In the wilderness, night mist curled in the air as scattered flakes of light snow danced in the nocturnal wind. Birds traced curving arcs across the sky before vanishing into the boundless gloom.
"The Heaven-chosen? The future is uncertain; you and I both stand a chance!" someone said, eyes alight with fervor as he pressed a fist against his chest, high-spirited and ambitious.
Beside him, a youth chuckled. "Brother, if you make it into Yujing, do not forget your friends when you strike it rich!"
Kunling City was not far from the earthen city; both lay in the same region. Though no Fire Springs lined the road and pitch-black darkness enveloped everything, it was neither desolate nor quiet—many travelers walked amid the night wind.
"Can a Heavenly Immortal truly be attained?" someone wondered aloud.
Even with youth's soaring spirits and grand ambitions, many turned grave at the words "Heavenly Immortal." None dared joke about it; their faces held only reverence.
Without question, a Heavenly Immortal weighed heavier than Mount Sumeru in the minds of the people, an existence that felt as if it could crush the firmament itself. People scarcely dared invoke those words even in jest.
After all, in the present world, Earth Immortals were the pinnacle. The emergence of a single one could overlook an entire domain, walking the mortal realm as sect-anchoring instruments of absolute slaughter.
A young man solemnly cautioned, "Heavenly Immortals and Heavenly Gods are not to be spoken of lightly. We best not discuss them."
The earthen city came into view. In the dark of night, it did not look magnificent, yet it had become a vortex where wind and clouds gathered. Talents from across Night Province were rushing over, joined by geniuses arriving from external domains.
Not far off, the white snow was bathed in a vivid red glow. Someone had excavated a subterranean Fire Spring and was "building on a grand scale," erecting a legendary "gate" meant to link to a distant otherworld.
Stirred and provoked by this, the old monsters within the earthen city had dispatched experts to keep a close watch on the site, and members of the Twelve Golden Immortals had even come in person to patrol.
A rooster stood fully a zhang tall, its entire body shimmering with brilliant golden light and clad in armor. Resembling a rising morning sun, it illuminated the wilderness within the night mist.
"Hiss, is that the Chicken Immortal?"
"Hush! His Elder attained immortality in the body of a drudge, so mind your tongue. His original form was human."
Qin Ming and his companions had arrived, but they did not enter the earthen city. Instead, they lingered near the entrance to the tunnel leading to the otherworld. In fact, many onlookers had gathered nearby.
The golden rooster patrolled, its rosy aura radiating far and wide and lending an imposing grandeur to the site. Even travelers from external domains paused in their tracks rather than heading straight to the earthen city to register.
"Take it easy over there, and don't go stirring up trouble recklessly!" Before long, several primal ancestors arrived in person, watching their unfilial descendants from later generations digging a cavern.
The primal ancestors harbored deep suspicions that this bunch of old scoundrels had rebellion in their bones. A city was about to open in the sky, and they were deliberately doing the exact opposite, insisting on making a spectacle by tunneling underground.
Lu Yu oversaw the work himself, speaking up in response. "We support the Earth Immortal unifying Night Province. Now we desire nothing else—we wish only to explore outward and pioneer a path."
By now, the Six Imperials Patriarch was renowned throughout the realm, having once beaten Past Rulai into defeat and left him crippled. When a figure of his stature was laboring with his own hands, people strongly suspected he was desperate to wear away the final traces of decayed qi, and perhaps he truly had hope of stepping into the seventh realm!
"Come into the city so we can talk," one primal ancestor invited.
In the end, the patriarchs who had been preparing to break new ground and blaze the trail were all escorted away into the earthen city. The atmosphere in the area immediately relaxed; otherwise, no one would have dared speak at full volume.
"Everyone, does anyone want to explore the otherworld? There might be immense fortune out there! We might unearth an area rich in natural bounty. If it's covered in clusters of super Fire Springs and high-grade spirit herbs lie everywhere just waiting to be harvested, just imagining it makes one drool!"
"Wake up, stop daydreaming. Even the primal ancestors couldn't take it anymore—they've been spooked by all the schemes. This is clearly an attempt to dig three pits in one year!"
The earthen city lay close by, so they dared not say too much, terrified of offending the ancestors if overheard.
Someone changed the subject, remarking, "This time, rising stars will ascend one after another into the night sky. I hope Night Province can make the most of our home advantage so the talents of every path can enter Sky City smoothly."
A youth looked up at the pitch-black sky. "That's quite literally a cluster of stars rising into the heavens."
Whenever Sky City was mentioned, people wore longing expressions. How could that city suspend itself above the firmament? It stirred profound yearning and anticipation.
"Many people have arrived from external domains. The competition will likely be fierce," one seed-level figure noted with a grave expression.
For someone like him, ascending to the sky was no issue. The real worry was the various rivalries awaiting them once they entered the city above. One had to understand that the outstanding talents from external domains were often descendants of Earth Immortals or disciples of immortal sanctuaries, all exceedingly formidable.
"You aren't speaking with enough magnanimity. It's merely fair competition. We traveled here from external domains—are we supposed to be ostracized?" a youth spoke up, hailing from Earth Immortal Island in the Western Sea.
Quite a few visitors from external domains were already gathered here.
His tone was relatively mild, but a hot-tempered youth from outside the domain spoke up forcefully: "Night Province is simply lucky to serve as Yujing's temporary stopover. Otherwise, who would want to come to such a backwater!"
"How can you talk like that?" Several young talents from Night Province took offense at once.
"Now, Night Province no longer belongs exclusively to you locals. It belongs to all of us," stated a young woman from the distant Northern Wilderness.
"Indeed. We have come to Night Province as guests, so show some breadth of mind instead of being so petty. We shall each rely on our own abilities to compete for the Heaven-chosen seats!" a young expert from the Eastern Lands agreed, nodding.
It was not that they intended to stir up trouble; rather, they wanted to band together and test the extent of Night Province's hostility toward outsiders, adjusting their actions here based on the feedback.
Certain youths hailing from Earth Immortal sanctuaries were accustomed to overbearing conduct and wished to treat this place as their home ground. Other outside geniuses lacked a sense of security, which was why they were probing.
Of course, those who truly wanted to "pressure-test" the locals organized things from the shadows and would not show themselves in person, having others act on their behalf.
Across the realm reached by Yujing, many regions were linked by dark mist caves—special gates that vastly shortened travel distances.
By now, the number of young powerhouses arriving from external domains was truly substantial.
The place immediately grew clamorous. Some stirred up trouble, while others watched the show. Even many talents who had already entered the earthen city came out to spectate.
At this age, people were prone to impulse and had quick tempers; arguments flared easily and could quickly lead to open hostility.
"We admit the old folks in Night Province grow more monstrous the older they get. Though confined to the stable, their ambitions span thousands of li. They're constantly digging massive pits, each of them ruthless and cold-blooded, notorious across foreign domains," remarked an external traveler.
At first hearing, this sounded like praise, but after a moment's reflection, it tasted like mockery. Looked at closely, it seemed to voice deep resentment; whoever said it likely had conflicted feelings.
Someone promptly nodded in agreement. "On the contrary, the younger generation in Night Province is completely obscure and utterly listless. We truly haven't heard of anyone who stands out."
"To put it bluntly, the peers here in Night Province are somewhat mediocre!"
This bordered on regional discrimination.
In truth, friction easily arose even when people from different cities bickered, let alone when it pitted locals against outsiders.
"Are you sleep-talking? Why don't you listen to the nonsense coming out of your mouths? I seem to recall that a so-called 'blazing sun' from an external domain once sparred with Jiang Ran, only to end up dutifully bowing his head."
"What do a few battles prove? Does your Night Province have only a single outstanding woman? Can't you field any men?"
Sure enough, tempers on both sides flared hotter.
"Keep dreaming! Haven't you heard of our Night Province's Emperor Chonghe? He looks down upon all of you—if you aren't convinced, come fight!"
Cui Chonghe, who was watching from the crowd, was caught completely off guard, his face darkening like stagnant water. Who was trying to drag him into this? How shameless!
Without question, things had progressed past mere regional insults. Everyone was furious, and some were fishing in troubled waters, eager to stir up a mess.
"Chonghe? Zhonghe? Never heard of him! What right does a stray cat or dog like that have to look down on us? What actual battle record does he have?"
Hearing this, Cui Chonghe's face turned black as pitch. Who was trying to make him a target for everyone, roasting him over the fire? Shameless to the extreme!
"You want battle records? Not long ago, our Night Province's Qin Ming defeated Sun Chengjun, the prominent disciple of the Sage's lineage who had mastered Chaos force—and he achieved that victory against a higher realm!"
"I seem to have heard of that. It's just petty squabbling on the drudge path. What kind of peerless figure is Sun Chengjun supposed to be? If his opponent were replaced by Little Rulai, that might mean something!"
"Stop trying to disgust us. That's a flagship figure of our Newborn path—what does he have to do with drudges?"
"Heh, drudge is your ultimate destination. You might hate hearing it, but Yujing has locked the path. Your ceiling was sealed off long ago. Don't get so worked up, big brother—why don't you follow me in the future instead?"
Qin Ming had not expected the gossip to turn onto his own head. Once one became the topic of heated discussion, unpleasant remarks naturally followed.
"Shut your mouths! You hail from petty little states—what could you know of the Newborn path? How dare you recklessly discuss Sovereign Qin Ming!"
When Qin Ming heard those words, his brows knitted tightly at once. He immediately began searching the crowd; someone was intentionally steering the public mood toward him.
"Sovereign? Bah! A mere third realm dares to boast so wildly? Utterly shameless!"
Following Emperor Chonghe, Sovereign Qin Ming was now also targeted with verbal attacks.
Wu Yaozu spoke up. "Someone here is targeting Brother Ming. That's vile!"
Jiang Ran broke into a smile. "It doesn't matter. Qin Ming only needs to strive to live up to the Sovereign they speak of."
Li Qingyue donned her liquefied immortal garment, and her perception spiked dramatically. Capable of intercepting secret voice transmissions and covert communications from the shadows, she locked onto the targets immediately.
"Over there. They're from the Eastern Lands," she pointed directly at several people.
"Qi Yunxiao!" Qin Ming recognized one of them. On a rainy night, that man had once wandered his spirit across thousands of li, arriving above the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace to attack him.
That night, he had become a chip in a wager between several blazing suns from external domains, a piece in someone else's game. After learning the truth, Qin Ming had shown no mercy, crippling Qi Yunxiao.
"Senior Brother Liu, they seem to have noticed us using secret techniques to transmit our voices through the crowd," Qi Yunxiao said.
A purple-robed youth, Liu Zhenghong, said in a deep voice, "No matter. Since he's noticed, we'll take this chance to teach him a lesson!"
Wu Yaozu shouted across the crowd, "And who did I think it was? Isn't this the genius Qi Yunxiao from the Eastern Lands? After my Brother Ming crippled you, you've been reduced to a mosquito lurking in the dark corners, only daring to chirp and complain behind his back. Are you even a man? You don't even dare to step out and speak directly!"
The surroundings swiftly fell silent, and everyone turned to look.
Qi Yunxiao's face shifted between green and pale. Since being crippled, he had lacked the face to return to the Eastern Lands, hoping instead to try his luck at Sky City alongside his friends. To have his shame exposed before the crowd left him humiliated and furious beyond endurance.
"What are you babbling about?!" Liu Zhenghong, also from the Eastern Lands, cast a cold gaze over. He had intended to salvage his friend's pride to begin with, so he stepped forward naturally.
Many murmured in low voices. That battle had never been publicized, only circulating within a small circle, and Qin Ming had never boasted about the achievement himself.
After all, when their faction came to ransom Qi Yunxiao, Qin Ming had claimed substantial benefits, which served as hush money.
Yet now, the other party had breached etiquette, secretly trying to draw hatred onto him.
Xiang Yiwu said in a heavy voice, "Do you want us to repeat it and make it completely public for you?"
"Silence your absurd talk!" Liu Zhenghong pressed forward step by step, preparing to stage a "spar" with Qin Ming on the spot.
They had already analyzed the matter and concluded that Qin Ming had relied on the "momentum of the heavens" to defeat Qi Yunxiao back then, and that his personal cultivation had not been that profound.
Even so, Liu Zhenghong and his companions conceded that Qin Ming possessed peerless talent, having been able to temporarily transform the "field of the heavens" into a spirit field for his own use—truly an astonishing feat.
Right now, there were no extreme conditions—no astral winds, no thunderstorms. He did not believe this youth could pull off any more miracles.
Wu Yaozu declared, "Who are you barking at? Since you want to throw away your shame, I'll tell everyone! This Qi Yunxiao from the Eastern Lands once wandered his spirit across thousands of li on a rainy night, so arrogant that he thought he could subdue my Brother Ming with just two swords. In the end, my Brother Ming beat him like a mangy dog and crippled him on the spot!"
A brief silence swept the area, followed by an uproar as the crowd burst into clamor.
The battle from that night was laid bare today, leaving many astonished by Qin Ming's feat. They finally understood why Qi Yunxiao had suddenly dropped out of sight—he had suffered a disastrous loss and been crippled.
"As expected of Sovereign Qin Ming!" someone praised.
"You little troll, shut your trap!" Xiao Wu snapped back in reprimand.
"Qin Ming actually has such a glorious battle record? Truly formidable!"
Throughout the area, many people discussed it excitedly.
Qi Yunxiao's face was chalky. Having this shameful past aired before the crowd made him want to crawl into a hole. He, too, had once been a brilliant rising star in the Eastern Lands, yet now he had fallen into the abyss.
"Ask your own conscience—relying purely on genuine cultivation, could you have suppressed Brother Qi?" Immortal qi surged violently around Liu Zhenghong as he charged straight at Qin Ming.
Xiang Yiwu barked, "A loss is a loss! Why all the excuses? Can't you afford to lose?"
Qin Ming waved a hand, stepping forward himself. "You want to stand up for him? Fine. Come at me!"
Liu Zhenghong sneered. With a shrinking of the earth to inches, he closed the distance in a flash, launching an attack directly.
Qin Ming did not budge from his spot, but his spirit field expanded outward. Tangible ripples spread like layers of water rings, oscillating through every inch of the void.
Moreover, a wondrous vision manifested within those spirit field waves. The rays of the setting sun painted the night sky in deep crimson, and the Great Thunder Sound Temple bathed in the afterglow of twilight, appearing incomparably sacred and solemn. Yet in this atmosphere, amidst all the magnificent architecture, an immense quantity of... mushrooms suddenly sprouted!
Liu Zhenghong was formidable, yet his mind suddenly wandered. His consciousness turned groggy and bewildered; having stepped into the Great Dream Divine Mushroom spirit field, his mind became clouded.
"Brother Liu!" Qi Yunxiao yelled, trying to wake him.
Liu Zhenghong had only arrived in Night Province recently and had not experienced the Great Dream Divine Mushroom incident. He had charged in without concern, only to walk straight into the trap.
In truth, even Little Rulai had nearly fallen victim when caught off guard back then.
Now, like a sleepwalker, Liu Zhenghong felt mushrooms growing all over his body, with spores filling his seven facial orifices. He let out a bloodcurdling scream.
In an instant, his eyes turned glazed and dull, his face dead white, standing stiffly rooted to the ground.
The onlookers were utterly dumbfounded!
It had barely even begun—how had this genius from the Eastern Lands been caught so quickly?
Qin Ming's expression remained tranquil as he walked forward step by step, one hand already reaching out toward Liu Zhenghong's head.
"Stop!" someone yelled.
Not much time had passed since the battle between Sun Chengjun and Qin Ming at Shanhe Academy. Everyone knew that once Qin Ming patted someone's head, their skull was liable to burst—it was horrifying.
Qin Ming ignored the shout and pressed forward, intent on placing his hand upon Liu Zhenghong's head.
"People of Night Province, haven't you gone a bit too far? When you can spare someone, you should spare them," someone said.
A group of people closed in, all hailing from the Eastern Lands.
"They're all prodigies from Earth Immortal sanctuaries—they actually came together!" someone murmured, voice trembling slightly as he recognized their identities.
These people belonged to at least two Earth Immortal sanctuaries, yet they stepped forward in unison, applying immense pressure here.
"Who's afraid of you?" Wu Yaozu and Xiang Yiwu stepped up to Qin Ming's side.
"If you wish to spar with us, that can be arranged as well!" Jiang Ran and Li Qingyue walked side by side, their peerless elegance on full display as the two women officially entered the fray.
Instantly, the area erupted into boiling excitement. Were the top prodigies of Night Province and the Eastern Lands truly about to clash with everything on the line?
Chapter 391