Accustomed to the Sun and Moon Hanging High

Lately, Qin Ming had gained a relatively deep understanding of the Yuxian Sect and the Helian clan. Yet hearing about them was nothing compared to seeing them in person. What sort of peculiar breed was this? First coveting near-immortal items, then setting their sights on Li Qingyue, and now even attempting to take him in as well? "&!" At that moment, Qin Ming felt like spitting out a string of curses. "What did you say?" the white-robed youth asked. "A greeting of the sun elven race. It means 'hello'!" Qin Ming replied. Not far off, experts of the sun elven race keeping a constant eye on him immediately felt the urge to walk over and correct him—could he please stop flinging dirty water at them? The white-robed woman of the Helian clan looked to be in her twenties, around Pei Shuyan's age, with profoundly deep cultivation. Though she spoke at a normal volume, many nearby could not hear her; only Qin Ming and a few top experts could catch her words. She smiled faintly. Clad in white, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her lips vivid red, she bore an extraordinarily striking appearance and bearing despite being dressed in men's clothing. "My name is Helian Yaoqing. If you wish to follow me into the immortal graves, you may seek me out afterward." She excused herself with a polite word and departed just like that. This was entirely different from what Qin Ming had imagined. He had assumed that once the principal party appeared, they would make trouble for him. Whenever he went out now, experts of the sun elven race secretly guarded him, which was why he had taken the initiative to test the waters, hoping to see the other side's methods early on. He had not expected it to be much cry and little wool—ended just like that with no trouble at all? The boy, Helian Mingxu, did not leave immediately. He scrutinized Qin Ming with a peculiar look before being invited away by several young aristocrats. Within the palace hall stood massive pillars carved with dragons and phoenixes, from which beams of light shaped like dragons and phoenixes drifted. Pei Shuyan leaned against a giant pillar, watching Qin Ming approach, and asked, "Now that you've met someone from the Helian clan, what do you think?" "What's the story with that Helian Yaoqing?" Qin Ming asked. Pei Shuyan said, "I haven't had much deep interaction with her. All I know is that she dislikes her cousin Helian Zhaoyu; the two are born adversaries." "Wait a moment. Did I miss something?" Qin Ming asked. A moment later, his expression chilled slightly. The one who truly harbored designs on Li Qingyue and the near-immortal Eight Trigrams Furnace was Helian Zhaoyu. Helian Yaoqing was not the principal figure after all. The youth Helian Mingxu was very close to Helian Zhaoyu, being his nephew. Qin Ming had misunderstood Helian Yaoqing earlier, but he had secretly felt relieved since she was a woman. Now that he realized the real party was someone else, his brows knitted tightly; nothing had deviated from its original track. "What kind of person is Helian Zhaoyu?" Qin Ming wanted to know. "Whatever his heart desires will ultimately come to pass." Pei Shuyan's evaluation was succinct. "Sounds overbearing and utterly unscrupulous in achieving his ends?" Qin Ming pondered for a moment, sensing that this Helian Zhaoyu was quite dangerous. "That was said by someone in the Yuxian Sect. I rarely see him myself," Pei Shuyan said, shaking his head. "How strong is he?" Qin Ming asked. Pei Shuyan replied, "He has never fought anyone in the outer realms." Qin Ming was surprised. "A bean sprout raised in a greenhouse?" "Rumor has it that from a very young age, he was taken to roam all across the night mist world, honing himself under other identities. For a time, his killing intent was so heavy that neither birds nor beasts dared draw near. Later, he cultivated a scripture that washed away the bloody stench, restoring him to the image of a gentle young lord." "He didn't come tonight?" Qin Ming asked. Pei Shuyan said, "He is in the Great Yu imperial palace, using the boundless, dense dragon qi there to forge a lethal exotic treasure in preparation for the Great Reclamation." Qin Ming sighed. A powerful background was truly formidable—he could even enter such a place to forge treasures. He gazed at the night sky, already contemplating the worst-case scenario. He could not pin his hopes on the Helian clan meeting with disaster in the immortal graves. Judging by Helian Zhaoyu's temperament, he would never stop until he got what he wanted, and behind him stood the Yuxian Sect. It would be very difficult to protect Qingyue and the Eight Trigrams Furnace in her hands. Qin Ming had confidence in rising during the Great Reclamation and harbored no fear of the Helian clan's younger generation. But what if it ultimately drew out the old monsters of the Yuxian Sect? He could not simply watch Li Qingyue face that alone. He realized the road ahead was exceedingly difficult; clashing with the Yuxian Sect would be fraught with danger. 'Having Helian Yaoqing suppress her cousin? Utterly unreliable.' Qin Ming's thoughts drifted back to Twin Trees Village. Could Old Man Liu—Liu Mo—fully restore his cultivation? Then he shook his head; he could not rely on that. He then thought of the silk book method patriarch he had fished out of Black Dragon Pool. That figure had not only subdued several compromised "Mad Gods," but had also slain normal gods who had ridden out of Yujing atop golden-haired hou. 'Should I try digging up the patriarch to see if the venerable elder still has any breath of life left in him?' Qin Ming sighed. That would be far too unfilial. Even if the patriarch had not completely passed away, opening his eyes would likely prompt him to slap Qin Ming first. He felt some tightness in his chest, yet an unprecedented fighting spirit welled up within him. Qin Ming hungered to grow stronger, fueled by the drive to rise rapidly. At this time, many people were engaged in animated discussions about the immortal graves realm. According to the sun elves, a single shovel into certain barren lands could unearth relics of ancient cultivators, and an occasional deep excavation would reveal grand tombs rich with burial goods, yielding numerous treasures. In that region, one could clearly see thousand-year wondrous medicines growing atop the graves, spiritual radiance filling the sky. Unfortunately, one could not approach them due to the shrouding formations. The sun elven race had guarded the place for a long time, yet they had not breached the crucial territory to this day. "Most crucially, those areas we just mentioned—those immortal graves are merely accessory burials guarding the main mausoleum..." Instantly, many people were moved, their imaginations running wild. Excavating just a portion of the subordinate tombs had enabled the nature-revering sun elves to step onto the path of immortality and give rise to a sixth-realm patriarch. People now had reason to believe the main tomb held secrets pertaining to the seventh realm. No wonder the patriarchs of the immortal path unanimously advocated an expedition, burning with even more fervor than the youth. Qin Ming's restless heart calmed down. He still had time. "Brother Qin." The boy Helian Mingxu walked over, taking the initiative to greet him. "I'm sorry about what happened back on the Moon." He spoke softly and gently, now appearing remarkably sensible as he came over to apologize and invited Qin Ming to a quiet room for a chat. The side hall served as a high-class lounge. Here, a silver Fire Spring flowed, its light bright yet gentle, emitting spiritual substances that aided cultivation. Qin Ming marveled inward; the Great Yu imperial clan possessed an extraordinary foundation—this was clearly a wondrous spring. Helian Mingxu said, "Brother Qin, I truly admire you. Through life's great ups and downs, after being cast aside by the Cui clan, not only did you tenaciously survive, but you even managed to rise on your own after losing your memories." Qin Ming was surprised. Had this little brat actually changed his tune? "It's alright. There are plenty of people whose lives have been far more twisted and ill-fated than mine. Just look at the famous figures throughout history—mine is nothing in comparison." Qin Ming spoke as he admired the bas-reliefs on the side hall's walls, which depicted the illustrious achievements of Great Yu's founding emperor. This founding monarch had actually slain a sixth-realm demon ancestor, subdued mighty races from the depths of the night mist world, and made gods bow their heads. Qin Ming observed with keen interest. One of the reliefs portrayed a deity entering the imperial palace. Could that be the River Goddess of the Shuyu River? Had she even been an imperial consort to the founding emperor? "When a person is strong enough, they can make even gods bow!" he softly sighed. Helian Mingxu said pointedly, "Yet in the end, he met a violent death. What is too rigid easily breaks." Then, with a face full of smiles, he said, "Have some tea. This is a specialty of Kunling's Second Peril." On Qin Ming's first day in Kunling, he had seen this tea auctioned off for astronomical prices, as it could only be harvested once every three years from the edge of the Peril. He set down his teacup and remarked, "Not as good as the Enlightenment Tea on the trial path in that secret realm on the Third Plateau." Helian Mingxu said, "The night is deep, Brother Qin. Have some snacks. Oh, right, this medicinal congee isn't bad either—a new offering from the Taixu Pill Mansion." "What effects does it have?" Qin Ming asked obligingly. Helian Mingxu replied, "It nourishes yang energy and internally strengthens the five viscera and six bowels. One bowl a day, over a year of practice, yields the equivalent of thirteen months of another's cultivation. It may seem like just one extra month a year, but little by little, if accumulated across all aspects, the final result is quite substantial." Qin Ming nodded. "Indeed extraordinary, very refined. How much does a bowl cost?" Helian Mingxu informed him, "Ninety day gold a bowl." Qin Ming sighed. "That could support a family of three in the Great Yu imperial capital for six years." Helian Mingxu gave a faint smile. "Brother Ming lived in the Cui clan for over ten years, clad in brocade and dining on delicacies, riding four-colored carriages drawn by exotic beasts wherever you went. Do you still care about such things?" "In my childhood, I barely had enough to eat and keep warm." Qin Ming spoke with absolute candor, feeling no need to avoid his past. "Later in life, it was like a fleeting dream. Afterward, I suffered from hunger and hovered between life and death. Hearing you say this makes this bowl of congee feel very heavy." Helian Mingxu smiled and said, "Brother Qin, one must speak according to the height at which one stands. Look, simply by sitting here, we are already no ordinary people. Why care? In the end, congee is just congee. The Xiaojin raised by my family is fed spiritual beast meat every day, costing far more than this." Qin Ming watched him put on airs in silence. "Brother Qin, how does this quiet room feel? Isn't it exceptionally easy to enter tranquility? There is spirit-calming incense here. In the past, Kunling possessed an undying tree, but sadly, as the divine land collapsed, it sank into the abyss. This incense is made primarily from the fallen leaves of a fifth-generation immortal tree grafted and bred from its branches. Burning one stick a day accelerates the accumulation of conscious spiritual light by twenty percent over a year." Qin Ming recalled the incense mist tea the white-robed woman had treated him to in the temple of the Fourth Peril; one of its main ingredients was resin from the true undying tree. Yet he could not be bothered to mention it and merely watched the boy in silence. Helian Mingxu spoke again: "Sister Qingyue is a wonderful person, a celestial maiden who does not belong to the mortal realm. If I were only a few years older, I would definitely compete with my uncle, Helian Zhaoyu. Sister Qingyue is an uncut jade; the more she is polished, the brighter she shines. I believe she will far surpass those who entered the outer realms at age three or four. Those precocious geniuses may not have enduring potential; though their cultivation realms may be higher now, I believe Sister Qingyue will go further in the end. Surpassing immortals to become an ancestor will be no problem for her." Just then, an elderly man walked in. There were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, yet his hair was pitch-black. If one sensed carefully, the sound of blood flowing through his body was deafening, like the surging torrent of a mighty river. Qin Ming's heart gave a start. Could this be a grandmaster? The boy had been putting on airs before him, and he had not cared. But now, such a heavyweight had actually shown up in person? That defied common sense. "This old man was merely passing by, not coming specifically for you," the elder said. At the same time, another figure appeared in the quiet room. Grandmaster Qionghui of the sun elven race took a seat beside Qin Ming. The elder looked toward the alien grandmaster and said, "This old man is Helian Yunji, here specifically to pay Daoist Brother a visit." Qin Ming was shaken inward. This truly was that grandmaster from the Yuxian Sect, Helian Zhaoyu's grandfather. Qionghui nodded, seemingly aware of his intentions, and said, "There is no need to bring up the matter of the immortal contract." Helian Yunji smiled faintly at him, then turned to Qin Ming. "Allow this old man to offer you a few words as well. No matter how great one's talent, one still requires support. In this night mist world, people speak of a hundred flowers blossoming and a hundred schools of thought contending. Yet without resources and lacking backing, one is bound to take many detours, perhaps even being left far behind by those less gifted than oneself." Qin Ming's face remained impassive as he looked at the grandmaster. He wondered: if Qionghui were not here, would Helian Yunji have casually slapped him out of existence? Helian Mingxu spoke up once more. "Brother Qin, you cannot give any of these things to Sister Qingyue. While you run around everywhere seeking resources and searching for immortal spiritual substances, scrambling all over, she is sitting in meditation upon the Dao Comprehension Platform, listening to patriarchs expound scriptures and receiving personal instruction. Which one progresses faster?" "Telling me all this is completely meaningless," Qin Ming responded calmly. Grandmaster Helian Yunji said, "This world is very fair. Make the right choice, and the entire world treats you with kindness; make the wrong choice, and you stand against the entire world. Well now, I have an Eight Views Divine Radiance Classic here. Young friend, would you like it?" With that, he produced a book. "There isn't a single word inside. Where is any Eight Views Divine Radiance Classic?" Qin Ming asked. Helian Yunji flicked his finger, reducing the blank volume to powder. He said placidly, "Having grown accustomed to the sun and moon hanging high above, how could one be content crawling beneath the mud like a mole cricket, begging for a humble existence? Any random volume could be an immortal scripture serving as a clan's foundation, a single medicine can break through a realm, and a single meal equals ten days of effort for an ordinary genius. Young friend, some things are bound to change, and they are beyond your grasp." He then stood and invited Qionghui to a private chamber for a talk. ... *Wuuu...* The blare of a war horn dispersed the pervasive night mist. Ripples of the immortal path seemed to expand across the world, brightening the heavens and earth. More than half a month had passed since the banquet in the royal gardens. The armies of the immortal path had been continuously assembling in recent days, on the verge of the grand expedition. An exotic bird with phoenix-like wings and a body of pure gold crossed the night sky, touching down at the sun elves' residence in Chongxiao. "Qin Ming, the legendary-grade sacred baleful aura you requested has arrived. Please fulfill your promise." Grandmaster Qionghui personally sent a voice transmission, delivering the news.