Chapter 137 Another Choice

In the thick night fog, the silver flames died down, leaving only Qin Ming’s fist, radiating a sun-like energy, pressed against his opponent’s forehead.

Yu Zhuohan lay motionless on the ground, having completely lost consciousness.

In the distance, Cui He and Cui Shuning were experiencing intense emotional turmoil, their chests tightening with each beat. The worst-case scenario had unfolded. The fake Cui Chonghe’s strength far exceeded their expectations. If he were a member of the Cui family, they wouldn’t be able to resist cheering loudly—he was undoubtedly a young prodigy who would amaze everyone!

However, there is currently a huge, irreparable rift between them and Qin Ming, and there is no way to improve their relationship.

Most importantly, if the fake Cui Chonghe continues to grow like this, not to mention others, just the two of them would probably lose sleep.

The wilderness was silent, but the group of teenagers were truly astonished, their hearts churning with excitement. Instantly, a commotion erupted in their area, a lively discussion taking place.

“Wake up!” Qin Ming tugged at Yu Zhuohan, wondering how he had fainted. He had wanted to resonate with him when he was most emotionally agitated.

Qin Ming realized that his unified Heavenly Light Force was harmful and oppressive to the “Divine Wisdom” of the esoteric sect, so he had no choice but to restrain the light of his fist.

He prepared to search and collect his spoils.

Suddenly, a sense of foreboding washed over him, and his hair stood on end. He realized that two figures had appeared nearby, silently watching him.

One of them was Meng Xinghai, which relieved him. The other person was wrapped in a black robe, and it was impossible to tell whether he was male or female, but it was clear that he cared about Yu Zhuohan quite a bit.

The two of them were probably there because they were afraid he would kill them. Qin Ming would never do that, as he didn’t want to make enemies for no reason. The silver-haired boy had once contradicted Cui Shuning, saying he wanted to use this opportunity to hone himself.

It was obvious that this young man did not obey the Cui family. Qin Ming believed that Cui He and Cui Shuning would be pleased if Yu Zhuohan were killed. This was because the silver-haired youth was likely someone of considerable importance, possessing considerable strength and being a natural-born ability user; the Secret Cult would probably greatly appreciate such a newcomer.

Qin Ming reached out his hand, wanting to “pick up treasure” from Yu Zhuohan’s arms, but not only was he being watched by Meng Xinghai, the man in black robes was also staring at his hand.

He was embarrassed but not impolite. He chuckled to himself and said, “Brother, the ground is covered in dew. Get up quickly. I didn’t hit you hard.”

Qin Ming’s outstretched hand naturally couldn’t collect the spoils, so he shook the silver-haired boy’s shoulder, trying to wake him up.

The man in black robes spoke up: “We are all members of the Tantric sect. What happened to our agreement to be amicable? Your nephew was quite ruthless. That kind of fist light, as bright as the sun, would have burned through the spirits of an ordinary Tantric disciple.”

Meng Xinghai shook his head and said, “It was his first time fighting against the disciples of the Secret Sect, and he didn’t understand the methods of our path, so he didn’t control the timing well.”

Hearing this conversation from afar, Cui He and Cui Shuning were on the verge of a mental breakdown!

The young powerhouses they recruited from the esoteric sect had long been known to Meng Xinghai, and the two sides not only knew each other but also seemed to have some connection.

Yu Zhuohan woke up and immediately saw his opponent, who had a strong aura and brought him immense pressure, smiling at him with a bright smile.

His heart tightened immediately. Such a dangerous person was so close. If that terrifying Heavenly Light Force were to erupt, his accumulated divine wisdom would explode.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t faint again,” Qin Ming quickly reassured him. The man in black robes approached and said, “Get up.”

Yu Zhuohan’s face flushed slightly, and he immediately said, “I didn’t faint from fright. I was injured because my mind was burned by that blazing fist light!”

Qin Ming watched with great regret as the silver-haired boy slung the Crimson Jade Iron Sword over his shoulder.

Yu Zhuohan watched him warily, sensing something amiss in the eyes of this mountain-like, powerful young man. The duel thus came to an end!

Some were happy, some were sad; the spectators in the wilderness had different feelings.

The atmosphere was most enthusiastic among the group of teenagers, all of whom were stunned by the strength of their old friend.

No one expected his rise to power to be so rapid. Two years ago, many people knew he had gotten into trouble, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, his life trajectory had been completely altered, and he would never return to their sight.

That’s true. As far as they know, he has been on the path of rebirth for less than half a year. Starting so late and without any good techniques, how can he catch up?

As it turned out, he was incredibly powerful. After being knocked down from his pedestal and remaining silent for more than two years, news of him reappeared that he was now an extraordinary person.

Zheng Maorong felt a chill rising from his tailbone. He thought his old friend, who had fallen into obscurity, could be easily killed in some remote place with a casual hint, but now he was so fierce.

He felt intensely uneasy!

Some acquaintances around him were already making arrangements to invite Qin Ming to a small gathering in Chixia City later.

“I knew it! Even if he’s gone through a major upheaval, he’ll recover sooner or later!” someone said with a smile. How much of that was true and how much was false was hard to tell.

However, some of them were genuinely happy for Qin Ming. They had been too pressured to visit him in Chixia City in the past, but seeing him struggle out of the “quagmire,” gain Meng Xinghai’s appreciation, and be valued by the elders of the Li family, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief for him.

“Hehe…” Some members of the Li family’s direct line laughed, completely disregarding Cui He and Cui Shuning’s gloomy expressions. Compared to that, what did Qin Ming kicking Li Qingxiao’s butt twice amount to?

Now, every time Qin Ming “shines,” it’s like slapping Cui He and Cui Shuning in the face, making them furious and feeling suffocated.

As rivals, the direct descendants of the Li family were naturally pleased. However, when they thought about how Li Qingxu had almost killed Qin Ming, they frowned, thinking that the incident had truly ended badly. They should either not have made a move at all, or they should have just killed him to avoid leaving any trouble behind.

So, gradually, the Li family stopped laughing.

Only Qi Daoming could still smile, greet Meng Xinghai, and chat about old times from their youth.

Cui He and Cui Shuning were stunned for a long time. The fact that even a “seed” that the Secret Sect had its eye on had been defeated further demonstrated that Qin Ming was qualified to set foot in the Six Emperors’ Mountain Gate, and that his potential was even greater than they had imagined.

Cui Shuning turned around and saw the Wang family members. They said nothing and walked into the depths of the night fog, about to leave. Cui He was seething with anger. He had been made a laughingstock by a group of acquaintances, and he even had to hand over the fragments of the “Yi Mu Jing” and “Zhu Shi Jing”. It was too infuriating.

Sure enough, Meng Xinghai walked straight over, beaming, and extended his hand to him, asking for it in public without any hesitation. In the distance, on a large blue stone, Li Qingyun laughed, “Old Cui, what do you think of my judgment? Pretty good at judging people, right?”

Fifth Master Cui wanted to slap him across the face; wasn’t that mocking his own poor judgment?

He responded coldly: “The road to new life is very difficult. Few people can make it to the end. Throughout history, how many masters have emerged from this path?”

At this point, he became increasingly relieved; the path of rebirth was too time-consuming. In contrast, Cui Chonghe, who possessed near-immortal potential, followed a path beyond the mundane world, and his rise to power was extremely rapid!

In his view, Cui Chonghe can not only look down at his peers on Xinsheng Road, but also look down on several generations of people on Xinsheng Road, including the young and old!

Lu Yuzhi emitted a hazy light as she moved through the night mist, like an elf emerging from the mountains and forests, ethereal and otherworldly. She approached Qin Ming and smiled, “I never imagined you were an extraordinary person. In the Purple Bamboo Forest of Tianrui City, you even analyzed the eight colors of the Heavenly Light Force, which truly astonished me.”

She genuinely admired and respected him. It was truly remarkable that a young man who had not yet entered the Daoist traditions of Yuqing or Liuyu had such a profound understanding of the Heavenly Light Force.

In Lu Yuzhi’s view, even the young extraordinary individuals secretly cultivated by the ancestral court of a great sect were nothing special.

She even believed that after Qin Ming entered the Yuqing sect and, under the guidance of the elders, diligently cultivated the Yuqing Force, the sect’s most powerful technique, he would have a sliver of hope to compete for the titles of “Young Sect Leader” and “Young Ancestor.”

She smiled brightly and asked, “Would you like to join the Yuqing lineage?”

Qin Ming felt that the Yuqing lineage was preparing for the future great era of opening up and was expanding rapidly. This made the way of accepting disciples different from the past. It might not be possible to carefully cultivate disciples, but he was still very interested.

Lu Yuzhi handed him a golden piece of paper, telling him that if he took it to the location of the Yuqing lineage, he could undergo the test of becoming a core disciple. Qin Ming smiled and nodded in gratitude, carefully putting it away. Regardless of whether he would ultimately go, having more options was never a bad thing.

Not far away, Cui He and Cui Shuning were startled. The fact that the Yuqing lineage had offered them the “golden book” made them feel even more uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, the person who extended the invitation was Lu Yuzhi, an extraordinary person from the Yuqing lineage. Even the older generation of people didn’t dare to offend her easily.

“Qin Ming!” A group of teenagers, both boys and girls, approached and enthusiastically surrounded him. With Lu Yuzhi there, they naturally followed.

“Everyone, it’s been a long time.” Qin Ming greeted them with a smile.

“Give it to me!” Seeing that Cui He was dawdling and not handing over the scriptures readily, and was even distracted by looking at Qin Ming and his group, Meng Xinghai immediately took matters into his own hands and snatched it away.

“You rude bastard, surnamed Meng!” Cui He’s hair turned a vibrant green, clearly displeased. Meng Xinghai, having received the scriptures, didn’t bother arguing further and turned to leave.

At this moment, Qin Ming was surrounded by a lot of people, including Yu Zhuohan, a new seed of the esoteric sect. It could be said that they became friends after a fight.

“You are all guests from afar. Let’s go back to Chixia City. I will host a welcome dinner for you.” Meng Xinghai greeted everyone, inviting everyone from the elders to the young adults and teenagers.

On his way back, Qin Ming pondered what he should do. Now that he had more choices, which company would be suitable for him?

Meng Xinghai said very seriously, “You need to think about this carefully. You should also get a copy of the Six Emperors’ ‘Golden Book’ later. Having more options is always better than having none.”

He then handed Qin Ming the fragments of the “Yi Mu Jing” and the “Zhu Shi Jing”.