Outside the ruins of Mount Luofu, a massive crowd had gathered.
Lately, the contest among the disciples of the outer realm for the near-immortal item had arguably been one of the hottest topics around.
The prominent figure from the outer pure lands spoke, "I see many familiar faces today. A rare guest whom I haven't seen in one hundred and twenty years has even graced us with his presence. Let us enter Luofu Immortal Town to catch up on old times." Many people were inwardly shaken. Not seeing each other for one hundred and twenty years—that truly was an "old friend," and his status was undoubtedly just as exalted.
For a time, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.
Figures from blessed lands, millennial aristocratic clans, imperial dynasties, esoteric sects, and higher-order anomalies had all arrived, every one of them possessing notable status and making for a grand occasion.
In Luofu Immortal Town, a true four-tusked white elephant appeared. It boasted an extraordinary background and had already taken human form as a youth, accompanied by an old elephant whose teeth had fallen out. An imperial prince from the Dayu Imperial Dynasty arrived and chatted amiably with Cui Chonghe, getting along swimmingly; the prince was soon to be inducted into the outer realm.
Qin Ming discovered that a single contest among disciples of the outer realm had actually drawn so many distinguished figures, evolving into a grand gathering where many were expanding their networks. Soon, he spotted the Fifth Master of the Cui clan. He badly wanted to walk over and ask whether his grandfather had truly gone to the Dayu imperial capital.
Yet Qin Ming knew those were likely lies. Back when he was in the Cui clan, the Second Master, the Fifth Master, and the others had fabricated those words merely to coax him into practicing the silk book. He restrained himself and stopped looking in that direction. Given his current standing, he had no right to approach the upper echelon of a millennial clan.
Luofu Immortal Town, a relatively quiet ancient town, was bustling with extraordinary fervor today. The blessed lands and millennial clans had planned well in advance, even having a banquet prepared.
Without question, the most dazzling figure was still Li Qingyue. Although many distinguished guests had arrived—both senior elders and exceptionally gifted prodigies—countless eyes converged on her. Li Qingyue was clustered at the center among a glittering constellation of talent. Many of the youths were direct descendants of blessed lands, imperial dynasties, and esoteric sects, destined to become future leaders.
Handsome, cultured, and remarkably mature and steady, Senior Brother Pei was an outstanding youth in his twenties among the blessed lands. Knowing many people, he introduced them to Li Qingyue one by one.
Immersed in family cultivation since childhood, even the teens were rather sophisticated and mature. Free of discord or awkwardness, they mingled and conversed with enthusiasm and warmth.
After shedding his armor and changing into his black-and-white robe, Lu Zhen, the youth from the Yinyang Daoist Temple, was also invited over by several people, having earned the right to join the circle. His mastery of the Yinyang Black-White Force was famed across the land, striking fear into peers from both the outer pure lands and esoteric sects at this stage. Most importantly, the Yinyang Daoist Temple was an exceptionally formidable lineage, and Lu Zhen was one of its core disciples.
Qin Ming glanced at Li Qingyue amidst the brilliant lights, knowing her rise was now unstoppable, as was evident from how everyone treated her. With the near-immortal item in her possession and her dazzling performance this time, the outer pure lands would likely regard her as one of their foremost seeds.
"May your path be smooth, and may all your wishes come true," Qin Ming whispered softly.
Then, he turned his head toward Meng Xinghai and said, "Uncle, it's time for us to leave."
"You aren't going to say goodbye before going?"
"No, the occasion isn't appropriate." Qin Ming shook his head.
Ahead, she was like the moon surrounded by stars. Although they were young men and women, they all had formidable backgrounds; it was unsuitable for him to approach in the role of a gold-armored guard. If he truly walked over, he would inevitably draw numerous eyes, which might carry risks. What he needed now was to slip away quietly.
Meng Xinghai was greatly pleased. Smiling, he nodded. "Grounded. Very good!"
Qin Ming immediately realized that the few remarks Old Meng had made tonight were all tests—he had been worried Qin Ming might feel a sense of psychological disparity and lack maturity. "Uncle, you really are..." Here, Qin Ming refrained from saying "Uncle Meng," fearing it might expose their identities.
Meng Xinghai said, "The road ahead is still long. What does a fleeting sliver of glory matter? What's wrong with walking the path of bodily mutation? Who says your future options are set in stone, that you can only become a guard for people beyond the mundane world or a follower for an esoteric sect? The true road lies beneath your own feet. If you can keep progressing swiftly, rising to become a teenage grandmaster and a young pathbreaking founder, wouldn't that outshine those so-called prodigies by far and leave them breathless beneath your shadow?"
Of course, he only conveyed these words through a secret voice transmission. Otherwise, powerful as he was, an "accident" might happen on the spot.
Qin Ming said, "Uncle, you truly spur me on at every waking moment. Since you're so fond of the mutation path, why not give up on becoming a god, turn back, and walk it with me?"
Meng Xinghai immediately waved his hands. "Stop right there. I can't do it anymore. I battered my head against the wall on this path until I bled; I truly cannot take another step. Look at the people of my generation—those peerless talents of yesteryear are all gone. They either switched paths, ended up in the outer realm, or became outer protectors for esoteric sects. It chills my heart to look back on it."
Qin Ming continued to prod him. "We uncle and nephew can journey together and see it through—one becoming a teenage grandmaster and the other a middle-aged grandmaster. Wouldn't that be splendid?"
Meng Xinghai did not laugh. Instead, he grew very serious. "For the past five years, I haven't budged an inch on this path. Disheartened and disillusioned, even someone with my aptitude couldn't manage it, so you can imagine how the rest of my peers fared. Fortunately, I've done fairly well for myself in the esoteric sect. I hope that in the future, I'll have a slim chance to scale the heights and draw near to those unknown, terrifying entities."
Qin Ming knew that the path of the esoteric sects was far crazier than that of the outer realm—first drawing near to "godlike beings," and then embarking on a journey of utter sacrilege!
"Uncle, let's go!" Qin Ming took the lead and departed. He wanted to return to Chixia City, keep his feet on the ground, and strive to rise in that remote place. Though the lights before him were splendid, they were actually quite distant from him. Blessed lands, millennial clans, imperial dynasties, esoteric sects, outer pure lands—all these were colossal behemoths he could not approach. For now, they were far too dangerous.
Meng Xinghai nodded. "Mm, it's time to head back. The Grand Examinations across various places are entering a crucial stage. Do you want to spar with the top scorers from the other cities? There should be handsome rewards."
The two walked away into the distance without lingering.
Sensing something, Li Qingyue suddenly turned back. She saw that familiar figure where the lantern lights waned, rapidly melting into the night.
Luofu City was magnificent and vast, its brilliance undimmed even by the nocturnal mist. At this moment, the entire colossal city lay beneath Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai's feet as they stood on the back of a higher-order flying mount, braving the night wind and rapidly speeding away.
The golden higher-order avian anomaly wore a helmet forged from secret metal on its head and armor crafted from rare metals over its body, wrapped tight from head to tail like a massive turtle with wings. Soon, Luofu City behind them vanished completely.
The road ahead was pitch-black, the night mist thick and heavy, as though the entire world had been steeped in black ink.
Qin Ming had stayed for several days in that land radiant with fire springs, free from the sensation of darkness. Returning now to this familiar yet real world left him feeling somewhat dazed. Fortunately, he adapted quickly.
"Don't take the original route..." Meng Xinghai transmitted his voice to the higher-order anomaly, guiding it toward an unfamiliar region.
"Uncle Meng, not heading straight back? Are you worried someone is trailing us?" Qin Ming asked.
"In my perception, there shouldn't be any issue. But just to be safe, we'll take a slight detour to visit my Martial Granduncle and ask him to cleanse us while we're at it," Meng Xinghai transmitted secretly.
He was exceptionally prudent. If there were an anomaly that even he failed to detect, it would mean the problem was grave indeed.
This higher-order anomaly was immensely powerful and flew at incredible speed, streaking through the night mist like a beam of flowing light. Before long, it had traversed eight hundred li, drawing near to their destination. Along the way, Meng Xinghai gave directions, pointing out the exact location.
After flying for several dozen more li, it began to decelerate. Passing a small town of dim, flickering lights, it descended gradually and finally landed ten li outside the town.
"Martial Granduncle, I've come specially to visit you!" Meng Xinghai called out.
This was a massive, towering cliff, resembling a cloud-piercing mountain that had once been sheared clean in two, leaving behind only a vast terrace.
Even in the deep night, an old man sat fishing at the cliff's edge. Without even turning his head, he said, "Save it. When have you ever visited me without an agenda? You definitely want something again."
Meng Xinghai laughed. "Wasn't I just afraid of disturbing your ascension to godhood? I didn't dare visit on ordinary days. Today I happened to be passing by, so I picked up two jars of fine wine for you."
Qin Ming gave him an odd look. That was the fine wine from the banquet in Luofu Immortal Town. He hadn't seen Meng Xinghai pilfering it on their way out!
"Don't mention the word 'godhood' to me, I feel sick just hearing it! I don't even have a shot at becoming a mountain god. I've been fishing for a hundred years, and the damn thing won't bite!" The old man seemed somewhat peeved. He then reeled in his fishing rod, got to his feet, and walked over.
The old man was tall, standing a full two meters high, full of vitality with a ruddy complexion, though hardly any hair remained on his head.
"Greetings, Senior," Qin Ming bowed to him, simultaneously curious: what did becoming a god have to do with fishing here? He peered down beneath the severed mountain.
"Don't look. That's asking for trouble. The things down there are terrifying—this is a special place," the old man warned. He was good-tempered, putting on no airs of a senior. Meng Xinghai told Qin Ming that below was a bottomless abyss shrouded in heavy fog, mysterious and unfathomable, and it was best not to pry.
"Hmph, you really did bring me trouble again. Interesting... some old fellow placed a simple mark on this boy." The old man pointed at Qin Ming.
Then he asked, "Is this kid special?"
"This..." Meng Xinghai was shocked and hurriedly recounted Qin Ming's experiences on this trip. Qin Ming added details of his own. Had he actually caught the eye of some grand figure?
"I see. You impersonated a disciple of the Six Imperials. When that old fellow was young, he took a slap from the 'Six Imperials.' Now he probably heard rumors that the 'Six Imperials' is about to die, but doesn't know whether the news is true, so he wanted to probe the reality through you. It's nothing serious, not a big deal."
With that, the old man's eyes glowed, causing a faint shimmer to rise from Qin Ming's body, which then combusted and vanished without a trace.
"Martial Granduncle, what do you think about this child walking the path of the esoteric sects?" Meng Xinghai asked.
"Do you think just anyone has 'divine wisdom' and is suited for this path? Hmm, wait!" Suddenly, the old man's expression shifted slightly. Divine rays swirled in his eyes, transforming into symbols as he stared at Qin Ming. "Hiss, what fine stock! Not bad at all—such rich divine wisdom!" he marveled.
"I knew he had it, but is his divine wisdom truly that abundant?" Meng Xinghai felt conflicted. He was relieved that Qin Ming had another way forward, yet at the same time a pang of melancholy struck him. Was there truly no one who could walk the Newborn path powerfully all the way to the end?
"Take this scripture and let him try practicing it. Come back in half a year. I'm locked in a bitter struggle with this abyss and don't have the energy to spare." The old man was straightforward. He shoved a very thin booklet directly into Meng Xinghai's hands and began shooing them away.
In fact, Qin Ming had already silently memorized the opening incantation while still on the severed mountain, and he began attempting to practice it right after setting off.
When the higher-order avian anomaly touched down in Chixia City, Qin Ming said to Meng Xinghai, "Uncle Meng, I produced a swath of sacred light, but..."
"What happened?" Meng Xinghai asked hastily. To produce it so quickly—his aptitude was almost too good.
At the same time, he caught the hesitation, sensing an unexpected turn, which made him nervous. The path to godhood was nothing to be trifled with; it demanded the utmost seriousness.
"The sacred light was... melted away," Qin Ming informed him. He had encountered this situation once again!
Meng Xinghai immediately examined him, only to find nothing amiss at all. "We'll talk once we get back."
Over the next two days, Qin Ming practiced the technique from that thin booklet.
As a result, whenever sacred light appeared, it would be melted away, nourishing his physical body and slowly enhancing his constitution, leaving behind only a trace of sacred light to maintain a semblance of balance.
On the third day, Meng Xinghai came to call on Qin Ming, saying, "Mhm, stop practicing this one for now. Someone has brought you a priceless secret scripture—well, the first three pages for now. Hurry over and see if you can practice it. If not, we'll need to exchange it for a normal extraordinary art."
"What secret scripture? Who sent it?" Qin Ming asked.
"Who once promised to give you a cultivation art?" Meng Xinghai asked with a smile.
Chapter 124