Chapter 159: Sweeping the Field
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Nearby, the Fire Spring’s flowing streams illuminated the training ground in a radiant glow.
Qin Ming stood in azure robes, his wide sleeves fluttering in the wind, exuding an ethereal, almost immortal grace.
In stark contrast, a white-clad youth lay sprawled on the lapis lazuli ground before him, his bloodied and tattered clothes a testament to his defeat.
The disparity between the two was striking—one appearing like a near-immortal, the other utterly disheveled. Qin Ming’s calm, cutting words left many from the Exotic Immortal Lands visibly discomfited.
“Ah, youth is wonderful. They fall asleep wherever they lie,” an elder from the Six Rulers Sect remarked with a chuckle.
Unsurprisingly, his words displeased the elders of the Exotic Immortal Lands. One of them shot a sidelong glance at the speaker, noting his sparse strands of hair. A petty thought of yanking them out crossed his mind. However, upon being discreetly informed that this elder was the personal disciple of the Six Rulers Sect’s Young Ancestor, the Exotic Immortal elder quickly sat upright, dismissing the comment as nothing more than an elder’s passing “immortal air.”
There was no helping it. On the path of awakening, age often spelled danger. Progress in cultivation hinged on years of arduous perseverance. Even the experts of the Exotic Lands were reluctant to provoke such seasoned figures, whose coffins, as the saying went, already had one nail in place.
Soon after, the white-clad youth was carried off by his compatriots.
The disciples of the Six Rulers Sect buzzed with excitement, marveling at which senior brother had demonstrated such extraordinary skill to defeat his opponent in a single move. Qin Ming, having promised Lu Zi Zai to decisively overpower the challengers from the Exotic Immortal Lands, had naturally held nothing back.
“Did you all grasp what he did?” one elder of the Six Rulers Sect asked his disciples as a test.
“Have you discerned his techniques?” a middle-aged man from the Exotic Immortal Lands questioned his own students, his tone equally stern.
“Using Wood Force, he absorbed the buds formed by the opponent’s Withering and Flourishing Energy. Then, by an unknown technique, he sealed the Pure Yang Consciousness Aura within them. Following that, he ignited the buds with a mysterious fire force, causing the Pure Yang Consciousness Aura to explode,” someone analyzed aloud, piecing together part of the truth.
Many listeners were enlightened but also deeply astonished.
What seemed a casual, almost detached action—like plucking a flower with a serene smile—had, in fact, involved three distinct and powerful techniques executed in rapid succession. For an ordinary person, such mastery was unthinkable.
At this point, a young woman entered the training ground. Clad in silver armor with a lock of dark hair trailing down from her helmet, she looked graceful and elegant, her movements light and fluid.
Yet, once she began her attack, her demeanor shifted completely. Her strikes were sharp, swift, and overwhelmingly forceful.
Gone was the gentle appearance; her palms now radiated intense violet light mingled with fire. Around her feet, dense clouds of purple mist swirled as she launched a rapid assault on her opponent.
Qin Ming couldn’t help but admire her. “Just how many rare techniques has the Exotic Lands cultivated?” he muttered to himself.
As water vapor emerged from Qin Ming’s body, he began channeling the Fire Spring’s energy. Scarlet mist wove around him, casting a mesmerizingly beautiful aura.
The young woman was soon shrouded in violet mist, followed by a surge of firelight.
Her technique, Purple Core Thunderfire from the Wrestling the Immortal Sutra, was exceptionally potent and specialized in countering various Celestial Light Forces.
The group from the Exotic Lands watched with anticipation, confident that Qin Ming was in for trouble. The Purple Core Thunderfire was infamous for igniting other Celestial Light Forces, making it highly unpredictable.
The woman closed in, her entire being ablaze with violet flames—a manifestation of Celestial Light Force at its peak. This was one of the ultimate moves of the Wrestling the Immortal Sutra.
Some murmured in regret. While her mastery of Purple Core Thunderfire was impressive, she had only developed the fire force, not its accompanying thunder force. If she had, Qin Ming would have faced severe consequences unless he used the Six Rulers Force.
Many disciples of the Six Rulers Sect turned pale. Even from a distance, the oppressive presence of the violet Celestial Light Force made their hearts race.
Qin Ming, however, remained composed. “This violet Celestial Light Force is extraordinary,” he noted, “but she hasn’t fully mastered it. The latent thunder energy is faint and unstable—her technique has flaws.”
Effortlessly shifting his Celestial Light Force, Qin Ming allowed the water vapor surrounding him to dissipate.
Instantly, the towering ancient trees around the training ground trembled as torrents of Wood Force surged toward him.
Onlookers were bewildered. Using wood energy to quell fire? That would only fuel its intensity.
In moments, the woman’s Purple Core Thunderfire erupted uncontrollably, spreading violently.
With perfect timing, Qin Ming activated the River Network Force from the River Sutra. Instantly, the Fire Spring’s energy was drawn into the air, generating vast clouds of mist. He unleashed the River Network Force through the mist, directing it toward the young woman. Water and fire clashed violently, triggering a massive explosion.
When Celestial Light Forces of different natures collide, the results are unpredictable.
“Boom!”
A deafening roar reverberated through the training ground as the violet fire spun out of control, accompanied by thunderous bursts.
The thunder energy, previously suppressed, now erupted. Caught off guard, the young woman, unable to fully wield the thunder force, found herself paralyzed, her body convulsing uncontrollably.
She let out a pained scream, her own Purple Core Thunderfire backfiring on her. Collapsing to the ground, her armor shattered, blood seeping from the cracks. Her once-delicate face turned ashen and swollen—a life-threatening condition.
Not far away, Qin Ming stood calmly, his feet unmoving. Another opponent had been swiftly and decisively defeated.
The group from the Exotic Immortal Lands fell silent.
On ordinary days, the young woman could hardly utilize the thunder energy within her Purple Core Thunderfire. Yet today, with her opponent’s “help,” she managed to activate it—only for it to rampage uncontrollably through her own body.
“What are you standing there for? Hurry and save her!” a stern elder barked at the onlookers.
“What was that supposed to be? A self-destructive attack?” Qin Ming muttered softly, though his words were loud enough for many to hear.
The disciples of the Six Rulers Sect erupted into laughter, while the faces of those from the Exotic Immortal Lands darkened. The comment, though blunt, was painfully accurate. The young woman’s Purple Core Thunderfire was remarkable, yet Qin Ming had casually dismantled it. With just two forms of Celestial Light Force, he had caused her own power to implode against her.
This wasn’t just a display of technique but a masterful interpretation of the battlefield and an impeccable grasp of opportunity. Even if others might realize such flaws after the fact, few could exploit them with such swiftness in the heat of battle. Indeed, many had failed to notice the serious vulnerabilities in her technique.
The consecutive defeats left the group from the Exotic Immortal Lands feeling humiliated. Despite the efforts of their senior experts to refine some Pure Yang Consciousness Aura to empower their disciples, the results were utterly dismal.
Next, a young man clad in golden armor strode onto the training ground. The glow of Consciousness Aura flickered at the center of his forehead, merging with his formidable Celestial Light Force. As he advanced, his presence was both oppressive and commanding.
This time, Qin Ming took the initiative, unwilling to waste more time. He recalled Lu Zi Zai’s words—swiftly overpower the challengers, crush their spirits, and send them back to their Immortal Lands nursing their wounds.
Qin Ming’s fist lit up with blinding radiance, like thunder bursting forth, and he struck directly.
A deafening explosion followed, and light flared between the two opponents.
The young man’s technique, derived from the Wrestling the Immortal Sutra, exuded powerful Celestial Light Force. His body was surrounded by a faint violet glow that offered formidable defense. Yet despite his best efforts, Qin Ming’s overwhelming strikes left him trembling. With each exchange, more than half of the violet Celestial Light Force dissipated, and his hand was bloodied, revealing bone beneath torn flesh.
In the next clash, he forced himself to hold his ground, but the result was inevitable. He was sent flying, crashing into the crowd, unable to rise again.
“You should use the techniques of your Exotic Lands when sparring with me,” Qin Ming said. His tone was calm, yet to the disciples from the Exotic Immortal Lands, the words cut deeply.
“I thought your senior experts had deciphered the sutras left behind by a founder on the Path of Awakening,” an elder from the Six Rulers Sect remarked mockingly. “I expected you’d be far better trained. It seems you’re not suited for this path after all.”
At this, another youth in yellow robes entered the fray without a word. His appearance immediately drew serious attention.
His Celestial Light Force was robust, manifesting numerous golden arms around him. These arms radiated a dazzling light as they attacked Qin Ming like the offspring of a multi-armed divine demon.
This technique was undoubtedly powerful. Fully mastered, its destructive potential was unparalleled. Rumors spoke of pseudo-divine beings deep within the Night Fog World that wielded thousands of arms. The ability to conjure arms through Celestial Light Force alone underscored the technique’s uniqueness.
However, Qin Ming saw through the core flaw: the youth was still relying on Consciousness Aura to carry his Celestial Light Force, making it impossible to fully manifest the power of his technique.
The air reverberated as the youth’s golden hair gleamed, and his eight golden arms struck out—some with fists, others with palms or claws. The onslaught was fierce.
Qin Ming remained calm, activating the River Sutra. Instantly, water vapor thickened in the air as he directed the Fire Spring’s energy into the atmosphere, enveloping the area in mist and crimson light.
The environment shifted as Qin Ming unleashed Wind and Thunder Force. Previously, his lightning had been confined near his body. Now, with the River Sutra, he reshaped the battlefield.
Storms brewed, clouds rolled, and lightning crackled, spreading through the mist.
Thunder roared continuously. The yellow-robed youth was struck repeatedly, his body smoking and convulsing. The eight golden arms disintegrated as he let out a scream, collapsing to the ground, charred and motionless.
The training ground was awash in mist and radiant light. Qin Ming stood serenely, his robes fluttering like a celestial figure amidst clouds and rainbows.
“This…” Many onlookers were dumbstruck.
Who was truly walking the Immortal Path? In every sense, the azure-robed youth appeared far more transcendent than the challengers from the Exotic Immortal Lands.
Even Luo Yao, a white-robed young woman among the Exotic Immortal disciples, was stunned. How could someone on the Path of Awakening be so extraordinary, even more ethereal than her people? And how was he so overwhelmingly strong?
Another youth stepped forward next. Employing a technique refined by senior experts, he activated Pure Yang Consciousness Aura and wielded a radiant spiritual artifact.
But before long, a sharp crack resounded as Qin Ming’s glowing right palm landed like a thunderclap, shattering the artifact entirely.
The scene erupted with wind and lightning. Amid the roaring thunder, the youth from the Exotic Immortal Lands collapsed, frothing at the mouth, his body scorched and trembling—a thoroughly disgraceful defeat.
“You walk the Immortal Path. What I’ve demonstrated here is my self-studied Immortal Method. Sparring with me is a perfectly equal exchange,” Qin Ming said with a faint smile.
The crowd’s expressions shifted dramatically.
The challengers had employed techniques from the Path of Awakening to confront the Six Rulers Sect, and Qin Ming had responded with “Immortal Methods.” While everyone knew they weren’t genuine Immortal Techniques, the aura Qin Ming exuded made them appear more profound than many authentic ones.
Now, only one challenger remained—a violet-haired youth named Li Dao Cheng, a true Aberrant with remarkable talent and a solid foundation, augmented by his seniors. But the morale of the Exotic Immortal Lands’ group had plummeted. An elder even grabbed Li Dao Cheng, preventing him from stepping forward.
Today was already a crushing defeat. If their last contender also fell, they would lose all dignity.
“Let me go, Elder. I promise I’ll defeat him!” Li Dao Cheng said confidently, his tone filled with assurance. He was the only one who had mastered the complete Wrestling the Immortal Sutra, thanks to his extraordinary talent.
The elder hesitated, uncertain whether to proceed with the match.
“Let him fight, Senior. I’ll even use one hand,” Qin Ming said with a smile.