Pursuit of the Truth

1

“He didn’t die? Then all Harmonious Morus Albas in the vast universe have to die… This is our predestined fate!”

The butterfly formed by Harmonious Morus Alba shuddered, and madness filled its mind. It understood why it could no longer feel the presence of other Harmonious Morus Albas. It had originally thought that it had lost that ability when half of it had been Possessed.

It had dreamed that once it seized back its other half, it could make itself complete. Then it would spread its wings and search for its family in the vast universe and locate its homeland.

But right then, it came to a understanding that it had not lost its senses… but most of the other Harmonious Morus Albas had been wiped off due to their predestined fates.

“Just how long… have I stopped here?”

In its anguish, Harmonious Morus Alba sensed itself swiftly becoming weaker. It was happening so quickly that it felt like it had instantly lost three-tenths of its power. It knew that it would first become weaker and disappear, and then it would be Arid Triad’s turn.

It started laughing madly at that moment, and there was a shrill note contained in the ancient voice as well as a hatred that surpassed all other emotions. The butterfly did not hate the source of that presence, but Arid Triad for having Possessed it!

“Since I’m bound to be wiped off… I will personally witness your death!”

Arid Triad had noticed Harmonious Morus Alba’s rapid decline in strength, and so did Su Ming. However, while Arid Triad pounced on Harmonious Morus Alba without hesitation, Su Ming felt his heart tremble. He could vaguely guess what was happening.

“Su Ming, if you want to help me, do it now, and even if you don’t want to… you still have to help me! Because only when Arid Triad dies will you have the right to send your family and friends into that world again.

“If Arid Triad does not die, his existence will mean that all entrances leading to the void will be shut. Unless you replace Arid Triad, it will be impossible for you to send the people in Ninth Summit into the other world again!

“You cannot take the risk! And I’ll also tell you one thing: That world which you reached with your will does exist!”

Harmonious Morus Alba’s shrill voice contained ferociousness. At the instant its words echoed in space, the Expanse Cosmos above Arid Triad Expanse Cosmos sank down and a huge vortex appeared in space.

That vortex was rotating counter-clockwise, and Su Ming could see the River of Forgetfulness in it… The river was flowing upstream, and gradually, he could see the other side of the river. There were figures there, and they were all people he was familiar with…

Their bodies seemed to be pulled by an indescribable force, as if they were about to be yanked out of the passage of time!

Su Ming had seen the River of Forgetfulness flowing in reverse, and he knew that it was not a figment of his imagination, but reality. It was his taboo, and he had searched for signs of Old Man Extermination’s interference, for he could not think of anyone else who could possibly be capable of interfering with him.

But at that moment, Su Ming understood. The one who had gotten in his way was the Harmonious Morus Alba before him! This was the way it wanted to control him. If Su Ming did not work with it, it could use it to keep him in check.

Even if Su Ming had gone back on his word in the beginning and worked with Arid Triad, since Harmonious Morus Alba had dared to show up, it meant that it clearly had full confidence in the matter.

Su Ming was silent. He watched the familiar faces in the vortex beyond the Expanse Cosmos, and an unprecedented murderous look slowly appeared in his eyes. This was his taboo, and Harmonious Morus Alba… had violated it!

“You’re wrong.”

When Su Ming spoke, the butterfly he turned into instantly vanished to transform back to his human form. With a single move, he charged towards Harmonious Morus Alba. By his side, Arid Triad laughed loudly. The white butterfly he had turned into changed into a white whirlwind, and with a howl, it enveloped Harmonious Morus Alba.

“It’s too late. You can’t prevent their destiny of returning to this place. Only by Possessing Arid Triad will you be able to send them back!”

As Harmonious Morus Alba laughed shrilly, the speed at which the River of Forgetfulness in the vortex flowed upstream increased by a hundred fold. The people on the other side shuddered and were pulled back to the River of Forgetfulness. They were about to return to the other side.

At that moment, nine blood-red runic symbols suddenly appeared on the shore. They shone and turned into a layer of blood fog. It formed a barrier that impeded the reversal of time, and the vortex looked like it was about to shrink and close.

It stunned Harmonious Morus Alba.

With the murderous intent because of Harmonious Morus Alba violating his taboo, Su Ming came charging towards it. He clearly knew that his action of sealing the vortex could only last for a short while and not eternity. He had to rush out within the shortest amount of time possible and send the people of Ninth Summit who were dragged into the River of Forgetfulness back to the other world.

And if he wanted to do so, he had to suppress Harmonious Morus Alba so Arid Triad could Possess it. Only by doing so could he make Arid Triad unable to divide his attention to ruin everything. By the time Su Ming finished planning, he had already closed in on Harmonious Morus Alba.

“I can still make it!”

Red appeared in Su Ming’s eyes. His heart was far from how calm he appeared to be. It was aching in pain and trembling. The scene he saw in the secrets of the universe had turned into a shadow looming over his head. It taunted him, acting as a brand that he could never wipe off.

The people in the river were those he cared about the most. They were the people he was the most reluctant to part with. He did not want the scene he saw in the secrets of the universe to become true. He did not want to lose everything and be reduced to being alone!

Even if he was already alone he still had a dream in his heart. He still had hopes and a resolve he was determined to hang onto. One day, he would find Ninth Summit, would locate everyone, and live on in that world!

More blood capillaries appeared in Su Ming’s eyes. With madness in his gaze, he rushed at Harmonious Morus Alba. The strongest power erupted from his body at that moment. That will was the accumulation of the four Great True Worlds and his soul. It was the strongest strike in his life!

He had executed it before the black-robed young man, and he had also delivered this attack on Arid Triad in the flesh tunnel. Right then however… Su Ming’s Dao Divinity was also added to the strike!

His strongest strike mixed with a hint of Boundless Dao’s presence erupted from his body like a life blossoming into a newborn. With his body as a sword and his will as a blade, Su Ming instantly closed in on Harmonious Morus Alba. As it swiftly weakened, a loud rumble that shook the sky and earth reverberated through Harmonious Morus Alba. It even traveled out of the universe and into the vast space beyond, causing the black-robed young man on the Feng Shui compass to lower his head slightly.

Harmonious Morus Alba’s body was shot through by Su Ming’s attack, and Arid Triad followed closely behind. With a desire that had been building for countless years, an obsessive madness, and shock brought by Su Ming’s strongest attack, he turned into a gust of endless white wind that instantly enveloped Harmonious Morus Alba.

Its shrill screams shot into space, and Arid Triad’s devouring, the one he had longed for for countless aeons… fully began at that instant!

Harmonious Morus Alba had miscalculated Su Ming’s determination. It thought it could control him, but it did not expect that Su Ming’s personality would never allow him to submit to anything, especially when someone had violated his taboo. He would either erupt with strength without a word… or would choose to die in silence.

There was no third choice, no compromise!

The price for the butterfly’s miscalculation was a swifter death. It allowed Arid Triad to succeed, and Harmonious Morus Alba could no longer see his death. It could only see him devouring it to complete its world!

At that moment, Su Ming did not care about Arid Triad devouring Harmonious Morus Alba. He charged upwards and appeared in front of the vortex. By then, the blood-red seals he had placed before the vortex had become weaker, no longer able to contend against Harmonious Morus Alba’s will pulling at them and letting the time to flow backwards.

Su Ming could see the confused faces of the people from Ninth Summit he had sent away behind the thin blood fog.

His heart throbbed in pain upon seeing it. He brought his right hand up and cast his divine ability. At the instant Arid Triad went to devour Harmonious Morus Alba, Su Ming tore through space to send the people of Ninth back to the other side of the river so that it would be impossible for the scene he witnessed in the secrets of the universe to come true!

However… there were times when destiny could be changed, but there were also times… when even if one used their full strength, they would still be unable to do anything to change destiny. The key to it might be right before them, but they could not touch it…

It was just like how time flowed like water in a river, never returning. A person’s life was like a dream.

Someone had once asked how long a person would live. They asked why a person’s life always moved from winter to summer, why it moved from the beatings of a drum at night in a monastic temple to the bell tolls that rang in the morning to signify daybreak, who sighed in the four seasons that had already passed, and how many farewells passed in the bell tolls…

Who was the one who caused flowers to bloom and wilt with a snap of fingers? Who caused the moon to become full and then wane? When that somebody lowered their head and saw light, did they see the lamps of houses… or the flourishing life that was gradually moving away from them? And how many brilliant lives had faded away?

The only things left were the wrinkles of memories, moving past the faint layer of dust in the passage of time before shattering to pieces.

Perhaps that was Dao.

It was also a shrill laughter let out when the universe was destroyed. Messy long hair had an enchanting purple hue, and it looked like it had turned into the tears in a certain person’s heart. They were the color of blood, but when they fused with darkness… they changed to a color whose name people knew, but not the meaning. That color… was purple.

Purple was the fusion of blood and darkness. It was the fierceness of blood and madness of darkness gathered together to turn into death that no one could affect anymore… It dyed the heart purple, turned his blood black, and then gave him a purple hue that no one else could understand but which would terrify them!

With the purple long hair and purple eyes, he became a lone ship that moved through the River of Forgetfulness.

If anyone cast a gentle gaze at that lone ship under the moonlight… they would find that they could no longer see the lone figure sitting on it.

Only some vague pictures remained in the reflections on the river, and only they reflections remembered… a ferryman who was once dressed in a straw cape and wore a straw hat.

Su Ming’s Dao had always been one of moving from midwinter to the beginning of spring. He had ventured to autumn… had moved from death to life and opened his eyes, but at that moment… his Dao changed.

‘Since the beginning of spring is no longer around, then why would there be a need for me to pursue waking up? I’d rather be in this darkness and search for the shattered figures who will stay by my side.

‘Since I would only see death in the world when I opened my eyes, I would rather keep my eyes closed forever. The only thing that will bloom before my eyes will be endless darkness. I will spread this darkness through the world and to all lives. Perhaps… this is my true Dao!’