Qin Ming was currently training the spirit sparrow. He had not yet sent Tang Xumi's wisp of conscious spirit radiance into the fiery-red little bird's body, intending to "arrange" it once they entered the spirit cavern.
"You still have the mood to play with a bird?" Meng Xinghai arrived and found him surprisingly leisurely.
"I am emulating the ancients: when facing great events, maintain a calm spirit," Qin Ming said.
Meng Xinghai cautioned, "Tonight, be cautious yourself. Only those of you participating can stay in Luofu Immortal Town; outsiders like us must remain outside."
Hearing this, Qin Ming's expression turned grave. "Among the disciples from beyond the mundane world, surely no one would make a move in the town, right?"
Meng Xinghai said, "Normally speaking, they wouldn't dare, but one must guard against unforeseen accidents."
"In Luofu Immortal Town, I'm probably the lowest in cultivation realm, aren't I? I truly do need to stay on guard." Qin Ming gripped the mutton-fat jade iron saber.
"It's fine. Just let Qingyue protect you," Meng Xinghai said with a smile.
Not wanting to pursue that topic, Qin Ming asked, "Uncle Meng, among Qingyue's competitors and those gold-armored guards, what formidable figures are worth keeping a close eye on?"
"The core disciples participating in this contest should have all stepped into the second realm—Yellow Court—though most have only recently entered it," Meng Xinghai informed him. Qin Ming did not need to worry about these people; Li Qingyue could handle them herself.
Qin Ming sighed. "Look at their names—Heart Fasting, Yellow Court—each drawn from classical canons and citing proper origins. Then look at our path. Who came up with our realm names?"
Meng Xinghai said, "Ours were names shouted out based on practical realities during that era's harsh environment."
"Pragmatic!" That was the only praise Qin Ming could offer the ancestors of this path.
Meng Xinghai sighed. "In the early years, after the sun vanished, Fire Springs emerged, colossal beasts ran rampant, and perilous, mysterious plants were everywhere—our race faced near-annihilation. During that period, the forebears who walked the Newborn path made immense contributions. Back then, they relied on continual bodily mutations to battle colossal beasts and eradicate swaths of horrifying plants."
Thus, the name Newborn was truly meaningful, representing the rebirth of the entire race in that era.
"As for the title Outer Sage, back in that era, it was truly well-deserved. Those who underwent multiple renewals reached a tipping point where heavenly light began surging outside their bodies. In resisting colossal beasts possessed of bizarre powers, they were no longer so passive and helpless; they could also wound bizarre creatures, fell monstrous mountain-sized plants, and guard an entire region. They were worthy of the word 'Sage'."
Hence, "Outer Sage" had been used for a very long time.
Everything changed because of the emergence of ancient methods.
As humanity gained a firm foothold, various ancient religious texts were unearthed anew, gradually giving rise to masters from beyond the mundane world and esoteric sects. From then on, the term "Outer Sage" gradually became unfashionable and fell out of favor, once even mocked as "nephew."
Most of the time, people referred to it as Outer Manifestation, which also fit the state of outward release of heavenly light.
"Were those massively destructive monsters, mountain-sized plants, imperceptible entities, and unpredictable 'god-like' beings all wiped out?" Qin Ming was quite intrigued by that period.
Unfortunately, there were few records about them in ancient books.
Meng Xinghai shook his head and said, "How could they all be slain? You don't think the night mist world you hear of now is all there is, do you? In truth, it is merely a corner we carved out."
"Just a corner?" Qin Ming was truly astonished. Even after regaining his memories, he hadn't known this; back in the Cui clan, no one had discussed such matters with him.
Most importantly, the upper echelons seemed to intentionally conceal the truth of the world, leaving records in various documents quite vague.
Meng Xinghai nodded. "The night mist is endless, and the black domain boundless; there is simply no telling how vast it truly is. Though we have stabilized and seemingly gained the upper hand, our knowledge of the night mist world's depths remains limited, and we have halted outward expansion for now. If we were truly to keep fighting and advancing onward, it's hard to say what kinds of species we would encounter. No one knows what terrifying creatures lie ahead—likely even near-divine beings."
He continued, "Living in this era makes us fortunate; after all, we have grown strong and hold the initiative for now. However, as the population continues to swell, high-grade Fire Springs become insufficient, and mega-cities need to expand, we will likely have to embark on another Great Reclamation. When that time truly comes, no grotesque species you see or bizarre phenomenon you encounter should surprise you. Glimpsing kingdoms deep within the night mist world wouldn't even be out of the question."
"The Great Reclamation, the Era of Great Pioneering..." Qin Ming murmured softly. Upon first hearing such titles, any youth's blood would surge with passion, yearning to participate in such monumental events.
Clearly, under such a grand backdrop, countless brilliant figures would surely rise, rapidly growing into the mainstays of each cultivation path.
Without a doubt, that would inevitably be an age where heroes emerged in droves and stars shone with unmatched brilliance.
Yet, thinking realistically, one also knew that once the war of Great Reclamation was launched again and the Era of Great Pioneering returned, countless people were destined to die.
Glory, splendor, blood... many imaginable scenes would accompany the rise of powerful figures, making their achievements even more weighty and profound. Yet there would also be countless youths whose dreams would shatter, reduced to insignificant bleached bones along the path of the Great Reclamation and the Era of Great Pioneering.
Meng Xinghai said, "It's still early to speak of this, and the upper echelons won't discuss it publicly because everyone is exceedingly prudent. After all, nobody knows what lies deep within the vast night mist world; after all these years, none have been able to probe to the bottom of it."
The two ended the topic and turned to practical matters at hand.
"Each core disciple can bring four gold-armored guards into the arena. Among them are indeed some formidable figures—for instance, Tan Yu of Luoyue City, who reportedly fused more than ten types of heavenly light force while still in the Newborn stage."
"More than ten types." Qin Ming did a quick count. He had already mastered over a dozen kinds himself, and many of them were quite formidable composite force arts. Furthermore, after fusing in two miraculous arts, his heavenly light force had undergone an even fiercer transformation.
He mused that his raw strength might not be as great as theirs, given his lower realm, but if augmented by his heavenly light force, he ought to be able to test himself against some of them.
"A youth named Chen Shuhang has mastered the Five-Color Thunderfire force. This is a renowned force art of tremendous power, capable of harming people beyond the mundane world at the same realm," Meng Xinghai pointed out another dangerous figure.
Then, with a serious expression, he said, "Some even say that an ancient orthodoxy sealed away for two hundred years has sent out an honorary disciple."
"What kind of legacy? Does it have a grand background?" Qin Ming was surprised.
Meng Xinghai said solemnly, "They possess the Yuqing force, unfathomably profound and likely on par with Sky-Upholding force and Tathagata force. It's a reclusive sect, kept quite low-profile." He then added, "Fortunately, he is only an honorary disciple and probably hasn't learned the genuine Yuqing force yet."
Meng Xinghai took a sip of tea and said, "Mhm, rumors have it that someone from the secluded Five Elements Palace has also appeared—a youth invited to lend a hand. If he has truly mastered the Five Elements force, he will indeed be very troublesome, a remarkably terrifying and dangerous figure among your generation."
Qin Ming remarked, "Why do I feel like these secluded orthodoxies are becoming active? Could it be that the era of great expansion for the various sects is also drawing near? Are figures from every spiritual mountain shrouded in night mist about to descend?"
Meng Xinghai replied, "While that trend exists, the main reason this time is that the near-immortal item contested by the core disciples beyond the mundane world is of immense importance. It's truly a matter of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea—each displaying their own prowess. Everyone is recruiting helpers, which is understandable."
Afterward, he commented on several others, including the Tathagata outcast, Cui Chongxuan, and more, all of whom had mastered unusual heavenly light forces. Qin Ming evaluated those opponents based on what he heard.
Meng Xinghai told him to relax: "Don't feel pressured either; there's no need for you to fight. Besides, aside from the small handful specially invited, the strength of the genuine gold-armored guards is quite ordinary."
According to him, youths of this age were in the prime of high spirits; who would willingly serve as another's follower?
Comparatively speaking, the Outer Sages who appeared here had made a forced choice because they were confused about their path ahead and saw no hope.
"Apart from the few brought in temporarily to lend a hand, the truly brilliant talents are all taking part in the annual Grand Examination and wouldn't abandon their prospects at this stage."
Meng Xinghai sighed softly. "Among these geniuses taking the Grand Examination, years later, some will join the outer realm as jade-armored guards, while the even more formidable figures will have to endure for another stretch of years to ultimately become divine-armored guards."
Qin Ming was rendered completely speechless. So people on this path were ultimately just followers for others? The more formidable one was, the later one compromised, but in the end, all had to accept ruthless reality.
"Unless you can still make swift breakthroughs after reaching major realms like Outer Manifestation and spirit field, could you endure ten years of bitter cultivation just to climb one small step?"
"There should be a way," Qin Ming pondered. He had noted that the Overlord's strength had not grown slowly.
Meng Xinghai departed; he could not linger in Luofu Immortal Town.
Li Qingyue returned after receiving guidance from her sect elders.
"Only the competitors remain in town. Tonight might not be peaceful," Qin Ming said.
"They won't dare harass us. You just sleep in the room next to mine." Though Li Qingyue wore a faint smile, she radiated utter confidence. As one of the favorites this time, she was supremely self-assured.
She had already retrieved the golden armor for Qin Ming and introduced him to the other three—two men and a woman who had followed her for over a year.
Aside from Qin Ming, Li Qingyue had not invited anyone else to lend a hand, bringing only her original three gold-armored guards.
"Let's take a walk outside," she said.
Surprised, Qin Ming asked, "At this crucial juncture, we're still going outside? Shouldn't we keep a low profile?"
Dressed in white, Li Qingyue had lustrous, raven hair and an exquisitely flawless, glowing face. Like a divine flower blooming against the cold wind amidst ice and snow, fresh and radiant, she smiled. "They should be the ones afraid of me and dreading me, not me fearing them. If I lacked such resolve and confidence, I wouldn't have come to contend for that legendary item."
"All right!" Qin Ming stood up and walked out with her.
It was now dusk. Sunset clouds dyed the night mist crimson, and the Fire Springs of Luofu Immortal Town flowed slowly, giving the place a distinction between day and night.
Luofu Immortal Town had many ancient monuments, all left behind from a thousand years ago.
Other core disciples were also walking along the ancient streets, equally confident and flanked by retinues of people. A crowd quickly gathered around Li Qingyue as well, all of them disciples from beyond the mundane world.
Before long, Qin Ming realized that these outer realm disciples revolved around Li Qingyue and would take the initiative to help her once they entered the spirit cavern.
This was what it meant to be a core disciple: having enough prestige that other disciples who felt they had little hope would actively gravitate toward them.
In fact, these people had already contacted Li Qingyue in private, essentially forming her future cohort in the outer realm.
In truth, this was also a mutually beneficial arrangement. These outer realm disciples knew their own limits and naturally chose early on to attach themselves to an outstanding figure destined to rise.
Cui Chonghe had already left the ancient town; he was not permitted to stay the night here.
The junior martial brother he backed made an appearance. The boy was a disciple of one of his veteran martial uncles, exceptionally talented, and after being aided by Cui Chonghe's yin-yang great medicine, his strength had increased by a large margin. At this moment, Cui Chongxuan and the gold-armored guards meticulously chosen by the Cui clan stood beside that youth.
Qin Ming realized that all the capable core disciples had come out to flex their muscles, instilling confidence in the outer realm disciples allied with them.
Sure enough, he spotted Li Qing虚 again. What caught his attention was the gold-armored youth holding a great lance beside Li Qingxu.
Qin Ming's heart stirred. Could it be that Li Qingxu's master had passed the Overlord's legacy down to a gold-armored guard of their lineage?
'The Overlord's legacy may not be hard to practice in the early stages, but can you truly comprehend its true meaning? That was prepared for the spirit field realm and beyond!' Qin Ming questioned internally.
Li Qingxu was also followed by many disciples from beyond the mundane world.
Afterward, Qin Ming saw a few acquaintances from the outer realm, such as Lu Zhenyi, Chen Bingyan, and others, who seemed to be huddling together for warmth.
Wang Caiwei appeared as well. As in the past, her figure was graceful and tall, her black hair drifting in the breeze; she was strikingly radiant and fond of smiling.
She too was accompanied by several people, including four remarkable youthful masters specially invited by the Wang clan for her, all of whom practiced unusual heavenly light forces and had astonishing legacies.
"Brother Li!" Tang Xumi, another core disciple, called out with an honest, simple smile toward their direction. He, too, had numerous followers around him.
Qin Ming flashed his snowy-white teeth and returned a brilliant smile, thinking to himself, 'Bird-chasing youth, you're truly dishonest, still putting on that rustic act.'
Core disciples appeared one after another; Qin Ming recognized only a few of them.
"Li Qingxu, among your gold-armored guards are your cousins, right? Is that Li Qingxiao among them? I heard his backside was kicked recently and he burst into tears?"
It had to be said that even beyond the mundane world, all sorts existed among core disciples. Now someone was actively stirring up trouble and mocking Li Qingxu.
Moreover, the speaker was actually a young maiden.
"Luo Qingge, you truly can't hold back, can you? Do you want to exchange blows with me right now?" Li Qingxu looked at her, his longtime rival.
At the same time, he muttered to himself, "The one who bullied my cousin was nothing more than a cripple beaten senseless by my three staff strikes. That he seems to have made some recovery now... is somewhat surprising."
Li Qingyue suddenly spoke up: "Li Qingxu, with me here, you won't obtain the near-immortal item. The person you attacked back then is an old friend of mine. Over two years have passed, and it's time to settle this score. See you in the spirit cavern!"
Chapter 102