Attaining the status of Grandmaster was merely the ideal scenario.
"I was thinking too optimistically." Qin Ming calmed his mind and carefully studied the publicly available information.
He believed he needed a deeper understanding; carelessness was not an option.
As natives of the Night Province, their vigilance was extraordinarily high, practically innate.
Although certain regional detractors always claimed the founders from the Night Province were "notorious," this also indirectly proved that the people of the Night Province possessed certain formidable qualities.
Qin Ming pondered whether this might be an orchestrated trap.
Considering the Night Province was blessed with outstanding people and fine traditions—simple, honest folk—if he were to "stumble," wouldn't he be embarrassing himself all the way in an otherworld? It would bring shame upon his origins.
Mainly, the conditions revealed in the circulating rumors were simply too good to be true.
Setting everything else aside, keywords like a direct path to a forbidden zone, ancient medicine fields, and Earth Immortal herbs were enough to turn eyes red with greed and stir up restless desires.
The claim that it "could no longer be kept secret" was not necessarily a true leak; someone might well be deliberately fanning the flames and feeding rumors.
Of course, one couldn't assume the worst about everything. In times like these, all factions acted with caution and weren't easily duped. Everyone wanted a seat at the banquet with chopsticks in hand to share a piece of the pie, rather than end up as the meat on someone else's plate.
Luofu City was not new to Qin Ming. Years ago, he had toured this city with Li Qingyue and helped her retrieve the Eight Trigrams Furnace from the ruins outside the city.
Revisiting the old haunts years later, with one less companion by his side, he looked at the cyan pagodas, the Black Gold Palace, and other ancient millennium-old structures bathed in the gilded glow cast by the fire springs. He tasted the "roasted dragon meat" once more by the shores of Jade Dragon Lake, but his state of mind was entirely different now.
"Tang Jin, Master Wu!" From a distance, Qin Ming spotted familiar faces in the city. However, he didn't go over to greet them. He had arrived keeping a low profile, aiming to break through to the next realm, and did not want to draw unwanted attention.
Tang Jin was tall and slender. The black fur cloak she wore rippled with a faint dark sheen, concealing her fair neck and revealing only her delicate chin, carrying an aura of mysterious aloofness.
She was just as she had been in the past, as if they had just met on Black-White Mountain.
Master Wu's feathers were golden. Born with special, divine purple eyes, its perception was exceptionally keen. Having grown to its current stage, it had acquired an ability nearly capable of seeing through all illusions.
"Little Tang, I thought I saw an old friend. Very similar... uh, I must have been mistaken, it doesn't seem to be him," Master Wu said.
Qin Ming found it absurd—was a fourth-realm crow truly this perceptive? Perhaps it was just a fleeting spark of insight. After all, he had altered his essence, energy, and spirit; merely walking past on one side shouldn't have given him away.
Beside Tang Jin and Master Wu stood another young man with an extraordinary bearing. When he smiled, dimples appeared on his cheeks, lending him an approachable charm.
Moreover, Qin Ming could sense that this person possessed abundant spirituality. Pure Yang power spilled outward, unable to be concealed, showing that his innate constitution and natural talent were completely off the charts.
"Could this be that hidden disciple?" Qin Ming did not scrutinize him, taking only a brief glance while contemplating in his heart.
Ling Yu had only been the junior disciple found by Tang Jin on the surface for her master—a reserve candidate. Supposedly, there was another true successor endowed with supreme talent.
Qin Ming had learned from Yuque that back then, he had also been one of the candidates.
He even knew what Tang Jin had said when passing on him: "The one I chose is like a blazing sun waiting to burst through the black clouds. But he should not be exposed too early, lest he incur the envy of the heavens, so he has already been sent away in advance."
Five years had passed, and the hidden disciple had presumably completed his studies, formally stepping out into the open.
"Who did you think you saw?" Tang Jin asked.
"The boy from Black-White Mountain," Master Wu replied through a mental transmission.
Tang Jin fell silent at once.
Regarding missing out on Qin Ming, Master Wu had brought up the old matter more than a few times.
Although she had met and reconciled with Qin Ming in Kunling City and their relationship was quite good, every time Master Wu mentioned it, her chest tightened slightly with regret.
Looking back now, her emotions were tangled, and she truly felt regretful. The youth from that remote backwater of the past had now gained renown across the world as a rogue cultivator.
Fortunately, the junior brother beside her, Qi Qianchen, was also breathtakingly brilliant. He possessed "past-life wisdom," growing stronger with every step, and was destined to shine with unmatched radiance in the night mist world.
Endowed with such gifts, Qi Qianchen was nevertheless described by his master, Li Wuwei: "He has yet to fully awaken, and will most likely be a late bloomer."
From this, one could tell how terrifying his potential was; everyone familiar with him held him in the highest regard.
Tang Jin said, "Qianchen, once you enter the ancient medicine field in that forbidden zone, give it everything you've got. Unleash your innate, unique abilities and make sure to seize a rare grand medicine that will allow you to make a major breakthrough."
Qin Ming moved through the city not to reminisce about the past, but primarily to scout for information, even resorting to resonance techniques to gain a detailed understanding of the world behind the ancient Mist Gate.
Shortly afterward, he spotted a young man who looked somewhat familiar.
"It's him!" Qin Ming searched his memories, deeply surprised once he recognized who it was.
Qian Cheng, the dull-mannered youth from Chixia City who did hard labor and lived with his grandmother, leaning on each other for survival. He had often been kicked and slapped, his life impoverished and plagued by torment. After his grandmother passed away, he had entered the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace. Someone had taken pity on his miserable lot and tried to help, urging him not to risk throwing his life away, but he had somberly refused.
Qin Ming still remembered his words to this day: "No. If you rely on pity, whatever kindness people have will eventually wear out over time."
Back then, only Qin Ming and Qian Cheng had survived the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace. Afterward, Qian Cheng had vanished without a trace.
Qin Ming truly had not expected to run into him in Luofu City more than five years later.
Qian Cheng's demeanor was entirely transformed. Where was any trace of dullness? The man was composed, steady, and confident, his eyes deep as a starry night.
In every gesture, he bore not the slightest resemblance to a beleaguered youth bullied in a small city; divine brilliance was contained within him, exuding an extraordinary presence.
Such an aura could only be described as an earth-shaking transformation.
If not for his unchanged face and the identical red mole in his eyebrow, Qin Ming would have thought he had mistaken him for someone else.
Most crucially, Qin Ming couldn't see through him at all. This was clearly someone with deep cultivation, yet he couldn't tell what level he was at now.
Qin Ming didn't stare. He sensed something was wrong with this person—it was simply too strange. Even if an old monster had taken him as a direct disciple and bestowed extraordinary fortunes upon him, this complete shift in spirit and presence was far too vast. It was practically like an entirely different person.
That level of composure was nothing like a youth.
Qin Ming's heart gave a jolt; he couldn't help letting his thoughts wander.
Chixia City bordered Black-White Mountain.
And at Black-White Mountain, a blood-dripping kite had drifted about, guarding Liu Mo's rebirth.
Qin Ming thought of Heavenly God Liu and immediately associated Qian Cheng with such old monsters. Could he also be a special entity that had come back to life?
He acutely realized that chaos was truly descending upon this world; perhaps several "old trees" were sprouting "new shoots."
If Qian Cheng was an entity revived from the past, that would be terrifying. After all, he had emerged even earlier than Liu Mo.
Qin Ming walked away, casting no further glances in his direction while maintaining a calm expression. He mused that perhaps he was just overthinking.
"How could there be so many withered trees springing back to life in this world? Once rotted away, reviving is rarely possible."
According to legend, such entities belonged to one of the taboos.
Qin Ming spent two days lingering around Luofu City and the vicinity of the ancient Mist Gate on the outskirts, gathering enough information to gain a clear picture.
This was definitely not an artificial trap; the rumors were genuine.
Most importantly, the founders of various cultivation paths, as well as the Earth Immortals of the Night Province, had already informed their disciples that ancient records corroborated this; the rumors were the truth.
There was only one catch: the Mist Gate had been sealed for too long. With the passage of countless ages, whether changes had taken place inside that forbidden zone remained unknown, so one could not afford to be reckless.
As long as it wasn't a manufactured plot, having dangers intertwined with opportunities was only natural.
Furthermore, certain bellwethers offered clues: the descendants of several prominent figures had personally arrived and were actively exploring.
Lu Zheng, descendant of the Tianzun, had secretly arrived two months ago and entered the ancient Mist Gate multiple times.
Xie Lin, descendant of the Pugong Earth Immortal; Xiao Jinye, direct grandson of the Old Barbarian God; Li Wanfa, youngest disciple of a sage... all had made appearances.
As for the Blazing Suns of the heavens—Feng Zhige, Yan Zhuohua, Zhou Tiandao, and others—and the figures on the earth—Tang Yushang, Pei Qingwu, Chunyangzi, and the like—almost all the leading figures had arrived.
In particular, Qin Ming had witnessed with his own eyes Pei Shuyan, Helian Yaoqing, Cheng Sheng, and others entering and safely returning.
Later, he saw Qian Cheng, Master Wu, Yao Ruoxian, and others entering separately and returning unscathed, putting his mind completely at ease.
"It shouldn't be a problem. I'll go see it for myself." Qin Ming immediately went to go through the formalities.
The ancient Mist Gate connected to an unknown world, and the other side could be extremely perilous.
Therefore, one had to carry a special "life talisman" to enter and exit. Each talisman was unique, bound to one person in advance; if the identity did not match, one could not embark on the return journey.
Qin Ming discovered that among those spending day gold and queuing up to receive a "life talisman" like him, fully eighty percent were of the older generation. Men and women alike, their skin was dull, faces heavily wrinkled, most of them bald; clearly, their lifespans were nearing their end.
Rather than calling them a spirited elder pioneer brigade, it was more accurate to describe them as desperate souls fighting for survival, making one final gamble for their lives.
Among these people were peak fourth-realm cultivators as well as fifth-realm Grandmasters; none were lacking in cultivation.
In addition, there were tottering, gaunt elders reduced to skin and bones who coughed up blood whenever dao rhythms surged.
Qin Ming wondered whether even Great Grandmasters, unable to emerge into the world and clinging desperately to life, were among those who had come.
Then Qin Ming sighed softly. Was he not also here fighting for survival? The night mist world was vast and boundless, rife with far too many perils. Scarcely anyone could truly remain detached.
"Hm?" He was surprised to see Cui Chongxiao. Could he be a fellow traveler as well?
The next day, Qin Ming went to scout the way, wanting to see what this forbidden zone looked like and what tier of precious herbs could drive so many to madness.
As the saying went, hearing is hearsay, but seeing is believing.
Dense mist swirled within the open portal. Qin Ming stepped inside. The boundless night was vast and unending; darkness seemed an eternal theme.
In a daze, he had an illusion, as if he had arrived in the cosmic starry sky recorded in ancient books.
He even saw numerous bizarre phantoms and illusions: black fog churning, paving into earth, transforming into bridges that linked him to a... planet.
"An illusion?" He gave his head a firm shake. The Yuanshi mind lamp shone with brilliant radiance, dispelling the mist before his eyes.
What met his eyes this time was far more tangible: a vast, desolate expanse of land stretching beyond the horizon.
By now he had walked clear of the entrance, beholding the so-called forbidden zone. It was desolate, ancient, and immense, like an endless desert devoid of vitality, where not a single blade of grass grew.
Many who had crossed over with him—elders and youth alike—quickly scattered, guarding against one another, though some had formed teams beforehand and watched each other's backs as they advanced.
Qin Ming set out alone, walking deeper into the land shrouded in darkness.
Only after traveling several hundred li did he spot sparse vegetation, while spiritual substances and dao rhythms grew increasingly rich.
Along the way, his expression turned grave. He had circumvented an abyss spanning hundreds of li, which was astonishingly nothing more than a single finger hole—evidence that an extraordinary battle had once taken place here.
Afterward, he came across a mountain-like spinal column. It had lost all its spirituality; with a gentle strike, it crumbled away like rotten wood.
Not long after, Qin Ming spotted a dragon skull. The bone was lusterless and decayed, bearing a gruesome fist hole in the dragon's head. Clamped in its jaws was a severed, rotting hand, still giving off a foul stench even now.
Qin Ming's brow furrowed tightly. No wonder this place was called a forbidden zone; every sign indicated that it was extraordinarily unusual.
In the distance, a foul odor soared into the heavens from a blood-red lake. Mist steamed above it; merely gazing toward it caused one's consciousness to blur and stagger.
"How eerie. The blood lake has decayed and turned foul, so how can it still affect a person's mind and will?"
Qin Ming steered well clear from afar and continued on his way alone.
He sighed inwardly. His good brothers Xiang Yiwu and Wu Yaozu had gone far away; otherwise, they could have explored together here. He wondered whether Li Qingyue and Jiang Ran had already set out. Of that former five-person squad—the High Sovereign and the blond youth crew—only he remained.
Further along the path, Qin Ming saw the corpse of a Giant Spirit God. It was outrageously enormous, sitting there silently like a mountain, utterly still.
"A bit strange. These are all creatures within known understanding. In a realm so far from Yujing's reach, there ought to be an abundance of new species."
Finally, Qin Ming caught sight of the medicine fields, patch upon patch. Different from what he had imagined, they were scattered sporadically and locked within pure lands by interwoven divine chains of blood-red light.
Across the bleak, desolate expanse, the spiritual energy within those scattered plots was concentrated to the extreme. All manner of medicinal herbs grew there: crimson fruit shaped like beating hearts, golden buds shining like blazing suns, and tea trees rippling with astonishing dao rhythms...
"A fine place," Qin Ming praised. If there were no seals here and the plots weren't locked down, it would truly make one's heart race many times over.
Even in a hurried glance, he spotted herbs capable of aiding a breakthrough to Grandmaster. He even saw an extraordinary medicine needed in the middle and late stages of the fifth realm—a vine that glittered like a river of stars, its leaves and buds adorned with natural runes.
Regrettably, gathering them was out of the question for now.
According to records, only when the primary medicine of the forbidden zone fully matured would all the restrictions fail, and the sealing formations at the boundary of the forbidden zone would undo themselves as well.
When that time came, creatures from outside the forbidden zone would swarm in.
By opening such an ancient Mist Gate to enter the forbidden zone ahead of time, the beings of the Yujing domain had gained an advantage, placing them closer to the medicine fields than the various creatures of this otherworld.
Qin Ming strode forward and finally laid eyes upon the most vital ancient primary medicine field.
A silver mountain peak, made extraordinary entirely by a single blade of silver grass whose gentle glow bathed the entire mountain, turning it silver.
"At the very least... an Earth Immortal herb!" Qin Ming was deeply stirred. Was this medicine field really something they could lay their hands on? Its tier was simply too high.
Moreover, would an ancient Mist Gate alone truly allow them to seize the initiative and claim the primary medicine here?
Qin Ming felt no danger, yet an uneasy feeling lingered. Who would give away such immense fortune for nothing? Did this place truly have no master?
In the forbidden zone, there were three primary medicine fields in total.
The second primary field was an abyss. Within lay a segment of an undying old tree root that had recently regained vitality, putting forth a tender shoot that swayed with green glow in the dark depths below. Accompanied by incomparable, surging life force, it seemed capable of allowing one to live a second life.
The third primary field was conventional and flat, filled with a riot of colors from rare herbs whose grades were hard to determine. In the very center, golden clouds surged and immortal mist churned, veiling a hazy, indistinct plant. Clearly, at the very least, it was an Earth Immortal grand medicine.
"Is this insane? So many rare herbs and divine grasses—who could possibly be worthy of enjoying them, and can outsiders truly harvest them?" Qin Ming's mind was profoundly shaken.
"Hm?" Suddenly, he looked up and spotted Qian Cheng. Unbeknownst to him, the man had entered once again, wandering around these three primary medicine fields. Qin Ming wondered whether he was one of the taboo entities.
Chapter 502