Chapter 110 Mountain and River Spirit Nest

“Mountain and River Spirit Nest, what is that place?” Qin Ming asked in surprise.

He helped Li Qingyue as they searched through this vibrant land.

“It was originally formed naturally, but with a little arrangement, it can become a mystical place. Some of these places can grow rare medicinal herbs, while others are burial sites favored by royalty, used to move ancestral graves…”

As Li Qingyue walked and talked, her once exquisite and flawless face was now somewhat pale, and her silver armor was badly damaged, with little remaining.

For example, only the shoulder of her left arm was still covered with armor plates, revealing her fair forearm. Her entire body was covered in cracked and bloodstained armor, giving her a kind of imperfect beauty.

Li Qingyue was seriously injured. Not only was her silver armor broken, but even the golden robe inside, which was engraved with life-saving runes, was shattered and completely faded. Qin Ming took out the medicine that Tang Xumi had given him and asked her if she could take it and if it would be effective for her injuries.

Li Qingyue shook her head. She had already taken the elixir, but the effect was not significant. This time, she had narrowly escaped death, and the divine light within her Yellow Court had almost been extinguished. The spiritual light formed by her consciousness was now flickering like a candle flame, no longer as brilliant as the sun in the past.

Outside the ruins of Luofu Immortal Mountain, Meng Xinghai felt intensely uneasy. He increasingly suspected that someone wanted to “arrange” for Li Qingyue’s elimination, and that she might even be in danger. Sure enough, as some blood-stained golden-armored guards and elite disciples from the secluded world escaped, the situation inside gradually became clear.

Many were astonished that the five core disciples, working together, severely injured Li Qingyue in the White Bamboo Forest, leaving her greatly weakened and completely disqualified from competing for near-immortal artifacts.

“At least ten golden-armored guards died at Li Ye’s hands, but he himself was also bleeding and seriously injured, and his protective runes had been extinguished.”

Upon hearing this news, Meng Xinghai’s expression darkened. The two men were in a precarious situation, and if anyone were to try to stop them, they would be in grave danger.

“It’s so dark!” How could he not see that this was “arranged”? From the very beginning, Li Qingyue was feared by all the core disciples. Before entering the “Spirit Cave”, they had already secretly communicated.

Many people are lamenting that Li Qingyue, who had the best chance of obtaining the legendary item, was eliminated.

An old man sighed, “She really had a tough time this time. Surviving the siege of the five core disciples and managing to break through is enough to prove her worth.”

Although the water in the pool was murky, some people could see clearly that there was something fishy going on and sensed a dangerous atmosphere.

A middle-aged man in flowing robes spoke up: “Even if she can’t obtain something close to immortality, Li Qingyue has already established prestige among this generation. Based on her achievements today, how many will dare to disobey her in the future?”

“It’s still a pity. If she had obtained that item this time, it wouldn’t have been impossible for her to become the leader of the Outer Realms in the future.” Someone else said with a faint smile, “It’s useless to say anything. Li Qingyue is already out of the game!”

In the foggy world, in various cities, many gamblers wailed again, feeling cheated and misled, even the most authoritative night newspaper had become an “accomplice,” misleading them.

“Mountain God, destroy us! I don’t want to live anymore!”

“Some of those mystical places became spirit nests, some turned into yin dwellings, and some condensed into evil acupoints…” Li Qingyue and Qin Ming explained slowly.

This vibrant land is lush with vegetation, boasts stunning cliffs and strange rocks, and features a remarkable landscape. Streams fed by springs meander through the mountains, nourishing this beautiful and spiritual place.

“How magnificent!” Qin Ming exclaimed. Ahead, a waterfall thousands of feet long cascaded down, crystal clear and bursting with crimson light, illuminating this beautiful landscape. The fiery spring that became the waterfall would be the rarest resource in the outside world, around which a giant city would be built, but here it was merely a scenic spot.

“It truly deserves its reputation as a top-tier blessed land in the past.”

Qin Ming looked around and saw many similar wonders, with a relatively high concentration of high-grade fire springs.

No wonder a thousand years ago, a great figure from the outer realms wanted to try to elevate this place to a grotto-heaven. “Are there grotto-heavens in the Night Mist World?” Qin Ming asked.

“In my knowledge, there is no such place yet,” Li Qingyue said. Luofu Immortal Mountain has the qualities of a grotto-heaven, but it is not yet time for transformation.

“There are inscriptions by our ancestor here; let’s follow this path.” Li Qingyue touched the moss-covered stone wall, then suddenly stumbled and nearly fell, a testament to the severity of her injury.

Qin Ming quickly helped her up again, his face showing concern, and asked, “With such a serious injury, won’t your sea of ​​consciousness and Yellow Court be damaged?”

“Finding the spirit nest is nothing compared to what they suffered. They weren’t doing well either; two of them were nearly killed by me, and the other three were seriously injured,” Li Qingyue said.

Qin Ming couldn’t help but sigh. Time can change everything. The once elegant girl had grown to this point, capable of slaying the core disciples of the Fangwai Sect. Her rise to power was incredibly rapid.

He was dissatisfied with himself and even wanted to sigh. He was also seriously injured, but none of his opponents were famous figures. Only Tan Yu was mentioned by people.

He Tai, who has the demeanor of a young grandmaster, Chen Shuhang, who has mastered the Five-Colored Thunderfire Force, Jiang Congyun, a disciple of Chunyang Palace, the mysterious successor of Wuxing Palace, and the nominal disciple of Yuqing lineage—these are the truly formidable figures, all of whom have mastered the top-tier Heavenly Light Force.

Tan Yu was merely mentioned in passing, yet he managed to integrate more than ten types of Heavenly Light Force during his freshman stage. Anyone with a bit of foundation wouldn’t be like that, right? “I’m still not strong enough!” Qin Ming sighed, feeling that if he were to fight those powerful figures, he would be finished here.

Li Qingyue said, “Don’t underestimate yourself. You are already very powerful. You’ve only been reborn five times, and you’re already able to defeat an Outer Saint. Those people all have lineages behind them and have been carefully nurtured. They have already stepped into the Outer Saint realm. I believe you can quickly close the gap and surpass them.”

Since his body was reborn, Qin Ming has had a smooth journey, integrating various Heavenly Light Forces. He even once single-handedly wiped out Golden Rooster Ridge, achieving remarkable feats. However, upon arriving here, he found it difficult to contend with the opponents in this large region.

“I need to work hard to improve myself!” he nodded and said.

The main reason was the contrast with Li Qingyue, who could slay several of the strongest core disciples of the Outer Realm, while Qin Ming dealt with only unknown figures. “Hmm, we should be getting closer.” Li Qingyue’s face lit up with joy, her eyes gleaming with divine light as she focused her gaze ahead with a mysterious eye technique. “Over there!” she pointed to a path.

This area is covered with golden maple trees, all the leaves a bright yellow, and the fire springs reflect the light, making it a perfect place to build a hut and live. Qin Ming helped Li Qingyue walk through the woodland where golden leaves were falling, and they came to a stone mountain. There was no soil on it, and no vegetation grew on it.

There are carved steps on the rocky mountain leading to the middle of the mountain, and the slope is very steep.

“This is the place. I hope this spirit nest is usable.” Li Qingyue saw the mark left by the ancestor on the stone mountain. Qin Ming helped her up the steep mountain and saw the closed stone gate halfway up.

“There’s movement in the distance!”

“Li Qingxu!”

The two spotted Li Qingxu’s figure on a distant mountain peak, confronting Xiang Yiwu, a former disciple of Buddha. They must have just exchanged blows. “He’s like a persistent ghost. He must know you’re injured and has followed you all the way here, trying to take advantage of the situation?” Qin Ming stared into the distance.

Li Qingyue said, “It’s not necessarily for revenge. He may have heard that my ancestor made arrangements here and also wants to enter the Spirit Nest.”

Although this matter was highly confidential, Li Qingxu’s master was of such high status that he had access to some sealed documents and might have discovered some clues. Qin Ming said, “Xiang Yiwu is really fierce; he actually managed to block Li Qingxu.”

His expression was grave. If it weren’t for this abandoned disciple of Buddha nearby, he and Li Qingyue might have encountered a crisis. This trip to the Spirit Cave was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

Li Qingxu disappeared, and ultimately did not engage in a major battle with Xiang Yiwu.

Qin Ming whispered, “I’m going to see Xiang Yiwu. I need his help to hold off Li Qingxu for now. If that guy shows up at a crucial moment, things will get really bad.”

Li Qingyue nodded. Given enough time, Li Qingxu might indeed find his way to this place.

Not long after, Qin Ming and Xiang Yiwu met again. Before he could even speak, the abandoned disciple of Buddha complained, “What’s going on? After I came into contact with you, I always have to face the core disciples of the Outer Lands. It’s really quite dangerous.”

“I’ll give you the Li Huo Jing in advance, but you have to help me fend off that Li Qingxu. I trust your character.” Upon hearing this, Xiang Yiwu’s large, round eyes lit up, and he became alert.

“That’s wonderful. I’m a person who always distinguishes between gratitude and resentment. If someone treats me with respect, I’ll treat them with even greater respect. I will never let you suffer any loss. I have a copy of the ‘Wuji Jing’ here, which is even more precious than your extraordinary skill, the ‘Li Huo Jing’.”

Upon hearing the book’s title, Qin Ming knew it was extraordinary and must have a significant background; the two characters “戊己” (Wu Ji) spoke volumes. Qin Ming then began reciting the scripture, while Xiang Yiwu closed his eyes and listened intently, even silently memorizing it.

“This is a whole book. Can you memorize it word for word?” Qin Ming was amazed by his talent.

Xiang Yiwu explained, “After a newcomer steps into the Outer Saint realm, they can initially utilize some spiritual light. My sect has a secret method that can temporarily imprint the words heard into the mind for several days. Since we don’t have paper and pen, I can only use this method to memorize them rudimentarily for now.”

“Are you really an outcast?” Qin Ming was skeptical.

“You treated me with sincerity and gave me the Li Huo Sutra first, so I will naturally not hide anything from you. I can’t really be called an abandoned disciple, but I’ve been ‘free-range’ because the competition in the sect is too fierce. Now I’ve become ‘wild’. The elders want to expand the Tathagata’s Dharma and have tried many paths. I’m trying to tread one of them.”

Xiang Yiwu sighed. How far he could go depended on his own efforts. According to the elders, anyone who achieved something had to first toughen their mind and will, otherwise they would become useless if they stayed on Mount Ling.

He said, “If I lose, I’ll be a disgraced disciple. If I succeed, and surpass my fellow disciples, then one day I can return to become the Buddha.” “I wish you success in becoming the Buddha!” ​​Qin Ming laughed.

Xiang Yiwu shook his head and sighed, “I dare not think about it. Some of my senior brothers are too terrifying. I am still far from being able to do it. Alas, it is really difficult for wild ones to be raised by anyone.” After he memorized the Li Huo Jing, he began to recite the Wu Ji Jing for Qin Ming.

Qin Ming stopped him and said, “You can practice and chant the scriptures at the same time. Be serious and focused. I’ll learn from you.”

He hadn’t stepped into the realm of outer saints, nor did he possess the secret techniques of Xiang Yiwu’s sect, making rapid memorization impossible. Therefore, the only option was spiritual resonance. Xiang Yiwu nodded and began chanting scriptures and practicing his extraordinary skill.

Qin Ming was highly focused, and this time the effect was excellent, allowing him to completely understand the true meaning of Wuji.

“You’re still a newcomer, and you’ve memorized it so quickly?” Xiang Yiwu thought it would take many recitations of the scripture, but he didn’t expect it to be enough in just one reading. The way he looked at Qin Ming was the same as how Qin Ming had looked at him before—he was equally astonished.

“I’ve got it so-so. If I still don’t understand, I’ll ask you for help later,” Qin Ming said. Not long after, he returned to Shishan.

With her special spiritual light, Li Qingyue shook the stone gate and then opened this place.

Contrary to expectations, the air inside was not polluted; on the contrary, it was very fresh, accompanied by bursts of spiritual light.

Li Qingyue said, “This place is connected to the ancestral vein of the earth, and its spiritual energy is much richer than that of many blessed lands.” Soon, she showed joy and felt that her damaged spiritual light began to become active and was no longer so dim.

“Hmm?!” Qin Ming discovered that as soon as he stepped into this place, his spirit became vigorous, as if it was slowly improving and about to undergo some kind of change.