Qi Yunxiao frowned slightly. Was the other person offering comfort, or throwing veiled sarcasm his way?
Yet he could not easily lose his temper. The descendant of an Earth Immortal was all smiles, his brows full of concern and his tone gentle, making resentment churn within Qi Yunxiao's chest.
Though Qi Yunxiao still maintained a calm expression, he grew increasingly anxious inside.
His primary conscious spiritual light had wandered thousands of li and had not yet returned. Had something truly gone wrong?
"He should be back soon," Cen Jinghong remarked. Although uneasy, it wasn't his primary consciousness wandering, so he could still keep his composure.
With features picturesque as a painting, Mu Xingyao stood at the mountain peak facing the night wind, her purple robes fluttering. Calming her mind, she nodded with reserved confidence. "Brother Qi walks the path of a sword immortal. Though he will only strike twice, I believe no one in the third realm can withstand it. This so-called 'spar' is more akin to an 'instructional duel.'"
Beside Qi Yunxiao, the gray-robed elder's physical body sat quietly, his conscious spiritual light having long since departed. Sensing something was amiss, he had acted immediately.
In truth, he had intended to follow earlier, but Qi Yunxiao had stopped him.
After all, it was merely suppressing someone in the third realm, a casual wager for amusement. If he needed a grandmaster to accompany him, the others would surely cast strange looks his way.
"Brother Qi, come, drink. It's just a low-realm youth who can be felled with a single strike. Nothing unexpected will happen tonight."
There were indeed those who genuinely believed Qi Yunxiao's venture would proceed without a hitch.
Another raised a cup with a laugh. "Legend has it that this mountain is where Heavenly Immortals ascended to transcendence. If we drink to our hearts' content today, perhaps we might glimpse the legendary Golden Palace."
Before long, from the depths of the night sky, a figure rapidly descended. It was none other than the returning gray-robed grandmaster who had wandered out in spirit.
His face was pale; even upon returning to his physical body, his mental state remained poor.
On Mount Yuhua, everyone fell silent.
"A grave incident has occurred at Black-White Mountain!" With that single sentence, everyone turned solemn and set down their cups.
In fact, the moment the elder returned alone, Qi Yunxiao's heart had sunk completely. Panic seized him, and his clenched fists trembled faintly within his sleeves.
His primary conscious spiritual light had not returned with him—that alone spoke volumes. To him, it was no less than heaven collapsing and earth splitting; the most terrifying scenario had come to pass.
Cen Jinghong and Mu Xingyao also had their hearts leap into their throats. Was their cultivation destined to suffer damage?
"An Earth Immortal passed through there!" the gray-robed grandmaster reported.
Furthermore, he believed it was likely an Earth Immortal at the Great Perfection level—riding a lotus platform and traversing the sea of night mist across the heavens, terrifying beyond measure.
While wandering through the clouds in spirit, he had been shaken straight down, his pure yang conscious spiritual light bursting entirely. Had it not already acquired an immortal quality, he would surely have died.
Everyone shuddered at his words; such a scene was easy to imagine.
Some among them hailed from Earth Immortal dao arenas, so they naturally understood just how horrifying beings of that level were.
Qi Yunxiao's face turned completely bloodless. Feeling thoroughly crushed, he swayed on his feet. Was he about to fall from a dazzling, sun-like seed into a useless cripple?
The smiling youth from earlier, Lu Chenxiao, spoke again: "Fortunately, Brother Qi didn't send out his entire conscious spiritual light. Otherwise..."
Everyone knew what unsaid words followed: otherwise, he would have become a living corpse.
Qi Yunxiao was now certain that the other had been mocking him earlier, and was now twisting the blade directly into his wound.
He felt as though a pile of damp, unlightable firewood was choked in his chest, a thick cloud of suffocating frustration boiling over, yet he could not lash out.
Someone nodded. "Indeed, Brother Qi didn't suffer an embarrassing upset in a trivial puddle; he wasn't defeated by a youth in the third realm. He merely encountered an unpredictable 'Earth Immortal calamity.' It was purely an accident."
Hearing this, Qi Yunxiao felt miserable to the point of wanting to die. He would rather have lost to Qin Ming; at least his primary consciousness wouldn't have shattered, crippling him entirely.
Another offered comfort: "It's not certain something happened. Perhaps when the Earth Immortal passed through, Brother Qi avoided it in advance."
"Right. Let's wait a little longer," Cen Jinghong agreed with a nod.
Yet a cruel reality lay before them: after so much time had elapsed, had nothing gone wrong, Qi Yunxiao would have returned long ago.
Mu Xingyao was filled with endless regret. Knitting her dark brows, she asked, "Senior, did you not search carefully afterward?"
The gray-robed grandmaster replied, "Some experts of the sixth realm rushed there. They forbade outsiders from lingering, much less approaching the Black-White Mountain area."
Patriarch-level figures had appeared near Chixia City to investigate the truth.
Whether it was the falling immortal incident or the terrifying passage of an Earth Immortal, both were monumental events that disturbed all quarters that night.
The next day, even within the earthen city, founding-patriarch-level figures were alarmed and hurried over in person, but in the end they merely knitted their brows and let the matter drop unresolved.
When two old patriarchs from the earthen city entered Chixia City, Meng Zhiyan immediately stepped forward to salute them and truthfully reported that he had indeed seen terrifying anomalous phenomena the previous night. As for the precise details, however, he was completely in the dark, as the distance was simply too great.
Meng Xinghai also nodded. "Fortunately, that entity only flew past high above the firmament. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Finally, Meng Zhiyan spoke up. "Seniors, we have another matter to report!"
"Outsiders from beyond our borders acting recklessly and without restraint in Night Province?" After pondering, the two old patriarchs asked them why, if this was an affair of the Newborn path, they hadn't reported it to the Rulai Sect or the Six Imperials ancestral court.
"Now that the earthen city has emerged and you seniors have returned, who under heaven does not admire and revere you? With outsiders continually flowing into Night Province, it is precisely towering pillars of the realm like you seniors who are needed to rein them in and lay down rules. Otherwise, chaos will easily erupt across Night Province."
The two founding patriarchs were shrewder than foxes; how could they fail to see through Old Meng's flattery and deliberate praise? Yet they smiled and nodded, agreeing to oversee the matter.
The living ancestors of the earthen city had emerged wishing to unite the forces of Night Province, and they currently lacked leverage.
Now, they weren't afraid of people coming to pay homage and causing them trouble; what they feared was having no pretext to intervene in Night Province's affairs.
"Mm, well done. If anything arises in the future, feel free to report it to the earthen city," the two old patriarchs declared, setting the tone for the matter.
Meng Xinghai said, "Earlier, we simply dared not disturb the tranquility of you forebears."
One of the living ancestors chuckled. "No matter. When one gets old, one enjoys spending time with vibrant, young juniors."
The other founding patriarch added, "Indeed. The earthen city is far more powerful than you imagine. It has revived bearing the true will of Yujing. In the future, even if something involves Earth Immortals, you may report it to us immediately."
...
Upon learning that one could approach Black-White Mountain, the old gray-robed grandmaster rushed to Chixia City early in the morning and immediately wandered in spirit nearby to investigate.
To his shock, he discovered that his young master's primary conscious spiritual light was still alive.
He left Chixia City dazed and returned to Mount Yuhua.
"What? The patriarchs of Night Province scolded you, Senior, and issued a stern warning?"
"Ah, our conscious spiritual lights are still around and didn't perish in the Earth Immortal calamity?"
In an instant, Qi Yunxiao was invigorated and filled with excitement, while Cen Jinghong and Mu Xingyao also showed joy.
"What? We've been captured and fallen into Qin Ming's hands? How can that be!"
The revelations came in such rapid succession that each time the gray-robed grandmaster spoke, the color drained or shifted on everyone's faces.
The trio's moods were like a roller coaster, plummeting and soaring by turns. Qi Yunxiao looked grim; the cruel truth he found hardest to swallow was laid bare—he had suffered a crushing defeat.
For a time, the people attending the gathering on Mount Yuhua cast peculiar looks at him.
That a youth on Night Province's Newborn path could actually slay upwards against a seed of the fourth realm was truly beyond everyone's expectations.
Many wiped the smiles from their faces, turning serious. This was no ordinary news; it shocked every gifted genius present.
"We were dragged into this too, becoming his prisoners?" Mu Xingyao's exquisite face was covered in frost.
Qi Yunxiao was utterly despondent. He felt a defeat like none he had ever experienced, as though kicked from the clouds straight into an abyss. Had he known earlier, why would he ever have waded into these muddy waters? Wasn't this just bringing humiliation upon himself?!
In truth, he did not yet know that his cultivation had been crippled. If he did, he would have plunged from the abyss straight into hell, and his spirit field might have exploded on the spot.
"He wants us to bring 'sincerity' to ransom ourselves?" Cen Jinghong's brows knitted tightly, though overall he still breathed a sigh of relief.
However, when Mu Xingyao heard the words "ransom ourselves," her body stiffened slightly. This spirit wandering had truly tarnished her reputation; she felt suffocated with grievance, and her fury began spilling over onto Qi Yunxiao.
"Commanding a flying sword with his primary conscious spiritual light, yet he couldn't even suppress someone in the third realm?" she muttered under her breath.
Having a fair-faced fairy with whom he had decent relations stab him in the back like this made Qi Yunxiao's face turn hideous, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Mu Xingyao didn't want to linger for a single moment, fearing further complications. She said, "I must immediately go ran... deliver myself. I am heading to Chixia City to negotiate."
"A night has already passed anyway; there's no rush for a brief moment," someone remarked.
Mu Xingyao felt a pang in her heart. Her face pale with annoyance, she departed without a word.
"How fascinating. This Qin Ming is truly remarkable. How on earth did he manage to overpower an immortal seed of a higher realm? Let's go together and take a look at him."
These geniuses of grand background traveled in groups toward Chixia City.
No matter the outside clamor, Qin Ming's good mood remained untouched. He had already slipped back to Twin Trees Village to drink tea with Old Man Liu.
Liu Mo seemed entirely oblivious to the events of the previous night, transforming once more from a terrifying deity back into a scruffy old man in a remote hamlet.
"Why has the Fire Spring brightened again?" Qin Ming mused, then stroked the scruff of the big yellow dog's neck.
Big Yellow bared its teeth and raised a large paw. It was not in a muddled state right now; even though it needed a long period of quiet recuperation after yesterday's battle, it was not so weak that being petted meant it couldn't lift its bamboo sword.
Yet the moment it noticed Old Man Liu glancing over, it instantly became docile, nuzzling its neck fur against Qin Ming's hand of its own accord.
Brat, Lord Cat remembers you! It mentally notched another debt.
That day, Chixia City welcomed multiple visitors from beyond the province, all of them remarkable young heroes of extraordinary background.
They did not get to see Qin Ming; Meng Xinghai represented him in the negotiations.
"This is the legendary Planting God in the Mind, a supreme scripture!" the gray-robed grandmaster announced. Naturally, he would not exchange the Extinction Immortal Scripture.
Their so-called "sincerity" was indeed high-end material, but it was a text that had already circulated through the Eastern Lands and been collected by quite a few lineages.
Meng Xinghai asked, "Why does this sound like it doesn't follow an orthodox path?"
Qi Yunxiao longed to say that of course this wasn't an immortal scripture. Beneath the mind lay an abyss, and plunging deeper revealed hell itself; in the end, God only knew whether what was planted would turn out to be a god, an immortal, or a demon.
Most importantly, once one fell into the depths of the mental hell, how many could ever climb back out? Sudden death was always at hand!
"Above the mind lie the nine heavens. One can plant the seed in advance, and once it takes root and sprouts, even attaining the realm of a Heavenly Immortal in the future is not impossible. Legend has it that this scripture's origins are boundless, hailed as one of the strongest canonical teachings among ancient methods in the Eastern Lands."
...
After some bargaining, both sides nodded in agreement.
In the end, Qi Yunxiao's mind shattered. Learning earlier of his defeat at Qin Ming's hands had merely felt like falling into an abyss; now that he learned the full truth, he felt he had plunged into the hell beneath it.
He had actually been completely crippled!
The gray-robed grandmaster was ready to turn hostile on the spot and fight to the death.
"The patriarchs of the earthen city are still here. Do you wish to cause chaos in Night Province?" Meng Xinghai asked coldly.
Behind him, Grandmaster Meng Zhiyan stepped forward just in case.
"If you have grievances, come see us!" one of the founding patriarchs spoke from within Chixia City. One had to admit, having such living ancestors around was extraordinarily useful at critical moments.
The gray-robed grandmaster lost all his fire and fell silent.
Qi Yunxiao swayed on his feet, thoroughly listless, nearly collapsing headfirst to the ground.
The gray-robed grandmaster quickly supported him and said, "Young Master, stay strong! The Extinction Immortal Scripture never cuts off all paths. Legend holds that if one comprehends it thoroughly, one can revive from within extinction."
Cen Jinghong stepped forward, and after merging with his shattered consciousness, his face turned deathly pale. What in the world had he endured last night? Crushed in a single grip, and then poked to pieces.
When Mu Xingyao concluded the negotiation, she could hardly believe it. She had suffered so miserably last night—squeezed to bursting, crushed to pieces, and even ordered around like a maidservant.
Although the three parties involved vehemently demanded secrecy, rumors still leaked out, taking their toll on them.
For instance, when the world papers listed the peerless talents from beyond the province, their assessment of Qi Yunxiao was remarkably mediocre.
Moreover, the night papers had gone to great lengths for sales, compiling a Peerless Outworld Fairies Ranking. Mu Xingyao not only ranked behind Pei Qingwu and Qi Jiyue, but even failed to stay in the top five.
Rumor had it that although her appearance was peerless, her demeanor was deemed insufficiently "ethereal and transcendent." In short, her reputation was somewhat dubious—all because of a rumor that she had flown wing-to-wing with a man, strolling through the nine heavens and staying out the entire night.
"!" Hearing this, Mu Xingyao was so enraged she couldn't eat for three days. She didn't care about rankings; she was merely infuriated by such unfounded rumors.
Time bowed to no mortal will, slipping away in haste. In the blink of an eye, the entire summer was gone.
Qin Ming sighed softly. He had entered seclusion in early spring, yet before he knew it, autumn had arrived. The passage of time was truly fleeting.
During this period, he heard the names of several newly risen geniuses in Night Province and learned that more and more formidable figures from outside were entering the local lands.
Most importantly, the old patriarchs of the earthen city had methodically pressed forward to unify the forces of the entire Night Province, and their efforts were already taking shape.
During this time, patriarchs of the various paths had entered seclusion one after another, seemingly relinquishing power and allowing the people of the earthen city to advance major affairs.
Everyone felt that forceful patriarchs like Helian Chengyun, Leng Mingkong, and Qingtian had retreated behind the scenes and entered retirement mode.
"A son came back from Pugong, and an ancestor returned from the earthen city. What else could I do? Hand over power!" These were Patriarch Qingtian's exact words.
More and more beings arrived from outside. Offspring of mighty beings from the legendary, unfathomably distant Lion Camel Ridge even visited in person, and lineages from the territories of various non-human races successively dispatched disciples.
"Damn, that fellow is so arrogant—he actually announced his true background in the Great Thunder Sound Temple!" The white-robed youth from the Sacred Race rubbed his large nose, gritting his teeth in lingering pain.
He had already investigated thoroughly: in the earthen city connected to Yujing, a youth named Gao Chan cultivated both paths and had mastered the legendary Sumeru field!
"Sister..." He immediately wrote a letter and tied it to the leg of a lightning bird.
Right as autumn arrived, the earthen city made a grand move, announcing to the world that the legendary immortal peaches had ripened. They planned to host a banquet for renowned figures across all paths, holding an Immortal Peach Gathering.
Qin Ming waited and waited, but to his surprise, no invitation ever arrived for him.
"Bloody hell!" Yuque cursed in indignation on his behalf.
Qin Ming's attention was drawn to another matter. Rumor had it that the retired patriarchs were delving deeply into "gates," intending to open another cavern following the Golden Light Cave at the minotaur territory.
This time, enthusiasm across all quarters was practically nonexistent; in fact, people gave it a wide berth.
Even the old ancestors of the earthen city waved their hands in refusal when invited.
Reportedly, the patriarchs of the various paths in Night Province had long become infamous in the eyes of outside factions.
Even the living ancestors of the earthen city feared being "sent off" by their dutiful sons and grandsons.
Yet Qin Ming grew interested; he figured the patriarchs couldn't possibly be that unreliable every single time.
Chapter 372