Chapter 70: From the Depths of the Mountain Range to the Fragrance of the City
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The Drunken Glow Restaurant was bustling with people, and every table was full. The topic of Thunderfire Refinement Temple was all anyone could talk about. After all, the time was fast approaching—less than half a month left. It would be here in the blink of an eye.
“I can’t wait for the ice to melt, spring thunder to roar, and for everything to start growing again. This year, I’m putting it all on the line,” Old Zhao said, his voice filled with determination. “I’m already seventy-two. I don’t care if I die there, but if I do succeed in getting the Thunderfire Alchemy Body, I might even have a second spring!”
“Wishing you the best, Old Zhao! May you find your second spring, be blessed by the Thunderfire, and maybe even have another kid next year!”
“You’re making me want to do it too! You only live once, right? Thirty years from now, when I’m seventy-two, I’ll walk into the Thunderfire Refinement Temple and give it my all!”
Qin Ming looked around and realized that most of the Awakeners in the Drunken Glow were either young or middle-aged. There were a few older folks like Old Zhao, but there weren’t many as young as him and Wu Zheng—both under twenty.
Xu Sheng noticed Qin Ming’s gaze and said, “Most of the Awakeners here are ‘wild ones.’ They haven’t joined any local organizations or sects, and they definitely aren’t part of the nobility.”
Of course, becoming an Awakener was no small feat. Even the ones without ties were far from ordinary—some of them were incredibly skilled, with enough influence to gather large groups to deal with troublesome mutant creatures.
Qin Ming leaned in closer to Xu Sheng and asked a question that had been on his mind for a while. “Brother Xu, what level do you have to be to enter the Thunderfire Refinement Temple?”
It was clear that those who had undergone multiple awakenings would have a better chance of survival when facing the power of the temple.
“Anyone can enter, really,” Xu Sheng explained. “But for first-timers, one Thunderfire strike in the Bronze Hall is usually enough. For those looking to awaken a second time, two strikes might do it… But let’s be real. You think you’ll just walk out alive after taking a few hits like that?”
He paused and then added, “Even with people waiting outside to pull you out with ropes, it makes little difference. The only thing that changes is whether the corpse is intact or completely charred. Either way, you’re still dead.”
Qin Ming thought about it, estimating that if he went to the Thunderfire Refinement Temple, he’d need to withstand at least four strikes to make any real progress.
Wu Zheng shook his head. “Seems like I’d better follow Old Zhao’s example and wait until I’m seventy or eighty.”
Xu Sheng laughed. “Haha, fair enough. I think I’ll wait until I’m a hundred!”
Qin Ming suddenly asked, “But if someone survives the Thunderfire baptism, could they go back for another round? Would it still work?”
Xu Sheng looked thoughtful. “Surviving it once is already like being blessed by the heavens. Going back for more? You’re pushing your luck. But now that you mention it, there was someone like that…”
He paused for a moment, thinking back. “A few decades ago, there was this young guy who survived it two years in a row. The third year, he got overconfident and tried again. He ended up dead.” Xu Sheng shook his head. “He was from an influential background. His body was special, and his awakening method came from an incredibly rare secret manual. When he trained, he could literally punch with lightning.”
Wu Zheng’s eyes went wide, and suddenly his family’s old “Dual Art of Spear and Arrow” didn’t seem so great anymore.
Xu Sheng sighed, visibly impressed. “It was one of those rare secret manuals that could give you special abilities—and this one had to do with lightning. No wonder he dared to go back again. Normal people wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Qin Ming’s eyes sparkled at the thought. Top-tier inheritances were truly something to dream of. It was easy to guess that such knowledge must be held by powerful sects and secretive organizations.
Xu Sheng continued, “There was another guy a hundred years ago who was even crazier. He survived two spring thunders and wanted to try the violent summer thunder. He ended up crawling out of the Golden Hall, screaming. His head was bright red, and… well, his brains got cooked.”
Suddenly, a middle-aged man burst into the Drunken Glow Restaurant, looking urgent. “Brothers! Something’s happening in the mountains! A five-time mutated spiritual beast has shown up at Firecloud Ridge. Boss Liang Yu Kang is leading a group to hunt it down, and they’ve already injured it badly, but they’re taking heavy losses. They need more people—anyone who helps gets a share!”
“Firecloud Ridge? Isn’t that where the Fire Linque, the famous bird, lives? That’s a dangerous spot to mess with!”
“No, no, I mean just outside Firecloud Ridge. It’s in the hunting area. It’s safe!”
“Let’s go!”
In a rush, many Awakeners ran out of the Drunken Glow. If the mutated beast was already injured, it was worth going to check it out. If the opportunity was right, they could join in.
Xu Sheng nodded. “Liang Yu Kang’s group has a good reputation.”
“Should we go and check it out too?” Qin Ming asked, his eyes full of excitement.
“Whoa, slow down, Little Qin,” Xu Sheng said, shaking his head. “We haven’t even found an inn yet, and you’re already thinking about going deep into the mountains to hunt?”
But despite his words, Xu Sheng was interested too. He turned to Qin Ming and asked, “How many awakenings have you had?”
“Two,” Qin Ming replied, keeping a bit of his strength under wraps.
Xu Sheng nodded. “Alright then. You can come, but stay back and watch. Just learn from a distance, okay? Even if that beast is about to die, don’t get too close.”
Wu Zheng’s eyes also shone with excitement, but he knew his limits. He had only gone through one awakening—even watching from a distance might be too risky.
A large group left the north city gate, trudging through knee-deep snow, quickly making their way into the mountain forest. It was a shallow night, but Red Glow City shone as brightly as day. Once they entered the forest, they adjusted to the darkness before picking up their pace.
Outside Firecloud Ridge, a giant azure ox stood, its body glowing with fire as it raged. It was badly hurt but still furious.
“So, it’s this old bull, huh? I’ve heard of it. Over the past few weeks, it’s killed over ten Awakeners who crossed its path. They got stomped to mush under its hooves.”
“Killing it today would be a public service!”
Despite their words, no one was eager to rush in—everyone was waiting for someone else to make the first move.
“Come on, this bull’s huge, easily over a couple thousand pounds! There’s enough meat for everyone. Let’s finish it off before something else comes sniffing around!” someone shouted.
With a loud crash, the bull rammed into an ancient tree, shattering it into splinters. Its eyes were bloodshot as it skewered an Awakener with its horns.
“No wonder it’s a spiritual beast. It has over a dozen iron spears stuck in it, and it still won’t go down. It’s getting even fiercer!”
“Brothers, listen up! If you want a share of the ox, get in there now! Once it’s down, there’s no meat for latecomers!” Liang Yu Kang shouted, his armor cracked, and a deep cut ran down his arm from one of the bull’s horns.
That was enough for many to jump in—the beast looked ready to collapse any moment now.
Some threw spears, others shot arrows, and a few skilled fighters tried to get close.
“Thunk!”
From a distance, Qin Ming loosed an arrow that hit the bull right at the edge of its eye. Though its hide was tough, the arrowhead sank in enough to nearly reach the eyeball. The bull let out a deafening bellow, thrashing in pain as blood dripped into its eye.
“Attack now! Its left eye is blinded by blood! Take it down!” someone shouted.
“Remember, that shot to the eye was from my buddy, Little Qin! Make sure he gets an extra share of meat!” Xu Sheng yelled as he rushed forward.
“Slash!”
In the end, Liang Yu Kang himself delivered the finishing blow, severing the bull’s massive head. The giant body, weighing thousands of pounds, crashed to the ground, making the forest tremble as blood stained the snow red.
Liang Yu Kang panted heavily, his bright blade gleaming with the beast’s blood. His armor was broken, and his hair was wild, giving him an intimidating presence. “Alright, everyone line up for your share of the meat! There’s enough for everyone, so no need to fight. If anyone tries anything, I swear this blade won’t just be for mutated beasts!”
“Big Brother Liang is truly generous. This ox is so huge that there’s enough for all. Let’s all be sensible about this,” someone called out.
The forest quickly became lively, and everyone was in high spirits—especially those who arrived late. They hadn’t done much but still got a reward.
Half an hour later, everyone had their share of the meat, and some couldn’t wait to cook it on the spot.
“Hey, what’s the deal? The meat looks all glistening and rich, but when it’s cooked, it feels like it’s missing something—like there’s no spirit left in it. What’s going on?”
“We’ve been tricked! All the essence was in the ox gallstone. Liang Yu Kang must have taken it for himself!”
“Where is Liang Yu Kang?!”
“He said he wasn’t feeling well, that his injuries were serious. He left half an hour ago.”
The forest erupted in anger as a group of Awakeners cursed and searched for Liang Yu Kang. Qin Ming even muttered a few curses himself.
That day, a large group of people stormed back to the city, cursing all the way. They barged into Liang Yu Kang’s residence, only to find he hadn’t returned—he’d run off for good.
The group was furious, especially those who had joined him from the start. They had taken serious injuries, and now Liang Yu Kang had stolen the valuable spirit material and fled. The people who had died in the forest—well, their fate was even more tragic.
For the entire day, Red Glow City was buzzing with talk about the incident. Liang Yu Kang’s reputation, carefully built over the past two years, was now in tatters. It had all been a setup for one big betrayal.
That evening, the fire spring wasn’t as active as usual. Most of the city had dimmed down, covered in stone slabs to soften the light, giving the city a sense of day and night. Some areas were completely dark, and the adjustment made the city feel more alive.
Qin Ming and Wu Zheng settled into an inn, and Qin Ming roasted the piece of ox meat he got, inviting Wu Zheng to join.
“The taste isn’t bad, but that Liang Yu Kang—what a jerk!” Qin Ming said, shaking his head.
Xu Sheng showed up with some wine, sighing. “For a higher level of awakening, people will do anything. Fathers will turn on sons, husbands and wives will betray each other. Anything can happen. Be careful in the future.”
The next day, Qin Ming went into the mountains again. This time, it was Xu Sheng who organized the trip. He had gotten word from his master, an old traveling merchant, that there was a group of white apes deep in the mountains guarding some snow lotuses—plants rich in spirit.
“Only one is left. The others have already matured and been eaten by the apes,” Xu Sheng said regretfully.
“Spirit material that can trigger a fourth awakening—that’s worth a lot!” said a woman, her eyes burning with desire. She was one of Xu Sheng’s friends.
“We’ll trigger an avalanche to scare off the apes, then quickly move in to pick it. Those apes are tough. If we fail, we retreat immediately,” Xu Sheng instructed.
They managed to scare away the apes, but as they were about to pick the crystal-clear snow lotus, a hooded figure in a gray robe appeared, snatched the lotus at lightning speed, and disappeared into the mountains.
Xu Sheng was furious. He had gathered everyone the moment he got the news, and now, at the last second, someone else had swooped in.
Qin Ming felt a similar frustration. Even if the snow lotus wasn’t enough to trigger a fourth awakening for him, seeing it taken away like that made him want to punch the thief in the face.
“You better not cross paths with me—don’t let me find out who you are!”
Even the woman was cursing all the way back to the city.
Qin Ming joined in, realizing that to survive in Red Glow City, he’d have to play dirty too. The Awakeners here were ruthless.
“Sigh. Overall, it’s just that I’m not strong enough. Let spring thunder come already!”
…
Five or six days later, strange sights began to appear outside the city. Earth light steamed upward, and the dark forest glowed, filled with sparkling showers of light. The underground fire spring was reviving, and its glow was spreading to the surface, nourishing everything. The snow began to melt slowly.
Many nobles left the city to enjoy the sights. Every year, during this season, the forest became vibrant, with the snowy mountains and rivers looking magnificent amidst the shimmering mist.
“Spring might come a little early this year,” Xu Sheng guessed.
“Brother Xu, take me to see the Thunderfire Refinement Temple on Red Glow Mountain,” Qin Ming said. He wanted to scout out the place ahead of time since the spring thunder could arrive at any moment.
“I’m coming too! I want to see the Golden Hall,” Wu Zheng said, but he quickly regretted it.
The place was packed. With the earth light rising, it wasn’t just the nobles riding out. Regular folks were also taking their children outside. Red Glow Mountain, a famous landmark with experts stationed to keep it safe, was overflowing with people.
Even the nobles couldn’t do anything—no one paid attention to their status. The crowd was surging, and exotic beast-drawn carriages were useless. Some noble ladies had to walk, and they ended up shrieking as they were jostled, their hairpins falling out.
Qin Ming was swept up in the crowd, unable to take in the beauty of the mountain. He was literally carried up by the surge of people.
He barely got a glimpse of the buildings at the top before being pushed forward again. At the crucial moment, he managed to break free and slip into the Thunderfire Refinement Temple.
Wu Zheng looked miserable. He had gone through one awakening already, but he had lost a shoe in the crowd.
“I couldn’t even get a good look at the temple—just got pushed straight in!” he complained.
“I didn’t see much either,” Qin Ming admitted. Standing inside the Thunderfire Refinement Temple, he focused intently, running his hands over the walls.
Suddenly, he staggered, almost falling flat. He felt an overwhelming wave of emotions—somehow, this ancient hall resonated with him, and it left him utterly shocked.