Great admiration for each other

The two chapters are combined into one.

In the night sky, a tuft of feathers on the head of Iron Winged Parrot stood on end as it frantically cried out for help.

"The Ancestor in the main battlefield have started a major battle?" Qin Ming suddenly stood up and looked at the panicked messenger bird.

The Iron Winged Parrot, its feathers ruffled, said, "No, sir, hurry to Boulder Town! My master can't hold out any longer; he's about to die in battle!"

The neighboring Boulder Town is calling for help; a bloody conflict has broken out there, and an elderly guardian is battling demons.

Without any delay, Qin Ming boarded the Thunder King Bird and rushed over.

During the journey, he learned the details from the Iron Winged Parrot perched on his shoulder.

Recently, the demons have started to stir up trouble, especially in recent days, with demons frequently crossing the border and approaching human settlements.

According to human speculation, deep within the God's Fall Plain, the hardliners within the demon faction are gradually gaining the upper hand.

These old demons, who advocate war, are not afraid of the intimidation of the old laws of the Jade Capital.

In their words, since the Jade Capital itself has vanished, what use is a mere imperial edict?

"The demons are testing us; the real battle is not far off. The storm is brewing!" Qin Ming frowned deeply.

This is not good news for him. He still wants to break through the major barrier and enter the Third Realm on his own. He doesn't know how much more time the other side will give him.

Boulder Town and Green Maple Town are more than 20 miles apart. With the speed of the Thunder King Bird, it did not take long to arrive at the scene of the incident.

Sure enough, the old man was very resolute. Adhering to the principle of keeping enemies at bay, he stood guard alone on a mountain peak a dozen miles outside the town, and was currently holding off two demons all by himself.

On the ground lay a dead demon.

His armor was shattered, his body covered in blood, some wounds so deep they exposed bone. The spear in his hand was broken, leaving only half of it. He was fighting a Mantis Beast, sparks flying from the broken spear.

In mid-air, a Bird Demon kept swooping down, causing him great disturbance.

"You trespassing demons, do you want to die?" Qin Ming shouted from a distance to attract the attention of the two demons, fearing that the old man wouldn't be able to hold on.

Sure enough, the two demons couldn't help but be distracted and glanced in their direction a few times.

Boom!

In the night sky, it was as if a bolt of thunder had struck. Qin Ming used the Thunder King Bird's extreme speed to reach the mountain peak. The Mutton Fat Jade Iron Saber in his hand flashed with a sharp white light, exuding a chilling aura. With a "poof," blood splattered everywhere, and the Bird Demon's corpse was separated from its body in mid-air.

The Bird Demon was killed in the first exchange, not even lasting a single move.

On the ground, both the old man and the mantis demon were startled and tensed up, marveling at the speed of the blade and the terrifying killing intent. With just a single dive, a powerful demon was killed.

Qin Ming landed and, without pausing for a moment, charged straight at the demon wielding its mantis-like arms.

"Young human expert, wait! This is a misunderstanding. We got lost and stumbled upon your territory," the Mantis Beast shouted, quickly retreating.

Initially, it was murderous, fierce, and domineering. But when it saw its companion being cleaved in two, it immediately chickened out. Knowing that it was going to die, it would not fight to the death; that was not its true nature.

Qin Ming wasn't about to waste words with it. With a swift slash, the Mantis Beast let out a miserable cry as one of its arms, as sharp as a serrated blade, fell to the ground.

Terrified, it couldn't stop itself and retreated rapidly, trying to leap into the dense forest.

However, all of this was in vain. When Qin Ming's second blade fell, its other mantis arm, covered in green sap, broke off and continued its trajectory, severing its head with a soft thud.

The old man stared in disbelief. The two demons he had fought to the death with were killed in the blink of an eye by this young man with just a few swift strokes.

His eyes were wrinkled, and his body and hair were covered in blood. He had almost died in battle. His chest heaved as he gasped for breath. It was truly a difficult situation for him.

The Iron Winged Parrot was speechless. In its eyes, the sky was about to collapse. Its Old Master was fighting against a powerful demon of the Third Realm and his life was in danger, but this young man had dealt with him in an instant.

"Thank you so much for your help, young man. Otherwise, I would have perished here today." The old man quickly cupped his hands in thanks.

Soon after, a rich aroma of meat wafted from a copper pot on the mountain peak. The two had cooked the Bird Demon, and its meat was indeed tender and delicious. Paired with aged wine, it was a unique and enjoyable experience.

The two sat atop the mountain, gazing at the autumn colors that blanketed the peaks, eating and chatting.

The old man said, "The orders from above are that if any demons cross the border, we should take immediate action."

The day before yesterday, Bird Demon from the Second Realm provoked them, circling above Boulder Town, and was shot dead by his arrow. As a result, today a demon from the Third Realm has come to attack.

"The demons are testing us, probing our reactions." The old man frowned; now he was almost certain that an unprecedented battle was about to begin.

Qin Ming nodded. The shadow of war had already loomed over the border, and it was inevitable.

The old man slapped his forehead and said, "I am Zhao Lei, and I'm really getting senile. I've always called you 'little brother,' but I haven't even asked your name yet."

Qin Ming.

"What?" Zhao Lei's eyes widened, his expression one of disbelief.

He nodded repeatedly and said, "No wonder, I knew it! Who else on New Life Path could achieve such amazing success at this age? It turns out it's Brother Qin."

He was also a member of the New Life Path. In the Early-Third Realm, he already had some gray hair at his temples, indicating that he was at least over fifty years old.

For cultivators on the New Life Path, reaching such a level at this age is perfectly normal.

"I am truly fortunate to live in the same region as the future Ancestor and become his neighbor!" He said, his face beaming.

Zhao Lei was initially quite bitter, as his opponent slaughtered the two great demons as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, while he fought desperately and almost lost his own life in the process.

Now, he was completely at ease. A person's reputation precedes them; this future Grandmaster Level figure was destined to have such a brilliant performance.

"A great battle is about to begin, Brother Qin, you must be careful. We killed a demon from the Third Realm, and there's a high probability we'll face retaliation," the old man said solemnly.

Qin Ming nodded and said, "What's meant to come will come eventually. Just kill them. If you can't hold this side, brother, and you encounter danger, you can lure the demons to my side."

Zhao Lei stood up and bowed deeply to him.

After eating exotic bird meat and drinking wine, Qin Ming got up to take his leave, inspected the territory under his jurisdiction, and then entered Green Maple Town.

The town has a large population, but it now appears somewhat deserted and desolate, with passersby hurrying by.

The restaurant was decorated with large red lanterns, creating a festive atmosphere, but few people entered. Even the shops facing the street were not doing well.

Only a few children were running and playing, seemingly unaffected. Judging from their worn or tattered clothes, their families were not well-off.

The approaching demon army has severely impacted the edges of the world, causing widespread panic. Many wealthy families have already fled and moved to cities.

The little children chased each other, laughing from time to time. Their carefree demeanor infected Qin Ming, dispelling his worries about the upcoming battle.

"The demons are coming, aren't you afraid?" Qin Ming stopped and asked the two older children.

"Don't worry, my mother said there are guardians outside the town who will protect us, and there are also experts of the Second Realm patrolling the town, always on guard against demonic invasions. We are safe."

Qin Ming understood. This must be the child's parents comforting them. Their family, which wasn't well-off, couldn't afford to move to a distant city, so to avoid living in fear and anxiety every day, they could only say this to their child.

He looked at the innocent faces of the children, their smiles pure and simple, and nodded, saying, "Your parents are right. Everything will be alright. You will all grow up happily."

A bright-eyed little girl spoke up, "My dad is a top expert New Life four times. He's joined the patrol team. He said that the Immortal Seed and God Seed from all the paths are personally overseeing the borders. They're very confident they'll drive the demons away, so we'll definitely be safe."

Qin Ming was surprised and asked, "You also know about Immortal Seed and God Seed?"

One of the boys nodded and said, "Yeah, I know. Everyone's been saying that even the strongest group of teenagers have come to the border to fight and hone their skills with demon blood. Those big shots will definitely put in even more Exerted Effort. We're sure to win this battle."

Beside him, a little boy with a dirty face and messy hair chimed in, "My cousin said there's a very powerful fairy over there, her name is... Jiang Ran, yes, that's her. She's fighting demons on the front lines, battling them with magic, and vowing to wipe out the younger generation of demons!"

"Such a thing is true?" Qin Ming exclaimed in surprise.

The boy's dirty little face was filled with admiration, radiating a bright light. He nodded like a chick pecking at rice, saying, "Yes, there are always demons causing trouble. She said there's no need to sneak into villages and towns; if you're not convinced, you can go directly to her and fight."

A boy of about twelve or thirteen nodded and said, "My cousin said that over there, Pei Shuyan, Cheng Sheng, Cui Chonghe, and others are also very powerful, and they are currently competing against the most formidable young figures of the Demon and Monster Race race."

"The Tathagata Disciple are also very strong. Oh, and someone is even using divine fire to burn the old demon!"

"My grandfather said that a prominent figure from the Helian Family fought Heavenly Fiend in an archery contest, and pierced his opponent with a single arrow!"

"Great, that's really good." Qin Ming nodded.

The aroma of meat wafted from not far away, and some children couldn't help but swallow their saliva, looking towards the street corner.

"You've told me so much, now let me treat you to something to eat," Qin Ming said with a smile.

"Ah?"

"Well... we didn't say anything."

"Let's go." Qin Ming led them forward.

A moment later, he left, and a group of children shouted that it was too hot, but then couldn't wait to stuff food into their mouths.

"We should all survive, right?" the two oldest boys whispered.

They were approaching fifteen, no longer naive. They saw their families' worries and knew how tense the atmosphere was. If they couldn't hold the Western Territory, no one in their town would survive.

Qin Ming looked back from a distance without Say More, because he didn't know how the final battle would end, mainly because the Demon Coalition was too large.

Most importantly, Godlike creatures will appear; it remains to be seen whether the Ancestor can stop them.

That night, Qin Ming received a message from a bird: recently, demons have been frequently crossing the border to provoke him; they must be killed on sight and cannot be tolerated or retreated from.

Clearly, those at the Ancestor level are very assertive and have prepared for a major battle.

Many people have already realized that the demons are testing the pressure and observing the human side's reaction. If we show any weakness or back down, they will definitely take advantage of us.

Qin Ming returned to the outskirts of town, sat cross-legged on a high mountain, and began his cultivation again, from the Silk Book Method to the Flesh Body Chapter, and then to the Black White Scripture and the Vajra Sutra.

Afterwards, he began studying the True Scripture of the Immortal Path, wanting to switch fields to help him break through his current limitations.

His head glowed with wisps of Pure Yang Consciousness Spirit Light light, which slowly circulated. Unfortunately, once it reached a certain level, it would be swallowed by his physical body and merge into the Heavenly Light.

If he hadn't been immersed in the Heavenly Light, his Consciousness Spirit Light would have grown stronger and stronger like a snowball if he had continued to cultivate like this every day.

Even so, he persisted in practicing the True Scripture that Li Qingyue had passed on to him in the Mountains and Rivers Spirit Nest. Later, Li Qingyue also gave him the follow-up in the Kunling Secret Realm.

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the chapter corresponding to the first two realms of the Fundamental Scripture scripture of the Luofu Sect."

He also mastered the laws beyond the Third Realm; he had obtained tattered pieces of Exotic Metal paper with records on them in the Luofu Immortal Mountain Ruins.

Subsequently, Qin Ming studied a Fundamental Scripture of the Esoteric Sect, which also had a very significant background.

Once upon a time, a Giant Centipede was almost a god and wanted to devour Red Haze City, but it was stopped by Meng Xinghai's Martial Granduncle, Cao Qianqiu, and others.

Qin Ming was also tainted by karma. The Torn Cloth on his body had absorbed the Divine Nature of the Giant Centipede, and its remnant spirit came to him and led him into its Divine Kingdom.

Qin Ming obtained golden scales there, which contained an extremely astonishing True Scripture.

Without a doubt, it was not a technique created by the Giant Centipede itself; the golden scales were made of an extremely special material, resembling Dragon Scale, unicorn scales, or something similar.

"The Divine Wisdom I cultivated also cannot be retained; it will be swallowed up by the Heavenly Light within my flesh and blood. The Silk Book Method is too domineering."

Qin Ming did not give up and continued to practice.

While he was diligently training and attempting to break through the major barrier, Thunder Bird helped him patrol the territory of Green Maple Town that needed protection, constantly observing the surroundings.

When Qin Ming found his training monotonous, he would occasionally go out and wander around the border.

The demons on the God's Fall Plain are now in a dilemma. The Demon Coalition despises them, considering them to be dogs kept by humans who have lost their wild nature.

On the human side, the people living along the border believed that they were demons who frequently committed evil deeds.

Clearly, most of the demons in the buffer zone are opportunists, siding with whichever side is stronger.

However, the demons who remain are clearly more inclined to befriend humans.

When Qin Ming personally inspected the area, a powerful demon of the Second Realm immediately appeared, personally accompanying him, adopting a very humble posture, singing and dancing, and inviting him to drink.

The God's Fall Land is a vast plain covered with dense forests, rich in resources. Although few Fire Spring can be seen in the darkness of night, if you dig down a few feet, you will see fiery red light shining through.

Standing atop the high mountain, Qin Ming gazed upon the boundless forest and plains, hoping that the great battle would break out later, giving him time to break through his cultivation barrier.

Unfortunately, under these circumstances, peace is no longer possible, and the existing tense atmosphere is difficult to maintain; the two sides could come to blows at any moment.

The following day, several strange birds appeared in the area of Green Maple Town.

What's outrageous is that as they approached the high mountain where Qin Ming was, after circling for a while, bird droppings began to fall.

This is truly a humiliating provocation. The area where Qin Ming is located will no longer be peaceful; demons are up to no good.

The Thunder King Bird flapped its wings, swatting away the evil creatures, and then gave chase.

Qin Ming suddenly opened his eyes and said, "No need!"

He immediately drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed it at the night sky.

Four strange birds were shot and blasted apart by iron arrows carrying the Heavenly Light. Their feathers flew everywhere, all stained with blood, and these not weak birds let out a shrill scream.

Even their Divine Intent could not escape, and were burned to ashes by the Heavenly Light.

On that very day, two demons at the Early-Third Realm arrived at the door, one of which was Black Peacock, a race that was by no means inferior among demons.

"Young man, we come from the Hanging Sky Ridge, Sacred Land coveted by all the Feathered Race in the world. My master has specially sent us to persuade you to surrender. A wise man submits to circumstances; we hope you will pledge your allegiance."

"Get lost if you don't want to die." Qin Ming looked at it, wondering if the master it spoke of was a rare Demon Race, and whether Strange Blood had already been born within him.

"You have offended the Hanging Sky Ridge by slaying the Feathered Race in Boulder Town!"

"You're unaware of the impending Great Calamity! You're given a way out, but you choose to cross the Bridge of Helplessness instead!"

Two Bird Demon flew over and attacked immediately.

Qin Ming thought for a moment, then instead of violently killing them, he maneuvered around them until, after more than a dozen moves, he finally beheaded them one by one.

His main concern was that he was afraid of alerting the enemy and scaring away the demons behind them, which would eventually lead to the intervention of some powerful demon. He wanted to take things slowly and drag it out as long as possible.

Besides, he was also fishing; if some young, vigorous Strange-Blooded Creature were to come and kill him, that would be wonderful.

Clearly, Bird Demon was watching from afar, so he immediately fled to report the news.

Over the next two days, Qin Ming had no peace, having slain four waves of invading Demon Race, each time fighting a bloody battle that was extremely dangerous.

In fact, on the last two occasions, he and Thunder Bird had to team up to barely defeat their opponents.

After several waves, on the fourth day, a young man dressed in Black and White appeared, standing on the back of a Immortal Crane with his hands behind his back, looking quite otherworldly and ethereal.

Qin Ming realized that this Famous Fiend probably had some kind of background.

Beside the boy were Famous Fiend, who all transformed into human form upon landing, some male and some female, and all revered him.

"So it was you who killed my men?" The young man stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Qin Ming indifferently, as if he were looking at a dead man.

Qin Ming opened his Eye of New Life and carefully examined the person. Then, a look of surprise appeared on his face. He might have really hit the jackpot. The other party was probably a rare Strange Blood being with a significant background.

"So what if it is?"

"Then die!" the young man in Black and White said coldly. He had lost more than a dozen of his men and had come to demand an explanation, intending to take action himself.

"I'm afraid you don't have the ability," Qin Ming sneered.

The arrogant young man ordered his men, "Trap the Thunder Bird and don't let it escape. I will personally kill this human youth."

"If you can't beat them, run!" Qin Ming said to the Thunder King Bird.

The latter knew that its new owner was unscrupulous and would probably just pretend to fish for it one by one. It said nothing and simply flapped its wings and flew into the air.

The Demon Race youth was a Black White Sparrow with exceptional talent. His bloodline contained a portion of Power of Yin Yang, and he belonged to one of the powerful clans of the Hanging Sky Ridge.

He strode forward with one hand behind his back and said, "Before the Heavenly Demon Seed, a human genius like you is nothing but a joke. I can suppress you with one hand!"

Qin Ming immediately realized that this was indeed a big fish, Seed Level Figure of the Demon Race.

He flashed a bright smile, revealing his pearly white teeth, and said, "What seed, brat? I've never heard of that. All I know is that you're just a bird, and you'd taste delicious roasted!"

In an instant, a fierce wind arose, sand and stones flew everywhere, and the Black White Sparrow took a step forward, each step covering twenty meters, pressing down with one hand. Instantly, Demon Power surged, causing the air to explode.

Qin Ming's expression was serious as he engaged in a fierce battle with him.

In fact, when the Black White Sparrow Clan youth approached, he used both hands simultaneously. His talk of suppressing with one hand was just empty words. As a Heavenly Demon Seed, he sensed that his opponent was extraordinary as soon as he made a move.

Therefore, he would no longer follow the rules and immediately unleashed a decisive blow, displaying his strongest techniques.

Between his hands, Black and White Light intertwined, constantly sweeping across, his methods were truly astonishing, and the Power of Yin Yang was extremely terrifying.

Whether it's grass, trees, or rocks, anything that gets hit by his attack will be torn apart by the Power of Yin Yang. Even refined iron will be reduced to dust in an instant.

Qin Ming nodded inwardly. The other party was at the same level as him, in the Second Realm Perfection. To have such extraordinary skills was indeed quite impressive.

He looked at the familiar Power of Yin Yang, but instead of using the Black White Yin Yang Diagram, he directly used brute force to confront it.

Instantly, a pale golden light appeared on his body. He unleashed his Vajra Fist, generating a whooshing wind that stirred up broken trees and shattered boulders, causing them to swirl around him.

"When you killed my men earlier, you deliberately concealed your true abilities; you are a seed from the human side!" Black White Sparrow's face was grim.

"Now that you know, then spare your life!"

Qin Ming increased the force of his punch, the Vajra Fist striking like thunder, creating sonic booms and a terrifying Golden Haze glow. This Heavenly Light Force scorched the Black White Sparrow's Divine Intent, causing excruciating pain.

He was shocked. They were both at the Second Realm, so why was his opponent so terrifyingly strong?

"You're amazing, you can probably take ten of my punches," Qin Ming said.

"You..." Black White Sparrow was both shocked and furious. How could the other party be so blatantly underestimating him!

Immediately, his eyes changed, because the other party said he could withstand ten punches, and seemed to have the confidence to do so, which made his Qi and Blood boil and his Divine Wisdom about to be ignited.

However, he noticed that his opponent seemed to be holding back, and soon they had exchanged more than thirty punches.

"He still wants to keep acting and lure others into his trap?" Black White Sparrow was furious; he himself had become a tool.

Qin Ming fought fiercely with him, using brute force to confront the Black and White Light, fighting to the point of "nearly dying and surviving," at least that's what people who saw this scene from afar thought.

"I..." The boy from the Black White Sparrow Clan wanted to shout and tell the truth.

However, during the exchange, when his Black and White Light touched his opponent's fist, an even more powerful Black and White Light pierced through from the opposite direction. Taking advantage of his cover, his opponent unleashed the Yin Yang Heavenly Light Force.

The young man from the Black White Sparrow Clan groaned, feeling as if his Divine Wisdom had been ignited, causing excruciating pain, as if his entire body was on fire.

"I am destined to become a god in the future, how can my Divine Wisdom be destroyed here?" He was horrified, but he couldn't make a sound. Moreover, he had no choice but to continue to unleash Black and White Light to fight back, further concealing the opponent's Power of Yin Yang.

And so, the two fought for more than a hundred moves. Qin Ming took a "trick" and suddenly drew his Mutton Fat Jade Iron Saber, which could break through Divine Wisdom and block Black and White Light. He used the precious knife to severely injure the boy.

Subsequently, Qin Ming reasonably beheaded the Black White Sparrow.

In the night sky, the four bird demons, seeing this, all fled in terror Thunder King Bird, which was also fleeing for its life, flew towards the mountain peak and killed the boy's Immortal Crane.

"As expected, there is Strange Blood!" Qin Ming smiled broadly.

Then, with a thud, he fell backward to the ground, pretending to be exhausted and panting heavily.

In the distance, several bird demons, seeing this scene, did not return to attack, but immediately went to report it.

"I hope the old monsters won't be so protective of their own, otherwise I'll have no choice but to ask for help." Qin Ming hoped to attract some other Strange-Blooded Creature.

"What? There are human seeds there. Good, good, good!" Upon receiving the secret report, some of the other Heavenly Demon Seed in the Hanging Sky Ridge were greatly encouraged and immediately launched an attack.

Qin Ming's eyes burned with desire as he looked on, eager to hunt the Strange-Blooded Creature.

In the eyes of demons, aren't human seeds a Great Medicine?

On the mountaintop, the Black White Sparrow had revealed its true form—a fierce bird with Black and White markings.

Qin Ming quickly extracted the Strange Blood and refined it on the spot. He immediately felt the vitality within his body surging, subtly raising his upper limit and enriching his foundation.

A rumbling thunderclap echoed from the sky, and a terrifying demon flew in, letting out a loud roar.

"You human brat, you killed Heavenly Demon Seed of my Black White Sparrow Clan of Hanging Sky Ridge and even dared to devour its Ancestor Blood! Your crimes are unforgivable! My brother, I have come to avenge you!"

A snow-white anomaly landed and transformed into a White-clothed Youth with Divine Ring behind his head. Although he was shouting and saying he wanted revenge, there was an undisguised joy on his face.

"What a Great Medicine plant!" he murmured.

He possessed a special eye technique and sensed that this human boy Contained Within immense Blood Qi and extremely vigorous vitality, which was very tempting to him.

"Heavenly Demon Seed of the Third Realm, what a wonderful demon, what a wonderful medicine!" Qin Ming exclaimed. He felt that by fighting to sustain himself and strengthening his foundation, he might be able to break through the major barrier quickly.

It can be said that now both the human and the demon are constantly sizing each other up, and they "admire" each other very much, both feeling that the other is "very potent".