Night, heavy fog, and an ice plain—this was the ultimate land.
A bitter, bone-chilling cold rushed at them amid boundless mist. It was completely unlike what everyone had imagined; far from being an enclosed space, it stretched out endlessly, boundless to the eye.
Perhaps what lay before them was not an ice plain at all, but a frozen sea. The layer of ice was relatively smooth, vanishing into the heavy fog without an end in sight.
In the distance, clusters of solar true fire flickered and leapt; without them, this place would have been as pitch-black as an abyss.
The major organizations had brought many people. Yet upon arriving and scattering slightly, their numbers seemed sparse, like a few drops of rain vanishing into an ocean, utterly inconspicuous.
"Could this be a grotto-heaven?" Grandmaster Silver Rat stood upright on his hind legs, stroking his mustache, his golden bean-like eyes glittering with sharp light.
"A wondrous place!" An old monster grinned widely. In this era, even if grotto-heavens existed, they were damaged and incomplete, suspended high beyond the nine heavens.
To make such a discovery within this remnant ridge of Feixian Mountain set many eyes blazing with fervent heat. Everyone was intensely excited, brimming with anticipation.
"The timing is impeccable. Heaven blesses us!" the Yellow-Haired Old Freak praised.
Everyone understood his meaning. The divine chains had just decayed, so they had caught the perfect window of opportunity. Had they arrived any earlier, they could not have entered; had they arrived any later, someone else might have beaten them to it.
A mutant grandmaster's nostrils flared. His sense of smell was exceptionally keen, and he vanished without a sound, speeding toward the depths of the frozen sea.
"Eh? There seems to be a faint fragrance." Some were slower to realize, but soon everyone set off, turning into streak after streak of flowing light as they charged deep into the mist.
Many guessed that a place where extreme yin converted into extreme yang could reverse life and death. If any medicinal herbs grew here, they would at least be Earth Immortal-grade treasures by a conservative estimate.
After advancing more than twenty li, a subtle, ethereal scent drifted over them, leaving everyone feeling light and buoyant, as though ascending to immortality.
However, the mutant grandmaster ahead suddenly halted, looking around with deep suspicion.
"What is it?" someone asked.
"I felt someone stroke me just now. Fortunately, I dodged quickly," the mutant grandmaster said with a grave expression.
Another grandmaster approached him and walked a circle around him. His face instantly drained of color. On the mutant grandmaster's back was a pitch-black handprint, startlingly conspicuous.
A commotion rippled through the crowd in an instant. Had a grandmaster truly been slapped by a ghostly hand?
Many stood back-to-back, scanning their surroundings warily.
The fog in this region was thick and heavy, completely obscuring distant scenery, making it feel as though they had barged into a frozen sea of mist.
"It does not matter. If that thing could harm a grandmaster, it would have struck with lethal force just now," Grandmaster Silver Silkworm spoke up. He had taken the form of a palm-sized old man.
Suddenly, a shrill, agonizing scream rang out. Smoke rose from a young man's back as a pitch-black handprint expanded and abruptly burst into flames, burning fiercely.
He turned into a human torch, rolling desperately across the ground in agony and melting deep into the ice. Someone attempted to rescue him, but it was already too late.
In the blink of an eye, he was reduced to ashes.
"Perhaps some creature was born within the solar true fire. Still, it is no great issue—it can only bully the younger generation," a grandmaster said.
Many younger cultivators grumbled silently. *Did he really have to put it that way?* It posed a grave threat to their safety, yet he brushed it off so casually.
Suddenly, a demon cultivator made a move. Raising a hand, black light swirled and swept forward, locking onto a faint spectral figure in the heavy fog and dragging it over.
It struggled violently, then flared with intense flames before swiftly dispersing into nothingness.
"Indeed, it is a spiritual projection born from solar true fire."
Someone smiled and said, "Evidently, the solar true fire ahead has gained spirituality and developed 'roots.' It can be transplanted and nurtured by us! This... this is priceless!"
Many who had initially felt terrified now saw it as a stroke of fortune.
The unknown was always what inspired the greatest dread; once its origins were understood, it no longer seemed so sinister.
Although many remained on guard, they were noticeably more at ease.
The crowd pressed forward once more. Faint shadows appeared several more times, with the strongest reaching the grandmaster realm, but all were repelled or even blasted apart, and no further casualties occurred.
The fragrance ahead grew richer and richer. Vaguely, people could already see ripples stirring in the depths of the frozen sea, accompanied by a rain of resplendent light steaming toward the night sky.
The distance had closed considerably. Everyone realized that at the source, there was almost certainly a longevity herb!
Just ahead, wisps of extreme yin qi pervaded at one moment, while waves of extreme yang qi expanded the next. The power to reverse life and death flowed incessantly.
"We are almost at the destination!" Many wore strange looks in their eyes, watching one another with heightened vigilance. Everyone knew that the closer they got, the more dangerous things became.
Qin Ming was on high alert, his nine-colored sword baleful aura hovering at his side.
"Long ago, an unimaginable grand formation existed here. Fortunately, it has decayed and no longer operates!" Even as some rejoiced, many tensed their bodies.
When external pressure ceased to be a threat, internal strife was bound to erupt.
"Brother One Sword, we too can be considered to have formed an acquaintance through our past duel. When our paths crossed back then, we had a friendly exchange and competition, never fighting to the death..."
Out on the frozen sea, Elena of the Black Tower civilization sent a voice transmission to communicate with Qin Ming, seeking a secret alliance.
"Very well. We did indeed become acquainted through our bout, so naturally we can get along amicably and explore this place together," Qin Ming replied with a nod.
Amid the heavy fog, each organization maintained a distance from the others, all guarding against betrayal.
"Saint of Yujing..." The buzz of an insect sounded by Qin Ming's ear as a silver-spotted ladybug from the Strange Insect Alliance transmitted its voice, conversing with him in secret.
It also conveyed goodwill, expressing a desire to avoid misunderstandings and, if possible, advance and retreat together.
"No problem. More friends mean more paths. I am more than willing to walk this path of friendship with you..." Qin Ming replied.
Shortly after, even the demon cultivators extended an olive branch to him.
Evidently, Qin Ming's earlier display had filled every faction with deep apprehension, making them reluctant to provoke him.
"Daoist friend, I see qualities in you similar to our own. We ought to be fellow travelers on the same path..." That exceptional talent among the demon cultivators showed great enthusiasm.
Qin Ming reflected on himself. Where in his aura or demeanor did he resemble a villain? To think this person would say such things and look at him as if appreciating a kindred spirit!
He sorely wished the man would point it out so he could correct it immediately upon returning!
In this relatively brief window of time, Qin Ming's conscious spiritual light flickered vigorously in succession as he secretly agreed with six separate factions to advance and retreat together.
He frowned and warned Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran that great chaos might erupt here. Various factions were secretly forging alliances, and bloody conflicts could break out at any moment.
"We know. Our team is on friendly terms with three organizations and has already agreed to join forces."
"However, it is somewhat chaotic..."
Li Qingyue informed him that despite there being only four teams, their private communications had already spawned closer and distant ties, dividing them into even more intricate cliques.
Jiang Ran added, "Four teams, and so far there are already five circles—no, wait, it just became six!"
Qin Ming was taken aback. With relationships so convoluted, could four ostensibly close teams really subdivide into so many factions?
Just then, a seventh power reached out to Qin Ming, expressing goodwill.
This surprised him: it was the Godkin organization. The snow-clad "Moon God" was nearby, offering him a radiant smile to convey her friendly intentions.
Qin Ming nodded. Through his resonant perception, he had already deduced the origins of the centipede bead—it came from this very organization.
He had naturally remained wary of the Godkin. Had they noticed something?
Still, since she approached with a smile, there was no need to turn hostile just yet.
"Brother One Sword, I sense that the Yellow-Haired Old Freak harbors malice toward you. How about we eliminate him first? What do you say?" a demon cultivator secretly transmitted.
"Mm, that is certainly worth considering," Qin Ming agreed with a nod.
"Those old fellows have profound cultivation, and several grandmasters seem to have joined hands. They are quite hostile toward us and must be taken seriously," the demon cultivator informed him, adding that they had also brought in the Black Tower civilization and the Strange Insect Alliance, preparing to strike against the hostile grandmasters.
After a round of discussion, the gold-robed youth leading the demon cultivators sent a voice transmission: "Strike!"
Qin Ming's expression turned grave. He pushed his spirit, vitality, and soul to their utmost limits, his physical body turning incomparably radiant. He reshaped the nine-colored sword baleful aura into a nine-colored heavenly blade in his grip, its radiance piercing into the heavens.
In that split second, instead of charging forward, he retreated, his figure flashing explosively as he left behind a trail of afterimages, seemingly intent on withdrawing from this territory.
Opposite him, the Yellow-Haired Old Freak held a black spear, incomparably ferocious. Unleashing a terrifying sonic boom, he tore across the night mist as though shattering the void, ferocious and overbearing to the extreme.
Most critically, the demon cultivators and the Godkin struck at the exact same time, both targeting... the ancient saint of Yujing, "One Sword"!
Qin Ming moved like a drifting streak of light across the frozen sea.
Yet among the attackers were several who, like him, possessed special weapons and comparable divine speed. The Strange Insect Alliance and the Black Tower civilization made their moves as well.
The seven organizations that had allied with Qin Ming earlier simultaneously turned against him, launching a furious assault against the ancient saint of Yujing.
Without a doubt, this was a pack of tigers hunting a dragon.
The seven organizations had already reached a tacit understanding in secret: approaching "One Sword" was merely a pretense, while joining hands to eliminate him was their true goal.
Qin Ming had never trusted them from the start, and when the Godkin approached him, his suspicion had peaked.
Had he charged toward the Yellow-Haired Old Freak just now, he would have landed in an inescapable trap, blasted apart by the joint assault of a host of powerhouses.
Even though Qin Ming had been on guard, the seven organizations boasted numerous top experts. Being encircled and subjected to an all-out slaughter plunged him into dire peril.
The organizations from top-tier civilizations had each brought at least one special weapon. Their brazen onslaught blasted the frozen sea to pieces and tore the night sky apart, creating an utterly terrifying spectacle.
Nearby, Li Qingyue burst with surging flames and instantly intervened in the battlefield, blanketing the front with divine fire and eliciting agonizing screams from several attackers.
Jiang Ran, clad in nine-colored battle armor and wielding a heavenly dagger-axe, looked like a mysterious maiden descending to the mortal world. As she swung her special weapon, a swath of heads flew into the air, geysers of blood erupting high.
In this place, the only people Qin Ming could trust were the two of them. Sensing something amiss beforehand, he had already sent them voice transmissions. Thus, the two women had been waiting for the right moment, stepping in immediately to help him break through the encirclement.
The leader of the team Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran had been traveling with was completely stunned. He had never imagined that two such terrifying mermaids had been lurking beneath the surface right beside them all along.
"A false ancient saint—he is not in the Fifth Realm..." Oleg of the Black Tower civilization had glowing eyes, his battle intent soaring as he tried to lock onto "One Sword."
Amidst the crowd, Qin Ming swung his nine-colored heavenly blade, unleashing the Hunyuan force with full might. Clashing repeatedly against blades and swords, he was drenched in blood, mostly that of his opponents.
However, his own body shuddered violently, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth. Among the seven organizations were supreme saints clad in liquid battle suits who joined forces to slay him; against anyone else, it would have been certain death.
Qin Ming suffered no external wounds, as his Eight Trigrams battle robe shielded him from the impacts of spears and greatswords. Yet the shockwaves of boundless, irresistible force still made him cough up mouthfuls of blood.
Eventually, he finally fought his way out, guided out of the heavy encirclement by the two women.
"How formidable. He didn't die and actually managed to hack his way out." Moon God smoothed her delicate hair. At her fingertips was a bead of blood—Qin Ming's.
Qin Ming let out a cold snort, and with a boom, that bead of blood shattered and burned to ashes.
"I suddenly find you somewhat familiar," the Godkin's Blood God remarked.
"We have indeed met. I once wished to join your organization, but you rejected me," Qin Ming replied coldly.
The onlookers nearby wore peculiar expressions. Such a formidable figure, a core disciple from Yujing, had actually been turned away by the Godkin?
The expressions of Moon God and Blood God shifted. They instantly recalled the silhouette that had given them a strange feeling earlier. They had never imagined it belonged to this rival—a fierce man capable of refining nine-colored sword baleful aura.
"No matter. Had such a person joined our ranks, he might well have become a bane," Moon God said indifferently.
"True enough," Blood God agreed with a nod.
Earlier, they had sensed the aura of the centipede bead on "One Sword" and had vigorously persuaded the demon cultivators on friendly terms with them to participate in the hunt.
"Fine. We will settle this score later!" Qin Ming said, glaring at them.
"Brother One Sword, I am truly sorry." Elena of the Black Tower civilization shook her shimmering silver hair, an apologetic look gracing her fair, alluring face.
"What a green tea bitch!" Jiang Ran remarked. Tall and slender as a bamboo stalk, with dark hair fluttering in the wind and peerless beauty, she stood enveloped in nine-colored immortal light, exuding an ethereal, transcendent grace.
Elena said, "Brother One Sword, it was mainly because you were too intimidating earlier. Appearing to be in the Fifth Realm and commanding nine-colored sword baleful aura, a Yujing saint like you made every faction uneasy. We had no choice but to join hands."
"What a fine 'had no choice.' Later on, I too might find myself reluctantly forced to burn you all to cinders," Li Qingyue said, parting her red lips. Her slender figure swayed gracefully like an immortal willow in the wind as she bathed in divine fire. Looking like a true immortal enlightened within flame, her transcendent elegance radiated peerless splendor.
"Why bother explaining to him? Just kill him!" Oleg of the Black Tower civilization barked. He had once made an extraordinary showing in the Yujing territory, undefeated throughout.
Now that he knew Qin Ming was not in the Fifth Realm, Oleg was completely at ease. Filled with unshakeable confidence, his long golden hair billowed as his deep eyes fixed ahead. Gripping a special scepter, he strode forward.
"Heh, Brother Daoist, our auras are quite similar. Come, let us get closer," the gold-robed youth leading the demon cultivators said with a smile, looking at "One Sword" with an exceedingly eerie air.
Qin Ming glared at him, then swept his gaze over Oleg, Moon God, and the others. Wiping the blood from his nose and mouth, he said, "I will remember this debt!"
"And what if you do? Since we have already struck today, did you think you could still leave?" the silver-spotted ladybug of the Strange Insect Alliance spoke up.
"I'll behead you later!" Qin Ming snapped, shooting it a glare.
"Let's go!" He signaled to Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran, fleeing toward the distance. The enemy had too many people, all with high cultivation realms; being pinned down would place them in dire straits.
At the same time, Qin Ming sent a voice transmission: "Qingyue, give me some solar true fire!"
"Alright!" A mass of sacred radiant flame flew from Li Qingyue's body. It required no refinement whatsoever, already existing in the purest, most flawless state of solar true fire.
Qin Ming immediately began circulating the *Golden Crow Illuminates the Night Classic*. He intended to give birth to rooted solar true fire within his own body and master the corresponding scripture completely.
He had awaited this day for a long time, preparing to inject brilliant vitality into his mind lamp. Perhaps today he could achieve an extraordinary breakthrough and metamorphosis.
"Pursue!" The mob surged forward in pursuit.
Moon God, Oleg, and the gold-robed demon cultivator blocked Qin Ming's retreat, wary of him escaping the region.
Meanwhile, the silver-spotted ladybug, the Yellow-Haired Old Freak, and others led the charge in pursuit.
"Hey, are you turning into a Great Sun Golden Crow?" Jiang Ran turned her head and saw Qin Ming completely submerged in golden glow. Even as he flew through the night mist, he looked as though he stood within a blinding golden disc.
Qin Ming, Jiang Ran, and Li Qingyue fled. Though in mortal danger, they did not panic, exchanging cultivation insights even as they ran.
Jiang Ran also practiced the *Golden Crow Illuminates the Night Classic*, while Li Qingyue understood how to refine true fire swiftly.
"Since they are cutting off our retreat, why not charge straight ahead and rush toward the ultimate place of fortune?" Li Qingyue suggested.
Qin Ming nodded. "It could also be a perilous trap, but it is worth a try. We'll disrupt their tempo and drag them along, forcing them to push into the depths of the ultimate land with us."
Soon, the trio charged into the depths of the frozen sea.
"We cannot let them lay hands on the fortune capable of reversing yin and yang, life and death!" someone shouted.
"Stop them!" A throng of pursuers sought to encircle and intercept them. Mists of blood erupted periodically across the area as ordinary cultivators were blown apart in the crossfire.
Bathed in blood, Qin Ming, Li Qingyue, and Jiang Ran hacked their way through, charging toward the end of the frozen sea.
In truth, the seven organizations each harbored their own hidden agendas. Once they confirmed that One Sword was not an ancient saint of the Fifth Realm, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Many believed he was no longer a fatal threat, which allowed different schemes to sprout.
Among the seven organizations, various pairings had formed at least a dozen secret cliques. Many had already begun contemplating how to eliminate the next team.
Consequently, once Qin Ming and the others endured the initial, harrowing wave of encirclement, they successfully carved out a bloody path and drew away.
The crowd behind them was by no means united. Already engaged in a fresh round of overt and covert power struggles, they followed the trio at an unhurried pace.
"It smells so good!"
"It refreshes the spirit and penetrates straight into the soul!"
At this moment, even Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran gasped in astonishment, finding the temptation hard to resist. The fragrance permeated their hearts, nearly intoxicating them.
Qin Ming made no effort to hide it, wiping drool directly from his chin.
This was by no means an exaggeration. Even the people trailing far behind them were salivating uncontrollably, lured by the dense floral scent.
Oleg murmured, "There are only two kinds of herbs in this world with a fragrance so potent that none can resist its allure: one is a supreme demonic flower, and the other is a longevity medicine. I lean toward the latter!"
"Perhaps it is a combination of both—a longevity demonic flower!" Elena's eyes shone brightly. Even a holy maiden like her could not help swallowing hard.
One could only imagine how extraordinary this floral aroma was.
Blood God gulped down saliva in great mouthfuls, while Moon God shielded her face with her sleeve, unwilling to tarnish her image.
"If this old master does not obtain this divine medicine, I will never find peace in this lifetime!" the Yellow-Haired Old Freak growled in a low voice.
A swarm of strange insects flew unsteadily, swaying as though dead drunk.
Solar true fire flowed across Qin Ming's entire body. Leading the charge alongside the two women, he had already drawn near the destination.
Fortunately, all the grand formations here had decayed over untold ages. This region was now completely open to them.
"There are spiritual projections born of solar true fire here. Be careful!" Li Qingyue warned.
Jiang Ran was also on high alert, standing ready with her heavenly dagger-axe, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.
Standing at the severed precipice of the frozen sea, Qin Ming looked down. One side was pitch-black and unfathomably deep, its extreme yin qi threatening to freeze one's very soul—it was a bottomless abyss.
The other side surged with boundless golden light, where a plant bore blossoms resplendent as blazing suns. The rich aroma emanated precisely from it, swirling with solar true fire.
This was truly miraculous: a place of extreme yin had actually given birth to a flower of extreme yang.
Most astonishing of all, right at the boundary between extreme yin and extreme yang rested an open crystal coffin. Quietly lying within was a woman, ethereal as a slumbering heavenly immortal, surrounded by wisps of white mist.
The divine flower sat right beside the coffin, as though helping her reverse yin and yang, life and death, so that she might awaken once more.
Qin Ming stared wide-eyed. Who was this woman? A coffin suspended upon a sheer cliff at the nexus of yin and yang, nurtured by an immortal divine flower...
In that moment, the rich fragrance thoroughly saturated his soul. Anyone standing here would lose their composure, feeling as though they were floating on air.
Qin Ming quickly wiped his drool, secretly thankful that Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran had not seen him make such a fool of himself.
Right now, he wished he could immediately pluck the longevity medicine.
In truth, the two women were also struggling against the temptation, both using their sleeves to cover their crimson lips.
"Wait, did I just..." Qin Ming looked down and realized it was no illusion: a drop of his drool had fallen, tracing a crystalline streak of light.
"No, wait!" His expression changed drastically.
For that crystalline streak of light was plummeting straight into the coffin.
In an instant, the woman's flawless face quivered. Then, her long eyelashes fluttered lightly. Immediately afterward, lightning flashed and thunder roared across the entire world, the night sky shattering with a deafening crash in an utterly terrifying spectacle.
Chapter 481