In the night, Qian Cheng stood in green robes, poised and calm. He took the initiative to greet him. "Daoist Brother, you look quite familiar. I feel as if we're old friends at first sight."
Hearing this, Qin Ming offered a faint yet seemingly earnest smile. "Daoist Brother, your bearing is extraordinary, your divine radiance restrained within, and your immortal demeanor and Dao bones make one yearn to draw close."
The two stopped, chatted briefly, and then bade each other a polite farewell, the encounter as pure and light as friendship between gentlemen.
"This person is far from ordinary," Qian Cheng murmured to himself in the distance, his gaze profound.
Afterward, he circled the three primary medicine fields, cautiously approaching to study the tangible, intersecting restrictions.
"He's exceptionally sharp. Did he see something in me?" Qin Ming's brows furrowed slightly after walking away.
Soon, Qin Ming approached the scattered medicine fields. Even among these vibrant nurseries, there were wondrous herbs capable of helping a cultivator break through to become a Grandmaster.
His ambitions were not that grand; he had no designs on the Earth Immortal-grade great herbs.
"Cough..." Coughing echoed from the distance. Two trembling old men with blood trailing from the corners of their mouths supported each other as they neared a primary medicine field.
Everyone kept their distance, suspecting the pair might be "gravely ill" Great Grandmasters. Although figures of that caliber dared not strike recklessly, if provoked, a desperate blow from them would spell doom for anyone of the younger or middle generation.
Even the so-called young "Blazing Suns" and the Grandmasters barely able to walk the outside world detoured around the two.
Even Qian Cheng steered clear of them.
Seeing this, Qin Ming felt a slight sense of relief. Although this "old friend's" attainment was far beyond the norm, it had not reached an unreasonable, monstrous level.
Of course, this was merely an initial assessment; Qian Cheng's true depths remained inscrutable.
The two blood-coughing elders did not stay long. After pacing for a moment, they vanished swiftly into the depths of the vast expanse.
Qian Cheng returned to the vicinity of the three primary medicine fields and remarked, "A mountain tinged with silver light, a pitch-black abyss, and a flat garden plot... Could these be the Three Treasures medicine fields of Essence, Qi, and Spirit? This place is truly unfathomable."
In the end, he could not resist testing the restrictions. Before the mountain-shaped medicine field, a blinding bolt of lightning boomed down from the depths of the night sky, blasting through the ground and leaving scorched marks everywhere.
Qian Cheng retreated far into the distance like a ghost. Staring solemnly at the primary medicine field, he looked down at the small silver banner that had flown back to him.
The banner face, only a few inches long, was curled up and riddled with seven small holes. Arcs of electricity spilled from it, pouring onto the ground. It took half a quarter of an hour before the battered banner restored itself.
In truth, he was not the only one who had attempted to breach the restrictions. Even several prudent old men harbored hopes of good fortune and tested the waters along the fringes of the scattered medicine fields.
As a result, some people had their pure yang flying swords pulverized on the spot by heavenly thunder.
Qin Ming spoke up, "Old Huang, do you need a massage? I guarantee it will leave you delightfully numb all over, completely comfortable from head to toe."
He had actually wanted to test it as well, but the yellow imperial parasol reacted vehemently, giving a stern warning that if he dared to use it to block lightning, they would part ways that very day.
It frankly stated that while its true form had no issue and did not fear the Tribulation Transcendence Great Formation, its damaged weapon spirit could not withstand the lightning and would dissipate amidst the electric glare.
Qin Ming wandered for a long time and found that this forbidden zone was extraordinarily vast. Beyond decaying skeletons, there were also ruined remnants. Broken tiles cast from secret copper seemed to recount a glory long past.
Along the outer reaches of the immense forbidden zone, dense fog lingered, enveloped by an invisible formation. Anyone daring to make contact would trigger a descent of terrifying lightning.
Qin Ming gazed beyond the forbidden zone toward the edge of the mist. Indistinct silhouettes seemed layered upon one another—some massive as mountains, others crowned with divine halos. Though they were difficult to discern clearly, those at the very front appeared to be top-tier creatures.
"When the forbidden zone opens and thousands of forces charge in, all kinds of strange beasts will surge like a tidal wave. This land will likely turn into a living purgatory, every inch soaked in blood," Qin Ming thought, a trace of unease in his heart.
To harvest the wondrous herbs, one had to seize a precious window of time.
In the end, he silently withdrew.
Two days later, Luofu City fell into an uproar, for astonishing changes had occurred within the otherworldly forbidden zone. The blood-red Dao chains vanished, and the Tribulation Transcendence Great Formation began to fade.
"According to ancient records and experience, in just three days, the ancient medicine fields will open completely!" people discussed excitedly.
Luofu City was in a fervor, flooded with countless arrivals.
Some even claimed that Founders and Earth Immortals might no longer be able to sit still, suggesting that supreme powerhouses might risk their lives to take action.
The entire city buzzed with commotion, casting a shadow over the hearts of the younger and middle generations carrying the banners of their factions.
The prices of all manner of puppets and tamed spirit beasts surged uncontrollably.
In truth, higher-tier "servant beasts" and domesticated strange birds had already been bid up to astronomical prices days ago, with Streamer Birds, Rosy Dawn Beasts, and Lightning Birds being the most sought after.
They possessed sufficient speed, making them ideal for venturing in and utilizing their velocity to harvest wondrous herbs.
Over this period, it had become a genuine reality that "birds grew dear in Luofu."
"Everyone, take it easy. After all, the ancient Mist Gate has been sealed for far too long. No one knows what unforeseen changes might have occurred after all these years."
Moreover, if Founders or Earth Immortals entered the fray at the risk of their lives, it would be all the more despairing.
Now, a consensus had formed: unless brimming with absolute confidence, no one would enter in their true body. Puppets, avatars, servant birds, or sending forth a strand of pure yang consciousness—there were many choices available.
In addition, high-grade teleportation talismans were entirely sold out.
"Why is each of you more terrified of death than the last?" Qin Ming made a wide round, even travelling to other cities, only to find that having day gold was useless.
The void teleportation talismans he sought—rare treasures personally crafted by Founders and priced absurdly high—had long been snapped up by eager buyers.
As for the great void shift talismans refined by Earth Immortals, they were usually the stuff of legends, and now they were certainly held only in the hands of their descendants.
Life-saving talismans and escape treasures were in severely short supply.
"Forget it." Qin Ming gave up on buying them. He had not harbored much hope to begin with.
Besides, in his view, those items were not entirely foolproof either.
"Old Cloth, it'll all depend on you this time." Qin Ming had no intention of dispatching his physical body either. The notion of rushing into the medicine fields first and frantically feasting on treasured herbs was merely a passing thought.
Others could not see the exotic metal cloth. Qin Ming planned to travel attached to the cloth; so long as he refrained from striking violently and causing a major disturbance, his concealment should be outstanding.
***
"Just how deep is this hatred? Entering the ancient medicine field isn't even about harvesting divine herbs—someone paid an exorbitant price to hire us just to kill someone."
"Never mind that. Treat it as a long-term assignment. When we go in this time, harvesting herbs remains our priority; nothing else matters!"
This was a conversation between members of a blood-drenched organization specializing in wet work, who had accepted the commission.
The employer was extraordinarily cautious, origin unknown, and had provided the organization only with several strands of hair without naming the target.
"These are strands of the target's hair, refined using a secret technique by a powerhouse. We can use them to trace the individual."
Naturally, this could only be done within a limited range.
"If the target has altered his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, we likely won't be able to trace him back to his source."
"No matter. So long as he takes action and leaks even a wisp of his origin aura, he can be sensed."
Three other similar organizations had accepted the same commission, two of which were dark factions from beyond the Night Province.
"According to the information, the target is under twenty-five years old and has not yet reached the fourth realm. From this perspective, even if he is a heaven-sent genius, he shouldn't be difficult to handle. Sending one person at fourth-realm perfection will ensure an overwhelming victory."
Members within another organization discussed it with relaxed tones.
"Indeed. I hope my luck is good enough to cross paths with this target. Harvesting herbs while easily taking care of the task—why not? It's a chance to make a massive profit."
"Be careful. I heard the Demon organization took a hit commission a while back and ended up suffering a disastrous defeat. When asked who their target was, they refused to breathe a single word. Let's make sure we don't cross paths with a similar ruthless monster."
"Rest assured, it's not the same target. The person we're after hasn't even reached the fourth realm. He'll be easy to handle."
***
As the harvesting day drew near, Qin Ming heard rumors that someone of notable background was looking for him.
He furrowed his brows and muttered, "Lu Zheng, descendant of the Tianzun above the Nine Heavens... Why is he looking for me?"
He clearly remembered that during their initial meeting in the Dayu imperial capital, that Young Tianzun had carried an aloof, self-important posture, merely offering a flat "pleasure to meet you" before putting on airs and conversing only with Li Wanfa.
Now, Lu Zheng was actually making private inquiries to seek him out. What was going on?
In truth, this was a task entrusted to Lu Zheng by the Tianzun.
"Jingli, your brother Lu Zheng is looking for someone. I heard he wants to find you a good match. Are you really preparing to marry, and to a Dao companion from the mortal realm below?"
Hearing her close friend tease her, Lu Jingli remained composed. "It's the elders' intention. They want us to make contact first, but nothing is decided."
Her friend showed an unusual expression. "I heard this Qin Ming is quite extraordinary, having mastered Chaos force on his own. Though it isn't a pure immortal path method, it still falls under physical cultivation. Could your ancestor be interested in him and the silk book method?"
Everyone knew that the Tianzun was practically the most powerful immortal path physical cultivator above the Nine Heavens.
"Will you truly marry down into the mortal realm?"
Lu Jingli shook her head reservedly. "It's too early to talk about that."
"I'm your closest confidante, do you have to hide it from me? Your brother told me more than you have. When Fairy Jingli, famous across the Nine Heavens, comes down to choose a Dao companion, it will surely break the hearts of many young talents above."
With a melon-seed face and bright, limpid eyes, Lu Jingli was indeed extraordinarily striking. She shook her head. "Stop teasing. Nothing is set in stone. Frankly, if he truly is an anomaly, I wouldn't mind his background; I'd simply bring him up to the heavens. But if his reputation is overblown and he isn't a physical cultivator of limitless potential, this matter won't stand. How could my family ever let me marry a country bumpkin from the mortal realm? Don't go spreading rumors outside."
Her friend nodded. "Understood. Wouldn't want to affect your reputation before anything is settled, or offend that so-called mortal prodigy."
***
On the third day, cultivators in Luofu City began departing in succession, passing through the ancient Mist Gate, while many had already set off ahead of time.
Only a small fraction ventured toward the ancient Mist Gate in their true bodies. Most of them were low-level rogue cultivators willing to gamble their lives for a future.
"No need to fear. I heard this time is relatively safe."
"Safe where? You have to manage the time difference carefully. If things go south, you must retreat immediately, or you'll die without a burial place."
Qin Ming arrived as well, flying forward as an unremarkable wisp of pure yang consciousness, smoothly passing through the mist and entering the otherworld.
Soon, he spotted sky-blotting swarms of Streamer Birds, Rosy Dawn Beasts, and Lightning Birds.
Clearly, among these tamed beasts, most were expendable consumables; only a few high-grade birds carried "life talismans," granting them free passage through the ancient Mist Gate.
Most beasts bred for speed could only enter and not return; their mission was simply to fly back to the passage after harvesting the herbs.
Someone noticed Qin Ming and commented, "Brother, you're pretty wild. You didn't even prepare a puppet and flew in with just pure yang consciousness?"
Qin Ming sighed. "What else can I do? A poor rogue cultivator with no connections—I couldn't buy anything."
He intended to attach himself to the ragged cloth to conceal his presence once the timing was right.
"Hm?" He noticed Qian Cheng, who had actually entered in his physical body, appearing quite conspicuous.
"Daoist Brother, you're truly brave," many marveled, though it was unclear whether they were praising or mocking him.
Qian Cheng sighed. "I had no choice. I suffered a Dao injury, and my spirit cannot remain outside my body for long. Yet as a rogue cultivator, I yearn deeply for the wondrous herbs here, so I can only take a desperate gamble."
Qin Ming was in no hurry to conceal himself. Posing as a rogue cultivator, he followed Qian Cheng from a distance, heading toward the end of the land alongside many others.
Perhaps blending into the crowd would be safer in the early stages.
Qin Ming spotted Tang Jin, Master Wu, and the Hidden Disciple Qi Qianchen wandering in spirit form. The three pure yang consciousness bodies stood atop a palm-sized boat.
Had Qin Ming not opened the Eye of the Newborn, he truly would not have recognized the identities of the three condensed clusters of pure yang spiritual light aboard the vessel.
"That little boat... appears to be a rare treasure," Qin Ming mused, wondering if he could catch a ride at a critical moment by attaching himself to the bottom or the stern.
Across the vast forbidden zone, flying beasts were everywhere. In the airspace surrounding the three primary medicine fields, the sky was completely black, inundated by beating wings.
However, there were certain areas that even high-grade strange birds dared not approach, for several elderly figures standing there appeared to be Great Grandmasters.
An old woman whose face looked like gold leaf remarked, "Old monster, what do you think? There's something wrong with these three primary medicine fields."
"A mountain, an abyss, and a flat plot... Hiss, could it be that the Three Treasures medicine fields of Essence, Qi, and Spirit are blooming?"
"The primary herbs within are at least Earth Immortal-grade great herbs, or perhaps even more extraordinary. Are these Three Treasures lands truly unowned? My heart feels uneasy."
If such medicine fields were connected to some creature, it would be terrifying in the extreme!
***
Qin Ming recognized several acquaintances, but it was impossible to greet them here. He merely followed Qian Cheng in silence; if this fellow dared enter in his physical body, he likely possessed some means.
"Heavens, two days ago the earth cracked open here, a mountain collapsed, and ruins were exposed! Look at all these broken black gold towers—don't they look like celestial towers used to channel heavenly lightning for forging artifacts and refining medicine?"
"They're just slightly shorter, each less than a hundred feet tall."
Many discussed the sight, and quite a few gathered around. This place was far from the primary medicine fields, situated in a relatively secluded area.
Qian Cheng also walked forward, stepping into the ruins.
After the massive mountain collapsed, it revealed dozens of black gold towers within its belly.
Every broken black gold tower was etched with strange symbols. A large crowd—mostly puppets, avatars, and pure yang consciousnesses—studied them.
Qian Cheng spoke up, "Everyone, this is a lightning-channeling formation etched with runes that may contain true scriptures. Let us join forces to infuse immortal pure yang power to activate the imprints in these towers and see if any scriptures materialize."
Qin Ming had been secretly observing his every move and noticed that Qian Cheng did not seem to be putting on an act; he appeared genuinely excited to investigate the place.
"Alright!" Qin Ming called out from the crowd, joining several nearby cultivators in an eager response.
Although many were unwilling to cause complications, believing herb harvesting was paramount, some could not hold back and followed Qian Cheng's lead.
The ruined towers began to glow, turning slightly translucent as the runes upon them flashed continuously.
A fervent light flickered deep within Qian Cheng's eyes. He moved swiftly, shifting like a ghost to strike each tower.
During the process, his hands rapidly formed various seals, and blazing streaks of lightning flew out one after another from his palms and fingers, blasting straight into the towers.
Qin Ming was surprised; these were all lightning-related techniques.
He had practiced thunder-fire force, wind-thunder force, and similar arts, but unfortunately, they were not complete secret scriptures.
Moreover, though he possessed the "Heavenly Thunder Ignites Earthly Fire" from the Eight Views Divine Radiance Classic, it was better suited for refining medicine within the internal organs, offering few outward lightning arts.
Consequently, Qin Ming had always coveted lightning scriptures, yet had never managed to obtain one.
Everyone knew that lightning possessed terrifying power, particularly well-suited for physical cultivators, carrying the weight of heavenly wrath. Yet such true scriptures were exceedingly rare.
Qian Cheng was proficient in lightning methods, yet even he was captivated by this place. Qin Ming suspected that these towers might indeed hold an extraordinary scripture.
*Rumble!*
As Qian Cheng took action, the field of black gold towers seemed to awaken entirely. Lightning actually descended from the night sky, detonating nearby with deafening roars.
Many who had journeyed in pure yang consciousness turned pale with fright and quickly retreated, daring not draw close.
Amidst the black towers, no heavenly lightning fell near Qian Cheng; that area remained peaceful, with only fine electrical arcs skittering across the tower surfaces.
Onlookers could see that he was probing, searching for something.
Qin Ming gathered his focus, elevating his perception to the limit. He sensed that Qian Cheng's emotional fluctuations before the black gold towers were exceptionally intense.
Qian Cheng was studying the revived lightning-channeling symbols. No concrete scripture had emerged on the towers, yet he seemed completely engrossed, at times furrowing his brows, at times sighing, and at times flashing sparks from his eyes.
"Hm? Did you feel that? The strands of hair provided by the employer are glowing faintly, which means the target is nearby. That person seems to have leaked a wisp of his aura just now." Members of the dark organization were present, communicating secretly.
"When luck arrives, there's no stopping it! The target hasn't even reached the fourth realm; getting rid of him will be effortless!"
Qin Ming noticed that several individuals appeared to glance his way.
However, he paid them no mind, having no time to care right now as he edged closer to the black gold towers.
Qin Ming frowned; after the passage of countless ages, no obvious ancient emotional remnants remained upon the black gold towers.
Yet his brow soon relaxed.
Qian Cheng was touching the ruined towers to fathom their scriptural meaning, while Qin Ming could draw close and resonate with the intense emotional ripples Qian Cheng left behind.
Qin Ming eased up, preparing to "cross the river by feeling Qian Cheng."
*Rumble!*
The forbidden zone shook violently. All the medicine fields began to glow, and a faint, refreshing fragrance could even be detected. Medicinal vapor was gradually seeping out from the ancient medicine fields; the Three Treasures medicine fields of Essence, Qi, and Spirit were bursting into brilliant bloom.
Everyone knew that, according to the experience recorded by predecessors, the otherworldly forbidden zone would be fully unsealed in at most an hour.
Chapter 503