The night was like an abyss.
Having broken through the celestial barrier with five sacred baleful auras, Qin Ming hovered briefly before descending onto the mountain peak, quietly contemplating his state.
Moments later, a Five Elements Wheel manifested in his hand. As he cast it out, five-colored radiance pierced through the pitch-black night mist.
A Vermilion Bird wreathed in dazzling firelight, a White Tiger radiating the slaughtering aura of metal, a Xuanwu bearing dark waters that seemed to submerge heaven and earth… The five sacred baleful auras emerged, spinning at high speed alongside the Five Elements Wheel.
Meng Xinghai watched in marvel. Having read widely through biographies and historical records, he knew the histories of renowned figures throughout time. If they were placed in the Second Realm, not one could have held their ground against the youth before him.
Most martial and mystic arts in the world, regardless of the path, fell within the scope of the five elements.
Meng Xinghai knew that once this Five Elements Wheel appeared, it bore an innate advantage that suppressed all ten thousand arts.
In an instant, a curtain of multicolored mist cascaded from the night sky.
Amidst crisp clangs of humming blades, five immortal swords—vermilion, azure, black, white, and yellow—fanned out behind Qin Ming like a peacock spreading its tail, extraordinarily sharp and dazzlingly brilliant.
Immediately after, the five swords transformed into five-colored vapor and dissolved into Qin Ming's mouth and nostrils.
He let out a muffled grunt and stumbled two steps back.
"As expected of the legendary sacred baleful auras. They've sheared away at least a hundred and eighty years of my lifespan!" His face turned slightly pale.
Qin Ming took another drink of the auspicious beast blood to nurture his vitality, counteracting the lingering, terrifying effects.
The Five-Colored Sacred Baleful Auras pierced into his flesh and blood like five sharp swords cleaving away at his surging life force. Their adverse toll was far too severe.
Fusing with just one or two sacred baleful auras was already an astounding feat; absorbing all five into his body wrought tremendous damage.
In ancient times, a peerless drudge who fused four sacred baleful auras caused a colossal sensation that went down in the historical annals.
Yet even that accomplishment was not achieved purely by personal strength. It had required the intervention of an immortal sanctuary—replacing divine bones, grafting immortal skin, and enduring prolonged refinement in an immortal crucible.
Only after surviving all that could such a drudge grow into an unmatched powerhouse.
Meng Xinghai gazed at the youth enveloped in five-colored light and mist, tumultuous waves stirring in his heart that refused to settle.
He knew very well that Qin Ming had also previously fused a Yin-Yang Heavenly Light Diagram.
Moreover, the youth before him had accomplished all of this entirely on his own.
Such a feat surpassed even the monstrous geniuses painstakingly forged by ancient immortal sanctuaries. The sheer purity of his foundation—and the concentration of sacred baleful auras within him—was truly frightening.
Qin Ming took sip after sip. From the pure crystal vessel, liquid resembling golden twilight flowed into his mouth, illuminating every corner of his body and releasing a surge of vigorous vitality.
In essence, the legendary sacred baleful auras were also forms of heavenly light descended from the outer realm; they were merely so violently ferocious that people shrank back from them.
The rainy season had passed, meaning Qin Ming could no longer capture longevity-bestowing heavenly lights—such as Fortune at the Fore, Purple Clouds from the East, or Longevity Matching the Southern Mountain—amidst thunder and lightning.
"The auspicious blood can counteract the negative backlash." Qin Ming's complexion began to improve as he gradually acclimated to the five most overbearing varieties of outer realm heavenly light.
Soon, he felt his lost years returning.
His life force grew steadily more robust as five-colored divine clouds surged within him. He felt intensely, overwhelmingly powerful—to the point where he harbored the absurd illusion that if Cao Qianqiu stood before him right now, he could slap him twice across the face.
After a fleeting moment of being intoxicated by his surging power, he swiftly cleared his mind.
Though his lifespan had been restored, sober reflection revealed that had he fused other heterogeneous substances instead of depleting his own essence, he would currently have nearly two centuries more lifespan than he did now.
Qin Ming sighed. Every gain carried a loss; the world was ultimately fair.
If he sought the utmost ferocity and dominance in his heavenly light force, he naturally had to pay a corresponding price.
Still, it mattered little. As long as he continued to grow stronger and swiftly advanced through realms, his lifespan would remain plentiful and keep expanding.
Qin Ming took another small sip of the golden auspicious beast blood, feeling that he had thoroughly adapted to the Five Elements Sacred Baleful Auras. They had become an integral part of his own heavenly light.
Setting aside the pure crystal vessel, he circulated the five-colored divine radiance. Soon, it melded with his five internal organs. Far from harming him, it actively fortified his core.
Such was the wonder of legendary-grade sacred baleful auras!
Once thoroughly tempered and integrated into one's heavenly light, they permanently augmented the cultivator with faint, indestructible qualities.
After carefully discerning the shifts within himself, Qin Ming began practicing his wondrous arts.
With every breakthrough, he made a habit of cultivating wondrous arts to fuse fresh variants of heavenly light force.
He continued sipping the auspicious beast blood. Its efficacy was extraordinary, serving alongside a demonic seed to aid the cultivation of wondrous arts.
In selecting arts this time, aside from compatibility with his foundation, he also had to consider whether reaching perfection would unveil a "secret trove" and grant him sight of a new world.
"The five elements are complete. I can now cultivate the Wind-Riding Scripture. A collection belonging to the Dayu imperial family should not disappoint," he pondered carefully.
He produced another manual, the Nether Scripture, and murmured, "This one must have a remarkable background. It might well harbor an astonishing secret trove."
These were the rewards he had earned bit by bit after repeatedly assisting Dayu's Fourth Princess, Yao Ruoxian, within the Yin soil's ghost path ruins.
Next, Qin Ming flipped through the Dragon-Tiger Dao Scripture, a manual he had won in a wager against An Youxing and Pei Shuyan while serving as a sparring partner for the immortal seeds.
He had already grasped the basics of all three wondrous arts. Now, having drunk the auspicious beast blood, his constitution was continuously elevating, even showing signs of impending rebirth.
Naturally, he would not let such an opportunity slip by. Swigging down several large mouthfuls of the wondrous blood medicine, he cultivated on the spot, willing his heavenly light force to undergo metamorphosis alongside him.
In the dark night, Qin Ming's entire body glowed, his wide sleeves fluttering as he rode the wind. In a single bound, he soared across the expanse from this peak to the adjacent sheer precipice.
Meng Xinghai watched with deep emotion. In his youth, he too had been spirited and ambitious, sprinting along the Newborn path, only to abandon it reluctantly in the end to specialize in the esoteric sect's divine path.
Looking at Qin Ming now, he seemed to see his younger self.
Yet he held faith in Qin Ming; the young man had a real chance to shatter the curse that made breaking through so prohibitive on the Newborn path, without ever needing to switch tracks.
Qin Ming rode the wind back to the peak.
As he began practicing the Nether Scripture, his heavenly light force steadily climbing, he noticed with a start that faint "movements" stirred within the night mist beneath the pitch-black sky.
"Is it another of those bizarre phenomena? Like those unknown anomalies, or the final resting place of the old itinerant merchant?"
Since those "movements" did not draw near, he chose not to provoke them.
Roar! Howl!
As Qin Ming practiced the Dragon-Tiger Dao Scripture, the phantom images of a dragon and a tiger manifested. Faintly, the resonant roars of dragons and tigers echoed from within his five viscera and six bowels.
"Not only does it nourish the body and temper the organs, but it also serves as a formidable offensive technique."
Qin Ming felt confident that at least one of these three wondrous arts would yield a "secret trove."
His whole body burned with heat as his vitality, marrow, and spirit underwent dramatic changes.
The auspicious beast blood inherently possessed the power of rebirth.
Even after neutralizing the negative backlash of the sacred baleful auras, its residual energy seemed to carry him into a state of renewal—or perhaps the transformation was spurred by his own breakthrough.
Strictly speaking, beyond the First Realm, it was nearly impossible on the Newborn path to undergo another rebirth during subsequent realm breakthroughs.
Yet with the aid of the auspicious beast blood, he mastered all three wondrous arts!
Over the hours that followed, Qin Ming operated the silk book method to merge the three strands of heavenly light force.
Thunder and fire swirled across him from head to toe, while rumbling sounds emanated from his chest and abdomen.
Inside his body, thunder and fire converged, dragon and tiger intertwined, refining the grand elixir internally as all forces gradually converged into one!
Before long, a golden core formed within him, densely patterned with intricate lines—the physical manifestation of diverse scriptural insights etched across its surface, entwined with the sacred baleful auras.
Furthermore, it was bolstered by longevity-bestowing substances such as Fortune Boundless as the Eastern Sea and Longevity Matching the Southern Mountain.
Rumble!
The golden core turned over and over before taking the shape of his own likeness, suddenly releasing countless streams of light that surged into his four limbs and hundred bones.
Afterward, Qin Ming resumed internal refinement from the beginning to ensure not a single hidden flaw remained.
He was tempering his heavenly light force a hundred times over!
In this stretch of Shallow Night, a barren wasteland devoid of fire springs and plant life offered no visible contrast between light and dark.
Yet Meng Xinghai estimated the passage of time: a full night had elapsed.
It was then that Qin Ming concluded his practice. His scalding flesh gradually cooled to normal. He had not merely broken through—he had undergone yet another rebirth.
"Looking at it this way, my overall lifespan has actually increased. A worthwhile trade!"
Right now, he longed to test his mettle against someone and gauge his true strength.
"Reaching the late stage of the Second Realm is functionally no different from reaching perfection," Qin Ming muttered to himself.
Perfection was merely consolidating, accumulating, and polishing what was established in the late stage. For him, the road ahead was smooth and unimpeded.
All he needed was to familiarize himself with and master his current power. Once it flowed seamlessly, he could look toward shattering the major barrier and formally advancing into the Third Realm.
In this "early morning," Qin Ming stood quietly, sorting through everything he had learned.
Soon, his body and spirit merged into harmonious unity, his entire form emanating a precious glow shimmering with mysterious Daoist charm.
At present, the insights of the silk book were fused into his flesh and blood, acting as the primal 'One' that commanded all arts.
Then, a black-and-white Yin-Yang Heavenly Light Diagram manifested outside his body, rotating slowly to shield him within.
The Black-White Classic was equally vital to him, serving as the mutable 'Two,' which was why he prized this scripture so highly.
The Great Dao sought simplicity. In truth, with the yin-yang diagram, he did not strictly require the Five Elements Sacred Baleful Auras.
Even so, he naturally welcomed having more protective means at his disposal.
In an instant, the yin-yang diagram shifted, transforming into twin black-and-white trees rooted behind him, while the conceptual essence of the five elements took shape as well—the earth that anchored the twin trees, the water that nourished them, and more.
A breeze blew, causing the black-and-white trees to sway, shifting between flourishing and withering. Butterflies fluttered gracefully among them, while dragon-serpents lurked within the drifting mist.
Qin Ming released the two insects. Their fire-tempering had reached a stable phase, and it was time to feed them and await their metamorphosis.
Soon, a golden cicada appeared on the trunk, trilling with cheerful vigor. A silkworm lay upon a leaf, nibbling on the foliage birthed from the dual energies of yin and yang.
Even though Meng Xinghai had already held Qin Ming in high esteem, he was still profoundly shaken.
If Qin Ming had unveiled this full domain of intent before the Southern Heavenly Gate, there would have been no need for a contest at all. It would have been an absolute rout, sweeping aside the entire younger generation of sun elves.
Even if they had all joined hands, it would have been futile.
Meng Xinghai sighed. "You kid, you're something else! Once techniques like these are unleashed, they are downright terrifying. Even someone as overbearing as Cao Qianqiu would have had to bow his head if he met you in his youth."
"There is always someone stronger, and another heaven beyond the sky. Uncle Meng, let's keep a low profile," Qin Ming replied.
He then asked, "How was that old monster from the Yuxian Sect, the one who stepped into the Seventh Realm, when he was young?"
Meng Xinghai laughed, pointing a finger at him. "You…"
Then, his expression turned intensely solemn. "He… is unfathomable."
***
Chongxiao City, the Dayu imperial capital. Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai returned, intending to see people off.
In the outer realm, the vanguard had already set out.
Today, a cohort of senior experts accompanied by immortal seeds was also preparing to depart.
Outside Chongxiao City, flying vessels blanketed the sky. High-grade exotic birds soared, their splendid plumage scattering the night mist.
Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai stood on a slope, looking out over the scene and recognizing many familiar faces.
Before long, he spotted Li Qingyue. Dressed in white, she looked just as the poetry described: peerless and standing solitary in the world.
A middle-aged couple stood beside her, offering gentle, earnest advice. In all likelihood, they were her parents.
Sensing something, Li Qingyue looked toward the slope.
Immediately after, not far from her, a youth in white also seemed to sense their presence. He cast his gaze toward Qin Ming and offered a faint smile.
Though they had never met, Qin Ming knew at once that this had to be Helian Zhaoyu.
"Extraordinary perception!" That was Qin Ming's first impression of him; this man was exceptionally formidable.
At the same time, he felt not the slightest goodwill toward Helian Zhaoyu. Though that smile appeared bright, it was by no means an overture of friendship.
Helian Zhaoyu walked up to the large flying vessel near Li Qingyue, paused briefly to exchange words with her and her parents, and then courteously invited nearby elders to board first before stepping aboard himself with elegant grace.
He gave another nod in this direction with a faint smile, then vanished inside the cabin.
Qin Ming was certain: this fellow was dangerous.
According to Pei Shuyan, Helian Zhaoyu favored black robes.
Yet today, he seemed to have intentionally chosen white robes matching Li Qingyue's.
His wordless nod carried a pointed implication—
Was he declaring that he and Li Qingyue would journey deep into the night mist world, sharing the same boat?
"My senior martial sister and her husband actually came," Meng Xinghai remarked, not having noticed Helian Zhaoyu's gesture.
Li Qingyue's mother was his senior martial sister, and her father had once saved his life. The two families shared deep ties, so he intended to go over and greet them.
"Little Qin, to be safe, you'd better not go," Meng Xinghai said, hoping to prevent certain figures on the immortal path from fixating on him and causing trouble.
Crowded with war vessels, that area was teeming with powerhouses of every stripe. As a rising talent on the Newborn path, it was best not to draw attention to himself.
Qin Ming gave a muted grunt of agreement and said nothing more.
Meng Xinghai walked off toward the immortal path's war vessels.
Recalling how he and Li Qingyue had walked shoulder to shoulder along the Shuyu River, Qin Ming felt a touch of unease. Yet he could not even approach to see her off.
With a soft rustle, a figure flashed past. Li Qingyun, whom he had not seen in a while, appeared.
"Uncle Li!" Qin Ming greeted him.
"It's still Little Qin who's the most comforting sight!" Li Qingyun said with a smile, though a hint of weariness showed on his face.
Neither mentioned the Yuxian Sect, yet both knew that all of this stemmed from the Helian clan.
"Little Qin, I never imagined you would unearth the Luofu Sect's foundational scripture and give it to Qingyue," Li Qingyun said.
"It was only an incomplete method," Qin Ming replied.
Li Qingyun sent a secret vocal transmission: "Someone in the outer realm already knows she is cultivating the complete, authentic scripture. After all, Sixth Realm patriarchs are active there."
Qin Ming realized at once that the matter had leaked.
Back at the Luofu Immortal Mountain ruins, he had not only unearthed the battered Single Page of True Transmission forged from exotic metal, but had also resonated with the Six Ding Divine Fire scripture inscribed on the Eight Trigrams Furnace.
Upon reaching the Third Realm, Li Qingyue would be able to cultivate the Luofu Sect's sect-defining scripture, lost for a thousand years.
Furthermore, patriarchs in the outer realm had even observed her extraordinary resonance with that near-immortal artifact, the Eight Trigrams Furnace, suspecting she might possess the secret method to cultivate the Six Ding Divine Fire.
If so, the Eight Trigrams Furnace would be priceless, once again becoming a sect-guarding treasure.
"It's not that Qingyue wasn't careful enough. It's just that in the outer realm, more than one patriarch—and even an old Heavenly Immortal with one foot in the Seventh Realm—possesses eyes of blazing insight. Qingyue couldn't hide it from them," Li Qingyun sighed.
With war vessels packed ahead, he dared not even use the words "old monster" in his secret transmission.
Qin Ming's expression turned grave. If patriarch-level figures knew that the foundational scripture and the Six Ding Divine Fire had resurfaced, the situation was exceedingly severe.
In the past, the Luofu Sect and the Yuxian Sect had been of equal renown. It was only after Luofu failed in its bid to elevate its blessed land into a grotto-heaven—shattering the entire blessed land—that it fell into complete decline.
Back then, an immortal seed had survived, only to vanish forever on the very day the Luofu Sect fell.
Some claimed he had been abducted by an old monster from another lineage to force out the scripture; others said he had been astute enough to flee overseas into total seclusion.
Evidently, covetous eyes had been fixed on the Luofu Sect's legacy from the very beginning.
Now that the complete sect-defining scripture of the Luofu lineage had reappeared, along with the refinement method for the Eight Trigrams Furnace, people were bound to be tempted.
Certain parties in the outer realm had investigated the matter thoroughly.
For instance, the Yuxian Sect had dug deep, scrutinizing Qin Ming and Li Qingyue's past and relationship down to the finest detail.
They had uncovered how Li Qingyue had used the pretext of traveling to personally deliver the Destiny-Altering Scripture to Qin Ming, and how she had given him one of the two pieces of exotic metal bestowed upon her.
Some even wondered whether Qin Ming had obtained the Luofu Sect's foundational scripture and the Six Ding Divine Fire method first and passed them to Li Qingyue.
After all, both the Destiny-Altering Scripture and the exotic metal were of immense value, yet she had journeyed so far in person just to deliver them to him.
In truth, when Li Qingyue gave him those two treasures, Qin Ming had intended to return the favor with a grand gift, but he had not yet acquired the complete foundational scripture or the chapter detailing the Six Ding Divine Fire.
Li Qingyun said, "Qingyue shouldered the entire matter herself. She claimed she acquired both the foundational scripture and the Six Ding Divine Fire secret art, having stumbled upon an imprint left behind by an ancient patriarch."
The other patriarchs in the outer realm did not press the issue further. They did not believe someone on the Newborn path could hear the lingering Daoist resonance of an immortal path patriarch.
They assumed Li Qingyue and Qin Ming had been close friends in their early years and later developed mutual feelings, which explained why she had gifted him the Destiny-Altering Scripture and the exotic metal.
A thousand years ago, the Luofu Sect had been in its zenith; otherwise, how would it have dared to be the very first to attempt elevating a blessed land into a grotto-heaven?
Thus, the reappearance of their most precious legacy could not fail to draw immense scrutiny.
"The Luofu Sect today is in decline," Li Qingyun sighed.
Qin Ming asked, "So they can only watch helplessly as the Yuxian Sect demands the person, the scripture, and the sect-defining treasure?"
Li Qingyun answered, "The grandmasters from the Yuxian Sect framed it as an alliance through marriage, claiming the two sects share the same roots and will prosper together. Qingyue will remain the Luofu Sect's immortal seed, and the Yuxian Sect will provide abundant, rare resources to foster her growth."
With an old monster who had set foot into the Seventh Realm looking down from above the clouds, the situation was practically without solution.
"Even if other immortal path lineages voice dissent, can nothing be changed?" Qin Ming asked.
***
One war vessel after another lifted off, vanishing into the dark clouds and mist as the Great Reclamation formally commenced.
Qin Ming's thoughts churned. This was an expedition of the immortal path; at present, he did not even possess the qualifications to march alongside them.
In truth, that region likely held no scriptures useful for the Newborn path.
The main tomb complex there almost certainly harbored the secrets of the immortal path's Seventh Realm—the very prize the immortal path coveted most. Through this expedition, the overall strength of the outer realm might surge dramatically, giving rise to true, peerless Seventh Realm figures!
Two days had passed since the immortal path's main force embarked on their expedition.
Qin Ming had yet to leave the Dayu imperial capital, and he heard countless discussions everywhere.
Without question, in every city under the night mist, people were talking about this event. After several centuries, a Great Reclamation had finally begun once more!
"Historically, every grand pioneering effort marked an era where heroes rose with astonishing speed, destined to become a glorious age of shining stars. This time, the immortal path has taken the lead."
"By the time they return, I wager some of the immortal seeds will be strong enough to challenge the prominent figures of the middle generation. Top cultivators in their prime might advance to grandmaster rank, while the likes of Helian Yunji, Ling Canghai, and Su Yuxiao may well step into the patriarch realm."
The entire world watched with rapt attention, and all under heaven were buzzing with discussion.
"Those towering figures nearing the patriarch realm are too distant for us. I only want to know how strong famed immortal seeds like Jiang Ran, Pei Shuyan, Cui Chonghe, and Li Qingyue will be when they return. Every one of them is a legendary talent of this era!"
"There are also Su Shiyun, Xue Yunzheng, and many others. Besides, you forgot the members of the immortal families from the outer realm, like the Helian clan."
Walking the streets of the Dayu imperial capital, Qin Ming could hear young cultivators debating passionately.
He felt acutely that a momentous era had arrived.
From princes and nobles down to common peddlers, everyone was talking about the reclamation.
Qin Ming walked along the bank of the Shuyu River, retracing the path where silver willows and purple wisteria swayed with pure radiance. Thinking of Li Qingyue's words, his heart felt heavy, suffocated by an inexplicable tightness.
With a quiet sigh, he departed into the night.
Returning to Chixia City, Qin Ming shared a hearty drink with Meng Xinghai.
"What are your plans? Do you want me to arrange something for you to head toward the Immortal Tomb region?" Meng Xinghai asked him.
Qin Ming shook his head. "Forget it. The immortal path's reclamation likely holds little of what someone on the Newborn path needs. Besides, if I go, it might invite needless trouble."
The expedition was filled with immortal path experts; it would be all too easy for someone to target him.
"Then remain in Chixia City and enter closed-door cultivation," Meng Xinghai suggested.
Qin Ming said, "I plan to... retire home for a while, to visit Black-White Mountain."
Meng Xinghai said solemnly, "Don't go acting like an old man resigned to his fate."
"I'm not. I had some insights and want to cultivate in seclusion there," Qin Ming clarified.
"In that case, I'll go with you to pay respects to that old god," Meng Xinghai said in an undertone.
"Very well," Qin Ming agreed.
That same day, Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai quietly arrived near Black-White Mountain and entered Twin Trees Village.
Qin Ming also wanted to check on Uncle Liu—Old Man Liu—to see if he showed any signs of reclaiming his divine status.
As it turned out, the old man remained entirely unchanged, except that he kicked his old yellow dog with greater frequency each day.
Meng Xinghai was adept at handling worldly affairs. Chatting and laughing, he accompanied Old Man Liu through two drinking sessions without lingering too long, returning that very day.
Qin Ming continued to conceal his true identity, unwilling to involve the village too deeply lest someone trace matters back here in the future.
Though Old Man Liu was somewhat eccentric, relying on him to protect the entire village was by no means guaranteed. Just as when the mountain patrol squad acted with impunity years ago, it was Qin Ming who had stepped forward to resolve the crisis.
Late at night, Qin Ming sat cross-legged beneath the Black-White Twin Trees, quietly comprehending the Dao.
For a time, the tree shadows danced gently. The image of the black-and-white twin trees materialized behind him as well. Under the glow of the fire spring, the physical black-and-white trees overlapped with the wondrous phenomenon behind his back.
This time, his mind cleared, seeing through the layered mists ahead, and his resolve on his chosen path hardened!
As Shallow Night approached, a squirrel bounded across eaves and leaped over walls, darting past numerous dwellings before landing with a whoosh before the twin trees. It stared in astonishment at the quietly seated figure.
"You don't recognize me, and you can't even catch my scent?" Qin Ming flicked its forehead with a finger.
Instantly, the red squirrel's eyes welled with tears. Rubbing its forehead vigorously from the pain, it chattered in squeaky protest:
*You raid my nest, and now you hit me? You're bullying squirrels too far!*
***
Two days later, Qin Ming received a message via carrier sparrow from Meng Xinghai, urging him to return immediately.
"The Newborn path is summoning you!"
Upon returning to Chixia City, he was greeted with this news.
The Newborn path was preparing to mobilize as well, sending out a substantial force—and a rising talent like Qin Ming was naturally among their ranks.
"Go to Kunling and travel with the people from Shanhe Academy," Meng Xinghai instructed.
Though Yujing had not emerged, the turmoil in Kunling had settled.
Meng Xinghai handed him a letter written in Yu Gensheng's own hand.
"Brother Lu mentioned to them that I should take part in this expedition," Qin Ming murmured.
He set out that very day.
Returning to Shanhe Academy, Qin Ming found that many familiar faces had gathered.
Five days later, in the lands of Kunling, one flying vessel after another soared into the night sky as the forces of the Newborn path began their great expedition.
Chapter 295