Visitors from Chixia City

While Qin Ming was deep in thought, Xu Yueping came knocking at his courtyard gate. "Xiao Qin, come out quickly, something urgent has come up." Qin Ming's heart skipped a beat. Could the wiping out of the mountain patrol team have come to light so quickly? "We set off in two hours," Xu Yueping told him. People from Chixia City had arrived and wanted to meet the Newborns from the surrounding villages. Xu Yueping lowered his voice. "Word is they're all direct descendants of noble lineages. They've come to help us clear the mountain, but also to temper themselves." Qin Ming asked, "Is it finally about to begin?" Xu Yueping spoke solemnly, "You must perform well this time. None of these arrivals are ordinary figures. Try to seize this chance to enter Chixia City." ... Two hours later, Xu Yueping's home grew lively. Old Man Liu was in high spirits, carrying a thick-backed broad cleaver across his back. He had even donned an old leather cuirass and a refined iron helmet, fully geared up. Qin Ming stepped forward and asked, "Uncle Liu, what are you doing? Today is just a meeting, not an expedition into the mountains." Old Man Liu replied, "Getting used to it in advance." Yang Yongqing took this matter just as seriously, carrying twin sabers on his back. "Though nothing should go wrong during the shallow night, someone still needs to stay behind and guard the village. Uncle Liu, you suffered a wound to your vitality and you're up in years..." Before Xu Yueping could finish, Old Man Liu cut him off. "An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand li! Besides, I'm brimming with vigor right now—I could take on both you and Yang Yongqing together!" Old Man Liu insisted on coming along no matter what. Not everyone dared to take the plunge, such as the village's two other Newborns, while the injured Wang Qinglin had no choice in the matter. Their destination was not far, at a crossroads seven li away. Under the dim night, dense forest stretched in every direction. Over a dozen villages had received word. With their swift footing, the Newborns arrived one after another. Smaller villages like Twin Trees Village sent only four people, while larger ones had over ten, totaling fewer than a hundred in all. The people from Chixia City had arrived earlier. Divided into three retinues, nearly all of them were armored and equipped with fine gear, waiting quietly up ahead. The Newborns from the various villages quieted down as well, cowed by the gleaming armor and sharp blades before them, and filled with awe toward the noble elites of that resplendent city. Each of the three teams bore a distinct clan insignia, each numbering a dozen or so members. The three leaders standing at the forefront were the most eye-catching. One of the men stood a staggering three meters tall, clad in dark-gold armor. His shoulder-length black hair and blade-sharp gaze gave off an intensely suffocating aura of oppression. His mount was just as striking: a fiery-red giant ox whose back rose taller than an adult man. Aside from two normal curved horns, a third horn jutted straight forward like a sword. Upon seeing the Newborns from the various villages arrive, the three-meter-tall man did not act presumptuously by remaining atop the ox. He dismounted, nodded to everyone, and said, "I am Cao Long." He introduced the situation briefly, explaining that many experts had arrived from Chixia City, with over a dozen noble houses participating in the mountain clearing. The youths from their three families were responsible for this area. "I am from the Wei family; my name is Wei Zhirou." The woman among the three spoke up. She did not stand next to the giant Cao Long, but perched atop a blue stone. Draped in a pure-white fox-fur coat, her black tresses fluttered in the wind. Her fair, oval face wore a sweet, radiant smile—a beauty that held immense allure for the youths of the rural villages. In the eyes of these youths who guarded the mountains and had never traveled far, this noble young lady from the resplendent city was like an elegant, ethereal fairy maiden in white, an image they would find difficult to forget even after many years had passed. Standing tall and graceful, Wei Zhirou was indeed exceptionally beautiful. Smoothing back the hair ruffled by the wind, she spoke briefly about the mountain clearing and brought another piece of news. "Heavy blizzards have blocked the roads this winter, making it difficult to transport grain from the outside. But rest assured, Chixia City has dispatched grain carts hauled by giant beasts. They will arrive before long." This immediately caused a stir, and joyful looks appeared across the faces of the villagers. Yet some also worried: if grain was brought in this way, would the price be exorbitantly high? "My name is Mu Qing," the last of the three leaders spoke. Enveloped entirely in a black cloak with even their face hidden, they appeared rather mysterious. Even after hearing them speak, one could not tell whether they were male or female, as their voice was distinctly androgynous. Mu Qing stated plainly that they were unfamiliar with the mountains and needed local Newborns to guide the way. This was the primary reason the three teams had gathered here to meet the Newborns from the surrounding villages. Anyone accompanying them would be handsomely rewarded. Cao Long mentioned that outstanding performance could earn them precious rewards such as Yiqi Arts, meditation arts, and the like. This immediately set off fervent discussion. The eyes of many grew eager, for the Newborn methods circulating in this region were mostly quite low-grade. "What counts as outstanding performance?" someone could not help asking. "Providing vital intelligence that prevents casualties among our ranks, hunting down special variants, discovering places nurturing spiritual substances..." People realized these rewards would not come easily. The noble elites of Chixia City had not only come to temper their newly transformed bodies, but also intended to explore the more mysterious parts of the mountain. Wei Zhirou added, "If you spot anomalous phenomena in the mountains and inform us at the first opportunity, that too will count as vital intelligence." "I know of a fissure in the ground where silver threads once spread. Anyone who slipped and fell into it could barely survive, even if they managed to crawl back out. Does that count?" Qin Ming noticed that it was someone from neighboring Qingsang Village speaking up first. Evidently, people from nearby villages had also died there. Old Man Liu slapped his thigh and shot a glance at Qin Ming, indicating that someone had beaten them to the punch. Wei Zhirou nodded. "The magnetic field in the mountains is in disarray. What you described should be a minor node. If you find another place like that, I will give you an intermediate manual regarding Newborn cultivation." She explained that these special nodes would likely persist for several years. They intended to locate and map them one by one, leaving behind a topographical map for the region so locals would not inadvertently stray into dangerous territory. Cao Long spoke, "If you encounter an area where white mist steams and five-colored vapors radiate in all directions, under no circumstances should you approach. Such zones are far more perilous. Anyone who provides a lead of that kind will be handsomely rewarded with an advanced Yiqi Art manual." At those words, many grew heavy-breathing. A secret manual of that caliber was far too distant and unattainable for them—who wouldn't yearn for it? A few realized that tempering themselves was merely a pretext for the nobles from Chixia City; they definitely had another, major objective. The anomalous phenomena in the mountains involved secrets unknown to the locals. Yet the Newborns from the villages remained relatively composed. Even if they understood there was more to it, so what? Those perilous domains were not places they could set foot in anyway. Moreover, whatever motives the nobles of Chixia City harbored, in the end they would help clear the mountain and ward off the threat of anomalous beasts. That alone was enough. Cao Long informed everyone that the upper echelons of Chixia City and the mysterious beings deep within the mountain range had one final negotiation scheduled. This time it would take place outside the mountain, and a resolution would be reached soon. The Newborns from the various villages whispered among themselves. Though they lived in this region, they had only ever heard legends about a handful of high-tier beings. Their deepest impression of the mountain's depths was mystery, the unknown, and fear—a place cloaked in awe-inspiring fog. "If the negotiation is outside the mountain, can we watch?" The speaker was a youth from one of the three noble retinues. His face was still somewhat tender—a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, eager to see what the top variants from the depths of the mountain looked like. The three teams had been quiet, but now a stir rippled through them. They were all young, possessed by intense curiosity and a desire to explore. Cao Long stood head and shoulders above normal men, his towering stature full of imposing presence. With merely an indifferent glance, he quickly silenced them. He did not reprimand them, nodding in reply, "Perhaps there will be a chance." At once, heated chatter broke out. Qin Ming could hardly stay calm either. Aside from catching an accidental glimpse of the Moon Insect, he knew virtually nothing about other top variants and wished to take this opportunity to see their true forms. The tall, slender Wei Zhirou stood upon the blue stone, her pure-white fox-fur coat fluttering in the breeze, lending her an elegant and ethereal air. She shared another piece of news. "The situation right now is rather delicate. You may not know this, but the turmoil in the mountain range wasn't triggered solely by the disrupted magnetic field. Another group of high-tier beings has migrated from afar with their whole clans, looking to seize a portion of the mountain range's resources." Hearing this, everyone's expressions changed. Wei Zhirou continued, "Now that there is another group of high-tier beings, pressured by them, many dangerous species have been forced to expand toward the mountain's periphery, encroaching on the living space of the people outside." Xu Yueping asked, "In other words, the outer reaches of the mountain forest that had briefly settled down will become extremely dangerous in the future?" "It's no big deal. Who gave them permission to expand? We'll just beat them back. The mountain clearing is meant to resolve precisely this issue." Though Mu Qing's voice was androgynous, their words were overbearing and fierce. The Newborns of the various villages let out a quiet sigh of relief; the figure shrouded completely in the black cloak boosted their confidence. Mu Qing declared in a loud voice, "They have intruded into territory they should never have set foot in, forgetting the pain of the past! Then we will beat them awake with overwhelming force and make them understand that the dominance of the two-legged human beasts over this region has never waned..." At first, the crowd listened with surging emotions and rising morale. Even when hearing the strange phrase "two-legged human beasts," they felt only a mild bewilderment. But as Mu Qing continued the impassioned speech, a fluffy golden tail slipped out from behind the black cloak, instantly unnerving many onlookers. What kind of creature was this?! "Mu Qing," Cao Long warned. Wei Zhirou said, "Mu Qing is human." The three noble teams in the rear remained quite calm, seemingly having long known about Mu Qing's condition. Qin Ming fell into a daze, staring ahead and looking closely again and again. Old Man Liu murmured, "Perhaps they chose a miraculous path. Whether they're still human or what state they're in right now, it's hard to make sense of." After Cao Long's Giant Spirit path, this was yet another different path Qin Ming had witnessed. Cao Long said, "We will now select suitable companions who will accompany us during the mountain clearing to guide our way through the mountains. Rest assured, your safety is guaranteed." He emphasized that no one would be coerced; those unwilling could leave on their own right now. At the same time, Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing reiterated that the rewards during the mountain clearing—including spiritual substances and advanced Yiqi Arts—would be extraordinarily generous, and they would not be stingy. Having chosen to come rather than stay behind to guard their villages, none of the Newborns present chose to leave. Qin Ming naturally followed the crowd, not doing anything out of the ordinary. Wei Zhirou smiled at Cao Long and Mu Qing. In the eyes of the crowd, she was radiant and strikingly lovely, possessing an ethereal sweetness. She waved the roster in her hand at the two, wanting to pick first. "One person per pick. You go first," Cao Long said, letting her choose first. Mu Qing raised no objection either. Wei Zhirou smiled and nodded. "Then I won't be polite. Our Wei family is very eager to recruit youths with a golden foundation." "Who isn't!" Mu Qing remarked, then whispered with Cao Long to negotiate who would pick next. Scanning the roster, Wei Zhirou lightly knit her dark brows, experiencing a bit of indecision. Finally, she called out two names in succession: "Who is Zhou Wubing, and who is Qin Ming?" "You can only take one at a time," Mu Qing reminded her. Wei Zhirou smiled. "I know, I just wanted to see them." Zhou Wubing stepped forward. He stood half a head taller than an average person, his body exceptionally sturdy and powerful. That had not originally been his name. Because he was frail and sickly in his youth, his parents renamed him Zhou Wubing—"Zhou Free of Illness." Yet it was not until a distant relative returned that his condition was cured, allowing him to achieve Newborn within his golden window. Qin Ming was surprised; Erbingzi's demeanor had transformed completely. In the past, he had been gaunt and sallow, his yellowish hair like withered autumn grass. Now, his black hair was thick and lush, and his vigor was exceptionally robust. Qin Ming walked out, standing there calmly, slightly taller than Erbingzi. "Both of you possess golden foundations. I want to invite both of you," Wei Zhirou said with a smile, looking at them. Erbingzi was no longer the boy of the past. Though dazzled by the radiant smile of this noble lady of ethereal grace, he quickly regained his composure. Just then, a young man walked out of the forest, quickly approaching Wei Zhirou and whispering in her ear. Only now did the onlookers realize that the people sent by the three families consisted not merely of three teams of green youths—there were others as well. "Zhou Wubing was frail and sickly in the past, yet after completing Newborn, his strength has continuously grown, and he was taught by Xu Kong?" Wei Zhirou was astonished. After speaking in low tones with the young man, she raised her head, her beautiful eyes turning toward Erbingzi. Smiling, she beckoned to him, selecting him.