Chapter 166: The Life and Death of the First Patriarchs of the Great Teachings
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“No,” Qin Ming replied decisively.
Meng Xing Hai raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Refusing so firmly?”
In the serene hall, the scent of calming incense rose gently from a purple copper burner, creating an atmosphere of tranquility. Qin Ming sighed. “The people I want to see aren’t here, and most of the ones I don’t want to meet have already shown up.”
Li Qing Yun nodded approvingly. “That’s the kind of spirit young people should have. If you don’t want to see them, just refuse.”
In truth, Qin Ming could already imagine what such meetings would entail.
“Wang Cai Wei wants to see you,” a black-clad figure announced as they entered.
“Tell her I’m in seclusion,” Qin Ming said flatly.
The visitors knew he was in the mansion and were insistent on meeting him face-to-face. Soon, messengers arrived one after another, delivering requests from Lu Zhen Yi, Zheng Mao Ze, Zeng Yuan, and others.
Qin Ming remained absent, unwilling to witness the self-satisfaction some displayed after stepping onto the path of immortality. He had already seen enough of that during his time in Black and White Mountain and Silver Vine Town.
“Direct and straightforward,” Li Qing Yun remarked with a smile.
Meng Xing Hai interjected with a smirk, “Uncle Li, perhaps it’s best not to repeat those words—it sounds a bit too much like Cao Qian Qiu’s style.”
Moments later, Qin Ming fell into contemplation. He had just learned from Meng Xing Hai that Cao Qian Qiu, whose consciousness aura resembled a blazing crimson sun, had once extended a finger in the night sky, intending to crush him outright.
A chill ran through Qin Ming. He had kept a low profile in the divine city, blending into the crowd without drawing attention. How could he have provoked someone like Cao Qian Qiu?
“It doesn’t make any sense,” he murmured, puzzled.
“He said he caught a hint of the Overlord’s shadow in you,” Meng Xing Hai revealed.
Qin Ming’s expression changed subtly. The old man’s intuition was terrifying. Without Qin Ming even utilizing the Overlord’s techniques, Cao Qian Qiu had still detected traces of it.
Qin Ming vividly recalled the scene described in the Overlord’s Legacy. Cao Qian Qiu had unleashed six devastating palm strikes, shattering the Overlord’s limbs, torso, and head. The Overlord’s blood, imbued with powerful emotional waves, spilled onto the ground, glowing with brilliance, only to be reduced to ashes under Cao Qian Qiu’s contemptuous footstep, leaving the land scorched.
One droplet of blood had fallen onto the Overlord’s writings, carrying an intense aura, but Cao Qian Qiu had effortlessly extinguished it with a casual swipe of his hand.
“How has someone so domineering and tyrannical never met their match?” Qin Ming asked.
Li Qing Yun’s face grew solemn. “The matches he met? He shattered them. He’s one of the most prominent figures in the Exotic Pure Land.”
Meng Xing Hai nodded, his tone grave. “Currently, he’s one of the foremost individuals from the Exotic Pure Land.”
Qin Ming fell silent. The sheer strength and danger posed by this old monster were overwhelming.
“My martial uncle has already returned and likely won’t come out for another decade,” Meng Xing Hai remarked.
“Has Old Cao left?” Li Qing Yun asked.
“Not yet,” Meng Xing Hai replied. “It’s said he plans to visit Black and White Mountain.”
Hearing this, Qin Ming’s sense of safety evaporated. As long as Cao Qian Qiu remained in the city, he could crush him with a single finger if he so wished.
Soon after, Meng Xing Hai received reliable news and smiled. “He’s just left.”
Qin Ming exhaled a faint sigh of relief, yet a deep desire to grow stronger ignited within him. Living in the Night Fog World was already difficult enough, but with beings like Cao Qian Qiu around, his sense of security was practically nonexistent.
The conversation gradually lightened after they stopped discussing Cao Qian Qiu.
Qin Ming shared his experiences from the borderlands of the world. When the others learned that he had even encountered and hunted extraordinary bloodline creatures, they were shocked.
“Do you know the value of extraordinary bloodlines? Every drop can create an Aberrant!” Meng Xing Hai exclaimed.
Li Qing Yun added, “Some of the elders in the Six Rulers Sect must be grieving bitterly. Behind every divine creature lies an elder.”
Qin Ming’s expression turned serious. “Doesn’t that count as fostering disasters?”
Meng Xing Hai shook his head. “Not quite.”
“They’ve established boundaries, forbidding these old monsters from stepping into human settlements. The divine plains are chaotic battlegrounds, untouched by us. Without these captive old creatures holding the frontier, other demons and monsters would cross the line at any time, slaughter villages, and harm people. The bloodshed would only increase.”
Li Qing Yun examined Qin Ming closely, assessing his potential. “Your foundation is something I can’t quite grasp. Perhaps the New Awakening Path is too obscure. Maybe heaven itself wants to see you carve your own way.”
Qin Ming shook his head. “What foundation? My achievements mean nothing now. Reaching the Outer Saint stage is like crossing a massive chasm. This path is too difficult. And I only have two Awakening opportunities left.”
Meng Xing Hai mused, “With your deep foundation, perhaps there’s still hope. The obstacles ahead might not stop you.”
Qin Ming sighed. “The Six Rulers Sect is so illustrious, possessing the legendary Six Rulers Heart Sutra and a complete cultivation path. But what did I see there? A group of emaciated old men who can barely compare to the younger members of the Exotic Immortal Lands despite being far older.”
The danger was real. Qin Ming had learned that these frail elders had once been brilliant, suppressing even the core disciples of the Exotic Lands in their youth. Yet by the second great realm, they were surpassed. By the third, they found themselves competing with their opponents’ descendants—a demoralizing trajectory.
Even top Aberrants didn’t fare much better. The more glorious their early years, the greater the decline in their later stages. The endless years of stagnation became a crushing weight.
The most horrifying part? Someone had once suggested the Six Rulers Sect’s patriarch serve as a laborer. This was too heavy a topic, and Qin Ming chose not to dwell on it.
Instead, he sought advice from the two, hoping to find answers.
“Are the founders of teachings like Tathagata, Six Rulers, Sky-Supporting, and Yuqing truly the original patriarchs?”
Qin Ming had experienced several notable events during his time at the Six Rulers Sect, including meeting Lu Zi Zai. While practicing the River Network Sutra in a state between dreaming and waking, he seemed to catch a glimpse of the Six Rulers Patriarch and a terrifying giant drenched in blood, bathed in golden light, looming in the shadowy night behind him. The scene left him with countless questions.
Meng Xing Hai, now serious, remarked, “I think they’ve all been replaced. No one could live that long.”
This was his conclusion. Even the youngest ancestral halls of the sects on the New Awakening Path had been around for over a thousand years, with the oldest teachings exceeding three millennia.
Li Qing Yun added, “Some say that a few patriarchs are still the originals.”
“At the very least, Tathagata has certainly been replaced. They themselves have the concept of a ‘current Tathagata,’ referring to the present patriarch, while the ‘past Tathagata’ denotes the former one,” Meng Xing Hai explained.
Li Qing Yun nodded. “It’s rumored that a single special scripture once caused the downfall of more than one patriarch.”
Hearing this, Qin Ming’s heart was shaken. He suspected it was likely the Silk Script Method.
The two then helped Qin Ming deliberate where he should go next, and their discussions stretched into the late hours. The following morning, the Talking Sparrow appeared in Qin Ming’s room at dawn.
“Mountain Lord, you’re finally back! Life was so dull without you. I missed you so much. This time, if you’re heading far away to study, take me with you, will you? No more sneaking off without me.”
Qin Ming gave it a sidelong glance and replied, “I heard you’ve been mingling with other aberrant creatures. Were you too busy enjoying yourself—or did you take another bride?”
“Impossible! I’m a devoted bird!” the sparrow protested indignantly. Its feathers shimmered brilliantly now, and its beak and claws glistened like polished gems.
Qin Ming chuckled. “Do you even believe yourself?”
Thumping its chest with a wing, the sparrow declared, “We sparrows only mate once a year in early spring. During that time, I am absolutely loyal to my partner!”
Qin Ming refrained from commenting further. Otherwise, the sparrow would surely launch into a tirade about the honor of its kind, claiming to be a paragon of fatherly love and virtue.
Two days later, Qin Ming left the City Lord’s Mansion, estimating that most of the visitors would have left by now. However, by sheer chance, he encountered Zheng Mao Rong, Zeng Yuan, and others—still wrapped in bandages—along the way. They hadn’t left.
If not for the presence of Lu Zhen Yi and Chen Bing Yan, who had spoken up for him back in Black and White Mountain, Qin Ming might have turned around to avoid them altogether.
“Qin Ming, you’re so heartless. We came to your territory, and you hid from us!” Zheng Mao Ze exclaimed.
“Big Zheng, what happened to you? Why are you all battered?” Qin Ming asked. He had, after all, slapped Zheng Mao Ze during the chaos in the Divine City when he couldn’t resist joining the brawl.
Zheng Mao Ze’s life-saving artifacts had proven their worth, shattering spiritual shields and armor in succession, enabling him to escape with his life. His face turned dark at Qin Ming’s question. Lately, every time he ventured out seeking opportunities, some inexplicable incident would leave him with multiple broken bones. It was miserable to the point of giving him a psychological shadow.
Zeng Yuan was in a similarly sorry state.
Qin Ming paid little attention to them, choosing instead to chat with Lu Zhen Yi and Chen Bing Yan.
“Weren’t you supposed to be in seclusion?” Wang Cai Wei’s voice rang out from behind. She was still here, wearing a black dress. Her long black hair framed her face, her skin smooth and radiant as ever. Her smile was dazzling and infectious.
“I just came out today,” Qin Ming replied.
Inevitably, he had to play host under such circumstances. He selected a lakeside restaurant in the city and invited Xu Sheng, Sister Fen Fang, and Wu Chi Fan to join as well.
Yet even this didn’t stop Zheng Mao Ze from flaunting his achievements on the immortal path. Worse, he managed to draw attention to himself.
“For someone from the Exotic Lands, a Jade Armor Guard can serve a family for three generations,” Zheng Mao Ze quipped, his tone mocking.
His implication was clear: while Jade Armor Guards were powerful and highly skilled, their potential plateaued. They could no longer advance and would eventually be overtaken by the younger generation of their masters, serving loyally but falling behind.
The Talking Sparrow’s gemstone-like eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Brother, does your family raise Jade Armor Tortoises? Did one outlive three generations of your family?”
“Whose bird is this? It’s got no filter!” Zheng Mao Ze slammed the table in frustration.
“I live at the City Lord’s Mansion,” the sparrow declared smugly.
Xu Sheng interceded to ease the tension. “Brother, let’s have a drink. I’ll tell you some stories from my years as a traveling merchant.”
He began recounting tales of encountering ghostly households in the Night Fog, of the chilling moments when they appeared alive and moving about the bustling cities, only to vanish with terrifying consequences.
But midway through his story, Xu Sheng paled. His expression turned to one of fear as he abruptly excused himself, leaving Zheng Mao Ze stunned and furious. The meal came to an awkward end.
Chen Bing Yan reassured Qin Ming, “If you ever need anything, let us know. We’ll help however we can.”
Qin Ming didn’t hesitate. “If you find any rare techniques in the Exotic Lands, please copy them for me if possible.”
“Of course!” they agreed before departing.
Later that evening, someone delivered a mysterious package to Qin Ming. Inside, wrapped in layers of oiled paper, was a book titled Five Thunder Organ Refining Technique. Qin Ming had heard of this skill before—it was far from ordinary. Who had sent it?
Before he could ponder further, Meng Xing Hai arrived, looking grave. He brought shocking news from Li Qing Yun, who had just received a secret report.
“Unbelievable! Major news—Cao Qian Qiu suffered a severe injury at Black and White Mountain. This is a seismic event for the Night Fog World!”