Unexpected

Night mist, wormwood weeds, and a desolate main thoroughfare. Treading across shattered bluestone slabs, the tall figure approached step by step, projecting an oppressive aura. "Second Brother, you have grown distant, a stranger. Many years have passed since our parting, and I have missed you dearly." Enveloped in the mist, Cui Chongxiao spoke in a calm, gentle tone, as if reminiscing with an old friend. The entire main street seemed smothered under his shadow. He was like an abyss threatening to swallow everything in the vicinity, silencing even the nearby chirping of insects. Qin Ming once again took out the Measure-God Ruler forged from the Nine-Life Tree. Channeling his Hunyuan force, he gave everything he had from the very outset. Golden light surged violently as an endless storm of sword Qi took form! The mist enveloping Cui Chongxiao's body warped and ascended like molten, red-hot metal, turning terrifying and unpredictable. Suddenly, a vertical eye snapped open between his brows. A piercing beam of light shot out from his forehead, plowing through the night sky like an incandescent harrow, clearing away the sky full of sword Qi storm and nearly shattering it all. His cultivation was profound, annihilating the boundless sword radiance with absolute power. At the same time, the tip of the light beam emerging from his glabella morphed into a massive fist. Translucent and crystalline, encircled by sacred patterns, it blasted toward Qin Ming. Qin Ming shifted sideways, parrying the half-person-tall fist with the Measure-God Ruler. He was deflecting the momentum, yet the impact still shook him violently, nearly extinguishing the heavenly light coating the ruler. A Hunyuan immortal lotus surfaced and blossomed where they clashed. Petals fluttered forth, shaving away nine successive layers of light from the colossal fist and shrinking it. This was the lethal trump card of dual-path cultivation—Planting Immortal Lotus in Heavenly Light—driven by Qin Ming's Hunyuan force. The lotus petals rang like heavenly blades, etching dazzling arcs of light across the air as they flew toward Cui Chongxiao. Instantly, an expanse of blade radiance poured down across the sky. Around Cui Chongxiao's body, divine power boiled like crimson magma. Resembling a god-like being, he reached out through the mist of light. Amidst dull thuds, he crushed every single petal in his grip, dissipating the sea of blade light. Qin Ming's heart sank. His opponent's strength was unfathomable, far more formidable than any young peer he had ever encountered. Cui Chongxiao parted two fingers on his right hand and reached past the boiling luminous mist around him. Crystalline and clear, his movement was simple yet domineering as he snipped toward Qin Ming like a pair of shears. When his two fingers drew together, it was as if dragon and tiger converged. Amidst the rumble of wind and thunder, roars of dragons and tigers sounded, lightning flashed, and the entire ruins trembled. Nine Golden Crows seemed to take flight from the Measure-God Ruler in Qin Ming's hands, slashing out piercing blade radiance—the Golden Crow Night-Illuminating Saber! With every strike, he deployed the lethal trump cards recorded in supreme scriptures, empowering them with Hunyuan heavenly light and fighting with everything he had. Yet the nine Golden Crows dimmed, and some even burst apart directly—the blade intent itself was shattering. "Oh?" Cui Chongxiao let out a soft exclamation. His two fingers were checked. Behind the nine Golden Crows, a materialized golden saber hung suspended like a blazing sun shining over the earth. This was the Nine Crows Saber-Lifting Technique, an ultimate art from the Night-Illuminating Scripture. Exceptionally difficult to master, Qin Ming had only completely grasped it recently. Cui Chongxiao's two fingers blazed, his divine wisdom boiling like two snipping chains of divine order. The night sky seemed on the verge of warping and collapsing. Nine crows lifted the saber, as if intending to cleave the night sky in two, terrifying in the extreme. At the same time, behind the golden saber that shone like the sun, another dreadful blade intent surfaced, slicing through the vast, hazy night like a single fine thread. This was the blade intent from the Heaven-Severing Strategy. In the blur of motion, it felt as though torrential rain was pouring down and outer heavenly light was descending to sever heaven and earth in a single stroke. Amidst muffled explosions, blade light and finger radiance detonated simultaneously. The night mist blew apart, and vast stretches of nearby ruined walls were blasted into the air, reducing to ash. Qin Ming felt a heavy weight on his chest. Even after deploying supreme art after supreme art in succession, he had only managed to break a single one of the man's finger techniques, completely unable to probe the depths of his foundation. Throughout the entire clash, Cui Chongxiao had not stopped walking forward. His stride maintained an unhurried, measured pace, steady from start to finish. "Second Brother, you truly are strong. Among those whose realms are lower than mine, you are the first to escape with your life under my Heavenly God Finger. You are even more capable than I estimated." "Stop putting on airs, you bastard!" Qin Ming held the Measure-God Ruler, suspecting that the man had already reached the middle stage of the fourth realm. If that were the case, his own odds were grim. Up to this point, he had never clashed with a divine seed of that tier. Cui Chongxiao raised his palm. With a thunderous boom, boundless black chill billowed forth, darker and thicker than the night itself, like a substance boiled out of hell. Qin Ming shifted positions repeatedly, evading the brunt of the assault. Cui Chongxiao's large hand seemed to tear open a corner of the netherworld, pouring pitch-black fog outward to drown the entire area. Qin Ming was frozen solid, trapped within a massive block of black ice. His spirit fields radiated outward, tearing through the mysterious ice and distorting the space as if to blow apart this stretch of night. Yet black freezing fog surged like a waterfall from Cui Chongxiao, instantly repairing the ice. Such a substance could freeze even a person's soul entirely. Several of Qin Ming's spirit fields resonated in unison, while Nanming Li Fire surged forth and Six Ding Divine Fire shielded his consciousness. Only then did the pitch-black ice shatter with a roar, exploding in every direction. With a humming resonance, claps of thunder seemed to boom through the void one after another, deafening and deep. Dozens of divine halos surfaced around Qin Ming as all techniques converged into one, causing the entire world to shudder violently. Such a method drained immense energy; he would never deploy it lightly. Yet facing an unfathomable opponent like Cui Chongxiao, he had no choice but to stake his life in battle. Otherwise, he could not even scratch the man. "Remarkable. Is this the ultimate Chaos force you mastered entirely on your own? Allow me a closer look." Cui Chongxiao remained composed. Around him, the surroundings turned bright and pure, as though a divine realm was opening. Mountains and rivers materialized around him, vegetation grew wildly, and lightning interlaced through the void. In an instant, shadows of various gods manifested. This was his comprehended inner landscape, the very foundation of his path to godhood. It corresponded to more than one god, merging multiple inner landscapes into a display that was deeply astonishing and terrifying. Most terrifying of all, scenery appeared even in the celestial firmament. In the faint haze, a Golden Palace seemed to loom, with a Heavenly God looking down from above! Qin Ming was thoroughly alarmed. Had Cui Chongxiao observed the remnants of a grotto-heaven? But no such place existed in Yezhou. Boom! Dense halos of divine light enveloped Qin Ming. As he swung the Measure-God Ruler, they lashed out like interwoven chains of law, intent on tearing his foe apart alive. Undaunted, Cui Chongxiao met the Chaos force head-on. Silhouettes flickered on the ground where he stood as earthly deities stirred awake, while the illusory forms of Heavenly Gods opened their eyes in the high heavens. Earth and sky merged, deities and gods intertwined, converging into one. This was suppression born of pure realm disparity! Qin Ming felt crushed between heaven and earth, about to be ground into dust. He swung the Measure-God Ruler, unleashing the nine sacred baleful auras and bolstering his power with the rag, firing off successive waves of Chaos heavenly light. Around his body, the five phases wheel spun. A Vermilion Bird brought towering flames, a White Tiger with a metallic sheen exuded boundless killing intent, and an earthen dragon tore through the earth. Wind and thunder resonated, seeking to reenact tribulation Qi. Furthermore, right beside Qin Ming, a black-and-white Taiji diagram rotated, shielding him at the center. "Hiss... you cannot be allowed to live! Are all of those sacred baleful auras?" Cui Chongxiao drew a sharp breath of the night mist. Divine radiance flared violently in his eyes, his killing intent laid bare. The resonance between the Chaos force and nine sacred baleful auras made him deeply wary. Around him, the inner landscape grew increasingly distinct. Every inch of land was composed of divine wisdom, sacred trees blazed with radiance, fallen blossoms drifted, and earthly deities stood shoulder to shoulder with Heavenly Gods. The ruler in Qin Ming's right hand left behind afterimage upon afterimage, his fist radiance pouring out without pause. Instantly, the area erupted like a cluster of bursting volcanoes or a breached divine sea. Sky and earth alike were blanketed in heavenly light and divine wisdom. His mouth full of bloody foam, Qin Ming moved like a phantom across the terrain. Even though he evaded the main force and constantly targeted his opponent's vitals with Chaos heavenly light, he remained utterly on the defensive. Cui Chongxiao said, "I originally intended to capture you alive to let Chonghe test himself against you. But seeing this performance of yours, I had best send you on your way early." Qin Ming's lips were stained with crimson consciousness blood-essence. He sneered, "Stop your posturing! If we were the same age, I'd slaughter both you and your brother single-handedly and smash your dog head to pieces!" Cui Chongxiao was in his twenties, so his cultivation was naturally far higher. He replied placidly, "In battles among those of the same realm, I have never tasted defeat. Still, seeing what you showed today, once your cultivation catches up, you might indeed pose a threat to me. However, reality is just this cruel. You started late, and your cultivation is a step below mine. Since Heaven arranged for us to cross paths here today, this will be your grave!" Qin Ming retreated like lightning. The other's Heavenly God Finger had already snipped toward him, but in that critical moment, Qin Ming blocked it with his spirit field and spurred the Taiji diagram into a spin, blasting it aside. Cui Chongxiao said, "Do not count on that mysterious entity reviving you. It said so itself—it will only do its best to revive those who perish here. Now that I am taking action, everything will be settled 'properly.'" Mysterious mist surged around him. Standing in the Underworld Conduit domain of the esoteric sect's fourth realm, he could be anywhere, passing freely between the earth and the night sky. In a flash, he was right before Qin Ming's eyes. Qin Ming moved like floating light, or a golden-winged roc sweeping across the heavens, constantly shifting positions, yet he still could not shake off his pursuer. After successive massive eruptions of Chaos heavenly light, he already felt weak. His arms were convulsing from the shock of the other's divine power, feeling as though they were about to snap. A streak of light ripped through the night mist above the ruins, arriving at tremendous speed. Only after it appeared did the thunderous boom echo through the sky. Li Qingyue descended, striking out with palm after palm and channeling Six Ding Divine Fire to blast at Cui Chongxiao. Qin Ming had never anticipated that an ally would appear at such a crucial moment, entirely exceeding his expectations. "Li Qingyue, this is none of your business!" Cui Chongxiao looked at the armor she wore with considerable dread. He knew it was formed from the Eight Trigrams Furnace. Qin Ming continued attacking as he warned her, "Careful, his cultivation is extremely deep!" "Cultivation too deep? If so, we settle this in one strike!" Li Qingyue said. Exuding immortal charm, ethereal and otherworldly, her sacred battle armor suddenly detached from her body, transforming into a streak of light that shot forward. With a loud cry, Cui Chongxiao attempted to flee using his Underworld Conduit arts, sinking rapidly into the ground. Yet the streak of light pursued him down. With a thunderous roar, it assumed the shape of the Eight Trigrams Furnace, sucking him inside. Immediately, Six Ding Divine Fire billowed violently, and Cui Chongxiao's agonized roars echoed from within. He pounded against the furnace lid, making it rattle furiously. This extraordinary weapon hailed from Doushuai Palace and possessed immense power. Unfortunately, the Eight Trigrams Furnace was damaged, leaking fire everywhere, and even its lid was incomplete. Cui Chongxiao's head forced its way out through the gap. "Ah..." he roared, struggling desperately to break free. Yet the divine fire on him refused to go out, blazing furiously. The flames, augmented by the Eight Trigrams Furnace, were dense with runes, burning gaping holes all over his body. Qin Ming rushed forward and swung the Measure-God Ruler. With a squelch, he cleaved away half the man's head, shouting, "I'll smash your dog head!" Li Qingyue struck as well, driving the Eight Trigrams Furnace to roast Cui Chongxiao in fire. "You two..." The remaining half of Cui Chongxiao's face twisted into a hideous grimace. In the end, his form collapsed, completely blasted apart by Qin Ming and Li Qingyue, his shattered remnants collected into the Eight Trigrams Furnace and burned entirely into fly ash. "Qingyue!" Qin Ming walked over. Without her, he likely would have perished today. Cui Chongxiao was eight years older than him, a gulf in cultivation that could not be easily bridged. "Jiang Ran is calling for me; I must hurry over." Li Qingyue redonned her armor, her beautiful face grave. She turned into a streak of light, vanishing in an instant. Qin Ming tried to follow, but bolstered by the Eight Trigrams Furnace, her speed was godlike, and she disappeared in the blink of an eye. "Cui Chongxiao just died like that?" It felt somewhat unreal to him. Having been reduced to furnace ash by that special weapon, could he still be revived? The chances seemed slim. Having lost track of Li Qingyue, Qin Ming sensed strange stirrings in the night mist. A creature appeared, barring his path. A large snail radiating faint golden light and bearing a human face spoke: "Abyssal demon, where do you think you are going?!" "What did you say?" This was the first time Qin Ming had ever been addressed this way by an opponent. The large snail said, "Is there something wrong? The city is full of demons, and you are all species from the abyss! We, the descendants of Heavenly Immortals, have come specifically to subdue demons." Qin Ming noticed that among the broken walls behind it, clear trails of slime remained where it had crawled. He realized this was likely another ordinary snail granted terrifying power by the residual mystical force of the Heaven-chosen land. Without another word, he engaged it in fierce battle and severed the snail. Along the path that followed, Qin Ming encountered several more bizarre creatures, each talking bigger than the last. Some claimed to be disciples of Heavenly Gods, others styled themselves superior immortals, and all of them branded him an abyssal demon. This could not help but make Qin Ming wonder what kind of place this sunless world of night mist really was. 'Could it be that seeking the truth within the ruins is something bloody and cruel, piercing through certain layers of reality?' Stray thoughts tumbled through his mind as he walked. "Heh, ha ha..." Ahead, someone chuckled and laughed. Within the mist, a furry avatar surfaced, while the entity's true body appeared to be an overbearingly powerful young man who stood with one hand behind his back, barring the way. 'Could it be the actual master behind the Mind Ape has arrived?' Qin Ming's expression turned grave. "Qin Ming, to think we would meet here. Let us determine who is superior in a duel of life and death, and I shall send you on your way!" the entity within the mist spoke. Qin Ming said nothing, his eyes fixed ahead. In that moment, many thoughts crossed his mind. How was it that every troublesome adversary seemed to cross his path? First Cui Chongxiao, and now the person behind the Mind Ape—wasn't this far too coincidental? Furthermore, during his life-and-death struggle, Li Qingyue had arrived right on cue to reinforce him successfully. 'Damn it!' Qin Ming couldn't help but curse inwardly. He reflected on his battle with Cui Chongxiao. The methods the man had used... none exceeded expectations; all were secret arts Qin Ming had previously heard about. Ever since he had ended up in opposition to the Cui clan, he had naturally gathered intelligence on the formidable figures of that thousand-year-old clan. As for the low-profile Cui Chongxiao, not many of the techniques he practiced were publicly known, and nearly all the moves that figure had used just now matched those rumors. Qin Ming's expression turned grim. Since he could battle fiercely against an ordinary spider, broken wind chimes, and an unremarkable snail, why couldn't he be fighting an illusory figure resembling Cui Chongxiao? His brows furrowed deeply. He suspected he had been fighting the thoughts and concepts in his own mind. 'What a damned place!' He suddenly looked up at the figure before him. Eight out of ten, this too was fake! "Do not easily believe what you see or hear. Who says the supreme scriptures of Yujing have all become useless drafts? There is something wrong with the entity that brought you here!" In the weeds along the broken bluestone road, a cricket called out to him. "A Colossus wishes to devour all arts to replenish itself, requiring an endless stream of path-pioneering cultivators for its use!" Having cried out these words, the cricket turned into fading ripples and vanished. Qin Ming stood motionless. Everything was so chaotic and surreal that his own mind grew unsettled. Yet he saw that after the cricket dissolved into ripples, the true master of the Mind Ape also dimmed, ultimately dissipating. Continuing along the way, Qin Ming ran into all manner of superior gods and ant immortals, all eager to subdue him, the abyssal demon. Finally, thunder fell in sheets from the highest heavens. A terrifying figure descended, unclad in mist, its face and form plainly visible. The balance of this place seemed shattered. "Cao Qianqiu?!" Qin Ming stared at the old man whose eyes shone like golden lamps. At this point, he could hardly believe anything he saw or heard in these ruins. "Warning: changes have occurred here. Retreat at once!" Above the night sky, the entity that had guided them here transmitted an urgent message. Immediately, across all parts of the ruins, numerous auspicious clouds streaked through the sky. Before departing, Qin Ming saw Cao Qianqiu strike, hurling a fist toward him that caused the entire ruins to burst apart! Even though he was in a state of spirit wandering and what he saw was very likely unreal, Qin Ming still felt a suffocating pressure of death. He harbored suspicions: even if that was not Old Cao's true self, it was a genuinely terrifying monster lashing out. If struck, the consequences would be dire. Everyone escaped the ruins and looked back. There lay a dense, heavy fog; the cliffs and city remnants dissolved like dream bubbles. The hundreds of cultivators did not return riding auspicious clouds. Instead, they awoke directly inside their physical bodies. Their spirit wandering ended abruptly, finding them already back in their rooms. "The inverted Yujing has appeared! Outside it... there is a Colossus!" In the dead of night, the peace of the earthen city was shattered. Palpitations gripped many as they rushed frantically out of their rooms, looking up to witness a terrifying spectacle. And Qin Ming, who had just opened his eyes, was entirely alert. Could it be that an anomaly with Yujing had caused their spirit wandering to be interrupted, forcing their abrupt return?