Chapter 131: A Quiet Room
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
In the tranquil room, a tea table made of fragrant sandalwood stood between them, its surface adorned with snow-white porcelain teacups. A gentle aroma of tea rose in the air, mingling and lingering softly between them.
Li Qing Yue looked at Qin Ming, her bright, clear eyes sparkling with curiosity as a smile spread across her face. “You didn’t bring me a jar of fine wine, did you?”
Qin Ming’s black hair gleamed, his gaze steady. Thinking of their shared past, he couldn’t help but smile, shaking his head. “Not this time. But the gift I’ve brought might still leave you a little tipsy.”
“Oh?” Li Qing Yue’s interest was piqued, her curiosity evident. “And what might that be?”
The serene room was tastefully furnished with exquisite tea sets, bookshelves, and writing tools. Qin Ming pulled out a sheet of paper, preparing to write down two profoundly mysterious scriptures.
Li Qing Yue, poised and graceful, rose from her seat and approached the desk, standing by his side. With a serene demeanor, she began grinding the inkstone for him.
Her Consciousness Aura shone like a golden sun piercing through a sea of mist, radiating an instinctive sharpness. In the unseen depths of her mind, she felt a faint premonition that something significant—something that might shape her future—was unfolding.
The delicate scent of tea blended with the faint aroma of ink, filling the room with a calming fragrance. Qin Ming sat down, his full focus on the task at hand. His brush moved with precision and care, each stroke imbued with a sense of purpose. He refused to allow even the slightest imperfection to mar the text.
He meticulously replicated the scriptures exactly as he had seen them, ensuring the profound essence of the teachings was fully intact. His mental resonance with the scripture’s original author ensured there were no errors or gaps. Moreover, he added commentary from that terrifying predecessor, including their words of guidance for their disciples.
Li Qing Yue watched him, noticing how the ink on the page seemed to glow faintly. This was a manifestation of his Consciousness Wisdom—a sign that he was fully immersed in the act, lending the written words a spark of life.
As he worked, Qin Ming’s entire being seemed to emit a soft glow, resonating with the scripture on the paper. Li Qing Yue’s delicate features, as smooth and pale as white jade, took on a serious expression. She produced a translucent nine-colored seal from her belongings, placing it in the room to prevent the radiant energy from leaking out.
She stepped closer to observe, her Consciousness Aura stirring subtly in harmony with the process.
Li Qing Yue understood immediately: this was a scripture of immeasurable value, and it resonated deeply with her.
“Is this the gift he’s giving me?” she thought, momentarily stunned. It was rare for her serene and composed demeanor to break, but now her mouth hung slightly open in disbelief. She couldn’t hide her astonishment.
Qin Ming remained focused until he completed the final character of the first scripture. Only then did he exhale deeply and set the brush aside.
As soon as he looked up, he realized that Li Qing Yue was already by his side, fully absorbed in the scripture. She was glowing faintly, completely immersed in the text, her attention unwavering. Not wanting to disturb her, Qin Ming quietly sat back and began flipping through the scripture Li Qing Yue had brought with her.
Before long, Qin Ming found himself engrossed in her text, naturally entering a state of spiritual resonance with it.
He soon realized that the elders of the Beyond were cautious by nature; this was not the original scripture. Instead, it was a faithful copy, nearly indistinguishable from the original and likely over two centuries old.
Many had read this copy before him, but most had failed to grasp its depth, leaving behind residual emotions of frustration and confusion. These lingering traces offered little guidance, but Qin Ming still used his resonance with them to commit the scripture’s contents to memory.
Page after page, he read until he reached the final one, absorbing the entire text.
When he finally closed the book, he decided it deserved a fitting title: The Scripture of Fate Alteration.
Looking up, he found Li Qing Yue watching him intently.
“I’ve memorized it all,” he said, returning the book to her.
“So quickly?” she asked, clearly surprised.
“That’s enough for now,” he replied with a nod.
Li Qing Yue, having finished reading the pages Qin Ming had written, now turned her gaze back to him. Her sparkling eyes held a mixture of surprise, gratitude, and emotion. “I won’t thank you—it would feel too formal for what you’ve done.”
She knew that with this scripture, the Near-Immortal Artifact she possessed would truly belong to her in every sense.
She didn’t ask how Qin Ming had come into possession of the passage about the Six Ding Divine Fire. She understood that everyone carried their secrets, herself included.
Qin Ming explained, “Back at the ruins of Luo Fu Immortal Mountain, I didn’t dare share this with you. I was worried the ancient predecessors might sense it or, worse, possess me through it.”
“I understand,” Li Qing Yue said, nodding. She lightly pressed her slender fingers to her smooth forehead. “I’ve already etched it into the core of my Consciousness Aura. If anyone tries to take it, even by possession, they’ll gain nothing—it will vanish with me.”
“Don’t say such ominous things,” Qin Ming interrupted firmly. “I’m waiting for you to reach the Near-Immortal stage. Then we’ll pursue true enlightenment together.”
Li Qing Yue’s smile softened. Her pale, delicate fingers brushed over the scripture pages on the desk, and a faint firelight rose. In an instant, the pages turned to ash.
“Although I wanted to keep your handwritten work, it’s safer not to leave a trace. You can write me another copy later,” she said.
“Make that two copies,” Qin Ming joked, picking up the brush again.
This time, he wrote down the symbols and text from the Metallic Paper, a scripture that could only be comprehended after reaching the third major realm. His concentration was absolute, his Consciousness Aura and Wisdom flowing through his pen, imbuing the text with life.
As he wrote, Li Qing Yue stood nearby, grinding the inkstone and silently committing the words to memory.
By the time Qin Ming finished, Li Qing Yue was deeply immersed in the scripture. Strands of her dark hair had slipped loose, brushing softly against Qin Ming’s face, carrying a faint, fresh fragrance.
She exuded an ethereal aura, almost as though the spiritual essence of the scripture was being drawn into her. As she finished reading, the words and symbols on the paper began to fade, their brilliance dimming until they were no more.
Her hair brushed his cheek again as she turned her head, breaking out of her trance. The celestial radiance she usually carried seemed momentarily absent, replaced by unguarded joy and excitement.
“The immovable mountain blocking my path has finally been lifted,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “This is the foundational method I’ve been searching for!”
It was clear this was content from the legendary True Legacy Scripture.
In the past, the scripture had been a cornerstone of the Beyond’s sacred grounds at Luo Fu Immortal Mountain. Its importance was beyond measure.
“I’m glad it’s useful to you,” Qin Ming replied with a smile. He reminded her, however, “You shouldn’t practice it until you’ve reached the third major realm. It could be dangerous.”
“I know,” Li Qing Yue said softly. For the first time in a long while, she let out a deep breath, her expression radiant with newfound determination.
“You seemed troubled earlier,” Qin Ming observed, studying her closely.
“You noticed,” Li Qing Yue said with a nod, choosing not to hide the truth. She explained that the competition among the core disciples had concluded, but as one of the Near-Immortal Seeds carefully nurtured by the Beyond, the pressure on her was now even greater.
“Our lineage was rooted in Luo Fu Mountain long ago,” she began. “A thousand years ago, when an attempt was made to elevate the Blessed Lands into a Celestial Realm, it failed catastrophically. Too many accidents occurred, and we lost our foundational scripture.”
Back then, while a few “immortal seeds” escaped the calamity and managed to learn parts of the scripture from the Metallic Paper, they disappeared soon after, never to return.
“Some say he feared being targeted by elders and went into hiding. Others claim he was captured by seniors from other doctrines the very same day,” Li Qing Yue said.
Her lineage had studied the foundational scripture as well, but it was incomplete. If she didn’t manage to fill in the gaps by the time she reached the third major realm, she’d have to look for alternatives.
“The Beyond still holds a few Town-Doctrine Scriptures, with foundations so profound they’re beyond imagination,” she said. “But obtaining one without paying a steep price? That’s unrealistic. Either I’d have to wait years for the elders to negotiate and grant permission, or I’d need to make enormous contributions to the Beyond to exchange for it immediately.”
For her, every moment was precious. A delay of even a year could affect her standing in the fierce competition, as the other Near-Immortal Seeds in the Beyond were equally formidable.
“They’re vying for the right to lead the Beyond in the future. The one who emerges victorious will hold the highest authority,” she explained.
Some of her rivals, Li Qing Yue added, had the innate advantage of backing from powerful family elders. One such contender had even extended an olive branch, suggesting that if she allied with him, she could gain early access to the Town-Doctrine Scripture.
But it wasn’t just one person making such offers. Several parties had placed demands on her, each with conditions she couldn’t accept.
After rejecting them, Li Qing Yue knew the road to acquiring the strongest scripture would only grow more challenging. Her decision had made her path steeper, but she wouldn’t compromise her principles.
“The Beyond is no stranger to competition,” she said with a faint sigh. “Even within, there are various factions—ours is the Blessed Lands lineage, but there are also the Immortal Lands, the Yang Lands, and the Dire Lands.”
Qin Ming quickly realized that the young man he had fought and killed at Black and White Mountain, whose body could transform into mist, must have come from the Yang Lands. Despite their name, the Yang Lands leaned heavily toward yin attributes, blending physical bodies with Consciousness Aura to create a balance that skewed dark and shadowy. They followed an ancient path, believing in the transformation of yin into pure yang.
“Don’t compromise yourself,” Qin Ming said softly, meeting her gaze. He regretted being too weak to help her directly.
Perhaps only a Founder of the Doctrine could stand confidently in the Beyond. For now, that was far out of reach for him.
Li Qing Yue nodded. “The moment I compromise, my path to the Near-Immortal realm ends. Honestly, even without these texts, I’d still be one of the Beyond’s core leaders in the future. But now? I’m aiming for the position with the most authority.”
Her confidence was palpable, radiating from her like an ethereal light. The celestial aura surrounding her shimmered brilliantly, illuminating her presence. With the scripture in hand, she no longer needed to divide her focus.
“I must leave now,” she said, standing.
She retrieved two pieces of Mysterious Metal—one shrouded in a faint purple mist, the other pristine and white like jade. Placing them in Qin Ming’s hand, she explained, “Once refined into weapons, these can penetrate Consciousness Aura, Celestial Light Force, and even Spiritual Eyes. To block them, one would need formidable methods.”
Qin Ming kept only one piece, handing the other back to her. “One is enough for me to study. You should take the other.”
Li Qing Yue didn’t argue. Though she possessed a Near-Immortal Artifact, she couldn’t risk carrying it openly, as it would undoubtedly invite trouble.
As she prepared to leave, she smiled warmly at Qin Ming. Then, stepping closer, she gently embraced him. “I hope that one day, your Celestial Light Force will illuminate the darkest skies.”
Her words carried a deep wish, one that only the greatest Founders of the Doctrine could fulfill—a fitting blessing for Qin Ming, who had embarked on the Awakening Path.
Qin Ming knew that after this departure, Li Qing Yue would likely charge forward with everything she had, striving for higher realms and walking her strongest immortal path. It might be a long time before they met again.
He returned the embrace briefly before stepping back to watch her leave.
“If the Near-Immortal realm isn’t enough and you grow weary of the mortal world, come find me for a drink,” Qin Ming called out with a grin.
Li Qing Yue heard him even as she walked away. She paused, turned back to smile at him, and nodded. Accompanied by an elder, her figure gradually faded into the distance, disappearing completely.