Dao Follows Nature

In the Heavenly Light, Cui He, with his full head of green hair, burned to ashes. In his final moments, he looked at the serene boy in the night sky with pain and despair.

Once upon a time, he looked down at his opponent from that city outside the mountains, holding a hand to end his life. But now, his opponent only needs one stroke to cut him down.

Qin Ming looked back and saw that this place was very close to where the two young swordsmen had died. He quickly New Cloth the area.

Under the long night sky, the Thunder King Bird flew silently through the mountains and forests, and soon spotted a figure running through the snow and ice. Qin Ming made his move selectively.

"Go to Red Haze City to recuperate, and borrow some Treasured Medicine from that Little Bai city lord..." Before the strong Black Mountain Goat swordsman could finish speaking, his head was chopped off, blood splattered, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

His two companions opened their mouths in fear, but were engulfed by the flash of the blade and died instantly.

Not long after, several members of the Cui Household were also killed in the mountains. Their blood quickly froze in the cold, and they all died with their eyes wide open, because at the last moment, they all saw the boy's true face that he had intentionally revealed.

Qin Ming stopped, knowing when to stop. These people were all pathfinders, and this was a case of "making the best use of them."

Amidst the pristine white snow, the red and gold bamboo forest gleams, its translucent leaves tinged with snow, creating an indescribably refreshing scene.

The old swordsman stayed behind to cover their retreat. After standing still for a moment and seeing no powerful figures approaching, he flashed into the dense forest and disappeared into the distance.

"Hmm?" He smelled blood and soon saw the corpses of his followers, who had been killed and had revealed their true forms. They were all headless, with thick black wool stained with blood.

His face was filled with murderous intent, like a powerful ghost lurking in the woods, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, his Saber Qi swirling up large swaths of snow and severing many large trees.

Someone from the Cui Household frowned and asked, "What's going on? We were just going to observe secretly. Why haven't Cui He and the others returned yet?"

A man ran up, his face ashen, and said, "He's dead! Fourth Uncle has been murdered. There are also the carcasses of Black Mountain Goat over there; it looks like they've been in a fierce battle."

"What? My fourth uncle died in battle?" Some of the direct descendants of the Cui Household were shocked.

Cui He, a member of the main branch of the Millennium Aristocratic Family, actually died in this desolate wilderness.

"Fourth Brother is dead?" Cui Shuning had a very good relationship with him, and they often went out on missions together. Unable to maintain her aloof demeanor, a strong murderous aura appeared between her brows.

With a whoosh, Fifth Master Cui dashed away through the snow, rushing into the dense forest like lightning.

As the old goat, which had been wandering in the area, approached the Cui Household, it spoke in a cold voice, "Cui Household, who gave you the audacity to lay a deadly hand on the Barbarian God's followers?"

"You killed Cui He?" Fifth Master Cui said coldly.

"You killed my men!" The old swordsman was very forceful. His figure flashed and he disappeared from the spot. With a "poof," a young man from the Cui Household was cut in half on the spot.

"It must be him! Fourth Uncle was hacked to death with a knife!" someone shouted from not far away.

"You barbarian, are you tired of living? How dare you kill someone from my Millennium Aristocratic Family right in front of me!" Fifth Master Cui was furious. The other party was rude and unscrupulous, so he charged straight at him.

The old goat stood with his knife in hand and said, "Millennium Aristocratic Family is nothing special, is it? How many blows can you withstand from Earth Immortal?"

Nearby, a young expert from the Cui Household, indignant, said, "What are you bragging about? Does your Old Barbarian God dare to enter Night Prefecture?"

As for the arena, Cui Wu and the old swordsman had already clashed several times before separating. Their palm strikes and sword flashes were devastating, shredding large swathes of trees.

Cui Wu spoke up, "I can say with certainty that we are not pursuing you."

The old goat also said coldly, "The Cui He you're talking about, I definitely didn't kill him."

He was injured and didn't want to fight to the death here. Besides, he also noticed some suspicious points, so he decided to stop.

"What a pity!" In the distance, Qin Ming felt a little regretful. A black falcon had witnessed the situation and relayed it to Talking Finch: the two sides had not actually engaged in a full-blown battle.

Qin Ming patted Talking Finch's head and said, "Well done, you've made a lot of friends with birds wherever you go."

Talking Finch blinked her large, black, gem-like eyes and said, "Actually, Little Finch quite socially awkward, but when I think about doing my best for the Mountain Lord, I'm not afraid of anything."

The Red Squirrel's eyes widened immediately, as if to say, "Are you socially awkward? You're lying through your teeth!"

Finally, it couldn't hold back any longer, and, after smoothing out its tongue, said, "Social terrorist!"

As Meng Xinghai approached on his Flying Mount, he said, "The Cui Household is quite cautious; they've been staying put and conducting their research. Their place is not simple."

Qin Ming went with him to explore. It was a five-colored land where the ice and snow were melting, the grass and trees were reviving, and wisps of Immortal Mist were rising from the Five-Colored Soil.

"Use the golems to dig!"

In the end, the Cui Household took action, and unexpectedly, it went very smoothly; they did not encounter any danger for the time being.

Cui Shuning's face was cold. She was somewhat dissatisfied with her uncle's weakness, which allowed the old swordsman to leave like this.

Cui Wu reassured them, "It shouldn't have been them who killed him. If we push them any further, it might become a fight to the death. This matter certainly won't end here. Once the experts from my clan arrive, they will definitely avenge Cui He!"

"Fifth Master, what could this place be? The more we dig, the more sacred and peaceful it seems. I have a feeling there might be Great Fortune here. When will the Lineage's experts arrive?"

Cui Wu was full of energy and anticipation, saying, "Let's dig first. Five-Colored Soil is not common. It either contains divine objects or might be a rare and large tomb!"

As the leader of the team, he would naturally be the first to receive the greatest benefits if anything was gained. The Flower of Earth Immortal was out of the question, but if there was Great Medicine of the Pure Yang Flower level, it would be enough to change his fate. He might even be able to transform from Cui Wu into Cui Zu!

Qin Ming and Meng Xinghai observed from a distance for a moment before retreating. They decided to let the dig first; there was no need to waste time here. With the "socially anxious bird" Talking Finch in charge of coordination, they wouldn't miss any of the latest news.

Not long after, they went to observe the place where the group of people in the Eastern Land were.

It was a deep pool, its interior a silvery-white color, like luminous mercury boiling.

Finally, Qin Ming returned to the red and gold bamboo grove, finding it the most interesting place, always feeling that it exuded a natural Spiritual Field.

He landed on a large tree from the bird's back, a considerable distance away, cautiously probing the area. This activated the brilliant bamboo forest in front of him, and sure enough, ripples spread out once more.

Talking Finch was in charge of keeping watch, using the Small Boat of friendship to stay informed about any movement in this mountain area.

"A very powerful Spiritual Field, born from nature and harnessing the power of heaven and earth, far surpasses the Spiritual Field power I can unleash with my physical body, enough to cover an entire mountain forest."

Qin Ming perked up. He wanted to study it carefully. Based on his intuition, he felt that neither the red nor the gold bamboo shoots were as precious as this Spiritual Field that resonated with heaven and earth.

In fact, he was quite wary of the Red Gold Treasure Bamboo Shoot. After all, he had heard many rumors over the past few days: those who ate the golden pine cones ascended to heaven and were burned to ashes, while those who consumed the red ginkgo forgot their past lives and became monsters.

He had reservations, wondering if there was anything wrong with the ruby here.

After testing the range of the Spiritual Field, Qin Ming leaped into the air and disappeared into the snow, causing the Thunder King Bird to flap its wings and reseal the snow cave he had left behind.

Qin Ming sat quietly in the snow, trying to sense the mysterious Spiritual Field ahead.

In an instant, he mastered those Spiritual Field, such as the Mount Sumeru Field and the Heavenly Demon Force Field, and various experiences surfaced in his mind. At this moment, the Spiritual Field manual that Su Moran gave him also transformed into various spiritual lights, allowing him to enter a state of tranquility.

He used the Spiritual Field he had mastered to resonate with the natural Spiritual Field in the bamboo forest ahead.

In the snow-covered landscape, in a forest sculpted from red coral and gold, soft light undulates, like a tranquil lake breaking its stillness, with halos of light expanding outwards in concentric circles.

At this moment, the bamboo forest was devoid of its violent energy; its aggression seemed to have subsided. Everything looked so harmonious and peaceful, possessing a simple and hazy beauty in the pitch-black night.

The Thunder King Bird and the Red Squirrel were stunned, and the Talking Finch was speechless, unable to utter a word. They all seemed to become serene, as if they wanted to blend into this beautiful scene.

Meng Xinghai, who was nearby, looked astonished and muttered to himself, "Little Qin is truly exceptional, with unparalleled talent. This is a testament to his mastery of heaven and earth, and his Dao Emulates Own Inherent Spontaneity!"

He came from the Aristocratic Clan and had naturally heard some rumors: the ancients paved the way, and some people took heaven and earth as their teachers, comprehending their own laws in special circumstances.

Unbeknownst to him, Qin Ming had already entered the bamboo forest. Although it was on the edge, it had been verified that this place would not harm him when he resonated with the Spiritual Field.

A quarter of an hour later, Qin Ming withdrew and spoke with Meng Xinghai, instructing him to attack the Spiritual Field from a distance.

After the Spiritual Field in the bamboo forest rioted, Qin Ming tried to resonate and comprehend it at the edge. The ripples around him were relatively peaceful. Then he went deeper in and cautiously probed.

"If someone suddenly activates this natural Spiritual Field, I will be impacted, but I can protect myself," Qin Ming confirmed.

The worst-case scenario is that he might be injured, but not die.

He did this mainly because he was afraid that if he encountered an emergency and fell into the deepest Enlightenment Realm, he would be isolated from the outside world and unable to hear the Talking Finch.

Qin Ming felt relieved and muttered to himself, "Hmm, if I can barely protect myself like this, even if the old swordsman and the others suddenly burst in, it won't matter!"

As time went by, Qin Ming approached the core area. He touched the essence of this naturally formed Spiritual Field and his understanding of it deepened.

"The earth has form, giving birth to the source of Spiritual Field, which spreads into the void, connects with the Dao, and extends to the formless heaven. Observing its momentum, one can understand the harmony between heaven and earth, and thus govern according to the earth, thereby comprehending the principles of heaven."

Qin Ming sat in meditation, his inspiration surging, and he comprehended the core essence of this primordial Spiritual Field. Although his eyes were closed, a pure smile appeared on his face.

His physical body radiated a soft light, resonating with the place.

Undoubtedly, this Spiritual Field is very strong. As long as his cultivation level can keep up, even if he only uses his physical body to manifest this field, he will be able to reproduce the power of this Spiritual Field that the mountains and rivers bear in the future.

"I've almost got it!" Qin Ming felt a sense of accomplishment.

However, he was not satisfied. He had mastered a Source-Level Spirit Field, but his own realm had not changed. He set his sights on those Red Gold Treasure Bamboo Shoot.

"Can I actually take this? Will it help me break through to a higher level?"

He wasn't sure, he even doubted whether there were any hidden dangers in the Grandmaster of the Pure Yang Palace breaking through to become Ancestor after consuming the Pure Yang Flower.

After all, many people in various places have been infected.

However, seeing the red and golden bamboo shoots imbued with a subtle Daoist aura, he couldn't help himself.

"They exist in a special realm, connected by the Dao's essence. Now that I have comprehended the wonders of this place, can I, like them, directly connect with the Dao's essence and nourish myself as a precious bamboo shoot?"

Qin Ming felt that, if feasible, it might allow him to slowly increase his cultivation level, and it would be a very safe approach!

Subsequently, he unleashed his newly acquired Spiritual Field, perfectly harmonizing with the location. At the same time, he practiced using the unique terrain, referring to the contents of the "Overlord's Testament" and the "Scripture of Life Altering Scripture."

Sure enough, he connected with wisps of Daoist energy. It wasn't very strong, but it was a steady, persistent flow, and he had a good chance of breaking through to the final level of the Spiritual Field.

It should be noted that improving one's cultivation level usually takes at least a year, but he sees hope here, and it may be possible to complete it in a very short time.

This excited Qin Ming so Divine Capital that his Mental Field fluctuated violently, causing him to exit this special state.

"Stay calm, it's just a simple breakthrough, it's not like we've never done it before, why get flustered? Calm down!" He quickly regained his composure.

The Thunder King Bird spoke up, "Wow, I have a feeling that giant bamboo shoots are about to grow. Look, there are even thicker Daoist threads hanging down from the depths of the bamboo forest."

The Red Squirrel made a gulping sound and couldn't help but swallow hard.

The old swordsman returned to Red Haze City, increasingly furious. They had gained nothing, only suffering heavy losses. Who had ambushed them?

He calmed down and concluded that the other party's skills couldn't be very high; otherwise, they wouldn't have resorted to Black Hand and would have targeted him directly.

"Damn it, you dare to ambush us? After looting some Treasured Medicine in the city, I'll go back into the mountains!" he said.

Unfortunately, they were turned away at the City Lord's Manor. Meng Xinghai's confidant told them that the city lord was in seclusion and would not receive any visitors.

The old goat was furious. In the end, he took the medicine he had brought with him, and after a short rest, he went back into the mountains that same day.

"Night Prefecture, where a hundred demons roam at night, is full of bizarre phenomena. Moreover Night Ruins is about to enter reality, and this land is destined to become desolate. The locals will have to migrate sooner or later. Under such circumstances, they are still so ungrateful. Just wait and see!" On the road, the old swordsman was still angry.

"Oh no, someone's coming from afar, but we can't wake the mountain lord. Could he be asleep underground?" Talking Finch anxiously.

Just then, the old swordsman arrived. He stared at the bamboo forest again and again, and found that the place was even more peaceful and serene than before. This time, he learned his lesson and did not dare to do anything reckless.

"You stay here and keep watch, I'll go check if the Cui Household has made any gains!" The old swordsman left, somewhat worried about his neighbors.

After he left, the other swordsmen gradually noticed something amiss. One of them widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Hey, something's sprouting over there! A giant bamboo shoot is about to grow..."

The group discovered that deep within the bamboo forest, a huge bamboo shoot broke through the frozen soil, covered in snowflakes, and grew out little by little, connected to the tangible Daoist aura.

"Why does it look somewhat like a seated human figure?"

"The divine bamboo shoot is sentient, nurtured by nature itself; it has truly taken human form! Quick, we must call Master back! A priceless treasure has been unearthed here!"

The old swordsman was quite surprised; the Cui Household had actually unearthed something. The clan had successively discovered six Blood Ginseng from the Five-Colored Soil.

The Cui Household was both surprised and delighted, but for the time being, no one dared to take it, fearing there might be problems. They planned to find people or animals to test the drug.

"Give it to me!" The old swordsman made his move, not caring about any side effects, he just wanted to grab it first.

"How dare you!" Cui Wu spotted him, his face contorted with rage. This visitor from Foreign Domain really thought Night Prefecture had fallen into decline, acting with utter recklessness, actually coming here to rob people openly.

The two fought fiercely, but the old swordsman, having seized the Blood Ginseng, did not linger and retreated to his own camp.

He roared, "Children, prepare for battle!"

Outside the bamboo grove, someone excitedly reported to him, "Master, a divine object has appeared here! Look! Such a huge bamboo shoot, standing tall against the wind, its roots firmly planted on frozen earth and snow, is perfectly integrated with the Daoist spirit!"

The old swordsman was taken aback, then overjoyed. He then berated himself for provoking the Cui Household when nothing was wrong; hadn't he just alerted his rival?

Sure enough, when the Cui Household family members chased after them, their eyes widened in shock.

Cui Wu's eyes gleamed with golden light as he said, "Fellow Daoist, you can't eat all this by yourself. How about we develop this place together?"

The old swordsman pondered that if he reported it or waited patiently for the arrival of the experts, he might not be able to enjoy the Humanoid Treasure Bamboo Shoot here.

If he were to join forces with someone of the same level as the Cui Household, he could at least get half of the Treasured Medicine, so he finally nodded in agreement.

Both sides tacitly avoided mentioning the unpleasant incidents from before.

The old swordsman had already returned the Blood Ginseng, which was clearly inferior to Baosun, to them, and that was the end of it.

"Come, let our two families join forces and shake this place!"

Boom!

Qin Ming was awakened by the shock. Although he was affected by the Spiritual Field, he was unharmed. In fact, he had become the center of attention at this moment.

Then, the Cui Household family members and the group of swordsmen all stared wide-eyed as they watched the Humanoid Treasure Bamboo Shoot covered in ice and snow slowly descend into the ground.

"Indeed, a divine product!"

"Nature's things are naturally obscured; it knows how to conceal itself!"

The Cui Household family members and the group of swordsmen were shocked, then their faces lit up with excitement, and they all cheered.

"Silence! Don't shout! Don't alert other forces!"

Beneath the frozen ground, Qin Ming felt that his skills were almost up to par and he would soon break through the barrier. He was considering whether he could also deal with this group of people.

He took a deep breath, resonating with the Spiritual Field generated by this world. The two gradually merged and began to resonate. He took control, calming the place down, and began to shrink the area of Spiritual Field.

"Hmm, the ripples in the Spiritual Field are receding and shrinking. All its essence is nourishing that Humanoid Divine Bamboo Shoot. Could it be that it is about to fully mature?"

"Look! The Daoist aura in the heart of the bamboo forest is growing stronger, and the Immortal Mist is swirling. The Spiritual Field here is depleted, a celestial treasure is about to emerge, and this perilous place is about to collapse!"

Some people watched the tide recede at the Spiritual Field, cautiously following along, all filled with anticipation and extreme excitement.

"Finally, I've broken through!" Qin Ming whispered.