“Master of the Mountain must have met his end in battle; we’ve gone our separate ways. Ah, wait a moment! Did the Golden Armor guards lose their heads?” Yuque’s eyes widened in astonishment.
It exclaimed, “The Master of the Mountain’s splendor has lit up the wasteland today. That was a divine strike!”
The Red Eagle would have retorted if it could speak, thinking to itself: What are you yelling about? Just a moment ago, we nearly fled for our lives!
Qin Ming had blood frothing from his mouth, his insides painful, and his hands swollen like bear paws, covered in gaping wounds, with bones almost visible.
Though his body was wracked with pain, his spirit remained high. He forced himself to sit upright, wiping the blood from his lips.
“Red Eagle, carry me away!” He knew he couldn’t waste time; if there were any pursuers behind them, he was sure to perish here.
“Beyond the realm, I’ve taken note of the debts I owe to certain old friends!” Qin Ming swayed as he stood, stumbling with each step due to the mangled flesh on his feet, clearly injured down to the bones.
“Master, you truly are gifted like a deity!” Yuque rushed over, not merely flattering; it was genuinely shocked.
Yuque knew Qin Ming well. Just a few months ago, he was just a newcomer trying to survive in the mountains.
Now, this young man had actually killed a divine being!
Though it might have been the weakest among them, a kill was a kill, an undeniable accomplishment that no one could erase.
Yuque was sincerely astonished and in awe.
Qin Ming was frugal and plain-spoken; he quickly searched through the Golden Armor guards and took a few pieces of daylight gold.
He weakly lay on the Red Eagle’s back as it soared into the night sky.
Now, drenched in blood and extremely weak, he could hardly even stand against the wind.
Qin Ming activated the rebirth technique from the silk scroll, restoring his vitality. Though his body still ached, his strength was rapidly returning, and the celestial energy began flowing through him again.
“Fly close to the desert’s edge and get me back to Chixia City as quickly as possible!” He directed the Red Eagle.
Yuque landed on the Red Eagle’s back, close to Qin Ming.
“Aren’t you going back to Heibai Mountain?” Qin Ming asked gratefully. Earlier, it had mimicked his speech, showing remarkable coordination.
Yuque, with eyes like black gems, replied, “I won’t be at ease until I see you safely arrive in Chixia City.”
“I owe you both for this. In the future, I’ll repay you by helping you find spiritual materials,” Qin Ming assured Yuque and the Red Eagle.
Under the shroud of the night, the Red Eagle cut through the clouds and fog.
There were no surprise attacks; no one pursued them.
In the eyes of certain “old friends,” Qin Ming had only just begun his path of rebirth, with limited strength, and was unworthy of being a Golden Armor guard; he could be easily erased.
With a person from beyond the realm and an outer saint moving tonight, it seemed to some that they were overreaching, akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Beneath the night sky, Chixia City lay shrouded in mist.
Qin Ming let out a sigh of relief; he had finally returned.
…
In the quaint and charming guest hall of the city lord’s residence, Meng Xinghai looked at the blood-soaked Qin Ming, frowning, “You’ve sustained such severe injuries?”
“I was chased, and nearly didn’t make it back,” Qin Ming replied, unsure whether news of killing a person from beyond the realm and an outer saint would stir up trouble, so he came straight here.
“Did you run into a formidable Golden Thief?” Meng Xinghai inquired.
Qin Ming shook his head. “Those aging Golden Thieves are nothing. I’ve slain many along the way. This time, it was primarily the disciples from beyond the realm who had their sights set on me.”
Meng Xinghai ordered people to clean and treat his wounds. “It’s good that you’ve returned alive. You don’t need to worry; Chixia City is not a place where those youngsters can run wild.”
He asked Qin Ming how he had escaped his pursuers.
“I couldn’t shake them off; I killed them all.”
“What level were those people?” Meng Xinghai pressed further.
Qin Ming replied, “A girl in black; she should be in the later stages of the Heart Tranquility realm. And another… an outer saint.”
At first, Meng Xinghai nodded; he felt no surprise, as Qin Ming was somewhat stronger than the average young prodigy.
However, upon hearing the last part, he was taken aback: An outer saint?
Meng Xinghai abruptly stood, revealing clear signs of agitation.
Qin Ming understood that having an overly remarkable achievement could also bring trouble.
He explained, “I took advantage of a moment to get through the death tribulation, and severely wounded him with the Falling Hammer from the Void…”
Meng Xinghai checked him personally, “Your body is nearly torn apart; your bones are slightly damaged. I’ll prepare some spirit medicine for you.”
He acted decisively, immediately sending someone to gather various precious herbs.
Qin Ming overheard that among them was a medicine called “Jiao Blood,” and he was startled.
Meng Xinghai said, “If your essence gets damaged, it would be bad. Rare medicines can help you recover quickly.”
“Thank you, Uncle Meng!” Qin Ming bowed respectfully.
Meng Xinghai nodded and continued, “You must nurse your wounds back to health in these next few days. The spiritual materials and techniques I’ve prepared for you will soon arrive. At that time, you can work on enhancing your strength.”
Having barely escaped death at the hands of some “old friends” in the desert, Qin Ming was excited about practicing extensively and eventually getting stronger.
As soon as he took the healing medicine, he felt a remarkable effect. The blood mist enveloping him began to dissipate, and the wounds that had just healed accelerated in recovery, with scabs falling away, returning to their pristine state.
Meng Xinghai was astonished, “Your vitality is surprisingly strong. It seems you’ll heal completely within a day or two.”
Qin Ming felt his spirit and strength growing stronger by the moment, soon to be of mighty vigor again!
Meng Xinghai finally mentioned that the disciples from beyond the realm were competing for a legendary object.
Qin Ming had heard about this before but never thought he could contribute to it.
“I’m willing to go!” He nodded, eager for Li Qingyue to obtain that item that could bring her closer to immortality.
If Qin Ming had the capability to intervene, he wouldn’t allow those like Li Qingxu, Zheng Maoze, or Zeng Yuan to achieve their desires.
Setting aside past grievances, since he had been hunted and nearly killed this time, he needed to settle that score.
At the same time, he felt pressured; those people had undoubtedly reached very high levels of cultivation.
Meng Xinghai smiled, “It’s nothing to worry about. When the time comes, you’ll be clad in Golden Armor, and Qingyue will keep you safe.”
Qin Ming felt a bit ashamed; how could he allow a girl to protect him? After all, he had killed an outer saint!
“Uncle Meng, I’ll be heading back now!” He didn’t even want to sleep, eager to practice day and night.
Before leaving, Qin Ming realized the guest hall seemed a bit empty, missing some bronze artifacts, and couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle Meng, what happened to your set of bronze bells?”
“I have an old friend who has been secluded in the mountains for a long time, feeling quite lonely. I lent him the bells to amuse himself.”
Qin Ming recalled hearing loud bell chimes while in Heibai Mountain and seeing purple mist rising from the peaks—could it have been from these bells?
“What about those Golden Thieves…” he asked in a quiet voice.
“They’ve all been dealt with.”
…
Qin Ming returned to his dwelling and immediately studied the “Li Huo Jing,” but not long after, fatigue washed over him, and he succumbed to slumber.
After all, he had faced battles throughout the day, running around and suffering severe injuries. Even the strongest body could not endure without rest.
In his dreams, he felt himself again donning the “Golden Threaded Jade Robe,” his whole body warm as vibrant life force flowed throughout him.
Golden needles wove threads through his body, like silver medicinal paste applied to all his wounds. The healing effect surpassed what Meng Xinghai had prepared for him.
The next day, Qin Ming opened his eyes, feeling particularly vigorous, even more so than before. He noticed all the scabs on his wounds had fallen off, leaving no scars behind.
Yesterday, he had been drenched in blood from head to toe, enduring excruciating pain, but now, he was fully healed.
“Li Huo Jing truly is a marvelous technique; it’s exceedingly difficult to practice,” Qin Ming sighed. The secret text sent by Ning Siqi was exceptionally profound.
This was not a simple secret technique but encompassed celestial energy, body techniques, defensive skills, and the elevation of consciousness. Its complete system could take many reborn practitioners a lifetime to study fully.
The manuscript was not the original left by its founder, but rather a handwritten copy from one or two decades ago, bearing some emotional remnants.
After attuning his spirit, Qin Ming discovered most of it contained the anger, frustration, and negative emotions of those who had failed in their practice.
He confirmed one thing: there was nothing wrong with the verse; it was a copy transcribed by one practitioner against the original.
Qin Ming studied it carefully, realizing that practicing this skill was best done in a fiery environment.
This “marvelous technique” did not just comprise singular moves; ultimately, it could cultivate special abilities, such as generating fiery essence that could protect one’s body and incinerate enemies to ash.
He found a suitable place not far from Chixia Mountain, near a volcano with cracks leading underground where molten magma was visible.
“It’s so hot!” When he first arrived, he felt uncomfortable; this kind of environment could severely harm an ordinary person’s body, filled with harmful substances.
But to grasp the “Li Huo Jing” quickly, he knew he had to endure this harsh environment. According to the scripture, underground magma was a good choice.
Higher-level options would naturally be lightning and celestial energy, but right now, Qin Ming couldn’t find any.
“It’s hard to practice!” For common techniques, Qin Ming could grasp them in half a day, even the more complex ones within two or three days. Yet, he had been practicing the “Li Huo Jing” for five days already.
He realized this was a super complex form of celestial energy, merging countless fundamental secret energies.
The “Li Huo Jing” had no gradual approach but instead presented the highest principle directly, blocking countless practitioners from progressing.
After five days of continuous practice, his eyes burned red from the fiery energy, yet he finally birthed a trace of “Li Huo Jing,” allowing him a sigh of relief.
“Truly a marvelous technique! The initial stage of Li Huo Jing has a deep understanding worthy of the time I’ve spent.”
Qin Ming felt satisfied; the “Li Huo Jing” could slay foes and form a layer of fiery divine light around him, providing excellent defense.
“Hm? Thunder again!” He jumped up and rushed to the surface, heading towards Chixia Mountain.
For the past few days, whenever he heard thunder, he had run up Chixia Mountain, waiting near the Thunder Flame Alchemy Temple, only to hear rumblings that ended without any reward.
“Flashes of lightning are weaving in the night sky; I must be close to the summit!” Qin Ming felt exhilarated. Where others feared thunder and fiery light, he saw only precious spiritual materials.
This time, no spectacular phenomena appeared; ultimately, only three streaks of thunder fell, wrapped in celestial light, striking the golden temple and scattering golden mist, leaving a bright ball of fire rolling about.
“Really hurts!”
Standing alone in the Thunder Flame Alchemy Temple, Qin Ming finally understood why many only dared to attempt the first spring thunder; it was relatively milder.
“The spiritual essence isn’t as rich as during the early spring, but the celestial energy is more violent.” That was his personal experience, but he was not disheartened, enduring the pain while wearing a radiant smile.
For this was immensely beneficial for his practice of “Li Huo Jing.”
After the three strikes of thunder and celestial light, he stretched his body there; he had thoroughly entered the realm of “Li Huo Jing,” no longer needing to endure the harshness of the magma environment.
“What a pity; there’s not enough spiritual essence. If only a dozen strikes of thunder and celestial light could fall consecutively!” Qin Ming, still covered in soot but brimming with vitality, ventured into the pouring rain.
“That kid donned a disguise and entered the Thunder Flame Alchemy Temple again? He’s truly lost his mind!” Meng Xinghai, upon receiving the report, was taken aback.
He instructed a trusted aide, “Quickly find him, and say that the marvelous technique and spiritual materials have arrived. Don’t let him go wild.”
…
Qin Ming’s exploits of slaying the masked woman in black and defeating an outer saint would naturally not go unnoticed.
In the realm beyond, some had started to discuss it.
“Seems there’s a powerful figure from Chixia City who saved Qin Ming. For now, we shouldn’t pay it any mind. Next, all eyes will be on the various scattered paths beyond the realm; places of fortune will send people to fight over that item that can bring us nearer to immortality. I’m feeling a bit anxious.”
“True, in the remote areas, a mere reborn individual who relies on body mutation to break through the realms? If we don’t take notice of him, he’ll forever remain beyond our sight; he and we are of two different worlds. Let bygones be bygones.”