Laughing Heartily

Bamboo Forest Courtyard, an elegant and refined residence.

On the rosewood table, a small teapot emits a delicate fragrance, which is just right for the Purple-Eyed Crow. It holds a warm teacup, which is only an inch high, in its "hand" and is taking a sip.

There was a delicate little armchair on the table. He sat lazily on it and said, "Without the Day Gold and lacking the secret manual, if it were me, I wouldn't participate anyway."

When Ling Yu heard it mention Day Gold, he suddenly felt something was wrong. He didn't feel the weight in his arms anymore; it seemed as if dozens of Day Gold had disappeared.

Then, he let out a muffled groan, his face grim, and said, "I only have one gold note left!" Crow Master took a small sip of tea and said, "This... is quite refined. A gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way."

Tang Jin was tall, no shorter than Ling Yu, with straight and long legs. She walked a few steps in the room, her figure light and elegant.

"Let's get to know him later!" She was genuinely curious about the young man who came from Black White Mountain. Even if it was a sneak attack, making Ling Yu faint so cleanly and efficiently was not something an ordinary person could do.

At the same time, she was very dissatisfied with Ling Yu. If this were on the battlefield, in the life-or-death struggle of the soon-to-be-established Third Forbidden Land Zone, would he still be able to survive?

Qin Ming smiled and said, "Brother Chuanzi, look at this lawn, bamboo, and Golden Vine Tree. We've already paid compensation and fines, so shouldn't you hurry up and fix it up for us?"

"You should just call me by my full name," Qian Chuan said, feeling that the other person was calling him "Qian Chuan," which was really unlucky.

But he couldn't afford to turn against them. These two were "living ancestors" who had actually beaten up Xin Youdao and Ling Yu. If this got out, it would be a huge incident!

For a moment, he was impulsive enough to sell this news, which was enough to shake Kun Jun City, for a good price! But he held back; someone had already contacted him, and he shouldn't say anything carelessly.

He felt it was best to exercise restraint for now.

Now he dared not give the two a hard time, and was very polite with a smile on his face, because these two New Life were really terrifying, with the ability to completely "overturn" all the New Life in this year's class.

"The dead Dragon Carp hasn't been compensated yet..." he whispered a reminder.

Little Wu said, "This should be spirit flesh, right? We'll eat it all in a bit, and then it'll be gone. Besides, Xin Youdao killed it with lightning, so you should go ask him for compensation."

Qian Chuan nodded, then whispered a reminder, "If you insist on fishing to eat, that's fine, but wait until no one's around." Wu Yaozu laughed, "Okay, I'll treat you to grilled fish another day, or you can take two now."

"I wouldn't dare eat that!" Qian Chuan quickly left.

"So comforting! Dragon Carp with wine, happiness is everlasting!" Qin Ming leaned back in a lakeside lounge chair, a wine glass in one hand and a roasted Dragon Carp in the other.

Little Wu had repaired the grill and found more than a dozen jars of fine wine in Xin Youdao's storage room. The two enjoyed a spiritual meat dinner with wine by the lake.

The next day, the two paid their tuition fees and got all the necessary student IDs and library cards sorted out. Then they headed straight for their destination.

Qin Ming entered Mountain River Academy. What was his purpose? To borrow books!

This area has an excellent environment, with rare tree species everywhere. Fragrant Orchid Tree fill the air with their scent, and Silver Maple Tree shed countless silver petals.

The Nine-Story Archive rises majestically from the ground, situated beside a lake formed by Fire Spring, lush with vegetation, and guarded by powerful figures.

"What a joke! You New Life always ask for a list of Extraordinary Art. You're always so ambitious, building castles in the air. You don't even know your own limitations. Do you think you can comprehend it? Do you even have any contribution points?!" A still-attractive middle-aged woman scolded Little Wu.

Wu Yaozu felt wronged, thinking to himself, "I'm just borrowing a book. If it's okay, great; if not, forget it. Why are you scolding me!" Qin Ming spoke up, "We know the rules; it's a paid reading service."

"This way!" The middle-aged woman pointed the way, leading them to a very quiet area.

Little Wu followed behind her, unable to resist making a Dragon Claw Hand gesture; after all, he was still a young boy at heart.

The middle-aged woman didn't even turn her head, saying, "My daughter is already at the peak of the Second Realm, and you still dare to play tricks on me?" Wu Yaozu quickly lowered his head and said, "Senior, I was wrong."

This is a large, Quiet Room. Sun Stone is placed in a crystal chandelier, making it bright and perfect for reading, but there aren't many people here.

"Damn expensive!" Qin Ming took a deep breath. He found the book that the New Life Evolver borrowed the most times. It was very thin, only thirteen pages long, and cost thirteen Day Gold, one Day Gold per page.

In Red Haze City, three Day Gold can barely feed a family of three for a year, while in Kun Jun City where prices are soaring, twelve coins are needed.

Before opening the book, he had to perform some kind of ritual and swear not to reveal it.

Afterwards, Qin Ming carefully studied the text, turning the pages slowly. Each page was enough to provide a month's worth of rations.

He sensed intense emotions in this book, all left behind by the New Life Evolver. He ignored them; he didn't need their insights.

Moreover, almost all of those comments were complaints, saying the book was too expensive. However, some people also remarked that it was the book with the best value for money, and was quite cheap.

After reading it, Qin Ming pondered it carefully. This was the culmination of a senior master's hard work, outlining various precautions for the First Realm of the New Life Path.

He reflected on himself and found that he didn't have this or that problem.

Objectively speaking, this book is of great value to many New Life Evolver.

Qin Ming pondered silently, the book's last page's forward-looking "vision" and some unverifiable "speculations" making him somewhat lost in thought.

The Ninth New Life, which only Otherworlder can access, is something many sectarian traditions and prominent figures are rather "superstitious" about. In this realm, they are willing to choose the "Undying Butterfly Scripture," Extraordinary Art that foretells immortality and rebirth.

This made Qin Ming ponder that the Old Senior of the book was also rather "superstitious," believing in this kind of beautiful "entrustment" and saying that it had a great positive effect on the last New Life.

Moreover, this Old Senior cited examples of certain historical figures, many of whom made this choice and achieved significant breakthroughs during their Ninth New Life.

"The Present Tathagata chose the * Golden Cicada Scripture *, which describes the Golden Cicada emerging from its shell, tearing apart its old body, New Life tribulations, and being reborn—a sutra imbued with profound Zen meaning."

"Sky-Pillar's Ninth New Life involved practicing the <Dragon Snake Scripture>, a transformation from serpent to dragon, stained with blood, with his flesh shattered, a rebirth from the brink of death, possessing fierce and powerful strength."

Qin Ming read it again. The Old Senior mentioned that the sages of the past made this choice in the hope that the Ninth New Life would be powerful enough to expand into a tenth New Life that did not exist.

Of course, everyone failed.

Moreover, the Ancestor of all generations have verified that the tenth New Life is a false goal, and even if it exists, it is included within the ninth. This is because the achievements of Otherworlder with different foundations in the ninth rebirth vary greatly.

"In other words, the Ninth New Life encompasses everything. If a person's talent is terrifying enough, and their foundation surpasses that of the Ancestor, the rewards of the final New Life will be incredibly astonishing."

Qin Ming closed the book, pondered for a moment, and decided to borrow the relevant Extraordinary Art.

He discovered that Little Wu was studying the book "Flesh and Blood Soul Locking Art," indicating that he was indeed studying it in a targeted manner to perfect his path to Rainbow Transformation.

He went to ask the middle-aged beauty if she possessed the * Undying Butterfly Scripture * and the * Dragon Snake Scripture *, among other things.

At this moment, Zhao Minghui looked at him differently. Was the young man before her an Otherworlder, or did he intend to use Extraordinary Art to lay the foundation for the First Realm?

Qin Ming fully activated the <Light Harmony with the World> technique supplemented by Lu Zizai. Apart from Crow Master, who could see through his abnormality with his mysterious Violet Eyes, no one else could see through it.

Zhao Minghui said, "All the Extraordinary Art you mentioned can be found in Kun Jun City, and our Mountain River Academy also has at least two of them, but... they're very expensive."

Qin Ming was astonished. It wasn't unusual for the Mountain River Academy to have some Extraordinary Art, but to have two in the same field meant their foundation was truly exceptional.

He said, "I'd like to take a look."

Zhao Minghui informed her that only one copy of the * Golden Cicada Scripture) was available for public borrowing.

Qin Ming's eyes burned with fervor. The Tathagata's Abandoned Disciple, Xiang Yiwu, whom he met on Luofu Immortal Mountain, was about to create a new method. It seemed that he was practicing the Golden Cicada Scripture, using it as a foundation to build the path and methods that followed.

However, when he saw the price, he almost bit his tongue. Two hundred Day Gold for a single chapter! How many chapters were in a single Extraordinary Art? The price would eventually skyrocket!

"At least, he's already seen dozens of articles here, and that includes the ones he borrowed out." "This is a priceless Extraordinary Art!" Zhao Minghui exclaimed.

"It truly is a priceless book." Qin Ming deeply felt that the scriptures were power, were Day Gold, and he realized how poor he was.

Zhao Minghui smiled and reminded him, "Actually, that's not how you learn Extraordinary Art. Who would spend so much Day Gold to read them? Find a suitable teacher, and if you click with them, they can teach you for free."

"Ah?" Qin Ming was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected turn of events and immediately expressed his gratitude to her.

Zhao Minghui frowned as if she remembered something and said, "However, with the passing of some predecessors, the old man who is now most proficient in the Golden Cicada Scripture has become a complete money-grubber. In order to support his descendant who has entered the Sunland and wants to compete for the Immortal Seed, his mind is not so pure anymore. Although there are others who have also practiced this scripture, none of them have studied it as thoroughly as he has."

"Are the others far inferior to him?" Qin Ming asked. Actually, he didn't care. As long as he was given the scriptures, he could practice on his own without needing anyone to teach him.

Zhao Minghui said, "Yes, there is indeed a difference, because Wu Chengwang not only mastered the original Golden Cicada Scripture, but also went down into a large tomb when he was young and dug out a Mutated Golden Cicada Scripture. Combining the two, he researched a lot of new things."

Qin Ming asked cautiously, "If I were to go see Senior Wu, do you think he would charge me?" Zhao Minghui sighed, "Of course he would. For the sake of his descendant who Near-Immortal, he doesn't care about his reputation."

After Qin Ming and Wu Yaozu left Tibet, they inquired about Wu Chengwang's residence.

"Brother, I'm not trying to be mean, but while the Golden Cicada Scripture is indeed wondrous, capable of prolonging life and even bringing the dead back to life, if you go to learn it from Wu Skinflayer, he'll drain your lifeblood, and you won't even learn half of the scripture. It's incredibly expensive!"

Some people kindly advised me not to go there and intentionally go bankrupt.

Even wealthy young men are intimidated by Wu Chengwang, feeling their Day Gold are insufficient. Wu Yaozu said, "Brother, I also think it's best not to associate with such a decrepit old man."

"Little Wu, wait for me outside." Qin Ming still wanted to give it a try. Of course, he took out all the extra Day Gold he had and handed it to Wu Yaozu, only bringing three hundred Day Gold with him.

Because he had heard that this was the lowest price for door-to-door service.

He was afraid that if he brought too much Day Gold, that old man would take advantage of him. In the end, Qin Ming went to the door alone.

The courtyard was filled with exotic flowers and medicinal herbs, creating a beautiful scene. Old man Wu Chengwang a high quality of life, surrounded by the fragrance of the garden.

"Hehe, young man, you want immortality, huh? You've come to the right place. This mutated version of the Golden Cicada Scripture is unique to Kun Jun City. If you're just starting your New Life Path to immortality, using it as your main Cultivation Method will lay the foundation for eternal life."

Wu Chengwang a full head of silver hair and a ruddy complexion. He was very kind and amiable; one really can't judge a book by its cover.

"Senior, I don't know about the tuition fee..." Qin Ming didn't want to deal with him. He was straightforward and simple. If something could be solved with Day Gold, then he would proceed immediately.

Wu Chengwang laughed and said, "Yes, I almost died when I went down into the Great Tomb back then. I've spent my whole life studying the mutated <Golden Cicada Scripture>. It's the culmination of my hard work. As for the cost, it's a bit expensive. Each study session and guidance session starts at three hundred Day Gold."

As he spoke, he took out a few pages of paper and asked Qin Ming if he wanted to learn from him immediately. Qin Ming frowned; these were newly copied pages, intended as a gift for a new disciple. "I want to learn real kung fu from a senior!" he said solemnly.

Wu Chengwang asked in surprise, "Oh, how do you understand true kung fu? What I'm teaching now is the ultimate skill."

Qin Ming said, "I would like to see your manuscripts, notes, and letters; I believe these are the true fruits of your labor!"

Wu Chengwang was taken aback, then laughed and said, "Hehe, you young man, are you afraid I won't teach you the real stuff? Fine, no problem. But the fee will be even more expensive."

"How much Day Gold?" Qin Ming asked.

"Let me show you the manuscript. You'll receive one guidance session for every six hundred Day Gold," Wu Chengwang said kindly.

"It's so expensive, I... I'll go get the Day Gold!" Qin Ming finally agreed, saying, "Could you let me see a page first?" "That won't do, you have to pay the tuition first." Wu Chengwang shook his head with a smile.

"Okay!" Qin Ming turned and left.

"Brother, do you really want to be scammed by that old geezer?" Little Wu asked worriedly, thinking he had gone mad.

"It's alright, I can handle his pitfalls!" Qin Ming led the six hundred Day Gold back to the small courtyard filled with the fragrance of flowers and the songs of birds.

Wu Chengwang became even more amiable, taking out a rather worn book and saying, "This contains my annotations. This sutra is priceless, because apart from the Tathagata Lineage, very few people understand both versions of the * Golden Cicada Scripture *."

Qin Ming flattered him, saying that he had spent his entire life studying this scripture, which was equivalent to pioneering new methods in the New Life Realm, and that he was truly a person of great virtue. "I think so too," Wu Chengwang nodded with a smile.

Qin Ming turned to the first page. In fact, he could only turn to a few pages this time, but he was smiling, very satisfied. The more he looked, the brighter his smile became.

"Hehe..." Wu Chengwang was also laughing. He felt that this little lamb was very fat, spending money without batting an eye, and could be nurtured in the long run.

"Haha..." Qin Ming was in a good mood. He was already amazed after reading only two pages, and then he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Seeing this, Wu Chengwang smiled and became even more amiable. In the end, he couldn't help but burst into laughter, thinking to himself, "What a fine little lamb!"

(There's more to come!)