The boundless earth stretched on into an endless expanse of pitch-black darkness. At times, people wondered whether the entire world had fallen into a colossal abyss, perpetually shrouded in night mist.
The Six Imperials ancestral court flickered like a candle in the wind, casting a faint halo of light across the distant horizon.
On the back of the white peacock, the eyes of the gathered youths shone brightly as they gazed at the approaching mountain gate, the place that bore their hopes of soaring to the clouds.
His temples graying and eyes faintly glinting with golden light, Zhou Tao secretly sent Qin Ming a voice transmission through a mystical art.
"The fact that you could extract the medicinal essence from wondrous blood all on your own is truly remarkable. Let me estimate just how much potential value you have right now."
Qin Ming was startled. In the Six Imperials ancestral court, the unit for assessing one's foundational strength was not jin, but potential value.
He truly could not reveal his full foundation—not out of fear of frightening Zhou Tao, but out of concern that some unfathomable senior in the Six Imperials ancestral court might detain him to "study" him closely.
"What is that? Drifting leaves...?" a youth asked in confusion, an expression of astonishment soon spreading across his face.
They were piercing through clouds and mist at an immense altitude above the ground. How could they possibly encounter such a bizarre sight here?
Within the clouds and mist, leaf after leaf fluttered down. Some shimmered with a vibrant green glow, teeming with life, while others were withered and yellow, as though just swept down by an autumn gale and bearing a chilling aura of slaughter.
Leaves danced across the entire sky, as if falling from beyond the canopy of night.
Long before the youths cried out, the white peacock and the black crane had already begun a rapid descent, having sensed the anomaly ahead of time.
Zhou Tao's entire body lit up, his eyes shining like golden lanterns as he penetrated the night mist to look straight up into the heights of the night sky!
A rope plunged at breakneck speed toward the white peacock as though coming from beyond the heavens, intending to strangle it and drag it away bound!
The white peacock's strength far surpassed everyone's expectations. Surging with white light, its speed exploded drastically as it nimbly dodged the strike, diving continuously while dashing toward the Six Imperials mountain gate.
The green-glowing leaves and withered yellow foliage suddenly trembled and began whirling around, descending over the two giant birds while radiating piercing light.
At the same moment, Elder Zhou made his move. Slashing a palm across the void, his Six Imperials force erupted, radiating brilliant illumination in a thunderous blast that shredded the dancing leaves across the sky.
The rope descending from the night sky swung gently like a flood dragon, yet it gave off a detonating crackle of thunder. When it clipped Zhou Tao, it nearly shook him off the white peacock's back!
The youths' faces turned pale. Looking closely, they realized the long cord was merely a crudely woven grass rope. Yet as it drifted, thunder burst forth and lightning interwove in an overwhelmingly terrifying display.
Elder Zhou Tao channeled the Tiger's Roar art, vibrating his five internal organs and six viscera. His spirit and vitality surged as his Six Imperials force burst forth to hold the grass rope at bay in the night sky.
"Which senior is making a move?" he bellowed, both asking and sending a warning call for help to the Six Imperials ancestral court.
He was certain that this had to be an eminent elder. Otherwise, even if the grass rope were a prized treasure, his blow would have blasted it to pieces. As an elder of the Six Imperials ancestral court, he possessed such absolute confidence: once someone mastered the Six Imperials force, they could smash any spiritual artifact or secret treasure with their bare hands, so long as the wielder was at a comparable cultivation realm.
For a moment, crane cries and peacock screeches shook the vast sky.
Lightning flared from the grass rope, instantly shattering the armor on Zhou Tao's body into flying ash.
His hair stood on end. He had effectively died just then; that armor possessed life-saving talisman light and carried the "blessing" of the Young Ancestor, which had suffered the calamity in his stead.
The person above assumed Zhou Tao had been destroyed, and the grass rope drifted toward the white peacock's neck, intending to bind it and capture everyone in a single sweep.
At the same time, the glowing green and withered yellow leaves dissolved, transforming into the two qi of yin and yang that whirled down to suppress the white peacock.
*Boom!*
The night mist abruptly blew apart!
Five-colored divine radiance emerged from the white peacock's body, ripping through the entire night sky and illuminating the world in brilliant clarity. It not only deflected the grass rope, but also kept the yin and yang qi at bay.
At the same time, its five-colored divine radiance shielded Zhou Tao and everyone on its back.
"Well, my mistake. It's actually an old peacock, not a fledgling bird!" a voice echoed down from the night sky.
A faint silhouette could now be seen floating within the thick mist high above: a strange bird bearing a dark figure on its back.
"Enough! How dare you run wild near my sect's ancestral court!" someone spoke nearby, his voice cold with a trace of wrath.
Through the night mist flew a modest-sized strange bird with a back only the size of a tabletop. Though completely crimson, it carried a passenger at breakneck speed.
A middle-aged man stood atop it, his wide sleeves fluttering amidst swirling clouds and mist, exuding an otherworldly, transcendent grace.
"If I don't claim your wretched life today, will you truly think my Six Imperials has decayed so far that we have no one left?" he said calmly, his killing intent churning the atmospheric weather and tearing apart the surrounding night mist.
For someone to blockade the gates of the Six Imperials mountain to seize Zhou Tao and a group of youths was an unmistakable, deliberate provocation meant to test the true strength of the Six Imperials ancestral court.
Recent rumors claimed that the founder of the Six Imperials was in failing health, his lifespan exhausted, and that he was on the verge of passing away.
The small crimson bird carried the middle-aged man into the night sky, Six Imperials qi surging around him and shaking the firmament.
*Rumble!*
Like a streak of lightning, he threw a punch that was countless times stronger than Zhou Tao's.
The grass rope in the night sky snapped, blowing apart into dozens of pieces! The middle-aged man immediately set off in pursuit of the intruder.
"Possession? Then leave this wisp of conscious spiritual light behind!" he snapped chillingly.
At the same time, several elderly figures quietly walked out of the Six Imperials ancestral court and melted into the night. Clearly, there was more than one provocateur.
"Do you see that? Once you truly master the Six Imperials heavenly light, even if an expert of the esoteric sects or an eminent master from the outer realms comes knocking, you can pummel them to death all the same. I just haven't perfected it yet; my mastery is still lacking."
Zhou Tao praised the ancestral court's supreme art to bolster the youths' morale.
The night mist churned. The crimson bird and the middle-aged man were no longer visible; only occasional flashes of light tore through the darkness of the distant sky.
"Ah—!"
As the white peacock carried them through the mountain gate, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from afar.
Zhou Tao exhaled a breath of pent-up anger and said, "The battle was swift, wasn't it? That's just how fierce it is. The intruder was dealt with in a single instant! That old bastard got slapped into paste—how satisfying! Blood rained everywhere!"
He could make out the scene faintly, but the group of youths was utterly baffled. Being so far away, they could not see the final moments, yet they were nonetheless shaken and profoundly thrilled, filled with eager anticipation toward the Six Imperials Heart Scripture!
Zhuo Ya knitted her delicate brows. Both of her parents were members of the esoteric sects with prominent backgrounds, so she understood the present complex landscape. The Six Imperials, despite its long era of glory, had indeed been declining for some time. Whispers were everywhere that it was nearing its end. Could the decaying Six Imperials truly achieve a new birth?
Qin Ming was far from calm. All he had seen was the brilliance illuminated by Fire Springs, yet outside the mountain gates, the darkness reeked of thick blood.
Within the Six Imperials ancestral court, majestic and elegant mountains towered one after another. Some peaks were wrapped in white mist with grand palaces of lapis lazuli faintly visible, while others cascaded with waterfalls of Fire Springs and bore spiritual trees swaying with seven-colored radiance.
Even though it was no longer in its prime, the Six Imperials ancestral court still housed many disciples and was far from deserted. Figures practicing martial arts could be seen everywhere.
"After traveling forty thousand li, all of you must be exhausted. Rest for tonight, and tomorrow I'll take you to the enlightenment grounds," Zhou Tao said before leaving in a hurry. He had many matters to report and account for.
The group of youths was once again accommodated in the Golden Forest, returning to their respective wooden cabins.
Late in the night, Qin Ming was startled awake from the deepest sleep. Sensing something, he caught sight of a hunched old man with barely a few hairs left drifting past his window.
*Did my prominent performance in the Divine Land cause some kind of trouble? What's going on?* Unable to sleep peacefully, he worried about being targeted by some eccentric old geezer.
Qin Ming sorely wished he could return to Chixia City to consult Meng Xinghai. He knew nothing about such great sects and worried that something might go wrong.
The next day, after finishing breakfast, the youths were all brimming with excitement, eager to gain an early insight into an advanced cultivation art.
The Six Imperials ancestral court spanned a vast territory with diverse terrain. They were led to a rocky mountain region with sparse vegetation, filled with cliffs, precipices, and numerous caves.
The group dispersed into different areas, leaving only Qin Ming, Zhuo Ya, Cao Wuji, and Cui Chongxuan where they started.
"Given your outstanding performance this time, an exception is being made to grant you the chance to select a wondrous art," Zhou Tao said with a smile, his eyes bloodshot as though he had not slept well the previous night.
Even Zhuo Ya and Cui Chongxuan were taken aback. To offer a wondrous art right away was extraordinarily generous.
Cao Wuji was so thrilled he grew dizzy. Among the four, he craved cultivation arts the most. He immediately thumped his chest and declared, "I'm staying in the Six Imperials ancestral court! I won't be taking tests for any other sect!"
He voiced his allegiance on the spot. Senior Sister Lu Yuzhi of the Yuqing Sect, who was said to be as beautiful as an immortal, instantly lost much of her ethereal charm in his mind, her image fading away.
Qin Ming's heart was also stirred. Even if the Six Imperials ancestral court was past its prime, it still possessed magnificent flair, allowing them to pick wondrous arts straight away.
He surmised that these were likely scriptures already circulating in the outside world rather than secret, closely guarded arts. Even so, it was still remarkably generous.
Then, he was nearly moved to tears of craving.
Zhou Tao and an elderly man with pale gold hair handed them a list containing several optional wondrous arts. He... wanted to learn all of them!
The old man with a full head of pale golden hair was none other than Zhou Shize, who had come specifically to take a look at Qin Ming. He smiled and nodded at him.
In fact, Qin Ming noticed that several elderly men of considerable age had already passed by this spot, each seemingly casting a few glances over the four of them.
"There's actually the *Golden Crow Illuminates the Night Classic*?" Even Cui Chongxuan cried out in surprise. It was easy to see how extraordinary this scripture was, as even the Huo family had failed to collect this secret tome.
Zhou Tao smiled and said, "Calm down. It's only a fragment, though it still rivals a complete wondrous art."
"Is this the upper volume of the *Withering and Thriving Classic*?" Cao Wuji had never felt so rich; legendary scriptures were laid out for his picking.
Zhou Tao nodded. "Indeed, it is that very peak-tier art. Well, the sect also preserves the lower volume of the *Withering and Thriving Classic*. Once you master the upper wondrous scripture, you certainly won't lack the follow-up manual."
"I choose this one!" Cao Wuji decided immediately. Though he had never had access to top-tier secret scriptures in the past, he had heard countless legends about them.
The *Withering and Thriving Classic* touched not only upon the wood element among the five phases, but also upon the transformations of yin and yang, ranking among the very strongest wondrous arts.
Zhou Shize offered words of approval: "A smart choice. In the combinations of the Six Imperials force, the *Withering and Thriving Classic* is indispensable."
Qin Ming looked through the list as well and spotted the *Divine Classic*. He immediately recalled that Tang Xumi and Hu Tingwen still owed him the remnant volume of the Divine Ape force, which they had yet to send out to him.
"Does this *Radiance Classic* align with the domain that the Young Ancestor specializes in?" Zhuo Ya had also set her sights on a wondrous art.
"Directly descended from the same lineage!" Zhou Tao nodded solemnly. He had also risen through this wondrous art; the Zhou clan had originally belonged to the Young Ancestor's lineage.
Qin Ming was struck with decision paralysis. These were all magnificent arts, and he wanted to practice every single one. Many of the scriptures were renowned, truly dazzling his eyes.
In the end, his gaze settled upon the *Heluo Classic*. According to its description, it was a top-tier wondrous art, and the only one on the list that touched upon the domain of water.
Zhou Shize offered him an amiable smile and said, "An excellent choice. Though the name of the *Heluo Classic* sounds ordinary, its wondrous uses are boundless. Only those who practice it truly understand. Moreover, once you achieve success in it, there is a celebrated classic that follows: the *Sea-Overturning Classic*."
This old man was almost overly enthusiastic, breaking down the details and clearing up doubts for Qin Ming. By the end, he even looked as though he wanted to reach out and pat his head.
Qin Ming felt flattered yet wary. *What is going on here?*
The four juvenile extraordinaries were escorted to different areas, all bright and bordered by flowing Fire Springs.
Near his own stone cave, Qin Ming spotted a youth taking a stroll.
The youth was about to depart, but stopped when he saw Qin Ming, looking him up and down before saying, "Something's wrong with you."
Seeing someone of his own age, Qin Ming greeted him in return.
The youth was remarkably handsome, and despite his coarse hemp clothing, his presence was extraordinary. Taking one step after another, he approached.
"Something's wrong with you too," Qin Ming said.
"What's wrong with me?" the youth asked, baffled.
"You must have premature gray hair. You definitely dyed it—the roots are white," Qin Ming said.
The ethereal youth raised a finger to point at him, but ultimately lowered his hand and asked, "Do you know what's wrong with you?"
Chapter 154