Deep beneath the earth, a massive disturbance stirred, as though a colossal beast had passed through and vanished into the distance in an instant.
High in the air, Qin Ming wore a grave expression. The chasm shaped like a giant maw sent a chill down his spine—had he really escaped from inside the body of a living creature?
The hard, dry black soil was barren and desolate, completely devoid of vegetation under normal circumstances. Did this mean the creature was already dead?
"Could that scorching red ocean have been its remaining vital blood?"
Although Qin Ming had escaped, the eerie chill lingered. If one thought carefully about how the sun and the lush island brimming with flora vitality aligned with the Five Elements, frightening possibilities inevitably sprang to mind.
Beasts in the dense forest on the ground were startled, fleeing through the night mist, while flocks of birds took flight from the woods.
Qin Ming did not linger. Riding the astral winds, he silently departed from the area.
Before long, he changed his clothing and altered his appearance. Now sporting loose, thick waves of snow-white hair, he carried his mutton-fat jade iron saber across his back. He looked travel-worn and possessed a rugged air.
Among his snow-white waves were two curved horns, affixed in place with his sticking force. He had disguised himself as a wandering saber swordsman of the sheepfolk.
Qin Ming sprinted away. He had to run quickly; he did not know whether that elderly senior would immediately recover to the True God realm after extending his lifespan. If the old goat came searching for him using some extraordinary method, things would get troublesome.
Still, where was this? How far was it from the catfolk village? He was utterly blind to his surroundings, having no memory of the landmarks in this region.
"Are nocturnal birds migrating? How can there be so many!" Qin Ming looked up to see vast flocks of birds spreading their wings across the night mist, blotting out the sky as they flew by in dense clouds.
At last, he spotted light. Ahead lay a road frequently traveled by horses and carriages, beside which stood a small tavern. It was a mandatory checkpoint on the way to a distant city.
Qin Ming silently drew near, ordered a bowl of wine, and casually asked for directions. In truth, he was preparing to use resonance to assess the conditions across this region.
"There is a city thirty li ahead..." the owner explained. He was a simple, honest minotaur.
Suddenly, the entire tavern was illuminated. The waiter bringing the wine ambushed Qin Ming with a bludgeon! The attack came without warning, flawlessly concealed, displaying the caliber of a top assassin.
Qin Ming reacted with incredible speed, leaning slightly to the side. Even so, a slight oversight occurred. He was currently a sheepfolk swordsman, and one of his horns was struck, shattering into fine powder.
"A grandmaster." Qin Ming's heart shook slightly. His gaze turned sharp as lightning, and with a clang, he drew his mutton-fat jade iron saber.
To be precise, the waiter was possessed by a grandmaster. Prior to this, the waiter himself had been completely oblivious, leaving no flaw to detect.
Only at the critical moment did the grandmaster's consciousness awaken. Anyone else might well have fallen to the ambush.
A surge of formidable conscious energy, dancing like blazing flames, wielded a mace of red gold. Breaking free of the waiter's physical body, it erupted with the power of a grandmaster.
Instantly, saber light flashed like thunder and lightning while the red-gold mace rang out, the two figures locked in fierce combat.
The minotaur owner went pale with terror, scrambling and rolling far away. As for the waiter, his body had already been torn apart by the red-gold mace.
With a loud crack, the grandmaster-level consciousness was cleaved apart by Qin Ming's mutton-fat jade iron saber.
This was an exceptionally powerful expert. However, their true body had not arrived; it was merely a wisp of pure yang consciousness traveling via spirit wandering. Unable to sustain a protracted battle, it was repeatedly blasted apart and severed by Qin Ming.
Qin Ming quickly used resonance, and his expression shifted slightly.
The mountain bandits' blockade of the news had indeed borne results. Certain grandmasters from afar had arrived too late, so they roamed and lingered across the region, intending to intercept and kill those who had obtained the opportunities.
Evidently, the grandmasters of this world understood the divine grain and the black soil far better than Qin Ming, well aware that its disturbances could span thousands of li.
Certain extraordinary figures, such as those versed in feng shui and divination, could even roughly map out the boundaries and specific convergence points.
Above all, this patch of black soil had awakened here sixty-three years ago. Instead of moving far away, it had stirred up trouble again after all these years, leaving behind plenty of recorded references.
Qin Ming's expression grew solemn. He had no idea how many grandmasters had gathered from afar; he needed to leave this chaotic territory as quickly as possible.
Aside from late arrivals, there were also grandmasters who had reached the area early on but dared not venture deep underground, choosing instead to wait on the surface to intercept the spoils.
Qin Ming tossed his long, wavy sheepfolk hair and channeled the Wind Classic, taking to the high skies to ride the wind.
Whether utilizing astral wind or the power of lightning, he could sustain brief flight. But the latter made too much noise, so he chose to ride the wind.
Furthermore, this region was dotted with towering mountains beneath thick storm clouds. Many peaks pierced into the clouds with only their summits exposed, looking like a chain of suspended, solitary islands.
As a wandering sheepfolk swordsman with only one horn left, Qin Ming could repeatedly borrow leverage above the sea of clouds and mist. The astral winds whipped loudly as he leaped from one isolated island to the next.
The scenery above was magnificent, an endless sea of night mist. Qin Ming moved at extreme speed, frequently vanishing into the cloud banks without a trace.
Chiefly, several grandmasters wielding proverbial scythes, eager to reap what they had not sown, lay in ambush within the dark, waiting to harvest fortunes in the chaotic territory. None of them were benevolent figures; he had to remain on guard.
Reflecting carefully, while he had seemingly escaped mortal doom on this venture, the process had been fraught with peril. Both the golden will and the old goat far exceeded what any grandmaster could deal with; a single slip would have meant eternal destruction.
Having risked his life for these fortunes, Qin Ming naturally would not allow others to lay a finger on them. If anyone dared to rob him, he would fight them to the bitter end.
Ding!
A faint vibration sounded from within the dense clouds. Silver patterns intertwined, instantly illuminating the pitch-black sky.
Qin Ming's expression tightened. Even at this altitude, there was a giant net?
He quickly realized what it was: likely a spirit-capturing net. It was not particularly sturdy, its fine threads almost negligible, but the moment a living being triggered it, it would activate and swiftly send out a signal.
Qin Ming's pupils contracted. They had even set traps this high up.
He tore through the spirit-capturing net and burst forward, only to encounter dozens more nets in succession across the night sky. His trail had undeniably been exposed.
"It wasn't enough to wait with scythes to harvest me—now they're casting giant nets to haul me in?!"
Though the chaotic territory was vast, certain experts understood human nature thoroughly and could anticipate the minds of others. Key routes, easily overlooked blind spots, and counterintuitive paths had all been considered and trapped in advance.
In the distance, a massive disturbance erupted. The sea of night mist surged as a black bird of prey over a dozen zhang long flared with dark light, shooting through the void like a giant flying sword.
It was a grandmaster-level monstrous bird. It had laid the nets, and as it pounced, a deafening thunderclap boomed, driven by its terrifying speed.
To dare string nets high in the sky and intercept grandmasters alone, it naturally possessed astonishing strength. Emitting dark light akin to black heavenly fire, it clawed downward, causing the clouds in the vicinity to burst apart!
Qin Ming felt no fear. Hovering on the wind, the moment he drew his mutton-fat jade iron saber, it was as if snow-white lightning slashed through the night curtain, followed by an explosion of Primordial Heavenly Light.
Having recently broken through to the sixth heaven of the Mind Lamp realm on a stormy night, his cultivation had steadily advanced, filling him with surging confidence. Even against a ferocious grandmaster-level monstrous bird from an alien domain, he did not flinch.
In the night sky, saber light clashed with sharp claws, sending sparks scattering in all directions like arcs of electricity overflowing and weaving across the clouds.
The ringing clangs never ceased!
The black monstrous bird felt its claws grow rough, then short, then bald, and finally throbbing with pain as blood dripped down.
After dozens of clashes, its razor-sharp talons had been shaved completely bald by the one-horned sheepfolk swordsman.
It was dumbfounded. It was a well-known grandmaster that had walked this path for over fifty years. It had originally assumed the opponent was relatively 'green' and easily taken down, only to have its feet 'trimmed' right off the bat.
With a squelch, a chunk of flesh along its talons was sheared off, spraying crimson blood.
The grandmaster-level bird reacted with blinding speed, shrinking instantly into human form. Wielding two black broadswords, it hacked toward Qin Ming with violent ferocity.
Blade beams and sword qi shot out simultaneously into the night sky as the mutton-fat jade iron saber repeatedly clashed against the twin broadswords.
Qin Ming's Primordial Spirit Field expanded at the perfect moment, warping the pitch-black sea of night mist.
The monstrous bird grandmaster was no ordinary opponent; a small divine domain formed around its body, initially tangling with the spirit field—a rather shocking display of skill.
In the end, however, that brilliant divine domain was torn apart by the spirit field. The bird grandmaster could scarcely believe it; the signature technique upon which its fame rested had been crushed by the opponent.
It felt as though it were trapped in a quagmire, struggling miserably despite its grandmaster status. The tangible net of the spirit field constricted, slicing into its flesh. Try as it might, it could not break free, leaving it covered in blood.
At that moment, Qin Ming slashed repeatedly with his mutton-fat jade iron saber.
The high-tier monstrous bird shrieked and reverted to its true form, yet feathers scattered through the air, stained with blood. Its body was pierced by saber light, and its wings were ripped away by the spirit field.
Immediately after, it was decapitated by a single slash, and Qin Ming followed up with two punches infused with the Primordial Heavenly Light of a blazing sun.
"Old Huang, this is your compensation!"
The yellow imperial parasol emerged, sweeping through the clouds. Starry rivers intertwined across the canopy, looking profoundly divine as it absorbed the wisps of conscious spiritual radiance in the blink of an eye.
Qin Ming dared not linger and tore through the void. What he feared most was not anyone else, but that seemingly friendly old goat. Even though they had formed a pact, the other party had once been a True God after all; if they crossed paths again, he truly had no confidence in the outcome.
"Hmm?" He halted. Within the clouds, numerous lanterns suddenly lit up, rapidly multiplying into a dense swarm in all directions, illuminating everything as far as the eye could see.
The sea of clouds was brightly lit, and the surging night mist truly resembled an ocean surface shimmering with light.
They appeared to be countless oversized fireflies, each the length of a palm, their glowing tails blanketing the night sky in a dizzying display.
"Brother Wu, I arrived a step too late," someone sighed in the distance, staring at the drifting black feathers. The newcomer clearly knew the grandmaster-level monstrous bird and had partnered with it to guard this region; otherwise, he could not have corralled the insects over so quickly.
Sensing danger, Qin Ming's feet shone, and lightning wings materialized across his back. He charged forward at extreme speed, intending to slay the man.
Rumble!
Flames filled the sky as all the glowing insects rioted, engulfing Qin Ming while blazing light erupted from their abdomens.
In an instant, the clouds themselves caught fire—a literal sea of flaming clouds.
These creatures were known as fire-flowing bugs, capable of rapidly absorbing nearby energy to unleash terrifying spirit fire. For any cultivator submerged beneath them, it was an utter nightmare.
Fire-flowing bugs were infamous monstrosities featured on this world's list of wondrous insects.
With every slash of Qin Ming's saber, several fire-flowing bugs burst, yet the flames only grew more blinding. They devoured the corpses left behind by their kin, driving the heat of their spirit fire even higher.
A few hundred or thousand would pose no threat to Qin Ming, but their numbers were overwhelming, blanketing the sky in an apparently boundless tide.
Engulfed by this ocean of insects, his energy consumption was tremendous!
The yellow imperial parasol glowed, hovering above Qin Ming's head. Purple qi descended from the tassels along its rim, helping him ward off the wondrous insects. Yet the surging flames and burning clouds were so horrifying that even the dust-laden supreme treasure found itself buried beneath them.
With a low shout from Qin Ming, lightning detonated around him, briefly clearing away the nearby fire-flowing bugs as he searched through the night mist for the grandmaster controlling them.
Overflowing with killing intent, he wanted to resolve the battle quickly. If he remained trapped here, tangled in an endless sea of bugs, he could end up in serious trouble.
"Found you!" Qin Ming spotted a green-robed man deep behind the insect tide, holding a golden conch as though speaking with someone far away.
Riding the thunder, Qin Ming left behind a trail of golden footprints across the night sky. Incredibly swift, he blasted through swaths of fire-flowing bugs and charged straight at the man.
The insect tide boiled, proving exceptionally troublesome. They detonated in waves, splattering bug paste everywhere, yet threw themselves forward fearlessly, devouring the shattered flesh of their companions and intensifying their fiery glow.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded in Qin Ming's heart. He shifted laterally at top speed as a streak of golden light whizzed past his ear, nearly piercing the back of his head.
A searing pain shot through his neck, which was sliced open, spraying blood.
Qin Ming's Scripture of Harmonizing Body and Dao had long reached a profound level of mastery, and combined with the Extreme Dao Golden Body Scripture, his physical body was terrifyingly tough.
Even so, his neck had been breached. Had the blow struck the back of his head, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
At the same time, his neck grew slightly numb. With a boom, he used Primordial Heavenly Light to seize control of the surrounding flesh, expelling the tainted true blood, which burned to black ash.
With eyes like lightning, Qin Ming spotted the culprit ambushing him within the sea of bugs: a foot-long noxious insect.
It resembled a centipede with transparent wings, bearing a single golden horn on its head. Among its hundred legs was a pair of specialized forelimbs resembling blades. This was an insect ranked even higher than the fire-flowing bug in this realm—the golden-horned blade insect.
Moreover, it was an old insect at the grandmaster level.
The golden horn atop its head and its blade-like forelimbs gleamed with a cold metallic luster, the tips tinged with purple haze.
"Purple... exotic metal!"
Qin Ming finally understood why he had nearly been decapitated.
In the distance, the grandmaster of the golden-horned blade insects was thoroughly astonished. Equipped with precious exotic metal weapons on its horn and forelimbs, it had still failed to sever the opponent's head. Such resilient flesh far exceeded its expectations.
His neck stained with blood, Qin Ming stopped the bleeding with a grim expression. Even amidst the perils of that mysterious red ocean, he had never suffered such an injury. To nearly have his head taken after escaping was an outright humiliation.
Instantly casting aside concerns about consumption, divine rings layered over his body one after another. Unifying all techniques through the principles of the silk book, he appeared like a True God descending upon the mortal realm, his flesh shining with terrifying brilliance.
At that moment, the buzzing of wings filled the air as the golden-horned blade insect grandmaster summoned a vast swarm of its own kind. One after another, they flew through the void and night mist like flying swords, shooting straight at Qin Ming.
In his peak state, fusing all arts, Qin Ming's consumption was massive, yet his destructive power surged dramatically. Any fire-flowing bug or newly joined golden-horned blade insect that touched the rings of light around him detonated in sequence.
Around him, dozens of dense divine rings were stacked together in supreme radiance, each representing a terrifying form of force.
At this moment, the night sky seemed plowed open as the sea of clouds burst apart. Nearby insects dissolved within the terrifying light, while those farther away detonated in vast swarms, their corpses raining down with a patter.
The two grandmasters leading the insect swarms had initially been prepared to sacrifice their bugs regardless of cost. Now, their eyelids twitched wildly. Falling like dumplings into a pit of death, the insects were being wiped out faster than anticipated—a loss they simply could not sustain.
The golden-horned blade insect grandmaster's heart pounded wildly. It dodged swiftly while summoning the insect tide to block its foe, realizing it had been locked onto and could not escape; it had no choice but to clash head-on. Between it and Qin Ming, insect corpses rained down like a downpour toward the ground.
"Fellow Daoist, help me!" the blade insect grandmaster shouted.
When it clashed with Qin Ming in fierce combat, it was immediately jarred into coughing up mouthfuls of blood, terrifying cracks spreading across its body.
It could scarcely believe it. The golden-horned blade insect race possessed a light-golden carapace harder than secret iron—a physical constitution they took immense pride in. Yet it could not withstand the mysterious heavenly light erupting from its opponent.
Qin Ming was also shaken. These wondrous insects were truly formidable; colliding against his layered Primordial Heavenly Light without instantly bursting proved it was an exceptionally ruthless combatant.
Farther away, the green-robed man's pupils shrank in shock. That was a fifth-realm golden-horned blade insect, yet in hand-to-hand combat, its carapace was cracking and oozing blood—an astonishing sight.
He blew his flute, commanding the boundless insects to reinforce his ally, while he himself retreated repeatedly, his heart quailing in panic.
Then came acute heartache: as the immense swarm of fire-flowing bugs drew near, they were ignited like dry grass caught in lightning fire. Insect corpses fell like rain, reduced to ash, the casualties reaching catastrophic proportions.
Qin Ming was thoroughly enraged, releasing continuous bursts of true Chaos force.
With a wet crunch, despite its astonishing racial gifts, the grandmaster-level golden-horned blade insect could hold out no longer. Its body mangled, half its torso exploded.
Qin Ming's fist radiance hammered down one strike after another, delivering relentless fist seals.
"Ah..." Filled with grievance and terror, the formidable insect grandmaster saw the remainder of its body torn apart, meeting complete destruction.
Using his sticking force, Qin Ming stripped away its golden horn and two blade-like forelimbs, which were fitted with purple exotic metal edges. He could not afford to pass up such extraordinary treasures.
Turning around, Qin Ming found that the green-robed grandmaster had fled without looking back. That man was the embodiment of a fire-flowing bug; vibrating his wings, he sped into the distance like a streak of light.
Having routed the vast insect swarm, which lost its ferocity without a grandmaster's direction, Qin Ming smoothly broke through.
He tossed his snow-white wavy hair, letting light flash to purify the bloodstains, then adjusted the remaining horn on his head.
The wandering swordsman sped on, wanting to leave this troublesome place immediately.
Yet he had not traveled far before his heart sank, and he rapidly descended toward the ground. He felt a crushing pressure akin to mountains and seas bursting their dams.
A great grandmaster had arrived, barring his path.
It was an elder whose form resembled Dachong and Erchong, hailing from the same race. Tall and imposing, his entire body gleamed with the luster of dark gold.
Behind his humanoid form, in addition to a pair of door-plank-sized dark-gold wings, he possessed a scorpion's tail that neither Dachong nor Erchong had.
He looked ancient, his blood qi withered, yet he was absolutely dangerous and lethal.
Clearly, Dachong had lied. The claim that the old bug had undergone feathering dissolution was completely false; he was very much alive, having merely refrained from entering the depths to explore, waiting outside to snatch the spoils instead.
The fire-flowing bug grandmaster—the green-robed man—stood beside the insectfolk great grandmaster.
Qin Ming's heart sank. He had stumbled straight into the net cast by the insect alliance, ultimately drawing out this most terrifying old bug.
"Are you waiting for me to strike?" The old bug exuded an immense presence. Though he had not unleashed his blood qi or full might, an invisible aura spread outward, striking awe into the soul.
Utilizing a great momentum aligned with heaven and earth, like Feixian Mountain bearing down, he pressured Qin Ming, seeking to conquer without battle and force him to grovel on the ground.
Unable to remain aloft in the night sky, Qin Ming was forced down to the earth.
It had to be said that the old bug was exceedingly formidable. Even before unleashing his true power, his unity of heaven and man exerted enough pressure to shatter the ground.
Across this area, dense black fissures several feet wide tore open, spreading into the distance.
Enduring the pressure, Qin Ming stood firm like a divine spear planted in the ground, saying in a low voice, "I do not understand why you act against me. I, too, am a hunter and never entered the subterranean depths."
The fire-flowing bug grandmaster spoke up: "Someone saw you appear near one of the exits."
Qin Ming countered, "I was waiting by that area to ambush someone. When I spotted Shi Shiyong, I gave chase, but eventually lost him."
The green-robed man said, "Shi Shiyong is strong, but your martial prowess surpasses his. How could you fail to catch him?"
Qin Ming replied, "He carried teleportation talismans. How was I supposed to keep up?"
He then added in a heavy voice, "Did you not investigate which grandmasters actually entered the underground? If you had informants who looked into it, you would know I was not among those ten."
The green-robed man said, "I heard an old goat went down to harvest the divine grain."
Qin Ming said grimly, "Do I look that old to you? Furthermore, I was waiting in this region precisely to receive that old goat. How exactly did you conduct your investigation?"
He then countered, "I hail from the ancestral lands of the sheepfolk. Had I personally ventured underground, would my clan not have prepared teleportation talismans for me? How could I have been cornered here by you?"
Just then, the golden conch on the old bug sounded. He immediately brought it to his ear and clearly heard the transmission: "An old goat has appeared six thousand li away."
Qin Ming said, "Are you sure now? You have the wrong sheep!"
"Regardless of what form you take now, let this old man test you first!" the old bug declared. In an instant, he spread his five fingers, dark-gold radiance blazing with terrifying pressure as he reached toward Qin Ming.
The ground beneath Qin Ming's feet shattered, his body pressed downward until he sank waist-deep into the soil. This insectfolk great grandmaster was terrifying; the void rumbled, and nearby cliff faces collapsed.
Qin Ming's heart shook. Everything Dachong had said was a lie; the old bug's physical condition was remarkably sound, sound enough to strike directly.
Silently, a rotting fan appeared in Qin Ming's hand. He activated it on the spot, unleashing terrifying ripples as order runes intertwined and Dao rhythms surged violently.
His voice turned icy cold: "If it comes to a fight to the death, it's not certain who will live and who will die!"
The old bug's pupils contracted. At the final moment, he reined in his overwhelming aura, gave Qin Ming a deep look, and said, "Fine, I believe you."
Turning around, he said, "We head six thousand li away!"
The green-robed fire-flowing bug grandmaster informed him, "The lionfolk's high priest might be over there."
The insect great grandmaster said coldly, "Do you think I fear him?"
With a whoosh, they vanished into the distance.
The old bug did not dare wage a true battle. Had he fought all out, death would have been his certain fate afterward; his condition was far from what he projected.
Qin Ming's face twitched with acute heartache. The rotting fan had limited uses; having partially activated it, had he wasted half a charge?
He quickly wrapped it back in the rag, halting the rotting weapon's revival.
"Damned old bug!" Facing so many perils in that mysterious red ocean, Qin Ming had never once activated the rotting fan, yet he had nearly been forced to expend it here.
Wiping the blood from his neck, he let out a long breath. The older these scoundrels grew, the more cautious they became; fearing to go underground, they waited on the surface as predators. Truly despicable and loathsome.
Qin Ming examined the fan carefully and said, "Having halted the precious fan's revival early, properly nurturing it after returning should prevent any major issues."
He then sped away. The remainder of his journey went relatively smoothly; with no more grandmasters barring his way, he slipped out of the chaotic territory.
That very day, Qin Ming passed through the ancient mist portal and returned to Yezhou. Stepping onto familiar soil, he let out a long breath, finally at ease.
Recalling his gains from this expedition, excitement surged through his heart.
He did not travel far from Jinrui City. Once the turmoil in the other world settled down, he would return, needing the aid of lightning to temper those divine substances, such as the World-Purifying Fire and the wood-attributed longevity qi.
"I wonder how the grand gathering in the heavens is proceeding, and what level of cultivation the contenders for the supreme inheritance at the Dragon Transformation Pool have reached?"
Qin Ming began taking inventory of his gains, including the spoils of battle, his eyes lighting up.
"I'll save the divine medicine for later!"
Though this journey had been fraught with danger, his desires had ultimately been fulfilled. Having successfully broken through, he would be able to ascend another level once he drew down thunder and fire to sever karmic sin and refine medicine.
Chapter 516