In Ruicheng, heavy snowflakes like goose feathers drifted down.
Frost flowers trimmed the colored-glaze windows, while inside, a small red clay stove cast a warm, cozy glow. The warming wine already sent rich, fragrant plumes rising into the air.
Wu Yaozu chuckled. "Come on, Brother Ming, the 'Facade'; Brother Wu, the 'Door Plank'; plus me, the 'Lintel'—let us 'Three Doors' brothers share a cup."
If anyone else had dared call Xiang Yiwu a door plank, he would have broken into a demonstration of the Rulai Palm right then and there.
Now, however, he raised his cup easygoingly, paying it no mind.
Moonlit Tower was one of the three famous towers of the Great Rui capital.
Perched upon the shore of Spirit Lake, standing atop the tower offered an overlooking view of the lake's surface tinged with golden mist and night blending into sparkling ripples, as well as a panoramic vantage over the splendid sights of the entire city.
Wu Yaozu had chosen this spot. Over the past period, he had traveled the realm, frequenting renowned cities, and had developed quite the discerning taste for fine wine and scenic views.
"So, how is it? This 'Moonlit Wine' isn't bad, right?" Xiao Wu swirled his celadon cup. The amber liquid inside, illuminated by the stove's fire, gleamed with specks of gold while filling the air with an intoxicating fragrance.
"Not bad," Qin Ming nodded.
Soon, the three touched upon the astronomical admission fee for Golden Light Cave and sighed in unison. Twenty thousand pieces of day gold per ticket truly stumped them.
"It's utterly ridiculous," Xiang Yiwu said. Above all, he felt it was an outright scam.
Qin Ming had braved life and death all the way here, yet he only had a little over ten thousand day gold on him.
Of course, he possessed invisible wealth; for instance, if he sold a phenomenal art, people would undoubtedly pay a fortune for it.
Wu Yaozu asked, "Brother Wu, you're a Rulai disciple—didn't you pull any strings? With your status, you ought to be able to enter Golden Light Cave directly, right?"
Xiang Yiwu drained the fine wine from his celadon cup and replied, "I asked. An elder told me there's no rush, advised me to wait a little longer, and strive to achieve another Golden Body Nirvana."
Hearing this, Qin Ming inquired, "Could he have some deeper motive?"
Xiang Yiwu shook his head. "Not really. He is simply cautious to a fault. Many people call him the Life-Cherishing Elder behind his back. At the slightest rustle of grass or inkling of danger, he beats a hasty retreat before anything else."
Wu Yaozu said, "Either we jump right into the pit, or we wait a bit longer. Forget it, let's just drink for now."
With that, he clapped his hands, and an attendant immediately entered the room to ask what they required.
"Having wine without music is far too dull. Fetch your finest zither player, and the dancers of Moonlit Tower are quite famous as well—go pick a troupe and bring them over."
"Right away, sir!" The attendant turned to leave.
Qin Ming stopped him. "A zither player will suffice."
Xiao Wu said, "When life brings delight, savor it to the fullest! It's just a fleeting few centuries, after all. Even Earth Immortals and Heavenly Gods see their lifespans end; no living being outlasts the sun and moon. Brother Ming, don't just focus on cultivating—you and I are practically turning into ascetics. Relax a little."
At his insistence, the dancers were summoned as well.
Wu Yaozu added, "In fact, even the sun and moon have vanished, and to this day no one knows why. The long night stretches endlessly, and who knows what will become of this whole world in the end? One ought to take things in stride."
Xiang Yiwu nodded. "Makes sense. With music and dance, we should have song as well."
Moments later, a group of graceful women filed into the room.
Twelve dancers began to twirl lightly, their long sleeves fluttering like butterflies. Silver bells tied to their ankles with red cords chimed pleasingly as they moved.
Two singing maidens wore warm yellow gowns embroidered with twin-lotus motifs, pearl chains draped around their snow-white wrists. Their voices were clear, resonant, and moving, like jade stones clinking together.
Qin Ming looked solemn. He had no attention to spare for the song and dance; instead, he watched the woman playing the zither. Sitting there quietly, she was remarkably easy to overlook.
Yet when Qin Ming opened his Eye of the Newborn, his perception shifted completely. Peering through to her true appearance, she was an exquisite, peerless beauty, a faint smile gracing her jade-like face.
Her pale hands strummed the zither, accompanied by an imperceptible veil of light mist that could affect the mind. At the very least, Xiang Yiwu and Wu Yaozu seemed clouded by it, overlooking her entirely.
Qin Ming noticed her precisely because he suddenly sensed her probing him through unfathomable means.
Especially now, she hardly bothered concealing it, weaving a hazy realm out of zither notes and light mist that formed a miniature world of its own right here.
She smiled faintly and spoke: "I harbor no malice."
As she spoke, those around them showed no reaction. Between the zither notes and swirling light mist, this space seemed detached from the room outside.
"Who are you?" Qin Ming asked.
"Pei Qingwu," she gave her name.
Qin Ming was certain he had never heard it before.
The woman in black robes offered a light smile. "I heard that two months ago, upon Spirit Lake, you gained insights from viewing a single page of true scripture from Pugong. I was thoroughly astonished and came especially to see you."
Qin Ming noticed that within the light mist, her spirit had already wandered out of her body.
A miniature figure identical in appearance to herself sat quietly at a nearby green-sandalwood table, complete with miniature tea ware and cushions, inviting Qin Ming over for a conversation.
Qin Ming found it bizarre. Sitting right beside them, had the others truly failed to notice? Were this light mist and zither music truly so wondrous as to shut out everything else?
What was this woman's background? She seemed formidable indeed.
Undaunted, Qin Ming secretly brought along his exotic metal small sword and sent his spirit wandering over, taking a seat across from her.
Pouring tea, Pei Qingwu said, "Even an Earth Immortal can only reap gains from that page of true scripture through grueling practice. What extraordinary talent do you possess? Did you truly glimpse the threshold solely through comprehension?"
Qin Ming shook his head. "The true scripture is boundless and profound. I merely scratched the surface—it amounts to nothing."
When Pei Qingwu was not smiling, she was pure, refined, and ethereal. Yet the moment a faint smile touched her lips, her entire being seemed to glow with remarkable allure—two completely distinct temperaments.
"Please." She gestured for Qin Ming to drink.
Could one actually drink tea from a pocket-sized jade cup in this state? Qin Ming felt doubtful, but seeing her drink, he also raised his cup and took a small sip.
"Hmm?" He was instantly taken aback by how thoroughly comfortable it felt.
Taking another small sip, a wisp of black mist unexpectedly rose from his body's surface and dissipated in the blink of an eye.
"You've had contact with creatures like ??, the old itinerant merchant, or night abyss stalkers..."
Qin Ming asked, "Did this cup of tea resolve a problem for me?"
Pei Qingwu replied, "It was nothing serious to begin with. As your cultivation progresses, the black mist would have dispersed on its own."
"Did you come to see me merely to treat me to tea?" Qin Ming asked.
"Yes, to see how many cups you can drink, and gauge whether you can enter Yujing with us in the future." Pei Qingwu smiled. Instantly, her whole body radiated light, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her flawless face displaying a charm capable of captivating all under heaven.
Qin Ming looked at her. Someone seeking to explore Yujing?
Yet why should he join them?
Qin Ming asked, "Yujing does not exist within the reality of this mundane realm. Moreover, those from legends all sought to escape it. Why do you wish to approach it?"
"It is far too early to discuss that. Please." Once more, she gestured toward the tea.
Qin Ming sipped slowly, feeling boundless comfort, as if undergoing purification, which brought notable benefits to his being.
After downing three cups in a row, his spirit felt exceptionally invigorated. When he wished for a refill, he found the pot empty. "Another cup, please."
Pei Qingwu said, "There is no more. You are only the fourth person I have met who could drink three consecutive cups of Mind Ape Tea without undergoing any change. At minimum, you possess the aptitude of an Earth Immortal."
With that, she returned to her physical body.
Her true self, clad in black, was enveloped in light mist and looked exceedingly pure and elegant. As her pale, slender fingers gently strummed and plucked, the zither notes conjured vivid imagery, like a clear spring washing over green stones. Then the night gradually receded, ripples of vibrant life resonated across the jade zither, and brilliant morning glow seemed to break across the horizon, shining over the dark world.
Qin Ming returned to his physical body, drank a cup of fine wine, and watched her play the zither. This woman had a remarkable background and was undoubtedly in the fourth realm.
Before long, Pei Qingwu took her leave, and the other women withdrew as well.
Wu Yaozu immediately spoke with a grave expression: "Brother Ming, who was that woman? She was terrifying! At first, she actually shut me and Brother Wu out completely—though right beside us, it felt as if we were separated by different worlds!"
Evidently, he and Xiang Yiwu had eventually noticed; both possessed extraordinary spirituality and intuition, making them difficult to hoodwink completely.
"Formidable indeed," Xiang Yiwu remarked.
"She called herself Pei Qingwu," Qin Ming informed them.
"Brother Qin..." Just then, someone pushed open the door and entered. It was Mu Yunzhou from Pugong, who had also mastered the Hunyuan force and had constantly wanted to spar with Qin Ming.
Having discovered that Qin Ming had reappeared today, he had come uninvited.
At the moment, however, he seemed somewhat distracted, glancing back repeatedly at Pei Qingwu's retreating figure.
"That woman just now was from Pugong. Do you know her?" Qin Ming asked.
Mu Yunzhou said, "Pei Qingwu, an elite among our generation. Even an exalted Earth Immortal bestowed the highest praise upon her without reservation, hailing her as extraordinary and peerless."
Composing himself, he made it clear he had still come for an "exchange." Pouring wine himself, the amber liquid inside the celadon cup surprisingly contained over a dozen strands of powerful heavenly light, swirling together as the cup flew toward Qin Ming.
The entire wine cup shone brilliantly, resembling a luminous jade goblet.
Qin Ming gave a gentle flick of his finger. A wisp of Hunyuan heavenly light sank into the celadon cup, breaking the equilibrium; yet the wine did not explode. Instead, it absorbed more heavenly light, falling into turmoil before settling into a new balance once again.
Mu Yunzhou praised, "Admirable. Brother Qin's application of the Chaos force technique is subtle to the utmost degree. Even the final disciples of sages in the third realm could achieve no better."
Xiang Yiwu spoke up: "May I ask, when you speak of sages, are you referring to the martial uncle of the Present Rulai, or his grandmaster?"
This was important, and he wished to clarify.
"Anyone who wields power rivaling the seventh realm may be called a living sage," Mu Yunzhou replied indirectly.
...
Five days later, just as Qin Ming and Wu Yaozu were preparing to sell a phenomenal art to scrape together day gold and leap into the "pit," news finally arrived from Xiang Yiwu.
The "Life-Cherishing Elder" had permitted him to enter Golden Light Cave, and a contingent from the Rulai Sect would be setting out this time.
In particular, when Xiang Yiwu mentioned Qin Ming and Xiao Wu, the Life-Cherishing Elder nodded directly and allowed them to tag along.
"Since you are renowned together as the facade and the door plank, you might as well go together."
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Xiao Wu asked.
"An ultimate powerhouse has returned to the Pugong faction!" Xiang Yiwu said with a grim expression.
A martial uncle of the Present Rulai, a terrifying powerhouse who had mastered the Chaos force—though no one knew if he had ever exploded from it, he remained alive in the world to this day, leading a group of disciples back.
What was more, he regarded himself as the Past Rulai!
Evidently, the situation within the Rulai Sect had grown complicated.
Not only on the Newborn path, but old monsters who had vanished for centuries from the immortal path and esoteric sects were reappearing in Yezhou as well; for instance, Helian Chengyun's own martial uncle was leading a large crowd back to the outer pure land.
Two days later, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu joined the Rulai Sect's group traveling westward.
The "Life-Cherishing Elder" was a grandmaster named Gu Xicheng, who personally led the expedition to Golden Light Cave.
After departing Yezhou, the flying boat entered a zone devoid of fire springs. Even snow and ice disappeared, leaving only barrenness, darkness, and dead silence, resembling an abyss of hell.
Eventually, they arrived at the territory inhabited by the bull-headed clan.
In summer, this place could be called a land of splendid mountains and rivers, with fire springs murmuring through the highlands and fire rivers traversing the plains.
Now, under the freezing cold, all vegetation lay buried under white snow.
Golden Light Cave required the power of fire springs for maintenance, consuming quite a considerable amount.
Thus, it was situated beside a super fire spring.
Lately, the bull-headed clan's territory had been bustling with activity. People from Yezhou flocked here in continuous streams, all eager to explore the new world.
An acquaintance greeted Grandmaster Gu Xicheng: "Old Gu, you truly cherish your life. You only bring people over after the safe zones of the new world have been mostly explored?"
Gu Xicheng said, "Not bad, not too late either. Since it is a new world, it is bound to be vast enough; the unknown regions are far more worth looking forward to."
They set out that very day without pausing to rest.
Inside Golden Light Cave, golden light and mist surged like a deep, dark tunnel.
Qin Ming, Wu Yaozu, and the others followed behind Grandmaster Gu Xicheng, walking deeper inside. A sensation of weightlessness arose along the way; in a trance, all the golden light seemed to transform into nearby constellations.
Their generation had never seen a true starry sky, but through depictions in ancient texts, they had daydreamed of splendid celestial rivers; now, it felt as though those visions had materialized.
As they advanced, streaks of light constantly flashed past, accompanied by dense, glittering points of luminescence.
Ultimately, their minds slightly dazed, they traversed the tunnel and emerged from the other end of Golden Light Cave.
It was a wondrous experience. Though little time had passed, they felt as if they had become time travelers who, in the snap of a finger, had crossed thousands of years and traversed a sea of stars.
A fresh scent of grass and earth met their senses, prompting everyone to widen their eyes.
Ahead lay lush green landscapes, mountains and rivers bathed in morning glow that dyed many peaks golden. Vegetation shimmered with light, and glistening dewdrops rolled upon wildflowers and leaves—everything brimmed with vibrant life.
Most importantly, spiritual substance was abundant here, and Dao resonance drifted faintly about, tangible and capturable. It was truly a sacred land for cultivation!
Qin Ming stood somewhat lost in thought. A single Golden Light Cave could connect two worlds; not long ago they had been in a harsh winter land of drifting snow, and in an instant, they stood within an entirely new world.
Over the next few days, they explored the new world, resonating with Dao resonance here; every insight felt as if it drew them closer to the Great Dao.
Evidently, every expedition was cautiously drawing near that rich morning glow.
Where the golden dawn shone down, a gentle, mysterious force prevented people from approaching too quickly.
This force was peculiar: the more one unleashed heavenly light and conscious spiritual force to violently contest it, the greater the resistance felt.
Conversely, if one relaxed and advanced slowly on foot, one could gradually draw closer.
Qin Ming, Wu Yaozu, and Xiang Yiwu grew very curious: what kind of place was that ahead?
More than ten days later, cries of astonishment arose from the very front, followed by boundless excitement from many onlookers.
"Heavens, a blazing sun!"
"The heavenly sun is about to rise!"
...
Unexpectedly, upon hearing these cries, Gu Xicheng did not press forward. Instead, his heavenly light erupted, sweeping up Xiang Yiwu, Qin Ming, and the others as he turned and fled.
It was an unprecedented speed he had never once displayed since entering the new world.
"Elder, why are we running?" Xiang Yiwu looked utterly bewildered, having been "abducted" into fleeing alongside him.
"On that day, the sun set and never rose again..." Gu Xicheng muttered, running even faster, like lightning flashing across the mountain ranges, leaving dense clusters of great mountains behind in the blink of an eye.
His reaction triggered a chain effect, and seeing this, other grandmasters took to their heels as well.
Naturally, many were reluctant, shouting, "He's the Life-Cherishing Elder, no need to copy him!"
Yet like a burst dam, with someone taking the lead as an example, eighty percent of the people panicked inside and bolted along after them.
"Elder, why must we flee?" Others from the Rulai Sect found it unbearable as well, asking along the way.
"You don't truly believe you saw the sun, do you? I must immediately report the terrifying truth of this place to the Present Rulai!" Gu Xicheng's joints cracked loudly, his entire body surging with Rulai light.
Chapter 358