Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The instant the clone in Su Xuan Yi’s field of vision turned into ashes in the Emperor of Abyss’ True World and the sandglass showed that there were only about two hours until the day ended...
The sixth Heavenly Incense shuddered violently. Su Ming’s pupils shrank when he saw the sixth Heavenly Incense shatter with a bang. As it crumbled layer by layer, it was reduced to ashes and disappeared.
At the same time, a faint presence spread out, and they caused his expression to change before it eventually settled on a dreary look. He could tell that the presence belonged to him.
“The second...” the spirit of the Rune, who had now lost two of its Heavenly Incenses, said in an ancient voice. As it reverberated in space, it caused Su Ming’s expression to turn even more dreary.
“So it’s not only me attacking you personally, but all the things done by those who are connected to me, be it people or objects possessing my presence, that will be counted within this day.”
Su Ming’s eyes swiftly fell shut. In an instant, he found his Ecang clone. He had noticed that the presence that destroyed the Heavenly Incense just then belonged to him, but he also realized that it came from the Seed of Life Extermination, which had already been separated from his body.
Though Su Ming might not know what happened to the Seed of Life Extermination and what had caused the Heavenly Incense crumble, but it was obvious that this was due to another independent clone. Yet Su Ming had no time to care about why and how it had happened. At the instant his divine sense connected with Ecang clone, his pupils constricted.
Su Ming sensed that his Ecang clone had brought tens of thousands of cultivators to surround a broken planet. With killing intent emanating from him, he brought his right hand up, intending to destroy the planet.
It did not matter whether there was someone in the planet who could affect the Heavenly Incense Rune, but once Su Ming fused his divine sense with his Ecang clone, he immediately made his decision. Ecang clone slowly brought his hand down. The murderous glare and the blood-red light in his eyes gradually disappeared as well. Instead of attacking, he sat down and waited for the final two hours of the day to come to an end.
As for Su Ming, he carefully thought back on all the people and objects who had his presence. In the end, he was certain that no other accidents would happen. Then, with a sullen expression, he stared at the Heavenly Incense Rune. Only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn remained until the day was over.
“I’d like to see how the third Heavenly Incense will break!”
There was an aloof look in Su Ming’s eyes. By his side, both Hu Zi and the bald crane were silent. They had discovered that something was off. They knew that Su Ming had descended into a monomaniacal state, and they did not dare bother him.
Time trickled by breath by breath. When the time it takes for an incense stick to burn was about to pass and there were less than ten grains of sand remaining in the upper level of the sandglass, the Heavenly Incense Rune’s spirit did not react. It still believed wholeheartedly that what it had predicted would come true.
At the instant the final grain fell, signaling that the day was over, the image of the last of the seven Heavenly Incenses inverted in Su Ming’s eyes... which was also clearly the very first Heavenly Incense extinguished a long time ago. With a bang, it shuddered, and countless cracks went down its side. The instant the day ended, it collapsed and shattered.
The spirit of the Heavenly Incense Rune did not react. In fact, it was very calm, since it was not the spirit itself destroying the incense stick. Su Ming could sense this clearly. His face gradually turned pale, and his body shuddered ... because he noticed the presence that came from the incense stick the instant it was destroyed. That presence... belonged to Su Ming!!
What caused him to tremble and go pale was the fact while that presence belonged to him, he was completely unfamiliar with it. This was a very contradictory statement, but at that moment, it was what Su Ming felt in his heart.
“Tis the secret of the universe. Through thy hand, it hast descended upon me. Three incense sticks hath broken. Tis mine punishment for revealing the secret of the universe... what the secret of the universe hast revealed wilt come true. It wilt... happen,” the spirit of Heavenly Incense Rune muttered. Its ancient voice echoed in space.
“Secret of the universe...”
Su Ming slowly stood up with a ferocious look in his eyes. With a single move, he charged at the Heavenly Incense Rune. When he raised his right hand, the ring flew off his finger with a bang. At the same time, an astonishing power erupted from his body. This was not the power that belonged to ordinary Almighties in Fate Realm. It was great enough for him to fight against those in Life Realm within Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos.
In fact, even if he was faced with those in Death Realm, Su Ming would still be worthy enough to fight against them.
“The secret of the universe might have said that you will have three of your incense sticks broken, but I will break all of them!”
While speaking, Su Ming approached the Rune. As his cultivation base erupted from him, a piercing light spread out from the ring. An astonishing presence erupted from the supreme treasure. It was a power that could destroy space. With a bang, it charged at the Heavenly Incense Rune.
“Wherefore doth thou do this... Yesterday is over...”
The spirit of the Heavenly Incense Rune sighed softly. It did not fight back and allowed that vast power of the ring to descend upon it. Amid the loud bangs, the remaining six Heavenly Incenses shuddered simultaneously. One of them shattered swiftly, disappearing into space.
Killing intent shone in Su Ming’s eyes. He lifted his right hand and formed a seal. The ring immediately howled, and with a vast power, it charged at the Heavenly Incense Rune once more. The Rune crumbled. The fifth Heavenly Incense Rune shattered, meaning there were only four incenses left. Two of them continued burning, and the power of reversing time surrounded the three incense sticks which had extinguished, as if they were about to recover.
Su Ming struck the center of his brows with his left hand. Immediately, the past and future appeared next to him, and the power of reversing time spread out from his body. As he let out a low growl, he controlled the supreme treasure with his right hand. The ring swept out, drawing an arc that rushed once again at the Heavenly Incense Rune.
This time, Su Ming’s inborn power to interrupt the flow of time was contained in the ring. As booming sounds reverberated in space, it charged at the Heavenly Incense Rune. Rumbles surged into space without end. Besides the two Heavenly Incenses which continued to burn, the other three were reduced to powder, but as Su Ming watched it, a complicated expression appeared on his faces.
He saw that the four Heavenly Incenses he destroyed disregarded his power to interrupt the flow of time. They still slowly but surely recovered and manifested, as if... their reformation was not as Su Ming saw. It was not due to the reversal of time, but was a power that surpassed what he could currently understand. With it, they recovered after they had shattered.
“Tis useless. I revealed the secret of the universe and has thus paid the price. I doth not know when ye shalt pay thine... but what the secret of the universe has shown wilt be fulfilled. This... wilt never change. There is nothing thou can changeth even if you destroy the remaining Heavenly Incenses. Today is today, yesterday has passed.”
The Heavenly Incense Rune sighed softly. Slowly, its will dissipated. The four Heavenly Incenses Su Ming had destroyed manifested once more, but since the will of the spirit of the Rune had disappeared, they became no different from lifeless objects.
“I have revealeth the secret of the universe. Having three of mine Heavenly Incenses broken is just an external punishment. Mine internal punishment is that of mine will falling into slumber... for 3,720 years. When I awaken, I shalt see... the scene thou hast seen from the secret of the universe. At that time, we shalt meet again...”
As the voice of the Heavenly Incense Rune’s spirit became increasingly weaker, the two burning incense slowly went out. They had not extinguished because of an Abyss Builder’s clone, but because the Rune’s will had fallen asleep. They would not burn for 3,720 years.
After that time passed, the two Heavenly Incenses would light up once more.
Su Ming stared at the extinguished Heavenly Incenses. As he watched the six incense sticks and sensed the strange power from the Heavenly Incense Rune around him fade away until it was completely gone, he fell silent. Anguish appeared on his face. In truth, before he attacked, Su Ming had already known that he had lost against the Heavenly Incense Rune.
Even if he destroyed the other Heavenly Incenses, the previous day had already passed, and the secret of the universe had said that three sticks would be broken on that particular day.
‘If I had broken three or more beforehand...’
Su Ming stood quietly in the galaxy and watched the extinguished Heavenly Incense Rune. He could not help but think of that question.
After a long while, he sighed softly. In the end, the mysteriousness of the secrets of the universe lay in only two words... what if!
The secret of the universe was contained in those two simple words.
He would understand this matter if he could, and if he could not, then there was no forcing himself. The pictures he saw from the secret of the universe flashed in his eyes again, but he buried them all deep in his heart.
‘I do not believe in the will of heaven, neither do I believe in destiny. I only believe in myself! So what if this is the secret of the universe? If I change the secret of the universe and replace the heavens themselves, I will also be able e to change my destiny! What the secret of the universe showed is just one point in the future. With this point as a reference, I can change the future!’
Determination and resolution appeared in Su Ming’s eyes. He knew that he could not think too much about this. The more he thought about it, the more he would instinctively believe in it, and if he did so, the more likely it would become that it would come true.
A brilliant light shone in Su Ming’s eyes as he stared at space.
‘Clone of mine that practices the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole, I will start with you. The Heavenly Incense has been destroyed, so I’d like to see just where you can hide!’
With a step forward, Su Ming appeared beside Hu Zi and the bald crane.
Hu Zi looked like he wanted to speak, but he hesitated. He cast a glance at Su Ming, and in the end chose to say nothing.
“Hu Zi, for the time being, I won’t return to build the Ninth Summit. I want to search for the clone of mine who betrayed me and fled. Do you want to come with me or go back?” Su Ming looked towards Hu Zi.
“Naturally, where you go, I will follow. I am your senior brother. Eldest senior brother has already ordered me to help you, so you can’t leave me and go alone,” Hu Zi said loudly while patting his chest.
Su Ming stared at Hu Zi. He could not help but remember the picture from the secret of the universe, the one where Hu Zi was covered head to toe in blood while glaring at the universe with eyes open as he lay dead.
Pain struck Su Ming’s heart, and his resolution to avert what was to come grew even stronger.
Chapter 1176.1: All Spirits Hall (1)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
A long arc charged through the whirlwind. Su Ming was at the front of it with Hu Zi was by his side. As for the bald crane, it was lying on Hu Zi’s shoulder and continuously trying to confuse him by whispering into his ear. This gradually annoyed Hu Zi. He grabbed the bald crane by the neck and threw it into the distance. Yet in the span of a few breaths, the bald crane returned and lay down on Hu Zi’s shoulder once more to continue with its work.
Su Ming’s expression was calm. The third eye at the center of his eyes had already opened, and it was shining with a strangely enchanting light while staring at the whirlwind in the galaxy. With it, Su Ming could see a silver line stretching into the depths of the whirlwind.
This silver thread was a sign left behind by his divine sense when he struck the top of his clone’s skull. Through it, he could find his clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole.
Days passed, and in the blink of an eye, half a month was gone. Su Ming had been charging forward all that time. He rushed forward in the direction of the silver thread, and the distance between him and the clone grew smaller.
His clone, a person who now had his own independent will, had clearly noticed Su Ming’s actions, and he was fleeing into the distance, continuously changing his direction in an attempt to shake off the pursuit.
But no matter how he tried to flee, he could not run away from Su Ming’s senses. On the nineteenth day of the pursuit, a glint shone in Su Ming’s eyes. He took a step forward, disappearing. When he appeared, he was far into the distance, standing above a broken planet.
The moment he stopped there, his third eye saw the silver thread going into the broken planet. As the third eye magnified the view, Su Ming saw his clone meditating on a mountain.
The instant Su Ming looked at it, the black-robed clone raised his head and stared at the sky coldly, meeting its old master’s gaze.
Su Ming’s lips curled up into a cold sneer. At that moment, Hu Zi and the bald crane arrived behind him, and their gazes fell on the broken planet.
“Hu Zi, guard this place. My clone is slightly cunning. He must have made preparations against me since he chose this place. If he runs, try to block him, but just a little.
“Baldy, guard this place as well.”
Su Ming lifted his finger and pointed in the direction before him. Hu Zi grinned, and with a single move, he appeared at the spot Su Ming had requested of him.
The bald crane quickly patted its chest, putting on an expression that told Su Ming not to be worried.
A glint shone in Su Ming’s eyes, and when he looked at the broken planet, the cold sneer on his lips became even colder. The clone’s personality was incredibly similar to his own. Since he chose this place, he had to have prepared an ambush, but Su Ming did not intend to step into the broken planet.
Instead, he raised his right hand, and the ring on his right hand sparkled. A ripple spread out from it and surrounded Su Ming’s palm. He formed a seal with his hand. Immediately after, countless ripples that formed multiple circles charged towards the broken planet.
The moment the ripples touched the planet, it shuddered, and cracks spread through the ground with loud noises. In just two breaths, booming sounds reverberated in space, and the planet crumbled.
Su Ming took a step forward as swiftly as a bolt of lightning. He stepped on the broken pieces, then lifted his right hand, formed a seal, and pointed forward. With it, space was sliced apart.
Su Ming changed the rules in the place by using his power of Fate Realm. This power was gathered on his finger as he charged straight towards the center of the clone’s brows while the planet crumbled around him.
He was so fast that he closed in on the clone that practiced the Art of Swallowing Hollow Shadows Whole right away, but the clone looked like he had expected Su Ming to do such a thing. Not a hint of panic could be detected on him.
The instant Su Ming closed in, he raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and let out a low growl. His body instantly started squirming, and he threw a punch at Su Ming.
When it collided with Su Ming’s finger, a deafening bang echoed in the air, shaking the sky as well as the earth. A huge wave of power swept towards Su Ming from the clone, causing him to freeze for a moment, but it was only for a moment. No matter how strong the clone was, he was still just a clone, and the time in which he had an independent will was too short.
Su Ming let out a snort, and his cultivation base surged to his finger. Once he formed a seal with his right hand, he flung that power forward, and immediately, the clone coughed up a large mouthful of blood. He staggered backwards, retreating several thousands of feet backwards in one go.
Su Ming’s pupils contracted. The clone being forced back was within his expectations, but if it was forced back several thousands of feet back, then there was a problem with it.
Almost at the instant Su Ming noticed this, the clone’s lips curled into a ferocious sneer. There was even a hint of derision in it. He raised his hands, pushed his palms together in front of him, and a string of words with which Su Ming was familiar tumbled out of his mouth.
“Form the Earthen Script: Grave!”
The clone raised his hands, formed a seal, then pointed forward. Immediately, the shattered planet froze for a moment. In the blink of an eye, they moved in reverse no longer scattering away. Instead, they fell back. It looked like time was flowing in reverse, but in truth, this was due to the clone’s divine ability.
In an instant, the shattered planet gathered together once more, forming something that was no longer the planet from before, but a lone grave formed by countless shattered rocks!
That grave was like a seal. There were countless bolts of lightning swimming on its surface, and they let out crackling sounds as they sealed Su Ming inside. All of this had happened in a flash.
The clone’s personality was practically the same as Su Ming’s, and he was incredibly cunning. He had predicted that Su Ming would definitely chase after him, and when he saw that he was on the planet, he would definitely guess that there was something off about the place. The probability of him landing on the ground was not high. It was more probable that he would destroy the planet.
Yet as long as Su Ming closed in on the place, the clone could execute the Earthen Script. He made a bet that Su Ming still did not understand him and believed that he was only skilled in physical Arts.
Almost the instant the seal was formed, the clone threw his head back and roared. His body was immediately covered in blood, and wisps of silver light were forced out of the center of his brows. All of this lasted for about three breaths.
Hu Zi’s expression changed in the distance. He roared in anger and rushed over, but the clone just laughed at the heavens. In the end, he forced out all of the silver threads from the center of his brows. He moved, and in the face of the incoming Hu Zi, the clone laughed ferociously, raised his right hand, and threw a punch at him.
Booming sounds reverberated in space. Hu Zi jolted and was forced several thousands of feet backwards. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, and when he raised his head, he found that the clone had not chased after him, but had turned into a long arc that left swiftly into the distance. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the whirlwind. Only his laughter echoed in space, and there was a wild, untamed quality to it.
“When my real self no longer has the silver threads to chase after me, I’d like to see how you will follow me! Don’t worry, I can tell you where I will go. Even if you destroyed the third Heavenly Incense and broke my path to copying your power, it doesn’t matter. I can go to the other True Worlds and search for Su Xuan Yi. I believe he will be very interested in me. When I am powerful enough, I will devour you and replace you...”
The clone’s laughter gradually faded away, and his body could no longer be seen.
With a bang, the gigantic grave formed of shattered stones sealing Su Ming crumbled. He walked out from within it with a sullen expression. He cast a glance at the galaxy in the distance, and a contempt shone in his eyes.
He had indeed not expected the clone to have mastered his divine abilities instead of relying on his great physical power. However, the clone did not know that Su Ming had never put all his hopes on a single plan. Besides the silver threads, he still had another method to track the clone.
The golden shade of his personality had fused with the clone. Even though the clone had severed the connection with his soul after he gained his own will, the golden personality still remained within it, faded away so it was almost unnoticeable.
However, due to the existence of the golden personality which was part of him, the clone was like a torch in a dark world in Su Ming’s eyes. He stood out starkly.
“Hu Zi, go back to eldest senior brother and second senior brother and build our Ninth Summit with them. This clone of mine is incredibly cunning. Capturing him will require some time. Once I subjugate him, I’ll go back and search for all of you.”
Su Ming turned his head around and cast a glance at Hu Zi. He lifted his right hand and swung his arm before a gentle power immediately surged out from him to seep into Hu Zi’s body. Once most of the injuries had recovered, Hu Zi stared at Su Ming, and after a moment of hesitation, he chose to agree.
After all, the clone was so strong that no matter how extraordinary Hu Zi’s level of cultivation was, there was still a great disparity between them. Not only would he not be of any use to Su Ming, he would even hold him back.
“Hu Zi, you’re the most skilled among us in regards to Runes. Please help me crack the Rune for Relocation to Morning Dao Sect. I want to go there and see whether there are any survivors in there, and its land can be used as the bedrock for the Ninth Summit. And the predecessor of Dao Ocean... is also there...”
Su Ming wrapped his fist in his palm towards Hu Zi, then sent a ripple that could reject the whirlwind under his feet. When he turned around, he changed into a long arc. The bald crane quickly followed after Su Ming and disappeared with him.
Hu Zi watched Su Ming leave into the distance while standing alone in the galaxy, and a hint of determination appeared on his honest face.
‘Level of cultivation... I must increase my level of cultivation. I absolutely cannot be so much weaker than them. I have to become stronger!’
Resolution shone in Hu Zi’s eyes. When he turned around, he changed into a long arc and left into the distance.
Su Ming moved quickly and also shifted. With the supreme treasure sweeping around him, the whirlwind could not affect him in the slightest, allowing Su Ming to move incredibly fast. In an instant, he covered a boundless distance. In just around a dozen breaths, he sensed the clone in his heart.
‘He’s moving through the whirlwind. No matter how strong his physical body is, he cannot do it for a long time. With the distance he covered just now, he should be reaching his limit.’
A freezing glare shone in Su Ming’s eyes, and he rushed forward.
Translator’s Note:
1. All Spirits Hall: Mentioned in ‘The Fifth Kiln’ as one of the three mysteries in Divine Essence Star Ocean, a place where all Ancestral Spirits are born, or so the rumors say.