Chapter 132: Fifteen
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“I need to keep training, to push myself further,” Qin Ming murmured, staring into the distance where Li Qing Yue had disappeared. The Beyond was far vaster than he’d ever imagined, encompassing realms such as the Blessed Lands, Immortal Lands, Yang Lands, and Calamitous Lands.
The battle for near-immortal artifacts was tied to the Blessed Lands’ many doctrines.
As his old friend vanished from sight, Qin Ming stood motionless, lost in thought.
At that moment, Qi Dao Ming also stood still nearby, but his mood couldn’t have been more different. The city lord felt as though the sky was crashing down around him. Several betting pools were tied directly to him, and now, they were collapsing!
“Who made such outrageous bets?” Qi Dao Ming gritted his teeth. “Two hidden dragons timed their wagers perfectly to bet on Qin Ming’s victory. I had no idea anyone would gamble on this scale.”
He clenched his fists. “Forget paying them back—grab the money and run! One of those dragons must be Meng Xing Hai. Let’s flip the table and drag him down with us!”
A collaborator beside him looked pale. “City Lord, where could we possibly go? That’s the Meng family’s direct lineage! Not only is he absurdly powerful, but if he catches us—”
“Head deep into the mountains where the Night Fog covers everything,” Qi Dao Ming whispered. “Keep going until you reach the High-Level Aberrations. Hide there for now.”
He fell silent as black mist began to swirl around them. An old man with silver hair and youthful features stepped forward, carrying another elderly man under his arm like a sack of grain.
“Young man, are you planning to cheat me out of my daylight gold?” Li Qing Yun asked, his tone sharp.
Qi Dao Ming froze in disbelief. He didn’t know the old man speaking to him, but he recognized the one being carried—none other than the Fifth Elder of the Cui Family! This elder had extraordinary talent, was favored by the Li Family, and had even become their son-in-law. Qi Dao Ming, well-versed in the powerful families’ members, understood how dangerous this situation was.
His scalp tingled. The man addressing him was terrifying enough, but even the Fifth Elder, slung under the old man’s arm, was a significant threat.
Qi Dao Ming didn’t dare hesitate. Bowing deeply, he said, “Senior, you must be joking. Not a single daylight gold coin you’ve earned will go missing!”
Li Qing Yun nodded. “Smart boy. Business must be conducted with honesty. Don’t try anything shady—it might interrupt my drinking session with my old friend.”
The Fifth Elder of the Cui Family looked as though his soul were leaving his body. He glanced at Qi Dao Ming and his gambling pools, which mirrored his own collapsing composure. Drinking like this? he thought, and suppressed the urge to spit in frustration.
With a swirl of black mist, Li Qing Yun and the Fifth Elder vanished.
At an inn in Light-Chasing City, Cui He and Cui Shu Ning wore serious expressions. They had just learned that Qin Ming had the backing of a hidden aristocratic family, and this was troubling news.
Their family might have stood as a thousand-year-old legacy, but they had no desire to clash with these shadowy giants, who thrived in secrecy. Though their numbers were few, members of these hidden families were all formidable masters, making them difficult to contend with. Their strength, when at its peak, could crush even ancient families like the Cui clan.
Qin Ming reflected on the Blessed Lands, astounded by the sheer number of formidable individuals within it. He remembered the Black and White Mountain, where, at a critical node of rare treasures, a young woman dressed in green had seized the greatest fortune.
From the scraps she left behind, Qin Ming had obtained a vial of mysterious liquid, enabling him to resonate with items bearing the essence of ancient masters.
Clearly, that woman in green was from the Beyond.
“Could she be from the Immortal Lands? She doesn’t seem like someone from the Yang Lands,” he mused.
Her origins had to be remarkable; her mount was a golden roc. Her skill was extraordinary—bold enough to snatch treasures from danger and emerge unscathed.
The discarded “scraps” had already enhanced Qin Ming’s spiritual perception. He could only imagine what kind of benefits her radiant, multicolored “main portion” might have granted her.
As he reflected, another figure came to mind—a young woman in white who had accompanied the one in green. She hadn’t been hostile, but she’d laughed at his simplicity, remarking that even if he stood atop the highest peak, he might only glimpse their figures from afar. The vast gulf between them, she said, was like that of mountains and seas.
Qin Ming sighed. The Beyond was teeming with extraordinary people. And this, he knew, was only what lay on the surface. The paths ahead remained inscrutable.
The realms of the Immortal Lands, Yang Lands, and Calamitous Lands hadn’t even been fully revealed.
“Still lost in thought?” Meng Xing Hai strolled over, grinning. He had made a fortune from the recent events.
“Let’s hope Qing Yue’s efforts pay off,” Qin Ming said. “The competition on her end is fierce.”
“Everywhere’s the same,” Meng Xing Hai replied cheerfully.
Qin Ming nodded. “The Night Fog World is boundless, full of mighty figures. The few doctrines I know of barely scratch the surface, yet they already seem immeasurable. And there are paths I haven’t even touched—like the Secret Sect or the High-Level Aberrations.”
Back at the City Lord’s Mansion, Meng Xing Hai was busy counting his winnings—stacks of large gold tickets. His face practically glowed with joy.
Qin Ming glanced over. “Meng Shu, when’s the next round?” he asked eagerly, itching to bet all his daylight gold this time.
“Here,” Meng Xing Hai said, tossing a small pouch to him. “Take a look at what you’ve earned this time.”
Qin Ming opened it, and five-colored rays of light burst out, dazzling him. Inside were tiny fruits, each the size of a fingernail, shimmering in shades of green, red, and white.
“These are Fallen Fruits?” Qin Ming asked, astonished. Their small size was likely due to the early spring season.
Meng Xing Hai chuckled. “When they fully ripen, they’re as big as a fist. The trees glow with five-colored divine light, illuminating the world.”
Qin Ming could only marvel. The diminutive Fallen Fruits already contained such concentrated celestial energy; the fully ripened Five-Colored Fruits must be unimaginably potent.
Meng Xing Hai smiled knowingly. “I’ve never tasted one myself. Their yield is scarce, and their effects are so potent that they’re never traded.”
Qin Ming grinned. “One day, if I have the chance, I’ll bring you a few ripe Five-Colored Fruits, Meng Shu.”
Meng Xing Hai chuckled. “You’d better work hard. If a grandmaster-level figure were to visit, those Five-Colored Fruits would be treated as mere table snacks.”
The Fallen Fruits brimmed with Celestial Light Force. Qin Ming planned to consume them after his seventh Awakening, believing they would greatly enhance his internal Celestial Light and help him unify his various techniques.
However, he had only recently completed his sixth Awakening at Luo Fu Mountain. Even with his physique, which surpassed most Aberrations, he was nearing his limit.
Ordinary people could only undergo five Awakenings in a year before hitting their threshold. Pushing further would put their bodies in serious danger.
Qin Ming estimated he would need to rest and recover for about half a month before attempting his next Awakening.
His foundation was simply too robust!
The Night Report’s local edition published a piece on Qin Ming’s victory over Chen Yuan, praising his performance as remarkable and outstanding.
The main edition, however, which circulated across the Great Cities, didn’t mention the duel at all.
After all, Light-Chasing City and Red Glow City were considered relatively remote and insignificant. No one paid much attention to two youths battling it out in such places.
A few members of noble families, aware of Qin Ming’s past, did take notice. Still, to them, it was little more than casual gossip over tea.
The fabricated Cui Chong He had already faded from their circles.
Across the cities, battles between the so-called “Firsts” of each region carried significant weight. These contests had become major talking points, with the Night Report’s main edition dedicating extensive coverage to them.
Prodigies from the influential Great Cities dominated these discussions, becoming the subjects of widespread admiration. New names emerged frequently, as gifted youths captured the public’s attention.
One name stood out: Ling Yu of Flowing Light City. The report described him as dazzling, a figure with the poise of a Youth Master. He had already defeated several prominent and formidable opponents.
Despite his growing reputation, Ling Yu remained humble, reportedly remarking, “There are stronger people out there, like a rising sun waiting to pierce through the black fog.”
Meanwhile, Qin Ming threw himself into building his own reputation. Many ancestral halls of prestigious sects and elite academies were beginning to scout for the finest talents.
Over the next two days, Qin Ming fought four battles. Each time, he wagered on himself beforehand.
Unfortunately, Meng Xing Hai had already cleaned up in Light-Chasing City, nearly bankrupting Qi Dao Ming and ruining his reputation. People in Red Glow City were now wary, and Qin Ming’s odds were set so low that betting on him offered almost no returns.
Still, Qin Ming managed to rack up five consecutive victories, earning himself local fame. However, he remained absent from the Night Report’s main edition, which focused on the Great City prodigies.
During this time, Prosperous and Auspicious City produced a Youth Aberration, a revelation that spread like wildfire across the Night Fog World. The Night Report followed the story closely, publishing continuous updates.
“We finally have an Aberration among the Firsts,” Qin Ming read from the report.
It was the first time an Aberration’s identity had been confirmed among the regional champions, creating a massive stir.
Though many speculated that Ling Yu of Flowing Light City might also be an Aberration, he had not made any public statements to confirm it.
In the days that followed, Qin Ming traveled to three more cities, pushing his win streak to eight consecutive victories.
Returning to Red Glow City, he took a short break to gather with Xu Sheng, Wu Zheng, and Sister Fen Fang Zhou Lin.
“Look, a giant white peacock is descending from the sky!” Xu Sheng, a former merchant with keen eyesight, exclaimed from his spot by the window.
Everyone turned to see an enormous White Peacock emerging from the clouds and circling down toward the city.
Moments later, a Five-Colored Spiritual Bird followed, its vibrant feathers shimmering as it descended.
Finally, an Azure Giant Bird appeared, its broad wings slicing through the mist as it approached Red Glow City.
These extraordinary creatures were mounts, each carrying young individuals of obvious importance.
It wasn’t long before word spread. The newcomers hailed from Divine Illumination Academy, Five Elements Palace, and Inquiry Heart Academy.
“Are you here to recruit disciples for your academies?” the Talking Sparrow asked, flitting over to them without hesitation. Its cheerful demeanor showed no fear as it engaged the prestigious arrivals.
“We’re just passing through to resupply,” one of the young individuals replied. “We’re heading to the Great Cities. It’s said a Youth Aberration has appeared there.”
The three factions, having crossed paths on the way, were now all racing to secure the Aberration for their ranks.
The Talking Sparrow didn’t miss a beat. “We’ve got a youth here who’s won eight straight matches! You don’t want to miss him!”
“Then he can apply for admission on his own,” came the indifferent response.
The Sparrow pressed on, “Can he become one of your core disciples?”
“In this region? Even winning forty-eight matches wouldn’t be enough.”
The three factions made it clear they weren’t particularly impressed by records from remote regions. Without lingering, they continued on their way.
Days later, Qin Ming had stretched his win streak to fifteen consecutive victories.
This time, the Night Report’s main edition included a brief mention, noting that cities like Red Glow and Jinxi had produced a few promising youths, some of whom had achieved double-digit winning streaks. Qin Ming’s name, however, remained absent.
Back in Light-Chasing City, Meng Xing Hai turned to Qin Ming with a smile. “Get ready. I bet Cui He won’t sit still much longer. They’ll want to stop you from entering one of the Six Imperial Lineage’s ancestral halls. My guess? They’ll send someone to challenge you.”
His grin widened. “Since they know you’re an Aberration now, let’s give them something to worry about. I’ll spread a rumor that you’re aiming to join the ancestral hall of the Six Imperial Lineage. That’ll get Cui He rattled—they’ll worry you’ll take Cui Chong Xuan’s spot as a core disciple.”
Meng Xing Hai’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “With the right nudge, we might just get Cui He to offer up the Wood Sutra to keep you at bay.”