explaining his actions.
"Second senior brother, you can't blame me for this. I don't want to hit you either, but eldest senior brother has already made the order. I-I-I… I have to obey him! Who asked you to recite poetry?! Who asked you to recite poetry all the way here?!" Hu Zi rolled up his sleeves with excitement on his face.
Su Ming blinked, then cast a glance at his eldest senior brother, Hu Zi and his screaming second senior brother. He was also itching for action in his heart. With a dry cough, he imitated Hu Zi's speech.
"Second senior brother, you really can't blame me for this…" As he spoke, he quickly walked over and kicked him.
"You can't blame me, second senior brother, eldest senior brother asked us to do this. Our Master isn't around, so I have to listen to eldest senior brother, you know?"
"Ah… even if you hit me, I will still recite my poem. Ah… bald crane, ah… it's been a long time since we met…" Second senior brother still struggled to speak, acting like he would absolutely not admit defeat.
The bald crane shuddered, then quickly took a few steps back, feeling its skin crawl as it stared at the four brothers. It suddenly felt that it was an incredibly dangerous act to get out of Su Ming's storage bag, especially when it heard that second senior brother was still planning to recite his poem.
It immediately took a few steps back, but this didn't feel like enough for it to draw a clear line between itself and the second senior brother. Thus, it raised its right claw and swung it, transforming into fan. It then quickly ran over to Su Ming and the others to circle them while fanning them.
"Sirs, please go on ahead and hit him. I will help you dry your sweat. Huh? Sir Hu Zi, that one kick of yours is too incisive. The long arc drawn from the kick shakes the sky and earth. Ah, eldest senior brother, that was a good punch. It was full of greatness. It's definitely nothing ordinary.
"Oh, how astonishing. Sir Su, that one finger strike of yours can shake the universe. The elegance and charm of that one finger strike is enough to make the others cultivators want to learn it, but they would only comprehend the surface of this attack after learning it for ten thousand years…"
After the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn…
A table was added to the field. Su Ming and his senior brothers sat around it. The bald crane poured wine for them in a show of great hospitality with an obsequious expression on its face.
Second senior brother had a bruised and swollen face, looking like he was on the verge of being disfigured, and it made the bald crane nervous. Once it finished pouring wine, it quickly returned behind Su Ming and turned into a small black kitten, revealing an incredibly adorable look to avoid suffering the same end as second senior brother.
"Once all of you hit me, my mind has become much clearer. I won't recite any poems now. Youngest junior brother, I'm happy that you could come back from the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Let's drink!"
A gentle smile was on second senior brother's face. He did not bother with his badly battered body and picked up his wine cup before taking a big swig from it.
Once he drank from it, second senior brother's face started squirming. He raised his right hand and patted his head. Black smoke immediately rose from him. When it disappeared, his face had already returned to normal. He smiled at Su Ming, Hu Zi, eldest senior brother, then suddenly lifted his left hand to swing it behind him. The beautiful women swiftly walked up.
They formed seals with their hands and pushed their hands forward,. The seals turned into rays of white light that gathered on top of second senior brother's head. It turned into a pillar of light that was akin to sunlight, and it shone on the side of his face.
Second senior brother raised his chin and looked at the group with a smile on his face.
"What do you think of me now?"
Eldest senior brother let out a long sigh and patted his pot of wine. The wine in it was immediately drained completely. Hu Zi rubbed his eyes. He was stunned for a moment, then respect appeared on his face. He respected his second senior brother that was seriously too unique.
Su Ming laughed. On that day, he laughed more than he had done in the last one thousand something years. But just as he was about to say something, his expression changed. A brilliant light shone in his eyes, and he cast his gaze to the east.
Chapter 1171: Heavenly Incense Rune
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The change in Su Ming's expression and his action of looking to the east, especially the brilliant light that shone in his eyes, attracted his eldest senior brothers attention, and his right hand stopped on the pot. The pupils of Hu Zi, who sat by his side, constricted when he looked at Su Ming.
The playful look on second senior brother's face instantly changed as well. In fact, a grimness settled on him.
"What happened?" eldest senior brother asked in a low voice.
The moment Su Ming's expression changed, everyone's expression had become stern. An oppressed presence swiftly enveloped the entire land, causing the woman who followed second senior brother to have surprised expressions.
What shocked them was the solemnness of the fellow brothers being able to cause an oppressed presence in the galaxy. The whirlwind beyond the ripple seemed to have frozen, and everything in the place had instantly adopted an air of dead stillness.
Eldest senior brother's murderous aura, second senior brother's strange aura of the phantom, and Hu Zi's fierce air of madness surrounded each of them at that moment, but it did not erupt from them. However, it felt like with just one word from Su Ming, the three of them would give up everything for their youngest junior brother.
They did this not because Su Ming's level of cultivation was the highest and not because the three of them listened to his orders. I Su Ming was not their youngest junior brother, no matter how high his level of cultivation was, they would not even spare him a glance.
They only did this because Su Ming was part of the ninth summit and he was… their youngest junior brother!
"It's nothing, I lost the connection with one of my clones in the east. Some power is suppressing my soul in it." Su Ming's expression was calm, and he spoke casually.
"The east… Hu Zi," eldest senior brother said faintly.
The moment he finished speaking, Hu Zi grinned ferociously. He took a step forward and pressed his right hand on Su Ming's shoulder before he closed his eyes.
Right away, Su Ming sensed Hu Zi's presence vanishing without a trace, and he could not even detect him with his divine sense. If it was not because he could see him with his naked eye, it would have been difficult for him to know that he was still around.
"Hu Zi has progressed a bit with his Dream Dao since he left the land of Berserkers. Many years have passed since then, and he has experienced many things. His control over this Art must have improved because of it. With the method to enter Dreams, he can use your senses and find the portion of your soul."
As eldest senior brother spoke languidly, Hu Zi's eyes rolled up to reveal the whites of his eyes. A bizarre white light shone from within them.
"The east… nine huge incense sticks, two are still burning… one hundred thousand cultivators…" Hu Zi's body stilled, and his eyes fell shut.
When he opened them, he lifted his right hand from Su Ming's shoulder. After a moment of pensive silence, he formed a seal and pointed at space. Immediately, a picture appeared.
It was somewhat vague, but they could make out the Heavenly Incense Rune standing tall in the galaxy. Two of the incenses burned, and one hundred thousand cultivators sat around them while meditating. Their expressions were filled with excitement and madness.
In front of these people was a single figure. He was seated near the second incense stick, and his expression was distorted. His eyes were shut in struggle and his flesh squirmed as if he was going through indescribable pain.
And yet the expression on his face was one of extreme comfort.
Naturally, this figure was Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole.
"Heavenly Incense Rune."
Second senior brother's pupils shrank. He stared at the nine huge incense sticks in the illusory picture.
"No wonder. Youngest junior brother, your clone is beside the Heavenly Incense Rune. It's only natural that you would have the feeling that your connection with your clone has been severed. Heavenly Incense Rune can not only bring about the false impression of you reaching a breakthrough with your level of cultivation, but it also has a secret about which most people do not know.
"That place can cut off a person's clone from their real body… and give them their own will. That is why the Almighties in True Morning Dao World will never allow their clones to come close to the Heavenly Incenses.
"But that clone of yours is clearly still struggling, youngest junior brother. This is slightly odd. Based on my understanding, the soul thread between the two of you should have been severed." Second senior brother frowned and looked at Su Ming.
"Heavenly Incense Rune…" Su Ming stared at the illusory picture with a brilliant light shining in his eyes.
Hu Zi looked up and spoke in a low voice. "I have also heard of this Heavenly Incense Rune. It is said that it has existed since True Morning Dao World appeared. Based on its appearance, it is not formed naturally, but was set up by someone. In the beginning, all nine of the incense sticks burned, but as time passed, they extinguished one by one. Right now, only two of them remain burning.
"However, before this, it was three. At the very least, before the whirlwind in the galaxy appeared, three of them burned! I went to this Heavenly Incense Rune before. It is indeed a Rune, but it is ancient and archaic and not something I can break. In fact, from what I can sense, the Heavenly Incense Rune… is similar to me in some sense."
When the others heard his words, they were shocked.
Hu Zi's real form came from a vast Rune that surrounded Yin Death Region. He was a spirit born from it, and after Tian Xie Zi used some unknown ingenious method to extract him, he gained human form and was taken in as a disciple.
But the fact was that Hu Zi was another form of life created from a Rune.
If he said that the Heavenly Incense Rune was similar to him, then it was enough for them to tell what the problem was.
"When I was there in the past, I noticed that it is an empty Rune. After some investigation, I could not break it, but I discovered its deepest secret. I could tell that this Heavenly Incense Rune is in truth an ancient Summoning Rune!
"The summoning range for this Rune should be inconceivable, but clearly, since it has been around for a long time, it has already lost its usefulness. Unless we light all nine of the incense sticks again, it would have no effect."
Su Ming stood up with a cold glare in his eyes.
"We have just been reunited, and such a thing happened. Senior brothers, please rest here for a while. I will go to this Heavenly Incense Rune and see just what makes this Rune so mysterious. How dare it break my connection with the portion of my soul?" Su Ming said faintly. As he got up, the presence of a powerful warrior naturally surrounded him.
"Oh well, let's have Hu Zi go with you. He is skilled with Runes, and he can help you. "
Eldest senior brother sank into a period of pensive silence before saying, "As for me and your second senior brother… since you want to make the Ninth Summit the only sect in True Morning Dao World, this will no longer be something that concerns you alone. It will be something that concerns all of us from the ninth summit. Your second senior brother and I will stay here and create the Ninth Summit!"
"Creating a sect is definitely not as simple as gathering disciples. There are quite a lot of things to do. At the very least, you will need to a place to set up your sect and its ideology. Eldest senior brother and I will handle it," second senior brother said gracefully while opening his fan.
Hu Zi grinned and looked over.
Su Ming nodded. He wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed to his eldest senior brother and second senior brother. When he turned around, he raised his right hand and pointed at the white ripple in the area. The ripple instantly grew twice its size. It buzzed, and the ring charged towards Su Ming and fixed itself on his index finger.
Su Ming might have already taken away the supreme treasure, but the ripple in the area was as large as ever and could still push away the whirlwind. This was a projection the supreme treasure had left behind under Su Ming's control. It could maintain the ripple for around a hundred years.
This was a preparation for any unforeseen circumstances. With the ripple around, he could give the Ninth Summit a place to serve as its foundation.
"The ripple in this place can prevent the whirlwind from coming inside. Eldest senior brother, second senior brother, have your divine senses fuse with it to control it. This is a projection I left behind with my treasure. With it, I can send my divine thoughts to you as well."
Su Ming cast a glance at his eldest senior brother and his second senior brother again. When he turned around, he changed into a long arc that rushed into the distance.
Hu Zi laughed loudly and stood up as well. The bald crane looked around for a while, then quickly followed them. As their long arcs shone, Su Ming and Hu Zi disappeared.
When they were gone, eldest senior brother and second senior brother did not relax. They talked about everything they needed to do to set up the Ninth Summit, then started doing their part.
Su Ming was so fast that in an instant he covered a boundless distance. Hu Zi was not much slower. As he took big strides forward, he drank from his pot.
This was, of course, not Su Ming's full speed, but he did not wish to use it anyway. Even if his connection with his clone had been severed, there was no use for him to be anxious, since it was already done.
The two people charged forward through the galaxy. Wherever they went, the whirlwind would fall back, and huge, long gaps would be torn open. Only when the two people had long since left the area would the gap slowly recover.
In just a few days, as Su Ming and Hu Zi charged forward with a speed akin to shifting, they arrived in the area of Heavenly Incense Rune. When they were hundreds of thousands of feet away from it, they found that the whirlwind there was thin. The galaxy distorted, and Su Ming as well as Hu Zi moved into the area with a single step.
Right away, Su Ming saw the nine vast Heavenly Incenses. The were one hundred thousand feet tall and gave off an incredibly grand feeling.
It was especially so for the two Heavenly Incenses which were still burning. Smoke curled into the heavens from them. It drifted in the galaxy, and the flickering heads of the incense sticks attracted the attention of anyone who looked at them.
Hu Zi had a grave expression on his honest face as he said in a low voice, "This is the Heavenly Incense Rune!"
Su Ming's gaze remained normal, but his pupils constricted slightly. He could see the vast Heavenly Incense Rune and the one hundred thousand cultivators sitting near it. Their expressions were different, but all of them had madness in their eyes… He also saw a figure practically stuck to the second burning Heavenly Incense. It was surrounded by smoke and had a rather indistinct feeling.
It was Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole!
Perhaps it was due to the haziness from the wisps of smoke, but the familiar clone actually gave Su Ming an unfamiliar feeling when he looked at it.
Chapter 1172: Retrieving the Clone that Practices the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Youngest junior brother, is that your clone?"
Hu Zi cast his gaze on Su Ming's clone under the second incense stick, and his pupils constricted. The divine ability he previously cast could only allow him to see a picture. He could not see the details, like levels of cultivation, but when he personally saw Su Ming's clone, he immediately sensed a powerful, mighty pressure coming from him.
That mighty pressure was not the product of a cultivation base, but was a great power that seemed as if it was about to erupt from a physical body. The strength of the clone's physical body made Hu Zi apprehensive. After all, he also practiced the path of cultivating his physical body.
As for his cultivation base, while his primary focus was the Dream Dao, in truth, he did not like that Dao and was more inclined to training his physical body. Because of it, he knew more than the others about just how terrifying was the power which could erupt from that physical body.
Hu Zi turned his head to look towards Su Ming. When he saw him nodding, Hu Zi sucked in a sharp breath in his heart. He had gauged Su Ming's level of cultivation previously, and he appeared to have stepped into Fate Realm not too long ago, but only at that moment did he realize that even his eldest senior brother and second senior brother might have miscalculated their youngest junior brother's true combat powers.
'Just a clone alone is enough to make me feel such mighty pressure. Heh heh, the Ninth Summit is destined to rise to power. Just how strong is youngest junior brother..?' Hu Zi grinned, looking very happy.
With his gaze fixed on all nine of the incense sticks, Su Ming took large strides towards the clone with a calm expression. Hu Zi quickly followed behind him. As for the bald crane, it sashayed over as well.
In its eyes, there was practically nothing in True Morning Dao World which could threaten Su Ming. Once the supreme treasure appeared, even if he ran into an Almighty in Death Realm, Su Ming would still be able to fight back.
If he ran into a Sublime Paragon, Su Ming might not be their opponent, but he would still be able to retreat with his body intact.
With that being the case, what should he be afraid of?
Su Ming did not move quickly. As he approached, a feeling of his cultivation base boiling immediately spread through his body. The closer he got to the Heavenly Incense Rune, the livelier his cultivation base grew, and he had a vague feeling as if he was about to reach a breakthrough. As he closed in, hints of an epiphany suddenly appeared in his mind.
However, this epiphany was slightly vague, so Su Ming could not make it out. It had come out of nowhere. When it echoed in Su Ming's mind, it fused with his cultivation base, making him feel as if it was about to reach a breakthrough regarding the fate in the world around him, thereby allowing him to control the fate in his own heart.
The change brought a thought to Su Ming's mind. He stopped moving. When he turned his head to look at Hu Zi, the other's expression was incredibly grave. There were numerous runic symbols flashing in his eyes. There were distortions around him as well. They seemed to have formed a Rune that enveloped Hu Zi within it.
"Hu Zi, wait for me here. Observe the Heavenly Incense Rune. If any changes occur in the Rune, you can detect it in time while you're here and tell me."
Su Ming could see the difficulties Hu Zi suffered. Unless he completely gave up on fighting back like the one hundred thousand cultivators in this place, he could sit down and practice his cultivation, but if he felt conflicted in his heart, then as he drew closer, it would be increasingly more difficult to fight against his urges.
Su Ming, however, had the supreme treasure with him. If any dangers appeared, it would not be difficult for him to retreat safely, but if Hu Zi entered the depths of this region, some accidents might occur, especially since he was a spirit of a Rune.
This was why Su Ming asked Hu Zi to wait for him there.
Hu Zi hesitated for a moment before nodding. He knew that since he was a spirit of a Rune, the effect of the Heavenly Incense Rune on him was stronger than on the other cultivators. In fact, the vague sense of the Rune calling to him far surpassed what other people sensed.
In the past, he had not entered deep into the region. If it was not because of Su Ming, he would not have come at all.
A thought appeared in the bald crane's head. It immediately stopped moving and put on an expression of incredible bravery, one which made it seem that it could sacrifice everything for Su Ming.
In truth though, when it drew close to the Rune, the feeling of its spirit boiling rose within it. This was not a good sign. Once the boiling of its soul reached its peak, its soul would scatter. This terrified the bald crane so much that it quickly stopped moving, but it felt this ruined its reputation as the great Grandpa Crane, which was why it suddenly spoke up.
"About that, Hu Zi is an impulsive person. I will volunteer my services and watch him here. Don't worry, Little Boy Su, I will absolutely not let him be impulsive."
Su Ming cast a glance at the bald crane with a ghost of a smile on his lips. When he turned around, he walked towards the Heavenly Incense Rune. His footsteps were not quick, and he did not move fast, but every single time he took a step, the galaxy would shudder slightly.
The mighty pressure spreading out from Su Ming's body grew increasingly stronger, putting up a fight against the Heavenly Incense Rune. When Su Ming walked past the one hundred thousand cultivators, the mighty pressure spreading out from his body reached an incredible state.
But the others could not see that while Su Ming's gaze remained determined, a hint of hesitation had arisen within him. This was because he sensed that his cultivation base… had actually reached a breakthrough!
Even though he could clearly sense that this breakthrough was false, the feeling that he had broken through the state of controlling only the fate around him to reach a state where he could control his own fate was incredibly great, giving him a sense that he had reached perfection in Fate Realm!
"This Rune is strange…"
Su Ming did not stop moving. As he took a step forward, he walked past the region where the one hundred thousand people were and stepped into an area less than ten thousand feet away from the Heavenly Incense Rune. About eight thousand something feet away from Su Ming, which was not too far away from where he was located, was the clone which practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole.
Su Ming's expression was composed. The hesitation in his eyes had already turned into a cold glare. He continued walking forward none too quickly, maintaining a speed that was not too fast. However, while he seemed to be moving slowly, it was definitely not the case. He was still moving so quickly that he instantly closed thousands of feet.
This scene caused Hu Zi to suck in a breath in his heart. Surprise appeared in his eyes. He could tell that Su Ming retained the clarity of his mind. The level of cultivation and determination required to be able to do this was incredibly terrifying.
"Heh heh, this is nothing. It's just barely the tip of the iceberg." The bald crane saw the surprise on Hu Zi's face and instantly put on a look of smug pride on its face.
Hu Zi hesitated for a moment before he looked at the bald crane. "What is youngest junior brother's level of cultivation?"
"Haha! I can't really tell, but currently, there are very few people who can kill him. Of course, I'm talking about the people in the four Great True Worlds." The bald crane became even more smug, as if it had been waiting for Hu Zi to ask that question. "I've never lied. Have you heard of the Ancient Gods? Those tall giants."
Hu Zi was momentarily stunned, but he answered after a moment of thought. "Ancient Gods? You mean the Grand Immortals that belong to the Ancient people? I've naturally seen them before…"
"Su Ming killed one of them earlier, but it was with my help."
The bald crane might be speaking casually, but the smug look on its face made it seem as if it was not talking about Su Ming but itself, and it was even in a boastful tone.
Hu Zi shook his head with force. Buzzing sounds appeared in his ears. He was aware of the Ancient God's strength, and he had even witnessed it with his own eyes before. A huge storm began to rage in his heart.
"Ahem, to be exact, he killed two of them. The second one was right at the spot where you were drinking together. The Ancient God over there ended up being devoured by Su Ming. Of course, this was also with this Grandpa Crane's help," the bald crane continued with a look of pride.
As Hu Zi and the bald crane spoke to each other, Su Ming closed the distance of several thousands of feet with a relaxed expression. He came to the spot where his clone meditated and cast a glance at the Heavenly Incense Rune. At that moment, the ripples of power in his body grew stronger, but it could not be seen on his face.
The intensity of the ripples made Su Ming feel like if he took a few more steps, his level of cultivation would break through Fate Realm and he would take a step into Life Realm. In fact, Su Ming had a strong feeling that if he continued walking forward, not only would he reach a breakthrough in Fate Realm, he could even break through Death Realm and the Sublime Paragon Realm.
This feeling was so strong that it turned into a great temptation. Even if he knew it was fake, it was still difficult for him to suppress the urge to walk forward. This urge was so strong that it became easy for cultivators to ignore the scattering of their own soul while they felt like reaching a breakthrough in their levels of cultivation.
However, the souls of all those who stepped into this region would begin to disperse. It was as if everything in this place was false, as if besides the strange characteristics of the Heavenly Incense Rune, even all of them were fake, and that fact would be made true when their souls and bodies completely disintegrated.
That was why Su Ming had lost his connection with the portion of his soul in the clone—it had completely disintegrated.
Su Ming stood beside his clone with a contemplative expression on his face. After a moment, he raised his right hand and placed it on the top of his clone's skull. The moment he did so, his clone swiftly opened his eyes. A gray light shone within them, revealing a consciousness and chilling glare that did not belong to Su Ming.
The clone moved, wanting to avoid Su Ming's right hand from landing on him. A great physical power erupted from its body, a ripple of power that charged straight at Su Ming to devour him.
Su Ming remained calm. A hint of derision appeared at the corners of his mouth. He did not stop moving his right hand. With the same speed as before, he pushed his right hand at the top of the clone's skull.
A ripple swiftly spread out from the ring on his right index finger. The next moment, the clone shuddered and found… that it could not get up. Crazed madness appeared in the gray light of its eyes, but the struggle did not last for long. Su Ming struck the top of the clone's skull.
The gray light in its eyes vanished without a trace. Gradually, a brilliant light belonging to Su Ming appeared in the clone's eyes like a burning flame.
Hu Zi saw the whole scene with his own eyes. He was watching when the physical body, which had given off the feeling of incredible power, not being able to put up any resistance before Su Ming. This might be because the clone belonged to Su Ming in the first place, but its betrayal had been suppressed so easily that it spoke volumes of Su Ming's level of cultivation. It had to have reached an inconceivable state!
"Is youngest junior brother… in Death Realm?" Hu Zi asked instinctively in a foolish manner, his mind having gone numb.
"Death Realm? What even is Death Realm? Forget about him. Look, Little Boy Su grew up quickly under my help. Do you want to consider respecting me with hundreds… no, tens of millions of crystals every year? I can guarantee you that your level of cultivation will raise by leaps and bounds as well.
"So? Think about it, this is a rare chance. Young Hu Zi, you have to seize this chance." The bald crane's eyes glowed. It had been confusing the honest-looking man with its words earlier for this very moment.
Chapter 1173: Copy
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming did not pay any attention to the bald crane playing around with Hu Zi. At that moment, all of his attention was trained on the Heavenly Incense Rune before him. He fell into pensive silence.
The Heavenly Incense Rune could sever his connection with the portion of his soul. It could even make his clone give birth to its own consciousness. This made Su Ming apprehensive. In fact, he had a vague feeling that this Rune… seemed to specially target Abyss Builders.
While all Almighties in the universe would have clones, the Abyss Builders' creation of clones was the most mysterious. In fact, they occupied most of their path of cultivation.
With their clones, they could increase their power. This was a principle unique to Abyss Builders and was something other paths of cultivation could not compare. In fact, it was the subject of incredible envy and jealousy from the other races.
In silence, Su Ming turned his head to cast a glance at his clone. Su Ming was certain that he had wiped off the consciousness which had been born in the clone and had fused another portion of his soul in it.
After Su Ming carefully pondered over the Heavenly Incense Rune, a barely noticeable glint shone in his eyes. He raised his right hand and pointed at his clone. Immediately, his divine sense charged out with a bang and fused with the clone's body. After searching it thoroughly, he did not find any problems.
No matter how Su Ming stared at him, his clone looked the exact same as he did before he entered the Heavenly Incense Rune—like it belonged completely to him. The feeling of it being part of his body was incredibly clear.
This scene caused Su Ming to frown slightly.
'Could it be that I'm overthinking things?'
Su Ming pondered over this for a moment before he sent a divine thought to his clone. The clone's eyes immediately sparkled, and he slowly stood up, obeying Su Ming's will. The moment he was about to leave Heavenly Incense Rune's territory, Su Ming sent his divine thought into the clone once again.
He controlled the portion of his soul with his divine thought to make the clone return to him, but the clone did not stop. Instead, he charged out of the Heavenly Incense Rune's territory and turned into a long arc that dashed into the distance.
Su Ming's eyes shone with a freezing glare. With a cold harrumph, he raised his foot, intending to chase after him, but at that moment, the nine Heavenly Incenses suddenly jolted.
Numerous ripples spread out. The wisps of smoke drifting from the two burning Heavenly Incenses swiftly descended and surrounded the area, blocking Su Ming's path to his clone.
At the same time, a vast mighty pressure spread out from the Heavenly Incense Rune. Right away, Su Ming felt like he was sinking into mud. His soul could no longer be optimized with ease, and he felt sleepy.
Su Ming might have been able to recover in a few breaths, but this short delay was enough for the clone beyond the blockade formed by the wisps of smoke to leave into the distance.
A chilling glare appeared in Su Ming's eyes, but he did not continue chasing. Instead, he watched the clone leave into the distance. Hu Zi was stunned by this scene; he was slightly puzzled as to what had happened.
'I knew that there was a problem. Once the Heavenly Incense Rune severed my connection with the clone, it wouldn't be that easy to form a connection again. The clone not only has his own independent consciousness, he has also learned deception. The method he used just now to handle matters is similar to what I would have done.
Before I arrived, he might have already made preparations for this and created plenty of backup plans… But if he was prepared for this a long time ago, why did he stay here? He could just leave…'
Su Ming cast a glance in the direction of where the clone had disappeared. A hint of a cold smile appeared on his lips, but there was uncertainty in his eyes.
'I wonder if I can find any traces of myself in the consciousness born in the clone… I'd like to see just where the clone will go now that he has his own independent will.'
A freezing glare shone in Su Ming's eyes. He then turned around and no longer bothered with the clone who had now disappeared. Instead, he cast his gaze on the Heavenly Incense Rune.
'This Rune has been in this place for years. I wonder if Su Xuan Yi ever came here before… Logically thinking, he should have come here before, but the chances of him using his real self to arrive in this place are slim to none. After all, his real self was sealed in the isolation grounds of Morning Dao Sect. Based on this, if he truly came to this place before, then the one who came would have definitely been his clone.
'If that is the case… I don't know how many clones Su Xuan Yi has, but the clone who investigated this place in the past must have gained its own will.
'This Rune… even if it is not targeted against Abyss Builders, the effect it has on Abyss Builders is incredibly great. After all, even if the clones from other cultivators come to this place and face the risk of forming their own consciousness, those people refine their clones every once in a while anyway.
'But it's not the same for Abyss Builders. We have very few refinement methods since we do not need to refine our clones. Once we Possess our target, we can form a clone, and because of that, this clone will never betray us or form its own will. After all… for us, there is not much difference between our real selves and our clones!
'If we must talk about differences, then there is only one. The Abyss Builder's soul is like a person's body, and the clones are like clothes, that is all!'
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. He moved slowly towards the Heavenly Incense Rune, no longer in a hurry to leave. The strangeness of the Heavenly Incense Rune had piqued his interest.
'There were three Heavenly Incenses burning previously…'
When Su Ming took a step forward, he raised his right hand and seized the space in the direction of the one hundred thousand meditating cultivators. One of them immediately shuddered and turned into a long arc that charged towards him. Su Ming pressed his hand at the top of his skull. His divine sense surged into him, and he found that the cultivator was not at all injured. He then sent him back, because Su Ming had already found his answer.
'When my clone arrived in this place, he was about to leave, but the third incense extinguished. That's what happened. Yet when my clone approached this place, my connection to him was already lost.
'There were nine Heavenly Incenses burning before. Now, seven are extinguished. Then, is there a possibility that the extinguishing of the Heavenly Incense Rune is not related to time alone, but also another reason? That is… due to making a clone form its consciousness. Seven incenses would mean that seven clones have become independent.
'But this is also wrong. Heavenly Incense Rune has been here for countless years. There must be plenty of clones that have formed their own consciousness because of it. If each of them caused one Heavenly Incense to be extinguished, there would have been no more burning Heavenly Incenses since a long time ago.
'This… either I have made a wrong assumption, or a certain condition must be met, such as only an Abyss Builder's clone can make it extinguish, or that besides satisfying this condition, there is also a requirement for the level of cultivation. Perhaps there are other requirements as well.'
Su Ming took a step forward and moved to an area nearly one thousand feet from the nine Heavenly Incenses.
At the instant, a wave of ripples erupted from the cultivation base in his body, instantly causing Su Ming's mind to stop working. In the mid of the ripple of power no one else could see, Su Ming sensed that he had reached a breakthrough in Fate Realm. He had entered Life Realm, though it was false.
The epiphany of reaching Life Realm filled Su Ming's mind, but when he tried searching for it in detail, he found that his mind was blank.
In silence, Su Ming frowned. The closer he came to the Heavenly Incense Rune, the more prominent was the feeling of his mind warning him that there was something dangerous around. It was as if there was a secret lying between the Heavenly Incense Rune and his clone. That secret was the key to why the clone had not left after he had formed his own consciousness but had instead waited for Su Ming.
Yet Su Ming could not figure out why even after some time passed.
His expression was dark. He cast a glance at the Heavenly Incense Rune, then decided to continue walking forward. When he was around five hundred feet away from the Rune, his cultivation base let out a bang and reached a breakthrough, arriving at Death Realm. This power felt incredible to Su Ming, as if… he had truly reached this Realm.
When the ripple from the ring on his right index finger spread out, Su Ming recovered from the false perception. A glint appeared in his eyes. When he raised his head to look at the nine Heavenly Incenses, he lifted his right hand. A powerful ray of white light spread out from the ring, and it expanded rapidly through the area. In a forceful manner, it spread to the nine Heavenly Incenses. At the instant it swept past them, Su Ming cast his gaze on the third incense stick.
At that moment, Su Ming saw a presence that was almost the exact same as his in the third Heavenly Incense. While Su Ming's cultivation base increased exponentially in the illusion, it seemed to continuously analyze Su Ming and perform a certain form… of copying!
'No wonder the clone waited for me here even though he had already gained consciousness. He predicted that I would definitely come to this place, and he needed me to come here.
'He wanted to lure me here so that the Heavenly Incense which had extinguished because of him copy my path of cultivation and the future path I will take for my cultivation. Once it copies it, it will definitely use some sort of special method to make my clone sense it.
'This is equivalent to the incense stick providing the clone with the exact same path of cultivation as mine.It will also give the clone the chance to surpass me.'
Su Ming's experiences over the years had already honed his intelligence until it was like that of a monster. The moment he connected all the suspicious parts together, he found the truth behind all the strangeness.
'Copying… clone of mine, you were created by me, and you are the body I formed after I Possessed the Crimson Python Phoenix. You became stronger as I practiced the secret art of Surging Indulgers. You went through the various changes to mend the flaw in your Life, and you gained perfection when I devoured the Ancient God. From the beginning to the end, you were created by me.
'You are just a mere clone. How dare you harbor such ambitions against me? You want to copy my future path? I'd like to see whether this Heavenly Incense Rune is worthy of copying me! If you can completely copy me, then I will give away this clone. There is in fact no harm in me giving you a serendipity!'
Arrogance appeared on Su Ming's face. After going through everything in his life, he had confidence in his words.
It was the confidence that all cultivators and powerful warriors had to have.