Pursuit of the Truth
chapter-184

"Master, you’re finally awake!"

There was a hint of bitterness He Feng’s voice. He already did not know how to express himself. He was shocked awake when he sensed death looming dangerously over him and immediately discovered that something was wrong with Su Ming. It was as if he had lost his soul, and his body was falling rapidly. Before long, he would crash and his body would turn to smithereens.

Su Ming was unaware of his surroundings, so it was only natural that he did not know fear, but He Feng was conscious. He could only watch Su Ming’s body fall, watch himself dying together with Su Ming, and he could do nothing about it. He could not control Su Ming’s body, and neither could he leave it. The power outside that was suppressing his Qi would also bring about destructive harm to him.

He was truly afraid. This sort of torture where he had to walk to his own death and could do nothing about it made him mad. He called out to Su Ming in panic, had even started cursing him without bothering to sugarcoat his words by the end when he sank into despair.

Yet when he saw that Su Ming was awake, He Feng suddenly became afraid again. That fear was no longer due to possibility of death, but due to the possibility of Su Ming having heard his words just now. If he did, then he might be in serious trouble.

"Mas… Master? What did you hear just now? I was just worried about your safety…" He Feng quickly explained himself cautiously, worried that Su Ming would punish him because of that.

Su Ming ignored He Feng. His body was falling rapidly. All sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind, and eventually, a faint glint appeared in his eyes. Immediately, the souls of Wings of Moon spread out from within his body. Yet the moment they came out, a mighty pressure fell upon him instantly, trapping the souls of Wings of the Moon within his body, causing them to be unable to come out.

‘I can’t circulate my Qi, and the souls of Wings of the Moon can’t leave my body either… This is the only way now!’

Su Ming activated the Branding Art in his mind, and a green light flashed at the center of his brows before the small virescent sword charged out.

The small sword was also not faring very well under the pressure of the place when it appeared. It swayed as if it could not bear the pressure, but when Su Ming gathered all the power of the Branding Art on the sword, it immediately stabilized, and with a flash, it dashed underneath Su Ming’s feet to support him, allowing him to step on the blade.

Due to the force of the fall, the moment his feet landed on the blade, Su Ming felt as if he was crushed. The small sword only managed to dissipate some of the force, the rest was all gathered in his body. Banging sounds reverberated within him, and Su Ming’s face immediately turned pale. He coughed out a mouthful of blood, and the small sword abruptly sank hundreds of feet before it slowly came to a halt.

Su Ming was gasping as he stood on the small sword. He lifted his head swiftly and looked at the dark sky above him. He saw lighting flashing in the sky. During the short instance when the world was bright, he saw the faint and indistinct Chain swaying above him.

"I haven’t finished challenging the Chain!" Su Ming mumbled.

He was wearing a black robe, but the hood had flown off when he was falling so he lifted it back up to cover his head once more. He then loosened the robes around his feet so that he could hide what was lifting him up.

The small virescent sword slowly rose up under his will, supporting his body from the depths of the canyons as he gradually floated upwards.

He returned!

Within Han Mountain City, as time trickled by and innumerable thunders rumbled in the sky, occasionally, lightning would slice through the air and light up the area. It also illuminated the Chain that was under the scrutiny of everyone in Han Mountain City. Similarly, the faces of the crowd standing in the city waiting were also illuminated when lightning flashed in the sky.

No one felt impatient. All of them knew clearly in their hearts that there was only one explanation to the strange sight of the stone pillars not sinking.

The challenge of the Chains of Han Mountain had not ended. The challenger did not fail!

However, they might know the reason behind it, but the people could not help but be skeptical due to everything that had happened that day.

"Is… he really not dead?"

"It’s been a long time since then. If he’s really not dead, then why hasn’t he appeared?"

"Puqiang Tribe should have sent someone to look for his corpse. I wonder how they fared…"

The low sounds of discussions broke the silence. It had been too long. Even if the people knew the reason as to why the stone pillars had not sunk, their uncertainty grew stronger as time passed by.

The Elder of Tranquil East had a grave expression on his face as he stood at the edge of Tranquil East Mountain. He kept his gaze fixed on the Canyon. Behind him, Fang Shen and Han Cang Zi, who stood a little further away, were doing the same.

"This has never happened before… Is he really not dead?"

Soon, an hour passed by. An hour usually passed by quickly for people, but now, to these people, this hour seemed to be passing by so slowly it was as if time had been lengthened by several fold.

On Puqiang Mountain, the thin and dried up Elder sucked in a deep breath, and the grave expression on his face gradually relaxed.

"It has been over an hour, perhaps something is wrong with the Chains of Han Mountain, and not because the person… hasn’t died… What do you think?"

The Elder of Puqiang Tribe’s final sentence was directed towards the man who looked like a mountain of flesh and stood by his side.

The man hesitated for a moment, looked at the sky, then looked at the canyons before he spoke slowly. "It has been quite some time. There’s a high chance that this person is dead… The tribe members who went down to look should have also…"

He did not manage to finish speaking. Suddenly, his body lurched forward and he stared fixedly at the canyons. He… saw it!

He was not the only one. Beside him, the expression of Puqiang Tribe’s Elder also changed. It was as if there was anger roaring with the might of a windstorm and giant waves within his body, ready to erupt forth at any moment as he stared into the canyons. He saw it!

Besides the two of them, the other people on Puqiang Mountain also trembled and looked into the canyons. Their expressions changed drastically because of what they saw!

They saw it!

Lightning flashed in the sky at that moment, and during the instant the light from the bolt of lightning illuminated the world, a person in black robes could be seen rising slowly from within Han Mountain’s canyons!

Cries of surprise rose from Han Mountain!

The Elder of Tranquil East Tribe took a deep breath and a piercing glint appeared in his eyes as he stared into the canyons with a look of amazement. He too, saw it!

Fang Shen and Han Cang Zi, who were standing by his side, had different expressions on their faces. Fang Shen was shocked, while Han Cang Zi let out a huge sigh of relief. They also saw it!

On Lake of Colors Tribe, the old woman instinctively clenched and loosened her right hand before she clenched it again. This repeated several times, but her expression remained calm. It was as if even if she saw that shocking scene in the canyons, her emotions would not surge too much.

By her side, Yan Luan was stunned for a moment when she saw what was happening in the canyons, then a brilliant light appeared in her eyes. She was about to say something when she suddenly noticed the old woman’s right hand, and her heart skipped a beat.

Everyone said that her power was stronger than the Elder’s. This was true, but only Yan Luan herself knew the might of Lake of Colors’ Elder. She also knew that the Elder had a habit. When she was uncertain about something, her right hand would clench and unclench multiple times, just like now.

"Elder, what are you hesitating about?"

Yan Luan did not quite understand what was going on. Right now, this had nothing to do with Lake of Colors Tribe, so why would there be anything that would make the Elder so uncertain?

Besides the mountains that belonged to the three tribes, the entire crowd in Han Mountain City that was watching the Chain also saw what was happening in the canyons. Once they saw it, the crowd burst into a shocked uproar. The waves of sounds rose and fell with such a volume that it seemed to be able to surpass the thunder rumbling in the sky.

"He really hasn’t died!"

"It’s him! He’s out!"

"Just what is his level of cultivation? He… He actually managed to come out from the canyons!"

"No one has ever managed to stay alive after falling for such a long time. This person… He really hasn’t died, and he even came out from the canyons!"

Nan Tian took a deep breath and admiration appeared for the first time in his eyes. He looked at the canyons and mumbled under his breath.

Leng Ying and Ke Jiu Si’s expressions also changed once they saw what was happening in the canyons. Just like Nan Tian, they came to admire this man. Powerful Berserkers should be respected, and the person who walked out of the canyons especially so.

Han Fei Zi stood on the white cloud in midair. The veil covered the smile that appeared on her lips. Her eyes also became much brighter compared to before.

Only Xuan Lun’s face turned so dark his expression was like ice. He clenched his fists tightly and lowered his head, hiding the jealousy and killing intent in his eyes!

Su Ming stood on the small virescent sword that was hidden by his robes and slowly rose from the canyon. He appeared in the air and before the people’s eyes.

After what happened, he could be said to truly be the center of everyone’s attention. His every action moved the people’s hearts. Even the disdain held by some when they previously watched him was gone like the wind.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that he crawled out from death’s door. To be able to walk out from the canyons after falling was a feat that would surely make him famous in Han Mountain. He was bound to be remembered by people even after centuries had gone by, and this incident was bound to be talked about by the people who watched what had happened on this day every time whenever someone else challenged the Chains of Han Mountain in the future!

It was also destined that this time, Su Ming’s challenge would stun the entire Han Mountain because nothing like this had ever happened before, allowing him to achieve his goal of shocking these people!

He floated up, and when Su Ming’s body was at the same level as the seventh section of the Chain, an even stronger outcry and uproar stirred up within Han Mountain City. Even Su Ming could hear the sounds reverberating in the city.

"Does he still want to continue?!"

"Just how does he look like?! What’s his name?!"

"He’s definitely going to be chosen by Freezing Sky Clan as a disciple. Even if he doesn’t continue, there’s still a high chance that Freezing Sky Clan will take him in!"

Su Ming stood beside the seventh section of the Chain amidst the buzzing sounds of discussions. He did not look at the silent Puqiang Mountain, which was connected to the Chain, but lifted his foot and stepped on the Chain instead.

The instant he stepped on the same Chain the second time, the volume of the discussions in Han Mountain City reached their peak. The people of the three tribes also looked on anxiously from their mountains.

At the same time Su Ming stepped on the Chain, the small virescent sword disappeared without a trace under his feet. Su Ming stood on the seventh section of the Chain and welcomed the mountain breeze. He let out a deep breath.

"Let’s continue, Chains of Han Mountain…" he mumbled.

He lifted his right foot and took a step forward on the Chain. As he moved, the sixth stone pillar behind him shattered and turned into a countless debris that fell into the canyons.

Even now, Su Ming had not forgotten what Puqiang Tribe had asked of him…

‘Elder, please come out…’

Su Ming moved forward. His footsteps were not quick. He didn’t want to walk through this section too quickly.