Chapter 167: Unfathomable
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“He was seriously injured?” Li Qing Yun, with his snow-white hair shimmering and face glowing with vitality, appeared unusually astonished, a stark contrast to his usual calm demeanor.
The thought was staggering. The sheer strength and stature of Cao Qian Qiu were legendary. News of his injury left even Li Qing Yun in disbelief, and Meng Xing Hai deemed it a monumental event.
Hearing this, Qin Ming fully grasped Cao Qian Qiu’s immense power and influence—a towering presence that loomed over all like a mountain in the clouds, pressing down on the hearts of many. At the same time, Qin Ming felt deeply unsettled.
The Black Sun Mountain region—what could it possibly hold? Cao Qian Qiu, a figure who had mastered creation itself and struck fear into all factions, had met an immovable obstacle there. This time, he neither broke through nor crushed it. Could a remarkable figure have emerged from that desolate land? Reflecting on his journey from there, Qin Ming wondered, Had I missed something? Could there be a hidden elder residing there?
Five centuries ago, Black and White Mountain had been a fearsome forbidden zone that people avoided. Then, it mysteriously collapsed in a single night, declining into a barren wasteland.
“Could some ancient master from that era still be alive?” Qin Ming mused aloud.
“At a time like this, one should toast to the unexpected,” Meng Xing Hai remarked with a grin, ordering luminous goblets and Golden Glow Wine to celebrate the occasion.
Li Qing Yun took a sip of the radiant wine, its brilliance rippling like waves. “Do we have any more specific information?”
Meng Xing Hai nodded. “An old friend of mine who lingered near the area sent a message. He didn’t dare approach but heard from other aberrant beings that Cao Qian Qiu was staggering and needed his disciples to support him as he walked.”
Qin Ming was stirred. For such a domineering figure to be reduced to such a state, the one responsible must be truly fearsome.
“This is bound to stir up a storm. Will anyone dare to hunt the injured Cao Qian Qiu in that region? For so many years, he’s stood at the peak, untouchable,” Li Qing Yun said.
“Winds of change are inevitable,” Meng Xing Hai agreed.
Qin Ming secretly hoped that Cao Qian Qiu would never leave Black Sun Mountain. The old monster was far too dangerous, and even a single glance could spell death if it caught his attention.
But who could have confronted him so decisively? Qin Ming speculated, “Even if that area holds mysteries, it’s most likely connected to quasi-divine beings rather than humans.”
He thought of the current Mountain Lord, the white-furred creature, who had once wept over a grave in that region, bowing deeply in reverence. It was said that the ancient tomb held the remains of an aberrant being.
Soon, news spread, triggering a massive uproar. Cao Qian Qiu’s injury shook the Night Fog World, and the long-forgotten name of Black and White Mountain once again appeared in the records of major powers.
However, these power struggles had little to do with Qin Ming. Battles among such figures were far beyond his reach.
Returning to his quiet studies, Qin Ming immersed himself in the book Five Thunder Organ Refining Technique and was deeply captivated. He had first heard of it at the ruins of Luo Fu Mountain but never expected to obtain it now. The technique strengthened internal vitality and seemed to harmonize well with Purple Core Thunderfire, promising immense potential.
Unfortunately, the hand-copied manuscript carried no lingering emotions, making it impossible to discern who had gifted it to him.
“Thunder and fire in harmony, dragon and tiger united, refining the great elixir. One day, this might truly be achievable,” Qin Ming thought as he delved into the technique. He felt it was an invaluable addition to his repertoire.
As he practiced, multicolored radiance swirled within his organs, mingling with the crackling sounds of thunder that reverberated outward. The sudden burst startled the Talking Sparrow, who was napping nearby. It flapped its wings wildly in fright, nearly colliding with the beams of the room.
“Mountain Lord, your insides are practically a thunderstorm! Your organs can host lightning bolts!” it exclaimed, eyes wide with admiration.
Qin Ming glanced at it and asked, “Do you have any inheritances or legacies?”
The sparrow sighed. “Life is tough for a bird. All I have are the most basic techniques from the mountains—ones everyone knows. Even though I possess divinity, my only hope for rising up lies in bodily mutations.”
“I’ll teach you two techniques.”
Qin Ming transcribed the Black Roc Fragmentary Sutra that he had obtained from the Divine Plains.
“Oh, heavens and earth! It’s a Roc clan heart method! I could cry tears of joy. I must master it immediately to repay you, Mountain Lord!” the sparrow exclaimed, so overwhelmed with excitement that it somersaulted in the air, pointing one wing skyward in a dramatic pledge of loyalty.
“I also have another unique technique, one from a bird resembling a phoenix,” Qin Ming began, but the sparrow, overwhelmed with happiness, seemed as if it were in a drunken stupor and almost fell to the ground.
One sentence from Qin Ming, however, brought it back to reality and left it in stunned silence.
“You’re still too weak right now. Stay in Red Glow City and cultivate. I’m about to set out for a dangerous journey. If you follow me, you might get hurt.”
“You’re leaving again on your own?” the sparrow asked with a forlorn look.
Qin Ming nodded. “After teaching you these two sutras, focus on improving yourself here.”
“I see… I’m just too weak,” the sparrow muttered in disappointment, sighing as it silently memorized the two techniques and resolved to train hard. Qin Ming feared for its safety; as his own strength grew, so did the level of his opponents. A true battle could easily result in its death from a stray arrow imbued with divine wisdom or a single thought from a powerful foe.
He offered reassurance. “Work hard. Who knows? You might become the next master of Black and White Mountain. Then you won’t need to call anyone else Mountain Lord.”
Qin Ming already had his next destination in mind: Kun Jun.
Soon, he would set off for the unique borderlands between the Yu, Gan, and Rui Empires. That region was home to countless academies, dao grounds, blessed lands, and dangerous forbidden zones, each steeped in profound lore and shrouded in peril.
With his current capabilities, Qin Ming saw no reason to confine himself to a single sect.
Kun Jun not only bordered the three great empires but also maintained close ties with the Secret Sect and the Exotic Lands.
As long as the various libraries were open to him, it didn’t matter where Qin Ming went; having access to different scriptures brought him the greatest benefit. Before setting out on his journey, he met up with Wu, Xu Sheng, and Sister Fen Fang for a small gathering.
“At first, I was just teasing Zheng Mao Ze,” Xu Sheng said, “but then I started to feel something was off about him. There’s a certain aura about him—something only experienced wandering merchants tend to carry.”
Qin Ming fell into thought. Logically, with the abundance of skilled individuals in the Exotic Lands, any issues with Zheng Mao Ze should have been immediately noticed. Or was it that something strange had only recently attached itself to him after he left? A chill ran down his spine as he wondered if the massive butterfly from before had not been completely destroyed. But he quickly shook his head. That was unlikely—four venerable elders had hunted the deity together, leaving no chance for it to survive.
He dismissed the thought. If something truly had gone wrong, the divine essence Zheng Mao Ze had taken would have formed a significant karmic link, and the “great being” involved would undoubtedly have sought him out first.
The group drank until they were slightly tipsy, reminiscing about their adventures in the mountains. They had often teamed up to search for spiritual materials, only to return empty-handed and dejected each time.
“I still can’t forget that gray-clad figure who snatched the snow lotus from us!” Zhou Lin huffed, nearly resorting to colorful language in her frustration.
Qin Ming also remembered that person. He had caught a glimpse of their silhouette afterward but failed to catch up. Now, he felt a sudden urge to head into the mountains and track them down. They set off together, with the Talking Sparrow in tow. It soon began mingling with the local birds, gathering information about anyone notorious for such thefts.
To their surprise, they quickly got an answer. It turned out to be the work of a gray-clad organization notorious for such antics. Their modus operandi was to rob but not kill, carefully avoiding making enemies.
That same day, Qin Ming and his group uncovered and dismantled the organization’s base in the mountains, seizing a substantial haul of star gold and other spiritual materials. Zhou Lin, finally satisfied, returned with a beaming smile.
Qin Ming only took a small amount of daylight gold; the spiritual materials there weren’t of high enough quality to be of use to him anymore. The Talking Sparrow and Wu looked on eagerly, while Xu Sheng and Zhou Lin were thrilled by their gains.
Later that day, news spread like wildfire, freezing the expressions of many: Cao Qian Qiu had not been injured at all. The old monster had been fishing for enemies and had instead slain two powerful beings who had possessed others to confront him.
“That immortal scoundrel!” many muttered in frustration.
It was revealed that Cao Qian Qiu had recently had a premonition that someone intended to harm him, prompting him to feign weakness as a trap.
“To think at such a level, they can even anticipate incoming danger…” Qin Ming murmured.
“Those ancient figures who stand at the forefront of their fields truly are extraordinary,” Li Qing Yun sighed.
However, the next day brought even more dramatic news: after killing the two possessed beings, Cao Qian Qiu himself was injured in an unforeseen mishap.
“This time, it’s real. The Exotic Lands have confirmed it. Old Cao rushed back to recuperate overnight,” Meng Xing Hai reported.
“What happened?” Qin Ming wondered.
Once again, Black and White Mountain was the backdrop. Cao Qian Qiu had been exploring the area with specific goals, asking locals about unusual occurrences and old legends. In one village, an elderly man eagerly shared a strange childhood memory about a kite that had returned stained with blood.
When Qin Ming heard this, it felt eerily familiar. He, too, had heard this story before. Could it have been Liu Old Man, known for his enthusiastic directions? Soon, he learned that the incident involving Cao Qian Qiu had occurred near Twin Tree Village.
It was said that after gathering information, Cao Qian Qiu’s consciousness manifested as a massive crimson sun that rose into the night sky, meticulously scanning the area. But not long after, he let out a muffled groan, the blazing sun dimmed instantly, and it plummeted to the ground. He and his disciples fled the region overnight.
“Could this be another ploy?” Li Qing Yun asked skeptically. By now, even he was starting to doubt everything, wondering if this was just another elaborate ruse by Cao Qian Qiu.
Meng Xing Hai shook his head. “This time, it’s genuine. Internal sources from the Exotic Lands confirm that he’s truly injured, though it’s not life-threatening.”
Cao Qian Qiu himself issued a statement: “No external enemy could have injured me.”
Qin Ming was desperate to know what had happened to the old monster. Cao Qian Qiu refused to disclose any details, merely inviting the curious to investigate for themselves.
That night, as Qin Ming drifted to sleep, a chilling sensation jolted him awake. He opened his eyes, only to find his consciousness separating from his body and being drawn into a pitch-black fog. He tried to return to his body, but a strange force held him back, preventing him from re-entering. Desperately, he managed to grab hold of a single object before being completely pulled away.
The black fog was all-encompassing, and Qin Ming was filled with dread. He recalled the time at the Six Rulers Sect when he had seen Lu Zi Zai and the Six Rulers Patriarch. Behind their physical forms had loomed the same endless black fog, within which terrifying, golden-lit giants corresponding to the two figures had emerged.
It felt as though he had entered a similar black fog himself.