Amid the pitch-black clouds, at the edge of the giant nest, Qin Ming picked up a piece of eggshell. It crumbled in his fingers with a gentle squeeze, devoid of any spirituality.
"Could a clutch of Golden-Winged Pengs have nested here many years ago? Or Golden Crows? Or perhaps True Dragons?" he murmured to himself. The thought of those legendary creatures sent a chill of awe through him.
Only creatures of myth could make a home amid such high clouds.
Nothing was left in this abandoned nest. The aged wood used to build it was remarkably hard, bearing the scorched scars of lightning strikes yet not entirely destroyed.
Qin Ming searched thoroughly, but found nothing of value.
It was understandable; after all, people from the outer realm and the esoteric sect had discovered this place long ago.
Following the faded golden spine, Qin Ming continued forward. Along the way, he saw more and more spines branching out in a tangled sprawl.
His expression grew solemn as his bewilderment deepened. These were not spines at all.
When a stray strand of his own hair drifted across his eyes, a sudden thought struck him—could the things beneath his feet actually be... strands of hair?
Qin Ming was shaken by the thought. Hair as thick as water vats—how colossal must the creature be? Moreover, it floated among the clouds without falling, an utterly mind-boggling concept.
A single strand of hair could pierce an airship, and at the juncture where these thick tresses crossed, mysterious creatures had built a nest. The combination of it all left Qin Ming lost in thought throughout his trek.
"It could also be beast fur!"
He had already traversed several li along this vat-thick "pathway," crossing the clouds, before finally making a new discovery.
He seemed to have reached his destination. Vast quantities of pale-gold "hair" densely blanketed the dark mist, intertwining in great tangles that grew thicker as he drew near.
Without a doubt, this sight seemed to corroborate his conjecture.
Yet he could not see the whole picture. What kind of creature was this? *I cannot discern the true face of Mount Lu, only because I am within its midst,* Qin Ming muttered to himself.
Soon, astonishment overtook him, for he discovered a towering mountain!
"What is going on here?" He stood in a daze.
Atop that mountain, streamers of light, golden haze, and purple mist constantly pierced the thick night fog. One glance told him it was an extraordinary place.
Qin Ming was bewildered. He had embarked on the Vermilion Bird airship to travel across the night sky—how had he encountered a mountain in the clouds?
As he reached the foot of the mountain, he saw a great number of dim "spines" crisscrossing beneath it, bearing the mountain's weight.
*Could a fallen boulder have landed on the back of a colossal behemoth?* Qin Ming wondered.
The mountain was made of a peculiar material, pockmarked with hollows from which various radiant mists continually billowed. Su Shiyun, Zhao Yaoting, and the others had already arrived on the mountain.
They had separated, each using their own exotic treasures to absorb the purple mist and golden haze. Evidently, this was the true "mission" of their journey.
Certain seniors from the outer realm and the esoteric sect had prepared this private feast for them, giving them an exclusive boost.
Qin Ming sprinted up the slope. He realized that those seven youths possessed higher cultivation than him—at least starting at the second major realm—allowing them to travel much faster.
He noticed that beyond the flowing light surging from the craters, strange plants grew in certain special zones. However, those places were all protected by shimmering silver runes, barring anyone from approaching.
He swiftly ascended the mountain. Radiance flared all around, dazzling his eyes.
Nearby, a refreshing fragrance met his nose. A silver vine that looked like polished metal gleamed brightly, bearing bowl-sized blossoms that swayed gently in the astral winds.
Several dozen meters away, golden haze rippled around a three-foot-tall sapling that radiated a misty glow. Regrettably, specialized symbols flickered around them, keeping them securely protected.
"High in the heavens, amidst the clouds and mist, there is actually a mountain planted with unknown flora." He did not need to deliberate to know that everything here was priceless.
Otherwise, the pure land, immortal land, and esoteric sect would not be jointly managing it.
What did having deep foundations mean? This was it—owning a plot of "land" high in the sky capable of producing rare herbs and fruits.
Qin Ming sighed inwardly. He lagged far behind them; he didn't even have enough day gold to buy a small room in a city on the ground.
He promptly found a spot and began gathering the flowing light. Arriving last, he naturally would not squander any time; he immediately set about the "task," recklessly plunging into it alongside the rest.
"This is high-grade celestial essence!" he quickly judged.
Being closer to the skies beyond, this cloud-borne mountain had gathered rare spiritual essences over countless years.
Qin Ming noticed that the others were far more efficient than him, as they all possessed exotic treasures. He thought of the rag and considered putting it to use.
However, the rag had a serious flaw: it only took in and never gave back, knowing nothing of reciprocating.
Most crucially, when he had tried to decipher the rag's mysterious abilities, he found that it merely amplified his heavenly light force, and not by an astonishing margin.
For instance, when he channeled heavenly light into the rag's pattern of a golden setting sun, it merely enlarged his fist by several sizes.
Qin Ming had almost given up on "raising" it, feeling it was not worth the effort.
In the end, holding his nose with a touch of distaste, he pulled out the rag and shoved it into a glowing pit.
Normally, it appeared entirely unremarkable without any display of power, but whenever it encountered divinity or spiritual essence, its instinct kicked in to absorb them to repair itself.
Like a bottomless pit, it drained every scrap of luminous substance from the hollow.
Qin Ming searched carefully and spotted an area billowing with purple haze. Snatching up the rag, he darted over at once—he certainly wouldn't feed this to it.
Opening his mouth, he took a deep breath. A cloud of purple mist rose and flowed into his nose and mouth. Instantly, an overwhelming sense of comfort washed through his body, and every pore relaxed open.
He knew that if this purple cloud was celestial essence, it had to be of exceptionally high grade!
After clearing all the purple mist from this pit, Qin Ming felt unsatisfied. He placed his hand inside, using his heavenly light force to probe whether more remained deeper within the rock.
At the same time, he exercised restraint, refraining from circulating his thunderfire force. He did not want to internally refine great medicine in a place like this.
"There really is more!"
Delighted, Qin Ming used his adhesive force to draw out several dense clusters of purple qi. Carrying a peaceful aura, they all sank into his body.
Searching diligently, he spotted other sections of the mountain emitting purple mist and rushed over as soon as he found them.
Whenever he saw undulating golden haze, sensing it was likely rare spiritual essence as well, he showed no hesitation and absorbed it clean.
"Absorbing a variety of otherworldly essences makes my body feel even better!" Qin Ming felt wonderful. The Purple Palace thunderfire within him stirred, on the verge of internal refinement once more.
He had found the correct method of internal refinement where earthfire provoked heavenly thunder.
Whenever Qin Ming saw luminous substances, he dashed over to absorb them.
Unless it was ordinary celestial essence, which he fed to the rag, this place was truly a blessed land for him!
Qin Ming roamed the mountain, searching everywhere for the essences fallen from beyond the mundane world, relying entirely on his flesh to absorb and contain them. In the end, he felt stuffed to the brim and began considering the rag.
In truth, what Qin Ming desired most was the liquid condensed from outer heavenly light. On a mountain this close to the skies beyond, it should theoretically exist.
Yet after searching for a long time, he still had not found any.
The mountain was vast, and Su Shiyun, Sun Jingxiao, Leng Feiyue, and the others kept their distance from one another. Qin Ming naturally refrained from approaching them to avoid misunderstandings.
Before long, he discovered where the heavenly light was: it swirled around the roots of those exotic plants. Taking a breath of the night mist, he marveled inwardly. This place truly was a plot of "land" floating in the sky!
Soon after, he spotted an old woman clad in jade armor, holding a five-colored bottle. She had just sprinkled a bit of heavenly light liquid over a fiery-red sapling.
"Child, are you looking for heavenly light liquid?" She offered a gentle smile. With withered white hair, a gaunt frame, and a slight hunch, she rounded the other side of the mountain.
Qin Ming was startled. There was actually someone here tending to the flora. She was likely a jade-armored guard, someone of the third realm!
In the Newborn and Outer Sage realms, there were many youths. But starting from the third realm, the spirit field realm, young people were exceedingly rare. Thus, this path was peculiar; a difference of a single major realm could make two practitioners look like grandparent and grandchild.
Qin Ming remained calm and nodded reservedly. Naturally, he could not panic at a time like this.
The old woman murmured to herself, "Strange. This place is jointly managed by the outer realm and the esoteric sect. Why would a Newborn be permitted to absorb essences from beyond the mundane world?"
"Would you like to check? Eight of us chartered the space and came together." Qin Ming took out his ticket.
The old woman smiled and walked toward him. "It seems you possess extraordinary talent and were favored by some near-immortal seed, granted special permission to follow them inside."
Qin Ming faintly sensed malice; this old woman was extraordinarily dangerous.
He backed away, saying, "My elder is outside. Why don't you come with me to meet him?"
"Very well!" The old woman nodded with a smile, slowly keeping pace.
Qin Ming knew he was in deep trouble. Being targeted by a third-realm veteran was a grave problem. The moment he stepped onto the vat-thick "pathway," he prepared to leap off.
The old woman smiled warmly and said, "You had best not jump. Trust me, once an elder of the spirit field realm unleashes her power, the moment you leap, you will shatter into pieces. My life spirit field and heavenly light are more than enough to tear you apart."
She no longer hid it; she indeed harbored malice.
"My elder is right outside. What are you trying to do?" Qin Ming looked at her.
"A phantom elder, but the real you." The old woman chuckled and shook her head, then added, "Mm, we have already left the mountain. We won't disturb the others."
"Senior, we both walk the Newborn path. Why must it come to this?" Qin Ming said.
The old woman smiled faintly. "Don't be nervous."
Qin Ming remained silent, watching her steadily.
"Young Master..." The old woman chuckled, her face full of kindly warmth.
That form of address made Qin Ming's hair stand on end.
"Young Master, relax. Our meeting here is a good thing." Holding the five-colored bottle of heavenly light liquid, she said, "If you want this, I can simply give it to you. However, it cannot be consumed directly; only the spiritual fruits watered by it are edible."
"Your lot truly haunts me like ghosts. To think I would run into you even here!" Qin Ming's expression turned grim.
To address him as Young Master while harboring malice—aside from people of that clan, there could be no one else.
The old woman smiled. "It is indeed a coincidence. To think that after several years apart, while guarding fields in the sky, I would encounter the young master. This truly is an unexpected joy."
Qin Ming had no recollection of her, guessing she was not of the Cui clan's main branch.
"You are of the Cui clan, hailing from a millennial clan, yet you serve as a jade-armored guard for people beyond the mundane world and must toil in labor here?" Qin Ming spoke casually, looking for an opportunity to flee.
The old woman shook her head. "Serving as a jade-armored guard for a direct genius of our own clan is nothing shameful. My Cui clan holds no low status in the outer pure land. Besides, how can coming here be considered toil? What a splendid place this is, so beneficial to cultivation—an opportunity many could never obtain even if they begged." She smiled faintly and continued, "We are all family; come back. Everyone says your aptitudes are extraordinary; perhaps you will have the chance to serve as a jade-armored guard for the true Young Master Chonghe."
This was not the first time Qin Ming had heard such words. Cui He and Cui Shuning, who had lost the Yimu Scripture to him, had said similar things, filling him with profound disgust.
Hearing it again now, he felt utterly revolted.
The old woman shook her head. "Qin Ming, aren't you being far too conceited and arrogant? You are merely a Newborn with a dim future. Being given an opportunity to follow Young Master Chonghe is something you ought to be grateful for. His path is smooth, his progress rapid, and he will ultimately draw near to immortality. Though you are a mutant, in the end, you will likely only squander the years, unable to keep pace with him."
"Shut your mouth!" Qin Ming snapped coldly.
At his current stage, his realm was still low, and he had no wish to argue. On the road ahead, who would travel farther was far from decided.
"Youth is always so impetuous. Such a fine opportunity—had you simply returned in harmony, there would not be so much trouble." The old woman shook her head. "What a pity you fail to cherish it."
Then she spoke again. "I hear you have been having people ask after your grandfather? I can tell you."
Qin Ming said, "Speak."
"Bow your head and soften your tone." Smiling, the old woman slowly stepped forward.
Qin Ming lowered his head and looked at her calmly.
The old woman's expression soured. The height difference between them was considerable; by lowering his head like this, he seemed to look down upon her.
"Speak. How is my grandfather?" Qin Ming asked in a deep voice.
"This attitude of yours won't do," she said coldly.
Suddenly, dense heavenly light erupted around her body. Yet a small sword, white as mutton-fat jade, still pierced through the luminous barrier and struck her forehead between the brows, sending a spray of blood into the air.
At that instant, both were shocked.
At such close range, Qin Ming had unleashed the special ability born of his sixth rebirth, mobilizing the exotic metal small sword without reserve. Specially suited to breaking heavenly light, it still failed to run her through.
The old woman was appalled and horrified. Although she had made no progress since stepping into the spirit field realm, remaining at the early stage of the third realm for over a dozen years, her cultivation was profound and far surpassed his. Yet her frontal bone had been pierced, blood streaming down.
Qin Ming sensed that this was a life-or-death tribulation for him.
Without a moment's hesitation, the ability born of his seventh rebirth erupted.
The old woman's heavenly light and life spirit field roared in response.
Amid blinding radiance, both tumbled from the pale-gold "hair," plummeting down into the pitch-black night mist beneath the clouds as a spray of blood scattered through the air.
Chapter 173