Beneath the black mist, the elder's bisected body was drenched in blood. His conscious spiritual light had also been cleaved in two, igniting into flames.
"Lad, I was wrong! Put it out, quickly!"
The elder's conscious spiritual light churned and wailed. Regret consumed him. He had already escaped the vengeful ghosts' pursuit—why had he gone looking for trouble?
His heart trembled in terror. Just what kind of terrifying heavenly light force was this? How could it be even more fierce and domineering than the legendary Tathagata force or Sky-Upholding force, burning like a scorching sun?
Relying on his own strength, he could not extinguish it at all!
"Spare my life! I'm willing to pay any price!" Those of higher realms were not necessarily unyielding; the elder caved completely.
If he still had an intact body, he surely would have dropped to his knees. He shrieked piteously as the remnants of his conscious spiritual light struggled, attempting to flee.
Qin Ming smashed out a fist like a blazing sun hanging in the sky, and the elder's wails came to an abrupt halt.
"Only some day gold." Qin Ming felt disappointed. With the matter settled, he brushed off his clothes and departed.
In a place like this, there was no need for him to clean up the aftermath. Monsters and ghosts would naturally arrive to provide their enthusiastic, attentive service.
Carrying ghosts upon his back, Qin Ming took a roundabout route and smoothly escaped the Yin soil.
"Brother Ming, are you all right?" Xiao Wu was startled, seeing Qin Ming return in such a disheveled state, his clothes in tatters and his entire body covered in blood.
"I'm fine. I'm not hurt." After washing up, Qin Ming changed into clean clothes and recounted what had happened during the trip.
Xiao Wu listened attentively, growing indignant as the story unfolded. That old scoundrel from the Great Yu Imperial Dynasty was utterly shameless. Fortunately, he had ended up dead before long.
At the same time, it caught his interest. High risks also meant high rewards. A short while ago at Shanhe Academy, neither he nor Brother Ming could afford tuition, yet this time Brother Ming had obtained several thousand pieces of day gold!
He said firmly, "Brother Ming, I want to temper myself too."
"The Yin soil has revived, and monsters run rampant. Yet some people are even more dangerous than vengeful ghosts," Qin Ming cautioned solemnly, though he did not stop him by force.
Xiao Wu had broken through in an instant last time into the second realm, effectively revealing his hidden cards and proving that there was something extraordinary about him.
Over the next several days, Xiao Wu set out early and returned late, joining a few well-known major organizations.
In the end, he was overjoyed to have earned several sums of day gold.
"Brother Ming, your trick really works," Xiao Wu said. In the two most perilous moments, he had been covered in ghostly burdens, slinking along carrying ghosts on his back.
Of course, when speaking of his experiences, he was also quite incensed.
During that time, some had tried to rob him, and certain organizations had even sought to dispose of him quietly to reclaim the day gold. In just a few days, he had witnessed the sinister depths of the human heart, which often proved far more perilous than ghosts and monsters.
Over the past few days, Qin Ming learned that the people from the Great Yu Imperial Dynasty had succeeded. Rumors spread far and wide that they had brought out an extraordinary exotic treasure and a rare, precious medicine.
A group of ancient ghosts had even broken their taboos for this and charged out of the Yin soil, sparking an intensely fierce battle.
However, those ghosts and monsters had not been revived for long and could not stray far from places steeped in dense Yin qi. In the end, they suffered heavy blows and were completely routed.
Over the following days, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu rested and recuperated, no longer venturing out to explore the Kunling region.
During this period, Qin Ming did not deliberately engage in bitter cultivation or force a breakthrough. He was waiting to step naturally into the Outer Sage realm.
The two were thoroughly relaxed, touring all of Qionghua City and even finding the leisure to enjoy the nocturnal scenery in the evenings.
The Qionghua River flowed through the city.
At night, pleasure boats of all kinds drifted across the broad river, brightly illuminated by lanterns. After tense expeditions and life-and-death struggles, the two experienced this leisurely nightlife.
Standing aboard a large boat, Xiao Wu faced the evening breeze, cup of wine in hand, and said, "Who would have thought that while we were fighting bloody battles in perilous domains shrouded in thick night mist, the Qionghua River would be filled with clusters of pleasure boats, fragrant fine wine, and melodious zither notes, with singing and dancing girls enchanting the mind. It's truly a splendid life."
He was somewhat reluctant to leave, feeling that this was how a leisurely life ought to be lived.
Watching the singing and dancing, he added, "A pity that just the two of us cruising together lacks a bit of flair. If only we had two fairy maidens accompanying us, holding candles for a nighttime excursion—how wonderful would that be?"
Qin Ming ignored him, gazing into the distance toward the capital of Great Yu.
Someone from the Cui clan had said his grandfather had gone to Great Yu's capital. He suspected it was a lie, yet he still could not help looking in that direction. He missed his grandfather.
Back then, the two of them had depended on each other to survive, drifting from place to place in poverty. More than a decade had passed; was his grandfather still in this world?
Now that he had the strength and hoped to care for his grandfather, he could no longer find the old man.
His time in the Cui clan felt like a dream. Cast aside as an abandoned pawn, he was forbidden from ever stepping into that circle again, yet he was repeatedly targeted anyway.
For reasons he could not name, Qin Ming felt a touch of sorrow. He had never seen his parents since birth, and his dearest grandfather had departed during his childhood. After living someone else's life in vain for more than a decade, he had ultimately ended up with nothing.
From childhood onward, he had many friends, but once his identity was made clear and he was no longer the direct descendant of the Cui clan, hardly any of his old friends remained.
"Brother Ming, I'm talking to you! Why did you zone out?" Xiao Wu called to him.
"Yeah. I was just thinking of some people and events from the past," Qin Ming nodded.
Xiao Wu said, "Brother Ming, don't keep things bottled up inside. We're brothers. You know my past—tell me about whatever's weighing on you."
Qin Ming chuckled self-deprecatingly. In his brief moment of reminiscing, even his brother had noticed how preoccupied he was.
Exhaling a breath of turbid air, he severed those unpleasant thoughts, yet still briefly shared his past experiences with Xiao Wu.
"Damn, Brother Ming, you really had it rough, living a life like that. But I guess we're in the same boat. I only have my grandmother left, and whether she's even alive is another question—probably just a lingering wisp of consciousness because she couldn't let go of me."
Now it was Xiao Wu's turn to sigh, any earlier romantic notions completely vanishing. The Fourth Peril had been breached, and none of his kinsmen remained; he was the only one left.
If he wanted to seek vengeance, the difficulty was akin to ascending to the heavens.
Xiao Wu spoke up, "Hearing about your past, Brother Ming, I feel the Cui clan truly missed out on you and turned into your enemies. If they knew about your current accomplishments, they'd probably try to destroy you. And the Li clan will want to eliminate you too. Your situation really isn't easy. No wonder you cultivate so fast yet still feel it's not enough."
"As for myself, everything's fine. I'm used to it. The only thing I worry about is my grandfather." Qin Ming felt he wasn't strong enough because he couldn't yet walk up to the Cui clan's gates and demand a straight answer.
Across the shimmering river, pleasure boats drifted slowly, accompanied by pleasant zither music, moving singing, and laughter, while the two youths stood lost in thought.
Suddenly, dazzling light burst from Qin Ming, accompanied by a shower of golden radiance. His flesh and blood seemed to blaze as if he were about to ascend in glowing clouds.
In such a state, he had broken through naturally, stepping into the Outer Sage realm.
Qin Ming reined himself in, suppressing the burst of golden light, and immediately paid a large sum to rent a quiet chamber on the pleasure boat to enter seclusion on the spot and comprehend his transformations.
Xiao Wu personally stood guard, watching over him with a solemn expression.
Aside from the considerable commotion and the blinding brilliance, Qin Ming's breakthrough went without further ripples; everything flowed naturally to completion.
Fortunately, practitioners were numerous in the night mist world, and the quiet rooms aboard the pleasure boats were specifically prepared for seclusion, their bronze walls offering superb insulation.
At this moment, Qin Ming was virtually like an actual sun. His heavenly light force burned, fully enshrouding him and bearing a resemblance to the patriarchs' aura of a great sun traversing the sky.
Beyond doubt, his strength was skyrocketing. With the breakthrough of a major realm, his physical constitution and heavenly light force underwent a total metamorphosis, elevating his combat prowess by leaps and bounds!
This was nothing short of an all-around nirvana!
Bathing in the light, Qin Ming felt his transformations distinctly: his instincts became sharper, his physical body grew remarkably resilient, and his heavenly light was like a heavenly blade newly honed.
At this moment, he felt he had seized hold of his own destiny.
Only through self-reliance and continuous, rapid advancement could he feel this way.
In the past, there were many enemies he had to bypass and actively avoid. But now, Qin Ming was certain that if he met some of them face to face again, he could finish them off.
Take Li Qingxu: if that opponent had made no new breakthroughs recently, then even though Qin Ming had only just become an Outer Sage, he no longer feared him!
Outside Qin Ming's body, golden threads intertwined as jade-like luster surfaced. It was as though he wore a suit of mysterious armor—a manifestation of certain properties of the silk book's scriptures.
He was struck dumb. He had always claimed to have mastered eight extraordinary arts in the first realm, so how had he forgotten this primary scripture? He had missed one in his count.
If this was included, there were nine true scriptures in total.
In truth, the silk book's scripture far surpassed ordinary extraordinary arts and secret texts!
When Qin Ming advanced to the Outer Sage realm, mysterious symbols appeared upon his Golden Thread Jade Clothes. Though somewhat indistinct, they were indeed gradually taking shape.
This was the manifestation of the silk book's true essence!
And beyond it, the Five Elements Light Wheel revolved, illuminated by tri-colored divine radiance. A Li Fire Shuttle bobbed, a Wuji Seal manifested, a golden cicada lay dormant, Dragon Snake Shears hung suspended... Those were the eight extraordinary arts resonating together to protect his path.
Even further outward were divine rings formed by the other forms of heavenly light force he had mastered, densely layered one over another, safeguarding him at the center.
Xiao Wu felt that even if those deities and immortal-adjacent beings were to revert to their youth, returning to their embryonic forms, they probably still could not match Brother Ming's current state.
Qin Ming felt thoroughly refreshed and comfortable. In the past, releasing heavenly light externally required forced exertion and his full effort every time; though achievable, it had been quite strained.
Now, the heavenly light flowed naturally, spilling outward to a great distance beyond his body. This was the true essence of the second realm—Heavenly Light Outer Manifestation.
In fact, many on the Newborn path had already cast aside the title "Outer Sage" because they themselves felt unworthy of it. Facing practitioners of other paths, whom could they call themselves sages before? Instead, they referred to the second realm as Outer Manifestation.
Qin Ming stood up and reined in his heavenly light, causing all miraculous phenomena to vanish.
Feeling his own immense strength, he did not find anything inappropriate about the title Outer Sage.
Xiao Wu said, "Brother Ming, you're out? Your state is shocking. If everyone in the second realm had to measure up to you, the pressure would be as heavy as a mountain."
Qin Ming smiled. He felt as though he had undergone a complete rebirth, his cultivation surging drastically. After all, breaking through a major realm was supposed to bring such changes.
However, he quickly calmed down, recalling the various shortcomings of the Newborn path and Meng Xinghai's lament back then.
After reaching the second realm, whenever someone on the Newborn path wished to advance by even a small step, even a genius would often require more than ten years!
Just thinking about such a prospect was frightening. Under normal circumstances, an Outer Sage who wished to step into the third realm—the spirit field—would likely have turned into an old man by then.
Indeed, among the experts on the Newborn path, there were virtually no young people!
Qin Ming's conviction was unwavering. "I'm an Outer Sage now. From here on, the path will be exceedingly difficult. I must shatter this destiny and alter the original trajectory."
He had no wish to waste half his life and only step into the spirit field realm in his old age.
If that happened, it would be far too pathetic.
That night, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu drank freely, celebrating this immensely vital step he had taken upon the Newborn path.
The two decided to leave Great Yu and set off for the border region between Great Rui and Great Gan, advancing into Kunling from there.
This was because people from the immortal path and the esoteric sect had recently gathered there, periodically unearthing curious scriptures.
Moreover, disturbances were constantly reported from that area. Qin Ming had heard that many disciples of the esoteric sect were trapped in the ruins, which immediately brought his old friend Ning Siqi to mind.
"Is he there?" He was genuinely somewhat concerned.
In the past, when Qin Ming ceased being a son of the Cui clan and became an abandoned pawn, many had rushed to draw a clear line between them. Only Ning Siqi had offered warmth in the winter chill, traveling thousands of li to deliver the Departing Fire Classic to him—which had also been the very first extraordinary art he obtained.
The next day, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu boarded an airship, heading toward the border region between the two imperial dynasties.
This time, Qin Ming would return as an Outer Sage to cross paths with those rivals and meet those old friends.
Chapter 229