Night mist curled around them. Beneath the Black-White Twin Trees, Qin Ming and Li Qingyue stood quietly, feeling a profound peace after their brief embrace.
In the pool, the fire spring shimmered with rippling light, steam and mist rising to illuminate their youthful faces. For a time, both were silent; each had their own path to walk.
After a moment, Li Qingyue whispered, "I want to become stronger, so that in the future, we can walk shoulder to shoulder."
Hearing this, Qin Ming nodded firmly. "All right!"
The Eight Trigrams Furnace glowed faintly and said, "Some supreme scriptures are recorded only in the highest domains, and I am merely a remnant spirit with severe gaps in my memory."
Upon careful thought, Qin Ming understood clearly that Doushuai Palace was the best place for Li Qingyue to grow and rise. Only by reaching that place could she transcend the Innate Fire Body.
He, too, hoped they could walk side by side in the future.
Looking at her soft, beautiful face, Qin Ming did not want to hold her back for his own selfish desires.
If they had been ordinary youths born in a giant city far from strife, this might have been a time filled with bright hopes for the future. But both knew the cruelty of the night mist world. Peaceful moments together were fleeting; without sufficient personal strength, one could hold on to nothing.
When that radiant giant footprint descended, an entire super-sized city had turned to ash in an instant. Were such a thing to strike near them, the mere thought was despairing. It was a catastrophe capable of shattering rivers and mountains and wiping out dynasties in moments, yet it was merely a ripple stirred in a single corner of the night mist world.
The leaves of the Black-White Twin Trees possessed a jade-like texture, rustling and clinking crisply in the gentle breeze.
At the corner of the street by the village entrance, six-year-old Wenhui peeked around, blinking his large eyes. In a timid voice, he called out, "Uncle, is that Auntie?"
"Yes!" Qin Ming nodded with a smile.
At this, Li Qingyue greeted the clear-eyed child with graceful poise. She even had candy with her, which she sent over wrapped in pure yang power.
Wenhui was originally a little shy around strangers, but now his innocent eyes widened, and he immediately cheered happily, "Auntie is a fairy!"
From the night mist outside the village, Jiang Ran chuckled softly.
"There's another... Auntie?" A bit bashful, Wenhui called out shyly toward Jiang Ran as well.
Immediately afterward, the couple Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing appeared and invited Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran into the village, where husband and wife bustled about preparing a feast of good food.
During the meal, Village Chief Xu Yueping brought over yak ribs, while Yang Yongqing delivered a leg of yellow goat...
Yu Gensheng and Li Qingyun also showed up, stepping into Twin Trees Village to take a very close, careful look at the village where Qin Ming had lived for years.
"Seniors, thank you for your trouble," Qin Ming thanked the two elders from the bottom of his heart.
As for the Dayu imperial family's grandmaster, once they approached Black-White Mountain and saw everything was well, he had quietly withdrawn.
Up on a tall tree outside the village, Yuque muttered, "Mountain Lord, is he bringing his wife through the front door? Next spring, he won't be able to call me a deadbeat bird anymore."
"Scum!" The red squirrel spat out a single word.
The Thunder King Bird cautioned, "Keep your voices down. Those two ladies are top-tier experts among the human race's younger generation!"
Later on, Meng Xinghai arrived as well, having flown over specifically on a high-grade exotic bird from Chixia City to share two jars of fine wine with Yu Gensheng and Li Qingyun.
"This child... is only nine years old?" Over the meal, several people looked at Wenrui with surprise.
He had the tender face of a child, yet in height he was hardly shorter than an adult.
And this was already the result of Qin Ming shattering his Giant Spirit bone and helping him reshape his flesh, blood, and meridians.
Yu Gensheng said, "Fracturing bones, stretching tendons, and tempering flesh and blood—to endure so much hardship at such a tender age. Come, Grandpa will teach you a health-nourishing technique to strengthen your constitution."
"It wasn't bitter. Thank you, Grandpa Yu," Wenrui replied. Though young, his willpower was firm, and his eyes shone bright and spirited.
Li Qingyun patted his head and said, "You can walk the esoteric sect path too? Then I shall teach you a method to temper the body as well."
Evidently, what both old men passed on were insights distilled through decades of experience, endowed with the miraculous power to turn the crude into the wondrous.
"This child can walk all three paths?" Meng Xinghai was astonished. Though Wenrui's aptitude was not extraordinary, the paths available to him were remarkably broad.
Li Qingyue stepped closer and said, "I will pass on a qi-nourishing technique of the Immortal path to you."
Jiang Ran pondered briefly, then said, "I'll teach you a technique as well, one that focuses on nurturing the spirit. Though you cannot cultivate it yet, you can memorize it first."
"Thank you, two... Aunties." Wenrui appeared quite composed, but he was still a child after all. Filled with joy, he bowed repeatedly.
The ladies felt slightly awkward. Jiang Ran in particular chuckled and shook her head, lifting him up with a wisp of pure yang spiritual light.
"Good! A fine boy who knows the right words," Yu Gensheng approved warmly, nodding again and again.
Li Qingyun had told Qin Ming long ago that he worried Li Qingyue might become like a severed kite drifting far away in her pursuit of the Dao. Now, seeing this scene, his face was full of smiles, delighted by the sight.
Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing felt rather bashful. Seeing these immortal-like figures bestowing arts upon their elder son, they rubbed their hands together simply and offered ceaseless thanks.
Yu Gensheng remarked, "He is a good child, simple and honest at heart. Since he can walk all three paths, he might inherit Little Qin's mantle and shine brilliantly in the future."
Wenrui shook his head and said in a low voice, "I know my constitution is weak and my talent is far beneath Uncle's. I don't have lofty goals or grandiose ideals. As long as I can protect my parents and little brother from harm and guard this village, that will be enough for me."
His innocent, earnest words brought kind smiles to everyone present, and they all nodded approvingly.
Meng Xinghai set down his wine cup and said, "Child, your aspiration is actually not small at all. The Black-White Mountain region is far from simple. In the past, a blood-dripping kite once drifted above this village. Among its old nemeses, some may still be alive. Even if those old rivals have passed away, their descendants or disciples are likely still walking the world."
Li Qingyun said, "It is still too early to tell a child such things."
Qin Ming patted Wenrui's shoulder and said, "Just work hard. Don't worry about anything else."
Then he turned to Yu Gensheng and asked, "Senior, have you crossed the threshold to Great Grandmaster?"
Li Qingyun was startled. "What? Senior Yu, you've reached that step already? Congratulations!"
Yu Gensheng's complexion was ruddy as he replied, "Not so fast. I'm still testing the arts and repeatedly scouting the path, but there is indeed hope. Thanks to Little Qin extending my lifespan by eighty years, I can dare to attempt it—otherwise, in this era, how would I dare cause such a fuss? Now that I have years to spare, I dare take a gamble when the Dao rhyme surges to its peak."
"Senior, this is practically living a second life."
"Congratulations, Senior! If you step into the realm of Great Grandmaster, you are almost guaranteed to reach the Patriarch realm eventually, and your lifespan will become far more vast!"
Meng Xinghai, Li Qingyue, and Jiang Ran all offered their smiling congratulations to the old man. In this era, simply surviving was difficult enough for many elders of the older generation; wanting to take another step forward was nothing short of risking one's life.
The unexpected eighty years of lifespan were Yu Gensheng's greatest foundation. He felt that even if he burned through them, it didn't matter. It was precisely this mindset of letting go that allowed him to faintly approach that domain.
Yet such attempts remained perilous. After testing the waters roughly just twice, he had already consumed forty years of his lifespan; he only had two chances remaining.
Even so, his confidence was exceptionally high.
Reaching the profound depths of the Fifth Realm earned one the title of Great Grandmaster, which was indeed very close to the Sixth Realm.
As for Grandmaster, in the distant past one had to reach at least the middle stage of the Fifth Realm to bear the title.
In modern times, however, anyone who stepped into the Fifth Realm was called a grandmaster by many, because under normal circumstances, they would eventually grind their way to the middle stage.
Currently, Li Qingyun was in this state, at the initial stage of the Fifth Realm. In ancient times, he would have been considered merely a pseudo-grandmaster.
Yet Old Master Li was still young, not even a hundred years old. In the Fifth Realm, he was a rising star, in his vibrant prime, with ample time to polish himself.
Yu Gensheng said, "Little Li, don't be rash. You are still young, with plenty of time to cultivate. Who knows, perhaps you can endure until this perilous era ends completely and welcome a golden epoch when Dao rhyme pours down like torrential rain."
Beside them, shy six-year-old Wenhui was bewildered. Was Grandpa Li a youth like his big brother? But his beard was already white!
"Little Qin, it should be quite safe here at Black-White Mountain. Don't venture out for a while. This old man will be taking his leave." Having eaten and drunk his fill, Yu Gensheng set off into the night. Given the harsh environment, he needed an appropriate place to lie low and await his opportunity for a breakthrough; every excursion took a toll.
"Senior, I'll go with you." As a grandmaster, Li Qingyun also felt that the churning Dao rhyme of heaven and earth was hostile toward him, and he needed to go into seclusion in a special place rich in spirituality.
Meng Xinghai rose as well, taking his leave alongside them.
Later that night, Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran came to Qin Ming's small courtyard. Looking over his old dwelling, they felt quite curious. The rough stone mill still bore the chipped marks left from when Qin Ming had pinched and broken it with his fingers to test his techniques during his Newborn days.
Then there was the woven mat upon the earthen kang bed and the aged bedding—it was austere to an extreme. It was hard to imagine that this was once the residence of the leading figure of the Newborn path.
"Four years ago, was it here that you fell gravely ill and endured alone for more than a month?" Li Qingyue asked gently. Even though this had passed long ago, ripples still stirred uncontrollably in her heart.
Qin Ming nodded. Back then, he truly had come close to death. Looking back, that had been the most grueling period of his life.
"It truly wasn't easy," Jiang Ran remarked.
The two women stayed the night there, while Qin Ming walked to the village entrance and sat cross-legged beneath the Black-White Twin Trees.
Yuque flitted over furtively and chirped, "Mountain Lord, did you get kicked out? Every profession has its specialty, and in this field, you're hopeless, milord! Nowhere near as good as me."
With a thud, several feathers flew as Qin Ming swatted it away with a palm.
"Scum bird!" The red squirrel clapped its paws in delight.
In the early hours of the night, when the two women prepared to depart, they told Qin Ming that when the day came for them to leave Night Province, they would not send word specifically; when the time was right, they might set off at any moment.
Qin Ming communicated with the artifact spirits of his two special weapons, inquiring about coordinates. One day, he might journey alone to those distant supreme lands.
He even asked about the trial grounds, hunting domains, irradiated zones, and adjacent regions connected to the supreme dao arenas.
"Asking in such detail puts me in a tough spot; this touches upon divulging secrets," Six Desires replied, though inwardly its interest was piqued.
Qin Ming said, "Seniors, haven't you been trying to recruit me all along? Perhaps one day, I'll show up in your territory of my own accord."
When parting, Qin Ming and Li Qingyue embraced gently. In the end, he watched as the two women walked away, vanishing into the night.
He felt that all problems ultimately stemmed from not being strong enough.
If his cultivation was profound enough, when could he not set out, and where could he not go?
From here on, he would completely settle his mind, cultivating while waiting for the ancient Mist Gates to open, striving to enter the Grandmaster realm as early as possible.
Qin Ming lived in seclusion in the remote village, contemplating scriptures, sensing the shifts in the Dao rhyme of heaven and earth, while also guiding Wenrui's cultivation and reshaping his Giant Spirit physique.
"Not bad. To think I obtained the scripture Beginning of the Primal," Qin Ming noted with great satisfaction, stroking a slightly rough hide book.
This was his spoils of war, taken from Cui Chonghe's storage bracelet. Originally just a handbook of cultivation insights, it had resonated with Qin Ming to reveal the complete scripture of Beginning of the Primal.
He felt that this art matched his Mind Lamp realm remarkably well. Once cultivated to an extremely profound level, its flames of laws could dispel darkness and reshape the existing old order.
Furthermore, by following this method, one could forge the Yuanshi lamplight to illuminate the path ahead.
"As expected, some of the top wondrous arts are remarkably versatile. This Beginning of the Primal was originally an Immortal path art, yet it suits the Newborn path just as well and can be integrated into the silk book method."
Qin Ming sat in quiet contemplation, pondering deeply. He felt he could cultivate a "Yuanshi mind lamp," which aligned perfectly with his Fourth Realm.
He had already forged the Nanming Li Fire, the Six Ding Divine Fire, and the solar true fire. With three fires converging into his mind lamp, corresponding to "three giving birth to all things," he could derive all manner of methods.
In an instant, the Yuanshi mind lamp shone radiantly. Beams resembling pure yang sword rays shot from within his body with astonishing lethality, while his unique Samadhi true fire surged, cleansing his form and spirit.
Then, the Yuanshi mind lamp shifted, projecting great hand seals, pure yang sword rays, sabers coalesced from heavenly light... like a divine flower bursting into bloom, pouring forth various wondrous arts and techniques.
"Three gives birth to all things. Conversely, all creations and myriad wonders can in turn nourish the Yuanshi mind lamp," Qin Ming mused, beginning to delve deeper into the scripture.
The more he immersed himself heart and soul, the more he felt the depth and brilliance of this scripture. Fusing it into the silk book proved to be an immensely beneficial complement.
"Cui Two, this supreme scripture was truly wasted in your hands," Qin Ming thought. In his view, Cui Chonghe's so-called comprehension and mastery were still far from mature.
Over the next few months, Qin Ming cultivated and thoroughly corrected Wenrui's Giant Spirit body, restoring him to the physique a nine-year-old child ought to have.
Ordinarily, children of this age could not yet embark upon the Newborn path. Only youths from premier great clans, protected by elders and aided by wondrous medicines, could start early.
However, with Qin Ming at his side, Wenrui could embark upon the Newborn path ahead of time without worrying about complications from premature training.
"Wenrui, cultivate diligently. Although you have suffered hardships, your present environment is far better than mine back then. I couldn't embark on the path until I was sixteen, and I had no one to shelter my cultivation."
Wenrui's small face was full of determination as he said, "Uncle, I won't let you down. Even though my talent is lacking, I will do my absolute best to learn the arts and strive to go far. I hope that one day, when you need me, I can share your burdens and fight in your stead."
"Good!" Qin Ming stroked his head, offering encouragement.
Time flew by, and a year passed in a flash.
During this period, Night Province remained relatively peaceful; the distant supreme lands did not probe further or launch an all-out invasion.
Undercurrents surged, nonetheless. Fewer and fewer experts of the older generation showed themselves, seemingly proving that the banner of this era would be carried by the young and vigorous.
Qin Ming did not know whether Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran had already embarked on their distant journey. A year ago, they had said there would be no further goodbyes and no need to see them off.
"Time truly slips by so fast. Without realizing it, a year has already passed." Qin Ming was now twenty-one years old, moving from a callow youth into his golden window.
He could clearly feel that his cultivation had advanced once more, yet a gap remained before breaking through.
He was not affected by the harsh macro-environment. However, no matter which path one walked, reaching the Fourth Realm became arduous. Even with his extraordinary talent, under normal circumstances he would still need around three years to ascend another minor step.
Calculating it this way, within the five-year span Li Qingyue had mentioned, he certainly wouldn't reach the Grandmaster realm, leaving him unable to visit her far away.
Qin Ming murmured to himself, "If I want my realm to advance quickly, pioneering really is necessary after all. Otherwise, holed up in one place and burying my head in cultivation is simply too slow."
He learned that a handful of ancient Mist Gates were already on the verge of opening preliminarily.
"Hmm, Black-White Mountain is too remote. It seems my news is somewhat lagging—two portals have already had their seals preliminarily broken."
This was the latest intelligence Qin Ming gathered a few days later, and his spirits lifted immediately. As long as it wasn't a world riddled with frequent disasters, he planned to investigate.
The outside world was already stirring. From the ground to the heavens, all factions were restless and excited, for the alien realms behind the ancient Mist Gates seemed extraordinary, shrouded in mystery.
"Mysterious is good. As long as it isn't overly perilous, there will surely be fortune to be found, and a chance to travel far." Qin Ming was quite intrigued.
Over the past year, talk about him in the outside world had never ceased.
For instance, right now someone was grumbling with resentment: "Is Qin Ming dead? Why hasn't he come out yet!"
"Lying low in that village, he can truly endure the loneliness. In a whole year, he hasn't ventured far at all, at most just heading into the nearby mountains."
Speak of the devil. After cultivating in seclusion for so long, Qin Ming felt the urge to move after prolonged stillness; he had made up his mind to explore the unknown worlds behind the ancient Mist Gates.
One had to realize that this was completely different from the territories within Yujing's irradiated zone. It was unimaginably distant, bizarre and wondrous, where anything was possible.
After all, legends held that the Heavenly Gods of Yujing had all achieved their heights in different mysterious worlds behind the ancient Mist Gates.
"After a year of contemplating the scripture, though I haven't broken through, my combat techniques have improved considerably. My nine-colored sword baleful aura, Inner Landscape Heaven-Opening Axe, Yuanshi mind lamp, and Hunyuan spirit field have all reached a formidable level. I truly want to find someone to test my arts on and see the results—I wonder if I can hack a sickly grandmaster to death." Qin Ming pondered.
Then he immediately checked himself: he seemed to be getting a bit ahead of himself. A person needed to remain low-key and not become arrogant. Still, it truly was time for him to emerge from the mountains.
Chapter 500