Chapter 148: The Season of Harvest
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“Brothers, you’ve been watching for a while now. Surely, you’ve gauged his strength. Isn’t it time to act?” The Fire Lion, its body battered and riddled with fractures, growled weakly.
The three experts hesitated, remaining cautious. They were unwilling to make a move without fully understanding their opponent’s condition. If things turned unfavorable, they intended to retreat into the mountains without hesitation.
The Fire Lion had paid a heavy price, clashing fiercely with the human youth to provide these reinforcements a chance to observe and analyze. Qin Ming, hearing their exchange, smirked knowingly. Sparks of electricity flickered across his body, and he gave a mocking shiver.
Above, the night sky was a swirling chaos. Silver lightning danced wildly amidst torrential rain, casting an eerie, deadly aura over the mountain. Slowly, the three figures advanced, radiating an overwhelming sense of menace.
“Where’s the rare medicine?” rasped the masked human man, his voice hoarse. A bronze mask concealed his features, and a massive sword rested on his back. As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the Fire Lion.
The lion flinched, puzzled. “Why’s he looking at me?” it thought. Then, realization struck, and rage bubbled up. “He better not be thinking of turning me into medicine!” it fumed silently.
“Third Brother, fetch the rare blood from my private chamber,” commanded the Black Roc. Despite summoning five allies, only three had shown up, and even they had arrived late.
An old donkey darted off toward a nearby structure, swiftly returning with a flawless crystal vial. Inside it swirled an ominous black liquid, glowing faintly with an otherworldly sheen.
“Good,” grunted a towering, three-meter-tall porcupine. Standing upright on stubby legs, its silver quills bristled menacingly. Black Roc winced internally; obtaining this precious blood had cost him everything, traded from an elder of his lineage. He’d never planned to use it—defeating the human youth should have been straightforward. Yet, the worst-case scenario had arrived.
“If it were the blood of a Golden-Winged Roc, that’d be ideal,” commented a vibrant, two-meter-long sparrow. Its golden crest flickered like flames, while its crimson back and violet belly gleamed. Its tail feathers, three meters long, shimmered with radiant blue.
Black Roc bristled, his mood souring. “What’s wrong with Black Roc blood? Is it not Roc blood too?” he grumbled inwardly. Though… he had to admit the difference was glaring.
Qin Ming’s sharp eyes studied the colorful sparrow. Intelligent and spirited, it likely possessed rare blood itself. But what surprised him most was its sudden declaration: “This youth is quite extraordinary. His aura is nearly celestial. We shouldn’t kill him.”
The other creatures were taken aback, glancing at the porcupine in confusion. Qin Ming, too, raised an eyebrow, finding the porcupine’s outlook unexpectedly broad.
The porcupine explained matter-of-factly, “A youth so ethereal and otherworldly would be perfect for washing my back and grooming my quills daily. Spare him, and he’ll add a touch of elegance to my court.”
The others quickly caught on: the porcupine wanted to keep the boy alive as a decorative servant.
Qin Ming’s expression darkened. He resolved to pluck every one of its quills and “polish” its back with his White Jade Alloy Blade.
The masked man interrupted, “If we act quickly, we might extract some medicinal properties from the silver blood he recently absorbed.” His tone was cold, calculating.
Qin Ming’s gaze grew icy. Sometimes, humans were more monstrous than the demons they fought.
The sparrow added, “I’ll taste his heart’s blood later to test for any residual potency.”
“Hurry up and end this!” the Fire Lion urged, its voice laced with animosity. It wanted the rapidly growing youth eliminated without delay.
Black Roc nodded. “Brothers, you’re in luck. This brat, like me, has been struck by lightning and is severely weakened. He’s hardly a threat now. Move in!”
The masked man stepped forward first, drawing his massive sword. Lightning flared as he strode into the fray.
The sparrow took flight, soaring gracefully into the stormy sky. Its vibrant plumage radiated a divine aura, and dazzling beams of gold, crimson, blue, and violet light shot out, filling the air with majesty.
The silver porcupine revealed a finely crafted silver bow etched with cloud patterns. It plucked one of its own quills for an arrow. Though its limbs were short, they extended unnaturally, allowing it to draw the bowstring taut.
With a thunderous whoosh, the arrow streaked through the storm, burning brightly like a meteor. Rain sizzled and evaporated in its wake. A true master of archery, the porcupine’s skill was unparalleled.
Qin Ming’s instincts screamed. He jerked his head aside just in time. The silver arrow zipped past his ear, its blistering heat tousling his hair. Behind him, a black-gold stone building crumbled, obliterated by the arrow’s sheer force.
The masked man lunged again, his sword striking like a thunderbolt. Brilliant arcs of energy erupted as the blade collided with Qin Ming’s own. Despite his current weakness, Qin Ming’s swift reactions kept him alive, though his adversary’s technique, Celestial Light Force, was formidable—fierce, scorching, and relentless.
Meanwhile, the sparrow unleashed a cascade of radiant beams from the sky, each more destructive than the last. When a careless strike obliterated part of the mountain, the masked man cursed, retreating hurriedly. “Watch your aim!” he barked.
“My bad!” the sparrow chirped nonchalantly.
The porcupine intensified its attack, firing a barrage of silver arrows. Each shot sealed Qin Ming’s escape routes, forcing him to fend them off with his blade.
As the masked man charged once more, his sword blazed like a fiery comet, slashing through the rain with devastating force. Together, the three pressed Qin Ming mercilessly, all while maintaining a wary distance, fearful he might summon lightning with his blade.
Despite the torrential downpour and chaotic battle, Qin Ming fought valiantly. A green mist surged before him, forming a shield of Wood Force. Though shattered repeatedly by the porcupine’s arrows, it disrupted their trajectory enough to save him.
Yet, the masked man’s relentless strikes grew fiercer, his sword enveloped in roaring flames.
In this critical moment, Qin Ming’s sharp eyes constantly flicked upward, calculating the best way to neutralize the sparrow-like aberrant, Jin Que. Its wings granted it an unparalleled advantage; if it decided to flee, he had no means to stop it.
Feigning exhaustion, Qin Ming staggered backward while blocking the masked man’s strikes. At the same time, the silver porcupine’s arrows repeatedly forced him into dangerous situations, narrowly missing their mark. Yet, he seemed almost indifferent to Jin Que’s aerial attacks, deliberately charging into the four-colored radiance to evade the heavy sword and silver arrows.
“Jin Que, are you holding back?” the silver porcupine complained, its tone laced with dissatisfaction.
Even the masked man cast a questioning glance skyward. Jin Que, prideful by nature, was infuriated. Was this human youth treating its attacks as a safe haven from the others? How insulting!
Incensed, Jin Que descended closer, unleashing a violent storm of four-colored light. Its entire form seemed ablaze, its piercing cries shaking the entire region.
Qin Ming, retreating step by step, suddenly leaped atop a ruined building and then, without warning, launched himself into the air toward Jin Que. His White Jade Alloy Blade brushed against its feathers, and in an instant, he changed his technique to a binding force, grabbing hold of its tail feathers and dragging it downward.
Arrows streaked toward him from every direction as Qin Ming hung in midair, an easy target. Yet, he remained calm. Golden threads, the manifestation of his Golden Silkworm Force, danced around him, distorting the space and diverting every arrow away.
The silver porcupine gasped audibly at this display, its breath caught in the thick night air.
Jin Que shrieked in fury, its cry like a phoenix reborn to burn the darkness. It flapped its wings desperately, but Qin Ming wrenched four of its tail feathers free, leaving streaks of blood in the air. Despite his success, he regretted failing to capture it outright.
Landing gracefully, Qin Ming severed the bloodied feathers, keeping only the vibrant, pristine portions. He tucked one into his hair with a deliberate flourish, a taunt aimed directly at Jin Que.
“So weak,” he said, shaking his head as he looked toward the sky.
The masked man charged once more, flames from his sword illuminating the mountainside. At the same time, the silver porcupine, noticing Qin Ming’s subtle shift in technique, grew frantic. It yanked out its longest silver quills, their surfaces faintly inscribed with intricate patterns.
Jin Que erupted in rage. After unleashing another wave of radiant light, it suddenly dove toward the ground. Its half-meter-long beak, sharp as a blade, gleamed with four-colored brilliance, gathering all its demonic energy and Celestial Light Force into a single strike. Like an otherworldly sword descending from the heavens, it aimed to end the battle in one decisive blow—a move it had never failed with.
Even Black Roc, watching from afar, felt a chill. In its prime, it doubted it could have survived such an attack.
Jin Que cloaked its true form behind a blinding cascade of light, diving stealthily. Yet Qin Ming’s sharp senses detected its presence. A grin spread across his face as his Celestial Light Force surged, now radiating with an extraordinary brilliance. Four supreme techniques and twenty-seven strands of Celestial Light Force fused seamlessly within him.
As Jin Que emerged from the shimmering veil, its radiant beak aimed directly at Qin Ming’s skull. In its mind, the battle was already over.
But as it closed in, it sensed a drastic change. The youth below now exuded an aura of overwhelming vitality and sacredness. Encased in dazzling, sun-like brilliance, Qin Ming’s figure radiated an invincible, transcendent might.
With a single move, Qin Ming caught Jin Que’s beak mid-strike. His fused Celestial Light Force surged with unstoppable power, snapping the beak with a sickening crack.
“Aaaargh!” Jin Que screamed, its voice piercing the air. Pain consumed it as its opponent’s scorching energy seared through its body. Qin Ming’s palms struck again, shattering its wings, and a final blow broke its legs, leaving it completely incapacitated.
He let the creature fall to the ground and stood tall, radiating power like a golden sun. Turning to the masked man, who had lunged forward, Qin Ming met his blazing sword barehanded.
Despite the masked man’s formidable strength, their clash ended swiftly. Qin Ming seized the flaming sword, snapping it in two with a burst of radiant energy. Before the man could retreat, Qin Ming struck him with a flurry of punches and kicks, sending him flying. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he hit the ground hard.
The silver porcupine, terrified, tried to flee. But Black Roc shouted desperately, “If we scatter, we’ll all die! Our only chance is to fight together!”
“He’s right!” the masked man groaned, forcing himself upright and charging barehanded. Black Roc and the injured Fire Lion, dragging their battered bodies, also rushed forward with reckless abandon. Even Jin Que, its beak shattered and wings broken, spewed four-colored light in a final act of defiance.
“Step back, all of you!” roared the silver porcupine. Its body glowed like a divine furnace, emitting terrifying brilliance. Every silver quill trembled, then detached, flying outward in all directions. The arrows filled the sky, sealing off all escape and converging on Qin Ming.
Qin Ming stood still, his body encased in twenty-seven radiant layers of Celestial Light Force. The spinning rings of light shredded the incoming quills, reducing them to metallic dust.
The elder creatures trembled as they watched. Qin Ming, standing amidst the golden radiance, looked like an untouchable deity.
With a sudden burst of power, he shattered the porcupine’s barrage. Stepping forward, his divine aura radiating overwhelming dominance, he unleashed his full strength. The old monsters, unwilling to die without a fight, lunged at him together.
The battlefield became a whirlwind of light and energy, but their efforts were in vain. Qin Ming’s power was absolute. Blood sprayed as their bodies were torn apart one by one, leaving them sprawled across the ground, defeated and powerless.
Only the old donkey, trembling violently, remained motionless, too scared to intervene.
Qin Ming, bathed in radiant light, allowed himself a rare smile. The season of harvest had come. With three rare blood essences secured, his foundation and strength would soon rise to even greater heights.