"After this new life is completely finished, will I be able to remember everything?" Qin Ming had some guesses about the past.
Yet, some matters remained shrouded in mist, waiting to be cleared away.
He had once been Cui Chonghe, a true direct descendant. Why had he left the Cui family? After being severely injured, why was he abandoned on the Black and White Mountain to recuperate?
What made him silent was the fact that his relatives wanted to keep him in a remote place, preventing him from returning to the world of daylight, from getting close to his previous circle.
Although he was now Qin Ming and no longer Cui Chonghe, he still wanted to know the reasons behind it all.
Qin Ming sat quietly, his heart as calm as water. After a simple wash, he lay down on the bed, no longer resisting sleepiness, allowing himself to drift into dreams.
Silver light appeared, like a layer of silver mud covering his body. Then, golden needles wove in and out of him, and he donned the Golden Threaded Jade Robe once more.
Especially among his hair, the golden needles threaded densely, as if continuously stitching, causing his entire head to emit a golden glow.
In his sleep, Qin Ming frowned slightly, sensing something. His skull emitted a faint sound, accompanied by waves of pain, followed by an intense heat.
His brief moment of wakefulness made him realize that there was no danger, so he emptied his mind again and fell back into deep slumber.
There were three places on Qin Ming's skull where the golden light was the brightest. Those spots had been shattered by the Feathered Robe Boy long ago. The dense golden needles penetrated the scalp, embedding into the bone, and then delving deeper.
The silver mud acted like medicine, applied to the surface, as if trying to smooth out the scars left by past injuries. The golden needles stitched, the silver light cleansed, eradicating old ailments.
Though Qin Ming had not fully awakened, deep in his subconscious, he sensed the significant role of the "Golden Threaded Jade Robe," which was related to revival, even embodying the true meaning of life after death.
Perhaps this was a certain truth in the process of human rebirth.
As danger did not approach, he continued to sleep soundly.
In the latter half of the night, Qin Ming entered a half-dreaming state. He saw the silk book again, witnessing his younger self, waiting for that rough big hand to turn the page.
The fourth rebirth was related to perception. Besides enhancing the five senses, instinctive intuition would become exceptionally sharp, potentially saving lives in critical moments.
This rebirth also involved consciousness in the head, so the three shattered spots on his skull glowed throughout the night, with golden needles stitching and silver mud covering, while a large amount of spiritual material from the thunder and fire sky continuously surged towards him.
The rough big hand finally moved, turning the silk book to the fourth page. In addition to continuing from the previous text, it thoroughly explained the training of the five senses and instinctual awareness, along with the methods for the fifth rebirth.
In the morning, the city of Chixia gradually brightened.
Within the city, there was already a distinction between day and night. Some grand cities would gradually adjust the brightness of their fire springs, making noon the brightest.
In even more magnificent cities, people would create a scene of evening glow filling the sky at dusk.
Of course, the wilderness remained shrouded in night. Even in the capital of a nation, standing on the walls of the imperial city in a vast empire, looking out into the distance, it was still a sea of darkness.
Qin Ming pushed open the window. The sky, gradually brightening with the rising fire glow, was completely different from the dim night scene he had seen on the Black and White Mountain.
He did not feel novelty like Wu Zheng, for he had experienced these things before. As his fragmented memories quickly reorganized, the past images were gradually becoming clear.
Qin Ming took a deep breath, revealing that his heart was not at peace. He tightened his grip on the sheep-fat jade iron knife and stepped into the courtyard, unleashing a series of thunderous slashes!
Sword techniques, spear techniques, hammer techniques—he blended the combat methods from the three secret manuals together, with all weapons extending from his arms, expanding outward.
"Brother Qin's killing intent is a bit heavy," Wu Zheng muttered to himself in the inn.
As the fragmented scenes rapidly reorganized, various images flooded in, causing Qin Ming's heart to feel somewhat chaotic, difficult to remain unaffected. It was a series of past events.
If a person has no past, they are certainly incomplete. He had to accept all memories.
"Brother Qin, I brought you breakfast. Are you alright?" Wu Zheng appeared, seeing Qin Ming swinging his knife in the courtyard.
The knife in his hand sliced through the air like lightning, then was shaken out into dozens of knife shadows, stabbing forward like a long spear, and then it hammered down with explosive sounds.
"I'm fine. I'm in the process of rebirth, feeling inspired. If I don't properly exercise my muscles and bones, it feels uncomfortable. It would be great if a mutated beast appeared before me right now."
Qin Ming thought that if he encountered the mutated old golden rooster from Golden Rooster Ridge, which had mutated five times, he could pierce it with one shot or smash it with one blow!
Not long after, Xu Sheng arrived at the inn, wanting to see Qin Ming's condition after being enlightened by the heavenly light.
"Why do I feel that the vitality of your body is even more vigorous than mine? What exactly is your state?" Xu Sheng asked, puzzled. He believed it was not an illusion.
"The rebirth of my body is almost complete, and my perception is still improving. I am currently in a state of full revival, without any concealment, so my aura appears quite strong."
Xu Sheng was stunned to hear this. Was what he usually saw not a true reflection of Qin Ming's strength?
Wu Zheng looked at him with unusual eyes.
Xu Sheng said, "Don't hide it. Come, let's go test it out and see how strong your physical condition is after the fourth rebirth. As for the realm of perception, it's mysterious. We are not outsiders, and there is currently no way to test it."
"I don't want more people to know," Qin Ming replied. His situation was delicate, and the future was uncertain. If some matters were to reach places like Qinghe City or Qianxing City before he was strong enough, the consequences would be unpredictable.
He had no intention of hiding anything from Xu Sheng, as the latter already knew he had entered the Thunder Fire Refining Hall, and concealing it had lost its meaning.
"That's fine. Let's go to my friend's place. She has various machines that can test physical condition." Xu Sheng was very curious about what level Qin Ming had reached after the fourth rebirth.
Qin Ming realized that this friend of Xu Sheng, Zhou Lin, was someone he had gone into the mountains with to pick snow lotus before, but they had been intercepted. She was very down-to-earth, speaking frankly all the way to the city.
The venue Zhou Lin operated taught people how to embark on the path of rebirth, and business was quite good, mainly catering to teenagers in their teens.
In this city where land was precious, the venue occupied a considerable area.
Moments later, Xu Sheng was completely petrified, unable to believe what he saw. Qin Ming, after four rebirths, could lift 4,500 pounds.
Wu Zheng was dumbfounded, the kind of divine strength leaving him in awe.
"Brother Qin, is this really your fourth rebirth? Are you sure it’s not the sixth... or even the seventh?" Wu Zheng was shocked.
Xu Sheng muttered to himself, "There really are such people. The records in ancient books were not meant to deceive future generations, nor were they exaggerated. I have seen it in reality."
"What did those records say?" Wu Zheng asked.
Xu Sheng replied, "In a certain book, it mentioned that a young extraordinary person, during their first rebirth, had nearly a thousand pounds of strength in each arm, with terrifying talent."
Wu Zheng was somewhat excited. "Legends have come to life! I actually know someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the young extraordinary person recorded in the book!"
Quickly, he corrected himself, "No, I calculated it. Brother Qin's strength during his first rebirth should exceed 1,100 pounds."
Xu Sheng was completely stunned, feeling it was unbelievable.
"Brother Qin, was your strength really... that strong during your first rebirth?" Wu Zheng's voice trembled slightly.
"Though I haven't tested it in detail, it should exceed a thousand pounds," Qin Ming replied.
Xu Sheng sighed, "Little Qin must have had strength exceeding 1,100 pounds in both arms during his first rebirth. Such talent is like a legend to other reborn individuals."
Then he asked, "Spring has arrived. Those ancient orthodoxies, mysterious organizations, and prestigious academies in splendid lands will begin recruiting disciples. Little Qin, have you thought about where you want to go?"
"It's still early to talk about this. I don't know much about it. Anyway, there's still time. I just need to make a choice before summer," Qin Ming said, his thoughts still chaotic as the fragmented scenes all surfaced, most of which had been reorganized, while the rest were still in progress.
"What are you three doing, moving my treasured lapis lazuli stele?" Zhou Lin appeared, looking suspicious.
Xu Sheng laughed heartily, not answering.
On the way back, Qin Ming visited an old bookstore and bought a stack of "Night Reports," which were collections from the past three years.
The official reports were not accessible to ordinary people. The Night Reports were run by civilians and were more public.
"The content here is quite general, not involving sensitive news. Many major events are just briefly mentioned," Xu Sheng said.
"It's fine. I just want to get a rough understanding of the major events from the past two to three years," Qin Ming replied.
Back at the inn, he did not go out again but locked himself in his room.
He waited for his rebirth to completely finish while flipping through the Night Reports, mainly selecting major events and news related to the Cui family.
"The flowing dynasties, the ironclad families," Qin Ming sighed.
Some ancient families had existed for two to three thousand years.
The Night Reports mentioned that shaking a thousand-year family was very difficult. They had endured various wars and storms stirred by outsiders. Although they had suffered heavy losses, they had never fallen.
"Two years ago..." Qin Ming quickly searched for the news he needed, confirming it with the increasingly clear past in his mind.
The Cui family had experienced a tumultuous event two years ago, but the Night Reports did not delve into the internal causes, only mentioning that two colossal entities had briefly collided before retreating.
From two years ago to now, Qin Ming had roughly browsed through various major events.
He set down the thick stack of Night Reports, looking at the hazy images before him—giant cities surrounded by evening glow, and spiritual mountains shrouded in mist—gradually becoming clear. Shadows came and went, and many familiar faces emerged in his memory: parents, uncles, siblings, and many clan members.
Then, the Feathered Robe Boy, Li Qingyue, and those old friends—all kinds of figures were walking towards him.
Qin Ming calmly watched, as if witnessing a series of tragic comedies unfolding before others.