The new world was mysterious, unknown, and now tinged with a touch of terror. With a master leading the retreat, a herd mentality took over, and nearly everyone fled in tow.
Some ambitious, proud powerhouses had genuinely wanted to stay and explore, but swept up by the surging tide of fleeing people, they were forced to fall back.
"Elder, what in the world did you see?" Xiang Yiwu pressed, wanting to get to the bottom of the matter.
Gu Xicheng's expression was exceptionally solemn. "Though you've mastered a specialized ocular technique, you're still lacking quite a bit of refinement. What I saw was an utterly terrifying... field!"
Brawny and thickset, with legs like wooden posts, a face broad as a square basin, and short hair standing stiff like steel needles, Xiang Yiwu now widened his eyes in great shock.
"A... 'living field'?" He knew well how formidable the Life-Cherishing Elder was; having cultivated the Rulai Dharma Eye, he could observe qi and discern the truth from an immense distance.
"It was once a living field. Whether it still lives now is impossible to say. Its field radiates like a blazing sun in the sky, truly shocking to the extreme."
Qin Ming and Xiao Wu exchanged glances. It wasn't a phenomenon, but a "living creature"?
Behind them, the morning glow had just begun to rise, tinting the mountain ranges. The cliffs, trees, and vegetation were all draped in golden light, appearing exceptionally sacred and serene.
Ahead of them, the night was hazy, like an abyss. Yet they chose to travel away from the light, fleeing into the distance with all their might.
While still on the way, the Life-Cherishing Elder began writing a secret letter to report the matter.
According to him, it wasn't at all that a sun was about to rise from the abyss, but rather that an enormous "field" belonged to a supreme expert—though it was almost completely dead.
"Senior, what level of existence was that?" Wu Yaozu asked, his heart pounding violently.
An absurd sensation surged in Qin Ming's heart. A residual "biological field," with afterglow spilling over from behind the mountain, could actually shine over all creation like morning glow. Pondering it closely was truly chilling.
Regrettably, they hadn't been able to see the sight behind the mountain with their own eyes.
Beyond any doubt, it was definitely magnificent to the utmost!
"Beyond all patriarchs," Gu Xicheng replied.
In the end, they plunged into Golden Light Cave, escaping that new world where the landscape was steeped in ethereal spiritual essence and vegetation grew rampantly beneath the caress of the "morning glow," stepping once more into the silver-clad realm of ice and snow.
Before them, bitter cold froze heaven and earth, chilly winds sweeping snowflakes against their faces.
Everyone felt a sense of unreality. Separated by only a cave, it was as if they had crossed between heaven and earth in a dream.
That night, Gu Xicheng released several lightning birds to deliver messages to the Rulai Sect.
"Make sure to avoid Past Rulai!" he warned.
"Elder, is that morning glow very important?" Xiang Yiwu asked.
"Naturally. It is of utmost consequence."
Amid the ice and snow, the towns of the bull-headed people were brightly lit and bustling. People who had returned from the new world entered taverns and inns, all talking about the occurrence.
An elderly master from the esoteric sect said, "Old Gu, you're quite something as a bellwether. Turning tail and fleeing at a crucial moment like that! If two armies were facing off, doing that would surely bring about a crushing defeat."
Gu Xicheng said, "Those are two completely different things, all right? Who knows, I might have just saved all your lives."
Deep into the night, Niuben City was struck by thunder from a clear sky!
The masters from Yezhou were all jolted awake by a piece of news.
"Some old fellows didn't return. Braving the waves of heavenly light and divine wisdom unleashed by the crowd, they pushed to the end of the morning glow and saw the truth."
"Several fellow Daoists traced their way there, but in the end, only that old fellow from the immortal path managed to escape back! The rest were left behind there!"
The masters in Niuben City received the message while still out and about, and immediately gathered for a secret council.
Heavy snow drifted. The master from the immortal path, lingering dread in his heart, was drinking strong liquor to calm his nerves, surrounded by a crowd of old men in the inn.
"That scene was truly sacred, yet horrifying as well. It glues your gaze the very first moment you lay eyes on it. That tangible field is like the most magnificent dream... Several masters took a step and kowtowed, prostrating themselves as they moved forward, as if on a pilgrimage..."
The old master of the immortal path spoke like a man muttering in a dream. Evidently, he too had been badly terrified, barely wrenching himself free from that bizarre and dazzling place to flee back.
Life-Cherishing Elder Gu Xicheng said, "How about it? Every single one of you present ought to kowtow to me. I saved all your lives!"
"Cut the nonsense. Let him explain everything in detail; this must be reported immediately afterward," a grandmaster said.
There were three grandmasters stationed here in total, tasked with guarding Golden Light Cave.
In the second half of the night, the masters adjourned and were ordered to keep their mouths shut.
One of the three grandmasters decided to make the trip in person. This was somewhat risky, for even after being reinforced, Golden Light Cave's upper threshold currently only barely permitted a grandmaster to pass through.
"The matter is of monumental significance. I must witness it with my own eyes."
Golden Light Cave rumbled and shuddered slightly. The grandmaster experienced some scares but no true danger, successfully making his way through.
The other two grandmasters stood at high alert, ready to destroy Golden Light Cave at a moment's notice should anything go awry.
The next day, many people from Yezhou caught wind of rumors, sparking an uproar.
After all, there were immortal seeds and divine seeds here with wide connections; some masters were their very own elders.
"Unbelievable! Opening the gate to a new world for the very first time and running into something of this magnitude! The experts of every path are bound to go crazy!"
"Brother, please tell us more—what happened?"
"In the new world, a god or fiend likely passed away in meditation, involving an exceedingly profound legacy! The residual 'field' is like a blazing sun!"
There were immense fortunes in the new world; it was impossible to keep secret now, as simply too many masters knew.
It was intensely eerie there: several masters had dropped to their knees and advanced while kowtowing, which unsettled everyone.
That day, thick fog churned within Golden Light Cave, and multicolored glow surged out like crashing tides, frightening the two grandmasters guarding the entrance so badly that they nearly destroyed the site.
"It is me!" An old man appeared, carrying four unconscious masters as he returned.
"Hiss, so soon?" The two grandmasters guarding the cave were startled.
"These four took a step and kowtowed, touching upon the residual field of that place. It seemed to change something; when using conscious soul-light, divine wisdom, and other powers, the pressure wasn't so overwhelming anymore." The scouting grandmaster had returned safe and sound.
The two guarding grandmasters said nothing at first, shining a precious mirror over him. Only after confirming nothing was amiss did they breathe a sigh of relief.
One of them asked, "Did you see clearly?"
The returning grandmaster nodded. "I saw it. There truly is something there that would drive even patriarchs mad. I made an attempt, but fell short by some distance; I could not reach the core."
Right now, there was nothing they could do except await the arrival of the patriarchs.
"Where the morning glow shines, there are extraordinary weapons—far more intact and astonishing than Helian Chengyun's broken arrow or Leng Mingkong's damaged Sky-Measuring Ruler!"
Now, the explorers from Yezhou were discussing it in hushed, fervent excitement.
It had to be understood that Helian Chengyun's broken arrow and Leng Mingkong's broken ruler could both transform into sacred battle garments, having once aided them in slaying a seventh-realm demon immortal.
"There's also a pure white, translucent bone."
"Is that just a bone? At a conservative estimate, it's most likely an Earth Immortal relic!"
In Niuben City, Yezhou's divine seeds and immortal seeds could no longer sit still, seeking out masters one after another to verify the rumors. Furthermore, an exceptionally large number of explorers entered the new world that day.
Some didn't believe it and wanted to see with their own eyes.
"Now, it takes only half a day to walk there! I witnessed a marvel of heaven and earth—a creature was once suppressed there. Alas, how lamentable!"
"I gazed upon an Earth Immortal book from afar!"
That day, more explosive news made its way back.
"Turns out I misjudged; no great crisis erupted after all," Gu Xicheng reflected on himself.
Qin Ming, Xiang Yiwu, and Xiao Wu could not resist either. They went back inside, wanting to see this wonder of the world with their own eyes.
Sure enough, they felt no pressure this time. Able to unleash their heavenly light force, their speed surged as they hurried toward the destination.
Along the way, the vegetation was lush and flourishing, radiating vigorous vitality. Bathed further by the shine of the "Earth Immortal relic" and tinged with golden glow, the entire world seemed incomparably vivid.
Qin Ming and the others arrived. Quite a few people had already gathered here, yet none dared cross a red line, afraid of losing themselves in an Earth Immortal dreamscape.
"Everyone says it's an Earth Immortal relic, but that's only a conservative estimate—it might be even more extraordinary!" an elderly man said excitedly.
At this moment, Qin Ming and his companions stood upon a mountain slope entirely illuminated by golden glow as if cast from gold, staring dumbstruck at the sight before them.
Behind the mountain stood a slightly shorter yet dazzlingly brilliant divine peak radiating multicolored light. Its shape resembled a severed hand pressed against the earth, pinning down a creature.
However, the golden mountain was already shattered and fractured, light leaking outward from its cracks.
The creature had nearly struggled free from beneath the mountain, yet suffered a wretched fate: pinned to the ground by a purple sword, it had been reduced to a human-shaped pile of ashes.
In its place remained an "Earth Immortal relic." Golden all over, it had been partially cleaved by the sword's edge, exuding an exceptionally dense "morning glow."
One could clearly see many blurry, marvelous visions manifesting from the relic, like a person's past, displaying fragmented moments of a lifetime.
Everyone realized it was priceless beyond measure!
Apart from this, a book was impaled upon the purple sword's blade, yet remained undestroyed.
"People say it was an Earth Immortal, but it's even more likely to be a Seven Suns Overlaid cultivator! Suppressed here, it struggled desperately to break free, only to perish under the purple sword. Truly terrifying!"
"It could also be a Heavenly God!"
People's eyes burned like fire as they stared at the Earth Immortal relic, the purple sword, and the Earth Immortal book. Their value simply could not be measured. If utilized properly, Yezhou would surely break free of its shackles and step into an unprecedented era of glorious prosperity.
Qin Ming, Xiang Yiwu, and Xiao Wu were spellbound, their heads spinning. Yet as magnificent as the treasures before them were, they could not draw near.
That night, when they returned through Golden Light Cave, they were informed that to preserve secrecy, all explorers were quarantined within an estate outside Niuben City, forbidden from leaving.
"This matter is too monumental, concerning the future of our Yezhou. Therefore, everyone must keep a low profile for now!" Such was the order issued by the three grandmasters.
Everyone was somewhat speechless, but there was nothing to be done. Even figureheads like Cheng Sheng and Jiang Ran, as well as those with formidable backings like Helian Yaoqing and Yao Ruoxian, were confined within the manor.
A few days later, patriarchs of Yezhou arrived—a whole group arriving in secret!
They had come with only one purpose: to study the "gate" together and reinforce Golden Light Cave, as experts of the sixth realm prepared to venture into the new world in person.
Half a month later, they departed again, as they required certain exceedingly precious heavenly materials and earthly treasures, and might even need to employ the thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes to assist with the refinement.
Three of the patriarchs remained behind to guard the place. They placed ever-greater importance on Golden Light Cave, its status and significance skyrocketing.
Moreover, no fewer than ten grandmasters were now gathered here!
The radius of movement for Qin Ming, Xiang Yiwu, and the others expanded. Aside from daily cultivation, they could stroll around the vicinity of the manor as long as they did not wander far.
Being in the same place, they naturally ran into many acquaintances, such as Pei Shuyan and Zhao Qingcheng, and were able to exchange news.
"The patriarchs have truly gone mad! They actually brought out the thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes, which tie into our race's destiny, to forge components for the 'gate' so Golden Light Cave can achieve 'immortality,' letting them enter and exit at will to do whatever they please."
It was mainly because the three items inside the new world were of such immense importance that hearing about them caused an earthquake in the hearts of the patriarchs across every path.
"It's said that if the Earth Immortal relic is absorbed by an Earth Immortal at the perfection realm or a Seven Suns Overlaid cultivator, they might break through into an even higher realm."
"Perhaps it might even be a Heavenly Immortal relic!"
If so, the rank of the purple sword and the Earth Immortal book would rise accordingly. Who wouldn't covet them?
Several days later, a group of uninvited guests arrived.
They were the group that had returned from Pugong, spanning from youths to elders.
In fact, Jian Huaidao, Xie Lin, Lu Wei, and others had arrived long ago and had also been restricted to the manor.
Now, their elders had arrived, having somehow caught wind of the "Earth Immortal relic."
"Word leaked out. I knew it—they have people planted in every path; there was no way to hide it," Master Gu Xicheng sighed.
In particular, after entering the manor, one faction among them headed straight toward the Rulai Sect's quarters.
A man seated atop a four-tusked white elephant was especially conspicuous. His mount alone was of the seed grade, from which one could easily imagine his extraordinary status.
Xiang Yiwu grumbled unhappily, "They really smelled it out and came running! They clearly departed for Pugong, yet now they return and contest everything. They've set their sights on the Earth Immortal treasures!"
Qin Ming noticed the man atop the four-tusked white elephant looking toward him.
Instantly, the man's eyes lit up like two golden lanterns, blindingly bright, as though chaos runes were swirling within them, seeming capable of seeing through everything.
His true age was unknown. He didn't appear very old, looking to be in his early thirties, with short, naturally curly hair and a rather sturdy build. His body seemed to harbor the might of dragons and elephants, possessed of immense physical vigor, and the blood qi he inadvertently radiated was deeply intimidating.
"Who is he?" Qin Ming asked privately.
"Little Rulai," Xiang Yiwu replied via voice transmission, his tone laced with resentment toward the man atop the elephant.
Historically, the title "Little Rulai" carried special significance, indicating someone likely to take charge of the Rulai Sect in the future—an orthodox successor to the mantle.
However, this was not a title bestowed upon him by Present Rulai, but rather personally designated by "Past Rulai," who had returned from Pugong.
Qin Ming sensed that the current situation across the various paths was rather delicate, even somewhat chaotic.
"What realm is he in?" Qin Ming asked.
"He definitely isn't a master; he should be in the fourth realm," Xiang Yiwu informed him. This person had an extraordinary background, being the grand-disciple of Past Rulai and deeply favored by him.
The reason Qin Ming asked was that he had noticed Little Rulai observing him.
Both practiced Chaos force, but that didn't mean they walked the same road. He needed to understand him in advance.
As the four-tusked white elephant drew near, Little Rulai, seated cross-legged atop it, gave a slight smile and said, "You must be Qin Ming? If you have time, go pay a visit to the Sage."
Qin Ming addressed him as Dao Brother and greeted him.
"You ought to address my master as Rulai."
Behind the four-tusked white elephant followed a young man and woman. Stepping forward at this moment, they spoke one after the other.
"At the very least, you should call him Senior."
Qin Ming shook his head. "Your master and I are not far apart in age. Calling him that would make him sound old, wouldn't it?"
The young pair had clearly mastered Chaos force and looked exceedingly stern right now. Even the two of them were older than Qin Ming; how could they tolerate him speaking as a peer to their master?
"Impudent! You cultivate the Chaos force method of our lineage—how can you not respect the master and revere the Dao?"
Qin Ming grew displeased. What he practiced was his family's silk book method; it had no such close relationship with their lineage.
Xiang Yiwu said, "Qin Ming has his own inheritance."
Wu Yaozu spoke up as well. "My Brother Ming has never received any pointers from you lot!"
"Since he has mastered Chaos force, he ought to address our master as Senior!"
"The orthodoxy of this method now resides with our lineage. Qin Ming, why are you being so disrespectful?"
Evidently, this young pair was remarkably stubborn.
A flame of anger sparked in Qin Ming's heart. What method had they ever taught him? Among the origins of the so-called Chaos force were several patriarchs; on what basis did this lineage style itself as the orthodoxy?
Besides, they had never guided him at all, yet put on airs the moment they met.
Qin Ming spoke up, "How did my branch become a lesser branch? Who decided what counts as orthodoxy?"
He continued, "Furthermore, Lu Zizai is my senior brother. The two of you aren't even qualified to be considered my peers."
The young man and woman's expressions changed.
Even Little Rulai, upon hearing the three words "Lu Zizai," had divine radiance flicker through his golden lantern-like eyes.
"You two, do not be impolite," Little Rulai spoke, signaling to his two disciples that no further words were needed.
He then looked toward Qin Ming and said, "We do indeed share the same origin. You should seize the time to pay audience to the Sage; the venerable elder has mentioned you as well."
"The one who returned from Pugong?" Qin Ming asked. He harbored no goodwill toward that person. The Past Rulai he acknowledged was that old senior who had dared fight for Yezhou and dragged two demon gods to death alongside him at the end of his life.
This current person, who called himself Past Rulai, commanded no respect from him.
"How dare you be repeatedly insolent?!"
"Either address him as the Sage, or address him as Past Rulai!"
The young pair both looked displeased and spoke one after another.
Qin Ming's face darkened. First, he owed these people no gratitude, and second, he had no close ties with them; how did they have the cheek to demand his deference time and time again?
If the master of "Past Rulai"—one of the origins of Chaos force, that elderly senior—had returned in person, he would gladly bow. But these disciples and grand-disciples were overbearing and put on airs.
Qin Ming said in a deep voice, "What status do you two hold to dare speak to me like this? By Senior Brother Lu Zizai's standing, you would both have to call me Senior."
"Audacious!"
"Do you expect my master to call you Senior as well?!"
The two stepped forward, Chaos force flowing across their bodies, blindingly radiant like two miniature suns bursting with morning glow.
Sharing the same manor, many had already noticed the commotion here. Once their heavenly light flared, it alerted several immortal seeds and divine seeds.
After all, when Hunyuan force fluctuated, it was exceptionally intense!
"Juniors, when meeting me, show respect!" Qin Ming fixed his gaze upon them. Ripples radiating from his body repelled the Chaos force leaking from the pair.
Moreover, his heavenly light was even more dazzling and terrifying, directly pressing down until their bones creaked as if about to snap. That immense pressure crashed down like Feixian Mountain, overpowering them and turning their faces pale, leaving them no choice but to bend their waists and bow their heads, as though about to prostrate themselves before him.
Inside the manor, everyone who witnessed the scene was thoroughly shocked. Though both sides cultivated Chaos force, the difference between them appeared vast, as if they were two completely distinct methods. Just who was the true orthodoxy?
Chapter 359