"Last night was truly a clash of dragons and tigers, an eye-opening spectacle—Chaos force completely shattered the Calamity-Avoiding Immortal Scripture!"
In the dim predawn light within the earthen city, at a roadside breakfast stall, people ate steaming food while discussing the event.
Qin Ming's duel against the mysterious white-robed youth had sparked widespread discussion.
"Breathtaking! Who would have thought Hunyuan force was so formidable? It's truly miraculous!"
"Is it really as extraordinary as you make it sound?"
"The Calamity-Avoiding Immortal Scripture is said to leave one invulnerable to all arts and untouched by ten thousand tribulations. Yesterday, that white-robed youth indeed displayed the majesty expected of such an immortal scripture. Yet the Chaos force possessed peerless offensive power. Watching it made one's blood surge and spirit swell."
"It is said the white-robed youth had even mastered the rumored Subduing the Mind Classic, yet he still suffered defeat."
Many felt it was mind-boggling. A clash between two youths in the third realm had produced a spectacle that made even prodigies of the fourth realm uneasy and deeply apprehensive.
Whether it was the Calamity-Avoiding Immortal Scripture or the source of the Subduing the Mind Classic—the four jade book pages—both possessed immense origins and ancient lineages shrouded in countless legends.
Rumor had it that if one cultivated them to perfection, even an Earth Immortal was not the end!
Chaos force's lineage did not stretch back nearly as far, and it had even been severed for five hundred years. That it could display such stunning prowess truly caused an uproar.
"Looking at it this way, once the living sage of Pugong—the progenitor of Chaos force—returns, won't he look down upon the realm of Earth Immortals?" someone questioned.
The people of Night Province all knew of Chaos force and its terrifying destructive power, but beyond the province, it had little fame. This was primarily because of its brief history, its confinement to Night Province, and the period during which its heritage was broken.
Now, even the guests from beyond the province began taking it seriously.
"Hard to say. After all, not long ago, the orthodox lineage of Chaos force fell to a branch lineage. In the end, it all comes down to the practitioner wielding the force."
"Indeed, Qin Ming is truly worthy of being called the Sovereign!"
On this morning, discussions about Qin Ming and the white-robed youth filled every corner of the earthen city.
Suddenly, in the predawn sky, the pitch-black clouds were pierced through. Accompanied by auspicious clouds, raining petals, and celestial music, a group descended from beyond the nine firmaments.
"Today, a group of youths from the sky are supposed to spar and exchange pointers. Have people from Sky City come to watch?"
Many looked up. From youths to vigorous adults and elders, all possessed extraordinary bearing and seemingly exalted statuses.
Guests from the golden palaces above the nine firmaments drew the crowd's attention.
The people of the sky attached great importance to the boys and girls who had come to the earthen city to temper themselves. Today, several prominent figures had arrived in person.
Su Mohua gazed into the sky, fixing her eyes on a few of them, a faint fighting intent stirring within her.
"Are there peers of your age among them?" Qin Ming asked.
Su Mohua nodded. "Mm. Not everyone in our age group came to the earthen city. One group remained in the sky to cultivate, while another was taken beyond the province. Today, they likely came here to observe and see the fruits of our cultivation."
Qin Ming said, "It seems you'll have no shortage of rivals in the future."
Su Mohua tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Indeed. And these are only the rivals in the younger age group. The slightly older seeds have already entered the fourth realm."
Those individuals were exceedingly terrifying. At the current stage, in terms of cultivation realm, they were higher than even her young master, Qin Ming.
However, it was still far from time to determine the Scorching Sun and Divine Moon; everyone still had a chance to contend.
In the earthen city, many people grew intrigued.
"Even the people from the sky have come. Let's go take a look too."
Without question, all eyes today would focus on this contest among the newcomers.
At the center of the earthen city, in the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Field, the ground was paved with red gold stone inscribed with special patterns to ensure it remained solid and resistant to damage. All around, the Fire Spring flowed, illuminating the arena as bright as day.
Once the group from the sky arrived, they were immediately surrounded, mostly by acquaintances catching up. Even Su Mohua walked forward to pay respects to elders and greet friends.
A radiant young girl spoke up, "Mohua, we heard you took a master on the ground?"
Dressed in a green gown, she wore numerous hair ornaments that jingled and glittered with every movement. Covering her mouth with a light chuckle, she spoke with a distinctly disingenuous air: "It kills me to think of it. That person is merely a sparring partner—how could you take it seriously?"
The others also cast strange looks toward her.
Evidently, having just arrived on the ground, they had been informed of this by old acquaintances.
Another young girl chimed in, "Mohua, did he bewitch you or something? You are a prodigy of the sky, yet you took a ground sparring partner as your master. It brings shame upon our faces as well."
Su Mohua sighed. These two girls were mere fair-weather friends, sure enough stepping forward to mock her at such a moment.
None of the newcomers from the sky approved of her taking a master.
On the other hand, the peers who had come to the ground alongside Su Mohua to temper themselves were unusually quiet today; having witnessed Qin Ming's battle against the white-robed youth the night before, their hearts had been thoroughly shaken.
"We'll talk about that later. Here, I brought you a local winter specialty from Night Province." Su Mohua produced two skewers of guimi from behind her.
The two girls froze. Was this... candied softshell turtle?
Even if it was the snowy season, selling such a specialty snack showed that the people of the lower realm had rather heavy palates, didn't they?
"What is this? How could anyone put their mouth on it?!" the green-robed girl complained petulantly. The turtle head pointed straight at her, its eyes still wide open.
"This is guimi," Su Mohua informed them of the snack's name.
The two girls felt an urge to roll their eyes. Su Mohua was clearly playing on words, using the homophone to mock them as "turtle-honey" besties.
The green-robed girl said, "Mohua, don't drop the ball in this trial. If you get squeezed out of the top three, you won't even have the chance to compete against me in the future."
The youths who had just descended from the nine firmaments glanced over, feeling that Su Mohua had let herself go too far and tried too hard to be unconventional. Choosing a native as her master was truly debasing herself, and her ranking this time likely wouldn't be very good.
Su Mohua said, "When the time comes, we'll let our records speak for themselves!"
Her inner strength was rock-solid now; she didn't care at all about their attitudes. Whether it was those who openly ridiculed her or those watching coldly, waiting to see her make a fool of herself, she ignored them all.
She trusted her own moment of clear mind and spirit. Especially last night, when her young master helped her cultivate, he had actually forged a Hunyuan Immortal Furnace engraved with the fundamental patterns of dozens of classics, tempering her conscious spiritual light through it. The experience had been wondrous beyond words.
A massive crowd flooded the area, and within moments, clamor erupted as the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Field filled to capacity.
Qin Ming, Xiang Yiwu, and Xiao Wu entered, all having reserved seats in advance. Bai Meng was with them, having grown quite close to Qin Ming recently.
Jiang Ran and Li Qingyue appeared in the row right behind them, accompanied by the white-robed girl Luo Yao.
Luo Yao remarked, "Look at the standard-bearer of the Newborn path! Impressive. I heard you took a disciple, and a remarkably beautiful fairy at that."
Qin Ming looked back with a smile and said, "Emperor Ran, does your sister want to take a master lately?"
Luo Yao's eyes went wide, and she puffed out her cheeks, shaking her head. "I wouldn't take you as my master even if you beat me to death!"
"I never said I'd take you as my disciple," Qin Ming said, looking at her and feeling an urge to give her forehead a flick.
"Your disciple seems to be isolated by some people," Jiang Ran said with a smile.
Li Qingyue said, "These are minor matters. Combat performance is the most persuasive argument. There will be an answer today."
Across the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Field from Qin Ming and his companions, an exquisitely beautiful, red-robed woman froze in shock. Her lovely eyes widened as she stared at the familiar figure opposite her.
Qin Ming realized, uh-oh. That was Tang Yushang, and she had clearly recognized him.
Being in the same earthen city, he knew they would cross paths sooner or later, so he was already mentally prepared.
Bai Meng said, "My sister is looking over here. She seems shocked? Heh, I rarely see her show such emotion. Usually, she's always dignified and gracious."
He waved toward the other side while chatting and laughing with Qin Ming.
Seeing this, Tang Yushang was almost enraged to death. What was that fellow doing? Just yesterday, Bai Meng had told her he was working hard to find that arch-nemesis from the Great Thunder Sound Temple, so why was he sitting together with him today, acting so warm, and laughing so heartily?
"Sis, this is Qin Ming, a good brother I recently met!" Bai Meng called out, paying no mind to whether she could hear him from so far away.
Reading his lips, Tang Yushang wished she could plant a punch right into his skull.
"Don't you think he looks a lot like that person from the Great Thunder Sound Temple?" Tang Yushang responded, glaring across with gritted teeth.
Bai Meng looked puzzled. "Sis, what are you saying? Brother Qin is so handsome—compared to that small-nosed, small-eared villain, they're worlds apart!"
Has he lost his mind? Tang Yushang wanted to charge over and slap him twice to wake him up.
"Heh, fine. As long as you're happy. Bring him over to see me later!" In the end, she left it at that single sentence.
Across the field, Qin Ming nodded and smiled at her politely.
Instantly, Tang Yushang's gaze turned dangerous. Was he provoking her?
Just seeing Qin Ming made her furious. In all her life, no one had ever dared treat her like that—delivering a heavy kick squarely to her plump rear was something she simply couldn't let go of.
"Brother Qin, my sister is so haughty, yet she actually wants to meet you. You truly have incredible face," Bai Meng transmitted excitedly.
"Tell your sister I said thanks!" Qin Ming replied.
"The contest is about to begin. Spectators are not permitted to move about freely," an elder announced.
Immediately, the noisy arena gradually fell silent.
The green-robed girl said, "Mohua, you're facing a formidable opponent right from your first match. Based on his usual performance, he should rank in the top three. You'd better be careful."
Then she chuckled lightly. "Mohua, I heard that little teacher of yours is called the Sovereign by some? Haha."
Su Mohua smiled faintly, ignoring her, and stepped onto the arena floor.
Opposite her stood a purple-haired youth with a vertical crease between his brows, resembling an eye about to open, faint arcs of lightning flickering around him.
Su Mohua knew of this person. He excelled in lightning arts and had mastered a scripture in the path of lightning—unmatched in fierce vigor, a headache for anyone who faced him.
Sure enough, right from the start, the purple-haired youth erupted with dense lightning. Like the Thunder God descending into the mortal world, he bore a tempest of bolts and struck toward Su Mohua.
At that instant, Su Mohua's conscious spiritual light soared. At first, it looked like a golden core radiating brilliant light in all directions, before transforming into a Pure Yang flying sword. With a sharp whoosh, it swept across, detonating a rumble that blasted the sheet of lightning to pieces.
"A pure yang conscious spiritual light of this caliber is exceedingly rare in the second realm!" someone exclaimed.
With a wet squelch, blood drew from the purple-haired youth's shoulder. He retreated at top speed, never expecting to be wounded right at the outset.
Without a word, he snapped open the vertical crease between his brows. True enough, it opened into an eye that shot forth purple lightning, scorching the void until it seemed to distort with crackling bursts, shooting out at extreme speed.
With a flash, Su Mohua slashed forward with her Pure Yang sword body!
Boom! Boom!
Across the arena, deafening collisions erupted without pause.
Many found it hard to believe that a duel in the second realm could exhibit such power.
In the end, the purple-haired youth stumbled back. The vertical crease between his brows had closed, blood dripping from that third eye where the Pure Yang sword qi had pierced it. Pale-faced and bitter, he said, "I concede."
Half a month ago, he had ridiculed his rival Su Mohua, calling her choice to take Qin Ming as her master absurd. Yet in the end, it was he who was defeated.
The group of youths from the sky fell silent. Everything spoke through results. With the facts laid bare before them, anyone uttering sour remarks would only be asking to embarrass themselves.
Su Mohua walked off the arena. After resting sufficiently, she watched the others fight.
Before long, she met her second opponent. This battle concluded even faster. Manifesting a Golden Crow with a wisp of pure yang conscious spiritual light, she defeated her opponent in under ten moves.
The green-robed girl, Lü Lin, remarked, "Mohua, your conscious spiritual light has made rapid progress toward pure yang over the past half-month. Rumor has it that special heavenly light provides immense benefits to immortal path cultivators. It seems that little master of yours is no ordinary figure."
"Mm," Su Mohua merely nodded faintly.
Lü Lin continued, "I heard there's also a Little Rulai in the earthen city who mastered this kind of heavenly light force. He is very famous, and his cultivation is even deeper. Do you think it would be even more effective if I asked him to be my sparring partner?"
"You can go give it a try," Su Mohua said.
Afterward, she took the stage once more. Her third match brought yet another formidable opponent.
The moment they engaged, this opponent transformed a portion of their conscious spiritual light into a golden-winged roc. Its radiant golden wings whipped up astral winds as it lunged toward Su Mohua.
This opponent was strong, having also made impressive progress in purifying their conscious spiritual light toward pure yang; behind the roc's head hovered a divine ring resembling a blazing sun shining upon the world.
Su Mohua turned thoroughly solemn and circulated the Nine Firmaments Book. This was her foundational scripture, and she now held many fresh insights compared to before.
In particular, when Qin Ming helped her temper her pure yang consciousness last night, they had partially resonated, and he had imparted some insights to her—such as a lethal technique incorporating the Golden Crow Illuminates the Night Classic.
Above the nine firmaments, ten suns hung across the sky, and within every great sun, a Golden Crow nested.
Chrrk!
Ten crows soared in unison, spanning heaven and earth. The entire martial field was illuminated brilliantly, and every Golden Crow held a saber in its beak.
Squelch!
The opposing golden-winged roc was dismembered, quickly torn to pieces as its conscious spiritual light shattered and dispersed.
Behind it, the youth turned ashen and stumbled back. He had lost, completely routed by overwhelming force.
Among the competitors capable of vying for the top three, two had already been decisively beaten by Su Mohua. This outcome immediately stirred a commotion. Given the current situation, barring any accidents, she was destined to reach the peak today.
Sure enough, in the subsequent matches, Su Mohua swept through victory after victory with resounding triumphs and no suspense whatsoever.
In the end, Su Mohua reached the peak.
The group of youths from the sky remained speechless for a long time.
Concrete results lay before them. This was Su Mohua's most powerful answer, leaving them all tongue-tied.
"Lü Lin, how about you and I spar a round as well?" Su Mohua looked at her fair-weather friend.
The green-robed girl shot her a glance and said, "Heh, Mohua, whenever you and I clashed, it was always a fifty-fifty split. It seems you're quite confident now."
She was actually eager to try, as she had recently obtained a cluster of rare fire above the nine firmaments to temper herself, resulting in marked progress toward pure yang in her conscious spiritual light.
Soon, the two entered the arena and engaged in an intense battle.
Near the end, Lü Lin even brought out that cluster of rare fire, yet it failed to startle her familiar opponent.
Primarily, Su Mohua had even experienced Qin Ming's Nanming Primordial Fire—how could she be surprised by that cluster of rare fire?
After a fierce exchange, she defeated Lü Lin.
Afterward, she personally helped her sour-faced friend to her feet and consoled her, saying it was just a simple spar and nothing to dwell on, then gifted her another skewer of guimi.
Lü Lin stood expressionless, her knuckles turning white from clenching.
"My martial niece performed splendidly, defeating every single opponent. Not bad at all—it makes me want to take an apprentice myself," Wu Yaozu praised.
At that moment, Bai Meng beamed and said, "Brother Qin, look, my sister is smiling at you! She wants me to invite you over."
Yet in Qin Ming's eyes, even though Tang Yushang possessed peerless grace, at this moment she looked no different from a tyrannosaur baring its fangs, a thunderous, crushing pressure lurking behind her smile.
Chapter 401