Triumphant Return

Qin Ming was stunned. The Jade Consort was his now...? What was this weapon spirit talking about? It truly had no filter, spouting whatever outrageous nonsense came to mind. Before Qin Ming, a seed of fire radiated divine light in all directions. He had just forged the Six Ding Divine Fire and had originally been immersed in joy, but now he couldn't keep that expression on his face—it would easily lead to misunderstandings. He immediately warned the weapon spirit not to voice such bizarre remarks. He wasn't thin-skinned, so to him, words like that were no big deal, but such talk was an insult to Jiang Ran. The dagger-axe liquefied, flowing like melted nine-colored glaze, attaching itself to Jiang Ran in the form of a divine robe. A murmur came through, and she naturally heard every word clearly. "So I was the prize all along?" Her beautiful eyes flashed with divine radiance, and dark lines surfaced across her translucent white forehead. The original spirit of the Mysterious Maiden Celestial Dagger-axe instantly flew into a rage, saying, "You're offering empty promises again! She isn't your disciple, so giving her away doesn't hurt, does it?" The weapon spirit retorted, "I respect Little Jiang greatly. I saw her boundless potential, which is why I've tried again and again to bring them together. Becoming the lofty Jade Consort is her best destiny." "Brother Ming, what are you talking about?" Wu Yaozu was not far off, an odd expression appearing on his face. He had heard—the Jade Consort belongs to Brother Ming? At this moment, even Jiang Ran felt like calling him a yellow-haired punk! Qin Ming shot him a glare, signaling him to shut up immediately and not make a mess. The original spirit of the Mysterious Maiden Celestial Dagger-axe spoke up, "You stubborn old fool, cease your wild babbling! With Little Jiang's natural gifts, she can naturally become the new generation's Mysterious Maiden. By her own strength, she can shine brilliantly and stand proud above the highest heavens! Why would she ever need to become the Jade Consort of your faction?" The spirit of unknown origin explained, "This is a union of titans. She would never be an appendage. What I said just now was an expression of the highest praise for her." "The new generation's Mysterious Maiden stands peerless and independent! You old scoundrel, such words of yours are blasphemy!" Nine-colored radiance billowed around Jiang Ran; the two weapon spirits were on the verge of fighting. Clang! In the distance, the Eight Trigrams Furnace vibrated lightly, multicolored mist swirling around it. Dressed in white, Li Qingyue approached, gentle firelight flowing around her figure. "Need some help?" she asked softly. Jiang Ran immediately nodded. "Yes. Help me suppress this weapon spirit." "Mysterious Maiden, successor of Doushuai Palace—our three houses share deep ties. Let us speak with reason," the mysterious spirit hastily spoke up. Just the Mysterious Maiden Celestial Dagger-axe holding home court was troublesome enough; if the old furnace joined in, how could it possibly hold its ground? Unexpectedly, after the Eight Trigrams Furnace liquefied, wisps of glowing haze drifted out, and the first person they made contact with was actually Qin Ming. It seemed to place immense value on the changes happening with him. The spirit of unknown origin immediately seized the opportunity: "Fellow Daoist of Doushuai Palace, what do you think of the person I have my eye on? Not bad, eh?" It was attempting to diffuse the tension, genuinely unwilling to clash. "Did you forge the Six Ding Divine Fire on your own?" Although the Eight Trigrams Furnace's spirit sounded calm, inwardly it was clearly far from serene. Could it have encountered another Innate Fire Body? Such individuals were exceedingly rare and had always been treasured by Doushuai Palace. With a swish, it swept out a beam of firelight, flying toward the Mysterious Maiden Celestial Dagger-axe, which had resumed its original form. "Fellow Daoists, why resort to violence? Everything can be discussed peacefully," the mysterious spirit shouted. Both special weapons gleamed, joining forces to suppress the spirit of the ancient, mysterious powerhouse faction. In an instant, it was put in its place and humbled. However, it wasn't overly worried; after all, it was now part of the Mysterious Maiden Celestial Dagger-axe. It wasn't as if they could split it back out, could they? Xiang Yiwu reminded Xiao Wu, "Stop rubbernecking and hurry up and absorb the extraordinary heterogeneous substances here." Wu Yaozu nodded immediately. Lightning baleful aura and fire tribulation energy were present here, products left behind by decayed tribulation qi, exceedingly rare and precious. If they truly couldn't refine them, they could use rare treasures to gather and store them. Both of them were astonished. The fire beneath Qin Ming's feet burned ever more fiercely, turning into a lake of flames, while before him, that seed of fire shone like a divine lamp, growing increasingly bright. "Hm?" Qin Ming frowned, feeling some pain across his body. After cultivating the Six Ding Divine Fire, he had attempted to refine his spirit, only to end up hurting himself. Wasn't this supposed to be a "gentle fire"? It was renowned for its wondrous ability to nourish the spirit, so why was it still so domineering and ferocious? "Don't rush to refine your spirit. That can only be done upon reaching the fourth realm. Furthermore, there is a new commentary to the Six Ding Divine Fire scriptures," Li Qingyue transmitted secretly. Bathed in firelight, dressed in flawless white, she glided gracefully toward him. Wherever she passed, the astral winds parted, the lightning baleful aura left her unharmed, and the fire tribulation energy seemed naturally drawn to her. Before this, even she had not refined her spirit, because she had not known this commentary either; it belonged to the core secret chapters. Today, after fusing with a fragment of the weapon spirit, the Eight Trigrams Furnace had awakened new memories and had just transmitted them to her. This secret scripture was not recorded in written words; rather, it was branded deep within the core of the weapon spirit, requiring the Eight Trigrams Furnace's revival to be passed down. The furnace body shook slightly, divine fire spilling out, seemingly whispering as it communicated with Li Qingyue. At first, it seemed inclined to prevent her, but ultimately it subsided into quietude. Without question, the commentary on the Six Ding Divine Fire was a closely guarded secret of Doushuai Palace! In truth, the Eight Trigrams Furnace had always harbored doubts; it could never understand how Qin Ming had obtained the cultivation method for the Six Ding Divine Fire back when it had still been dormant. Yet it was precisely because Qin Ming had passed it to Li Qingyue that her Innate Fire Body had been activated. Therefore, after a moment's hesitation today, the Eight Trigrams Furnace agreed to let Li Qingyue pass on the technique. The next moment, Qin Ming's sensation changed completely. Although he still could not nourish his mind and spirit, the Six Ding Divine Fire no longer injured his conscious spiritual light. For him, this fire had truly become a gentle fire. The fourth realm of the Newborn path—Mind Lamp—involved the mental domain, life fire, and the like. Now that Qin Ming possessed the Six Ding Divine Fire capable of nourishing the spirit, he was deeply satisfied and full of anticipation. Deep underground, various flames flickered, all remnants of the fire tribulation's power. Now, Qin Ming began his foraging. Ahead, as if purple qi were arriving from the east, an auspicious cloud of fire drifted toward him. It was formed of firelight and carried a sacred aura. This was the peculiar nature of fire tribulation: the more dangerous something was, the more peaceful its exterior appeared. Before Qin Ming, the Six Ding Divine Fire spread outward, extending fiery branches into the auspicious cloud to draw out its essence and strengthen itself. It only took a measured sip, extracting a certain dao charm while absorbing very little in terms of raw volume. Wu Yaozu watched in a trance and exclaimed, "Brother Ming isn't afraid of any of these fires, and his absorption speed is getting faster and faster. Is this the marvel of nurturing divine fire?" In the end, he resorted to his jade plaque once more, transforming heavenly light into milk to help him refine and absorb; otherwise, he felt his efficiency was terribly low. Xiang Yiwu watched speechlessly. In order not to fall behind, he activated his living reincarnation technique. "He does not possess an Innate Fire Body, yet he actually forged the Six Ding Divine Fire," the Eight Trigrams Furnace murmured in deep surprise. It had been observing Qin Ming all along, remarking to itself, "One can only say his natural endowment is immensely strong. Alas, he walks the path of body refinement, which does not align with the heritage of Doushuai Palace." Outside Qin Ming's body, the fire seed sprouted and expanded, now turning into a layer of soft light that shielded his entire form, allowing him to navigate this place safely. On the other side, Li Qingyue was the same; Six Ding Divine Fire flowed across her white garments and fine hair without harming her in the least. Having received a stern lesson, the spirit of unknown origin showed a marked improvement in attitude. It actively admitted its faults and kept a much lower profile than before. Everyone present was amazed. Ancient special weapons all boasted tremendous backgrounds; none of them had expected this one to be so down-to-earth. The weapon spirit remarked, "Those with foul tempers and stiff bones mostly fell in ancient times, dying in the past." "Senior, do you mean to say that all those with integrity are dead?" Xiao Wu asked. "What kind of reading comprehension do you have? Go stand to the side!" The weapon spirit put on airs again, not feeling the least bit embarrassed about its previous submission. Suddenly, it fixed its gaze back onto Wu Yaozu. "Hey, birds of a feather really do flock together. You don't seem quite normal either." Xiao Wu immediately scrambled far away, not daring to provoke it further. Finally, the weapon spirit tried another bold gambit, transmitting its voice to Qin Ming: "Child, come with me! Even I will belong to you!" What kind of mind-blowing, outrageous line was that? Even Qin Ming was taken aback. From its earlier nitpicking and aloof detachment to its present over-enthusiasm, it made him thoroughly uncomfortable. Fortunately, it was merely the consciousness of a special weapon, not some ancient monster. "Wait, that's not right." Qin Ming frowned. Who knew the true origins of such a weapon spirit? He couldn't help asking, "How were you born? Were you an almighty being in the past?" "If you wish for me to be human, I can transform into a human," the weapon spirit replied. "Just do a good job helping Jiang Ran, and stop scheming about me," Qin Ming said. There was no way he would undergo that kind of bloody ceremony. The weapon spirit said, "She belongs to the lineage of the Mysterious Maiden. I want to nurture someone of my own." Qin Ming asked, "Am I very suited to the methods of your sect?" The weapon spirit transmitted secretly, "You are suited to the path of body refinement. Although that is not the mainstream of the great faction behind me, your talent is extraordinary. I believe you have a chance to compete for the position of the strongest disciple." "Only a chance to compete?" Qin Ming wanted to learn more. The weapon spirit confessed frankly, "Indeed. A supreme powerhouse faction rules over an unimaginably vast territory, and internal competition is fierce beyond measure. No one dares claim to be the strongest in a domain. In that glorious ancient era, how numerous were the monstrous geniuses and prodigies? To play it safe, every old monster took in at least three legacy disciples or adopted sons. I can only say you have a chance." Qin Ming was puzzled. In such an immense setting, why was the weapon spirit so enthusiastic about him? He couldn't help asking directly. It replied, "I want to find myself again and reconstruct my glorious form!" The prerequisite was that it needed to cultivate a youth who could compete and become the strongest disciple of the great faction behind it. ... Jiang Ran, Li Qingyue, and the others lingered underground for a total of eight days before departing. Every one of them had reaped bountiful rewards. They had kept a constant eye on the developments outside; after all, they were in a foreign realm, and no amount of caution was excessive. Li Qingyue said, "In the past two days, the killing has intensified. Perhaps it's time for us to leave." Both she and Jiang Ran possessed special weapons, enabling them to detect the unusual atmosphere in the surrounding region. This place was a fallen corner of the Divine Capital, truly unique. Based on what they had gathered over these days, an organization in the distance seemed to have blockaded the area. If they hadn't opened a spatial tunnel to enter the interior, it would likely not have been so easy to get inside. Evidently, the grass had now been startled and the snake alerted. The outsiders had realized something was amiss here, and more and more entities were venturing deep inside on patrol. "I wonder where the patriarchs went to explore." "Never mind that, let's pull out first!" The five conferred and decided to beat a retreat. Their harvest on this expedition was already immense; special weapon fragments, tribulation qi, and the like were all priceless. In truth, the people outside were astounded. How could anyone be moving about within the blockaded ruins? Crucially, when they tried to report to higher authorities, they discovered their communication channels were severed. Thus, they could only rely on themselves to cautiously investigate. In reality, only a few of Yezhou's patriarchs possessed special weapons, and those weapons had not resonated with any fragments of their own in this place. After a brief stop, they had journeyed deep into distant lands. It was they who had deceived the guards stationed outside the ruins and cut off communication with the distant forces. "The ruins inside seem to have revived! Certain areas were shining continuously earlier. That is an opportunity coveted by the masters of every great sect—it involves Heavenly God-grade weapons and perhaps even stronger!" Outside the ruins, people had been discussing it ceaselessly, their eyes red with envy. The light they had witnessed was naturally connected to the Eight Trigrams Furnace, the Mysterious Maiden Celestial Dagger-axe, the Earth Moon, and other such relics. Consequently, people had been taking risks and venturing deep inside from time to time over the past few days. During their withdrawal, Qin Ming and his companions clashed with people several times before swiftly distancing themselves, suffering no mishaps. That was until a group of Blood Sword Immortals blocked their path, forcing them into a fierce battle. This group of Blood Sword Immortals was utterly frenzied, bursting with power at the drop of a hat. Bolstered by their bloodline strength, their sword qi surged like rainbows, sweeping across the dense forest and shredding several hilltops to pieces. "They're... being controlled! They have no fear of death, reduced entirely to slaughter machines!" "We must retreat. Something big must have happened in the distance. This new batch of Blood Sword Immortals is far fiercer than the patrols investigating the ruins earlier." In the forest, everyone realized that if they did not embark on their journey home now, disaster might strike. Sure enough, that very day, Yezhou's patriarchs also appeared. Their grand voices echoed across this realm, shouting, "Fall back! Withdraw immediately!" ... In the distance, across an exquisite land of magnificent mountains and rivers—a prosperous and brilliant realm endowed with remarkable nature and outstanding people—whispers and rumors began spreading today. "Something has happened! Outsiders infiltrated our land. Although they didn't commit bloody atrocities, the scripture repositories of several major sects were visited by them!" "It is reported that while the Pixiu Earth Immortal was away, his dao sanctuary was actually burglarized!" Evidently, this was the result of the Yezhou patriarchs' travels. Now, they were all making a run for it, beating a full retreat. Rumble! Lightning flashed and thunder roared within the ruins as the patriarchs crossed the border. The spectacle was terrifying as they no longer concealed their presence, illuminating the entire night sky. Some of them were stained with blood, while others had disheveled hair. Clearly, they had encountered formidable adversaries upon delving deep into the heart of the foreign realm and were forced to pull back. Judging by their condition, however, they hadn't fought to the death; seeing that things looked bad, they had turned on their heels and bolted right back. "Let's go! Formidable foes are pursuing us!" Some of Yezhou's patriarchs took up the rear guard, calling for everyone to set off immediately. The Six Imperials Patriarch shouted, "Hurry! If we don't leave now, it'll be too late! Earth Immortals will likely be chasing down after us!" This undoubtedly confirmed that they had indeed paid a visit to an Earth Immortal's home. Although they had fled in advance and erased all traces, it was only a matter of time before their escape route was discovered. "Roar!" At the edge of the earth, deep within the night mist, a terrifying roar echoed. Many mountain peaks shattered, and a colossal pitch-black hand reached out, blowing apart the dense cloud cover. The night mist filling the sky was completely blasted away! "Hiss... A decayed Heavenly God, or can this land still give birth to Heavenly Gods even now? Run!" Under such circumstances, none of Yezhou's patriarchs dared tarry for an instant. All of them charged into the void tunnel; such an opponent was simply impossible to fight. In an instant, the Bodhi Cave collapsed and burst into flames, vanishing completely from this land. "What's going on?" After rushing out of the tunnel and returning to Yezhou, the group all felt something was amiss. Here in Yezhou, near the earthen city, the atmosphere was solemn and tense. "Yujing has handed down a decree!" someone announced. Everyone who returned was thoroughly shocked. They had been away for less than ten days—could something huge have happened back home? Yujing was suspected of having locked itself away. Had it now revived?