In ancient times, Kunling connected to Yujing. Godkin flickered in and out of sight, and near-immortals roamed freely across the realm.
Yet sudden upheaval struck. Gripped by terror and desperate to break free, the ancient gods abruptly sealed the old lands, vanishing without a trace.
All of this was recorded within the Kunling Record of Godlike Beings.
Now, word spread that a mad god had emerged into the world, instantly setting off an uproar and throwing the entire region into turmoil.
The atmosphere in Kunling City grew tense at once, and prominent clans had already begun their flight.
As senior figures of Shanhe Academy, Yu Gensheng and Zhao Ziyuan knew far more than most, even obtaining a blurred recording.
"Is this a god? He looks rather savage and ferocious!" Qin Ming frowned.
Wu Yaozu's face was also filled with shock, and he sucked in a sharp breath of the night mist.
At that moment, the two were inspecting a rare variety of memory crystal.
It captured not only images, but sound as well.
The mad god was clad in tattered rags. His frame seemed laden with dense godkin substance, which assailed the memory crystal like a powerful magnetic field, blurring the projection.
With unkempt hair and a body covered in wounds, this godkin creature was actually oozing pus and blood. Around him raged a sinister gale, swirling with layered phantoms.
Within the black whirlwind, blood-streaked bones and needle-sharp black bristles rose alongside the soaring dust and sand.
"Dead... came to the wrong place..." His eyes lacked focus. Utterly deranged and devoid of vigor, he muttered incessantly to himself.
When the black wind lifted his disheveled hair to reveal his face, anyone watching felt their heart skip a beat. Half of his face had rotted away, with worms glistening like suet jade wriggling in and out of the flesh.
How had he fallen to such a state?
In fact, behind him had originally been three other figures, even more mad than he was. They had roared and shrieked; one had even uprooted a stone mountain with his bare hands before crushing it to dust.
Yet before long, those three mad gods collapsed. Their eyes hollow, they were swept up by the black gale amidst the churning yellow sand, spinning at high speed until they vanished without a trace.
In that moment, it sounded as if evil spirits were howling. Amidst the black tempest, the lone mad god staggered forward on foot, bellowing as though confronting something unseen.
A thousand li of scorched earth stretched without a single blade of grass. Yellow sand, black bristles, and bloodstained bones swirled together into a colossal tempest that roiled both heaven and earth.
Qin Ming and Xiao Wu stared blankly at the scene. Was this what lay within the ancient domain of Kunling?
If such a mad god broke out, wouldn't it bring about a catastrophe?
At the very least, if ordinary people encountered such a sight, they would have no chance of escape. An entire city would be engulfed and obliterated.
"Is that earthen city behind him Yujing?" Qin Ming asked.
The memory crystal had naturally been brought by Yu Gensheng and Zhao Ziyuan; at present, only figures of their standing could access firsthand intelligence.
"No. The mad god merely used it as a passage to come out," Yu Gensheng said, shaking his head.
Then, in all seriousness, he told Qin Ming and Xiao Wu that it was time for them to evacuate Kunling.
If the ancient seals loosened and the entire ancient domain of Kunling resurfaced, it would be exceptionally perilous.
Moreover, with a mad god emerging from Yujing, heaven only knew what further upheavals might follow.
After all, people of the present era knew far too little about Yujing and were completely ignorant of what lay within.
Zhao Ziyuan said, "Kunling City is vast, and in this night mist world, the distances between cities are immense. It is no easy feat for ordinary people to migrate on a large scale."
Everyone was discussing the matter, and panic had already taken hold.
At present, airship tickets out of Kunling City were virtually impossible to obtain, long since sold out.
All manner of strange birds continuously took to the night skies, carrying passengers away into the distance.
Who wouldn't fear a mad god emerging from Yujing? If he escaped into the outside world, the destruction might prove even more terrifying than a demonic rampage.
Those who had previously lingered to hear the patriarchs lecture had now packed their belongings and were retreating in an orderly fashion.
A city once incomparably prosperous and recently the center of attention had completely changed in atmosphere in less than two days.
When the people of the Immortal Sanctuary saw the images within the memory crystal, they were shaken to the core, finding it hard to believe their eyes.
That living mad god bore an uncanny resemblance to an ancient portrait hanging in their sanctuary.
"Is he our patriarch?" Chu Pianran, Zhao Shuyu, and the others were dumbfounded, completely dazed with disbelief.
Could an ancestor from the ancient past have fallen to such a wretched state?
When the senior echelons of various paths in the present world learned of this, they were deeply shaken. The identity of one of the figures had actually been confirmed!
What had the old ancestor of the Immortal Sanctuary experienced after becoming a godkin creature and entering Yujing?
After so many years, he had actually gone mad, with half his face rotted away.
This forced everyone into grim contemplation, sending chills down the spines of even the highest authorities.
Over the course of a few days, factions from all directions withdrew, leaving this brilliant, massive city somewhat deserted.
"A patriarch has blocked that mad god, so there shouldn't be too much trouble for now," Zhao Ziyuan arrived with fresh news.
One could not help but marvel. Patriarch-level figures were truly formidable, capable of holding back such ancient monsters; their attainments indeed reached the pinnacle of creation.
Qin Ming said, "No wonder many patriarchs chose to approach immortality without taking the final step, ultimately seeking truth and persisting in forging their own path in their original direction. There truly is wisdom in that."
Of course, this was also largely due to the mad god's compromised state.
Had he been lucid and physically sound, he would undoubtedly have been exceedingly dangerous.
Yu Gensheng said, "Holding back one mad god isn't impossible. What's terrifying is if monsters keep pouring out from behind him—that would be a true catastrophe!"
Yujing, a land of myth and legend!
Whether in time or space, the people of this era were simply too far removed from it. No one could enter, and understanding it was next to impossible.
"Hurry along, both of you!" Zhao Ziyuan urged Qin Ming and Xiao Wu to hit the road.
Over the past two days, the two of them hadn't rushed to leave, mainly to avoid departing alongside the masters of the various paths.
"Seniors, we take our leave!" Qin Ming and Xiao Wu bowed respectfully, bidding farewell to the two elders.
Yu Gensheng and Zhao Ziyuan still had many matters to handle. As high-ranking figures of Shanhe Academy, they could not simply turn and flee.
"All feasts must come to an end. Brother Ming, thank you for looking after me all this time. I'm off!" After leaving Kunling, Xiao Wu bid farewell to Qin Ming, intending to make his own way in the world.
Neither of them boarded airships or mounted strange birds; instead, they planned to blend into the crowds of low-level cultivators and depart on foot.
For them, walking out of the Kunling domain posed no problem at all.
"Take care of yourself, brother!" Qin Ming looked at him, feeling he had fulfilled his promise to Granny Wu. Having watched over him for more than two months, he knew the youth possessed remarkable adaptability and had long been capable of standing on his own.
The night mist world was vast. If they parted ways across north and south, it would be difficult to meet again.
However, neither of them was the sort to stay quiet, and neither would live in seclusion in one place for long.
Wu Yaozu said, "Brother Ming, maybe we'll meet again soon. I plan to head to the Dayu imperial capital to see the diplomatic mission from that mysterious realm."
He figured that if the disciples of the immortal path couldn't handle the sun elves, they might very well hire outside help, calling upon people like him and Qin Ming.
Then he chuckled. "Yudu is one of the ten great cities of the night mist world. I hear it's a land of outstanding talent where nocturnal pleasure boats blanket the Shuyu River, filled with the melodies of pipes and strings and unending song and dance. I have to go see it for myself."
"When you're out there on your own, be careful with everything," Qin Ming cautioned.
"Brother Ming, where do you plan to go?" Xiao Wu asked.
"Wander around the night mist world, look around, and search for special heterogeneous substances. I'll probably make a trip back to Black-White Mountain," Qin Ming said.
Over the past few days, he had buried himself in the library of Shanhe Academy, studying maps of the night mist world and collecting numerous books related to baleful grounds.
Wu Yaozu nodded. "All right. If the immortal path looks to hire someone, I'll direct them to Chixia City to find you. When the time comes, I'll drive a hard bargain on your behalf and make sure they prepare plenty of resources."
With that, the two joined different crowds of refugees, heading toward the distant, darkened edge of the earth.
Wu Yaozu followed a party traveling toward Great Yu, while Qin Ming joined a group heading in the direction of Great Rui.
Having studied the realm's famous baleful grounds, he had discovered that one lay right on the border between Kunling and Great Rui.
To be precise, there was only a deep pool there. A famous baleful substance recorded in ancient texts had once been discovered in its depths; a thousand years ago, someone had captured a black dragon from it.
A black dragon recorded in the Record of Renowned Baleful Substances was naturally a priceless heterogeneous substance!
Over a thousand years had passed, and Qin Ming intended to try his luck to see if a baleful substance that had taken physical form had been nurtured there once more.
More importantly, he had fishing gear on hand, which was perfectly suited for hunting beside abysses and deep pools.
Along the way, Fire Springs were scarce, and heavy darkness blanketed the land. After leaving the brightly lit city behind, many people required time to adjust to such pitch-black conditions.
This was the true night mist world, full of vast no-man's-lands where Fire Springs were virtually nonexistent and one could not see one's own outstretched fingers.
Their party had initially consisted of a hundred people, but as they advanced, travelers heading for different cities in Great Rui branched off along the way, until only a dozen or so companions remained.
"Did you... did you hear that? Footsteps behind us!" someone's voice trembled.
Yet behind them lay only empty void; aside from the night mist, not a single living creature could be seen.
An elderly man said, "It's fine. In the night mist world, anyone who walks the night road long enough knows you can run into anything. Just stay calm. Those old itinerant merchants can stay on the road year-round precisely because they have stout hearts, which keeps them unharmed."
"Didn't they say... that every old itinerant merchant who walks the night road year-round is eventually replaced by some inexplicable existence?" someone remarked with a pale face.
At once, the group felt their skin crawl, and someone quickly cut him off. "Brother, we're walking the night road right now! Could you shut your mouth?!"
Qin Ming and the others had already traversed several hundred li, but there was still quite a distance to cover before entering Great Rui.
In the deep night, they made camp. For First Realm cultivators, it was impossible to cover the entire distance of fifteen hundred li in a single march.
Blending into the crowd, Qin Ming naturally followed local customs and did not set out on his own.
During the latter half of the night, the campsite was deadly silent, without the slightest sound.
Yet Qin Ming snapped awake in an instant. The jade iron blade in his hand slashed outward, and a shrill, wretched shriek rang out right beside his ear.
Instantly, blood splattered, and billows of green smoke rose from the empty air, as though some sinister creature had perished. The splatters of blood also dissolved into vapor, evaporating completely.
He had known long ago that in the uninhabited expanses of the night mist world, one would occasionally encounter things that could neither be seen nor touched. They truly existed, and only weapons forged from special materials like jade iron could harm such entities.
The night was deep and quiet, yet the people nearby seemed not to have heard the piercing screech at all.
After striking, Qin Ming opened his Eye of the Newborn to observe, only to see the green smoke burn away to nothing.
In a desolate wasteland devoid of Fire Springs, even the arrival of the shallow night brought little illumination.
The next day, as the group prepared to set out, they discovered to their horror that five people were missing from their party of sixteen. Silently, without making the slightest disturbance, they had vanished forever.
"What happened during the night? I didn't hear any sounds of fighting at all."
"We can't stop this time! We march in one breath until we reach a place with Fire Springs—no camping along the way!"
These people were terrified.
Qin Ming remained silent, saying nothing as he continued on with them.
This time, no accidents occurred, because they dashed straight toward a small town brightly illuminated by Fire Springs.
Here, Qin Ming departed alone, parting ways with the group.
From this point, the Dragon Pool was no longer very far.
As he walked away, he faintly heard footsteps behind him. With a metallic chime, the moment he drew his jade iron blade, the entire world seemed to fall dead silent.
From then on, no further mishaps occurred on his journey.
It had to be said that the land where this deep pool lay was utterly barren. Over the past thousand years, hardly anyone had come here, and it had long been forgotten by the world.
Along the path, let alone villages and towns, not even ordinary living creatures could be seen. Baleful grounds were naturally devoid of life, and ninety percent of the surrounding area was desolate waste.
Fortunately, after more than a millennium, the geography of the mountains and rivers had not shifted much.
Following the records in the book, Qin Ming traversed the pitch-black wasteland. In some regions, the silence was chilling, devoid of even the sound of wind.
At last, he arrived!
Originally, one could not see one's own hand before one's face here, but with his Eye of the Newborn opened, everything became distinct and clear.
In the desolate expanse, a massive, deep pool lay directly ahead, billowing wisps of dense baleful qi. Ordinary creatures could never survive here.
Sitting beside the pitch-black waters, Qin Ming felt a bone-chilling cold. The yin qi was overwhelmingly thick, piercing into flesh like steel needles and seeping toward the bones.
For him, having cultivated unique heavenly light force, his body was akin to a pure yang physique, yet even he felt this biting chill, which spoke volumes about the abnormality of this place.
"I hope I can hook a dragon too."
Qin Ming channeled his heavenly light. The fishhook turned translucent and crystalline, plunging into the deep pool in an instant. He continuously unspooled the fishing line, seeking to probe just how deep this pool of yin truly was.
"This... it's several hundred meters down already, and it still hasn't hit bottom?!"
Suddenly, the hook snagged something, dipping down sharply. Qin Ming's heart leaped. Was this place really so bountiful? A harvest right upon arrival!
Without a doubt, any living thing hooked in a deep pool steaming with baleful qi was eight or nine times out of ten a baleful substance that had taken physical form. This filled him with great anticipation!
"Could another dragon have formed?" Qin Ming's eyes sparkled.
He hastily reeled in the line. Judging by the feel, he had hooked a serious prize!
This transformed baleful substance carried considerable heft!
"Up you come!" Qin Ming swiftly hoisted the line, his heavenly light bursting forth.
"Wait, that's not a dragon—it's humanoid?" While the hook was still far below the surface, he caught sight of flowing long hair through the pitch-black water, a blurry silhouette rising into view.
Qin Ming felt his hair stand on end. In the dead of night, out in the desolate wilderness, fishing by a pool of yin—the indistinct outline beneath the water was genuinely eerie!
He comforted himself, murmuring, "It's fine. What else could this place nurture if not a transformed baleful substance? It must be a humanoid baleful substance."
With a final heave, he called out, "Come on up, my precious treasure!"
Qin Ming froze. Beneath the water, long hair fluttered and the silhouette was slender and tall. Could this be the legendary maiden baleful substance?
With a loud splash, the pitch-black surface broke, and his catch was hauled out of the water.
"Hiss!" Qin Ming's hair stood on end. This was definitely no baleful substance—it was a body of flesh and blood, or more likely, a corpse!
Then he got a clear look at its appearance. What precious treasure? This was plainly a frightful old codger!
The face was grotesque, teeth bared in a snarl, belonging to an old man well advanced in years.
Qin Ming nearly let go to toss him right back in.
However, he didn't want to lose his fishing gear.
To make matters worse, what he had hooked wasn't just a single old codger, but a threefold harvest—two more were dangling beneath him!
Qin Ming's scalp went completely numb. In the middle of the night, had he come all the way out here just to fish up malicious ghosts?
"Wait?!" Suddenly, shock overtook him, his pupils dilating. One of the old codgers looked startlingly familiar. Had he seen a ghost? It truly was a ghost!
Chapter 264