Chapter 1158: Devour the God
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The destruction at that time had nothing to do with Su Ming. He did not care about it. Instead, Old Monster Wen's suggestion had caused a thought to rise up in his mind.
'True Morning Dao World no longer has any sect. If I can gather those who survived and form one… they would become a force of power which will be completely mine once people from Saint Defier descend.
'Since I chose to keep Zhang Ji Dao's identity, this force would be of a lot of help to me. At the very least, True Morning Dao World would then belong to me in its entirety!' Su Ming's eyes sparkled.
The white ripple charged forward through the whirlwind in True Morning Dao World. Su Ming meditated in it. He remained silent during the entire trip. The people beside him kept quiet as well.
Only the bald crane put on airs and acted incredibly smugly, occasionally taunting the other people. In its eyes, they were just asking for death. Even if Su Ming had not woken up, with the great Grandpa Crane's divine abilities, it could still chase all of them away. At that moment, it had clearly forgotten how dishevelled it had been…
Days passed, and in the blink of an eye, seven days were gone. A week was not a long period of time, but the white ring moved at a speed akin to shifting. Wherever it went, the whirlwind had to move back, and it was so fast that in just seven days, Su Ming and the others had already reached the spot where Old Monster Wen had said the Ancient God's corpse was located.
It was an area where the whirlwind was incredibly strong. There was endless wind there, and it swept out in all directions. Within it was a corpse which was hundreds of thousands of feet big.
Many of its parts had been damaged, and it was filled with the aura of death. It drifted in the whirlwind, its flesh being ripped apart. In many places, the bones had already shattered, and they looked about to be swept away at any moment.
The Ancient God no longer had a right arm, and there were only three fingers left on the left hand.
His face was indistinct, but Su Ming could still see that the mark of a star at the center of the Ancient God's brows.
"This is the place. Eight months ago, I passed by it and discovered the giant's corpse. At that time, it was still in a rather complete shape, but now… it has already been damaged to this extent… but the fact that it could last till now in the whirlwind and not be completely destroyed shows that it was incredibly powerful and tough while alive. If you can refine this body into an Enchanted Treasure, it would definitely be something that is on the level of a supreme treasure," Old Monster Wen quickly said.
As Su Ming stared at the Ancient God's corpse, his eyes sparkled. He moved, and immediately stood on the Ancient God's body with the whirlwind blowing in his face. He then rushed to the center of the Ancient God's brows, arriving there after a moment, and dipped his head down to stare at the only mark of the star left.
The star was dull. As far as Su Ming understood the Ancient Gods, it seemed like all of their power was gathered in the stars at the center of their brows. After a moment of pensive silence, Su Ming sat down cross-legged and raised his right hand, pressing it against the star. When he closed his eyes, his appearance under the black hood changed. In an instant, he turned into the appearance of the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole.
However, he did not have a corporeal form for this clone, only an illusion. After all, all of Su Ming's clones were destroyed in the world beyond the universe. While he could make all of them manifest once more as long as his soul was around, he needed to use up different amounts of power to do so.
His Dao Kong clone could be taken as an example. It required the least energy, and it was also the easiest to control. What it required was just Su Ming's cultivation base, but now that he had Zhang Ji Dao's body, that clone was no longer of any use to him, which was why he had yet to restore it.
If Su Ming wanted to restore his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole, he required something with great physical strength. This was the reason why he had rushed to this place when he heard about the Ancient God's corpse.
As for his Ecang clone, he would need to spend Ecang's power. Su Ming was already prepared for it. He was the complete Ecang, so he only needed time to recover. It was a lot of time, however, so if Su Ming could find the portions of Ecang's souls which had escaped from the foreign lands and devour them, he could form his Ecang clone much faster.
'I no longer have a physical body, or rather, I never had a physical body to begin with. My body was destroyed an unknown number of years ago. This means that what I need to do now is not to obtain a physical body… but to create a body that belongs solely to me!
'It will have all of my clones serve as its flesh and blood and my cultivation base as its bones. I will use my epiphany of moving from winter to spring to form my soul. When my flesh, blood, bones, and soul fuse together… I will form my real physical body, and it will belong solely to me!'
Su Ming's eyes shone with a brilliant light while hidden under the black hood. He closed them swiftly, and while his right hand was still pressed at the center of the Ancient God's brows, he sent his fingers deeply into the skull.
However, the instant he was about to seize the mark of the star, Su Ming's palm suddenly stopped moving. With his eyes sparkling, he cast a scrutinizing glance at the Ancient God before he raised his head and cast a glance at Old Monster Wen, who was in the distance. A hint of a cold sneer appeared on his lips.
But it did not last. Instead, he swiftly seized the mark of the star with his right hand.
With it, a vast power surged up Su Ming's right hand into his body. In an instant, it filled his physical body.
'Explode! Explode!'
A glint shone in Old Monster Wen's eyes while he sat in the white ripple in the distance. He was shouting loudly and smugly in his heart. Su Ming was not the first person he had met. In truth, he was the third to be tricked into coming to this place over the last couple months. Every single one of them craved for the physical power of the Ancient God and wanted to absorb it, but both had exploded while they were absorbing the power.
Su Ming was the third, and on his way to face the same fate. Old Monster Wen could practically see Su Ming exploding in a few breaths. When he died there, all of his treasures would belong to Old Monster Wen.
He felt proud of himself, but as time passed and the ten breaths went by, the pride in Old Monster Wen's heart slowly turned into hesitation. He stared blankly at Su Ming who was at the center of the Ancient God's brows. His aura was running rampant, and his robes fluttered. It was as if he was still continuously absorbing the power, but the sight Old Monster Wen longed to see, the sight of Su Ming exploding, did not bless his eyes.
His heart made a loud thump.
'It's fine. It has only been ten breaths. Before long, this person will definitely explode. No one can absorb the giant's physical body. Even if he is a Grand Immortal, it's impossible for him to be able to do so. After all, the Ancient God personally told me that no one can obtain his physical power!'
Old Monster Wen sucked in a deep breath, but when time trickled by and another twenty breaths passed, his face gradually turned pale.
At the same time, Su Ming's lips curled up into a cold sneer once more. He had noticed a long time ago that he was not absorbing the Ancient God's physical power from the mark of the star, but its ancient thought hidden within it.
The divine thought was disguised as his physical power, like a flying beast pretending to be a candle flame so that it could devour all the moths lunging at it. After devouring enough of them, he could repair his body until all of his injuries were healed.
"The Ancient Gods who descend in Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos only have at most seven stars at the center of their brows. Forget the fact that you're injured. If I could fight against Ancient Gods with seven stars at the peak of their condition, then it is even easier for me to stand up against you, since you're heavily wounded and recuperating.
"You disguised your divine thought as your physical body. Once I tried to devour it, you could obtain my cultivation base and Nascent Divinity to use as nutrients for your recovery. You've… overestimated yourself in this matter."
At the same time Su Ming absorbed the divine thought, he sent his own divine thought into the Ancient God's mind through his right hand. It turned into a rumble as loud as thunder.
The Ancient God jolted. His eyes instantly flew open, and a hint of panic showed up in them while the smile on Su Ming's lips grew colder. A white ripple spread out from the ring on his right index finger. It surged into the Ancient God's mind through the mark of the star, and a loud rumble echoed in space. It turned into a power that suppressed the Ancient God.
At the same time, Su Ming lifted his right hand. With a single move, he appeared on the Ancient God's left arm, then raised his left hand to seize it.
"There is an incredibly sinister Art in Zhang Ji Dao's memories. I'll use your body to test Saint Defier Expanse Cosmos' Forbidden Art! Foul Flesh of Hell!"
The instant Su Ming touched the Ancient God's left arm with his own, a black ripple spread out from it. Immediately, the Ancient God's left arm started withering before his eyes. The Ancient God started trembling violently, but his divine thought had already been suppressed, and he could not fight back in the slightest. His entire left arm was swiftly reduced to only skin and bones in the the span of a few breaths.
At the same time, a large amount of physical power surged madly into Su Ming's body, causing his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole to gain corporeal form at a terrifying speed.
In just ten breaths, the Ancient God's left arm no longer had any flesh or blood left. However, it was not the end yet. Once the Ancient God's left arm was reduced to only skin and bones, his torso and his legs withered away. The vast power of his flesh and blood was continuously absorbed by Su Ming, and his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole gained corporeal form. It was swiftly getting stronger.
The Foul Flesh of the Netherworld lasted for half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The Ancient God remained large in stature, but he had become completely emaciated and resembled a skeleton. He looked incredibly terrifying.
This scene caused the faces of Miao Feng and the other three to turn pale. Fear appeared in their eyes, and when they looked towards Su Ming, they seemed to see an evil spirit.
"Netherworld Burns Bones!"
Su Ming moved. This time, he appeared at the top of the Ancient God's head and pushed his left hand against the skull. He grabbed it swiftly, and as cracking sounds reverberated in space, a black ripple spread out from Su Ming's hand and covered the Ancient God's body.
The Ancient God trembled even more violently. If it was not because of the white ring suppressing him at that moment, his shrill roars would have rang out in all directions. He would not be acting as quiet as he was now, only able to shudder. The Ancient God's eyes turned bloodshot as he descended into madness. He wanted to self-destruct, but due to the white ring suppressing him… he could not!
As he trembled, his legs gradually melted and his body slowly became pliant. Su Ming absorbed the power from the bones with his left hand and fused it with his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole.
Chapter 1159: Saint Defier, Sovereign of Dawn, Arid God!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
'I wonder how strong is my clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole after he devoured the complete Ancient God!'
A glint appeared in Su Ming's eyes. After the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Miao Feng and the other three felt their skin crawl, because they saw that the large Ancient God only had a head left!
His flesh and blood had withered, his bones had melted, and his body… was no longer a body!
"Transmigration of the Soul!"
Dark light shone in Su Ming's eyes. He raised his left hand and pushed it at the top of the Ancient God's skull. With a sharp inhale, the Ancient God opened his mouth and let out a roar that shook the galaxy. As he roared, his head melted, and after a moment, the large Ancient God which had previously existed in the whirlwind was gone.
Only Su Ming remained sitting in space as he quietly circulated his cultivation base to digest the Ancient God's soul and nourish his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole.
Almost at the instant the Ancient God was destroyed, Old Monster Wen let out a shrill scream of pain while still in the white ripple. His body started shuddering before it was destroyed along with his soul. He was reduced to ashes before he vanished.
Time trickled by. When half a month passed, Su Ming opened his eyes. The brilliant light in them was as fierce as a sharp blade, but after he blinked, the burning gaze vanished and became calm.
'Hell, Netherworld, and Transmigration of the Soul—these are the three Forbidden Arts of Sacred Defier Expanse Cosmos. Heh heh, since it's a Forbidden Art, why did they create it? From Zhang Ji Dao's memories, it's clear that the three great Forbidden Arts are used to target the Ancient Gods specifically.
Some people used to hunt down the Ancient Gods to strengthen their own physical bodies, since the three Forbidden Arts can turn an Ancient God's flesh, bone, and soul into pure physical power.
'They weren't Forbidden Arts originally, but after Saint Defier appeared among the Ancient Gods, it was named such. All those who cast this Art against the Ancient Gods in Saint Defier Expanse Cosmos will suffer the fate of having all their blood relatives destroyed!
'But it's rather difficult to cast this Art. It requires the Ancient God to be unable to struggle, and his divine thought must be unable to control his own body, or else it would be difficult to cast the Art successfully. The caster might even suffer backlash.
'Fortunately, I had the ring to suppress the Ancient God's will, which is why everything went so smoothly. This is also related to him being heavily wounded, or else I'd have been forced to do something else to cast this Forbidden Art.'
Su Ming slowly stood up and touched the ring which had long since returned to his finger. He then took a step towards the white ripple floating in the galaxy.
"Master, congratulations on successfully fusing with the giant's physical power!"
Miao Feng and the other three had been in a constant state of anxiety during the half a month. They had witnessed Su Ming devouring the Ancient God, and they could not calm their minds. This overturned all that they knew since they were well aware of the giant's strength.
In fact, while they could accept that Su Ming could absorb the Ancient God, a forceful devouring at such a fast pace and in such a terrifying and ferocious manner brought immense terror to them once they witnessed it with their own eyes.
When they saw Su Ming return, the four of them bowed respectfully to him without any hesitation.
Su Ming cast a glance at the spot where Old Monster Wen had disappeared, and a hint of derision flashed in his eyes.
His suspicion towards Old Monster Wen had arisen when he asked him about how he moved in the whirlwind, and his suspicions had been verified. The old man named Wen had clearly had his life controlled by the Ancient God, or perhaps he had obtained some benefits for it. This would explain was why he had started searching for people to bring over to the 'corpse' in the name of obtaining the Ancient God's physical power when it truth he was sending people to the Ancient God to be absorbed.
Su Ming stood in the white ripple and stared at the spot where the Ancient God's body had been. The whirlwind in the land was incredibly strong, and as it howled, it swept through the area. There seemed to be a vortex at the depths of the whirlwind. It spun slowly, and occasionally, a bit of the whirlwind would seep into it.
As Su Ming stared at the place, his eyes focused.
"Who among you knows what this place originally was?" he asked calmly.
Dao Zhong fell into a moment of pensive silence before he wrapped his fist in his palm and answered. "Master, this is… If I remember correctly, this was once one of the Relocation spots in Morning Dao Sect."
Su Ming did not speak. He cast his gaze on the Relocation spot in the whirlwind, then raised his right hand and swung it. Immediately, the white ripple around them spread out. In an instant, it covered tens of thousands of feet. Then, with another bang, it continued expanding. Only when it spread over an area of three hundred thousand something feet did it stop.
As the white ripple spread out, the whirlwind in the land fell backwards. Even the power of the World in it was pushed back, clearing the area of three hundred thousand feet.
Immediately after, Su Ming swung his arm. The thirteen gigantic shooting stars he had taken previously flew out and surrounded the area. They rotated in the slowly.
Su Ming charged towards the broken Relocation Rune in the distance. When he arrived there, he sat down cross-legged and lowered his head. After scrutinizing the Rune, he closed his eyes and fell into a moment of deep thought.
"Once the disaster fell, Immortals' Union and Morning Dao Sect ceased to exist. Right now, I will create my own sect, and the name of this sect… will be the Ninth Summit.
"The four of you can each obtain a protective ripple from me. This ripple will not only allow you to move in the whirlwind, but it can also defend you. Search for other cultivators in this True World and invite them into the sect. Those who submit will be offered protection, and as for those who don't… record the places where they were found. I will visit them one by one on my own.
"There is one more thing. The four of you, record the portraits in this jade slip. If you find any one of these three people, immediately send me word with a jade slip. I will immediately rush to the place."
Su Ming raised his head, and when he lifted his right hand, four jade slips appeared on his palm. He focused his mind and left a Brand on them before he threw them to the four people.
Miao Feng and the other three received one each. When they trained their attention on the jade slips, they immediately took note of the portraits of the three men.
Each person had their own unique characteristics. The first one was a headless person with a heinous murderous aura. All those who saw his portrait were able to sense a killing intent that came crashing into their faces.
The second was a gentle man who had a smile like flowers. It gave off a feeling of a spring wind, making those who saw him unable to forget him.
The third was a big man who looked like a boorish person. His big and sturdy body as well as his honest but foolish expression made him into someone people would pay some attention to once they met him.
The four people bowed to Su Ming. When he swung his arm, white ripples immediately appeared under the four people's feet. They moved back and instantly turned into four long arcs that rushed into three different directions.
After they left, the place became quiet. Su Ming stared at the Relocation Rune and shook his head in silence.
'This Rune is completely sealed off and badly damaged. The difficulty in activating it and entering Morning Dao Sect is far too great. But if Hu Zi was here, he might have a way.' Su Ming raised his head and stared at the galaxy before he quietly closed his eyes.
Building the Ninth Summit and becoming the master of True Morning Dao World were the things Su Ming had to accomplish before Saint Defier and Dark Dawn came. Only by doing so could he gather up enough power to have a slim chance of surviving and possibly even gaining a serendipity in the True World ending disaster which would be several times more violent than the whirlwind.
'Based on Zhang Ji Dao's memories, Saint Defier Expanse Cosmos paid attention to Arid Triad only because… Arid Triad is an Expanse Cosmos. It is a place that can give birth to a Saint who can claim the title of Arid God, and this person would be of equal status to the three Saint Defiers and the three Sovereigns of Dawn. There is even a possibility that this person could surpass them!
'Saint Defier Expanse Cosmos has their Lord Saint Defiers, Dark Dawn Expanse Cosmos has their Sovereigns of Dawn, and Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos will have an Arid God!
'An Expanse Cosmos has three Deities. Only by becoming the Arid God, especially the first one, would I be able to look down upon the three Expanse Cosmoses with confidence!'
Chapter 1160: Seize the Heavens and Replace the Sun
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Time trickled by as whirlwinds howled in the galaxy beyond the white ripple. They sounded like a malicious spirit, and it made a person feel as if they were in the netherworld or in the realm of ghosts if they listened to it for a prolonged period of time.
Su Ming had long ago grown to love loneliness. He was used to meditating silently, and as he did so, he would regulate his cultivation base while mulling over his epiphany about winter, autumn, summer, and spring. However, since his physical body had yet to be formed, the will of spring was still a little bit away from him, and he could not complete the path.
When Su Ming formed a physical body that belonged solely to him, he would step completely into the path depicting the will of spring. With the resurrection of spring, he could reach completion of his physical body, and then, he could open his eyes to see a different world.
It was just like his ideal goal when he was in the land of Berserkers. He wanted to open his eyes and see a world that the others could not see. Back then, he had believed that the day was not far away from him, that it was just within his reach. Only after all that happened did he learn that while the distance was not great, he did not know how close he was. He needed to walk towards it step by step.
The nine cycles of life and death had ended his fate with Bai Ling. He might be feeling a little melancholic, but the past was the past. Insisting further on it was not Su Ming's character.
From the moment Bai Feng chose to stand against him, the end to their relationship was already set in stone. The way things went down could already be considered a satisfactory conclusion.
The nine cycles of life and death had allowed Su Ming to end his story with Bai Ling. He had also formed links of fate with the white ring. At the same time, he had also sensed the power of fate within the Realms of the Masters of Fate, Lives, and Death during the reincarnations he experienced in the Mortal Refinement Art.
This epiphany was due to Bai Ling and the ring. It was related to him, but it was related to the others even more so. If he regarded it as a law of fate, then this fate would be vaguely related to the fate of the world around him, but also to him.
"The Fate Realm is too fascinating for words. This is true… This Realm might be slightly similar to Avacaniya. Perhaps there are even some similarities between them.
"Right now, I can sense the existence of the fate in the world around me. This feeling exists in my heart, and it is shown in my hand…" Su Ming mumbled.
He lowered his head to stare at his hands. In silence, he raised his right hand and seized space. Immediately, threads of black light gathered on his palm.
They were the Light of Extreme Darkness and looked like ropes of grass, so Su Ming slowly tied knots on them. The knots merged together, and in the end, a doll made of the Light of Extreme Darkness appeared in his hand.
He stared at it for a long time, but he found that he could not tell who the doll was. It looked like him, but the sense of unfamiliarity when looking at it was just as strong. It seemed to contain the images of all lives as well as the appearances of all the people Su Ming had seen in his life.
With a fling of his hand, the knots in the puppet were untied, returning to being only two threads of the Light of Extreme Darkness. Su Ming weaved them together once more. This time, he made a doll of himself, but as time passed, he noticed that he could not successfully create himself. He felt as if there was always something lacking, making him unable to complete the doll.
Su Ming continued for a while longer before he let out a soft sigh and gave up on the weaving =.
'Turning the fate in the world outside as the doll in my fate is known as external fate… If I can create my doll someday, it will be a sign that I have mastered my own fate and perfected Fate Realm…
'I used the Light of Extreme Darkness to weave the doll now. If I can use the threads of law in this galaxy to make a doll one day, the power of the laws of fate would reach its strongest!' Su Ming relaxed his grip, and the doll fell apart.
'The former is an epiphany, and the latter is a divine ability. Only when they are merged together can they be considered to be the complete Fate Realm… but this Fate Realm is Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos' Fate Realm. It is still inferior to what the powerful warriors in Saint Defier's camp have reached.
'But if I can use laws to make a doll and then take it a step further by using the Light of Extreme Darkness to replace all the threads of laws in the galaxy where I am, it would be equivalent to saying that the laws were created by me, and they would change because of me as well.
'Once that becomes the case, I will definitely be much stronger than an average Almighty in Fate Realm. I will be able to fight against the powerful warriors from Saint Defier's camp who are in the same stage as I am.' Su Ming mulled over his thoughts for a moment before a glint appeared in his eyes.
'Mountain Shifter and Ocean Remover are my strongest divine abilities, second only to my inborn abilities as an Abyss Builder. Then, perhaps two more powerful divine abilities shall come next—Seize the Heavens and Replace the Sun!
'Seize the Heavens would come from me perfecting the laws of fate. My body itself will be heaven and fate. The matter of replacing the sun will be that my fate replacing the laws in any place. This would not be a temporary change, but a complete, eternal change!
'And based on what I can imagine, the strongest state in this Realm is being able to replace all the laws in True Morning Dao World. They would form once again based on my will, and because of it… I would replace True Morning Dao World's will. I would… become True Morning Dao World!' A brilliant light shone brightly in Su Ming's eyes.
'On that day, even if the people from Saint Defier's camp descend, they will have to be wary of me. Even if their levels of cultivation are higher than mine, as long as the difference in level between us is not too great, they can only fight against me on equal terms. After all, I will have already turned into True Morning Dao World. I… will be True Morning Dao World, and True Morning Dao World will be me!
'And Zhang Ji Dao's body will help me mediate and adjust to this. At that time, True Morning Dao World will belong to me completely.
'This is what I'll do. Before this whirlwind disappears, this is what I must do. Only by doing so will I be able to have a hand in the disaster that will arrive after this, and I will also have the right to obtain a serendipity from it!' The light in Su Ming's eyes became brighter. He had already found his direction.
'The first step is to stabilize the fate of the world around me. The second step is for me to figure out my own fate and gather it together until I perfect my epiphany of it. The third step is to use the Light of Extreme Darkness to replace the laws in a small area around me. The fourth step is also the last step. I will replace the will of True Morning Dao World and turn it into a world that belongs to extreme darkness. Then, I will have turned all of the laws in the area into my will.'
'The first step is simple. I can do it with my current abilities, but I will need to spend some time on it. But the second step… how am I to master my own fate in the shortest time possible? This is…' Su Ming frowned slightly and sank into deep thought.
Several days later, a sparkle shone in Su Ming's eyes. At the same time it turned into a brilliant glare, he raised his right hand and drew a circle in the space before him.
The circle slowly turned bigger. When it was several hundreds of feet big, a look of understanding appeared on Su Ming's face.
'The fate in the world around me can form this circle, and my own fate can cause this circle to grow without end. When it reaches a certain size, it will have gathered a lot of the fate in the world around it, and it will naturally expand again until it can gain control over itself.
'This form of control is a gradual control moving from a small scale to a big scale. When the circle grows larger, everything it covers will be in my control, and slowly, I will have the feeling as if I gained control of my own fate. This feeling will continue growing stronger until it forms a will, and then, it will be considered perfection!
'I can't take this path, however, because it will take too much time. If would have been fine before, during times of peace, but a disaster is imminent, and the thing I lack the most now is time.
'Then I should find another way to step into the state in which I can control my own fate. No one should have taken this path before, but it will still allow me to achieve the same result!'
Confidence appeared in Su Ming's eyes. This idea had not come to him out of the blue, but he had come to gain an epiphany on it based on the epiphany he had from the cycles of life and death he experienced in the world created by the Mortal Refinement Art.
'The cycles of life and death in the Mortal Refinement Art are in truth countless connecting dots in a single cycle. I can be said to have experienced nine different lives at the same time. These lives intersected and connected with each other to form a huge net.
'All of this is external fate, but if I experience more things, I will live through more lifetimes. The net will become bigger, and each of the intersections will be part of my will. Once it reaches a certain size, I will have achieved the goal of mastering my own laws of fate through the fate in the world around me.
'It'll be like giving birth to countless lives with my will as the center. Through these lives, I will be able to continue expanding the circle of fate until the net is completed, until I come to be in control of myself through the lives of others.
'This is just a theory, but there should be nothing wrong with it. Yet if I am to put it into practice, I might need to make a few changes. After all, I cannot truly experience countless cycles of life and death… but I can gain an epiphany through other people's lives.
The prerequisite for this would be that they have me in their hearts. They must also worship and respect me. With that, the will they produce can be connected and turn into the great net of reincarnation I need!'
Su Ming mulled over his thoughts. What he had come up with might sound difficult, but if he went about understanding it in a simple manner, he would describe controlling his own laws of fate as a form of confidence. With that premise, controlling the laws of fate in the world around him could be said to be how many people knew him.
Having ten people know him was nothing, and it was also nothing even if thousands of people knew him. However, if there were ten thousand, tens of thousands, or even millions of people who knew him, it would be the same as him seizing control over the fate of the world around him.
When these links of fate increased and reached an incredibly terrifying number, they would fill him with confidence. It would stem from the ability to control the power of his own laws of fate.
In truth, the so-called great fame operated in this logic. Those who were famous would definitely become illustrious people. This was the power of fate.
'What is similar to what the people who I saved in the World of Nine Yin did. They formed their own race and worshiped me. In their hearts, they remember me, and they deliver to me the power of their will. It then naturally forms the laws of my fate…
'If that is the case and I can make more people worship and respect me, their wills will turn into the net of reincarnation. Once inside it, I will become stronger daily… and through them, I will obtain my own fate.
'In fact, it will be easier for me to seize True Morning Dao World and replace it through them as well. With my will, I will be able to replace the laws!'
Determination appeared in Su Ming's eyes. After pondering over everything carefully for a moment, he became certain that the idea was plausible, and he closed his eyes, immersing himself in meditation. He was now even more certain that he could make True Morning Dao World integrate with him.
Chapter 1161: Sending out the Clones
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the blink of an eye, three months passed. During them, Su Ming meditated in the area. He strengthened his understanding of the epiphany towards the laws of fate, making his body and mind master it thoroughly.
On that day, Su Ming opened his eyes slowly and stared at the distant galaxy. His gaze was profound, as if the universe was contained in his eyes. Before long, a long arc charged over from the whirlwind.
There was a white ripple around the long arc. Wherever it went, the whirlwind would spread out, allowing the person to muster a certain extent of their power. In the span of a few breaths, the long arc turned into the old Miao Feng hundreds of feet away. He wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed deeply towards Su Ming.
"Greetings, master."
Su Ming remained as calm as ever. He cast Miao Feng an indifferent glance and nodded slightly.
"Master, I investigated the easternmost direction and noticed tens of thousands of cultivators in the area. They are either in groups of three or four, or in hundreds. They are scattered in several hidden parts in the east.
"Most of them were wary of me… Besides a small portion who showed delight and surprise towards being offered to join the sect, most of them are hesitant…" Miao Feng explained with his head lowered.
Su Ming swept his gaze past Miao Feng's body and asked calmly, "How did you get those injuries?"
"I obtained them in a spot in the east, about two months away from here. It is the furthest I have went this time. There is a small army formed by members of the past Morning Dao Sect there. They number nearly ten thousand, and they refused your offer to join the sect. However, they wanted the treasure to move through the whirlwind which you bestowed upon me…" When Miao Feng said that, he lifted his head and cast Su Ming a glance. He did not continue speaking.
A barely noticeable glint shone in Su Ming's eyes. He sized up Miao Feng, then raised his right hand and swung it. Immediately, a medicinal core appeared out of nowhere in his palm before it charged to Miao Feng.
"This core is from the Higher Realm and will heal your injuries. Swallow it and meditate for two hours, then bring me to the spot where you were injured." Once Su Ming finished speaking, he closed his eyes, but his divine sense had locked onto the old man in the distance and began observing him closely.
Miao Feng received the medicinal core and swallowed it without hesitation before immediately beginning to meditate. Soon, sweat broke out on his skin, and two hours later, his eyes flew open. Excitement appeared in them, and banging sounds resounded in his body.
In truth, the injuries on his body were not everything. During the disaster, he had also been injured, but had been suppressing it. Yet the two-hour long meditation had healed most of his injuries and even made his cultivation base slightly stronger. The qualities of the medicinal core made it clear that it was a valuable item.
Miao Feng's gaze when he looked towards Su Ming immediately filled with gratitude. Right away, Su Ming noticed with his divine sense while he had his eyes shut that a power of the laws of fate leaning towards him had appeared around the old man, though it was weak.
The old man himself did not notice it, but Su Ming could see it clearly. This proved that his previous analysis was correct. At that moment, he was no longer uncertain of what he should do. Once he opened his eyes, he remained still, but overlapping shadows instantly appeared around him. A muddled figure walked out and turned into another him. It was also dressed in a black robe, but it was Su Ming's clone, the one that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole and which he had just recovered.
A faint layer of golden light surrounded the clone. It was one of Su Ming's personalities. At that moment, it had been extracted from him as the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole left him.
In the past, Su Ming could not control his personalities with his own power, but when he gained an epiphany towards fate and took control of the fate in the world around him, he could easily control his different personalities. He could even extract them and fuse into different clones.
"Lead the way," Su Ming's clone said in a hoarse voice from within the black robe. Miao Feng immediately voiced his obedience and stood up, turning into a long arc that charged into the distance along with Su Ming's clone.
The white ripple was beneath their feet. When it spread out, it pushed away the whirlwind, increasing their speed. It was especially so for Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole. He was already so strong that he could force his way through the whirlwind for a period of time without suffering too much damage. After all, his blood, flesh, bones, and veins were formed after absorbing the Ancient God's body. While the physical power he controlled might not be able to make him imperishable, he had still reached a state that he was incredibly hard to destroy.
With booming sounds shocking the heavens, two long arcs left swiftly into the distance. After a moment, they disappeared into the whirlwind.
Su Ming slowly lowered his head while he was sitting in the millions of feet of empty space formed by the white ripple. He closed his eyes again and began meditating.
Su Ming's clone forced his way through the whirlwind with his powerful physical power, and he was so fast that he surpassed Miao Feng. In the end, he grabbed the old man's arm and charged forward while stirring up piercing whistles which indicated that space had been broken as he charged at a speed faster than lightning.
Miao Feng felt excitement as well as shock. He knew that his master's level of cultivation was astonishing, but he did not expect that a mere clone would possess such terrifying power. This shocked him, but no rebellious thoughts rose in his heart, only obedience.
Half a month after the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole left, long arcs charged over from the distance into the region where Su Ming as Zhang Ji Dao meditated. The long arc was incredibly frail, and it seemed to be struggling.
When the person rushed into the region within the ripple, he showed up to be Dao Zhong. His face was pale, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. There were numerous white insects squirming in his blood. When he spat some out with the blood, they let out shrill screeches before shattering with a bang. They then turned into centipedes with wings that charged towards Dao Zhong while roaring at him.
"Master!" Dao Zhong, who was immensely weakened, immediately shouted while raising his right hand. When he was about to make the last bit of his cultivation base in his body erupt, Su Ming's eyes flew open. He raised his right hand and pointed forward.
With it, a power of time descended with a bang on the region where the young man was. It caused a terrifying reversal of time in that small area. As time flowed back, the centipedes with wings fell backwards and turned back into white insects with blood staining their bodies. The blood also immediately flowed back and returned into Dao Zhong's mouth.
At the same time, his body trembled. In just five breaths, countless white threads seeped out of his pores with a bang, then gathered together to form a small white ball the size of a fist in space.
As it formed, Dao Zhong's cultivation base started recovering from its weakened state. He didn't recover to his best condition, but most of his cultivation base had been restored. Only then did the power to reverse time dissipated.
Dao Zhong was struck dumb. His body shuddered slightly. His gaze when he stared at Su Ming filled with fear greater than ever before in his life. His heart trembled, for he could sense that what had happened to him just now then was due to a power of time. It was the reversal of time, a great divine ability allowed a person to control time.
Only this sort of divine ability could make the injuries on his body to instantly become better. Only it could make the white threads come out of his body in the same manner they entered until they turned back to their original form.
Su Ming's strength stunned Dao Zhong at that instant, as if he had been suppressed. He sucked in a sharp breath, then bowed deeply to Su Ming. With respect in his eyes, he said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your help, master!"
"What happened?" Su Ming asked flatly. He seized the space with his right hand, and the small white ball immediately went to him. When Su Ming caught it, he began observing it carefully.
"Master, I found thirty-one spots where the cultivators who survived gathered to the west of this place. Most of them have less than one hundred people. Only two of them have thousands, and they are two shattered planets. Based on my observations, I could tell that they are filled with cultivators who were once from the Immortals' Union.
"There are four Almighties in Mastery Realm among them… During the investigation, I was heavily injured by a mortal enemy of mine. If it was not because of the treasure you bestowed upon me allowing me to move through the whirlwind while the other could not chase after me, I might have already died there…" Dao Zhong explained with a bitter smile.
"And…" He hesitated for a moment.
"Speak," Su Ming said flatly while staring at the small white ball in his hand.
"The forces of power from the Immortals' Union which chased after me seemed to have formed their own sect…" Dao Zhong immediately said.
Su Ming shifted his gaze away from the small white ball and let his eyelids fall slightly. Immediately, overlapping shadows appeared around him once more. After a moment, a layer of fog manifested around his body. When it moved out of him, it turned into a man with an indistinct appearance.
There was an indescribable, malicious air about the man's body. It was Su Ming's Ecang clone, and the black shade from among Su Ming's personalities was within it. That color represented the will of midwinter, signifying destruction and slaughter!
When the black shade fused with the Ecang clone, its gradually went black.
The black-haired man's appearance could not be seen clearly, but a powerful, killing intent surrounded him.
"There can only be one sect in True Morning Dao Sect from now on. No second one will be tolerated. Once any appear, we will simply destroy it. Only kill their leader. If the ones remaining submit to us, bring them back."
Su Ming did not look at Dao Zhong but instead continued staring at the small white ball as if he was incredibly interested in it.
A blood-red light shone in the eyes of the black Ecang clone. He did not speak, but took a step forward to appear next to its guide. Dao Zhong felt his heart freeze. He could sense the dense killing intent emanating from the black figure, along with madness that made him shudder. He quickly lowered his head and voiced his obedience while looking forward to the expression his enemy would have upon his return.
Chapter 1162: Mo!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
'Damn you, Zhou Tian Feng, this time, I will make you die without having a body to be buried!'
Killing intent shone in Dao Zhong's eyes, but when he looked at Su Ming's black clone beside him, his expression immediately turned into one of respect. He bowed deeply, then he turned into a long arc and charged forward, disappearing into the whirlwind.
'This thing is rather interesting. It's an insect egg, but there is a hint of the power of a World contained in it. It seems… like it isn't something that belongs to this True World.'
Su Ming stared at the small white ball in his hand, then sent his divine sense into it to observe it carefully. Once they fused, the small white ball started shuddering in Su Ming's hand as if it was struggling to free itself, but Su Ming's hand was like a seal that completely sealed up its movements.
There were two long arcs charging through True Morning Dao World. Before them, there was a shattered continent in the whirlwind. It was not large and had already been broken up. Even the center of the continent was divided by the whirlwind.
Miao Feng pointed at the continent in the whirlwind before he spoke respectfully to Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole. "Master, it's this place! This is the spot where the small army formed by those who once belonged to Morning Dao Sect live. They have three Almighties in there…"
The clone had a calm expression on his face when he cast a glance at the continent in the whirlwind. He walked out of the white ripple and forced his way through the whirlwind by turning into a long arc that stirred up shocking booms. Miao Feng followed behind him. He stared at the clone forcing his way through the whirlwind and became even more wary of Su Ming.
The clone did not intend to hide his movements. The booming sounds he stirred up reverberated in the air and reached the continent. In just the span of a few breaths, a long arc flew out from inside it.
"Heh heh, trespassers are not allowed here. This is the territory of Morning Dao Sect. Those who trespass will be killed!"
The person who spoke was a middle-aged man with an aquiline nose. He was dressed in a golden robe, and there was a hint of arrogance on his face. His words traveled in all directions, echoing in space.
The power belonging to those in Mastery Realm spread out from his body. His presence was slightly muddled, making it clear that he had just recently reached Mastery Realm, but his arrogance was much greater than that of most Almighties in Mastery Realm.
There was an air of superiority about him, but he was not someone who had fought in battles before. He might have seemed arrogant, but his heart was filled with caution.
What answered him was a punch from Su Ming's clone as he descended from the long arc!
The punch was thrown when the two of them were hundreds of thousands of feet away, but it was such a monstrous attack that the galaxy shook, the universe rumbled, the earth trembled, and the whirlwind froze for a moment.
It immediately turned into an illusory shadow in the sky. That shadow was one thousand feet large. When it closed in with loud bangs on the middle-aged man, it expanded until it was ten thousand feet large.
The middle-aged man's expression changed, and he quickly retreated without any hesitation. When he raised his arms, incantations tumbled out of his mouth. He also formed several seals before he tapped a few spots in front of him. Rays of light from treasures shone on his body.
In the blink of an eye, they turned into a shield that was several dozens of feet large in front of him. It had a picture of two pythons on it. At that moment, the two pythons came to life and flew out to surround the middle-aged man. They formed a whirlwind that crashed against the incoming punch.
Booming sounds shook the entire galaxy. The two pythons did not even manage to scream in pain before their bodies were reduced to ashes. The shield too instantly disappeared, allowing the punch to land on the middle-aged man's body.
The man's face turned stark pale. Fearful disbelief appeared on his face, but no matter what, he was an Almighty. He might not have been able to escape in time, but he bit his tongue with a snap of his jaw, and with that intense pain, he stimulated his Nascent Divinity. It fell back swiftly and rushed out of his body the instant its physical body collided with the illusory shadow of the fist.
Boom!
If anyone looked from above, they would find that the middle-aged man's body was reduced to a bloody shower. As rumbling sounds echoed in the galaxy, the fist landed on the continent. A loud bang shook the sky and earth, and the ground trembled violently.
Wind swept outwards madly like the waves in an ocean, shocking and astonishing the ten thousand something cultivators on the continent. Most of them flew up before raising their heads to look the sky with fear and panic on their faces.
Su Ming's clone revealed himself in the sky. With a swing of his arm, he said flatly, "The Ninth Summit has descended. Those who submit will enter the sect, and you will offer up your souls to do so. Those who do not… will have no need to continue living in degradation."
Once the dust settled, a huge pit was revealed on the continent. That hole… went through the entire continent. Those above it could see the galaxy on the other side. The whirlwind shot through the hole and turned into a vortex that penetrated the continent to connect both sides of the galaxy.
Thin cracks spread out from the edges of the hole to the entire continent with loud cracking sounds. The shock of it was enough to astonish all the cultivators in the area.
Two long arcs flew out from the continent and stood in the air to stare at Su Ming's clone with grim expressions on their faces. They were also staring at Miao Feng, who had only just arrived behind Su Ming.
The two cultivators were old men. At that moment, one of them said in a dark tone, "Sir, what is the meaning of this? Are you taking advantage of us for having lost our connection with Morning Dao Sect and intend to forcefully plunder out souls?! Aren't you afraid of Morning Dao Sect's rage once the whirlwind disappears?!"
"Morning Dao Sect has already been reduced to ruins. The Immortals' Union is gone. Plenty of cultivators have died in the entire True Morning Dao World. All of you are trees without roots. Even if you can last for many years until the whirlwind disappears, you will not find the peace of the past welcoming you. Instead, you will be faced with a disaster that will be much more violent than this whirlwind.
"Enter the Ninth Summit and become the masters of True Morning Dao World. This is your only choice," Su Ming's clone stated flatly.
"Nonsense. Morning Dao Sect is powerful enough that it will not be destroyed by this whirlwind. On what basis do you dare to say—"
"On the basis that I can move through the whirlwind and on the basis that I can bring all of you through it as well," Su Ming said calmly.
"Do you agree or disagree?�� A brilliant light shone in his eyes when he said his final sentence.
A chilling killing intent shone in the eyes of the old man who had spoken, but at that moment, Su Ming's clone smiled coldly. He raised his right hand and seized the air in the direction of the hole he had just punched. Immediately, the vortex formed by the whirlwind jolted as if it was being sucked by a great force.
As everyone stared in shock and horror, it charged towards Su Ming. It surrounded him, and when Su Ming clenched his fist and struck forward, booming sounds shook the universe. The vortex disintegrated and fell backwards, charging towards the whirlwind in the galaxy beyond the continent. Continuous booming sounds reverberated in the air, and a gap that was one hundred thousand feet big appeared in the whirlwind.
This gap was formed by Su Ming throwing a punch with his full power. The whirlwind in the gap disintegrated, and the power of the World in it fell back. This shocked the heart of the old man who had killing intent in his eyes..
"What… What level of cultivation do you have?!"
Right after he said that, the other old man sighed under his breath. Determination appeared on his face, and he wrapped his fist in his palm to bow deeply towards Su Ming.
"I am willing to join the Ninth Summit!"
As he spoke, the mark of his soul immediately shone at the center of his brows. Upon rising, it rushed out and charged towards Su Ming. In an instant, it fused with him, and he relaxed. Su Ming's strength had given him a great shock, but the more shocking thing was that with his power of Fate Realm, he had been able to tell that the person before him… was just a clone!
…..
Compared to the success experienced by Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole, his Ecang clone, the one which contained his black, destructive personality and was yet to gather together a corporeal form, found himself faced with a different conclusion due to the different personalities Su Ming gave the two great clones.
"Those who submit live, and those who defy me die," the Ecang clone stated in a hoarse voice while its face remained indistinct. In his right hand was a bloody head whose face was full of disbelief. It seemed like the man could not believe that he would die even right before his death.
As he spoke, Su Ming's Ecang clone threw the head forward, and it landed on… a tower made up of more than one thousand heads piled up together.
Behind the tower of heads were thousands of cultivators. At that moment, their faces were pale, and the two men right in front stared at two heads among the thousands of heads while their hearts trembled.
The two heads belonged to Almighties who were equal to them in terms of strength and who were their companions. However, before the indistinct figure with a malicious air spreading from its entire body, the two Almighties did not even last for the span of an incense stick before they were killed.
"Who are you?!" one of the two men roared in a nearly hysterical tone.
The moment his roar traveled into space, Su Ming's Ecang clone lowered his head swiftly. Blood-red light shone in his eyes, and his body swiftly expanded. An Ecang tree appeared between the sky and earth, and an endless, malicious presence spread out. It was an oppressive air that suffocated others, and it instantly landed in the hearts of the thousands of cultivators on the planet.
"You may call me Mo Su, but you can also call me… Mo!" Su Ming's Ecang clone said hoarsely.
"Mo…" The man shuddered, then lowered his head in anguish. He wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed to Su Ming's Ecang clone.
The other Almighty was also forced to lower his head and worship him.
As the two of them submitted, the thousands of cultivators knelt down and worshiped Su Ming without any hesitation.
"We are willing to join the Ninth Summit. Greetings, Sect Master Mo!"
As they bowed, the mark of their souls immediately appeared at the center of all their brows. They gathered together and charged towards Su Ming's Ecang clone. When they fused into him, his body instantly looked like it had become slightly more corporeal.
At the same time, the power of the law of fate which was visible to Su Ming alone appeared on the thousands of cultivators. Immediately after, as if the power of the laws of fate reacted to Su Ming, a barely discernible law of fate belonging to him appeared around his Ecang clone.
Chapter 1163: An Fang
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Ming sat in the big empty spot enveloped by the white ripple in True Morning Dao World, right next to the edge of the Relocation Rune while he stared at the small white ball in his palm.
Shrieks came from inside it at that moment. There was madness and ferociousness in the voice, as if it wanted to rush out of Su Ming's right hand and devour him. However, his hand was like a seal that kept the small white ball imprisoned. No matter how it struggled, it was useless.
'This is definitely not something of this World.'
Su Ming's eyes sparkled. The more he investigated the item, the more he sensed the strange qualities within it. There were 99,999 insects in the form of thin threads in the ball. None of them were sentient, but strangely, once they gathered together, a sort of will formed between them.
That will was very faint. Once Su Ming's divine sense touched it, he immediately sensed a monstrous aggressiveness and madness within it.
The white ball seemed to want to devour the universe, and it madness promised that it would not willingly submit even in the face of the Paragons in the universe.
"This is an egg," A brilliant light shone in Su Ming's eyes as he mumbled to himself.
He sensed a hint of life force in the will. It was as faint and weak as the will, but it gave off the feeling that it could grow endlessly.
'Interesting. It is divided into nearly one hundred thousand parts which have no consciousness. However, when they are together, a faint will can be born. Since this item is not from this World, there is a high possibility that it is from Saint Defier or Dark Dawn…'
After remaining silent for a moment, Su Ming furled his right hand. At the same time, his divine sense became violent and swept past the small white ball, using violence to instantly destroy all forms of consciousness within it.
Cracking sounds immediately came from the small ball. There seemed to be a shrill scream of pain which only divine senses could hear in those sounds. After a moment, a wisp of green smoke spread out from the small ball. When it disappeared without a trace, the ball was no longer white, but had become dreary gray.
The instant Su Ming destroyed the will in the small white ball, in the depths of the endless whirlwind within True Morning Dao World, right under the gap to Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos, a shrill roar rang out.
If anyone could see into the depths of the whirlwind, they would be able to see a gigantic object. It was a locust that was magnified an unknown number of times. The insect was so large that its size was comparable to that of an Ancient God.
The locust was laying eggs, and there were numerous small white balls connected to it with thin threads. The small balls numbered to tens of thousands. They were connected to each other, and all of them were squirming and shrinking. If anyone saw it, their skill would crawl. It was a terrifying sight to behold.
At that moment, the large insect was roaring, and its compound eyes filled with anger and madness. Buzzing sounds came swiftly from its body.
"Who is it?! Who killed my babies?! My, An Fang's babies?!" As the locust roared, a fierce light lit up in its eyes, and the creature stared into space. After a long while, Su Ming's figure appeared clearly in its eyes.
"This person… is from Saint Defier's camp! All those from Saint Defier should die!"
The locust threw its head back and roared. Its cultivation base spread out, and it was so strong that it could make the galaxy tremble. It was a power that surpassed those of Sublime Paragons. Even though the insect had yet to reach Avacaniya Realm, its level of cultivation was already incredibly terrifying.
Just as it was about to rush out, a golden chain flew out from the gap in space behind it. With a crack, it hit its body, making the locust jolt.
"Damn this chain from Saint Defier Expanse Cosmos! If it wasn't limiting my descent, I would have long since become the master of Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos! My fellow Daoists from Dark Dawn, what are you doing?! You asked me to descend so that I can gain the initiative, but if you don't get rid this Saint Defier Chain, how am I supposed to descend with my full power?!"
The locust threw its head back and roared. Its voice traveled straight into the gap that led to somewhere unknown.
At that moment, golden light swiftly shone on the golden chain. Not only did it not disappear, it charged towards the locust at an even faster speed. Judging by the looks of it, it seemed like it could crush the locust straight away.
"Damn it! Damn it! This is a Saint Defier attacking me!"
Madness appeared on the locust's face. When it saw the chain approaching it, it roared loudly, and its body swiftly crumbled before the chain to turn into tens of thousands of parts that fused into the eggs behind it. Immediately, the eggs resembling small white balls shuddered together before splitting up to turn into tens of thousands of parts that shot into all directions.
The golden chain swept outwards, and the galaxy roared. The universe was damaged, and nine-tenths of the tens of thousands of small balls crumbled. However, there were hundreds of them that vanished into space and disappeared without a trace.
"Fortunately, I activated the Body Splitting Art once I came here. Damn that Saint Defier camp. Sooner or later, all of you will die!"
A crazed voice traveled through the galaxy. When it reverberated in space, the golden chain lashed out again, stirring up a layer of golden ripples that swept towards the fleeing hundreds of small white balls. However, the instant it lashed out, a sinister, cold snort suddenly came from the gap in Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos.
At the same time, a strange arm that looked like an octopus' tentacle lashed out and collided with the golden chain. Booming sounds rang out.
"The war between us has yet to end. The battle between Dark Dawn and Saint Defier is still ongoing. If you dare get distracted by the matters in this place, you might die in this battle!"
The voice was answered by a woman's cold snort, but the golden chain disappeared. The two people's presences seemed to leave the gap within Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos to continue waging war in their own battlefield!
The moment the hundreds of small white balls spread out in the whirlwind, they rushed out in multiple directions to charge towards life forms closest to them.
As long as they could touch a living and breathing creature, they would latch onto them as parasites and use them to nourish their bodies. When they merged together again, they would regain the form of the locust.
Its level of cultivation would be slightly lower than before, but given time and enough killing for offerings, it could return to its top condition in a short period of time.
Not all of the hundreds of small white balls stayed in True Morning Dao World. Quite a large number of them split up and shot through the plane between Worlds to head to the other three Great True Worlds.
"Kill, I need to kill! I need the fear of countless lives when they die. Only by doing so can I recover at the shortest amount of time possible. Only then can I build my own locust army in this shoddy Lower Realm!" the locust roared, and it slowly spread out as the hundreds of small white balls gradually spread out.
After about a day passed, in the galaxy to the north in True Morning Dao World, Chen Wen and Si Ma Yu were looking around themselves with grave expressions. There were thousands of cultivators in red robes around them.
All of the cultivators had numb expressions, which created a grim and chilling atmosphere. Each of them had extraordinary power, but what was even more shocking was their murderous aura as well as the feeling of superiority belonging to those who always won in the battles they participated.
Perhaps by themselves they were not Chen Wen and his wife's opponents, and not even ten or a hundred of them could hope to match up to them, but there were thousands of them. Their presences seemed to be connected, fusing into a single shockingly strong one. Chen Wen could instantly sense danger.
When the thousands of presences fused together, what the wife and husband felt became even worse.
"My friends, are you cultivators from Morning Dao Sect's War Chamber? Please ask your commander to come forth so that we may speak to him," Chen Wen said in a mild tone, abandoning the arrogance usually adopted by Almighties.
However, the area around them was silent. No one answered. The thousands of people had no expression on their faces. They only stared at Chen Wen and his wife coldly.
"Kill them," a calm voice with matchless chilling air said languidly from the legion of cultivators.
Almost the instant the words were spoken, the thousands of cultivators looked like they had woken up from deep sleep. They moved, and a bizarre presence swiftly came from each cultivator's body. It did not seem to be formed by a cultivation method, but like a strange divine ability which belonged to the tribes in Divine Essence Star Ocean.
At the instant the presence erupted, the eyes of the thousands of cultivators turned bloodshot. Their cultivation bases increased exponentially at the same time, and they roared in a manner that could shake the sky and earth.
"Kill them!"
Chen Wen and his wife's expressions immediately changed drastically when the thousands of cultivators took a uniform step forward. Their murderous aura reached a monstrous degree and descended on the couple with loud bangs. At the instant it looked like a battle was about to erupt, Chen Wen activated his cultivation base. Si Ma Yu's expression changed, and she cried out in a piercing voice.
"The two of us represent the only sect in True Morning Dao World right now, the Ninth Summit! We came here to invite all of you into the sect. My master is a cultivator from the Higher Realm, and his level of cultivation far exceeds what you can imagine. If you insist on attacking us, you will surely be bringing upon yourselves the disaster of your entire race being destroyed!"
The instant Si Ma Yu said those words, the thousands of cultivators in the area revealed their killing intent. They charged forward, but at that moment, the voice which had come from behind the legion of cultivators spoke again.
"Stop!"
This one word immediately made the thousands of cultivators come to an abrupt halt. Their uniform movement caused Chen Wen's pupils to shrink when he saw it.
Immediately after, the legion of cultivators before Chen Wen and Si Ma Yu took three uniform steps to the side to reveal a gap leading to the space beyond the encirclement. A tall figure slowly walked forward through it.
That figure held a gigantic battle axe in his hand while taking huge strides forward. His body was tall and muscular, and he was filled with an indescribable, murderous aura… but he had no head!
It was a figure that brought others fear when they cast their eyes on it. The man's cultivation base also exuded a bizarre ripple. He seemed like an Almighty, but at the same time, not. Chen Wen and his wife could not help themselves and cast their gazes on him.
The instant they got a clear look of the person, their expressions changed at once. They cast each other a glance before bringing out the jade slip Su Ming had given them to compare the portrait with the person before them.
Chapter 1164: Senior Brother…
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Once they finished checking, a strange light lit up in Chen Wen's eyes, but before he spoke, the headless man walking over with a heinous murderous aura all over his body spoke in a ghastly, booming voice.
"Did you just say the ninth summit?"
"It is indeed the Ninth Summit!"
Chen stared at the headless man, then wrapped his fist in his palm before he bowed deeply towards him. He swiftly squeezed the jade slip in his hand, intending to send the information of his findings back to Su Ming.
But when he squeezed the jade slip, Chen Wen's expression suddenly changed drastically. It was the same for Si Ma Yu. They discovered to their shock that the jade slips in their hands had turned into normal stones at some unknown point in time!
Their jade slips had instead appeared in front of the headless man. They shone with a brilliant light as the headless man used his divine sense to check them.
This scene immediately caused Chen Wen and his wife to feel their hearts thump in their chests. Shock and fear filled their bodies. They had no idea how he had been able to do such a thing, and how they had been unable to even notice it.
After a moment, the jade slips in front of the headless man shattered with a bang.
"The person who gave you these jade slips has extraordinary power. I cannot see the contents within them. Lead the way, I will go to… the ninth summit you speak of!"
When the man mentioned the ninth summit, no one noticed that there was a slight quiver in his voice. His heart was far from the calm look he put up on his face. A huge storm was raging within him. It was mixed with extreme anticipation.
'Are you the one who gave them these jade slips… youngest junior brother?' the headless man mumbled in his heart.
In silence, he swung the battleaxe in his right hand, and it immediately turned into a long arc that charged towards Chen Wen and Si Ma Yu. The long arc shot through the space between them, going straight towards the whirlwind. With loud booms, a path was opened.
"Lead the way," the headless man repeated languidly.
Chen Wen and Si Ma Yu cast each other a glance. After a moment of hesitation, they made their choice. Su Ming had given them the jade slips while saying that they were to immediately notify him when they saw the people in the portraits. Although the jade slips had shattered, they would still be considered to have fulfilled his request if they brought the man to him.
As Chen Wen and his wife's expression changed, they chose to lead the way. The ripples under their feet immediately spread out and enveloped the area. The couple then charged along the path that had been opened in the whirlwind.
Behind them, the headless man took large strides forward. He was followed by the thousands of cultivators with expressionless faces. Together, they all charged through the whirlwind.
The headless man was completely unbothered by it. When he swung his axe, the whirlwind before it would disintegrate and fall backwards, opening a path for him.
In the meantime, Su Ming was still sitting cross-legged in the empty space. The instant the jade slips shattered, his eyes flew open. A dark glare shone in them. He cast a glance at the galaxy in the distance, then frowned slightly.
'The jade slips I gave Chen Wen and his wife were shattered. It's not because of them, however, but someone else forcefully shattering them. Yet person would not have been able to obtain the portraits I left behind.
'Since the person could crush my jade slips, they should have become a true Almighty in Mastery Realm, not like the others in Arid Triad, who have only reached a pseudo Mastery Realm.
'Looks like even if True Morning Dao World is terrorized by the disaster brought by the whirlwind, there are still plenty of powerful warriors around. This is good.'
Su Ming pondered over it for a moment, then closed his eyes again. He could sense that Chen Wen and his wife were still alive and were rushing in his direction.
All the answers would be clear when they returned.
At the same time, Su Ming sensed that his clones with the different personalities were using different methods to collect more souls and gather more power of the laws of fate. Their actions proved that Su Ming's assumption was plausible. If he could gather together all the remaining cultivators in True Morning Dao World, he could complete the second step of his plan. He could control his own fate, then use the Light of Extreme Darkness to replace the laws in a small area!
To the east, Su Ming's clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole was shrouded in golden light. It had a gentle air, but due to the clone's mighty strength, the golden light had a domineering presence despite it gentleness.
Miao Feng stood behind the clone. He was followed by tens of thousands of people. They moved forward like a great flood while enveloped by the white ripple.
Before them was a planet that was still partially whole. The moment they arrived, nearly ten thousand cultivators flew out.
"Submit to me and join the Ninth Summit. You will then receive protection during the disaster. This is your only choice. You are not allowed to resist or refuse, because this is the only way for you to survive."
The clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole had golden light spread out from his body. He lifted his hands slowly, and his voice from within the golden light traveled in all directions.
In another place, the west of True Morning Dao World, Su Ming's Ecang clone killed all those who refused to join the sect with a murderous aura and bloodlust wherever he passed. Roaring behind him was a sea of blood filled with countless heads. They intimidated the tens of thousands of cultivators who followed him; their numbers were similar to those that the golden clone had gathered. The hearts of the cultivators trembled every time they caught a glance of it. When they cast their gazes on Su Ming's Ecang clone, there was deep respect in them.
In another place was a lone ship sailing through the whirlwind. The gentle man on it was drinking wine while accompanied by beautiful women. He looked like he was having the time of his life.
Behind him was an incredibly boorish person. This man had a simple and honest look on his face. With a sideways glance, he stared at the gentle man with a scornful expression.
"Second senior brother, should I change the way I refer to that woman beside you as my second sister-in-law or as your Master? Damn it, that title is too confusing." The man harrumphed.
The lady sitting beside the gentle man was a beautiful woman. She was completely unbothered by the big man's words and covered her mouth to hide a chuckle. Due to her laughter, her eyes narrowed into the shapes of crescent moons, and she stared at the gentle man by her side. This adorable person was once her disciple, but had now become her man.
"Hu Zi, there are three things in a person's life against which they are completely helpless, do you know what they are?"
The gentle man drank his wine, then put down the cup and signaled to the beautiful woman beside him to pour wine for him. When he turned his head around, he had a smile that was like spring wind.
"Nonsense, of course I know those stupid three helpless things you're talking about. To me, when I want to drink but there is no wine, I feel helpless. When I want to sleep but can't, I feel helpless. When I miss home but can't see the ninth summit, I feel helpless as well. There's no way you'd feel helpless. Come on, why don't you tell me? I'd like to hear it. "The honest-looking man seemed to be incredibly dissatisfied with the gentle man and spoke loudly.
"Ahem, third junior brother, you are so rude. It would have been fine if there was no one else beside us, but when there are other people, could you show at least a little respect to your second senior brother?" The gentle man shook his head and picked up the wine cup to take a sip from it with an incredibly resigned expression.
"Rubbish! From the day you went off and left me in the Immortals' Union, I swore that I would definitely take revenge! Y-y-you… You went off to find love in a woman's bosom while making me suffer in the Immortals' Union, and you didn't even bother picking me up after so many years! There were plenty of times when my body was shot full of holes!" The honest man glared at the gentle man.
"But that is the plan set by eldest senior brother. He wanted us to split up, and he said that you needed to put yourself through the mill. If you want to be angry, go to eldest senior brother." The gentle man pouted and sighed.
"Hmph, I wouldn't dare to get angry at eldest senior brother, but as for you… Heh heh, I've already helped you preserve enough of your dignity by not mentioning you spying at the female disciples from the other summits in the past. I still remember that you even wanted to figure out the method to create the Rune for peeking at others, but failed and were chased to the ninth summit," the honest man said with a harrumph while glaring at the gentle man.
The gentle man let out a few dry coughs and changed the topic.
"I have yet to finish speaking. There are three things in a person's life about which they feel completely helpless. Hu Zi, the three things we feel helpless against are envy, jealousy, and hate. Right now, you're envious of me, and you're even jealous of me, and because of it, you have hate growing in you, but I am your second senior brother. Heh heh, oh well, look at the season, could it be spring? Don't worry, Hu Zi, I will handle your marriage!" The gentle man patted his chest as if he was making a pledge.
"Come on, tell me, what type do you like? Don't worry, even if I can't find the type you like among the girls here, when we go to the Barren Lands of Divine Essence to search for youngest junior brother, he will definitely find one that is good for you over there," the gentle man said in a teasing manner while taking a sip of his drink.
Hu Zi fell silent.
"Hmm? Why aren't you speaking? Ah, Hu Zi, you shouldn't be embarrassed at such a young age. Come on, tell me." When the gentle man saw that Hu Zi had a different expression on his face, he became interested. He even sat up a little straighter.
Hu Zi still remained silent.
"Let me guess. Do you like the younger ones, so that you can enjoy the feeling of protecting them when you're together? No, that can't be right. Then do you like older women? The mature ones who still retain some of their charms despite being past their prime?"
The gentle man spoke nonstop, causing Hu Zi's face to twitch. In the end, he could not take it anymore and his right hand rose swiftly. A pot of wine appeared in his palm, and he threw it at the gentle man.
An incredibly exaggerated scream of pain rose up. It was followed by a sigh.
"Women who are past their prime, young lassies… You're still too young. Oh, Hu Zi, why are your tastes so strange? Ah…"
"Sir, that is a good poem!"
"That's right, sir. This is the 637rd poem you made on your way here. I've recorded all of them."
Hu Zi's face twitched a few more times before he cast the gentle man a resigned look and sighed long and hard. He then picked up a pot of wine and started drinking, no longer bothering himself with him.
In one galaxy, but three different places. Fellow brothers of a lifetime. Perhaps there was some sort of fate manipulating events, but it did not matter whether it was the headless man or the ship, both of them were slowly approaching the spot where Su Ming had made his residence.
If they did not run into any accidents on the way, then perhaps soon, they would be able to see each other…
A separation that lasted for more than a thousand years… Perhaps soon, they would reunite…
Chapter 1165: An Fang's Baby!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As time trickled by, another month passed. Su Ming remained meditating, quietly trying to gain an epiphany about the laws in the world around him. He also quietly sensed the increasing power of the laws of fate that his two clones absorbed.
The aura of his cultivation base grew every day. It might not be much, but without a doubt, he was getting stronger. In fact, during the past few days, besides trying to understand the laws of fate, he had spent some time to understand Zhang Ji Dao's memories.
From them, he gained a deeper understanding of Essences and the existence that was Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos.
'Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos is like the origin of heaven… In the eyes of Saint Defier and Dark Dawn, this is an Expanse Cosmos that was just born… It is just like Dark Dawn and Saint Defier Expanse Cosmos during their early days. In the endless passage of time, they had grown until each of them obtained 180 Expanse Cosmoses.
'This can be considered a form of wholesomeness. It can be said that their Expanse Cosmoses reached the limit of their growth. If I say that the Expanse Cosmos itself is the mother, then the 180 Expanse Cosmoses in it are her children, and the cultivators as well as the lives in those 180 Expanse Cosmoses are her blood veins.
'Arid Triad is an Expanse Cosmos which has just been born. It is an origin of an Expanse Cosmos which will have 180 Expanse Cosmoses develop from it if it is given enough time. This is why if Saint Defier or Dark Dawn obtain Arid Triad, they will gain the power to destroy the other party.
'It is also why from the moment they discovered Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos, they began fighting over it ceaselessly.' Su Ming opened his eyes and stared at the galaxy, falling silent once more.
Compared to Saint Defier and Dark Dawn, the current Arid Triad was like a child. It was absolutely impossible for it to compare itself to the two ancients. It simply did not possess the power to fight. Whether it was Saint Defier or Dark Dawn, both of them would find it incredibly easy to subjugate Arid Triad.
But unfortunately for them, they were fighting against each other, and neither allowed the other to make the first step. On top of that, Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos might be weak, but it was still an Expanse Cosmos in its early stages of development, which meant that it had a power within it that could suppress external forces. This was an instinctive reaction of Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos. While growing, it would reject all forms of external forces from stepping into it.
Even if someone forced their way in, they would have their level of cultivation suppressed. However, this had changed because of the disaster a year ago. A gigantic gap had opened up, and it could allow those from Saint Defier and Dark Dawn to step in without anything inhibiting them. It was as if a door had been opened, lying Arid Triad bare before anyone who came. It could only quietly await its fate of being gobbled up.
And the cause of all this was Su Xuan Yi!
'Since I am not Su Xuan Yi's son, who exactly is his child? Could it be Yu Xuan? But it couldn't be that simple… That man has incredible intelligence and a great mind for strategy. He also behaves in a manner as if he is nearly mad. His thoughts cannot be predicted nor guessed by a normal person.
'But no matter what, one of the segments in his plan is definitely built on the idea to destroy the entire Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos to make Saint Defier and Dark Dawn pay a devastating price.
'This would explain why he opened that gap. It would force the tension between Dark Dawn and Saint Defier to reach its climax… and would bring them over en masse. The best result would be if all their powerful warriors descended. If that happened, then when Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos collapsed, they would face the destructive power of an Expanse Cosmos in the early stages of development collapsing. It would not be something that cultivators could withstand.
'But what would he gain by doing this? How can he make the Abyss Builders raise to power..? What else is he planning..?'
In silence, Su Ming shook his head. There were some thoughts in his mind, but he did not know whether his analysis was accurate. He could only continue waiting and observing in hopes to obtain a serendipity which would help him survive the disaster.
'Essence. The foundation of all external matters… Wind, rain, thunder, lightning, all things that exist will have Essences. Steel, wood, water, fire, earth, the cause of the changes in Essences within everything in the universe…
"If I was to master Essences, I would definitely be able to walk down the path of becoming a powerful warrior. The more Essences I understand, the stronger my power will be. Is this the foundation of Saint Defier Expanse Cosmos' cultivation method? I wonder what is Dark Dawn's…'
Su Ming remembered the small white ball from before. He fell into a moment of pensive silence. Within the memories of Zhang Ji Dao were some battles with the cultivators from Dark Dawn.
'Interesting. Those from Dark Dawn are all beings transformed from foreign matter, and they are all different from Saint Defier's cultivators. They can take human form, but usually they can only bring forth their full power when they are in their original forms.
'This is the truth based on the cultivator from Dark Dawn's camp who fought against Zhang Ji Dao in the past. His original form was a three-eyed toad that was thousands of feet big…
'Compared to the cultivators in Saint Defier referring to themselves as Immortals and Gods, those from Dark Dawn refer to themselves as Demons and Ghosts. They do not practice Essences, but their own cores. Even if their cultivation systems are generally the same, the core of it is completely different.
'When they cultivate the core in their bodies, it is their souls and their Nascent Divinities as well. It is also the heart of the mark of their lives. The changes in them are unfathomable, and this core can fight against Essences energy from Saint Defier Expanse Cosmos. From this, I can tell that this so-called power of cultivating the core contains the foundation of the universe!' In silence, Su Ming raised his right hand, and the gray ball immediately appeared on his palm.
There was still life force in the ball, but it was no longer sentient. The near one hundred thousand thin threads in it remained still, as if they were in deep sleep.
'If that's the case, then I can be certain that this is from Dark Dawn. Since it appeared in the whirlwind, could it be… that someone from Dark Dawn has already descended?'
Su Ming pondered it for a moment before he spread his divine sense and had it fuse into each of the threads in the small gray ball.
But no matter how Su Ming fused his divine sense or completely enveloped the inner parts of the small gray ball, he could not find a way to leave a Brand of his divine sense. It was as if the small gray ball was transparent.
A fierce light shone in Su Ming's eyes. He opened his mouth and let out a puff of the breath of his life. Once it surrounded the ball, he sent his divine sense to scan it again, but obtained the same results. The small ball might have seemed to contain countless threads densely packed together, but Su Ming still could not find a spot to leave a Brand.
He let out a cold harrumph. When he lifted his left hand to form a seal, the white ripple around him shone. It spread out before falling back and charging towards Su Ming. In an instant, it turned into a white ring. With Su Ming's will controlling it, the ring instantly enveloped the small gray ball, and it shrank slightly. The ball let out a cracking sound, and the near one hundred thousand thin threads instantly shuddered.
At the same time, Su Ming sent his divine sense inside once more. Without pausing for even a moment, he left his Brand on the thin threads.
Once he was done, Su Ming unfurled his right hand and tapped the small gray ball. It immediately shattered with a bang. Buzzing sounds soon echoed in space. The gray threads flew out from within the ball and surrounded Su Ming, forming a gray whirlwind.
It consisted of nearly one hundred thousand threads. As they spun, a vague figure could be seen inside. This figure looked like a locust which had been magnified many times, and it exuded a strange demonic presence.
Su Ming closed his eyes. He could sense that his Brand existed on each of the one hundred thousand threads, and he could control all of them. He could also sense that the threads were like babies that had lost their foundation and could no longer keep growing. Before long, they would wither and die.
The moment Su Ming had his divine sense finally Brand the one hundred thousand threads with the power of the white ring and they surrounded Su Ming, forming a whirlwind around him, dozens of cultivators in various places in True Morning Dao World shuddered simultaneously.
A huge hole appeared at the center of their brows, but no blood gushed out. The holes had been made by a white ball of light which had appeared and penetrated their skulls while they were meditating not too long ago. Their presences had disappeared after that, but at that moment, as they shuddered, they opened their eyes simultaneously.
"Someone made a baby of mine manifest itself… This baby isn't one of those who had split up from me previously. This is… the one I sent out in the beginning. It had latched itself onto the body of a cultivator of this world, but it soon had latched itself onto another person. Someone then took it out and wiped off its consciousness!
"This person has quite the courage. Since he could wipe off the consciousness of my baby and leave his Brand, he cannot be weak, but he is a little too conceited. If my baby had enough nutrients, it could grow to my level.
"But unless it devoured billions of cultivators in Arid Triad, it would have trouble growing up. Still, I don't need to be worried about it. I'm actually looking forward to its growth. When I meet up with it, I can devour it and shorted my time of recovery."
These sort of words tumbled out of the mouths of the dozen something cultivators scattered in different places at the same time. Their words and tone were the exact same. In fact, there were also quite a number of cultivators and ferocious beasts who had holes appear at the center of their brows in the other three Great True Worlds as well. They had all spoken the exact same words.
Su Ming stared at the threads spinning around him. He examined the faint image of the locust and narrowed his eyes. When he raised his right hand, he extended his right index finger, and a thin thread immediately shot out to wrap itself around his finger before half of it crawled into him.
Su Ming's expression remained the same. He sensed the presence of the thread and discovered that the cultivation base in his body was being absorbed swiftly. His cultivation base was fusing into the gray thread, which was visibly becoming thicker. Its life force also increased at that moment, and it no longer looked like it was about to wither.
'So you absorb cultivation bases, huh? I wonder if this thing will be a huge supplement to you.'
Su Ming fell into a moment of pensive silence before he decided to keep the strange thing from Dark Dawn as his pet to figure Dark Dawn's strength.
After mulling over it for a moment, he flung his right hand. Once he sent the thread away from his body… a poisonous wasp appeared on his palm!
It was the poisonous wasp which contained the God Ascension Nectar!
Under Su Ming's control, one drop of the poisonous liquid seeped out of the wasp's stinger. At the instant the drop appeared, the one hundred thousand threads surrounding Su Ming stopped rotating simultaneously as if they had frozen. Not one of them moved.