"Are my eyes playing tricks on me? In that armored cart, there seems to be the head of a third-realm demon!" someone murmured, looking solemn.
Immediately after, a young man from Kunling felt his eyes turn red as he recognized the old demon's identity.
"His name is Moxi—white hair, green eyes! He's a brutally ferocious old demon who slaughtered my grandfather ten years ago!"
A golden ram pulling a cart ignited a storm of discussion.
Among the severed heads, there was even a descendant of the Silver clan from the plateau, a bloodline that had once produced a Sky Demon in their ancestry, though the clan had long since declined.
Just which team had achieved this? Many people were deeply shocked by such an immense harvest.
Jin Xiang remained calm, serenely "delivering the goods."
While onlookers buzzed with talk, the ram actually turned around and set off once more. One trip hadn't been enough to haul it all back.
Even if physical spoils were lost, a memory crystal sufficed to verify that one had successfully slain a demon. Yet those higher up wanted visible, visceral impact. A mountain of demon heads stacked right before everyone's eyes struck like a physical blow, exuding immense deterrent force.
"Hiss! A disciple from the outer realm actually killed a fourth-realm great demon! Such a record is truly terrifying—are they trying to defy the heavens?"
This time, cultivators from every path turned in extraordinary performances, with several feats eliciting wave upon wave of gasps.
"Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. Certain seeds among the outer realms and the esoteric sect are rumored to have experienced sudden epiphanies as early as age three or four. By now, their cultivation realms must be shockingly high."
As team after team returned, the area grew lively, humming everywhere with talk of brilliant battle achievements.
It was an eye-opening spectacle for the crowd, as many "famous demons" of the plateau had fallen to these youths.
"Holy crap! The Flying Sky Rat was killed! That bastard comes and goes without a trace, slipping through dark storm clouds to lurk undetected. He once sneaked into Kunling City, committed several bloody massacres, and managed to flee far away. Now he's finally met his end!"
Word soon spread that this trophy belonged to Tang Yutian, a divine seed of the esoteric sect.
"He truly lives up to being Sun Taichu's final disciple. People watching from afar saw that the quality of the demons Cui Chonghe killed was shockingly high—enough to trade for at least two portions of auspicious beast blood!"
Countless onlookers looked on with envious eyes. There was simply no comparison.
Such individuals possessed stellar family backgrounds and counted giants of the immortal path as their masters. Gifted enough to outshine their entire generation, they were unequivocal winners in life.
Before long, gasps rippled through the distant crowd as Su Shiyun of the Fangwai Immortal Land produced a small mountain of spoils from her storage bracelet.
"Fair skin, gorgeous face, long legs, and on top of that, absurdly capable... If a man could marry a fairy like that, generations of his descendants wouldn't have to work a day in their lives."
"Wake up and quit bringing your daydreams into reality."
"What, you think you can strip away my right to dream?"
Amid the clamor and amazement, Jin Xiang returned, hauling yet another armored cart packed with spoils.
In an instant, the expressions of everyone nearby transformed. Had it gone to restock a wholesale market? Whose family had slain so many demons that their severed heads required cart after cart to transport?
This was beyond absurd. How many demons had been slaughtered, and whose handiwork was this?
No one believed this could belong to a single team. The heads were simply too numerous, and crucially, several belonged to well-known "famous demons."
"Jin Xiang, are you serving three or four top teams at once?"
The golden ram gave a faint smile and trotted forward leisurely, exuding grand composure and unruffled grace.
"Old Jin, give us an answer already!" someone called out.
"One!" Jin Xiang replied succinctly, refusing to say more. It wanted to avoid trouble; if it admitted everything belonged to a single person, the crowd would mob it on the spot, preventing it from taking another step.
Even so, sharp intakes of breath sounded around them.
A single team had managed to kill this many?!
"Judging by these heads and the identities of those famous demons, this team should only be in the second realm. Can they really be this fierce? I reckon this is enough to exchange for three or four portions of auspicious beast blood medicine, isn't it?"
By the rules, any demons a cultivator killed below their own realm did not count; only foes at the same level or higher were tallied.
"Hiss! There's even the head of a quasi-demon seed in there! I've seen his portrait—he was an extraordinary prodigy. Strictly speaking, he was practically a true demon seed; he only missed out on selection back then due to unfortunate timing!"
"In status and prestige, he was equivalent to Li Qingxu of the immortal path!"
"Hush!" someone hastily hissed to shut him up.
Many threw him strange looks. Was this guy crazy? Did he have a death wish?
The speaker regretted his slip the second it left his mouth. If the person himself were here, or if anyone from Cao Qianqiu's lineage overheard, he would be in for sheer misery—if he wasn't struck dead on the spot.
Fortunately, those people were not nearby.
All the teams had returned, and a swift, efficient tallying of the spoils began.
Sure enough, the atmosphere soared once more as the crowd waited with bated breath, eagerly looking forward to the distribution of rewards.
"Qiu Long, slain twelve demons of equal realm, exceptional performance. Rewarded with one high-grade heavenly light force secret manual."
"Lu Xu, slain demons..."
Gasps of admiration rippled outward continuously.
Soon, the tallies for the near-immortal seeds were completed, and the announced rewards stirred massive waves.
Sun Jingxiao, disciple of the outer pure land: his verified record qualified him for 1.8 portions of auspicious beast blood.
He came right out of the gate with a trump card that eclipsed all the previous rewards.
Thankfully, not every immortal seed and divine seed posted scores quite that high.
"Li Bai, rewarded with one portion of auspicious beast blood!"
Li Qingxu did not show up in person, sending a proxy to collect on his behalf. However, the stewards distributing the rewards knew who stood behind the alias, so they didn't even bother scrutinizing the memory crystal.
At that moment, Li Qingxu was walking among the crowd under a different guise, feeling remarkably relaxed and at peace. Otherwise, the burdens weighing on his shoulders would have been suffocating.
He had regained his confidence. Even after consecutive defeats, he refused to wallow in self-pity. He would tread the path of breaking down to rebuild anew, harboring no regrets over lost time.
*A caterpillar eventually breaks from its cocoon to become a butterfly. In the future, I will forge new paths!* he encouraged himself.
The Li clan elder overseeing the proceedings was advanced in years and possessed immense standing. His expression turned complicated, and he dearly wanted to tell him: *Child, is it possible that when your master spoke of 'breaking down to rebuild,' he was simply mocking losers?*
Cao Qianqiu had swept across his era with unyielding dominance, never suffering a single defeat in his youth. Why would he ever study methods for "breaking and rebuilding"?
"Li Qingyue, three portions of auspicious beast blood!"
Instantly, the entire area erupted into an uproar. She had delivered the most dazzling performance among everyone present, earning the highest reward.
Soon after, people caught sight of this near-immortal seed from the pure land. Though her white robes were stained with blood, it only lent her an ethereal, otherworldly beauty—breathtaking and transcendent, like an exiled immortal braving tribulation in the mortal dust.
"She truly is the immortal fairy of my dreams! Seriously, I'd swear away a thousand years of my life just to spend a single day married to her!"
"Utterly defying nature! Claiming three portions of auspicious beast blood all by herself! Peerless elegance paired with staggering prowess, and the guts to plunge into bloody slaughter—if only my family tree had a fairy like her!"
"Fairy Qingyue, if your great aspiration is to seek truth near immortality, I'm willing to spend my life at your side, fighting for you!" someone boldly yelled.
"Brother, get real. That trick won't get you anywhere near her—the line of people willing to follow her stretches all the way from here to Kunling City."
Anyone could tell that Li Qingyue had engaged in truly brutal combat; otherwise, she wouldn't be soaked in blood, radiating that poignant, battle-worn aura.
Word soon spread that aside from slaying demons, she had discovered a concealed demon court stronghold and reported it immediately. She had been pursued during her escape and had nearly lost her life.
"Wu Yaozu, 2.3 portions of auspicious beast blood!"
Hearing his score, Xiao Wu was delighted at first, but quickly sobered up. Someone had scored higher than him—and a woman, no less. He felt dissatisfied with his showing.
Yet the crowd had never heard of him, and his announcement provoked an immediate stir.
"Who is this yellow-haired kid?!" someone asked.
Wu Yaozu sported short, golden-yellow hair, with sharp, well-defined features. His face didn't lean toward delicate beauty, but he carried a sharp, heroic air that left a deep impression on anyone who saw him.
"He's a disciple of Shanhe Academy! Now those old fellows from Kunling can celebrate! Look over there—all the wrinkles on those old monsters' faces are smoothing out, smiling like a bunch of ancient sunflowers."
Moments later, Xiao Wu felt even more annoyed, because Brother Ming's rival—the immortal seed from the hostile clan—scored a notch above him.
"Cui Chonghe, rewarded with three portions of auspicious beast blood!"
The crowd could only marvel. This youth, long celebrated and famous across all quarters as a disciple of the immortal path, truly lived up to his reputation. He had arrived at his moment of peak brilliance.
His demeanor remained tranquil, detached, and otherworldly. His glorious record had been forged purely through combat; rumor had it that he had slain more than one great demon whose realm exceeded his own.
"As expected of the scion my Cui clan relies on to reach the pinnacle of the immortal path!"
Among the Cui clan contingent, several elders nodded repeatedly, their faces filled with satisfied smiles.
From childhood to this day, Cui Chonghe's performance had been irreproachable. He had never lost to anyone, and his ambition ran high: he intended to surpass both his masters and his ancestors!
Yu Gensheng patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder. "Don't fret. A dazzling battle record doesn't equate to superior potential. Some of those competitors are in the mid-to-late stages of higher realms, whereas you're only at the early stage of the second realm. Naturally, you're at a disadvantage when hunting demons of equivalent cultivation."
Even so, such high rewards still carried immense weight.
Many marveled aloud, praising Sun Taichu's final disciple. Having heard of his fame for so long, they were finally witnessing his brilliance firsthand.
Soon after, excitement surged through the area once more, erupting into a frenzy.
A certain "great god" from a branch of the esoteric sect turned in a showing no less impressive than Cui Chonghe's, carving a bloody path straight through a sector of demon territory and taking a staggering number of heads.
Today, onlookers witnessed the extraordinary caliber of one immortal seed and divine seed after another, feeling the vast chasm separating themselves from such prodigies.
There were actually several people who secured three portions of auspicious beast blood!
"Holy crap, Old Ram, it's finally your turn! Don't tell me you killed all those demons yourself?"
The crowd watched in disbelief as Jin Xiang stepped forward toward the counter for second-realm cultivators to redeem his record for auspicious beast blood. Everyone nearby was stunned.
The golden ram smiled wryly. It was merely collecting on someone else's behalf, pushed forward by the two senior elders of Shanhe Academy, forcing it to brave the pressure.
"Impossible! Are you joking? Have the actual person come here!" The stewards responsible for tallying records and distributing rewards cried out in astonishment.
They were utterly dumbfounded. This was the record of a single individual?
One had to realize that even someone as formidable and famous as Cui Chonghe had only redeemed three portions of auspicious beast blood.
Who was this Shen Wubing? A complete unknown! How could he surpass the most brilliant immortal seeds and divine seeds?
Their immediate reaction was that he had cheated.
"This has gone too far! Even if you're faking it, at least make it believable! Daring to surpass those top figures—aren't you practically shouting that something shady is going on?"
"Are you looking down on us, deliberately testing our patience? Hunting alone, yet able to redeem four portions of auspicious beast blood!"
The tallying stewards found it entirely unrealistic. No youth like that could possibly exist. Furthermore, according to the roster, the claimant was actually on the Newborn path!
That made it all the more absurd!
Instantly, the surrounding onlookers caught wind of the situation. This wasn't the combined spoils of several teams, but demons slain by a single person acting alone.
"What a joke! This whole thing is getting too ridiculous. Who has the guts to manufacture such huge news at a critical time like this?"
"Has he lost his mind? Trying to swindle his way to the highest score without even looking at the occasion? The patriarchs haven't even left yet!"
Everyone agreed that this made zero sense.
According to common knowledge, three portions of auspicious blood was already the ceiling. In fact, with the most brilliant peerless prodigies setting the benchmark, who would dare—or even be able to—surpass them?
"Do you harbor doubts? Here is the memory crystal; his true record can be verified!" Yu Gensheng stepped forward, personally showing up to endorse the youth.
Instantly, many looked on in astonishment. A veteran senior had been drawn out, and he was actually validating such a record.
"This old man trusts him as well. Inspect the memory crystal," Zhao Ziyuan also stepped forward and walked over.
Jin Xiang let out a long breath of relief. Just a moment ago, it had been stuck in a terrible spot, unable to advance or retreat. It knew the record was genuine, but no one believed it, and the crowd's spit had nearly drowned it.
"This... how is this possible!"
The stewards responsible for verifying the tallies examined the crystal, feeling utter disbelief as cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. Could there truly be such a monstrous youth?
Most importantly, this youth was neither an immortal seed nor a divine seed, which defied reason. Up until now, he had been entirely unheard of.
"Senior, he walks the Newborn path..." someone said hesitantly.
"What's wrong with the Newborn path?!" Yu Gensheng erupted in fury.
"Who are you looking down on?!" Zhao Ziyuan's expression darkened as well.
The several dozen sparse hairs remaining on their heads began to drift in the windless air.
"Who are these two elders?" someone unfamiliar with them asked in a whisper.
"Shanhe Academy! The leaders of the Newborn path! Don't let their frail, balding appearance fool you—their strength is terrifying. See those few strands of hair? By conventional reckoning, a single hair of theirs packs enough cultivation power to match ten years of our bitter training!"
"One, two... hiss!"
Acquaintances like Tang Jin, Ling Yu, Xin Youdao, and Jiang Ruoli vaguely guessed whose record this was. Even though they had anticipated it, the confirmation still left them shaken.
Tang Jin, in particular, felt as though she were dreaming. Had the genius from Black-White Mountain whom she had passed over really outperformed so many disciples from the glorious paths today?
Although hunting demons didn't directly translate to raw potential—being subject to many variables—earning the most auspicious beast blood still spoke volumes.
Yu Gensheng said in deep displeasure, "Inspect the memory crystal and see if there are any flaws! Stop giving my Newborn path disciple a hard time! Whether it's true or false, one look will tell! Stop wasting time!"
He had originally hoped to redeem the rewards swiftly and let the matter rest, yet these people insisted on stirring up extra trouble, drawing everyone's eyes.
"This appears to be... an authentic record." The stewards felt their hearts pounding; they couldn't find a single discrepancy.
Even so, they still couldn't bring themselves to believe it. Could such a frightening youth truly exist on the Newborn path?
If they awarded the prizes mistakenly and their superiors investigated, they would bear the brunt of the blame.
"Senior, please wait a moment!" One steward, not daring to make the call, turned and ran off to report to higher-ups and let the leadership decide.
"You people are simply prejudiced against the Newborn path!" Zhao Ziyuan sighed. He hadn't wanted to make a scene and had preferred to keep things low-profile, but the situation had spiraled out of control.
In truth, they had anticipated this. Qin Ming's performance had been too extraordinary, bound to cause friction and draw the attention of higher echelons.
Several middle-aged men and women soon arrived. They treated Zhao Ziyuan and Yu Gensheng with great respect, recognizing these revered senior figures.
"This... let the claimant step forward so we may see him," one of them said.
After inspecting the crystal, they had headaches as well. It was baffling—had someone from the Newborn path truly caught up from behind? Four portions of auspicious beast blood was simply unprecedented!
"Shen Wubing, come over."
Qin Ming stepped forward, his expression impassive.
"It really is him!" Liu Hanya, Xin Youdao, Tang Jin, and the others fixed their gazes ahead.
"This... a prominent figure of this generation on the Newborn path?!"
"If this is proven genuine, he's the true Outer Sage of the second realm in our era!"
A clamor broke out as people erupted into animated discussion. Everyone now knew that a youth from the Newborn path had claimed the highest score, earning the most auspicious beast blood.
"It's him—Qin Ming!" someone from the Cui clan declared in a chilling voice.
Though some members had not participated in hunting the "abandoned scion," they had received comprehensive reports along the way, learning of his current identity as a disciple of Shanhe Academy.
Now, their eyes turned red with fury. This youth had wiped out multiple contingents of theirs, exterminating not only a seed-level team but also veteran experts.
"How interesting. The Cui clan's cast-off scion makes his entrance here! Haha..." The Li clan members grinned. They had intercepted intelligence and a portion of them already knew his identity.
"What Shen Wubing? He is Qin Ming, and his background is anything but simple!" someone shouted.
This unmasked his true identity before the entire crowd.
Many knew little about him, but they caught the murmurs rippling through the surrounding crowd.
As for his acquaintances, they were stunned to the core. The person who had secured the most auspicious beast blood was actually the old acquaintance they knew?
"He is Qin Ming? The one whose skull I shattered?" Li Qingxu suffered the greatest shock. Even though he had resolved to "break down and rebuild," his Dao heart still wavered, emotions surging violently.
"See that? That's my brother!" Ning Siqi gripped the geniuses beside him, speaking with flushed excitement.
Wang Caiwei froze. A Newborn... could also scale the highest peak.
Cui Chonghe's gaze turned deep as he stared at the figure ahead, saying nothing.
"This brother of mine is a bit terrifying. Could it be an old ancestor of our sect returning through nirvana rebirth? It's only been a few months, and he's advancing his realm at a sprint—no, he's soaring straight into the sky!" Xiang Yiwu muttered to himself. He had also earned auspicious beast blood, though naturally still short of four portions.
"Seniors, we must consult our superiors on this matter as well." Although the middle-aged stewards believed the authenticity of the memory crystal, they found it hard to accept that the youth before them could suppress all other prodigies and claim the most auspicious beast blood.
"What is all this commotion about?!"
A crimson sun materialized in the air as Pu Heng, Cao Qianqiu's eldest disciple, manifested his pure yang conscious spiritual light. Arriving on the scene, he swept a cold gaze across the assembled crowd.
Qin Ming's heart instantly sank. *That old bastard isn't dead after all!*
When upheaval struck the Kunling territory and the patriarchs vanished, a wisp of Pu Heng's conscious spiritual light had managed to flee back, only to burn to ashes shortly after.
Evidently, his main body had survived!
"Is an inspection even necessary? Anyone can tell this is fraud! A mere outer manifestation cultivator on the Newborn path dares to act so brazenly—who do you think you're fooling?"
Pu Heng's temperament was seventy percent like his master's: domineering and aggressive. He branded the youth a fraud right from the start.
Moreover, his gaze was hostile, and his pure yang conscious spiritual light surged, signaling his intent to strike immediately.
"Pu Heng, don't cross the line!" Zhao Ziyuan snapped, shifting in an instant to shield Qin Ming.
"Oh? You two old wraiths are still alive?" Pu Heng remarked coolly.
Yu Gensheng retorted, "Fuck off! If you haven't dropped dead yet, how could your grandpas pass away? Don't think you can throw your weight around here just by leaning on your master's prestige!"
The entire area fell dead silent, terrified into hushed stillness.
No one had expected that a single youth's battle record would draw out such a prominent figure, much less spark an imminent clash.
Pu Heng's face remained aloof. "You two old things have only a few years left in you. Do you truly dare wage a desperate fight? If you wish to speed up your decay, I don't mind lending a hand!"
Yu Gensheng rolled up his sleeves on the spot. "Bring it on!"
"Heh..." Pu Heng chuckled with a frigid rasp that made everyone present feel as if plunged into an icy cellar, their hairs standing on end under his stifling pressure.
Extending a single finger, he actually aimed it straight at Qin Ming. Knowing how much the two elders cared about the youth, he intended to strike down this prodigy first to inflict agonizing grief upon them.
Naturally, Zhao Ziyuan and Yu Gensheng would never allow him to snuff out the hope of the Newborn path.
Suddenly, a streak of golden mist shot through the air, darting straight toward the crown of Pu Heng's head.
"Hm? A feathered beast dares cause trouble?!" Pu Heng barked coldly. The crimson sun boiled over, hurling several streaks of scarlet immortal light outward.
A golden, exotic bird clashed head-on against his pure yang spiritual light and struck him with a wing, detonating the air with the roar of wind and thunder.
Zhao Ziyuan and Yu Gensheng were astonished. They had sensed earlier that a golden bird had been lurking above the clouds, apparently trailing Qin Ming the entire time—it had been protecting him all along.
"Daring to harass me? I'll slaughter you!" Pu Heng snarled.
"Whom do you think you're slaughtering?"
Across the plateau, a figure shrank the ground to inches, teleporting onto the scene. An outstretched hand reached straight for Pu Heng inside the crimson sun.
"You again!" Pu Heng's eyes flashed fiercely as he expanded the crimson sun with all his might.
Yet the massive hand thrust straight through, shattering his arm before seizing his head with a dull thud. With a violent squeeze, Pu Heng's head visibly began to split apart.
Chapter 242