Deep into the night, Chixia City was shrouded in haze.
In the quiet courtyard, Qin Ming gazed up at the night sky. With his strength substantially increased, he was no longer so anxious about venturing to the outer realm; he had gained calm confidence. He felt the changes within himself. While gains in strength and perception were significant, the most crucial change was the evolution of his heavenly light force, which had become somewhat different.
He tossed a sheet of letter paper into midair and gave a gentle flick of his finger. It shattered into dozens of pieces that fluttered downward like withered leaves.
Qin Ming walked forward. As the paper fragments drew near his body, before even making contact, they were repelled by an invisible force or exploded into specks of dust with crisp snaps. He had not actively circulated his heavenly light force beforehand; it had emerged entirely on its own, instantly blocking and countering when an external object approached.
Without question, Qin Ming's heavenly light force was now not only more powerful, but brimming with spiritual responsiveness.
If anyone harbored ill intent toward him now, attempting to sprinkle special medicinal powders over him under the guise of drawing close, it would definitely be impossible.
Days ago, an old acquaintance had tampered with him, tainting him with an odd scent that allowed a bat bird to track him relentlessly without any chance of escape.
*If this continues, as my heavenly light force keeps evolving, it will ultimately trigger a mysterious qualitative transformation and bring me surprises!* Qin Ming looked forward to it with great anticipation.
Now, he harbored a grand ambition: by continuously fusing various force methods, he might not be inferior to the Sky-Upholding force or Tathagata force in the future; there were limitless possibilities. Clearly, incorporating the two extraordinary arts this time had played a massive role in the metamorphosis of his heavenly light force.
The next moment, firelight flared within the darkened courtyard as Qin Ming circulated his departing fire force. A faint red glow instantly wrapped around his skin. It was like a divine flame breeding within his flesh and blood; rather than harming his body, it nourished him while transforming into heavenly light force to protect him. Qin Ming reached out, and upon making contact, a stack of letter paper reduced to ashes.
He was testing his skills; the departing fire force was already transitioning into the realm of special abilities.
With a metallic clatter, Qin Ming's skin seemed to become coated in a faint layer of golden armor. This was the Vajra force displayed—an overbearing hard qigong.
Then, gossamer threads of gold formed over his body as golden silkworm silk wove into a dense mesh, shielding him securely from head to toe, with faint golden threads even surfacing along his pitch-black hair. This was the formidable nature of the silk book method: it could merge various heavenly light forces into one, yet could also transform into any specific force method he had mastered.
Moreover, when the fused heavenly light force circulated along the pathways of those extraordinary arts, the divine flames and golden threads seemed even stronger than the original departing fire force and golden silkworm force!
Qin Ming was exceedingly satisfied, delighted by these developments. No wonder an elder of the past had inscribed a single word upon the silk book: "Merge!" And that person had even used this word to admonish later generations. That night, as he drifted into the deepest level of sleep, his heavenly light force manifested automatically, completely enveloping him in the form of the Golden Thread Jade Clothes.
When shallow night arrived, the Fire Springs of Chixia City grew increasingly bright, as though a morning sun were rising in the east and casting dawn's glow across the land. Qin Ming awoke feeling extraordinarily full of vigor and spirit, itching to find an outer realm disciple to pummel.
*Why does waking up from sleep feel like I've taken a dose of tonic?* he wondered with slight puzzlement.
However, he did not waste any time and immediately went to tell Meng Xinghai that he had consumed the five-colored spirit branch and completely integrated his heavenly light force.
"So fast?" Meng Xinghai's expression froze. Fortunately, he had grown accustomed to the youth's surprises lately; Qin Ming exceeded expectations every single time.
Had this been when they first met, learning of such a result would definitely have made him spring to his feet again. After all, he had given Qin Ming two days to absorb the violent heavenly light essence within the five-colored spirit branch, yet the kid had finished it in a single night!
What was natural talent? Meng Xinghai felt the standard for this word needed to be redefined. He valued this youth more and more. He spoke up, "The saber and arrow aren't finished forging yet. Come, I'll take you to pick a heavy bow and look at some other weapons."
Qin Ming followed him into the armory without standing on ceremony, picking up whatever he needed. A set of short spears numbering twelve in total was strapped onto his back.
When Meng Xinghai saw him pick a large bow flowing with dark sheen, his cheek twitched slightly. That was a treasured bow requiring over six thousand jin of force to draw. Only now did he realize that when Qin Ming said he was merely a bit stronger than other extraordinaries his age, it wasn't arrogance—it was excessive modesty!
After five renewals, a juvenile extraordinary's strength merely edged toward five thousand jin, lagging a noticeable step behind him.
Afterward, Qin Ming selected a bronze staff. It was actually cast from a gold alloy and exceptionally sturdy, categorized as a heavy weapon.
He gripped the bronze staff and gave it a test; it could serve as a spear, slam down like a heavy warhammer, or be swung two-handed like a broadsword. In this way, his four masteries of saber, spear, archery, and hammer could all be fully demonstrated during the clashes in the outer realm.
Of course, weapons were merely superficial. Given Qin Ming's current strength, his internal heavenly light force remained his greatest asset, possessing the deadliest lethality.
Meng Xinghai said, "No need to pick armor. The golden armor forged by those people beyond the mundane world is already quite good."
Now that everything was prepared and only departure remained, he felt it was time to urge the artisans crafting the saber and arrows.
Meng Xinghai asked, "Why did you step outside? What are you looking at?"
"Thunder is coming," Qin Ming said, looking at the sky. He dropped the pile of weapons, turned around, and bolted, pushing his speed to the limit.
Meng Xinghai stared blankly. Was he... heading to the Thunder-Fire Gold-Forging Palace again? He truly couldn't stop thinking about that place.
"The thunder and lightning aren't on a large scale; it's unlikely to strike down. Besides, your strength has just increased, so there's no need to rush in such haste to bear more heavenly light."
Qin Ming called back, "I'm doing this to practice my extraordinary arts!"
"How is that place suitable?" Meng Xinghai followed along, somewhat worried that a violent strike of thunder-fire heavenly light might injure him just before departure.
"Thunder and fire forge gold, so naturally it's suited for practicing the Golden Silkworm Art," Qin Ming said.
... Crack!
This time, Qin Ming bore four strikes of thunder-fire heavenly light. Charred black all over, he stood there repeatedly performing techniques along the circulation pathways of the Departing Fire Classic. A layer of firelight seemed ready to burst forth across his skin, forming a special divine light of protection.
Immediately afterward, Qin Ming began circulating the Golden Silkworm Art, which also ran smoothly without a hitch. He hadn't been talking nonsense; the notion of thunder and fire forging gold was indeed effective. However, he was using the Departing Fire Art to promote the Golden Silkworm Art!
"The secret scripture Ning Siqi found for you is truly fine." Meng Xinghai nodded. The synergy between the two extraordinary arts provided Qin Ming with tremendous benefits.
Qin Ming felt the total volume of his heavenly light expand once more.
For those who relied on physical mutation, the Newborn stage was the period of most rapid growth in strength, and he didn't want to miss a single opportunity.
Yet nine was the maximum number of renewals during the Newborn stage. Once crossing beyond this major realm, the next territory would become somewhat difficult, and he would need to find another way.
In the afternoon, when Chixia City was at its brightest, Qin Ming received his brand-new mutton-fat jade iron saber. It was far superior to the crude one he and Old Man Liu had forged. Slightly shorter than an arm, its lines were fluid with an elegant curve, and its pristine white blade gleamed with a gentle luster, inscribed with dragon patterns and phoenix seal script.
No matter how one looked at it, it seemed like an exquisite work of art filled with beauty.
Meng Xinghai told him that the dragon patterns and phoenix seal script were carved by his own hand; should Qin Ming encounter inexplicable, unseen things, they would enhance his killing efficiency. Furthermore, it was a nested mother-and-son saber. The "scabbard" was itself a thicker saber, sparing Qin Ming the need to coat it with mineral pigments for concealment.
The arrowhead gleamed with a brilliant blue, exceptionally sharp and inscribed with numerous runes, while the arrow shaft was forged from special materials as well.
Meng Xinghai explained, "I refined the essences from the rare metal chain originally prepared for you and placed them inside the arrow shaft. That way, your heavenly light force can extend all the way to the arrowhead."
Qin Ming discovered a metallic wire running down the center of the arrow shaft to the tip. Like the jade iron, it could conduct heavenly light force.
At his current stage, before his heavenly light could be projected outward, only rare metals could accomplish this.
"Pack your things; it's time for us to hit the road as well." The next day, Meng Xinghai decided to set out.
Before departing, he used esoteric sect methods to disguise Qin Ming's true appearance. This served as necessary protection for him; after all, the millennium-old aristocratic Cui clan had declared that he was forbidden from setting foot in that circle for the next few years.
Qin Ming looked at himself in the mirror: sword-like brows, starry eyes. His appearance had changed completely, though his looks had not suffered in the slightest; he was dashing and high-spirited, exuding a sharp, aggressive aura. In the past, he only displayed such an aura in combat, but now it was his default state—anyone could tell at a glance that he was a combative sort among the Newborn.
"Uncle Meng, is this..."
In the martial arena of the city lord's manor, when Qin Ming first laid eyes on the flying mount, he had thought it was a giant turtle with wings.
Only on closer inspection did he realize that Meng Xinghai treated this mount exceptionally well, outfitting it with armor laced with rare metals, wrapping the avian body securely.
It was an advanced extraordinary beast with pale-gold plumage under normal conditions, possessing formidable strength. Not only was it armored, but its golden avian head also wore a steel helmet mixed with secret gold.
"Traveling far through the night mist is fraught with danger. If someone ambushed our mount along the way, the consequences would be unthinkable," Meng Xinghai admitted. The armor on the bird was in no way inferior to his own suit.
This was not his mount; he had borrowed it from an old friend deep in the mountains. Meng Xinghai had also altered his own appearance, not wanting anyone to know he had left Chixia City.
"Our destination isn't far, about four thousand li from us," he informed Qin Ming. That place had once been a stronghold belonging to people beyond the mundane world, but a thousand years ago, it had been engulfed and pierced through by boundless heavenly light, forcing them to abandon it.
Luofu City was far vaster in scale than Chixia City.
Even across the dense night mist, one could see that magnificent, dazzling city sprawled across the earth, its light soaring straight into the night sky.
Though Mount Luofu had been abandoned by those beyond the mundane world, the surrounding area had never fallen into decay. On the contrary, it was extraordinarily prosperous. Watching over the ruins of what was once an immortal mountain of the outer realm, it certainly lacked no high-grade Fire Springs.
"Thinking back to those days, the top experts of the outer realm sought to raise the rank of Mount Luofu..." Meng Xinghai shook his head and spoke no further. Clearly, the events of the past had immense ramifications; what those figures beyond the mundane world intended to do had been utterly mad.
"Mount Luofu was already remarkable to begin with, practically an immortal mountain of the outer realm, yet they wanted to raise its rank further..." Qin Ming could only marvel at their audacious ambitions.
Lately, Luofu City could be described as bursting at the seams with people. Word of the outer realm disciples' competition had spread far and wide, drawing many practitioners who wished to witness the spectacle. The city gate tower rose like a small mountain, immensely grand, with towering walls stretching across the horizon ahead.
Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai entered the city, greeted by its brilliance and bustle. The brightness here was no different from the era when the sun still existed. On the wide avenues of the city, numerous beast-drawn carriages traveled side by side without crowding, and foot traffic flowed steadily in and out of shops on either side, doing brisk business. By this point, major inns were practically out of vacancies, forcing many to rent private residences instead.
Meng Xinghai had arranged reservations for two rooms well in advance, both complete with private courtyards; in this sprawling city where land was worth its weight in gold, the cost was certainly steep.
That very day, Qin Ming met Li Qingyue. She was staying at an adjacent inn and came by in the evening to see him and Meng Xinghai.
"Qin Ming, I'll have to trouble you this time." Li Qingyue's black hair fell like a waterfall, her figure slender and supple like an immortal willow. Dressed in white without a touch of makeup, her face was impeccably refined. Pure, clear, and elegant, when she smiled, it was like rosy clouds breaking through mist, making her whole being seem to radiate light.
Qin Ming chuckled. "You've helped me so much; there's no need to be polite with me. That smile of yours is so dazzling I can barely keep my eyes open."
Li Qingyue nodded with a smile, feeling relieved that after going through so much, he hadn't fallen into despair and remained the same as ever.
"Let me show you around the city. We can grab a bite to eat, and I'll tell you about some matters to watch out for on Mount Luofu," Li Qingyue said, inviting Meng Xinghai to join them.
Meng Xinghai waved his hand in polite refusal. "I'm old. Walking with you two will only make me look ancient. I'll go look up an old friend of mine instead."
Qin Ming and Li Qingyue headed out. Before long, they spotted several familiar faces one after another; quite a few outer realm disciples were also lodging at the large inns nearby.
"What are you looking at? Oh, that's Wang Caiwei," Li Qingyue said with a smile.
"No. I saw my 'blood brother,' Cui Chongxuan. Why did he come as well?" Qin Ming said.
Li Qingyue remarked, "He's probably here to help Cui Chonghe compete for that near-immortal item."
Chapter 99