A single remark from Qin Ming nearly made both of them explode.
The white-robed youth's breathing grew heavy and ragged, rising and falling like a battered pottery-kiln bellows with ceaseless, wheezing gasps.
He was of the extraordinary Sacred Race, a heaven-sent prodigy capable of mastering the Golden Cicada Classic to its utmost peak, yet that black-robed youth with a small nose and small ears had repeatedly called him a pig.
The red-gowned woman possessed what could truly be called a flawless visage, yet now she glared in fury. His words had been intensely hurtful and deeply insulting. With her transcendent status, this was an experience without precedent in her entire life.
More crucially, it was the first defeat of her life. It left her heart unsettled, her anger unquenched, unable to believe this reality.
The white-robed youth was just about to open his mouth when Qin Ming choked him off with the phrase "pig head and pig brains."
He turned his head at once and said, "Sister, you didn't lose! You were just mimicking my spirit field and couldn't display your true supreme splendor."
The red-gowned woman nodded, her dark brows smoothing out.
Hearing this, Qin Ming immediately looked at the red-gowned maiden and asked, "Are you a pig too?"
In an instant, the red-gowned woman felt the urge to skin him alive.
The white-robed youth snapped right away, "Cease your nonsense! My master's status is nobility beyond words, an unreachable height! In the real world, you wouldn't even be able to get close to her—you could only look up from afar!"
"Pig-headed pig talk!" Qin Ming shot back at the youth of the Sacred Race.
Then he looked at the red-gowned woman again and said, "You have a small nose and small ears too. Does this white beast you keep curse you behind your back every day?"
Hearing that, the white-robed youth broke into a cold sweat and cried, "Don't you slander me!"
He looked toward the red-gowned woman and hurriedly explained, "Master, I was not born in the innate sacred form and took shape rather late. My aesthetic standards haven't caught up yet!"
Outside, the night was thick as an abyss, but here the evening glow was resplendent, sunset clouds stacking in fiery layers—a landscape of infinite sunset splendor.
Yet the red-gowned woman's mood was anything but good; it could even be described as atrocious. That black-robed youth had openly mocked and ridiculed her right to her face time and again. It was utterly infuriating!
She was not very old, originally possessing a touch of youthful greenness, but right now fury seemed to mature her considerably. Her eyes grew deep, her chest heaved violently, and her exquisitely flawless face was flushed so red it seemed ready to burst into flames. Even every strand of her hair gleamed as though it would spit fire, while her red gown whipped and billowed in the wind.
Taking a deep breath, the red-gowned woman said, "You have actually attained the legendary Sumeru field, and your various methods are profoundly subtle. May I ask your name, your race, and your domain? I would gladly pay you a visit in the real world to share wine, converse in joy, and discuss the Dao."
Her time was limited, and she could not remain for long. Still knowing nothing about this black-robed youth, she was truly unwilling to depart like this and wished to confront him in the real world.
"I live in Yujing," Qin Ming replied. "My surname is Gao, my given name is Bukepan—Unreachably High—and many also address me as the Common Lord."
He naturally understood that her forbearance, restraint, and cultured demeanor were all premised on her desire to learn his background.
He toyed with the cloth strip in his hands. It was indeed woven from multiple kinds of exotic metal, brand new, with the setting sun rippling over it in a golden glow.
The red-gowned woman's gaze could practically slay a person. That was an accessory meant to bind her hair, and what was more, it was a replica of a certain "sacred relic," reproduced without the slightest flaw.
And yet now it was coiled between that youth's slender fingers, gliding like a spiritual serpent.
She could bear it no longer. She felt as though someone were caressing her hair; indeed, it made her entire body squirm with discomfort.
With a whoosh, she struck one last time—a sneak attack to seize the exotic metal strip. An item used to bind her hair could never be allowed to remain in another's hands.
After admiring it, Qin Ming tied it around his wrist and decisively retaliated.
The red-gowned woman brought forth wondrous phenomena: divine golden lotuses bloomed in vast swathes around her as she stood lofty atop the clouds. Between heaven and earth, myriad visions arose—meteors, the Divine City, the Great Thunder Sound Temple, a kunpeng... All manner of phenomena appeared, surging toward Qin Ming like toppling mountains and overturning seas, compressing into a single point.
Looking grave, Qin Ming unleashed his Chaos force with all his might. Using the most blazing heavenly light, he pierced straight through every miraculous vision, blasting them apart until all phenomena between heaven and earth were extinguished!
Without uttering a word, the red-gowned woman spun on her heel and fled. Yet her heart was far from calm, deeply shaken.
She had always believed that within the same realm, her combat strength was peerless and no one could hand her defeat—at least within the territories of the Sacred Race.
Yet right now, this black-robed youth had wounded her twice in succession, and a wisp of consciousness blood essence seeped from the corner of her lips once again.
Though she was mimicking another's spirit field and could hardly bring out the peak of her true strength, she was not really far from her limit either.
For this white beast was inherently extraordinary; otherwise, it would never have caught her eye or become her follower.
Seeing this, the white-robed youth's scalp turned numb. His master had unleashed one trump card after another only to flee without a word in the end, yet he was still standing there like a fool.
Feeling he had been too careless, having placed blind faith in this elder sister's martial prowess, he let out a howl and fled as well.
Qin Ming had eyes only for that red-gowned woman, keeping her firmly locked in his sights. With his Chaos force surging, both his speed and strength were elevated to the absolute limit. Crossing three courtyards in succession, he pursued her relentlessly.
Her methods were subtle and profound: gathering and dispersing without form, at the critical juncture she transformed into swathes of crimson light, re-forming into human shape right at the main gate.
She strode forward while glancing back, intent on memorizing Qin Ming's spirit fluctuations completely so she could find him in the real world in the future and "teach" him a lesson with no holds barred.
Under the setting sun, as she stepped through the gate and looked back, her black tresses fluttered, bathed in the evening glow. Even her face shone, truly exuding a sense of incomparable elegance.
Suddenly, she froze. The other party learned frighteningly fast—likewise gathering and dispersing without form, he manifested before the gate.
With a loud bang, her world spun as she went flying forward. She had actually failed to dodge his kick!
Qin Ming felt a bit of regret. Her speed had been too swift; she had already stepped out through the gate and almost stood completely in the real world. Quick of eye and hand, he had landed a final kick squarely on her buttocks, delivering a parting blow that sent her flying all the way out.
"Ahhh—!"
The red-gowned woman, who had maintained her calm restraint throughout, finally had her composure completely shatter in this last instant. She wished desperately that she could charge back in and fight him again. Flames blazed in her beautiful eyes, and her hair looked ready to combust.
The white-robed youth's head spun in terror, his hair standing on end. Just as he fled to the entrance of the Great Thunder Sound Temple, he discovered his path cut off and blocked by Qin Ming.
"Brother! We have no past grudges and no recent grievances! Little brother was in the wrong today! What do you say we..."
Qin Ming had not expected him to be so pliable, bowing his head in an instant without a shred of hesitation.
"Come over here and tell me about your Sacred Race, and where you're located," Qin Ming said, reaching out to yank him over.
Suddenly, at the gate of the Great Thunder Sound Temple, brilliant light flared. Dense golden lotus petals fluttered down, blanketing the white-robed youth and sweeping him out of the realm.
Overjoyed, the white-robed youth turned toward Qin Ming and sneered, "Heh heh! The summoning ritual has begun! Little brother from Yujing, you just wait!"
At the final moment, he grew smug again, even tossing out verbal threats and intimidation.
Qin Ming surged with Hunyuan force, applying its adhesive quality in hopes of anchoring him in place so he could deal with him at leisure.
However, the power from outside was simply too vast; the lotus petals formed of golden glow were disintegrating his heavenly light force.
Qin Ming realized that the cultivation civilization of the Sacred Race's domain was relatively advanced and mature, possessing means to resolve the soul loss affliction and even guide someone back from the outside.
At the eleventh hour, he erupted with all his strength and launched a kick. If he couldn't drag him in, he might as well send him packing!
Ahead, at the entrance to the Great Thunder Sound Temple, a swathe of golden lotuses exploded. The white-robed youth let out an agonizing howl—he, too, had taken a kick squarely on the buttocks.
Had it not been for the protection of the golden glow, he might have burst on the spot.
Even so, he felt as though he were splitting apart.
Qin Ming noted that this fellow's rear was all bone with poor defense; that kick had probably nearly blasted it apart.
He murmured to himself, "The feel against my foot wasn't nearly as good as the previous one."
"Why did you kick my butt too?!" the white-robed youth roared in grief and indignation.
At that word "too," numerous gazes instantly swung toward him. Above all, he caught the look in his master's eyes—one that promised to flay him alive—and froze dead in his tracks.
After a moment, the red-gowned woman did her best to maintain a calm tone and said, "He has mastered the Divine Cicada Scripture and attained the legendary Sumeru field. There shouldn't be many such people. Go investigate the distant human domains for me..."
***
Amid the evening glow of the Great Thunder Sound Temple, immersed in the Seven Treasures Pool crafted from coral, giant clam shell, red pearls, and other treasures, Qin Ming felt comfortable enough to groan.
He felt nourished and cleansed, as if returning to the womb. The innate primordial qi was abundant, and his spirit and consciousness felt as though they were being reborn.
In a daze, he seemed on the verge of falling asleep. Chants of Zen resonated by his ears; he felt as though he were undergoing nirvana. His spiritual will was like a tender shoot bursting through the soil, unfurling within the dense, misty seven-colored spiritual light, growing vigorously with the aura of creation's genesis.
Qin Ming snapped his eyes open. The liquid in the Seven Treasures Pool had dimmed considerably, while he felt as though all exhaustion and spiritual grime had been severed away, replaced by a crystal-clear lucidity throughout his entire being.
"My consciousness has grown stronger, as if undergoing a rebirth, and my potential has expanded," he sensed.
And in distant legends, the Seven Treasures Pool of the Great Thunder Sound Temple could nourish all roots and bolster one's foundation.
Qin Ming rose and stepped into the other Seven Treasures Pool. Yet he found no change occurred within him; drawing in the rippling essence of the precious medicine proved entirely ineffective.
"It seems one pool is enough. That pig-headed kid miscalculated."
A thought struck him: he no longer needed it, but he could take it out and give it to others. With a flick of his mind, the entire pool of liquid rose into the air, swirling around him as seven-colored mist and radiance steamed upward, dazzling to behold.
Clothed in the Seven Treasures Liquid, Qin Ming wandered through the Great Thunder Sound Temple. Alas, he could advance no further; the deeper courtyards were barred by divine light.
Ascending to the heights to gaze into the distance, he saw what lay ahead.
In the innermost depths of the Great Thunder Sound Temple stood a stone altar enshrining a book. Around it, countless tiny characters were densely imprinted upon the void.
Exerting himself to the utmost, Qin Ming could make out only five characters upon its cover: Great Thunder Sound True Scripture.
Then immortal mist billowed up, concealing the true scripture from view.
"Hiss... The Divine Cicada Scripture isn't the end! Above it lies a supreme true scripture!" Qin Ming gasped in marvel, his thoughts racing.
This meant he needed to cultivate the Divine Cicada Scripture to its absolute limit; perhaps then he could enter this place once more and claim that Great Thunder Sound True Scripture.
At the same time, he noticed courtyards spanning in all directions, as if representing multiple paths bearing different Dao charms that ultimately converged upon the platform of the true scripture.
Qin Ming surmised that within the system of the Great Thunder Sound Temple, there should be multiple secret scriptures, all of which could eventually lead to that stone altar.
As time passed, he felt himself being repelled. A moment later, amid the evening glow, a gentle force ushered him out through the courtyard gates.
With a flash, Qin Ming returned to the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace.
His physical body was still bathed in thunder-fire and heavenly light. It was only because he practiced the Body-Refining Dao Harmonization Scripture and possessed a sufficiently resilient physique; had it been anyone else whose consciousness merged with heavenly light and left the body, something disastrous would most likely have occurred.
Seeing him return safe and sound from that unknown realm, Meng Xinghai breathed a long sigh of relief.
The Thunder King Bird's eyes went wide. Seeing seven-colored liquid appear out of nowhere, swirling around Qin Ming within the palace while giving off an intoxicating, fragrant aroma, it was completely stunned.
Except when the first spring thunder stirred and the heavenly light was comparatively gentle—a time when people would come here to "undergo tribulation"—the thunder-fire was otherwise violently ferocious, and no one dared to risk it.
Thus, the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace was currently Qin Ming's exclusive domain.
When the downpour subsided and the lightning dispersed, Qin Ming opened his eyes.
Without question, he had broken through!
Unsurprisingly, he had set foot upon the fourth heaven of the spirit field realm, which also meant he had formally entered the mid-stage of the spirit field realm.
The first to third heavens were the early stage, and the fourth to sixth were the mid-stage. Qin Ming felt a touch of emotion; every ascent along the Newborn path was hard-won.
He appeared to advance rapidly, but who could fathom how tortuous this journey truly was? For now, only a scarce few could walk it successfully.
After all, not just anyone could cultivate an extraordinary art to the pinnacle of its supreme domain and thereby step into the enigmatic Great Thunder Sound Temple.
"Mm, my body and spirit are still undergoing rebirth, an all-round elevation. The breakthrough is still underway and hasn't stopped." Inspecting his condition, Qin Ming showed a look of delight.
Evidently, his greatest harvest this time was a complete rebirth!
Throughout the ages, the luminaries and patriarchs of the Newborn path had all pursued this, hoping to experience rebirth at least once in every major realm, yet achieving it was exceedingly difficult.
Qin Ming's rebirth this time was far swifter than in the past.
His heavenly light force, physical constitution, and everything else had undergone a comprehensive nirvana.
And his cultivation level ultimately climbed once more, reaching the fifth heaven of the spirit field realm.
Qin Ming felt that this was not merely the achievement of his journey to the Great Thunder Sound Temple, but also the product of an entire winter of arduous cultivation. Moreover, he had already undergone numerous successive thunder tribulations during this period. It was the cumulative result of all these factors combined.
He gave a soft sigh and murmured, "Truly not easy. The Newborn path is arduous indeed; to reach the fourth realm, I still lack a bit of heat."
Once his thunder tribulation ended, Meng Xinghai and the Thunder King Bird entered the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace.
Hearing words like that, Meng Xinghai opened his mouth, at a loss for what to say. This kid had spent little more than a year covering the path that took many people several decades, yet he had the gall to sigh like that?
"What is this?" Old Meng and the Thunder King Bird looked at the fragrant seven-colored divine liquid with puzzled expressions.
Qin Ming explained that this was a precious medicine brought out from the Great Thunder Sound Temple.
"What? You actually entered that legendary place?" Meng Xinghai was dazed.
Qin Ming said, "It was likely just an illusory projection radiated by the Great Thunder Sound Temple."
Immediately, he offered the seven-colored precious liquid, telling Meng Xinghai and the Thunder King Bird that this wondrous medicine could nourish all roots and bolster one's foundation.
Feeling embarrassed, the man and bird politely declined right away, feeling that this was Qin Ming's personal opportunity and they shouldn't take a share.
"These are useless to me now. I obtained two pools of precious liquid one after the other."
Then Qin Ming watched as Meng Xinghai took a sip.
He parted his lips, wanting to explain, but realized it was better to say nothing at all.
"Sweet and crisp, fragrant to the bone, with an exceptional mouthfeel," Old Meng praised, full of admiration.
The Thunder King Bird nodded vigorously in agreement.
All the words Qin Ming wanted to say rotted away in his belly; he truly couldn't bring himself to speak.
"Xiao Qin, I've had quite a bit. Keep the rest; perhaps it will serve some wondrous purpose later."
***
In the outside world, winds and clouds stirred from all ten directions. Living beings from different domains poured into Yezhou. Many heaven-sent prodigies made their initial marks, blazing like comets illuminating the earth.
During this period, the likes of Jian Huaidao and Little Rulai, along with immortal seeds from the outer realms and divine seeds from the esoteric sects, engaged in frequent spars with visitors from outside the domain, producing dazzling sparks of rivalry.
"That Qin Ming is quite extraordinary. Should we invite him out to exchange pointers?"
"No matter how extraordinary he may be, he is merely in the third realm, hardly qualified to take part in our gatherings."
A portion of the visitors from outside the domain gradually became aware of the names of Yezhou's many talents.
Evidently, in the eyes of the descendants of Earth Immortals and direct disciples of patriarchs from beyond the domain, a junior in the third realm had yet to enter their purview, unable to hold an equal dialogue with them or be counted among their peers.
In truth, Qin Ming was content to remain in solitude. It was even better without anyone disturbing him; he preferred to cultivate diligently in tranquility and elevate himself.
In early spring, as warblers took flight, grass grew lush, and ancient trees sprouted tender buds in nature's revival, even that earthen city seemed touched by the season's exuberant vitality, producing strange stirrings.
Over this period, numerous experts from both Yezhou and beyond the domain had been closely monitoring it.
On this day, after a deep rumbling, the earthen city received a mysterious ripple from an unknown origin high above in the night sky. It completely revived, parting layer upon layer of dense fog to link with the realm in reality.
And with a resonant rumble, the city gate slowly swung open.
Chapter 365