In the Cui family's reception hall, massive green sandalwood pillars, each requiring two men to encircle, were patterned with natural cloud grain. Suspended thirty feet above the floor hung a Divine Glaze Lamp, casting silver radiance across the room like flowing water. A bronze censer on the table released intermittent ribbons of purple smoke, rising like wisps of silk before scattering into fine runes midair.
A very old matriarch spoke with deep gratification: "Splendid. In recent years, though our Cui family has weathered a few ripples, on the whole we have flourished, bursting with vigorous vitality. Above, our Sixth Realm ancestor's cultivation deepens; in the middle ranks, a new grandmaster is breaking through; and below, extraordinary talents like Chongxiao and Chonghe are on the rise. Our future is bright indeed!"
"Changqing has not disappointed our hopes and has finally reached this step." An elder whose hair had almost completely fallen out set down his teacup and chuckled warmly.
Within the archaic yet quietly luxurious hall, the core leadership of the Cui family exchanged nods. The corners of their mouths had long curved slightly upward, their smiles hazy through the drifting purple incense.
They did not laugh aloud, exercising restraint and maintaining a low profile, feeling that they should not lose the poise befitting a millennium-old clan.
Yet an abrupt cry of shock shattered everyone's mood. Cui Qi held a letter in trembling hands, his lips quivering violently. "How... how could this happen?!"
A few elders prepared to admonish him that as the family patriarch of this generation, he ought to maintain his composure, but their own expressions soon shifted drastically.
The letter was stained with blood—an ill omen indeed.
"World-Abiding Manor... not a single soul was left alive," Cui Qi choked out with immense difficulty.
With a loud bang, the Divine Glaze Lamp in the Cui family reception hall shattered. Pure yang consciousness surged with divine wisdom, and heavenly light pierced through the roof. Several elders could no longer sit still and sprang to their feet in shock.
After an interval of several days, Cui Changqing's second son had gone to visit his secluded father, wishing to witness with his own eyes the glorious moment he broke into the grandmaster domain. Instead, he had found the entire estate blanketed in deathly stillness, strewn with blood and shattered bones.
The Cui family had never imagined that this was the dreadful news awaiting them.
Far from a joyous breakthrough into the grandmaster domain, their celebration had been entirely hollow.
"Changqing!" An elder whose teeth were nearly all gone let out a low roar. Veins bulged across his face, his eyes became bloodshot, and his sparse hair stood on end.
"How could this be?" The sole matriarch swayed and nearly collapsed, her face deathly pale, her previous smile frozen and extinguished.
"Quickly, go west and invite the ancestor!"
"Invite him for what? The ancestor is struggling with his own troubles and cannot emerge from secluded cultivation!"
That day, suppressed roars echoed through the Cui residence. The crowd was racked with hatred, grief, and agony, trembling with uncontrollable fury.
Fires burned within the chests of Cui Qi and the others, choked with sorrow and indignity. An elder closest to Cui Changqing coughed up mouthful after mouthful of blood.
The news could not be contained and spread outward swiftly.
In Chongxiao, the imperial capital of Dayu, the two brothers Cui Chonghe and Cui Chongxiao smashed their tea tables upon hearing the news. Their supposed calm and composure shattered entirely, leaving them lost in agitation.
Over the past two years, the Cui family had enjoyed smooth sailing. Now, someone had dared to slaughter an entire estate and slay an esteemed elder of grandmaster caliber. Once the news spread, it would be no different from trampling upon the face of a millennium-old clan.
"Was it the Li family?"
"Or is it those people from the outer domains who contacted us?"
After a thorough investigation, the Cui family determined that World-Abiding Manor had been destroyed roughly seven days ago. By the time they discovered it, Cui Changqing had already reached his seventh-day mourning ritual.
***
Qin Ming walked along the bank of the Shuyu River, encountering old acquaintances and exchanging greetings now and then.
Pei Shuyan and Zhuo Qingming appeared and pulled Qin Ming toward a nearby teahouse on the bustling riverbank for tea.
Su Mohua followed closely behind, truly carrying herself as his nominal disciple with a sincere, proper demeanor, personally pouring tea for Qin Ming.
"Brother Qin, did you know? Right now, some people in the sky are suspecting that you are One Sword Piercing Through the Thirty-Six Layers of Heaven," Su Moran said, having also joined them.
Gao Chan sat to the side, ears pricked, closely watching Qin Ming's expression.
Qin Ming thought to himself, *It's here. At last, it has come.*
He shook his head and said, "How could someone like me, who hasn't even reached perfection in the Third Realm, possibly be the One Sword whose fame shakes the nine heavens?"
Why had he come here in the first place? Precisely to "clarify the truth."
Sounding reflective, he added, "I focus primarily on the Newborn path, supplemented by the immortal path. Breaking through is arduous, and as a rogue cultivator... sigh!"
Evidently, Gao Chan was the happiest person present. He hypocritically made friendly overtures toward Qin Ming while covertly using an exotic treasure to carefully inspect his condition.
Moments later, Gao Chan felt assured: Qin Ming was indeed only in the late Spirit Field Realm, far from having reached the Fourth Realm—the mind lamp.
Beaming, he said, "Brother Qin, your cultivation speed is already exceptionally fast. Why belittle yourself? After all, not everyone can compare to the realm faction or One Sword. Besides, those figures might not even belong to our generation; they could very well be peerless Earth Immortals."
Beside them, Bai Meng's heart jolted. He hadn't thought much about it before, but now a realization seemed to dawn on him. Could Ming-ge truly be One Sword? If that was the case... it would be terrifying!
He pondered silently: if Qin Ming truly held identities like One Sword and the realm faction, his sister stood no chance of avenging those two kicks. If she made another fuss, she would definitely end up getting kicked twice more.
Qin Ming had come to the Dayu capital specifically to present himself, so he was in high spirits for conversation.
He asked Pei Shuyan and Zhuo Qingming about their recent circumstances and soon learned that back when the four Earth Immortals descended to the mortal realm, many immortal seeds had been forced into the outer domains to hide for half a year.
Pei Shuyan sighed. "Regrettably, spiritual nests among mountains and rivers, ancient medicinal fields, and any extraordinary sites all belong to established masters. Wandering out there was truly far too difficult."
As for the present, with the uproar surrounding the golden paw print and the Qilin's hoof, nobody dared to venture outside for the time being.
"How are things up in the nine heavens?" Qin Ming looked toward his disciple.
Su Mohua hailed from Sky City, which also counted among the old strongholds.
"The high experts are all in hiding, refusing to emerge," she explained. Above the sky, matters were considerably better than on the ground. After all, the nine heavens had once been sealed off, and following the unification below, auspicious light had reflected upward into the sky.
Her cousin Su Moran added, "Even so, this is also an opportunity. Some senior figures are looking to break through."
At present, the world's powerful figures felt deeply insecure. This state of affairs was not caused by the fading of Dao rhythm; on the contrary, an unprecedented golden age was on the verge of arriving, accompanied by a torrential downpour of Dao rhythm.
Ahead of that downpour, tempests were howling, and the Dao rhythm churned ceaselessly.
In the sky, several aged Earth Immortals whose lifespans were nearing their end could no longer hold out. They wished to harness the Dao rhythm at its peak to leap into the Eighth Realm and become Heavenly Immortals.
Qin Ming sighed. "Indeed, in extraordinary eras, extraordinary individuals always rise."
Su Mohua, however, curled her lips. "That is merely a choice of desperation. I doubt anyone will succeed. Even staking their lives in a desperate gamble, they can hardly escape death."
Su Moran nodded. "It is truly difficult. Even Earth Immortals can only remain dormant in an era of surging Dao rhythm like this. If forced to ride the crest of the wave, they will most likely be crushed to dust."
***
Like someone rushing through a busy schedule, Qin Ming immediately headed for the Princess Manor after finishing his tea, having already accepted an evening invitation.
"Let us go together." Naturally, Pei Shuyan, Su Moran, and the others had been invited as well.
As the Fourth Princess of Dayu, Yao Ruoxian's status had risen significantly. All members of the imperial family had been baptized by the world's blessing light, elevating her innate talent once more, and the imperial family possessed a place close to the Dao.
"Princess, two years have passed since we last met, and your grace surpasses that of the past," Qin Ming said with a smile.
The manor featured clusters of silver bamboo, scattered pavilions, arching bridges over murmuring streams, and rippling blue ponds, revealing a picturesque view with every ten steps. In the night, the upturned eaves and bracket sets were wrapped in purple mist.
With bright eyes and sparkling teeth, standing tall and slender, Yao Ruoxian was indeed even more remarkable than before. Over the past two years, she had also continuously suspected that Qin Ming might be Taiyi.
However, she would not mention such things in public. Instead, she immediately complained, "Brother Qin, discipline that mutated king bird of yours. It has injured my imperial bird again."
Qin Ming was dumbfounded. He had warned it beforehand, yet this had happened anyway.
"Mountain Master, Princess, I was wrong," the three-headed, six-winged Thunder King Bird lowered its heads contritely, its attitude impeccable. Yet every time it visited the Dayu capital, it repeated the exact same mistake.
Pei Shuyan remarked, "I see this as a fair maiden of a bird sought after by a fine gentleman of a bird. Why not bring them together in a happy union?"
He only spoke in jest; if the Dayu princess's mount were to select a mate, there would surely be strict requirements.
"Qin Ming? I have long heard your renowned name!" Other guests had also gathered in the Princess Manor.
In addition, some had arrived uninvited, clearly driven by strong motives.
Here Qin Ming spotted Feng Zhige and Zhou Tiandao, both of whom had stepped onto the heavenly sword-dueling platforms. The former ranked in the fifties on the New Board, while the latter was hailed as a divinely gifted prodigy who enjoyed immense fame across the nine heavens.
Furthermore, Yan Zhuohua, who shared equal renown with them, was also present. Graceful and poised, with faintly sketched brows and robes dyed in misty azure, she resembled an immortal maiden stepping out of an ink wash painting of the Jade Terrace.
There were also others Qin Ming had previously glimpsed on the sword-dueling platforms, many of whom were visitors from the sky.
He sensed immediately that someone was using an exotic treasure to probe his true essence, clearly aiming to determine whether he was One Sword.
Qin Ming grew alert. He had barely shown his face, yet so many were already impatient.
Still, it was understandable. Even the prominent figures of Yujing had once issued orders instructing the old strongholds to keep watch for an exceptional young expert.
Fortunately, Yujing had mysteriously vanished, so coveting the temporary possessor of the old cloth was no longer an option.
"Brother Zhou, my respects. Brother Feng, Fairy Yan, it has been a long time. And this brother is...?" Qin Ming felt that this was fine; a single evening would suffice to settle the identity matter and give them a clear view.
"I have long heard Brother Qin's illustrious name reverberate like thunder..."
"It is said that the offensive power of the Chaos force is unparalleled, standing as one of the strongest arts in the territory influenced by Yujing. If given the chance, I hope to seek your guidance, Brother Qin."
"Not at all. How could mundane arts on the ground compare to the divine and immortal techniques of the nine heavens? My petty skills are hardly worth mentioning." Qin Ming traded compliments while exchanging pleasantries.
Flattery came easily to anyone. The group smiled warmly, though what lay in their hearts remained unknown.
However, a discordant voice rang out: "Chaos force? What an audacious name. Is it truly that powerful? I would certainly like to experience it."
The speaker was a man in white robes, carrying an ethereal, untamed air.
"And this is...?" Qin Ming mused inwardly that what was meant to happen would never miss its cue. With those from the sky paying so much attention to One Sword and the realm faction, how could they not arrange someone to personally test him?
However, he truly had no wish to waste his energy. This time down the mountain, he only wanted to fight Cui Chonghe.
"I am Gu Yanci," the white-robed man replied.
Qin Ming grinned, unable to suppress a chuckle. He naturally recognized the man; they had crossed swords on the sword-dueling platform back then, where Qin Ming had used the Sea Overturning Scripture to keep him thoroughly soaked in his own fluids.
"What are you laughing at?" Gu Yanci's face darkened slightly.
Qin Ming said, "I was reminded of a friend who once mentioned someone sharing your esteemed name on the sword-dueling platforms back then—a rather amusing tale."
"You..." Gu Yanci was a man who valued his dignity. His chest tightened on the spot, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Two years had passed, so why was someone still bringing this up?
Back then, he had been plagued by an unending urge to urinate, a humiliation he still found painful to recall.
"Everyone, tonight we drink wine and discuss past and present. Let us not disrupt the harmony," Yao Ruoxian interjected, preventing an outright clash.
Lacking the face to linger, Gu Yanci retreated in shame and anger.
The atmosphere immediately grew far more convivial.
Shortly after, someone brought up the disaster that had struck the Cui family.
"What? Cui Changqing is dead, and World-Abiding Manor was wiped out? To think such an atrocity occurred!" Even Yao Ruoxian was astonished.
Many began discussing the matter.
Qin Ming nodded along and said, "Truly far too savage."
During the gathering, he learned that the Dayu imperial family had issued invitations under the joint consensus of the old strongholds in the sky and the Earth Immortals across the earthly territories.
Yao Ruoxian said, "In Yujing, there were once portals connecting to distant regions—lands even more remote than those charted by the ancestral masters. However, those mist-shrouded gates were sealed. Now, once the commotion over the glowing giant footprints and the Qilin's hoof blows over, they may be reopened."
Qin Ming's heart shook violently. He had not anticipated that tonight's gathering was related to this matter.
Without question, those paths led deeper into the night mist world.
"Why go that far?" Those on the ground remained in the dark, but people like Feng Zhige and Zhou Tiandao from the sky surely already knew.
Yao Ruoxian informed Qin Ming in secret, "The Earth Immortals are nearing their end and refuse to wait for death, yet they themselves can hardly mobilize. They can only open the gates and watch others scout the paths first. If immense fortune lies beyond, they will most likely risk their lives to venture forward."
After such a vast expanse of time, not even those in the sky knew where those mist gates led, let alone whether peril or great fortune awaited. Now that several old figures could endure no longer, their thoughts turned toward these ancient roads.
That night, another distinguished guest arrived uninvited, seeking only a fleeting glimpse of Qin Ming. She was none other than the apostle of the nine heavens—the Heavenly God, who had once cultivated cross-legged within the flower of the Great Dao.
Qin Ming clearly sensed that she was different from before: stronger, with subtle changes in her features.
Qin Ming looked at her, feigning unfamiliarity.
The Heavenly God gazed at him and produced a pure white conch disc—identical to the one she had once given to the "realm faction."
Qin Ming's mind sounded an alarm. He realized at once that the Heavenly Immortal ranked at the very top of the New Board was also the Heavenly God.
In a flash, he understood: the Heavenly Immortal walked the immortal path, while the Heavenly God walked the divine path. They were two facets of the same woman, now fused into one to form the ultimate manifestation of the apostle.
Activating the conch disc, the Heavenly God observed Qin Ming. Detecting no anomalies whatsoever, she soon departed.
*Have I completed my task tonight and earned my exit?* Qin Ming mused. Heading back to Black-White Mountain that very night seemed entirely viable now.
Late into the night, the elderly grandmaster Yu Gensheng rushed over from Kunling, seeking out Qin Ming despite his ailing body.
"Senior, why have you come?" Qin Ming asked in surprise. Nowadays grandmasters could not roam about carelessly without inviting trouble.
"You vanished for so long, only to suddenly pop up in the Dayu capital. How could I not worry that someone might target you? I came to check on you." Uneasy, the old grandmaster had ridden an advanced mount overnight to reach him.
In addition, the lid of the Eight Trigrams Furnace reappeared, informing Qin Ming that Li Qingyue had returned to the secluded Li clan and had not yet arrived. Learning of his appearance, she had dispatched the furnace first.
Qin Ming sighed and said, "Originally, I considered returning to Black-White Mountain overnight. Since things stand this way, I'll attend the gathering two days from now to study those roads leading far into the distance. After all, I truly am interested."
The following day, Qin Ming continued to stroll through the city. Yu Gensheng wore a hat covering his bald crown and adjusted his features to appear middle-aged, trailing unhurriedly at a distance.
The entire day passed without incident.
That evening, a visitor arrived at the door—an old man who claimed to bear no ill intent, yet moved directly to seize Qin Ming's wrist and thoroughly probe his cultivation.
He had dropped all pretense. Certain people remained wary of Qin Ming and insisted on hands-on verification. Moreover, this visitor was an elderly grandmaster—formidable combat strength in this day and age.
In the shadows, the old grandmaster Yu Gensheng restrained himself, obeying Qin Ming's voice transmission and holding back from intervening.
In truth, against a mere grandmaster, Qin Ming did not believe the man could kill him in an instant. Who would suppress whom could only be decided in battle.
"It really isn't him..." The mysterious grandmaster shook his head, made no further fuss, and slipped straight out through the window.
Qin Ming felt that this trip to the Dayu capital had essentially tested the waters. Even Earth Immortal-grade factions could now dispatch grandmasters at most; stronger figures were nearly extinct in the mortal realm.
As twilight descended, he set off for the gathering, held near the imperial capital's sacrificial grounds, adjacent to the place close to the Dao.
"Everyone, after meticulous study and consulting ancient texts, we have determined where several of the routes lead. Great fortune and immense peril coexist within them."
As soon as Qin Ming arrived, he overheard people discussing these matters.
Yu Gensheng did not walk alongside him, but continued to shadow him not far behind.
"Qin Ming..." Cui Chonghe looked over, initiating conversation with the outcast in his eyes for one of the rare times in his life.
He wished to inquire what realm Qin Ming had attained.
Qin Ming turned his gaze toward him and said, "I received your letter."
Simple and direct, he added, "I can accept your challenge anytime, anywhere."
"Mm? You have reached the Fourth Realm?" Cui Chonghe turned to face him fully, a look of surprise surfacing on his face.
"No," Qin Ming replied, shaking his head.
At this moment, many eyes turned toward them. Virtually everyone from Night Province was well aware of the grievances between the two.
Those from the sky and the outer domains knew little, however, and could not help asking the people around them. After all, Qin Ming was somewhat renowned by now.
Moreover, over the past half-year, Cui Chonghe had risen aggressively, boasting glorious battle records and dazzling performances across the board.
"Qin Ming used to be Cui Chonghe's body double..." someone remarked.
"Such a relationship existed between them? Now that makes things interesting."
In an instant, the two men became the focal point of the hall.
Cui Chonghe spoke: "Step forward only when you have reached the Fourth Realm. At best, I can only suppress my cultivation to the early Fourth Realm; I cannot make myself any weaker."
"The eighth layer of Spirit Field is more than enough to beat you. It will suffice," Qin Ming answered calmly.
Chapter 492