Chapter 172 Walking a Tightrope in the Clouds

“Don’t force yourself.” Zhao Yaoting felt that he might be forcing himself to watch, having mistakenly ingested the Celestial Elixir, and was embarrassed in front of everyone. Especially since there were two very famous fairies in the mortal realm here, both possessing unparalleled beauty, and both being close relatives of their respective realms.

Seed of Immortality. It’s perfectly normal for a young man to be infatuated with someone.

But if he’s afraid of making a fool of himself and insists on watching like this, the consequences could be very serious.

Zhao Yaoting handed him a crystal containing a pale golden liquid, saying, “This is a medicinal liquid that can strengthen the body and heal injuries.” “I’m really fine,” Qin Ming said, shaking his head.

“Stubborn to the end.” A young man in crimson armor spoke up from the side, his tone rather sharp. His name was Sun Jingxiao, and he came from the Pure Land.

Qin Ming glanced at him and said, “Brother, how about you… give me a bottle of Heavenly Light Liquid, so I can show some more courage.”

Without saying a word, Sun Jingxiao took out a small, thumb-sized bottle from his pocket, filled with concentrated Heavenly Light Liquid, and handed it to him.

“Don’t argue over a trivial matter!” Cai Jingcheng advised.

However, Qin Ming immediately accepted it, wishing he could have a few more bottles. He had several kinds of Heavenly Light Force waiting to be fused, so the more the better.

Sun Jingxiao’s expression immediately changed, and he said, “You all saw it. If something happens to him, it’s not my fault at all. He insisted on drinking it himself.”

“Don’t do this!” Zhao Yaoting shouted.

However, Qin Ming drank the entire bottle of Heavenly Light Liquid in one gulp. This liquid Heavenly Light was indeed too potent, so much so that it caused him to open his mouth and exhale a beam of light.

Finally, he let out a burp.

Sun Jingxiao was stunned. What was going on? This was unbelievable. “Another bottle, please!” Qin Ming reached out to him.

The expressions of the young men present changed, and even the two renowned near-immortal talents showed unusual looks.

“Anything else?” Qin Ming asked, eager for a tit-for-tat exchange, hoping the other party would give him two more bottles of Heavenly Light Liquid.

Sun Jingxiao didn’t want to pay any more attention to him, because he was certain that this guy could really consume the Heavenly Light Liquid, and since his body was free of evil, he must have practiced some kind of divine skill!

“We still have important matters to attend to.” Su Shiyun, from the Immortal Land, reminded her, noting that this near-immortal being was indeed wearing a bronze mask.

It was quite unique; even when she stood still, a certain ethereal beauty emanated from her. Her blue robes fluttered, giving the impression that she was about to ascend into the air like a celestial being.

Qin Ming immediately realized that the so-called near-immortal seed was not just talk, but rather something that was quite compatible with certain inexplicable “factors” in the world.

“Brother, what’s your name? You’re here too…” Zhao Yaoting began.

Logically, the first class cabin should have been completely booked, and everyone here should be part of the mission, but this guy is acting strangely.

He arrived so late; he seems a bit out of place.

Moreover, his reckless act of drinking the Great Light Liquid from beyond the world was quite bizarre. Therefore, Zhao Yaoting was somewhat uneasy about him.

Qin Ming nodded immediately before he could finish speaking.

Because he sensed anticipation and excitement in one of the boys’ emotions; although the fluctuations were subtle, he still keenly noticed them. This so-called “mission” wasn’t a bad thing!

Qin Ming roughly knew that these teenagers came from different lineages and didn’t know each other very well. They had formed a team on the spot, so he also “recklessly” followed suit!

“Do you know where we’re going?” Sun Jingxiao asked, clearly displeased with him.

Everyone else looked over as well, some even using their special abilities, their spiritual powers, and so on, to carefully observe him.

“You’re so meddlesome.” Qin Ming looked impatient and somewhat disgusted with him. Si Shi sensed the other man’s strong emotional fluctuations; he was clearly angry.

“Please answer,” asked Su Shiyun, dressed in green. This near-immortal being was incredibly perceptive and sensed something slightly amiss. “In the night sky,” Qin Ming said calmly.

As he spoke these words, he forcefully maintained the steady, unwavering rhythm of his heartbeat, relying on the absolute control a newborn possesses over their physical body. In truth, when he resonated with Sun Jingxiao that his location was a night sky, he was utterly astonished.

Then he added, “It’s called a mission, but isn’t it really just about ‘getting something’?”

“Watch your words!” someone reminded him. “Don’t be so blunt!” someone else said. In fact, Qin Ming really didn’t know the details.

He only gleaned a few fragmented pieces of information from Sun Jingxiao, and then the guy hardened his heart and no longer showed any emotional fluctuations.

Qin Ming knew these shady “insider” secrets, which convinced the others that he was indeed on the same path. Sure enough, it was a loosely organized group, with little communication among themselves.

In the main cabin, their identities had been largely revealed, and Qin Ming had a general understanding of them.

Zhao Yaoting, Cai Jingcheng, and Tang Yuguan come from three different esoteric Buddhist sects; Su Shiyun comes from the Celestial Land; Leng Yue comes from the Yang Land; Xue Yunzheng comes from the Calamity Land; and Sun Jingxiao comes from the Pure Land.

Qin Ming realized that the people here were most likely the darlings of the older generation! Therefore, he was quite looking forward to this operation!

The place quieted down, and everyone carried some strange treasures, from precious bottles to crystal cups to almost transparent small cauldrons, all of which were very mysterious.

Everyone is receiving Guan Hua and strange substances.

Qin Ming was quite interested in what one of the people had brought, because his body was slightly craving it, and the Purple Thunderfire was about to start operating on its own.

“Fairy Su, would you like to exchange the purple mist in this jade cup for something else?” he asked shamelessly, wanting to know what use it would be to him.

Su Shiyun held a jade cup in her hand, which was very mysterious. It attracted a kind of purple mist, which slowly fell into the cup and almost condensed into liquid.

“No exchange!” she refused.

Qin Ming had no choice; no matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn’t force them, since they had already made such a straightforward decision.

“Let me give you a wisp.” Su Shiyun thought about their upcoming joint action, and with a light flick of her jade hand, a wisp of purple light flew out of the jade cup, transforming into a cloud of purple mist.

“Thank you.” After absorbing the purple energy, Qin Ming felt earth fire rise from his feet and heavenly lightning spread downwards from his head, meeting in his chest and abdomen with a loud boom.

Those present were surprised to find that lightning flashed and thunder roared in the man’s chest and abdomen, followed by a faint medicinal fragrance, which was quite outrageous.

Qin Ming sighed. Unfortunately, the Dragon-Tiger Elixir in his chest and abdomen dissipated at the last moment.

However, his body felt very comfortable, as if it had been nourished by a large amount of active substances. The Suzaku spaceship remained here for a long time before setting sail again.

“Everyone, there are some special areas ahead. We will stop there and you can capture Tianhua at your leisure,” a woman transmitted through her spiritual light.

“Great!” many teenagers cheered.

And so, with frequent stops along the way, the spaceship had traveled nearly two square miles, and there were still more than 1,500 miles to go before arriving at the Kunjun Giant City.

The group was quite satisfied. They stopped about once every thousand miles, and everyone got to taste the flavor of Tianhua.

When the Vermilion Bird spaceship stopped for the twentieth time, Su Shiyun, Zhao Yaoting, and the others stood up. “It’s time for us to move out!”

Qin Ming felt that they were acting like thieves, sneaking around.

The group exited through a secret passage in the high-class cabin and arrived at the edge of the ship, where small boats were already waiting. Without a word, they boarded the boats, which were surprisingly piloted by the captain of the Vermilion Bird himself, escorting them to their destination.

It wasn’t very far, only a few miles apart, and they arrived quickly.

A thick black fog billowed, obscuring everything, yet everyone could sense something ahead, emanating a faint sense of oppression.

Then, Qin Ming saw several spaceships, all damaged and pierced by something, resting in the dark clouds.

“I’ll wait for you here.” That was all the captain said. He didn’t ask any more questions or say anything more. He simply followed orders and did what he was supposed to do.

Qin Ming was the last to get off the small boat, and casually took a parachute with him.

The captain’s eyes gleamed strangely. This guy already has four hooks around his neck, and he’s still not at ease?! The other seven looked at him, speechless.

Qin Ming was indeed uncertain. He had never been afraid when fighting strange creatures in the mountains in the past. This was his first time operating in the night sky, and if he were to fall from these clouds, he wouldn’t have enough lives to survive the fall.

Who would have thought that there would be “something” in the night sky?

They leaped onto the punctured, wrecked spaceship that was now resting there.

Qin Ming finally saw clearly what had pierced the spaceship: a faded “golden spike.” To call it a spike was an understatement; it was incredibly long, stretching as far as the eye could see.

It was as thick as a water vat, and should have been golden, but now it was dull, as if covered in dust for many years. Here were many dull, long thorns, disappearing into the depths of the night sky, their thickness unchanged, making it impossible to tell where one was looking.

Leng Feiyue, a near-immortal seed from Yangtu, spoke up: “Since there are so many paths, let’s each go our own way and not bother each other.”

The dormant light of her consciousness shone brightly like a small sun, yet her words remained consistently cold and aloof; she was a renowned ice queen.

The original plan was to act together, but now everyone has agreed to go separately.

Qin Ming trudged forward on the thick, pale golden thorns, using his sticky strength to prevent himself from slipping. However, he was completely in the dark, knowing nothing about the place. Where did it lead, and what could he possibly gain?

He was completely baffled. This was clearly a dark cloud, so how could there be so many long thorns? Why didn’t they fall down?

The sky was pitch black, with howling winds and billowing fog like a vast ocean. Qin Ming felt increasingly uncertain as he walked; he had already gone several hundred meters, but the long spikes remained unchanged, seemingly without end.

He drew his mutton-fat jade iron knife and tested it on the pale gold thorn. Sparks flew everywhere; even such a rare and precious blade couldn’t cut it. Qin Ming took out his sword-shaped exotic gold pendant and tried stabbing it. It pierced through, but didn’t cause any change.

He walked through the thick, dark fog, muttering to himself, “I’m really walking a tightrope in the clouds. It’s unbelievable. Who put these things up in the sky?”

The fierce wind whipped his hair into a mess, and a strand blocked his view. When he reached out to brush it aside, his heart trembled violently.

Because he had some absurd conjectures, and if they were true, they would be too outrageous! “Could such a place really have such a destiny?!” He was somewhat skeptical.

Qin Ming brushed his hair aside, looked at the seemingly endless “thorns” under his feet, and finally walked forward.

After counting the white rice, he saw ten pale golden thorns intertwined together. He arrived at a messy area.

What am I experiencing? Wandering alone in the clouds… I hope nothing goes wrong. We’re only 1500 li away from Kunjun City; who knows, there might be a deadly place right below us.”

Suddenly, Qin Ming’s pupils contracted, because he saw an even denser cluster of intersecting “long spikes” in the black fog, and there was… a nest there!

This was quite different from his earlier guess. He was a little panicked that there were creatures nesting in such a place, because the nest was very large!

However, he sensed no life, and he noticed that the nest was quite old, suggesting it had been abandoned. Qin Ming approached, his heart filled with unease.

What kind of creature builds a nest in the clouds with a diameter of about three zhang?

He climbed up the old, giant nest and found some broken golden eggshells at the edge.

“Where have I come to?” Qin Ming asked solemnly.

(There’s more to come!)