Bai Meng tilted his head, a look of surprise on his face. "Brother Qin is still in the third realm. Could it be that the Earth Immortal Mansion already values you so highly that they're inviting you to a banquet?"
Just moments before, he had been telling Qin Ming that while they had hit it off right away, Qin Ming still shouldn't harbor any fond illusions, as Tang Yushang was far out of his reach.
The figures arriving to invite Qin Ming were all clad in jade armor, appearing to be drudges.
Su Moran waved her hand to dismiss them. Having met Qin Ming at the Shanhe Academy and engaged in pleasant conversation with him back then, she was already well-acquainted with him.
Today, she was dressed in men's attire, clad in pristine white robes that lent her an even more scholarly air. Yet her face was exceptionally enchanting, and her glossy black hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall. Coupled with the faint, hazy immortal radiance drifting about her person, her extraordinary bearing made it impossible not to draw attention.
Many passersby on the earthen city's main thoroughfare stopped in their tracks, turning their heads repeatedly to look.
"Brother Qin, we meet again." Su Moran offered a faint smile and directly stated her purpose: a great faction wished to invite Qin Ming for a discussion.
"The Earth Immortal Mansion?" Bai Meng, Wu Yaozu, and the others all guessed.
Su Moran smiled and shook her head. "In this earthen city, Senior Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe is not the only one receiving various prodigies. There are other powerful organizations as well."
She lifted her gaze toward the night sky, seemingly hinting that the other party came from... above!
Qin Ming and Xiang Yiwu grew solemn. Even Xiao Wu stopped grinning, adopting a serious expression.
Behind them, Gao Chan remained placid. Though he disliked his fiancée standing beside Qin Ming, he showed no impatience, remaining thoroughly composed.
Su Moran did not ignore the others, saying, "This must be Brother Xiang, and this is Brother Bai. And might this fellow Daoist be Brother Huang?"
"No, my surname is Wu!" Wu Yaozu immediately corrected her.
"My apologies." Su Moran smiled demurely, seemingly having made a lighthearted joke on purpose.
Then, she extended a formal invitation. "Brother Xiang, Brother Bai, Brother Wu..."
The major organization backing her also wished to speak with Xiang Yiwu, Wu Yaozu, and Bai Meng.
None of them had expected to have already drawn the attention of beings from above.
"Me too?" Bai Meng was quite surprised.
Su Moran said, "There is no need to belittle yourself, Brother Bai. You were overshadowed by Tang Yushang's radiance and severely underestimated your own potential."
"Well..." For once, Bai Meng acted modest instead of boasting.
Wu Yaozu was overjoyed. Before they had even ascended to the heavens, people from above were already inviting them.
"In the end, it will still depend on your individual performances. The resources from above won't be lavished upon mere mortals," Gao Chan, dressed in black robes, suddenly interjected.
His words were quite blunt. Although a bit harsh to the ear, they spoke the unvarnished truth, while also serving as a subtle check on the group.
Gao Chan knew it would be best for him to keep quiet, but seeing Su Moran standing beside Qin Ming, he simply could not hold back.
Wu Yaozu asked, "Brother Gao, last time you promised to lend my Brother Ming the classics detailing the Sumeru field and the Heavenly Demon force field. Did you bring them this time?"
*Blondie.* Gao Chan sorely wanted to spit out those two words. This fellow truly had a knack for touching on sore spots.
Last time, he had already been furious enough to nearly turn hostile on the spot, only managing to let the matter drop through silence.
Bai Meng looked as though deeply moved by personal experience. "Brother Qin, let me tell you, among those who cultivate the Sumeru field and Heavenly Demon force field, there are genuinely wicked people!"
Qin Ming looked at him and said, "Is that so? It sounds as if you have quite a story, Brother Bai. If you ever need help in the future, I'll help you deal with your enemies."
Bai Meng's fondness for him instantly surged. "Good! Brother Qin truly is a man of loyalty and honor!"
Su Moran looked at Gao Chan and said, "You need to select people for the Cicada Court. Go tend to your business."
"All right!" Gao Chan nodded, turned, and took his leave.
"This Cicada Court from above—is it formidable?" Xiao Wu asked.
Su Moran nodded. "Yes. In the distant past, the Cicada Court produced a Heavenly God."
Xiang Yiwu asked, "How should we address the great faction behind you, Fairy Su?"
"The Immortal Palace." Su Moran was thoroughly candid, concealing nothing. Dressed in men's clothing, her slender and tall figure made her resemble an attractive young scholar stepped right out of a painting.
"Are there Heavenly Gods there as well?" Wu Yaozu asked.
"In ancient times, Heavenly Immortals oversaw it," Su Moran replied.
Even Qin Ming could not help asking, "And what about in this era?"
Su Moran said, "Several centuries ago, there were still Heavenly Immortals in the world. Now, it is difficult to say. Earth Immortals are likely the paramount figures. The path ahead is locked; when the strong look up, they can see the ceiling."
Their hearts trembled. They felt it was truly necessary to establish contact with such major factions, as it would allow them to uncover a great deal of the truth.
Qin Ming began taking the initiative to inquire, bringing up the Newborn path during the conversation.
"Though it is not the drudge path, it shares similarities," Su Moran stated plainly. The path walked by drudges was an utter failure; it required replacing divine bones, mending immortal skin, and receiving assistance from others to reshape oneself.
Except for rare anomalies, virtually no drudge had ever achieved great heights; their upper limit was firmly locked.
Su Moran cited an example: in the earthen city, the Golden Rooster, White Ox, Black Tiger, and others were twelve golden-armored drudges who had attained immortality, hence abbreviated as the Twelve Golden Immortals.
They had only reached this stage through the assistance of others!
Su Moran continued, "From my observation of the current era, the patriarchs of the Newborn system possess lofty ambitions. Perhaps they can blaze a completely different trail—one that even Yujing cannot lock down."
"Yujing locks the path?!" Xiang Yiwu was shocked.
Su Moran nodded. "There is such a saying, though it likely does not stem from malice; there may be another reason."
She then smiled and added, "We think highly of you, which is why we invited you. Perhaps an anomaly will emerge in this grand era, someone who can shatter the shackles and break through the ceiling on their own."
She retrieved a book from her robes and handed it to Qin Ming. "Here. A brief overview of the Sumeru field, the Heavenly Demon force field, the spiritual illusion field, the immortal field, and others."
Qin Ming revealed a look of surprise and promptly expressed his gratitude. Taking the book, he began flipping through it right there on the street.
In truth, his spirit field possessed multiple properties, so he had no need to switch to other methods; he only needed it for reference.
Qin Ming knew there was no such thing as an unearned gift. The people of the Immortal Palace had clearly taken note of certain shining qualities in him, and this was likely an early initial wager.
If he failed to provide returns in the future, he would probably have to pay a corresponding price.
Therefore, Qin Ming was willing to make contact with them, but he did not wish to become entangled too deeply.
A magnificent complex of buildings stood conspicuously in the earthen city, its grandeur not a whit inferior to the distant Earth Immortal Mansion.
Qin Ming, Xiang Yiwu, and the others followed Su Moran into the courtyard. The further in they went, the more astonished they became; the colossal palace, supported by white jade pillars, was veiled in drifting, hazy immortal mist.
"Pardon me for a moment." Su Moran temporarily excused herself.
Inside the white jade palace, a number of young prodigies had already arrived, most of them unfamiliar faces.
There were acquaintances as well. Qin Ming spotted Cen Jinghong and Mu Xingyao, the two whom he had captured above the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace on that rainy night over half a year ago.
Evidently, both of them saw Qin Ming as well, mixed emotions churning within them.
For a time, they had been thoroughly indignant. After all, they had only deployed a portion of their conscious spiritual light back then. But seeing Qin Ming defeat a fourth-realm successor of the Eastern Lands' Earth Immortal Palace across realms today, they had instantly become far more open-minded.
"Fairy Mu, over here! My Brother Ming is right here!" Wu Yaozu called out, acting completely at home.
Mu Xingyao had originally turned her head away, hoping to avoid an awkward encounter. Yet this fellow's loud voice had singled her out intentionally.
Rumors had already circulated outside linking her with Qin Ming. Last time, when Qin Ming was suspected to have died in the restricted zone formed by the Great Dream Divine Mushroom, Wu Yaozu and Xiang Yiwu had even probed and questioned her... Thinking of it now still made her want to hit someone.
"Fairy Mu!" Xiao Wu waved persistently.
Qin Ming said, "Why are you calling her over? There's nothing between her and me."
Unable to endure it any longer, Mu Xingyao stood up crossly and walked briskly over. Otherwise, with Wu Yaozu's booming voice, the entire hall would be staring at her.
Deeply exasperated, she said, "Qin Ming, this brother of yours pesters me every single time!"
Qin Ming replied, "Consider us acquaintances made through clashing blows. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, that's all there is to it. There truly is nothing between us."
Then he added a compliment: "As expected of Fairy Mu, ranked on the Night Gazette's list of peerless beauties. Having not seen you for a while, your grace and elegance surpass even the past."
"Hmph!" After her beauty was praised, the young lady from the Western Sea Earth Immortal Dao Sanctuary curved her lips slightly and raised her snow-white chin, voicing her lingering displeasure over the past.
Back then, she had merely gone to spectate and had no intention of intervening, yet she had still ended up getting thrashed by Qin Ming!
Qin Ming did not mind. After all, he had collected a hefty ransom from her, so he naturally felt some tolerance toward her now and did not hold it against her.
Xiao Wu asked, "Aren't we all acquaintances? I'd like to ask: since the Immortal Palace has taken an interest in us, what kind of resources are they planning to lavish upon us?"
Xiang Yiwu also asked, "How is the Immortal Palace viewed above? What tier of organization does it belong to?"
Mu Xingyao felt their nerves were truly thick. One of them had beaten her, and the other two had once tried to hold her hostage, yet now they acted completely familiar without the slightest reservation.
Maintaining a hint of reserve, she still answered. After all, the Sovereign, Emperor Ran, Moon Goddess, and Martial Saint had made a name for themselves in that battle. Even that blond fellow was remarkable; all of them possessed immense potential.
"We must enter into a covenant with the Immortal Palace. The longer one serves them, the more resources, scriptures, and support one receives. If one pledges complete allegiance, then according to them, they will even fully support our pursuit of the Heavenly Immortal fruition in the future—provided we possess such natural aptitude."
Then she added in a lowered voice, "Actually, there's no need to rush into a decision. Other major organizations are also offering terms, so you can compare."
Bai Meng said, "Affairs in the heavens are somewhat complicated. Before we've even ascended, people have already begun recruiting."
"How do the terms here compare to the Earth Immortal Mansion?" Wu Yaozu asked.
Mu Xingyao said, "Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe personally receives those who are selected; she represents the orthodox lineage of the heavens. Organizations like the Immortal Palace and the Cicada Court inviting us is a matter of private recruitment. They are two entirely different things."
Wu Yaozu asked, "So to say, those invited to the Earth Immortal Mansion are considered to have the greatest potential and the most exceptional talent, capable of looking down upon their peers?"
Mu Xingyao nodded and sighed. "More or less."
Someone nearby chimed in, "Of course, the rest of us also have a chance to be favored by the orthodox lineage of the heavens. Simple trials will follow later; when the time comes, all one needs to do is unleash their potential to their heart's content."
Xiang Yiwu asked, "Who has entered the Earth Immortal Mansion so far?"
Mu Xingyao thought for a moment and said, "Yuan, Xiao Jinye, Pei Qingwu, Chunyangzi, Jin Puti, Tang Yushang, Luo Tian, Su Moran... Others should have been invited afterward as well."
Wu Yaozu immediately exclaimed, "Well aren't you something, Little Su! You went and reported to the orthodox Earth Immortal Mansion yourself, yet you drag us here to the Immortal Palace behind you!"
He looked around, but Su Moran was nowhere to be found.
Xiao Wu said, "Brother Ming, what do you think? We didn't make the front row. How about we just go dig tunnels with the patriarch? Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix."
Nearby, several young prodigies grew dissatisfied upon hearing this.
"Watch your words! How are we the tail of a phoenix? Nothing has been settled yet. Besides, even if one cannot be the absolute strongest, being a 'secondary choice' isn't bad either."
"This era is destined to see a multitude of stars shine. Rising into the sky to become a prominent star is already plenty good; can you expect everyone to become a bright moon or a blazing sun? You must understand that countless geniuses are destined never to rise at all, and some prodigies will only end up as meteors or falling stars."
An elderly voice even spoke up from deep within the architectural complex: "Young people should not reach beyond their grasp. One must keep one's feet on solid ground to travel ten thousand li."
Xiao Wu was forced to keep a low profile. One truly could not speak brashly in this place; there were simply too many rules and sensibilities.
Mu Xingyao whispered, "That you weren't chosen might also be due to your path. Yujing locks the Newborn path."
Then she spoke again: "Every day at the hour of the horse, we can all enter the Five-Colored Immortal Realm to test our potential and actively demonstrate it to the orthodox lineage. The time is almost upon us today."
"Let's go, let's give it a try!" Bai Meng instantly grew spirited.
Qin Ming, Xiang Yiwu, and the others were also intrigued and wanted to take a look.
The Five-Colored Immortal Realm spanned multiple areas across the earthen city. Whether the Earth Immortal Mansion, the Immortal Palace, or the Cicada Court, each possessed a corresponding entrance.
Deep within the colossal white jade palace, a five-colored mist drifted hazily. Venturing further inside felt like entering an expansive immortal land.
An aged voice rang out: "The time for today is nearly at hand. Once inside, disperse yourselves. Endeavor to pass through as many layers of immortal mist as you can, and touch the corresponding stone slabs..."
In this realm, even the soil beneath their feet was five-colored. Qin Ming walked forward alone. He passed through three layers of dense mist in succession, feeling the mounting pressure, but he withstood it, ultimately traversing five layers.
Beyond the fifth layer of mist stood a five-colored stele—not a stone slab of a single hue.
Qin Ming had a feeling that the five layers of mist were like five distinct spatial layers. Having breached them, he chose to reach out and touch the five-colored stele.
At the same time, inside the Earth Immortal Mansion, Mu Qinghe personally led several youths of boundless potential into the Five-Colored Immortal Realm.
Mu Qinghe spoke: "For all of you, touching the five-colored stele and triggering a wondrous spectacle is your ultimate goal. Go. If you fail once, try twice, thrice—come and test yourselves every day."
At the hour of the horse, the veil of night was relatively faint, and even the heavy dark clouds in the sky seemed to thin considerably.
Suddenly, within the earthen city, a five-colored jade bell manifested out of thin air. It began tolling violently, ringing eight times in succession, resonating through heaven and earth.
The entire earthen city began to glow, densely covered with innumerable immortal Dao talismans. Furthermore, the five-colored bell chimes surged straight into the night sky, reaching the Nine Heavens.
"Who? Why would someone toll the Five-Colored Jade Bell? This will startle the Nine Heavens! Some exalted figures are still slumbering, and the city above has not yet reached its day of emergence!" In the earthen city, voices cried out in both shock and fury.
Several old monsters charged out, searching everywhere for the culprit.
*One dares not speak in a loud voice, lest one startle those in heaven.*
Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe stepped forth and raised her head toward the bell in the night sky. "No... Someone touched the five-colored stele and resonated with its Dao rhyme, triggering an anomaly that caused the Five-Colored Jade Bell to ring on its own, delivering auspicious tidings to the heavens!"
"What? Such a person exists down on the ground?"
"Who triggered this?"
Even the old monsters were dumbfounded in their shock.
Above the Nine Heavens, certain slumbering beings were indeed jolted awake by the tolling!
Chapter 394