Pursuit of the Truth
chapter-12

Su Ming thought for a long time but he still could not figure out the effects of the Scattering Dust. In the memories he obtained, he only acquired the methods to make the pills, not their effects.

Su Ming only left the place with the slightest bit of hesitation when the sun was at its highest in the sky.

They ran back to the place where he had performed the quenching. The little monkey did not stay long. It ran outside as soon as it came back to the cave.

Su Ming felt the breeze on his skin as he leaned against the wall of the mountain. In his hands were the green pills and he began thinking as he held them.

‘Just what is its use…? Neither consuming the pill nor applying it externally worked…’

He frowned. He finally managed to make the pills but he could not determine their effects. It made Su Ming feel as if the past month had been a waste.

He stared at the pills and made his decision.

‘I’ll just have to try it on my own! Let’s see what happens once I swallow it!’

Su Ming was the decisive sort. Once he made a decision, he never hesitated. He quickly placed the Scattering Dust in his hand, into his mouth.

The pill immediately melted once it touched his tongue. A strong medicinal taste filled his mouth and turned into a strong wave of heat that flowed into all parts of his body. It disappeared soon however, and Su Ming did not feel much from it.

Su Ming was stunned. He sat down hurriedly and meditated, trying to solidify the blood in his veins. However, it was to no avail. It was no different than before. He still felt that there was not enough blood in his body.

He pulled at his hair, frustrated. This was the first time he truly felt that he had wasted the past month.

‘Impossible, there must be some other use!’

Su Ming was disappointed but he did not give up. Yet, no matter how much he pondered about it, he could not find any clues. The only thing he could do was sigh and laugh bitterly.

After a while, the little monkey returned and approached Su Ming. It jumped around for a while before throwing some fruits in front of him, then leaving once more.

Su Ming sighed. He was hungry so, he picked up one of the fruits and began thinking as he ate.

‘One, two, three…’

Before he knew it, Su Ming let out a burp and spat out the core. He stroked his belly and started thinking again. His gaze traveled to the fruits left on the ground and just as he was about to look away, it struck him.

‘I’m full?! What?!’

Su Ming stared at the fruits and immediately began counting the cores he spat on the ground. There were 15 in total.

He felt that he had just come across something important. His heart pounded in excitement.

‘I’ve always loved eating this fruit and Xiao Hong has always picked them for me…but I don’t like eating too much in one go. At the same time, I’m usually only half full even after eating 10 of them… But just now, I only ate 15 of them and I’m already full! Is it because my appetite has decreased? Or perhaps…it has something to do with this!’

Su Ming licked his lips. He remembered that he had taken a Scattering Dust pill earlier on.

‘Perhaps the Scattering Dust is actually a pill that can replace food... Or perhaps, the Scattering Dust can… increase the effects of other things!’

Su Ming felt his heart pounding. He took a deep breath. He had been thinking carefully and exhaustively about the effects of the pill but had obtained no clues. Now that he had stumbled onto something, he was going to pursue it no matter how ridiculous it may seem. He immediately crawled back into the little hole which he used for the sole purpose of quenching herbs.

He remembered that he still had a little bit of Dark Dragon’s Saliva left. This was a rare item. It was impossible to obtain it without rain and he had been reluctant to drink what little amount he had left.

He quickly ventured into the cave. Su Ming took out the bottle that contained the few drops of Dark Dragon’s Saliva left from the basket. He then swallowed it all in one gulp without hesitation.

Su Ming was extremely familiar with the Dark Dragon’s Saliva. With just a few drops, he immediately felt the faint traces of coldness from the liquid traveling to all parts of his body before seeping into his blood.

The cold sensation brought upon by the Dark Dragon’s Saliva suddenly increased a little, at least by one fold. It may not seem much, but Su Ming could really feel it.

As the coldness became one with his blood, it felt like his blood started to boil. It caused the four manifested to glow a bloody red. as he controlled the flow of blood in his body.

After a long while, Su Ming opened his eyes and let out a shaky breath. His eyes were filled with happiness and excitement.

‘I knew it! There are no effects if the Scattering Dust is taken alone but if taken with other objects, then the effects of those objects will increase. It seems like a simple effect, but it’s really quite extraordinary!’

Su Ming felt his spirits lift up. The process of creating Scattering Dust was now a huge motivation for him.

‘There were 15 tiny holes on the door which gave me the methods to create Scattering Dust. It must be for me to place 15 of these pills in there but, I don’t even have enough for myself now…’

Su Ming fell silent. Then, he let out a string of murmurs slowly after a brief period of hesitation.

Once he made up his mind, he immediately went to the Barren Caldron and began processing the remaining herbs by quenching.

Besides processing the herbs, he also made the little monkey continue searching for the herbs his grandfather would take away in huge bundles. Then using the method in his tribe, he mashed the herbs and turned them into liquid before drinking it. With the help of the Scattering Dust, his training speed grew faster.

Two months had passed by. Su Ming barely left the cave during those two months. The fire cavern had practically become his second home. The location could not be easily discovered, hence, Su Ming felt at ease training there.

Within those two months, he had prepared a lot of Scattering Dust. With the help of the medicinal concoction which helped increase his blood rate, he gradually managed to manifest the fifth blood vein on his body.

The sixth blood vein too, had begun appearing vaguely on his body. If this continued, then it would manifest very soon.

Winter had already arrived outside. The other mountains were covered by snow except Black Flame Mountain. Snow would melt before it could even touch the surface of the mountain. Due to this, the mountain was surrounded by a thick layer of fog. It was a strange sight to see from afar.

If an outsider saw it for the first time, the mountain would definitely pique his or her interest. Su Ming grew up there so, the strange sights of the mountain were nothing new to him.

That day, Su Ming sat down with his legs crossed and the blood red glow was incredibly strong within his body. The five blood veins crawled all over his body as if they possessed life. It was a shocking sight to behold.

As the blood red glow kept spreading around his body, sweat accumulated all over Su Ming’s body. His body trembled but his face was filled with determination. This was his third attempt at manifesting the sixth blood vein during the past half a month. Once he managed to do it, he would successfully become a Berserker at the second level in the Blood Solidification Realm.

More importantly, he would be able to use the very first Berserker Art. It was one that belonged only to their tribe; an Art known as Spirit Devourer!

The Spirit Devourer was not a skill that could be used without preparation. Some fresh animal carcasses would be required. By gathering the Berserker Blood in their bodies, practitioners could sense the spirit of the deceased animal and bring it out to increase their own strength temporarily.

Only after they have mastered this particular skill would they be known as a Berserker. They would then be different from the other members of the tribe. They would be much stronger.

After a long while, Su Ming’s body continued to tremble. The bloody glow surrounding his body gradually disappeared and the five blood veins on his skin also sank into his body once more. The solidification of the sixth blood vein had failed once again.

Su Ming let out a deep breath. After a moment of silence, he mixed some medicinal concoction with the Scattering Dust and drank it before continuing with his training.

Another month passed by. The entire Dark Dragon Mountain was covered by a thick layer of snow. The fog surrounding Black Flame Mountain had also grown thicker. Even the heat seemed to disappear in the weather.

The year’s coldest season was about to arrive.

However for Su Ming, this was the most important moment. His diligence in training coupled with his supply of herbs and Scattering Dust, increased his training speed exponentially in the Blood Solidification Realm. The sixth blood vein had appeared and it was at a critical moment of manifestation.

The little monkey also refused to go out in winter. Its entire body was red and that made it extremely eye-catching in the snow. Even if it was not winter, it would have to lay low.

It squatted down beside Su Ming and yawned as it watched him. All of a sudden, the little monkey lifted its head,. Its eyes were filled with a fierce glare and its ears twitched.

Faint voices traveled into the cavern from the outside…

"Yu Chi, are you sure the Sky Stone grows here? We’ve been searching this place for half a day and we still can’t find any. Are you sure you got the right information?" It was a cold voice and the little monkey quivered the moment it heard it.

"It can’t be. I remember seeing shrubs of the plant, that’s why I cast a Berserker Art to hide it. It should have grown by now. The other members of the tribe come here often to collect herbs. They should be able to identify my spells." The voice that answered was sharp.

"Then hurry up. If the Sky Stone is really here, then I’ll be able to break through the third level soon and reach the fourth level. As for you, you should be able to reach the third level."

"Don’t be in such a hurry. It should be here. I can feel the presence of my spell… If you can reach the fourth level, then you will be able to join the Black Mountain’s hunting team. I heard that the elder made a new rule that says anyone can keep their own game this time."

Their voices were getting closer and sounded like they were right outside. The little monkey was so nervous it did not dare to breathe. It could feel that the two people outside posed a serious threat.

It turned back to look at Su Ming multiple times but Su Ming still had his eyes shut. His body was trembling slightly and the bloody glow on his body was becoming stronger. The sixth blood vein seemed to show signs of complete manifestation as well.

Yet, at that very moment... "Found it! Huh? Look, there’s a small hole here!"

"It’s the Sky Stone! As for the hole…this was once the Land of the Fire Berserker Tribe. There’s hot air around the hole. It should be empty. Since we’re already here, we might as well go in and have a look. A simple hole can’t stop me." Their voices traveled into the cave and their words made the little monkey’s face grow pale.

It gritted its teeth and looked back at Su Ming for a long period of time. Then, it bared its teeth and rushed out of the little hole.

Immediately, sounds of delight could be heard from the outside.

"It’s a Fire Ape and a baby at that, haha!"

"This must be its refuge from the cold. Catch it! Its blood can help me replenish my blood, and I’ll offer its fur to the elder!"

Mournful cries could be heard after that and then the voices gradually disappeared. However within the cave, Su Ming’s face had contorted in anger and he shook furiously.

"You asked…for this…" Su Ming lifted his head and roared in rage.