Countless eyes watched the ring, fixed on the tall, straight figure as their owners fell into deep contemplation. In the past, there had been a period when a considerable number of people suspected Qin Ming was connected to Taiyi.
Even now, he had not been cleared of suspicion.
"On the Newborn path, the absolute pinnacle prodigies atop the pyramid must undergo nine rebirths in the First Realm alone. And within this system, there is an even more ethereal legend—the ultimate pursuit of them all—where one must strive with all their might to achieve rebirth at every major threshold, accomplishing grand nirvanas..."
If Qin Ming was pursuing that legend and walking in such an ethereal domain, then his continuous rebirths and unbroken transformations would be no different from consuming rare, supreme medicines.
Instantly, many eyes shifted, their suspicions of him deepening by several degrees.
Someone capable of continuous grand nirvanas could likely experience reverse aging, realizing something as absurd as rejuvenation. If so... then he truly could be Taiyi.
Some had even suspected him of being One Sword.
However, after various probes, people had ultimately determined that his cultivation was clearly insufficient. He was still stuck in the spirit field domain; by cultivation realm alone, he simply did not match.
Clad in polished silver armor, Qin Ming possessed long legs and an upright, slender frame. His silhouette alone was striking, marking him at a glance as a valiant, spirited young talent.
The special standard-issue armor came with a face guard that concealed his true features. Furthermore, the Golden Board had also intervened, employing methods to help pull the wool over everyone's eyes.
Even so, those with agile minds felt their former suspicions welling up once again.
"I actually ended up thinking of him as Taiyi!"
"*Hiss*, why do I also feel that's very possible?"
In an instant, a stir rippled through the Mountains and Seas territory formed by the Golden Board.
If they were the same person... many high-ranking figures from major factions suddenly had their eyes light up.
At present, Qin Ming's only shortcoming was his realm; in every other respect, he possessed no weaknesses whatsoever.
The Lu family, home of Tianzun, had seniors present. The clan had long since resolved to have someone approach Qin Ming, though it remained unclear what had come of it.
"Jingli met him before. I haven't asked the girl yet how their conversation went."
Several prominent core members of the Huang family stood gathered in the same area of the Mountains and Seas territory. An elder of the Sixth Realm personally inquired, "Has any direct-line daughter of our clan reached out to him?"
"Not yet."
Up in the heavens, there was a saying that when choosing a wife, one should marry a daughter of the Huang clan, which spoke volumes about the family's extraordinary standing.
Qin Ming remained steadfast and unmoving. He keenly perceived the countless gazes falling upon him—some astonished, some curious, some scrutinizing, and many burning with investigative intent.
He knew very well that if one walked often along the riverbank, their shoes were bound to get wet eventually.
In this world, no secret lasted forever.
In particular, Qin Ming's Newborn system and Taiyi's immortal body-refinement path overlapped to a remarkable degree.
He felt calm inside. Let them dig for the truth; even if they peeled back one layer of his identity, it wouldn't be too serious.
After all, whether Taiyi or Qin Ming, neither had a high realm, and both faced a very realistic problem: the Newborn path was difficult to walk, and progress was exceedingly slow.
For now, so long as his identity as "Slaying Through the Thirty-Six Heavens with a Single Sword" remained undiscovered, it was fine.
"One Sword" suffered from no such restrictions. His cultivation had already been profound, and because he could advance fiercely and rise rapidly, no one could hold him back even if they wished to.
If he were One Sword, it would truly place immense pressure on many people, delivering too great a shock.
Once those old monsters learned the truth of that identity, they would likely all itch to capture him for thorough "analysis."
Qin Ming pondered, *Fine, take your time unpeeling my identities from behind, layer by layer. So long as my cultivation realm advances fast enough, none of it will be a problem!*
At present, his progress could hardly be called slow. Though he had started late, he was practically catching up from behind.
Given a bit more time, he could become a genuine grandmaster!
If word got out that he had broken through the barrier into the Fifth Realm at his age, it would leave countless people stunned and in disbelief.
On the Seventh Realm battlefield, the second match between the old monsters drew to a close. This bout had been fairly tragic; a True God from Heavenly God Ridge and an ancient totem ended in mutual devastation, splattering blood across the firmament.
Unfortunately, it took place too far away. Spectators dared not draw close and could not see the details.
The youth generation's battlefield was right before their eyes, naturally drawing the gaze of the crowd. By now, several combatants had already taken the field, clashing in fierce combat.
From the totem camp, someone raised an objection: "Isn't your side breaking the rules? That short-haired man with the bushy beard, dense muscles, and stocky build—is he really still young?"
Many looked puzzled. Who were they talking about?
Little Rulai had looked around at first, only to realize in the end that they seemed to be talking about him!
"That's right, we're talking about you! You look ferocious, you're old, and you resemble a savage bandit. Have you no shame, pretending to be young? You're definitely an old fellow!"
"Damn your mother!" Little Rulai nearly rolled up his sleeves to slap the speaker to death. Questioning his age was bad enough, but resorting to personal attacks crossed the line.
The Totem Sacred Mountain spoke, stating that Yujing wasn't playing fair.
The Golden Board's voice sounded: "Him? It is an issue of his system. While he is slightly older in calendar years, on their path he truly is still a young man in the prime of his youth.
"Everyone, both of our sides should act in good faith. If this is a sparring match, the Bone-Illuminating Mirror in the night sky will verify all. The elderly should refrain from entering, lest they be exposed."
The predicament Little Rulai faced was precisely the dilemma of the Newborn path.
Even an illustrious, orthodox inheritor of Chaos force ended up like this, proving just how difficult this path was to walk.
For a moment, people couldn't help but look at Qin Ming. Those who had earlier shown peculiar expressions and suspected him of being Taiyi began scrutinizing and pondering anew.
Practitioners of the Newborn system had to endure long years to mature, requiring a truly protracted stretch of time. They were evaluating whether it was worth the wait.
To nurture such a person and pour in rare resources, only for harvest season to arrive so late—was it truly worthwhile?
"This Qin Ming is not very old, and his progress hasn't been slow. Perhaps he is an exception."
"When he fought Cui Chonghe, it was a year and a half ago. Back then, he was in the ninth heavenly layer of the spirit field. What realm is he in now?"
Some conferred in private, trying to probe Qin Ming's current strength.
Cui Chongxiao learned that after polishing himself for so long, Qin Ming still hadn't broken through to the Fourth Realm—the mind lamp.
"That's only normal. The Newborn path is so hard to tread; if he could still advance through this system like a hot knife through butter, that would truly be absurd!"
Upon learning this, members of the Cui family breathed a sigh of relief.
They hoped the curse of the Newborn path growing increasingly difficult with each step would manifest upon Qin Ming.
Some across the totem camp noticed the attention and hushed discussions focused on Qin Ming, and their interest was instantly piqued.
A five-colored exotic beast spoke up, its entire body flowing with totem brilliance as it probed, "Who are you? You seem to have some minor fame. How about we spar? But before that, let us both be candid and state our age and realm."
At this moment, Qin Ming's "pure heart" was on full display. Just as the fragments of the five-colored treasure had described, he was simple, unadorned, and pure, answering every question honestly.
"I am twenty-one years old, at the ninth heavenly layer of the Third Realm," he stated candidly.
Among the totem camp, the group of young experts fell briefly silent, all surprised and seemingly unable to believe it.
A moment later, someone laughed aloud and remarked, "The Third Realm... that's impossible. Has your side truly run out of people?"
In their ranks, the lowest realm was already the Fourth Realm; otherwise, one would not even qualify to step forward as a representative.
The sacred five-colored beast drew back, feeling that slaying such a "little kid" was beneath its dignity. Better to leave such an opportunity to the youngest members of their team. It spoke: "Take care of it as you see fit."
It would not easily enter the ring. It measured itself against the likes of Wen Dao and Wei Shouzhen, keeping itself ready at all times for the peak decisive clashes.
Several "totemized" youths stepped forward to scrutinize Qin Ming. They were not old and their cultivation realms were not very high, but they were eligible to take the field because they possessed the strength to strike down superiors across realms—each was an extraordinary prodigy.
A massive bull whose fiery red coat shone like satin, appearing as if cloaked in burning flames, spoke up: "I thought I could only hunt Fourth Realm mid-stage experts and cross realms to slay superiors. I never expected I'd get to come here and crush weaklings."
Such colossal beasts were the most easily accepted and devoutly worshipped by the various tribes within the totem system.
The fiery red bull flared with sacred radiance and declared, "None of you fight me for this. Let me experience the thrill of crushing an opponent with the overwhelming might of an ascending immortal mountain crashing down!"
The other "totemized" young experts chuckled, paying it little mind.
One remarked, "We always fight across realms anyway. This isn't breaking precedent; it's simply downward compatibility. Fine, he's all yours."
Meanwhile, Qin Ming was communicating with the Golden Board, asking whether fighting again and again counted toward battle merits, and what rewards would be granted based on his record in the end.
He suspected he would be required to fight continuously later on, with his name likely cropping up on every scroll. Thus, he wanted to clear things up beforehand; otherwise, he felt like he was being dragged into performing free hard labor.
He was giving his all, so naturally he wanted some positive return.
Otherwise, with so many experts present, constantly shearing wool from him alone was hardly reasonable.
The Golden Board informed him that in a war against outsiders, rewards were meted out according to merit. So long as his achievements were glorious enough, redeeming them for true scriptures, precious medicines, and the like would pose no issue.
"I want a precious medicine that can resolve the True Form tribulation," Qin Ming stated.
The Golden Board replied: *Though I do not fully comprehend that tribulation of yours, I possess healing medicines that outsiders can only dream of. They should suffice for your needs.*
"I want nine types of exotic metal to forge nine small..." Qin Ming paused mid-sentence, realizing he might have been too conservative.
"Actually, I want to forge a long saber—not a miniature version—and maybe a heavy hammer as well," he said, opening his mouth wide with extravagant demands.
He knew that an exotic metal fragment no larger than a thumb had fetched astronomical prices at auctions in other worlds. The value of an entire saber would be beyond measure.
Sure enough, the Golden Board grew reluctant and replied: *Do you take rare exotic metals for ordinary iron ore, found everywhere and mined at will? Who could afford such luxury? However, if your performance proves exceptional enough, an accommodation can be made. By special approval, I will forge you a saber or a heavy hammer of the highest purity.*
...
Following that brief exchange, Qin Ming felt his blood surge. He would gladly continue serving as an enforcer, and take the initiative to enter the field repeatedly. He had even planned to rotate through various identities to farm achievements and accumulate merits.
Consequently, as he faced the young experts of the totem camp, no matter how harsh or offensive their words were, his gaze softened.
These monsters could be exchanged for rare supreme medicines and priceless exotic metals. To him, they no longer appeared ferocious or savage, but rather gleamed with a brilliant, golden allure.
"Human cutie, did you get scared silly? What are you daydreaming about?" The giant beast, its coat glowing with dancing crimson flames, mocked him as it advanced step by step.
Its four hooves were snow-white like mutton-fat jade, and the prints it stamped out wove with Dao rhyme patterns. It jeered, "Everyone else looks down on you, so this seat will reluctantly harvest your life."
Qin Ming did not mind in the slightest and replied, "Old bull, thank you for delivering your head."
The bull had expected its taunts to enrage the youth, but hearing such mild words instead made its own temper snap. "*Moo*, your mother's—!"
Instantly, fiery light erupted into the sky as solar true fire bathed its entire form. The white smoke billowing from its nostrils reeked of sulfur. Its two massive horns rang like heavenly sabers, their blade radiance slicing through the night sky and piercing the heavens.
It charged forward, four hooves crashing down as the sea of clouds boiled before violently exploding.
Its terrifying might was on full display. That it could slay superiors across realms in battle was no hollow boast; it truly was an extraordinary creature of the totem camp.
The night sky trembled once more as Qin Ming produced an ink jade hammer forged from jade iron. With a thunderous boom, it seemed ready to shatter the night sky itself.
Man and bull wasted no more words, erupting into a violent clash on the spot.
Reverting to his true self, Qin Ming could unleash the methods of the Newborn path. He released the purest Hunyuan heavenly light, illuminating the entire heavy hammer until it shone crystal clear and translucent.
For that very reason, he squandered his Chaos force without restraint, making his strikes appear terrifying beyond measure.
Qin Ming clashed head-on against the colossal beast, which was several times larger than a mammoth. His hammer shook the heavens, and every wisp of force radiating from it rang out like sword light and blade beams.
*Crack!*
A crisp snapping sound echoed out as his heavy hammer shattered one of the bull's horns.
"*Moo!*"
The bull roared, feeling pain seep into its very marrow. This opponent had charged straight into a head-on collision, displaying an unstoppable, crushing momentum.
The little cutie in its eyes—the silver-armored human youth—now resembled a fiendgod, churning up gale-force astral winds across the heavens and swinging his sledgehammer with such ferocity that the beast was plunged into agony.
With a booming crash, its protective divine flames surged skyward as solar true fire raged, boiling into a terrifying wave of blaze.
Yet the young opponent, gleaming in silver armor, focused solely on swinging his heavy hammer forward, utterly fearless. With a deafening thud, the light barrier formed by the bull's solar true fire shattered.
"Moo-moo-moo, I'll—*awooo!*" Overwhelmed by unbearable pain, it let out the screech of an entirely different beast.
Qin Ming brought down strike after strike. Its skull caved in, its shoulder blades were blown apart, followed by its chest, abdomen, and limbs.
The giant bull wailed as blood erupted across its body. Cracks spread through its flesh, from which brilliant totem radiance and runes spilled outward. It desperately attempted to heal its mangled form, but it was already too late.
*Boom!*
After three successive hammer strikes from Qin Ming, the fiery red bull exploded entirely, scattering blood and bone fragments everywhere.
With a wave of his hand, Qin Ming deployed his sticking force, drawing over a cluster of glowing super wondrous blood and deftly sealing it into a spiritual crystal with practiced ease.
Across both camps, many stood in stunned silence.
That human youth, whose slender physique seemed utterly disproportionate to the giant bull, was shockingly fierce and savage, hammering his opponent to pieces alive.
Not only were the creatures of the totem camp dumbfounded, but even the youths from the old mountain strongholds of the heavens stared blankly. Though many had heard of Qin Ming, this was their first time witnessing him fight.
"So this is the Newborn path? It's too reckless, too overbearing! Is this using absolute force to crush all techniques?"
"Why do I feel like even Tianzun in his youth would have been battered to pieces by him if he stood before him?"
"Shh! Tianzun is on the Seventh Realm battlefield. Do you want to die?!"
The people from the heavens found it utterly absurd. So this was the rumored Qin Ming—favoring such a simple, crude, domineering, and direct style of combat.
Bai Meng felt proud by association, considering himself an insider, and muttered inwardly: *Brother Ming's exquisite combat techniques aren't meant for just anyone to see. Most opponents simply aren't qualified to force him to use them.*
Tang Yushang was also watching the duel, inevitably recalling her own experience; she had personally endured those methods and suffered plenty at his hands.
"The Bull God was actually slain from below!" Across the totem camp, a cluster of young experts wore expressions of shock.
"Sure enough, a lower realm doesn't mean he cannot fight fiercely. This is an extraordinary human prodigy. While his realm is still low, now is the perfect opportunity to eliminate him."
However, no one stepped into the ring immediately; all were assessing his true strength.
Meanwhile, the other duels raging across this battlefield reached their conclusions one after another.
The core inheritor of Misty Peak exhausted every method against an "Abyssal Dark Shadow," but was ultimately defeated and slain on the spot. Even his pure yang consciousness failed to escape, swallowed whole by the foe.
It was said that this entity was a dark shadow born from the reverence and constant worship of the abyss by numerous tribes.
The core inheritor of Star Mountain wielded masterful techniques. Every aperture across his body shot forth starlight-like brilliance, forming endless sword qi that cut down his opponent.
Tianzun's descendant, Lu Zheng, was locked in a bitter clash with his adversary, simmering with fury.
His opponent was a human-faced bird that proved more talkative than any chatterbox. Lotus flowers bloomed from its mouth as it prattled on without end, using chatter itself as an offensive technique.
In truth, it possessed a long golden tongue sharper than a spear forged of secret metal, capable of piercing through the void.
Though Lu Zheng had mastered the *Extreme Dao Golden Body*, bloody gashes still opened across his skin.
"Truly the 'lower path' of the night mist world—crude butchers, stones from a latrine, both foul and hard! What immortal body-refiner? Your lineage possesses no ethereal grace whatsoever, reeking entirely of the mortal world..."
Such was the human-faced bird, flying and attacking with lightning speed while disturbing the mind with its venomous tongue, an endless drone of irritating noise.
"A body-refiner like you probably has to beat yourself with clubs every day and pound your flesh with boulders, right? If that's how you temper your golden body, are you savages? Could you be descendants of some barbarian tribe of ours?"
Listening to its incessant prattle, Lu Zheng wished he could tear it to shreds. As an esteemed immortal body-refiner, to be disdained in such a manner was infuriating.
"The experts of your totem camp are dubbed Barbarian Gods by outsiders, yet you dare call others savages? Your own tribesmen still live by eating raw meat and drinking blood. As totems, you are no better off yourselves—how dare you lecture anyone?"
*Pfft!*
In the end, the golden tongue pierced through Lu Zheng's chest, nearly tearing his torso apart. At the critical moment, however, Lu Zheng's hands flared with radiance, severing the long tongue.
Both man and bird screamed in agony, their battle ending in mutual devastation.
...
Qin Ming welcomed his second opponent: a woman flowing with totem brilliance from head to toe, bathed in immortal mist. She possessed an extraordinary aura and a striking presence.
She was the product of countless tribes collectively offering worship at a supreme ruin. An ancient legend told of a supreme totem from a past era who, in old age and near death, underwent a tribulation in hopes of attaining a new life. In the final moment, success slipped away, leaving behind a wisp of a totem soul that lay dormant beneath the earth.
According to rumors, this woman had been brought to life through the collective beliefs of the many tribes that worshipped the ruin over ages. Others claimed she was merely an outsider who had seized an opportunity, quietly establishing her own altar within the ruin to intercept the power of the sacrificial rites.
Clad in white, her black hair reaching her waist, her gaze sparkled with captivating radiance, exuding an immortal grace as she approached with light, swaying steps.
Her red lips parted slightly as she spoke: "I overheard some discussions saying you are a drudge—the lowest of the low among inferior cultivators, lacking all refinement, relying solely on brute force to attack."
Qin Ming calmly remarked, "You certainly understand the hierarchy of disdain."
He knew this woman had done her homework, possessing a decent understanding of the systems within the Yujing domain, and was attempting right from the start to exploit existing rifts and contradictions within the opposing camp.
The woman smiled and said, "Come over to our totem camp. There is no distinction between superior and inferior cultivators here. Once you join us, you can be elevated to a totem of strength, holding exalted status. Who would dare call you crude or unrefined?"
"If you're done talking, make your move," Qin Ming stated placidly.
He then added, "You know nothing of my Newborn path. Today, I shall show all of you that if the Newborn path wishes to be refined, there is nothing it cannot achieve."
Standing where he was, every inch of Qin Ming's skin flowed with translucent radiance. A sheet of paper materialized before him, woven entirely from Chaos force.
Next, he wielded an imaginary brush to write characters—also formed of condensed heavenly light—and inscribed them onto that sheet of paper.
At that moment, the woman's hairs stood on end as an overwhelming sense of danger gripped her.
To onlookers, numerous halos rose around Qin Ming. Bathed in a shower of light, he appeared light and ethereal, like an immortal about to take flight.
The woman erupted with totemized power, dense runes flaring to life. An altar surfaced behind her, accompanied by the sacrificial chants of numerous tribes as she unleashed her strongest technique right from the start.
Yet around Qin Ming, dozens of divine rings stacked upon one another, carrying the aura of being impervious to all techniques.
The woman's ultimate technique failed to breach them in the slightest. Sensing impending doom, she fled at top speed.
However, it was already too late.
In a single, fluid motion, Qin Ming sent the sheet of heavenly light paper flying forward. It appeared paper-thin, like a cicada's wing, yet it was interwoven with the patterns of heaven and earth, its inscribed characters blazing brilliantly.
Everyone could tell that he was commanding myriad laws, deploying genuine Chaos force.
With just a single sheet of paper, a wet slice split the woman in two at the waist. Her protective light barrier, her treasures, and everything else failed, cleanly severed.
"Ah...!" she screamed in agony, her divine soul attempting to flee.
Yet on that sheet of paper, the luminous characters leapt forth, radiant as great stars, suppressing her until she could barely move before reducing her to blazing flames.
With a booming blast, she blew apart, her body and spirit completely extinguished.
The sheet of paper fluttered down and subsequently incinerated itself. The flowing light trickled back like a gentle stream to Qin Ming's fingertips, reclaimed into his person.
"Holy crap!"
Many watched with tingling scalps. A single sheet of glowing paper, inscribed with Qin Ming's profound scriptural essence, flicked outward in a finger's snap and cleanly executed a formidable opponent.
"You know nothing about Brother Ming!" Bai Meng's eyes shone brightly.
A muffled roar swept in like a blizzard, blotting out the sky as a disheveled young man from the totem camp charged forward with giant strides.
Evidently, he shared a close bond with the fallen woman. Consumed by rage, he stormed onto the battlefield at once, intent on slaying Qin Ming.
Qin Ming sat serenely upon the ground. With a brush of his hand, an ancient seven-stringed zither materialized from heavenly light. As he plucked the strings, ringing notes resonated, shooting forth terrifying waves of Chaos force.
With a sharp pop, the man exploded on the spot.
"Good grief, is this the true essence of the silk book method he mastered entirely on his own, without anyone guiding him?"
"This... the Chaos force is terrifying!"
Even the core inheritors from the old mountain strongholds in the heavens felt their hearts pound in shock. The offensive power of such scriptures could easily rank among the top ten within the Yujing domain.
"You...!" The group of young experts from the totem camp were gripped by shock and fury.
Regrettably, Qin Ming had already slain three opponents; by the rules, he ought to step down.
However, wishing to test his luck, he spoke: "If both sides are willing, I wonder if one may continue challenging?"
Qin Ming looked across the field and declared, "Fellow Daoists in the early Fourth Realm, below the fourth heavenly layer—come as many as you wish. I will take you all on single-handedly. I wonder if you dare step forward to listen to a wondrous tune?"
Chapter 538