Chapter 135: The Young Grandmaster
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
In the thick of the night fog, a young figure emerged. His tall frame carried an understated strength, with broad shoulders that suggested power without bulk.
His steps were unhurried, moving with an uncanny rhythm. Each footfall reverberated like a drumbeat echoing directly into the hearts of those nearby.
Is he making his move already?
Around him, some young onlookers felt their chests tighten, their breathing labored as if their very hearts resonated with his steps.
It was clear to many—this was no ordinary arrival.
The midnight wilderness, devoid of the flickering Fire Spring’s glow, appeared as if submerged in ink. To ordinary eyes, it was a void of nothingness.
As the young man drew closer, his eyes gleamed brightly in the dark, twin lights cutting through the shadows. Each of his steps seemed meticulously measured, precise in both distance and force.
The ground trembled subtly beneath him. He carried a strange, overwhelming “momentum.” A few watching youths felt as though their hearts were being clenched tighter and tighter.
Suddenly, a sharp clang pierced the stillness. The pristine White Jade Alloy Blade on Qin Ming’s back slid partially from its sheath, severing the oppressive rhythm in an instant.
The silver-haired youth faltered, his steps disrupted. The peculiar resonance vanished, and the wisps of Earth Qi dissipated into the foggy night.
“Yu Zhuo Han,” the young man declared, introducing himself.
The surrounding mountains, swallowed by darkness, offered no shadow, no outline—just the unadulterated essence of the Night Fog World.
With his enhanced vision, a gift of six awakenings, Qin Ming observed the figure before him. He calmly returned the courtesy, “Qin Ming.”
Yu Zhuo Han’s silver hair fell gracefully over his shoulders, shimmering faintly even in the deep night. His face, angular and sharp, seemed chiseled from stone.
The two scrutinized one another, neither rushing to make a move.
Where did the Cui Family dig him up? Even Meng Xing Hai furrowed his brow slightly, recognizing the silver-haired youth as someone extraordinary.
The agreed-upon rules forbade the involvement of Outer Saints, established to prevent Cui He from enlisting overwhelmingly powerful reinforcements.
“This one might not be a mere newly awakened,” remarked Qi Dao Ming, an ethereal presence and a son-in-law of the Li Family. He had come purely to spectate.
Indeed, the Li Family was here in force, with representatives spanning three generations, clearly intending to provoke the Cui Family. Regardless of the outcome, they seemed to revel in the prospect of discord.
Cui He and Cui Shu Ning’s expressions darkened upon spotting the Li Family. Their interactions were devoid of even the faintest warmth.
Suddenly, they felt a presence and turned to find Wang Cai Wei’s fifth uncle and her elder brother among the spectators. The two had arrived to watch the battle unfold.
The Cui Family’s past offense—failing to disclose the identity of the imposter Cui Chong He to the Wang Family—left them guilt-ridden. This lapse lingered in their dealings with the Wang Family’s main branch, leaving unresolved tensions.
Especially when Cui Chong He, once dismissed as a pawn to exhaust Li Family resources, began showing signs of “transformation” on his path of awakening. The Cui Family had deemed him expendable, but now some within their ranks hesitated, fearing they had underestimated his potential.
In the distance, Zheng Mao Rong muttered curses under his breath, mocking Cui He’s green-tinted hair and pallid complexion. “The nerve of that rat! He dared slap me? Wait until I settle the score.”
Zheng’s past manipulations, subtle gestures and smiles encouraging others to oppose Qin Ming, were not forgotten. Among the spectators were peers—sons and daughters of aristocratic families—who wore conflicted expressions as they observed Qin Ming amidst the fog. Some had been close friends of his in the past.
Over two years had passed. For many, Qin Ming was no longer someone worth associating with. Yet, curiosity drove a few to see him, seizing the opportunity presented by tonight’s gathering.
Among them, Lu Yu Zhi fixed her gaze on Qin Ming, recalling their chance encounter in Jin Rui City. His comprehension had been remarkable then, but she never expected he might also be an Aberrant.
Such potential, she thought, could earn him a place within the Yuqing Lineage.
The clash began abruptly, silencing the wilderness.
In the suffocating darkness, both combatants became streaks of radiant force, their Celestial Light energies flashing like lightning, illuminating the desolate expanse with every collision.
Yu Zhuo Han retreated quickly, chest heaving, breath ragged. Despite his formidable strength, the weight of Qin Ming’s blows pressed down on him like a mountain.
Yet the Cui Family betrayed no concern, their confidence unshaken.
Meanwhile, the Lu Family spectators, indifferent to the outcome, marveled at Qin Ming’s performance. They now saw him as a confirmed Aberrant.
“Has he truly grown so much in such a short time?” Zheng Mao Rong’s expression darkened, his confidence shaken.
Unfazed by the weight of the situation, Qin Ming advanced with a calm yet imposing presence, his figure like an immovable mountain. He knew his opponent was resilient—Yu Zhuo Han had endured his strike without injury, standing firm.
Yu Zhuo Han’s exceptional physique, nearly that of an Aberrant, was evident. Qin Ming assessed the youth’s potential: with techniques like the Six Rulers Sutra or the Tathagata Sutra, Yu Zhuo Han could rapidly ascend.
In the fog, Yu Zhuo Han’s body shimmered, mysterious patterns spreading across his skin as his silver glow intensified. Undeterred, Qin Ming closed the distance in an instant, his palm striking forth.
Yu Zhuo Han, engulfed in silver flames, transformed his aura entirely. Now brimming with confidence, he retaliated with devastating fist strikes that merged lightning and earth energy, creating a tempest of force.
This stage of awakening rarely allowed access to Earth Qi, yet Yu Zhuo Han wielded it skillfully alongside fiery techniques. Could he have trained in the Wuji Fist as well?
Qin Ming’s own strikes churned the earth beneath him, summoning surges of energy. As the Wuji Fist ignited in his hands, his counters came swift as lightning, meeting the silver-haired youth’s fiery blows head-on.
The two combatants clashed like meteors, their collision bursting into dazzling flames. The Celestial Light Force they wielded rippled outward with every strike, resulting in repeated, earth-shattering impacts. Massive boulders shattered, and towering ancient trees exploded under the sheer force of their blows.
With a resounding bang, Yu Zhuo Han was flung far into the air, crashing into a centuries-old tree that splintered under the impact. He staggered to the ground, gasping for breath, visibly struggling to recover.
Above, a radiant streak of light sliced through the night sky. Qin Ming allowed no respite, surging forward at incredible speed. The Separation Flame Force erupted from his right palm, blazing like a golden sun cutting through the night fog, obliterating everything in its path.
With an earth-shaking roar, the terrain erupted in a storm of debris. Trees crumbled, and the ground was gouged deeply by the force of the attack. Qin Ming relentlessly pursued Yu Zhuo Han, pressing his advantage.
Members of the Cui Family began to show subtle signs of unease, though their concern had not yet escalated to alarm.
“This Qin Ming is astonishingly powerful for someone in the awakening phase,” someone observed. “He’s not just holding his ground—he’s outright suppressing a formidable opponent.”
Attention turned to Cui He as Wang Cai Wei’s elder brother demanded, “Exactly how many times has this Qin Ming undergone awakening?”
The question reflected the unease spreading among the spectators. Yu Zhuo Han, nearly an Aberrant, was being overpowered by Qin Ming. This contradicted the knowledge that Qin Ming had been on the awakening path for less than six months. During that time, a hard limit of five awakenings was supposed to apply.
Meng Xing Hai, watching the unfolding events, smiled faintly and explained, “Qin Ming is fortunate. Back when he struggled to survive as a hunter, he stumbled upon an Ethereal Bamboo Shoot on Black Sun Mountain. Consuming it purified his body, freeing him from the five-awakening limit for a year.”
Many were stunned. The Ethereal Bamboo Shoot was priceless, a miraculous medicine capable of purging toxins and curses. If cultivated to maturity as Ethereal Bamboo, its value would multiply exponentially, providing constant purification without being consumed.
Meng Xing Hai, however, was fabricating a plausible story. The truth—that Qin Ming had undergone six awakenings and achieved a strength of 9,000 pounds per arm—was too extraordinary. If this secret were revealed, it might attract ancient and fearsome figures seeking to study his body. Not even Li Qing Yun, the enigmatic protector, could guarantee Qin Ming’s safety in such circumstances.
Wang Cai Wei’s elder brother glanced at Cui He and remarked coolly, “Even now, Qin Ming surpasses Cui Chong Xuan, whom you fed with the Six Rulers Heart Sutra. At this rate, he might rival Cui Chong He, the Near-Immortal Seed.”
Cui Shu Ning, visibly displeased, retorted, “How can someone on the awakening path compare to a Near-Immortal Seed from the Exotic Lands? Even among Aberrants, Qin Ming is nothing more than a Divine Armor Guard—or at most, a higher-ranking follower to Chong He!”
Cui He added, “He has his limits. Among the countless newly awakened, how many ever become figures like the Ancestors of the Six Rulers, Tathagata, or Sky-Supporting Sect? Even they only reached such heights after endless years of grinding their cultivation.”
Meng Xing Hai interrupted, unimpressed by their remarks. “Enough chatter. Are the fragments of the Wood Sutra and the Longevity Sutra ready?”
Cui Shu Ning’s expression grew colder as she replied, “The outcome is far from decided.”
Another thunderous impact echoed. Qin Ming, channeling Wind Force, seemed to glide effortlessly through the air, treading lightly over the grass as he closed the distance to Yu Zhuo Han. The Separation Flame Force ignited once more, blazing like an inferno that scorched the night. Yu Zhuo Han was sent flying yet again.
The young aristocrats were shaken. This man, once banished to the wilderness and left for dead, had risen to such heights through sheer grit.
“You’re too arrogant!” Cui Shu Ning shouted toward Yu Zhuo Han, sensing the tide turning against them.
Yu Zhuo Han wiped the blood from his mouth, his voice steady despite the pain. “I’m not just fighting for you—I’m tempering myself.”
In the next instant, his body underwent a startling transformation. Streams of silver flame surged outward, illuminating his entire form. His hair, radiant and crystalline, seemed ablaze, and every pore on his body exuded brilliant light.
In the dense night fog, he appeared like a blazing silver moon.
“An Exotic Outsider Sorcerer?” someone exclaimed in astonishment.
Among the youth, murmurs spread. “He’s from the Secret Sect—and a rare innate ability user!”
Yu Zhuo Han’s Aberrant-level physique, combined with his mastery of Secret Sect techniques, marked him as a prodigious figure. His reputation and origins were extraordinary.
Yet Qin Ming showed no fear, pressing forward with calm confidence. His composed demeanor exuded a steady dominance, undeterred by the identity or power of his opponent.
As Yu Zhuo Han summoned a crescent-shaped light wheel and hurled it toward him, Qin Ming barely tilted his head, evading effortlessly. The Celestial Light Force rippling around him amplified his momentum as he advanced.
Yu Zhuo Han’s hands moved in intricate patterns, conjuring a barrage of fiery silver blades. The weapons hurtled toward Qin Ming, their flames roaring.
Qin Ming remained unyielding. Surrounding him, a golden radiance flared—his protective Golden Light Shield extending three inches from his body. The fiery blades collided with his defense, sparking metallic clangs, but failed to penetrate.
Undeterred, Yu Zhuo Han summoned a luminous silver spear, its radiant flames seemingly capable of burning through the night. He hurled it with immense force.
Qin Ming didn’t falter. His Golden Light Shield receded as his hands, sheathed in a golden glow, intercepted the spear. With a powerful motion, he crushed the weapon, reducing it to shimmering fragments that scattered into the void.
Stepping forward with unshaken resolve, Qin Ming closed the gap. His presence loomed like a mountain descending upon Yu Zhuo Han.
“To face a Secret Sect innate ability user so calmly and dismantle their techniques with ease…”
In hushed tones, someone remarked, “The Night Report speaks often of a so-called Young Grandmaster. Now I see the truth—this young man truly embodies that title.”
Qin Ming’s fists and palms radiated intense golden light, like twin suns blazing through the night sky. The overwhelming brilliance bore down upon his opponent, exuding divine authority and sacred might.