The night mist was thick and choking. Lightning darted through the void like fiery serpents. The tribulation-transcending array that sealed the ancient medicine fields was loosening, and the scent of medicinal herbs seeped out alongside dancing arcs of electricity.
Near the collapsed mountain slope, the crowd stirred with unrest. Burning gazes seemed poised to scorch through the heavy mist, glued unblinkingly to the medicine fields.
The ruined black-gold towers glowed faintly. Qian Cheng remained completely unfazed, without the slightest trace of impatience. His mind grew increasingly focused as his fingers traced the talismans carved upon the towers' surfaces.
His eyes turned deep and profound. Within them, lightning seemed to pierce an abyss, an ocean of electricity surged, and dense, mysterious characters flowed. His aura shifted.
Eventually, his movements grew faster and faster as he moved between the towers, each turning gradually translucent and crystalline. Arcs of lightning erupted from his flesh, condensing into seal-like diagrams and glyphs.
The onlookers nearby were astonished. Without a second thought, they knew this mysterious youth had reaped an extraordinary harvest here.
"What a pity!" Qian Cheng sighed, withdrawing his hands and standing upright.
"Daoist Brother, you truly possess divine gifts. To actually deduce a true scripture from such battered towers!" remarked an old man in the late stage of the fourth realm. He was both astonished and deeply bewildered.
He, too, was well-versed in lightning arts, yet when he walked up, he had sensed nothing and could not decipher any of the runes on the black towers.
Qian Cheng shook his head. "What has passed cannot be recovered; it truly leaves behind endless regret. Only a ruined lightning-drawing formation remains here. I sought to peer into its profound workings, yet I only managed to scratch the surface."
He wore a melancholy expression that showed no sign of pretense.
Exhaling a heavy, turbid breath, Qian Cheng turned and melted into the night, striding briskly toward the primary medicine fields of the Three Treasures—essence, qi, and spirit.
Time was running out. Many followed suit and departed, unwilling to waste more time among the black-gold towers.
A few had flickering eyes and stepped forward among the ruined towers, attempting to copy Qian Cheng's search. Most of them were practitioners who had studied lightning arts.
Qin Ming kept a low profile, mingling with the crowd. One by one, he touched the towers Qian Cheng had brushed against, tracing the complex symbols—some fragmented, some intact.
"Sigh, this art has no destiny with me," someone said bitterly.
"Even if an ancient, decrepit lightning formation contains profound doctrines, ordinary people cannot extract them unless they possess an innate lightning Dao physique."
Some shook their heads while others sighed, withdrawing their hands one after another, having found nothing.
Beside Qin Ming's ears, thunder seemed to detonate. Using his method of resonance to observe the area, he shifted his footsteps slowly, as though beholding an entirely different world.
The remnant special emotions of the black-gold towers themselves were indeed scarce, having been nearly worn away by the passage of time. Nothing under heaven and earth could endure forever without fading.
However, Qian Cheng's emotional fluctuations just now had been intense. Though not reinforced repeatedly and destined not to linger in the towers for long, they had not yet dissipated.
For Qin Ming, this brief window was more than enough.
He sensed Qian Cheng's earlier joy and excitement, as well as his final disappointment and melancholy.
Qian Cheng was proficient in various lightning arts and had mastered a very rare fragment of an ancient art. He had been astonished to discover kindred true intent within this formation.
*It's called the Script of the Primal Myriad Thunderbolts, one of the supreme true scriptures in the realm of lightning arts,* Qin Ming thought, turbulent waves rising in his heart, impossible to calm.
This peerless true scripture had been passed down in the form of lightning seal-scripts. The ancient powerhouse who laid the formation had been well versed in the text, weaving its varied techniques into the array and outlining portions of its core symbols.
An ordinary person facing these traces would have had no way to comprehend them. Yet Qian Cheng had practiced an incomplete remnant of the scripture; finding the true intent here had benefited him immensely.
"What a pity!" Qin Ming also sighed softly, truly feeling an immense sense of regret.
In the end, Qian Cheng had only managed to reconstruct the upper volume of the *Script of the Primal Myriad Thunderbolts*.
"Young man, why the sigh? All things in this world depend on destiny," an old woman beside him said.
"You're right, Elder," Qin Ming replied, nodding, his mindset immediately broadening.
He had just been immersed in Qian Cheng's intense emotions, sharing in that melancholy. But for himself, the trip had yielded a massive harvest. Even if he failed to pluck a single miraculous herb, it was already well worth it.
This was a brilliant, celebrated scripture of the lightning domain that illuminated all realms. By crossing the river by feeling the stones Qian Cheng had laid, he had unexpectedly obtained the upper volume. What reason did he have to be dissatisfied?
He wished he could immediately plunge into a thunderstorm and master the scripture.
Qin Ming noticed that several individuals, despite their careful concealment, had been spying on him from the shadows.
Ordinary people would have sensed nothing, but his perception was terrifyingly keen. Without showing any reaction, he left the area.
Those figures quietly trailed him, sneers appearing on their faces.
"He really is just a greenhorn of the third realm; his senses are far too dull. You two, this old man's pockets have been a bit tight lately. Why not let me conveniently deal with this prey?"
"No way. The bounty this time is remarkably generous. Since we ran into him together, we split it evenly."
No longer bothering to hide, the three swiftly gave chase, eager to claim the credit before the others.
Suddenly, a cold, indifferent voice rang out: "What are you doing? Acting so restless—are you still hunters walking in the dark?"
Behind the three, an idol carved from lightning-struck wood glowed. A woman's pure yang consciousness was anchored within, berating them in a low voice.
"Milady!" The three were shaken and immediately bowed in salutation.
This was their superior, a formidable figure. Had it not been for the turbulent Dao resonance, she would likely have broken through to Grandmaster long ago. Even so, she would attain her wish within two years at most.
Most importantly, this woman was not yet seventy years old, brimming with potential and limitless future prospects.
With reverent expressions, the three invited her to strike and slay the target, clearly intending to yield the credit to this future female Grandmaster.
The woman inside the idol said, "Though the bounty is decent, I won't go so far as to steal your credit. Stop wasting time; finish him off quickly in the hollow ahead."
With a series of whooshing sounds, the three accelerated in an instant. All three were in the late stage of the fourth realm, cutting off Qin Ming's path in the blink of an eye.
The idol hovered, merely a foot tall, emitting a hazy pure yang spiritual radiance. The woman brought up the rear to oversee the operation; facing a young man of the third realm, she disdained to act herself.
Qin Ming showed a trace of impatience and said, "You're really slow. What took you so long?"
Everything was upside down. The three elders said nothing, pouncing straight forward to kill.
Qin Ming leaped into the air, but he headed straight for the woman, saying, "The Three Treasures grand herbs of essence, qi, and spirit are about to appear. Time is tight for all of us—hurry up and explain your origins."
Who was supposed to be the villain here? Everything had inverted. The three elders rose into the air to intercept him, thoroughly incensed.
Yet Qin Ming moved like lightning, sweeping across the night sky. In an instant, he arrived right before the idol and struck at the woman at the fourth-realm peak.
Earlier, the woman had stood back aloofly, relying on her status and harboring no intention of getting involved. Now, her expression shifted drastically, and her pupils contracted.
That perilous aura sent chills running through her. She felt as though she had been targeted by a primeval beast.
Qin Ming crossed the void, his Origin Mind Lamp shining all around. In an instant, it purified the empty air. Centered on him, the mind lamp projected a massive golden handprint that slammed with a resounding crack into the one-foot-tall idol, shattering it into fragments before grinding it into powder.
The woman's pure yang consciousness was knocked out of the vessel, already riddled with fissures. She had attempted to retaliate, but she simply could not withstand him.
From Qin Ming's Origin Mind Lamp, a heavenly saber blazed forth, cleaving half her body into explosive mist with a squelch.
Her true physical body was not present; only a portion of her pure yang consciousness had entered the otherworld. Facing Qin Ming, who had emerged from a year of arduous cultivation, she was nowhere near enough.
Qin Ming reached out, blazing like a scorching sun. His five fingers clamped around the woman's neck like red-hot branding irons sinking into snow, causing her pure yang spiritual light to sizzle and melt away while she let out a low, agonized howl.
The three elders were utterly dumbfounded, their bodies freezing for a brief moment. Was this really a target of the third realm?
How could such an expert be ground down and handled by them? The intelligence was absurdly wrong!
Even their superior, a future female Grandmaster, had been seized in one grasp. Just what kind of ferocious monster had they encountered?
Even if her primary consciousness had not arrived, being subdued so effortlessly proved the target's terrifying prowess. He was far beyond what they could provoke.
Hovering in the air like a blazing sun driving away the dark, Qin Ming used his Origin Mind Lamp to project sabers, swords, and long spears, piercing clean through the three men who tried to flee at the first opportunity.
He swiftly resonated with their traces, learning that they belonged to an organization called the Pure World Chamber.
Under the illumination of his mind lamp, the four of them melted like ice and snow. Unable to even utter a scream, their entire forms burned, each reduced to ashes.
"Pure World Chamber... Quite an elegant name, but it's an assassin syndicate. What a jarring contrast." Qin Ming frowned. Much like the Three-Eyed Cult, this organization actually spanned numerous domains.
"They refined a few strands of my hair to track me down?" A chill surfaced in his eyes.
Attaching himself to the rag, Qin Ming vanished from the hollow and prepared to harvest herbs. That remained his top priority.
Half a quarter-hour later, an earth-shattering bolt of lightning pierced the sky of the forbidden zone, seeming poised to tear through the entire realm. Everyone turned pale with horror, as if witnessing an apocalyptic scene.
The glare of the lightning reflected off countless pale faces. Hearts shook violently, and people froze in place.
At this moment, even Great Grandmasters swayed unsteadily, terror gripping their hearts. If that lightning were to strike downward, they too would be blasted to ash in an instant.
Fortunately, tragedy did not unfold.
"This is... the tribulation-transcending array dispersing! The lightning shot upward to tear through the sky; it didn't connect to the ground!"
People realized that the array covering the entire forbidden zone was fading away. The creatures outside were about to pour in, and soon a vast army would descend upon the ancient medicine fields.
Without needing a word of encouragement, everyone made their move at the very first moment, throwing themselves toward the vibrant, wondrous herbs growing across the field ridges.
The entire territory boiled over!
Even in his concealed state, Qin Ming did not draw near the three primary medicine fields. He had no idea if Earth Immortal-level figures were lurking there, but Great Grandmasters had already made their moves.
Qian Cheng had also retreated from that area, turning his attention to the scattered plots of medicine fields.
Many people's eyes turned bloodshot. The moment they rushed into the fields, they began slaughtering one another. Blood splattered, staining the soil crimson, while bursts of pure yang spiritual radiance exploded and vanished into the void.
Flocks of streaming light birds and dawn beasts, which had once blotted out the sky in dense swarms, now detonated en masse, tumbling from the air like dumplings dropped into boiling water.
This was merely the beginning, yet a rain of blood had already started falling from midair. Countless humans and otherworldly beasts met gruesome ends.
Qian Cheng drew back. Rather than harvesting the miraculous herbs himself, he waited outside the plots, steering clear of the meat grinder of flesh and blood.
Outside the ancient fields, some experienced veterans did not even bat an eye. They allowed the blood, dispersing pure yang radiance, and divine wisdom to scatter around them and soak their bodies.
In their eyes, hunting herbs was inferior to hunting people; it was enough to wait for those who gathered herbs to walk back out.
Many ruthless individuals stared intently at their chosen targets.
"What's happening? We're stuck in the mud!" Both humans and beasts entering the fields cried out in panic. Each of them moved sluggishly, as though trapped in a quagmire.
Furthermore, those who extended their pure yang consciousness into the fields suffered the exact same treatment, while various extraordinary treasures dropped one after another onto the ridges.
Harvesting the herbs proved arduous, and their movements were terribly slow. They looked like old peasants toiling in the fields, thoroughly primitive, without the slightest semblance of cultivators.
Some panicked, struggling anxiously to retreat. Though their movements were sluggish, they were able to pull themselves free.
For a time, everyone felt intensely conflicted. Some were terrified, while others were gripped by greed—should they enter the medicine fields to pluck the wondrous herbs or not?
At such a crucial juncture, there was no time for hesitation. A group of old fellows near the end of their lifespans gritted their teeth and charged straight in, disregarding everything else to harvest the herbs.
The younger cultivators were tormented. A split-second decision tested human nature far too harshly. Every single plot contained rare treasures guaranteed to help them break through major bottlenecks and rise to higher levels. Yet everyone knew this contradicted the recorded experiences of the past; this could very well be a lethal trap.
*Roar!*
Most terrifying of all, beast roars echoed from the distance. They were mental sonic waves, far exceeding the speed of sound, shaking the entire territory.
Moreover, the flapping of wings sounded across the night sky. Massive shadows collided like dark storm clouds, surging over in an overwhelming wave. They were flying beasts, predatory birds, and winged miraculous insects from the otherworld.
"I knew it! After countless years, the rules here have changed!" some sighed bitterly. Seeing the miraculous herbs within arm's reach yet unable to pluck them immediately made many ache so intensely they could scarcely breathe.
Hidden within the void, Qin Ming pondered carefully and retreated again and again, though he did not pull completely away from the fields.
With a heavy drone, a giant hand blanketed the night sky, squeezing the firmament to capacity. The ridges and whorls on its five fingers were clearly visible, each resembling a mountain range. The palm covered the region, reaching down in a crushing grasp.
"You outer demons have come again after all these years. But the rules of the forbidden zone have changed! All living beings are equal here. Those who arrive first must wait for the latecomers; you may only harvest after the slaughter!"
The owner of the giant hand spoke, his voice stirring the upper skies like a tempest, blowing the night mist completely apart.
Those of weaker cultivation felt their courage shatter, forced to prostrate upon the ground, unable to budge.
"A powerhouse of the Sixth Realm!" The fallen figures cried in despair.
Others took to the air, turning around to flee immediately, no longer harboring any thoughts of the so-called Three Treasures grand herbs. The situation had changed; this was no longer a blessed land.
Over by the primary medicine fields, a terrifying fist shot into the sky, equally colossal. It vanished into the night and collided with the giant hand—evidently a clash between Ancestor-level figures.
From the earth, sword light capable of tearing through the heavens surged up in dazzling brilliance, meeting a nine-headed bird of prey in fierce combat.
More than one Ancestor-level expert from the domains under Yujing's influence had arrived in person, now forced to reveal themselves.
Near the medicine fields, although the ground trembled, no one perished; they were safe for the moment. Conversely, many of those figures who had fled into the distance at the first sign of trouble were blown apart.
Even when Earth Immortals clashed, they would not let the fallout affect the medicine fields, fighting desperately to protect them.
Far away from the fields, however, there was no need for restraint. The more cautious individuals who had fled first suffered catastrophic casualties instead, caught in the blazing sun radiance unleashed by Sixth Realm powerhouses and wiped out in both body and spirit.
Qin Ming had chosen an advantageous position on the outer periphery of the medicine fields, untouched by the slaughterous light of the Sixth Realm powerhouses, yet his heart continued to sink.
The records kept in the Yujing domain were obsolete. This forbidden zone was entirely different now, governed by a principle of "balance." Outworlders like them could not harvest the herbs in advance and were instead slowed down.
Most critically, the creatures from outside the forbidden zone seemed unaffected by the aftershocks of the tribulation-transcending array, closing in rapidly without granting them any window of time.
Amidst the night mist, hordes of flying demonic beasts, various raptors, and winged insects blotted out the sky like clouds of smoke, drawing near.
Upon the earth, numerous towering figures moved like walking mountains. A silver titan a hundred meters tall sprinted forward; black bulls radiating blazing flames trampled mountains, dragging oceans of fire in their wake; and giant centipedes dozens of meters long slithered across the ground like true dragons.
Behind them, various otherworldly beasts and humanoid beings formed a dense, surging tide.
"Everyone, stop those outer demons! The forbidden zone demands an exchange of equal value. If it yields priceless herbs, it must claim flesh-and-blood medicine of equal worth! Do not let a single outer demon escape—keep them all here!"
An old mountain goat as massive and imposing as a peak spoke. Though it coughed up mouthfuls of blood amidst the surging Dao resonance, it still issued this unyielding command.
The various alterations within the otherworldly forbidden zone placed the outworlders who had crossed through the ancient Mist Gate at an extreme disadvantage. First came the rule that "all living beings are equal," followed by the encirclement of countless otherworldly beings. The place had transformed directly into a crimson purgatory.
Up to this point, the medicine fields still acted like a quagmire, trapping those inside with sluggish movements. Those who had rushed into the deepest areas aiming for priceless treasures were plunged into total despair. As they attempted to retreat, they moved as slowly as mortals trudging through deep mud—far too slow.
"This is no longer the ancient herb-gathering sanctuary; this is hell!" someone lamented. Facing such an encirclement, how many could possibly make it back alive?
The first person to activate a Void Teleportation Talisman exploded with a bang, shattered through the void by a flick of a Sixth Realm powerhouse's finger, his pure yang consciousness utterly destroyed.
"Kill!"
Finally, the sky-covering swarm of flying beasts, strange birds, and bizarre insects arrived, while the army on the ground surrounded the area shortly after. The most brutal, bloodstained slaughter commenced.
Across this territory, shouts of battle rose everywhere. Blood splashed in all directions, various rare treasures detonated, and flying swords snapped. It was a complete meat grinder for flesh, blood, and pure yang consciousness.
Most terrifying of all, figures at the Earth Immortal level seemed to have appeared on both sides, locked in confrontation. Should they strike, they might not be able to endure the forbidden zone's backlash and could perish here; however, their targets would also be doomed beyond all doubt, with zero chance of survival.
"Have Earth Immortals... truly arrived?" Many felt as though they were plunging into an abyss. If that were the case, this was never a feast they should have attended.
"Perhaps it's false news!" Everyone fought desperately.
Qin Ming did not know whether Earth Immortals had truly taken the field, but there was no need to dwell on it. The arrival of Sixth Realm Ancestors was already enough to turn this place into an Asura arena, every inch of soil destined to be thoroughly drenched in flesh, blood, and remnant souls.
Attached to the rag, he drifted with the chaotic army, floating like a fallen leaf, wafting east and west.
As for the wondrous herbs, he had abandoned the thought entirely. The vicinity of the medicine fields was now dominated by Great Grandmasters, with Ancestors personally present—a hopeless situation.
All he wanted now was to escape; he had no desire to fish in troubled waters.
"Sigh, no chance this time. What a waste of so many precious herbs. I'm out!" Feng Zhige, who hailed from the heavens above, produced a Great Void Displacement Talisman—a treasure personally refined by an Earth Immortal.
With a whoosh, he vanished from the spot.
At the critical moment, someone acted, using pure yang spiritual light to latch onto his right leg and tag along, disappearing into the night like a trailing kite.
Qin Ming was surprised. That old fellow hitching a ride was quite something, actually managing to piggyback out successfully.
He immediately looked around for targets, moving swiftly across the bloody battlefield.
Not far away, Little Rulai activated a Void Teleportation Talisman amidst the vast army. Meeting no interception, he also made a clean getaway.
Qin Ming noticed Yao Ruoxian activating a teleportation talisman, but he felt embarrassed to pester this princess, who was on good terms with him, so he switched targets.
Soon after, he spotted Little Tianzun Lu Zheng nearby.
The instant Lu Zheng activated his Great Void Displacement Talisman, Qin Ming attached himself decisively.
Besides him, an ailing Grandmaster also seized the chance to cling on, latching onto Lu Zheng to hitch a ride.
"Fools!" Lu Zheng was furious, but it was slightly too late. The Great Void Displacement Talisman whisked them away with a sharp whistle.
A moment later, Qin Ming suddenly felt untethered. A beam of ultimate golden light swept over him, knocking him off Lu Zheng's body, while the ailing Grandmaster was jolted away at the same time.
Lu Zheng carried an extraordinary treasure, likely bestowed by the Tianzun, which purified his body and shook off the two burdens.
Fortunately, in that mere instant, they had already traveled far from the medicine fields and were no longer inside that bloody hell. Still, this territory remained unsafe; encountering an ambush would be catastrophic.
The ailing Grandmaster vanished in a few flashes. Qin Ming fled silently under concealment, not daring to create much disturbance lest the sound of wind and thunder from the rag attract predators.
Before long, he spotted Qian Cheng. Wrapped in a silver banner, the latter skimmed along the ground, fleeing into the distance at extreme speed.
Following that, several streaks of light crossed the void.
Flying at a suitable altitude, Qin Ming fled smoothly while keeping his eyes open, waiting to see if he could hitch another ride.
After a dozen streaks of light shot past in the distance, another appeared, heading in his direction.
Qin Ming decisively unleashed his adhesive force, successfully latching onto a leg.
It turned out to be Yan Zhuohua. Another woman hung from her other leg, evidently an acquaintance of hers who had not been shaken off.
"Ah...!" Clearly, Yan Zhuohua felt it. Detecting pure yang spiritual light attaching itself, she was startled.
Qin Ming was shaken off once more; Yan Zhuohua also possessed a protective treasure.
This second hitchhike had lasted only a moment as well, yet he was no longer very far from the exit.
*Nobody's blocking the exit, right?*
Qin Ming did not dare rush straight through. Watching from a distance, he saw several streaks of light pass through unhindered, which put his mind at ease.
At the final moment, Qin Ming saw Tang Jin, Master Wu, and Qi Qianchen riding a palm-sized boat, retreating at rapid speed with astonishing stability.
*I should hitch a ride on their boat. If someone outside the exit is taking count of who returns, that could be troublesome.*
Seeing the small boat slow down near the exit, Qin Ming decisively caught up, adhering to the bottom of the hull and shooting through alongside it.
"Friends, are you selling miraculous herbs?" There were indeed people guarding the exit, shamelessly pestering others to buy herbs, seemingly backed by considerable influence.
"We didn't harvest any!" Tang Jin said coldly.
"Who are you..."
"Senior Brother, say no more. That is a disciple of Patriarch Li Wuwei, who advances on twin paths."
"Did something happen in the otherworldly forbidden zone?"
Only then did the people near the exit realize that an earth-shaking catastrophe had erupted inside. Those who had returned earlier had ignored them, fleeing immediately to deliver reports.
Qin Ming breathed a sigh of relief, departing silently. After returning to his physical body, he fled without delay.
"Who was that stuck to the bottom of our boat just now?" Tang Jin murmured.
Master Wu said, "Never mind that. Hurry and report to your master."
That same day, Qin Ming approached the territory of Black-White Mountain. Looking up at the sky, he saw heavy dark clouds colliding and arcs of lightning intertwining. He headed decisively toward the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace.
*The rainy season has arrived. It's the perfect time for me to go into secluded cultivation there!*
Having just obtained the *Script of the Primal Myriad Thunderbolts*, practicing this true scripture amidst thunder and rain could not be more fitting.
*Next time I go exploring, I must find a peaceful place. Those so-called forbidden zones full of exotic plants and even multiple Earth Immortal-grade grand herbs are completely unreliable. Places that make one feel uneasy are nothing but traps!* Qin Ming reflected.
By now, he had arrived at the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace.
He began by practicing his thunder-fire force, wind-thunder force, and heavenly thunder igniting earthly fire before finally turning to comprehend the *Script of the Primal Myriad Thunderbolts*.
He had not expected that cultivating this true scripture during a thunderstorm would bring him such a tremendous pleasant surprise. He slowly absorbed a trickle of lightning and vast amounts of heavenly light, achieving astonishingly remarkable results.
Qin Ming's heart trembled. Merely practicing this supreme true scripture normally with the aid of lightning might allow him to break through.
*That's it—thunder and fire are the grand herbs that assist the practice of this scripture. This is my first time practicing the true art, and I haven't built up any resistance yet. How could there not be a reaction?* Amidst the thunder and rain, Qin Ming's eyes shone brightly, brimming with anticipation.
Chapter 504