Chapter 81: Outer Saint
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
“You two are just cursed!”
Soaked to the bone, Zhou Lin stomped into the room, transforming back into Sister Fen Fang in her anger. She swore she would never venture into the mountains with Qin Ming and Xu Sheng again.
After returning to Clear River City, Qin Ming calmed himself and stayed alert for anything suspicious. At first, he noticed nothing unusual. But slowly, his instinctive perception—sharpened through multiple awakenings—tingled with unease.
There wasn’t anyone watching him near the inn, but something else felt wrong. The four-colored sparrow perched on the roof and the little black bird on the ridgepole both seemed… out of place.
A chill ran through him. If even the birds weren’t normal, then this place had practically become a sieve, riddled with eyes.
Qin Ming had always been wary of talking sparrows and crows, species he had encountered before and found untrustworthy. But now, even the ordinary birds he’d overlooked had a peculiar gleam in their eyes—an unnatural glint of intelligence.
Carefully observing them, Qin Ming identified six birds behaving strangely. His enhanced instinctive perception, refined after his fourth awakening, made him trust this gut feeling. It was unsettling to realize that a flock of “unserious” birds had been keeping tabs on him.
“It’s not Xu Sheng’s bad luck from years of wandering the night. The problem is on my side,” Qin Ming muttered, shutting the window. He began to piece things together. Who could be targeting him?
This method felt too subtle. A true killer would’ve crushed him outright, with overwhelming force and no hesitation.
Given the circumstances, the Cui family likely wouldn’t want him dead just yet. If anything happened to him now, they would look excessively ruthless and draw suspicion. Plus, they wouldn’t want anyone else interfering.
This made it Qin Ming’s safest period, at least for the time being.
“Power should be used,” he reminded himself, gripping the high-level Black Jade Token in his hand. He decided to leverage Red Glow City’s resources to investigate.
Before he could act, a black-clad man arrived at the inn, speaking politely. “Young Master Qin, the City Lord requests your presence.”
Qin Ming followed him to the City Lord’s Mansion.
In the familiar, simple sitting room, the air was fragrant with calming incense wafting from a bronze burner. Bronze artifacts like chime bells and three-legged cauldrons adorned the space.
Meng Xing Hai greeted him warmly, smiling. “Come, try some tea from the old tea tree outside Thunderfire Refinement Temple. It’s been struck by lightning countless times yet still thrives. This is the first harvest of the year, freshly roasted today.”
Qin Ming bowed respectfully before sitting down. Sipping the tea, he exchanged pleasantries with Meng Xing Hai, noticing the older man was even more enthusiastic than their last meeting.
Several times, Meng Xing Hai seemed about to speak but hesitated. His request was no simple matter. It involved pitting Qin Ming against a group of heirs from influential families.
Meng Xing Hai had ways to conceal Qin Ming’s identity for a few days, but he worried about the boy’s low level of cultivation. Occupying a slot meant for Li Qing Yue’s Golden Armor Protector, Qin Ming would face extraordinary danger in the Spiritual Cave.
For now, he decided not to mention the upcoming contest among the finest disciples from the Beyond for a legendary artifact.
“How are you finding Red Glow City? Any issues?” Meng Xing Hai asked casually.
“Uncle Meng, since we’re being candid, there is something. I’ve been followed, and I nearly got into trouble in the mountains,” Qin Ming replied.
Meng Xing Hai chuckled inwardly. This boy was so straightforward! A simple question, and Qin Ming would spill his concerns without hesitation.
But Meng Xing Hai was pleased. It gave him a chance to address Qin Ming’s problems without appearing calculating. If he’d started by asking for help with the Beyond disciples, it would’ve seemed manipulative.
“Someone dared to pull such tricks in Red Glow City? This needs a thorough investigation!” Meng Xing Hai barked, instructing his men to get to the bottom of it.
“Thank you, Uncle Meng.” Qin Ming stood to pour tea for him, expressing genuine gratitude.
“No need for formalities.” Meng Xing Hai took a sip before asking nonchalantly, “You endured six or seven waves of Celestial Light last time and didn’t suffer any injuries?”
“I did get hurt,” Qin Ming admitted. “Took me two days to recover.” He paused, realizing those were the same two days before meeting Meng Xing Hai.
“You rascal, still hiding your talents from me! You must have been going through an awakening during those two days. Amazing! To resist Celestial Light erosion—perhaps I’ll need your help in the future.”
“Just say the word, Uncle Meng.”
Meng Xing Hai waved dismissively. “Not yet. We’ll see how things unfold.”
Looking at Qin Ming, he sighed. “With talent like yours, if a great family backed you from the start, you could’ve bypassed the golden age limit and already mastered Celestial Light projection.”
“Outer Saint, you mean?” Qin Ming asked.
“That term’s fallen out of favor,” Meng Xing Hai replied with a touch of melancholy. “The Secret Sect and the Beyond mock our domain, calling it ‘Outer Nephew.’ Back during the pioneering days, the Outer Saint stage was glorious. But our path has grown harder and narrower.”
Qin Ming nodded. “It’s the path of ordinary people. Progress relies on physical mutation. Fortunately, past research has made the awakening stage manageable.”
Meng Xing Hai sighed. “Still, after the awakening stage, progress becomes painstakingly slow. The body can’t mutate further.”
He turned to Qin Ming. “Aim for nine awakenings!”
Qin Ming, fully aware of these matters after recovering his memories, knew how rare nine awakenings were. Even in millennial clans, eight was the limit for most.
Mutating eight times strained the body to its limits. Beyond that, progress required great medicines to push the body to externalize Celestial Light and step into the Outer Saint domain, where one could harness spiritual material from the void.
“Uncle Meng, you’re overestimating me. Nine awakenings haven’t been seen in years,” Qin Ming said.
Meng Xing Hai’s eyes gleamed. “It’s just us talking—don’t be modest. With your talent, enduring six or seven waves of Celestial Light, I believe you have the potential for nine awakenings.”
Qin Ming knew how difficult this was. Achieving nine awakenings was almost impossible for ordinary people. The first awakening alone required immense physical strength—enough to lift a thousand pounds with one arm.
Legends spoke of those who reached this level as “Youth Aberrations,” a title rarely heard of in recent times.
Meng Xing Hai’s gaze deepened. “How can you be so sure there isn’t a hidden dragon among the millennial clans who’s achieved nine awakenings?”
Qin Ming sighed deeply. “It’s just that the creatures close to divinity are too terrifying, and those nearing immortality are so incomprehensibly strong that they make people like us seem dull in comparison.”
“Has anyone ever undergone ten rebirths?” Qin Ming asked curiously.
Meng Xinghai chuckled softly. “Nine is the ultimate limit of transformation.”
He paused for a moment, then added, “Of course, not all who undergo nine rebirths are the same. There are vague records of someone possessing the strength of a thousand pounds during their first transformation. Such individuals become even more formidable by the ninth rebirth.”
Qin Ming nodded; he already knew this. Whether someone started as a youth aberration with near-mythical strength or surpassed even those legends, nine rebirths were the final threshold. However, the rewards of the ninth rebirth varied. The more one exceeded the legends, the greater the returns during their final transformation.
The two chatted enthusiastically, and Qin Ming stayed for dinner. Just as they finished and set down their chopsticks, one of Meng Xinghai’s trusted aides returned with news.
Qin Ming was startled. “That was fast.”
“We used an aberrant bird to catch the suspicious sparrows outside the inn,” the aide explained. “Following the trail, we traced them to the Hall of Righteousness, identified the masterminds, and captured two of their vice hall masters.”
“And the person behind it all?” Meng Xinghai inquired.
“They’ve been brought here.”
Shortly after, a pale-faced boy entered, accompanied by an old man and a young man. The boy immediately bowed and apologized. “Brother Cui—no, Brother Qin, I’m so sorry! I… I didn’t want this to happen.”
Just as Qin Ming had expected, it wasn’t some hardened elder or ruthless fighter. He recognized the boy—Zhao Jing Shuo, likely sixteen or seventeen. Back in the day, he’d always been at the bottom of the group during outings, often without even a seat at the table.
Qin Ming silently observed him.
Zhao Jing Shuo’s eyes darted nervously as he faced Qin Ming. Even though Qin Ming had lost his noble status and was now just an ordinary man, the boy still seemed uneasy.
“Brother Qin, you have to understand—I’d never dare get involved in something like this willingly. Among our old acquaintances, I’m always at the back. I had no choice! A single glance, a subtle hint—I couldn’t ignore it!”
Whether he was genuinely terrified or putting on an act, Zhao Jing Shuo’s voice cracked with emotion, even carrying a hint of tears.
“Who ordered you to do this?” Meng Xinghai demanded.
Zhao Jing Shuo trembled. “Lord Meng, I… I…” He stuttered, his fear palpable. He knew Meng Xinghai was a representative of a millennia-old family, frequently moving from place to place as part of his training.
“Speak!” Meng Xinghai barked.
“People Brother Qin knows,” Zhao Jing Shuo stammered. “One is an old acquaintance from the Zheng family. The other is Li Qing Xu’s cousin.”
Meng Xinghai shook his head in disappointment. “So young, yet so reckless. Rotten to the core.”
He glared at Zhao Jing Shuo. “When you return, report this directly to the Cui family.”
“I…” Zhao Jing Shuo was on the verge of tears, but he nodded reluctantly.
“Brother Qin, I only have two hundred Daylight Gold left. I’ve spent everything else. I’ll make it up to you later.” Zhao Jing Shuo handed over a pouch with both hands.
Without hesitation, Qin Ming accepted it. Two hundred Daylight Gold was enough to support a family of three for two centuries in Black and White Mountain. In Red Glow City, where prices were higher, it would last only a third of that time.
Zhao Jing Shuo breathed a quiet sigh of relief as Qin Ming took the pouch. Despite the passage of two years, he still held some lingering respect for Qin Ming.
“And the bow,” Qin Ming added, pointing to the large bow strapped to the young man’s back.
The young man hesitated, clearly unwilling to part with it.
“Give it to Brother Qin!” Zhao Jing Shuo urged. “I’ll compensate you later.”
After handing over the bow, they left. Qin Ming knew that brutally dealing with them might stir up trouble. It was better to let them return and report to the Cui family.
The following day, someone discreetly visited Qin Ming at the inn.
“Brother Qin, I am Dai Shi Feng, a vice hall master of the Hall of Righteousness,” the elderly visitor introduced himself. With two vice hall masters already captured, Dai was now effectively the second in command.
He spoke quickly. “Our hall master, Ge Qian Xun, plans to have you killed in the mountains.”
Qin Ming regarded him coolly. “Why are you here to tell me this?”
“Because I’ve discovered that Ge Qian Xun has been secretly selling off property and embezzling the hall’s funds. He’s preparing to flee.”
Dai Shi Feng explained that he had opposed the plan from the beginning, finding it too risky. When he realized Ge Qian Xun was planning to abandon them after securing a fortune, he decided to act.
“He’s likely been coerced,” Dai Shi Feng speculated. “He took a large payment of Daylight Gold from someone and intends to vanish after completing this task.”
“And his strength?” Qin Ming asked.
“He’s consumed over twenty spiritual substances, pushing himself to the six-time rebirth stage,” Dai Shi Feng replied. “But after failing to ascend to the Outer Saint Domain, he used forbidden elixirs to reach seven rebirths at the cost of his potential.”
“Where is Ge Qian Xun now?” Qin Ming pressed.
“In the outskirts of the city,” Dai Shi Feng answered. “He has a giant aberrant bird prepared for escape if anything goes wrong.”
Two days later, Qin Ming ventured into the forest alone, as planned. Before long, Dai Shi Feng and his men surrounded him. Above, two aberrant birds hovered in the sky. On one, an old man—Ge Qian Xun—stood sternly. On the other, a silver-feathered bird carried a young man who gazed coldly at the scene below.
“The employer has shown up personally,” Qin Ming remarked, looking upward. “Another familiar face. This one has quite a background.”
He sighed. As an ordinary man, he only wished to fulfill his grandfather’s wish to live peacefully. But some people refused to let him.
Qin Ming’s expression grew icy. “Since you’ve forced me into this, I’ll show you my true strength. Let Meng Xinghai see how worthy I am of his support.”