Qin Ming had not lied in the slightest; just moments ago, he had truly seen an ancient grandmaster walking toward him, brandishing a great lance that churned dark clouds across the heavens and called down lightning bolts with peerless grandeur that shook heaven and earth.
Regrettably, the Overlord had indeed died in the end, and quite gruesomely. After piercing that elderly senior's jade-white palm until it dripped with blood, he had been bound by the man's golden immortal runes. That elderly senior, whose fame shook the night mist world, struck out at him six times through the air, targeting the Overlord's four limbs, torso, and head—each strike bursting a part of him apart.
In the instant before his skull shattered, the Overlord said not a word. Glaring with fury, two golden lightning bolts shot from his eyes.
Yet, with a light swipe of his jade-like palm, the white-haired, youthful-faced senior shattered the incoming arcs of lightning, dispelling them into nothingness.
The Overlord's realm was lower than the elderly senior's. Being able to wound an eminent figure of the outer realm and make his right hand bleed had shaken the world more than a century ago.
After the Overlord died, the bright red blood that had fallen to the ground actually radiated light that refused to go out for a long time, resembling clusters of inextinguishable divine flames. In the end, only after that senior stamped down a foot, reducing the entire area to scorched earth, did all the anomalous phenomena completely vanish.
Before that, the fact that the Overlord had managed to flee the whole way while penning the crystallization of his life's blood owed to his own extraordinary abilities, but it was also because that senior had pursued him at an unhurried pace.
"I saw some hope on this path and wanted to do something for posterity. I wished to leave behind what I saw and heard, to record my insights, and pave part of the road for those who follow, hoping they might walk farther than I did..."
This was why the Overlord, after being severely wounded and fleeing for his life, still thought to write down everything he had learned in his lifetime.
In truth, he had written down all of his painstaking work, but half the volume had been torn away by that senior, who read through it and then crushed it to powder, reducing it to ashes.
The bloodstained black hide manual before him had been personally cast out by that senior; he wanted to see who would cultivate it, and whether the Overlord still had any kin, friends, or disciples left.
"A century of vicissitudes, and all has returned to dust. The Overlord was left with futile regret, his lineage severed, while that elderly senior is still alive, perched high above, even accepting disciples again in recent years."
Qin Ming naturally didn't dare utter these words aloud, only sighing inwardly.
In the same realm, under most circumstances, people beyond the mundane world could suppress those on the Newborn path. Yet the Overlord was able to strike upward against a superior realm. In the eyes of many from that era, it was somewhat "defying the heavens"!
An outer realm disciple remarked, "Valiant though the Overlord was, he perished in the end. After barely a century, few still remember him, whereas that senior remains in his zenith. Such is the divide between immortal and mortal."
Tang Xumi nodded. "Well said. We must exert ourselves to rival the sages of old as soon as possible—drawing close to immortality and pursuing true cultivation!"
Then he placed a small, two-inch-tall jade jar into Qin Ming's hand. "Brother Li, are you injured? You can take this medicine to bolster your essence, qi, and spirit."
"I'm fine," Qin Ming politely declined.
Tang Xumi pressed it firmly into his hands, his implication clear: No, you are.
Seeing him act so warm and insistent, Qin Ming could hardly keep claiming he was fine. What he was receiving wasn't just spirit medicine, but recognition and acceptance; refusing again would be bad form.
Tang Xumi smiled. "Brother Li, is this your first time in Luofu City? Let Junior Sister Li show you around those thousand-year-old historic sites—they are well worth seeing. The few of us will take our leave first so as not to spoil your mood. Let us gather properly another day."
"Are people beyond the mundane world always this hospitable?" Qin Ming's impression of these elite disciples wasn't bad. Without them, he might not have been able to touch the Overlord's Testament.
"Tang Xumi isn't inherently wicked, but he isn't as simple as he appears on the surface, either. He's probing me," Li Qingyue said.
By this time, they had stepped out onto the street, heading toward the historic district to have a meal.
Li Qingyue said, "This jade jar is made of a special material and carries a wisp of Tang Xumi's conscious spirit radiance. Once placed in your hand, it would soon sink into your flesh and blood."
Qin Ming gave a start, yet he hadn't felt any discomfort. Focusing his mind to the utmost, in an instant, his special resonance ability came into play, and he detected a faint cluster of light at the base of the jar.
"He doesn't know that I've already cultivated a special spirit eye and saw that wisp of light. He wanted to see how long after the spirit radiance entered your body it would take me to notice," Li Qingyue explained. If she remained unaware throughout, then once they entered that spirit cavern, Qin Ming would be used by Tang Xumi as a tracking beacon, clearly detectable within a certain range.
Then her expression shifted to surprise. "Your heavenly light force is truly unique—or rather, extraordinarily formidable. It actually blocked his mind light."
Qin Ming naturally understood what was going on. At his current stage, his heavenly light possessed ample spirituality and could automatically protect his body: mosquitoes and insects could not draw near, and not a speck of dust could settle on his hairs.
"My heavenly light force is indeed quite decent. Carrying the jar directly against my body like this, I'm afraid I might accidentally shatter that wisp of mind light." He took out the flood dragon armor and temporarily wrapped the jade jar in it.
Qin Ming said, "And here I thought he was just being hospitable, trying to curry favor with you through me, taking him for a simple, honest fellow. Who knew he was scheming against me all along?"
Li Qingyue nodded. "To rise to prominence among outer realm disciples, he certainly couldn't be a simpleton. He and I are both top contenders vying for the near-immortal item, so it's only natural for us to probe each other."
Qin Ming said, "Later, let's go buy a slightly spiritual bird and release it once we enter the spirit cavern. We'll send Tang Xumi chasing after a bird."
"That could actually work."
"Heh heh."
Afterward, Li Qingyue solemnly informed him that this time, an outcast disciple of the Tathagata sect might have been recruited, posing a massive threat to the gold-armored guards.
"A successor of the Tathagata force?" Qin Ming was genuinely startled. Ever since embarking on the Newborn path, he had paid close attention to this lineage, as he frequently heard people mention it like thunder to the ears.
Li Qingyue shook her head. "Not a true successor. Supposedly, he was expelled right after scratching the surface. Still, rumors say he fused several other heavenly light forces on his own and remains exceptionally formidable, capable of injuring people beyond the mundane world."
"An outcast of the Tathagata sect who only learned the surface... I wouldn't mind seeing what he can do," Qin Ming said, before asking what other formidable figures were among the gold-armored guards.
"Cui Chongxuan, that younger brother of yours, is not to be underestimated. He practices the Six Imperials Heart Scripture. Having achieved minor accomplishment in its force technique, his power is extremely domineering and likewise capable of harming people beyond the mundane world."
The Six Imperials Heart Scripture was a legendary scripture that even people beyond the mundane world held in some wariness.
Back when he was in the Cui clan, Qin Ming had once been less than three feet away from that book, yet he had not been permitted to peruse it.
This time, Cui Chonghe could not take the field because some old fellows from the outer realm had deliberated and decided to permit only disciples who had joined within the past three years to compete. The reason they gave was simple: clashes among new disciples were controllable; even if unforeseen mishaps, bloodshed, or casualties occurred, they would not shake the foundations of the various sects.
"If senior disciples were allowed to take the field, we old fogies might as well just duel it out ourselves. That near-immortal item is rather special right now; it is best suited for younger disciples."
When Cui Chonghe heard the news, he immediately went to see his master—how could he possibly be counted as a senior disciple?
Although his master's fame shook the night mist world, there were figures in the outer realm capable of standing on equal footing with him, so his objection had accomplished nothing.
Cui Chonghe desperately wanted that legendary item in the spirit cavern, so he sponsored a junior martial brother and personally helped him seek yin-yang great medicine to boost his strength.
To secure that item, Cui Chonghe had gone so far as to bring in his own biological younger brother, Cui Chongxuan, whose Six Imperials Heart Scripture could wound people beyond the mundane world and break the heavenly light forces of others!
Li Qingyue said, "This time, senior disciples are barred from participating, and age restrictions have likewise been placed on the gold-armored guards accompanying the new disciples—they must be youths as well."
Otherwise, noble clan scions would dare to enlist senior elders from their families to accompany them.
Qin Ming asked, "Even so, aren't some of the younger gold-armored guards already Outer Sages?"
Li Qingyue nodded. "Most have initially stepped into the Outer Manifestation realm. A few who cultivate special heavenly light forces might still be in the Newborn realm."
"I won't happen to be the one with the lowest realm, will I?" he asked, feeling a bit self-conscious.
Li Qingyue's lips curved into a faint smile. "You started late and only recently embarked on the Newborn path, but Uncle Meng told me your potential is boundless. I will protect you this time; you only need to act when resisting the invasion of heavenly light."
Qin Ming couldn't stay calm about that. He had come to serve as a gold-armored guard—how could he let Li Qingyue protect him?
The Tathagata outcast and Cui Chongxuan, who cultivated the Six Imperials Heart Scripture, could both wound people beyond the mundane world and break others' heavenly light forces. Qin Ming felt his own force wasn't lacking either.
The two ate some local delicacies, then headed toward their lodgings.
"How can I let you see me back? I should be seeing you back to your inn first," Qin Ming said rather helplessly.
"There are many people beyond the mundane world here with inscrutable methods. You haven't stepped into the realm of consciousness yet, so it's easy for people to spy on you. It's better that I escort you back to the inn first," Li Qingyue said. Walking with her, Qin Ming was bound to draw some eyes.
With Meng Xinghai at the inn, she felt reassured; as long as nothing happened on the road, all would be well.
Escorted back to the inn by the stunningly unearthly Li Qingyue, Qin Ming drew frequent sidelong glances and stunned looks from several young people.
Upon returning, Qin Ming began studying the Overlord's Testament. In its early stages, it truly wasn't anything extraordinary, but once reaching the spirit field realm, intricate and complex transformations emerged. Though he couldn't delve deeply into training it yet, he already knew it was worthy of being called an invaluable scripture, immense in worth, and well deserving of his serious dedication in the future.
In the courtyard, using his bronze staff in place of a great lance, Qin Ming swung it like a gale, as if splitting mountains, parting seas, and piercing through the curtain of night.
"This wind force is somewhat special; it must have incorporated other force techniques."
In the hide manual left by the Overlord, the early stages focused primarily on wind force and Overlord force. Qin Ming had already been practicing them through the night.
Over the next two days, Li Qingyue accompanied Qin Ming across Luofu City, visiting all kinds of historic sites and sampling many local delicacies.
During this period, Qin Ming also studied those two special force techniques in depth. Particularly with the peculiar Overlord force, he had long grasped something extraordinary about it: unassuming in the early stages, once combined with a spirit field, it was bound to become terrifying beyond measure.
"The early stages aren't hard to train; the difficulty lies in the various transformations later on." Qin Ming had preliminarily cultivated both heavenly light forces.
"Time to set out," Meng Xinghai said, gratified to see him cultivating so diligently even in the inn.
"Where is my gold armor?" Qin Ming asked. He had already donned the flood dragon armor, strapped twelve short spears to his back, carried his bow and arrows, and picked up the bronze staff.
"It's all over at the Mount Luofu ruins." Meng Xinghai accompanied him.
On this day, Luofu Immortal Town was bustling with excitement. Disciples from various lineages had arrived, along with inheritances from various blessed lands, numbering quite a few disciples.
"Outer realm disciples have gathered at Luofu Immortal Town. It looks like a fierce competition is about to begin!" Word spread far and wide. Countless people were currently watching this contest, which had already been hotly discussed for many days.
"No need to rush. Tomorrow morning, everyone will officially step into the immortal mountain ruins and enter that spirit cavern," Meng Xinghai said.
Li Qingyue had been summoned away by people from her sect to receive all manner of reminders and guidance.
Luofu Immortal Town lay right beside the ruins. It had Fire Springs as well as abundant remnants of ancient architecture, carrying a rich sense of antiquity.
One after another, Qin Ming spotted several familiar faces: Cui Chonghe, Wang Caiwei, Zheng Maoze, and others. Moreover, after more than two years, he also saw Li Qingxu once again.
He did not linger in watching them, returning to his room in the immortal town, where he began playing with a spiritual bird, quietly awaiting tomorrow's entry into the grounds.
Chapter 101