In the dusk, the small town was bathed in a pale red luminous mist.
Qin Ming stared blankly. He had heard of keeping a foot in two boats, but never of keeping a foot on two paths.
One was the demon path, summoned by the fragmented demon seeds. This time, he had refrained from using the rag to thoroughly refine them, precisely to avoid being unable to resonate with the path.
The other path was summoned by the pure-yang heavenly light force overflowing from within him. This path was extraordinarily grand, as if paved with fragments of a shattered sun, its golden clouds blazing like fire.
By rights, he ought to take this path. Yet more demon seeds meant more paths—why make a single choice? Besides, the demon path and the Newborn path shared certain commonalities.
Though he wanted to seize both, there was one problem: the two paths lay under different feet. How was he supposed to move forward—by doing the splits as he walked? Qin Ming actually gave it a try, then immediately gave up. Not only was it awkward, but he couldn't walk fast at all.
He pondered for a moment. First, he masked the demon seeds with the rag, then suppressed his heavenly light from spilling out. After several attempts, he discovered that he could control which path to take.
Moreover, he could switch paths midway.
Even better, through constant adjustments—allowing only a fraction of his heavenly light force to spill out while fully unleashing the aura of the three fragmented demon seeds—he could make both paths manifest simultaneously and overlap.
"This isn't bad at all. I won't miss out on the scenery of either path." Qin Ming was very pleased. He tested it multiple times and looked into the distance; he could see the sights along both paths.
Most importantly, if needed, he could alter his state at any moment and change the path beneath his feet.
Qin Ming wrapped up his saber and bow, strapping them across his back. Then, with a crackle of popping bones, he used the Dragon Snake Transformation. This was a method from his sixth supreme art that altered the physical body, and paired with Harmonize with Light and Dust, it was a flawless match. Openly walking the demon path, he naturally needed to look the part more convincingly, which would also make things easier to handle.
In an instant, Qin Ming became burly and robust, his face sharply chiseled and angular, exceptionally heroic and formidable—at a glance, someone who wouldn't tolerate a grain of sand in his eyes.
With disheveled black hair and eyes like blades, extraordinarily piercing, even standing motionless on the spot radiated an oppressive presence akin to a primordial beast.
"Should I call myself the Demon Emperor? Forget it, let's keep a low profile. My name is Demon One."
Qin Ming set out on the path, immediately breaking into a mad dash.
Beneath his feet, crimson mist surged, entwined with wisps of violet qi. Beneath the shroud of demonic clouds, the Newborn path became blurred, temporarily hidden from view.
"Once truly on the path, looking toward other people's paths actually isn't as clear anymore," he murmured, gazing into the distance.
The demon path shifted between the real world at times and what seemed like an empty void at others, as if an alien domain and the secret realm were intermingling. The path roamed between two realms.
Along the way, dense forests stretched out and mountains rolled. Qin Ming plunged into mountain massifs multiple times, vanishing outright, because the path beneath his feet cut right through them, as though he had temporarily stepped into an alien world.
Before long, he emerged once again outside the mountains in the real world. Soon, Qin Ming arrived at a "scenic spot."
A grand hall stood sprawled before him. Crimson flames surged, and scalding heat rolled out from within; even from far away, it felt as though one's body would catch fire.
A horizontal plaque hung above the hall, written in demon script. Qin Ming couldn't read it at all, yet an imprint existed upon it, which activated upon his arrival.
He immediately understood what this place was.
The Demon Fire Hall. It could temper demon bodies and enhance the strength of flesh and blood. This was an excruciatingly agonizing trial, but of immense benefit to the demon race.
Qin Ming stood quietly for a moment, then walked forward.
Just as he was about to step over the threshold, the demon fire filling the hall suddenly boiled over.
"Revealed by the Heavenly Demon Mirror: a descendant with ambitions to blaze a path has reached this place while rooted in the first realm. Undeniably, dazzling an era. However, the demon seed within the body is severely damaged; you may be unable to pass the Demon Fire Hall."
Within this hall, a rather mechanical voice actually rang out—cold, devoid of any emotion, echoing within Qin Ming's mind.
He halted abruptly, involuntarily sucking in a breath of fiery fiendish aura.
Was there a demon monitoring this place? No, this seemed more like a legendary top-tier exotic treasure.
That brief utterance provided Qin Ming with valuable information.
Only those capable of stepping onto the path were considered ambitious?
He chuckled silently. Truth be told, who had never harbored lofty ideals? Yet many couldn't resonate with such mysterious paths at all.
In the end, having lofty aspirations required peerless natural gifts; ordinary people were barred from the outset.
"A Heavenly Demon Mirror is suspended here... who set this up?" Qin Ming pondered.
Clearly, it detected his fragmented demon seeds and recognized him as a demon. It wasn't particularly intelligent, so he could easily pull off the bluff.
Qin Ming was certain this had definitely not been established by people of the immortal path or the esoteric sect; this domain had only been conquered recently.
Moreover, immortal seeds, demon seeds, divine seeds, and others could all take the paths here, so it likely hadn't been set up by that group of old demons on the plateau either.
"The secret realm is a planetary fragment from beyond this world. Could this..." Thinking deeper, he couldn't help but zone out a little.
However, he shook his head again. Surely it couldn't be that preposterous.
He had long heard that Kunling was a land of legend. In ancient times, all manner of anomalous creatures had roamed here, with no lack of godlike entities.
"No wonder I saw Sun Taichu's phantom. A domain connected to myth and legend holds immense allure even for him."
Qin Ming smiled. To receive the evaluation of 'dazzling an era' in a place like this was high praise indeed.
He stepped into the Demon Fire Hall. Instantly, wisps of runes lit up within the flames. Fire coiled throughout the hall, remarkably resembling interwoven lightning.
It did not burn his clothing, pouring into him from the crown of his head and surging out from his feet. Layer upon layer of demon fire cascaded down like a waterfall, baptizing every inch of his flesh and blood.
Qin Ming felt it was nothing special—not even comparable to his departing fire force.
Soon, the demon fire shifted from crimson to violet. Mingled with demon qi, it continuously poured into his crown, washing through every bone and sinew of his limbs. The flames grew fiercer and fiercer, their intensity ever greater.
Qin Ming realized that this was actually a form of primordial heavenly light force rather than true flame.
Toward the end, he finally felt severe pain. After all, this was passively taking a beating rather than actively resisting. Eventually, even his body began to sway.
"Descendant with ambitions to blaze a path, you have endured the baptism of the first realm's strongest demon fire. During the process... the enhancement to your physique was negligible. Your physique is astonishing; a future Heavenly Demon is within reach, and you are destined to establish a sect!" The cold voice rang out once more.
Qin Ming observed his condition carefully. After such a scouring, his physical body showed no unusual changes. Striding through the Demon Fire Hall, he almost wanted to say: *That's it?*
Because to him, being here didn't feel like much of a trial.
"Highest evaluation for this location: the path beneath your feet may widen by five fingers' breadth," the mechanical voice sounded again.
Qin Ming was taken aback. What was the use of that? Then he saw that the demon path beneath his feet had indeed widened slightly.
At that moment, he caught sight of the blurred scenery on the other path: a raised terrace, resembling a sacred site for offering sacrifices to heaven.
Qin Ming decisively switched paths. In an instant, treading upon the Newborn path paved with golden clouds, he dashed forward and ascended the stone terrace towering into the clouds.
"Descendant with ambitions to blaze a path, optimal tempering shall be conducted based on your physique and the circulation of your heavenly light."
Qin Ming realized that this place could make targeted arrangements for all kinds of paths.
In fact, the early stages of the Newborn path and the demon path shared similarities.
The next moment, after he stood upon the terrace, radiant light suddenly cascaded from the heavens—heavenly light shining down, once again pouring into the crown of his head.
Qin Ming frowned. Was he going to make a wasted trip?
This was completely pointless to him. Was this path limited to just this?
In the end, he received the highest evaluation on this path as well, and the path beneath his feet widened.
Qin Ming returned to the demon path. When he saw the new scenery ahead, a smile finally appeared on his face. Surely he wouldn't leave empty-handed this time?
From far away, he heard the roar of dragons. It was a colossal palace where dragons and snakes rose together, entangling one another.
"Is this related to scriptures?" Qin Ming was delighted. He unexpectedly captured the true intent of the Dragon Snake Scripture.
As he drew close, he saw a dragon and a snake rush forth. A remarkably primordial, savage aura descended overwhelmingly, ferocious in the extreme.
Right off the bat was a lethal technique from the Dragon Snake Scripture—the Dragon-Snake Combined Strike!
Moreover, it differed somewhat from what Qin Ming had practiced, resembling the methods of the demon race far more.
He struck back immediately, using the exact same move as black and white light surged from his left and right hands.
Across from him, the dragon soared into the sky, bearing lightning, supremely hard and pure yang; the snake slithered over the earth, cloaked in yin mist. The two charged together, launching a pincer attack at Qin Ming in the center.
In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared as dragons flew and snakes danced, a truly breathtaking sight.
Qin Ming shattered the dragon and snake, yet even more dragons and snakes surged from the colossal palace. All were techniques from the Dragon Snake Scripture, manifesting tangible forms to assault him fiercely.
Soon, the place grew dense with shadows of dragons and snakes multiplying continuously, honing his comprehension of the Dragon Snake Scripture. As long as he remained undefeated, the draconic and serpentine phantoms seemed never to vanish.
A voice rang out, saying, "Descendant with ambitions to blaze a path, this location is the Palace of Comprehension and Combat. You are fighting against yourself, thereby comprehending deeper scriptural meaning."
Then it sounded again: "Detected: this location holds the primordial demon race version of the Dragon Snake Scripture, currently demonstrating the martial method for you."
Qin Ming understood why the techniques displayed by these phantom dragons and snakes were somewhat different.
By the end, he grew exhausted. Because he was fighting himself, many of the dragon and snake phantoms were reflections of his own mind, to the point that traces of blood later leaked from the corner of his mouth.
Only when the dragons and snakes completely dispersed did he pant heavily, carefully reflecting on what had occurred. Sure enough, he had gained a fresh understanding of this scripture.
At the same time, the Palace of Comprehension and Combat glowed, and as if soaking in a hot spring, his slight injuries quickly healed.
Soon after, the scene shifted, and dense swarms of golden silkworms appeared. The true intent of another supreme art, the Golden Silkworm Classic, was manifested. Was it actually related to the demon race as well? Qin Ming was surprised.
However, as he fought fiercely here, he realized this was yet another scripture supplemented by this place, vastly different from the Golden Silkworm Classic originally practiced by humans.
The version he practiced had nothing to do with silkworm creatures at all; it primarily embodied the domain of Metal among the Five Elements.
Ultimately, he received the highest evaluation here as well.
Not long after, returning to the Newborn path, he encountered a divine temple and engaged in successive battles corresponding to the Wuji Classic, Heluo Classic, Yimu Scripture, and Departing Fire Classic.
Eventually, the Dragon Snake Scripture and Golden Silkworm Classic manifested once more.
He instantly realized that the six supreme arts he had mastered were all reflected here, allowing him to contemplate and consolidate them anew.
"This truly was a bountiful harvest, especially along the demon path—it actually provided supplements to the Dragon Snake Scripture and the Golden Silkworm Classic!"
Qin Ming continued along the path. In a plaza, he saw several motionless statues. Though blurred, he was able to recognize some of the figures.
At a glance, he spotted Li Qingxu, clad in feather robes and holding a bamboo staff.
"What is the meaning of this?" Qin Ming couldn't resist and slapped it across the face!
***
In Kunjun City, Cao Qianqiu's eldest disciple sat quietly, smiling as he drank tea with a friend.
"Your junior brother, Li Qingxu, should have stepped onto that path as well by now, right?"
"Yes. My master places high hopes on him. The physical ailments caused by his cultivation of a special art have now been mended by dragon blood. A future near-immortal state is well within reach, and he might even dazzle an entire era."
Chapter 210