Pursuit of the Truth

Chapter 863: Swallow’s Feathers

Yu Chen Hai had been in a gloomy mood originally, but after he cast Su Ming a look, it was as if everything before his eyes had disappeared, and the only thing that remained was the other's eyes.

The sun, moon, and stars were contained within his eyes. The three celestial bodies grew larger in Yu Chen Hai's eyes before completely replacing his world, making him feel as if he was in a galaxy. There, he was as insignificant as an ant. When he was compared to the galaxy, all of his frustrations became insignificant; they were not worth feeling frustrated over.

At that moment, he could see snow floating down within the galaxy formed by the sun, moon, and stars. It made him feel that everything was so hazy that it felt unreal. However, when that snow landed on his body, the chill spreading out from it made him feel as if he was in an ice cave that would last for eternity. He felt a frigid cold fill his entire body and heart. That cold did not chill him to the bone, but froze his body and even soul for a moment.

That pause calmed his heart, and Yu Chen Hai sucked in a deep breath. He instinctively took a few steps back, and when he looked at Su Ming again, the other had already shut his eyes.

Yu Chen Hai was then unable to tell whether he had recovered from being frozen because Su Ming had closed his eyes or because he had freed himself from it. Even though that feeling just now had disappeared without a trace, Yu Chen Hai believed he absolutely had not mistaken what he sensed. There was definitely something abnormal about Su Ming, or else he would not have been able to make him lose his composure with just one glance.

In fact, he had felt that his soul and his body had been separated from each other during that instant just then. If Su Ming had wanted to bring him harm, then Yu Chen Hai would have definitely been unable to fight back. He would have been at Su Ming's mercy.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. When Yu Chen Hai looked at Su Ming again, wariness rose in his heart. As he wrapped his fist in his palm towards Su Ming, he lowered his head and said softly, "I lost my composure, thank you for waking me up, Brother Su."

Yu Chen Hai might have been courteous with Su Ming earlier, but that courteous attitude had been one that was used between equals. However, when he spoke at that moment, even he did not notice that he had clearly placed himself at a lower position.

Sometimes, there was no need for people to attack to show their strength. One glance and a few simple words would be enough to garner respect from others.

"Sit," Su Ming said in that flat tone.

Yu Chen Hai sucked in a deep breath and sat down cross-legged before Su Ming. In his eyes, Su Ming was now completely different. That calmness within him was one that would not be shaken even if the sky collapsed and the ground shattered. Yu Chen Hai could sense it incredibly well.

"I have made a fool of myself. I made a promise to you earlier, but it made me come under the suspicion of the other branches of the family. They want to hold the Three Gates of Heavenly Dao test on you, which only a few of even the true guests of the family would be able to pass.

"And they will definitely not allow you to pass the test. If it wasn't because the lineage with the family ancestor's blood mostly doesn't care about the matters in the world and have ventured in Divine Essence Star Ocean, these people wouldn't dare to oppress you in such a straightforward manner. They were so unfair, and that was what caused my anger," Yu Chen Hai explained with a bitter laugh.

Dark clouds filled the sky at that moment. As the muffled sounds of thunder roared in the air, huge drops of rain poured down, causing dust fog to rise from the ground. However, before this dust fog could rise into the air, it was immediately struck back down once more, until no dust dared to rise up.

Su Ming did not speak. He looked at the dust, watched the rain mercilessly pouring down from the sky, and witnessed the downfall of the dust fog. After some time, he cast his gaze at Yu Chen Hai.

"What is fair, and what is unfair?" Su Ming asked calmly.

"That is…" Yu Chen Hai was momentarily stunned.

"The height of mountains is not the same, hence it is unfair for them. The ground is not completely flat, hence it is also unfair. All manner of lives are not equal, so it is unfair for them as well. The length of the rivers is not the same, hence it is unfair for them too. Planets rise and fall, and even for galaxies, there is no such thing as equality. So then, how would you think of obtaining fairness?

"Fairness has never existed in the world. This so called fairness is just a form of mercy from the strong to the weak. It's a form of self pity of the weak as they bemoan their own fate," Su Ming said lightly. When those words landed in Yu Chen Hai's ears, his heart started trembling. This sort of theory and words overturned his way of thinking. They formed an impact that caused his breathing to become slightly quicker.

"Look at the dust fog. The fog is like a person's life, and the might of heavens is like its life. The unknown is the rain, and when it falls onto the ground, the dust will first rise into the air, then will fall back.

"Is this fair?" he asked flatly.

Yu Chen Hai was momentarily stunned. When he turned his head back to look at the falling rain, he was silent for a moment, then looked like he had come to an understanding.

The rain poured down from the sky without end, but there were several black spots in the horizon in the distance. Those were swallows that had not been able to find shelter from the rain in time. They struggled in the rain, and because their wings were drenched, it became incredibly difficult for them to fly, and they seemed as if they were about to plunge down at any moment.

There was one swallow that flew to the area near the courtyard with great effort. Just as it was about to fall, Su Ming lifted his right hand and swung it in the air before him. Immediately, the swallow trembled, and its feathers were no longer wet. It was as if an empty space had appeared around it, preventing the rain from entering it, and so the falling body of the swallow drew a beautiful arc once again before it landed in the eaves of the courtyard around the tower where Su Ming stayed.

"This swallow seeks shelter in the rain, but the rain falls continuously, and it cannot fight against it. Is this fair?" When Su Ming asked calmly, while Yu Chen Hai remained silent.

"I helped it and allowed it to avoid falling in the rain, so it could hide under the eaves, but the other swallows do not share its serendipity. Is this fair?" Su Ming looked at Yu Chen Hai.

"Brother Su, do you mean that I am the dust fog, and the older generation of my family is the rain that is the might of heavens, so when the rain falls to make me sink into the ground, this is unfair to me?

After a moment, Yu Chen Hai hesitated for a moment then asked, "The swallows in the rain are also like the competitors in the Yu Family…? Brother Su, please give me a straight answer, what do you mean?" He was a little unclear of what Su Ming was thinking. He had some form of understanding in his heart, but it was not very clear.

Su Ming's expression was calm. He did not answer Yu Chen Hai's words, but instead lifted his right hand to seize the air in the direction of the eaves. Immediately, the swallow he had protected just now was captured and brought into his hand. The swallow did not dare to struggle, but it was shivering.

"I chose to help it instead of the other swallows because it was the closest to me, and because… I liked this feather on its body." Su Ming lifted a feather from the swallow's body with his left hand. With a light tug, he plucked it off. There was a hint of blood at the root of the feather.

He loosened his grip over the swallow, and it immediately flew back under the eaves while shivering nonstop.

Su Ming looked at the feather in his left hand and brought it closer to Yu Chen Hai. His face remained as impassive as ever, and not a hint of emotion could be detected on it. It was as if he was ruthless, but also gentle. When Yu Chen Hai caught sight of it, his heart trembled. He sensed a hint of a devilish and mystifying air about Su Ming, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Fellow Daoist Yu… do you still need my help?" Su Ming smiled faintly and brought the feather before Yu Chen Hai.

Yu Chen Hai fell silent at the sight of that smile, but a moment later, he gritted his teeth and took the feather before standing up and bowing towards Su Ming.

"If you can help me during the auction to become the most striking presence, then I am willing to become that swallow. If there is anything that you need, I will do my best to fulfill your wishes."

As he smiled, Su Ming stood up and patted his clothes before walking towards the door to the courtyard.

"Fairness does not exist in the universe. The only things that exist are deals made under this unfair situation. Let's go. If they want to test me, then I will take the test."

……

"The Three Gates of Heavenly Dao Art weren't from the four Great True Worlds or even from Sinful Barren Lands. Instead, it came from an alien race known as the Gate of Dao from Divine Essence Star Ocean.

"It's said that this is a divine ability unique to those of that race. They can bring up never-ending illusions, and there is only one main point to their Art: As long as you believe it, it will exist.

"I don't know how to say this clearly either. The Art and the materials to cast it were all obtained by coincidence by those of the older generation from Divine Essence Star Ocean. They could only activate it slightly after many years of research, and it is the test used for the guests who want to be promoted to guest elders within the Yu Family.

"As long as they pass at least one gate, then they can become a guest elder. From what I remember, five guests have managed to pass the test.

"Four of them managed to pass the first Gate of Heavenly Dao, while only one managed to pass the second gate. There has never been a guest who passed the third gate.

"The Three Gates of Heavenly Dao are also what the members of the Yu Family must go through once they reach a certain level of cultivation. However, over the course of numerous years, only eleven people in the Yu Family have passed the first and second gates with different results. Progenitor Yu Ci was the only one who passed through the third gate eight thousand years ago."

There were numerous towers all around them. In the mid of the area made indistinct by the rain, Su Ming walked in front while Yu Chen Hai gave him directions from the side while describing the Three Gates of Heavenly Dao Art. He was still worried, but he felt much better than before.

He had originally thought that Su Ming would not accept the Three Gates Heavenly Dao test, and even if he accepted it, he would most likely not succeed. After all, there had been numerous guests within the Yu Family over the years, but only five people had succeeded.

Most of those did not care much about the world and would isolate themselves to meditate throughout the year. As for the guests who were more active in the family… none of them had managed to pass the Three Gates of Heavenly Dao and could not become guest elders. They could only remain as guests. However, the difference between the rights and resources of guests and guest elders could not be compared.

The request from the older generation from the other lineages was a form of unconcealed suppression in Yu Chen Hai's eyes, but he was unwilling to accept it. That was why when he went to Su Ming's place, he had been furious. Most of his sullenness had been just a show, though, his goal being stimulating Su Ming into taking the test. In fact, he had already prepared a series of words as a follow-up to continue stirring up his target.

However, he did not expect that with just a few words and one gaze, Su Ming had caused his heart to tremble. It was as if everything had become different. Even though Su Ming agreeing to take the test was in alignment with his goal, the change in the process had left Yu Chen Hai feeling like he was on the passive end.

That faint ghostly smile Su Ming had while he plucked the feather off the swallow's body had especially shaken Yu Chen Hai's heart. It was a devilish air that could not be described with words. He did not know whether it had been the right… or the wrong decision to bring Su Ming to the Yu Family.

As complicated thoughts ran through his head, Su Ming's footsteps came to a halt. Yu Chen Hai immediately cast his thoughts away. Instinctively, he had brought Su Ming to an incredibly big square among the numerous towers.

Almost at the instant the two of them arrived, the square distorted as if the universe was moving in reverse and the mountains as well as the rivers were moving. In an instant, the towers around them disappeared along with the square without a trace. What appeared before them was a tall mountain.

That mountain towered over them. It did not look like a mountain, though, but a gigantic statue instead. The summit looked like a head which had long hair falling down its shoulders. It looked as a hideous malicious spirit. The body of the mountain was its body, and it stood sideways to them. The right hand was lifted in the air, and there was a gigantic bat about to fly out on its palm!

From the distance, it looked like a giant was looking down from the summit, half of its body revealed by the side. In fact, since the mountain was a mix of blue and white, it was not that different from the colors of the sky, and at first glance… it was as if the mountain and sky were one, so people might confuse the two as they looked up or straight before them. It was as if the mountain was there, but was not at the same time. What existed was only that gigantic, hideous ghost that had the side of its body turned towards them.

"This is… Dao Avenue Mountain."

At the instant Yu Chen Hai whispered that to Su Ming, several divine thoughts came from the mountain in an incredibly domineering manner. Without any hesitation, they pressed down on Su Ming with an awe-inspiring might that belonged to those who considered themselves superior.

"Cultivator from the world outside, it is your fortune to see Dao Avenue Mountain, now kowtow three times to worship the mountain!"

Su Ming lifted his head, a freezing glare shining in his eyes.

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