Chapter 785: Leaving Crimson Flame Planet
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"You keep saying that I am an Abyss Builder, but not even I know my own origins," Su Ming said in a low tone, after having remained silent for a time. At that moment, the rate of the sealed region's collapse had reached its most extreme state. Dust rose in clouds, filling the entire area. Shattered stones fell off the walls. The entire sealed region was rumbling, and most of it had already collapsed.
All the people who had come to this place with Su Ming had already died. At that moment, besides the sealed region crumbling and collapsing around him, there was no longer anything else that posed a danger to him.
Su Ming looked at the Duke of Crimson Flame, at the mighty cultivator that had lived for an unknown amount of years. He still remembered how the duke had called him, still recalled that he had said they came from the same homeland.
"I came from the fifth True World… There is no way I would misjudge your soul. That is the pure presence of the sacred Abyss Builders.
"You are an Abyss Builder, and also what all the races under the Abyss Pact formed in the fifth True World have acknowledged… the royal race!
"Under the Abyss Pact, all the races obey the sacred Abyss Builders. They will burn their Abyss Soul Flags into their souls, form the indestructible Crazed Rebirth… Each Abyss Builder has his own Abyssal World. They will arrange the cycles of reincarnation in that world, and they are the one and only… that can resurrect the dead in the entire universe!
"A long time ago… I already don't remember how long it has been, but the fifth True World, which is the home of our races, was invaded by the four True Worlds at the same time.
"It was a war aiming to destroy us all. This galaxy we are now was one of the battlefields in the past… In the end, we lost the war. The fifth True World collapsed, and the people of all the races either died or were sealed.
"However, the four True Worlds paid a devastating price for this as well. It was the first time they came to realize just how powerful the fifth True World was.
"None of the four Great True Worlds were the fifth True World's opponent alone. Even if two of the True Worlds worked together, it would still be difficult for them to rock the fifth True World.
"But if the four of them working together, then were able to gain a power that the fifth True World could no longer suppress. It was a war that lasted for tens of thousands of years. During that time, the fifth True World was torn to pieces, and the people from all the tens of thousands of races suffered a grave number of casualties.
"I know that you don't feel any hint of belonging to the place I've just described. After all, you aren't an Abyss Builder that lived during that era, but I do know that Abyss Builders were the main targets of extermination for the four Great True Worlds during the war. I don't know where you came from, but I'm certain that your father, mother, and your ancestors died during the war." The Duke of Crimson Flame's voice reverberated in the air with an ancient air and a solemn tone.
Su Ming remained silent. He did not speak. This was the first time he heard of these things. However, it was just as the duke had spoken. Those words could not strike a chord within him. Su Ming was Su Ming. The fifth True World was merely the fifth True World.
After some time, Su Ming asked, "Where is the entrance to the fifth True World?'
"The fifth True World is no longer around, so how could there still be an entrance leading to it? Even if it exists, I was sealed by the four Great True Worlds before the war ended, so I wouldn't be known about it." The Duke of Crimson Flame shook his head, then looked at Su Ming. It had been just a while since the sealing sword had disappeared from the top of his skull, but a large amount of flesh had already gathered on his face.
"Let's not talk about the fifth True World anymore. It doesn't matter whether you are an Abyss Builder or not, and whether you acknowledge your status or not, let's make a personal deal." The dark light in the Duke of Crimson Flame's eyes began to shine brighter.
"I want to restore my cultivation base, I want to gather together my Lunar Kalpa once again, but it's impossible to do so in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. There's practically no Plane Kalpa aura here.
"But even so, with my control over laws, mastery over my physical body, and understanding over rules, it would not be difficult for me to kill all those who are not in the later stage of World Plane Realm or higher.
"You are just in Earth Cultivation Realm. Even if you are capable of killing a person in World Plane Realm using all your skills, you can only fight against those in the initial stage of it. If you run into those in the middle stage of World Plane Realm, you will surely die!
"I could provide you protection and even attack for you." The Duke of Crimson Flame's eyes shone as he spoke slowly.
"So? Not only will I attack for you, I will also grant you a great serendipitous event. This sealed region might be collapsing, but it contains my physical power which has been stripped from me over the years. I have no use for this power, but it'll be incredibly useful to you. At the very least, it can make your physical body so strong that it'll reach the pinnacle of Heaven Cultivation Realm. In fact, it won't be impossible for your physical body to reach the state of a Lord of a World Plane.
"This will be a trade. I will give you all these, and what you'll need to do is something really simple. I just need a promise. When you form your Abyssal World and lay out the cycles of reincarnation in it, please retrieve the Abyss Soul Flags that belong to Surging Indulgers and resurrect the millions of my people who died during the war.
"As long as you promise me this, then I, the Duke of Crimson Flame, will willingly comply to the Abyss Pact and do my best to support you!" The Duke of Crimson Flame's voice hummed in the air. As it echoed in all directions, Su Ming's heart shook.
"Don't tell me the answer just yet. After all, you are the first native I met after I woke up. It doesn't matter whether we end up sealing the deal, I will still give you the serendipity.
"This place is filled with my physical power, but it's useless to me. My Lunar Kalpa is no longer around, and as long as I don't gather it together, I can train neither my physical body nor my cultivation base.
"I will… give all of them to you. Absorb as much as you can."
While speaking, the Duke of Crimson Flame lifted his right hand. A whirlpool immediately appeared on the purplish black magma beneath him. As it rotated with loud rumbling sounds, the vast physical power in the place surged towards Su Ming.
An endless amount of thin threads also charged over from all directions, filling the space around Su Ming.
A focused glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He sucked in a breath, and all his pores opened up. A thick, boundless wave of physical power surged into his body and began to strengthen his blood, flesh, bones, and everything else that forms a powerful physical body.
A strong sense of strength that Su Ming longed for gathered together as he sucked in that breath. He could clearly feel his physical body getting stronger, little by little, with each breath he took.
This form of increase in physical power caused Su Ming to have a clear sense of his growing strength. His heart raced against his chest. Each beat was powerful, pushing his blood to circulate through his body and fuse with the incoming physical power. After one circulation, it was as if his cultivation base had completed a circuit in his body. He felt much stronger than before
Su Ming longed to get stronger. He desired the power to control his own fate, or else he would never have agreed to come to the sealed region with Tian Lin.
A bang went off in Su Ming's head. While he was covered entirely by that endless physical power, the Duke of Crimson Flame's voice reached his ears.
"The people sent by the four Great True Worlds to fend against this place might have already noticed that a True Guard died. We can't stay here for long."
Right then, the Duke of Crimson Flame formed a seal with his right hand and pushed against the purplish black magma. With it, the collapsing sealed region started shaking. As layers upon layers of the land hardened. the ground and walls looked as if they had been sealed and no longer continued collapsing. Instead, they turned into a gigantic piece of rock.
This rock was the entire sealed region. At that moment, under the influence of the Duke of Crimson Flame's divine ability, a shudder wrecked through the rock that was the sealed region. With it, nine layers of ripples immediately appeared at the surrounding the place.
The nine layers of ripples turned into nine layers of distortions. Those distortions moved together with the ripples, and in the blink of an eye, covered the entire rock. Once they filled up every single part on the rock, a loud rumble shook the entire Crimson Flame Planet, reverberating through the night sky outside.
The hearts of a countless number of cultivators shook, and the ferocious beasts begun to roar. At that moment, the rock that was the sealed region in Crimson Flame Planet… vanished with a hum.
It disappeared. The inner part of Crimson Flame Planet became empty.
The disappearance was due to a warp. It was the Duke of Crimson Flame using the last shred of his power in Plane Kalpa Realm to execute a large-scale warp so that he could shift the entire sealed region and leave… Crimson Flame Planet.
In the boundless galaxy there were many meteors rushing about. At that moment, nine layers of ripples took shape within one of the meteors. In the blink of an eye, the rock that was the sealed region appeared inside.
The Duke of Crimson Flame's eyes became dull, but he did not immediately enter rest to recover. Instead, he turned his head to stare at the bald crane not too far in the distance, which had been toying around with the sealed sword previously, but was now flapping its wings in a slight panic once the entire sealed region had been shifted.
"Sir, just who are you?"
"Darn it, why didn't you tell me beforehand that you were going to shift? Damn it all, you scared the crap out of me! My heart is still thumping hard here. You scared me. I hate being moved abruptly the most. I have a trauma about it. I definitely have some sort of trauma about it." The bald crane's face was stark pale. When it heard the Duke of Crimson Flame's words, it immediately glared at him.
Not too far from the purplish black magma where the man and crane were located was Su Ming, who had his eyes closed at the moment. He was continuously absorbing the physical power around him.
His physical body was becoming increasingly stronger, and his heart was letting out loud thumps. He was immersed in this state of continuously getting more powerful, like a caterpillar that had turned into a cocoon and was in the process of forming its new life to become a butterfly.
Not long after the sealed region shifted away and hid itself in the meteor, a mighty pressure that shook the sky and earth appeared with a bang beyond the galaxy in which Crimson Flame Planet resided. A large amount of distortions spread out, and after a moment, one, two, three ships…
A total of thirty-seven gigantic ships of several hundreds of thousands of feet shot through space and manifested in the area beyond Crimson Flame Planet. Electrical arcs spread out from these ships, and the oppressive force coming from them made the entire Crimson Flame Planet tremble.
There were nearly a thousand people standing on each ship. Numerous presences in World Plane Realm spread out from the bow of the ships. In fact, in the middle of these ships was a longship, and there was a presence bursting forth from it that overshadowed all the other presences. It even formed half a sun from gigantic bolts of lightning in the galaxy!
Since it was half a sun, it looked like a moon.
That was… the power of those who were had taken half a step into Solar Kalpa Realm, and that stage was known as Lunar Kalpa Realm.
Chapter 786: A Hundred Years
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
No light could be seen in the dark galaxy, and neither could any sound be heard. There was only silence that seemed like it would exist only in nirvana.
Occasionally, a ray of light would appear. That ray of light was born after two unknown substances crashed against each other in the dark galaxy. The lifespan of these rays of light was short, and they would be gone in the blink of an eye.
Cold, silence, and darkness became the eternal cantus in this galaxy.
A hundred years ago, there was once a meteor shower that drew out long arcs in the galaxy as it went past the area, heading into an unknown area located in the distance. A hundred years ago, there was another meteor shower that charged past the same spot the previous group of meteors had visited.
After flying in some sort of ring-shaped trajectory for a hundred years, the group of meteors passed by this place once again. However, compared to a hundred years ago, the number of meteors had went down, and the remaining ones had become much smaller.
No one would know that there was a rock that was a sealed region contained in one of the gigantic meteors in the group of meteors. Within that rock was purplish black magma.
And there was a person sitting in the magma.
That person was a young man with gray hair. He looked as if he was in deep sleep. There was a light shining on his body that would occasionally be bright, but sometimes dark. Waves of cold air were spreading out from the purplish black magma around him. There was also a large amount of rotten red threads gathered nearby. If someone cast their gaze into the distance, they would find that there was no end to the magma.
During these hundred years, Su Ming had been immersed in absorbing the Duke of Crimson Flame's physical power. As he continued absorbing and repairing his body, the strength in his physical body increased, and he became stronger and stronger with each day.
Within forty years, his physical body had surpassed that of Earth Cultivation Realm and he arrived at the starting point of Heaven Cultivation Realm. Su Ming, who had refined his physical power to the point that he had reached this state, had arrived at a level where his body could resist those in Heaven Cultivation Realm.
In fact, his punches could even cause the core of a Heaven Cultivation Realm cultivator's life force to shake.
That effect would be from him just using the power in his physical body, not his cultivation base. If Su Ming added his cultivation base and all his divine abilities into the mix, then even if he ran into a powerful World Paragon, he would definitely win, as long as he or she did not use the power of World Planes.
After all, World Planes was the strongest power to World Paragons. If someone cast an ordinary divine ability with the power of World Planes, they would be able to overturn the world just by raising their hand.
Su Ming knew about this clearly. When he ran into those Dao Slaves while he was in the land of Berserkers, they had been incredibly powerful even though they had not even used the power of World Planes. Now that he thought about it, it was not that they did not want to use it, but the laws in the land of Berserkers had limited the Dao Slaves' power. It might not have affected their levels of cultivation by much, but the suppression towards their use of the power of World Planes had been incredibly deep.
If the current Su Ming had been there in the land of Berserkers at that time, then he would have been able to forcefully subdue those Dao Slaves whose power of World Planes had been suppressed, and he would not have needed to borrow anyone else's power to do so. He would have been able to resolve that disaster that had nearly pushed him into despair by himself.
"A Lord of a World Plane… I wonder when my physical body and my cultivation base will be able to move into that state. Only at that time will I be truly considered a powerful warrior in this galaxy!"
While Su Ming continued meditating in his seated position, his eyes flew open, and a brilliant light flashed briefly through them.
Before he became a Lord of a World Plane, he could use the poisonous wasp and the treasured gourd against enemies who executed the power of World Planes. He was confident that he wasn't unable to fight back at all.
Popping sounds came from Su Ming's body continuously. It was the noise of his bones and flesh scraping against each other. If anyone else besides the Duke of Crimson Flame was here, they would definitely be shocked by it.
Each sound contained the feeling as if something had been crushed. When it reached someone's ears, it would feel as if their own body was about to shatter as well. This was a feeling that was very difficult to describe with words, but it was one that people could feel deeply in their hearts.
'A Lord of a World Plane!' Su Ming's eyes shone with great longing.
"If you want to become a Lord of a World Plane, then you must possess an Essence of a World, and the Essence of a World is the fixed power contained in each world," a hoarse voice explained, coming from not too far from a bald man.
That man was incredibly tall and well built. He was nearly twenty feet tall, and was sitting cross-legged on the magma like an iron tower. There was no hair on his head, only the totem of a ferocious beast that had the body of a snake and six pairs of wings growing on it. It was carved onto the top of his head like a brand.
If anyone took a closer look, they would find faint marks of fire around the ferocious beast's totem, making it seem as if the beast was a ferocious creature of flames. The man with this totem was naturally the Duke of Crimson Flame!
During the hundred years after leaving the seal, flesh and blood had grown on his body once again, and he had returned to how he originally looked in the past. There was a wide robe covering his body, giving him a unique temperament.
"There are plenty of cultivation planets in the galaxy. You can call each of these cultivation planets a World. As long as there is a World, there will be an Essence of a World, which is also the power of a World Plane.
"If you want to become the Lord of a World Plane and absorb the power of a World Plane to make yourself perfect, then you must obtain the Essence of the World's acknowledgement. Only when the Essence of the World in one World acknowledges you, can you absorb its power and become a Lord of a World Plane.
"The greater a World is, the greater the Essence of a World it contains, and the greater the number of Lords of World Planes in it would be, and vice versa. The deciding factor for the number of Lords of World Planes in a World is not just based on the cultivators themselves. The Essence of the World plays an even greater role in deciding how many people it can accommodate to absorb it.
"If the number the Essence of the World in a World can accommodate has reached its full capacity, then no matter how great your potential is, you will still be unable to become a World Paragon. After all, there are only that many spots. If you still want to become a World Paragon, then unless you leave the place and search for another World, you will only obtain your chance if a World Paragon dies and his spot becomes empty.
"The galaxy is huge, and there are plenty of cultivation planets. It also means that there are far too many Worlds. However, from what I know, almost all the Worlds that have been discovered have all their spots for World Paragons filled."
Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the Duke of Crimson Flame. He did not speak.
"Several Lords of World Planes have died on Crimson Flame Planet, but besides that True Guard, the others cannot really be considered true World Paragons. It's not that they lack potential, but the Worlds from which they sought acknowledgement are damaged. The Essence of the World contained within these Worlds is practically dry, which is why their accomplishments stopped the moment they became World Paragons.
"In fact, they cannot even continue understanding rules and laws, so how could they even be called World Paragons?
"Only that True Guard could be considered a real World Paragon. After all, the World where he became a World Paragon is not located in this galaxy, which had turned into a battlefield. It's in the galaxy beyond this place. After his death, a spot had been emptied in the World where he became a World Paragon, but by now, someone might have already snatched it a long time ago."
Su Ming remained silent for a moment, then said slowly, "If that's the case, then it's practically impossible to become a Lord of a World Plane in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence?"
A glint appeared in the Duke of Crimson Flame's eyes before he spoke in a low voice. "It's not up to me to say whether you have a chance or not. It depends on your choice.
"First, you must understand why those after Heaven Cultivation Realm are known as Lords of World Planes and World Paragons. One is a lord, and the other a paragon, if you think about this, you will be able to obtain many answers with these two words.
"A true Lord of a World Plane is the supreme paragon within his or her own World Plane, just like a master. In fact, in his own World Plane, he can even bring out power that exceeds his level of cultivation, and he can fight against those who have higher levels of cultivation but who are not Lords of World Planes in that World.
"That is why they are known as lords and paragons.
"Once they leave their World Planes, they will be like fish out of water. They might still be able to survive and still be powerful, but once they use up too much of their energy, it'll be very difficult for them to restore their power of their World Planes.
"That's why those who have become World Paragons will rarely leave their World Planes. Even if they leave, they will usually return soon. If they cannot return, then they will bring with them the World Stones that belong to their World to maintain their strength, just like that True Guard. His storage bag is just around… Hmm? Ahem, I might not have opened it, but I'm certain that there's a World Stone in there."
When the Duke of Crimson Flame said those words, his expression became slightly strange. He remembered that the storage bag had not been too far from him before the last time he closed his eyes to recover, but it was gone now.
"There's also another method for a Lord of a World Plane to remain at his peak condition wherever he is. This method is simple, and many people use it, and it is… also the foundation of a Lord of a World Plane's training.
"They will continuously aim to gain the acknowledgement of different Worlds, one after another, and snatch the spots of World Paragons that belong to other people. Once they obtain five thousand spots of World Paragons, they will reach the middle stage of World Plane Realm. If they gain ten thousand spots, then they will reach the later stage of World Plane Realm.
"They will then merge the power of those ten thousand Worlds together and fuse them into one. After that, all their defects will be completely mended, and they will be able to attain great completion in World Plane Realm. If they are to take a step further after attaining great completion, they will be able to give birth to a wisp of presence that belongs to Kalpa, which will then allow them to reach Lunar Kalpa Realm. If they take one more step further, they will reach the pinnacle, which is Solar Kalpa Realm."
"No matter how many worlds there are, there will still be more cultivators. The spots are limited. Is that why there are wars and why the four Great True Worlds invaded the fifth True World?" Su Ming suddenly asked.
"This is what I have come to understand as someone in Lunar Kalpa Realm, but since our positions are different, the answers we obtain will be different. Yet no matter what, if you want to become a World Paragon, then you must kill, seize, and snatch," The Duke of Crimson Flame spoke with a light tone, but the meaning behind his words gave off a hint of brutality that could not be concealed.
"What is cultivation? Cultivation is killing, seizing, snatching. If you can kill, if you can seize before others, if you can snatch what originally did not belong to you, then you will be able to head to the peak. If you can continue on with your path, then you will naturally be the peak.
"There are four Great Kalpa Lords in the four Great True Worlds, Dao Chen from True Morning Dao World and the Sacred Sovereign from True Sacred Yin World are Kalpa Lords. They are powerful because they have an entire True World's resources under their wing, providing them with power, allowing their power to reach a state where they can even create their own world.
"After the four Great Kalpa Lords are the four Great True Progenitors. They are old monsters who are even more terrifying than Kalpa Lords, but even so, the galaxy is too big, and there are too many powerful warriors. Even if you've reached the state of the four Great True Progenitors, you might still have yet to reach the peak.
"So what if they can control fate, lives, and deaths? Your ancestor, who is an Abyss Builder and also the Sovereign of the fifth True World, died because the madness that was the Rho Leonis Disaster… His people were exterminated. I don't know how you managed to survive, but your Abyss Builder ancestors must have paid a huge price in exchange for a small handful of your people to continue living."
Su Ming's breathing instantly became rapid. The Duke of Crimson Flame's words caused a bang to go off in his head. He remembered what his second senior brother had said. In an age long past, in True Morning Dao World there had once been a couple attacked by the entire True Morning Dao World.
"Abyss… Builder…" Su Ming mumbled.
"If you ever have the chance to return to the fifth True World, head to your homeland. It's very easy to search for that place. There is a Milky Way formed by an array of stars in the galaxy there. In that Milky Way… is a faint blue cultivation planet. If it's still around, not having been destroyed along with your people, then you should be able to find it."
Chapter 787: I'll Give It All to You…
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"You said just now that an ancestor of my people reached a state where he could control fate, lives, and death?" Su Ming closed his eyes. After some time, when he opened them, they were already calm.
This sight fell into the Duke of Crimson Flame's eyes, and praise appeared on his face. One of the keys to becoming a powerful warrior was to be able to calm oneself down within a short amount of time.
It wasn't that a person who could control his own emotions would definitely become a powerful warrior that could reach the peak, but almost every single powerful warrior at the peak could do this.
"The ancestor of your people, the Sovereign of all races in the fifth True World, had indeed reached a state where he could control fate, lives, and deaths, and we believe that if this war had not occurred, the Sovereign would have definitely surpassed that realm and reached a pinnacle that remains a mystery to all of us." When the Duke of Crimson Flame spoke about the Sovereign of the fifth True World, fanaticism appeared in his eyes.
"Cultivation is killing, seizing, snatching." Su Ming remained silent for a short while. When he spoke, the banging sounds in his body became even louder. He also stood up slowly from his seated position. At the moment he straightened up, a powerful presence erupted from his body.
That presence turned into a vortex that swept outwards from where Su Ming was.
The bald crane, which was snoring by the side, shivered at that moment and opened its eyes. When it saw the vortex around Su Ming's body, it yawned, mumbled a few words under its breath, then returned to sleeping.
"Since you told me so much, you must have a way for me to absorb a sufficient amount of power of World Planes in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. Tell me, I'll agree to the trade." Su Ming sucked in a deep breath. He lifted his right hand and furled his fingers slowly into a fist, experiencing the might traveling through his palm.
Forty years ago, his physical body had reached a state where he could resist those in the initial stage of Heaven Cultivation Realm. On this day forty years later, while he still had yet to reach the pinnacle of Heaven Cultivation Realm, his physical body was so strong that he was no longer too far from that state.
"You are an Abyss Builder, but in my memories, the Abyss Builders' cultivation system is different from yours. You took the wrong path. First of all, this physical body isn't your true body. The Abyss Builders' true body is incredibly important. It is their foundation.
"Your true body is…" The Duke of Crimson Flame hesitated for a moment before he looked at Su Ming.
"My true body has been sealed away. Right now, I don't have enough power to retrieve it," Su Ming stated flatly.
"Sealed away? Then we can also say that it is in a perfectly safe state. If it is sealed, then it means that someone either cannot or does not want to destroy it. If that is the case, it also means, then it is safe. We don't have to worry too much about it," the Duke of Crimson Flame said, after a moment of pensive silence. His thought process seemed to be very strange.
"Let's not talk about your true body. The Abyss Builders are skilled in building clones. The way they mend their defects is simple and straightforward. With their true bodies, they will mend their souls, and with their clones, they will mend their bodies, laws, potential. Whatever it is that they're lacking, they will Possess a clone with the ability to mend those defects.
"The body you possess now has a hint of a law that can disassemble and destroy things. Those who possess this power are the Indomitable Fighters and the Crimson Python Phoenixes. Judging by your presence, you should have Possessed a Crimson Python Phoenix's body and formed a clone from it.
"You practice the Surging Indulgers' divine abilities… But I have two questions that you'll have to answer first." A glint appeared in the Duke of Crimson Flame's eyes. As he looked at Su Ming, he asked the questions that had been plaguing his mind for a long time.
"First, how did you learn the method we Surging Indulgers use to refine our bodies?
"Second, besides the presence of an Abyss Builder, I can also sense… a hint of Heavenly Phantoms on your soul. Heavenly Phantoms are one of the four races that are chiefs in the fifth True World. Their seal is on your soul." The Duke of Crimson Flame's eyes shone brightly as he spoke slowly.
"I come from a place called Yin Death Region. There is a remnant of a few races in that place. I obtained the Surging Indulgers' cultivation method there and some time later was forcefully sent to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence by an ancient existence in Yin Death Region.
"Its goal is to make me search for their king. As for the seal you speak of, it does indeed exist," Su Ming said calmly.
The Duke of Crimson Flame frowned, as if he was thinking about something. After a long time, he furrowed his brows even more.
"If I was at the peak of my condition, I could break the seal for you, but now, I am powerless to do so. Still, I've looked at the seal carefully. It won't do much harm to you. In fact, it'll bring a certain amount of benefits.
"Let's not talk about that, either, for now. I do indeed have a way for you to obtain the power of World Plane in this galaxy, but that is strictly limited for your physical body. Yet this method will cause this physical body of yours to no longer be able to use any sort of divine ability. You will only be able to train your Qi.
"That's why you'll need to Possess another body to train your cultivation base.
"If you agree to it, then I will teach you the Great Art of World Indulgence: Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole. If you practice your cultivation with this Art, you will be able to devour all manner of people and objects that possess the power of World Planes. You will devour the power of Plane Worlds from World Paragons and devour the Essence of a World contained in all things in the universe, cultivation planets, and even a World.
"This Art can make you stronger for a short amount of time and let you possess an incredibly powerful physical body. It is the strongest racial Art of us Surging Indulgers… but if you practice this Art, you will need to go through nine disasters as punishment. If you manage to make it through, then you will become stronger, if you don't, you will die.
"But this is your clone. Even if you die, it'll be fine. It won't affect your true soul," the Duke of Crimson Flame explained in a low voice.
Su Ming remained silent for a moment, then looked at the Duke of Crimson Flame and nodded.
At the instant he did so, the Duke of Crimson Flame lifted his right hand and pointed at Su Ming. A vortex immediately appeared at the center of his brows, and a cultivation method that caused his heart to shake from shock instantly emerged in his head as the vortex started spinning.
After some time, when the vortex at the center of Su Ming's brows disappeared, a bright light appeared in his eyes. Once he clenched his right hand into a fist, a faint vortex grew on his palm.
"The Crimson Python Phoenix's power to destroy all things, the Surging Indulgers' Art of Explosion Fixation, and the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows will allow your clone to live through several disasters serving as punishments. If you gain a comprehensive knowledge of those Arts, then your strength will be limitless in the future." The Duke of Crimson Flame sucked in a deep breath, expectation shining in his eyes.
"But before you practice this Art, you will need to choose another clone. You must be careful in choosing one. I suggest that you pick one of those ferocious spirits that have been sealed away. Not only do they have inborn divine abilities, their blood has also fused thoroughly with the laws of their world. It will make the speed of your absorption of the power of World Planes become even faster."
Su Ming nodded. With a sparkle in his eyes, he spread his Atman outwards and covered the entire area. A crease suddenly appeared between his brows. He remembered that before he went into isolation, the storage bags that belonged to Long Li, Sun Kun, and Jing Nan Zi were left behind. In fact, Jing Nan Zi even had a treasured spear that was now without an owner.
When Tian Lin had chosen to self-destruct earlier, he had said that if he managed to form the Growth Armor, Su Ming could take it.
Su Ming did not immediately take away all these spoils of war in the past because he had been absorbing the physical power in the area. Since the Duke of Crimson Flame had shifted the entire sealed region, those items should naturally still be around.
However, when Su Ming sent his Atman sweeping through the area, he discovered nothing. After a moment of pensive silence, he recalled the Duke of Crimson Flame's momentary pause and gaze when he spoke about Jing Nan Zi's storage bag earlier, and he came to a swift understanding.
Without batting an eyelid, he cast a glance at the bald crane, which was sleeping not too far in the distance. He had no idea whether it was a coincidence, but the bald crane turned its body around, as if it had noticed Su Ming's presence, pointing its butt his way before continuing to snore away.
Su Ming flipped his right hand over, and a crystal immediately appeared in his hand. He threw it on the ground casually. The crystal fell on a frozen purplish black molten rock and let out a clear sound.
Almost at the moment that sound appeared, there was a whooshing sound, and the bald crane was beside Su Ming's feet. It seized the crystal with its claws. Its eyes sparkled, and it looked pleasantly surprised.
"Huh? I picked up a crystal."
"Give me Long Li and the others' storage bags," Su Ming said in a low voice while looking at the bald crane.
"What? What did you say? I don't have it. I don't have anything." The bald crane blinked, putting on a puzzled face.
"All the crystals in the storage bags belong to you, and all the items in there belong to me." Su Ming's expression was as calm as usual as he continued speaking flatly.
The bald crane was stunned for a moment, then it scratched its bald head. The next moment, as if it had just registered the meaning behind Su Ming's words, it immediately put on an enraged expression, and there was even a hint of hurt on its face.
"I really didn't take it! I didn't take the storage bags! There's another person here, he might have taken it! I didn't take it! I did not!" The bald crane flapped its wings and turned its head around to glare at the Duke of Crimson Flame, looking as if it was absolutely certain that the he was the one who had taken the storage bags.
The Duke of Crimson Flame frowned, then smiled wryly. He did not try to explain himself.
"Long Li's World Stone, Jing Nan Zi's Enchanted Treasure and his World Stone, and Tian Lin's Growth Armor. I just want these four items. You can have the rest," Su Ming said, frowning.
But the bald crane continued to look in great distress, as if Su Ming's words had just badly humiliated it. As it became flustered and exasperated, it flapped its wings nonstop, and its body even turned red due to its agitation.
Su Ming cast the bald crane a profound look, then brought out the gourd from his bosom at a relaxed pace. He caressed it a few times with his left hand, and rays of green light immediately shone from within.
The eyes of the bald crane immediately went wide, and fear appeared on its face. It retreated with a whoosh, even instinctively transforming into a large mutt. This was clearly the strongest form in its mind.
"Give it," Su Ming said flatly.
"But I really didn't take it… I really didn't." The bald crane looked as if it was about to cry.
Su Ming cast the bald crane another look. This time, when he lifted his left hand, a few soft feathers appeared on his palm.
Those feathers were very soft, and when they appeared on Su Ming's palm, the bald crane was taken aback. It found those feathers to be rather familiar, but before it could think of anything, it saw Su Ming tying a few knots on the feathers.
When the bald crane saw this sight, it shuddered violently under the Duke of Crimson Flame's puzzled gaze. It understood very well just what Su Ming was doing at that moment, and it also remembered just who those feathers belonged to…
When the bald crane thought of the consequences, it immediately forced out a smile and touched a few parts on its body while shivering. Then, it threw out a long crimson spear, two World Stones with the power to capture souls spreading out from within them, and a green seed that was the size of a palm.
"Hey, Sir Su, don't be angry, put down the feathers, please. Don't make the doll now. I was just joking with you, you know? I'll give it to you. I'll give it all to you!"
Chapter 788: Blood Identification Pearl
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The green seed was the Growth Armor that was formed after Tian Lin had self-destructed, and it was one of the reasons why Jing Nan Zi had spared Tian Lin in the past. The Growth Armor was the size of a palm, and there was a faint bloody stench spreading out from it. There were also some faint and indistinct venous paths shining in either a bright or dark light.
As Su Ming held the Growth Armor, he sent his Atman into it. After some time, the Growth Armor suddenly let out a brilliant ray of light. That light illuminated the entire area within an instant. A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He took a step backwards and threw the Growth Armor on the ground.
Bang!
The sealed region started shaking in a manner as if an earthquake was happening. The meteor around the sealed region also started shivering because of it. A big tree that would require several people to encircle appeared before Su Ming. A large number of roots spread out and crawled swiftly into the ground, as if they were taking root here. At the same time, an endless number of branches grew densely on the tree. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a big tree that was a hundred something feet tall.
The Duke of Crimson Flame's eyes sparkled brightly as he stood by the side. He cast a few scrutinizing glances at the tree, but he did not speak. The bald crane's eyes went wide, and it suddenly began regretting in its heart, because it had not expected that this thing, which did not taste good when it bit down on it, could turn into a big tree.
Su Ming lifted his right hand and pressed his palm flat on the tree trunk. At the instant his right hand touched it, his Atman increased exponentially, like he had fused together with the tree. It was as if the tree's divine sense had become Su Ming's perception.
Su Ming saw the meteor, the black and boundless galaxy beyond, the occasional short bursts of light, and the silence that seemed to last for an eternity.
After some time, when Su Ming pulled his mind back to his own body, he looked at the tree and exhaled deeply.
'It can allow my Atman to cover an incredibly large area for a short amount of time. If I can utilize this well, it would definitely have mysterious effects, and there should be plenty of other effects on this thing as well, since Jing Nan Zi had placed such importance on it and this Growth Armor could only appear after Tian Lin offered up his life.'
When Su Ming lifted his right hand, the tree swiftly withered away. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a palm-sized seed once again, but its color was slightly duller now.
Once Su Ming put away the Growth Armor, his gaze fell on the two World Stones that were filled with the power to capture souls. As he looked at them, he could sense the power of World Planes contained within them.
'Once I become a World Paragon, I will need to absorb the Essence of ten thousand Worlds to slowly increase my power. If I am to go back and forth between Worlds whose Essence of the Worlds has not acknowledged me, I'll need these sort of World Stones created from my own World to replenish the used up power of World Planes.
'This means that such items…. aren't rare in the galaxy beyond. But in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence, they're a supreme treasure that will make all the unlawful World Paragons go crazy over.' Su Ming touched the surface of the World Stone and sensed a prickling feel on his hand, but it did not hurt. It just felt as if the item he touched was filled with sharp needles.
'It'd be a pity to use it to activate the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole.'
Su Ming remained silent for a moment, then flung his right hand and put away the two World Stones into his storage bag. These sort of items that were incredibly rare in the Barren Lands of Divine Sense would have greater uses later.
Once he finished doing all these, a hint of nostalgia appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He lifted his right hand and seized the air. The long red spear Jing Nan Zi had left behind after he died flew towards him, and Su Ming grabbed it.
"I once had a long spear just like this," Su Ming mumbled. He remembered the Undertaker of Evil's Spear. It might have just been an imitation the first God of Berserkers had created and the true Undertaker of Evil's Spear lay in the depths of Great Yu Imperial Palace, but that copy had accompanied Su Ming for many years, and it had even gone on a campaign with him as he conquered the lands in all directions to gather up an endless amount of battle souls to refine itself.
It was a pity that it had exploded in the air and turned into ashes.
The long red spear let out buzzing sounds in Su Ming's hands, and there was a thick, bloody stench spreading out from it, as if it was not willing to be held by Su Ming.
He remained silent for a moment, then pushed his right hand forward and wrapped his fingers tightly around the spear. The vast Qi in his body instantly exploded forth to cover the entire spear.
"Even if you refuse to give in and submit to me, you will still have to be used by me," Su Ming said flatly. He no longer bothered about the long spear's will. With his right hand holding its body, he swung it in the air before him. This instantly produced a sharp whistle. Afterimages of the long spear appeared all around him, and there were thousands of them, making it so that no one would be able to discern which was the real one when they looked at the numerous copies in the air.
Su Ming's right arm eventually stopped before his body. The tip of the spear pierced into the ground with a bang, and at the same time, a strange light sparkled in his eyes.
"This item isn't merely a long spear…"
Su Ming loosened his grip over the spear, then lifted his fingertips and flicked the body of the spear that had pierced the ground. At the instant a clear sound echoed in the air, the spear was immediately disassembled before Su Ming as it shivered. It turned into an endless amount of red liquid that flowed up his fingertips. In the blink of an eye, it covered his entire right arm and turned into a vambrace as well as a rerebrace.
There was a strange, bright light flowing through the red vambrace and rerebrace, especially on the spot of the bicep. There were even countless tiny runic symbols carved there which formed a single word.
Guard!
That word was guard!
The Duke of Crimson Flame was watching Su Ming's actions all this while. When it saw the vambrace and rerebrace appearing on Su Ming's right arm, a glint appeared in his eyes. As for the bald crane, it currently had an agonized expression on its face, and was feeling incredibly regretful. The more it looked at the spear, the more it could see how outstanding it was, and the more its heart ached.
'He's a bully. He's a real bully. He snatched away the gourd, the seed, and even took away the two pretty looking stones. Even that intimidating long spear couldn't escape his grasp… Damn it, I'll endure this. I'll endure it! Endure… Endure…' The bald crane gritted its teeth, feeling as if flesh had just been stripped off its body.
"Your foundation is set. I suggest that you go to the other cultivation planets and expand your horizons. You might even find a clone that will suit you. Also, you have to be careful of the True Guards from the four Great True Worlds. This short span of a hundred years isn't enough for them to forget what happened in Crimson Flame Planet.
"We left in time in the past, but we were also cut off from all news regarding the outside world. I wonder what sort of effect has been brought to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence due to the accident in Crimson Flame Planet," the bald Duke of Crimson Flame said in a low tone. Once he cast a glance at Su Ming, he closed his eyes and began meditating.
He had already stated his piece, and no matter what Su Ming chose, he would follow him. He would stay by Su Ming's side to protect him.
Su Ming disappeared from the sealed region. When he reappeared, he was standing on the meteor. All he could see was a dark galaxy. There was a sense of authenticity within the darkness in the galaxy which Su Ming saw. This was the first time he truly stood in a real galaxy.
The few times he had wandered into the galaxy with his soul from Yin Death Region could not compare to what he felt now.
Su Ming liked this darkness and this sense of authenticity.
He looked at it for some time before he sat down quietly on the surface of the meteor. He lifted his right hand, then struck the meteor under him that was nearly ten thousand lis big.
Bang!
As the meteor trembled, it started to move out of sync with the other meteors around it and gradually changed its direction. After a moment, with a loud whoosh, it left the trajectory the meteors were going in and flew out alone into the dark galaxy.
It had no goal, no place that it must go to. Su Ming sat on the meteor and let it charge forward. At that moment, his gray hair spilled over his shoulders. He was dressed in a white robe which was the Sacred Constellation Robe hiding itself, and the True Guard's vambrace and rerebrace on his right arm.
His expression was indifferent and his eyes were cold. He looked at the galaxy quietly and simply allowed time to pass.
One year, two years, three years…
This solitary meteor charged through the galaxy in the shape of a long arc that traveled in a straight line. Su Ming sat on it as if he had forgotten about the flow of time. When the meteor had flown for seven years, a damaged ship appeared before it.
There was a sail on the ship, and it looked as if it was treating the galaxy as a sea while sailing through it. There were dozens of thin cultivators in each corner of the ship. They were using their cultivation bases to keep the ship flying.
Most of these thin cultivators were in Earth Cultivation Realm, and only two of them were in Heaven Cultivation Realm. These two people sat cross-legged at the bow of the ship, as if they were controlling its direction.
Behind them… was a huge bed. There was an incredibly plump person lying on it. At that moment, the plump person was looking away with his eyes narrowed while a short, thin, and haggard looking female cultivator that was still rather beautiful stood by his side.
The damaged ship floating in the galaxy and the meteor Su Ming was sitting upon were directly opposite each other, and both were getting moving closer. This attracted the attention of the people on the ship, especially the two people in Heaven Cultivation Realm. They stood up cautiously and cast their gazes into the distance.
With just one glance, they saw Su Ming sitting cross-legged on the meteor. Dressed in white and with a head full of gray hair, he was an incredibly eye-catching sight to them.
Su Ming had his eyes closed and was meditating at that moment. The ripples of power he spread out made him seem to be just in Earth Cultivation Realm, and because of that, he gave off a strange feeling to those who saw him.
When the two cultivators in Heaven Cultivation Realm looked over, a sharp voice rang out from behind them. That voice naturally came from the huge, plump person on the giant bed. "There's something off about this person. Ignore him. We have to hurry. This time, our great paragon of the Western Ring Nebula has gotten himself a son during his ten thousand-year-old birthday. We can't be late."
The plump person narrowed his eyes and cast Su Ming a glance while he was still in the distance.
Soon, the meteor and the ship drew closer to each other, stirring waves of ripples that crashed into each other. They were about to pass one another, with Su Ming continuing to sit on the meteor with his eyes closed, ignoring everything around him.
Yet at the instant the meteor beneath him was about to pass the ship, two piercing rays of red light suddenly spread out from the chests of the two cultivators from Heaven Cultivation Realm on the ship.
At the same time, red light also spread out from the plump person's clothes. The appearance of these three rays of light was incredibly abrupt, taking those people aback.
The plump person's expression suddenly changed drastically. He immediately brought out the object that was shining with red light from his bosom. It was a pearl that was the size of a baby's fist. That pearl was currently shining with a light that was akin to blood and would cause hearts to tremble in apprehension. The plump person then looked swiftly towards Su Ming, who was sitting on the meteor that had not left too far into the distance.
"The Blood Identification Pearl that the True Guards distributed to most of those in the Barren Lands of Divine Essence a hundred years ago… has lit up. Could it be… Could it be him?!" The plump person stood up swiftly, and an intense wave of excitement appeared in his eyes. "He's indeed in Heaven Cultivation Realm! Stop him! Do not let him escape!"
Chapter 789: One Battle!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Haha, the Barren Lands of Divine Essence are big, but I, Shan Tai, managed to meet this person. This is my fortune, and also my chance! It is the serendipitous chance that will only arrive once in an eternity!
"The four Great True Worlds has put a bounty on his head, promising a World Stone containing the power of a World Plane to the person who manages to kill the person who lit up the Blood Identification Pearl and absorb his soul into the pearl!"
The plump person trembled in excitement as he kept shouting. The ship beneath him swiftly changed direction and charged towards the meteor Su Ming was sitting on. At the same time, the two cultivators in Heaven Cultivation Realm sported excited looks on their faces. Even if it would be difficult for them to obtain the World Stone since Shan Tai was around, there would definitely be plenty of other rewards.
They were especially excited since the person that the four Great True Worlds had placed a bounty over… was truly just in Earth Cultivation Realm. There was no possible way for him to have sealed up his cultivation base to hide his level of cultivation, because the four Great True Worlds had clearly stated when they offered the bounty that this person was just in Earth Cultivation Realm.
Whoosh!
The two cultivators charged into the air. Their speed increased so quickly that in the blink of an eye, they had already closed in on the meteor Su Ming was sitting on. They turned into two long arcs with one traveling on the left of the meteor and the other on the right. As the power that belonged to Heaven Cultivation Realm exploded from within them, a powerful suppressive force was formed, and it charged towards Su Ming.
"Haha, die!"
"I'd like to see just how strong is the criminal wanted by the four Great True Worlds!"
Su Ming opened his eyes slowly and cast a cold glance at the people who were charging towards him from his left and right. At the instant he looked over, he swung his arm.
A shrill scream of pain rang out to his right. When the cultivator in Heaven Cultivation Realm there was less than three hundred feet away from Su Ming, a black dot immediately appeared at the center of his brows.
It looked as if he'd been stung. He could not even see what had happened clearly before intense pain traveled through his entire body. His screams of pain were still echoing in space when his body melted, turning into a puddle of blood that spilled on the meteor.
"You're just asking for death."
Su Ming stood up. The cultivator in Heaven Cultivation Realm that was coming on his left immediately spotted a drastic change in expression. Disbelief and shock appeared in his eyes. Everything just now had happened too quickly. He had not even managed to see anything. He only heard his companion letting out a shrill scream of pain, and the in the blink of an eye, he had turned into a puddle of blood, dead.
This scene immediately made the cultivator in Heaven Cultivation Realm shudder. He retreated without any hesitation, his heart swiftly filling with terror. He suddenly thought of a terrifying question. Why… was this person wanted by the four Great True Worlds?
The four Great True Worlds had not mentioned a reason when they offered the bounty; they just wanted him. Only now did this cultivator realized that there was no way that a person wanted by the four Great True Worlds would be a weakling.
The cultivator in Heaven Cultivation Realm's face turned stark pale, but before he could retreat a hundred feet away, an afterimage appeared before him. He saw it clearly. It was a poisonous wasp.
This was the final thing the cultivator in Heaven Cultivation Realm saw in his life, his final memory.
Screams of pain echoed in space and blood spilled all over the place, even if everything had happened in the span of a few breaths. In fact, the people on the ship only saw Su Ming doing was opening his eyes and flinging his arm sideways.
With these simple actions, he had taken the lives of two cultivators in Heaven Cultivation Realm.
"Sir, you blocked my path for no reason. Will you explain yourself?" Su Ming asked flatly. With a calm gaze, he looked towards the large, plump man that was uncertain whether he should retreat or move forward at the moment.
When Su Ming said those words, the meteor beneath him gradually slowed down before it stopped and floated in the galaxy, positioned directly opposite the plump person's ship.
"Haha, it's a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. I recognized the wrong person. I was wrong in this matter. Sir, please don't be angry with me. I'll leave right away." The plump person narrowed his eyes and forced out a cordial smile, moving back slowly.
He could not quite grasp the depths of this wanted criminal's power. He looked like he was in Earth Cultivation Realm, but he had managed to kill two cultivators in Heaven Cultivation Realm with such ease that it seemed killing them was no more taxing than breathing. This scene was enough to shock him and start to take this matter seriously.
Compared to a World Stone, his life was more important. Besides, in his eyes, he might have to search for a few more companions before he could have the confidence to kill this person.
While trying to get past this situation by deceiving Su Ming, the plump Shan Tai moved back. Just as he was about to leave, Su Ming let out a cold harrumph. Right then, he looked as if he was still sitting cross-legged on the meteor, but the next moment, he appeared in front of Shan Tai. Only when his form was on the ship did the body on the meteor slowly disperse. It had clearly just been an afterimage.
"Since you've already attacked, then don't be in such a hurry to leave." Su Ming took a step forward, and the instant he closed in on Shan Tai, he lifted his right hand, clenched his fist, and hurled a punch forward.
He did not use the gourd or the long spear, neither did he use the poisonous wasp or any other divine ability. He only used the power of Qi contained in his physical body. It was a rare occasion for him to run into a powerful warrior in the initial stage of World Plane Realm. Su Ming wanted to see the extent of the combat capabilities contained in his current physical body.
"You're just asking for death!"
Shan Tai's flesh quivered. When he saw that this person actually dared to attack him, his heart let out a thump, but no matter what, the other still looked and felt like he was just in Earth Cultivation Realm. Shan Tai began forming seals with his hands before growling and flinging his hands forward. The space before him tore open, and a huge net manifested and charged towards Su Ming to envelope him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Su Ming took large strides forward. With each step, he threw a punch forward. The huge net exploded after it suffered three strikes, and the torrent that was formed swept outwards. Shan Tai's expression changed. With a roar, all his flesh started quivering, and during that instant, he shrank into a ball. As he rapidly chanted something, a brilliant greasy light erupted. He turned into a huge ball of flesh and charged towards Su Ming to crash into him.
"You want to compare physical strength with me? You're just in Earth Cultivation Realm. I originally wanted to let you leave, but since you decided to seek death, then die."
"You're noisy!" As Su Ming took a step forward, he threw another punch.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
These two people exchanged nearly a hundred blows within an incredibly short amount of time. Shan Tai's body continuously became thinner, and eventually, with a bang, the both of them fell back.
A focused glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes, and he gasped in his heart. His physical power had only reached the peak in Earth Cultivation Realm, so he had not reached the state where his entire body had the power akin to that of a divine ability that was equivalent to the might of those Lords of World Planes. He could not kill a World Paragon, and it would also be difficult for him to suppress them by brute strength, but similarly, if they did not use the power of World Planes, it would be difficult for them to injure him.
After all, most of World Paragons chose to practice Arts, very few of them would purely train their physical bodies.
While Su Ming was considering this, Shan Tai looked as if he had just seen a malicious spirit. His heart was in incredible shock, and there was even a faint hint of amazement in him. He knew clearly that even if he did not use the power of World Planes, the near a hundred punches he threw just now were enough to kill all the cultivators beneath the level of a World Paragon. In fact, even if he was facing off against a World Paragon of the same level, he would still have an upper hand in terms of physical body alone.
However… he had delivered nearly a hundred punches, but this person was almost completely unharmed. On the other hand, the shock from the punches had caused Shan Tai to feel pain himself. His mind was even a little muddled because of it.
"As expected of the person wanted by the four Great True Worlds who are keeping an eye over this place. But since you had the courage to stand before me, then I will let you know just where the difference lies between a Lord of World Planes and those in Heaven, Earth, and Man Cultivation Realms.
"I will kill you. Even if I have to use the power of World Planes, it'll be worth it." A fiendish look appeared in Shan Tai's eyes. Then, despite the fact that they were in space, he opened his mouth and sucked in a deep breath of some unknown air.
Bang!
Shan Tai's hair began fluttering, and his body also started withering rapidly. In the blink of an eye, he turned into a tall, thin person with waves of ripples spreading out from his body. At the same time a vast amount of aura erupted from his body, a wave of presence that belonged to the power of World Planes forced its way out and spread along with his aura.
This was the true strength of a Lord of World Planes, and only those who had used the power of World Planes could be called a World Paragon!
The galaxy around them turned into a huge ocean at that moment. As layers of ripples surged forward, the power of World Planes swept outwards. A focused glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. He retreated in the mid of those ripples.
"Do you want me to attack?" The Duke of Crimson Flame's voice reached his ears.
"If I use the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole with my full power, can I kill this person?" While staring at Shan Tai, Su Ming sent his question to the duke in the form of a thought.
"It depends on how much you've understood. If you understood a third of it, you can injure him. If you understood a six-tenths of it, you can injure him gravely. If you understood eight-tenths of it, you can kill him." When Su Ming heard those words, a sparkle appeared in his eyes.
"I will use one move, and I will take your life." Shan Tai's voice had a ghastly quality to it as he lifted his right hand to form a seal before pointing forward. Immediately, the power of World Planes around him surged forward to gather into a transparent board of light. It flashed, multiplying, and about ten of those boards surrounded Su Ming from all directions.
"World Plane's Slaughter!"
Shan Tai swung his arm forward, and some sort of law instantly filled those boards of light formed by the power of World Planes. They charged towards Su Ming with a bang. But before they even closed in on him, he already sensed a mighty pressure that was incredibly difficult for him to withstand.
"The Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole."
Su Ming swiftly closed his eyes. He lifted his hands and struck a few parts on his body in succession. His right arm instantly withered away, with his left arm following suit. Then, his legs, his torso, and even his head mummified.
Only Su Ming's eyes shone with a dark light at that instant. After flashing several times, the moment the boards of light squeezed down on him, Su Ming's body… exploded into an endless amount of shards as if he was a person in a mirror shattering along with the mirror.
These shards rushed outward with a loud noise.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The boards of light crumbled upon touching the shards. Once the power of World Planes contained within was absorbed by the shards, they appeared right before Shan Tai with an indescribable speed and pierced into his body.
In the blink of an eye, all the shards entered Shan Tai's body. They then melted, and an incredibly shrill scream of pain left Shan Tai's lips.
His memory was being rapidly devoured. His flesh and body were swiftly disappearing, and the power of World Planes in his body was completely sucked away in the blink of an eye.
Bang!
Shan Tai's body fell apart. An endless amount of shards flew out from his body and gathered together nearby. Then, like a broken mirror being repaired, Su Ming regained his form.
His body was originally in a withered state. At that moment, it swiftly swelled up, and once he returned to his original state, a wisp of presence that belonged to World Planes came from his body.
"The Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole… How powerful."
Su Ming closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel the vast amount of Qi in his body. The clear sensation of having grown even stronger felt addicting.
Chapter 790: Being Chased in the Western Ring
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
On Shan Tai's broken ship there was a dozen something cultivators in Earth Cultivation Realm. Their faces were stark pale as they looked with a dumbfounded expressions on their faces. They had just witnessed Shan Tai's death. That unusual manner of death and Su Ming, who had his eyes closed at the moment, became the most terrifying existences in their eyes.
They did not dare move, let alone attempt to escape. Fate had turned her back on them, and they could no longer control their own fates.
After a long while, Su Ming opened his eyes, and a brilliant light shone briefly within them.
"I also obtained this person's memories… Shan Tai."
Su Ming remained in pensive silence for a moment before he lifted his right hand and seized the air. Immediately, a storage bag flew out from the area beneath him. Once he held it, he swept his other hand across it and brought out a blood red pearl which he held between two of his fingers.
That pearl shone with a piercing red light between Su Ming's fingers, as if it wanted to tell all those who could see it that Su Ming was the person wanted by the four Great True Worlds.
'The four Great True Worlds placed a bounty on my head, but they did not mention the reason they wanted me dead. With a World Stone as a reward, they want me either dead or alive…' Su Ming frowned while looking at the meteor.
Two rays of red light immediately flew out, coming to float before Su Ming. They were the two other red pearls from the two deceased cultivators in Heaven Cultivation Realm.
'Blood Identification Pearl. In Shan Tai's memories, almost all the cultivators in Heaven Cultivation Realm and World Paragons in most of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence have been given these pearls a hundred years ago. They can use them to find me.
'By the looks of it, the four Great True Worlds placed a gigantic net over the entire Barren Lands of Divine Essence just to find me. Once I show up, I will be immediately discovered, even if I change my appearance.' Su Ming lowered his head to look at the pearls in his hand, and a freezing light as well as killing intent appeared in his eyes.
"How did the four Great True Worlds create these pearls? They can actually locate me… But it's within expectations that they placed a bounty over my head. After all… the anomaly in Crimson Flame Planet was enough to make them look at this seriously." A cold sneer appeared at the corners of Su Ming's lips.
"Perhaps I can let you know how they managed to locate you," the Duke of Crimson Flame said. He appeared on the meteor, then arrived next to him with a single step.
The bald man was incredibly big and tall. The wide and loose long robe on his body made him look like he possessed an incredibly curious temperament, while the totem on his bald head made him look daunting.
He stood beside Su Ming and lifted his right hand to take one blood-red pearl. A dark light shone in his eyes. With a gentle squeeze, the blood pearl shattered.
A layer of blood fog appeared.
Several indistinct pictures slowly formed within it. Those pictures appeared in a fleeting manner, reflected in Su Ming's eyes.
The first picture was a gigantic pit in Crimson Flame Planet, which was filled with blood.
The second picture was an old man dressed in long gray robes. The sign of a crescent moon could be seen at the center of his brows like a third eye. There were several dozens of people exuding the presence of World Plane Realm standing behind him. Further back was a huge army that numbered to tens of thousands, and their numbers were so great that they connected the sky and earth.
There was an old woman kneeling before the old man.
It was Mei Lan.
In the third picture, the old man in gray stood on a mountain. That mountain was the ninth summit Su Ming had created. Wind, sand, and stones moved about, as if time was flowing in reverse there. An endless number of afterimages were fleeting about. In the end, a single one became clear, and it was of Su Ming, who was sitting at the top of the mountain.
In the fourth picture, the old man had his right palm pressed flat against the top of Mei Lan's head. The air behind her distorted, and Su Ming's body gradually took shape.
The four pictures disappeared in the blink of an eye. The blood fog before Su Ming thinned out and scattered away.
"By searching through other people's memories about your appearance, determining your presence from the memories in the mountain, earth, and rivers, then the gathering these two together, they were able to locate you.
"Besides, they also used a unique method to gather blood before they fused your presence and appearance within it, thereby creating these pearls. As long as you are within their area of perception, then no matter what appearance you take, you will be discovered. This is a method used by a person in Lunar Kalpa Realm.
"The anomaly in Crimson Flame Planet actually managed to make a person in Lunar Kalpa Realm take action? This must have shocked the four Great True Worlds. Heh heh, they aren't shocked by me escaping the seal, but by how I escaped it.
"It's especially frightening to them since you managed to break the seals of all the ferocious beasts in Crimson Flame Planet. Because of that, it is only natural that they will take you seriously. They aren't afraid of me… but of you breaking another seal in another cultivation planet.
"I moved the sealed region and left the planet all those years ago, and you hid yourself for a hundred years, never coming out. That's why they hadn't managed to find any clues about you. But since you're out now, then with my understanding towards Lunar Kalpa Realm, this pearl is definitely not as simple as it might seem, just being able to identify someone.
"If my guess is correct, at this moment, in the galaxy where the four Great True Worlds keep watch your presence has already been taken note of… and all the cultivators with these pearls in the area nearby should now know your location," the Duke of Crimson Flame said in a low voice.
Su Ming stared at the pearl in his hand. After remaining silent for a moment, he let out a cold snort as killing intent filled his eyes.
"Don't take any chances. The four Great True Worlds don't care whether they get you alive or dead. They only want one answer. Even with just your corpse alone, they'll be able to determine your origins," the Duke of Crimson Flame said slowly.
"If they want to kill me, then they will have to pay a price."
Su Ming turned around, and the vambrace as well as the rerebrace instantly melted from his right arm to cover his entire body. At the same time, the bald crane flew out from the meteor, a clear sign that it had been summoned by Su Ming. Once it flew over, it crawled into his storage bag.
At that moment, Su Ming's entire body was filled with flowing streams of crimson light, which gradually turned into a red coffin. There was a large amount of shining bumps on the coffin that were runic symbols. They let out an ancient presence.
"Let's go!" Su Ming stated from the coffin. The Duke of Crimson Flame took a step forward before his body vanished. He turned into the totem on his head and etched himself on the coffin, filled it with a bizarre air.
With a whoosh, the coffin changed its direction and charged into the galaxy in the distance.
"Su Ming, let me control the direction. We'll head into the depths of the Barren Lands of Divine Essence. There are plenty of primeval cultivation planets there, and also plenty of living creatures which you can choose for your clone…" The Duke of Crimson Flame's voice reverberated in space before gradually dispersing.
At that moment, when the dozen something people on Shan Tai's ship saw Su Ming leaving into the distance, they all breathed sighs of relief. Their hearts trembled, and all of them felt that they had just survived a disaster. They were just about to cautiously control the ship and leave when a powerful presence suddenly descended this part of the galaxy.
Rip!
A crack was torn through the galaxy, and a person walked out from it instantly. That person was dressed like a savage. His hair was incredibly long, and his clothes were shabby, but there was an extremely powerful presence about the person.
"It's here. That person wanted by the four Great True Worlds sure runs fast." There was a blood red pearl in the man's hands, and it was shining with a brilliant light.
The instant Su Ming's presence had appeared upon him encountering Shan Tai, all the pearls held by the cultivators in Heaven Cultivation Realm or above started flashing with a brilliant blood red light, no matter what their owners were doing and where they were, be it in the galaxy or on some cultivation planet.
Right then, a clear will came from each of these pearls. This will was like a guide that could allow the people holding the Blood Identification Pearls to sense Su Ming's location.
"Kill this person and put his soul into the Blood Identification Pearl! You will be rewarded with three World Stones!"
There was an ancient voice contained in that will. With the help of the blood red pearl, it could be said that the voice echoed in the ears of all the cultivators within that small portion of the galaxy.
"They offered a World Stone a hundred years ago, and now, it's three of them! We can now kill this person!"
"Three World Stones will be enough for me to use the power of World Planes as I please several times, and I won't have to worry about the problem of restoring my cultivation base. This is a good deal!"
"Being wanted by the forces of power that are suppressing the four Great True Worlds isn't rare, but this is the first time a bounty was offered over the past ten thousand years. I should join in the fun."
The people on numerous cultivation planets began to burn with excitement due to the will in the blood-red pearls. Long arcs flew up and out to charge towards the spot where Su Ming was according to their senses.
At the same time, one of the nineteen Radix Planets floating in the galaxy where the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping watch over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence started shining with a brilliant light.
The light flickered, and in between varying degrees of brightness, it illuminated all directions. The ripples spreading out were sensed by all people from the four Great True Worlds keeping watch over.
"The person wanted by the four Great True Worlds, the source of the anomaly in Crimson Flame Planet, the person who has a high suspicion of being a member of the alien race and who seems to possess a power that can break seals has appeared in the south-east region of Western Ring Nebula… With this sort of criminal, you should first try to capture him alive, if you can't, then kill him." A cold and emotionless voice reverberated in the galaxy where the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping watch over the Barren Lands of Divine Essence were.
After a moment, a layer of ripples sliced through the galaxy. An ancient bronze sword about a hundred thousand feet long manifested in the air. There were thousands of armored warriors standing on it, while three people were sitting and meditating at the tip.
At the same time this ancient bronze sword left into the distance, seven other ancient bronze swords that were the same as the previous one appeared faintly and indistinctly. With loud whistles, they sliced through the barren galaxy in the direction Su Ming's presence was coming from.
At that moment, long arcs filled the galaxy of Western Ring Nebula. Those long arcs were all heading in the same direction at full speed. There was even numerous transportation Enchanted Vessels filling the area. Not one of them was moving in a different direction than others.
The red coffin Su Ming was using traveled forth in the galaxy. The runic symbols on the coffin shone, and a chilling killing intent was spreading out from within before circling around the area.
"Su Ming, there are six World Paragon presences around us and thirty something of those that belong to cultivators in Heaven Cultivation Realm chasing after us. These people are the closest to us. There are plenty more behind," the Duke of Crimson Flame said to Su Ming, passing the words into his mind.
Su Ming remained silent for a moment, then asked coldly, "Where is the closest cultivation planet?"
"It's about six hours away, going straight ahead."
Chapter 791: Heavenly Treasure Planet
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Heavenly Treasure Planet was a dull and lifeless cultivation planet in the southern east region of Western Ring Nebula within the Barren Lands of Divine Essence.
Perhaps it had been a splendid planet in the past, and perhaps it had a glorious history, but it was now a barren place. Its surface was covered in uneven bumps caused by deep pits on the ground and desolate mountains.
Anyone who saw that planet in the galaxy would be unable to help but feel like all things had gone still and silent in that planet.
It was not round, either.
Numerous shattered stones had come off of one half. These stones had been crumbling for ages, and it was still ongoing. All the cultivators who were not too far away from the planet would be able to see the shattered stones slowly falling apart until they became a part of the galaxy.
This was a planet that was moving towards death, but even so, there were plenty of cultivators living on it. Most of these people came from families that had been living on the planet for generations, and they had become a part of this place.
There were plenty of sealed regions in Heavenly Treasure Planet that locked away a large number of ferocious beasts. There was also a member of an alien race sealed deep in the depths of the planet.
There was only one continent on the entire Heavenly Treasure Planet. The rest of the land were in pieces, islands scattered in various parts of the planet. Aside from those would be the Star Shattering Wind Ocean that even an ordinary Lord of World Planes would be slightly wary of in the planet.
It was an ocean that was formed by wind. It spread to all parts of the planet besides the continent and the islands. The biting feeling on skin as it blew past and the sharp whistles as it moved turned into shrill moaning that could easily tear apart the body of a cultivator in Earth Cultivation Realm, crushing them completely.
This wind was unique to Heavenly Treasure Planet. It formed an ocean, and it also isolated that part of the planet, the people living on the land masses rarely got close to it.
On this day, the sky was dark. Neither the sun nor the moon could be seen, but there was a hazy ray of light that shone on the ground. Around noon, when all the cultivators on Heavenly Treasure Planet were still immersed in their usual routine of meditating, a loud bang that sounded like thunder during spring suddenly shot up in the sky and reverberated in all directions.
There was more than just one loud boom. They rang continuously, getting louder with each passing moment. The people were unable to ignore it, to not listen to it. The couldn't help themselves and lifted their heads up to look!
A blood-red shooting star charged through the sky, heading straight for the ground. The cultivators on the planet could vaguely see that there was a gigantic red coffin in the shooting star. Runic symbols shone on its surface, a clear sign that it came from the galaxy by passing through the layer of wind at the highest point in the planet, and since it was traveling too quickly, as it descended, it scrapped against the air, stirring up flames due to the friction. To anyone looking from the distance, it then looked liked the coffin was on fire!
Whoosh!
The red coffin sliced through the air. A heinous aura of murderousness spread out from it, and its flames, its rapid speed, and its shade of crimson shocked all the cultivators in Heavenly Treasure Planet, but it did not land on the ground. Instead, it landed within the Star Shattering Wind Ocean beyond the continent.
"What is that thing? It was too fast and it came from the galaxy. Could it be some sort of treasure?"
"What shocking speed, and the murderous aura about it is so thick. Even being far from it, I feel apprehensive just by looking at it. That's definitely an incredibly strong warrior."
"That thing came with great force. It's a pity that it landed in Star Shattering Wind Ocean, or else I'd definitely go and check it out."
The cultivators within Heavenly Treasure Planet buzzed with discussion. Something like this was not something they normally saw, and their hearts filled with shock.
Boom!
A muffled booming sound came from the distance, the Star Shattering Wind Ocean, and swept through like a violent gust of wind. As it echoed in the air, a wave of air tumbled past.
If anyone from the sky looked at the ground at that moment, they would be able to see a ring-shaped ripple sweeping outwards from the area where the red coffin had descended within Star Shattering Wind Ocean. Wherever those ripples passed through, booming sounds would ring without stop.
It was at this moment that the Blood Identification Pearls, which were given by the forces of power from the four Great True Worlds keeping a lookout over the place to all the cultivators within Heavenly Treasure Planet who had reached Heaven Cultivation Realm or above, started flickering with an intense blood-red light.
All of these pearls were guiding them towards the Star Shattering Wind Ocean.
The Lords of World Planes staying in Heavenly Treasure Planet spotted changes in their expressions, and they looked simultaneously towards Star Shattering Wind Ocean.
"The Blood Identification Pearl has started shining. This-this is the sign that the person wanted by the four Great True Worlds has appeared."
"Superior grade World Stones? With my power, perhaps it'll be difficult for me to succeed in killing this person, but if I take advantage of the confusion when everyone tries to kill him, I might have a chance."
"This is a chance that only appears once in a blue moon!"
As the Blood Identification Pearls shone, all the cultivators who knew about this matter in Heavenly Treasure Planet became excited. Long arcs from all parts of the continent and islands rose from into the air and flew towards the spot where the booming sounds were coming from in Star Shattering Wind Ocean.
At the center of the ring-shaped ripple that was spreading in all directions was a red coffin, a small half of it buried in the ground at the bottom of the boundless wind ocean. There was a layer of cracks on the land, and they spanned the area of tens of thousands of feet.
An endless amount of violent gusts blew in the area, like sharp blades that were continuously slicing the coffin. It felt like the booming would never end.
"There are four World Paragons and seventeen cultivators in Heaven Cultivation Realm in this planet. If we add together those who are rushing here from the galaxy… Su Ming, you will only have more opponents, and you will be swathed in quite the considerable amount of trouble. What are your planning?" the Duke of Crimson Flame's said, his voice sounding within the red coffin that was surrounded by an endless amount of wind blades.
"I'll kill them," Su Ming answered flatly. His voice was calm, but the murderous tone in that calm voice made the duke secretly apprehensive.
"I'll kill until no one dares to chase after me. I'll kill until the sky and earth become dark with blood. I'll kill until rivers of blood flow… I will dye the sky in autumn, and this will be the beginning of me creating the color of autumn." While Su Ming spoke, the red coffin began visibly melting. After a moment, Su Ming walked out, dressed in his white robe.
The wind blades surrounded him immediately. An endless amount of them crashed into his body, but they let out a sound as if they had rammed into steel. Su Ming took a few steps backwards, completely uninjured.
'This place is incredibly suited to refine my physical body. The wind is already so sharp at the periphery. If I get close to the center of this ocean of wind, then the wind blades will become even more swift and fierce.'
Su Ming lifted his right hand and pushed his palm flat against the red coffin by his side. It immediately melted and turned into red liquid that covered Su Ming's right arm and turned into the vambrace as well as the rerebrace.
The part where the word 'Guard' was carved upon on the rerebrace was now covered by the Duke of Crimson Flame's totem.
When Su Ming lifted his head to look at the sky, his white robe gradually changed color. When it turned red, the gray-haired Su Ming looked as if he was filled with a heinous aura of murderousness.
It was at this moment that the long arcs from the continent arrived. They totaled to nine, and one of them was a World Paragon. All the others were cultivators in Heaven Cultivation Realm. Their cave abodes were nearby, which was why they had managed to get here before anyone else.
The cultivation bases of these nine people exploded forth, and without any hesitation, they stepped off the edge of the continent and entered the Star Shattering Wind Ocean. Those in Earth Cultivation Realm would be unable to handle the wind blades for long, but a short while was not a problem.
Almost at the instant these nine people arrived, dark light covered the red-robed and gray-haired Su Ming's face, and a black mask emerged from his flesh, as if it grew on him.
When the mask appeared, it was as if warmth would no longer exist in Su Ming's body. HE felt as if he was an eternal block of ice. He no longer had any ability to love and knew no pain. There was only a calm, harsh, biting presence to him.
"The color of autumn," he muttered under his breath.
Whoosh!
In the ocean of wind several thousands of feet before Su Ming, a cultivator at the peak of Heaven Cultivation Realm appeared. He had a screen of light that blocked the wind blades from crashing into him. He saw Su Ming at first glance, and wild delight immediately appeared in his eyes.
"I found him! He's here!" That cultivator was a middle-aged man. His eyes sparkled. He did not move forward as he shouted, but instead retreated slightly.
Clearly, he was waiting for the others to arrive so that they could attack together. After all, even though Su Ming looked like he was just in Earth Cultivation Realm, but the way he descended into Heavenly Treasure Realm just now was shocking and terrifying. The man was ecstatic that he found Su Ming, but at the same time, he was also wary. Yet when he thought that they had greater numbers of their side, that wariness became so faint that it was barely noticeable.
Almost at the instant the man in Heaven Cultivation Realm said his piece, three long arcs charged forth from the direction behind him. They turned into three people who were also in Heaven Cultivation Realm. Once they appeared, they instantly saw Su Ming, who was standing in the ocean of wind thousands of feet away from them.
There was also the presence of a Lord of World Planes coming swiftly from behind them. By the looks of it, its owner would be able to arrive in a few breaths' time.
"Let's attack, all four of us, together."
"No matter how strong he is, it's impossible for him to kill all four of us instantly. The World Paragon is almost here as well!"
The four of them cast a glance at each other, then as their cultivation bases erupted from their bodies, they turned into four long arcs that charged towards Su Ming. To these four people, the distance of thousands of feet was nothing. They could close it in a blink of an eye.
Once the four were less than a few hundred feet away from Su Ming, he lifted his head and stomped on the ground with his right foot.
Boom!
The area hundreds of thousands of feet around the red coffin had suffered large scale damage when it descended. At that moment, when Su Ming stomped on the ground, the hundreds of thousands of feet of land instantly collapsed to turn into a endless amount of dirt and shattered stone that erupted in the sky.
Su Ming vanished at that instant.
"He's gone?"
"What speed!"
"No good!"
The expressions of the four people suddenly changed drastically. The wind blades were blowing about in the area, dirt and shattered stones filled the air, and Su Ming, which they had locked onto, had disappeared. This made the four people's hearts let out a thump, and at that instant, shrill screams of pain reverberated in the air.
They came from the middle-aged man who was the first to discover Su Ming. At that moment, his head and body were separated. Su Ming swept his right hand across his body at that moment, and with his physical power, he crushed the man's defenses straight away, then the power in his right hand sliced through the man's neck like a blade.
Blood gushed into the air, and the other three people's expressions changed. Su Ming moved in an aloof manner and turned into a long arc that crashed into another person.
As he was closing in, his target let out an enraged howl. His divine ability turned into a ray of light on his hands, and he attacked Su Ming after throwing all caution to the wind. However, his attacks could not stop Su Ming for even a single moment. Once Su Ming rammed into his body, the man's flesh and blood splattered everywhere with a bang.
The other two people were filled with shock. They retreated without any hesitation. Right then, the World Paragon's presence closed in, and a low shout traveled forth.
"If I kill you, I'll be able to get three World Stones. This deal is worth it! Remember this, the person who will kill you is Mo Ang!"