Truth and Lies

After Qin Ming entered the ground fissure, his fatigue vanished. What he had sensed outside was not an illusion; the place that had almost cost him his life was now completely different.

He looked up, the exit only about four meters away. Around him, silver light, like spider silk, connected and spread underground, emitting a slight warmth when touched.

Qin Ming held a short sword in one hand and the Long-handled Black Gold Hammer in the other, moving forward. He hadn't ventured deep after his accidental fall last time, but now he wanted to explore.

The ground was uneven, with rocks of varying sizes scattered about. It was very damp, and water droplets hung from the stone walls on either side, occasionally dripping down.

The path ahead was rugged and gradually narrowed until he was almost touching the stone walls on both sides. Soon, he reached a narrow gap that only one person could pass through.

Although underground, it wasn't dark, as the silver threads crisscrossed and intertwined haphazardly, providing some light. Qin Ming was unharmed when he touched the silver light.

He brushed against the stone wall, picking up a bit of moisture, and entered an open area where even the ground's gravel became less and the surface much smoother.

In this area, the silver threads thickened, densely filling the space, as if many large spiders had spun webs here, merging with each other.

Moreover, some threads emerging from the stone walls had faint golden specks, and white mist billowed here.

Standing here, Qin Ming felt it even more clearly. His body was light, his tense muscles relaxing on their own, warm and comfortable, as if soaking in a hot spring.

He frowned. Was this due to the drastic changes in the mountain's special Nodes? Or had he adapted to this place after enduring the torment last time? Qin Ming vividly remembered the terrifying experience back then, when his heart pounded wildly, the sound like intense drumming, his chest almost exploding, and his blood flowing so fast that he vaguely heard the sound of a waterfall.

He pondered the various changes since leaving this place. The most unusual thing was his "Wild Style" cultivation technique, which had been dormant for years. After surviving near death, it had a special reaction when he practiced it again.

Now he knew that the Wild Style wasn't wild at all; it was recorded on a silk scroll, which he had been diligently practicing since childhood.

"Someone told me that the silk scroll couldn't be cultivated, that most of it had been torn and burned..."

The remaining dozen or so pages of the silk scroll could still be practiced, but it required someone who had practiced it to guide one into the basics, and those people should all be long dead.

"I couldn't find such a person, no one to help me, yet I eventually succeeded. Is it related to this place?" Qin Ming wondered, various thoughts running through his mind.

"Could it be that to practice the methods on the silk scroll, one initially needs the protection of a predecessor, entering this extremely dangerous special Node..." Qin Ming pondered deeply.

Then, he walked forward, observing this special place, and cautiously began to touch the thick threads with faint golden hues.

Soon after, as he went deeper, he also saw luminous threads with purple mist rising from them, piercing through the stone walls, an extraordinary sight that didn't harm the flesh.

In the dense forest outside the mountain, a Purple-Eyed Crow was flying when suddenly a large patch of black fog rose up ahead, blocking its path.

"Who's there?" It immediately became alert, its purple eyes swirling with mysterious symbols, gradually making out the scene in the fog.

A huge owl, more than a person tall, stood on a large tree, its wings as nimble as human hands, flipping through a vellum book.

"Long time no see, want to have a few drinks together?" the owl said, the fog not dissipating as it tucked the book under one wing.

"I'm patrolling the mountain, no time," the crow refused, somewhat wary of it.

"What's your status now? This isn't your territory, you've really amounted to something, going to guard the door for a crusty old man?"

The owl blocked its path, seemingly very dissatisfied with its actions, wanting to lecture it here. The black fog grew thicker, covering the forest.

The Purple-Eyed Crow said, "Old Cat, I have things to do. I recently took a fancy to a decent seedling and want to go take a look. Don't block my way."

If Qi Huaien knew, he would break out in a cold sweat. Like You Liangyun, he had not yet been recognized and was still being tested and observed.

The owl said, "Are you really not going back to the wild black fog world? You can be considered from a distinguished family, a great clan among birds. You have the bloodline of a high-level creature, a bird with deep roots. How can you be so self-degrading? Do you want to re-visualize your true form, transform into a two-legged beast, and live in the city for good?"

Purple-Eyed Crow nodded and said, "Well, it's not entirely impossible. I have a talent for changing my true form. Aren't there people lingering near the forbidden areas in the deep mountains and marshes, transforming into different kinds? Why can't we do the opposite and find a path that suits us?"

Owl scolded, "What kind of system is this? Neither human nor beast. Clearly, you are a crow from a prestigious family, yet you want to be human. I'm telling you, Crow Master will pluck all your feathers and manually turn you into a bald biped!"

The two began to argue.

"Mind your own business, don't block my way. You might delay my important affairs. If they weigh that kid in advance and something goes wrong, it will be bad. If that kid is moldable, I will need to use him in the future to retrieve something for me in the mortal world of humans, which concerns my future path. You also know the truth of this matter, so get out of my way!" Crow said.

You Liangyun had told it that he would test Qin Ming in about two days, but if the opportunity was right, he might act sooner.

"Crow Master, have you returned from the depths of the mountains? Something major has happened, it's not good, those people are all dead." The mutated Talking Finch flapped its wings and shouted.

Purple-Eyed Crow broke free from the black fog and appeared outside, saying, "What happened?"

"Crow Master, I diligently carried out the task you entrusted to me, but in the process, a three-meter-tall bear led a large group of bipeds to chase me. I was frightened away for only a moment, and then a group of your people were all stiff. When I came back, I smelled the blood they left behind, but I don't know how they died."

Purple-Eyed Crow followed it to search near the scene of the incident, carefully sensing. It was particularly sensitive to the aura of life and death. It closed its eyes for a moment and then opened them, muttering to itself, "Qi Huaien is dead, but there is no death aura of that young man here. Interesting, was Qi Huaien killed by outsiders, or did he die as a result of fighting with that young man?"

It waved its wings, telling Talking Finch to leave.

"If that young man is really that powerful and has reached this point on his own, it's fine if he doesn't go to Flowing Light City. There's no need for me to get involved now." Purple-Eyed Crow flew away.

You Liangyun was reporting to the woman in the snow, "Qi Huaien weighed Qin Ming and said that he was still a line short after all. The mountains are very chaotic. Before I left, a fierce conflict broke out in that dense forest..."

Purple-Eyed Crow flew back and landed on a short tree, saying, "Qi Huaien rushed over to save people, but he died himself. It's a pity."

"You stay." The woman wearing a black fur cloak said to You Liangyun.

"Ah?" You Liangyun was stunned, and then immediately performed a great salute, his expression extremely excited.

In the depths of the mountains, the soaring five-colored smoke gradually dimmed.

Ling Xu and Wei Mo both got up, each dropping the wine cup and wine jar in their hands.

Ling Xu lightly tapped his foot with his long knife, and part of his animal skin boots immediately broke, revealing a section of his toes. Then he lightly patted his chest, and his white clothes shattered. His slender body didn't look very strong, but under the illumination of the distant smoke, his undulating muscle lines were very smooth, and they seemed to be outlined with gold edges in the glow.

He made himself tattered, and with a swipe of his finger, blood stains immediately appeared on his skin, a superb skill of pretense.

Wei Mo said, "The most clean and bright, and the most attentive to appearance, City Lord Ling can actually make himself look like this. People outside would probably discuss it heatedly if they saw it."

Although he said this, he was also taking action, removing some of the red armor pieces from his armor and putting them in his arms, also making himself extremely embarrassed.

In another mountain area, Civet Cat restrained a large black mountain cat, disdainfully smeared some black cat blood on itself, and sprinkled some luminous spiritual substances.

Not far away, Mantis Beast was also doing the same thing.

There is no doubt that the high-level members of Red Haze City and the different kinds in the mountains were unwilling for other strong individuals to come and compete with them for the rare products in the special Nodes. The two sides joined forces again.

It would definitely not work to simply and rudely ambush those experts, as it would cause public outrage, and large organizations would seek revenge on them.

When they had previously joined forces to drive away the group of higher-level beings who were migrating and wanted to take over their nests, they had beheaded a very powerful different kind, extracted its rich spiritual essence, and used it to detonate a special Node, artificially arranging a five-colored smoke area to attract competition from all sides.

Ling Xu, Civet Cat, and other high-level different kinds in the mountains were intercepting and killing each other, engaging in fake fights, and holding each other back, staying outside the battlefield.

Of course, they couldn't all fake fight. For example, Old Weasel was intercepted by a real opponent, and that mysterious Mountain Master even ran to the center of the battlefield to participate in the war.

The effect was not bad. Some experts had already died near the five-colored smoke area, and some foreign high-level different kinds and strong individuals from large organizations were seriously injured.

Deep within the earth fissure, Qin Ming began practicing the methods from the silk scroll, feeling increasingly clear and comfortable, as if a mysterious heat was washing over him from head to toe.

Here, various luminous threads intertwined, posing a great danger to those undergoing a Second New Life like Wang Nianzhu, who desperately needed the spiritual creature Blood Snake to replenish himself.

Yet now, Qin Ming could stay here for extended periods, not only unharmed but also feeling a subtle improvement in his physical constitution.

"Could it be that the methods recorded on the silk scroll are more suitable for practicing in this kind of place?" he wondered.

However, there was no one to answer him now; those from the past had died, been crippled, or disappeared. The silk scroll was yellowed, a relic from who knew how many years ago.

Suddenly, the ground beneath shook violently, and Qin Ming nearly fell.

Outside, at the epicenter where the five-colored haze was gradually dimming, high-level aberrant creatures and experts from mysterious organizations were locked in a stalemate, all in terrible condition, none able to enter that Node.

Just then, all the radiance within the Node suddenly dissipated, and in the distance, a brand new five-colored haze erupted violently, even more astonishing than the earlier anomaly here.

"How did another one appear?"

"No, the rare resource that was born has moved along the spiritual ley lines, changing location!"

Ling Xu, Old Weasel, and the others, who had originally planned for a "follow-up," were now stunned along with everyone else. There was no need for them to conceal anything; the true five-colored haze land had emerged! Rumble!

Suddenly, the entire mountain range shook violently, even more astonishing than before, accompanied by dazzling light. The pitch-black night sky was torn apart, completely illuminated, and an even more magnificent and unusual spectacle appeared.

"What am I seeing? Ten colors! Those light pillars are like giant columns, supporting the night sky. This is an unprecedented wonder. What kind of rare treasure is about to appear?"

Even the high-level beings were dumbfounded; this far exceeded their imagination.

In an instant, no matter how severely injured, all the strong individuals vanished from their spots, not even glancing at the five-colored haze land that had truly emerged, rushing straight towards the place where the unusual spectacle was even more magnificent. There, endless light rain was rising and falling, attracting everyone's attention.