Blade Light Shone over Black White Mountain

At the City Lord's Manor, Meng Xinghai politely walked out of the residence to see off a group of guests.

In the darkness, watching the departing figure, he said, "Someone has their eye on the unique products of Black White Mountain."

Qin Ming, standing behind him, said, "Alright, we just need a suitable candidate to scout ahead."

The world is becoming increasingly incomprehensible. Although the Pure Yang Flower and the Flower of Earth Immortal have appeared in the Deep Mountains and Great Marshes, it is also full of unknowns and terrors.

Meng Xinghai spoke up, "Non-Self, I do know one or two of them. Let them do whatever they want."

On that day, Red Haze City welcomed another group of uninvited guests, with Foreign Domain features, mostly curly hair and full beards, and mainly swordsmen.

Five of them arrived at the City Lord's Manor: an old man, two middle-aged men, and two young men. They all looked rather rugged and drank tea like cattle, downing it in one gulp.

The old man spoke, "We come from the north, and have long heard of the outstanding people and abundant resources of Night Prefecture. Today, we have traveled here and have troubled City Lord Meng. In addition, I would like to ask you to arrange some people to act as guides for us, as we wish to travel around the Brocade Landscape nearby."

He wore a fur cloak, had a curved knife at his waist, and was very strong, not at all like an old man. His Blood Qi were vigorous, and his voice was loud and clear like the sound of Golden Bell.

This is a skilled individual; though not Master, he is still in the Late Fourth Realm.

Meng Xinghai began, "To be honest, after Jade Capital fell, Night Prefecture underwent a dramatic change, and the hunters familiar with the nearby mountains dared not venture into them."

As he spoke, he stood up, lit incense, and immediately wisps of blue smoke rose from the Purple Copper Brazier, winding and rising like a dragon coiling or a snake coiling, the fragrance spreading in layers.

The main problem was that the three generations of swordsmen from Outer Domain, young, middle-aged, and old, had a faint, fishy smell about them, which Meng Xinghai, who always liked cleanliness, found somewhat unbearable.

Qin Ming opened his Eye of New Life and realized that they were different beings, their true forms probably being majestic goats.

"City Lord Meng, what is the meaning of this? We only have a small request, and you are refusing it so readily," one of the middle-aged men said.

Meng Xinghai was unwilling to find them guides, mainly because he didn't want those people to go and die needlessly.

What's the situation now? Wherever there's opportunity, there's crisis.

If those special glowing areas near Black White Mountain were so easy to access, would he still have given the opportunity to these outsiders?

Meng Xinghai said, "Gentlemen, many people have died in the mountains these past few days, and people in the city are terrified of the mountains. How about this, I'll draw you a clear map of the terrain, including markings of the strange changes that have recently occurred in the mountains. It will be more useful than a guide."

Qin Ming also spoke up, naturally mentioning several special places in the mountains, telling them that there might be great opportunities, but also unpredictable dangers.

The five Foreign Domain swordsmen listened quietly; this was the information they wanted to know.

"Alright, you're a local, right? Come with us and you can personally show us the way."

"Okay, don't worry, you won't have made a wasted trip."

Two young men set their sights on Qin Ming and spoke one after the other, hoping that he would personally lead the way. They made these promises verbally but did not mention any reward in return.

"Brother, I'm truly sorry, but I've been frail and sickly since childhood, and I'm afraid I won't be able to enter the mountains." Qin Ming said perfunctorily, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

One of the young men, clearly displeased, said, "We just asked someone from your City Lord's Manor to lead the way, but you're being so long-winded. Are you trying to refuse us outright? You're the one, come with us!"

Qin Ming wanted to wait for the other party to scout ahead and check the situation, but these Foreign Domain swordsmen wanted to take advantage of him.

Meng Xinghai took a sip of tea and said, "My nephew is indeed unwell."

"Brother, I'm sorry," Qin Ming said politely again.

"City Lord Meng, is this how you treat your guests?" Another young man gripped the hilt of his sword, stood up, and glared at his opponent with an air of dominance.

Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai both looked at him. Although he was already at the Fourth Realm at the age of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, which was quite remarkable, he was still a bit short of the skill to cause trouble here.

"We come from the Great Barrens of the North, and obey the commands of the Old Barbarian God." The young man spoke calmly, his arrogance barely concealed in his eyes and brows.

In the far north, in the Savage Wilderness, there lived a being who had reached the Perfected Earth Immortal. He was revered as the Old Barbarian God, and some of his followers even privately called him a Heavenly God.

Another young man also stood up, his hand on his sword hilt, and said, "The vast Great Barrens ruled by the Barbarian God is a brotherly land to Jade Capital. How dare you show us such disrespect when we come here as guests!"

Qin Ming was surprised; these two really dared to speak so boldly, directly elevating that Savage Wilderness Domain to the same level as Jade Capital.

Most importantly, this is Meng Xinghai's City Lord's Manor, and these two are speaking with their hands on their sword hilts, which is excessively forceful.

The old swordsman spoke up, "How dare you two! Aren't you going to apologize to City Lord Meng? We're discussing serious matters; it's none of your business to interrupt."

Meng Xinghai said, "It's alright. Young people are straightforward and outspoken, which shows their honesty and integrity; these are good qualities."

Shortly after, the five men got up to take their leave.

"Uncle, why are you stopping us? Look at those two, they're both cowards. We're about to draw our swords, and they don't even react. They're too scared to make a move!"

The old swordsman said, "Shut up! This is Night Prefecture, not the Great Barrens. If we anger them and they become desperate, they might send people to ambush us. Let's wait until all our experts have entered this land!"

"Hmph, without Jade Capital, what are they!" The two young swordsmen were filled with anger, and rough horns suddenly sprouted from their heads, while thick black hair grew on their bodies.

Inside the City Lord's Manor, Qin Ming spoke, "Hopefully they can find out the truth."

Meng Xinghai nodded and said, "Yes, with their fiery tempers, they must have some adventurous spirit."

The soothing Mind Calming Incense helped them suppress their urge to strangle the two young men.

In the afternoon, when the night was at its darkest, Meng Xinghai received another group of guests.

These people came from the Eastern Land, dressed in gorgeous clothes, like royalty traveling. They were very particular about their food, clothing, and daily necessities, and even drank their own tea.

It's only because Meng Xinghai has a good temper that he didn't want to lose his temper on the spot. Otherwise, brewing his own tea at the host's house would be disrespectful to whom? Anyone else would have already frowned.

However, their words were relatively gentle. One of the middle-aged men smiled and said, "Please don't mind, gentlemen. We're not used to the tea from Night Prefecture. We mainly wanted to invite City Lord Meng to taste the new tea. If you like it, we'll send you a few pounds later. Hmm, these are all tributes from the royal family."

Qin Ming was also present, but he had changed his appearance. He had clashed with the people of the Eastern Land, crippled Qi Yunxiao above the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall, and fought against two young powerhouses from the Eastern Land ' Earth Immortal Earth Immortal Palace outside Earthen City, together with Jiang Ran, Xiang Yiwu, and others.

An elder from the Eastern Land spoke up, "The Eastern Land and Night Prefecture are neighbors. With Jade Capital gone, we all feel that the future is uncertain. We both understand that we are interdependent, and we should help each other. We are all direct descendants of Jade Capital..."

Different regions have different styles of doing things. They are not as direct as the group of goat swordsmen in the Great Barrens north. These people have been talking for a long time but have not gotten to the point.

Qin Ming quickly said, "If all regions thought like the Eastern Land, that would be great. Alas, not long ago, people from the Great Barrens, ruled by the Old Barbarian God, came and said that they and the Jade Capital were brother states, looking down on us."

The group from the Eastern Land lost face immediately. How arrogant were those barbarians from the North? They, the Eastern Land of the East, had just considered themselves the legitimate sons of the Jade Capital, and now the Northern Barrens was directly acting as their uncles!

"Where are they?" the old man asked.

Qin Ming said, "They're all impatient people. After learning about the special products near Black White Mountain, they're probably already preparing to go into the mountain."

The people from the Eastern Land immediately became restless, even speaking more fluently and no longer being so particular, but getting straight to the point and asking them for detailed information about the local situation.

As they were parting, a young man spoke up, "City Lord Meng should know someone Qin Ming, right? Hasn't he returned?"

Meng Xinghai said, "That's a junior of mine. He's away from home and probably won't be back in Red Haze City for a while. Is there something you need?"

The young man nodded and said, "My name is Qi Yunzheng. I have a younger brother who sparred with Qin Ming here and was crippled. I would like to see Qin Ming."

He made no attempt to hide his intention to cause trouble for Qin Ming, clearly indicating that he was experiencing intense emotional turmoil.

Qin Ming, whose appearance had been altered, remained calm and said nothing. He didn't want to clash with these "pathfinders" for the time being; he would wait until they had paved the way before making any moves.

Meng Xinghai saw these people off outside the mansion. No matter who came, he was very polite and courteous.

As the people from the Eastern Land gradually walked away, a young woman among them spoke up, "If that Qin Ming dares to show his face, I'll chop his dog's head off!"

Qin Ming's lips curled into a smile. His senses were sharp; he could hear it even from this distance. Was the other party intentionally trying to provoke him?

The woman spoke again, "It's a pity for Junior Brother Yun Xiao. I don't know if he can recover. Don't worry, I will definitely avenge you in the Senior Sister!"

"Uncle Meng, I'm going back to Double Tree Village for a bit, I'll be back soon." Qin Ming wanted to bring the Thunder King Bird with him for easier travel; with it around, it could effectively monitor the pathfinders.

"Yes, the sooner we go, the sooner we'll come back. Those people probably won't leave today; they'll likely set off tomorrow."

Qin Ming traversed the mountains, avoiding the edge of the desert, as he had heard there was much activity inside and it was not advisable to approach at this time.

"Lord of the Mountain, am I seeing things? You're back?" At the village entrance, Talking Finch was practicing her skills on the Black White Twin Trees. Sensing something, she spotted Qin Ming at a glance.

It flapped its wings and flew over, saying, "Sir, this Little Finch has been waiting for you to return, like the stars and the moon!"

The Red Squirrel reluctantly approached, but eventually shuffled over and greeted, "Great Qin!"

Qin Ming immediately gave it a whack on the head, making it wince in pain.

In the night sky, the Thunder King Bird, which was circling and tempering its body, swooped down, kicking up the snow on the ground. It was extremely excited and said, "Qin Ming, you're back!"

It was Qin Ming's mount, but it was left to roam freely in Black White Mountain. Before the world changed, it often heard rumors about Qin Ming, and those rumors were very sensational. It wished it could stay by his side and share the glorious years with him.

Now, it finally sees hope again.

Qin Ming didn't linger. After visiting the sleepy Liu Mo and the Big Yellow Dog lazily lying in its kennel, he immediately returned home.

His return journey was much faster because of the Thunder King Bird, which allowed him to traverse the night sky. However, on certain sections of the route, he could not fly and had to descend into the snow, transforming into a free-range chicken.

"Danger in the sky!" For the past six months, it has been busy, getting to know the monsters in the mountains. After the dramatic changes in the world, it has become quite familiar with the dangerous areas of Black White Mountain thanks to its friends.

Even as it carried Qin Ming across the snow, it moved at an extremely fast speed.

After the great battle on the God's Fall Plain, the Thunder King Bird, which had reached the Fourth Realm, has deepened its cultivation even more in the past year.

Little Finch Talking Finch patted her chest and said, "I grew up in Black White Mountain and know the place like the back of my hand. If the Mountain Lord gives any orders, I can find out everything!"

Besides it, the Red Squirrel also came along, and in order to get on the road, it shamelessly called out, "Qin Daddy!"

Moreover, after smoothing out its tongue, it continued to boast about its accomplishments, saying, "Back then, I fed you with all the food I had stored up for the entire winter; now, lead me on the path of cultivation!"

"You little rascal, you're not as naive as I thought," Talking Finch muttered.

"Squeak!"

Immediately, the two little creatures started fighting on the back of the Thunder King Bird.

They entered Red Haze City without any problems.

Qin Ming unexpectedly learned in the City Lord's Manor that Old Meng had gone to receive guests again, this time from the Cui Household.

He had a slight understanding of who was there; they were all acquaintances. The team was led by Fifth Master Cui, and included Cui He, who had a full head of green hair from practicing the "Abiding World Scripture," as well as his former "aunt" Cui Shuning, and some young men from the Cui Household. It was a group of elites.

This immediately ignited a surge of energy within Qin Ming, making him feel incredibly energetic. He himself could sense that he was becoming somewhat combative.

Back then, Fifth Master was one of the participants who advocated ruining Qin Ming. He and Father Cui did not want Qin Ming to come into contact with other advanced Cultivation Method, so they only let him practice Silk Book Method, and did not give him the complete version.

However, they did not expect that Qin Ming would eventually master it on his own.

"Cui Wu, Cui He, Cui Shuning!" Qin Ming felt angry just thinking about them, and wished he could take action. In the past, he was not as good as them, but now, apart from Cui Wu, he could suppress the other two.

Even if it were Cui Wu, if he were injured in the mountains, it would be hard to say who would win or lose.

Speaking of which, these three had all personally visited Red Haze City before, intending to cripple him. However, Cui Wu was carried away by Li Qingyun under his armpits, while Cui He and Cui Shuning were forced back and scolded away by Meng Xinghai.

"Cui Household, you should pray that nothing happens to you in the mountains!" Qin Ming whispered.

If he were to strike any of the people he mentioned, there would be absolutely no need to worry about killing the wrong person.

Even though Cui Shuning, the aloof and beautiful woman who once called him "Auntie," still evoked a lot of resentment in Qin Ming, not only did she want to cripple him, but Cui Shuning also looked disgusted when she touched his head. Her haughty demeanor and disdainful gaze left a deep impression on him.

Qin Ming silently practiced the Nine Heavens Scripture, nurturing the seeds of consciousness in Hell, and then sat cross-legged Above the Nine Heavens of the Mind, quickly restoring his peace.

In the reception room, Fifth Master Cui said, "My good grandson Qin Ming didn't return to Black White Mountain. What a pity, I still want to see him one last time, what a fine boy he is."

Meng Xinghai said, "Don't tell me you have some ideas? I advise you to behave yourself and forget about Lu Zizai's visit to the Cui Household, right?"

The veins on Fifth Master Cui's forehead almost throbbed, but he calmed down after a moment, mainly because he had suffered a great humiliation last time.

Cui He, with his green hair, sighed, "Actually, our Cui Household really wants to accept him, but my nephew is determined to go down this path to the bitter end."

"Your pretentious act is utterly disgusting." Meng Xinghai showed him no respect whatsoever, serving him tea and seeing him out.

After the group of people left, Qin Ming walked in.

Meng Xinghai said, "These elites from the Cui Household are probably just scouts. If there's a major discovery, there will definitely be a second group."

Qin Ming nodded and said, "Yes, Uncle Meng, get ready. Once they make their move, we'll follow them."

The next day, several groups indeed entered the mountains one after another.

These people took different routes and headed to different destinations. Although they did not communicate with each other, they had some tacit understanding. Unexpectedly, they had already clashed upon arriving in this area.

Qin Ming stood on the back of the Thunder King Bird, while Meng Xinghai, who also had his own Flying Mount, followed at a distance as they entered the mountains.

"Fellow travelers, come out and meet me, it's me, a bird..." After entering the mountains, the Talking Finch began to speak in various bird languages, chirping and chattering, using its native identity to understand the situation in the mountains.

"I really am a local bird. If you don't believe me, I'll speak our local dialect for you..." The Talking Finch, coupled with its considerable cultivation, attracted a large flock of birds.

"Brothers and sisters, this is a small token of my appreciation." It began to distribute its wealth, including Spiritual Matter and the flesh and blood of Higher Aberrant.

This was a gift it obtained from Qin Ming after specifically communicating with him.

Sure enough, the effect was excellent. Soon, it learned where it could fly in this mountain range and where there were terrifying monsters and other creatures that it should not approach.

Not only that, it also asked these mountain birds to keep an eye on the movements of several groups of people from a distance.

Talking Finch was small, its capabilities were considerable. Through its flock of birds and falcons, Qin Ming and his companions essentially built a simple information network deep in the mountains.

The Thunder King Bird tried to imitate it, but it scared away all the other birds.

Half an hour later, the groups of people arrived at their respective destinations.

Meng Xinghai said, "As expected, the barbarians of the Northern Barrens are the most direct. They attacked right away. They want to monopolize the benefits and don't want to wait for reinforcements."

The other teams were cautious upon reaching their destinations, hesitant to approach and instead observing from a distance.

The Cui Household, in particular, actually set aside some people to keep an eye on the progress of that group of Foreign Domain goat-like swordsmen, harboring their own ideas and probably hoping to gain an advantage.

Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai also focused their attention on the swordsmen from the Northern Barrens and followed them silently from a distance.

It was a sizable bamboo grove, with two different colors of bamboo growing together.

One of them was a vibrant, almost dripping red, as if carved from red agate.

Another type of bamboo is golden, with its leaves and roots all in a golden hue.

The fiery red and Golden Bamboo blended together, all shimmering with a misty light, creating a dazzling spectacle against the backdrop of the icy snow-covered landscape during the long night.

Meng Xinghai's eyes gleamed with Divine Radiance as he said, "There is indeed Treasured Medicine. Deep within the bamboo forest grows a special kind of bamboo shoot, which actually carries wisps of Daoist charm. It is probably far more valuable than the legendary Ethereal Bamboo Shoot shoot!"

Qin Ming was also astonished. The Blood Bamboo Shoot on the ground were as translucent as red coral, and there were also Golden Bamboo Shoot connected to wisps of Daoist rhyme in the void, forming a strange scene.

One of the swordsmen brought out a rare treasure, intending to harvest the precious bamboo shoots.

In an instant, they were met with a counterattack, and the entire bamboo forest rippled with red and gold colors, as if a large Spiritual Field was expanding.

With a series of popping sounds, some of the swordsmen exploded, revealing their true forms. Their huge curved horns shattered into pieces, and their enormous sheep skulls rolled off.

Qin Ming's pupils contracted, sensing that this was a large-scale Spiritual Field naturally formed by heaven and earth, quite worthy of contemplation. Could it be that the predecessors of the New Life Path had seen such a Spiritual Field and used it to open the path?

"Everyone, step back!" the oldest swordsman commanded, preparing to take action himself.

Moreover, he stood far enough away to ensure he was outside the range of a large natural Spiritual Field.

However, when he drew a curved knife and cut close to the ground to pick bamboo shoots, the mysterious bamboo forest, shimmering with red and gold light, underwent another change.

The area resembled a luminous lake, and then, like a mirror, it reflected two terrifying beams of light, one red and one gold, moving with lightning speed.

Even though the old swordsman reacted quickly, he still shouted, and the two beams of light seemed to light up in his mind, instantly severing his powerful Consciousness Spirit Light.

He staggered backward, saying, "Retreat! Escape immediately! I'm injured and shouldn't go any further. This place is terrifying and eerie."

His body evaded the attack, but his mind felt as if it had been stabbed twice.

However, many of the other swordsmen were far slower than him. They were struck by the red and gold beams of light, screaming in agony on the spot. Some had their chests pierced, while others had their heads blown off. Some of the swordsmen died instantly.

"It seems someone from the Cui Household is watching us." At this moment, a swordsman came to report, clearly they were also on guard against others and had noticed something amiss.

The old swordsman's expression immediately changed. Fearing that the Cui Household might resort to Black Hand, he shouted, "Quickly, split up and leave the mountains! I'll cover our retreat!"

He was quite responsible, standing in the way and letting the other swordsmen go first.

Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai watched from the shadows and saw several swordsmen fleeing into the dense forest from different directions.

"Damn it, what a bad start! We should really tie up that spineless Little Bai from the City Lord's Manor and make him lead the expedition. Night Prefecture is destined to fall, and they're still so clueless!"

The two young swordsmen walked together, both indignant and still complaining.

In fact, the main problem was their own recklessness, but they blamed others.

"Is there really such great resentment and malice?" Qin Ming rode the Thunder King Bird behind them.

Upon receiving the report, Fifth Master Cui was surprised, then sneered, "Barbarians are barbarians after all. They actually dared to confront this dangerous place head-on and suffered a huge loss. Cui He, take some men and go down to see if they've really left."

He was somewhat uneasy, suspecting that the group of swordsmen might have deliberately retreated, intending to ambush the Cui Household once they had made progress.

In the night fog, Qin Ming stood on the back of his mount and followed silently.

The Thunder King Bird is one of the fastest species in Night Prefecture. Now that it has reached the Fourth Realm, once it accelerates, it is truly as swift as thunder.

However, it is not going all out now, but is carefully concealing its movements.

"After entering Red Haze City, let the brothers go to the City Lord's Manor to recuperate. Let's see if they dare to refuse!" Both young swordsmen of the Fourth Realm felt very frustrated about this trip.

Suddenly, a bright, sharp blade flashed out from behind them.

Pfft! Pfft!

With a single slash, two muffled thuds echoed, and a large spray of blood erupted, staining the snow red. Two headless bodies collapsed to the ground.

Two heads flew forward, their faces filled with shock and fear. They couldn't believe they had been killed in a single blow by someone who had appeared silently.

The Thunder King Bird swept past, leaving Qin Ming's Mutton Fat Jade Iron Saber spotless and unstained by blood.

Two Consciousness Spirit Light shot up from his head, attempting to escape.

As a result, a gleaming blade flashed, their screams, rapid and urgent, ceased abruptly, and their souls were slain.

"These barbarians really ran away, and they seem to have left in fear. Are they afraid that our Cui Household will hunt them down?" Cui He muttered to himself, then his steps suddenly stopped as he heard a hurried and brief sound not far away.

"What's going on?" He looked puzzled, then turned and left.

However, it was too late; he saw a Thunder King Bird crossing the night sky.

"Yes..." He wanted to say "It's you," but before he could utter the second word, a bright, sharp blade flashed down.

"You!" He uttered this word at the last moment, but he himself was also torn apart. His resistance was futile. Qin Ming cleaved him in two with a single stroke in the night sky, splitting his brow and body in two. A large amount of blood gushed out, and his Divine Intent was also severed. He was quickly burned to ashes by the Heavenly Light.