The world outside was pitch-black, like an endless abyss.
The ancestral court of the Six Imperials covered a vast expanse of land. High-grade Fire Springs flowed through the grounds, bright, pristine, and dazzlingly resplendent, filling the entire territory with vibrant life.
A towering hall built primarily of iron-hard lapis lazuli bore the mottled marks of passing ages. Throughout history, countless renowned masters had stepped foot inside this place.
Within the exceptionally spacious reception hall, an old man with pale-golden hair and beard spoke, "Cui Changqing, what have you come here for?"
The ebony tea table before them was massive and solid, its dark timber etched with natural grain resembling the silhouettes of mountains and rivers. Fragrant steam curled from the tea, but neither of the seated men touched their cups.
"Many years have passed since we last met. Missing an old friend, I came specifically to pay my respects," Cui Changqing replied with a smile. His long, emerald-green hair gave off the fresh, vibrant scent of vegetation.
The golden-haired, golden-bearded elder looked at him, golden light glinting in his eyes. "In the past, I already made an exception in my master's name to let your Cui clan's child study the first volume of the Six Imperials Heart Scripture in advance. If you have no real business, do not come here again!"
His name was Zhou Shize. His pale-golden hair and beard were the result of cultivating the Six Imperials force to an advanced stage. Even his pupils were the same, resembling cast gold, marking his profound cultivation.
Cui Changqing had skin as fair as snow and an ageless face, appearing no older than thirty or so. He cupped his hands and said, "Back then, I came alongside that child's father to seek the scripture. I must thank Brother Zhou once again."
He then added, "That child has lived up to expectations. At only fifteen years old, he is already a mutant. Having brought his nine Newborn transformations to perfection, he only awaits comprehending the true essence of the Six Imperials force to break through his chrysalis, needing no great medicine to step naturally into the realm of an Outer Sage."
"Then he cannot be said to have disgraced the Six Imperials Heart Scripture." Zhou Shize nodded, his expression softening slightly. Golden light rippled in his eyes as he asked, "Then why have you come today?"
Cui Changqing took a small sip of tea and said, "Chongxuan is a pure-hearted child. Though he is already a mutant, I fear he might come to harm at the hands of an outsider. My visit today is specifically to ask my old friend to look out for him."
Zhou Shize remarked flatly, "There is more to your words than you let on. If he is a mutant and passes the core disciple assessment, who in my Six Imperials ancestral court could harm him?"
Cui Changqing replied, "A vile, mischievous monkey raised by my clan has grown quite rebellious lately and has come to the Six Imperials ancestral court. I fear the beast might run amok."
"Your child is a mutant. If he is strong enough, why should he fear a monkey? Moreover, if that monkey joins our sect, he will be a disciple of the Six Imperials," Zhou Shize stated calmly from behind the ebony tea table.
"The monkey is coarse and exceedingly fierce. My Chongxuan's heart is innocent, and I worry he might suffer an unexpected misfortune." Saying this, Cui Changqing lightly traced his right hand through the air. A streak of flowing light formed into a sharp blade before rapidly dispersing.
Zhou Shize's expression turned chilly. His pale-golden hair drifted in the air, making him look like an enraged lion. "What do you mean by this? Do you dare run wild in my Six Imperials ancestral court?!"
Cui Changqing smiled. "Brother Zhou, do not misunderstand; I have no other intentions. I am merely worried about Chongxuan. You bestowed the scripture upon him in the past, so he can be considered half a disciple of yours. You cannot simply sit by and watch him come to harm."
Zhou Shize replied, "While he is in the Six Imperials ancestral court, everything will proceed according to the rules. Nothing will go wrong."
He then warned, "I advise you not to stir up trouble. The Six Imperials ancestral court does not allow outsiders to meddle. Whoever dares touch our reverse scales shall be executed!"
"I naturally understand. Everything has its rules," Cui Changqing said with a chuckle. Although he was well over a century old, his body radiated the fresh vigor of plants and trees, appearing even more full of vitality than many young men.
This was the wonderful efficacy of the World-Abiding Scripture. It could extend one's lifespan and allow a person to remain at their peak state for a very long time. He produced a brocade box, placed it onto the ebony tea table, and pushed it forward.
"What do you mean by this?" Zhou Shize did not move, his gaze sharpening slightly.
Cui Changqing smiled. "When visiting an old friend, one cannot come empty-handed. I know you are fond of bladed weapons. This one hails from deep within the night mist world; even after a thousand years, time has failed to dull its brilliance."
He opened the brocade box, revealing a foot-long short sword shimmering with five-colored light.
Next, Cui Changqing produced a handwritten manuscript and pushed it across as well, saying, "The founders of every sect likely possess a copy of the World-Abiding Scripture, but as time passed, each lineage developed different understandings. These are my Cui clan ancestor's personal insights regarding the lifespan-extension portion of the scripture. Brother Zhou, please evaluate it."
Zhou Shize's expression turned solemn. Everyone knew by now that the Cui clan's ancestor had unique insights into the World-Abiding Scripture.
Two centuries ago, the Cui clan's ancestor had already been exceedingly aged, and rumors claimed he was on his last breath. Yet two years ago, when an exceptionally formidable figure emerged from the Li clan and led forces on an assault, that very ancestor, who had been in seclusion for two hundred years, stepped back out into the world!
This manuscript stirred Zhou Shize's heart. Though he appeared to be in his prime with golden hair and beard, he had long surpassed a hundred years of age. It was only because he had mastered the Six Imperials force—granting him profound cultivation and abundant vitality—that he showed no signs of aging.
"Old friend, just accept it. I will not put you in a difficult position; everything may proceed strictly according to the rules," Cui Changqing said with a smile. A bluish-green luster flowed over his body, demonstrating that his vitality was still flourishing.
***
In the Six Imperials ancestral court, the Fire Springs shone brilliantly, white mist curled in the air, and the scenery was breathtakingly scenic.
Qin Ming had been here for two days, quietly awaiting the start of the initial assessment.
He had been assigned lodgings in the Golden Forest. In fact, many top-tier geniuses from various regions were temporarily staying here.
Across this vast forest, the leaves of every tree species were golden in color. No one knew how the Six Imperials ancestral court had managed to cultivate them.
For instance, ancient thousand-year-old pines, which should have been evergreen, were instead filled with crystalline needles shimmering with golden light, releasing an even richer pine fragrance.
Even the lotuses blooming in the lake bore golden petals and golden leaves, entirely unique.
Furthermore, the Fire Springs here were not fiery red, but saturated with a faint golden glow, winding through the forest and bestowing an extraordinary beauty upon the landscape.
Numerous individual wooden cabins were scattered throughout the forest, one for each person. Several dozen people had already settled in, all of them youths participating in the core disciple assessment.
Far more people had gathered for the ordinary disciple trial and were housed elsewhere.
Because Yuqing, Qingtian, and Six Imperials had relaxed their recruitment standards, far more youths had registered this year than ever before.
"Did you know? It's said the vegetation here turned golden because the founder's youngest disciple once went into seclusion in this place. It was here that he comprehended his own radiance force from the Six Imperials Heart Scripture. When he exited seclusion and opened his eyes, divine light swirled within his golden pupils. Everywhere he looked, the plants turned golden-yellow, imbued with his mysterious power."
The youths residing here were well-informed and had somehow caught wind of such secrets.
"How old is the founder's youngest disciple?" someone could not help but ask.
"Uh, I'm not sure. But that young patriarch's grand-disciples, like Elder Zhou Shize, are probably already over a hundred years old."
The Golden Forest grew livelier by the day, with over fifty candidates present by the final two days.
Qin Ming maintained a low profile, barely drawing any attention.
He noticed two mutants. One was Cao Wuji, a handsome youth with sword-like eyebrows extending toward his temples, whom he had previously seen at the Purple Bamboo Forest in Jinrui City.
The other was a cold, stunningly beautiful girl clad in black. Her strength was immense. When she and Cao Wuji competed over the best lakeside cabin, they clashed with a single punch; surprisingly, she knocked Cao Wuji back three paces, instantly stunning everyone present.
Many candidates were no strangers to Cao Wuji, as he was a prodigy frequently featured in the night papers and had long made a name for himself across the great cities.
Only then did the crowd realize that the black-clad girl was also a top-tier mutant.
Qin Ming sighed inwardly. He had now encountered two of the legendary mutants spoken of by the outside world since arriving at the Six Imperials ancestral court. To this day, he had never fought a mutant.
Overall, aside from Yu Zhuohan, who had been somewhat remarkable, his past opponents had not held such high status.
"Juvenile extraordinaries are exceedingly powerful!" Qin Ming evaluated seriously.
He always overestimated his opponents to prevent himself from underestimating the enemy and suffering a catastrophic loss.
"Do you know how we will be tested this time? They say we will be taken to witness the world's true face. There will be rare spiritual substances there, but it's also extremely perilous. Perhaps we will need to join forces to survive better."
Some youths with good connections in the Six Imperials ancestral court had actually obtained such information.
"The Six Imperials elders said that whether we act alone or in teams, anything goes! It's entirely up to us!"
Such open-ended conditions left all the youths feeling uncertain, wondering what the Six Imperials sect had in mind and how they would actually be evaluated.
Someone remarked, "My guess is that in such a mysterious environment, even those who form teams will eventually be forced apart, which is why they are being so casual about it. Still, during the early stages, moving together will ensure our safety and help conserve our strength."
"Brother Cao, let us travel together!"
"Big Brother Cao!"
Soon, Cao Wuji was surrounded by a crowd of young men and women. Anyone bold enough to come here for the trial possessed some confidence, yet they knew full well they could not compete against Cao Wuji or the black-clad girl.
Therefore, they lowered their sights, striving to claim third, fourth, or even fifth place. As long as they passed, they could still become core disciples.
Meanwhile, many people gathered around the aloof, black-clad girl, Zhuo Ya, hoping to accompany her.
Qin Ming watched on calmly. Had those people truly yielded and bowed to Cao Wuji and Zhuo Ya? Not necessarily. Perhaps some simply wished to use the two to clear the path, saving their own physical strength so they would not have to fight directly.
"Brother Qin, aren't you going to join their team?" asked Zhou Lei, a girl in yellow who was Qin Ming's neighbor.
"Zhuo Ya is quite cold and unapproachable. Let's go with Cao Wuji," another neighbor, Huang Cheng, suggested.
"We'll see when the time comes," Qin Ming replied.
The two walked away, thinking this neighbor of theirs was quietly conceited and probably intended to act as a lone wolf.
That same day, Cui Chongxuan arrived, cutting it close to the deadline.
"The Cui clan's new-generation mutant!" Someone with reliable sources immediately recognized Cui Chongxuan's identity.
In the Golden Forest, Cui Chongxuan selected a cabin and moved in quietly.
Before long, he spotted Qin Ming. For a moment, his expression grew conflicted and hesitant, but in the end, he took the initiative to walk over and whispered softly, "Brother."
Qin Ming smiled, nodded to him, and said, "Give it your all tomorrow and perform well."
Many onlookers were astonished. Although they were too far away to hear what was said, they realized that the low-profile youth seemed to have some background as well.
"It's you!" Cao Wuji walked over. Only now did he notice that the youth who had displayed eight colors of heavenly light force in Jinrui City's Purple Bamboo Forest was also here.
"Brother Cao, we meet again." Qin Ming smiled and nodded. Observing him up close, he could sense the sheer strength of a mutant's constitution even more vividly; Cao Wuji's vitality was extraordinarily robust.
Most importantly, Cao Wuji had likely stepped into the realm of an Outer Sage, appearing a good deal stronger than when they had last met.
This implied that the black-clad girl, Zhuo Ya, was already an Outer Sage as well!
The onlookers were taken aback and turned their gazes toward them. Both mutants actually knew this Qin Ming.
Hearing someone call out Qin Ming's name, the black-clad girl Zhuo Ya drifted over as well. A curious look appeared on her face as she asked, "You are Qin Ming?"
"I am." Qin Ming was certain he had never had any dealings with her before.
"My cousin is Yu Zhuohan," Zhuo Ya said, a faint smile gracing her lips. It was like an iceberg melting or a snow lotus in first bloom, breathtakingly radiant.
"Ah, so you're one of us. He and I became acquainted through a good fight," Qin Ming said, instantly growing warm and enthusiastic.
"However, he told me to give you a proper beating," Zhuo Ya said.
Qin Ming felt that he must have held back too much last time; Yu Zhuohan clearly remained unreconciled, harboring resentment and wanting his cousin to vent his frustration for him.
The next day, an elder of the Six Imperials ancestral court appeared alongside several vigorous young disciples. He said, "You should all know what needs to be known by now, yes? I won't waste words. We depart immediately."
"Elder, where are we going? We know nothing at all!" someone called out.
"The edge of the world!" a young disciple answered him.
The elder said, "Indeed. Having an assessment inside the ancestral court is meaningless. Pitting you against one another would just be internal attrition. I will take you to see the true face of the world, where it will be much better to burn off your excess energy."
Two massive avian beasts spread their wings and soared into the night sky, kicking up violent gales as they carried more than sixty youths into the distance.
Everyone wore exceptionally solemn expressions. The two avian beasts were quite extraordinary—one was a giant black crane and the other a pure white peacock. Clearing away the thick night mist, both emanated an intimidating aura, belonging to high-tier mutant beasts.
Along the journey, the land below was pitch-black; long stretches of time passed before a faint glimmer of light could be seen.
In this vast, boundless world, places blessed with Fire Springs were relatively few. Even towering great cities appeared as nothing more than sparse fireflies dotting the landscape beneath the heavy night mist.
By the end of that day, they had traversed endless darkness and reached their destination—already forty thousand li away from the Six Imperials ancestral court.
Chapter 139