"Grandmaster Qin, I look forward to you emerging from the mountain." The pure white dharma conch was exquisite, rippling with layer upon layer of subtle waves that clearly transmitted Tang Yushang's voice.
Sensitive words like "Grandmaster" and "emerging from the mountain" tightened Qin Ming's heartstrings slightly.
To think Tang Yushang would send word at the first opportunity. Her tone held a magnetic warmth, gentle and pleasant, completely unlike her usual attitude and demeanor.
Qin Ming wondered if this conch could emit lightning. Why did it feel as though he had been jolted by electricity? The voice coming through left a tingling sensation in his ear.
He naturally knew what Tang Yushang was actually looking forward to—presumably wanting to beat him up, given that she had been grinding her teeth earlier.
Qin Ming said, "Are you keeping a cat over there? Is that meowing beside you, or is the dharma conch leaking electricity?"
At the same time, he pulled the delicate dharma conch away, holding it a bit further from his ear.
Bai Meng was just as astonished. Had his sister's temperament changed? That soft, magnetic, honeyed tone was truly unlike her usual style; it made his own ears tingle.
Hearing this, Tang Yushang's voice—while still pleasing to the ear—sharply rose in pitch and took on an icy chill, blasting right at him: "Qin Ming, I'll be waiting for you to come out!"
"Now that sounds right. You don't have a cat over there—you're raising a tiger," Qin Ming nodded. After being jolted a moment ago, he had genuinely felt out of his element.
On the other side of the conch, Tang Yushang's dark brows arched on her pale, translucent face, divine brilliance flashing through eyes clear as spring water. Her fair fingers nearly crushed the conch to pieces.
Her voice returned to calm as she said, "You have a lot of free time, don't you? Laugh all you want now—I'll make you pay it back with interest later."
"Awoo," Qin Ming howled in response.
Bai Meng wiped away sweat. Brother Ming was truly fierce. Did he really want to get beaten black and blue once he stepped out?
In the end, Tang Yushang cut off the connection in frustration.
"Brother Ming, you haven't actually become a grandmaster, have you?" Bai Meng felt this brother of his was too bold, daring to say literally anything.
Qin Ming returned the dharma conch to Bai Meng and replied, "Nonsense. However, I recently mastered the strength to subdue dragons and overpower tigers. I once managed to grab a pureblood white tiger with a single hand."
Bai Meng was left speechless. Brother Ming was too wild—was he planning to subdue his sister with one hand?
The Golden Roster's revival and conscription of experts across heaven and earth set off massive shockwaves.
High above the nine heavens, a group of old monsters felt their scalps tingle. If they stepped into the world and merely stretched their limbs, they would fall terribly ill. If they truly got dragged into mortal combat, wouldn't that be like the God of Longevity hanging himself—courting death?
Whether minor deities, earth immortals, or seven-day overlap practitioners, all harbored doubts: was the Golden Roster trying to purge their batch of old relics and send them on their way to the grave?
Yet they could not evade it. This was a rule established long ago by Yujing: if foreign enemies appeared, everyone bore the duty to defend the realm, without room for excuses or evasion.
The Golden Roster occupied a high level of authority; while it might not directly destroy them, it possessed the jurisdiction to restrain and command them. Disobeying it meant utterly abandoning the covenant and breaking the rules.
The moment news broke, a gale swept across the heavens, leaving the old monsters unable to sit still.
Heavy hearts weighed on many. If even they were being summoned, the external foe had to be formidable. Who knew how many lives would be lost?
For a time, the people with the highest cultivation atop the nine heavens fell silent and reticent, the atmosphere turning stifling.
Naturally, every rule had its exceptions; some old monsters were exceptionally bellicose.
"They surely wouldn't send us directly to our deaths. There must be an unconventional method to ensure we can take action and unleash a brilliant, earth-immortal-tier war."
"I've been quiet for too long. I've nearly forgotten who I am. If there are no lingering worries, fighting a thrilling, all-out war wouldn't hurt."
As for the younger and middle-aged generations in the heavens, excitement and uproar bubbled. None had imagined they would witness a grand war in their lifetimes.
Every facet of life came on display: across various factions, distinct paths of cultivation, and divergent standings, people harbored vastly different attitudes and calculations.
On the whole, most of the youth and adults were tense; they had never faced such grand-scale upheaval.
Though their heritages were profound, having practiced true scriptures and received precious medicines, they lacked the baptism of blood and fire.
Over the past several centuries, the grand sanctuaries perched high above had lived far too peacefully.
When word reached the earth below, a hurricane of shock likewise battered every quarter, yet relatively speaking, the people there accepted it more quickly.
Down on the ground, the brutality of combat far exceeded that in the heavens. They routinely faced adversaries emerging from the deep night mist of surrounding worlds; which cultivator here had never seen blood?
A few belligerent figures even grew excited and thrilled.
In this era, wondrous herbs, spiritual nests of fortune, and the like simply did not exist in the wild; everything had an owner. Resources on the ground were severely scarce, and many yearned for a chance to rise.
"As long as we don't die, we will surely rise!"
A handful of fierce individuals were already eagerly anticipating it. Provided they survived, this would be a crucial chance for rebirth.
An old sect master said in a low voice, "Put away your wishful thinking and unrealistic fantasies. This is no hunting excursion; it is a clash between supreme civilizations. A single shockwave could wipe out countless lives and destroy multiple top-tier sects. The saying that geniuses will fall like rain is no exaggeration—it is very likely to happen."
He warned that this battle's style might be subversive and completely unprecedented. For instance, if it erupted near Yezhou, the entire territory of Dayu could become scorched earth in the shortest time imaginable, extinguishing all living things.
The realm was restless; this storm swept into every corner.
Amid such an atmosphere, Qin Ming stepped out of Black and White Mountain, answering the conscription to register.
Evidently, anyone who made the roster possessed extraordinary qualities.
Qin Ming suspected that the New Board had sold him out, and that this awakened Golden Roster knew every detail of his background.
Fortunately, virtually all immortal seeds and divine seeds had been included, saving him from standing out like a lone tree in a forest.
Qin Ming mused that if he had entered the roster through his three identities—Taiyi, the Realm Faction, or One Sword—he was bound to face bitter battles.
If that were the case, the Golden Roster clearly needed him as an indestructible blade.
"Brother Ming, aren't you nervous?" Bai Meng asked as he accompanied Qin Ming out of Black and White Mountain. He noticed Qin Ming was calm and poised, showing no anxiety about the future.
Though Bai Meng had lived through plenty, facing the clash of great eras left him exceedingly heavy-hearted, devoid of confidence.
Qin Ming replied, "There's nothing to fear. Whether you're nervous or not, the matter is already set before us. You can't change the outcome, and you must see it through in person anyway."
Even if the Golden Roster treated him as "Slaying Through the Thirty-Six Heavens with a Single Sword" and arranged tough adversaries for him at critical moments, he held no fear.
Because he was stronger than before, having personally slain several grandmasters.
Besides, in a brutal conflict between supreme civilizations, there might not even be an opportunity to mount a dueling sword stage; eight times out of ten, it would be an unprecedented, bloody melee.
Under the night sky, streaks of light shuttled across the void. There were lightning birds delivering messages as well as beings wandering in spirit, all hurrying with urgency.
Qin Ming asked, "Don't you need to return to the Tai Ruins to register in your homeland?"
Bai Meng shook his head. "No need. Registering anywhere is the same; everyone must ascend the nine heavens in the end."
Still fraught with worry, he added, "I hear even those renowned old monsters have been conscripted. If earth immortals take the field, even if they can only awaken for a moment, it will create a scene as horrific as hell. We'll probably just be cannon fodder, turned into indistinguishable bloody sludge."
Qin Ming consoled him, "Don't worry. Unless there's something wrong with the Golden Roster, it won't bury the entire younger and middle generations. In some special circumstances, we might even be the ones carrying the banner."
In the heavens, within the various old mountain strongholds and top-tier lineages, several old monsters likewise believed the Golden Roster would not simply send the young to die, and that reasonable arrangements were certain.
"If that's the case, we should win over some formidable young talents!"
Senior figures in lineages such as Star Mountain, Sword Court, and Thunder Marsh Palace carefully scrutinized the roster, selecting suitable individuals to employ for their own ends.
"Regardless of whether there'll be showdowns between top figures, we should prepare in advance."
Most importantly, if distinct lineages and large organizations were assigned different missions by the Golden Roster, those recruited prodigies could shine and contribute effectively.
"The only worry is that the Golden Roster will centrally deploy everyone and yield not an ounce of authority to us."
Soon after, atop the nine heavens, the major powers of Thunder Marsh Palace, Sword Court, and Heavenly God Ridge received word that the "ancestors" buried beneath nine-colored ice mountains and lying within ice coffins across the old strongholds were also ordered on standby.
They were a group of old fellows whose lifespans had reached their limit; if they stepped forth, they would drop dead in mere moments. Former supreme sect masters and their ilk, their statuses were terrifyingly exalted.
"Has it gone mad? Even those living corpses might be dug up?"
"Insolent fool, mind your words! What living corpses? Your grandfather is buried in there too!"
Such was the exchange between very elderly elders, though compared to the half-dead ancestors beneath the nine-colored ice mountains, they hardly seemed old at all.
The palace master of Thunder Marsh Palace, the mountain master of Star Mountain, and the cave master of Zixiao Cave all wore grave expressions. They had a rough sense of the scale of this clash.
This war most likely concerned the very survival of Yujing's territories; otherwise, why mobilize so thoroughly, even digging up people entombed in ice coffins?
...
On the road, Bai Meng looked suspicious and said, "Brother Ming, why do I feel like you're excited? Don't be so optimistic. This could be a life-and-death catastrophe for everyone!"
Qin Ming replied, "Since this battle cannot be avoided, treat it as a trial by blood. Everyone knows I'm a rogue cultivator lacking resources. This might be a chance to turn things around, so naturally I must seize it."
Bai Meng was full of admiration. No matter how one looked at it, Brother Ming wasn't nervous in the slightest. He treated this foreign war as a hunt, a grand feast, utterly at ease.
The imperial capital of Dayu—Chongxiao City. Qin Ming arrived; he was no stranger to this place. It was already late at night, yet along the banks of the Shuyu River, lights still shone brightly. Painted pleasure boats cruised across the water, and as the autumn wind swept past, silver willows on the riverbank shed frost-like leaves.
Qin Ming remarked, "I thought your sister was going to host a welcome banquet for me, but she ran off?"
Bai Meng wiped away sweat. "Brother Ming, calm down. I didn't tell her. If I had, you two would definitely have come to blows."
The next day, as shallow night arrived, Qin Ming stepped out of the inn and headed straight to report.
"People come and go, but unchanging remains this city of Chongxiao," Qin Ming murmured softly.
The last time he had come here was a year and a half ago, during his decisive battle against Cui Chonghe.
"Cui the Second is here too," Bai Meng informed him. "Even though he acts as if he's walked out of the shadow, the restless indignation in his heart and the desolation of being crippled are difficult to completely hide."
Bai Meng said that at the Dao exchange, certain wicked people had constantly agitated Cui Chonghe's Dao heart.
Naturally, the attendees were all individuals of standing; they were not crude or direct, but rather circuitous, even winding through layers of subtle innuendo that pierced straight to his core—a tactful brand of humiliation.
Qin Ming nodded without commenting.
Such was reality. Even a legitimate son of the Cui family and a direct disciple of Sun Taichu, once reduced to a cripple, would experience the warmth and coldness of human nature, the fickle ways of the world.
If Qin Ming had been the one crippled, he believed that given his background as a rogue cultivator without backing, being slighted and scorned would have been even worse.
Qin Ming said, "That is why one must strengthen oneself. Conviction is the soul, strength is the bone; the fusion of the two constitutes our courage."
Today was the official day of reporting for the cultivators on the roster. Immortal seeds, divine seeds, and mutants of the new path from across Yezhou had all gathered.
Beyond them were outlanders like Tang Yushang and Xiao Jinye, as well as the tour group from the heavens; all who were present in Yezhou had converged on Dayu's imperial capital.
Many more had flocked from all directions just to catch a glimpse of these standouts from both heaven and earth.
Thus, Chongxiao City bustled with immense vibrancy today.
In one of the city's plazas, people crowded the vast area, and long lines had formed at the registration booth.
"Qin Ming!" The young sect master of the Jade Pure Sect, the young temple master of the Yin-Yang Monastery, and a crowd of "youths" from the new path approached one after another.
"Greetings, senior brothers," Qin Ming smiled and offered salutations.
The young sect master of the Five Elements Sect sighed, "Little Qin, you've injected vibrant vigor into our new path. To approach the fourth realm at your age is truly remarkable."
Qin Ming chuckled and modestly remarked that he still needed to work hard, striving to break through the major threshold soon to reach greater heights.
Naturally, his true breakthrough goal was Grandmaster—the True Form Realm.
Dayu's Fourth Princess, Yao Ruoxian, arrived with graceful steps. Her smile was radiant as she said, "Qin Ming, why didn't you mention you were coming in advance? You should have let me act as host."
"Every time I come here I cause you trouble; I felt too embarrassed," Qin Ming replied.
Yao Ruoxian smiled. "You are far too polite."
"Qin Ming!" Pei Shuyan, Zhuo Qingming, Helian Yaoqing, and a group of people from the immortal path walked over, completely unbothered by the expression on the face of Cui Chonghe, their fellow immortal path cultivator nearby.
Cui Chongxiao walked over from the esoteric sect camp to his younger brother's side. His eyes were deep and cold as he stared at Qin Ming, who was surrounded by the crowd.
*Not even at the fourth realm yet. On the battlefield, he's just cannon fodder!* Of course, Cui Chongxiao could not voice such words aloud; he could only harbor them within his thoughts.
Now that this outcast was gaining momentum, it irked him immensely. The boy had risen to prominence by stepping over his brother's broken body, and Cui Chongxiao wished he could enact vengeance right away.
Yet he had too many reservations. There was the warning from Lu Zizai, and the Cui family dared not approach Black and White Mountain at all.
Then, Cui Chongxiao noticed that Cheng Sheng, Zhao Qingcheng, and several other supreme divine seeds of their esoteric sect were also walking over to reminisce with Qin Ming.
Deeply displeased at the sight of Qin Ming surrounded like the moon among stars, Cui Chongxiao said gravely, "Chonghe, you possess the legendary Abyss Dao Physique. Having weathered trials and witnessed darkness, I believe you will eventually rise, finding new life after ruin!"
Before Cui Chonghe could speak, Li Qingxu strolled by and chimed in, "Ah, right!"
Tang Yushang noticed Qin Ming. Seeing so many people clustered around him, she found it awkward to settle scores; she understood the time and place, and even gave a decorous nod in his direction.
Qin Ming immediately returned a bright, clean smile. That radiant grin blinded Big Tang so much that she felt provoked, itching to charge over and punch him.
"Master!" Su Mohua's steps were light and swift as she hurried over, offering formal greetings with earnest care. Her cousin Su Moran, along with Feng Zhige and Yan Zhuohua, followed closely behind.
In the distance, a woman from the heavens spoke up: "Unexpectedly, this prospective marriage partner of yours is quite popular on the ground. Even the top prodigies from our heavens seem to be on good terms with him."
Lu Jingli stopped her close friend, saying, "Don't speak nonsense. Nothing has been decided yet."
"It seems I underestimated him," Little Heavenly Venerable Lu Zheng murmured to himself.
Among the "tour group" from the heavens, several who had previously looked down on Qin Ming for putting on airs now wore surprised expressions, realizing they had undervalued him.
Naturally, not everyone bore goodwill. Aside from Cui Chongxiao and the people from the Earth Immortal Palace sanctuary in the Eastern Lands, the demon faction harbored deep hostility toward Qin Ming.
At the recent exchange gathering, their old scars had been ripped open when someone brought up how Qin Ming had slain over a dozen heavenly demon seeds on the Plain of Divine Demise in the past. His battle record was simply too dazzling.
"Is this brat really gaining momentum? Fortunately, his path only grows slower the further one progresses. I hear he's stuck at the ninth layer of the spirit field; entering the fourth realm will take him years of grinding."
"I'd love to beat him to death right now. Back then, my clansman possessed heaven-sent talent, yet died a tragic death at his hands."
Several young powerhouses from the demon faction cast ill-intentioned glares in his direction, communicating in whispers.
Being far away, Qin Ming couldn't resonate to sense their specific thoughts, but he caught their icy gazes, curling his lip in a contemptuous smirk without caring in the least.
*Clang!*
The saber on a top-tier heavenly demon seed automatically sprang from its scabbard half a foot, the blade radiating bone-chilling cold and casting brilliant snowy light in all directions.
Qin Ming had no intention of indulging him. Speaking out on the spot, he said, "Is this amusing to you? If you actually dare to make a move, bring it on—I'm ready!"
At the same time, he added, "Though, more often than not, my opponents end up either dead or crippled."
In an instant, the area fell silent. Neither the tour group from the heavens nor the visitors from Yezhou's outer domains expected this figurehead of the new path from Black and White Mountain to be so aggressive.
The young members of the demon race were all arrogant and unruly—otherwise, why call them demons? Accustomed to looking down on peers with supreme conceit, they naturally found this difficult to swallow.
At the critical juncture, an elder demon waved his hand. "Let it go. We are on their turf, and this occasion is hardly suitable for violence."
The minor disturbance subsided just like that. Even the wild, feral demon race had swallowed their pride, drawing looks of astonishment from many onlookers.
Eventually, massive vessels surged into the sky, disappearing into the pitch-black clouds as they carried those on the roster toward the heavens.
In truth, this was not the end of the conscription, but its beginning.
That very day, the Golden Roster stirred once more, projecting boundless golden glow and sending dispatches across all domains touched by Yujing's reach, intent on conducting large-scale recruitment.
In Chixia City, Meng Xinghai emerged from his place of seclusion. Upon hearing the latest news, a shocked expression crossed his face as he remarked, "From the look of it, I probably qualify as well. To think that one day, I might fight side by side with Little Qin."
Turmoil swept across all regions. People found it hard to imagine just how immense this war would be, seeing that the conscription of experts was continuing unabated and far from over.
Above the nine heavens, a dazzling, colossal city floated like an isolated island amid an ocean. Darkness stretched in every direction, violent astral winds surged, and the boundless sea of night mist billowed.
Vessel after vessel crossed the "sea," entering the brightly lit city.
"What's going on?"
As soon as the crowd disembarked, scores of people warmly rushed to meet them.
Naturally, not everyone was blocked; only certain special individuals were mobbed so tightly that not even water could seep through.
"Fellow Daoist Qin, your great name precedes you!"
"Brother Qin, please step over here for a chat!"
Qin Ming suspected he had run into a syndicate of swindlers, feeling as if an organized group was trying to hoodwink him. Just listen to what they were saying! Someone was actually trying to recruit him as a son-in-law on the spot.
He couldn't help letting his thoughts wander—had his identity as "One Sword" leaked within a small circle?
"This old man still lacks a junior brother! My revered master can break through to the Earth Immortal Realm at any moment. Brother Qin, what do you say...?"
Surrounded and wary of being duped or tricked, Qin Ming had only one reply: "I follow the Golden Roster's orders."
"Little brother, our clan's pearl is just sixteen years of age, enchanting beyond measure and astonishingly talented..."
"I follow the Golden Roster's orders."
Thereafter, Qin Ming switched to repeat mode, reiterating again and again that he strictly obeyed the Golden Roster's conscription. The main issue was that those crowding around him were far too passionate; he suspected he was either being set up, or that his cover as "One Sword" had been blown.
Chapter 527