Chapter 73: Rebirth in the Light
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Red Glow Mountain, at the Thunderfire Refinement Temple, was alive with marvels. Lightning danced across the brilliant tiles of the roof, fireballs surged and roiled, and the spectacle left the nobles gasping in astonishment.
On the other side of the mountain, however, sorrow hung thick. Families gathered to claim the bodies of the deceased, their grief evident in tear-streaked faces and muffled sobs.
“This guy doesn’t seem like the charitable type,” whispered one of the corpse collectors, casting a glance at Qin Ming’s colleague. “He’s deliberately leaving the bodies in there longer, soaking up more celestial light and spiritual essence.”
“Shameless,” the other muttered in agreement, but his gaze shifted as he noticed something unusual. “Wait… Look at that one. The body he just pulled out—it’s barely damaged. Looks as intact as the first batch he retrieved.”
Curious, the two hurried over to inspect the body closely, their faces now filled with astonishment.
Above them, dark clouds rolled across the sky, crackling with thunder and lightning. The ground shimmered with radiant light, illuminating the mountain. Despite the brilliance, Qin Ming’s lifeless form was particularly grim—his skin charred black.
In truth, Qin Ming had deliberately blackened himself to disguise his true appearance, his face now unrecognizable.
When Xu Hai caught sight of the seemingly untouched body, a chill ran down his spine. Had his delay inadvertently cost the life of a prodigious talent? He had waited until the sixth wave of celestial light before lazily pulling the ropes, and it seemed the seventh wave had just brushed against the unfortunate individual.
“Xu Hai,” someone called out, his voice edged with reproach. “Were you too slow? That guy was something else—he survived the Thunderfire Celestial Light!”
Xu Hai remained composed. “What are you talking about? I pulled him out of the temple doors well in advance. I just didn’t drag him all the way back immediately.”
A bystander nodded thoughtfully. “True enough. And looking at his age, one or two waves of celestial light would’ve been enough to break him apart.”
Qin Ming silently memorized Xu Hai’s name, his mind seething. The man was lying through his teeth. Anyone else would’ve perished in that infernal temple under such abuse.
But Qin Ming was no ordinary man. He had pushed the Light Shroud technique to its limits, making himself nearly indistinguishable from a corpse.
He sighed inwardly. The mountain was full of familiar faces—some, like seventy-two-year-old Old Zhao, were practically “well-done” after decades of effort, yet their bodies still lay incomplete. Most of the others here were either elderly men chasing the impossible dream of rejuvenation or desperate souls with nowhere else to turn—condemned criminals, oppressed victims, or those driven to the edge by powerful enemies.
If anyone had a choice, no young man would risk his life in such a place.
Rain began to fall, a fine mist shrouding the area, while the haunting sound of suona horns pierced the air. Coffins were carried up the mountain amidst cries of mourning. These were the families of nobles and respected elders, coming to retrieve their loved ones’ remains.
Xu Hai draped Qin Ming’s body in a relatively clean black cloth and carried him down the mountain.
For a fleeting moment, Qin Ming felt relieved. At least Xu Hai wasn’t disrespectful enough to simply dump the “corpse.” If he had, Qin Ming might have had to “rise from the dead” for a second time.
But his relief was short-lived.
“Xu Hai, how much for the Thunder Flesh? It looks fresh. Sell it to me, and I’ll even deliver it to the Great Noble Residence for you.”
They hadn’t even left the mountain when someone approached Xu Hai, clearly experienced in such dealings.
“This is top-grade material,” Xu Hai boasted. “I left it there long enough to soak up at least six or seven waves of celestial light and rare spiritual essence.”
“You’re full of it.”
“Believe it or not, it doesn’t matter,” Xu Hai replied coolly. “And this time, I’m not selling the whole thing. I can part with a few pounds if you want—though I’ve got to keep the bulk intact for the client. Take your pick—kidneys, heart, whatever suits you.”
Hearing this, Qin Ming’s blood boiled. He couldn’t believe he was being treated like some monstrous delicacy by these demons and monsters.
As Xu Hai continued down the mountain, three more groups approached him, each eager to haggle over a few pounds of flesh.
Unable to endure any longer, Qin Ming stealthily pressed a Yellow Mud Palm against Xu Hai’s back. The soft force of the strike was subtle and wouldn’t take effect immediately, but within days, Xu Hai would find himself coughing up blood.
Soon after, Qin Ming’s body began to heat up. He realized he couldn’t afford to delay any longer—the unusual mixture of thunder and celestial light within him was activating, pushing him toward his fourth Awakening.
“You lot don’t believe me?” Xu Hai said to his latest customers. “This one’s no old bag of bones. He’s young, his skin’s smooth, and his body’s still warm. Touch it and see for yourself.”
“Xu Hai, what are you doing?!” A furious voice cut through the air. Xu Sheng, cloaked entirely in black, stormed over. “If I hadn’t come to check on you, my brother’s body would’ve been sold in pieces!”
With a sharp kick, Xu Sheng sent Xu Hai sprawling and scooped Qin Ming onto his back, hurrying down the mountain.
At the base, Wu Zheng’s wails of grief rang out. “Qin Ming, may you find peace in the afterlife! I hope you’re reborn into a wealthy family—maybe even a millennial clan—so you don’t have to suffer like this again.”
Xu Sheng sighed. “Little Qin didn’t listen to reason. Gone too soon. Such a shame.”
But something felt off. Xu Sheng’s back was growing hotter by the second. Then, he heard a faint whisper.
“Xu Sheng… find somewhere private.”
Startled, Xu Sheng nearly dropped the “corpse.”
“He’s alive?!” Wu Zheng exclaimed, wide-eyed.
Soon, in the privacy of the dense forest, Qin Ming washed the soot from his face and changed into fresh clothes.
“I can’t believe it,” Xu Sheng muttered, his voice trembling with awe. “Someone who endured the celestial light and survived Thunderfire Refinement Temple…”
Wu Zheng was equally dumbfounded, but his shock quickly turned to excitement. “Qin Ming, you’re unbelievable! You actually made it out alive from that pile of corpses!”
“Let’s talk later,” Qin Ming said, his body practically steaming as he made his way back to the inn.
After washing away the ash and grime, Qin Ming prepared himself for the inevitable transformation. But the process was even more intense than before. White mist enveloped him as his body radiated heat, almost as though he were burning alive.
The celestial light’s spiritual energy rampaged within him, wreaking havoc and pushing him to his limits. Desperately, Qin Ming began channeling the Awakening Method from the Silk Manuscript to guide and harmonize the chaotic light.
The sheer force of this celestial energy was overwhelming, like molten iron threatening to burn through him. Though he’d survived such invasions before, this time, the sheer volume of celestial light pushed him to the brink.
Drinking copious amounts of cold water to no avail, Qin Ming’s body continued to release thick white mist as the violent energy surged through him. His rebirth had begun.
“Brother Qin is practically becoming an immortal!” Wu Zheng exclaimed, his voice full of awe. “It feels like he’s soaring through clouds and mist. The aura of a person beyond the boundaries—how could it be more extraordinary than this?”
“It’s the celestial light surging inside him,” Xu Sheng added with amazement. “It’s as if he’s returned to the womb, reborn bathed in light. His awakening is far more intense than that of ordinary people.”
The two quickly stepped out of the courtyard Qin Ming had specially rented at the inn for his transformation. Watching any longer felt inappropriate.
“I don’t even know whether to thank Xu Hai or curse him,” Qin Ming muttered, his voice strained as he endured the overwhelming pressure of the celestial light coursing through his body.
The celestial light, unusually dense within him, surged like an untamed river. Qin Ming gritted his teeth, channeling the celestial light born from the outside world and merging it with the light within his flesh. The energies intertwined seamlessly, blending into a new, transformed celestial light that was steadily undergoing qualitative change.
He gathered all the celestial light into his abdomen, compressing it until it became a radiant sphere, forcing it into an ultimate fusion. The light intensified, shining brilliantly. Then, with a deliberate release, he let the dazzling orb burst apart, unleashing countless threads of celestial light that surged into his blood, bones, and organs, searing through him like wildfire.
It was like a celestial explosion inside his body.
This process was perilously dangerous—every step brought him close to the edge of death. Yet, as recorded in the Awakening Method from the Silk Manuscript, such risks were unavoidable. And from the sound of it, the most dangerous parts were yet to come.
Rumbling waves echoed in Qin Ming’s ears, the roar of the celestial light expanding and erupting. His consciousness blurred under the immense strain, as though his very mind would be swept away.
What was supposed to be an awakening felt more like a trial of death.
Doubt flickered in Qin Ming’s mind. The creators of the Silk Manuscript’s Method must have deliberately designed it for successors to walk the razor-thin edge of life and death. How many had perished trying to follow their steps? No wonder this method had been discarded by future generations, buried in the dust of history.
The creators had sought to shatter cages and carve out a new path, but their method had proven harsher than the established ones they wished to replace.
Finally, Qin Ming’s eyes cleared. He had survived.
“The method from the Silk Manuscript is incredibly dangerous,” he murmured, his voice steady despite the lingering exhaustion. “But if you can endure it and live through the ordeal, the strength it grants is extraordinary. My body is leagues stronger than that of other awakened ones.”
Nine times, Qin Ming fused celestial light, compressed it, and allowed it to explode inside him. By the ninth attempt, the radiant sphere in his abdomen had become a minuscule, unified core. The external and internal celestial lights had fully assimilated, reaching a final transformation.
After a brief rest, Qin Ming began practicing the new celestial force techniques he had acquired.
One of these was Soft Force, a compound celestial force he had learned from an ancient book retrieved from Golden Rooster Ridge. It served as the foundation of the Yellow Mud Palm. Qin Ming had already grasped its principles and technique; all he’d lacked was sufficient celestial light.
Now, having received an overwhelming infusion of external celestial light at the Thunderfire Refinement Temple, an effect far stronger than consuming the Three-Colored Flower, Qin Ming practiced Soft Force with renewed vigor. Its levels climbed rapidly, and as he perfected it, the power of his Yellow Mud Palm soared to new heights.
Next, he turned to the Hammer Technique, focusing on the Hammer Force and Whip Force it taught. These, too, reached perfection as his celestial light mastery advanced.
To his surprise, Qin Ming discovered that the mysterious Explosive Force he had obtained from the temple perfectly complemented the Hammer Force and Whip Force. It was as if the three had always been one.
When he mastered all three forces, they naturally merged into a unified whole. As he practiced the Hammer Technique again, its power increased significantly.
“In the past, when I swung the black iron hammer on Black and White Mountain, I was actually using blade techniques disguised as hammer strikes. It could be called a ‘Hammer Blade,’” Qin Ming reflected.
Now, drawing the White Jade Alloy Blade, he performed the Hammer Technique, transforming it into a “Blade Hammer.”
Finally, Qin Ming integrated all the forces he had mastered—Soft Force, Intercepting Force, Explosive Force, and more—into his celestial force foundation. This fusion caused his abilities to evolve once again, their power growing markedly.
He could still separate the techniques and use them individually. However, when combined, they became his ultimate trump card, capable of unleashing devastating power.
From outside the courtyard, Xu Sheng and Wu Zheng heard thunderous booms, like explosions echoing through the inn. They exchanged astonished glances.
“No wonder Qin has been so secretive this time, keeping everything under wraps while planning a second visit to the Thunderfire Refinement Temple. He truly possesses an extraordinary gift that others can barely imagine,” Xu Sheng said, marveling.
Exhausted, Qin Ming felt sleep tugging at him. But instead of succumbing, he remained seated in quiet meditation. He knew that when he woke, his world might already be entirely different.