"Some patriarchs of Night Province have spoken: disciples may travel above the Ninth Heaven."
The crowd finally understood why figures like Cui Chonghe and Little Rulai had dared to set out.
"You can question the moral character of these old monsters in Night Province, and you can resent their ruthless cruelty, but you cannot doubt their vision!"
Evidently, whoever made such a comment had to be from the outer realms.
The patriarchs of Night Province had all run into grave problems and had not shown themselves for a long time. Now, they had actually emerged from seclusion despite their ailments to guide their disciples, drawing attention from all quarters.
Even some Earth Immortals from outside the realm were stirred.
"Vetted thoroughly by the patriarchs of every path, it shouldn't be much of a problem. At least for now, it should be quite safe, and we too can journey to the divine cities and immortal towns."
Across the land cloaked in dense night mist, within cities flickering like candle flames, many were discussing this matter.
"Putting everything else aside, just ascending safely to the Ninth Heaven this once is an experience worth bragging about for a lifetime!"
Without being a patriarch, traveling alone to such a realm was exceedingly difficult; the pitch-black night sky held countless perils. Many young prodigies wanted to seize this opportunity to go.
In Chixia City, Qin Ming had studied the situation for days. Having clarified all the circumstances, his interest was piqued as well, and he prepared to ascend to the heavens.
The conditions for traveling to the heavens were quite broad, with few restrictions. Whether going in one's true body or ascending through spirit wandering, one could ultimately leave a name on the New Board or the Golden Board.
In fact, prodigies in the first realm who lacked the cultivation for spirit wandering could borrow a vessel upon boarding the ferry to travel above the Ninth Heaven.
Most importantly, the rewards were bountiful. Word was that the very first low-level cultivator to leave a name on the New Board received an empowerment of Nine Heavens Pure Spiritual Qi straight through the crown of his head; his physical body was nourished to the brink of nirvana.
"As for the first veteran grandmaster to leave a name on the board, he was submerged in thick outer realm purple qi, and his lifespan increased by a large margin."
The moment this news broke, it sparked a huge commotion. The generous boons received by those on the boards were extraordinary indeed, setting everyone's blood racing with desire to reach the divine cities and immortal towns beyond the heavens.
"Even experts at the grandmaster level only made it onto the New Board?" Qin Ming asked in surprise after hearing the latest reports.
Meng Xinghai nodded. "Mm. For now, everyone can only leave their names on the New Board. The Golden Board remains completely blank to this day. As for the so-called Dao Board, don't even think about it—it's shrouded in heavy fog."
He was widely connected and had special intelligence channels.
Lately, the Fire Springs had grown ever more vigorous. Lineages and major factions from all paths were clearing out Night Ruins creatures, so the cities across the land were no longer isolated islands.
As the lord of three cities—Chixia, Maple Leaf, and Mingyao—Meng Xinghai had just taken over two of them and was quite busy in the short term. He planned to head to the heavens after some time had passed.
Having learned enough, Qin Ming was about to depart.
Ten li outside Chixia City lay a bizarre town, the remnants of a dao rite left by an ancient deity. It had long fallen into ruin, yet it served as a launching ground to ascend to the heavens.
This area was quite peculiar; back then, the giant blue centipede's desire to become a god here had been tied to these very factors.
Under the night sky, Fire Springs flowed among the mountains. Even in higher elevations, ice and snow had melted. Across the mountains and plains, trees sprouted fresh buds, and the fragrance of wildflowers mingled with the scent of early spring earth, drifting through the ranges. Everything felt fresh and vibrant.
"Uncle Meng, head back," Qin Ming said. He did not mobilize his physical body, preparing instead to wander in spirit beyond the heavens.
He confirmed once more that although his heavenly light body—fused with his consciousness—was wrapped in the rag, Uncle Meng couldn't detect the item.
Sure enough, the status of temporary owner of the old cloth still carried a fair bit of weight.
In the dark mountain forests, apes howled and tigers roared, while yellow weasels, white hedgehogs, and fox immortals prowled. These ruins shrouded in brambles had become exceedingly bustling lately.
Whenever night fell, the rubble would glow, and a town would emerge here, drawing in many nonhuman entities as well.
"Be careful once you reach the heavens!" Meng Xinghai urged.
As the night deepened, ahead of them, the hazy outline of the town emerged, as though bathed in evening glow. Qin Ming waved and walked straight inside.
People had already arrived. A young man smiled and greeted him, "Brother, since we cross in the same boat, if we both make our mark on the Golden Board, we could almost be considered classmates."
"Indeed, that counts as a kind of affinity," another middle-aged man agreed with a nod.
Qin Ming also smiled in response, blending into this peaceful, friendly atmosphere and inquiring about further details from them.
"A total of one hundred and eight bizarre towns have appeared across Night Province. This one is called Chi Town. It's said that in ancient times, this place was the renowned Red God Palace. Alas, the past is gone. Even a deity capable of commanding Nanming Distant Fire had a finite lifespan and has long since passed away."
Qin Ming was astonished. He hadn't expected so many special towns to appear across the world all at once. Did this mean there had once been one hundred and eight deities upon the earth?
A young man said, "Let's go. We might as well board the boat directly. No need to wait for the ferryman; he probably won't be back anytime soon."
Moored in the heart of Chi Town was a wooden boat enveloped in teal qi. Though not large, it was easily big enough to carry their party of a dozen or so on a long voyage.
Supposedly, there should have been a ferryman—a drudge said to have survived from ancient times.
However, according to the research of experts in Night Province, only his physical body had survived. His consciousness wasn't ancient; he had accidentally revived in later eras and had long forgotten his past.
"Who knows how many vast ages his aged frame has endured, but his new mental field formed at most a century ago, and he has always been trapped here, completely oblivious to what goes on in the heavens."
"Where did he go?" Qin Ming asked.
A youth chuckled. "An old grandmaster dragged him away. Right now he's lingering in the mortal world, living among wine and revelry, surrounded by courtesans. You could say once inside the pleasure quarters, he's in over his head."
Evidently, people on the ground were not ready to give up and wanted to study him in depth to glean secrets about the heavens and antiquity.
Someone shook his head and said, "Cultivating from antiquity to the present falls short of a single drunken revelry in the mortal realm."
Teal qi suffused the wooden boat, flowing with a mysterious aura.
Aboard were scarecrows, wooden puppets, metal beasts, and the like—objects suitable for borrowing a vessel.
Half of their group had opted for spirit wandering, yet right now, hardly anyone picked an object to house their consciousness, all being fairly confident in themselves.
Qin Ming examined them repeatedly and ultimately chose a scarecrow to borrow as a vessel. In an instant, he revived within it, feeling a cozy warmth wash over his consciousness.
"This is no ordinary object." He was surprised, and soon learned of its origins: it was made from straw nourished by Nine Heavens Pure Spiritual Qi, endowed with Pure Yang properties.
Someone remarked, "Indeed. Rumor has it that this grain was sustenance for ancient powerhouses, but unfortunately, this era is no longer suited for growing it."
Afterward, some people became rather lukewarm toward Qin Ming, thinking he was a low-realm minor cultivator who actually needed to borrow a vessel, not worth befriending deeply.
The wooden boat hoisted its sails on its own and instantly cleaved through the night mist, riding the wind and waves as it surged toward the Ninth Heaven at an incredible speed.
Moments later, a flaming vortex appeared in the dense Night Mist Sea, divine flames leaping within. Bursting with teal light, the wooden boat carried everyone whooshing into it.
"We're already here?" Many couldn't believe it.
Having traversed the fiery vortex, the wooden boat arrived above the Ninth Heaven. They caught sight of hazy divine cities and immortal towns cloaked in immortal mist and teal qi.
Without a doubt, what they had entered just now was a void tunnel.
"It's better this way. Crossing the Night Mist Sea directly would have been extremely dangerous. It's said that the night sky above the Ninth Heaven has wind tribulations capable of scattering one's consciousness, as well as outer realm toxic fire and the like."
They disembarked near their destination, while the wooden boat silently drifted away, making its return journey alone.
Qin Ming felt a sense of unreality. They had reached the heavens just like that? This was his first time setting foot in this domain; normally, only grotto-heavens could hang suspended up here.
Beneath their feet, bluestone slabs paved the way—not the golden steps and jade staircases one might imagine, but quite plain and unadorned.
Qin Ming walked toward the first immortal town, while the others paused only briefly before hurrying onward.
"Brother, you can wander in spirit, yet you're still in the first realm?" someone couldn't help asking.
"My cultivation is indeed lacking, so I'll go into this town first to take a look," Qin Ming replied. Different towns in the heavens corresponded to different cultivation realms.
Some thought it impossible for him to be that weak, saying, "We'll head on ahead and wait for you in the divine city up front."
Qin Ming waved goodbye to them and entered the first immortal town.
Walking about as a scarecrow, he realized he wasn't unique. There were plenty of others like him in town—scarecrows as well as puppets, quite a few in total.
Someone warned, "Be careful, everyone. Don't stray beyond the boundaries of the immortal town. If you wander into the Night Mist Sea above the Ninth Heaven, you might lose your life."
Qin Ming gazed outside the town. Pitch blackness reigned, and astral winds howled, warping the very void.
Moreover, now and then within that Night Mist Sea, crimson light surged past with seemingly extreme heat. When it flared, blinding flames erupted, appearing potent enough to incinerate even a grandmaster's mental field.
Qin Ming wore a look of shock. Above the Ninth Heaven was truly terrifying!
"In that Night Mist Sea... there are living beings!" someone cried out.
Qin Ming peered outside the town and spotted an old woman in tattered rags. Her face was a hundred times paler than Cui Chonghe's great-grandmother, who had been dead for fifty years.
"That's a dead person from antiquity, pay it no mind," someone informed them.
Immediately, many were shocked.
Someone exclaimed, "This... She survived the wind tribulations above the Ninth Heaven undamaged! Could this be the physical body left behind by a Heavenly God?"
"At the very least, it's the mortal remains of an Earth Immortal!" someone asserted with utter certainty.
Moments later, someone else noticed that deep within the dark night mist, a lustrous green leaf drifted past, only to shatter and vanish in the astral wind an instant later.
"Above the Ninth Heaven is truly unfathomable. Could there actually be living plants growing here?"
"Of course. Haven't you heard? Lost Golden Palaces and priceless divine herbs of immortality exist amidst the Night Mist Sea of the Ninth Heaven. Unfortunately, they can only be chanced upon, never sought; even if an Earth Immortal went searching, they would hardly find anything."
Qin Ming was lost in thought. The uninhabited zone beyond the heavens was unimaginably vast and so mysterious, holding all manner of unknowns and opportunities, yet fraught with extreme danger. None dared explore it unless they were top-tier powerhouses.
He walked deeper into the town, finding it teeming with vitality, the streets shoulder-to-shoulder with people.
Soon, Qin Ming felt something was amiss. Wasn't this town meant for the first realm? Quite a few people were wandering directly in spirit, unattached to any special vessels.
"Could it be that they all possess special constitutions, like the Pure Yang Constitution, born with powerful spiritual lights of consciousness so they can wander in spirit for long periods even at a low realm?" He grew suspicious.
In this immortal town, everyone—including Qin Ming—displayed only the cultivation of the first realm.
Qin Ming knew his own situation: he had fused his essence, the core of his consciousness, with heavenly light and wrapped it in the rag to conceal it.
He eyed the people around him with suspicion. Spirit wandering right at the first realm—could so many gifted prodigies all possess Pure Yang Constitutions or innately powerful souls?
Then, he activated the Eye of the Newborn and gradually discerned the truth. Some of these individuals were definitely old fellows; their eyes were far too weathered, nothing like those of youths.
Qin Ming realized that many people, just like him, had used special means to conceal their true cultivation.
Otherwise, how could there possibly be so many people with special constitutions? As for the Pure Yang Constitution, he had only ever encountered one or two people with it down on the ground.
One of them was Leng Feiyue, a descendant of Leng Mingkong, the trailblazing patriarch of the Yang Soil.
Qin Ming found it absurd. He spotted several old fellows who hadn't even altered their faces, arriving in their true appearances—grandmasters from the immortal path and the esoteric sect!
"This is rather shameless. Do they actually want to compete with first-realm newcomers for rankings to seize mysterious rewards?" he muttered.
Evidently, he had forgotten about himself; he wasn't a pure newcomer either, having likewise suppressed his realm to come here.
Nearby, someone grumbled, "Could it be dangerous here? After all, old geezers have come pretending to be young tenderfoots; things are truly complicated!"
Someone chuckled. "New here, aren't you? Don't worry. In an immortal town corresponding to the first realm, no matter how heaven-defying your abilities or even if an Earth Immortal arrived in person, no one can exceed the limit here. Everyone is a first-realm 'fellow Daoist' to one another."
Hearing this, the person let out a visible sigh of relief.
Hearing that, Qin Ming also felt relieved. That wasn't a problem, then.
"Isn't that a bit unfair? Old fellows joining in the fun is practically like heavenly demons reincarnating. Even as fellow Daoists at the same level, how could newcomers ever compete with them?"
"Presumably, the New Board and Golden Board exist precisely to screen for extraordinary prodigies who break all norms. They have no need for geniuses pampered in a greenhouse, so they deliberately placed no restrictions, letting the old fellows stir up the waters."
Above the town, shrouded in teal clouds, a New Board stretched across the expanse, gleaming brightly. Densely inscribed upon it were numerous names, flickering in and out of view.
"How is this possible? I'm not even close to making the board—there are over a hundred candidates ahead of me on the reserve list?" A divine seed from the esoteric sect looked devastated, practically unable to believe his eyes.
Hearing this, Qin Ming was quite startled as well.
He had already learned that in each realm, whether you were a "reincarnated heavenly demon" or not, as long as you showed up, you could enter the competition, and ultimately one hundred beings would make the board.
"I'm fucking... a hundred and fifty spots away from making the board!" An immortal seed was in a daze, finding it utterly absurd and feeling quite miserable about his situation.
Qin Ming spotted some acquaintances in the town, such as the scholarly Pei Shuyan in white. At the moment, he looked furious and was walking in a hurry, having made no attempt to conceal his true face.
"That's an immortal seed of the fourth realm! What happened to him?"
Someone responded, "He did make the board, but his ranking keeps slipping. If this continues, he might get pushed right off the New Board."
Others knew the details: Pei Shuyan had rushed back from an immortal city corresponding to the third realm to compete again and improve his ranking.
One after another, Qin Ming recognized several more familiar faces, such as the immortal seed Helian Yaoqing disguised as a man, along with top divine seeds of the esoteric sect like Cheng Sheng and Zhao Qingcheng.
Someone whispered, "Too shameless! So many of them are old fellows—not just grandmasters, but even patriarchs have come here to pad their rankings and reap the perks!"
This was the reality: even immortal seeds and divine seeds couldn't outcompete those old monsters.
Qin Ming stood dumbfounded upon hearing this. Were most of the people here just like him—all belonging to the realm faction?
He estimated there were barely any genuine first-realm newcomers; even the likes of Pei Shuyan and Helian Yaoqing had come here to vie for rankings on the New Board.
Someone sighed, "It can't be helped. Old fellows from every era are harvesting the rewards on the board. The competition is just too fierce. Aside from Night Province's seeds, there are beings from outer realms, and even prodigies with Divine Moon and Blazing Sun caliber from Sky City."
"Look... more people have stormed back!"
A commotion rippled through the immortal town. People noticed that among the heaven-sent prodigies who had headed for the divine cities, like Little Rulai and Cui Chonghe, quite a few had rushed back just to secure high-ranking positions.
"Hiss, that's someone from Sky City confirmed to be destined to become a Blazing Sun, and even he turned around and came back!"
Now, many suspected that far beyond grandmasters stepping into the fray and patriarchs arriving in person, there might even be mysterious Earth Immortals pretending to be young, coming here to cause havoc and claim the great fortune within the embryonic form of Yujing.
Qin Ming's interest was truly piqued. With a board of such high caliber, he genuinely wanted to give it a try and see just how high his ranking could reach.
Chapter 433