Clad in black robes, Wei Cheng chuckled. To think someone actually wanted to comprehend the shattered jade book—what was he thinking? Was that the kind of classic someone of low cultivation realm could even touch?
Helian Zhaoyu's gloomy mood began to lift, and his tense, sullen expression finally softened.
That was one of the three most difficult true scriptures of the immortal path, a work that had baffled generations of patriarchs!
Helian Zhaoyu was genuinely looking forward to it, eager to see just how stubborn Qin Ming's head was to dare weigh himself against a heavenly book whose difficulty was pushed to the absolute extreme.
He waited to see him hit a wall and return thoroughly humbled.
Cui Chonghe walked a different road from the two of them and had merely run into them at the hall entrance, but he felt no need to explain himself to anyone.
Draped in a green robe with dao rhymes wafting about him, he possessed top-tier immortal seed talent. He took little heed of the matter, confident that Qin Ming would inevitably suffer defeat and return empty-handed.
Even his master, Sun Taichu, had been stumped by that shattered heavenly book, completely unable to synthesize its scriptures.
Cui Chonghe had also gone there before and managed only meager gains. He had already realized that those writings were prepared for pioneers walking at the very forefront of trailblazing new paths.
His mind made up, Qin Ming stood, prepared to go comprehend the true scripture.
Li Qingyue did not say much. She understood him; without a certain degree of confidence, he would never act rashly.
With a gentle flick of her hand, the teacup radiating golden dawn glow drifted up from the green sandalwood table. She handed it to Qin Ming, motioning for him to finish the Thorough Enlightenment Tea.
Helian Zhaoyu immediately regretted stepping through the doors, the faint smile on his face vanishing in an instant.
Chen Bingyan, Tang Xumi, Wang Caiwei, and the others hesitated to speak, knowing that persuasion would be futile.
As for immortal seeds like Pei Shuyan and Zhuo Qingming, though their expressions remained calm and they admired Qin Ming's courage, deep down they all believed he was destined to fail and leave empty-handed.
After all, that was the shattered jade book famous across all cultivation paths, likely one of the most difficult scriptures to comprehend in the entire world.
Lu Zizai appeared, accompanied by several grandmasters.
Out of goodwill, Ling Canghai offered a serious warning: "Young friend, you must be prudent and consider this carefully."
The other grandmasters nodded in agreement. Even when they went to comprehend it, they always ended up with splitting headaches, barely able to grasp the barest surface.
Qin Ming said, "Thank you for your kind intentions, Senior. I have yearned for this scripture for a long time. Even if I fail to grasp anything, I will accept it with equanimity. I mainly wish to fulfill a personal wish."
The group walked toward the depths of the Pure Land, where the shattered jade book was kept in a special area.
In moving between the outer realms and the esoteric sects, Qin Ming had carefully considered every true scripture he chose, consulting Lu Zizai and following his counsel.
Any classic that could still be traced in the outside world, such as the *Waxing and Waning Scripture* and the *Eight Views Divine Radiance Classic*, was left out of the exchanges; there would always be opportunities to access them later.
He needed to seize the present moment while his relations with the outer realms and esoteric sects were strong—during this "honeymoon period"—to promptly use his battle merits to claim unique copies. Once this chance slipped away, there would not be another.
Moreover, Lu Zizai had hinted that certain true scriptures had long been coveted by the patriarchs of the silk book method.
Upon an unremarkable small earthen knoll, there were no immortal trees, no divine herbs, nor any rare Fire Springs bubbling forth. Jagged rocks protruded everywhere and mugwort grass covered the slope. It looked somewhat desolate, completely out of place amidst the rich spiritual substance of the Pure Land.
Yet the shattered jade book had been unearthed right here.
The people of the immortal path had constructed a palace in this spot to preserve the jade book while doing their utmost to maintain the land's original appearance.
This had been a requirement of the patriarchs. It remained unclear whether they had failed to see through the barren knoll or simply wished to draw on the original site to comprehend the original text.
Of course, the entire knoll had once been dug through and turned upside down, only to be restored afterward.
Qin Ming waded through the mugwort thicket and stepped along the uneven dirt path to reach the slope, coming to a halt before a palace built entirely of piled jade.
Someone carefully carried out a wooden box and walked over to a barren patch devoid of vegetation outside the hall, where a low green sandalwood table stood, paired with a prayer mat.
Ling Canghai informed him that the jade book had been unearthed from this very patch of bare earth.
"Down through the generations, the various patriarchs may have gained minor insights, but the only one who truly comprehended a true scripture from it was the patriarch of the Sacred Land lineage who broke away from Yezhou."
Ling Canghai's meaning was clear: since recorded history began, only a single person had ever achieved genuine mastery from it.
The world possessed all manner of profound arts, and virtually all of them could be mastered; otherwise, what would be the purpose of their existence?
Yet this shattered heavenly book was simply too peculiar.
Lu Zizai said, "That might not necessarily be so. Perhaps some patriarchs of the immortal path attained consummate mastery and were merely too low-key to publicize what they gained."
These words gave several grandmasters pause.
The disciples of the immortal path who had followed them here were equally astonished. Why would he say such a thing?
The leader of the Sacred Land lineage that had split from Yezhou had comprehended the *Subduing the Mind Classic*, also known as the *Subduing the Immortal Classic*. Its core teaching was that immortals are born of the mind, and by subduing their form and spirit, they could be turned to one's own use.
"Does Patriarch Lu have any insights to share?" one grandmaster could not help asking.
Dressed in coarse hemp robes, his gaze clear and bright, Lu Zizai spoke: "Take that Cao Qianqiu, for example. All his life, he has acted without restraint, bordering on uncontrollable, utterly lawless. Doesn't he look to you like a Mind Ape?"
In an instant, the area fell dead silent.
Then, a commotion erupted across the knoll. This new patriarch of the Newborn path, endowed with the aptitude to open new frontiers and blaze trails, truly dared to utter anything!
The faces of several grandmasters changed. They wished they could cover his mouth—could such things be said aloud?
They worried about drawing Old Cao over and provoking an earth-shattering battle.
Cao Qianqiu was truly formidable; even with less than four-tenths of his cultivation remaining, he exuded immense pressure.
Although Lu Zizai had broken through the heavenly barrier with the stature of a supreme grandmaster, he had only just stepped into the realm of the sixth stage after all. If he truly clashed with Old Cao right now, it would inevitably be a ferocious battle between dragon and tiger.
"I have studied him; it is not impossible," Lu Zizai said.
"Patriarch Lu, speak no more," Ling Canghai hastily interjected. Such matters were no laughing matter. It could cost lives; one wrong move, and this entire territory might be torn apart.
From their initial disbelief, the younger generation of disciples began to doubt. Looking at him, it did not seem like he was joking.
"Patriarch Cao was transformed from a willful Mind Ape?" Even a top-tier immortal seed like Zhuo Qingming fell into a daze.
If understood in this light, many things seemed to make sense. Cao Qianqiu was overbearing, unruly, and singularly arrogant—he matched the description remarkably well.
"Hiss... If Patriarch Cao is merely the inner demon of some mysterious entity, just how terrifying must the true master be, and where is he now? This is far too horrific, beyond my imagination."
Pei Shuyan was also dumbfounded, finding this notion utterly subversive.
The group of immortal seeds were all dazed, plunged into deep shock.
Even Cui Chonghe and Helian Zhaoyu knit their brows, their minds thoroughly shaken.
Lu Zizai remarked flatly, "If Cao Qianqiu is a Mind Ape, then in the future, he will either be subdued and return into the true body, or be refined into an 'immortal pill' using various tribulations as true fire and the night mist world as an immortal furnace, to be swallowed directly by the true master."
The hearts of the young disciples surged with turbulent emotions as countless thoughts raced through their minds.
"Patriarch Lu, speaking in this manner goes against propriety," a grandmaster said in a deep voice.
"I merely mentioned it in passing," Lu Zizai said, and fell silent.
The grandmasters did not quite believe him. They felt Lu Zizai had a deliberate angle—could he be aiming his sword at Old Cao?
The thought sent their hearts churning wildly.
It was truly impossible not to overthink it: why would he bring up such a matter for no reason?
If Cao Qianqiu heard this right now, he might very well come out to fight him.
If Old Cao learned of it later, he might genuinely begin to question his own existence, and his dao heart could shatter.
Ling Canghai said, "Let us leave this place to young friend Qin Ming. We shall wait outside the knoll."
"If a Mind Ape severs yet another Mind Ape, that would be even more interesting," Lu Zizai added before walking off first.
It could sever another? Several immortal seeds lost their composure.
A grandmaster said, "The *Subduing the Mind Classic* is only a portion of the shattered heavenly book. Even if a second person achieves genuine mastery, they might not necessarily walk the path of severing the Mind Ape."
Lu Zizai nodded. "Mhm. Perhaps they will directly condense a dao fetus, or give birth to an immortal."
The minds of the crowd were unable to settle. Leaving Qin Ming alone in this place, they all descended the earthen knoll.
Outside, heavy snow fell in flurries, while here, mugwort grass grew thick and insects chirped faintly. Sitting cross-legged upon the prayer mat, Qin Ming opened the wooden box on the green sandalwood table.
He drew a deep breath and gently opened it.
Before his eyes lay four extremely thin pages of jade book. The stone was dim and lusterless, covered not only in dense, tiny characters, but also riddled with web-like fractures.
He had to turn them with the utmost care, genuinely afraid they might crumble to pieces.
Three of the four jade pages were damaged: the second page lacked a corner, the third had a large hole through its center, and the fourth had been sheared completely in half.
"It really is quite severely shattered."
However, Qin Ming did not mind. Even if only a single page remained, he could still salvage the true scripture.
In truth, when choosing texts this time, he had deliberately picked damaged scriptures because they offered far better value.
Under normal circumstances, complete sect-anchoring scriptures were never opened to outsiders by either the immortal path or the esoteric sects; they were strictly guarded secrets.
The same held true for the Newborn path. Even if people from the immortal path offered a vast amount of battle merits in exchange, they would never receive the cultivation methods for the Sky-Upholding force or Rulai force.
Special, damaged scriptures with boundless possibilities were the optimal choice for Qin Ming. His battle merits could comfortably afford them, and most crucially, he had the opportunity to restore them to completion.
At this moment, Qin Ming froze, his eyes widening. He did not recognize a single character; it was not any script familiar to him.
Ever since learning that sixty percent of secret classics had been unearthed from beneath the earth, Qin Ming had put in serious effort over the past half-year, studying several varieties of ancient scripts.
Right now, he did not panic. Since people of the immortal path could come here to comprehend it, it meant this script could be deciphered.
"Hmm?"
As he stared at the first jade page, Qin Ming noticed that the tiny characters began to faintly glow, looking like countless dragons and phoenixes swimming and rearranging themselves.
Then, they transformed. In a daze, he saw tens of thousands of beasts stampeding as every character took on a concrete form.
Next, they shifted once more, turning into dense swarms of tiny figures demonstrating all manner of postures—some sitting in meditation, some shifting agilely, others appearing to ascend as immortals.
In an instant, Qin Ming received a dense stream of information, rather chaotic and mixed, as layered silhouettes bore down toward his eyes.
Even with his extraordinary comprehension, he was thoroughly bewildered. There was no pattern, only utter disorder—how could one understand such a scripture?
Even tilting his head or blinking slightly altered the information he received; the ascending silhouettes and disordered figures changed their forms completely.
If so, a thousand people comprehending it would arrive at a thousand different interpretations, wouldn't they?
Qin Ming frowned. What kind of scripture was this? Did it resemble a popular novel, presenting open-ended teachings?
For a brief moment, he considered concentrating his spirit to the absolute peak to attempt resonance. But recalling his past experiences, lingering fear held him back. He decided to chew on the hard bone himself first, resorting to that agonizing state of ecstasy and torment only if he hit a dead end.
"He's frowning. He probably got stumped right from the start."
Outside the mugwort thicket, many people lingered rather than leaving, waiting to see the outcome of his attempt.
Wei Cheng spoke up: "This true scripture is extraordinary. Even immortal seeds cannot necessarily glimpse a corner of its true face. Without sufficient spirituality, one cannot even read it normally."
According to rumors, merely entering tranquility and immersing oneself to perceive this scripture required an immense amount of time. That single step weeded out ninety percent of geniuses.
"Hiss!" Someone gasped in astonishment.
For in the blink of an eye, wisps of spiritual dao rhyme rose from Qin Ming's body, exceptionally dense, blanketing the scripture.
Most crucially, the shattered jade book gave him positive feedback. No longer dim, it radiated a hazy light, as though interacting with him.
"He became immersed that quickly?" Even top immortal seeds like Pei Shuyan and Zhuo Qingming were stunned.
Wei Cheng, who had just been eager to watch a joke unfold, clamped his mouth shut at once.
Helian Zhaoyu fixed a somber gaze upon the figure shrouded in spiritual dao rhyme on the knoll.
"Such speed is truly astonishing!" someone among the renowned figures exclaimed in praise.
Whether Qin Ming could comprehend the true scripture was one matter, but this display of spirituality enveloping his body was already enough to dazzle the Pure Land.
Regardless, the four pages of heavenly book had already proven that Qin Ming was an extraordinary talent at the top of the pyramid.
While many were startled into admiration, others wore cold expressions. Take the members of the Cui family, for instance; the powers in the Pure Land were deeply intertwined, and naturally included many people from prominent clans.
The more Qin Ming shone, the more the seniors, middle-aged experts, and young disciples of the Cui family who held enmity toward him felt disgraced.
By now, many people already knew of the past ties between them and Qin Ming.
"On this immortal path, he is actually a peerless immortal seed as well." A senior of the Cui family felt a knot of suffocating resentment lodge in his chest.
In truth, several old rivals had lately been ridiculing them both openly and covertly.
Some adversaries had even called them blind, using harsh and biting words.
These rumors and taunts had nearly caused several short-tempered elders of the Cui family to explode on the spot.
"Back then, I even thought of having him serve as a divine armor guard for Chonghe. Even if he couldn't keep pace with Chonghe, he could still protect the young talents our clan produced later. Who could have imagined he was an immortal seed too!" an elder murmured.
He felt no regret for Qin Ming, only bitterness that they had not moved against him earlier. Now, it was too late.
Qin Ming had caught Lu Zizai's eye; who would dare move against him openly?
They worried that if things continued to develop like this, Qin Ming would become a powerful rival to Cui Chonghe.
Upon the earthen knoll, the youth sat quietly, his eyes deep, as though gazing through boundless mist to behold the wondrous spectacles carried upon the jade book.
Qin Ming himself felt immense wonder. The transformation of all the characters into tiny figures, shifting from chaos to order, had occurred in the span of an instant.
The more intently he stared, the clearer and emptier his mind became, and the more distinct the orderly scenes grew.
Gradually, an understanding dawned upon him: *Seek the Dao within the mind; the true scripture is born from the mind.*
The shattered jade book demanded an exceptionally high standard of its readers. Without an extraordinary natural endowment, one could not even begin to touch it.
All talk of equality, of all people being able to comprehend the Dharma, was pure fiction.
The essence of cultivation ultimately came down to innate talent.
For those of mediocre aptitude seeking advancement and a leap in life's standing, their only hope lay in so-called heaven-defying fortune. But how many people enjoyed explosive luck throughout their lives?
Qin Ming saw countless tiny figures moving—some transforming, some sparring—and gradually, they all took on his own likeness.
"The level of this scripture is extraordinarily high!" he murmured.
Setting aside everything else, the method used to leave behind this text alone was utterly miraculous.
Even after countless ages had passed, no matter how the great eras turned, how times shifted, or how many times scripts were replaced, the transmission of the first page's scripture remained entirely unaffected.
It recorded the scriptures using the most fundamental dao rhymes, presenting an ever-shifting scroll of imagery.
He did not know how much time passed as he watched it over and over, each time carefully observing the dao rhyme diagram evolve from beginning to end.
"It encompasses everything. There seems to be an exposition on 'myriad transformations,' as well as the scriptures of combat arts. It contains far too much." Qin Ming felt his cultivation realm was still insufficient; otherwise, he might have seen even more.
The advice from Ling Canghai and the others had indeed been correct: this scripture was meant for cultivators of higher realms to comprehend. For him, coming into contact with it now was still premature.
However, Qin Ming was not discouraged. Instead, he was filled with enthusiasm; all he needed to do was memorize this dao rhyme diagram.
He could grasp part of its true meaning now, and whatever he could not understand could simply wait until his cultivation reached higher realms.
With that, having committed the fundamental dao rhyme diagram of the first page to memory, he turned the page.
Near the knoll, many people were shocked. He was already moving on to the second page of the heavenly book so quickly?
The light of Qin Ming's mind spread outward. Utterly tranquil and empty, he immersed himself within it. Gradually, his brow furrowed; the missing corner of the second page had a significant impact.
He saw a damaged Eight Trigrams Furnace, boundless flames, and remnants of combat.
*Is this mental combat, and the process of refining the Mind Ape into medicine?* Qin Ming pondered. This cultivation method aligned closely with certain mythological legends.
He studied it intently, combining the first two pages and examining them continuously to verify his thoughts.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Qin Ming's spirit shuddered.
In a daze, he seemed to behold layer upon layer of mist, behind which lurked creatures like ??—this was somewhat outrageous and terrifying.
Immediately after, he felt his Eye of the Newborn turn scorching hot, and his view through the mist seemed to grow slightly clearer.
*The immortal furnace and true fire can temper my Eye of the Newborn?*
Qin Ming linked the teachings of the two jade pages, carefully contemplating them. Regarding the combat portion, he believed it leaned toward the mental domain.
*Is this a heart scripture?*
Moreover, he found it increasingly familiar. After continual contemplation and verification, realization suddenly struck him, and he began recalling another text in his mind.
In the past, the silk book method patriarch had passed four teachings to Qin Ming, of which he could currently only cultivate the Physical Body Chapter.
It had now been proven that the original source of the Physical Body Chapter was the *Classic of Tempering the Body to Unite with the Dao*, which he had obtained in the esoteric sect's Hall of Immortality and restored to completion.
The second teaching actually corresponded to the majority of the true meaning across the first two pages of this jade heavenly book, relating to mental combat and similar arts!
Qin Ming was profoundly shaken. No wonder Lu Zizai had emphasized this text to him—there was a causal thread after all.
This meant that not only had the patriarch of the Sacred Land lineage gained something from this place, but others had also comprehended portions of it.
Or perhaps the silk book method patriarch had once made a move against the people of the Sacred Land.
Whatever the historical truth was, Qin Ming could no longer trace it. But he was thrilled right now: he had found the source of one of the vital nourishing chapters of the silk book method, and he was about to restore it to completion.
Even knowing that resonance would subject him to torment, Qin Ming had no choice but to proceed. The fragmented jade book was immensely important to him, yet it was damaged and incomplete from the second page onward.
He adjusted his condition, bringing his spirit, qi, and vitality to their peak, and then began!
He had not felt this intimidated even when battling demons; on the contrary, he had been exceptionally active on the Western Border battlefield, striking down heavenly demon seeds from all quarters and gathering blood medicine in high spirits.
Now, facing a formidable adversary, he initiated resonance with great caution.
With a hum, what sounded like magnificent chanting echoed beside his ears. His body trembled on the spot, and he nearly tumbled face-first onto the ground.
At that moment, Qin Ming felt as though waves formed of mottled time were crashing over him, threatening to drown him.
The experience was beyond words. He traced his way back to that most ancient primary emotion, which had grown very faint, as though on the verge of being ground away completely by the passage of history.
Yet it remained terrifying. It shook Qin Ming until his vitality churned violently. Before long, traces of blood seeped from his nose and mouth, and his brain felt as if it were being violently stirred.
Soon, Qin Ming broke out of that state, grabbed a handful of precious medicines, and shoved them into his mouth.
At present, the one thing he did not lack was healing medicine; he had obtained far too much on the Western Border battlefield.
Before leaving the Pure Land, he planned to give some to Li Qingyue, as well as to Chen Bingyan and the others whose injuries had not fully healed.
Near the knoll, many onlookers were dumbfounded. He was merely comprehending a scripture—why had he started taking medicine?
"There's blood at the corner of his mouth!" Several people looked on in disbelief. To what depth had Qin Ming immersed himself in studying the shattered jade book to actually injure himself? This was absurd!
Soon, everyone's expressions grew solemn, for they noticed that the youth sitting cross-legged was enveloped in an intensely dense blend of spiritual radiance and dao rhymes, glowing like a sun!
In the eyes of the crowd, Qin Ming and the four pages of heavenly book shone in mutual brilliance, mirroring each other.
"Truly worthy of being an immortal seed on par with Jiang Ran, coupled with a foundation in the Newborn path—he is indeed a peerless talent!" Even Grandmaster Ling Canghai could not help but praise him.
They knew Qin Ming must have gained something.
An infant could not understand an adult's world, and a cultivator of low realm could not touch the domain of a patriarch.
Everyone knew that Qin Ming had surely touched the portion of the true scripture corresponding to his own realm and attained enlightenment!
Wei Cheng and Helian Zhaoyu were both deeply shaken. The youth they desperately wanted to crush beneath their fingers was genuinely capable of comprehending the shattered jade book.
At this moment, even Cui Chonghe wore a solemn expression.
Top immortal seeds like Pei Shuyan and Zhuo Qingming also revealed looks of shock.
"He really can do it?" Wang Caiwei and Chen Bingyan felt their hearts surge with emotion.
Tang Xumi's eyes went wide in disbelief, and then he suddenly remembered that he still owed Qin Ming a divine ape art.
At this moment, Qin Ming's heart surged as he beheld the complete second page of the scripture. The magnificent Eight Trigrams Furnace seemed poised to swallow him whole, surrounded by boundless talismans and sky-scorching flames. These dao rhyme visions felt tangibly real, threatening to refine him.
Fortunately, he endured, committing every phase of the transformation process to the depths of his heart.
At the same time, Qin Ming felt fortunate that with the passing of time, that primordial main emotion had weakened significantly; otherwise, his agony would have been multiplied many times over.
He might even have suffered catastrophic injuries that endangered his life through such resonance!
He practiced the art within his mind. The furnace manifested and roaring flames filled the sky, making him feel that his Eye of the Newborn was indeed advancing.
He grabbed another handful of healing treasure medicine, stuffed it into his mouth, and restored his condition.
Once he had adjusted, he began resonating with the third and fourth pages of the jade book.
The final two pages were severely damaged, and predecessors had failed to comprehend anything from them. Qin Ming began "mending the jade book," attempting to recreate the true scripture that had vanished into history.
Qin Ming and Lu Zizai had arrived at the Pure Land in the shallow night, and without much delay, they had proceeded straight to the knoll. It was not until the deep night that he finally rose, his face pale.
One could well imagine the immense toll the "weight" of the four pages of scriptures had taken on him.
His condition naturally drew the attention of many.
"Do you want to fight him?" Wei Cheng looked at the companion beside him. If anyone else harbored such a thought, he would consider them mad.
In the third realm right now, Qin Ming was truly formidable. His glorious battle record stood for all to see: he had slain over a dozen heavenly demon seeds in succession.
However, if Helian Zhaoyu took the field, Wei Cheng felt there was a strong chance of victory.
He knew well that Helian Zhaoyu's talent was terrifyingly high and his foundation immensely solid. He had mastered the *Imperial Immortal Classic* and was also proficient in the methods of the esoteric sects.
Most importantly, he knew full well that Helian Zhaoyu had once stepped into the fourth realm, but in order to forge the strongest foundation, he had used the "Myriad Forging" method to temper himself back down.
"Mhm!" Helian Zhaoyu uttered only a single word, his face cold.
Wei Cheng looked forward to it immensely. "To shatter him at his most radiant—how splendid!"
"Poor Zhaoyu, I see darkness between your brows; terrible luck is coming your way!" someone suddenly called out.
Wei Cheng turned immediately, about to snap at whoever spoke so terribly. Yet he instantly clamped his mouth shut.
Thoroughly displeased, Helian Zhaoyu turned his head to look, only to find that the speaker was none other than his elder cousin, Helian Yaoqing.
Qin Ming stood and walked toward the outside of the knoll.
Suddenly sensing something, he looked toward a distant peak shrouded in immortal mist and froze. He saw a familiar figure.
His emotions surged. He wanted to meet that person and ask about his grandfather's whereabouts.
Chapter 342