An enigmatic voice echoed. Had some unfathomable being discovered them?
*Do you want to run away with me, Uncle?* the red squirrel wrote in the air. Its heart was trembling, ready to make a run for it.
Behind the mist lay continuous stretches of golden crops, as if a corner of the true night mist world had been peeled back.
This was a domain Qin Ming had never encountered before.
He remained standing where he was, looking toward the source of the sound. Since they had been discovered, it was already too late to leave.
A short distance away, a golden bamboo grove radiated rosy dawn light, exceptionally striking.
Within the grove stood a figure with its back turned toward them, wearing a straw hat and a cloak, appearing extraordinarily burly.
Qin Ming could not gauge the figure's depth and called out, "Senior, we have strayed into your treasured land by mistake. Please forgive us."
The burly figure turned around to face them.
*Is that person wearing a black-and-white robe?* The red squirrel stared blankly, noticing that the figure's attire resembled how Qin Ming looked when practicing his arts.
Qin Ming froze. The creature was patterned in black and white—it was actually... a panda.
*It looks just like you,* the red squirrel gestured to Qin Ming.
This face-blind rodent. Qin Ming wanted to slap it. Did black-and-white fur really look that much like a yin-yang fish?
Old Man Liu looked around, quietly surveying the world beyond the mist.
The straw-hat-wearing panda spoke calmly: "You carry the scent of this land. Since you are in Black-White Mountain, you are citizens here. Come inside."
"Let's go have a look," Old Man Liu, who had remained silent all this time, was the first to speak.
*The old man is this brave?* The red squirrel immediately retreated in silence from his side to behind Qin Ming.
The two men and one squirrel approached the bamboo grove. It was dazzlingly bright here; from the bamboo leaves to the nodes, everything was a uniform golden yellow. Even the bamboo shoots in the basket flowed with golden rays.
This was an old panda. Although it struck a majestic posture, the heavy dark circles around its eyes still gave it a somewhat comical look. Just now, it had been personally digging up bamboo shoots.
It also had several subordinates: an old bull standing upright carrying a bamboo basket on its back, a wildcat searching for bamboo shoots, and a donkey-headed wolf standing with its paws lowered in deep deference to the panda.
The red squirrel looked at the opposite side. Whether the old bull, the wildcat, or the donkey-headed wolf, all had black-and-white fur.
Then it looked at Qin Ming again, its gaze peculiar.
Qin Ming really wanted to punch it. This fellow couldn't possibly think they looked like him again, could it?
Yet he was also somewhat surprised: in the world behind the mist, did most creatures have black-and-white "complexions"?
"The Black-White Divine Land has lain dormant for so long. What year is it in the outside world?" the panda asked with feeling.
Qin Ming immediately realized: could this be the true core of Black-White Mountain from five hundred years ago, now reviving and preparing to reemerge into the world?
Rumors in the night mist world had always claimed that Black-White Mountain completely collapsed five hundred years ago, but seeing this now, that wasn't quite the case.
Qin Ming replied, "Several centuries have passed. The world now has three great empires—Yu, Gan, and Rui—along with a dozen kingdoms. The outer realms and esoteric sects are in their golden age."
The old panda said, "Several hundred years ago, it was still my grandfather's generation that walked the world. At that time, the unified Wu Dynasty had thoroughly decayed and entered its final years. How time flies."
Qin Ming did not believe it was completely ignorant of the outside world; it was merely reflecting with nostalgia.
He asked, "Senior, are you the master of this place?"
"I am merely an old servant." The old panda shook its head.
Then it looked at the two men and the squirrel. "In recent days, the Black-White Divine Land will host a banquet for some guests from the night mist world. As citizens of this land who have stumbled in by chance, you may stay and join in the lively occasion."
As expected, this place had already made contact with the outside world.
Qin Ming and Old Man Liu exchanged a glance. Truthfully, they wished to leave right away.
However, without waiting for their response, the old panda had already begun walking forward.
Helpless, the two decided to stay and have a look, worried that taking their leave directly would cause the host to overthink and take offense.
The red squirrel, on the other hand, was carefree. Seeing that the old panda seemed easy to talk to, it grinned foolishly, harboring the mindset of a pilgrim eager to see the true Black-White Mountain.
In the world beyond the mist, the Fire Spring possessed immense spirituality, flowing through roadside ditches and nourishing all the golden crops.
Yet not a single legendary black-white tree could be seen.
Ahead lay a small town. Its scale was not particularly grand, but its scenery was extraordinary, possessing a golden Fire Spring whose surging light soared into the sky like a blazing sun.
Normally, the high-grade Fire Springs Qin Ming saw in giant cities were all crimson.
Rumor had it that only the top orthodoxies of the outer realms and esoteric sects possessed special, wondrous springs.
"That is..." Old Man Liu shaded his eyes with a hand, looking at the sight behind the town.
Behind it lay a desolate ruin: shattered peaks stretched out in dense clusters, resembling broken swords plunged into the earth, every ruined mountain bare and barren without a single blade of grass.
It seemed that five hundred years ago, an unimaginably severe event had indeed taken place on Black-White Mountain!
Qin Ming and Old Man Liu could not very well ask directly, as it concerned the face of the local master.
The small town was as bright as day. Many buildings showed the patina of age, their tiles and courtyard walls seemingly coated in golden light under the reflection of the Fire Spring.
There were several thousand residents here, none of them ordinary. From old oxen to white apes to humans, all species were represented, and every single one was an extraordinary cultivator.
Soon, Qin Ming and the others learned that the so-called Black-White Town was the seat of an immortal orthodoxy.
Originally, this orthodoxy was supposed to reside among the endless shattered mountains; however, that area had been destroyed, shrouded in rolling mists and fraught with all manner of dangers, impossible to venture deep into.
In the past, Black-White Mountain was a Peril!
Now, what lay ahead was utter ruin.
For an immortal great sect to have once been situated in the core region of a Peril was truly astonishing.
Qin Ming was no stranger to Perils; his good brother Xiao Wu hailed from one.
*Even Xiao Wu's ancestors only lived on the fringes of the Fourth Peril...*
Though every Peril was different, their core regions were mostly uninhabitable and extremely dangerous!
Within the Fourth Peril, there were numerous incomprehensible "phenomena" and bizarre "scenes" that were utterly terrifying and could never be completely eradicated.
Generally speaking, one could neighbor a Peril, but occupying it was nearly impossible.
Yet here, common sense had been overturned.
An immortal orthodoxy had once subjugated Black-White Mountain and dwelt within its core domain!
This alone was enough to show just how terrifying the beings that ruled this Peril had been!
"Alas, a great battle five hundred years ago destroyed the foundation of our orthodoxy. The Black-White Divine Land shattered, and the ancestral grounds seemed cursed," an old goat in town sighed.
According to what it said, after the center of Black-White Mountain fell into ruin, the incomprehensible "phenomena" revived once more. Now, without a deity holding down the fort, it was not suitable to rebuild the orthodoxy on its original site.
Hence, they had relocated to Black-White Town.
Qin Ming and the others settled down, not permitted to enter the center of the town, which was a vital ground of the orthodoxy.
The two men and the squirrel learned an astonishing truth: five hundred years ago, the Beast God was still in this world.
Rumors in the outside world claimed the Beast God had left behind a cenotaph a thousand years ago, but that was purely faking death.
A human in the town said, "Only after an earth-shattering battle five hundred years ago did the Beast God disappear without a trace, his life or death remaining a mystery. Black-White Divine Land shattered as a result and sealed itself away from the world."
Qin Ming looked at Old Man Liu. Five hundred years ago, godkin creatures here had fought a decisive battle against powerful foes, actually destroying a Peril!
With such a rare opportunity, Qin Ming took the chance to consult the people in town—or more precisely, members of this immortal orthodoxy.
"Seniors, what exactly are those bizarre 'scenes' in the core regions of Perils? Can they truly never be eradicated?"
An old yak said, "If you could unveil those 'scenes' and explain those phenomena, you would possess a deeper understanding of the night mist world, pulling back a mysterious corner of the entire realm."
Then it added that these were words spoken by the Beast God back then.
"Part the thick fog within a Peril, and you can discover a new world," an elderly human man said.
Did this "new world" mean dispersing the mist to gain a brand-new understanding of the dark world, or discovering a path leading to other realms?
Qin Ming bowed and inquired further.
However, those were still just the Beast God's words from back then; the town's residents could not provide a definitive answer either.
Soon, Qin Ming discovered the origins of the guests invited after Black-White Mountain's revival: they all hailed from other Perils!
*Hiss!* The aspiring squirrel copied him by inhaling a sharp breath of night mist.
Qin Ming was genuinely stunned. Outside the systems of outer pure lands, esoteric sects, and the like, could there actually be an alliance of Perils?
Every Peril was immensely terrifying and indestructible; otherwise, they would not have survived to this day.
And the creatures able to dwell within Perils naturally stood at the very top.
It was just unknown whether those guests hailed from the core regions of the Perils or merely lived along the margins.
"The factions represented by some esteemed guests are no weaker than Black-White Mountain in its prime, while others are somewhat lacking," the town's residents said without attempting to hide anything; this was no secret.
It was precisely for this reason that the guests were divided into different ranks.
The next day, the guests began arriving one after another.
The red squirrel's eyes widened. What was it seeing?
A rat as massive as a mountain, its forelimbs clasped behind its back, led a host of fiends across the night mist. Dozens of halos enveloped its body. Above its head, a spiritual cat held a yellow silk canopy umbrella for it.
*Both of us are rodents, so why are we so different?* This giant rat was silvery white all over, shrinking only upon arrival before being personally welcomed in by an important figure from the town.
Then, an extraordinary bird swept in with astral wind, entering the domain behind the mist. It was as vast as a dark cloud, possessing nine avian heads.
Flocks of birds flew alongside it, shimmering and gleaming, all radiating dazzling splendor.
Next, a purple sun crossed the sky, within which a humanoid being stood tall. Regarded as an honored guest, it was welcomed outside town by the master of Black-White Mountain in person.
A mountain-tall man, resembling a Giant Spirit God, shrank continuously as he walked, finally becoming the height of an ordinary human before being ceremoniously invited into the town.
...
*Are these all visitors from the Perils? Truly extraordinary!* Qin Ming marveled inwardly.
The old panda, calling itself an old servant, bustled outside town helping greet guests. Of course, it was tasked with receiving the juniors and disciples of those prominent figures.
Beside the old panda, a white-furred beast was also assisting.
Qin Ming and Old Man Liu dined at the feast on the outskirts of Black-White Town, having no qualification to enter the town's central area.
Evidently, the "guests" in the outer area held low status.
At a single glance, Qin Ming recognized that the white-furred old beast was the nominal mountain lord from outside. Had it been assimilated into their ranks?
Back then, this new mountain lord had hunted down the former mountain lord—the Palm-Sized Pig—and Qin Ming had nearly been caught in the crossfire.
Calling it a white wolf was plausible, but it also resembled an ape, with an exceedingly bizarre appearance and a pair of scarlet eyes.
The white-furred monster looked over in this direction, its pair of crimson eyes narrowing slightly.
Qin Ming's heart tightened. Could this old beast still remember him?
The white-furred monster smiled, showing snow-white teeth that were rather chilling. It was whispering to a young man.
Without a doubt, that young man belonged to the direct lineage of Black-White Town. Hearing its words, his eyes lit up, and he walked over toward Qin Ming's group.
Qin Ming thought inwardly, *Trouble. As expected, a banquet in a Peril isn't so easy to enjoy!*
"Young man, you are quite impressive," the white-furred old beast said, looking rather genial with a smile on its beastly face.
Then it introduced the young man as the Sixth Young Master of the Black-White Divine Land.
Next, it said mildly, "You may also address him as Young Master Lu. Why haven't you come forward to pay your respects?"
Qin Ming rose, cupping his hands. "Greetings, Sixth... Young Master Lu."
The white-furred old beast dropped its smile and said in a grave voice, "You are impudent!"
Young Master Lu wore a calm expression, sizing up Qin Ming without making any indication.
Qin Ming looked at the white-furred old beast. "Senior, do you know me? Please, do not harbor any prejudice."
"A peerless genius hailing from Black-White Mountain, who might become the future new patriarch of the Newborn path and has shone brilliantly in Kunling—how could I not know?" the white-furred old beast said indifferently.
Qin Ming immediately realized that this was truly the burden of fame.
Not long ago, news about his origins had already spread everywhere.
The white-furred old beast had surely paid attention and investigated after hearing that he came from Black-White Mountain, and having seen his portrait, matched him to his face here.
"Are you willing to follow me?" Young Master Lu spoke.
Qin Ming knew this was provoked by the white-furred old beast trying to cause him trouble.
Clearly, this old monster not only knew his background, but also certainly remembered the night it hunted down the Palm-Sized Pig.
"What, you're unwilling?" Seeing that he didn't respond immediately, displeasure surfaced on Young Master Lu's face.
The white-furred old beast darkened its face and said, "All under heaven belongs to the divine land. You live in Black-White Mountain, so naturally you are the young master's citizen. Do you dare commit such disrespect?"
Qin Ming felt deeply annoyed. He had only found it difficult to decline the hospitality, unable to slip away in the moment, and had been invited over by the old panda to attend a feast. How had he suddenly become someone's citizen? And on top of that, be expected to follow this so-called Young Master Lu?
In the distance, a middle-aged man appeared. He was a truly important figure of the Black-White Divine Land, who had just been responsible for welcoming the honored guests. Now he cast a glance in this direction.
When he spotted Old Man Liu, ripples stirred deep within the lake of his mind, his pupils contracting for an instant. But he quickly concealed it, returning to calm.
He strolled over naturally and called out, "Xiao Liu, come over here. Make sure all our guests are well attended to."
Then, his nerves taut, he led Young Master Lu away without showing any sign.
Qin Ming spoke up: "Senior, is there some misunderstanding between us? Meng Xinghai is my uncle. He should be quite familiar with you, shouldn't he?"
"We have some acquaintance," the white-furred old beast said.
Then, its voice turned chilly: "I heard you killed many of the demon race on the plateau outside Kunling's Third Peril?"
Qin Ming's heart skipped a beat. This wasn't just because of the Palm-Sized Pig—could this old fellow also know some fiends from over in Kunling?
He calmly retrieved a letter and handed it over, saying, "Uncle Meng left this for me."
Naturally, this was not a letter addressed to the white-furred old beast, but it was indeed handwritten by Meng Xinghai, stating that Qin Ming was his nephew and asking that, if he inadvertently offended any fellow traveler, they would show mercy for Meng's sake.
Meng Xinghai had written several such letters for him, meant to be used in critical moments to trade on his reputation.
However, after reading it, the white-furred old beast was unimpressed: "I told you, I have some acquaintance with him, but not much. If this were in the outside world, I would grant him face. As for inside the Black-White Divine Land, what is his face worth? Not a copper!"
With that, it lightly flicked a finger, and the letter instantly dissolved into dust.
Old Man Liu looked toward it.
Inside the grandest building of Black-White Town, upon hearing the secret words between the middle-aged man and Young Master Lu, the true master of this domain stiffened slightly.
Chapter 270