Striking Back at the Heavens

In the Night Ruins, across the shimmering sea, Earth Immortals appeared one after another, shattering the ocean's usual serenity. A mysterious map hovered aloft, gleaming radiantly and seizing everyone's attention. As it flipped over, an object was depicted on its reverse side. Though distant and relatively small, it could still be seen clearly. "The depicted object is that so-called peerless treasure?" A piece of ragged cloth, embroidered with more than half a blazing sun. Even with black mist entwined around it, nothing could veil that grand, luminous intent where golden rays pierced through heaven and earth. Even beings of Earth Immortal caliber could not tear their eyes away at this moment. Massive waves surged in the depths of their hearts, though they concealed their emotions quite well. Five hundred years ago, an upheaval had struck Yujing. After countless years of dormant silence, it had suddenly dispatched emissaries into the world to pursue a piece of "exotic metal cloth," triggering immense turmoil. Back then, a handful of paramount powerhouses on the surface had caught wind of it. What lay before them now was merely an illustration upon a map, not the genuine article. Yet it carried enough divine charm to stir deep ripples in the eyes of many aged Earth Immortals. Down in the sea, Qin Ming opened his Eye of New Life, committing every detail of the topographical map he had just witnessed to memory. He noticed that the old cloth behaved differently than before. Aside from trembling, a faint sheen of light actually flowed across its surface, as though it were solemnly "gazing" at the terrain map in the night sky. This time, it was paying profound attention. On the current ragged cloth, aside from black mist and a crescent moon, the principal feature was the fragment of a blazing sun. Yet compared to the diagram depicted in midair, it was severely incomplete. Evidently, the exotic metal diagram concealed in that terrain was in all likelihood even larger than his old cloth. One Earth Immortal spoke up, "Old friend, do not leave. We still have matters we would like to consult you about." However, the moment they heard the address "old friend," the four Earth Immortal remains bolted even faster. Carrying the Longevity Coffin, they sprinted full tilt, whipping up sky-cleaving storm surges across the ocean that blocked the pursuers' line of sight. "Fellow Daoist, please hold your steps for a moment," an old Earth Immortal from the Eastern Lands called out. "Chase him!" The Old Barbarian God was exceedingly decisive. His colossal Giant Spirit God physique stood towering between heaven and earth; planted firmly in the sea, the vast ocean could barely submerge his frame. Faint golden blood and qi radiated from his entire body. As he waded through the sea, terrifying, sky-scraping waves churned instantly in his wake, and he thrust a massive hand forward. An Earth Immortal-level demon from beyond the borders executed the Heaven and Earth Incarnation, standing as lofty and majestic as an ancient divine mountain as he crossed the night sky, charging at the very forefront. The group gave chase without hesitation. They had genuinely never anticipated running into such a "big fish." What delighted them even more was that the other party's body suffered from exceptionally grave ailments—every old monster wanted to cast their net and make a catch. The disheveled, maimed elder sat within the coffin, both hands glowing as he pressed down on the coffin rims. Instantly, the four Earth Immortals bearing the casket accelerated, shrinking the ground to inches. Like drifting light, they vanished into the distance in the blink of an eye. In the end, the powerhouse who had startled awake on his deathbed disappeared past the edge of the sea. The old monsters frowned. They did not pursue relentlessly to the death, having all realized that the man in the coffin was extraordinarily dangerous. The black-and-white bear licked its lips and sighed inwardly with regret. That old fellow was terribly lavish—even his coffin was a living entity, suspected to be a divine tree bearing dripping-green leaves. What exquisite rations that would have made; if only it could be planted on Black-White Mountain. These Earth Immortals embarked on their return journey, lingering no longer in the Night Ruins. Commotion of this scale could easily attract other apex "predators" of this realm. For safety's sake, they naturally preferred to avoid unnecessary conflict. "If that man in the coffin were in his peak state... could he perhaps have surpassed an Earth Immortal?" "The old fellow appeared helpless, but his intentions were thoroughly malicious. The terrain on that map is likely exceedingly hard to explore and fraught with perils. Otherwise, he would have claimed the ultimate treasure nestled within long ago." Which of the Earth Immortals present had not braved fierce winds and torrential storms? All of them were rich in experience. "That map looks rather familiar. To me, it bears a striking resemblance to the terrain of your Night Province in the ancient era, before the rivers changed their courses and the mountains shifted," an old Earth Immortal remarked, puncturing the thin layer of pretense. In truth, he was not the only one. Others had also viewed ancient topographical maps of Night Province; the image they had just seen indeed resembled it slightly, though they had kept quiet. "No wonder Yujing halted its trek and never departed into the distance. Could the former Lord of Yujing also have been pursuing that fragmented 'exotic metal diagram'?" Immediately, several Earth Immortals began to connect the dots. One of them remarked, "Now that those 'old mountain strongholds' in the heavens have revived, hoping for complete unification on the surface and seeking to foster an immense Earth Immortal dynasty, could they be trying to hold some ritual to draw out that exotic metal diagram?" "It seems this seemingly desolate realm of Night Province conceals quite a few secrets!" This was their consensus. Regrettably, those secrets were locked deep within the heavens, and what they knew was far too limited. Subsequently, they turned their discussion toward the current predicament. "Next, our troubles will be immense, and the looming calamity will not be small," the Pugong Sage stated gravely. Having returned to Night Province, they had to consider how to confront the crisis from above. After hunting down four Earth Immortals, a colossal tempest was bound to erupt. ... Deep beneath the Night Ruins, fire springs surged, tinting the ocean a crystalline, shimmering blue. Diverse schools of fish darted through the waters, immense sea beasts emerged, and divine clams drew in the essence of heaven and earth amidst glistening ripples. Qin Ming asked, "Old Huang, do you know where that terrain map points to?" The Yellow Silk Canopy responded, "The night mist world is vast beyond measure. Even an Earth Immortal could scarcely reach its bounds in a lifetime, to say nothing of places like the Night Ruins. There is simply no way to tell." After lurking for a long while, Qin Ming silently retreated far from this sea region. "Those old monsters possess immense audacity, actually joining hands to slaughter Earth Immortals from the heavens!" He truly had not expected the elders to stir up such a massive storm, acting with such ruthless resolve. Evidently, he could no longer linger in this stretch of sea. He reckoned that once the people from the heavens investigated and traced things with extraordinary treasures, paramount experts would inevitably descend into the Night Ruins and arrive at this spot. "Night Province is about to fall into great turmoil. In fact, it won't stop there—the entire domain touched by Yujing's reach will likely be plunged into upheaval." Qin Ming knew full well that this affair could not be peacefully resolved. Today was plainly an alliance of multiple factions: the Old Barbarian God, the demon Earth Immortal, powerhouses from the Eastern Lands, experts from the West Sea... all had made their appearance. ... In Night Province, after closely examining the Dao chains, the black-and-white bear, the Pugong Sage, and the others all knit their brows deeply. Without specialized rare treasures to counter them, one could easily fall prey to their power. "Are these 'dog chains' prepared for us?" "They push people too far!" "What do you all plan to do? Shall we flee far into alien realms? If we do, our Dao resonance will clash. Once we leave the Yujing domain entirely, some of us might end up dying in foreign lands." At present, none of them were in good condition. Following the drastic shift in the greater environment, Earth Immortals already suffered from "grave illness." Reawakening fully today and engaging in such ferocious combat had worsened all of their conditions to varying degrees. "This matter is far from over. Passively waiting to receive blows is not our first choice. We should redouble our efforts and press the attack," someone among the ranks of Night Province patriarchs declared. "What do you intend to do?" an Earth Immortal from the West Sea inquired. Leng Mingkong said, "Haven't they sealed the heavens? We shall join forces to pierce a hole through the sky, leaving them busy mending and patching, with no mind left to spare for worldly affairs on the ground." An old Earth Immortal's expression shifted. "Aren't you being far too bold? Above the ninth heaven, their foundations are unfathomably deep. If you dare stir up trouble up there, you will die without a burial place!" The Old Barbarian God cautioned, "The Heaven-Sealing Array is exceptionally difficult to breach. It is woven entirely of Dao chains, forcefully locking away a patch of pure land from this harsh greater environment." Chu Canglan, the peerless ferocious powerhouse of the esoteric sect, spoke up. "Testing has shown that the Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes possess resistance to the Dao chains. They should be able to puncture that boundless array." Not long ago, he had torn Xiao Qingheng apart with his bare hands, an astonishing display of might. Without altering his lifeform, seven divine rings had enveloped his body, and he had broken through to the Seventh Realm under this drastically shifting greater environment—an achievement that was truly terrifying. The Earth Immortal from the Eastern Lands nodded. "If that is the case, finding some trouble for those old monsters in the sky is not out of the question. We shall use offense as defense. If we truly prove no match for them, we can always flee far away to foreign lands." The gazes of everyone present fell upon the thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes. Looming within the night mist, they emanated a chilling metallic luster, all of them heavily mottled with blood. Not long ago, four Earth Immortals had met tragic ends, and the vast majority of their flesh and blood had been absorbed by the divine stakes. This set of lethal weapons had already undergone a blood sacrifice, making this the prime moment to wield them. The Pugong Sage carried immense authority, and his words bore significant weight. "Very well. I am intimately familiar with these divine stakes; they should indeed suffice to poke a hole through the sky!" He stated that he could participate deeply in the process and assist in refining the thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes. The group of Night Province patriarchs politely declined, not permitting him to touch this set of slaughter weapons. If the need arose, he could simply channel his surging heavenly light power directly into them. Without a doubt, they maintained their vigilance toward this patriarch of the silk book method, whose background was formidable and terrifying. The contemporary Sage sighed. "Years slip away in haste, and nothing can return to how it once was. It is well that you bear in mind Night Province's ancestral teachings: those who have been away from Night Province for too long cannot be trusted. Alas, even for me, with grand-disciples present here, an exception cannot be made. You indeed need to guard against me. For people like us, once we step out of Night Province, there is no road of retreat behind us." The Present Rulai wore a complex expression, maintaining a silent demeanor. The elder before him was his master's venerable teacher, yet he could not place absolute trust in him. The crux was that the night mist world was treacherous and unpredictable. Once experts left Night Province, if decades or centuries passed before their return, they might no longer be the persons they once were. Some had undergone shifts in temperament, standing on different sides. Others might have had their minds entirely supplanted! Oddities were no longer a threat at their level, unable to harm patriarchs and Earth Immortals. Yet deep within the night mist world lay even more terrifying entities, alongside incomprehensible things. ... Qin Ming returned, setting foot once more upon the soil of Night Province. Within a mountain range, he located the Thunder King Bird to learn of the latest developments from it. "Beside the super fire springs in every massive city, void tunnels have emerged, fully opening routes toward distant regions?" Hearing this, Qin Ming's expression grew solemn. The old fellows were prepared to flee at any moment, and at the same time, this served as an escape route left behind for others. "A tremendous tempest is indeed about to break out!" Qin Ming felt that heading to an alien realm ought to be safer than lingering in the Night Ruins. Earth Immortals from the heavens had perished in the Night Ruins, which would inevitably be investigated. Furthermore, with so many roads leading to distant lands, would the people from the heavens possess enough energy to comb through every single one? Qin Ming slipped into the outside world and was startled to discover that the patriarchs and Earth Immortals had completely flown into a frenzy of slaughter. That day, beings from the heavens were gripped by constant terror. Even holding the status of personal disciples of Earth Immortals or emissaries of top aristocratic clans from above proved utterly useless. These individuals had once accumulated considerable merit. When lobbying across the surface, they had used intimidation or enticements to force many into submission and compromise. Why had the Great Rui imperial clan surrendered so promptly? These "heavenly messengers" had undoubtedly played a key role. Now, as the patriarch alliance performed blood sacrifices on the thirty-six Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes, the more sacrificial offerings, the better. "Hold your hands! Even between warring states, emissaries are not slain, let alone us, who are heavenly messengers! You go too far with this! Everyone, we can have a proper talk!" One patriarch barked, "When you were quietly using Dharma chains to bind and abduct the celestial talents of our surface, why didn't you talk properly then?" Several emissaries had attempted to flee back to the heavens the moment they realized something was amiss. Regrettably, a faction of patriarchs had detached early specifically to target them, destroying their sky-ascending treasure ships at the first opportunity. Now that the Earth Immortals had returned and brought back the thirty-six divine stakes, the situation grew even more brutal. Those "heavenly messengers" had once been exceedingly arrogant, carrying themselves with lofty airs whenever they walked the earth. Now, however, they fled headlong like stray dogs, completely collapsing. The mental fortitude of several younger emissaries broke down entirely. Some among them had yet to be hunted down and were currently on the run, their hearts a swirling mix of fury, panic, and dread. Yesterday, they had been honored guests of major organizations, untouched by anyone. Wherever they walked, they were treated like stars surrounding the moon, clustered at the center of attention. Today, the tables had turned. Even the four Earth Immortals were being pursued and hunted down, likely having met a grim fate—to say nothing of them. Many still did not know that Nian Songhe, Mu Cangwu, and the others had already been wiped out completely. Shortly afterward, an even more terrifying event unfolded. From above the ninth heaven, another diplomatic delegation descended, fairly numerous in headcount. Yet just as they broke through the cloud layers and before they could even near the ground, their path was intercepted. Chu Canglan, the divine powerhouse of the esoteric sect, stepped forward in person to negotiate with them. A moment later, with a thunderous boom, brilliant seven-colored divine radiance erupted. Accompanied by a storm of blood and gore, the entire delegation was eradicated! ... "Lend us your mount, and in the future, we promise you boundless glory in the heavens!" While traveling, Qin Ming encountered several rather disheveled figures who boldly barred his path, demanding the Thunder King Bird from him. At present, major surface factions remained quite wary of the people from the heavens. Even several reasonably strong organizations turned a blind eye to them, refraining from joining the hunt. Only the supreme leaders cast all reservations aside, plunging entirely into madness and seeking to slaughter them to the last. As for Qin Ming, he naturally harbored no fear toward these people. This was not his first encounter with such emissaries—he had already slain three batches of them. Crossing paths with them now, he certainly would not show mercy. "Hurry! If you offer generous aid today, we will personally guide you up to the heavens in return!" a handsome young woman shouted urgently. In their view, so long as they did not encounter the patriarchs of Night Province, anyone else would treat them with utmost courtesy. "I lend you my mount, only for you to 'convert' me in the future and clamp a 'dog chain' on my neck?" Qin Ming retorted. Knowing the truth, he could hardly muster a smile. In an instant, he struck, unleashing his newly mastered Inner Landscape Heaven-Opening Axe—treating this as an opportunity to test the technique and evaluate its practical combat prowess. Across from him, several young men and women widened their eyes in shock and utter bewilderment. How could someone from the surface possess such a legendary, sublime art? Rumble! As the dreadful, heavy weapon materialized, radiant axe light slashed through the nocturnal veil. No matter how desperately those individuals gave their all to resist, they could not alter their fate. The Inner Landscape Heaven-Opening Axe was terrifying to the absolute extreme. Wherever the axe light swept, every single one of them detonated into mist! ... After slaying the newly arrived delegation, the patriarchs of Night Province and the Earth Immortals from beyond the borders began ascending toward the heavens, seeking out the weak points of the Heaven-Sealing Array to tear the sky open! "Everyone, the time to use offense as defense has arrived. After today, the 'old mountain strongholds' in the heavens may be overwhelmed trying to patch the sky, or they may fly into an unbridled fury, disregarding all consequences to bring boundless calamity down upon us!" "Let us confirm once more: do you dare take action today?" At this moment, the group stood tall above the ninth heaven, gazing at the crisscrossing Dao chains woven through the ocean of night mist. In just a little more time, those divine chains of order would completely fade into concealment. And when that happened, the sealing of the heavens would reach total completion. "Having come all this way, we naturally strike!" "Indeed. Once we commit this grand undertaking today, we will either illuminate the space between heaven and earth and become a celebrated legend, or flee for our lives into foreign realms, accompanied by storms of blood and gore from this day forth. In a single thought, we shall overturn heaven and earth!" "Strike!" Without a doubt, a monumental tempest was about to be unleashed!