The gods retreat

Outside the window, a sudden downpour struck, the rain pounding against the tiles with a loud, chaotic sound, much like Qin Ming's flustered state of mind.

When Meng Xinghai saw the letter, his first thought was that someone was trying to fish for him!

The probability of this is quite high. Qin Ming's rise has been extremely rapid, and perhaps some people are getting restless.

The night was as dark as ink, and raindrops pattered against the window, sending up wisps of smoke.

Qin Ming was so worried that he was confused and kept worrying that his grandfather's lifespan was not long enough and that he was afraid he would never see him again.

The handwriting on the smooth letter paper looked familiar.

Qin Ming had many dreams during his New Life childhood, recalling his childhood experiences. What he saw before him was indeed his grandfather's handwriting.

He took a deep breath, quickly calming himself down; only by maintaining a calm mind could he deal with various problems.

Meng Xinghai put down his teacup and said, "Don't panic. If they're really trying to bait you, it just means some people are losing their composure."

Qin Ming nodded, his mind highly focused, trying to resonate with the letter.

In an instant, he realized the letter was genuine, filled with his grandfather's intense emotions—his reluctance to part with him and his worry.

"Child, Grandpa is sick and can no longer take care of you." This was a letter from more than ten years ago. The old man's clothes were worn and patched, and his health was not very good.

Qin Ming's heartstrings trembled slightly as he gazed upon the "old scenes" of yesteryear.

Under the dim light of an oil lamp, the old man coughed and slowly wrote a letter, "Grandpa told you that I probably had about ten years to live, but now it seems I might not make it. If I had a choice, I would not give you to someone else to raise."

"You're still so young, and you're the one Grandpa worries about the most. Someone has taken a liking to you and hopes they'll treat you well. Grandpa has to go now; I need to find your parents. I hope they're still alive so they can come and take you away someday."

The elderly man swayed and coughed up blood.

"My child, live well, grow up healthy, and be safe. Grandpa really wants to see you get married and have children, but I don't expect to live to see that day."

The old man's hands were very thin and withered, his grip on the pen was unsteady, and his hand trembled from coughing, causing ink to splatter on the paper several times.

"You're so young, Grandpa can't bear to part with you..."

Clearly, the old man took the letter with him and left it behind; Qin Ming was too young at the time to understand it.

The letter contained the names of some towns, all of which were very far away, places where his parents might have gone.

Qin Ming quietly held the letter, which was covered in ink, and read it over and over again.

Only then did he look at his parents' letter, but it showed no signs of emotional expression, leaving him with no clue as to their feelings.

The letter contained place names and routes, indicating that the area was very far away and that it had roughly reached the outer regions of the frontier.

According to the message in the letter, his parents went to follow in the footsteps of a Ancestor of the Silk Book Method, which temporarily solved their problems. When they returned to their ancestral home, they found the letter from the front, but did not see the old man.

The text continues, stating that one of the Ancestor of Silk Book Method may still be alive. They have discovered extremely important clues and must continue their pursuit, but they cannot return for the time being.

My parents' letters also contained many place names, all very far away, deep in the Night Mist World.

Meng Xinghai shook his head and said, "Unbelievable!"

Qin Ming remained silent. His grandfather's letter was genuine, but his parents' letter was questionable. The former was filled with intense emotion and deep affection, while the latter did not resonate with him.

Fearing he might act impulsively, Meng Xinghai said, "I'll have someone investigate later; it might take a long time. Don't rush this matter. Even if it's true, going there now won't change anything."

Qin Ming felt a void in his heart. Finally, he nodded and solemnly put the letter away.

Is there such a thing as an ancestral home? He pondered silently. Where did his grandfather go? Could he really have survived until now? When he thought about these things, his chest tightened.

His biggest worry was, of course, whether the letter had really fallen into his parents' hands. If not, he didn't dare to think any further.

"Did the Cui Household withhold this letter beforehand?" Qin Ming sat quietly, clenching his fists.

It was all because he lacked the power to personally visit the Cui Household and force them to reveal the details.

The Old Ancestor of the Cui Household was the one who had the deepest understanding of the "Abiding World Scripture," and he lived for a very long time, already over five hundred years old.

Some signs indicate that this person should have already reached the Sixth Realm.

Outside the window, torrential rain poured down, and the night was as black as Abyss. When lightning flashed, a curtain of water Seeing the World.

Qin Ming got up, wanting to calm his mind.

In an instant, he disappeared into the pitch-black rainy night.

Meng Xinghai was worried and followed, but soon he had to speed up and rush over to stop him.

Because he discovered that Qin Ming had actually broken into the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall, preparing to withstand the bombardment of Thunderfire Heavenly Light.

"Is this what you call tranquility?" Meng Xinghai was naturally worried, as this was the most violent Thunderfire at the end of summer, which could easily damage a person's foundation of cultivation.

"Uncle Meng, I'm fine. I already experienced that in Kunling," Qin Ming said.

Then, to Meng Xinghai's astonishment, he calmed himself in the Golden Hall, letting the Heavenly Light envelop him, and sat there motionless.

After a night of listening to thunder to train his body, Qin Ming's mood improved considerably.

He heeded the advice and did not set off himself. Instead, he followed Meng Xinghai's suggestion and asked people to investigate and explore the truth from multiple perspectives.

That day, he secluded himself to adjust his mindset and study the scriptures on Extraordinary Art.

He didn't leave the room until the next day, and then met up with some acquaintances.

In the private room of the restaurant, Wu Zheng looked on with admiration. Even in this remote place, he had heard some rumors about Kunling.

"Ming Ge, you are the goal I will strive to reach in my life!" He felt that Qin Ming was now more powerful than his ancestor Spear and Arrow Dual Mastery.

"Fame is meaningless; as long as you live a comfortable life, that's enough," Qin Ming said.

"This is not just empty fame. The true testament to your strength is the record you achieved on the Kunling Plateau," Xu Sheng said.

He never imagined that the boy he brought from the remote Black White Mountain when he was a traveling merchant would be so extraordinary, actually able to overpower certain Immortal Seed!

"Little Qin, I was truly shocked when I heard the news," said Sister Fenfang, Zhou Lin.

Looking back, she, Qin Ming, and Xu Sheng were hunting together in the mountains Red Haze City, searching for Spiritual Matter. How long has it been? Little Qin has already become famous Kunling.

"Congratulations to Brother Xu and Sister Fen... on your marriage!" Qin Ming raised his glass and smiled.

It wasn't surprising that the two were walking together.

He then inquired about the itinerant merchants from Xu Sheng.

"Little Qin, if you have a choice, avoid walking at night. Those who have traveled throughout history know this best. Two months ago, my master said his final goodbyes to me and then disappeared!"

Xu Sheng's simple words made Qin Ming put down his wine glass, and also sent a chill down Wu Zheng's spine.

"My master said he's over a hundred years old, and judging by the time, it's time for him to return to the depths of the night fog. He told me not to become a traveling merchant, or I'd end up like him."

"This..." Qin Ming was somewhat lost in thought, and asked for details and the truth.

Xu Sheng said, "My master didn't Say More, just briefly mentioned some things and warned me that in the Night Mist World, ordinary people can only see the surface. In fact... the truth is terrifying, there are too many unknowns and horrors. Having walked the night roads for many years, he is almost not himself anymore. He must leave and stay where he should be."

As night deepened, they left the restaurant.

As they parted, Wu Zheng asked, "Ming Ge, will you come back someday? We won't never see each other again, will we?"

Sister Fenfang said, "Even if we can't meet, I believe you'll hear news about Little Qin often in the future. He will eventually become famous throughout the entire Night Mist World!"

In the middle of the night, Qin Ming felt a loud bang and his body trembled violently. To his astonishment, he discovered that his consciousness, enveloped by the Scorching Sun Heavenly Light, had actually separated from his physical body.

It was as if a mysterious force, like Heavenly Gang or a vast Jiang Hai, passed over Red Haze City, shaking his consciousness, which was rooted in the Heavenly Light, out of his body.

He quickly covered himself with the Torn Cloth cloth, then went to the window and looked out at the night sky.

In fact, it wasn't just him; Meng Xinghai's Divine Wisdom had also emanated and left his physical body, arriving on the rooftop where he was gazing out with a solemn expression.

"I, little beast, have no intention of disrespect. I have only been here for a month or so to cultivate my spiritual practice, and I have no intention of occupying any territory." In the night sky, a huge silver Pangolin bowed repeatedly towards the direction of Black White Mountain before fleeing in a sorry state.

Meng Xinghai confirmed that it was a powerful Spirit Body, at least at the peak of the Fifth Realm, which had been lurking beneath the city and had now been frightened away.

Qin Ming was stunned. Was Red Haze City naturally prone to attracting demons? Last time, a Giant Centipede came and became a god.

Now, another terrifying Pangolin has escaped from here.

At the edge of the sky, a Bloodstained Kite drifted by, looking frail, yet it frightened away the Pure Yang Consciousness of a giant demon.

That night, the most devout high-ranking members of the Three-Eyed Sect, which had a certain number of followers in this area, received a divine decree to completely withdraw from the area covered by Black White Mountain, including Red Haze City and Maple Leaf City.

The high-ranking members of the Three-Eyed Sect in this area were utterly shocked. Gods were turning away, abandoning a whole region of believers? To them, this was truly terrifying!

"Little Qin, that Pangolin was just paying homage to Black White Mountain, right?" Meng Xinghai landed when he saw Qin Ming.

"That's right!" Qin Ming nodded solemnly.

"Looks like I need to go pray to the gods as soon as possible," Meng Xinghai said.

Two tigers cannot share one mountain, and two gods cannot share one place; there is something clearly amiss in the direction of Black White Mountain.

"Is Red Haze City special? How come a Giant Centipede died and a Pangolin appeared?" Qin Ming asked.

Meng Xinghai said, "It is somewhat special. Great Wilderness Era, at least two Daoist temples belonging to Godlike beings were unearthed here. Therefore, some creatures have their eyes on this 'treasure land' and want to become gods."

This is also why he came here to become the city lord. He himself is on the God Path, and coming to observe the special terrain in advance naturally brings him great benefits.

Meng Xinghai only wanted to experience it; he wouldn't actually refine the city.

Moreover, with the refinement of the Esoteric Sect System, the process of attaining divinity is no longer necessarily limited to one place.

Meng Xinghai revealed. "It is said that on the current God Path, some unparalleled experts have broken through the barriers of one place, allowing them to roam freely in different realms, achieving great feats, not for godhood, but simply to pave new paths."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming's expression turned serious. Those who reached the forefront of each path were absolutely terrifying.

Two days later, Little Wu wrote to Qin Ming, saying that the Beyond the Mundane would most likely need to invite someone, because the Second Realm Immortal Seed might not be able to suppress the Sun Elf.

After all, Immortal Path Disciple only truly embark on the path of Pure Yang Transformation from the Third Realm onwards, going on to "Tribulation Crossing" or to cleanse their consciousness with "Immortal Fire".

In the Second Realm, Immortal Path Disciple will be scorched by heavenly fire and Scorching Sun, and they will not be able to withstand it.

The distant delegation, said to be spirits bathed in the Sunfire, possessed a natural ability to suppress the Consciousness Spirit Light of the Immortal Path in the Second Realm.

"Ming Ge, the people here are bad, but they have a lot of money. Get ready." This was Little Wu's most concise summary.

Deep within the Night Mist World lies a realm of Divine Grave and Immortal Tomb. The Sun Elf Race frankly admits that they cannot manage it on their own, so they have sent an envoy to this territory to negotiate with the Beyond the Mundane with which they have had previous contact, to see if cooperation is possible.

During this period, the top leaders of both sides will sit down and discuss strategies, while the middle and lower-level leaders will compete and exchange ideas, which involves the final issue of profit distribution.

Sure enough, the letter from Beyond the Mundane arrived quickly, inviting Qin Ming to the Great Yu Capital to attend a grand event and exchange ideas with civilizations from Outer Domain.

Qin Ming sneered. "Why don't you just say you want my help? Do you want me to be your free bodyguard?"

In the Great Yu Capital, someone from Beyond the Mundane sought out Wu Yaozu, only to be immediately met with his disdain.

"You broke your promise last time, owing my Ming Ge the Vermilion Bird Evil and delaying payment, forcing him to now venture into the Deep Mountains and Great Marshes and marshes to search for exotic substances. I'm afraid he doesn't have time to attend this meeting right now."

"That's easy to do..."

Little Wu immediately retorted, "That's hard to say. My Ming Ge doesn't have time; he needs to collect four or five legendary-level evil spirits before he can leave the mountains!"

"Isn't he in Red Haze City?"

"Ming Ge is staying there temporarily, and he has to work hard every day going into the mountains to search for evil spirits!"

Upon hearing this, the people from the Beyond the Mundane wanted to spit in his face. There was no such thing as a fiend near Red Haze City; it wasn't even recorded in the Famous Evil Record.

Little Wu said, "If you want my Ming Ge to come out of seclusion, just help him resolve his worries. As you all know, breaking through the New Life Path is extremely difficult, and he can't afford to waste any more time!"

Subsequently, the people from the Beyond the Mundane bypassed this outrageous fellow and sent a message directly to Red Haze City via Lightning Bird.

Meng Xinghai opened the letter, read it, and nodded, saying, "It is indeed true that the winds of change are gathering in the Great Yu Capital. A grand exchange between different civilizations is about to begin, and it is certainly worth witnessing."

He then asked, "What kind of evil spirit are you still missing? Could it be the rare Four Saintly Evils? If so, they are too difficult to find. I'll try to negotiate with them."

Qin Ming shook his head and said, "I already have the Yin Yang Diagram, which can be used to evolve the Four Symbols."

What he was actually seeking was the malevolent energy within the Five Elements Domain, hoping to resonate with the Five-Element Extraordinary Art he had mastered.

In fact, with the Yin Yang Diagram on him, he doesn't need to force the Five Elements Fiend, but he wouldn't mind having another complete and cyclical system of Treasure Baleful Essence.

After all, most of the various techniques fall within the Five Elements, so if Qin Ming were to unleash the Five-Colored Light Wheel, it would be quite intimidating.

Meng Xinghai said, "The more you want something, the more they will try to control it. We need to figure out how to deal with them."

Qin Ming said, "I possess the Black Tortoise and White Tiger from the Four Saintly Evils, which correspond to water and metal, and I also have a ball of Starfire Essence."

Meng Xinghai was shocked. Such a unique substance was extremely rare, and this kid had already collected three kinds without making a sound!

Sure enough, the person in charge of liaison in the Beyond the Mundane kept exchanging letters and arguing with Meng Xinghai. This was to prevent Qin Ming from refining the most powerful evil energy, in case he became Ancestor in the future and would be difficult to control.

Meng Xinghai wasn't in a hurry; he would discuss the matter with them slowly.

Thunderfire Alchemy Hall, Qin Ming sat cross-legged, studying the Yin Yang Diagram.

The two polarities can generate the Four Symbols, which can transform into Lunar Yin, Solar Yang, Lesser Yin, and Lesser Yang, and can also correspond to the four evil spirits such as the Vermilion Bird and the White Tiger.

The so-called great way seeks simplicity. He has already obtained the Black and White Fish, and has officially dotted their eyes, activating the perfect Yin Yang Diagram. That is enough.

When he evolves the Yin-Yang Dao Diagram to a certain level, it can naturally become more complex, giving rise to the Four Symbols and the Eight Trigrams.

Now, he can barely manage to generate the Four-Symbols Diagram.

With a whoosh, the Yin Yang Diagram changed, and Lunar Yin, Solar Yang, Lesser Yin, and Lesser Yang began to take shape, becoming the hazy Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Azure Dragon.

Upon witnessing this extraordinary sight, Meng Xinghai's expression immediately turned extremely serious. He nodded secretly, realizing that using the Four Symbols to conceal Yin and Yang was the best course of action, preventing certain individuals on the Immortal Path from discovering the phenomenon too early and drawing their attention.

He said, "You're still struggling with the evolution, but that's even better. At this stage, the Four Symbols are unclear, which will make them think that the Four Fiends you've found haven't reached the legendary level."

"It should be more realistic, with gathering and scattering as one pleases." Qin Ming continued to comprehend and change the Four-Symbols Diagram.

In the end, the Yang Fish completely disappeared, and the Four Saintly Evils, clearly visible, revolved around him. The Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger resonated, guarding the four directions, creating a terrifying scene.

He wouldn't even display the Four Saintly Evils unless absolutely necessary.

That day, Old Meng and Beyond the Mundane reached an agreement.

The next day, Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai rode on the backs of Higher Aberrant Bird, heading towards the Great Yu Dynasty, where they would enter a land of turbulent events.