Mount Yuhua, one of the celebrated peaks of Yezhou, had a vast scorched swath across its summit where vegetation grew sparse. Legend held that a Heavenly Immortal had once undergone a tribulation here, only to be reduced to ashes.
Because of this, the place was steeped in legends, drawing later generations to visit and reflect on antiquity.
A youth in green robes stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the distance from the high vantage point as though trying to see straight through the sea of nocturnal mist hanging high in the sky.
Behind him, an elder clad in grey stayed half a step away, never leaving his side. "Young Master, you were somewhat reckless," the elder said. "You should not have made a wager with them. That region lies near Black-White Mountain, an area with quite a background."
The green-robed youth withdrew his gaze. "Calculating the time, my conscious spiritual light should have wandered as far as the vicinity of Chixia City by now."
Within his physical body, only a tiny wisp of conscious spiritual light remained.
The old man issued a grave, covert reminder: "That Qin Ming is hailed as the figurehead rising rapidly among the younger generation of the Newborn path. If you clash with him, you may very well stir up trouble in the end."
The green-robed youth nodded. "Mm, it matters not. It is merely a sparring match. I will strike him with but a single sword blow—at most leaving him bedridden for a few months. It will not claim his life."
The grey-robed elder frowned. "Less trouble is better than more. Why make this wager with them and provoke that Qin Ming? After all, we are visitors from beyond the domain; we ought to be cautious."
The youth replied, "A while ago, I ran into an exceptional youth from the west. If true dragons exist in this world, he is one—profound, unfathomable, and remarkably skilled at concocting mind medicine. He is truly extraordinary, inspiring both shock and marvel."
"He has mastered the legendary mind medicine?" The old man was astonished, not expecting his young master to have made contact with such a figure in private.
To his knowledge, if one understood how to refine and consume mind medicine, they could violently compound it upon their existing foundation. It went far beyond mere cleansing of marrow and tendon; one's constitution, bone structure, natural talent, and more would undergo a tremendous nirvanic rebirth, soaring far beyond their original self.
Moreover, the later such a cauldron of mind medicine was unsealed and the longer it was refined, the more ferocious its potency. It was among the supreme-grade medicinal formulas!
The youth in green said, "This concerns the path of my future. You know I have cultivated the Extinction Immortal Scripture for years, and it is one of my foundational scriptures. If aided by that kind of mind medicine, I will surely make rapid strides, ultimately soaring into the clouds to seize the chance of leaping toward the Golden Palace in the firmament."
The elder's expression turned solemn. He knew very well that the Extinction Immortal Scripture had originally been paired with two pages of jade book detailing the methods for mind medicine, but eight hundred years ago, they had been lost by accident.
He nodded. "This concerns Young Master's future opportunity to attain the Dao. If there is a chance to leap toward the Golden Palace high above the Nine Heavens, it naturally cannot be missed!"
The youth gave an affirmative hum and continued, "That youth from the western borders was invited away by the people from the earthen city and couldn't pull himself away for the time being. He asked me to help him search for someone. As luck would have it, that person is this very Qin Ming."
Consequently, when the youth of Black-White Mountain was brought up today, his interest had been piqued instantly, and he had joined the wager without hesitation.
"Brother Qi, come have a drink! Rumor has it that this is where a Heavenly Immortal ascended. Getting drunk here once in our lives might just yield some extraordinary insights," several young men and women called out from behind.
The green-robed youth was named Qi Yunxiao, a talent from the Eastern Lands whose strength was astonishing. He was touring Mount Yuhua alongside several youths whose cultivation was equally profound.
Not long ago, while discussing the geniuses of the various paths in Yezhou, they had brought up Qin Ming and fallen into a disagreement, which led to this minor wager.
Under the cover of night, the scorched mountain peak was lit by brilliant fire springs that pooled into a small crimson lake, rippling with bright reflections. Clusters of fire lotuses swayed with a crisp fragrance, wrapping around fine showers of light.
Several young men and women of extraordinary presence—the oldest among them not even twenty—sat on the ground beside the lake. Golden roasted legs of lamb and intensely fragrant, exquisite wine were spread before them.
All of them possessed remarkable backgrounds: some came from the Eastern Lands, some from the northern savage realm, and others from Earth Immortal Island deep in the Western Sea.
They had met during the previous exchange gathering and had grown quite close of late.
A youth in black named Cen Jinghong smiled and asked, "Brother Qi, are you gazing toward Chixia City? Could you be worried about slipping up?"
Qi Yunxiao walked over and let out a chuckle. "He is indeed somewhat famous, but after all, he is still only in the third realm. Two sword strikes will suffice to suppress him."
"Mm, I also bet that Brother Qi would win," a young woman in purple chimed in with a nod. She hailed from the Western Sea and was named Mu Xingyao.
Yet another shook their head. "I think there might be a few ripples. At any rate, a small wager is just for fun; I've already prepared a scripture on my end."
Qi Yunxiao smiled faintly. "Mm, I have no enmity with that youth; it is merely a friendly spar. Come, let us drink."
In truth, he felt that the youth of Black-White Mountain shared a "fated tie" with him, one that could help him acquire the Mind Ape medicinal formula. This matter was of paramount significance: it could grant him the chance to elevate the Extinction Immortal Scripture to the supreme domain, surpassing predecessors throughout the ages.
One youth had stayed out of the small wager entirely. He spoke up, "This is actually not right. You placed a wager and dragged an outsider into it to fight bitterly for your sake. If that Qin youth learns the truth, he will likely harbor deep malice and despise you all."
"Brother Qi, in a place like Yezhou, one should exercise caution, lest the ship capsize in the gutter," another youth of few words warned.
Qi Yunxiao nodded with a smile, acknowledging the advice.
Inwardly, however, he scoffed. This territory was regarded by the Eastern Lands as a "Corner of Dust."
He had wanted to say that in a dust-covered corner, an indigenous resident of the third realm, no matter how divinely gifted, was not worth mentioning. His cultivation was far too shallow to withstand even a single sword strike!
Yet he could not say such things in public; he needed to maintain polite humility and avoid appearing overly arrogant.
"With a single sword strike across a thousand li, defeating the figurehead of the Newborn path—Brother Qi truly has fine methods. We shall sit back and await the results; it shouldn't take long."
"Hold on, it is merely a spar," Qi Yunxiao said.
***
One thousand three hundred li away, torrential rain poured down amid flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder.
In the sky above Mount Chixia, the green-robed youth Qi Yunxiao was far from the humble persona he displayed on Mount Yuhua when facing Qin Ming, for here his true disposition was revealed.
Amid the curtain of rain, he stood profound, forceful, and perilous, fixing his gaze on the youth before him.
At the same time, his eyes swept over the otherworldly, noble white-robed woman standing beneath the ornate canopy within the deluge. He did not recognize her; she was an unexpected intruder.
Directly to the south, the black-robed youth Cen Jinghong and the purple-robed young woman Mu Xingyao each had a thin wisp of conscious spiritual light present to spectate the battle and witness the outcome of the wager.
Qi Yunxiao had no desire to waste words with Qin Ming. He had already unleashed his nine-colored flying sword, which seemed to pierce between heaven and earth as its resplendent blade-light ripped the night sky to shreds!
Opposite him, Qin Ming's long hair fluttered wildly as he stood in the night sky. Indistinguishable from a physical body, his consciousness blended with heavenly light, exuding a terrifying aura.
Even when confronting a divinely gifted figure of the fourth realm, he felt no fear. Using his spirit field as a bridge, he channeled the heaven field, the earth field, and the wondrous visions of all phenomena.
This was power transcending the Overlord's Posthumous Writings; Qin Ming was leveraging the grand momentum of heaven and earth. The myriad marvelous transformations required him to operate at his absolute limits.
For instance, this touched upon the domains of wind, rain, thunder, lightning, earth, and sky, demanding the evolution of various corresponding heavenly light forces to bridge heaven and earth.
In just that split second, he shifted continuously through extraordinary arts and mental techniques, transitioning from the Wind-Riding Scripture to the Heluo Classic, and then to the Geomagnetic Classic.
Moreover, to augment the effect, he deployed the Nanming Departing Fire Classic and the Golden Crow Illuminates the Night Classic, while the circulating pathways fused from the Overlord's Posthumous Writings were naturally present as well.
Rumble!
At this moment, Qin Ming seemed to have pried open the Nine Heavens, drawing down dense webs of lightning. Slender at first, they rapidly intensified.
As he pointed a finger, terrifying thunderous fire shattered the high-altitude nocturnal mist and the curtain of rain, blasting straight toward the nine-colored flying sword cleaving downward at him.
Qi Yunxiao's face had originally been calm, one hand resting casually behind his back with absolute confidence. The might of his sword strike was overwhelming and irresistible, its glorious blade-light split into nine colors as though invoking the ninefold heavens—so brilliant that it illuminated the pitch-black night sky!
Yet now, the lightning proved equally grand and vast. Dense arcs of electricity formed a celestial net, carrying exceedingly dangerous fluctuations as it blanketed the nine-colored flying sword.
Qi Yunxiao's expression shifted drastically. In this world, heavenly thunder was merciless; even Earth Immortals undergoing tribulation could be pierced through, dying tragic deaths if they were careless. As someone still in the fourth realm, how could he contend against natural lightning?
Fortunately, he could see that even Qin Ming himself did not dare summon genuine Nine Heavens lightning bolts, only borrowing a portion of the storm's electrical power.
Boom!
Even so, that dazzling inescapable net unleashed terrifyingly fierce power, every dense arc of electricity crashing into the nine-colored flying sword.
With a loud crack, the indestructible sword's glow dimmed, and it was knocked backward.
Qi Yunxiao's heart trembled violently. What realm was he in, and what level was his opponent at? Qin Ming should have been leagues beneath him. According to his plan, a single sword strike would heavily wound the opponent, conclude the battle, and leave a mark on Qin Ming for that dragon-like youth. With that, the "spar" would have reached a satisfactory conclusion.
What kind of monster was this? Capable of fighting a fourth-realm combatant while still in the third realm!
Qi Yunxiao could hardly believe it. Looking across the entire Eastern Lands, no such creature existed; even figures as radiant as the blazing sun could not pull off such an upward slaying.
His reasoning was not wrong: had it not been for the extreme weather today, Qin Ming truly would not have been able to contend against him.
In this environment, Qin Ming's mind was also on high alert, drawn taut. Pulling lightning from the storm clouds made his hair stand on end, and the slightest mishap would bring the backlash onto himself.
A single lapse, and he would burn himself to cinders in lightning-fire!
Qi Yunxiao retreated, his thoughts racing. This was likely the result of the opponent's Heavenly Demon force field temporarily merging with the grand momentum of heaven and earth, thereby stirring the celestial phenomena to produce such a blow.
He believed his foe could not sustain such an extraordinary trump card.
A single misstep would plunge the boy into eternal damnation.
"Brother Qi, a small wager is just for fun. You said you would suppress your opponent within two swords; you have only one strike left," the black-robed youth Cen Jinghong transmitted through secret mental communication.
However, Qin Ming's spirit field was currently expanding and resonating with all phenomena between heaven and earth. He intercepted the conscious transmission and instantly understood what was happening.
He had actually been reduced to a piece in their wager—a mere link in someone else's game?
Qin Ming's eyes turned profound, and endless murderous intent rose from his form!
What two-strike limit to strike him down from the night sky? Who gave them the audacity to set limits on him like this!
The spirit field around Qin Ming continued to expand, its fluctuations growing ever more intense, seeming to pry open a fissure in the pitch-black firmament.
Today, he would see who set the rules for whom, and who was playing whom!
In the night, the waves of the spirit field expanding outward from Qin Ming carried white mist and radiated an imperishable glow. Amid the rippling celestial net, various anomalies manifested: the phantom image of the Great Thunder Sound Temple taking shape, a Golden Crow transforming into a blazing sun shedding universal radiance...
"The Heavenly Demon force field superimposed with a Sumeru field?!" In the distance, Mu Xingyao of the Western Sea gasped in a low voice.
Even beneath the canopy, the mysterious, exquisitely noble white-robed woman revealed a glimmer of marvel in her beautiful eyes, finding the sight thoroughly astonishing.
Qi Yunxiao did not yet know that Qin Ming had uncovered the truth behind their "small wager." Still, he had treated the matter with utmost seriousness all along. To curry favor with that profound, dragon-like youth and obtain his "gift," he had to strike Qin Ming down with a single blow and leave a mark inside his body.
Moreover, for the sake of his own pride, he could not allow his second strike to return empty-handed. He was searching for an opportunity to attack, striving to swiftly conclude the fight with a strike of absolute limits.
In the dark night, the torrential rain cascaded like a flood, and thunder clapped deafeningly.
Qin Ming was illuminated entirely, every strand of his fine hair distinct and glowing. He looked as though he were drawing down countless lightning strikes from the Nine Heavens, his entire being rendered incandescent.
Qi Yunxiao sensed that things were going awry. The fluctuations of his opponent's spirit field grew increasingly perilous, nearly connecting with the dense web of lightning in the sea of clouds.
Without hesitation, he struck out with his second sword!
Suddenly, all things between heaven and earth seemed extinguished. Everything froze within the blade-light, as if the entire fabric of space and time had ceased moving, locked in that single instant.
Only that nine-colored sword flew out carrying boundless murderous intent, its light blinding, capable of severing all things!
This strike was immensely potent, capable of instantly slaying many fourth-realm experts. It practically formed a domain of flying swords, threatening to immobilize both persons and objects in this patch of night sky.
Regrettably, he was facing an extreme environment. The thunderous rain poured, and with a tremendous rumble, a streak of heavenly thunder ripped across the sky, breaking his sword domain on the spot.
At the same time, the fluctuations of Qin Ming's spirit field accelerated, as if boiling over.
Rumble!
Amid the myriad phantoms and the immortal ripples of the spirit field, bolts of lightning were drawn downward one after another, their magnificent light blazing across all creations in the world.
With a loud snap, the nine-colored flying sword was struck, snapped in two by the thunderous glare, and then shattered into dust as several more lightning bolts crashed upon it.
With a wet cough, Qi Yunxiao spat a mouthful of blood. That was no ordinary physical flying sword; it had been meticulously forged from his pure yang conscious spiritual light.
One had to understand that this sword had been cleansed in otherworldly immortal fire, eroded by heavenly light, and tempered in thunder-fire through a thousand trials, yet it had still been destroyed.
Pain tore through his heart alongside a chill that made his hair stand on end. Could it be that he would be slain from a lower realm here today, meeting an untimely demise?
This was his primary conscious spiritual light. If it perished, he would be completely crippled, the residual consciousness in his physical body barely enough to keep him breathing.
Qi Yunxiao retreated swiftly, attempting to pull open a safe distance.
Yet Qin Ming, cloaked in descending lightning, was already lunging forward to kill.
In the distance, Cen Jinghong and Mu Xingyao watched in dazed disbelief. After two sword strikes, not only had the third-realm Qin Ming not fallen, but he had severely wounded that supreme genius from the Eastern Lands?
Both of them were thoroughly stunned.
***
At Black-White Mountain, in Twin Trees Village, Old Man Liu looked at the rain curtain and muttered to himself, "Someone has come knocking at my door. Can the final tail of this seventy-three threshold really not be crossed?"
He was in a peculiar state: one moment his eyes were dazed and bewildered, and the next they shone bright as golden lamps.
"If you truly intend to disrupt my attainment of perfection... then none of you need to live. Go and die together!" A low voice emerged from the room, seemingly shaking the entire domain of Black-White Mountain.
In the doghouse, the big yellow dog's fur bristled completely, and it shot to its feet with a whoosh.
Then, it darted out of the courtyard, glaring viciously through the curtain of rain at the charred human skin.
"Senior, is it you?" the mysterious human skin spoke.
"I'm your father!" To everyone's astonishment, the big yellow dog actually spoke in human tongue today.
The human skin, drifting with immortal white mist, went completely rigid. Crimson flames flared from its hollow eye sockets as it stared fixedly at the seemingly unremarkable local dog beneath the Black-White Twin Trees.
Chapter 368