Crippling a Main Lineage of the Cui Clan

Thick night mist hung across the sky like an enormous shroud. Great mountains pierced through the heavy black cloud cover, appearing all the more oppressive; their exposed peaks floated above the vast sea of mist, like solitary islands suspended in the sky, scattered like stars on a chessboard. Qin Ming traveled riding the wind. At first, he still borrowed momentum from the ground, but as his mastery of the currents grew ever more practiced, he gradually ascended atop the clouds and mist, occasionally stepping onto those "solitary islands" for footing as he traversed the upper heavens. To him, this was a novel experience and a tremendous leap forward—scarcely any different from true flight. Ever since he developed astral winds, even if he were to fall suddenly from the sky without a canopy pack, he could land smoothly. Sunset Forest Plain lay five thousand li from Black-White Mountain. It was a boundless great plain, densely forested, lush and emerald, radiating rich vitality. Fire springs flowed across the surface, staining large swaths of the woodland in golden red like the glow of the setting sun—which was how Sunset Forest Plain had gotten its name. "Quite the splendid scenery." Standing on an elevation along the forest’s periphery, Qin Ming clasped his hands behind his back and quietly gazed ahead. Several days had passed since he left Black-White Mountain. It was not that he traveled slowly, but that tracking down Cui Changqing's whereabouts had cost him considerable time. Had he not been skilled in the art of resonance, it would have taken far longer. Cui Changqing kept a low profile in ordinary times. Now, eager to break through into the grandmaster domain, he had grown even more cautious, concealing his moves from most of the Cui clan itself. Aside from his direct bloodline branch, only a handful of core elders at the very top of the Cui clan knew what stage he had reached. To the outside world, not a single whisper could be leaked. Many people had already "learned" that Cui Changqing had suffered a mishap in his cultivation, sustaining severe wounds and damaging his foundational origin. At present, Cui Changhe and Cui Changming, who were very close to him, were both supposedly away seeking precious medicines on his behalf. No one doubted it, because under the overarching climate of the present day, nearly all powerful figures were afflicted with grave illness. "You truly are cautious." Qin Ming offered a faint smile. Through the night mist stained red by the fire springs, he walked toward the boundless forest. Only after exhaustive investigation had he confirmed that Cui Changqing had come here to "nurse his wounds." "This is for the best—quiet, undisturbed, and convenient for settling accounts with you all." Qin Ming vanished into the sea of trees. Cui Changqing had cultivated the World-Abiding Scripture painstakingly for nearly a century and favored places with lush vegetation above all else. This was a wondrous site he had meticulously chosen to break through, hoping to achieve the rank of grandmaster here. Qin Ming moved with steady, unhurried steps. Alone and composed, he had already drawn near his destination. Along the way, he had already noticed anomalies: vast swaths of withered trees, their leaves yellowing and drifting down with the wind, as though deep autumn had arrived. "The old fellow has been diligent with the World-Abiding Scripture, absorbing no small amount of vegetative essence. It seems he truly has reached a critical stage." Cui Changqing was using the essence of mountains, rivers, and flora to cultivate. In this era of violent fluctuations in Dao rhymes, although he was also affected, he possessed a certain advantage. Year after year, he had accumulated a portion of special longevity qi, primarily because his life-nurturing art was practiced to perfection. He wanted to take the risk of breaking through by utilizing the rises and falls of Dao rhymes, borrowing that most terrifying impact to help himself shatter the barrier. Naturally, he might also be grievously injured; when the critical moment came, he could rely on the longevity essence accumulated from contemplating the World-Abiding Scripture to prolong his life. ... Ahead lay an estate of no small scale. It was quiet, yet by no means dead. People could be seen moving in and out, guarded by many black-clad men. Without question, those were people Cui Changqing trusted—the equivalent of deathsworn retainers. Reflected by the fire springs, the entire estate was bathed in red radiance. The roof tiles seemed to flow with golden clouds, while the courtyard walls and ridges were traced with gilded edges. Under this "sunset afterglow," the dense woods and serene manor both faintly gleamed, carrying an otherworldly, tranquil beauty. Unfortunately, this place was destined to become drenched in blood! "You're getting off easy, picking such an exquisite landscape for your graveyard." Qin Ming moved about the perimeter, thoroughly scouting tens to hundreds of li in every direction. Evidently, various hidden sentries were stationed throughout the dense woods, equipped with lightning birds, streaming-light sparrows, and other swift, extraordinary avians ready to deliver word at a moment's notice. "Hmm, Cui Chongye is in the manor as well. That puts my mind at ease." Qin Ming had overheard the murmurs and exchanges among the guards, learning that Cui Changqing's favorite direct grandson was here as well. Deep in the Lingxu Mountain Range, after slaying Old Man Yunfeng, this grandfather-grandson pair had struck an aloof posture, behaving in an airy, detached manner that had thoroughly displeased Qin Ming. "Grandfather and grandson share such deep affection—even in death, they ought to be reunited." Without question, an aura of murder surging around him, Qin Ming’s inner thoughts carried a touch of bitter mockery. He officially made his move, deploying thunderous means to swiftly eliminate the hidden sentries in the surrounding area, sparing not even the messenger birds. Having thoroughly swept the perimeter clean, he strode toward the manor. "World-Abiding Manor?" Looking at the four large characters inscribed on the manor's plaque beneath the "sunset," he let out a cold laugh and threw a punch. Instantly, the entire void seemed to be squeezed. The manor's gate tower appeared to shrink, while only that brilliant fist expanded rapidly. Part real and part illusory, Qin Ming's fist was coiled in thick heavenly light, its force carrying far beyond, as if the Giant Spirit God himself were swinging a fist, blowing the main gate and plaque to smithereens. He stormed straight through the main entrance without the slightest pretense of concealment. As expected, the black-clad men in the manor were well trained. Many of the elite among them bore the surname Cui and were tied by blood to Cui Changqing's lineage. They rushed forward silently, activating formations to swiftly encircle and eliminate the intruder. Yet the moment Qin Ming shattered the main entrance, he had already begun dismantling the formation. Otherwise, there would have been no need to expend the power of that terrifying punch. Simultaneously, the yellow imperial parasol was summoned, hovering above his head to suppress the glowing runes of the surrounding formation. As he advanced, numerous brand-like glowing patterns across the ground extinguished one after another. With a boom, as nine-colored baleful aura erupted beneath his feet, massive black fissures spread across the ground, and the protective formation, already breached, continued to collapse. "You're... Qin Ming?" The black-clad men, who had remained calm in the face of crisis, were instantly shocked when they caught sight of Qin Ming's true face, their expressions warping. The leader was a direct member of the Cui clan, someone Qin Ming had seen in the past but did not know well. Having had little contact with him, the leader nevertheless recognized the person beneath the parasol. He found it almost impossible to believe. Had the "abandoned child" grown powerful to such an extent? To take the initiative to attack them at their door—what staggering force, what sheer boldness! The others' pupils contracted upon hearing the name, fixing their gazes on that figure. Under the "setting sun," the imperial parasol slowly rotated. Intertwined remnants of sun, moon, and starry river radiance hung along its fringed edge, trailing thick purple qi. From the canopy, heavenly dragons soared forth and radiant phoenixes shone, dragons roaring and phoenixes crying, manifesting a magnificent aura of sanctity. Qin Ming was tall and upright, his expression composed and chillingly detached. He walked forward step by step, framed like a god or fiend descended into the world, holding everyone in awe single-handedly. "Kill!" the lead man shouted. This group was indeed unafraid of death. Black garments fluttered, blade light surged, and spear glints rang out. Some released spells, some launched flying swords, and others activated wondrous treasures. In an instant, all manner of spiritual radiance flared across the grounds—sword bodies, thunder-fire shields—pouring toward Qin Ming in dense, overwhelming numbers. Yet he stood motionless, hands clasped behind his back, looking down upon them all. Tangible ripples layered across his body, spreading outward with extreme speed to engulf the space before him. For a moment, it was like Mount Sumeru bearing down, or a celestial fiend roaring to warp the void, while Great Dream Divine Mushrooms manifested one after another... Qin Ming did not even move. Merely by expanding his spirit field, he generated a zone of annihilation. Those brilliant flying swords instantly dimmed and shattered midair; flying spears and snow-bright sabers crumpled as easily as window paper, disintegrating along the way. As for the spells, they proved utterly feeble, completely suppressed into extinction. Wondrous treasures like blazing-fire fans and thunder-fire shields were even frailer, like rotten wood bursting apart before Qin Ming's blended spirit field, unable to withstand a single blow. Then came the people. Though their courage was commendable, facing Qin Ming, who stood like a divine fiend abiding in the world, they were vastly outmatched. The moment his spirit field enveloped the area, they screamed and exploded on the spot, one after another, splashing crimson blood all over the courtyard. Qin Ming stood beneath the yellow imperial parasol with his hands behind his back, not having shifted half a step. Yet the entire group that had launched the attack was wiped out completely. Broken flying swords and wondrous treasures littered the ground, while blood and bone fragments were splattered across the courtyard walls. It resembled a bloody slaughterhouse. The group rushing in from the second courtyard halted dead in their tracks, chills creeping from head to toe. Their scalps prickled with dread, and every heart sank. Sensing something, Qin Ming took to the wind, rising more than ten meters above the ground to gaze deep into the estate. At a glance, he spotted Cui Chongye, along with three elderly men who had been alerted and were stepping out of the quarters. With a faint smile, he charged directly into the manor's depths, traversing the night mist stained red by the fire springs, aiming straight for the heart of the stronghold to slay the principal targets. Along the way, he showed no mercy, sweeping through everything without distinction. Those who stood in his path—whether wielding wondrous treasures or hurling spears—were swept up by black tempests and torn to shreds by his spirit field. "Insolent cur! It's actually you!" an old man bellowed. His silver hair flared wildly, standing on end like a platinum lion. There were indeed experts here. This elder was in the late Fourth Realm. Gripping a long spear radiating immortal light, he soared into the sky, thrusting toward Qin Ming. The elder was bathed in silver radiance, burning in the night mist like a brilliant divine flame. His long spear struck like a dragon, accompanied by a genuine dragon phantom. He shook the entire night sky, showcasing his formidable might. Qin Ming had not used his weapon in quite some time. Upon seeing this man, recollections of the past surfaced, and he immediately brought out the massive black jade hammer. That elder was a brother of Fifth Elder Cui, a member of the Cui clan's direct line and high-ranking leadership. In the past, he had been cold, ungrateful, and distinctly hostile toward the young Qin Ming. With a tremendous crash, Qin Ming swung the great hammer, directly smashing the spear radiating immortal light until it blew apart. The lustrous black hammer swept on without losing momentum, leaving the elder horror-stricken. He retreated and shifted sideways in a desperate attempt to dodge, but it was all in vain. With a wet burst, this high-ranking Cui clan member of Cui Chonghe's grandfather's generation was obliterated by a single hammer strike, turning into a rain of blood that scattered down, a few bone fragments lodging into courtyard walls and buildings. In the estate, the onlookers were left dumbfounded. Including Cui Chongye and the two aged experts, chills ran straight up their spines. What kind of terrifying power was this? One had to understand that this elder had attained the late Fourth Realm, belonging to their high-end combat strength. Yet before that figure stepping on empty air and borne on astral wind, he had been blown apart in a single exchange. The scene terrified them. Above all, they had all clearly seen the visitor's face. "This..." Cui Chongye retreated involuntarily. Had that boy of the past truly grown to such heights? Back when they were in the Cui clan, he could have crushed him with a single finger. A mere four years had passed, and the youth had already reached this level. The remaining two elders wore expressions of utter distress. According to their intelligence, the discarded child Qin Ming was at most in the late Third Realm. Yet what were they witnessing now? They were confronting an appalling threat. The terrifying killing intent twisting the night sky chilled them to the bone; he had absolutely set foot in the Fourth Realm, and certainly not at the early stage, daring to face all of them alone. Such cultivation speed was horrifying, plunging them into icy despair. For even when Cui Chonghe was sent to the outer realms and received Sun Taichu's meticulous guidance, his rate of advancement had not been this rapid. "Only four years... and he primarily cultivates the Newborn path. How could he reach such heights?" one of the Cui elders muttered, his eyes glazed over. They understood that the person before them was deliberately revealing his true face, laying bare his identity to cow them directly. And indeed, they felt fear and regret, immense turmoil churning within them. The seeds sown in the past were bearing fruit today. Cui Chongye spoke up, "Qin Ming, it has been years since we last met. I never imagined you would have broken through to the Fourth Realm, like the reincarnation of a peerless divinity. It fills me with deep emotion, and I am happy for you. We were once cousins. Though some unpleasantness occurred between you and the Cui clan, that is all in the past now, water under the bridge. Why come here with such murderous intent? If the Cui clan has not yet appeased your anger, I will solemnly apologize to you on behalf of our kinsmen. We were brothers once, and we will be in the future..." Qin Ming cut him off, "Your words sound sweeter than a song. Are you afraid? Are you trembling?" Cui Chongye's expression stiffened slightly, but he soon showed a bitter smile, saying, "I know you bear resentment toward the Cui clan. Some people truly went too far. I am willing to resolve this, to bring those who targeted you..." Qin Ming laughed, a cold sound. He had no patience for the act. "Where is the composure you showed in the Lingxu Mountains? How airy and detached you were when executing Old Man Yunfeng, having used him as a proxy to make enemies for me from the heavens! You and your grandfather believed yourselves above it all, calmly watching the storm gather. Why lower your voice and grovel now?" "You..." Cui Chongye's face completely changed. Stumbling backward, his heart filled with terror. That matter had been kept under utmost secrecy, and the only witness was already dead. How could he possibly know? In this instant, a chill welled from the deepest recesses of his being. Was the figure before him a man or a ghost, that he could unearth even this truth? Qin Ming moved directly. His palm edge sliced like a rainbow, swift as a specter, Hunyuan force circulating around him as he swept past like floating light. With a squelch, Cui Chongye's head was severed, and his headless corpse collapsed to the ground. Qin Ming gripped the severed head in a clean, crisp motion. Though blood sprayed, it was repelled by his protective heavenly light; not a single crimson droplet stained his robes. Cui Chongye's conscious spiritual light lingered. His mouth opened, producing agonized, indistinct sounds. He appeared young, but he was already in his early forties and had stepped into the Fourth Realm. Yet before this opponent, he had been decapitated like a helpless chicken. Not far off, the two elders had not even had time to intervene. Instantly, they roared and struck with everything they had. Both understood clearly that bowing down was useless; this cast-off child was on a rampage of slaughter, here specifically to wipe them out. Qin Ming unleashed the nine-colored sword baleful aura, cleaving them both where they stood. The yellow imperial parasol shook loose sunset-like radiance and thick purple qi, sweeping away their vital spirit and essence. "Cui Changqing, you truly can keep your composure," Qin Ming transmitted his voice. With such a massive commotion, how could the man fail to hear? Yet he remained in closed-door cultivation. Qin Ming could distinctly sense a mass of green light, brimming with life energy, sitting quietly deep within the estate, refusing to emerge. Taking great strides forward, he called out, "Look, Cui Chongye, the one who takes after you most, has been beheaded by me. Shouldn't grandfather and grandson reunite?" He could clearly feel the green glow deep within the estate roiling with fury, agitated by sharp swings of emotion. "Changqing, stay calm! You must either flee immediately or force your breakthrough in one go!" an elder who had lost almost all his hair said in a low voice. "Form up! Block him!" another shouted. Under normal circumstances, Cui Changqing would have repeatedly attempted to break through by leveraging the fluctuations of Dao rhymes, ultimately stepping into the grandmaster domain through a relatively safe method. Yet now, the situation was dire. Having been disturbed, he resolved to burn his boats, abandoning caution to forcefully enter the Fifth Realm immediately and then slaughter that brat. "Everyone gather here! Protect Changqing as he breaks through!" the nearly bald elder roared. There were over a hundred people in the entire estate, and Qin Ming had already killed nearly half. The remaining ones were indeed deathsworn retainers; facing a terrifying foe, they showed no dread, converging toward the manor's depths. Qin Ming did not travel on the wind. He simply advanced on foot, closing in on the inner estate. The steady rhythm of his footsteps sounded like demonic notes or drumbeats, striking clearly upon every heart. In secluded cultivation, Cui Changqing felt restlessness and blazing fury. Yet he gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing the churning emotions to quiet his mind. Nourishing himself with a small amount of longevity essence, he began a ferocious push toward the breakthrough. Suddenly, Qin Ming let out a soft cry that exploded like a thunderclap right beside his ears, jolting his body and nearly causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood. Evidently, the opponent was doing this deliberately to obstruct his Dao and hinder his breakthrough. "Obstruct my path, and I shall destroy you!" Cui Changqing's green hair flew wildly, green radiance shooting from his eyes, as terrifying as an old fiend. Yet though he appeared enraged, he was actually calming his mind, beginning his push once more. "All of it is futile. Now that I have come in person, how could I allow you to defy heaven?" Qin Ming's mocking words genuinely infuriated many. "Changqing, steady your mind!" The four elders lined up side by side to block the front, while dozens of others converged from all directions. Qin Ming drew near. The head in his hand still held flickering conscious spiritual light; Cui Chongye had not yet expired, his mental field not yet destroyed. "No... Chongye!" Cui Changqing murmured. Yet his eyes showed no ripple; he was remarkably calm at this moment, merely wanting the divine, demonic figure outside to believe his mind was in disarray and that he had lost his composure. With a loud pop, Qin Ming tossed the head into the air. A flash of blade light sliced past, and amid despair, Cui Chongye's head burst apart. "You demon!" the four elders opposite shouted in fury. Qin Ming looked them over. Two were familiar: Cui Changhe and Cui Changming. Though not full brothers to Cui Changqing, they shared a deep bond and possessed formidable strength. The other two elders were bald, with barely any hair left, their skin wrinkled beyond recognition. Even Qin Ming had never seen them before. These were men of a generation even senior to Cui Changqing, already over a hundred and sixty years old. At their peak, they had reached the perfection of the Fourth Realm. Unfortunately, multiple attempts to storm the grandmaster domain had ended in failure, leaving their bodies injured. Compounded by advanced age, they now barely maintained themselves at the Fourth Realm's ninth layer, no longer consummate. "Little whelp, you've actually managed to come into your own, turning around to threaten the direct lineage of our Cui clan! Back then, we should have crushed you regardless of the cost!" one bald elder roared. Furthermore, he unfolded his inner landscape, moving his body at extreme speed. He opened his decaying inner landscape, intending to draw Qin Ming inside and seal him within. Unexpectedly, Qin Ming did not dodge, stepping directly into the elder's inner landscape. "Die in here!" the elder bellowed. His body blazed, nearly combusting, as he closed the inner landscape to refine that figure. Those present saw Qin Ming's entire body ignite with light, like an indestructible golden body. Before the inner landscape could even shut, he struck, shattering the realm from within. "Ah—" the elder shrieked. As his inner landscape broke, his flesh, blood, and vital spirit were hit as if by a divine hammer, about to disintegrate, blood splashing violently. Qin Ming had mastered the Extreme Dao Golden Body Scripture; putting it to the test today yielded astonishing results. Bathed in golden glow, he simply walked out from the collapsing inner landscape. The elder's miserable screams came to an abrupt halt as he died on the spot. "Attack together! Kill him!" The other bald elder's eyes went red. He and the elder who had just died were full brothers of the same era. He immediately led the crowd into battle. "Kill!" Cui Changhe and Cui Changming joined in the ferocious assault. Both of their cultivations were also in the late Fourth Realm, though merely at the eighth layer. "I have already lingered many days on this trip. It is time to end it," Qin Ming said. In an instant, he rose into the air. A mind lamp within his body ignited, bolstered by the True Samadhi Fire, while nine-colored sword baleful aura was poured in like lamp oil, blending into perfect harmony. For a time, with Qin Ming at the center, dazzling divine beams shot outward one after another. The mind lamp hung high, shining upon all creation—an absolute execution. Those brilliant rays of light, dense and countless, shone forth with indestructible force. Dozens screamed as they were pierced by the beams. Blood holes appeared through foreheads and chests, large chunks of their bodies blowing apart alongside the strikes. "You..." Cui Changhe and Cui Changming were horror-struck. Even they had been pierced through by the light, staggering on their feet, plunged into despair. The bald elder bellowed, transmitting his voice to the two of them, urging them to pool their strength to summon a blood flag. This slaughter banner coursed with terrifying patterns as it blasted toward Qin Ming. Yet before them, that demonic figure stood firm in midair, astral winds surging around him, entirely unfazed. The mind lamp burned even brighter. As the mind lamp shone, flames of light soared. The dense rays fused into one, sending forth a single beam. With a sharp hiss, like a celestial blade sweeping through or an immortal sword cleaving the void, it shattered the blood flag. Immediately after, the three elders wailed in agony, all cleaved in half at the waist. Their bodies split into six sections, writhing across the ground. "Cui Changqing, can you still keep your composure?" Qin Ming asked. "Break for me!" Cui Changqing roared. He was enveloped entirely in green flames—surging life essence acting as his escort. He sought to step into the grandmaster domain, no longer through cautious probes, but in a desperate gamble. Qin Ming observed and commented, "Given your current state, you are too rushed. You would need more time before having an eighty percent chance of breaking your cage." Though Qin Ming believed the odds were heavily against him, he still gave the man no opportunity for a final leap. His mind lamp projected a gentle beam of light that extended forward like a divine chain of order, piercing into the secret chamber to bind Cui Changqing's vital spirit. "You..." Cui Changqing let out an agonized growl. He had been disrupted, and he felt the probability of failure mounting. His vital spirit had already climbed toward the Fifth Realm, one foot truly crossing the threshold. Yet the beam behind him held him like a chain, dragging him back. "No!" Cui Changqing howled. "Back in the Lingxu Mountains, I swore that even if you had the chance to set foot in the Fifth Realm, I would drag you back down!" Without question, Qin Ming was fulfilling that vow right now, dragging him back by force. Then he delivered another blow: "In truth, rushing your breakthrough like this, you never had any hope to begin with." With a boom, the secret chamber blew apart. Cui Changqing's green hair whipped backward, his still-youthful, pale face twisted with hatred. He strode out and said, "The grudge of obstructing my Dao is irreconcilable! Today, this old man shall battle you with the strength of a consummate Fourth Realm!" He truly was formidable, and Qin Ming dared not be careless. After all, this was an old monster who had cultivated the World-Abiding Scripture for over a century, his life essence extraordinarily robust. At this moment, green radiance blazed around Cui Changqing, as if he were inhaling and exhaling a sea of vegetative essence. Clad in armor that radiated wisps of immortal light, he prepared to fight his opponent to the death. Qin Ming remained calm. He slowly rose into the sky, a translucent green leaf manifesting beneath his feet to lift him into the heights. In his hand appeared a tree branch bearing tender sprouts, its longevity qi flowing even richer than Cui Changqing's. "You..." Cui Changqing was aghast. What was that? Having cultivated the World-Abiding Scripture for so many years, how could he fail to recognize it? That was the Longevity sword intent unrecorded in written text, which no one had been able to master for hundreds or thousands of years. Back then, that discarded child had merely browsed through the Cui clan's scripture in passing. In just two or three years, he had mastered that legendary sword intent. "Grasping the true meaning, one might one day inquire of longevity with the sword..." Cui Changqing's lips trembled, not from fear, but from bitter indignation and grief. He had cultivated the World-Abiding Scripture for a lifetime, yet his achievements fell short of what Qin Ming had attained in two or three years. How could he accept this? Boundless fury and grievance filled his heart. "Strike!" Qin Ming spoke, and a brilliant sword light flashed, setting the void trembling. Despite deploying every technique at his disposal, Cui Changqing was struck until he was covered in blood, hurled backward. And this was merely Qin Ming's first sword—yet it had already extinguished his spells and shattered his wondrous treasures. "Strike again!" Qin Ming continued to wield the Longevity sword intent, employing the Cui clan's supreme secret from the World-Abiding Scripture against this man. This was killing the flesh, and it was crushing the soul. Cui Changqing groaned, green radiance roiling as he did everything in his power. Yet blood still sprayed from his body, and a terrible wound sheared through him, severing his torso. It was not that he was insufficiently strong; on the contrary, his cultivation was profoundly deep. It was simply that Qin Ming was unleashing the terrifying Longevity sword intent without holding anything back. ... Back in the Cui clan, the very few who knew the truth were drinking tea in an atmosphere of utter serenity. Someone offered a faint smile: "Counting the days, in a few more, half a month at the latest, Changqing should be stepping into the grandmaster realm. Ah, truly marvelous."