Chapter 130: Migratory Bird from Afar
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Light-Chasing City bore the marks of its ancient history, its weathered structures exuding a sense of time’s passage. Within the city lay a Level Four Fire Spring, which, at night, could be manually controlled to light up the entire city as if it were daytime.
“Uncle Meng, it’s lively over there. Lots of people are betting, and they’ve set up quite a few gambling tables,” Qin Ming remarked, halting in his tracks, his interest piqued.
Though still young, Qin Ming had accumulated a modest fortune. His defeated opponents—like Wang Nian Zhu, Qi Huai En, and Ge Qian Xun—had generously “donated” their Daylight Gold to him upon their deaths.
“Betting is a bad habit. You should avoid it,” Meng Xing Hai said sternly.
Qin Ming quickly explained, “I’m preparing to travel for my studies and was thinking of buying a courtyard in one of the major cities. It’d be convenient for training.”
Meng Xing Hai gave him a sidelong glance. “In cities with real influence, where Four-Tusked White Elephants roam the streets and Blue Luan birds fly through the skies, the treasures of heaven and earth abound. The price of a house in such a place is far beyond what you can imagine. The little Daylight Gold you have wouldn’t even buy you half a room, let alone a courtyard.”
Qin Ming realized, somewhat sheepishly, that he was far from wealthy.
After a stern lecture, he decided betting wasn’t worth it. Most of his Daylight Gold was stored safely at the City Lord’s Mansion, and he carried little with him.
Behind them, Li Qing Yun smiled knowingly and sent a message via spiritual transmission. “Those betting tables seem trustworthy.”
“With your profound mastery, do you really fear they’d cheat? I certainly don’t,” Meng Xing Hai replied, smirking.
No one understood Qin Ming’s potential better than they did. This was easy money—why not partake? The two exchanged a knowing glance. As for Qin Ming, with only a dozen or so Daylight Gold pieces on him, his involvement in gambling seemed trivial at best. A bad habit, Meng Xing Hai decided, should not be encouraged.
Qin Ming suddenly stopped again. “Uncle Meng, we’ve been ripped off! Look at that—they’re selling tickets to watch the duel! And at such ridiculous prices!”
Now he understood why the streets buzzed with talk of the upcoming match. Clearly, someone was stirring up excitement and profiting from it.
Meng Xing Hai remained calm. “No need to worry. A portion of those profits goes to Red Glow City.”
Qin Ming was momentarily stunned. A single duel, and it was a business venture at every turn!
The Light-Chasing City arena was vast, its floors paved with the hardest Black Gold Stone.
It boasted high platforms and private VIP suites, with ticket prices reaching astronomical heights. Yet, every seat had already been sold out.
As Qin Ming entered, he scanned the crowd. The general admission area was packed. Those in the front had seats, while those farther back were forced to stand, creating a sea of dark heads filling every inch of space.
“People are saying our Light-Chasing City’s ‘first champion’ is just a flickering candlelight,” someone whispered nearby. “Compared to the radiance of a bright moon, they wouldn’t stand a chance in other cities. It’s frustrating to hear.”
“True. They’re only on par with Red Glow City. Maybe this match will bring a surprise—a crouching dragon meeting a fledgling phoenix,” another replied.
Qin Ming stood silently, his expression impassive. His opponent had yet to appear, but the spectators were already “attacking” with their sharp words. Their chatter was both biting and amusing.
In the VIP section, Qin Ming spotted a woman dressed in black. Her graceful figure was poised, exuding an aura of tranquility, as though she were a celestial lotus rooted in the mortal world. Despite her altered appearance, Qin Ming guessed she was likely Li Qing Yue.
The mysterious scripture she had retrieved from the depths of the Night Fog World was rare. Normally, anyone wishing to view it would need to journey to the Beyond and pay a hefty price.
Li Qing Yue now wielded a Near-Immortal Artifact, elevating her status far above other core disciples. She could carry the scripture with her as she pleased. Currently, she was en route to a spiritual pool imbued with celestial energy, arranged by the Beyond to strengthen her body. Passing through this city, she had stopped to reunite with old friends. Qin Ming planned to use the opportunity to share two pages of scripture he had derived from Near-Immortal Creatures and Metallic Paper.
Finally, Light-Chasing City’s “first champion” entered the arena. Taller than most, his broad shoulders and muscular frame exuded strength. His sharp features were striking, and his bright eyes seemed to shimmer with faint fiery hues.
“Wait, that’s not Jiang Hong. Who is this? I’ve never seen him before,” someone in the crowd muttered.
It turned out the champion wasn’t the expected Jiang Hong. Instead, the youth announced his name. “I am Chen Yuan.” His confident voice matched the heroic air about him. Dressed in crimson-gold armor, he radiated an extraordinary presence.
Whispers rippled through the crowd. Some quickly realized what was happening. Chen Yuan was a “migratory bird” of the exam period—a top contender temporarily transferring from another city to claim the title of “first champion” in a less competitive one.
Eyes lit up. This match had suddenly become much more interesting. If Chen Yuan was a “second” or “third” champion from a major city, his skills would likely far surpass Jiang Hong’s.
Meng Xing Hai’s face darkened as he turned to Qi Dao Ming, whose serene demeanor was as unfazed as ever.
“You enjoy skirting the edges, don’t you?” Meng Xing Hai said coldly.
Qi Dao Ming smiled. “He’s not an Aberration. Just an Eight-Time Awakened ‘migratory bird.’ Nothing too serious. Our two cities are sharing the profits from this duel—it’s a win-win.”
Meng Xing Hai gave him a sharp look. “He’s on the verge of stepping into the Outer Saint Realm. The Celestial Light Force is already spilling from his body.”
Qi Dao Ming chuckled. “Meng, you’re so concerned. Don’t tell me you’ve wagered heavily? If so, I’ll be looking forward to the outcome.”
“Just prepare that ‘fallen fruit,’” Meng Xing Hai shot back. “I hear this year’s batch is exceptional—crystalline, radiant, glowing with five colors of divine light.”
The ancient tree rooted in the Celestial Light Pool was already legendary. Its tender spring shoots—the Five-Colored Spiritual Branches—were treasures of immense value. The fruit it bore was even more astonishing, worth unimaginable sums.
Though the tree’s fruits had yet to ripen, many were prematurely knocked down by the surging celestial energy. These “fallen fruits” had become coveted prizes.
Back in the arena, the two youths exchanged names and immediately clashed, wasting no time on words.
They dashed toward each other like lightning, colliding fiercely before separating again.
Qin Ming, who had defeated multiple Outer Saints in the past, had no fear of Chen Yuan. Yet he held back, careful not to reveal his full strength. If he crushed Chen Yuan too easily, it might alert the Cui Family and provoke an even greater response.
Golden light shimmered faintly on Qin Ming’s skin—a manifestation of the Golden Light Shield he cultivated.
He recalled a passage from the ancient book he resonated with. It described a woman who trained her Golden Light to the thickness of a city wall, standing invincible against all attacks.
Chen Yuan, meanwhile, was formidable in his own right. At Eight-Time Awakening, he possessed over six thousand jin of strength. His Celestial Light Force spilled from his body, interwoven with faint fiery hues.
Chen Yuan sprinted forward with such force that the hard Black Gold Stone beneath his feet cracked under his weight. With strength exceeding several thousand jin, he seemed more like a rampaging beast than a human.
His Celestial Light Force glimmered faintly like fire, radiating from his body. It illuminated his hair, making each strand shimmer with a fiery red hue.
With a thunderous roar, he launched a punch. In the void around him, arcs of lightning and fire flickered, creating a shocking display.
Qin Ming’s expression turned serious. Chen Yuan’s strength was undeniable. If he truly ascended to the Outer Saint Realm, he would surpass many of those Qin Ming had killed at Luo Fu Mountain.
As Meng Xing Hai had pointed out, true prodigies disdained serving as Golden Armor Protectors, except in rare cases where they were invited for a specific purpose.
“A rare Thunderfire Force coupled with Eight-Time Awakening—he’s certainly worthy of being the first champion of a city,” Qin Ming thought, assessing his opponent.
With a resounding clash, Qin Ming reached out and caught Chen Yuan’s lightning-imbued fist.
In that instant, a muffled thunderclap seemed to echo in the air.
Qin Ming’s Golden Light Shield radiated brilliantly, a testament to his mastery. For someone at the Awakening stage, achieving such proficiency was exceedingly rare.
Despite Chen Yuan’s Thunderfire Force being powerful enough to project outward, it couldn’t penetrate the Golden Light Shield. However, the ground beneath their feet shattered further as lightning and fire burst upward from Chen Yuan’s steps.
“That defensive skill of his isn’t from the Silk Script Method, at least not outwardly,” someone observed from the VIP section. “But who knows what lies beneath?”
“He’s incredibly strong!”
Cui He and Cui Shu Ning sat in the VIP seats, closely monitoring Qin Ming’s performance. Their expressions were solemn.
“Since stepping onto the Awakening Path, Qin Ming’s prowess is comparable to an Aberration—perhaps even greater,” they concluded. This realization left them conflicted. Cui Chong Xuan, whom their family had painstakingly nurtured using the Six Imperial Heart Sutra, was only just beginning to transition toward an Aberration state.
Qin Ming and Chen Yuan continued their rapid exchange of blows. Qin Ming’s hands, glowing with golden Celestial Light Force, clashed repeatedly with Chen Yuan’s lightning-imbued fists. The sheer power of their strikes sent shockwaves through the arena, causing the ground to tremble.
In the VIP section, Li Qing Yue smiled softly. She could see Qin Ming holding back. Without his restraint, there would have been no suspense in the fight.
The spectators, however, were enthralled. To them, this was the level of a first champion from a major city. Chen Yuan’s strength as a migratory contestant was one thing, but the fact that Qin Ming, the youth from Red Glow City, could stand toe-to-toe with him was astonishing.
In the arena, Chen Yuan’s fists blazed with ever-increasing intensity. His Thunderfire Force surged with crackling thunder, lighting up the air.
But Qin Ming’s Golden Light Shield held strong. With his left fist and right palm glowing brightly, he countered Chen Yuan’s strikes head-on.
Suddenly, Qin Ming’s expression shifted. He noticed a flicker of Consciousness Aura emanating from Chen Yuan’s brow.
“A practitioner of Dual Path Progression,” Qin Ming thought. “Qi Dao Ming truly brought in a formidable contender to challenge Meng Xing Hai’s Red Glow City.”
Deciding to end the battle quickly, Qin Ming changed his approach. He increased his speed, deflecting one of Chen Yuan’s fiery punches with a powerful palm strike. Then, with his other hand, he delivered a swift and forceful punch directly to Chen Yuan’s chest.
It was clear that Chen Yuan’s Consciousness Aura conflicted with his Thunderfire Force. Lacking the harmony required to activate both simultaneously, he faltered while attempting to switch his attack. This slight hesitation gave Qin Ming the opening he needed.
Qin Ming’s second punch struck true, sending Chen Yuan flying across the arena.
“That was incredible!” someone shouted, their voice filled with awe.
“This fight deserves to be on the front page of the night reports!” cried another.
The crowd erupted into cheers, their fists clenched in excitement.
Among those who understood the nuances of the battle, however, there was a quiet acknowledgment. This fight had ended far later than it should have.
Ignoring the applause around him, Qin Ming left the arena.
Meng Xing Hai approached him with a smile. “We had quite the harvest today. Hmm, Qi Dao Ming, your face looks a bit stiff. Don’t tell me you placed a large bet? A little gambling is fine, but don’t get carried away,” he teased.
Outside the arena, an elderly man with a kind face and a cheerful demeanor waved at Qin Ming.
“Child…” he said warmly.
Qin Ming’s instincts flared. This was the Fifth Elder of the Cui Family, the very man who had once tricked him into practicing the Silk Script Method. His presence here was a dangerous sign.
Just as the black mist began to swirl around them, another figure appeared silently behind the Fifth Elder. It was Li Qing Yun.
With a sly grin, Li Qing Yun wrapped an arm around the Fifth Elder’s neck. “Old friend, it’s been ages! Come, let’s have a drink together.”
“I—” the Fifth Elder stammered, clearly startled. He hadn’t even realized someone had approached him until it was too late. Now, with his neck locked in a firm grip, he couldn’t move. Helpless, he was led away by Li Qing Yun.
The two other Cui Family members who had accompanied the Fifth Elder paled at the scene. Fearful, they turned and fled.
Later, in a quiet chamber, Li Qing Yue smiled radiantly as she handed a book to Qin Ming. Her beauty was like sunlight piercing through morning clouds, her long hair shimmering like crystal threads, and a faint celestial mist surrounded her figure.
“I’ve brought you the complete version of the scripture,” she said warmly.
The book was thicker than Qin Ming expected. After flipping through just a dozen pages, he realized he had underestimated its value. It contained detailed methods for self-improvement and cultivation.
“And this,” Li Qing Yue continued, placing several metallic fragments on the table. “The Overlord’s Spear was too conspicuous, so I dismantled it and extracted the jade alloy within.”
She added, “As for those Mysterious Metals similar to the materials of the Eight-Trigram Furnace, I only managed to secure two pieces.”
Qin Ming looked at her, smiling. “I have a gift for you as well.”