In the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall, Qin Ming's body shook violently. He felt as if he were a small boat tossed about by raging waves, and if it weren't for the crowd pressing around him, he might have truly fallen to the ground.
In this golden hall, etched with the marks of time, the overwhelming emotions were so intense that he could hardly bear it, his head spinning from the impact.
"No, I still want to live. I cannot die here!"
"Ah Lan, wait for me to return and marry you. I can withstand the erosion of the heavenly light!"
"I am an old man of one hundred and twenty years, my life nearing its end. Desiring the heavenly light to grant me enlightenment and step into a higher realm to extend my life is ultimately futile."
...
In an instant, Qin Ming resonated with dozens of emotions, all incredibly strong, filled with the unwillingness and resentment of those facing death, crashing into him like a tidal wave.
Moreover, behind those emotions, even more were surging, like waves upon waves, crashing toward him.
If it were just one emotion, he could observe the person's life and savor it slowly. But now, with so many, it was like a flood, and he truly could not withstand it.
Qin Ming quickly withdrew from the state of resonance. If he continued, he feared his mind would shatter under the onslaught.
He understood what was happening. Over the years in the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall, countless people had died. Each of them faced death with despair and pain, their strong unwillingness merging together, creating a truly terrifying atmosphere.
Qin Ming rubbed his temples, easing the discomfort. His heart was restless, waves of emotion rising and falling.
Aside from the secret texts containing the hard work of predecessors, it was surprising that a place like the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall could also facilitate a mental resonance. For a moment, Qin Ming's thoughts surged, and he pondered much.
Then, he stared at this ancient hall, wondering if there had been any newcomers in the past who, before dying, had their spiritual fluctuations connected to certain secret methods.
He shook his head. It was unlikely that there were many with such strong willpower, fighting against death with special techniques. Most people probably spent their final moments in fear, pain, and despair.
Qin Ming cautiously tried again, quickly touching upon twenty or so intense emotions, and as he expected, they were all predominantly negative.
In his perception, those chaotic emotions resembled a black sea. He felt a bit unwilling, wanting to fish out a few "treasures" from the ocean.
"I'll try again next time."
Now was certainly not the right moment, as the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall was crowded with people. Qin Ming was swept along, soon to leave this ancient hall.
"I won't join the crowd again." When he returned to the inn, Wu Zheng said with a mournful face, having lost another shoe, now barefoot in the snow.
Even though he had just been reborn and was quite strong, he still found it hard to cope. Later, he took off his outer garment to wrap around his feet.
"I really didn't see what the Red Cloud Mountain and the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall were like!" Wu Zheng felt quite wronged.
Xu Cheng laughed, "In a while, when early spring comes, are you really not going? All the young ladies will be out, don't you want to take a look?"
Wu Zheng stammered, "Well... let's talk about it then."
Qin Ming asked, "Xu Ge, given the current situation, it won't be long before the spring thunder appears. If we want to receive the heavenly light, shouldn't we go up the mountain early to wait? Otherwise, we'll definitely miss it."
Xu Cheng became serious, "You really want to go? Saying it's a hundred deaths for one life doesn't even begin to describe the danger there. You're still young; don't gamble with your life out of a moment's impulse."
Wu Zheng also spoke up, "Qin Ge, don't be impulsive. We're not even twenty yet, and you're newly reborn in your prime. Why the rush?"
Xu Cheng was naturally opposed, not wanting him to take risks.
Qin Ming felt helpless and revealed some information, "When I was at Black and White Mountain, I accidentally fell into a special node with heavenly light and managed to survive."
He thought that if anyone wanted to investigate him, this was hardly a secret, as the locals all knew.
Wu Zheng suddenly realized, "Ah, right! When you came to my house to read, my grandfather seemed to mention this, saying your life was quite tough."
"You were still an ordinary person then, and surviving was indeed lucky. But the concentration of heavenly light in the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall is many times stronger. You simply can't withstand it."
Qin Ming noticed that Xu Cheng was genuinely concerned for him, which was why he repeatedly tried to stop him.
But Qin Ming truly could withstand the erosion of heavenly light.
"Xu Ge, you're a good person. Even if you try to stop me, I still want to go."
Xu Cheng sighed and finally told him about needing to go up the mountain early, "When the time comes, I'll personally go there and pull you out with a rope."
This was clearly a veiled way of saying he would help retrieve his corpse.
Qin Ming said, "Xu Ge, find someone to pull me out, as if carrying away a corpse. Hmm, I’ll try to look a bit messy, so my appearance won't be easily recognized."
Xu Cheng was taken aback, asking, "What are you planning to do?"
Qin Ming replied, "Isn't it to avoid being recognized when I go a second time? For the first time, you shouldn't show up either. Find someone to take me away. After all, you used to be a traveling merchant and know many people. If you appear, they might pay attention to me."
Xu Cheng could hardly believe his ears. What was this kid saying? He had even thought about the second time. Was he being reckless or simply fearless?
"Xu Ge, I'm not joking." Seeing that Xu Cheng was genuinely a good person, Qin Ming decided to trouble him for help.
Xu Cheng, seeing his confidence, truly believed he might survive.
Afterward, he came to his senses, realizing he had gone a bit crazy himself, actually helping Qin Ming find someone to "retrieve his corpse."
The next day, Qin Ming treated Xu Cheng to a meal at the best restaurant to express his gratitude, leaving the latter somewhat at a loss for words, while Wu Zheng was also speechless.
Both felt that Qin Ming was likely to die on Red Cloud Mountain this time, and they couldn't dissuade him. Yet, he was still so cheerful while treating them to a meal.
Qin Ming spoke, "Actually, I still want to ask Xu Ge for help. Is there any family around here that was once prosperous but has now fallen into decline? I want to pay to read their secret texts; the price is negotiable."
Wu Zheng looked at him strangely, feeling as if he had been "hurt" and inadvertently offended by Qin Ming.
Xu Cheng said, "You're quite confident, thinking you can survive in the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall. You should practice a technique in advance to integrate it into your heavenly light technique on that day."
Qin Ming indeed meant that. He already knew that the spring thunder combined with the heavenly light would not only nurture special spiritual substances for rebirth but also produce a rich heavenly light, stronger than the effects of the three-colored flower.
Those who could survive would be able to enhance their total amount and quality of heavenly light, making it the perfect time to integrate different techniques.
Xu Cheng agreed, "I'll help you ask around. What kind of technique do you need? This is quite important; you can't just mix them randomly."
Qin Ming wanted to say any technique would do, but after thinking, he decided to be more low-key, "Something more vigorous. If not, I can try other options."
Recently, he had been practicing the Yellow Mud Palm and had already mastered the soft technique. It was clear that this technique was quite remarkable, likely having integrated multiple heavenly light techniques. Learning one or two more wouldn't waste the opportunity to enter the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall.
The next day, Xu Cheng brought news that he had found a fallen family that still had remnants of their ancestral techniques, but their current situation was truly dire.
Qin Ming immediately went with him. Upon seeing the dilapidated courtyard walls and the old, crumbling house, he realized this family had truly fallen apart.
Xu Cheng sighed, "The Sun family used to have a grand residence. Alas, misfortunes struck. Over a decade ago, the old man of the Sun family was severely injured and died not long after. His son also passed away unexpectedly two years ago, and his daughter-in-law ran off with someone. Now, only an old lady is left to care for her three-year-old grandson. It's truly hard for them."
When Qin Ming saw the old lady and the child from the Sun family, he was deeply moved. The old lady's face was full of wrinkles, worn down by life, her gaze vacant and lacking any sparkle, only lighting up a bit when she looked at her little grandson.
It was said that she had once been a rich young lady, living in splendor when she married into the prominent Sun family. But now, with her husband and son having died mysteriously, the family business lost, only her grandson remained.
Qin Ming felt that if someone was indeed targeting them, this child would eventually face trouble as well.
Seeing the child stirred something in his heart, as if he were looking at his younger self.
This three-year-old child wore a patched-up little outfit, silently practicing some kind of technique, quite stubborn.
Qin Ming had seen in his faded memories that his own childhood was very difficult, living in poverty, raised alone by an old man who should have been his grandfather, teaching him the methods from the silk books.
"Take a look; it has no value now. It's always being taken by others, completely incomplete. I usually let the children who want to learn see it for free," the old lady said, taking out a secret book.
She and her grandson lived in hardship, often receiving help from neighbors, and she used this book to repay others.
Qin Ming took it, noticing that only the cover was ancient, while the pages inside were likely not old. The new techniques were fragmented and incomplete, with descriptions of the techniques not very detailed and the handwriting rather messy.
Whether it was the leather cover or the paper, there was a strong emotional fluctuation.
After receiving it, Qin Ming thanked the old lady, sitting on a rickety chair to study it seriously, focusing his mind.
In an instant, he saw certain truths.
"You members of the Faithful Hall are too ruthless. My Sun family has fallen, and it truly cannot continue to my generation, yet you want to seize our secret texts. Ge Qianxun, I foolishly regarded you as a brother, yet you dealt me a deadly blow."
An old man coughed up blood, severely injured by members of the Faithful Hall, losing the secret texts, holding only a page of the cover in his hand.
At that moment, he leaned over the table, wanting to write down the contents of the lost secret texts, but he was already too weak, managing to write down twenty pages before he could do no more, ultimately dying from coughing up blood.
Clearly, something else happened later, and this remaining book was left with only a few pages.
"This should be the truth of the bloodshed from over a decade ago," Qin Ming sighed, believing that the old lady's son's death was likely also related to the Faithful Hall.
Then, he focused again, resonating with the emotions in the leather cover, obtaining the complete content of the secret book.
This was a hammer technique, quite extraordinary, containing both striking and whipping heavenly light techniques. Only by mastering both could one unleash the power of this hammer technique.
This book couldn't compare to ultimate skills like the Yellow Mud Palm and the Heaven-Cutting Blade Intent, but Qin Ming was still very satisfied. Having two more techniques at this critical moment would be a great help.
He looked at the pitiful grandmother and grandson, as if seeing his past life with his grandfather. Taking out thirty pieces of daylight gold, he flicked them into the ground one by one in front of the old lady, saying, "Elder, I mean no disrespect. I'm just afraid that bad people might cause you trouble. Take one out carefully whenever you need it. In the future, if I succeed with the hammer technique, I will write a new book for you to improve this method."
Then, he took out a few silver coins and placed them in her hand, not waiting for her to speak before turning to leave.
Waiting in the courtyard, Xu Cheng spoke up, "Did you finish looking so quickly?"
"Yeah, I looked well. Let's go," Qin Ming nodded.
The old lady chased after them, realizing they were walking too fast to catch up. In the end, tears filled her old eyes, and her murky tears fell silently.
...
As the ground mist rose, the weather grew warmer day by day. In the mountains and forests, light rain danced, and the snow melted rapidly. Qin Ming had already ascended Red Cloud Mountain. Over the past few days, the place had finally quieted down, no longer crowded with people.
On Red Cloud Mountain, there was a bustling mountain god temple, and many worshippers watched the people who had come early to the mountain, preparing to receive the heavenly light. Unable to help themselves, one of them remarked, "In this day and age, even dying requires standing in line?"
Hearing such words, Qin Ming was not angry but couldn't help but laugh.
This time, he had the chance to appreciate the scenery of Red Cloud Mountain.
When spring bloomed, the mountains would be ablaze with red, with all the plants taking on a crimson hue. For now, he could only admire the cliffs and strange rocks.
In the following days, he entered the shining Thunderfire Alchemy Hall daily, enduring the impacts of various grievances, carefully searching for something.
He wanted to fish out treasures from the chaotic emotions that formed a black ocean and had not given up hope.
Boom!
On this day, the spring thunder began to stir, producing a dull sound in the distance.
Qin Ming suddenly looked up. Was it finally coming?