Dumbfounded

Nearby, someone immediately objected, "He's just a Newborn. Deal with him quietly and be done with it. You want to drag someone like Cao Qianqiu into this? Have you lost your mind?!" Several direct descendants of the Cui clan were present here, responsible for gathering intelligence and information. Hearing this, the expressions of the others changed as well. Just who was Cao Qianqiu? One of the strongest figures in the outer pure lands, in the prime of his life. In this grand era where a hundred schools of thought contended, he had a real chance of forsaking immortality to become an ancestral master. Another person snapped, "Don't play with fire. How could an ancestral-master-level figure ever be used by the likes of us? The pure yang conscious spiritual light of such a man is extraordinarily sharp. If anyone harbors ill intent toward him, he might sense it in advance." An elder spoke in a deep voice, "Put away those scheming thoughts. Others avoid that man named Cao like the plague, yet you want to provoke him on purpose?" His expression was grave as he scanned the night sky. Cao Qianqiu might still be on the plateau; if overheard, a terrifying scene would surely unfold. Cui Cheng chuckled, "Don't get agitated, everyone. I was merely speaking offhand. How could borrowing a blade to kill someone be so crude and simple? We just need to let the news circle around a few more times." Someone shook their head, feeling this was overcomplicating matters entirely without need. "If we can confirm his identity, we can head over in person and kill him directly. There's no need to cause complications." Cui Cheng smiled and said, "Everyone, my aim is to drag more people down with him. Don't Meng Xinghai and Li Qingyun want to protect him? Wouldn't it be even better to borrow a blade and get rid of them all at once?" ... Night fell over the blood-colored plateau, where battle cries echoed from every corner. Steering his saber, Qin Ming crossed this land. For the sake of the auspicious beast's blood, he never held back whenever it was time to display his power, having slain several "renowned fiends." He came to a stop inside a desolate underground palace to inspect that pitch-black stone. He felt a little uneasy about the rag woven from exotic metal, as it had devoured the divinity of the giant centipede and absorbed the nether yin power from the Ghost Pool. If it devoured every scrap of the Starfire Essence, he would have nowhere to cry. Qin Ming examined it closely. Fortunately, it behaved itself well enough, never actively damaging items kept within its storage space. Looking at this pitch-black stone, Qin Ming's eyes burned with desire. This was an invaluable treasure. For it could effectively elevate his strength. For a moment, he felt an impulse: why not try refining it right now? Nourish his heavenly light with it and see if it could trigger a drastic metamorphosis. Yet he restrained himself. In the immortal dao arena, he had been playing a role, free to run all manner of experiments, court death repeatedly, and push things however far he wanted. In reality, however, he had only one chance: either perfection, or becoming crippled or even dropping dead on the spot. Moreover, he had several conceptual paths in mind and had yet to decide whether to refine the Starfire Essence. Nevertheless, he could experience its might in advance. It wouldn't take much time or effort, and the sensation would be instantaneous. Qin Ming cautiously "tested the goods," as this would influence his decision on which path to take in the future. Using adhesive force, he suspended the washbasin-sized stone in front of his right hand, not touching it directly, separated by the square of cloth that measured nearly a chi across. Then, he began channeling his heavenly light force! In an instant, a stinging pain struck his eyes. The light before his right hand was utterly terrifying, as if it were setting the night sky ablaze and incinerating all things, sparks splashing in every direction with overwhelming destructive force. The stone wall ahead in the underground palace was originally carved with fiend race runes, yet it was swiftly breached and then melted away, completely destroyed amidst the golden glow. Qin Ming hurriedly withdrew his power, his heart stirred. The heavenly light he channeled had briefly merged with the Starfire Essence in the black stone, resembling an immortal sword formed of a shattered sun, all-conquering and indestructible. Such might left even Qin Ming shaken. Did this count as briefly merging with a heterogeneous substance, experiencing the power of middle Outer Sage ahead of time? Clearly, this approach had flaws. His cultivation had not reached the level of middle Outer Sage, and the consumption of heavenly light was immense; it could only be experienced for a fleeting moment. Furthermore, he had not actually refined the Starfire Essence. Without the rag providing insulation, he would most likely have burned himself alive and ended his own life right here. An "incomplete form" of middle Outer Sage already displayed such dazzling prowess, tempting Qin Ming immensely. This path was extraordinary. He had only found the Starfire Essence and was still missing its counterpart, the "Dark Night Heterogeneous Substance." If he could gather them both, how terrifying would he become? Earlier, as the magnificent heavenly light shone in all directions, it gave Qin Ming the feeling that nothing could withstand it. "This sensation likely aligns with the methods of Pure Yang Palace. If heavenly light reaches the realm of extreme yang, it truly is formidable!" Qin Ming knew that if this extraterrestrial stone fell into the hands of Pure Yang Palace, they would certainly regard it as a supreme treasure. "Until I use it to nourish my heavenly light, I had better remain cautious. If someone discovers it and comes to kill me for the treasure, that would be miserable," he murmured with a frown. In truth, far more than just Pure Yang Palace—even the Yinyang Daoist Temple would revere it as a divine object, and any top-tier great sect would look upon it with covetous eyes. This sort of Starfire Essence held immense value for those on the immortal and divine paths as well. Qin Ming did not linger. Stashing the stone into the space inside the rag, he swiftly departed. Next, he went all out, slaying one renowned fiend after another. He continually pushed toward the depths of the plateau. Lu Zizai had told him to give his all and fight with everything he had for the auspicious beast's blood. Qin Ming did not want to miss out. Auspicious blood could bring about bodily nirvana, shortening the time needed for cultivation and the accumulation of attainment. It was one of the precious medicines that Newborns dreamed of obtaining. Along the way, his battle merits accumulated steadily. After slaying several exceptionally powerful fire crows before a precipice piled high with human skulls, he reckoned it was about enough; he should now be qualified to receive the auspicious blood. "I wonder if a second portion of auspicious blood would still be effective on my body." Qin Ming wanted to push himself a bit more, hoping to secure an extra portion of the precious medicine. ... "Qingxu suffered another defeat. Won't something go wrong with his state of mind?" On the plateau, an expert of the Li clan frowned deeply, feeling uneasy. Another person said, "I think he has actually let go. Tempering himself under a new identity to start afresh isn't a bad thing." "The plateau is exceedingly dangerous. Won't anything happen to him?" someone worried. "No matter. He carries a life-preserving immortal talisman from his master's sect, which allows him to retreat with ease at a critical juncture." At that moment, the masked Li Qingxu was traveling alone, gazing into the distance. Radiating murderous intent, he swept through all manner of fiends, ghosts, and monsters along his path. A few li away on another section of the land, Xiao Wu felt someone was competing with him for fiends. His harvesting pace was noticeably hindered, so he decided to investigate. He believed some blind fool was maliciously sweeping along his path. Was this a provocation? "An intriguing piece of information has arrived: the Cui clan's cast-off scion, Qin Ming, has allegedly mastered the silk book method!" Just then, a direct descendant of the Li clan in charge of gathering intelligence obtained this secret and was immediately intrigued. "The silk book? That sounds familiar. What's its origin?" "A scripture jointly researched by multiple ancestral masters of the Newborn path. It was claimed that this text could rival the various scriptures of the immortal path and match the godhood-attaining methods of the esoteric sects, not letting other cultivation paths monopolize glory." "So that's the one. Weren't there far too many problems with it, making it impossible to master?" "That Qin Ming mastered it relying on himself alone!" Upon hearing this on the plateau, several direct descendants of the Li clan immediately grew scheming. Soon after, they learned that this Qin Ming had once had a clash with Li Qingxu, nearly being killed, yet miraculously revived after having his skull shattered. Naturally, the Li clan also had many members who could only walk the Newborn path. They grew serious now; this scripture had an immense background, and if it could truly be cultivated through, the implications would be profound. Such a silk book, and such a person, were worthy of their serious study! ... Several members of the Cui clan were chuckling. The news had naturally been leaked by them, though it had looped around several times before reaching the hands of the Li clan. "Mm, they don't know it's a gift from us. That intelligence is very 'clean'—it completely removes us from the picture." These members of the Cui clan naturally dared not provoke Cao Qianqiu directly, but pulling a few strings to let the Li clan take the lead was well within their capability. Although they had ceased hostilities with the Li clan, they had not forgotten the past grudges. Had their clan's old ancestor not walked out alive from seclusion, they would have been in grave peril back then. That old fellow of the Li clan had accumulated depth over time to burst forth with strength, and was now terrifyingly powerful. "In that battle, the elders of our Cui clan whose lifespans were near their end all went to their deaths. How lamentable and sorrowful!" "Once our Old Ancestor emerges from seclusion again, and once Chonghe grows to a certain height, we must annihilate the Li clan!" Those direct descendants of the Cui clan spoke with venom. Afterward, they smiled, eager to see if Meng Xinghai, Li Qingyun, and the others behind Qin Ming had made arrangements, and whether they would be dragged down as well. Cui Cheng chuckled, "Li clan, no rush. We'll play with you nice and slow." An elder of the Cui clan said, "If the silk book method can truly be mastered, we need to search Qin Ming's soul to uncover the truth. The stakes here are anything but small." ... On the blood-colored plateau, after carefully analyzing the matter, the Li clan members began to react. "Send this message out. After looping it around a couple of times, find a way to let the Cui clan intercept it and let them test the waters. After all, this Qin Ming is very close to the secluded clan behind Li Qingyue." "Take care to bypass those smiling tigers of the Cui clan, and feed the news to their most reckless members." The Li clan was rather cautious and did not step onto the field themselves. They dearly wished to obtain the silk book method and figure out how Qin Ming had mastered it, but after careful analysis, they concluded it might not have been achieved through his efforts alone. Perhaps behind Qin Ming, an ancestral master who cultivated the silk book method was still alive and had guided him onto that path. Knowing little about Qin Ming, they naturally overthought things. They also wished to strike, but chose to wait and watch the storm brew first. If they could drag Meng Xinghai, the secluded clan, and the Cui clan all into the fray, that would be splendid. "What did you say?! Our Cui clan intercepted an important piece of news, located Qin Ming, and some of our people have already rushed over to intercept and kill him?!" Hearing this, Cui Cheng and the others were completely dumbfounded. This development totally exceeded their expectations!