Chapter 219 Approaching Perfection 【Two chapters combined】

Cao Qianqiu breaks the limitations of this place, determined to stifle the young prodigy before him.

The Heavenly Demon Mirror reacted immediately, as if a blazing sun had exploded, sending blinding golden rays hurtling downwards. Cao Qianqiu seemed to be traversing time and space, managing to evade this divine punishment.

In this mountainous region, large sections of rock were torn apart like paper, turning into fragments that scattered everywhere.

Cao Qianqiu’s silver hair fluttered, his Pure Yang Feather Robe rustled, and a murderous intent rose in his heart, his power rapidly increasing.

His gaze was like a divine flame, awe-inspiring and terrifying. Then, two golden rays shot out, transforming into tangible immortal swords that rang out with a clear, ringing sound, aiming to kill the youth in front of him whose talent seemed to surpass that of the patriarch.

A broken mirror with a missing corner appeared in the sky, engraved with intricate patterns, gleaming brightly, but it was covered by white mist and could not be seen clearly.

In an instant, wind and thunder roared, and words filled the void, descending with golden rays that crushed the two immortal swords formed from gazes.

“How dare you obstruct my actions?!” Cao Qianqiu waved his sleeves, his silver hair flying, his eyes flashing like lightning as he inscribed runes.

In an instant, the entire void roared and trembled, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

It must be said that Cao Qianqiu, as a notorious villain on the Immortal Path who has dominated the Night Mist World for so many years, is indeed a man of extraordinary abilities. He is only a ray of pure Yang light, yet he can achieve such a feat.

However, the origin of the Heavenly Demon Mirror is unknown, and it is suspected to be related to the creatures recorded in the “Kunling Classified Gods Record”. In an instant, it bombarded the golden clouds.

In an instant, it was as if ten suns were shining in the sky, and the crows were crying. In the blink of an eye, Cao Qianqiu’s power plummeted, and the words he had carved in the void were erased.

After all, he wasn’t his true form; for a mere wisp of spiritual light to possess such power was already considered incredibly formidable. With a deafening boom, he himself was also struck several times before being engulfed by the golden light.

“You dare to oppose me? Do you want to lure out my true form and destroy this secret realm?” Cao Qianqiu kept teleporting, but he couldn’t change anything.

Wherever he appears, he is overwhelmed by the beams of light emanating from the broken mirror; even a pure yang spirit cannot withstand such an attack.

Amidst the hissing sound, he felt as if he were being eroded, his consciousness shattering, burning, and rapidly dimming.

At the critical moment, he separated a ray of light and flew towards Li Qingxu, wanting to tell him some truths and take the news out.

At this final moment, Cao Qianqiu, with his pure Yang body, sensed something in the darkness: that the boy, who seemed to surpass the patriarch’s talent, might stir up endless storms in the future and be harmful to him.

However, the Heavenly Demon Mirror acted according to the rules. Although mechanical and dull, it had an extremely strong execution ability and coldly and ruthlessly erased this faint light.

“Qingxu, your master…” Cao Qianqiu transmitted his voice, but his faint figure suddenly exploded.

“You’re very good… If my true form were to arrive, let alone a remnant like you, even if you were completely intact, you would be utterly destroyed!” Old Cao’s faint figure reappeared.

Qin Ming was deeply shaken. Cao Qianqiu’s pure Yang consciousness had almost acquired immortal qualities, and it could still reappear even after such an attack, instead of being completely destroyed.

From this perspective, the patriarchs who walk at the forefront of the immortal path are extremely terrifying and difficult to destroy, requiring multiple attacks to eliminate them. “The local rules protect those who dare to forge new paths and annihilate all invaders,” the indifferent voice of the Heavenly Demon Mirror rang out.

“Master!” Li Qingxu had never seen his teacher in such a wretched and tragic state, being executed. The next instant, he vanished from this place, landing in the secret realm, where he was sent away by the Heavenly Demon Mirror.

Qin Ming was somewhat dissatisfied, but helpless, as all those who embarked on the journey were protected by this place.

Just like now, when the extraordinary Cao Qianqiu tried to kill him, he immediately drew out the Heavenly Demon Realm to intercept him and eliminate him in the opposite direction.

The broken mirror hung in the air, and another golden glow descended. Cao Qianqiu’s immortal qualities were severed, becoming so faint that they would dissipate with a gust of wind. His silver hair stood on end, and his eyes were icy cold, but he was truly helpless at the moment; his pure Yang attribute was almost completely diminished.

“A descendant who dared to blaze new trails, do you wish to study his pure Yang consciousness and spiritual light?” the Heavenly Demon Mirror asked. “Alright!” Qin Ming nodded immediately and rushed over.

Cao Qianqiu was filled with murderous intent, but he couldn’t change anything; he was now in a state of utter despair.

A dragon-shaped blade appeared in Qin Ming’s right hand. In an instant, he transformed Old Cao into Cao Shiqiu and beheaded him on the spot. However, the old madman’s spirit and will were as firm as iron, showing no ripples and unable to be moved by any emotion.

Qin Ming frowned. It was truly frightening that the other party could remain so cold and unmoved even as he was about to dissipate.

After his ninth rebirth, a warm current surged in his eyes, allowing him to observe minute details. At this moment, he carefully gazed at his spiritual body, trying to decipher the secrets of pure Yang.

Cao Qianqiu sneered and said, “My path leads straight to the heavens. You newcomers dare to dream of glimpsing it? What virtue or ability do you have? Even if you reach the end, you will only be strongmen!”

The next moment, he became Cao Gongqiu, missing half of his body.

Then, he transformed into Cao Qianhuo and was instantly killed.

This was Qin Ming’s response, and then he stared intently at his pure Yang consciousness aura once more.

Cao Qianqiu stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, and said, “Even if the path to heaven were laid out before you, you newcomers would not be able to walk it; in the end, you would be nothing more than laborers!”

Immediately, he became Eunuch Cao!

Qin Ming naturally wouldn’t indulge him. What kind of senior or undefeated legend? He’d be beaten if he needed to be beaten, chopped if he needed to be chopped, and made to lose what he needed to lose!

Cao Qianqiu was furious; this time he couldn’t stay calm!

He hadn’t expected this kid to be so rude and immoral.

He originally had an iron will, but now he was humiliated by a junior and couldn’t hold back anymore. He had no masochistic tendencies and didn’t want to stay here any longer.

With a thud, before he could even move, his head was struck again, and his skull exploded.

“Residual traces of consciousness detected.” The Heavenly Demon Mirror emitted a cold voice, then burst forth with golden rays that illuminated a phantom.

Old Cao is cunning; he wants to lie low and take the information with him.

However, he could not escape the Heavenly Demon Mirror and was burned to ashes.

Cao Qianqiu’s pure Yang consciousness was completely annihilated.

Qin Ming breathed a sigh of relief. Cao Qianqiu must have seen through his true nature. If he could return to his true form, his future path would be almost over.

Along the various paths, the other immortals and gods watched quietly. After guessing that it was Cao Qianqiu, everyone was somewhat stunned by the result.

Li Qingxu landed on the ground, feeling deeply ashamed. He had been knocked off the path of immortality, and he felt he had let down his sect and had even implicated his teacher. He had no face to go back.

He looked up at the sky and saw that the demon’s path was being widened and expanded!

“Ah…” Li Qingxu, disheveled and covered in blood, roared, “From destruction comes construction! Sooner or later, I will wash away all this humiliation!”

The secret realm is a hot topic of discussion.

The disciples of the Immortal Path were all filled with mixed feelings. Their side had been defeated; the demon was simply too powerful.

Those who disliked Li Qingxu gloated, saying, “What did I say? I predicted he would be shot down. Didn’t I tell you?”

“Li Qingxu is no good; he is truly the weakest immortal seed!”

Some people looked solemn, guessing that Cao Qianqiu would appear in the end, but he still lost!

Someone said in a deep voice, “Don’t say any more. This matter is far more serious than you imagine; it may cause a huge upheaval!”

Some people were puzzled and asked why?

“Don’t you even consider whether Li Qingxu can master all of these techniques at this stage, such as the Rune Golden Rope, the Soul-Stabilizing Bell, and the Pure Yang Great Sun Lift?”

“hiss!”

Immediately, the disciples of the Immortal Path dared not say anything more.

On the demon side, there was an uproar, praising the young “Demon One” to the skies, believing him to be one of the strongest seeds of the demon race in the world, and that he should be ranked in the top five in the Night Mist World.

As for this plateau, he is absolutely the number one demon seed with a gap in the lineage!

“You don’t understand. You’ve underestimated Yao Yi. He’s even mastered the legendary Dragon Snake Scissors technique, which is far more advanced than you can imagine!”

“Such a prodigy, only my demon princess could be worthy of him, could she?”

“A celestial demon is within reach!”

Many demons were generous with their praise.

The esoteric Buddhists were also talking about it, but it was relatively peaceful, since they weren’t involved in the competition.

Whether it’s hostility or praise, all parties agree that if the Demon One reigns supreme on the Demon Path, it can threaten many seeds on other paths.

In the sky, the fragments of Li Qingxu’s broken immortal path were all used to repair the demonic path, instantly making the demonic energy there overwhelming!

The world was shaken. The boy on the path of demons had embarked on a road to heaven.

“He will benefit from this and become even stronger!” someone said solemnly.

The demonic path, once shrouded in blood mist and purple aura, is now a smooth, purplish-gold road stretching into the distance before disappearing before the astonished eyes of the crowd.

Qin Ming initially felt elated, but quickly calmed down.

He knew his performance was outstanding, but the thought of Cao Qianqiu weighed heavily on his mind. If the old madman’s pure Yang consciousness was already so terrifying, how strong must his true body be? It was immeasurable!

The Heavenly Demon Mirror spoke: “Your courageous descendants who dare to forge new paths possess boundless potential, like a rising sun dispelling the night fog on the sea. In recognition of your victory over an immortal path, you are hereby rewarded with the restoration of your damaged demonic seed. May you continue your efforts and illuminate this era!”

Qin Ming’s apprehension towards Cao Qianqiu vanished instantly. A look of joy appeared on his face; this fight had been worthwhile!

In an instant, two fragmented demonic seeds, one gold and one silver, appeared before him, causing the three shattered demonic seeds within his body to stir restlessly, wanting to merge with them.

Qin Ming smiled. He naturally didn’t need to form a complete demon seed, but he could refine it to master the Golden Cicada Scripture. The Ninth Rebirth was not yet over, so he could continue.

He hadn’t touched the three broken demon seeds earlier because he was afraid it would affect his path to becoming a demon, but now he had no such concerns.

This means that his strength can be improved again!

Then he appeared in a palace, where there was a futon and two unlit incense sticks, the same ones he had obtained from Li Qingxu.

These can lead one into a state of enlightenment!

“I gained a lot from the competition, all of it is supplies!” Qin Ming said with a smile.

Outside the secret realm, demonic energy surged, and a giant demon arrived.

Upon hearing the latest report, it burst into laughter, shaking the heavens and dispelling the night fog.

Pu Heng was on his way, already very close. Upon learning of the latest developments, he was immediately shocked. Could his master have been involved in that battle?!

“Our Immortal Path suffered a crushing defeat. Isn’t anyone willing to step forward? Let’s fight another battle, otherwise, what face will we have left if word gets out!”

“Leng Feiyue, Cui Chonghe, Su Shiyun, Sun Jingxiao, you guys have to fight! Otherwise, if word spreads that the Immortal Path disciples have been defeated by demons, it’ll be too embarrassing!”

Outside, people were having a heated discussion.

In particular, with the older generation sweeping across the plateau, crushing all the old demons, and hunting auspicious beasts, how could the younger generation possibly lose?

In fact, some people on the path to immortality have indeed had their own ideas. They not only understand cultivation, but also need to see the big picture. If they turn a blind eye and ignore the situation, will the old guys on the path to immortality blame them for being irresponsible?

“Sun Jingxiao of the Pure Land of the Mortal Realm challenges you.” At this moment, the Heavenly Demon Mirror transmitted its voice.

Qin Ming recognized this person; he had seen him on the Vermilion Bird spaceship.

“No time!” he said without thinking. He needed to start practicing his extraordinary skill and push his ninth rebirth to perfection, so he didn’t want to be distracted.

“He doesn’t want to fight you in real combat,” the Heavenly Demon Realm expert told him, explaining that the other party wanted to compete with him in comprehension.

Once you embark on this path, the evaluation you receive is related to factors such as practical experience, comprehension, physical strength, and the vision of the trailblazer. The other party chose one of these factors.

Qin Ming was taken aback and asked, “Won’t this interfere with my meditation and enlightenment here?”

“It won’t have a major impact,” the Heavenly Demon Mirror replied.

“Alright, I accept!” Qin Ming nodded, hoping to get some more rewards.

The Heavenly Demon Mirror said, “For those descendants who dare to forge new paths, I suggest you first comprehend the Dao, adjust your mind and body to the best state, and then fuse to create a complete demonic seed. That way, the effect will be the best.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you.” Qin Ming followed the advice. He wasn’t preparing to fuse the complete demon seed, but rather wanted to develop a trump card.

Of all his methods, the strongest is naturally the Heavenly Light Force, which uses the meaning of the silk scroll scriptures to control all techniques and unify them.

However, this also consumes a great deal of resources.

He needs other, more diversified approaches to better cope with various crises.

For example, after comprehending and elevating his understanding of the “Dragon and Snake Scripture,” he mastered the Dragon and Snake Scissors, which could break Cao Qianqiu’s rune-inscribed golden rope.

He was deeply moved by this, realizing that even with his amazing Heavenly Light Force, he still needed various ingenious methods to unleash his full combat power.

“If we’re going to have a competition of comprehension, would it be considered cheating if I lit that incense?” Qin Ming asked.

“No, I will make an estimate after converting it to an equivalent environment. Besides, he has already lit a similar incense stick.”

“That’s fine then.” Qin Ming nodded.

The palace, with its golden bricks and jade tiles, was very quiet. Qin Ming sat cross-legged on a futon surrounded by purple mist, and had already lit the incense on the jade table.

Instantly, his eyes became clear and his whole body glowed, as if there was a Daoist aura flowing through him. He felt light and comfortable from head to toe, and his mind became incredibly clear.

Outsiders were astonished, for they saw a celestial path emerge, approaching the demonic path, and eventually merging together, revealing two colossal palaces, both radiating spiritual light.

Faintly, the sound of chanting could be heard from there, which was quite mystical.

Some people speculated that this was another duel; otherwise, the two paths could not possibly meet!

Suddenly, ripples spread throughout the secret realm. Everyone understood that a seed-level figure on the path to immortality was dissatisfied and had gone to challenge the young demon.

Unfortunately, they didn’t know it was a contest of comprehension, and they couldn’t see what was happening inside the two giant palaces, so they could only stare blankly.

“We’ll see which road is damaged in a moment, and then we’ll know who wins and who loses!” the esoteric monks said with a laugh. They were detached from the matter and enjoyed watching the spectacle.

Some demons complained, “Is this going to be a war of attrition? Is one of my demon race’s seeds supposed to fight against multiple seeds on the path to immortality?!”

At this moment, the people of the Immortal Path had extremely serious expressions. If they were to lose to the demons again, it would be a very embarrassing situation.

Inside the Demon Palace, Qin Ming proceeded at his own pace, beginning his training of the ultimate secret technique from the original version of the “Golden Silkworm Scripture” used by the demon race.

In the first stage, his Heavenly Light Force was like silkworm silk, forming a cocoon of light around his body, with amazing defensive power!

Next, he moved into a more profound realm, using offense as defense. It was as if he was absorbing the golden essence of heaven and earth, and the golden silkworm silk that emanated from his body rang out and became extremely tough.

In fact, once you get to this point, it becomes very difficult to continue practicing.

Because this requires extremely high aptitude from the person seeking enlightenment!

Only those with the Three Powers of Power or those who can shake the heavens can continue on this journey; ordinary demons simply cannot study the profound and deadly techniques of this scripture.

With the blessing of the Enlightenment Realm, Qin Ming gradually mastered the technique. Countless golden silkworm threads emerged from his body, all transformed from the Heavenly Light Force, as if distorting space itself.

This is the Golden Silkworm Force Field!

The golden silkworm threads danced erratically, capable of tearing apart others’ spiritual light and weapons, destroying their consciousness and wisdom, and even defending itself.

If one steps into the third realm—the Spirit Field—the power of this trump card will increase dramatically at the corresponding realm!

Because it best suits the spiritual realm.

Even now, it has become one of Qin Ming’s trump cards.

Previously, Qin Ming had already dabbled in the Golden Silkworm Force Field, but he hadn’t studied it in depth because it was a technique of the second realm.

After his battle with Cao Qianqiu, he was deeply moved. Cao Qianqiu’s every move was a unique skill and a killing move. So now he is eager to learn several of them.

With his foundation and comprehension, he was actually able to try to train after his ninth rebirth.

As he continued to gain insights, he felt he had almost mastered it. Soon after, he got up to practice, and as time went on, he became more and more proficient!

Furthermore, when Qin Ming activated the Golden Silkworm Force Field, he combined it with Lao Cao’s rune-inscribed golden rope, and all the silkworm threads merged into one, creating a tough golden rope that could bind people or pierce opponents.

However, his Heavenly Light Force cannot be extended to distant areas; it is only useful in close combat.

“After the Dragon-Snake Scissors, the Golden Silkworm Force Field that I’ve mastered can now be used in actual combat, and it’s incredibly powerful!” Qin Ming was quite satisfied after testing the technique.

If he could master one trump card for each of his extraordinary skills, that would be enough for him.

“Unfortunately, there is no real opponent to test it out right now.”

As for the other extraordinary skills, Qin Ming tried them briefly and then put them aside for the time being, leaving them for later, because practicing a killer move also requires feeling and accumulation.

This is the Enlightenment Hall on the path of demons, naturally the most suitable place to practice the killer moves recorded in the “Dragon and Snake Scripture” and the “Golden Silkworm Scripture”.

Afterwards, he began to focus on the demon seeds, directly crushing and refining two of them, and then went to practice the “Golden Cicada Scripture”.

“Heaven is jealous of talent. Heaven endowed you with the extraordinary potential and gifts of an era, yet it also made your fate full of twists and turns. In the process of enlightenment, you damaged your foundation once again, shattering the demonic seed…”

The Heavenly Demon Mirror spoke, as if it were sighing.

Qin Ming was speechless. It was because his demonic seed had not only failed to heal but had exploded again, and the Heavenly Demon Mirror thought that he had been envied by the heavens.

“Perhaps, this world is fair. There is no such thing as perfection. Every path and method has its flaws, and everything ultimately manifests as imperfect beauty,” the Heavenly Demon Mirror said calmly.

Qin Ming immediately chimed in, “That’s right, do you think I can still salvage this? Give me two more fragmented demon seeds, and perhaps I can get close to perfection!”

“Don’t waste any more time. Practice your techniques while you’re in the Enlightenment Realm,” said the Heavenly Demon Mirror.

Clearly, it believes this is a balancing rule in the world of Night Fog, and that Yao Yi’s talent is too extraordinary, incurring the wrath of the heavens, making it difficult for him to condense a perfect demon seed.

Qin Ming practiced the Golden Cicada Scripture in two versions, both of which he learned from Wu Chengwang, an old man from the Mountain and River Academy. At that time, he was willing to be “ripped off” and comprehend the entire scripture in six hundred days of gold!

He had already integrated the two versions into one. He had already comprehended them before, and now that he had refined the demon seed, his body was full of vitality, making this scripture the most suitable for him to practice.

He ruthlessly crushed the demon seed, and after extracting its essence, his flesh and blood also ruptured, leaving him covered in blood.

“The Golden Cicada Scripture you are practicing is not the original version of the demon race’s version; it can be completed,” the Heavenly Demon Mirror declared.

Qin Ming had anticipated this, just like the previous “Dragon and Snake Scripture” and “Golden Silkworm Scripture,” both of which were supplemented with the original versions of the demon race along this path.

A moment later, Qin Mingru was as if he had been given a divine initiation. Some primordial demonic script imprints were transmitted into his mind, and he immediately obtained the complete cultivation manual.

“I wonder if this mental cultivation method is related to the ancient cicada recorded in the Kunlun Divine Records?” He didn’t get distracted and began to comprehend the method and practice his skills.

Soon, Qin Ming’s body was covered with blood scabs.

The true meaning of the Golden Cicada Sutra is that the golden cicada must emerge from its shell, tear apart its old body, and undergo tribulation to be reborn.

It can be said that it has a strong Zen meaning, can prolong life, and can bring life from the brink of death.

During his enlightenment and practice, Qin Ming was almost in a state of near extinction, with no life force emanating from his body.

Much later, from deep within the scab, came a cicada’s chirp. This was not a real sound, but rather a vibration of Daoist energy.

In an instant, Qin Ming tore off the scabs and shed a layer of old skin, truly like a cicada shedding its shell, gaining an even more powerful physical body!

He noticed that the incense stick on the table had burned to the end.

He didn’t care, because he still had stock, and even more spoils of war from Li Qingxu.

“It seems like a long time has passed?” Qin Ming asked. “Half a day,” the Heavenly Demon Mirror replied.

Qin Ming sensed that he was undergoing changes; his flesh and blood were burning hot. His ninth rebirth had indeed continued, and his physique was getting stronger.

After mastering the Golden Cicada Sutra, he absorbed the essence of the demonic seed, and his body became full of vitality.

“You have emerged from seclusion. The results of this competition of comprehension are in,” the Heavenly Demon Mirror informed.

Sun Jingxiao had been waiting for a long time, but after his incense burned out, he still hadn’t received the result, which puzzled him and made him wonder if something was wrong.

At this moment, the broken mirror on the road spoke: “You have lost. Your opponent has mastered a trump card, a unique skill of the demon race. Compared with him, your achievements are somewhat dim.”

“I actually lost. In such a short time, he achieved two important breakthroughs?” Sun Jingxiao was shocked, and then stared blankly for a while.

People saw that the celestial path in the sky was partially broken, the fragments piecing together on the demonic path, and then the celestial path faded into the distance.

“Wow, the boy on the path of demons has won again!”

Immediately, the secret realm was in an uproar, causing a huge uproar.

Qin Ming remained calm, contemplating the changes within himself. He felt that the transformation he underwent through the “Golden Cicada Scripture” was no less significant than the rebirth he experienced after mastering the “Dragon and Snake Scripture.”

While waiting for this new life to end, he continued to study the “Golden Cicada Scripture,” which was the seventh extraordinary skill he had mastered!

Without a doubt, his Heavenly Light Force will undergo a qualitative change as a result!

“The Golden Cicada Force possesses both deadly force against the enemy and vital force beneficial to oneself; its uses are endless!” he exclaimed, as he was enveloped by two kinds of light for a moment.

Clearly, this also involves the changes of Yin and Yang.

If combined with the Dragon and Snake Classic, his understanding of the changes of Yin and Yang will be further enhanced!

At the same time, he also seriously pondered the trump card in the Golden Cicada Sutra: the transformation between life and death, the undying Zen charm, and the thunderous sound of cicadas.

“My ninth rebirth is strange. It’s done in two parts, and each one is no less than a real rebirth. Will this be the end?” Qin Ming muttered to himself.

For him, this new life was of great significance, giving him another chance to transform and master a new skill, making him even more powerful than before.

“Cui Chonghe has issued a challenge to you. Do you accept?” The Heavenly Demon Mirror suddenly spoke, conveying this message.

(There’s more to come!)