In the night mist, the black and white trees swayed gently in the breeze. Their leaves brushed together with the soft clink of fine jade, pleasant and crisp to the ear.
Beneath the boughs, Wenrui was pouring with sweat. Several damp strands of dark hair clung to his cheeks, but his eyes shone bright and his resolve was unwavering as he shifted his stance and punched without pause.
A year had gone by, and his Giant Spirit Physique had been thoroughly corrected back to how a normal ten-year-old child ought to look.
Qin Ming was preparing to leave the Black-White Mountain. As the moment of parting drew near, he felt a wave of gratification and said, "Wenrui, cultivating normally is enough. There's no need to push yourself to exhaustion every single day."
"Uncle, I'm not tired!" Wenrui shook his head.
Qin Ming pondered this. He felt the time was ripe to pass down the silk book method.
Earlier, he had harbored reservations. After all, the Chaos force was extraordinarily perilous; in its later stages, it inevitably brought the True Form Tribulation, where flesh and spirit could blow apart at any moment.
Yet thinking it through carefully, the technique was quite safe in its early phases. Qin Ming wanted to guide him onto the path, letting him practice the preliminaries to test the waters. Once his own cultivation grew profound enough to resolve the hidden dangers once and for all, he would pass down the complete system.
"Wenrui, do you want to cultivate the legendary Chaos force of Night Province?"
"I do!" Wenrui pulled back his fists and trotted over. Looking up at Qin Ming, his whole face lit up with an eager, hopeful glow in his eyes.
"Come." Qin Ming patted the ground beside him, gesturing for the boy to sit. Then, vibrating his spiritual field, he used resonance to transmit the first two pages of the silk book method.
This was the true technique he had subtly refined to a flawless level—or at least, he personally considered it free of flaws.
Wenrui was thrilled, clutching his small fists in boundless joy. Whenever he visited Silver Vine Town, he would catch wind of the rumors regarding his uncle and the silk book method, knowing full well what a priceless scripture it was.
Qin Ming first let him seek his own understanding, grope through the nuances, and practice according to his personal grasp.
"Your comprehension is quite good." Qin Ming was fairly pleased.
Wenrui's skeletal roots and aptitude were merely upper-average, which could not be altered for now. However, his comprehension was exceptional. That was vital; down the line, he might cultivate the Destiny-Altering Scripture to gradually remake his natural endowment.
Nevertheless, several days later, Wenrui grew dejected. He could not make any headway with the silk book method at all, unable even to cross the threshold, and felt deeply downcast.
Qin Ming spoke up: "There is no need for despair. One must be guided onto this path by a predecessor to truly begin. Come here, and I'll explain it in detail."
Over the past few days, Qin Ming had watched silently without interfering. He had seen Wenrui meditate, feel his way forward, and practice alone, even managing a convincing semblance of the forms.
Alas, no miracles occurred. Without a guide to lead the way, mastering this scripture was indeed nigh impossible.
"No wonder people have their eyes on me, wanting to dissect and study my body," Qin Ming mused. Putting himself in their shoes, he too would find such an anomaly fascinating.
Wenrui quieted down, tilting his little face upward as he listened earnestly to the teachings.
Qin Ming began formally explaining the art and resolving his doubts, breaking down every single true word so the child could grasp it entirely.
The next day, the two sat facing each other beneath the Black-White Twin Trees, their minds completely calm. Qin Ming's glabella began to shine as a wisp of the purest Hunyuan heavenly light blossomed.
Within that light flickered intricate runes, like a condensed celestial river, like the blooming of Dao flowers layer upon layer, as if a volume of sacred text were concentrated within.
Ultimately, it condensed into a single seed. It traveled down Qin Ming's arm and gathered at the tip of his finger.
With a gentle tap, Qin Ming sent the priceless brand sinking into Wenrui's glabella. Immediately, a stream of the most sacred Hunyuan heavenly light began to trickle through the boy's body like a gentle brook.
"This is the Mountain Lord's first time condensing a seed of the Chaos force! If an opportunity to receive such a legacy were offered out in the wider world, countless prodigies would bash each other's heads in to fight for it!"
Farther away, Yuque, the Thunder King Bird, and the Red Squirrel watched under the pretext of guarding the seclusion. In truth, they were peeking with envy. Unfortunately, they were spirit beasts; unless they completely remade their forms into humans, they were ill-suited to cultivate it.
"A single runic seed, worth cities!"
They knew all too well what a tremendous destiny this represented.
Most importantly, this was the very first seed Qin Ming had ever condensed to bestow upon another.
That same day, Wenrui crossed the threshold and grew steadily familiar with the flow. His heart brimmed with immense joy and excitement. He could feel a warm current surging through his body, filling him with inexhaustible strength.
"I heard Yuque say earlier that Uncle mastered this scripture entirely on your own, something no one in Night Province had ever accomplished before. Uncle, you're truly incredible!"
Wenrui's face was full of worship. He felt no lingering disappointment over needing a guide; in his eyes, his uncle Qin Ming was naturally meant to be peerless under heaven.
Seeing that the boy had set out smoothly on the path, Qin Ming prepared to depart on his distant journey.
"Mountain Lord, are you off to find Empress Yue and Consort Ran?" Yuque fluttered over to butter him up, looking eager to accompany him.
The Red Squirrel scoffed, "Scumbag bird, the Mountain Lord is going to pioneer unknown foreign lands. You'd just be a burden!"
Yuque was deeply offended. "You dare say that word again, and I won't let you off! Why must a passionate, sensitive bird always suffer such heartless wounds?"
"Scumbag!"
"Fight!"
...
Wenrui was reluctant to part. "Uncle, you must stay safe. When you're out pioneering, maybe you'll really run into Auntie. Please send her my regards. I hope good news arrives soon so I can have a little cousin."
Qin Ming burst into laughter. He rubbed the boy's head, telling him to cultivate diligently.
Lu Ze, Liang Wanqing, Wenhui, Xu Yueping, and the others wanted to see him off, but Qin Ming hastily sent a mental transmission to stop them, wishing to avoid any grand fuss.
Before leaving, he went to see Liu Mo's young son. The little fellow looked bright and sturdy, clearly extraordinary, but it was not yet time to pass on the Black-White Scripture.
Above all, that scripture was excessively profound and arcane.
He noticed that strange beasts from the Black-White Mountain dao arena lingered near the area year-round, and higher-order creatures were already guiding Liu Mo's son in tempering his physique. This spared Qin Ming the effort, leaving him free from distraction.
"Mountain Lord, will you really not take me along? I can carry you swiftly across vast distances," the Thunder King Bird said, reluctant to see him leave.
Qin Ming refused unequivocally, shaking his head. "No, it is too dangerous. Forget you; even I have no confidence in what lies ahead. I must act by ear."
After all, what lay behind those ancient Mist Gates was far too enigmatic. There were domains where even ancestral masters became prey upon entering, their mangled remains left dangling from tree branches by unknown entities.
...
Inside the City Lord's Manor in Chixia City, Qin Ming said with a smile, "Uncle Meng, don't rush. At your pace of progress, reaching the Grandmaster realm during your prime years is well within reach. Take it slowly."
Meng Xinghai sighed. "It's too difficult. I used to think my talent was extraordinary, but now I'm on the verge of being overtaken by you, brat. It really doesn't sit easy with me."
In reality, he was quite remarkable. Six months ago, he had broken through to the late stage of the fourth realm, which, in the esoteric sect's Nether-Passing realm, equated to the seventh heaven.
If he maintained this trajectory, once he reached fourth-realm consummation and polished his foundation with care, becoming a Grandmaster before sixty or seventy was very likely.
Qin Ming flashed his bright white teeth and chuckled. "Uncle Meng, you shouldn't compare yourself to me."
"You little rascal, you just love stabbing me where it hurts." Meng Xinghai pointed a finger at him.
The two were so close that their banter was completely unrestrained. Meng Xinghai even said frankly, "Being slowly chased down by someone of the younger generation... it feels like being pursued by a big yellow hound snapping at my heels. I'm anxious as anything, but completely helpless!"
"Uncle Meng, that's going too far!"
"Haha..."
A moment later, Meng Xinghai's expression turned grave. "Xiao Qin, if you're entering the worlds behind the ancient Mist Gates, you must be truly cautious. Those are by no means benevolent places. It's true that top-tier ancient masters rose to prominence through them, but those distant, uncharted lands have claimed far too many bones."
Moreover, those ancient portals had been sealed for so many centuries. Unbeknownst to anyone, the conditions inside might have changed; they could be safer, or they might have turned even more terrifying.
Then Meng Xinghai mentioned that following Qin Ming's resounding victory over Cui Chonghe a year ago, certain individuals might have grown restless. Venturing out of the mountains this time, he would likely be targeted.
Qin Ming nodded. "Uncle Meng, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. The moment I entered Chixia City, I sensed it. Some people are indeed growing restless."
Meng Xinghai frowned. "Then why leave the mountains at all?"
Qin Ming said nonchalantly, "I stepped out intentionally for them to see. Right next to the Dog Sword Immortal's dao arena, it's impossible for an Earth Immortal to show up in person, right? Besides, why would a figure of that caliber risk their life breaking seclusion just for me?"
Meng Xinghai looked concerned. "These days, even sickly grandmasters can barely walk abroad. But a gap of an entire major realm brings a staggering disparity!"
After a year of deep cultivation, Qin Ming was brimming with confidence. "Even if a sickly grandmaster steps onto the field, I wouldn't flinch. I might just wear the old fellow down to death!"
Meng Xinghai was stunned. This kid was fiercely monstrous beyond all reason!
Qin Ming added, "Coming openly to Chixia City this time was a stress test, to see if any monsters and demons couldn't wait any longer. I'll just clean them up along the way."
True to his word, he bade farewell to Meng Xinghai, left the city, and turned back toward the Black-White Mountain.
Soon, as the path grew more desolate, he sensed tails latching onto him from behind.
With a flick of his figure, Qin Ming darted into the dense woods and sped deeper into the mountains.
Those trailing him panicked. If he made it back into the Black-White Mountain, how could they possibly make a move? Who would dare venture deep inside? They had waited so long for this single opportunity!
Instantly, someone performed spirit wandering. A pure yang consciousness detached from its physical shell and streaked through the mountain forest like lightning, cutting off Qin Ming's path.
"Who are you?" Qin Ming stopped, deliberately waiting for the pursuer's physical body and another accomplice to catch up.
The glowing figure did not answer, but instead praised, "Remarkable! A prodigy of unparalleled talent, a rising sun of tomorrow!"
From behind, two figures arrived, and the pure yang consciousness immediately slipped back into its vessel.
These were two consummate experts, a man and a woman. It was impossible to tell their exact ages; their faces were full of deep creases and their necks bore folds of wrinkled skin, visibly decrepit.
They both smiled, looking at him as though beholding an exquisite treasure.
The old woman halted and said with a squinting smile, "Finally. After waiting a whole year, you've finally shown your face. Otherwise, this assignment would have been a total failure. Resources for retirement, and wanting to leave a bit of family wealth for our descendants... this kind of money is truly hard to earn."
The old man with loose, sagging skin nodded as well. "Indeed. This body is very valuable, too. Make sure not to ruin it. Who knows how many people want to dissect and study it? Be careful when you strike."
The pair acted as if they held Qin Ming in the palm of their hands, beaming cheerfully as they appraised him.
Qin Ming trod upon the thick layer of pine needles on the ground, inhaling the scent of resin in the woods. "This is the Black-White Mountain. You dare act with such impunity here? And aren't you worried that I lured you here on purpose?"
The old man replied, "We certainly considered every possibility, but it doesn't matter. We don't have much lifespan left anyway; why else would we dare approach the Black-White Mountain? People with only a few years left to live have nothing to fear and care about nothing. But if we succeed, perhaps we can use the bounty to strive for the Grandmaster rank. At worst, there is the advance payment—we've already secured an ample inheritance for our progeny."
Old codgers on the brink of death were reckless to the core. Even at the fringes of the Black-White Mountain, they dared to strike, unwilling to turn back now.
Qin Ming said, "Yes, indeed. I came out without any experts following me. You gambled correctly."
Hearing this, the old crone rubbed her hands together, smiling with rustic sincerity. "Then our apologies, young man. Today, we'll be borrowing your life."
The old man's smile was equally radiant. "Forgive us. Your future blazing sun must be snuffed out here ahead of time. A pity, yes, but every man for himself, or heaven and earth destroy him."
The two strode forward, pure yang force surging outward, shaking the mountain forest violently as gales began to howl. They unleashed an imposing, terrifying pressure.
Qin Ming shook his head. "With just you two, you fall short. Old arms and withered legs are hardly fit to wield blades; you shouldn't have hopped out here. Speak: where are you from, and who is your employer?"
The pair froze. Was this young man's confidence not a bit too inflated? They could not help glancing about, wondering if a master lurked in the shadows.
Qin Ming sneered. "Don't bother looking. It's just me. But you aren't even grandmasters—where did you find the courage and confidence to come after me? Fourth-realm consummation, yet your cultivation has already decayed and slipped. You dare lay hands on me?"
The old crone was taken aback, then turned menacing. "Have you lost your mind? A mere newcomer in the Spiritual Field realm! Even if you are an epoch-defining prodigy, a core saint of Yujing, if you are an entire major realm below us, you must still bow your head!"
According to outside estimations, Qin Ming had only just broken through to the ninth heaven of the Spiritual Field realm during his battle in the Dayu imperial capital. To attain consummation and break through into the fourth realm, such a major bottleneck would have held him back for at least three years.
The old man smiled kindly. "Heh, no matter. Being young is wonderful, full of fiery vigor. I appreciate that. Come closer, then, and let us get acquainted!"
Both sides moved forward, closing the distance between them.
In an instant, the two former consummate experts of the Immortal path's Embracing Simplicity realm erupted with boiling pure yang spiritual light, condensing spears, flying swords, bells, and other armaments, bearing down to suppress Qin Ming.
"Good child, let Granny dote on you!"
With a boom, Qin Ming's spiritual field unleashed, expanding at tremendous speed. Visible waves rippled out like concentric circles, transforming into a ferocious tidal swell.
"You..." The two elders were terrified. Before this staggering pressure, their bodies trembled, their eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.
Helplessly immobilized, their bodies were locked in place, spurting blossoms of blood.
Qin Ming had fused the Sumeru field, the Heavenly Demon force field, and more; it could now be called the Hunyuan Spiritual Field. It was as though interwoven magnetic field lines were clearly visible, piercing straight through the two elders.
In the void, metallic ringing resonated. No matter how the pair materialized their pure yang power, slashing with various weapons, they could not shake this visible, tangible field.
Clang! Bang!
The pure yang flying swords and glowing spiritual bells were pierced by the lines of the spiritual field and shattered. The tangible field then lifted the two up, pinning them in midair.
Terror consumed them; they could scarcely accept this reality.
Across each of their bodies, dozens—even hundreds—of field lines pierced through them like divine chains of order, locking them down tight.
Qin Ming nodded inwardly. These two were indeed quite formidable; after all, he had exerted his full strength, employing one of his greatest trump cards.
With one hand behind his back, he spoke indifferently: "Speak. Who sent you? Confess of your own accord."
Immediately, vibrant, multicolored mushrooms sprang up within the field, taking root in the void right before the two elders. This was the hallucinogenic field of the Great Dream Divine Mushroom.
The two had staunch wills, but eventually their eyes rolled back, and they answered every question put to them.
Qin Ming frowned. They hailed from the Eastern Lands and did not know the identity of their client; they were merely doing dirty work for pay.
"Then what use are you!" With a gentle shake, his Hunyuan Spiritual Field flared with light. Those tangible ripples tore the pair to pieces with a thunderous roar.
Without a ripple in his heart, Qin Ming said, "Why bother? At your advanced age, fallen and decayed from the peak of the fourth realm, yet you still came here to play the hero, only to end up buried in foreign soil. How foolish."
Then, turning into a streak of light, he shot into the distance with astonishing speed. There was another set of tails.
"Shoot him down!" In a bamboo grove farther away, three figures were poised. They too were elders on the verge of decay, practically with one foot in the grave.
The three wielded crude wooden bows, loosing arrows that looked like inferior wares, yet bore an eerie glow that burned like fiendish fire.
"Hm?" Warning bells rang in Qin Ming's mind as he sensed genuine danger. His spiritual field immediately pushed outward to intercept the bizarre arrows.
"Curses, secret arts, intertwined with almost boiling resentment... What a fearsome method of attack!" Qin Ming was mildly surprised.
Without the Hunyuan Spiritual Field, even if the arrows missed, that seething resentment would have coiled around him.
"Old Huang, are you hungry?" Qin Ming asked the Yellow Silk Canopy.
"Not eating. It's tainted, filthy!" It was surprisingly finicky, disdain dripping from its tone.
Qin Ming tested the waters briefly by letting in a sliver of the resentment, but his brows knitted tightly. This stuff was truly troublesome, relentlessly clinging to him to drain his essence, energy, and spirit.
Instantly, his Yuanshi mind lamp blazed with brilliant light as the Samadhi true fire surged, burning it to cinders.
Throughout the process, he never halted, soaring forward like a bird in flight as he burst into the bamboo grove.
Switching tactics, he instantly wielded the Inner Landscape Heaven-Opening Axe, chopping straight ahead.
With a wet squelch, an old man was blasted apart on the spot, leaving only a remnant soul. Though he was at the ninth heaven of the esoteric sect's Nether-Passing realm, he could not withstand Qin Ming's full-powered strike.
"How is this possible?!" The survivors were stunned.
The consensus outside was that Qin Ming stood firmly in the Spiritual Field realm. Yet facing him in person, they found he had long since broken through to the mind lamp domain—and by raw realm alone, he seemed on the verge of catching up to them!
The scalps of the three masters went numb. Could anything be more absurd? They had not even known the true strength of their mark—had they rushed all this way just to deliver their heads on a platter?
"This combat prowess... is he not equal to a core saint of Yujing in the same realm?!"
"Madness! How can he be this terrifying? Who can contend with him in the fourth realm?!"
All three fell into despair!
Qin Ming swung the Inner Landscape Heaven-Opening Axe repeatedly. The brilliant axe light and devastating force seemed capable of cleaving apart the mountains. A nearby stone cliff was caught in the aftermath and shattered, while a rocky peak was lopped off mid-height, tumbling down with a roar.
The so-called three masters—one at the consummation of Embracing Simplicity, and the other two decayed and fallen below the ninth heaven—were completely blown apart by Qin Ming's axe light.
He resonated with their minds, sensing their bitter, resentful thoughts to uncover their origins, and learned they belonged to an organization dedicated to wet work—Demon.
Qin Ming muttered, "At least you know what you are: filthy and unfit for the light, hence the name. We'll see about this!"
He had no need to rack his brains tracking down the clients behind these two groups. Whenever he encountered hostile clans or organizations that opposed him in the future, he would simply crush them all. That way, none would slip through the net.
"Once I run into you, none of you are getting away!" Qin Ming's villain-like declaration was brimful of resolve.
...
The outskirts of Luofu City had been exceptionally bustling of late. Blazing Suns from the heavens, supreme prodigies from beyond Night Province, and local masters from Night Province had all gathered here.
Qin Ming was left speechless; some people had kept their secrets remarkably well.
Supposedly, two ancient Mist Gates were to be initially opened, but one had actually been unsealed six months ago. Figures from above had been secretly exploring it ever since.
Recently, when word began to leak, they spread rumors that the world behind the other ancient Mist Gate harbored immense fortunes, aiming to divert attention and thus opening that second gate.
Yet no wall could block all wind, and the truth here was finally exposed.
The first gate opened led to a wondrous forbidden zone holding an ancient medicine field. It was brimming with precious herbs, divine blossoms in full bloom, and immortal trees glistening with light.
"There are actually... Earth Immortal-grade grand medicines! We saw them with our own eyes upon entering!" The Immortal and divine seeds of Night Province were furious. Such a sacred ground had nearly been monopolized by those from above.
The truth was that six months ago, the old factions in the heavens had combed through ancient texts and discovered detailed records about this portal.
It was a forbidden zone that could only be accessed once every eight hundred years, for the grand medicines within matured only once every eight centuries.
The beings of the realm where Yujing lay belonged to the extraterrestrial demons. They had opened a portal directly into the depths of the forbidden zone where that ancient medicine field was situated.
"Is there no danger?" Qin Ming inquired, seeking detailed information.
"The period when the immortal herbs mature is a safe window. The forbidden zone opens to all living beings of their world. This octocentennial grand occasion has been ongoing for tens of thousands of years."
"The ancient Mist Gate on our side leads straight into the forbidden zone, giving us an inherent geographic advantage. We can exploit the time difference, perhaps harvesting the grand medicines ahead of them and retreating unscathed!"
This time, the grand medicines were not far from maturity—half a month at most, or perhaps within days, the grand spectacle would unfold.
Qin Ming was thoroughly astonished. The people from above had intended to hoard it all for themselves, keeping it shrouded in secrecy, but word had leaked anyway. He mused that if luck was on his side, he might just attain the Grandmaster rank inside, after which he could set out directly to find Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran.
Chapter 501