Human sorrows and joys do not truly align, yet Qin Ming had no choice but to console the two.
"Relax. I'm not asking you two to go murder your patriarchs, just to pen a letter reporting your safety."
Xie Jinglan and Qi Daozhen frowned deeply at his words. Could they really consider themselves safe? Disciples of Earth Immortals dwelling above the ninth heaven had been reduced to prisoners in an alien realm.
Qi Daozhen spoke up. "We don't want to..."
"No, you do!" Qin Ming interrupted him directly.
Furthermore, bound by the immortal contract, despite Qi Daozhen's internal resistance, he couldn't help nodding along afterward.
Xie Jinglan remarked, "The Night Ruins are treacherous and unpredictable. Our patriarchs are very unlikely to risk coming here in person. As minor figures of little consequence, our words carry negligible weight."
"You need only speak the truth," Qin Ming replied. "Say that you followed Taiyi into the Night Ruins and discovered an ancient powerhouse's cave estate in the deep ocean, where an ancient immortal tree flourished with lush branches, seemingly bearing legendary Earth Immortal fruits, with several Earth Immortal molted corpses guarding the palace gates. Well, you can even add that it is very likely a Heavenly Immortal tree!"
This claim stirred ripples in Xie Jinglan and Qi Daozhen's hearts. When they had first approached that place, their blood had surged with excitement, daydreaming that they might defy the heavens and change their fate.
Yet in the end, an immortal contract glowing with dark light had taken root inside them instead.
Now, the two sheets of light paper—one black, one gold—seemed to have achieved some sort of balance, complementing each other like yin and yang, intertwining as they slowly rotated within their spiritual fields.
Strangely enough, they even perceived a hint of the Great Dao's aura from it, yet it was merely the equilibrium forged by the two immortal contracts that enslaved them, leaving their chests tight with frustration.
"Go near the Earth Immortal tree. Clear your minds of distracting thoughts, write the letter with devout sincerity, and report the facts faithfully... but forget everything regarding me."
After conferring with the Yellow Silk Canopy, Qin Ming had learned about the methods possessed by formidable figures. It was possible for them to trace unconventional, beyond-bounds information through a letter, so he had to take every precaution.
In truth, he knew an Earth Immortal might not necessarily come. The older such monsters grew, the more cautiously they lived; he was merely setting a casual move.
He reasoned that as time passed, the four Earth Immortals would most likely send subordinates to investigate. After all, Xie Jinglan and Qi Daozhen were their personal disciples and had genuinely fallen into captivity here.
Qin Ming was quite fixated on that ancient powerhouse's cave estate. He felt that at the very least, he could have those from the heavens probe that perilous ground for him and bear the cost of trial and error.
"Fellow Daoist, what a coincidence! We meet again." A sea creature swam over, its shimmering blue scales tinted with faint vermilion, bearing the head of a prawn and crystalline dragon horns atop its crown.
This was a Fourth Realm sea jiaolong evolved from a lobster, now termed a shrimp dragon. It had previously extended an enthusiastic invitation to Qin Ming to explore the ancient cave estate together, and was now beaming with a radiant smile.
"What a coincidence indeed." Qin Ming eyed it with a peculiar look.
"Fellow Daoist, that cave estate is truly extraordinary! There is actually a heavenly dragon egg flowing with multi-colored clouds. Once hatched, it conservatively holds the potential of an Earth Immortal, or could even become a Heavenly Immortal! Last time, our success fell just short at the very final step..."
The shrimp dragon extended another invitation, urging Qin Ming to explore that sea territory together.
"A dragon egg? Sounds like shrimp bullshit to me." Qin Ming struck out without warning. This ill-intentioned blue shrimp dragon was truly detestable, daring to swindle him a second time.
"Fellow Daoist, it's a misunderstanding!" the shrimp dragon cried out in alarm. Its blue-gold body expanded abruptly, churning up towering waves that blasted the sea realm.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared across the night sky, scattering the nocturnal mist. The blue jiaolong's bloodstained head had barely burst from the water when a massive hand formed of heavenly light seized it, yanking it straight back into the ocean depths.
In the end, the blue jiaolong was slain. Once its scales were stripped, the meat proved translucent and naturally fragrant with a savory freshness, allowing Qin Ming to relish a grand feast by the shore.
***
"What? They're trapped in the Night Ruins, where an ancient tree bears Earth Immortal fruits..."
All four Earth Immortals had disciples stationed on the surface. They scrutinized the shivering sea monster before them, ultimately subjecting it to a soul search.
"This sea monster is a subordinate subdued by Junior Brothers Xie Jinglan and Qi Daozhen. Both of them met with disaster inside an ancient powerhouse's cave estate, where black light paper took root in their spiritual fields. Unable to leave that maritime region, they risked their lives to send this message."
The four disciples held lofty status, each serving as the head disciple under their respective Earth Immortal. Upon hearing of the Earth Immortal fruit, turbulent waves rose within their hearts.
The ancient tree might even transcend the Seventh Realm—a Heavenly Immortal tree!
"With only remnant spirits remaining, how difficult is it for an ancient powerhouse to revive in this era? An eighty percent chance of failure, I'd say."
"We cannot confirm whether this news is true or false at all."
"Once Master returns, we can use the Sky-Patrolling Mirror to examine the letter and capture the authentic information."
***
After the second battle commenced, having vented its pent-up rage, the black-and-white bear's ferocity subsided considerably, and it calmed down a great deal. In this peculiar era, its physical condition was hardly optimal either.
For five centuries, it had cultivated by slumbering, living out a "grand dream" amid the mortal world, striving to transform and continuously exchange its blood. It had remained in an exceptional state; now that it was fully awakened, its condition was deteriorating rapidly.
"To unleash Seventh Realm power for only this long, yet I feel as if struck down by a severe illness... In these blasted times, I can't keep fighting like this." Its expression changed abruptly.
Opposite it, the four Earth Immortals were equally miserable. The destructive power of the bear's black-and-white Liangyi sword light was utterly terrifying, inflicting severe injuries upon them.
Both Xiao Qingheng and Qi Yunding had had their bodies sliced into several pieces, nearly meeting with disaster.
Had any of them faced the bear alone, they would have been slain without any suspense.
Thus, mutually wary, the second battle drew to a hasty close, both sides withdrawing.
Taking a brief moment to recuperate, the four Earth Immortals promptly ordered their disciples to investigate the bear's origins. Where had this "rebel against heaven" sprung from? They intended to trace its true roots.
Bloodstained and wearing a frosty expression, Qi Yunding said, "A mere rogue Earth Immortal dares defy Yujing. If there are clans or sects backing it, we shall certainly dispatch heavenly soldiers and generals to launch a punitive campaign, sweeping through their nests until not one remains!"
"Uproot them entirely and slaughter their entire clan!" Xiao Qingheng declared ruthlessly. Though she had resumed her transcendent fairy form, she could hardly conceal the rage on her face.
"Master, there is news from Junior Brother Xie and Junior Brother Qi! A sea denizen has delivered a letter."
"The Night Ruins?!" All four old monsters were taken aback.
They read through the letter carefully and used the Sky-Patrolling Mirror to capture the traces beyond the brushwork. All wore shocked expressions. There truly was an Earth Immortal fruit—perhaps even of the Heavenly Immortal rank!
The four old monsters were deeply shaken; even they could not regard this with composure.
Earth Immortal fruits were priceless treasures anywhere.
All four stood firmly in the Seventh Realm, but they still had descendants. How could it be easy for their progeny to reach comparable heights?
Yet a single Earth Immortal fruit could resolve that problem and perpetuate their family's glory!
"The timing is wrong; we will not consider it for now," Nian Songhe said.
"Agreed," Mu Cangwu nodded.
In truth, suspicious by nature, they were all exceedingly cautious. Even if they were to probe the depths of the Night Ruins, they would act through intermediaries and require repeated confirmation.
"Tell me, could that iron-eating beast that mastered the Black-White Classic be connected to the top-tier fugitive wanted by Yujing?"
"This..."
Mentioning the bear again made their hearts throb. If it was linked to the fugitive from five hundred years ago, matters would be exceedingly troublesome. Under the current circumstances, even the old mountain strongholds in the heavens would likely hesitate to intervene too deeply.
"Are we really to tolerate a rogue Earth Immortal? It infuriates me to no end!" Xiao Qingheng fumed indignantly.
Far away, the black-and-white bear was even angrier than they were.
Black-White Mountain was its home turf; the slightest stir would alert it immediately.
"You still dare investigate me?" Dense, murderous energy welled up in the bear once more.
Although the creatures dispatched to probe it were non-humans—such as avian demons and strange beasts that blended well into the mountains—the domain was impregnable, making infiltration nearly impossible for outsiders.
Higher lifeforms within its territory reported back to it immediately.
Brimming with killing intent, the bear launched a proactive assault, igniting the third clash.
"This bear is mad! Why is it back again? Does it really want a mutual destruction with us?" Forced to meet the attack, the four Earth Immortals soared above the cloud layer.
On the ground, numerous spectators looked up in shock.
"Who is that, daring to brandish a sword against Earth Immortals?"
This was no remote Black-White Mountain; they were currently within the borders of Great Rui. The earth-shattering battle drew widespread attention. Liangyi sword light and Earth Immortal arts clashed brilliantly, shattering clouds.
Terrifying Dao chains intertwined, sealing the sky. Sky-fire blazed, warping and collapsing the vault of heaven. A black-and-white diagram spun overhead... The sky had turned into a chaotic stew!
The Night Province patriarch entourage returned, all wearing shocked expressions. The iron-eating beast with heavy dark circles around its eyes was extraordinarily fierce. Its coir raincoat was soaked red with Earth Immortal blood, and an Earth Immortal's severed ear was stuck to its bamboo hat. The bear had gone entirely berserk.
Yet it was suffering as well, clearly weighed down by severe illness, its stamina flagging as blood welled continuously from deep, bone-exposing wounds.
"Without those Dao chains on them, all four Earth Immortals might well be dead. This panda is terrifyingly strong!" the Sage atop the Big Red Dragon's back judged immediately.
At the same time, he keenly deduced that this was likely the very big yellow dog that had once taken a hot piss in the Old Barbarian God's medicine garden.
"Shall we kill them?" one of the patriarchs spoke up.
Hearing this, the Old Barbarian God cast a strange look. This pack of young pups from Night Province was truly wild and arrogant, casually talking about slaughtering four Earth Immortals.
Someone sighed, "How do we deal with the aftermath? The old mountain strongholds in the heavens have foundations far too deep."
Then, the cluster of patriarchs turned their gazes toward the Sage and the Old Barbarian God.
"What are you planning?" The Big Red Dragon grew nervous first, unsettled by the stares.
Clad in crimson armor, the dao crest between Helian Chengyun's brows shone brightly. Retaining the form of a youth, his sharp edge was on full display. "We've reached this point already; leaving them alive simply won't do!"
The Present Rulai, towering and burly, nodded in agreement upon hearing this, glancing across. "Patriarch, how about you step onto the field as well, and we strike together?"
Exuding dignified authority, the Sage nodded. "With this black-and-white bear holding the line, a joint effort between the Barbarian and me is enough to dispose of one Earth Immortal without leaving a trace, preventing those in the heavens from tracing it back afterward. What about you all?"
Lu Yu chimed in, "Old partner, aren't you being too conservative? We must take out at least half of them, surely?"
The Sage looked over and was taken aback. "You're... still alive? Just how old are you now? You're still the Six Imperials of this generation? You truly have a stubborn grip on life."
Lu Yu grumbled displeasedly, "You're older than me, yet you haven't died either."
Leng Mingkong remarked, "Joy shared is joy doubled. The surrounding territories have all felt the pressure. Now we need a united front against our common foe—let us invite the Seventh Realm experts from every domain to take part."
A patriarch from the esoteric sect nodded. "Indeed. Right now, those powerhouses are likely huddled outside Night Province watching the show."
Qingtian, patriarch of the Newborn path, spoke up. "Old Rulai, how about you go invite them?"
Hearing that, the Sage said, "Why don't you go yourselves?"
Lu Yu replied, "Aren't you asking what you already know?"
The Old Barbarian God swept his gaze over the Night Province patriarchs. "Your reputations are completely rotten!"
"Barbarian God, everyone knows you are righteous and loyal. How about you make the trip to invite them? Whatever happens, we can't let the experts outside Night Province just sit by idly. Even swinging a single blade counts—participation is what matters."
"Old Barbarian, I'll accompany you on that trip later," the Sage offered, acting every bit the staunch ally.
"Your reputation rotted through five hundred years ago!" the Old Barbarian God said unceremoniously, suspecting this friend of his might well have paid a visit to his medicine garden too.
Nonetheless, with the pressure from the beings in the heavens looming too large, he set the matter aside for the moment.
"Then let us divide the tasks. Each group slays their own target, striving to leave no traces and nothing that can be traced back."
The Sage cautioned, "Wait a moment. The heavens won't simply let this rest afterward. Even without clues, mere suspicion will be enough for them. Have you considered that?"
Someone in the patriarch entourage replied, "Haven't they sealed the sky? Let's poke a massive hole in it and let them spend their time patching it up, instead of constantly staring down at the surface."
The Sage spoke in a heavy voice, "Don't act recklessly. The foundations of the heavens are unfathomably deep. If we push too hard, it could provoke mortal catastrophe, forcing us to flee into distant lands. And once we leave the vast territories radiated by Yujing, clashing with the dao rhymes of alien realms, our injuries will only worsen."
"Let us prepare for the worst first. Unless we make them feel pain, they won't stop."
***
"Fellow Daoist Black-White, we have come to lend you a hand! The Earth Immortals above the ninth heaven go too far—do they think there is no one on the surface?" the Sage transmitted secretly.
The Old Barbarian God added, "However, we need you to block the Dao chains for us, Fellow Daoist. We carry no precious treasures to defend against them."
"Done!" the bear agreed readily.
With a tremendous rumble, a colossal figure manifested deep in the night sky, standing tall between heaven and earth, bursting through the boundless black mist and blasting apart the nearby clouds.
Even the astral winds capable of scattering conscious awareness halted, and the falling outer realm toxic fires swerved away to avoid him.
This was the Old Barbarian God revealing his true form. His Giant Spirit God physique was terrifying beyond measure, radiating golden blood-qi, though he had not stepped directly into the battlefield.
From a great distance, he unleashed a punch with all his might, holding nothing back.
Striking across an expanse of night sky would be called hitting the bull through the mountain by ordinary folk.
At his level, put more elegantly, it was a non-contact force field effect—a cross-medium energy impact.
With a booming crash, an immense golden fist appeared, comparable to the sacred and demonic peaks of the heaven-opening era, crowding the entire firmament.
The four Earth Immortals took fright, all darting to evade.
Yet the massive golden fist abruptly shrank, resonating with Qi Yunding and locking onto him completely.
"What?!" Qi Yunding discovered he could not evade it at all; shifting positions was useless.
With a thunderous roar, the golden fist disregarded space itself, descending with blinding speed to slam into his body.
A Dao chain surged up, attempting to bind the fist seal, but a spinning black-and-white diagram intervened, drawing away the exceptionally thick chain meant for subduing Earth Immortals.
With a wet burst, Qi Yunding blew apart.
Fragments of Earth Immortal bones, flesh, and viscera covered in immortal dao patterns exploded, dyeing the pitch-black night sky crimson. As the Earth Immortal blood scattered, it was extraordinarily radiant, yet equally tragic.
From the distance, the Old Barbarian God noted, "He hasn't been completely extinguished yet."
His breathing was somewhat labored. Blowing an Earth Immortal apart with one blow had naturally consumed all his strength, prepared and brewed for a considerable duration.
"Now watch me obliterate his pure yang consciousness!" the Sage declared, having already drifted up from the Big Red Dragon's back.
He reached out a massive hand, descending from the dark firmament, his fingers wrapped in terrifying heavenly light that swirled like a vortex—this was the famed Chaos force.
Closing his five fingers, the enormous palm formed of sacred baleful aura and heavenly light roared down, sweeping up all the scattered pure yang consciousness within.
Inside his palm, a fearsome chaotic vortex churned, its surging force capable of breaking through all matter.
"Aaargh..." Qi Yunding let out a wretched scream. His physical body destroyed, he had initially harbored hope rather than fear, but now despair engulfed him.
He tried to break free, but his pure yang conscious spiritual light was being torn apart and continually crushed by that Chaos force. Even when revived and reassembled, it would inevitably be blasted apart once more.
A pure yang consciousness was notoriously difficult to kill, requiring repeated extermination before being fully eradicated—a consensus shared by all.
The silk book method patriarch channeled his Chaos force, extinguishing Qi Yunding's pure yang consciousness again and again to ensure he had no way of escape.
Only after being pulverized a full ten times did Qi Yunding truly perish, his Earth Immortal-rank pure yang consciousness wiped clean entirely.
The other three Earth Immortals had not refused to aid him; rather, the black-and-white bear had blocked their path.
Moreover, thirty-six divine stakes silently manifested in the night sky, each extraordinarily thick, barring their way.
The Night Province patriarchs silently deployed this supreme killing weapon, frantically absorbing every drop of the essence from Qi Yunding's blasted flesh and blood until nothing remained.
To wield this killing weapon, a blood sacrifice was mandatory. Using the flesh and blood of an Earth Immortal as "nourishment" could not have been more fitting.
"We depart! We'll leave two Earth Immortals for the spectators!" the Sage announced. Abandoning the Big Red Dragon, he flew under his own power, heading alongside the Old Barbarian God toward the borders of Night Province to drag others into the fray.
Suddenly, his expression shifted slightly. "That dog isn't honorable! It only took half the Dao chain, leaving half behind to charge right at us—it's tracking targets on its own!"
The Old Barbarian God noticed it too. Amid the night mist, half a thick order chain intertwined, giving rapid chase.
The Sage remarked, "Just as well. Let the old monsters watching the spectacle get a look at this too, making it easier to drag them into the water."
***
Among the patriarchs, someone spoke up: "Last time on the western battlefield—the Plain of Divine Demise—you barely contributed, staying in closed-door seclusion in the Kunling restricted zone and merely dispatching an insubstantial avatar. This time, you will spearhead the main attack."
"Very well!" The peerless powerhouse of the esoteric sect made his appearance, stepping from behind the scenes to the forefront for the very first time.
His blood-qi was vigorous. Appearing as a young man enveloped in seven-colored divine rings, he seemed like an ancient true god stepping across space and time, materializing from nothingness, growing ever more real, ever more radiant.
In the end, outsiders could hardly discern his form, for only divine brilliance remained, incomparably dazzling and impossible to look upon directly.
Upon closer inspection, however, his seventh divine ring remained somewhat dim; he had indeed not achieved full completion yet and still required time to polish his craft.
"Senior Bear, please peel off another opponent. We will help you slay the enemy," a patriarch transmitted from the distance.
The Dog Sword Immortal looked displeased, feeling this pack of youngsters had hidden themselves deep, only entering the fray now.
It said in a deep voice, "I need an intact Dao chain."
"Agreed!" the Night Province patriarch nodded.
The three Earth Immortals were furious. The matter had yet to be settled, yet these people were already carving them up as spoils?
Staring at the esoteric powerhouse and then toward the patriarch entourage, they felt fury surging in their chests. Had the people on the surface been toying with the four Earth Immortals earlier?
At this moment, within the darkened domain, several Seventh Realm experts moved in unison, entering Night Province.
Seeing that the situation was turning dire on the battlefield, the three Earth Immortals broke out immediately. "Go!"
They sought to flee back to the heavens, soaring skyward.
Boom!
The thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes descended, forcing them back down.
"Flee!" The three Earth Immortals fled horizontally, dashing into the distance.
Locking onto Xiao Qingheng, the esoteric powerhouse gave chase immediately.
Shouldering its green bamboo sword, the black-and-white bear pursued Nian Songhe at an unhurried pace, like herding sheep. Right now, killing the strongest among the four Earth Immortals presented no problem for it.
"Don't separate!" Mu Cangwu shouted.
"The Night Ruins!" Ultimately, the three Earth Immortals transmitted secretly to one another. If returning to the heavens proved impossible, they would charge into the Night Ruins.
In the distance, terrifying beams of light plowed through the pitch-black sky—a horrifying spectacle as powerhouses from outside Night Province closed in.
"You're here, little brother," the Dog Sword Immortal greeted, seemingly recognizing one of them.
The person in the distance stiffened instantly, thinking, *This dog-like black-and-white bear hasn't died yet? Didn't it perish five hundred years ago? What a stubborn bastard!*
"Do you intend to make an enemy of Yujing's supreme will?" Nian Songhe roared.
*Smack!*
This time, the bear did not swing its sword; instead, it delivered a sweeping slap that pulverized half his body, sending him flying until he crashed through a cloud, blasting it apart.
"Are you qualified to enter Yujing? Can you represent its will?" someone shouted as several streaks of light converged.
"Hurry, run!" Using the momentum from that bear-paw strike, Nian Songhe accelerated his flight, fleeing desperately toward the entrance of the Night Ruins described in the letter. Xiao Qingheng and Mu Cangwu followed closely behind, running for their lives, their earlier haughtiness and confidence entirely gone.
Chapter 468