Night, firelight, and drifting ash filling the sky were permeated with an atmosphere of utter despair, accompanied by crazed roars echoing through the night mist.
Qin Ming felt cold all over and his soul grew dim, as if he had plunged into a pitch-black abyss. The colossal glowing footprints had delivered a violent shock to his inner world.
"The world is like kalpic fire." Four brief words captured his most genuine feeling at this moment.
A giant city had turned into black ash in an instant. Without uttering a sound, the entire population had perished forever in a flash, countless hearth fires extinguished in a heartbeat.
With a shuddering heart, Qin Ming left the mountain range where he had been in seclusion and arrived before a village outside the mountains. This was the fringe area affected by the glowing footprints.
Flames surged into the sky, and every house was burning. The villagers' eyes were hollow as they looked up at the sky. Radiant flames erupted starting from their heads, raspy groans spilling from their mouths.
Qin Ming attempted to douse the flames and save them, but he found it completely futile. Their consciousness had been ignited, burning from the inside out, and their bodies and spirits were rapidly withering away.
"Hide... I have to hide..."
After attempting a mental resonance, he captured nearly the same thought from their deranged, crazed lingering consciousness, which sent chills down his spine.
Their eyes were unfocused, their sense of self lost as they growled like beasts.
Only a few retained some instinctive sense of self. A woman struggled to push her child out of the village, but it was in vain; mother and child were already engulfed in radiant flames.
Qin Ming tried once more to rescue them, but he still could not extinguish the light-flames. Their souls were the fuel feeding the fire.
The child seemed to have a sliver of consciousness left, clutching the woman's arm and crying out one last time, "Mother."
Then, mother and child collapsed amidst agony and despair.
...
"Mother, I'm scared." In a town fifteen li away, a blind young girl was trembling. All around her, flames from the town dyed the night sky crimson.
Qin Ming realized that the purer someone's mind was, the more of their instinctive will remained. Yet even so, it could not alter their fate; the blind girl's soul had already been ignited.
These were tragedies unfolding one after another.
Qin Ming traveled through many affected villages and towns, witnessing one human tragedy after another.
The people's souls were burned hollow, and their final crazed thoughts all spoke of the same thing: hide, take cover.
As the flames gradually died down, silence enveloped heaven and earth. The affected villages and towns were reduced to lands of ash, as if wiped from existence.
A long time later, once the two colossal glowing footprints dimmed and vanished from Qin Ming's vision, he finally stepped forward, circling at a distance to observe.
A medium-sized city with a population of eight hundred thousand, which had not even been as large as the big toe of that glowing footprint, was now destroyed, reduced to pitch-black ruin.
Under the night mist, at the edge of the horizon, a giant city—about the size of less than half of that glowing footprint's sole—now lay completely devoid of life.
Near the two cities that had been reduced to ash, Qin Ming resonated with lingering chaotic emotions, which still carried those same key words.
Soon, even those lingering emotions dispersed into the night wind, leaving nothing behind.
Before any outsiders arrived, Qin Ming quietly departed.
That very day, news spread: an unknown creature had passed through. Its form was never seen, only massive glowing footprints stamping down as it traversed Night Province, plunging living beings into catastrophic ruin.
Like a hurricane, the news swiftly swept across every region.
"Was that a Heavenly God marching toward decay and destruction?" Many immediately made such an association.
No matter how one looked at it, its destructive power had to exceed the realm of Earth Immortals; its display was simply terrifying.
It had traveled in the dark of night, striding across mountain ranges, stepping over cities, and even treading into Perils. Wherever it passed, those glowing footprints burned everything to cinders.
Before those footprints, all things twisted and were destroyed; wherever it went, all sound ceased.
The unknown creature seemed to be fleeing from something as it journeyed far through the night mist. Just like a human in a hurry who would not look down to see if they stepped on ants by the roadside.
For the perished living beings, this was utterly tragic.
One had to realize that wherever it passed along its path, countless humans and abnormal beings had died—adding up to at least twenty million souls in total. This was an unprecedented catastrophe.
People desperately wanted to know what it was and why such an event had occurred.
Unfortunately, in the end, no one could describe its appearance, because it had no form at all—only footprints.
"Trouble has probably broken out in the depths of the night mist world, and some terrifying monsters are fleeing..."
In the end, an old Earth Immortal from above, after carefully inspecting various regions, uttered these words, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.
This world was simply too vast, the night mist boundless; even Heavenly Gods could not reach its end. A place as formidable as a supreme realm was merely a well-known dao sanctuary within the boundless night mist world.
Yujing was a supreme presence in Night Province.
Yet its standing in the depths of the night mist world was hard to say.
After all, over a year ago, even the inverted Yujing had disintegrated and shattered. It was not truly detached from the heavens; everything had its "lifespan."
Over the next few days, many major organizations, aristocratic families, and practitioners from various paths scoured ancient texts, digging for the truth to see if similar tragedies had occurred in history.
"There really are a few fragments of clues involving vague records." Someone managed to unearth anecdotes written in rare sole-surviving manuscripts.
"Crows take flight in the skies, rocs flee into the dark underworld, qilin blood surges from the earth, and an entire domain of living beings is wiped out."
This was not a bloody calamity that occurred in Night Province, but an old legend passed down from the depths of the night mist world.
"There's more!" Someone discovered another excerpt.
"On the day the earth cracks asunder, dragons perish in the abyss, kuns sink into the dark sea, Heavenly Gods flee into the wild wastes, and longevity flora turns to ash."
Without a doubt, this was yet another horrific event that had taken place deep in the night mist world.
Though recorded in brief strokes of ink, there were no details, making it difficult to fathom its true nature.
Those from above also took part in the investigation. An Earth Immortal grimly stated that the matter should be dropped and could not be probed further, for the horrors in the depths of the night mist world far exceeded mortal comprehension.
Many felt a suffocating oppression. A single transit of an unknown creature had swept away everything in its path like dry weeds, leaving more than twenty million living beings dead before their time. This world was simply too dangerous.
After visiting the sites, some experts felt stifled in their chests. If even a remote corner like Night Province could encounter such a catastrophe, what must the true depths of the night mist world be like?
"Don't dwell on it too much. I think the overarching environment of heaven and earth might be changing. Not limited to the territory governed by Yujing, the entire night mist world is undergoing violent shifts. Perhaps high-end beings ran into trouble and are fleeing..." someone ventured a "reasonable" guess.
Over these days, Qin Ming, Li Qingyue, and Jiang Ran exchanged messages and confirmed that all of them were safe.
After learning of the current situation in Night Province, both women returned to their respective outer realms.
A mysterious woman blocked the way on the severed ridge of Flying Immortal Mountain, and now bizarre glowing footprints had appeared. The world was growing increasingly chaotic, so Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran acted prudently, temporarily halting further travels.
"Uncle Meng and the others are unharmed; that's good. I wonder how Xiang Yiwu and Xiao Wu are doing, and where they are now." Qin Ming did not return to Chixia City.
Many days later, news arrived from beyond the domain: wherever the glowing footprints had passed, calamities struck everywhere. For instance, in the demon camp, even one of their ancient imperial capitals had been destroyed.
Once this news spread, a psychological storm seemed to rage across the entire region under Yujing's influence, leaving the upper echelons of every race utterly shaken.
A grandmaster sighed, "Chaos has arrived. I feel that this world is tearing away its gentle veil in a cruel, cold-blooded manner, revealing its true face."
As if confirming his words, half a month later, traveling experts returning from territories beyond Yujing brought back a piece of news.
"Far away... qilin hooves have been spotted!"
Reportedly, in the deeper reaches of the night mist world, glowing beast claws were fleeing, destroying major cities along the way and trampling top-tier dao sanctuaries into dust.
Though referred to as qilin hooves, they were actually blood-colored prints resembling sunset clouds, incomparably massive and belonging to an unknown species. Passed among terrified beings, they had been mythologized.
"Even a slight disturbance in the depths of the night mist world throws our outer regions into chaos."
Fortunately, over the next half year, all these incidents gradually quieted down.
During this period, Qin Ming secluded himself in the deep mountains to comprehend dharmas and cultivate, occasionally stepping out to learn about external events.
Over the past two years, too much had happened in Night Province.
Ever since the old factions above were reprimanded by the major figures of Yujing, they had changed their former style.
After the Sky Lock was torn apart, they no longer continued patching it up, though the sealed areas remained unreleased.
Meanwhile, the so-called dharma chains and Dao chains were no longer deployed. From then on, those from above showed some sincerity, strictly abiding by Yujing's decree to rigorously select talents and grant them opportunities.
Some of Night Province's patriarchs returned, and immortal seeds and divine seeds made appearances one after another.
Certain aristocratic families and major organizations had even ascended to the heavens, where some immortal seeds and divine seeds received baptisms of secret elixirs above the highest skies.
"Expecting certain old factions to completely lower their pride is probably too much to ask, but intimidated by Yujing's might, they are indeed drawing closer to the people on the ground, making compromises and concessions."
This was the actual situation Qin Ming learned after stepping out of the deep mountains.
Among these developments, the great unification of Night Province was progressing methodically and was nearly brought to a conclusion.
For this was something the major figures of Yujing had mentioned when rebuking those old factions.
Now, whether above or below, everyone knew that the era of three imperial dynasties and ten kingdoms standing side by side was coming to an absolute end.
All parties were now cooperating to forge a powerful Earth Immortal dynasty.
"There is a saying that after the great unification, the imperial throne will be blessed by a unique Dao rhyme, giving rise to an exceptionally powerful Earth Sovereign."
Ever since this rumor emerged, the rivalry among the three imperial dynasties grew increasingly fierce.
"Beneath the soil of Night Province lie certain things that cannot be dug up or found. Even if high deities descended and delved deep underground, they would find nothing."
"It is precisely for this reason that after Yujing arrived and halted here, it never departed."
"Supposedly, only a unified Earth Immortal dynasty blessed by that special Dao rhyme can possibly draw forth what lies beneath the earth."
Yet it was only a possibility. After all, Night Province had been unified in the past and had successfully drawn out some mystical things, but not all of them.
These were the various rumors in Night Province over the past half year. They had gradually spread everywhere, and many believed them.
There was an even more astonishing claim: Yujing would eventually descend to the earth and merge with the unified dynasty.
If so, the implications would be monumental.
Therefore, the throne of the Earth Sovereign was of supreme importance; many grew red-eyed with greed, coveting it fiercely.
Over the past several months, the speed at which the three imperial dynasties merged accelerated noticeably.
Chiefly, a major figure from Yujing had supposedly awakened for a second time and reiterated this matter, warning that if there was no progress within two years, those old factions would be severely punished.
Furthermore, once reckoning came, new accounts and old debts would be settled together. When that time came, even top-tier Earth Immortals might lose their heads.
"The Darui Imperial Dynasty is out." This news abruptly broke.
Back then, when the Earth Immortals descended from the heavens, the royal house of Great Rui had dropped to their knees immediately and pledged allegiance. Yet in the end, they were the first to be eliminated, defying everyone's expectations.
Why had it come to this? That was the answer many sought.
Within the royal house of Great Rui, a pall of gloom hung over all. They had knelt the most subserviently, yet the position of Earth Sovereign was permanently out of their reach.
"It is said that patriarchs and seven-sun stackers of various paths returned from beyond the realm, bringing along reinforcements, and unanimously opposed the royal house of Great Rui ascending to the throne."
Hearing this, people were surprised at first, but then smiled, feeling that it was only right.
Afterward, Dagan was also eliminated.
The situation changed far faster than anyone could imagine. In just these few days, through the combined push of all sides, a full consensus was being reached on the unification of the lands below.
"With the major figures of Yujing repeatedly urging this along, the old factions above panicked. Thus, they compromised with those on the ground to speed up the process."
If the Earth Immortals above insisted on pushing Great Rui onto the throne, the patriarchs on the ground, the Dog Sword Immortal, the seven-sun stackers, and others might unite with a host of powerhouses like the silk book method patriarch and the Old Barbarian God to oppose them and stir up trouble.
Those old factions had suffered at their hands and felt both hatred and fury toward them. Had it not been for warnings from beings within Yujing, they likely would have launched an all-out purge against them.
At this point, the dust had completely settled. The Dayu Imperial Dynasty emerged victorious, and the monumental achievement of unification was theirs to write.
However unwilling Great Rui and Dagan might be, they were powerless to reverse the outcome. This was backed by all the experts above and below, and no one could defy it.
As for the dozen-odd kingdoms, they had even less choice and could only bow their heads.
As for the major organizations and aristocratic families possessing their own private cities and fiefdoms, they had nothing to say either. Following the decrees of the Earth Immortals and seven-sun stackers, who dared disobey?
On this day, the entire world learned that Night Province was unified.
Moreover, on that very day, an inexplicable anomaly appeared: from the void above the endless dark dome of heaven, wisps of Dao rhyme cascaded down, converging toward the Dayu imperial capital.
Ordinary mortals could not see it, but anyone who had cultivated spiritual pupils or divine eyes could clearly behold that the entire imperial capital grew noticeably brighter because of it.
"Cultivating here is faster!" someone exclaimed in astonishment.
What shocked people to their core the most was that a handful of exceptional talents from the Dayu royal house seemed to receive a purification and baptism, their bone structure, innate talent, and attributes elevated.
"Can... the impact of a unified Earth Immortal dynasty truly be this great?" Upon hearing the news, the expressions of many old figures among the various factions shifted dramatically.
In fact, even those in the heavens wore looks of surprise.
"There are records of such precedents. In the past, the same thing happened in Taixu. Later, even after Yujing departed Taixu, the Earth Sovereign's clan enjoyed a transcendent status, styling themselves a Sacred Race, with divinely gifted individuals born in every generation."
This was information gathered by those Earth Immortal relics above the highest skies after personally consulting ancient scriptures; even their minds wavered, and all kinds of thoughts stirred within them.
"You must realize this is only the beginning. The heaven-worship ceremony hasn't even taken place yet, and such changes have already occurred."
Some of the old fogies above experienced wild swings in emotion. Had they known this would happen, they would have meddled earlier—what could be better than arranging for someone from the heavens to achieve the great unification?
"Form marriage alliances!"
"Station people in the Dayu imperial capital!"
"Secure fiefs from Great Yu and become regional lords!"
These were the immediate countermeasures that came to their minds; they wanted to take part, hunt for fortunes, and claim a share of the spoils.
The reactions of the major organizations on the ground were only faster, not slower, than those above.
That very day, numerous aristocratic families and great sects dispatched heavyweight figures into the Dayu imperial capital—Chongxiao.
They declared full support for Great Yu and comprehensive cooperation. The implication was clear: they were participants, not mere onlookers, and demanded corresponding status.
For instance, some set their sights on the position of Imperial Preceptor, leading top lineages to secretly vie with one another. They knew full well that this post could confer immense benefits; as the unified realm flourished, the Imperial Preceptor would rise alongside it, receiving an initiation and blessing of special Dao rhyme.
Naturally, others sought to marry royal princesses and become imperial consorts.
For a time, Chongxiao was bustling with extraordinary excitement, as even people from the heavens arrived.
Qin Ming marveled at how little time had passed, yet Night Province was changing far too quickly.
While cultivating diligently and traveling, he eventually returned to Chixia City and met Meng Xinghai at the City Lord's Manor.
"Uncle Meng, what do you think?"
"I'll sit back and watch it unfold slowly," Old Meng replied with a smile. He was overjoyed inside. Qin Ming had been in secluded cultivation for a year and had traveled afar, disappearing for a full year and a half before returning here.
Meng Xinghai said, "After completing the great feat of unification, Great Yu received the favor of heaven and is destined for a meteoric rise. Major organizations are all actively maneuvering to secure tangible benefits. Chongxiao has already become an arena of fame and fortune..."
The two chatted for a long time, and Old Meng even suggested that Qin Ming try his luck in Chongxiao.
Qin Ming shook his head. "I have always believed that cultivation relies on oneself. For now, I'll just sit back and watch from this remote place."
Meng Xinghai suddenly recalled something. "Right, half a year ago, Cui Chonghe sent someone over with a letter."
"What about?" Qin Ming asked.
Putting down his teacup, Meng Xinghai said, "Though I didn't open the letter to read it, I can roughly guess that he probably wants to discuss the Dao with you."
"I think he's really gotten ahead of himself!" Qin Ming chuckled with disdain.
He opened the letter and read it carefully; indeed, it was just as expected.
Meng Xinghai said displeased, "Using a higher realm to face someone in a lower realm—does he think that gives him face?"
Qin Ming smiled. "That's hard to say. Right now, it's really unclear who holds the higher realm."
"Ah?" Meng Xinghai was taken aback. Looking at the young, confident face before him, he was deeply shaken inside. What kind of cultivation speed was this? It could be called divine speed—he was advancing too fast!
Qin Ming set the letter down and said, "Mm, Cui Chonghe wrote that whenever I advance to the Fourth Realm, we can have a fair exchange of the Dao, because try as he might, he can no longer suppress his cultivation to the Third Realm."
...
A month later, Great Yu held the heaven-worship ceremony. On that day, diverse anomalies emerged in abundance: dragon-horses pulling radiant sacred chariots descended from the sky, heavenly dragons coiled above the imperial capital, divine phoenixes swooped down, and all kinds of auspicious vapors surged.
The Dayu imperial capital—Chongxiao—continued to undergo astonishing transformations.
Meanwhile, major organizations all felt it: after taking part in Great Yu's various affairs, they too obtained certain benefits, with Dao rhymes flowing into them.
"Yujing has disappeared!"
Above, members of the old factions were shaken to their core. Even some old fogies near the end of their lifespans stepped outside, gazing toward the celestial vault above—the realm beyond the world was completely empty!
Chapter 485