Chapter 111 Breakthrough

Qin Ming’s fatigue after the battle vanished instantly, as if he had taken a tonic. His listless spirit was instantly restored, and even though he was injured and covered in blood, he was still full of energy.

“What a wonderful place!” he exclaimed, his injuries seemingly less painful now.

The stone gate behind the two slowly closed, but the interior of the Mountain and River Spirit Nest was not dim; spiritual light rose from the earth’s veins.

Although there are stone tables and bronze lamps in the spirit nest, the whole structure is naturally formed.

A pool lay across the way, with two kinds of spiritual light intertwined within it, like two fish chasing each other.

A crack in the Mountain and River Spirit Nest spews out smoke and mist shaped like a large tree, splashing out streaks of light like fallen leaves fluttering down here.

The spirit nest is less than 100 square meters, and there are some strange patterns on the stone walls. Upon closer inspection, they are actually natural cloud patterns, and some even resemble characters.

Li Qingyue said, “Characters formed by natural textures are most popular among those outside the secular world who like to imitate them, as they can comprehend some extraordinary power from them.”

She was no longer so listless; her condition was improving, and her eyes regained their sparkle. The tattered silver armor contrasted with her snow-white skin, creating a strange and unconventional beauty.

“Can you recover?” Qin Ming asked with concern.

“There’s no problem, and we might even be able to go a step further.” Li Qingyue nodded, her consciousness regaining its brilliance, and Huang Tingzhong was also revitalized.

“That’s good.” Qin Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

He then asked, “My energy and spirit are getting stronger and stronger, as if I’m drinking a lot of tonics. What’s going on?”

Li Qingyue smiled and said, “There is a special substance here, or rather, a strange power, that stimulates the human spirit field. Don’t worry, the edge of the spirit nest won’t harm us; it’s harmless and will only turn things around for the better.” The first realm for those outside the mortal realm is the Heart Fasting, which requires opening the light of consciousness and is related to the spirit field. This is their foundation.

The importance that the Taoist tradition outside the secular world places on the spirit nest is mainly related to these areas.

Qin Ming was surprised and asked, “Is this just the edge area?”

Li Qingyue nodded and said, “Okay, take your time to get used to it. If there are no problems, you can try to enter the core area with me.”

She is currently seriously injured and dares not immediately venture into the depths of the Mountain and River Spirit Nest; she needs to recover here.

Qin Ming nodded. Being here was already like taking a tonic; what would happen if he entered the core area of ​​the Spirit Nest? He was quite looking forward to it.

He carefully observed inside the cave and was astonished to find natural depictions of flying immortals on some of the stone walls, which were quite spectacular.

He muttered to himself, “Could those folk tales have originated from seeing this natural texture?”

Li Qingyue said, “Those who live outside the secular world only talk about getting close to immortality, but never about becoming immortal. Their ultimate goal is to seek truth.”

“It has a profound meaning!” Qin Ming pondered for a moment.

During the pioneering period, the incredible and powerful creatures that various groups discovered deep within the world of night fog were simply referred to as near-immortal beings or godlike beings.

Li Qingyue clearly had also thought of something, and said, “We need to work hard to improve ourselves. Now that the population is growing, the high-grade fire springs are almost insufficient. When the giant city needs to expand, we will probably have to go to the depths of the Night Mist World to explore. The Great Opening Era has both unlimited opportunities and various dangers.”

“Yes!” Qin Ming nodded solemnly.

He had heard Meng Xinghai mention these things before; the future was likely to be a great era filled with glory, bloodshed, brilliance, and tragedy, fraught with uncertainty.

Qin Ming used the Silk Calligraphy technique to heal his injuries. Nourished by the strange substances within the Spirit Nest, he recovered quickly, and his essence, energy, and spirit were exceptionally abundant.

Li Qingyue said, “It seems you’re quite comfortable here. Come with me into the core area of ​​the Spirit Nest and try it out. If you feel any pain, just say so and I’ll send you out immediately.”

Now she is radiant, her pale face has regained its luminous glow, and she is once again ethereal and otherworldly, like a celestial being clad in broken armor.

“I don’t think it’s a big problem,” Qin Ming said.

Li Qingyue smiled and said nothing. She used the divine light born from the Yellow Court to strike a stone slab on the ground that was engraved with dense runes.

As the celestial mist spread and spiritual light intertwined, this place quickly opened up, revealing the second layer of the realm, which was also the core of the Mountain and River Nest, and had been hidden before.

Li Qingyue floated down lightly, took a deep breath after standing on the ground, and the shattered silver armor on her body clanged and resonated with her.

She used a secret method to heal her wounds and completely relaxed.

Qin Ming saw that there were a large number of light spots distributed in the void in the stone cave below.

He landed in the core area of ​​the second level of the Mountain and River Spirit Nest, and instantly felt dizzy and staggered, almost falling over there.

This time it was Li Qingyue’s turn to support him, and she asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell? Let me see you out.”

She comforted Qin Ming, saying that he could also gain many benefits on the first level of the Spirit Nest.

Qin Ming shook his head and said, “At first I felt like I was drunk, but now I’m just slightly tipsy. My body and mind are completely relaxed, and I’m in a better state than ever before.”

This is true; he actually adapted very well to this place.

Li Qingyue supported him and said, “Don’t push yourself. If you have a headache, tell me immediately, or something bad might happen.”

The Mountain and River Spirit Nest can stimulate the spiritual field and enhance consciousness, but those who are not outsiders and do not follow this path cannot receive the divine energy of this place.

“I’m really fine.” After saying that, Qin Ming performed his magic here, displaying the Golden Silkworm Skill, the Fire Separation Force, and so on.

He felt light and agile all over, as if he were soaking in a hot spring, feeling incredibly comfortable, especially his head, where a warm current was surging, making him want to hum softly in pleasure.

“You…you’ve probably been held back. Perhaps you can also walk the path of a hermit.” Li Qingyue revealed a strange expression.

This old friend is making extremely rapid progress on the path of rebirth. She was able to defeat an outer saint after only five rebirths, and now she seems to be able to embark on the same path as her. This is truly remarkable.

Li Qingyue said, “The Cui family said you were exceptionally gifted in order to protect Cui Chonghe, and now it seems they were right.”

She felt it was a pity that Qin Ming had been sidelined for many years and had no access to the things he should have been learning.

“It’s nothing. If you have the talent, it’s not too late to start now,” Qin Ming said. There’s no use regretting it now; time can’t be turned back.

Afterwards, he practiced the methods in the silk scroll here. This was his fundamental doctrine, which could govern various methods such as the Fire of Departure and the Golden Silkworm.

The place quieted down, and the two began to heal their wounds, circulating their respective fundamental techniques.

Qin Ming became immersed in it, and silver mud and gold threads appeared on his body, forming a golden jade robe that covered him, with a misty fairy mist flowing around him.

This is extremely rare; in the past, such a sight would only appear when he was in a deep sleep during the process of his body’s regeneration.

After Qin Ming’s wounds healed, the scabs began to fall off automatically. Although it was only a slight sound, it still alerted Li Qingyue.

She saw the golden jade robe on Qin Ming’s body and noticed a faint spiritual light emanating from his forehead.

She whispered, “Before even embarking on the path of a hermit, your initial spark of consciousness has already begun to emerge, which shows that you are indeed exceptionally gifted.”

When Qin Ming opened her eyes, she found Li Qingyue looking at her and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’ll teach you a mnemonic; try it out here.”

“The path beyond the mundane world?” Qin Ming asked.

“This incantation must not be passed on to anyone else,” Li Qingyue instructed.

“Okay!” Qin Ming nodded.

He began to breathe, using a special breathing technique, and accompanied it with corresponding movements.

“The progress is very fast. At this rate, you will soon be able to awaken your consciousness.” Li Qingyue nodded, but she was not too surprised.

An hour later, Qin Ming opened his eyes. There was a genuine spiritual light intertwined on his forehead, indicating that he had indeed entered the first stage of the path.

Soon, his expression changed slightly. He had actually cultivated a wisp of spiritual light using the method in the silk book, and now he had melted away the ball of light that he had cultivated later.

Then, the merged spiritual light flowed throughout his body, until only a small amount remained.

Qin Ming carefully observed the process and discovered that his physical fitness had improved!

“What’s going on?” he asked, puzzled.

After listening to his detailed explanation, Li Qingyue’s voice softened: “You wouldn’t happen to be born with a natural affinity for the path of physical mutation, would you?”

Qin Ming was lost in thought and said, “My path mainly focuses on improving physical fitness in the initial stage, and only begins to involve the power of consciousness in the manifest stage. Now that my consciousness has been born too early, it has been corrected back to its original trajectory? But the spiritual power I gained has not been lost, it has just been used to nourish my flesh and blood!”

His consciousness did not fully return; some of it remained.

Li Qingyue examined his body and said, “The stronger your physical body is, the more spiritual light it carries, as if it is maintaining a state of balance.”

She smiled and said, “That’s good. Only by focusing can you go further. Besides, when your flesh and blood are strong enough in the future, anything is possible.”

Qin Ming pondered whether the problem stemmed from his physical condition or from the calligraphy on the silk scroll.

“Stop spacing out, you’re doing fine like this,” Li Qingyue said.

She channeled her spiritual light into the various mysterious symbols on the stone wall—arrangements made by her ancestor to fully revive the spiritual nest of mountains and rivers. “You should be able to adapt to the divine energy here now.”

A moment later, the points of light that had been scattered throughout the void connected together and began to arrange themselves in an orderly fashion.

Ripples appeared in the Mountain and River Spirit Nest, like waves of water, covering the two of them and greatly stimulating their spiritual light.

Li Qingyue’s injuries were healing. Her tattered battle armor hummed continuously, and like her body, it was crystal clear and emitted a dazzling light.

The power of consciousness she could mobilize naturally far surpassed Qin Ming’s at this stage. Her injuries improved at a visible speed, minor bone fractures healed automatically, and her Dao bones became as solid as ever.

In her mind’s eye, it seemed as if a golden sun was about to leap out of the thick fog, its radiant light about to dispel the black mist.

Qin Ming discovered that he didn’t need to use any magic at all; his consciousness was already rising, as if he was receiving some kind of radiation that stimulated his mental field, causing a qualitative change!

“It truly deserves to be called the Spirit Nest of Mountains and Rivers!” he exclaimed.

Since activating any method was not very effective, he simply let go and passively accepted the radiation and stimulation from the spirit nest, allowing the mental field to change.

His consciousness and inspiration were rapidly increasing, but they were also being consumed at a similar pace, almost simultaneously nourishing his flesh and blood.

“This isn’t exactly my sixth time being reborn, but the results are just as good!”

Qin Ming discovered that the divine energy fed back from the spiritual realm was constantly improving his physique, and the light of day was also getting stronger.

He felt incredibly satisfied and truly felt himself becoming stronger, which was no less than a rebirth!

“Since I don’t need to use any magic, I’ll practice the Wuji Sutra here.”

Qin Ming wasted no time and began to study the newly acquired extraordinary skill. Through spiritual resonance, he had already grasped the true essence of this scripture.

The character 戊 belongs to Yang Earth, and 己 belongs to Yin Earth. The two characters 戊 and 己 are enough to explain the areas they involve. This is a remarkable achievement related to Earth.

The Buddha’s disciples praised it highly, saying it was even more precious than the Li Huo Sutra, and this was not an exaggeration.

Qin Ming quickly became engrossed, and eventually even started practicing.

The Mountain and River Spirit Nest is connected to the ancestral veins of the earth. In addition to the mystical energy that stimulates the spiritual field, it is not lacking in the essence of the earth veins.

As soon as he began his rehearsal, a yellowish-brown cloud of mist rose from beneath his feet, gradually engulfing him.

…

Outside the Luofu Xianshan Ruins, many people are closely following the latest developments.

“It seems that the near-immortal item is about to find an owner, and the competition among core disciples is becoming increasingly clear.”

“Brother Liu, I feel that your junior brother is going to win.”

“Not necessarily. Perhaps your junior sister has come out on top and obtained something that is close to immortality.”

Some people talked with smiles on their faces, while others had gloomy expressions.

“Huh, Li Qingyue hasn’t come out yet. Has she not given up yet? But everyone has confirmed that she has suffered a severe injury, which has even affected her foundation, and she has completely lost the qualification to compete.”

“Perhaps the problem is more serious than we think; she may not even be able to get out of it.”

…

Inside the Mountain and River Spirit Nest, Li Qingyue has fully recovered, and the light of her consciousness shines even brighter. Her strength is slowly increasing, and she is about to reach another level.

Qin Ming’s entire body was enveloped in an earthy yellow light mist. He had already mastered the basics of the “Wuji Scripture” he was practicing. Furthermore, his flesh and blood were constantly being nourished by his spiritual light, making him comparable to a sixth rebirth.