Everything in Readiness

"Brother Ming, looks like we won't be able to slip away!" Xiao Wu said in a low voice. A bird's cry pierced the night sky. The heavy fog surged, and shadowy figures loomed near the "fish pits." Whether in the pitch-black sky or across the ground swirling with baleful qi, figures were approaching. A handful of distinguished disciples from renowned lineages—Cui Chonghe, Jiang Ran, Cheng Sheng, and others—had visited this place one after another to fish for the yin-yang fish. Moreover, there were truly "monstrous treasures" here. In the past, a heterogeneous substance in the form of a Golden-Winged Peng had soared skyward, illuminating the heavens, and legendary Purple Firmament Baleful Qi had also been discovered here. Consequently, people occasionally ventured into the core region of the baleful ground to try their luck. Yet normally, there should never be this many people! One after another, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu sensed more than a dozen people lingering nearby. Their gazes were like red-hot branding irons, scorching and searing. Without a doubt, "tails" had attached themselves behind them ever since they left Kunling City. Regardless of what intentions these people had harbored earlier, their attention was now completely captivated by the yin-yang fish. Greed showed on their faces, and they could not tear their eyes away. The legendary yin-yang heterogeneous substance, though exceedingly dangerous, was considered an extraordinary, rare medicine. It was something countless people dreamed of obtaining. "Among them are scouts from various factions, as well as desperate scoundrels who don't care about their lives," Qin Ming said. Someone could no longer hold back. With eyes that seemed ablaze—fervent and vicious—the person stepped out from the thick fog. The first to appear was a figure in a black robe, completely concealed from head to toe. He seemed to be of advanced age, his voice hoarse and raspy. "Child, you have suffered out here. Come home with your great-uncle. No matter what, the Cui clan raised you; we are your closest kin." "You old bastard, whose relative are you trying to claim to be?" Xiao Wu fired back fiercely. Clearly, the black-robed elder coveted the yin-yang great medicine. Putting on an affectionate act and calling himself "great-uncle," he was both greedy and shameless, an outright insult. He glared at Xiao Wu with bone-chilling eyes. "Shut your mouth. This is business of our Cui clan. You, an outsider, stay out of it." "Get lost!" Qin Ming stared at him, giving just two words, simple and clear. "How dare you speak to your great-uncle like that?" The black-robed elder's gaze turned sinister as he pressed forward through the heavy fog. Another person in gray appeared and said, "Qin Ming, as Chonghe's stand-in, it's understandable that you hold resentment. As long as you return, everything can be discussed." Further off in the thick fog, a middle-aged man from the Cui clan wore a darkened expression. What kind of monsters and ghosts were these? Coming here to impersonate members of the Cui clan! Just how great of a grudge did they hold to fling dirty water like this? He desperately wanted to jump out and curse them for being shameless. But doing so would expose his own identity. The middle-aged man's eyes were chillingly cold. Even if the Cui clan wanted to crush that youth to death, they wouldn't step out so blatantly at such a critical juncture. At that moment, a ghostly figure lunged at Qin Ming without a single word. Someone had directly taken action, clearly aiming for the yin-yang fish. The black-robed man and the gray-robed man had already been closing in; seeing someone else attempt to intercept the prize, they cast off all pretense and charged forward like thunderbolts. This acted like a signal. More than a dozen figures in the thick fog swarmed forward like sharks catching the scent of blood. "Shameless bastards! Every one of them wants to steal the black and white fish!" Xiao Wu's face changed. Without the special fishing line gifted by the thatched hut's master, Qin Ming would never have caught the yin-yang great medicine. Now, seeing it, these people were consumed with envy and greed. Qin Ming channeled the silk book method, using adhesive force to haul the black-and-white diagram out of the rag space and drape it over his body. At the same time, he bound the yin-yang fish with the fishing line just in case. He drew upon its power on the spot, and even considered refining it right then and there. The black-robed man was the first to arrive, and immediately received a strike right to his face. *Smack!* The black fish's tail whipped across his cheek. In fact, the black fish had merely been trying to escape, and in its thrashing, it inadvertently slapped him across the face. Qin Ming was startled, but swiftly channeled his heavenly light force with everything he had. Instantly, the black and white fish flared with brilliant light and spun at extreme speed. The others arrived as well, their eyes burning with lust as they unleashed attacks in succession, determined to seize the yin-yang great medicine. At that moment, the black-and-white diagram changed, looking as if it were burning. "Ah..." The black-robed man reached out his right arm, only for it to be swept by the yin-yang fish. Instantly, it was severed and fell to the ground. Qin Ming poured in his heavenly light force with all his might. Once merged with the black-and-white diagram, it exuded a terrifying aura. It was no longer merely fish, but resembled a naturally occurring Dao diagram of heavenly light! Borrowing its power, he charged into the crowd. In a flash, several people were swept by the black-and-white light! "Ah!" Several bloodcurdling screams rang out. Severed hands burned on the ground, and someone was severed at the waist. Another person was in the form of conscious spiritual light, only for half of their body to be ignited by the black-and-white light. Those who dared follow them here were mostly in the third realm. To encounter such deadly peril upon the very first clash terrified them all. Once the yin-yang heterogeneous substance from beyond the heavens erupted, it was shockingly terrifying! Qin Ming sensed something was amiss. He could barely control it anymore; the black-and-white diagram was about to tear free from his restraint, and even the fishing line couldn't hold it. He hurriedly put it back into the rag space. In the night sky, flying beasts approached, and more than a dozen people on the ground hesitated no longer, swiftly lunging forward. "Little friend Qin, you are quite impressive! Come to our outer pure land to be a drudge!" someone laughed. Qin Ming believed there was a ninety percent chance this was a frame-up; people from the pure land wouldn't be this crude and reckless. "Qin Ming, join our esoteric sect and become a mountain gate guardian!" another voice called out. Xiao Wu said, "Every single one of these bastards is impersonating someone else, while others are impersonating them! Not one of them is wronged—in fact, there probably are people from those factions among them!" Suddenly, a violent wind howled like rolling thunder. Amidst the heavy fog, an emaciated figure emerged accompanied by a raging storm, more than a hundred strands of hair fluttering on his head. "Enough! Since you've made your moves, I shall send all of you on your way!" Yu Gensheng moved like a ghost, arriving in the blink of an eye. With a sweep of his wide sleeve, a thunderous boom erupted, and the foremost figures were instantly torn apart, their severed limbs and broken remains scattering across the ground. Had he not intended to leave survivors for questioning, they wouldn't have merely been torn apart—they would have exploded into mist. At the same time, in the night sky, Zhao Ziyuan stood on the back of an advanced exotic bird. Tearing through the night veil, he struck with heavy blows repeatedly. Several exotic birds exploded, and their riders cried out in horror as they plummeted toward the ground amidst flying bloody feathers. "Senior, I didn't attack!" someone shouted. "Trailing behind with treacherous intent—do you dare claim you harbored no evil thoughts?" Yu Gensheng barked. Promptly, he swept his wide sleeve in a finishing blow. Half the person's body burst apart, though he was left alive. After Qin Ming's identity was exposed, this was his first time leaving Kunling City to seek baleful qi for breaking through, so he naturally had to report his movements. Yu Gensheng and Zhao Ziyuan had accompanied him personally. Aside from not entering the thatched hut, they had remained by his side throughout the rest of the area. Otherwise, Qin Ming would never have calmly fished after noticing people nearby. "Speak. Introduce yourselves, all of you!" Zhao Ziyuan descended from the night sky. Xiao Wu dragged up the heavily wounded black-robed man. "You old geezer, whose great-uncle do you think you are? You old bastard, I'm your grandpa!" He stepped forward and gave the man several slaps right across the face, only stopping to feel satisfied once teeth went flying. Just as Qin Ming had anticipated, there were desperate scoundrels among them who were dead warriors. Some of their conscious spiritual lights dissipated on the spot. Those who remained alive were merely hired pawns sent to gather intelligence; the lead connecting them to the mastermind had long been cleanly severed. At that moment, Zhao Ziyuan and Yu Gensheng struck ruthlessly. Their sleeves swept outward, twisting force fields, and all of these people detonated in an instant. Not a single survivor was left. "To think you actually fished up the yin-yang fish in the baleful ground. This is likely the finest baleful qi and heterogeneous substance from beyond the heavens left behind by the immortal grand sect back then. News of this must not leak out for now!" Therefore, the two elders ruthlessly silenced everyone. Qin Ming mused that had it not been for the yin-yang fish, these people might not have struck at him. After all, this was a sensitive period; several patriarchs of the Newborn path had just blown Cao Qianqiu to bits. He did not think asking the two elders for help had been excessive. Caution was necessary at such a juncture, and special circumstances called for special measures. Qin Ming was not overly worried about his current situation. He had already obtained the yin-yang great medicine, and his foundation was nearly complete. Once he refined it and stepped into the middle stage of the second realm, he would have no fear when encountering people like these again! "Xiao Wu, with the rainbow light in your body, do you want to try refining baleful qi and integrating a heterogeneous substance? I have Starfire Essence here," Qin Ming asked. He now had a better option—yin and yang in balance. Although Starfire Essence was precious, it could not compare to the former. Xiao Wu shook his head. "Forget it. I can't endure that kind of fire essence. Besides, all heavenly light substances work for you, Brother Ming. You should keep it for yourself." ... Over the past few days, patriarchs had mounted platforms in Kunling from time to time to preach scriptures. It was said that several immortal seeds and divine seeds benefited greatly, and faintly, some were about to ascend to a higher level. Comparison was always painful. Even those on the Newborn path felt a sense of anxiety. Relatively speaking, their path was too difficult, and their speed of advancement was far too slow. After returning from the "baleful ground," Qin Ming did not go to listen to Sun Taichu's preaching. Instead, he spent his time researching the yin-yang great medicine while quietly waiting for a thunderstorm to arrive. The source of the black and white fish belonged to a rare category of heavenly light. Now that it had taken form, in theory, it could be fully integrated by Qin Ming. However, there was one concern: the more potent the baleful qi or heterogeneous substance was, the greater harm it caused to the body, and it could even shorten one's lifespan! Therefore, Qin Ming was extremely cautious, probing and attempting refinement bit by bit. In the night sky, a drizzle fine as ox hair began to fall. At Shanhe Academy, Li Qingyue arrived, bringing two pieces of news. The patriarchs had conferred for many days and were preparing for the Great Reclamation. In as little as a few months, or at most two years, it would officially begin! This would undoubtedly have far-reaching effects. Patriarchs of all paths had looked grave in recent days, because in a sense, this was an immense gamble. In fact, every Great Opening was a gamble on the "destiny of the race"! No one knew what kind of opponents they would encounter once reclamation began. The world of night fog was vast and boundless. Every region was steeped in mystery, filled with the unknown and danger. The previous reclamations had all ended safely despite close calls, ultimately yielding abundant harvests and causing talents of every path to flourish even more! Qin Ming felt some concern as well. Five hundred years ago, someone who had perfected seven overlapping suns had emerged from the depths of the night fog; fortunately, that had been a human. If there were non-human species whose higher echelons rivaled gods and established vast, mysterious nations, crossing paths with them would spell immense trouble. "Jiang Ran is here," Li Qingyue informed him with a smile. The foremost talent of her generation from the Fangwai Immortal Land had arrived in Kunling City. Furthermore, Li Qingyue had already met with her and successfully traded for the Eight Views Classic. Qin Ming was overjoyed. "Qingyue, I won't bother with polite thanks between us!" The Eight Views Classic involved internal cultivation as well as the domains of lightning and fire, which was of vital importance to the path he intended to walk. Now everything was prepared. Qin Ming felt that he could use lightning and fire to temper and smelt the yin-yang great medicine. There would no longer be any obstacles to his breakthrough. Many people had been gossiping behind his back, saying that even with his supreme talent, by the time he reached the third realm, he would surely no longer be young. Qin Ming refused to believe in such fatalism. According to the path he had currently planned, he would overturn the established norms. Over the next two days, Qin Ming contemplated the Eight Views Classic, studied the yin-yang fish, and adjusted his condition to its peak. Then, he tilted his head back toward the sky, waiting for the thunderstorm to come!