Arriving in Droves

"The heavens have collapsed in the southwest; an Earth Immortal's blood brought chaos..." When those from Pugong received the secret report, shock rattled them to their core. Had disaster struck back home? Jian Huaidao, Xie Lin, and the others all felt their hairs stand on end. The lineages behind them were connected to those who underwent the seven-day overlap and to Earth Immortals, so they were naturally racked with worry. Feathery snowflakes drifted down through the freezing chill, yet the biting cold could not match the dread gripping their hearts. Those from Pugong traveling through Yezhou wished they could rush back that very instant. Once they calmed down, however, they suppressed the urge; returning right now might plunge them into mortal peril. "An Earth Immortal's bloody chaos doesn't necessarily mean it involves my clan," Jian Huaidao murmured to himself. There were four transcendent orthodoxies in Pugong that reached into the Seventh Realm. Now that an Earth Immortal had fallen, the families that came through unscathed might only grow stronger. Little Rulai had short, naturally curly hair and a stocky build. Golden glints shone in his eyes as he, too, muttered, "Of the four Earth Immortal clans, only two now remain..." A broad smile gradually spread across his face. "In that case, the origin of Chaos force—the strongest living sage of the Newborn path—will be almost impossible to stop as he uses the grotto-heaven's remnant ruins to step into the Seventh Realm!" News of Pugong's blood and turmoil circulated only within a tight circle. Even Yezhou's grandmasters knew little, as it was primarily the highest authorities keeping watch on that region. Meanwhile, another piece of news stirred a tremendous sensation, detonating like winter thunder and igniting heated discussions in every corner. "Deep within the mysterious space of Kunling, amidst heavy layers of mist, an earthen city has awakened and reemerged into the mortal realm..." That very day, grandmasters set out to investigate. Soon after, multiple patriarchs arrived in person with profoundly grave expressions, treating this development with the utmost seriousness—surpassing even their concern over the turmoil among Pugong's Earth Immortals. Enshrouded in the mist, the earthen city was truly astonishing. Every three days or so, it shuddered. Haze drifted throughout, dense vapors cloaking the sky while rippling waves rolled out layer upon layer, carrying an invigorating and vigorous aura of life. "The awakening of the earthen city means Yujing is stirring. Is a catastrophe about to occur?" Even patriarch-level figures felt monumental waves churning in their hearts. According to historical records, the earthen city existed because of Yujing. Even several "Supreme Emperors" hurried over. For instance, Past Rulai arrived in person on his dharma carriage, opening his dharma eyes to cast two golden beams of light straight against the earthen city. ... For a time, all kinds of rumors flew across Yezhou. Ordinary people were left dumbfounded. Far too much had transpired in recent days. Before the ripples of the Golden Light Cave had subsided, a bloody calamity among Earth Immortals erupted in Pugong, and now another strange phenomenon had emerged: the mysterious earthen city tied to Yujing seemed intent on crossing between illusion and reality to descend upon Yezhou. Qin Ming returned in the company of Xiang Yiwu, Wu Yaozu, and others, discussing the recent monumental events throughout their journey. They reasoned that among the patriarchs who had returned from Pugong, some still held Yezhou close to their hearts and had supplied core secrets from that side, while others had likely strayed from their initial path and stood with Pugong. Regardless, the tragedy at the Golden Light Cave worked significantly in Yezhou's favor. It pulled the rug out from under certain "wanderers," severing the forces backing them. Perhaps from here on, they would be forced to align themselves with Yezhou once more. Human nature was complicated; it was never purely black or white. Some people and matters could be corrected, and allegiances could change. Of course, when the "Supreme Emperors" returned to reenter the core of each sect's ancestral court and waged unyielding power struggles, it was genuine and unmistakable—by no means an act. Qin Ming, Xiang Yiwu, and their peers were not yet of high enough standing to know the ultimate truth: that the Golden Light Cave was tied to an immortal grave. Upon returning to Yezhou, the group was on the verge of parting ways. Wu Yaozu intended to cultivate while traveling leisurely among the mountains and rivers. Qin Ming was heading back to Chixia City, as it was Meng Xinghai's territory, making it comparatively safe, and it possessed the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace he required. This time, he had set his sights on true thunder-fire. Xiang Yiwu looked exceedingly grave. He needed to return to the Rulai Sect, where he would very likely clash with the disciples of Past Rulai's branch who had mastered Chaos force. Along the way, he had sought out many "tricks of the trade" from Qin Ming. He said in a deep voice, "Not everyone can blend together so many wondrous arts and force methods like you, brother. My modified Rulai force might not be any weaker than the Chaos force of Past Rulai's branch!" In truth, by discussing with Xiang Yiwu how to counter Past Rulai's methods, Qin Ming had also learned a great deal about their side. Even though the foundational manual was the silk book method, the Hunyuan force each practitioner forged varied wildly. The branch under Past Rulai certainly focused on blending in Rulai force. To avoid blowing themselves apart like the progenitor patriarchs had, they most likely did not dare recklessly combine all sorts of true scriptures. While formidable, they were not entirely invincible. Moreover, Xiang Yiwu was very special. Known as the Golden Cicada, his aim was to undergo nirvana upon the foundation of Rulai force, shedding the old cicada skin to give birth to a new force method. Furthermore, Xiang Yiwu had already succeeded at the state sought by famous figures throughout the history of the Newborn path: achieving a newborn transformation with every major realm. With all these factors combined, Qin Ming believed that in a contest between peers, Xiang Yiwu would not necessarily fall short against the seeds of Past Rulai's branch. *** Chixia City was draped in silver. In terms of prosperity and scale, it naturally could not compare to the great metropolises and famed capitals, but Qin Ming felt an innate warmth here. Like Black-White Mountain, he considered it his homeland and refuge. Scattered snowflakes drifted through the night sky. The winter was drawing to a close, and the spring that woke all living things was not far off. "Uncle Meng." Qin Ming entered the City Lord's Manor and brought out a local specialty he had carried back from the Minotaur clan: ox-bezoar mind-calming powder. Old Meng walked the path of the esoteric sect and burned mind-calming incense every day to quiet his spirit, so he was quite fond of the gift before him. Meng Xinghai pointed at him with a laugh. "You rascal, you're getting wilder by the day. You run off outside Yezhou at the drop of a hat, even daring to stir up trouble in the Golden Light Cave where even an Earth Immortal perished." Qin Ming sighed. "What else could I do? Cultivation resources locally are limited, so I can only seek outward now." "That's true." Meng Xinghai nodded. Yezhou had long been thoroughly explored; any mountain-and-river spiritual nest or river-and-sea secret aperture rich in spiritual substances and Daoist rhymes already belonged to someone. After the great battle in the Western Border, the wounded were far too numerous, and places that could aid in healing were no longer open to outsiders; even grandmasters were lining up to wait their turn. Meng Xinghai spoke up: "Wait a little longer. Since the higher-ups have mastered the divine skill to construct a 'gate,' the exploration of a true new world might not be far off." Qin Ming caught the underlying meaning. Was the Golden Light Cave unearthed this time not a genuine new world? Meng Xinghai transmitted his voice secretly: "Keep it to yourself and don't go spreading it around. The Golden Light Cave is a massive trap that leads into an immortal grave." Qin Ming's eyes widened. He could not help feeling that the blood running through the patriarchs' veins was red tinged with black. At the same time, he was astonished by how wide Old Meng's connections were and how well-informed he was to know about such matters. Meng Xinghai said, "I learned of it by chance. An ancestor of our Meng family invited a highly respected elder to examine the terrain of Chixia City, and during casual conversation, he dropped a few pointers." The fourth realm of the esoteric sect was Spirit Communion, followed by Beholding Gods and Ritual Sacrifices. Chixia City was rather unique. According to historical records, in the distant past, two gods had chosen the nearby area as their Daoist grounds. It was precisely because of this that the massive blue centipede had once sought to become a god here, attempting to swallow the entire city. Meng Xinghai had naturally weighed various factors before coming here to serve as city lord, having set his sights on this land. "Uncle Meng, couldn't it be that you're approaching the fifth realm, Beholding Gods?" Qin Ming asked. "At my age, how could that be?" Meng Xinghai shook his head. He was in his thirties; no matter how extraordinary a prodigy he was, he could not reach that domain yet. For the esoteric sect and the immortal path, the first three realms progressed with astonishing speed, but starting from the fourth, things grew arduous, often demanding decades of time. Of course, taken as a whole, both paths were still far faster than the Newborn path. Even following the Overlord's methods, becoming a grandmaster required being at least a hundred and sixty or seventy years old, and that was assuming an utterly smooth journey throughout. In that light, the so-called shortcut offered no advantage compared to top-tier immortal seeds and divine seeds. Qin Ming had studied the *Overlord's Posthumous Writings* carefully, and he somewhat suspected that the Overlord might have drawn upon various arts of the esoteric sect, drawing upon all things in mountains and rivers to nourish himself. Since Qin Ming could find no extraordinary lands, he now planned to look to the heavens. He settled down in Chixia City, dedicating his mind to studying various scriptures and practicing Hunyuan force, quietly awaiting the first crack of spring thunder. During this time, he also visited friends and caught up with old acquaintances. He was surprised to learn that Xu Sheng, the itinerant merchant who had washed his hands of the trade, had fathered a baby boy with Sister Fenfang, Zhou Lin. Naturally, Qin Ming delivered a gift. Wu Zheng, who had come out of Black-White Mountain, had come to terms with reality. He felt that if he could reach six newborn transformations by the end of his life, he would be completely satisfied and ask for nothing more. "Brother Ming, not everyone can rise like you," Wu Zheng said after offering a toast. "When I first left home, my ambitions reached the sky. Now, I've completely accepted the reality that I'm plain and ordinary." He was not dejected; rather, he had made peace with it. He was doing far better than his spendthrift grandfather, having gained a firm foothold in Chixia City by opening an apothecary and continuing his cultivation without pause. During this winter, Qin Ming also met with Cao Long, Wei Zhirou, and Mu Qing. Cao Long walked the Giant Spirit path and was now three and a half meters tall, having established himself in the Second Realm. Wei Zhirou wore a pure white fox-fur cloak, graceful and ethereal. Her dark hair danced in the wind, and her fair, lovely face was filled with complicated emotions. Mu Qing wore a black robe, with two fluffy golden tails swaying behind her. She walked the Aberration path and looked at Qin Ming, unable to speak for a long while. Last winter, the three of them had gone to Black-White Mountain for a mountain clearing, and they had even looked after the young man before them back then. How much time had passed? Only a single winter, yet Qin Ming had already made a name for himself across the land. Even separated by great distances, they had constantly heard his name echoing through other great cities. Having returned to Chixia City during the winter to visit family, their reunion with Qin Ming stirred boundless sentiment in their hearts. "Sigh, I really should have acted sooner back then and just dragged you back to the Mu clan," Mu Qing said with a laugh. "It's still not too late. In a bit, we'll get him drunk and carry him off directly," Wei Zhirou teased with a radiant smile. As the unfamiliarity melted away, the group began laughing and chatting warmly. Throughout this period, Qin Ming cultivated in quietude and studied various scriptures without concerning himself with worldly affairs, yet from them, he learned plenty of new news about the outside world. Over the past half-month, Little Rulai had become renowned throughout Yezhou. He had challenged adversaries in every direction, hailed as the strongest seed of the Newborn path! "One after another, he visited the Qingtian Sect, the Six Imperials ancestral court, the Yuqing ancestral court, and others, challenging all fourth-realm experts without suffering a single defeat." Reportedly, he was next going to challenge the seeds of the esoteric sect and immortal path to see whether he was truly matchless and without rival within the same domain. Cao Long spoke up: "Most likely he won't manage it. Rumor has it that he ran into a mysterious figure by chance and fought bitterly for two hours, ultimately ending in a draw." "Who was it? Jiang Ran, or someone from the esoteric sect?" Surprised, Qin Ming grew intrigued. He was well aware that Little Rulai was exceptionally formidable. Withstanding a blow from a grandmaster while only in the fourth realm without taking an injury was an extraordinary achievement. Cao Long shook his head. "Neither. Some suspect that person came from beyond our domain." Qin Ming was startled. Could it be Pei Qingwu from Pugong? He immediately shook his head; both hailed from the same place, so there was no reason to fight here in Yezhou. He showed a look of astonishment. "Could it be that aside from Pugong, people from other regions have also arrived in Yezhou?" Cao Long said, "Most likely. That person spoke with a distinct foreign accent." Wei Zhirou gave a faint smile. "They've probably all come for the earthen city." Recently, many unfamiliar faces had appeared in the Kunling territory. Every day, experts of unknown origin went to investigate the earthen city. "The earthen city will very likely emerge into the world. It can already be observed that the interior is teeming with life." ... Beyond Yezhou, far to the north where the ice and snow had yet to thaw, many spiritual trees had already begun to sprout tender shoots and buds. Those tree species swirling with immortal mist were even more extraordinary; facing the last flurries of snow, flower buds hung heavily from the branches, poised to bloom. At that moment, atop a grand mountain crowned with snowy blossoms, an Earth Immortal was playing a game of go against a human skin. "Yujing stirs with waves once more, and the earthen city tied to it is about to emerge into the world. Will you make the trip? Or will you send your disciples?" "I'm not the true master, just an old skin. Speaking of which, you're a native being of that place. Do you intend to return to your homeland to take a look this time? Perhaps you might even become the master of a domain." "Hmph, I fear a Heavenly Immortal might descend upon the world." "As if I don't know you. You've long been unable to sit still, itching to return. After all, it's very likely a grand opportunity. Haven't you already dispatched disciples ahead of time? By the way, in this desolate land of ours, is that old barbarian god truly a Heavenly God? It seems about ready to awaken, too." ... To the west, within the territory of the demon-fiend civilization, several old demons were holding secret counsel. "That is Yujing! Casting mere ripples into reality is enough to bless an entire region. That earthen city is emerging into the world by inheriting the light of Yujing; we cannot afford to miss it." "My only fear is getting struck by lightning!" "Send disciples ahead to have a look first." In truth, from the patriarchs at the top down to the disciples at the bottom, the demon race was abuzz with discussion, all gazing toward the direction of Yezhou. Some demon immortals had even walked out from special territories, intending to make the journey in person. In a quiet chamber, a young man opened his eyes and muttered to himself, "Yezhou, my homeland... The people there are truly something, managing to slay my mind monkey and forcing me to refine mind-medicine anew. They possess some real capability. I shall go take a look this time; if I can fish out some great medicine from Yujing, that would be truly wonderful." At the West Sea, waves battered the sky. Colossal sea beasts lay hidden while monstrous horrors abounded, making it exceedingly treacherous. Even the demon-fiend civilization dared not easily clash with the various sea beasts. A buffer zone spanning hundreds of thousands of li had been left between them, maintaining peace all this time. Deep within the West Sea, glowing islands and towering immortal mountains stood tall. Today, an elder rose to his feet and gazed in the direction of Yezhou, saying, "Luofu... must have completely dissipated into the smoke and clouds of history, hasn't it?" "Master, we are prepared and can set off immediately." The elder nodded. "Go. Be careful on the journey." "Master, Earth Immortal Island, Sea God Island, and others are all awakening. Living beings from all of them will likely head toward Yezhou." "As expected." ... Far to the east, certain beings were preparing to cross hundreds of thousands of li of black flames to enter Yezhou. As ripples stirred from Yujing and the earthen city awakened, countless beings across the territories surrounding Yezhou were alerted. Evidently, every faction had placed secret agents and received confidential reports. Deep within an underground palace in the outer pure land, Li Qingyue was bathed in flowing immortal radiance, ethereal and transcendent. The Eight Trigrams Furnace had melted, transforming into a brilliant warcoat that draped over her entire form. After several months of closed-door cultivation, her attainment had climbed once again, and her harmony with this mysterious weapon had grown ever deeper. "It is time to emerge," she murmured softly. With a flash of light, the warcoat dissolved into wisps of radiance before reforming into the furnace body. Also within the pure land, inside Sun Taichu's medicinal cauldron that billowed with immortal mist, Yin and Yang Qi swirled as Cui Chonghe's voice drifted out: "Master, I have succeeded." "Very good!" Sun Taichu praised, his voice brimming with gratification. *** Ice and snow melted as early spring arrived, and all things flourished until spring thunder cracked across the sky. In Chixia City, Qin Ming looked up at the sky where heavy clouds were colliding and dazzling lightning interlaced. He set out immediately, heading toward the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace. This time, he intended not only to draw in otherworldly substances like heavenly light, but also to borrow the aid of thunder-fire to help him break through his bottleneck. He had waited for this day for a very long time. Amidst the drizzling rain, the golden palace shone brilliantly before his eyes, as sacred and majestic as a golden tower atop the nine heavens.