A Monumental Event Affecting the Night Mist World

Heavy night mist, like viscous ink, soaked the entire world. The cities across the vast land resembled scattered candlelight, studding the darkness. Today, between the candlelit cities, exotic birds took off ceaselessly, traveling back and forth to deliver the latest news. Every letter bore a blood-red seal, signifying urgency and gravity. Patriarch-level figures had vanished. Like a passing hurricane, the news swept across every region, and the impact was immeasurable! The entire night mist world was boiling. In every city, people endured sleepless nights. Their initial disbelief gave way to shock, and the clamor of voices was so loud it threatened to tear through the night sky. It was like a super earthquake, shattering all prior tranquility. From sect masters at the top down to common peddlers and laborers, everyone had learned the news and was talking about it. Soon, after their initial shock, the higher-ups of major factions felt a wave of profound unease. What level did that small handful of missing individuals stand at? Broadly speaking, they all stood atop the highest peaks! Among them were newly risen powerhouses as well as veteran patriarchs. Each was more formidable than the last, each more legendary, and every one of them was already capable of pioneering new paths. For figures like these to fall in the territory of Kunling—perhaps even wiped out entirely—went far beyond a mere defeat in battle. Its ramifications ran deep and could very well dictate the overall trajectory of the night mist world. In imperial dynasties and great sects, many high-ranking figures shifted from their initial bewilderment to sheer dread, sitting and pacing in restless anxiety. How many years had it been since such a massive event took place? Even in the most recent Great Reclamation, things had not been so tragic right from the start, had they? Most crucial of all, no one knew what had actually happened in Kunling. Now, every faction wanted to uncover the truth. However, some people had already ventured inside, only to vanish as well. Soon after, the nearby three imperial dynasties—Yu, Gan, and Rui—began organizing forces and dispatched regular troops, attempting to advance inward. Next, the outer realm, esoteric sects, and others successively sent out experts toward Kunling to investigate what had happened to their respective patriarchs. Without a doubt, some sects within the outer pure lands and esoteric factions were in a mild panic. Because their flag-bearers had vanished, all manner of troubles would inevitably arise. If this was allowed to fester, things could turn dire enough that some factions might decline as a result—or even be seized and overthrown by others! Group after group of forces rode high-grade exotic birds, converging from all directions and entering that territory, which was so quiet it felt suffocating. "Latest intelligence: the five-hundred-man detachment sent by the Darui Imperial Dynasty has lost contact. All trace of them is gone." This disappearance weighed heavily on everyone's brow. In the deep night, new developments came from the Dagan Imperial Dynasty: the regular army detachment they had dispatched also vanished. This time, an expert pursued them immediately and managed to find the camp they had left behind along the way. Every tent was empty. The people were gone. There were no signs of battle, and all their supplies were undamaged. It was as if those men had evaporated into thin air. For a time, even in the dead of night, nowhere was peaceful; everyone was discussing the matter. "Kunling has inexplicably become incomprehensible. What on earth happened?" Hundreds of living people appeared to have marched into the deep night, rested there, and then mysteriously vanished. The next day, once the shallow night arrived, a piece of breaking news caused a massive uproar. Sun Taichu's third disciple, a genuine expert, had penetrated deep into the Kunling territory and finally stumbled out, covered in blood. Yet he died after speaking only two words, his pure yang conscious spiritual light extinguished. This was a direct disciple of a patriarch. To lose his life while exploring inside sent shudders through everyone's soul, filling them with boundless dread toward that place. At the final moment, the words he spat out were "good fortune." Those words stirred everyone's desires, yet knowing the context made people shrink back in fear. With patriarchs missing and direct disciples dead, who dared barge in lightly? Later, some offered another interpretation: perhaps the two words he spoke were not "good fortune," but rather "calamity." After all, he had been mortally wounded at the brink of death, his spiritual light of consciousness scrambled and his speech slurred. Having endured such torment, why would he have the leisure to tell others there was good fortune inside? Yet many disagreed, believing he had truly meant good fortune. How could a figure of his stature make a slip of the tongue? This implied that within Kunling's territory, risks and opportunities coexisted. Those patriarchs might not all be dead; they were very likely to have discovered something. That same day, another explosive piece of news arrived: a wisp of pure yang conscious spiritual light belonging to Cao Qianqiu's eldest disciple, Pu Heng, had pierced the clouds and mist, cutting through the darkness to break out. During the great battle, he had not left, remaining behind instead. Had he fought his way out now to deliver a message? "What a pity. Just as his pure yang light surged past the outer border of the Kunling territory, it burned to its very end. He failed to truly make it out." Clearly, he had gambled his life to fight his way back, yet he had ultimately fallen short. This left people stunned and gave them goosebumps. Setting aside the mystery of the patriarchs' fates for the moment, the fact that Sun Taichu's third disciple and Cao Qianqiu's eldest disciple had met such ends proved how incomparably dangerous that place was. By now, everyone was thoroughly unsettled. Perils were historical remnants. In the ancient days of the great pioneerings, these territories had been left unresolved and temporarily neglected. No one had expected that this sudden eruption in Kunling would be so severe, shattering the heavens and earth. All the high-level figures wore solemn expressions, their hearts heavy. For disaster to strike at such a juncture naturally spawned all sorts of dark speculations. Losing several patriarch-level figures meant a sharp decline in peak combat strength, which weakened their deterrent power against external threats. Originally, the factions of various paths had negotiated to launch a Great Reclamation, marching into the depths of the night mist world to pioneer a brand-new realm and secure more resources. Now, however, the entire plan was disrupted. If terrifying entities from deep within the night mist world launched a counterattack, it would inevitably spell immense trouble. The only comforting thought was that no Demon God Imperial Court or Evil God Realm had yet been discovered along the path ahead. Although there were rumors of similar deities, they were likely extremely far away, so there was no immediate cause for worry. On the third day, someone ventured deep inside on an expedition, came out alive, and even brought back auspicious beast blood! This immediately ignited a tremendous sensation. It was an expert from the outer pure land. Before even drawing close to Kunling City and that plateau, he had spotted a pool of glowing, golden blood on the ground. In the end, he refined a portion himself and confirmed beyond doubt that it was indeed the blood of the auspicious beast. In an instant, this reignited the enthusiasm of some explorers. At the border of life and death lay immense fortune, tempting many to take a gamble. Many pressed the people of the outer pure land, asking what that expert had actually seen in Kunling and whether he had uncovered the truth. The pure land replied that the expert had not approached the battlefield. Sensing something amiss, he had retreated, only to be ambushed by others outside seeking to snatch the auspicious beast blood, and was currently recuperating from his injuries. "There is only one point: he mentioned a new discovery. The terrain of Kunling appears to be undergoing changes." Sure enough, after deep night fell, rumblings echoed incessantly within the Kunling territory, faintly accompanied by lightning and thunder—a truly staggering spectacle. Many watched from afar. Vaguely, people could see blurred scenery emerging within the night mist. "Kunling has changed!" They saw what looked like gigantic ancient trees appearing. Farther in the distance, majestic immortal cities flashed and vanished, along with rolling mountain peaks and silhouettes of numerous figures. Then, amid flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, they all shattered. Immediately after, the region shook. High mountains thrust up, earth sank down, vast lakes formed, and deserts expanded as all manner of terrains manifested at once. Moreover, during this upheaval across Kunling, in some areas where great peaks broke through the soil, golden blood was jostled high into the air, transforming into a golden haze that drifted down toward the ground. "Heavens, there really is auspicious beast blood! Did everyone remember the direction? This is a monstrous stroke of fortune! It can prolong life, enhance talent, and remake one's bone structure!" "I also yearn for nirvana! If I could obtain such blood, even if I couldn't undergo rebirth from an immortal fetus and live a second life, I could surely gain another century of life!" No one who witnessed this sight could remain calm. Auspicious beast blood had truly been discovered. This meant those patriarchs had severely wounded the auspicious beast—perhaps even slain it—leaving behind golden blood across numerous areas of the Kunling territory. "That blood is extraordinarily viscous; every single drop can serve as a great pill on its own. It will not dissipate anytime soon. We must find a way to retrieve it!" Afterward, an incomparably dense fog enveloped the entire Kunling territory, casting a desolate veil over the night so that nothing could be seen. From that day on, countless people rushed in to explore. Soon, two more individuals obtained auspicious beast blood, sparking a massive uproar. Everyone knew something was wrong with Kunling and that grave dangers lurked within. Even so, the various factions could no longer sit still, sending out teams one after another to investigate. "Auspicious beast blood! Even the patriarchs of the various paths wanted to extract its heart blood to prolong their lives. To us, it is a treasure beyond price!" Wealth moves human hearts, let alone a substance like this. Expedition teams arrived wave after wave. Earlier, people had been fearful, wary, and full of anxious guesses about the missing patriarchs. But now, many had lost their heads to greed, caring only about the fortune within and brushing aside all else. "Perhaps the patriarchs have already entered the ultimate land of fortune, and what's left for us are merely scraps." "Let's hope so. My greatest fear is that the patriarchs are all dead, that their clash shattered a corner of hell and unleashed things that never should have appeared in this world." While some were crazed, others naturally worried, dreading that something terrible had occurred, because Kunling's current transformation had exceeded everyone's expectations. Currently, the place had become completely unpredictable, shifting day by day. "What talk of hell or the netherworld? In ancient times, Kunling was a legendary land associated with godlike entities and near-immortal creatures. If anything was unleashed, shouldn't it be something sacred?" "What are you thinking? Do you really believe that anything bearing the name of 'god' or 'immortal' must be glorious? It might carry a chill even heavier than the nether soil, for all we know." Lately, discussions and analyses of every kind had emerged in endless waves. Imperial dynasties and great sects all wished to enter the fray, hoping to venture into the Kunling territory to seize good fortune. "Ancient records state: 'Kunling connects to Yujing; godlike entities loom and fade, near-immortal creatures come and go, roaming freely within...' Could it be that Yujing has appeared?" Throughout the night mist world, people everywhere were discussing Kunling. Some senior figures were filled with dread. They believed a monumental event that would dictate the future had already occurred, yet they could not grasp its thread. They wished to blow away the mist and see the truth: why had it come to this? Certain prominent figures frowned deeply. Could the battle days ago have been the result of the auspicious beast colluding with forces from deep within the night mist world, leading to this shocking turn of events? What else could explain it? Otherwise, the combined might of those patriarchs should have swept through everything. "It has nothing to do with external forces. This time, it is solely Kunling that has undergone a transformation. It seems to be reassembling itself, perhaps reverting to what it was in the legends," an influential figure stated with great certainty. Several days later, the Kunling territory stabilized, and earthquakes no longer occurred. Its topography had indeed undergone an earth-shattering shift, completely different from the past. Even those who had lived in this region would fail to recognize it if they saw it again now. Of course, people could only see the outer areas and could not gaze deep inside, for the night mist here was thick beyond dispersal, rendering heaven and earth as dark as ink, far surpassing before. "Brother, when are we going in to take a look?" Xiao Wu asked. He and Qin Ming were staying in Qionghua City, a colossal city in the Dayu Imperial Dynasty adjacent to the Kunling territory, making it quite convenient to travel there. Qin Ming said, "Let's observe a bit longer. Even so many major factions are helpless; there's no need for us to rush. Safety comes first. We'd rather forgo the auspicious beast blood than act rashly." Half a month later, Kunling experienced no further shifts. Various factions arrived one after another, continually exploring during this period. Some brought back auspicious beast blood, while others obtained extraordinary arts and mysterious legacies. Naturally, many also perished inside. "Kunling has become an entirely alien land, nothing like what we remember!" "Some of the architecture inside is in ruins, while some is magnificent. You might encounter living creatures or muddled monsters. It is extraordinarily dangerous!" Those who escaped were still shaken, their faces pale even now. Ninety percent of those who had ventured inside had died at the hands of those abnormal creatures. "Most critically, we truly cannot defeat those creatures—they are simply too strong!" "An expert from the immortal path fought a desperate battle against a monster and finally won, obtaining a beast-hide scroll inscribed with a powerful technique." Seeing this, people immediately sought out prominent elders, hoping those powerhouses would sweep through the horde of monsters to seize extraordinary arts and special scriptures. However, that battle proved tragic. When the prominent elder appeared, an aged monster walked out from the black mist. Its senses were extraordinarily sharp; it seemed to track his scent, specifically hunting him down. The elder fought desperately to the very end before being slain by the old monster. Moreover, people noticed that the old monster had transformed from dull and rigid to somewhat different; its eyes began to gleam with spirit. That very day, the old monster killed three elders of a certain sect in succession, gradually gaining sentience, as though a walking corpse had returned to life. "The Kunling territory is full of ghosts!" In no time, word spread. "Those figures in the black mist are all vicious ghosts! Those wandering souls are searching for scapegoats to take their place in death! Once they kill a living person, they seem to recover and return to the living world!" This was explosive news! Every sect was stunned, causing a massive uproar. The three imperial dynasties were even more alarmed. If this claim proved true, they would be the first to bear the brunt. If countless vicious ghosts emerged from Kunling and flooded the three imperial dynasties to claim substitute souls, the consequences would be catastrophic beyond imagination. "This news is truly chilling. The patriarchs are all missing—could they have been replaced as well?" "Say no more. I feel as though the sky of the night mist world is about to collapse!" Even some senior figures were deeply shaken. Kunling was tied to myth; if entities were taking substitute souls to escape, the level of those escaping creatures would be utterly unimaginable. The only relief was that no monsters had actively charged out of the mist-shrouded Kunling territory. "Unless one has already revived and is no longer a walking corpse. If so, even if it ran out, we wouldn't be able to tell it apart." The situation was grave. No one knew whether the vicious ghosts of the ancient Kunling lands would bring disaster to the region, and factions intervened one after another to devise countermeasures. Through continuous trials, people gradually gathered a great deal of experience. When a team entered the mist to explore, whoever had the highest cultivation would generally attract a ghost of comparable strength. "Therefore, when picking teammates, it is best to choose people of the same realm. Absolutely never travel with someone of a higher realm, or you will die a gruesome death without any power to fight back!" "You have no idea where these vicious ghosts will emerge from. It is impossible to guard against!" Alongside the brush with death, genuine opportunities truly existed, and those who survived would gain something. "For some unknown reason, some of the vicious ghosts carry legacies on them. As long as you slay them, you can obtain them!" After waiting quietly in Qionghua City for many days and hearing countless rumors, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu had learned enough and finally could not resist heading inside. They had heard that core disciples of various sects—even immortal seeds and divine seeds—had begun stepping in. Having figured out the pattern, they did not team up with older seniors, which made it far less perilous and occasionally brought great rewards. Even so, the two lay low for several more days. Only after confirming that no core disciples had suffered sudden deaths and no immortal seeds had met with disaster did they set out. The two formed a team of their own, choosing not to join unknown groups because they trusted each other most. Upon entering the periphery of Kunling, both stood in a slight daze. What lay before their eyes was completely different from the past. Layers of thick mist hung everywhere; even in shallow night, it was boundless darkness. An ordinary person walking in would be no different from someone blind with their eyes open. Qin Ming said, "The land we are stepping into might not be Kunling, but a legendary mythic land!" Xiao Wu nodded heavily. "A dead mythic land, where those ancient creatures have all turned into vicious ghosts!" "Only two of you, and you dare enter? The rest of us form large teams to draw out a monster of our own level and gang up on it. Doing this alone is far too risky," a kind-hearted person warned them. Qin Ming replied, "Thank you. We're just going to look around the perimeter. If things go south, we'll pull out immediately." A moment later, they advanced deeper and arrived at a gravel desert. Not a blade of grass grew; it was desolate beyond measure, with nothing in sight but black mist and gravel. "Don't go over there! That's a mini peril that appeared just yesterday! None who enter come back out—the vicious ghosts there are monstrously ferocious!" someone shouted from behind. However, rolling black mist surged, cutting off their voices. "Hm?" Qin Ming faintly caught the shout. When he looked back, he saw only boundless mist. Focusing his mind, a warm current immediately surged through his eyes, instantly penetrating the depths of the mist to see someone waving at them, though no sound could be heard. "There's something wrong with this area?" He frowned. "Hm?!" Right then, he startled as a chill ran down his neck. The black mist had mysteriously coalesced into a rope, stringing him up. "The damned ghost is really here, trying to make me a substitute to become a hanged ghost?!" Xiao Wu was also shocked and furious, for his feet had also left the ground, suspended in midair. It was bizarre. There was nowhere to anchor leverage in the void, yet black ropes had formed and abruptly cinched their necks, hoisting them up. Neither was willing to wait for death, both unleashing full power to fight back. In an instant, dazzling heavenly light erupted from Qin Ming's body. With a violent shudder, his heavenly light force cut like a blade, severing the black rope and letting him drop from midair. Yet from all directions, extending from unknown reaches of the void, dozens of black ropes stretched out, locking onto every part of his body. This was an attempt to break him right from the start. Golden haze surged outside Qin Ming's body. His hands moved like blades; every chop shattered several black ropes until they exploded. Xiao Wu also dealt with the black ropes around him. The two exchanged a look—this place was truly bizarre. An ordinary cultivator entering here would quickly have their life reaped by vicious ghosts. Not far away, a figure walked toward them. It was a young man clad in battered armor, clutching a long saber as he approached. "Let me handle this!" Xiao Wu charged forward, striking in rapid succession. His fists collided with the long saber, clanging with showers of sparks. After trading numerous blows, he blasted the man apart. Qin Ming frowned. He knew how extraordinary Xiao Wu was—the sole "seed" of the Fourth Peril, equal to an immortal seed or divine seed—yet he had been unable to instantly kill this person. "A saber manual?" Xiao Wu picked up a beast-hide scroll from the ground, examining it repeatedly. Then, he handed it to Qin Ming to appraise. "Not bad. This saber technique is remarkable." Qin Ming possessed considerable insight into the saber path. He memorized the technique and casually made a few motions. The two continued forward and finally spotted another landmark. In the mist, a dilapidated palace stood upon the gravel desert, devoid of people and utterly still. "Withered Hall?" Qin Ming was surprised. He read the two characters on the palace plaque, which flowed with a desolate ancient charm that naturally revealed their meaning. Before the dilapidated hall stood an old tree bearing sparse yellow leaves. As the wind blew, the leaves shook loose and instantly slashed toward Qin Ming like sharp blades. Heavenly light surged around his body to block the withered leaves. Yet they were not shredded; instead, metallic clangs rang out continuously, as if clashing against celestial sabers. Qin Ming was astonished. Few could fight him like this with fallen leaves. This place was truly bizarre; his heavenly light force was so overbearing, yet it had failed to crush the withered leaves immediately. Boom! Finally, the yellow leaves exploded, shattering into powder. Yet in midair, they gathered into a withered, gaunt hand that lunged toward Qin Ming's neck. At the same time, the entire old tree revived. Its eyes snapped open as it pulled itself from the ground, spreading its branches and attacking Qin Ming. Every branch transformed at its tip into a withered, gaunt hand, resembling a demonic claw. Qin Ming was startled. It was merely an old tree, yet it proved this troublesome. To end the battle quickly, he did not hesitate to employ a trump card, channeling the Dragon Snake Scripture. Dragon roars echoed as a black and a white beam of light shot up, the dragon and snake turning into shears. With a crisp snap, they sheared through the old tree's trunk. Qin Ming activated it three times in succession before the old tree finally collapsed, cut completely through. Then the old tree exploded, leaving behind a token on the ground inscribed with the character "Withered." "With this token, you may enter the hall to listen to the true scripture," a voice echoed from within the dilapidated ancient hall. Qin Ming peered inside and felt a jolt of alarm. Upon a cluster of prayer mats sat dense crowds of silhouettes, appearing as though they existed across different times and spaces. Gritting his teeth, he walked inside and sat upon a prayer mat. Atop the high platform at the front of the ancient hall lay a near-rotted body, withered skin clinging to its face, hair disheveled, and clothing decaying—it was a vicious ghost about to preach the true scripture. Outside, Xiao Wu waited on high alert, ready to provide support at any moment.