The night fog sea churned. Amidst terrifying astral winds capable of scattering conscious spiritual light, a golden wooden ship pierced through the heavy clouds and dived toward the earth.
"The earth is like an abyss," Qi Daozhen murmured, standing at the bow and looking down. From what his eyes could see, the cities across the pitch-black ground were like scattered fireflies.
Overall, ninety percent of the land lay in absolute darkness without a single speck of light. It was utterly desolate and devoid of life, where the unknown and inky blackness reigned eternal.
Qi Daozhen took out a silver-spotted conch and used it to send a message: "Senior Brother Xie, where are you?"
He had descended to the ground with a clear objective.
"I am currently in the Outer Pure Land. There are indeed stunning immortal seeds here. You can come over; it is not very far from you," a young man immediately replied through a silver-spotted conch.
His name was Xie Jinglan. He also came from above the heavens, looking slightly sickly with touches of weathered melancholy in the depths of his eyes. Suffering from premature aging, white hairs had long taken root at his temples.
"Senior Brother Xie, I need your help." Qi Daozhen was remarkably gifted and possessed profound cultivation, yet he was cautious by nature and had sought powerful reinforcement the moment he reached the ground.
Rumor had it that Xie Jinglan once had a chance to peer into the grandmaster realm, but an accident had struck in the end, crippling him for some reason.
After whiling away decades, he had started over from scratch and had now "attained the Dao" once again. Such a person could no longer be measured purely by his cultivation realm.
Were it not for exceeding the age threshold, he would surely count as a "Blazing Sun." Even so, if he stepped into the grandmaster level within a decade, he would still be considered "young."
Qi Daozhen had an extraordinary relationship with him, which was why he had sought his aid immediately after descending to the ground.
Upon learning his target, Xie Jinglan frowned slightly and said, "You wish to seek out Taiyi? He holds the top rank. Once he ascends to the heavens, many eyes will be fixed on him!"
He then whispered in dissuasion, "Come to the Pure Land. There is an innate fire physique here who has never appeared on the sword-dueling platforms, with an awesomely deep foundation, as well as a prodigy who secretly mastered a heavenly book."
Qi Daozhen's voice turned low. "Senior Brother, the competition on the Great Dao is brutal; I have no choice but to take the initiative to fight for it. Neither of us is a descendant of an Earth Immortal. I fear walking your old path, which is why I want to seize the upper hand."
For now, although he was favored by an old monster, he held no long-term advantage. As the various old factions revived, which of the young leading figures from each faction did not have an astounding background?
Xie Jinglan warned, "It is rumored that the top-ranked Taiyi possesses the potential of a core Yujing saint. He is destined to draw countless eyes!"
Qi Daozhen said, "I only want to make contact with him secretly. I will not make excessive moves."
Xie Jinglan took a sharp breath in surprise and asked, "You studied that forbidden secret tome in private. Could it be you intend to use it?"
"Senior Brother, I have no choice."
Qi Daozhen glowed from head to toe, gentle and refined as if bathed in morning twilight, yet once he settled his mind, his methods were rather radical.
People said the Great Dao was ruthless and treated all equally, but in his eyes, those peers had seized the upper hand in status from birth. This time, he wanted to step onto the stage early.
Before long, Qi Daozhen met with Xie Jinglan. Hearing that one of the immortal seeds on the ground possessed an exotic metal weapon capable of liquefying, he was immediately tempted, though unfortunately he did not see the owner.
"Someone has comprehended the *Golden Palace Jade Scripture*. Even above the nine heavens, this is an exceptionally difficult true scripture to practice. Once mastered, body and spirit will continuously transform, undergoing multiple nirvanas."
Xie Jinglan mentioned Cui Chonghe, though they had not seen him.
Word had it that Cui Chonghe, aided by his master Sun Taichu, was undergoing a special seclusion inside a Yin-Yang Furnace, as if concocting a great medicine.
Clearly, some immortal seeds and god seeds had already been targeted, yet they all had ancestral masters backing them, and the visitors from the heavens were currently merely trying to win them over.
If the old monster Earth Immortals above the heavens ceased actively wooing and persuading, and instead fell out with the upper echelons of the various ground paths, everything would become entirely different.
"That is Cao Tian. Unruly and defiant, his origins are far from simple."
Xie Jinglan advised Qi Daozhen not to fixate solely on the top rank, as there were other heaven-sent geniuses worth winning over, and people from the various old factions were secretly approaching them.
"Little Rulai is hailed as the core disciple of the orthodox Chaos force lineage, truly extraordinary. Although Qin Ming comes from a collateral branch of that lineage, he is vastly renowned..."
Qi Daozhen could not help but interrupt, "Senior Brother, time is of the essence. If I do not search for Taiyi now, he might already be invited to the heavens."
"You are too eager for quick success," Xie Jinglan sighed.
Qi Daozhen said in a hoarse voice, "Though I currently stand bathed in glory and favored by the old ancestor, the future remains uncertain. If people like us do not fight, we will ultimately never enter the inner circle. I have no choice."
Xie Jinglan said, "Calculating the time, Taiyi should have ascended to the heavens by now."
"No, not yet. Senior Brother, please lend me a hand!" Qi Daozhen pleaded. In an overarching environment where grandmasters would not lightly make a move, this Senior Brother Xie might be able to help him accomplish great things.
In the end, Xie Jinglan nodded and said, "Very well, I will take my people and accompany you on this trip!"
The team he led was primarily tasked with lobbying prominent sects and prestigious schools, and until the upper echelons fell out, they would not strike against anyone.
Now, the group set off quietly into the distance.
Before descending to the ground, Qi Daozhen had already acquired the unique "Dao marker" corresponding to Taiyi, which could be tracked using an exotic treasure. He had also learned relevant information about him: Taiyi was merely a rogue cultivator, relatively young, and not high in cultivation realm.
"The New Board is unfathomable. Hanging high in the heavens, it nevertheless knows all affairs of the world," someone marvelled on the way.
The team was not large, numbering only about a dozen people in total.
Qi Daozhen wanted to remark that the New Board had once roamed the world and even visited the medicine fields of Earth Immortal households—how could it not know such things?
"He has entered the Night Ruins!" When their pursuit brought them near Gengjin City, they realized Taiyi's ultimate destination. No wonder the previous squad had produced no results for so long.
***
By the sea, Qin Ming had risen to his feet. He was practicing his swordsmanship against the surging waves, hoping to invigorate his body's vitality and undergo a momentous rebirth.
This was destined to be different from the past because he was in the Night Ruins, an alien world with somewhat different Dao rhymes, which might deliver a tremendous impact upon his physical body.
If he succeeded, he would practically be half a native of the Night Ruins.
"Compared to when I was in Night Province, progress is somewhat slower, and the difficulty has increased," Qin Ming murmured with a furrowed brow.
With a sweep of his sword, he split the sea open. Dozens of massive waves exploded with a boom beneath his sword Qi, dissolving into a mist that filled the sky like rolling immortal vapor.
The yellow silk canopy umbrella sent out a ripple of consciousness: "The greater the divergence between worlds, the fiercer the clash of Dao rhymes. You switched to a new overarching environment, so wanting to break through here naturally makes the difficulty skyrocket."
It then mentioned that this was actually a good thing.
"Those relatively formidable figures in ancient times often liked to tour the various civilizations. Among them, prodigies capable of withstanding the impact of Dao rhymes from different systems could be rated as superior grade."
Hearing this, Qin Ming felt his spirits lift greatly. Circulating the *Sea-Overturning Classic*, he swept out a sword strike, and a nine-colored sword light carried towering waves that engulfed the entire night sky.
The surging night fog was shaken apart, and the entire sky filled with brilliant sword light, resplendent and dazzling.
As Qin Ming swung his sword, his body grew scalding hot. Wave upon wave surged upward along with his sword Qi; the water on the ground flowed backward toward the heavens, seawater pouring into the high sky in a terrifying spectacle.
At this moment, he felt his body grow "hungry," yearning to feed on the Dao rhymes of the Night Ruins world.
Qin Ming allowed the spiritual substances within him to cycle and be replaced, absorbing fresh Dao rhymes to adapt to this new world.
"It's not enough. The accumulation of former Dao rhymes is too deep. To adapt to the Night Ruins and have a satisfying meal, I must replace part of the original Dao rhymes. I need to find a treasure land."
Ultimately, Qin Ming plunged into the sea, searching for blue super fire springs. Places like that brimmed with spirituality, making it far easier to channel the invisible Dao rhymes of heaven and earth.
Furthermore, he felt it best to complete his rebirth before deep night arrived.
After all, this world was extraordinarily eerie. Once the darkness deepened, coffins, burial mounds, and the like would bob along the surging waves accompanied by children's laughter. The sky would even bleed, dropping severed human heads.
Mastering the *Sea-Overturning Classic*, Qin Ming moved through the ocean as if walking on land. No matter how deafening the terrifying waves roared, he traversed them as if on level ground, sinking beneath the surface.
He moved toward where light shone. Blue fire springs welled up from the seabed, so the underwater world was not dim.
Naturally, Qin Ming wanted to find a top-tier fire spring, but he knew full well that such zones could not be unowned. Not wanting to disturb dangerous creatures, he only hoped to find a spot nearby to sit in quiet cultivation.
The undersea world was completely unlike the monotonous realm Qin Ming had imagined; it was colorful, varied, and breathtakingly splendid. He saw complexes of coral palaces,
as well as fishbone halls, turtle-shell palaces, and more.
Five-colored corals and luminous golden pearls could be seen from time to time. Undersea treasures of every kind were in abundance, adorning the palace complexes of sea creatures in magnificent splendor.
"A great grandmaster's manor? Can't afford to provoke them!" Qin Ming spotted buildings formed from numerous massive turtle shells, where rare spiritual herbs were planted within a super blue fire spring.
Yet he could only look on with envy, steering well clear of the area and leaving that sea region entirely.
Eventually, Qin Ming arrived near an undersea volcanic chain. There were super fire springs here, and terrifying subterranean fire baleful auras erupted occasionally, meaning sea monsters rarely frequented the area.
Though deep on the ocean floor, it was very bright. In some spots, red fire baleful aura surged, boiling the seawater; in others, blue fire springs bubbled, glistening like masses of blue diamonds refracting light in brilliant splendor.
"A fine place!"
Qin Ming was very pleased. This was the seclusion ground he needed; he would not need to linger long—half a day at most would suffice.
A spiritual ground accompanied by rich Dao rhymes was precisely what he craved most at present.
"Hm? There are plants inside the undersea volcanoes?" Qin Ming was surprised.
There were clusters of red lotuses. The blistering fire baleful aura could not harm them in the slightest; instead, it promoted their growth. There were quite a few of them, forming a vast patch.
Without a doubt, these counted as spiritual herbs, yet they were not of much use to Qin Ming in the fourth realm.
"Pity there are no thousand-year red lotuses; such precious medicines can only be found by chance, not sought." Qin Ming shook his head. He plucked a few lotus pods, took out the fire-tinged lotus seeds, and tasted a few.
Afterward, Qin Ming sat cross-legged on the boundary between the fire baleful aura and the blue fire spring, quietly meditating and absorbing the dense Dao rhymes.
His body grew hotter and hotter, its vitality climbing steadily. He had entered the preliminary stage of rebirth, and his body was on the verge of beginning its transformation.
In this place where red and blue blended, fire baleful aura blazed on one side while the fire spring mixed into the deep sea on the other, bone-chillingly cold, carrying an atmosphere of yin and yang circulating.
"The fire springs of the Night Ruins are actually eerily cold, quite different from the warmth of Night Province."
Qin Ming noticed that the crimson red and icy blue intertwined, making this terrain truly resemble a yin-yang diagram.
He then operated the *Black-White Classic* and discovered that drawing in Dao rhymes became even smoother, perfectly matching the terrain here.
Furthermore, as Dao rhymes within him cycled and parts were replaced, guided by his comb-through with the *Black-White Classic*, the two kinds of Dao rhymes gradually formed a taiji diagram, harmonizing more and more as they intertwined almost seamlessly.
And at this moment, his transformation began.
His body became like a red-hot branding iron, frighteningly scalding. His flesh and blood vitality surged drastically. Inside his body, the long-established embryonic form of the mind lamp surfaced, shining ever brighter.
The human body possessed three clusters of life fire, situated on the left and right shoulders and atop the head. Once the mind lamp coalesced, the three clusters of life fire united as one, hanging aloft like a bright lamp.
From then on, body and spirit merged, purifying the mind and baptizing the fleshly vessel, sweeping away dust from the heart to illuminate the path of Dao ahead.
Qin Ming used the Black-White Classic to comb through his physical body and spirit, unifying form and spirit into one while also governing the different Dao rhymes to blend them together flawlessly.
Both his flesh and spirit were undergoing metamorphosis, and the mind lamp grew brighter and brighter.
"If I tour the various civilizations and draw even more Dao rhymes into my body, will the current balance be broken?" Qin Ming mused.
The answer was obvious: by then, a new balance would need to be struck.
He suddenly realized that this aligned remarkably well with his silk book method—not only did it fuse various forces, but in the future, it would also merge all sorts of Dao rhymes, matching the scripture's core essence.
Qin Ming felt more and more that choosing this method as his fundamental scripture was the most suited for his future road.
Divine light rose from his body, turning him entirely translucent. Having absorbed ample Dao rhymes, leaving this place now would pose no issue.
Moreover, as the Dao rhymes cycled and replaced part of his spiritual substances, the "Dao marker" within him grew increasingly faint, destined to vanish completely in the coming days.
Qin Ming breathed a sigh of relief. His rebirth began to accelerate; with Dao rhymes abundant inside him, the process would not be interrupted.
He observed the mind lamp, which was currently still in the nurturing stage. When he fiercely elevated his cultivation in the future, he could also fuse various true fires into it, such as Six Ding Divine Fire and Nanming Li Fire.
If he obtained another true fire, he could attempt to merge it with the mind lamp, bolstering the foundation of the three clusters of life fire within.
Thereafter, should the mind lamp blossom fully, it could nurture all sorts of divine wonders and manifest tangible entities. If progress went smoothly, the results would be beyond marvelous.
Suddenly, Qin Ming noticed a colossal creature quietly drawing near.
It was a flood dragon, yet with the head and features of a shrimp. It was an eerie blue all over, interspersed with scattered crimson scales, peeking around inquisitively.
"A creature of the fourth realm. Its original form should have been a lobster, but now it has become a shrimp-dragon!" Qin Ming realized that this shrimp-dragon might reside here.
"Fellow Daoist," the shrimp-dragon called out softly. A single horn crowned its shrimp head; it had already become a true flood dragon, like a carp leaping over the dragon gate.
"Could this be your residence, Fellow Daoist?" Qin Ming asked.
The shrimp-dragon shook its head and said, "Not quite. I once ate a few stalks of dragon-transforming grass in this fire spring, so I hold some affection for this place and come stay for short periods now and then."
Qin Ming knew that super fire springs could nurture rare spiritual herbs. He had searched here not long ago and found nothing, never expecting this shrimp-dragon had attained such fortune.
The shrimp-dragon said, "Fellow Daoist, are you in seclusion here? If so, I shall not disturb you."
Qin Ming was surprised. He had expected a conflict, not anticipating this shrimp-dragon would be polite and refined, showing no intent to cause trouble.
"I will be leaving shortly and will not stay long," Qin Ming immediately clarified that he would not occupy its territory.
The shrimp-dragon said, "I harbor no intention of driving you away, Fellow Daoist. Please cultivate in peace. I came here wishing to forge good karma. Traces of an undersea cave estate in the distance have recently been revealed, and I wanted to invite you to accompany me."
Qin Ming was taken aback. He was merely in seclusion, yet he had run into something like this.
"You need not suspect anything, Fellow Daoist; I bear no malice. Many sea creatures nearby already know of it. That is a cave estate left behind by a mighty expert, laden with restrictions. We can only hope to breach it if various parties join forces, which is why I wished to invite you along."
It did not linger. Leaving behind a route map, it swam toward the deep sea, informing Qin Ming before departing that if he was interested, he could head there directly after concluding his seclusion.
"Could opening that mighty expert's cave estate require a large amount of cannon fodder?" Qin Ming could not help but wonder.
However, he could not concern himself with that right now. His rebirth was accelerating, growing increasingly fierce.
Shortly after, Qin Ming switched to circulating the silk book method. Outside his body, golden threads intertwined, and jade light surfaced, making him appear as though clad in a sacred armor.
Moreover, within his flesh and blood, accompanied by medicinal fragrance, the rebirth process raged violently. Governing all scriptures with the silk book method, he was as though refining a furnace of great flesh-and-blood medicine.
Qin Ming was immersed in a grand nirvana. The mind lamp dimmed and brightened again, as flesh and spirit continuously fused, welling up with boundless vitality.
Above the sea, a golden wooden ship crossed over. Qi Daozhen, Xie Jinglan, and their followers arrived.
"The Dao marker is weakening rapidly. Could he be undergoing the baptism of new Dao rhymes in the Night Ruins, attempting to erase the imprint? We must find him quickly."
"We are not far now. He is just ahead, seemingly... beneath the sea."
***
A blaze of rosy light like a scorching sun appeared on the seabed, causing the crimson fire baleful aura in this volcanic zone to erupt violently. Qin Ming had no choice but to rise, his brow deeply furrowed. Uninvited guests had barged in.
"Might Fellow Daoist be Taiyi? Forgive us; we accidentally blundered into this volcanic range and disturbed you," Xie Jinglan spoke.
Having tracked their way here, they sensed the Dao marker on Qin Ming's body and had already confirmed his identity.
"Who are you?" Qin Ming asked calmly.
"We come from above the nine heavens." Qi Daozhen and Xie Jinglan stated their names.
"May I ask, where are Jiang Yan and Shen Wei?" Qi Daozhen inquired.
"They went to the deep sea. A cave estate of an ancient mighty expert appeared there, and they wanted to contend for it," Qin Ming replied.
"Not good. Those two are most likely dead," Xie Jinglan sent a voice transmission in secret.
The group understood very well that Jiang Yan and Shen Wei, having arrived personally, would never rashly explore the hazardous Night Ruins. They had surely met with disaster.
They determined that this Taiyi was no easy mark!
In an instant, they struck, taking the initiative to attack. At this stage, any pretense or words were meaningless; with the other party's hands stained with the blood of celestials, mere words were useless.
Qin Ming shifted sideways in a flash. The spot where he had stood blasted apart with a boom, seawater boiling as massive chasms spread across the seabed.
Qi Daozhen had just swung a golden divine staff, unleashing a terrifying blow. Not only did the seabed fracture, but volcanoes exploded, causing a massive eruption of fire baleful aura.
At the same time, Xie Jinglan thrust forward with a spear. The ocean was pierced through and immediately blasted open, revealing the night sky above. Chilly spear radiance shattered the night fog hanging over the sea's surface.
Like a ghost of the ocean floor, Qin Ming evaded repeatedly and stood in the distance. A look of surprise crossed his face; these two were truly extraordinary, especially the latter, whose spear seemed capable of piercing through the firmament.
"His body brims with rich vitality. Could it be he intends to undergo a full nirvana in this alien world?" Qi Daozhen's pupils contracted.
He was a genuine heaven-sent genius; otherwise, he would not have caught the eye of an old monster. Precisely because of this, he understood better than anyone how arduous it was to elevate one's cultivation in a realm with different Dao rhymes.
Moreover, the youth was not merely breaking through a bottleneck—his physical body appeared to be undergoing a complete rebirth as well. That was truly terrifying.
Even Xie Jinglan showed a look of astonishment and said, "Heaven and earth are in upheaval, and the overarching environment is hostile, yet his form and spirit have entered nirvana and are undergoing complete rebirth. Doesn't that mean when the real world draws near, he will have nothing to fear and can adapt to the drastic environmental changes through multiple transformations?"
Hearing this, the dozen or so people behind them were dumbstruck. What kind of terrifying monster was this?
One had to understand that aside from Xie Jinglan and Qi Daozhen, the others would find moving about in the Night Ruins strenuous without the protection of dharma chains, as they could not adapt to the Dao rhymes here.
Qin Ming's voice boomed deafeningly: "Knowing that I am in the midst of breaking through, you still came to ambush me and obstruct my path of Dao! This enmity is irreconcilable!"
Fortunately, he had absorbed enough Dao rhymes, and his nirvana had already begun; it would not abruptly halt because of this. Otherwise, his eyes would truly have turned red with murderous frenzy.
Even so, the fury surging in his heart could not be contained. Their intention to obstruct his Dao was so blatant and undisguised. His counterattack had to be like thunder!
Qi Daozhen said in a deep voice, "Something is wrong with this Taiyi. He is actually in the fourth realm! The information the ancestor extracted from the New Board was erroneous!"
Qin Ming's killing intent surged. After thoroughly inspecting himself from within, he was completely reassured and prepared to fight without restraint.
He had already broken through the bottleneck and was in the process of nirvana, growing stronger with every passing moment. With a *clang*, his pure yang flying sword shot forth.
Qi Daozhen felt the golden staff in his hands tremble violently; he had nearly failed to block the strike. Looking down, he discovered the weapon was almost snapped in two.
He sucked in a sharp breath of cold air. With merely a single sword strike, the opponent had nearly ruined his weapon!
In an instant, his body radiated light. The long cry of a divine bird rang out, tinting the entire ocean gold. He actually transformed into a terrifying Golden Crow—by no means a phantom, but an authentic manifestation descending into reality!
Aside from Xie Jinglan, even the dozen or so individuals who had also come from the heavens were shocked upon realizing what had happened: Qi Daozhen had actually mastered the legendary *True Spirit Dao Classic*!
His body could transform into a true spirit of myth and legend in a single thought, possessing equivalent might.
Right now, Qi Daozhen had become a fearsome Golden Crow, carrying towering flames that seemed poised to boil the ocean dry.
Xie Jinglan also advanced toward Qin Ming step by step. Treading through the seawater, the ocean parted automatically before him, leaving behind glowing footprints woven with mysterious patterns, each carrying Dao rhymes.
The Golden Crow cried out. As if a dam had burst, huge burning waves rose and fell across the vast sea, endless waves of fire merging into the ocean to form a terrifying spectacle.
Facing the strike of the flapping Golden Crow wings that threatened to incinerate the region, Qin Ming showed no fear. Nine-colored sacred baleful auras condensed into a single sword, slashing out with an explosive roar.
How is this possible? The dozen or so people in the rear were dumbfounded.
Even the top-ranked "One Sword" had only fused eight kinds of sacred baleful aura. How could this Taiyi be even stronger? In an instant, they understood: One Sword and Taiyi were the exact same person, overlapping identities, and One Sword had concealed his true strength on the sword-dueling platform earlier!
With a squelch, the Golden Crow swooping in with towering flames had one wing severed by the nine-colored sword baleful aura. Its body was dripping in blood, and bloodstained golden feathers scattered across the sea surface.
People were horrified. Perhaps only one who had achieved the perfection of seeing nine could wound a legendary true spirit with a single sword strike.
Unfortunately, Qi Daozhen had run into precisely such a person.
Xie Jinglan unfolded his inner landscape. Around him, light rain drifted. Like a Heavenly God reincarnated, streams of radiant light poured forth, illuminating all things.
Before him, it was as if a Heavenly God domain had formed.
Most terrifying of all, within his inner landscape ground, a giant axe appeared and blasted forth with a roar, cleaving straight toward Qin Ming.
Not to mention the others, even Qi Daozhen, his Golden Crow wing broken, felt his heart quiver violently. He knew some of the truth behind why Xie Jinglan had once been crippled and spent decades in stagnation.
Back then, beyond being entangled in a clash of pride, Xie Jinglan had also been involved with an immense stroke of serendipity.
Waves of emotion surged in Qi Daozhen's heart. Had his once-crippled Senior Brother Xie preliminarily obtained that fortune? Could this be the embryonic form of the Inner Landscape Heaven-Opening Axe?
The nine-colored sword baleful aura returned as a streak of flowing light. Qin Ming also opened his inner landscape, directly meeting the giant axe that seemed poised to split open the heavens.
*Clang!*
Terrifying divine light erupted like layered sea waves with a ringing clash. The giant axe shuddered and ultimately flew backward.
Xie Jinglan looked down. The giant axe was dimmed, its blade pitted with several frightening notches, and its haft scorched black, having nearly burned through.
"Holy f***, he's also the top ranker—Realm Faction!" someone cried out in shock.
"How is that possible?! Three top rankers are all the same person?!"
Aboard the golden wooden ship, the dozen or so people were stunned, unable to believe what they were witnessing.
And Qi Daozhen was even more shaken. He alone knew best how formidable Senior Brother Xie was after starting over. Decades of sedimentation had allowed Xie Jinglan to touch a supreme fortune, yet he had still suffered a disadvantage. Could someone who unified three top ranks truly defy reason to such an extent?
Chapter 462