Jade Suit Sewn with Gold Threads

Shallow Night was about to conclude when Qin Ming woke. The Sun Stone in the copper basin gave off a gentle firelight, and the house was utterly quiet.

He was parched, his throat practically smoking. Only after downing several large bowls of ice water did he finally let out a long breath.

Very soon, he noticed something unusual. The clothes against his skin felt slightly tight and no longer quite fit.

Realizing something, he went to the doorframe and measured himself against it, confirming that he had shot up a little taller.

Qin Ming was somewhat dazed. He had merely slept, yet the process had surpassed imagination. In such a short time, his body had nurtured a rich New Life Power, and his innate foundation had developed once more.

Stretching his limbs, he felt as though he had strength without end. Once in the courtyard, he easily lifted two stone millstones.

Then he tried supporting them with one hand. Though they felt extremely heavy, he could hold them up for a short while.

Even Qin Ming was startled. He could now barely lift four hundred jin with one hand. Didn't that mean he was no weaker than several famous youths in that distant Bright City?

He took off his ill-fitting clothes and found that the blood scabs on his shoulders had already fallen away, leaving not even a scar. This too was a sign of New Life.

Afterward, he began preparing dinner.

Qin Ming cooked a pot of meat soup and grilled the wolf ribs until their rich fragrance was irresistible. With mutated creatures as ingredients, the meal was enough to satisfy the needs of his body's "New Life."

He wolfed down meat and drank soup by the bowlful. His body had already been scorching hot, and now sweat poured from him as a current of heat surged within his body and spread through every limb.

Though New Life had reached its later stage, it had not yet truly ended. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot, fully stimulating his body's vitality and pushing the process forward.

His physique had improved drastically. All sorts of difficult movements that had once been beyond him could now be performed at will, effortless and fluid.

It was as if a ball of firelight burned within Qin Ming's body, about to shine out through his skin.

In the end, patches of "golden specks" appeared across his body, then burst from the ground. Golden bristles poked out. Though extraordinarily fine, they could vaguely be seen.

This was highly unusual. It had never happened before.

The "Golden Bristles" emerged from his flesh, bringing faint streaks of blood with them. They looked frightening at first glance, but they did not truly harm his body.

Instead, Qin Ming felt a wave of ease. The vital energy within him became increasingly fresh, brimming with vigor and vitality, as though this process were "detoxifying" him.

He immediately understood. This was New Life in its fullest form, cutting away all harmful substances.

His original pores seemed no longer sufficient. Clumps of "Golden Bristles" emerged, drilling out of his body mixed with threads of blood and drawing out Old Turbidity.

Golden bristles continually surfaced, densely packed like golden needles swimming about. They echoed one another, interweaving across Qin Ming's body as if sewing clothes, creating a wondrous sight.

Together with the faint white mist outside his body, it made him look rather ethereal.

He did not know fatigue, despite the enormous expenditure. Whenever he grew hungry, he ate wolf ribs, and after brief rests, he continued stimulating his body's vitality.

Occasionally, he also studied Lu Ze's "Black Night Meditation Art Primer."

Throughout the night, Qin Ming expelled great amounts of sweat, his metabolism raging with unusual intensity.

His body tingled and went numb, as if sprouting branches and budding leaves. It brimmed with life, carrying the breath of all things newly born.

When overwhelming drowsiness swept over him, he stopped.

He realized that he was about to enter the final stage of "Hibernation."

After washing up quickly, he lay down on the heated brick bed, his eyelids nearly impossible to keep open.

Through the haze, he saw a faint Silver Light appear on his body. He also saw great numbers of Golden Bristles emerge, like golden needles flying with thread, "weaving cloth" amid silver-white luminous mist.

Though utterly exhausted, Qin Ming was deeply astonished. Golden threads crisscrossed, dividing the silver light into countless square grids. Looking at the whole, his body seemed wrapped in a Jade Suit Sewn with Gold Threads.

He drifted into thought, his mind wandering far and wide.

When ancient emperors were buried, they were all dressed in pearl garments and jade coffins, linked with golden threads, entrusting them with their longing for immortality—a pursuit they clung to even in death.

Was the Wild Style he had memorized as a child really so special? During New Life transformation, a layer of pure white luminous mist naturally flowed over the body, linked by golden threads, making it seem as if he had put on a Jade Suit Sewn with Gold Threads.

Could it be that ancient emperors had heard certain rumors and thus ordered Jade Suits Sewn with Gold Threads to be made? He shook his head, feeling that he was overthinking it. Then he could hold on no longer and sank into the deepest level of sleep.

When Shallow Night arrived, Qin Ming woke feeling stiff and tight all over. He soon understood the situation. He had sweated heavily during the night, and the golden needles and flying threads had drawn out traces of blood. After these "Old Turbidities" dried on his body, they formed a thin cocoon-like layer.

The water vat held an entire block of ice. After smashing it into pieces, he boiled a pot of water. Once he had washed up, he changed into loose, clean clothes and immediately felt refreshed.

Clearly, his body temperature had fallen. This also meant that his "New Life" was nearly over.

Qin Ming went into the courtyard and lifted the two stone millstones again. This time it was fairly easy, and he could support them with one hand for a long time.

Then he added a stone lock weighing over a hundred jin.

"Very heavy!" He found it pressing hard on his hand and took considerable effort to hold it.

The two rough stone millstones, together with the stone lock used to train arm strength, weighed more than five hundred jin. Yet he could still support them with one hand.

Lu Ze had once told him that in the distant Bright City, there were youths who could shoulder a six-hundred-jin cauldron.

Qin Ming's eyes were clear as he broke into a brilliant smile. His arms possessed a full thousand jin of strength.

As for the cities at the ends of the earth, mysterious and unknown, he had no idea just how powerful New Life Evolvers in the Golden Age were.

Qin Ming carried half a Saberhorn Deer, along with one hind leg and part of the ribs from the Donkey-Headed Wolf, into the neighboring courtyard.

"Little Qin, this... this is far too much!"

"Brother Lu, Sister-in-law, I can't finish it all by myself. Besides, I'll still be going into the mountains, so it's better to change up the flavors now and then," Qin Ming said.

If Lu Ze had not taken care of him some time ago, he might have starved to death.

"Uncle, you're so good! Otherwise, in a few more days, we would have gone hungry." Wen Rui was overjoyed because he had heard his parents say that the family's food stores were nearly gone.

Qin Ming rubbed his head and said, "With Uncle here, how could I possibly let you go hungry?"

The Mutant Squirrel leaped and scampered about inside its cage. It alone was indignant, squeaking at Qin Ming. This clever little mountain beast held a deep grudge.

"Little Qin..." Village Chief Xu Yueping arrived. He wore a fur coat and looked to be in his forties. His face was somewhat square, his brows thick, his eyes bright and keen, and his body sturdy and powerful.

"Uncle Xu." Qin Ming greeted him.

With a hearty laugh, he said, "I knew you'd make something of yourself, kid. Taking this step means you've left behind a golden footprint."

He very much wanted to know just how strong Qin Ming's physical abilities had become after achieving New Life in the Golden Age.

"Little Qin, you've grown a little taller. Has your New Life ended?" Lu Ze asked.

Qin Ming was just about to answer when he suddenly sensed a vicious gust rushing at him.

Xu Yueping's right hand became a blade, slashing toward his neck without the slightest warning.

It happened too suddenly. At such close range, it was impossible to guard against.

Yet Qin Ming successfully evaded it and counterattacked with precision. With a bang, he seized Xu Yueping's wrist.

"Your reaction speed far surpasses that of other New Life Evolvers." Xu Yueping exclaimed in amazement. At such close range, with a surprise attack, even the most alert mountain beast would find it difficult to evade.

Liang Wanqing cried out in alarm, only then realizing that he was testing Qin Ming's foundation after New Life.

Xu Yueping's wrist was gripped tightly, and he could not budge it in the slightest.

"The power of your New Life..." An astonished look appeared on his face.

Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing looked on eagerly. They hoped Qin Ming's physical qualities had risen by a huge margin, undergoing a qualitative transformation.

Because this concerned a person's entire life. It was an opportunity capable of changing one's fate.

Qin Ming released him.

Xu Yueping's eyelids twitched wildly. As Double Tree Village's strongest New Life Evolver, he could already tell that the youth before him had not used his full strength.

He spoke solemnly. "My guess is that your strength is close to six hundred jin."

Liang Wanqing was dumbstruck upon hearing this. One had to know that in this region, carrying a five-hundred-jin cauldron was already the limit for New Life Evolvers.

Lu Ze was extremely excited. "This... even if you entered that distant city, you wouldn't be inferior to anyone."

"Uncle is the best!" Wen Rui shouted, clapping his little hands.

"Old Xu, people from the Mountain Patrol Group have arrived." Yang Yongqing appeared, having happened to hear the previous words, and his heart shook.

He realized that Qin Ming had broken the upper limit for local New Life Evolvers.

The appearance of Mountain Patrols meant something was certainly amiss, and Xu Yueping and Yang Yongqing quickly left.

A quarter of an hour later, someone came to call Qin Ming, telling him to go to the village chief's house.

He was somewhat puzzled. Why had they come looking for him?

"All New Life Evolvers must take part and listen to the people from the Mountain Patrol Group talk about the situation in the mountains," the visitor informed him.

Xu Yueping's home was lively. Including Qin Ming, there were seven New Life Evolvers in the village, and they had all come. Even Old Man Liu, who was over seventy, was not absent.

The Sun Stone illuminated the room brightly. The atmosphere was harmonious as a man from the Mountain Patrol Group named Feng Yi'an spoke about the conditions in the mountains.

"Some time ago, the mountain's magnetic field became chaotic. Going deep inside made it easy to lose one's way, and quite a few strange incidents occurred. Some Fire Springs inhabited by dangerous creatures nearly went out, while high-grade Fire Springs were born deep within the night mist." Feng Yi'an had a full beard and a rough, bold manner. He drained the tea in his cup in one gulp.

Qin Ming finally understood why the mountains had been so chaotic lately, and why some colossal creatures had appeared along the outer edges of the Dense Forest.

Changes had occurred in the mountains. The nests of some Famous Birds and strange beasts had run into trouble, prompting them to stir, which in turn drove other creatures to flee outward.

"Will the situation worsen? What if high-grade species charge out?" someone asked.

"Everyone, rest assured. High-level figures will enter the mountains and have a talk with those mysterious creatures, so this region can return to peace as soon as possible."

Feng Yi'an informed them that even if negotiations failed, Big Shots would block the mountains' top-tier creatures.

"To guard against the unexpected, Mountain Patrol Group members are sleeping with their weapons at their pillows. All New Life Evolvers in the villages and towns outside the mountains must also be prepared."

Feng Yi'an explained that the higher-ups were casting a wide net mainly to guard against top-tier creatures, but perhaps some "small fish" might slip through the mesh.

Everyone's expressions grew grave upon hearing this. New Life Evolvers would have to fight if necessary! Feng Yi'an smiled. "Don't be nervous. It isn't as serious as you imagine. Besides, if there is a major battle, that distant Bright City will send noble youths here to train. They are all elites and will help us sweep the mountains."

The people present relaxed upon hearing this.

"Brother Feng patrolled the mountains through the Deep Night, then came early this morning to bring us news. You've truly had a hard time," Xu Yueping said.

Feng Yi'an waved a hand. "Brother Xu, what are you saying? This is all part of my duty. Rest assured, if Fierce Beasts or Mountain Monsters charge out, they will have to step over the corpses of us Mountain Patrols first. Otherwise, they will never harm the people outside the mountains."

Xu Yueping personally brought over a large iron tray holding an entire roasted Blue Sheep, its fragrance assailing their noses, to entertain Feng Yi'an.

He stopped the few people who were about to rise and leave. "Don't go. Stay and have a few drinks with Brother Feng."

The atmosphere in the room immediately became lively.

"Let me tell you, there is no need to worry. This time, not only will the city lord who governs this region come in person, but I hear that masters have been invited from afar. Nothing will go wrong. The main concern is the Moon Insects and the unpredictable appearance of the mountain lord."

After several cups of wine, Feng Yi'an revealed quite a bit of information.

Qin Ming was astonished and listened carefully.

He was unaccustomed to the harsh old wine at the table. Just as he was about to take a sip of tea, he put down his cup again. Aside from bitter tea, it contained dried ants the size of thumb pads, making the tea broth a complicated concoction.

Xu Yueping smiled. "Little Qin, a man must learn to drink. And these black ants are a great tonic, truly good stuff."

Feng Yi'an turned to look at him. "This Little Brother looks young and unfamiliar."

"Uncle Feng, just call me Little Qin."

Xu Yueping introduced him. "This is Qin Ming. He's just over sixteen and has only just successfully achieved New Life. He is the most promising youth in our region. I hope he can study in the distant Red Haze City."

"A fine seedling. Transforming during the Golden Age—what an enviable foundation that is," Feng Yi'an said with deep feeling.

The others also praised and envied him, fully aware of the immense potential held by those with a Golden Foundation.

Everyone clinked cups one after another, and the mood at the table was lively as Feng Yi'an recounted some bizarre events from the mountains.

"Have you ever seen a mysterious kind of field deep in the mountains? Every crop is golden in color, and even thick fog cannot conceal it. Brilliant golden light pierces the pitch-black night sky... whose rations could those possibly be?"