In the pitch-black night, the vast plain was dense with trees.
Standing half the height of a man, a weasel spoke in human tongue, blocking the path ahead. Its yellow fur gleamed smooth as silk. Clad in a suit of cyan-gold armor and wearing a helmet, with faint arcs of lightning swirling about its body, it looked extraordinary no matter how one looked at it.
"Why are you blocking my path?" Qin Ming asked.
"Young man, you don't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. You slaughtered the young and strong of Wolf Ridge, yet you feign ignorance?" The weasel adopted an arrogant, world-weary posture.
"What does that have to do with you?" Qin Ming asked coolly.
The slender weasel stood there and replied, "We're both of the wolf clan. They all had to call me Uncle Huang. What do you think?"
Qin Ming looked closely, confirming it was indeed a weasel and not of any wolf clan. He said, "If you miss those nephews of yours, then go join them. A whole family together, reunited neat and proper."
"My name is Huang Yuan, and I do not kill nameless nobodies. Young man, I give you a chance to leave behind your name." The weasel slowly drew the black "long saber" from its back.
Relative to its size, that pitch-black blade was indeed long, roughly the same length as its height.
"You're just a weasel, what are you pretending to be a big bad wolf for!" Qin Ming said, but he did not dare let his guard down, for he genuinely sensed that this weasel was quite dangerous!
Blade in hand, he stared at the weasel ahead.
"In recent years, I've seen many young faces. They were even more hot-blooded and aggressive than you, entering this Land of Divine Demise to supposedly slay demons, eradicate evil, and protect the border folk."
Huang Yuan's cyan-gold armor clanked. It even adjusted its helmet with a pair of small paws to set it straight, after which its paws glowed as it gripped the black saber and pointed it toward its opponent.
Qin Ming was taken aback. This vibrant, sprawling plain was actually called the Land of Divine Demise? It was likely related to god-like beings.
Huang Yuan spoke indifferently, "And do you know what happened to those hot-blooded youths? Every last one died. Hmm, I even kept a small collection—a segment of the middle finger bone from each of them."
It tapped the hilt of its saber against a string of bone beads hanging across its chest and said, "As the saying goes, the ten fingers link to the heart, so these are called heart-bones. I have already gathered thirty-five pieces. With yours, it will complete the tally of the thirty-six heavenly spirits."
Qin Ming realized that the weasel was trying to enrage him. Even so, killing intent truly flared within him. What it said was no lie—those were indeed finger bones of young humans!
He did not act rashly. Although only a Newborn, he had accumulated some conscious spiritual light and possessed divine wisdom; his instincts were exceptionally sharp.
Qin Ming sensed that two more creatures lurked in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike him a fatal blow in coordination with the weasel.
He could not help but marvel in thought; even a weasel understood tactics, trying to provoke him on one hand while preparing to coordinate with hidden accomplices for a perfect encirclement.
Huang Yuan gave a faint sneer. "Heh, snuffing out hot-blooded young geniuses like you gives me the greatest sense of accomplishment. It feels as if I am extinguishing the fiery blood of your entire race, cutting down your future."
Qin Ming moved. Tossing aside the mother saber of the matched blades, he drew the mutton-fat jade iron saber directly. For now, however, he did not infuse it with heavenly light force, so it remained dull.
Arcs of lightning crackled across the weasel's body as it harnessed a wild gale. Clasping the saber hilt, it actually seemed to ride the blade, rising off the ground with the roar of wind and thunder—it was shockingly fast!
Suddenly, Qin Ming halted, then burst sideways and backward at high speed. Dazzling heavenly light exploded from the mutton-fat jade iron saber, its pristine white blade humming loudly.
Concealed in the dense woods were actually two humans, a man and a woman stationed in different spots, coordinating with the weasel in a triangular formation to ambush him from the flank and rear.
Now Qin Ming whirled and charged toward the man, the Overlord's wind force swirling around his body like a sweeping hurricane, snapping every obstructing branch along his path and blasting vegetation to pieces.
A snow-bright blade light bloomed like a thunderclap in the forest as he cleaved down toward the man, who was about thirty years old.
Beyond doubt, this was an Outer Sage. His pupils contracted, and he yelled, "Brother, don't misunderstand, I'm on your side!"
Yet the pitch-black spear in his hands thrust forward mercilessly. The moment his opponent showed the slightest hesitation, he would seize the upper hand and could even skewer him dead in a single strike.
Qin Ming struck down with his saber. With a loud clang, the black spear snapped in two.
Moreover, without the slightest pause, the mutton-fat jade iron saber in his hand erupted with heavenly light like a dazzling sun.
"You..." The Outer Sage panicked. It was actually a jade iron saber! He tried to evade, only to find his speed completely outmatched.
He parried with the broken spear, but before the mutton-fat jade iron saber, it was as fragile as rotten wood. Amid ringing clangs, it was chopped down to scarcely a foot in length.
Qin Ming's final strike cleaved through the remaining shaft and severed the man's arm, sending blood splattering everywhere.
The man's shriek had barely begun before Qin Ming's blade sheared him vertically in half. His heavenly light force could not withstand the blow in the least, and he died horribly on the spot.
Qin Ming whipped around just as the weasel arrived. Its speed was absurdly fast—trailing lightning and riding wild winds with feet off the ground, it truly seemed to fly astride its blade.
Clang!
Though Huang Yuan was short, reaching only an adult man's waist, its strength was astonishingly great. It clashed blades with Qin Ming, producing an ear-piercing metallic ring.
A severe notch appeared in its black "long saber." It was easy to imagine that the weapon's material was extraordinary; struck by the jade iron blade, it still had not broken in two.
This was a trophy the weasel had obtained after killing a young human genius.
"So fierce!" It was quite shocked. How could a human of this age possibly block its strike?
It was considered a seasoned old monster that had evolved for many years. Even many human Outer Sages were no match for it, and it had even enslaved two of them.
Yet a newcomer barely in his teens could actually take it on in direct combat!
In an instant, they traded dozens of blows, sparks showering in all directions. Finally, a section of the weasel's black blade snapped, the tip dropping to the ground.
Panic gripped its heart, and it rapidly fell back to put distance between them.
Qin Ming naturally would not let it go. Pressing forward relentlessly, he clung to it, trading blade strikes.
He was genuinely surprised. This weasel actually wielded an exceedingly powerful saber technique, practiced to such deep attainment that it seemed honed over decades, bearing the poise of a master.
In truth, this weasel was indeed exceptionally gifted. After just over a decade of practicing the saber, it had achieved the manner of an expert, making it a rare prodigy among mutant beasts.
Yet the weasel was even more shaken—it was falling into a disadvantage!
Within the Land of Divine Demise, its bloodline had mutated, evolving strands of wondrous blood that equated to decades of additional cultivation, yet it was actually proving inferior to a teenage human boy.
The female Outer Sage attempted to step forward several times to aid Huang Yuan, but she could not keep up with their speed and shrank back each time.
Qin Ming clashed blades repeatedly with the weasel, showcasing his profound mastery of the saber. He had already sliced through its cyan-gold armor, leaving two wounds across its body.
Huang Yuan raged. It truly could not hold off this youth. It considered itself a master of the saber and held great fame across this plain, yet it was struggling more and more.
With a loud clang, its black "long saber" shattered in two. The armor across its chest was sliced open, its plates splintering to reveal another deep, bloody gash.
With a whoosh, it actually soared into the sky, taking to the night air!
Earlier, when it seemed to fly astride its blade, it was actually due to a pair of hidden fleshy wings vibrating slightly behind it. Now fully unfurled, they kept it aloft in the air.
"Who could have imagined! I, Master Huang, whose Wind-Thunder Saber shook the Plains of Divine Demise, would end up defeated by a green youth!" the weasel spat in fury.
With a frosty expression, Qin Ming was also dissatisfied with himself. Having to battle a weasel for this long was frankly absurd!
He did not realize the true weight of this weasel's credentials—its reputation was indeed immense. Ignoring it, Qin Ming walked toward the woman, blade in hand.
She spoke quickly, "I was forced against my will to fight for it! I've been enslaved by it for the past few years. Thank you for coming to rescue me today."
"I see you aren't muddle-headed at all; you can converse normally. Yet earlier you served as the villain's accomplice. In recent years, you must have stained your hands with plenty of your own kind's blood, haven't you?" Qin Ming asked.
"Wait, don't! I was wrong!" The woman panicked, her face draining of color. If even Master Huang was no match for him, how could she resist?
Qin Ming showed no mercy. After several fierce clashes, with a squelch, he sent the woman's head flying. Blood spouted, and her corpse collapsed to the ground.
Huang Yuan in midair was far from simple. It possessed human heavenly light force, but now drew it all inward as brilliant radiance beamed from between its brows.
It had not intervened earlier because it was converting its power!
"Many have forgotten what I relied on to rise in the first place." As a weasel, it had an innate racial talent: its spiritual realm was exceptionally powerful.
Drawing back its heavenly light force, blinding conscious spiritual light emanated from its frontal bone, appearing to warp space itself and shaking the tall treetops beside it violently before blasting them apart.
It swooped down, barking, "Those who rely on the physical body in battle are all inferior creatures!"
Qin Ming badly wanted to cleave it in two. This weasel actually dared to preach racial supremacy—did it really think it had some kind of immortal air?
As the so-called spiritual power poured down and the spiritual light coalesced into a tangible long saber slashing toward Qin Ming, he simply clenched his fist and smashed upward.
The unified fist-light Qin Ming unleashed was blindingly bright, like a Golden Crow spreading its wings to tear open the night sky and incinerate all things. That so-called spiritual light ignited instantly.
The tangible "spirit blade" fractured, disintegrated, and dissolved into flames.
What followed were five successive slashes, all pierced through by Qin Ming's terrifying heavenly light force, like a three-legged Golden Crow sweeping through the long night to purge all monsters and demons.
"Ah!" Huang Yuan shrieked. Never could it have imagined that after converting its power and unleashing its strongest conscious spiritual light, it would suffer an even more humiliating defeat.
Blood streamed from its mouth and nose. Flapping its fleshy wings, it fled into the night sky, desperate to escape. Qin Ming drew his bow and nocked an arrow—specifically a pitch-black jade iron arrow!
His archery was renowned as extraordinary, no weaker than his saber skills.
Already heavily wounded, Huang Yuan had no way to evade. With a shrill shriek, its body was blasted open with a bloody hole by the heavenly light imbued within the arrow, sending it tumbling to the ground.
The heavenly light piercing through its body tore one of its fleshy wings to shreds.
Like an agile leopard darting through the woods, Qin Ming reached it in an instant and planted a foot upon it. Immediately afterward, his expression changed as he saw it inhaling forcefully.
With a swing of his saber, Qin Ming smashed the back of the blade down to break one of its legs, warning, "Don't you dare release foul gas, or I'll chop off all your limbs right now!"
He had no desire to reek of stench, resting the jade iron saber against its neck. "What do you want?" the weasel asked with a tremble.
Qin Ming said, "I'm interested in that lightning of yours and that saber technique. Recite it for me."
"Release me first," Huang Yuan said, attempting to bargain.
Crack! Its arms were broken by Qin Ming with the jade iron blade.
"I yield..." Huang Yuan bowed its head and began reciting flawed text.
Crack! Two more of its bones snapped.
Qin Ming said coldly, "Recite it again. If it differs each time or contains errors, I'll break two more of your bones."
Huang Yuan's emotions fluctuated wildly. Its grievances and the text it recalled formed crystal-clear mental images.
Qin Ming was certain he had obtained the complete heritage. The lightning light and the saber technique he desired were actually part of a single art—the Wind-Thunder Saber, driven by wind-thunder force.
This secret manual had belonged to a young genius, who had unfortunately been murdered over a decade ago.
Back then, the edge of the world had not yet been this chaotic. Huang Yuan had struck from the shadows, murdering that hot-blooded young genius. Furthermore, it had spoken the truth: over recent years, it had killed more than thirty gifted human experts.
Qin Ming naturally had no intention of sparing it. Having obtained this remarkably mysterious and formidable saber manual, he swung his blade and severed the weasel at the waist.
"You..." it shrieked. Though filled with terror, it did not perish immediately.
Purple haze emanated from its heart, surging toward the wound, and an aromatic fragrance drifted forth. "This is..." Qin Ming was surprised.
He beheaded the weasel, granting it no chance of survival.
Shortly after, he discovered a purple heart within its corpse, holding a quantity of special blood.
"Could this be the special mutant mentioned in the Destiny-Altering Scripture, one that evolved 'wondrous blood' capable of extending lifespan and enhancing natural endowment? This weasel was actually that extraordinary?!"
Qin Ming was dazed. A mere weasel had actually produced "wondrous blood"! For it to be recorded in the Destiny-Altering Scripture, it naturally was no ordinary item.
Qin Ming examined it carefully, feeling both delight and regret. The quantity of wondrous blood was not large; this weasel was still in its growth stage. Had it accumulated for another several decades or a century until its entire body transformed into wondrous blood, it would truly be priceless.
He estimated that, according to the records in the Destiny-Altering Scripture, this blood could still extend his life by ten years and bolster his foundation!
This was even more precious than spiritual substances that aided one in undergoing Newborn transformations.
For this expanded one's potential, whereas spiritual substances merely helped bring that potential to fruition.
Utilizing the methods recorded in the Destiny-Altering Scripture, Qin Ming unleashed heavenly light to refine the wondrous blood, causing wisps of purple mist to steam forth—the "wondrous medicine" contained within the purple blood.
For a time, purple mist billowed and medicinal fragrance filled the air, enveloping him.
After purifying it dozens of times with heavenly light, Qin Ming drew the billowing purple clouds into his body. Instantly, he felt light and nimble all over, the vitality of his flesh and blood noticeably enhanced.
"Is the effect so pronounced?" he thought in surprise. The wondrous medicine could prolong life and alter flesh, bone, and root foundation—he already felt it. This wondrous blood truly astonished him!
Qin Ming observed the changes carefully. He felt his foundation had indeed deepened, though he could not tell by how much.
On his way back, he was already practicing the art from that secret manual. Wind-thunder force possessed not only tremendous offensive power, but also significantly boosted speed!
The value of this saber manual far exceeded his earlier expectations; Qin Ming guessed it was undoubtedly the supreme skill of some major sect. As he continuously swung his blade, it gradually produced the sounds of wind and thunder, and the lightning arcs he had longed for flickered faintly into sight!
Qin Ming did not want to leave. The Land of Divine Demise was brimming with opportunity. He hoped to encounter a few more "Masters Huang"—this harvest had left him immensely satisfied.
Chapter 141