Qin Ming wanted to know whether they had come to invite the rustic youth who had stepped out of Black-White Mountain, or "Taiyi," or perhaps even "Slaying Through the Thirty-Six Heavens with a Single Sword," the chart-topper renowned beyond the nine heavens.
If it was either of the latter two, the situation would be exceedingly grave—a catastrophe on the brink of total collapse.
That would mean he had no secrets left on the New Board.
"I am merely a mortal from the mundane world. How could I dare entertain wild hopes of joining the immortal ranks?" Qin Ming responded with cupped fists.
Deep within Black-White Mountain, high-grade fire springs gurgled softly, nourishing vast swathes of tall silver pines. As the night wind swept past, a faint scent of pine lingered in the air.
The man returned the courtesy with cupped hands. "Brother Daoist, Brother Taiyi, why be so overly modest? You once ascended to the very top of the New Board above the heavens. In the days to come, your name will surely be counted among the Earth Immortals."
He directly pointed out Qin Ming's identity, fully aware of his battle achievements beyond the nine heavens.
A thick layer of silver pine needles blanketed the forest floor like unmelting snow. As they crunched faintly beneath his boots, Qin Ming felt as though he stood in a true realm of ice and snow, a chill creeping up his spine.
Those from above had indeed come for the top ranker, and their aim was pinpoint accurate.
He realized that someone had likely tampered with him.
"What does a bit of empty fame in a single realm amount to? I imagine that within the orthodox jurisdiction of Yujing, there must be young prodigies as dazzling as blazing suns who simply did not compete. Otherwise, they would surely occupy the highest ranks."
Qin Ming spoke with casual detachment, tossing in a compliment for the geniuses of the "old mountain strongholds." In truth, this was merely a facade; his real objective was to probe their knowledge.
The young man had just addressed him as Taiyi, without mentioning either the "Realm Faction" or "One Sword." Could they have obtained only partial information?
Within the hazy glow of mist, both the man and the woman smiled. They appeared quite pleased by his praise of Yujing's orthodoxy, and their attitude toward him turned noticeably warmer.
Because of this, they even introduced themselves: Jiang Yan and Shen Wei.
The young man, Jiang Yan, smiled and said, "Though there are 'blazing suns' lying dormant beyond the nine heavens, Brother Taiyi has already proven himself to be sufficiently breathtaking."
Shen Wei spoke up, "In this era, drastic shifts in the grand environment have made things unfriendly for us, making it difficult to produce Eighth Realm powerhouses. However, if Brother Taiyi ascends to the heavens, you may be qualified to dwell beside the Dao Tree. Should that happen, stepping into the realm of Heavenly Immortals is by no means impossible."
Qin Ming asked, "I once heard that there is also a Flower of the Great Dao. I wonder what kind of person qualifies to cultivate atop it?"
"Brother Daoist, you truly harbor the ambitions of a Heavenly Immortal!" Jiang Yan wore an astonished expression.
He knew all too well how hard it was to stand in that realm during such an era. For the arrogant beings down on the ground, such thoughts were nothing more than pipe dreams.
After all, as the various old mountain strongholds revived, the available resources were far from enough to go around.
Shen Wei maintained a faint smile and remarked, "That is reserved for core Holy Disciples. If you strive for it, Brother Daoist, perhaps you may be eligible as well. You should ascend to the heavens at the earliest opportunity."
In truth, that "perhaps" was practically a polite refusal, though she would never state it plainly.
Once the "blazing suns" dormant within the old mountain strongholds emerged, their status virtually guaranteed that they and the Holy Disciples would take turns using the Flower of the Great Dao. Outsiders would never be allowed near it.
Assuming an earnest, rustic demeanor, Qin Ming asked, "Pardon my asking, but have the other two chart-toppers—Realm Faction and Slaying Through the Thirty-Six Heavens with a Single Sword—already ascended beyond the nine heavens?"
Jiang Yan answered, "Mm, people will be dispatched to invite them shortly."
Qin Ming thought to himself: *Don't tell me it's going to be you two again, coming to invite me a second and third time?*
He was now certain that the information they had gathered from the New Board was incomplete and fragmented.
Suddenly, earthlight welled up from the mountains, its reddish glow tinting the silver pine forest like the warm light of dusk. Qin Ming was bathed in a gentle radiance.
Seizing the moment, he casually took a few steps forward and asked, "I cultivate alone in the deep mountains. How did the two of you find me so effortlessly?"
As he shifted his position, he had already released his source-grade spirit field. It expanded underground and entwined with Dao rhymes, drifting into the void to touch their auras and probe their foundations.
Jiang Yan beamed with a bright smile. "The hour grows late, Brother Taiyi. It is time we set off. Ascending to the heavens is best done without delay."
"Please!" Shen Wei also extended a fair, slender hand, her etiquette impeccable.
Both were sharp and wary. They had already realized that beneath his youthful and unsophisticated exterior, Taiyi had discreetly tried to fish for information from them several times.
"Could you two grant some leeway? I need to bid farewell to my family. That is only natural. I cannot bear to part with them so abruptly, nor can I simply vanish into thin air."
Qin Ming was still probing. Where would he have any family right now? He wanted to test whether they had conflated the identities of Taiyi and Qin Ming.
"Rest assured, we will oversee the reception of your family. Supreme prodigies are permitted to bring a small number of relatives and friends to the heavens," Jiang Yan replied calmly.
Qin Ming said, "Please grant me half a day's grace."
"Is that so..." As Jiang Yan murmured in contemplation, a dharma chain suddenly materialized in his hand, blazing with blinding light.
Beside him, Shen Wei did the same. Her fair hand gripped a chain woven of runes, and with a metallic rattle, she whipped it toward the youth among the silver pines.
The two acted decisively. Realizing that Taiyi was stalling for time and unwilling to journey beyond the nine heavens, they attacked without hesitation.
Qin Ming struck at the very same instant, his target being their flying vessel—the redwood boat.
In a flash, nine-colored sword baleful aura erupted with dazzling brilliance. Blended into one, it tore through the air at a speed beyond all limits and slammed into the flying vessel with an explosive crash.
The moment Jiang Yan and Shen Wei saw the nine-colored sword baleful aura pierce the sky, they could hardly believe their eyes. What was going on?
They had heard that "One Sword" on the New Board was hailed as an unrivaled prodigy for combining eight types of sword baleful aura, an accomplishment that had shaken countless sword cultivators in the heavens.
Was this Taiyi before them defying the natural order? He was actually wielding nine terrifying, vividly colored sword baleful auras, surpassing the chart-topper of the Third Realm, "One Sword"!
In truth, Qin Ming was indeed offering them the highest standard of "hospitality." Fearing his attack might lack the necessary force, he went all out across every domain the moment he acted, expanding his spirit field to the fullest.
He had not even been this solemn during the duels above the heavens.
The result was gratifying. The redwood boat capable of carrying the pair beyond the nine heavens was blasted to pieces by his single sword strike, severing their retreat.
Simultaneously, Qin Ming shifted across the silver grove like a phantom, dodging the lash of the two dharma chains. In his hand, the Yellow Silk Canopy appeared.
He commanded in a deep voice, "Big Yellow, receive our guests!"
The weapon spirit of the Myriad Gods Banner was taken aback. Last time, the boy had called it Old Yellow; this more youthful moniker was passable enough. An enchanting face surfaced upon the canopy's fabric.
It did not know that an acquaintance of Qin Ming—Old Man Liu from Twin Trees Village—also kept a dog named Big Yellow. Had it known, hearing such a name would have driven it into a fury.
Even so, it grumbled in discontent at being assigned the dirty, grueling chores reserved exclusively for it once again.
At this moment, it took the form of an imperial ceremonial canopy, carrying a natural aura of majestic grandeur. Yet all at once, towering black mist billowed forth, marring the sacred charm and beauty of its radiating golden glow.
Though Jiang Yan and Shen Wei were stunned by Taiyi unleashing nine-colored sword baleful aura, they still held confidence, for they carried dharma chains bestowed by Yujing.
However, their expressions froze in the very next instant. Two dharma chains pierced the void, and though their runes of order gleamed brilliantly, they failed to bind the youth.
The Yellow Silk Canopy met them head-on. As a supreme treasure fallen from glory, its offensive might was lacking, but its capacity to withstand pressure far exceeded anything outsiders could imagine.
The two dharma chains lashed out together like twin dragons contending for supremacy, wreaking havoc upon the world, or like divine rays cast down from heaven, radiating wisps of terrifying tribulation qi.
Yet no matter how fiercely they struck, they could not penetrate the canopy's surface, let alone ensnare Qin Ming.
Amidst the blinding runes, the two dharma chains became branded onto the canopy like tattoos, embellishing the cloud motifs, dragon-and-phoenix illustrations, and river-of-stars designs.
"Hm?" Jiang Yan and Shen Wei keenly noticed that the canopy already bore such "tattoos." This was clearly not the first time it had withstood such an assault.
Worst of all, the nine-colored sword baleful aura swept through the silver pine forest, illuminating the mountain depths and causing their conscious spirits—sent via spirit wandering—to dim noticeably.
"No!"
"How is this possible? It really is the Ninefold Perfection!"
They realized they could not withstand such sword light. They were witnessing a legend in the flesh; what they had seen earlier was no illusion—he truly had fused nine types of sacred baleful auras.
*Clang!*
The lightning-strike wood shield and the azure lightning hammer they threw out were instantly sliced in half by the nine-colored sword baleful aura, crumbling like paper.
They retreated at full speed, attempting to spirit-wander into the night sky to escape the disaster.
When nine sword baleful auras unified, they formed what could be called chaos sword baleful aura. So long as the gap between cultivation realms was not excessively wide, it was all-piercing and indestructible!
With a sharp swish, the nine-colored sword baleful aura slashed outward. Even before making contact, their conscious spiritual lights began to scatter.
"Leave them to me!" The Yellow Silk Canopy pulsed with vague yet urgent ripples, filled with insatiable greed. It was starving and eager to feed.
"Alright!" Qin Ming nodded. The nine-colored sword baleful aura quivered in the night sky. Merely the ripples it emitted blasted the two down, nearly obliterating them on the spot.
"You..." The pair stared at the Yellow Silk Canopy in sheer terror, feeling as though they faced a bottomless abyss that could devour them at any second.
Then, they glanced at Qin Ming commanding the chaos sword baleful aura beside it, watching them like a hawk, equally poised to slaughter them.
"The New Board made an error! The information on it has grave mistakes!"
Even so, having brought two dharma chains, nothing should have gone awry. Just what tier of weapon was that Yellow Silk Canopy?
"How were you able to pinpoint my location so accurately?" Qin Ming asked.
The two refused to answer, showing stubborn resolve.
Qin Ming nodded and said, "You came by spirit wandering. This is only a portion of your pure yang conscious spiritual light, not the entirety of it, correct? Even if I slay you, your main bodies will remain alive in the heavens!"
Immediately after, he declared coldly, "In that case, go dwell inside the Yellow Silk Canopy."
Dark radiance swallowed the space ahead as the canopy swept over them.
"No!"
At the crucial juncture, their backbone faltered. Losing this portion of pure yang consciousness would also significantly weaken their main bodies.
"When you ascended to the heavens, your body was tainted by the peculiar Dao rhymes from beyond the nine heavens, serving as a special 'Dao marker'!"
"Within ten days, that peculiar 'Dao marker' will dissipate on its own!"
Yet whatever they said came too late. Before them lay a genuine demonic treasure—the Myriad Gods Banner—which had already enveloped them. To such a weapon, two figures in a spirit-wandering state were no different from a delivered meal.
"Ah..." Gripped by horror, they let out miserable shrieks.
Qin Ming sighed. "Regardless of whether you two are Dao companions, you will be together forever from now on, advancing and retreating as one. However, you will hardly enjoy the intimacy of husband and wife—remain brother and sister within the Yellow Silk Canopy."
He turned and departed, rushing toward Twin Trees Village to fetch the Thunder King Bird for long-distance travel.
Bearing that eerie Dao marker on his body, he feared being tracked down again by those from above.
"Big Yellow, have you detected the Dao marker on me?" Qin Ming asked.
"It is distributed evenly throughout your flesh and consciousness. Are you going to voluntarily disperse all your Dao rhymes?"
"This..." Qin Ming frowned. That would be tantamount to crippling his own cultivation. Those from above had indeed targeted him from the very beginning, leaving behind mysterious traces.
Still, they had failed to obtain his complete information from the New Board, and their understanding was plainly flawed.
In Twin Trees Village, ever since Liu Mo had departed on his long journey, the big yellow dog rarely returned, and on the few occasions it did appear, it seemed utterly dispirited.
However, Yuque, the red squirrel, and the Thunder King Bird were all living in seclusion here, cultivating beneath the Black-White Twin Trees at night. They had once promised to help Qin Ming guard the village and help Liu Mo look after the God Child.
By now, they had truly come into their own. Following their previous mutation, they had grown three heads and six arms or six wings, their innate talents vastly enhanced.
"Mountain Master!" Yuque chirped in pleasant surprise. It had been quite some time since it last saw Qin Ming.
"Qin Big Daddy." The red squirrel had undergone a complete change of perspective. The man who had once survived on its winter hoard had helped it mutate, gifted it authentic scriptures, and truly guided it onto the path; it was wholly willing to address him with such reverence.
"The situation is urgent, no time to chat. Give me a ride," Qin Ming called out to the Thunder King Bird.
Bearing the Dao marker was an immense headache. If those in the heavens pursued him ruthlessly, he would have nowhere to hide.
Qin Ming considered that fleeing Night Province would hardly solve the problem either. Yujing's sphere of influence was vast; regions such as the Eastern Lands, Northern Wilderness, and Western Sea were merely a small fraction of the territories under its dominion.
In an instant, the Thunder King Bird carried him soaring into the sky.
"I wonder what the patriarchs of the various paths will choose," Qin Ming pondered. At present, the most viable sanctuary was the Night Ruins, which lay outside Yujing's control.
He instructed in a low voice, "Dayu, southwest, Gengjin City!"
Back then, in order to cultivate the Five Elements Esoteric Scripture, Qin Ming had sought out a special place for secluded cultivation. Guided by Dayu's Fourth Princess, Yao Ruoxian, he had once traveled there.
That region contained an intersection where the world converged with the Night Ruins. Qin Ming had ventured deep inside back then, gazing upon the boundless blue ocean and even slaying the Jade Emperor.
Sensing the imminent danger, the Thunder King Bird pushed itself to the utmost limit, streaking across the night sky like lightning into the southwestern lands of Dayu.
A journey of over twenty thousand li was completed within the day. The Thunder King Bird was exhausted to the point of lolling out all three tongues, its six lightning wings practically catching fire.
...
Beyond the nine heavens, the New Board paid no heed to the people of the old mountain strongholds. However, they had secondary plans, and not long ago they had extracted information on yet another chart-topper.
"Realm Faction—a genuine youth, not some Earth Immortal-grade old monster retracing his former steps! Mmm, his true realm is actually only the peak of the Second Realm? This is simply unimaginable, a peerless natural endowment! This person must be brought to the heavens—even if we have to tie him up and drag him here!"
Beyond the nine heavens, several figures were thoroughly astonished and shaken. Having extracted this information, they immediately prepared to put their plan into motion.
"Jiang Yan, Shen Wei, have your efforts to invite Taiyi yielded any results?" someone inquired.
"None," the two replied, shaking their heads with furrowed brows. They were rather gentle by nature and had genuinely wished to invite him up, rather than making a major commotion to bring him to the heavens by force.
Besides, they had descended to the mortal realm carrying two dharma chains; even if unexpected conflicts arose, those should have been sufficient to bind the young man.
"We will make the trip in person," Jiang Yan said. Seeing that their avatars had not returned after so long, he realized complications must have occurred.
Shen Wei nodded. "Mm. Let us bring more hands this time."
Jiang Yan remarked, "If he refuses our courteous invitation, he is truly refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit!"
Subsequently, two groups sequentially boarded redwood boats, pierced through the Sea of Night Mist, and descended upon the earth, tracking their quarry according to the "markers" in their hands.
Eventually, they entered Dayu one after the other and appeared in the vicinity of Gengjin City.
Shen Wei was surprised. "Eh? How strange. They chased all the way down here as well. Could Realm Faction and Taiyi have joined together and both be in this direction?"
This time, their true bodies arrived in person, accompanied by an entire boatload of people.
Tracking the trail, they arrived at a gloomy spot three hundred li outside Gengjin City. It was an abandoned earthly secret aperture that connected to the Night Ruins.
The first group had already arrived, and some turned pale. "Realm Faction has entered another world! Pursue him, or the Dao marker will gradually fade and we will lose his trail!"
The party rushed inside.
Jiang Yan and Shen Wei were dumbfounded; they had actually pursued their target to the exact same place.
"Taiyi wants to use the unique Dao rhymes inside the Night Ruins to wear away the Dao marker on him. We cannot afford to delay!"
...
Qin Ming did not allow the Thunder King Bird to enter the Night Ruins, fearing it would be unable to adapt to the Dao rhymes of this world. He ventured in alone.
Amidst the blue billows, sea beasts and bizarre creatures flickered in and out of sight. This was a realm teeming with rich resources.
Remaining cautious, Qin Ming avoided the sea region from before, traveling a long distance until he confirmed there were no issues before halting to rest.
"The Dao rhymes of the two realms clash violently. The Night Ruins world is terrifying for us, entirely different from other alien domains. Ordinary people can hardly adapt here. Fortunately, we carry dharma chains, which can keep us safe."
In truth, both parties were exceedingly cautious on this trip, each even bringing along a higher-grade Dao chain.
Sky City's Dao chains were nearly exhausted, but other old mountain strongholds still possessed reserves.
"Found him! The target is right ahead!"
The first group locked onto his coordinates and rushed over at top speed. Then, they saw a youth feasting heartily by the seashore. A bronze cauldron was brimming with seafood—translucent meat paired with fine wine. He was actually savoring it with relish, looking not in the least like someone fleeing for his life.
Soon after, Jiang Yan and Shen Wei arrived as well, instantly stricken with shock: Could their target, Taiyi, and Realm Faction be the exact same person?
"This..." The first group was equally stunned.
Tempests surged within the hearts of both factions. Two chart-toppers were actually one and the same! Just how defying of heaven was this youth's innate talent? If word of this spread, it would surely cause a massive uproar, shaking all directions.
One person spoke up, "There is something wrong with the New Board; it did not provide us with accurate information!"
Qin Ming had noticed them long ago. In fact, he had observed them from hiding before stepping out onto the beach to comfortably enjoy the otherworldly seafood.
Deploying his source-grade spirit field, he confirmed that neither group contained a grandmaster. This allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief; top experts were currently all heavily wounded.
Therefore, he was ready to lay all his cards on the table!
An elder spoke with an amicable expression, "Fellow Daoist, since you are Taiyi and also Realm Faction, possessing such talent is more than enough to become a Holy Disciple of Yujing. Please ascend to the heavens with us and cultivate beneath the precious Dao Tree."
"Will I need to cleanse my physical body with dharma chains?" Qin Ming asked.
"Indeed. This is a blessing from Yujing, beneficial to the body and helpful to cultivation!" the elder replied with a nod.
*Slash!*
The nine-colored sword baleful aura streaked across the night sky. In a single instant, seven heads were severed, separated from their torsos as blood splattered across the beach.
*Boom!*
Qin Ming activated the Yellow Silk Canopy. Instantly, black light shot into the sky and dark mist surged violently, sweeping the seven spiritual bodies inside.
He called out, "Everyone, today I would also like to bestow a blessing upon you. Come, come, come—enter the Yellow Silk Canopy and be imperial kin!"
Chapter 459