A Distant Journey

Qin Ming was lost in thought. In the latter half of the night, he had entered and exited the Netherworld and lingered by the Great Watchtower. What a strange experience this was! Although it was all an illusion, he was still savoring it.

He looked up and glanced out the window; the night in the real world was so deep.

"Even a centipede that dies does not stiffen; it hangs in the air for four days. Hunting it will leave behind a wisp of its spirit." Qin Ming recalled that tonight's experience was actually quite dangerous.

The giant centipede itself was already very fragile, but the altar it was manipulating was not simple. If he were to unknowingly walk onto it, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He figured he was going to be sacrificed, and that insect might take his place.

He felt a chill run down his spine. In this foggy world, had similar incidents occurred elsewhere? The thought, upon closer examination, made him feel utterly insecure.

Qin Ming picked up the palm-sized golden scale armor; it was quite heavy, even heavier than metal.

He studied the densely packed, tiny characters with great care, his eyes growing brighter with each reading, until finally they seemed to flicker with light, and Divine Capital absorbed in them.

He quickly put it down and calmed himself, afraid of suddenly resonating with it and suffering a "severe blow." He had had painful experiences in the past.

At the Luofu Immortal Mountain Ruins, he was once struck by a seemingly calm yet "terrifying" emotion left behind by an Old Senior, leaving his mind blank as if struck by lightning.

Without a doubt, this gleaming golden scale armor belonged to Page of True Inheritance, its value immeasurable! Qin Ming became increasingly excited as he looked at it, his eyes burning with fervor.

He took a deep breath, adjusted his state, and only after being fully prepared did he attempt to resonate. If the situation was not right, he would immediately stop.

The scriptures on the scales relate to the esoteric path of the Esoteric Sect, beginning with Divine Wisdom —profound and unfathomable! Indeed, the emotions they carry...

It's extremely complex, inevitably involving an unfathomable Old Senior whose calm demeanor belies his truly terrifying emotions.

Even though Qin Ming had made ample preparations, he was still so shocked that he felt dizzy and almost fainted. This was after he had done it many times.

If the writing on the golden scales hadn't suddenly stopped later, he wouldn't have wanted to engage in this resonance at all; with his talent, he could have easily grasped its meaning.

Because it was so painful, his consciousness was almost completely overwhelmed.

Finally, Qin Ming was sweating profusely and nearly collapsed. The scripture was finally "complete." A complete inheritance should have two golden scales.

Although he was extremely exhausted, he wore a satisfied smile. That night, his bizarre Spirit Travel had brought him immense gains.

Undoubtedly, this scripture is a supreme secret technique of the sect! Qin Ming immediately tried to practice it after recovering. He felt that the effect was excellent, truly worthy of being Page of True Inheritance.

Overall, this interpretation of the scripture is far more powerful than the very thin booklet given to Meng Xinghai by his Martial Granduncle.

After all, it was just a casual gift from the old man, intended only for him to try practicing it first; it was impossible for him to reveal the sect's highest secret techniques on their first meeting.

Soon, the smile on Qin Ming's face gradually faded.

Because the Divine Wisdom he cultivated was absorbed and used to nourish his physical body, the situation remains unresolved.

"Is it because the Silk Book Method is too domineering, incorporating everything, or is it because I've practiced it for over a decade, and my flesh and blood are most compatible with it?" This left Qin Ming with no other choice but to go down this path to the bitter end.

He practiced the scriptures on Page of True Inheritance, but it didn't change anything. It was still the same as before, only useful to assist the New Life Path. Qin Ming studied for a long time, and finally accepted reality. It was still early before dawn, so he went back to sleep.

The next day, he got up early and first practiced the Life Altering Scripture, followed by the Five Thunders Organ Refinement Exercise. These methods of Inner Fortification organs can prolong life and improve one's culinary skills. He persisted in these practices every day without interruption.

Afterwards, Qin Ming went to see Meng Xinghai and also invited Li Qingyun.

"Are you about to set off?" "Kun Jun a place full of legends. Although it borders the Three Great Dynasties of Yu, Gan, and Rui, none of them dared to take it, fearing it would cause trouble. In the end, some old guys established their lineage there instead."

The two spoke one after the other, learning that Qin Ming was about to embark on a long journey.

"I have something nice to give to Uncle Meng and Master Li. Thank you for your Take Care Of."

"The Golden Rhinoceros tea set and wine set you brought back last time were quite nice. What else are you going to give us as a gift?" The two were surprised and curious.

"This is a very generous gift," Qin Ming said.

Normandy boasts of giving gifts as valuable presents, and the two immediately realized that what he gave was probably quite extraordinary. In front of them, Qin Ming took out paper and ink and wrote down the scriptures on the golden scales word by word.

The two approached to take a closer look, and their initial doubts turned into solemn expressions, followed by shock, and finally, they were completely petrified, utterly stunned.

"Such a doctrine." They weren't unsophisticated people, but they were still somewhat stunned. This was definitely a secret, top-secret doctrine of the sect.

A young boy wrote it down for them with great effort? The two felt it was quite a dream, too unreal.

Soon, they cast aside all distractions and were deeply captivated, their eyes glued to the screen, completely absorbed in the experience.

"Wonderful! This scripture is profound. If it corroborates what I've learned, it might solve a problem that has troubled me for so long and help me break through this barrier."

After an unknown amount of time, Meng Xinghai regained consciousness and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Li Qingyun's expression became extremely solemn as he asked, "Little Qin, where did you obtain this scripture?" He knew all too well...

The value of written words is such that they could never be circulated outside the temple; even in the most prestigious monasteries, they are considered secret teachings.

Qin Ming put down his pen, his expression turning serious. He said, "Last night, I was attacked and dragged into a thick Black Mist." He recounted his experience, still having many questions.

Both of their expressions changed. The big bird hadn't died completely and still wanted revenge; this was far beyond their expectations.

That was the location of the old centipede's Divine Kingdom, but it had been breached. The Black Mist area is very mysterious, and it's generally difficult for those on the New Life Path to enter unless they become Old Senior in the later stages and their consciousness is strong enough.

"In fact, even among those on other paths, only experts can access that realm; ordinary people have no understanding of it, or have never even heard of it."

Through conversation, Qin Ming discovered that every path held many secrets that those at lower levels had no way of knowing, unaware of how vast and boundless the scenery at higher levels was, like ants gazing at the sky.

"That was close! That altar was definitely not simple. The old centipede actually tried to come back to life. A being that has the potential to become a god is indeed extremely extraordinary. Luckily, Little Qin, you're unharmed."

After their conversation, Qin Ming felt more and more that the entire Night Mist World was too dangerous, with too many unknowns. The only way to protect himself was to constantly become stronger.

Then, when the topic of the long journey came up, Qin Ming decided that he would set off in two days.

"Let me take you there," Li Qingyun said with a smile.

"No need, Master Li, I'll go on my own."

Qin Ming felt bad about always troubling the old man; he wasn't from a Aristocratic Clan who needed a master escort even when traveling.

The Night Mist World is so vast; he can simply set off quietly and explore on his own.

"Red Haze City is a good two li away from Kun Jun, which is quite a distance. Let me take you there; don't be shy."

Li Qingyun said.

Qin Ming planned to travel alone, wanting to take a closer look at this Night Mist World of the factory. Meng Xinghai said, "How about this, I'll make the arrangements."

Little Qin, you've set off alone; the journey is indeed quite long. The dark land is far from as peaceful as you imagine. Some areas are extremely dangerous, and even we have to detour around them.

"Fang Yi, you entered this without realizing it; something bad is bound to happen." He told him that they could travel by spaceship.

Although it's not very fast, you can enjoy the scenery and learn about different local customs along the way, which is a kind of experience. "A spirit ship?" Qin Ming asked.

"It's not the kind of ship that needs to be propelled by Consciousness Spirit Light." Meng Xinghai shook his head.

Li Qingyun smiled and said, "I've heard about it. It was first introduced two years ago, and only became fully mature six months ago. It's said to be the culmination of the hard work of an elder from the Heavenly Craft Academy. It's finally ready for mass production."

Meng Xinghai nodded and said, "Yes, mainly because they discovered a strange tree in the frontier area of the reclaimed land and started to make use of it."

To be precise, the people of the Heavenly Craft Academy discovered a completely new energy source deep within the Night Mist World.

The exotic trees are quite special; a piece of wood the size of a fist can weigh ten pounds, while a piece of Silver Wood of a slightly higher grade can weigh twenty or thirty pounds.

The higher-grade varieties, such as the exotic trees with a pale golden hue, are not only heavier but also emit various Spiritual Matter comparable to Fire Spring.

Qin Ming was astonished. No wonder the higher-ups wanted to Great Wilderness Expansion so much; there were just too many wonderful things hidden deep within the Night Mist World.

Furthermore, there is another advantage to traveling long distances by such a ship: occasionally one can reach the celestial realm deep in the night Heavenly Bloom.

The Old Senior of this Beyond the Mundane no longer need food; they can be nourished by the celestial Heavenly Bloom of the heavens.

Two days later, Qin Ming quietly set off and arrived at Red Haze City, eight miles away. Although the names differed by only one character, the scale of the two cities was incomparable.

Red Haze City is a truly Giant City. From a great distance, one can see its dazzling lights piercing through the night fog, illuminating the entire area.

Because only such famous cities have spaceships taking off and landing, Red Haze City has not yet been widely used. Red Haze City has a direct flight route to Kun Jun.

Qin Ming, holding his ship ticket, had already arrived at the landing site of the spaceship in Red Haze City.

He was surprised to find many teenagers waiting for a ship, presumably like him, heading to distant places to study. The area was vast, and many enormous spaceships awaited departure.

"Brothers, you don't need to ask anymore. Most of the people waiting for the ship here at this time are heading to Kun Jun. Even if we end up in different academies or training grounds, we're still considered to be in the same cohort."

A teenager laughed and said that it was student registration season, and everyone was the same age, so he certainly wouldn't be lonely on the way.

"The journey is never going to be smooth. Guess who I just saw? That ruthless guy who swept through eighty-one cities is waiting in the VIP room, also heading to Kun Jun."

"No way, where is he going? The young men and women here are all under twenty, and most of them are very lively and have all sorts of topics to discuss."

"What's so special about that? Even the one with the Pure Yang Body most suited to travel to the Beyond the Mundane is said to be heading to Kun Jun this time."

Immediately, many people exclaimed, "Why would someone with Pure Yang Body make such a choice?" "Kun Jun's supporters are not weak. In fact, they are the Pathfinders of the Beyond the Mundane!" a cheerful girl said.

Actually, there was another hidden reason. The various academies and schools of Kun Jun were preparing to jointly explore the outer area of a forbidden land. There lived a very high-level Auspicious Beast there, whose blood could change one's constitution and bones, enough to allow us to achieve Nirvana... As soon as this secret news came out, it immediately caused an uproar, and a group of teenagers were excited.

"They're about to head to Kun Jun. Is there a chance they might obtain a small amount of the Auspicious Beast's blood?" Don't overthink it. Only the most Heavenly Prodigy, have the opportunity to obtain such a Great Fortune.

It's speculated that each dojo and academy will have a certain number of spots available.

"What's so surprising? Descendants of some giants from the Beyond-Mundane Immortal Land and the Sunland have already rushed over. You can imagine how much of a commotion this hunt for Auspicious Beast has caused."

Qin Ming listened and watched quietly, sensing that Kun Jun was not calm at all; he could simply sit back and watch the situation unfold.

(There's more to come!)