Qin Ming was lost in thought. In the latter half of this single night, he had stepped in and out of the netherworld and lingered beside grand imperial palaces. What an extraordinary experience it had been. Though it had all been an illusion, he could not help turning it over in his mind.
He raised his head and looked out the window. In the real world, the night was just as oppressively thick.
"A centipede dies but does not stiffen. Even after four suns hung suspended in the sky to hunt it down, a wisp of its remnant spirit could still survive." Reflecting on the night's events, Qin Ming realized how perilous it had truly been.
The giant centipede itself had already been exceedingly frail, yet the altar it had prepared was by no means simple. Had he walked up onto it unawares, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
He reckoned he would have been offered up as a sacrifice, and that bug might very well have taken his place.
A wave of lingering fear washed over him. In a world shrouded in heavy night mist, were similar things happening elsewhere? Dwelling on it only left one with a profound lack of security.
Qin Ming picked up the palm-sized golden scale. It sat heavy in his hand, weightier even than metal.
He carefully studied the dense rows of tiny characters inscribed upon it. The more he read, the brighter his eyes shone, until sparks seemed to leap within them, his mind nearly drawn entirely inward.
He quickly put it down to calm his mind, afraid he might suddenly resonate with it and suffer a grievous blow. He had endured a painful lesson before.
At the Luofu Immortal Mountain ruins, he had once been shaken by the tranquil yet terrifying emotions left behind by a senior cultivator, leaving his mind blank as if struck by lightning.
Without a doubt, this glittering golden scale was a Single Page of True Heritage, its value immeasurable! Qin Ming grew increasingly thrilled the more he looked, his eyes burning with fervor.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his state of mind, and only attempted to resonate once he was thoroughly prepared, ready to sever the connection the instant anything went awry.
The scriptures recorded on the scale belonged to the path of the esoteric sect, beginning with the cultivation of divine wisdom—profound and unfathomable! Sure enough, the emotions it carried were exceedingly intricate, inevitably tied to an unfathomable senior. Though the aura appeared calm and gentle as floating clouds, the underlying sentiment was terrifyingly intense.
Even with full preparation, Qin Ming was left dizzy and light-headed, nearly fainting. That was already the result of breaking the resonance down into multiple short attempts.
If the text on the golden scale had not abruptly cut off halfway through, he would never have wanted to attempt this resonance at all; with his aptitude, he could have comprehended it on his own.
The process was simply too agonizing, threatening to scatter his very consciousness.
In the end, cold sweat beaded on Qin Ming's forehead, leaving him nearly collapsed from exhaustion, but the scripture was finally complete in his mind. A fully intact heritage ought to comprise two such golden scales.
Though mentally exhausted, he wore a smile of deep satisfaction. This bizarre spiritual journey through the night had brought him an immense harvest.
Without question, this scripture was a paramount art worthy of anchoring a sect! Once Qin Ming recovered, he immediately tried practicing it. The effects felt extraordinary, perfectly living up to something derived from a Single Page of True Heritage.
Overall, the principles of this scripture were far more formidable than the thin booklet given to him by Meng Xinghai's Martial Granduncle.
After all, that booklet had merely been handed to him casually by the old man so he could try it out; no one would hand over their sect's supreme technique upon their very first meeting.
Soon, however, the smile faded from Qin Ming's face.
The divine wisdom he cultivated was entirely absorbed to nourish his physical body, remaining an unsolvable condition.
"Is it because the silk book method is too domineering, assimilating everything it touches? Or is it because I have practiced it for over a decade, making my flesh and blood harmonize with it best?" This left Qin Ming with no other choice; he had to walk this single path to the very end.
Practicing the scripture from the Single Page of True Heritage could not change his predicament. Just as before, it could only serve to assist his Newborn path.
After pondering it for a long time, Qin Ming finally accepted reality. Seeing that dawn was still far off, he lay back down and went to sleep.
The next morning, he rose early and practiced the Destiny-Altering Scripture first, followed by the Five Thunders Viscera Tempering. These methods of internal strengthening could extend one's lifespan and enhance one's natural gifts. He adhered to them every day without fail.
Afterward, Qin Ming went to see Meng Xinghai and invited Li Qingyun over as well.
"Are you preparing to set off?"
"Kunjun is a place steeped in legend. Though it borders the three great imperial dynasties of Yu, Gan, and Rui, none of them dare claim it for fear of stirring up trouble. In the end, several old fellows established their orthodoxies there instead."
The two elders spoke one after the other, aware that Qin Ming was about to embark on a distant journey.
"I have something good to give to Uncle Meng and Old Master Li, to thank you both for looking after me."
"The golden rhinoceros horn tea and wine sets you brought back last time were quite nice. What do you have for us now?" The two asked in surprise, somewhat curious.
"This time, it is a truly weighty gift," Qin Ming said.
People rarely praised their own gifts as "weighty," which immediately signaled to both men that whatever he had brought was extraordinary. Right before their eyes, Qin Ming fetched paper, brush, and ink, transcribing the scripture from the golden scale character by character.
The two stepped forward to look. Their expressions shifted from initial doubt to solemn gravity, then to profound shock, until they stood completely petrified, dumbfounded.
"Such profound principles..." They were experienced men of the world, yet they were left momentarily dazed. This was unequivocally a secret, foundational scripture of a major sect.
And a young boy was writing it out for them just like that, brush flying across the page? To both of them, it felt like an unreal dream.
Soon, they cast all stray thoughts aside, utterly enthralled. Their eyes did not shift for a moment as their entire minds became absorbed in the text.
"Brilliant! This scripture is magnificent! If I cross-reference it with what I have learned, the dilemma that has troubled me for so long might be resolved, helping me break through my bottleneck!"
After an unknown amount of time, Meng Xinghai came back to his senses and could not help but gasp in awe.
Li Qingyun's expression was even graver. "Little Qin, where did you obtain this scripture?" He understood the worth of these words all too well; they would never circulate in the outside world, being closely guarded secrets even within the most elite sacred grounds.
Qin Ming put down his brush, his expression growing serious as well. "Last night, I was attacked and pulled into a dense black fog..." He recounted the entire ordeal, still perplexed by many parts of it.
The two men's expressions shifted drastically. That giant centipede had not died completely and had actually sought revenge—this far exceeded their expectations.
"That was the old centipede's divine kingdom, though it had already been breached. The black fog region is exceedingly mysterious. People on the Newborn path can rarely enter it unless they reach the late stages, become venerable seniors, and possess sufficiently powerful consciousness."
"In fact, even for those on other paths, only true experts can touch that realm. Ordinary people understand nothing of it, and most have never even heard of it."
Through their conversation, Qin Ming realized that every cultivation path held countless secrets that those at lower realms had no way of knowing. They had no idea how vast and boundless the scenery at higher elevations was, looking upon it like ants gazing up at the sky.
"That was close. That altar was definitely extraordinary. The old centipede actually sought to resurrect itself from the dead—creatures with the potential to achieve godhood are truly remarkable. Thank goodness you were unharmed, Little Qin."
After their discussion, Qin Ming felt more than ever that the entire night mist world was fraught with danger and too many unknowns. To protect himself, his only choice was to continually grow stronger.
Afterward, turning to the matter of his distant journey, Qin Ming decided he would set out in two days.
"I will escort you there," Li Qingyun said with a smile.
"There is no need, Old Master Li. I can make the journey on my own."
Qin Ming felt uncomfortable constantly troubling the old man. He was no pampered scion of an aristocratic clan who required an expert escort just to travel.
The night mist world was vast; he could simply set off quietly and venture out on his own.
"Chixia City is twenty thousand li away from Kunjun. That is hardly a short distance. Let me accompany you; there is no need to stand on ceremony," Li Qingyun urged.
Qin Ming had planned to travel alone because he wanted to observe the vast night mist world with his own eyes.
Meng Xinghai spoke up: "How about this—I will arrange it. Little Qin, traveling alone across such a distance is indeed precarious. The pitch-black earth is far less peaceful than you imagine; certain territories are so dangerous that even we have to bypass them. If you blindly wander into one, trouble is guaranteed." He explained that Qin Ming could travel aboard an airship.
Though it was not particularly fast, it allowed one to take in the sights along the way and learn about local customs, which was an experience in itself.
"A spirit vessel?" Qin Ming asked.
"Not the kind propelled by conscious spiritual light," Meng Xinghai replied, shaking his head.
Li Qingyun smiled. "I have heard of them. They were introduced two years ago and only matured six months ago. Supposedly, they are the culmination of an elder's painstaking work at Tiangong Academy, finally ready for mass production."
Meng Xinghai nodded. "Yes. Mainly because they discovered an extraordinary timber at the frontier of the reclamation zone and put it to use."
To be precise, the people from Tiangong Academy had discovered an entirely new energy source deep within the night mist world.
The mutant trees were peculiar; a fist-sized piece of wood weighed ten jin, while higher-grade silverwood could weigh twenty to thirty jin.
Higher-tier varieties, such as those that were pale gold throughout, were not only heavier but could also emit spiritual substances comparable to those of a Fire Spring.
Qin Ming was astonished. No wonder the higher-ups were eager for the Great Reclamation—the treasures hidden deep within the night mist world were simply too plentiful.
"Furthermore, traveling on such a vessel has another benefit: on occasion, one can draw down celestial essence from deep within the night sky."
The senior masters of the outer realm no longer required food; they could feast on dawn mist and rinse with high-altitude dew, where rinsing referred to drinking the celestial essence of the upper heavens.
Two days later, Qin Ming set out quietly and arrived at Qixia City, eight hundred li away. Though the names differed by only a single character, the scale of the two cities was worlds apart.
Qixia City was a true metropolis, renowned far and wide. From a great distance, one could see brilliant radiance piercing through the night mist, illuminating the entire region.
Only prominent cities like this had airship terminals; the technology had not yet spread to Chixia City. Qixia City operated direct routes to Kunjun.
Ticket in hand, Qin Ming arrived at the city's airship launch grounds.
To his surprise, he found many youths waiting for vessels, presumably traveling to study in distant lands just like him. The grounds were vast, with many immense airships waiting to depart.
"Brothers, no need to ask around—most of the people waiting here at this hour are bound for Kunjun! Even if we end up in different academies or orthodoxies, we can still consider ourselves peers of the same intake!" a youth chuckled, noting that this was the enrollment season for students. Surrounded by peers, the journey would certainly not be lonely.
"The trip was never going to be dull anyway. Guess who I just saw? That ruthless fellow who swept across eighty-one cities is waiting in the VIP lounge right now, also heading for Kunjun!"
"No way, he's going there too?" The boys and girls here were all under twenty, lively and full of chatter.
"What's the big deal about that? Even that possessor of the pure yang physique, who is supposedly the best fit for the outer realm, is said to be heading to Kunjun this time!"
At once, many gasped in disbelief. Why would someone with a pure yang physique make such a choice?
"Kunjun is hardly weak! The backers behind some of those academies are pathfinders from the outer realm!" a cheerful girl declared.
"Actually, there is another reason. The various orthodoxies and academies in Kunjun are preparing to join forces to reclaim the outer perimeter of a forbidden land. An extremely high-grade auspicious beast dwells there, and its blood can alter one's foundational constitution, enough to grant us a rebirth..."
The revelation of this secret immediately caused an uproar, exciting the crowd of youths.
Since they were about to head to Kunjun, would they also have a chance to obtain a drop of the beast's blood?
"Don't get your hopes up. In our intake, only the peerless geniuses of each path—the handful ranked at the very top—will have a chance at such a tremendous fortune."
By general estimate, each orthodoxy and academy would only receive a few quota spots.
"That's not all—the descendants of several titans from the Fangwai Immortal Land and the yang lands have already rushed over. You can imagine how much of a stir this hunt for the auspicious beast has caused."
Qin Ming listened quietly, sensing that Kunjun was far from tranquil. It seemed he would have front-row seats to watch the storms unfold.
Chapter 169