Chapter 139 A Generous Gift Within the Rules

The sky and earth were pitch black, like an abyss.

The Six Imperial Ancestral Court covers a vast area, with high-grade fire springs flowing through it. It is bright, beautiful, and full of vitality.

A tall building, made primarily of lapis lazuli as hard as iron, bears the marks of time and has been visited by many renowned masters throughout history.

The living room was incredibly spacious. An elderly man with light blond hair and beard spoke up: “Cui Changqing, what brings you here?”

The ebony tea table was quite heavy, with a deep color and natural grain resembling silhouettes of mountains and rivers. The aroma of tea wafted through the air, but neither of the two people sitting quietly touched their cups.

“It’s been many years since we last met. I missed my old friend, so I came to pay my respects.” Cui Changqing smiled, his long, emerald-green hair exuding the fresh scent of grass and trees.

The old man with golden hair and a golden beard looked at him, his eyes shooting out golden light, and said, “In the past, I made an exception and, in the name of my master, allowed your Cui family’s children to learn the first volume of the Six Imperial Heart Sutra ahead of time. Don’t come here again unless necessary!”

His name was Zhou Shize. His light golden hair and beard were the result of practicing the Six Controls Technique to a certain stage. Even his pupils were like that, as if they were cast in gold. His cultivation was extremely profound.

Cui Changqing had a snow-white complexion and an ageless appearance, looking no more than thirty years old. He cupped his hands and said, “Back then, I came with that child’s father to seek the true scriptures, and I must thank Brother Zhou again.”

He then added, “That child lived up to expectations. At only fifteen years old, he was already an extraordinary person. His nine rebirths have been completed. He is just waiting to comprehend the true meaning of the Six Powers, break free from his cocoon and transform into a butterfly, stepping into the realm of Outer Saints without taking any major medicine.”

“That wouldn’t be considered an insult to the Six Imperial Heart Sutra.” Zhou Shize nodded, his expression softening, and golden light gleamed in his eyes as he asked, “Then what brings you here?”

Cui Changqing took a small sip of tea and said, “Chongxuan is a simple-minded child. Although he is already an extraordinary person, I am afraid that he will be harmed by outsiders. I have come to ask my old friend to take care of him.”

Zhou Shize said calmly, “There’s a hidden meaning in your words. If he is an extraordinary person and passes the core disciple assessment, who in my Six Imperial Ancestral Court could harm him?”

Cui Changqing said, “A wicked monkey, raised at home, has been very disobedient lately and has come to the Six Imperial Ancestral Court. I’m afraid the monkey will cause trouble.”

“If your child is strong enough as an extraordinary being, why would he be afraid of a mere monkey? Besides, if that monkey were to join my sect, he would already be one of the Six Imperial Disciples,” Zhou Shize said calmly, sitting behind the ebony tea table.

“The monkey is clumsy and fierce. My Chongxuan is pure of heart, and I worry that he may meet with misfortune.” As Cui Changqing said this, he lightly drew his right hand in the air, and a streak of light turned into a sharp blade, which then quickly disappeared.

Zhou Shize’s face was icy cold, his pale golden hair fluttering like an angry lion. He said, “What do you mean by daring to be so presumptuous in my Six Kingdoms?!”

Cui Changqing laughed and said, “Brother Zhou, please don’t misunderstand. I have no other intentions. I’m just worried about Chongxuan. You bestowed the true scriptures upon him in the past, so he can be considered half your disciple. I can’t just watch something happen to him.”

Zhou Shize said, “He is at the Six Imperial Ancestral Court, where everything is done according to the rules, so there won’t be any problems.”

He then warned, “I advise you not to cause trouble. The Six Imperial Ancestral Court will not tolerate outsiders. Anyone who dares to provoke us will be executed!”

“Of course I understand, everything has its rules.” Cui Changqing smiled. Although he was over a hundred years old, he exuded the fresh scent of grass and trees, and seemed more vibrant than many young men.

This is the wonder of the “Scripture of Longevity”—it can prolong life and allow a person to maintain their peak condition for a long time. He took out a brocade box, placed it on the ebony tea table, and pushed it forward.

“What do you mean?” Zhou Shize didn’t move, his eyes slightly sharp.

Cui Changqing smiled and said, “I can’t visit an old friend empty-handed, can I? I know you like swords. This one comes from the depths of the Night Mist World. A thousand years have passed, but time cannot diminish its brilliance.”

He opened the brocade box, revealing a short sword about a foot long, shimmering with five-colored light.

Then, Cui Changqing took out a notebook and pushed it forward, saying, “The founders of various sects should all have a copy of the’Scripture of Longevity,’ but as time goes by, their understandings have become somewhat different. This is my Cui family ancestor’s insight into the longevity section of the’Scripture of Longevity,’ and I would appreciate it, Brother Zhou.”

Zhou Shize’s expression was serious. Now everyone knew that the Cui family’s ancestor had unique insights into the “Scripture of Preserving Life”.

Two hundred years ago, the patriarch of the Cui family was already very old, and everyone said he was about to die. However, two years ago, an incredibly powerful figure emerged from the Li family and led an invasion. The patriarch of the Cui family, who had been in seclusion for two hundred years, actually reappeared!

This notebook captivated Zhou Shize. He appeared to be in his prime, with blond hair and a golden beard, but was actually over a hundred years old. His mastery of the Six Imperial Strengths had granted him profound cultivation and abundant vitality, preventing him from showing his age. “Old friend, please accept it. I won’t make things difficult for you; just follow the rules,” Cui Changqing smiled, his body radiating a greenish-blue glow, demonstrating his continued vitality.

The Six Imperial Ancestral Temples are a place of dazzling fire springs and swirling white mist, with incomparably beautiful scenery.

Qin Ming has been here for two days, waiting for the time of the first assessment.

He was assigned to the Golden Forest, where many top geniuses from all over the world temporarily resided.

In this vast forest, the leaves of all the trees are golden in color. I wonder how the Six Imperial Ancestral Court cultivated them.

For example, that ancient pine tree, which should have been evergreen, was instead covered in glistening pine needles that shimmered with golden light and exuded a richer pine fragrance.

Even the lotus flowers in the lake are blooming with golden flowers and have golden leaves, making them stand out from the crowd.

Even the fire springs here aren’t crimson, but rather filled with a faint golden glow, flowing through the forest and giving the place a unique landscape.

There are many detached wooden cabins in the forest, one for each person. Dozens of people have already moved in here; they are all teenagers participating in the core disciple assessment.

The ordinary disciples were more numerous and were arranged separately.

Yuqing, Qingtian, and Liuyu have relaxed their selection criteria for disciples, resulting in a far greater number of young people applying this year than in previous years.

“Did you know? It is said that the reason why the plants and trees here are golden is because the youngest disciple of the patriarch once secluded himself here and comprehended his own luminous energy from the Six Imperial Heart Sutra. When he came out of seclusion, the moment he opened his eyes, his golden pupils shone with divine light, and wherever he passed, the plants and trees turned golden, and this place was imbued with his mysterious power.”

The boy living here was well-informed and knew about this secret.

“How old was the youngest disciple of the founder?” someone couldn’t help but ask.

“Uh, I don’t know, but the grand-disciples of this young master, such as Elder Zhou Shize, are probably over a hundred years old.” The Golden Forest gradually became lively, and by the last two days, there were already more than fifty people.

Qin Ming is very low-key and has little presence.

He discovered two extraordinary individuals. One was Cao Wuji, a very handsome man with sword-like eyebrows, whom he had seen in the Purple Bamboo Forest of Jinrui City.

There was also a cold and beautiful girl in black who was very strong. When she was fighting with Cao Wuji for the best lakeside wooden house, the two exchanged a punch. It was the girl who knocked Cao Wuji back three steps, which immediately stunned everyone.

Many people are familiar with Cao Wuji, as he was a prodigy who had been featured in the night newspapers many times and was already famous in various major cities.

Only then did people realize that the girl in black was also a top-tier superhuman. Qin Ming sighed inwardly; of all the superhumans rumored to exist, he had actually encountered two since arriving at the Six Imperial Ancestral Court. Until now, he had never fought a superhuman.

Overall, apart from Yu Zhuohan, none of his former rivals were particularly outstanding in terms of “status.” “The young extraordinary individuals are all very strong!” Qin Ming commented seriously and earnestly.

He always overestimates his opponents to avoid underestimating them and suffering heavy losses.

“Do you know how we’re going to be assessed this time? It’s said that we’ll be going to see the true face of this world, where there are rare spiritual substances, but it’s also extremely dangerous. Perhaps we’ll need to work together to survive better.”

Some of the young men had quite a few connections in the Six Imperial Ancestral Court and managed to find out such news.

“The elders of the Six Kingdoms said that whether you act alone or in a team, it’s up to you!”

These broad conditions left all the young men feeling uncertain, unsure of what the Six Emperors were thinking or how they would conduct a detailed examination.

Someone spoke up: “I suspect that in that mysterious environment, the team members will eventually be forced to separate, which is why they’re so casual about it. However, in the initial stages, it’s better for us to operate together; it ensures safety and conserves resources.”

“Brother Cao, let’s travel together!”

“Brother Cao!”

Soon, Cao Wuji was surrounded by people, both men and women. Those who dared to come here to participate in the test naturally had some confidence, but they knew very well that they could not compete with Cao Wuji and the girl in black.

Therefore, they lowered their expectations and strived to become the third, fourth, or even fifth disciple. If they passed the test, they could become core disciples.

In addition, the aloof girl in black, Zhuo Ya, was surrounded by many people who wanted to accompany her.

Qin Ming watched calmly. Were those people truly bowing their heads in submission to Cao Wuji and Zhuo Ya? Not necessarily. Perhaps some simply wanted to use the two of them to pave the way, saving their own energy so they wouldn’t have to lift a finger.

“Brother Qin, aren’t you going to team up with them?” Zhou Lei, Qin Ming’s neighbor and a girl in yellow, asked.

“Zhuo Ya is rather aloof and difficult to talk to. Let’s go with Cao Wuji,” suggested another neighbor, Huang Cheng. “We’ll see,” Qin Ming replied.

The two walked away, concluding that their neighbor was a low-key arrogance, probably wanting to be a loner. That same day, Cui Chongxuan arrived, right on time.

“A new generation of extraordinary talent in the Cui family!” Someone with a reliable source knew Cui Chongxuan’s identity immediately. In the Golden Forest, Cui Chongxuan chose a wooden house and moved in rather discreetly.

He quickly spotted Qin Ming, his expression a mix of emotions, a mixture of hesitation and uncertainty. But in the end, he took the initiative to approach Qin Ming and weakly called out, “Brother.”

Qin Ming smiled, nodded to him, and said, “Give it your all tomorrow and do your best.”

Many people were surprised. Although they were far away and couldn’t hear what they were saying, they all realized that the unassuming guy seemed to have some background as well.

“It’s you!” Cao Wuji walked over, and he was surprised to find that the young man who had displayed the eight colors of the Heavenly Light Force in the Purple Bamboo Forest of Jinrui City had also come.

“Brother Cao, we meet again.” Qin Ming nodded with a smile. Observing him up close, he could increasingly appreciate the strength of the extraordinary physique of Cao Wuji, whose vitality was exceptionally vigorous.

Most importantly, Cao Wuji has probably entered the realm of Outer Saint, and seems to be much stronger than when I last saw him.

This means that the girl in black, Zhuo Ya, is also an Outer Saint!

Everyone was astonished and looked over, only to find that both of the strange people knew Qin Ming.

Upon hearing someone call out Qin Ming’s name, the girl in black, Zhuo Ya, walked over gracefully, a strange expression on her face, and asked, “You’re Qin Ming?”

“Yes.” Qin Ming confirmed that he hadn’t had much interaction with her before.

“My cousin is Yu Zhuohan,” Zhuo Ya said, a faint smile appearing on her face, like an iceberg thawing and a snow lotus blooming for the first time, radiant with unparalleled beauty.

“Ah, so he’s one of us. We became friends after a fight.” Qin Ming immediately became enthusiastic.

“But he said I should give you a good beating,” Zhuo Ya said.

Qin Ming felt that he hadn’t gone too far last time, and Yu Zhuohan was still somewhat dissatisfied, harboring resentment and wanting his cousin to avenge him.

The next day, an elder from the Six Imperial Ancestral Court appeared with several young men and said, “You’ve all heard what you need to know, haven’t you? I don’t want to say anything more. Let’s set off directly.”

“Elder, we have no idea where we are going!” someone said.

“The edge of the world!” a young disciple responded.

The elder said, “Well, there’s no point in taking the test in the ancestral court. If we make you fight, it’ll just be internal exhaustion. I’ll take you to see the true face of the world; it’ll be better for you to expend your boundless energy there.”

Two enormous birds spread their wings and soared into the night sky, creating a fierce gale that carried more than sixty people into the distance.

Everyone’s expression was extremely solemn. The two birds were quite extraordinary, a black giant crane and a snow-white peacock. They parted the thick night fog and exuded a terrifying aura, both belonging to high-level alien species.

Along the way, the earth was pitch black, and it took a long time to see even a glimmer of light.

In this vast and boundless world, places with fire springs are relatively few. Even the great cities, under the thick night fog, are merely sparse fireflies.

On that day, they traversed endless darkness and arrived at their destination, which was already 40,000 li away from the Six Imperial Ancestral Court.