A Turbulent Storm
In the dead of night, Red Haze City was shrouded in a hazy mist.
In the quiet courtyard, Qin Ming gazed at the night sky. With his strength greatly enhanced, he was no longer so worried about going to the Beyond the Mundane, and had a calm confidence. He felt the changes within himself. The increased strength and perception were secondary; the most important thing was the evolution of the Heavenly Light Force, which was somewhat different now.
He tossed a piece of paper into the air, flicked his finger, and it shattered into dozens of pieces, like withered leaves, fluttering down into the air.
Qin Ming walked over, and all the scraps of paper, before they even touched his body, were pushed away by an invisible force, or crackled into pieces with a crisp sound. He hadn't activated the Heavenly Light Force beforehand; it appeared automatically, directly blocking and quickly counterattacking anything that approached.
Without a doubt, Qin Ming's Heavenly Light Force is now not only more powerful, but also full of spirituality.
Now, if anyone still harbors ill intentions towards him and tries to slip a special drug onto him when they get close, they certainly won't be able to do it.
Several days ago, he was tricked by an old friend, his body tainted with an unpleasant odor, and he was targeted by Bat Bird that he couldn't shake off. "If this continues, the Heavenly Light Force will continue to evolve and eventually trigger a mysterious qualitative change, bringing me a surprise!" Qin Ming was very much looking forward to it.
Now he has a certain ambition, constantly integrating various techniques, and in the future he may not be inferior to the Sky Supporting Force Tathagata Force the Tathagata Force, with infinite possibilities. Obviously, after integrating the two Extraordinary Art this time, it has played a huge role in the transformation of the Heavenly Light Force.
The next moment, a fire lit up the courtyard in the night. Qin Ming was circulating his Li Fire Force, and his body was immediately enveloped in a faint red glow. It was like a divine flame, growing in his flesh and blood, not harming his body, but rather nourishing it. It also transformed into Heavenly Light Force to protect himself. Qin Ming reached out, and a stack of letters turned to ashes after touching him.
He was testing his skills; his current "Li Fire Force a type of internal energy cultivation technique) was already transforming into a special ability.
A series of resounding clangs rang out, and Qin Ming's body seemed to be covered with a faint layer of golden armor. This was the Vajra Force, which he displayed as a domineering hard skill. Then, his body surface became covered with fine, silken threads, interwoven with Golden Silkworm Silk, forming a dense net that protected him completely. Even his jet-black hair had golden threads emerging. This was the power of the Silk Book Method; it could integrate various Heavenly Light Force and unify them, and could also transform into a certain force technique that had been practiced.
Moreover, when the fused Heavenly Light Force circulates along the route of the Extraordinary Art skill it has been trained in, these divine flames and golden threads seem to be even stronger than the original Li Fire Force and Golden Silkworm Force!
Qin Ming was very satisfied. These changes delighted him. No wonder an Old Senior had written a single word on the Silk Scripture: "Melting!" Moreover, that person had used this word to reprimand those who came after him. That night, he fell into the deepest sleep. The Heavenly Light Force automatically appeared and completely covered him in the shape of the Jade Suit Sewn with Gold Threads.
As Shallow Night fell, the Fire Spring of Red Haze City gradually intensified, as if the sun were rising and the morning glow was shining. Qin Ming woke up feeling unusually Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and he couldn't wait to find a Beyond-Mundane Disciples to beat him up. "After a nap, it's like I've taken a tonic?" he wondered.
However, he didn't waste any time and immediately went to tell Meng Xinghai that he had consumed the Five-Colored Spiritual Branch and fully integrated the Heavenly Light Force.
"So fast?" Meng Xinghai's expression froze for a moment. Fortunately, he had recently been "trained" by the young man in front of him, and he always exceeded expectations.
If this were their first meeting, and he knew the outcome, he would definitely have stood up again. He had given Qin Ming two days to absorb the violent Heavenly Light Essence from the Five-Colored Spiritual Branch, but the kid finished it in one night!
What is talent? Meng Xinghai felt that the standard of this word needed to be redefined. This young man made him value him even more. He said, "The sword and arrows are not yet finished. Come on, I'll take you to choose a strong bow, and also take a look at other weapons."
Qin Ming followed him into the Armory. Without any formalities, he took whatever he needed. He carried a set of twelve short spears on his back.
When Meng Xinghai saw that he had chosen a large bow with flowing Dark Light, his face twitched slightly. That was a precious bow that required more than 6,000 jin to draw. He only realized now that Qin Ming's statement that he was a little stronger than Otherworlder of the same age was not arrogance, but rather too modest!
Even after Fifth New Life, the Teenage Aberrant only approached the strength of five thousand jin, falling short of him.
Then, Qin Ming selected a Bronze Staff, which was actually made of mixed gold and was exceptionally sturdy, belonging to the category of heavy weapons.
He tried it out with the Bronze Staff; it could be used as a spear, a heavy hammer, or even a sword when held in both hands. This meant he could fully demonstrate his mastery of the four arts—sword, spear, arrow, and hammer—in the great battle Beyond the Mundane.
Of course, weapons are just superficial. Judging from Qin Ming's current strength, his strongest weapon is still his inner Heavenly Light Force, which has the greatest destructive power. Meng Xinghai said, "There's no need to choose Jia Qing; the golden armor crafted by the Beyond the Mundane People is quite good."
Now that everything is ready, and all that's left is to set off, he felt it was time to urge the people who were forging the swords and arrows to leave. Meng Xinghai asked, "Why did you go out? What were you looking at?"
"It's going to thunder." Qin Ming looked at the sky, then threw down a bunch of weapons, turned and ran, pushing his speed to the limit. Meng Xinghai was stunned. Was he... going to the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall again? He really couldn't stop thinking about that place.
"The lightning wasn't very large, so it's unlikely to strike. Besides, your strength has just increased; there's no need to rush to receive the Heavenly Light." Qin Ming replied, "I'm doing this to practice Extraordinary Art!"
"What's suitable?" Meng Xinghai followed, somewhat worried, fearing that a violent Thunderfire Heavenly Light might strike and injure him before he set off.
"Refining gold with Thunderfire is naturally suitable for practicing the Golden Silkworm Skill," Qin Ming said.
Snap!
This time, Qin Ming received four Thunderfire Heavenly Light, turning his entire body black. He continued to perform the ritual according to the energy flow path of the Li Fire Scripture. A layer of firelight seemed to burst forth from his body, forming a special protective divine light.
Immediately afterwards, Zou Ming began to circulate the Golden Silkworm Skill, which was also incredibly smooth. He wasn't just talking nonsense; the so-called Thunderfire refining of gold was indeed effective. However, he was using the Li Fire Skill to promote the Golden Silkworm Skill!
"The secret manual that Ning Siqi found for you is indeed excellent." Meng Xinghai nodded. These two Extraordinary Art skills working together would greatly help improve Zou Ming's abilities.
Qin Ming sensed that the total amount of Heavenly Light had increased again.
Those who rely on physical mutations experience the fastest growth in strength during their New Life period, and he didn't want to miss any opportunity.
Unfortunately, the highest number of times New Life can be recruited is nine. After crossing this Major Realm, the next realm becomes quite difficult, and he needs to find another way.
In the afternoon, when Red Haze City was at its brightest, Qin Ming received a brand-new Mutton Fat Jade Iron Saber, far superior to the crudely forged one he and Old Man Liu had made. No matter how you looked at it, it resembled an outstanding work of art, full of beauty.
Furthermore, this is a Mother-and-Child Saber; the "scabbard" is a thicker blade, so there's no need to cover it up with mineral pigments.
It is slightly shorter than an arm, with smooth lines and a beautiful curve. The white blade has a soft luster and is engraved with dragon patterns, Phoenix Seal Script, and other designs.
Meng Xinghai told him that he had carved those dragon and Phoenix Seal Script on them, and that they could enhance the killing effect if one encountered something that was inexplicably invisible.
The arrowhead was a vibrant blue, exceptionally sharp, and engraved with numerous characters; the shaft was also forged from a special material.
Meng Xinghai explained, "The rare metal I originally prepared for you, I've selected the finest parts and placed them in the arrow shaft. This way, your Heavenly Light Force can extend to the arrowhead." Qin Ming noticed a metal wire in the center of the arrow shaft leading to the arrowhead; it should be similar to Jade Iron, capable of receiving Heavenly Light Force.
During the period when his Heavenly Light cannot shine outwards, only rare metals can achieve this. "Let's pack up, it's time for us to get going." The next day, Meng Xinghai decided to set off.
Before his departure, he used Esoteric Sect methods to help Zou Ming conceal his true appearance, a necessary form of protection for him. After all, the Cui family, Millennium Aristocratic Family Cui Household, had declared that no one was allowed to leave in the next few years.
He was allowed to enter that circle.
Qin Ming looked at himself in the mirror. His appearance had completely changed, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, but his image was not damaged. He could be described as heroic and spirited, with a sharp and imposing temperament.
In the past, he only displayed this temperament during battle; now it's just his natural state, clearly indicating he's a combative member of the New Life Evolver.
"Uncle Meng, this is Qin Ming's Martial Arts Arena in the City Lord's Manor's Mansion. When I first saw that Flying Mount, I thought it was a giant tortoise with wings."
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that Meng Xinghai treated this mount exceptionally well, draping it in armor infused with rare metals, its body completely covered.
This is a Higher Aberrant, with normal pale gold feathers all over its body. It is extremely powerful, and not only does it wear armor, but it also wears a Secret Metal on its golden bird head.
"Traveling far in the night fog is extremely dangerous. If someone were to attack our mount, the consequences would be unimaginable." Meng Xinghai admitted that the blue armor on this bird was no less impressive than his own.
Meng Xinghai also changed his appearance, not wanting anyone to know that he had left Red Haze City.
This was not his mount; it was borrowed from an old friend deep in the mountains. The cover was breached, and he was forced to abandon it.
"The destination isn't far, about four thousand miles from us." He explained that it was once an important place for Beyond the Mundane People, but a thousand years ago, it was covered by endless Heavenly Light, making Luofu City far larger than Red Haze City.
Even through the thick night fog, one could see the magnificent, dazzling city on the land, its light shooting into the night sky. And there was the Fire Spring.
Although Luofu Mountain was abandoned by those Beyond the Mundane People, the surrounding area never declined; on the contrary, it became incredibly prosperous. This is because guarding the Immortal Mountain Ruins, it was impossible for it to lack high-ranking officials.
"Back then, the top experts from the Beyond the Mundane wanted to upgrade the grade of Luofu Mountain..." Meng Xinghai shook his head and said no more.
Clearly, the events of the past were of great importance, and the things that these Beyond the Mundane People were doing were quite insane.
"Luofu Mountain was already quite remarkable, considered Beyond-Mundane Immortal Mountain, and now they want to upgrade its grade..." Qin Ming could only marvel at the extravagance of those people.
Luofu City has recently become incredibly popular. The competition among the Beyond-Mundane Disciples has spread far and wide, drawing many cultivators who wish to witness certain events.
The city gate tower stands like a small mountain, very magnificent, and the city wall is tall and stretches across the front.
Qin Ming and his group entered the city and were struck by its brilliance and bustle. The brightness here was no different from that of the Solar Yang era. On the wide streets of the city, many beast-drawn carriages rode side by side without causing any congestion, and the shops on both sides were bustling with people, with business booming.
At this stage, most guesthouses are fully booked, and many people have no choice but to rent rooms in private homes.
Meng Xinghai had already arranged for two rooms to be booked in advance, both with small courtyards. In this Giant City land is incredibly valuable, the cost must have been substantial.
That same day, Qin Ming met Li Qingyue, who was staying at the neighboring inn. She came over to see him and Meng Xinghai that evening.
"Qin Ming, I'll have to trouble you this time." Li Qingyue's black hair was like a waterfall, her figure as slender as a willow tree. She was dressed in white, without any makeup, and her face was exquisitely beautiful. She was bright and elegant, and when she smiled, it was like clouds breaking through the mist, and her whole person was radiant.
Qin Ming laughed, "You've helped me so much, no need to be so polite with me. Your smile is so dazzling, I can hardly open my eyes." Li Qingyue smiled and nodded, thankfully, he hadn't been discouraged after going through so much, and was still the same as before.
"I'll take you for a stroll around the city, and we'll grab a bite to eat. I'll also tell you about some things to be careful about in Luofu Mountain this time," Li Qingyue said, and called Meng Xinghai to come along.
Meng Xinghai waved his hand in polite refusal, saying, "I'm getting old, and walking with you all makes me look old. I'd better go find my old friends."
Qin Ming and Li Qingyue went out, and soon they saw several familiar faces. Many of the Beyond-Mundane Disciples were also staying at the large inn nearby. "What are you looking at? Oh, that's Wang Caiwei," Li Qingyue said with a smile.
"No, I saw my 'younger brother,' Cui Chongxuan. Why is he here too?" Qin Ming said. Li Qingyue replied, "He probably wants to help Cui Chonghe compete for that Near Immortal Object."