In the pitch-black night sky, the freezing wind swept up goose-feather flakes of heavy snow, hurling them down in a dense barrage. The entire land lay blanketed in ice and snow, evoking a vast, desolate expanse.
Braving the wind, snow, and bitter cold, Qin Ming stepped into the outer realm.
The night in the wilderness was thick and dark, yet amid the biting wind and snow lay a "blessed land," warm as spring, where flowers bloomed and birds sang, enveloped in a hazy immortal light.
"Brother Lu!" Grandmaster Ling Canghai had long been waiting there and warmly came forward to welcome him.
Nowadays, cultivators of every path treated Lu Zizai with immense courtesy. In the battle of the Western Border, he had suppressed an entire realm on his own, displaying the dominating elegance of a supreme grandmaster.
He had even slain an adversary in the Patriarch realm!
Such a figure would surely open new frontiers and blaze a trail ahead for the Newborn path in the future.
"Huh?" Ling Canghai suddenly started. His senses were acute; he felt that Lu Zizai before him had returned to simplicity and true essence, faintly appearing even more unfathomable than before.
He was genuinely startled. Could the man have already broken through to the next realm, meaning he should now be addressed as Patriarch Lu? Once someone set foot in that domain, they could roam anywhere under heaven.
Everyone watched as Ling Canghai treated Lu Zizai with even greater deference, preparing to bow in salute.
Lu Zizai stopped him, saying, "An empty title—there is no need for this. Just call me Brother Lu."
Soon, the others realized what had occurred: Lu Zizai had already stepped into the sixth realm. The Newborn path now had a new patriarch with a terrifyingly profound foundation.
Though startled, no one found it surprising; it was entirely within reason. Rumors had long circulated outside that breaking through the heavenly gate had never been an issue for him; his sole concern was how to pioneer the road ahead in the future.
"Both of you are dragons among men," Ling Canghai sighed with emotion. He did not overlook Qin Ming, paying close attention to him as well.
Ever since Qin Ming stepped into the Pure Land, many eyes had settled upon him.
After all, even a transcendent figure like Lu Zizai held him in such high regard, stepping forward on his behalf and personally escorting him to the outer realm—who would dare underestimate him?
In fact, once the battle merits had been tallied, Qin Ming's record was truly terrifying, startling prominent figures from every path to the point of disbelief.
He alone had slain more than ten heavenly demon seeds, a lead that left everyone else far behind!
When the younger generation of the outer realm and the esoteric sect learned of his tally of beheadings, they were left dumbfounded.
Even natural prodigies were left dazed.
Some immortal seeds and divine seeds had even personally sought verification to confirm whether he truly had killed so many heavenly demon seeds.
After all, several exceptionally outstanding heavenly demon seeds would have almost certainly become demon patriarch-level beings in the future, yet he had strangled so many of them in their infancy.
Now, some called Qin Ming the "Heavenly Demon Slayer" behind his back.
He had undeniably become the standard-bearer for this generation of the Newborn path.
Moreover, word had come from the Immortal Lands that Qin Ming's aptitude on the immortal path rivaled Jiang Ran's, and that it might be even more suited to him than following the Newborn path.
This had undoubtedly triggered a massive sensation!
Immortal seeds could be found, but supreme talents like Jiang Ran were exceedingly rare.
For Qin Ming to straddle two paths and stand as a top-tier seed on both was truly sensational.
Bearing the mantle of a dual seed made his halo shine all the more brilliantly.
Some even wondered if he might also possess talent in the esoteric sect's path and suggested he ought to be tested.
At this moment, even Qin Ming was somewhat lost in thought. He had never imagined that he would one day arrive in the Pure Land in such a manner.
One had to remember that this was Cao Qianqiu's stronghold, home to colossal forces like the Helian clan; for him, it was exceptionally dangerous.
Needless to say, Li Qingyue was naturally present. Dressed in snow-white robes, with black hair cascading like a waterfall and a smile on her face, she waved to Qin Ming.
He responded immediately, catching sight of other acquaintances at the same time: Wang Caiwei, who had narrowly escaped death on the Western Border battlefield and was just recovering from a serious illness, as well as Pei Shuyan, Tang Xumi, and others.
To his surprise, Luo Jingxiao was there as well.
Qin Ming felt that Luo Jingxiao seemed to be drifting further and further apart from Helian Zhaoyu and Wei Cheng.
Being in the outer pure land naturally meant facing Helian Zhaoyu and his circle from the Yuxian Sect. While some did not fear them, Chen Bingyan, who was pale and had not fully recovered from her injuries, bore considerable pressure—yet she had still come out to greet him beyond the mountain gate.
"Please, come inside." After exchanging pleasantries, Ling Canghai personally led the way toward the depths of the Pure Land.
This blessed land was immense in scale; several major sects resided here, after all.
The Fire Springs here came in a brilliant riot of colors, vibrant and splendid. What flowed from them were substances laden with Dao charm, accompanied by immortal treasures and curiosities.
For instance, beside a massive Fire Spring grew a purple-gold vine whose unripe fruits took the shapes of sabers, spears, cauldrons, and swords.
In addition, Qin Ming saw a Heavenly Light Pool. Its waters rippled with light, accompanied by mist, clouds, and arcs of lightning—exceedingly wondrous.
The full pool of "water" consisted entirely of liquid condensed from outer heavenly light.
Such lavish extravagance could truly be described as breathtaking.
Rooted within the Heavenly Light Pool was an ancient tree brimming with boundless vitality. Each branch twisted like a coiling dragon, and even on the very same branch, the leaves bore five different colors.
Qin Ming immediately knew what precious tree this was; he had long heard of its fame and had even received a few gifts from it.
It was the five-colored immortal tree. The "five-colored spirit branches" deliberately pruned each early spring, along with the "fallen fruit," were rare spiritual medicines.
Yet those were merely its springtime discards.
The greatest value of the immortal tree naturally lay in its "five-colored fruit." Once mature, the five-colored divine light of the entire tree could illuminate the heavens and the earth.
Their yield was meager and their potency miraculous; they were virtually impossible to find outside, and only when a patriarch visited in person would there be an opportunity to partake.
Ling Canghai said, "Alas, it is truly unfortunate. After the great war in the Western Border, many people—from patriarchs down to grandmasters—were half-crippled. Every mature divine fruit was harvested to refine medicine and save lives."
Otherwise, with Lu Zizai's arrival, the people of the Pure Land would have certainly picked a five-colored fruit to entertain him.
This was indeed the truth; great medicines of all kinds were in exceptionally short supply across Yezhou right now.
Even when Qin Ming exchanged his battle merits for rewards, he had not chosen those spiritual medicines because the exchange rate was too unfavorable—critically wounded and dying figures and grandmasters were lining up, waiting for precious medicines to be concocted to save their lives.
Overall, from what he saw along the way, the foundation and wealth of the Pure Land were astonishingly profound.
Soon, two more grandmasters appeared. They had originally been recuperating from wounds, but upon learning that Lu Zizai had broken through and arrived in person, they immediately hurried over.
Someone even moved to invite the secluded patriarchs, but Lu Zizai stopped them.
He had previously struck against the direct disciples of Cao Qianqiu and Sun Taichu, so relations were hardly amicable.
The people of the Pure Land also breathed a sigh of relief. If someone truly went to ask Old Cao to emerge from seclusion, they genuinely feared the two sides might come to blows; it was better not to look for trouble.
Among the grandmasters keeping company, Helian Yunji was conspicuously absent. When he had tried to target Qin Ming at the immortal grave, Lu Zizai had forced him to bow his head instead.
"You young people should go gather together," Ling Canghai said. Clearly, in the presence of these grandmasters, the young disciples felt constrained.
A moment later, accompanied by Li Qingyue, Pei Shuyan, and others, Qin Ming arrived in another hall.
"Qin Ming, are you truly cultivating two paths simultaneously?" Pei Shuyan could not help but ask. He had never expected that a minor cultivator who had only been in the second realm back in Kunling could progress by leaps and bounds like this. At this rate, within a few years, Qin Ming would catch up to him in the fourth realm!
Here, Qin Ming tasted the "Golden Mist" tea Jiang Ran had mentioned. Setting down his teacup, he smiled and said, "I have only dabbled a bit in everything, but I am certainly not as proficient as those of you who specialize in a single path."
Pei Shuyan sighed. "You are far too modest. Slain over a dozen heavenly demon seeds, a tally even higher than Jiang Ran's—hearing that left several immortal seeds in our Pure Land utterly speechless."
Li Qingyue smiled and said, "Senior Brother Pei, do not lavish such excessive praise on him. Qin Ming only reached this point through an accumulation of various fortunate encounters; he still needs to temper and refine himself going forward."
As she spoke, she prepared for Qin Ming a cup of "Tea of Complete Enlightenment" with an even richer infusion of Golden Mist, knowing he would soon inspect the genuine scripture.
Pei Shuyan shook his head and said, "I had no intention of flattering him to death; I am truly in awe. Alas, Junior Sister, though the two of you have known each other for a long time, your favoritism is a bit too obvious..."
Helian Zhaoyu appeared. Just as he reached the entrance of the main hall, he saw Li Qingyue demonstrating her delightful tea artistry and overheard Pei Shuyan's words. Expressionless, he turned and walked away at once.
During the great war in the Western Border, his performance had initially been brilliant. However, his luck had run short: after taking on two heavenly demon seeds in single combat and forcefully suppressing and killing them, he was targeted by multiple veteran demons. He was nearly beaten to pieces, grievously wounded, and barely escaped with his life.
Catching sight of his retreating back, Qin Ming paid him no heed, instead inquiring about Chen Bingyan's injuries.
"It is not a big issue; I just need to recuperate for a while longer," she said with deep sorrow. Lu Zhenyi, the one closest to her, had remained forever on the Western Border battlefield.
"Qin Ming." Other acquaintances appeared: Zeng Yuan, who had only one leg remaining, and the tall, burly Zheng Maoze. Both entered the hall with complex expressions.
Their relationship with Qin Ming had not been pleasant. When he was down on his luck, both had mocked him and even stepped on him while he was down.
Yet as Qin Ming's renown grew greater and greater, they had completely abandoned any thought of rivalry and recognized reality.
"How are your injuries? Have you healed?" Qin Ming asked.
Zeng Yuan was steeped in despondency as he replied, "I lost a leg, so I am half-crippled. In a few days, I will leave the Pure Land and return home to become a wealthy gentleman, marry, raise children, and live out my remaining years in peace."
Then, he whispered, "I am sorry!"
At the very beginning, his relationship with Qin Ming had actually been quite good, but later he had sided with Li Qingxu. By now, a swirl of endless emotions left him deeply crestfallen.
"Take care!" Qin Ming said.
Supported by someone, Zeng Yuan took his leave, his silhouette indescribably bleak.
Zheng Maoze remained silent. He and Zeng Yuan had always traveled together, but now their paths were parting forever.
"Qin Ming, about the past... I'm sorry," he transmitted secretly, still unable to completely let go of his pride in public.
Mixed emotions churned within him, a flavor hard to articulate. Back then, he and Zeng Yuan had laughed at Qin Ming for lacking aptitude for the immortal path, sneering that he might not even qualify to serve as their gold-armored guard in the future.
Never had he imagined that Qin Ming's immortal path aptitude could rival Jiang Ran's, surpassing ordinary immortal seeds!
And in the end, after all his own bitter cultivation, Zheng Maoze was merely an elite disciple.
Zheng Maoze spoke aloud: "Alas, on your path, there is Xiang Yiwu, known as the 'Door Plank' of the Newborn path—it is a mark of recognition, praised by everyone. I have a large build as well, yet people call me the 'threshold' of elite immortal path disciples."
His self-deprecating remark was an attempt to ease the tension, and Qin Ming truly could not help chuckling.
The others could not hold back their smiles either; in private, the term "threshold of the immortal path" truly did exist.
Afterward, immortal seeds such as Zhuo Qingming arrived one after another. They were quite curious about someone like Qin Ming, who bore the mantle of two paths' seeds, and engaged in earnest conversation with him.
"This time, which genuine scripture do you wish to borrow and consult in our Pure Land?" Luo Jingxiao asked.
Qin Ming replied, "What I am permitted to view is naturally an incomplete scripture."
Instantly, everyone's interest was piqued, and all eyes turned toward him.
Qin Ming said, "It is that fragmented jade text."
The hall fell silent. None of them had expected him to choose a text whose difficulty was dialed to the absolute maximum.
Li Qingyue's delicate brows furrowed slightly, taking on a solemn expression. "That is a Heavenly Scripture of only a few pages, yet severely damaged. It is reputed to be one of the three most difficult texts on the immortal path. In history, only a single person ever gleaned anything from it, comprehending the Heart Subduing Classic."
Tang Xumi also cautioned gravely, "Senior Cao intends to tread the path of breaking and reforming, and he went to comprehend it not long ago. Yet even he hit a wall and returned without being able to grasp it fully."
Wang Caiwei also dissuaded him earnestly: "You must think it over carefully. It would be best to choose another; otherwise, I fear you will waste your opportunity for nothing."
The immortal seeds all nodded. This was fact.
Not only Cao Qianqiu, but across generations, many patriarchs had attempted to comprehend those few pages of the Heavenly Scripture, yet all had returned empty-handed.
To their minds, Qin Ming was reaching for the impossible.
At this moment, Helian Zhaoyu returned, appearing together with Cui Chonghe and Wei Cheng. Hearing those words, faint smiles surfaced on their faces.
"So it is called a Heavenly Scripture—is it truly that difficult?" Qin Ming murmured softly.
Chapter 341