Under the night sky, amidst the forest, a youth stood quietly. Behind him, a Taiji diagram revolved. Above his head, crimson clouds billowed and flames scorched the heavens—a Vermilion Bird swept through the night mist, alongside a mountain-sized, imposing White Tiger gleaming with metallic luster, slaughterous intent soaring into the sky...
Wind-attributed sacred baleful aura surged, blasting vast swathes of trees into flying ash. Qin Ming stood atop the back of an earthen dragon, robes flapping and black hair dancing in the wind, resembling a Heavenly God descended to the mortal realm, ready to ride the dragon away.
Even that nitpicking weapon spirit fell completely silent.
After the civilizational rupture, a youth from the world of night mist had actually fused and refined eight kinds of sacred baleful auras? The weapon spirit was in a daze.
At first, it had thought that even if Qin Ming pushed himself to the absolute limit, he would at best barely approach the realm of ancient peerless prodigies.
The original weapon spirit of the Mysterious Maiden Celestial Dagger-axe suddenly spoke up: "Old stubborn fool, you underestimated those who came after!"
Then, it continued rather solemnly, "With talent like his, even in ancient times he could easily enter the inner sect of any top-tier body-cultivator power, or even become the personal successor or adopted son of some terrifying old monster."
The weapon spirit of unknown origin was dead silent. Time and again, the youth before it had exceeded its expectations; it was genuinely stunned.
The dagger-axe's original spirit spoke again: "Fusing eight kinds of sacred baleful auras—even on the ancient, glorious path of body refinement, that counts as a legendary spectacle."
The weapon spirit of unknown origin finally snapped back to its senses; just moments ago, it had nearly retreated into sulking isolation.
Yet to save face, it still stubbornly argued, "Powers from places like Yujing and Doushuai Palace maintain that reaching nine is perfection. He has yet to reach that."
Then, shifting the conversation, it asked, "Young man, have you ever apprenticed under a renowned master?"
In its eyes, if Qin Ming's potential in body refinement were fully unleashed, it would not be inferior to Jiang Ran's future achievements on the immortal path.
The weapon spirit said solemnly, "A renowned master is like a star illuminating the night, capable of hacking through the mists and wrong turns for later generations, bridging the chasms left by ruptured eras."
It dropped hint after hint, eager to recruit Qin Ming on behalf of the behemoth behind it.
"Senior, do you intend to pass down a sect-defining scripture to me?" Qin Ming calmly reined in the eight sacred baleful auras, serene and ethereal like a banished immortal, bearing little resemblance to the traditional style of ancient body cultivators.
The weapon spirit nodded reservedly. "Well, that is not out of the question, but you must first undergo a crimson rite and then swear a Dao oath."
Upon learning a bit more about it, Qin Ming's expression instantly darkened. It felt like an ancient evil cult, placing countless restrictions upon him and ready to bind him with chains of blood-red laws at every turn.
Sensing that the youth was not as enthusiastic as expected, the weapon spirit immediately took the initiative and stressed, "Looking back at ancient antiquity, which of those peerless experts didn't have a top-tier superpower backing them? Without that, you simply cannot reach the heights you are meant to attain!"
Qin Ming was confident that with his resonance ability, once he reached the corresponding level, he would not lack sect-defining scriptures.
At this moment, why should he offer himself as collateral to choose his future cultivation path?
Besides, what era was it now? Civilizations had collapsed into ruptures, the Great Thunder Sound Temple was overgrown with wild weeds, the Divine Capital had fallen into ruin, and Doushuai Palace stood silent. Whether those ancient great powers even still existed was hard to say.
Qin Ming asked, "Senior, why did you fall back then?"
His implication was obvious: now that boundless night had fallen, what was the point of talking about past glory?
"The past is shattered beyond recollection," the weapon spirit said.
This was the truth; it was quite heavily damaged.
Qin Ming said, "History turns. What was once glorious has now grown dim."
"You worry something happened to the power behind me? Rest assured, even if the world turns into an abyss, it will definitely endure." The weapon spirit had truly taken a liking to him.
Now, it no longer acted reserved, speaking volubly and with great warmth.
"Even Yujing has sealed itself away," Qin Ming said.
Sensing his negative attitude, the weapon spirit said, "You have too many misgivings. The choice you make today outweighs a thousand years of bitter cultivation. Do not sigh in vain regret in the future."
It went on, "I value rare talent. You might even compete for the position of the strongest disciple and take an unmatched powerhouse as your adoptive father."
Qin Ming wanted to roll his eyes. He already had little interest in such a sinister ancient faction, and now it wanted him to become someone's adopted son? What kind of joke was this!
"Furthermore, I see you get along quite well with Little Jiang. If you are dazzling enough, wouldn't it be even better if she became your Jade Consort in the future?"
Jiang Ran had originally been listening with keen interest, wanting to learn about the mysterious organization behind the weapon spirit. She never imagined the gossip would turn on her.
The original spirit of the Mysterious Maiden Celestial Dagger-axe immediately spoke up: "Old stubborn fool, you've crossed the line! Mind your own business and stop making empty promises out of thin air!"
Not missing the chance to bring up its shortcomings, it mocked, "Earlier, you were so nitpicky, saying he was just a passerby like the rest of the common herd, only able to look up at top-tier superpowers. Go on, keep talking tough!"
"What do you know? I was testing his temperament before. In truth, I recognized his brilliance from the start!"
The two weapon spirits clashed sharply and began bickering.
Jiang Ran spoke up: "Senior, let's settle the matter of the wager reward."
"Fine!" the weapon spirit of unknown origin agreed readily.
Right now, it cared deeply about Qin Ming and would never go back on its word.
Qin Ming said, "I want to go check on my two brothers first to see how they are doing."
He was not worried about Li Qingyue; she had a treasure from Doushuai Palace with her, and once its weapon spirit awakened, it could keep her safe and sound.
Here, he had already witnessed the marvels of the special weapon on Jiang Ran.
"Those two are unharmed," the dagger-axe's original spirit said.
Even across great distances, it could sense their condition.
"Qingyue is fine as well, right?" Jiang Ran asked.
The celestial dagger-axe informed them, "She seems to have encountered a considerable opportunity, shielded by that old furnace."
...
The pitch-black forest was boundless. There were umbrella-like giant plants towering into the clouds and mountain-sized beasts, but none had gained sentience or become spirits.
This territory seemed restricted by some unknown domain, making it difficult for all things to develop spiritual awareness.
On the way, Qin Ming asked, "Why is it like this?"
The weapon spirit replied, "A corner of the Divine Capital fell here, entangled with bizarre rule fragments. For living creatures to be born in this place is their tragedy."
Soon, they drew near the destination holding the wager reward.
Here, the trees grew sparse and the ground was full of pits and craters. As they went deeper, the hills became entirely barren, without a single weed in sight, crisscrossed by countless fissures.
After entering this desolate zone, both Jiang Ran and Qin Ming felt as if invisible blades were pressing against their skin, making their fine hairs stand on end.
"Why does this feel like a Peril?" Jiang Ran asked.
The weapon spirit replied, "In the past, that power could tear apart the Divine Capital—how could it be ordinary? Even if only wisps remain, they cannot be underestimated."
It was precisely because of this that all vitality here had been extinguished.
"In truth, that power has already degraded severely," the celestial dagger-axe added.
Otherwise, Qin Ming and Jiang Ran would never have been able to approach this place.
The mysterious weapon spirit directly informed them that the reward was a type of qi called 'tribulation.' In antiquity, it had been terrifyingly destructive.
Back then, this tribulation qi had encompassed fire tribulations, wind tribulations, and more.
Qin Ming held high hopes for this place, as the weapon spirit had previously mentioned that with good fortune, borrowing the qi to cultivate might allow him to break through and elevate his cultivation.
His reason for venturing into this otherworld was precisely to take his cultivation up another level.
"Underground, there is... heavenly thunder," Jiang Ran sensed.
The weapon spirit said, "Yes. With the passage of time, the residual tribulation qi fractured into thunder-fire, astral wind, and the like."
Beneath the massive fissures, deep underground, astral wind howled and muffled thunder rumbled occasionally. One could only imagine how terrifying the tribulation had been before breaking apart.
Such a wonder would be understandable high in the nine heavens, yet here it was underground.
"Sacred baleful aura of the lightning domain, blended with heavenly light!" Having descended deep underground, Qin Ming spotted a substance that made his eyes burn with desire. He had long wanted to collect it, but had never found a way.
The weapon spirit said, "Well? Not a bad reward, is it? It's extremely suitable for ancient body refinement. And don't look down on this lightning baleful aura just because it hasn't taken form; its origin is astonishing. If it grows alongside you, it may well revert to tribulation qi in the future."
Deep underground, lightning flashed and thunder roared. There was crimson thunder-fire and purple mist-steeped electrical arcs. There was far more than just a single cluster of lightning baleful aura; Qin Ming even spotted five-colored thunder flames.
"What a great place!" Qin Ming knew he would be able to gather his ninth sacred baleful aura today, truly achieving 'reaching nine is perfection.'
Jiang Ran also looked delighted. The lightning baleful aura here could help her temper her pure yang consciousness!
She marveled, "Even high in the nine heavens, it's difficult to find so many rare heterogeneous substances!"
The two went into action immediately, beginning to gather these gifts from beyond the heavens.
The subterranean world seemed dotted with clusters of shining stars—the flames and lightning baleful aura—accompanied by howling astral winds capable of blowing away one's consciousness, exceedingly dangerous.
Qin Ming used his heavenly light to fish, focusing primarily on the lightning baleful aura. As for the fire baleful aura and astral wind, he only dabbled lightly, having already collected sacred baleful auras of those two domains.
Crack! Sizzle!
When Qin Ming gathered a lightning baleful aura as red as the evening glow, all his hair stood on end. This power was exceedingly violent.
Electricity coursed through his body, locking him completely stiff.
The weapon spirit spoke up: "I have a renowned treatise on body refinement here, worthy of being called a top-tier scripture. It is exceptionally well-suited for refining the extraordinary power found here."
"Senior, do you intend to impart the method?" Qin Ming recovered after toughing it out against the lightning baleful aura.
The weapon spirit marveled inwardly. Such fine, high-quality material—why did he look more and more pleasing the more it looked? It replied, "A ceremony must be held first."
"Then let me reconsider," Qin Ming politely declined.
With civilizations ruptured, what had become of the top superpowers of that era was a complete mystery. With the road ahead unknown, he could not sell his future in advance.
Bang!
Qin Ming staggered backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he was blasted flying while gathering a black-and-white lightning baleful aura.
He wanted to gather multiple kinds of lightning baleful aura rather than limiting himself to a single domain, hoping to blend them together.
The original spirit of the Mysterious Maiden Celestial Dagger-axe spoke: "His flesh wasn't pierced; it's merely a superficial wound. This physique... is truly extraordinary. He must have mastered some sort of scripture, hasn't he?"
Both weapon spirits had only awakened recently and were unaware of Qin Ming's background.
Jiang Ran naturally would not reveal anything and carefully went about collecting rare heterogeneous substances.
To fuse the lightning baleful aura quickly, Qin Ming continuously tested it against himself, bearing it directly with his flesh and blood. From head to toe, inside and out, even his bones were wrapped in arcs of electricity.
If anyone else tried to temper their body with lightning baleful aura, they would surely proceed step by step. Anyone daring to be this reckless would likely have been riddled with wounds and had their body blasted through long ago.
Qin Ming had been diligently practicing the Classic of Tempering the Body to Unite with the Dao, and his body's resilience had already surpassed imagination.
He refined the baleful aura on the spot. Thunder-fire entered his body and rapidly fused.
Now, he was enveloped by a new lightning baleful aura. It was as if an auspicious cloud floated above his head, purple mist churning before pouring down like a torrential rain.
Soon, he went to gather the five-colored thunder flames.
Eventually, Qin Ming's interior became brilliantly multicolored, blending various lightning baleful auras into one, with thunder and lightning crackling even inside his belly.
Without a doubt, this blended sacred baleful aura placed a heavy burden on his body. He circulated the silk book method, putting this terrifying power through a thousand tempers and a hundred refinements.
Qin Ming did not know whether he could break through and step up another tier.
After all, in the past, he had needed to fuse and refine more than one sacred baleful aura to rapidly raise his cultivation. Now that his realm was higher, the difficulty had also increased; refining only lightning baleful aura this time might not necessarily grant an immediate breakthrough.
"Hm?"
Things went beyond his expectations. After he smoothly absorbed and refined the lightning baleful aura, the other eight sacred baleful auras appeared alongside it, revolving around his body.
Qin Ming realized that some of what the weapon spirit had said was not false—it truly was 'reaching nine is perfection.'
That legend was being fulfilled in him.
Originally, a single sacred baleful aura would not have been enough to elevate him another level, but now that all nine had appeared, they blended and resonated with one another, accelerating the process.
Qin Ming was enveloped in nine-colored thunder-fire, as if donning nine layers of armor. His entire body crackled and popped as he underwent purification, colorful clouds rolling through to comb through his flesh and meridians.
Amidst the sharp pain, there was also a sense of comfort—a pleasure born of agony.
He knew his advancement to the eighth layer of the spirit field was assured. The nine sacred baleful auras were elevating him, helping him break through.
The weapon spirit said, "Without a sect-defining scripture to assist you, look—a strand of your hair has turned white! Sacred baleful aura of the lightning domain is shaving away your lifespan!"
"Qin Ming, are you all right?" Jiang Ran asked with concern, noticing the frost gracing his temples right away.
"I'm fine!" Qin Ming shook his head to signal that nothing was wrong. It wasn't as if he hadn't experienced this before; so long as he endured it, once his body caught up with the transformation, the loss would be replenished.
"Hm?"
Sure enough, moments later both weapon spirits were astonished. Qin Ming's flesh glowed as nine-colored lightning baleful auras intertwined, appearing to baptize every inch of his body.
The resonance and vibration among the nine sacred baleful auras grew increasingly intense.
The next instant, Qin Ming stepped up another tier, officially setting foot into the eighth layer of the spirit field!
This time, it wasn't a comprehensive great nirvana, but it could still count as a minor rebirth. The white hairs fell away, and black hair grew back swiftly, restoring his lifespan.
He sighed inwardly. To advance quickly, following standard procedures definitely wouldn't work; one truly had to venture into foreign realms to find great opportunities.
The original spirit of the celestial dagger-axe asked rather solemnly, "The later generations' Newborn path really didn't pick the wrong name. Does the body truly undergo a rebirth every time you break through?"
Jiang Ran replied, "In the early stages, yes. Later on, only a very select few can maintain such an extraordinary transformation."
The weapon spirit of unknown origin said, "Qin Ming, do you know that later on the path of body refinement, if you do not refine the spirit, you will ultimately slide into decay?"
"What guidance do you have, Senior?" Qin Ming asked.
The weapon spirit said, "Even the top body cultivators of ancient times had shortcomings and required the aid of the strongest superpowers to help nourish their spirits and strengthen the light of their minds. Otherwise, long before their lifespan ran out, their flesh and blood would have withered prematurely. So-called immortality requires the participation of mental power. Among the top orthodoxies, there is even the concept of incinerating the bodily vessel to nurture the true spirit of the mind."
It pointed out directly that the path Qin Ming walked possessed considerable flaws.
Then, the weapon spirit spoke again: "I have a scripture here titled the Six Desires Sacred Fire Chapter, which can help you refine your spirit."
It simply refused to believe that a secret scripture of such immeasurable value could fail to entice this youth.
The dagger-axe's original spirit remarked, "Calling it the Six Desires Demonic Fire would be more fitting."
"How about the Nanming Departing Fire?" Qin Ming asked. After all, he possessed that secret classic and had already achieved preliminary mastery.
"Though impressive, it is not suitable for nourishing the spirit," the weapon spirit replied.
Qin Ming immediately asked, "Which true fires are suitable for refining the spirit?"
The celestial dagger-axe said, "Doushuai Palace's Six Ding Divine Fire. It can nourish the spirit, refine medicines, and forge and nurture extraordinary weapons. It belongs to the category of 'gentle fire.'"
The weapon spirit of unknown origin instantly recalled that Jiang Ran's close friend Li Qingyue possessed the secret treatise on the Six Ding Divine Fire.
It said, "Mastering the Six Ding Divine Fire isn't that simple. It requires the aid of the Eight Trigrams Furnace, or a wondrous fire seed derived from that orthodoxy."
It further explained that if one accepted a fire seed bestowed by that orthodoxy, one would inevitably become bound to Doushuai Palace in the future.
Qin Ming said, "I have a friend who mastered the Six Ding Divine Fire on her own before the Eight Trigrams Furnace even awakened."
The weapon spirit said, "Such a person is an exception, most likely possessing an innate fire constitution."
Its underlying meaning was clear: Qin Ming would be better off learning the Six Desires Sacred Fire from it.
Qin Ming truly didn't buy that and wanted to look deeper into the Six Ding Divine Fire, since he already possessed that chapter of the scripture.
Before long, Qin Ming and Jiang Ran left the area to search for Li Qingyue, Wu Yaozu, and Xiang Yiwu.
Sure enough, while Xiao Wu and Big Xiang had run into a bit of trouble, they weren't in any real danger.
After Xiang Yiwu merged with that mysterious figure, he wielded a millstone manifested from heavenly light, smashing several foreign enemies until they were bloody pulps that continuously exploded.
Wu Yaozu was using pseudo-heavenly light, which was actually the power of a divine rainbow.
At this moment, the jade pendant on his chest glowed, divine rainbows shining in all directions as the heavenly light took the form of his grandmother. As the saying went: The kind grandma's cane in hand, strikes down upon the wandering son; thirteen strikes in an instant, every single hit a critical strike.
Even Qin Ming was left dumbfounded by the sight.
Xiang Yiwu said, "These pests likely came from far across this foreign realm. The methods they use are different from those in the Yujing region."
These mysterious opponents wielded bloodline power.
Qin Ming said, "Never mind that for now. Come with me quickly and see if you can absorb the power of the lightning baleful aura."
Soon afterward, they found Li Qingyue as well.
By then, she had long since walked out of the earlier fiery region.
She quietly revealed that the Eight Trigrams Furnace had integrated a wisp of a weapon spirit, making its consciousness far clearer than before!
Finally, the five of them arrived at the barren land and descended into the depths underground.
"Tribulation qi, fractured into lightning baleful aura, fire tribulation, astral wind..." Xiao Wu, having invited his grandmother back into the jade pendant, stood there slack-jawed.
This time, Qin Ming focused primarily on the fire tribulation. Although he already possessed the Vermilion Bird sacred baleful aura, he wanted to cultivate the Six Ding Divine Fire and felt that borrowing the power of the fire tribulation might help.
In truth, ever since stepping into the third realm, he had been studying the Six Ding Divine Fire, pondering it for a long time without ever managing to kindle that unfathomable gentle fire.
Six days later, fire baleful aura surged around Qin Ming's body, followed by the appearance of all nine sacred baleful auras. Naturally, the power of the fire tribulation was dominant this time, making him look as if he stood in a lake of flames.
Whoosh!
Before him, a point of bright light suddenly bloomed, like a seed taking root and sprouting before beginning to grow.
The weapon spirit of unknown origin was instantly shocked and exclaimed, "The Six Ding Divine Fire? You actually mastered it on your own!"
It fell into a daze, and only after a long moment did it say, "Good child, come with me. The Jade Consort is yours."
Chapter 410