Someone took offense and immediately retorted, "What kind of talk is that? Senior Brother Li is endowed with heavenly talent and was born with near-immortal aptitude. It was only due to various mishaps that he delayed becoming an immortal seed. Isn't it only natural that he sets off on the path now?"
At once, the heated discussion died down considerably.
After all, Cao Qianqiu's lineage was far too dangerous to provoke. Even so, some still spoke in hushed tones in private.
"Alas, Senior Brother Tang Xumi isn't the least bit inferior to him. He only lacks a master among the supreme powerhouses. Now, wanting to step onto that path, he has no choice but to risk his life, and he might even die."
"I've heard as well that Senior Cao once charged into the terrifying 'dragon draws water' and fished out an invaluable, rare substance—naturally formed 'dragon blood.' After Li Qingxu consumed it, he underwent a nirvana, and his natural talent rose yet again!"
Among the core disciples, some remained unconvinced.
A portion of the disciples voiced grievances on Tang Xumi's behalf. His achievements on the immortal path were brilliant, and he had also made considerable progress on the Newborn path, yet here he was, risking his life.
Someone looked into the distance, where two bursts of fiery light surged out from Tang Xumi's body. His frame appeared gaunt, his spirit and essence seemingly ignited.
"Senior Brother Tang, why go to such lengths?" someone called out, trying to stop him out of concern for his state.
To the core disciples, it was obvious: that had to be the accumulated power of both the immortal path and the Newborn path burning away—he wanted to break through some boundary. Beneath the twilight, dappled in light and shadow, glowing trails overlapped with the real world, meandering forward. Some could see them, yet could not step onto them.
Tang Xumi said, "Sometimes at a crossroads in life, one has no choice. Unwilling to fall behind others, I can only fight with my life on the line. Either I forge straight through, make the leap, and become an immortal seed, or I burn to death on this path."
Hu Tingwen urged, "Your life fire may seem roaring right now, but what you are burning is your future. You are overdrawing your vitality. What meaning is there in that?"
"If I pass this trial, I will replenish my lifespan with the blood of the auspicious beast afterward!" Tang Xumi replied.
Above his left and right shoulders, flames surged fiercely. Not only did they represent two paths, but they were also seen as his life fire being overdrafted, burning with a roaring blaze.
In the mountains, a demon was fleeing desperately. With disheveled white hair and drenched in blood, its true form was a massive rhinoceros, though right now it did not dare reveal it.
Living in utter panic, it fled frantically through the dense forest.
For it was being hunted down by a bug!
Fortunately, it knew stealth and concealment, temporarily shaking off that terrifying opponent who possessed two demon seeds. The competition over fragmented demon seeds was bloody; life and death were decided in an instant!
Qin Ming emerged from seclusion. Feeling the threads of Newborn vitality within him, he was filled with anticipation. Holding the pitch-black Sky-Measuring Ruler, he did not conceal his true form.
He was searching for other fragmented demon seeds. Unfortunately, after completely pulverizing and absorbing the two inside him, he could no longer resonate with them and had lost connection with the two demon seeds.
To that end, he did not hesitate to use himself as bait, wandering openly across the territory.
Someone spotted him and said, "Huh? Isn't that Shen Wubing? At such a dangerous time, he's actually walking alone in the wilderness. Has he lost his mind?"
"Brother Shen!" In the distance, Ling Yu appeared, waving toward him.
Approaching, Qin Ming asked, "Why are you all so tense?"
Ling Yu informed him, "Wang Lijie's group spotted an insect demon. It charged right through them, cutting down half their party. They told me I wouldn't stand a chance against it."
"Where is it?" Qin Ming's eyes instantly lit up.
"Over there, but don't—"
Ling Yu pointed out the direction, but before he could finish speaking, Qin Ming had already shot off into the distance, quickly disappearing into the forest.
Zhao Muyao, clad in snow-white robes, along with Wang Lijie and the people beside them, were all dumbfounded. He went to chase down that terrifying bug?!
"Brother Ling, is there something wrong with this friend of yours?" someone asked in a whisper. While others avoided it like the plague, that fellow dared to pursue it alone.
Tales of that insect had circulated throughout the academies of the Kunjun region. It was a renowned demon from the plateau, with high hopes of becoming a generation's demon seed!
Qin Ming chased after it all the way, yet the more he sought it, the less of a trace he could find.
Instead, he spotted the special path markers left by Xiao Wu and followed them down.
Soon, he reunited with Xin Youdao, Jiang Ruoli, and the others. Surprisingly, they were in a small town bustling with flickering silhouettes and the sounds of street hawkers.
This was a secret realm; there shouldn't have been such a lively ancient town here.
"Xiao Wu, are you guys all right?" Qin Ming called out.
"Brother, we're fine! Come on in!" Xiao Wu waved, stepping forward to greet him.
The town was clean, paved with bluestone, teeming with foot traffic and noise. Yet the livelier it seemed, the more unnatural it felt.
Soon, Qin Ming noticed that when he brushed past those people, it was like touching soap bubbles without any true contact. Everything was an illusion.
He immediately focused his spirit, sending a warm current surging into his eyes. In an instant, he saw that they were merely wisps of mist.
Xiao Wu told him, "Brother, there's a trail here. It seems I can embark on it, but I was worried about you, so I've been waiting for a while."
"If you are going to take the path, you'll need a weapon. Try this." Qin Ming handed over the Sky-Measuring Ruler. Forged from black jade iron mixed with refined gold, it was of immense value.
"You... wiped them all out?" Gan Jincheng was stunned, for the Sky-Measuring Ruler was the weapon of the leader of that demon troupe.
The others stared blankly at the black weapon as well. How terrifying that group had been—far more formidable than the demons back in the village.
"A feat like this is purely routine for my brother!" Xiao Wu said, taking it and swinging it forcefully, causing a loud sonic boom.
"How did you discover this path?" Qin Ming asked.
At one end of the town lay a blurry path. As the rainbow light within Xiao Wu transformed into a divine bridge and touched it, the path grew distinct.
Xiao Wu said, "It seems to require resonating with one's spiritual domain, and then the path appears."
This meant that unless a Newborn had stepped into the realm of Outer Sage and birthed conscious spiritual light, they wouldn't even qualify to try. Qin Ming was not one to resign himself to that. After nine rebirths, his heavenly light force was blended with consciousness and divine wisdom; theoretically, it wasn't weak at all, so why wouldn't it work?
He then gave it a try right there, directly unifying all his heavenly light force and making it boil over.
In an instant, ten thousand streaks of golden rosy light burst from Qin Ming's flesh and blood, dazzlingly bright, expanding outside his body. It was as if a brilliant, blazing sun had risen in this place!
"Ah..." Liu Hanya cried out, staggering backward. Jiang Ruoli dodged away quickly as well, her face pale with fright. At such close range, their conscious spiritual light and divine wisdom felt as though they were about to catch fire.
This horrified them—it seemed even more overbearing than the legendary Tathagata force or Sky-Upholding force!
"How is this possible?" Gan Jincheng gasped in shock, his body swaying as he backed away.
With a boom, a path unfolded right at Qin Ming's feet. Broad and flowing with golden light, it meant that even without a demon seed, he too could embark on the path!
"It's wider and more resplendent than mine!" Xiao Wu stared in awe, and then the rainbow light inside him flew forth as he prepared to increase the resonance.
However, no second path appeared here; there was only this single one.
"Brother, is your path this domineering?" Xiao Wu was stunned and bewildered.
The others were stunned as well, clearly noticing that Qin Ming's path was quite abnormal: paved with golden firelight, wide and dazzling, seeming capable of reaching the other shore directly.
With a whoosh, Qin Ming reined in his heavenly light force from nine rebirths, and the path instantly vanished.
Xiao Wu tried again, and his path reappeared. As he resonated with greater force, it indeed brightened, yet it remained dimmer than Qin Ming's.
"Brother, your path is truly extraordinary. Mine was already brighter than the two trails I saw far off, but yours looks like it's literally on fire!"
By now, even Xin Youdao was in a daze, finding what he had just witnessed utterly preposterous.
Qin Ming said, "It seems only one path can appear near an anomalous site. You take this one. I still need to hunt demons, so I'll just find another."
Xiao Wu said, "I'll wait for you."
"No, you set out first. Don't delay. Before long, I'll be sprinting ahead!" Qin Ming had a plan in mind now.
In the end, Xiao Wu stepped onto the path. His figure gradually drifted into the distance, growing hazy. The path seemed to exist within the real world, yet at times wound up into the clouds or pierced through mountains—it was bizarre in the extreme.
It was as if two worlds were intersecting, one moment in the mortal plane, the next in an otherworldly realm.
Xin Youdao watched with quite a bit of envy. Gan Jincheng, Liu Hanya, and the others were also lost in thought. Though all of them were geniuses, none possessed the qualification to step onto the path.
"Our fortune is still to be sought in the tangible secret realm; let us not gaze afar," Jiang Ruoli said calmly, clear-eyed and accepting of reality.
Soon, the others realized as well: such paths belonged solely to immortal seeds and divine seeds!
Except for Xin Youdao, the others wore complicated expressions. The two youths beside them were actually such peerless figures; it was simply unimaginable!
Earlier, they had assumed the two were merely nobodies.
"There are still two rather formidable demons nearby; you all should be careful," Qin Ming warned.
Suddenly, he heard movement in the distance—the ground trembled lightly as a colossal rhinoceros charged in a frantic sprint.
It was a demon possessing a fragmented demon seed. After being spotted by that insect demon with two demon seeds, it had been forced to manifest its true form and sprint at full tilt in an attempt to escape with its life.
Spotting the town and seeing the flickering silhouettes of people, it immediately rushed over.
"Is my luck turning? Things are finally going a bit more smoothly," Qin Ming smiled and moved swiftly outside the town.
"The one behind it is the insect demon. Right now, you—" Xin Youdao warned. After all, even the silver-robed youth from earlier had dreaded the insect demon with two demon seeds.
Gan Jincheng, Liu Hanya, and the others had turned pale.
"That was then, this is now!" Qin Ming said.
The towering white rhinoceros, massive as a small hill, had silver runes flowing across its frame. Seeing the youth ahead, cold malice flashed in its eyes as it charged recklessly.
Behind it, a pitch-black bug clicked and clattered, its claws shearing through rocks and shrubs as it surged forward in a wild rush, closing in fast. Each time the white rhinoceros's massive hooves slammed down, the ground shook and split open with fissures—a terrifying sight.
It stomped a hoof toward Qin Ming, intending to trample straight through him.
Yet in the next moment, its flesh suddenly tensed, sensing impending doom. Its psychic jade horn instantly glowed, unleashing five-colored divine radiance.
Naturally, Qin Ming was not trampled. Leaping into the air to level with its head, he threw a punch straight ahead. Though the five-colored radiance from the horn surged toward him, his single punch shattered it, scattering streaks of light in all directions.
Moreover, under the violent surge of heavenly light force, the giant white rhinoceros's face was torn open, blood pouring from it like a torrent.
At the same time, Qin Ming literally stepped on its nose to reach its face, bounding upward. Clenching his right fist, he erupted with even more terrifying golden radiance. He was testing just how powerful a full-strength strike would be after his ninth rebirth!
Horrified and anticipating disaster, the white rhinoceros circulated silver runes across its entire body, tossing its head and thrashing about in an effort to fling this human youth off.
However, it was too late. Once Qin Ming closed in, breaking free was nearly impossible; he could adhere firmly to an opponent's body.
Like thunder pouring down from the nine heavens, midair blazed with dazzling brilliance and shook with a colossal roar as Qin Ming's full-power punch blew straight through the white rhinoceros's skull.
Right at its frontal bone, a bloody gaping hole appeared, blasted open by Qin Ming's supremely hard and fierce blow, and then its entire head shattered.
Like a golden mountain toppling and a jade pillar collapsing, the giant white rhinoceros crashed before the town with a tremendous boom, drawing its last breath.
A fragmented demon seed flew out toward Qin Ming, who wrapped it in the rag woven of exotic metal and began refining it.
Qin Ming landed lightly, quite satisfied with his performance after the ninth rebirth. After fusing six supreme arts, his heavenly light force had truly undergone a qualitative transformation.
A colossal insect resembling a black armored carriage arrived. Seeing this scene, it seemed rather wary.
It resembled a spider, yet bore an additional scorpion tail arched high, its sharp stinger pitch-black and daunting.
Moreover, it hardly seemed like flesh and blood; its lustrous black body appeared cast of metal, and when its legs scraped against the ground, rocks fractured—one could easily imagine how hard and sharp they were.
The spider-scorpion was a renowned demon from the plateau. Many elder demons placed high hopes on it, believing it had the potential to become a demon seed of the new generation.
When human and demon met, not a single word was spoken; they charged directly at each other, striking with all their might. Drawing his mutton-fat jade iron saber, Qin Ming appeared as though standing amidst a blazing sun, battling fiercely against it.
The spider-scorpion struck with lightning, spewed firelight, and unleashed lightning-like webs, exhausting every method in its arsenal.
Its spider legs thrust out like spears, while its scorpion tail gleamed with blinding intensity; it resembled a soul-reaping emissary straight out of hell. Thud! Thud!
Outside the town, the terrain erupted. Wherever the spider legs passed, boulders and towering ancient trees were shattered without exception. When the scorpion tail swept by and accidentally brushed against the white rhinoceros's colossal carcass, the corpse instantly dissolved into a pool of rotting, bloody sludge.
The spider-scorpion was truly formidable. Qin Ming struck with all his might, slashing hundreds of times in succession before he managed to inflict wounds upon it. Protecting his body with sun-like heavenly light, he warded off the bizarre venom capable of eroding the spiritual domain.
Clang!
A spider leg flew off, and in the next instant, black venom splattered as the scorpion tail was severed.
Bathed in golden rosy clouds, Qin Ming slashed relentlessly. In the end, spider legs flew, webs woven of demonic qi shattered, lightning and flames were extinguished, and the insect demon's head was split open by his blade.
After a fierce battle, Qin Ming slew the spider-scorpion!
Two fragmented demon seeds flew out and rushed toward him; he gathered them into the rag as well and began refining the demon essence. Qin Ming strode into the distance, searching for other towns to prepare for his journey on the path.
Behind him, Gan Jincheng, Jiang Ruoli, Liu Hanya, and the rest were completely petrified, shaken to their core. A demon even more formidable than before had been hacked to pieces just like that!
In an ancient town, two paths unexpectedly emerged beneath Qin Ming's feet, leaving him lost in wonder as his left and right feet stepped upon one each.
Chapter 209