Some had once speculated based on records in miscellaneous texts: the heavens tilted to the northwest, the earth sank in the southeast, and the world of the night mist plunged into an abyss.
Thus, heaven and earth turned into an eternal night.
Huangsha City lay in the northwest, situated at the border between the two great dynasties of Qian and Rui. Vegetation was sparse here. Once the dry season arrived, wind whipped up sand and stones, producing sandstorms even thicker than the night mist.
Qin Ming and Xiao Wu arrived aboard a flying boat and gazed at the city before them, which was modest in scale.
Its walls were not tall, rammed together from yellow earth mixed with water—an earthen city, in essence.
Ordinarily, this place had nothing to do with prosperity. Recently, however, it had become extraordinarily bustling. Many people from outer realms and various esoteric sects had rushed here solely to explore the mysteries within the "Revived Domain" ahead.
In the shallow night, the city's Fire Spring was hardly bright, leaving the light on the streets somewhat dim.
"Take care, sir! Please come again!" Atop a three-story wooden building, a shapely, attractive woman waved.
"What kind of Hongyan Tavern is this? I'm never coming back! You promised century-aged Hongyan wine, and it turned out to be an actual centenarian granny pouring it and babbling in my ear the entire time! What a scam!" A middle-aged man stomped down the stairs, cursing under his breath.
"We also have Sweet Sixteen Hongyan wine!" the woman upstairs called after him with a laugh.
"Knowing you, it's twenty-eight jars of wine I'd never finish drinking, just another scam!" The man strode off into the distance without looking back.
Qin Ming and Xiao Wu exchanged glances. Both had been about to step upstairs, but they promptly withdrew their feet.
"Young masters, don't leave! That fellow just now didn't know the rules. We treat both young and old fairly here. Drinking is merely an embellishment—selling information is our real trade. You two just came through the city gates, so you must want to know the situation in this region, right?"
The pair went upstairs and got straight to the point to learn the latest news.
"Recently, the mist-shrouded Kunling region up ahead has truly been extraordinary. An abode of immortals has appeared, and people from both the immortal and divine paths are in an uproar over it..."
Soon, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu felt their day gold had not been spent in vain. The information provided by Hongyan Tavern was exceptionally thorough.
Beyond ruins, ancient great sects lingered in the mist, and people of the mortal present could actually go knock on their gates to join! Though it was ephemeral and one could not bring back cultivation realm or raw power, using the opportunity for trial and error—to verify various arts and gain invaluable cultivation experience and insights—was extraordinarily precious.
Some had even brought out priceless scripture chapters.
"Are you Newborn cultivators? Experts of the Newborn path are holding down the fort in that territory as well, so you can head over without worry."
The centenarian granny was surprisingly the proprietress here—once the foremost beauty of Huangsha City. Babbling as she did, every scrap of news she provided was cutting-edge.
Afterward, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu went looking for lodging. The largest inns were completely out of the question, packed to overflowing. Along the way, they even bumped into familiar faces.
It seemed one could run into Zheng Maoze and Zeng Yuan anywhere. Whenever there was excitement or opportunity, those two clowns never missed out; here they were again.
In addition, Qin Ming spotted Zhuo Ya and Cao Wuji, who had chosen to join the Six Imperials ancestral court. He also noticed Lu Yuzhi of the Yuqing Sect—core disciples of the Newborn path's topmost sects had actually come as well.
"Yuque!" Qin Ming caught sight of a familiar figure; the bird that had emerged from Black-White Mountain was currently trailing behind a purple lightning beast.
In the end, he and Xiao Wu opted for a private guesthouse.
That night, Qin Ming contemplated the wonders of the second realm. Reaching this tier brought a noticeable surge in conscious strength, and his heavenly light could now commune with heaven and earth.
In the realm of an Outer Sage, he needed to accumulate cultivation, but even more, he had to fuse banes and absorb spiritual essence to elevate the might of his heavenly light. Such substances usually existed in exceptionally perilous locales.
The conventional, middle-of-the-road method was to absorb earth qi, vegetation qi, and the like. But if he did so, his heavenly light would likely turn out overly mild after its metamorphosis.
Some chose to fuse nether banes or extra-terrestrial azure mist. When their heavenly light erupted, it naturally became dreadfully terrifying, far stronger than heavenly light "nourished" by ordinary materials.
Of course, many banes and exotic matter with horrifying power possessed corrosive properties that brought no benefit to the body. In fact, the stronger they were, the more life expectancy they consumed.
Therefore, the second realm required a delicate balance.
If one coveted the formidable might of heavenly light too greedily, one might end up short-lived or even suffer an untimely death.
Choosing among banes, exotic matter, and spiritual essence was a tremendous dilemma. One needed both the harmful and the beneficial, yet in strict proportions; cultivating the second realm was immensely complex.
A single mistake could easily injure oneself, damage one's cultivation, and severely curtail one's lifespan.
In the second realm, one not only had to practice arts related to banes and exotic matter, but also health-preserving arts to maintain vitality without decline. This was paramount.
Qin Ming felt that even if he did not refine exotic matter or fuse rare, clear qi of the nine heavens—simply advancing his cultivation and breaking through normally—the quality of his heavenly light would not be poor.
Even so, to become stronger, he truly had to consider absorbing various extraordinary banes to make his heavenly light even more formidable.
*Is there a spiritual bane that doesn't sap vitality and remains harmless to the body?* he pondered. Yet upon reflection, even if such a thing existed, finding it would be exceedingly difficult.
After all, if he had thought of it upon just stepping into the second realm, countless predecessors must have already researched it thoroughly.
Qin Ming took a deep breath. Standing in the second realm, he could already capture spiritual substances naturally present between heaven and earth.
At present, it was not yet time to absorb exotic matter or capture the clear qi of the nine heavens, but absorbing the beneficial factors that existed ordinarily could still enhance his strength.
A moment later, Qin Ming's brow furrowed tightly. He could clearly see that using his heavenly light to capture motes of light and guide them through his body was painfully slow.
At this moment, he truly felt the helplessness and anguish of his predecessors.
The speed of advancing one's cultivation along the conventional path of the second realm simply could not compare to that of the first realm.
If cultivating during the Newborn phase was like soaring on the back of an exotic bird, right now felt like sitting in a broken ox cart, jolting slowly forward.
Qin Ming knew he was powerful now, but he also realized the hardships of the Outer Sage domain. Even before fusing exotic banes, progress was already this difficult.
One had to keep in mind that his natural endowment and bone structure already far surpassed other Newborn cultivators. Traveling in an ox cart was already considered brisk for this realm.
Yet the sheer contrast with his past speed was simply too jarring.
*Use divine wisdom and conscious spiritual light as kindling to aid breakthroughs on the Newborn path? In any case, not much can be accumulated and it'll ultimately be melted down. But even then, there are still too many issues.*
That night, Qin Ming gazed toward the road ahead, his thoughts swirling.
Finally, something sparked in his memory. Now that he stood in the second realm, perhaps he could examine that rag again to see if there were any new discoveries.
The rag had changed considerably. It was slightly larger than three palms now. The newly expanded section bore mountain silhouettes, as well as a blurred, ruined city cut off by the edge of the cloth.
Qin Ming strongly suspected that those were the Kunling Mountain Range and the legendary Jade Capital.
"Hm?!" He was surprised. Unlike before, when he probed it today, the rag emitted faint fluctuations rather than remaining lifeless.
Qin Ming immediately released his heavenly light and poured it into the cloth. The setting sun instantly flared with piercing brilliance, but it went no further than that—brighter than before, yet showing no extraordinary performance.
Soon, he realized where the change lay.
After breaking through, his conscious strength had surged by a whole notch. The heart-light belonging to a Newborn cultivator had begun to emerge, growing alongside his cultivation, and it was this heart-light that caused the rag to stir.
"Does it require conscious strength stronger than the first realm to activate?" Qin Ming tested it.
Sure enough, the rag fluttered with ripples again, yet it still refused to yield to his control. He was annoyed enough to want to rip it to shreds.
Alas, it was woven from exotic metals, and its colors were richer than before, enriched by several new exotic metals that made it appear all the more indestructible.
"This is..."
Suddenly, Qin Ming blinked in astonishment. As he activated it with his conscious strength, one of his hands inadvertently slipped right into the rag.
It was different after all!
The rag did not display any earth-shattering miraculous traits; it remained as "placid" as ever, bearing no resemblance to the surging majesty Qin Ming had originally envisioned.
However, it could now be used for... storage.
Although it currently held only a few cubic meters of space, it exceeded his expectations—an unexpected pleasant surprise.
The outer realm could forge such items, but they were far from widespread.
Qin Ming placed a piece of day gold inside. Early the next morning, he checked it immediately and found it intact, free of corrosion or any negative effects.
"From now on, I won't have to pack heaps of bags and bundles," he said with a smile.
He had carried his jade iron blade and bow for a long time, not to mention changes of clothes. Moreover, during every battle, he always worried that the gold notes on him might be shredded.
Right now, the gold notes on his person were worth over ten thousand pieces of day gold—a veritable fortune. If they blew up in a fight, all his efforts would go up in smoke, and he wouldn't even have anywhere to weep.
After eating breakfast, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu set off at once. This time they carried ample confidence, not only because both had reached the second realm, but also because senior figures of the Newborn path were stationed in the Revived Domain.
The road was swept by billowing sandstorms, making it a rather unpleasant journey.
Fortunately, upon entering the Kunling region where black mist roiled, the yellow sand vanished, replaced only by desolation. Following the map obtained from Hongyan Tavern, they pressed forward smoothly.
Eventually, the two stood dazed as they looked upon their destination.
Ahead lay vast stretches of ruins and shattered structures, densely clustered as if they had arrived before a colossal ancient city.
Furthermore, silver runes visibly swirled around several buildings, accompanied by the chanting of scriptures—an extraordinarily wondrous sight.
The reason disciples of the immortal path and esoteric sects had swarmed here recently was precisely this phenomenal spectacle.
Moreover, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu had already learned the true nature of this place: directly comprehending those scriptures was exceedingly difficult, yielding only fragments at best.
The correct way to "unlock" this place was to enter the mist, join a mountain gate, and seek formal apprenticeship!
Everything seen before their eyes was mere surface appearance. Within lay another world entirely, as though an ancient divine immortal manor shrouded in heavy fog straddled this land.
In the beginning, even immortal seeds like Cui Chonghe and Su Shiyun had been helpless here. Only when they entered and exited via spirit wandering to join the sects of ancient orders did they finally reap rewards.
Once word spread, it caused a massive sensation, drawing countless seekers hoping to apprentice themselves.
However, joining an ancient sect this way was not without peril. At present, people from both the esoteric sects and the immortal path had become trapped, unable to return to reality.
Rumor had it that some had immersed themselves so deeply in their roles that they were being assimilated into antiquity.
Previously, Qin Ming had assumed their physical bodies were trapped in the ruins; only at Hongyan Tavern did he learn that it was their divine wisdom and conscious spiritual light that had lost their way.
"There are actually fiends and demons here too!" Xiao Wu remarked.
Along the way, they had seen not only numerous humans, but also other races appearing. One stronghold was even occupied by a great demon.
Qin Ming cautioned him, "Watch your words. Only those hostile to us are called fiends and demons. Those capable of peaceful coexistence are called otherkin, and those with closer ties can be addressed as the Sacred Elephant clan, the Immortal Fox clan, and the like."
Through several waves of wasteland reclamation, many otherkin still inhabited the land where humans dwelled, naturally because they could coexist.
There was a saying that during the earliest eras when humanity was weak, it was thanks to otherkin who assumed human form that giant beasts and terrifying flora rooted in the clouds had been driven back.
Shortly after, Qin Ming not only discovered strongholds of the outer realm and gathering grounds of esoteric sects, but also spotted senior figures of the Newborn path.
People from the Six Imperials ancestral court had arrived. That group of elders was entirely skin and bones, advanced in years, with barely a few hairs left on their heads.
Some were whispering among themselves, saying that the Young Ancestor of the Six Imperials was personally overseeing the area!
It was reported that personal disciples of patriarchs from the immortal path and esoteric sects had also arrived.
With such a host of formidable experts present, and this place having long broken away from the Yin Lands with suspected ties to immortals and gods, the few monsters here had mostly been purged clean.
Before long, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu broke into smiles upon discovering two people far closer to them: Yu Gensheng and Zhao Ziyuan, two senior figures of the Newborn path from Shanhe Academy.
A group of students had gathered here as well, including Tang Jun, Qian Chuan, Xin Youdao, and Liu Hanya—all familiar acquaintances.
"Shen Wubing, Wu Yaozu, it's wonderful that both of you are safe!" Yu Gensheng was overjoyed. These two were figures he held high hopes for, viewing them as future pillars capable of becoming patriarchs.
"Senior, what is the situation with Kunling City?" Qin Ming asked.
Zhao Ziyuan shook his head. "We don't know. We evacuated at the final moment as well, and all contact with that city has been completely lost."
Xin Youdao, Liu Hanya, and the others warmly welcomed them over; these were people who knew the true backgrounds of Qin Ming and Xiao Wu.
Qin Ming inquired with them about the details here, asking how to step into the mist and join the ancient great sects.
"Those of the immortal path only need to wander in spirit. If they encounter danger, they snap out of that state instantly and can return automatically. For people of the esoteric sects who use divine wisdom, it is roughly the same."
Only Newborn cultivators had to enter in their physical bodies. Furthermore, one had to reach the second realm, undergoing a qualitative transformation in conscious strength where the heart-light erupted in intense concentration, before one could step inside.
"What benefits can Newborn cultivators gain in there?" Qin Ming asked.
"It's infuriating. Do you know what role you assume once you enter? You're forced into the role of a drudge!" a hot-blooded youth said indignantly.
"A drudge attending ancient divine immortals?" Qin Ming was astonished.
Another youth chimed in with dissatisfaction, "Exactly! Once we enter, saying we are people beside the immortals is just putting it nicely. Plainly speaking, we're attendants!"
He refused to accept it. Even an expedition to join an ancient great sect was rife with such discrimination.
"Those drudges are different from us," Yu Gensheng said, shaking his head.
He explained that those drudges were subordinates whose cultivation had been boosted by godkin creatures or near-immortal beings; they had not forged their own paths.
Some drudges were even "force-ripened" by powerful figures using vast supernatural arts.
Certain drudges were practically death warriors, refined like objects with runes inscribed into their flesh and stamped with slave seals.
"If that isn't our path, why should we enter?" Qin Ming frowned.
Zhao Ziyuan said, "Naturally, there's no need to learn the process of refining drudges. However, certain medicinal decoctions are crucial. Memorizing them can bring immense benefits to a Newborn cultivator's physical body."
Qin Ming felt the two elders were turning to any cure in desperation. Those medicinal decoctions were not necessarily wondrous elixirs; for something meant for servants, how valuable could it be?
Yu Gensheng said, "Take a close look; there may be things worth borrowing from."
Qin Ming frowned. "Certain major figures on the immortal path have long obsessed over turning our Newborn path members into their guards, and even want to subdue patriarch-level figures to serve as their drudges. Could they have been influenced by the ancient divine immortals?"
Zhao Ziyuan nodded. "Indeed. In truth, the immortal path and esoteric sects have largely inherited portions of the lineages of ancient immortals and gods, yet they are not entirely identical. They walked their own paths. Now, everything here suits them perfectly, allowing them to supplement their arts."
Xiao Wu spoke up, "They might not have inherited all the skill, but they certainly haven't missed a single rotten habit!"
Xin Youdao, Liu Hanya, and the others looked embarrassed. Cultivators like them, who either practiced dual paths or walked the immortal path exclusively, felt like they had just been scolded as well.
The two students dearly wanted to clarify that they had never put on such airs.
Qin Ming decided to take up the role himself to see what was truly happening, and whether the opportunities and fortune he needed were there.
With seniors of the Newborn path present, he had no worries about what lay behind him.
Yu Gensheng cautioned him, "Above all, do not become too immersed in your role. Some people sink too deep after wandering in spirit and end up assimilated, potentially never coming out."
Qin Ming nodded and strode toward the mist-shrouded zone deep within the architectural ruins.
This time, Xiao Wu acted separately from him. The rainbow light within his body emerged; he intended to enter through spirit wandering, similar to the disciples of the immortal path.
Qin Ming concentrated his spirit intensely. Having reached the second realm, his conscious strength had indeed elevated by a wide margin.
Soon, the world before his eyes changed.
Even in ancient times, this territory had probably been extraordinary.
The black mist dispersed. Ahead, flowers bloomed amidst birdsong, resembling a divine immortal pure land plucked straight from a painting. The realm was bright and radiant, with clusters of rare blossoms in full bloom and various spiritual trees thriving.
Moreover, there was more than one mountain gate in this domain. Extraordinary sites stood in different directions, each billowing with immortal mist, swirling with auspicious vapor, and coiled in purple qi.
He picked a mountain gate that appeared immense in scale. Its ambiance was astonishing, with auspicious qi coalescing into divine beasts and immortal birds circling overhead.
Throughout this process, Qin Ming felt like a bystander experiencing someone else's past. He paid respects at the mountain, became a chore disciple, and after a period of hard work, seemed poised to become an outer disciple. But upon testing, he was deemed unsuitable for the immortal path, advised instead to strive toward becoming a drudge.
He was somewhat dazed. All of this unfolded at rapid speed. His physical instincts told him that barely any time had passed in reality, yet nearly a month had elapsed here.
*Did someone live through this, and I've temporarily taken their place? No, this is still my own body. Perhaps I've been granted the perspective of some ancient drudge for the time being? If so, this can be considered a form of cultivation—sharpening myself in a grand dream,* Qin Ming surmised.
Since his true body had entered, he naturally refused to settle for mediocrity.
Just as he was about to become a drudge and an immortal path disciple was poised to inscribe runes onto his flesh, he rebelled, sending the immortal disciple flying with a single slap.
"Challenge successful. Promoted to inner disciple," a voice rang out.
"That works too?" Qin Ming was astonished. In an ancient immortal sect, did strength reign supreme, such that even a drudge could challenge an inner disciple?
Perhaps he had exploited a loophole. After all, this was not the true ancient world; he was merely acting out a role, stepping into and participating in a staged scenario.
Qin Ming wandered through the vast mountain gate, intent on searching for authentic immortal formulas. Having reached this stage, why would he want some drudge decoction? He had no need for inferior goods!
Soon, he spotted familiar faces—Zheng Maoze and Zeng Yuan.
Qin Ming's expression turned flat. Why did he run into these two clowns on every single excursion?
"You're from the Newborn path, here to be a drudge? Come over and follow me," Zheng Dazhuang called out, adopting an arrogant posture as if he had truly returned to antiquity and wanted to order servants around.
*Thud!*
Qin Ming walked over and "dispatched" him with a single palm strike.
It wasn't that Zheng Maoze was particularly weak.
This time, Qin Ming had gone all out, wanting to test just how formidable a strike from an Outer Sage truly was!
Zheng Maoze shattered, his wandering conscious spiritual light bursting into a rain of radiance, which was then reassembled by a mysterious force and ejected from this realm.
Back outside, Zheng Dazhuang's head was still buzzing. What had just happened?
Had he seen a ghost? With just a single palm, he had been blown apart!
Qin Ming confirmed that this was a trial ground left behind by an ancient sect for its disciples, its most basic prerequisite being to guarantee their safety.
His old acquaintance Zeng Yuan was notoriously unreliable, a classic fence-sitter. Seeing Zheng Maoze meet disaster, he turned to flee.
Evidently, he couldn't get away either. Struck by a kick from Qin Ming at full power, he disintegrated in midair, turning into a rain of light that returned to reality.
"Brother Li, Qingxu, you have to stand up for me! Damn it all, someone from the Newborn path—or maybe a real ancient drudge—blew me to pieces!"
Outside, Zheng Maoze was lodging complaints and trying to recruit help. He even thought of enlisting formidable immortal seeds like Sun Jingxiao; he felt utterly humiliated.
Qin Ming paid no attention to any of that. Strolling through this great sect's pure land as an inner disciple, he gained access to several important secret manuals and obtained some precious formulas.
*This is the proper choice for a Newborn cultivator who enters. Why play the role of a drudge? If you're going to do something, do it to the strongest, the best, the pinnacle.*
Qin Ming felt it necessary to elevate his status further. A mere inner disciple was not enough; at the very least, he should be a core disciple, shouldn't he?
Was there an even higher status? A young sect master, perhaps?
He simply didn't know whether the higher-ranking disciples here had already been replaced by disciples of the immortal path from the mortal present.
Qin Ming didn't care. He made his way toward the core grounds of the sect, preparing to issue challenges according to the rules here to seize a prominent standing and secure precious resources.
"Hm?!"
In a fiery-red forest where maple leaves drifted across the air, Qin Ming came to a halt. He had discovered a formidable opponent.
It was a woman clad in purple, her dark hair reaching down to her waist, exuding an ethereal immortal grace. Her brows were like distant mountains, her oval face exquisitely shaped, and her eyes clear as autumn waters.
*Is this an ancient person, or a disciple of the immortal path from the present wandering in spirit? She seems quite strong.* Qin Ming stared at her.
Promptly, he called out, "Please instruct me!"
With that, he made his move.
A look of surprise crossed the woman's face. Immortal light surged as an astonishing wave of power erupted, and conscious spiritual light imbued with pure Yang attributes swept forth like a celestial river.
Qin Ming raised his blade horizontally, the five-colored blade in his hand buzzing with brilliant light.
He was amazed. A disciple of the immortal path in the second realm could actually clash head-on against the edge of his blade?
Normally, the five-colored blade formed from his sun-like heavenly light force would instantly incinerate an opponent's conscious spiritual light.
The woman was even more shocked. "Who are you? Among my peers, who could block a single blow from me? Especially when you are a drudge—such a person cannot possibly exist under heaven!"
*An ancient person?* Qin Ming felt a sense of unreality. Had he sunk too deep into the role? Why did the conscious spiritual light he clashed with feel completely devoid of illusion?
At the same time, deep within this great sect, a crystal coffin slowly parted open a sliver. Within lay a woman of jade-like bone and ice-like flesh, who abruptly opened her eyes.
Chapter 230