Nearby, all fell silent.
What was he saying? Standing merely in the eighth layer of the Spirit Field, he believed it was enough to beat Cui Chonghe of the Fourth Realm?
Everyone stopped talking and cast sidelong glances his way.
In truth, Cui Chonghe's own words and conduct had been no less provoking. He had spoken offhandedly, claiming he could not make himself any weaker and could at most suppress his cultivation to the early Fourth Realm. That arrogance and aloofness were already written plain on his face.
Many guessed that Qin Ming might have felt slighted, which prompted such a reaction.
Both young men looked calm, yet their few words fell like the rumble of approaching wind and thunder.
The originally peaceful atmosphere shattered, and a subtle tension quietly took root.
Cui Chonghe wore white robes, his black hair gleaming with a silk-like sheen. Handsome and striking, his eyes were as clear as spring water, and his temperament was as gentle and moist as jade—an outstanding, peerless figure.
"No need," he said in a level tone. He uttered only those two words, swept a faint glance over Qin Ming, then turned away and paid him no further mind.
Beside him stood a Cui family luminary in his prime—Cui Xiao. Beneath his black robes, his robust vitality remained tightly restrained. With a warm smile, he said, "Qin Ming, there is truly no need. There is no call to overreact. Wait until you reach the Fourth Realm before coming back."
Cui Changfeng spoke up as well. "What people call youthful impetuosity is mostly a momentary rush of hot blood, an act born of rashness and impulse. You had best calm down first."
He was a senior expert of the Cui family, and his standing was considerably high.
The figures beside Cui Chonghe did not scowl with hostile glares. All of them remained relatively composed and dignified, offering words of counsel that fully displayed the poise of a millennium-old clan.
Part of the surrounding crowd nodded inwardly, approving of their conduct.
Yet others felt that while these Cui family luminaries appeared magnanimous, they were actually striving to highlight Cui Chonghe's grandeur—portraying him as aloof and unwilling to bully the weak.
Moreover, Cui Chonghe treated his words like gold, uttering only a curt phrase and refusing to waste his breath, giving the impression that he stood on a far higher plane.
The other members of the Cui family acted as his mouthpieces, deepening this impression while spotlighting Qin Ming's supposed rashness and recklessness, thus subtly establishing a stark contrast between the two.
Qin Ming wore cyan robes, the tips of his hair lifting in the wind. Though his primary cultivation lay along the Newborn path, he seemed even more ethereal and celestial than someone from the beyond, his tall, upright posture exuding an otherworldly grace.
In terms of appearance and bearing alone, he was certainly not inferior to the two dragons of the Cui family. Had he been, he would never have been chosen as Cui Chonghe's double in the first place.
"Wasn't it you who wanted to spar with me? Why put on airs now that it's come to this?" Qin Ming asked. His words were simple, blunt, and forceful; he naturally had no intention of becoming someone else's foil.
As his expression cooled slightly, his detached, ethereal air receded, replaced by a ruthless, battle-hardened aura seldom seen on Cui Chonghe.
"Besides, I was speaking the truth. Is it really that hard to beat you from the eighth layer of the Spirit Field?" he emphasized once more.
From beginning to end, Qin Ming's tone remained free of ripples, calm and entirely natural. At the end, he even looked toward the Cui family luminaries with apparent bewilderment.
"Singing each other's praises in harmony like this—aren't you all in the wrong place? You ought to be storytelling in a teahouse, or perhaps joining an opera troupe."
Such words were far from polite. Qin Ming spoke his mind directly, showing no courtesy whatsoever.
Before Cui Chonghe and the luminaries could answer, the Cui family's elder dragon, Cui Chongxiao, had already walked over leading several people, his voice dropping low.
"I will give you a chance to rephrase that." His gaze was deep, his countenance jade-like and handsome. He looked exceptionally composed, radiating an extraordinary presence.
In terms of looks and grace, both Cui brothers were indeed remarkably striking, standing out prominently across the entire gathering.
Faced with this heavy stare and cold reprimand, Qin Ming naturally had no intention of indulging him. He retorted stiffly, "Are you possessed by a demon? Can't you understand the speech of Night Province? Or are you suffering premature aging and going deaf? If there's something wrong with you, hurry off and get it treated."
Instantly, all eyes turned toward them. The atmosphere tightened to the extreme, as if a fierce clash might erupt the moment another word was out of place.
Cui Chongxiao was tall and broad, his eyes flashing like lightning. As a prized disciple of a top-tier powerhouse from the esoteric sect, though he kept a low profile, his cultivation was formidable. An invisible aura rolled forward from him, seeking to suppress his opponent.
An elder of the Dayu imperial clan appeared like a ghost and said, "Everyone, please calm your anger. We are gathered here to discuss major matters, specifically the reopening of the ancient mist portals. Let us not damage our harmony."
Without a doubt, his strength was formidable, having reached the great circle of the Fourth Realm. He positioned himself between the Cui family and Qin Ming, wishing to prevent them from coming to blows on the spot.
"My apologies. I was impulsive," Cui Chongxiao said, restoring his refined, gentle demeanor as he offered his apologies to the Dayu imperial expert.
Then he glanced at Qin Ming, adopting an entirely different attitude. "Given a different time and place, certain people will be 'forced' to know their place."
It was a threat and an intimidation; Cui Chongxiao radiated faint murderous intent, issuing a stern warning.
Qin Ming was fearless and sneered, "What kind of posture are you striking? If the timing is right in the future, you two brothers might as well attack together. I'll take on both of you by myself!"
Instantly, a stir rippled through the area.
Cui Chongxiao had looked down on him from high above, yet Qin Ming, despite being in a lower realm, showed not the slightest dread and even offered to fight both brothers. His stance was truly forceful.
"Quite interesting," said Li Wanfa as he approached. Though he looked very young, his seniority was exceptionally high; he was a direct disciple of a living sage.
Beside him, Little Rulai also showed a flicker of surprise, thinking to himself, *What a pity he has not yet reached the Fourth Realm. He still needs to endure the passage of time. He still has a long way to go before reaching the grandmaster level our patriarch spoke of.*
Many onlookers watched closely, including disciples from Earth Immortal sanctuaries.
"Everyone, harmony is paramount," Dayu's old imperial uncle called out as he personally walked over to separate the two sides.
Yao Ruoxian moved with graceful, floating steps, her black hair drifting in the breeze. The multicolored gold hairpin on her head shimmered with dreamlike radiance as she too spoke up, urging both sides to avoid conflict.
She sent a secret transmission: "Qin Ming, don't be rash. Leaving Cui Chonghe aside, that Cui Chongxiao is nearly thirty years old. He has cultivated far longer than you, and his realm is truly quite high."
Qin Ming nodded. This was an imperial palace garden of Dayu, and the host had sent invitations far and wide, drawing numerous young experts from the heavens and foreign realms. He had no desire to ruin the atmosphere here either.
Cui Chongxiao looked ready to say more, but Cui Chonghe stopped him. "Elder Brother, let me handle it myself."
Cui Chonghe looked ahead, his expression calm and detached as he maintained his prior bearing. "Qin Ming, I will give you a chance to change your mind..."
Qin Ming cut him off. "If you're only at the early Fourth Realm, you probably really won't do."
He offered only that single line. Such a response made Cui Chonghe's face turn instantly cold.
Clearly, Qin Ming knew his disposition and had anticipated this outcome.
"Fine. Once this gathering concludes, you and I shall have an open battle!" Cui Chonghe's voice was strong, carrying clearly across the entire venue.
This immediately ignited a flurry of discussion.
"Qin Ming is going to fight Cui Chonghe? Excellent! I'm truly looking forward to it. How will the world-renowned offensive power of Chaos force fare against the Jinque Jade Chapter?"
By now, whether from the local lands, foreign realms, or the heavens above, everyone who had arrived knew of the grievances binding the two, revolving around the matter of the double and the discarded pawn.
"You can tell from Cui Chonghe taking the initiative to write a challenge that Qin Ming is truly stunningly gifted. After all, he has clearly made the true master feel crisis and pressure."
Naturally, there were also those on good terms with the Cui family who took their side, remarking, "Is this the civet cat fighting the crown prince? Merely a shadow that grew a bit of wings, yet now he dares try to slay his master."
"Shut your foul mouth. Haven't you heard the details? Qin Ming died once for the Cui family. Furthermore, speaking of lineage, he isn't necessarily inferior to the Cui family."
In recent days, rumors had circulated that Qin Ming, who practiced Chaos force, might be a descendant of Patriarch Qin, one of the founders of the silk book method.
"A descendant of one of the original patriarchs of the silk book method might not be imperial royalty, but in terms of standing, they are certainly no less noble than children of some millennium-old clan. Yet what did the Cui family do? They showed no respect for Patriarch Qin's descendant, treated him as a puppet to die in another's place, and even coveted his silk book method. What kind of disgraceful conduct is that?"
"If the rumors are true, the Cui family is truly inhumane. What a pity that the legendary Patriarch Qin vanished nine hundred years ago and has likely long passed away; otherwise, he would surely have flattened the Cui family."
The simple challenge and reply between the two had stirred quite a commotion, prompting heated debates from people with differing stances.
"You may not know this, but four months ago, Cui Chonghe thoroughly mastered the Jinque Jade Chapter. That is one of the three most difficult true scriptures of the immortal path."
Reportedly, this had allowed Cui Chonghe's physical body and spirit to undergo another major nirvana, granting him terrifying cultivation. In terms of offensive might within the same realm, he was frighteningly formidable and not necessarily inferior to someone who had mastered Chaos force—not to mention that his realm was higher.
At once, a collective breath of night mist was drawn in shock.
Even figures hailing from the ancient peaks in the heavens were deeply shaken. They knew well that the Jinque Jade Chapter originated from the heavens above, being one of the orthodox lineages of Yujing.
"Could this truly become a clash between dragon and tiger?"
"Indeed. The double has transformed into a true dragon; otherwise, he wouldn't be suspected of being 'One Sword.' Cui Chonghe shares such deep ties with him and, as the true master, can also be called a dragon, can he not? Wouldn't this count as a battle of twin dragons?"
Cui Chonghe and Qin Ming reached an initial agreement to hold the duel three days later.
The current gathering would continue for a day or two, focusing heavily on discussing the ancient mist portals and pushing deeper into the night mist world—an affair no one wished to miss.
Before long, the commotion stirred by this duel of twin dragons gradually subsided.
Night fell like fine gauze. The scenery of the imperial palace garden was breathtakingly exquisite: jade pavilions stood half-concealed within the Purple Bamboo Forest, flying dragon vines hung from high above, silver wind chimes swayed gently, and moon lotuses quietly bloomed in the lake, their clear, pure "moonlight" spreading layer upon layer through the air.
By then, everyone attending the gathering had received a booklet recording various ancient mist portals along with parts of the unearthed truth regarding them.
"Everyone, now that the senior predecessors are plagued by ailments and have entered seclusion, what comes next depends on our generation," someone said, setting the keynote for the gathering.
The younger, vigorous generation was rising; they would be the ones to shoulder the banner of this era.
Yet harsh reality had already revealed that some among them might also fail to endure in the future. Only those capable of rising reborn from the fire would prove to be "true gold."
The green sandalwood tables gave off a faint, refreshing fragrance. As a participant, Qin Ming naturally studied the secret booklet on his table intently.
Those capable of coming here were either renowned prodigies or disciples of Earth Immortals, including the blazing suns of the heavens and descendants of those who had achieved Seven-Sun Convergence—a true gathering of young elites.
Even Yun Jianyue, the ultimate entity born of the merger between the Heavenly Immortal and the Heavenly God, had arrived in person.
"This ancient mist portal is worth exploring. A grandmaster once ventured through and, upon his return, leaped straight to become a powerhouse of the Sixth Realm."
Someone spoke up, pointing at one of the pages and singling it out for appraisal, believing that this mist portal warranted prioritized study.
"Daoist friend, do not be in such a hurry. There is supplementary information; turn the page," someone cautioned.
Many frowned. That powerhouse, after breaking through, had stepped back into that realm three years later, only to return raving mad within three days.
Moreover, the multiple Sixth Realm powerhouses who had accompanied him, including peak-level patriarchs, had not returned—not a single one.
Someone sighed. "There is great opportunity there—extraordinary miraculous herbs exist in that land. Yet terrifying monsters might also be intentionally fishing for prey. It is an exceedingly perilous place."
To pass through an ancient mist portal, one required a special life talisman. Each talisman was unique and had to be bound to an individual in advance; if the identity did not match, one could not embark on the return journey.
This was designed to prevent terrifying, baneful entities from tracing the path and pursuing them.
It was easy to imagine that in ancient times, the sages of old must have suffered bitter lessons before devising such specialized life talismans.
Someone continued turning the pages and discovered another described realm.
"This... was not prepared for us at all. It is far too tragic. If we insist on going, we might be entirely wiped out."
Behind that mist portal lay a land where spiritual flowers blossomed and rare herbs flourished—a seemingly tranquil realm. Yet when an Earth Immortal led an expedition to explore it, later visitors found his corpse hanging from an ancient tree, more than half-eaten.
Instantly, the brows of everyone present twitched violently. An Earth Immortal hanging from a tree branch, reduced to monster food—it made one's scalp tingle with dread.
Most of the ancient mist portals were entirely blank, offering no descriptions whatsoever, steeped in the unknown.
The more this was so, the heavier people's hearts grew, a chill creeping up their spines. Even the few portals with records were each more bizarre and dreadful than the last. Who wouldn't overthink it? Who would dare venture forth?
"Are those old fellows out of their minds? Do they truly take our younger generation for cannon fodder? Sending us to die just to scout the way—what on earth are they thinking!"
Discontent flared. As for those blood-drenched mist portals, whoever wished to go could go; ninety percent of the people present had already dismissed the idea in their hearts, determined not to get involved.
"There are also places with extremely low risk, where the methods of cultivation have only just begun to rise. Reportedly, predecessors once journeyed there to become gods and patriarchs, enjoying supreme status and reaping tremendous rewards!"
People studied the texts. Certain bizarre lands appeared barren, yet they were well worth exploring, concealing unexpected fortunes. For instance, there were rare exotic metal mines, as well as fallen realms that were gradually unsealing, allowing outsiders to grow stronger day by day alongside that land until they became supreme immortals, Buddhas, or peerless figures of an otherworldly realm.
"Daylight Realm?!" A prodigy from an Earth Immortal sanctuary raised his voice, sounding startled.
In truth, those two words alone gave rise to countless reveries.
Yet when everyone's gaze settled upon that page, they fell silent once more. Aside from those words, there was no further description.
Tang Yushang spoke. "Originally, there was half a page of records, but someone tore it away, deliberately destroying it. One can only imagine that land is extraordinarily remarkable."
She too was present, her bright eyes clear, her dark hair reaching down to her waist. Her beauty was dazzling, and her black dress accentuated her cold, enchanting elegance and peerless grace.
"Everyone, you may not know this, but in the distant ancient past, some of the Heavenly Gods on our side achieved their divinity precisely beyond those mist portals," a young man remarked. Clad in spotless white robes, he was none other than Zhou Tiandao, the divinely gifted figure from the highest heavens, carrying an otherworldly elegance.
The area fell quiet for a moment before erupting into noisy chatter, the mist portals igniting heated discussions.
Qin Ming gently tapped the green sandalwood table with his finger. He felt that certain low-level foreign worlds could be explored, but as for the mist portals holding great fortune where even Earth Immortals met disaster, he would not touch them under any circumstances.
Unless forced by necessity, who would willingly barge into such places? Would that not be seeking death?
He strongly suspected that within those mysterious, unknown worlds, there were likely wild monsters on par with Heavenly Gods.
Everyone knew that the greater the risk, the greater the fortune—yet one still needed to be alive to claim it.
The gathering lasted two full days, with all parties debating, consulting ancient texts, unearthing the truth behind those sealed mist portals, and compiling their findings.
"Everyone, once we unearth more of the past behind certain mist portals, we shall reconvene."
In truth, uncovering the deeper truth was hardly possible; the documentation was limited, and what existed was barely enough for preliminary exploration. Some had already resolved that once the Qilin hoofprints and golden claw marks completely ceased appearing, they would consider journeying afar to explore the relatively safe foreign realms.
"Brother Qin, you are about to clash with Cui Chonghe. Are you confident? He stands in the Fourth Realm, while you have cultivated for only a short time. This is somewhat risky!" Cheng Sheng of the esoteric sect walked over, with Zhao Qingcheng by his side. The two of them ranked among the foremost divine seeds of the sect.
In fact, many people were watching.
The moment the gathering concluded, everyone, intentionally or otherwise, looked toward Qin Ming and Cui Chonghe. It was now time for their duel.
"It's fine, merely a simple fight," Qin Ming said with a smile, even inviting the two of them for a drink.
"I'm waiting to see how he fares!" in the distance whispered Qi Yunxiao, the Eastern Lands prodigy whom Qin Ming had once crippled. He practiced the *Nirvana True Scripture*. Two years had passed, and through the personal intervention of an ancestor from an Earth Immortal sanctuary, he had gained a new lease on life and made a full recovery.
Mu Xingyao and Cen Jinghong, who had once been captured by Qin Ming, wore complicated expressions. Meanwhile, Xiao Jinye, the grandson of the Old Barbarian God, alongside prodigies from the heavens such as Feng Zhige, Yan Zhuohua, and Lu Chengyuan, all looked toward him as well.
"Brother Ming, may you triumph from the very start!" Bai Meng sent a voice transmission.
Qin Ming replied in secret, "Thank you for your hard work these past two days."
"It was nothing!" Bai Meng waved a hand dismissively. Over the past two days, he had been quietly spreading rumors that Cui Chonghe would fight the Third Realm Qin Ming using only the strength of the early Fourth Realm.
He was not the only one; the veteran grandmaster Yu Gensheng had also mobilized his connections to help.
If Qin Ming directly fought Cui Chonghe at the middle Fourth Realm, even if he won, it would draw far too much unwanted attention.
Since Cui the Second was so self-assured, Qin Ming was ready to grant his wish.
From what Qin Ming understood of Cui Chonghe, the man was extremely proud. Going by his nature, he likely would not pull underhanded tricks on his own, but with other Cui family members counseling him, it was hard to say.
Therefore, spreading some necessary "rumors" was essential to block certain paths for them.
Just as he had anticipated, several core figures of the Cui family had arrived at the Dayu imperial capital. For instance, Cui Chonghe's father, Cui Qi, had appeared two days ago, and an ailing grandmaster of the clan had arrived as well; the entire group took this matter extremely seriously.
An elder whose eyebrows had nearly all fallen out spoke: "Since that discarded pawn is so arrogant, let him get what he deserves. Do not suppress your realm, Chonghe. You must not let pride get in the way. When the time comes, unleash the power of the middle Fourth Realm and blast him to pieces in the arena!"
"Mm, that is viable," Cui Qi agreed with a nod, urging his second son to do just that.
"It is only right. He brought this on himself!" The Cui family's elder dragon, Cui Chongxiao, also supported this course of action.
However, Cui Changfa spoke up from the side. "Over the past two days, word has spread outside that Chonghe will fight Qin Ming using only the power of the early Fourth Realm."
Cui Qi's face immediately darkened. "This... we don't need to pay heed to that!"
Cui Chonghe shook his head. He had confidence in himself, and he had already made that declaration at the gathering; was he supposed to go back on his word now? He had intended from the start to crush Qin Ming head-on, unwilling to let what should be a glorious record be tarnished with a stain.
"It is definitely people on that discarded pawn's side deliberately spreading such news. Shameless!" an elder of the Cui family said, slamming his hand onto the table.
They knew Cui Chonghe well and understood that once he made up his mind, dissuading him was useless.
At this moment, the Cui family's ailing grandmaster spoke: "The first through third heavens of the Fourth Realm all count as the early stage. Chonghe, for the sake of certainty and for the millennium-old glory of our Cui family, you cannot be willful any longer. You must remember: your Grandfather Changqing was murdered unexpectedly, depriving our Cui family of a grandmaster who was poised to rise. Our morale has been low lately, and the negative fallout has been immense. You must achieve an overwhelming victory—there is no room for failure!"
Hearing this, Cui Qi immediately nodded. "Mm, it's settled then!"
With that, he patted Cui Chonghe on the shoulder, telling him that he had to obey instructions.
As previously agreed between Qin Ming and Cui Chonghe, the duel was set for three days later. With no unexpected variables, time passed quickly, and the official day arrived.
During this time, the news had long since spread far and wide.
Not only had the Cui family arrived, but members of major orthodox lineages, direct scions of top-tier clans, and foreign experts staying in Night Province all converged toward the Dayu imperial capital.
Old acquaintances who shared ties with both Qin Ming and Cui Chonghe had also come, such as Chen Bingyan, Zheng Maoze, and the others. Even Zeng Yuan, who had returned home to live as a wealthy gentleman after losing a leg, came to watch. Furthermore, Wang Caiwei, the "leading lady" tied to those past grievances, had also arrived in Chongxiao City to witness the confrontation.
Yun Jianyue, a core saint from the highest heavens, personally attended the duel, while Zhou Tiandao, Feng Zhige, and the others had shown up early.
In addition, some from the heavens had come specifically to observe firsthand, aiming to definitively verify whether Qin Ming belonged to the realm faction or was indeed One Sword.
The venue was an arena provided by the Dayu imperial clan, vast enough to accommodate spectators from all factions.
Qin Ming stepped firmly into the arena.
Cui Chonghe stood motionless, resting there quietly like a divine statue draped in immortal mist. He had already entered the arena half a quarter of an hour earlier.
"This is your final chance. It is not too late to withdraw," Cui Chonghe said. He knew full well that with things having reached this stage, his opponent would never back down.
"Even now, you're still putting on airs. To tell you the truth, if you brothers are only in the early Fourth Realm, I'd rather take on both of you at once," Qin Ming said, sweeping his gaze toward Cui Chongxiao outside the arena.
"Who gave you the nerve?" Cui Chongxiao roared from outside, his face darkening completely.
"If you don't like it, come up here too!" Qin Ming stared right back at him.
Chapter 493