Chapter 225 The Truth Behind the Kunling God-like Chronicles

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Chapter 226 The Truth Behind the Kunling God-like Chronicles

In the desolate hall, an old man, whose body was nearly rotten, sat high on a stone platform.

He expounded on the Sutra of Withering, from the sun’s zenith to its decline, to the waxing and waning of all things, all of which are contained within the true meaning of this sutra.

As he discussed scriptures and doctrines, his decrepit air reached its peak, as if he were about to decay and turn into dust at any moment.

Behind him, a diseased tree was also changing, its green leaves turning yellow, its bark cracking, until finally the last leaves fell, the branches became bare, and it became a dead tree.

Qin Ming looked surprised. Although the old man resembled a vengeful ghost, he was not speaking ghost stories. This was a very important classic text, worthy of serious study.

He suspected that this might be related to the “Kūrōng Sūtra” that he had been longing for, involving most of it.

Qin Ming sat quietly on the futon, silently memorizing the scriptures. With his comprehension, although the *Ku Jing* was extremely profound, he could still “digest” it.

He wasn’t the only one sitting cross-legged; the densely packed figures seemed to come from different times and spaces. Some were deep in thought, some were scratching their heads, and some were sighing bitterly.

Clearly, many people would find it difficult to grasp the true meaning of the sutra after the old man only recited it once.

The preacher, with the old man’s skin plastered to his face, seemed deeply surprised by Qin Ming’s comprehension. He looked over with his cloudy eyes and grinned at him.

His sideways smile was quite eerie; a large chunk of his withered flesh had almost peeled off his face, and it was already crumbling.

Qin Ming was on guard. This preacher might eventually become a vengeful ghost and come after him. How could obtaining the scriptures come without a price?

“Just now we talked about the original text of the ‘Ku Jing’ (枯经), which, through the changes of rise and fall, evolves to the highest level and can also lead to the ‘Rong Jing’ (荣经).”

The old man performed a ritual on the spot. His aged appearance changed in an instant, and his decaying body began to show signs of life. Behind him, the withered trees also came back to life.

He began to preach again, but Qin Ming could no longer hear him; these sutra teachings were only directed at the blurry figure on the prayer mat.

Qin Ming was extremely anxious, as he was not among the “listeners”.

“If no one can understand it, then so be it.” The old man suddenly stopped. His body was still withered, like a diseased tree about to sprout new buds, but then it held them back.

“Above the cycle of flourishing and decay, there is a book called the ‘Book of Fullness and Deficiency.’ If one can comprehend it, what is there to fear when ghosts and monsters attack? One can go anywhere in the world.”

Qin Ming was immediately shocked upon hearing this.

Judging from his tone, isn’t the old man the same person as the vengeful ghost lurking in the black mist?

At the same time, he memorized the “Yingxu Jing” (Classic of Fullness and Deficiency).

It transcends the realm of the top-tier extraordinary skill, the “Kuru and Rupture Sutra,” and is a continuation of it at a higher level, belonging to an extraordinary secret manual.

The old man spoke of the origin of the terms “fullness” and “emptiness”: “The Book of Changes records that when the sun is at its zenith, it begins to decline; when the moon is full, it begins to wane; the waxing and waning of heaven and earth…”

Clearly, the Yingxu Jing can be compared to the secret text following the Yimu Jing—the Zhushi Jing.

The Sutra of Staying in the World still belongs to the Wood element, while the Sutra of Fullness and Decline is no longer included.

Qin Ming secretly drew his mutton-fat jade iron knife, because according to rumors, he had to be prepared to fight this unfathomable old ghost at any time!

However, after the sermon ended, the old man made no comment.

Qin Ming bowed, then backed out of the desolate hall, and nothing happened.

Little Wu said, “Brother, is it because you’re too weak that people don’t even want your little bit of meat?”

Qin Ming, on guard, retreated several hundred meters before saying, “Why are you speaking such blunt truths!”

Boom!

In the distance, a huge commotion was heard, with sand and stones flying everywhere. A rare sight in the Gobi Desert, a stone mountain, had its cliff face chiseled open, with large sections broken off.

The two immediately hid, wanting to observe quietly.

However, their expressions changed the next moment as smoke and dust billowed towards their land.

It was as if a giant beast was stirring up a sandstorm across the desolate Gobi Desert.

The two turned and ran, but the sand behind them blew and swallowed them up.

At the same time, the two smelled blood and saw an elderly man with gray hair rush past them. With a flash of divine insight, he splattered the blood on them.

Qin Ming and Xiao Wu were unable to withstand the attack; their protective light was pierced, causing them excruciating pain.

“That old bastard is trying to make us his scapegoats!”

The two instantly understood that the old man was being chased by a vengeful ghost, who then dragged them into the fray after seeing them along the way.

Behind them, the ground cracked open, and a disheveled monster, humanoid in form but skin and bones, like a ghoul, was striding after them.

The two turned and fled towards the edge of the Gobi Desert. As long as they left the black fog area and returned to the outside world, the vengeful ghost would not follow them.

The monster’s speed far exceeded their expectations; it was incredibly fast, as if flying on the ground, arriving in the blink of an eye. Its withered hand, glowing with dark light and flowing with mist, slapped forward.

The dull thud was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. Qin Ming didn’t even have time to dodge. When he was struck by the dark light, his body flew sideways, coughing up blood.

Furthermore, its flesh and blood tore apart, and its body almost exploded.

This made him feel the threat of death. A single blow, which didn’t even land properly, severely injured him. This monster must be at least in the third realm.

Xiao Wu also screamed in pain. Although they ran separately, he was still hit and covered in blood.

“The old guy up ahead is your target!” Qin Ming shouted.

Xiao Wu also shouted, “That’s right! We only have a few ounces of meat between us. Our cultivation level is too low; it’s not enough for you to eat!”

Both men were filled with hatred. The old man who had dragged them into this mess could have easily escaped by using them as a slight obstacle, since they were not far from the outside world.

They dared not delay and fled in a panic, coughing up blood.

The emaciated monster had a head of messy, withered yellow hair that looked like wild grass, a stiff face, and empty eyes, but it was determined to kill them.

When the dark light swept in for the second time, Qin Ming used his mutton-fat jade iron knife to block it. The knife trembled violently, and he was blasted away by the dark light, as if he had been hit by a mountain.

Qin Ming’s arms were torn and bloody, especially his hands that were holding the knife, which were completely fractured. Facing the monster of the third realm, he was powerless to fight back.

“You…” The old man who had pulled them into the water screamed as he was stopped by the nearly rotting “preacher”.

From within the black mist, a horrifying scream rang out. The old man’s body was rapidly decaying, his flesh and blood tearing away and shattering on the spot, even his bones rotting away and turning into dust in the wind.

Before his death, his piercing screams echoed throughout the area. His spirit was like lamp oil being burned out, and his essence and energy were absorbed and refined by the preacher. He suffered unimaginable pain.

Qin Ming and Xiao Wu initially felt relieved, but soon felt a chill run down their spines; the preacher was indeed more terrifying.

Beside the two, the monster with dry, yellow hair seemed terrified upon sensing the aura ahead. It slapped each of the two boys once before turning and fleeing.

Even though Qin Ming used the blade of the mutton-fat jade iron knife to block and covered his head with a rag, he was still sent flying by the impact of the remaining dark light.

Furthermore, his body was cracking, and he felt that this was a monster even more powerful than the old woman from the Cui family who had kept him “peaceful and safe.”

Recently, he underwent his ninth rebirth, making great progress in strength and defeating Cao Qianqiu, who was in the same field. He was full of youthful vigor and ambition.

However, harsh reality soon dealt him a blow; there was no battle on equal footing here, and he quickly fell apart.

Without the binding force, his body would have been scattered here and there on the Gobi Desert.

As for his internal organs and bones, they were cracked or broken, and his injuries were extremely serious.

Little Wu was also screaming, but he was in better condition than him because the sign he was wearing, which was carved with his grandmother, emitted a mysterious glow that blocked the dark light.

“Brother Ming, are you alright?” Xiao Wu rushed over quickly. He knew his own situation; having cultivated for over a decade, he possessed his own secrets and was unlikely to die.

He knew very well that Qin Ming had only been on the path of rebirth for less than a year, and now, having been struck by a third-realm expert, he should have been dead without a doubt.

However, Ming Ge didn’t explode, which is quite unusual and suggests that there might still be hope.

“It’s alright, run!” After landing, Qin Ming steadied his split body, his face pale, and looked behind Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu turned around, his face instantly turning pale, and said, “Senior, we’re not even enough to fill your teeth. Our flesh and blood essence are limited, so you won’t enjoy eating us.”

The old man preaching was walking silently, gazing intently at the two of them.

He looked at Qin Ming and said, “You have comprehended the ‘Withered Scripture’ in the shortest amount of time. Very good. You can leave now.”

Then, he looked at Xiao Wu, revealing a dangerous aura.

“Senior, I can also comprehend it!” Little Wu immediately exclaimed.

He stared at the sign on Xiao Wu’s chest for a long time before finally saying, “You should go too.”

At this moment, the preacher’s condition had improved significantly. His flesh and blood had a faint spirituality and vitality, and he was no longer nearly rotten, but he still looked as if he had just crawled out of the dark earth.

“Senior, what exactly is your condition? Are you a human or a ghost?” Qin Ming asked.

The old man spoke: “I was originally a disciple of Yingxu Palace, but I went astray in my quest to prolong my life and embarked on the path of the dead. You should leave quickly, or I fear I will not be able to resist devouring your flesh and blood!”

Unlike ordinary vengeful ghosts, he was very lucid upon regaining consciousness.

The two turned and ran, not daring to ask any more questions.

Qin Ming left bloody footprints with each step, staining the gravel red. Xiao Wu quickly helped him up, allowing him to focus on healing.

“Brothers, you guys got out really fast!” Someone outside saw them and couldn’t help but joke, as the two sides had just exchanged words not long ago.

The two had no time to respond and immediately headed towards the city ahead, intending to go to an inn to recuperate.

On the way, Xiao Wu was indignant and said, “The rules that these people have summarized are completely useless. When they encounter people of higher realms, they will immediately become their cannon fodder. That old man is too shameless.”

Qin Ming was covered in blood. After reaching the inn, he immediately devoted himself to healing. Fortunately, he had resolved the hidden dangers of the silk calligraphy, otherwise there would have been another “chaos” and he might have died.

This time, using his newly mastered “Golden Cicada Sutra” to heal his injuries was the most suitable option.

Because the true meaning of this sutra is to tear apart the old body, undergo tribulations and be reborn, to seek life in death, which is full of Zen meaning.

The Golden Cicada Manual possesses both deadly power for attacking enemies and vital power for self-benefit, with endless wonders.

Qin Ming recovered quickly. His flesh and blood had undergone a tribulation, and a cicada’s chirping sound came from his body. Life and death were reversed, and his muscles and bones resonated and vibrated, and his internal organs shone brightly.

After nine rebirths, his physique was incredibly strong; after just one night, he was mostly recovered.

Two nights later, Qin Ming was even better than before. This time, after surviving the tribulation, his vital energy was inexhaustible. He silently comprehended and transformed the Golden Cicada Force, reaching its current limit. Moreover, he mastered the trump card recorded in this extraordinary skill—the Golden Cicada Transformation.

A golden cicada, formed from the light of heaven, can flap its wings and attack its opponent within a limited distance. It possesses characteristics such as the ability to switch between life and death, the enduring power of Zen, and a sound as loud as thunder.

At the same time, Qin Ming also saw the end of his new life through this transformation.

These past two days, he practiced the Golden Cicada Sutra. After his torn body healed and recovered, wisps of heat reappeared in his flesh and blood, which was the vital energy of new life.

He had a profound realization: the ninth rebirth was gathering strength once again, and this would be the last time, because he vaguely saw the door to the Outer Saint.

Qin Ming initially felt it was a pity, suspecting that the ninth rebirth had completely ended.

Now that he has a clear understanding of the situation, he feels that with his own talent and an even stronger foundation than his ancestors, it was all worth it to get to this point.

Only those with superhuman abilities can be reborn nine times, and on top of that, he accumulated power twice more, achieving a “relay rebirth” and going even further!

He has fully grasped his own situation and will soon carry out the final relay of rebirth. At the same time, he is also preparing to bring the “Undying Butterfly Sutra” to its zenith.

“With the Five Elements Extraordinary Skills, plus the Dragon and Snake Scripture, the Golden Cicada Scripture, and the Undying Butterfly Scripture, I mastered eight extraordinary skills during my freshman stage, which is quite good.”

He felt there was no need to force himself to practice the ninth extraordinary skill; he was already at the perfect level, and everything was just right.

Throughout history, the founders of the sect would typically master six extraordinary skills during their initial stages of training, thus becoming the Heaven-Shaking Ones and those empowered by the Three Imperial Forces. Qin Ming believed that he was already quite capable of doing so.

Then he felt a pang of regret, knowing that there would be no more rebirths. Starting with the Outer Saint, it would be a completely new way of cultivation, a path fraught with difficulties and obstacles.

After the second realm, each major realm can only be further divided into early, middle, and late stages, plus a stage of accumulating to perfection and waiting to break through.

“Only by stepping into the second realm can I be considered close to those immortal seeds and divine seeds, and I’m about to achieve that.” Looking back on his journey, Qin Ming realized that this achievement in less than a year was more than enough!

Xiao Wu appeared and told him the latest news: “Brother Ming, those are not real ghosts at all, they are all living people, and they come from a certain road.”

Some experts captured some of the “vengeful ghosts,” studied them carefully, and then searched for various ancient books in Kunling, carefully reading and searching them to clarify many clues.

In ancient times, so-called vengeful ghosts were a type of evil cultivator that everyone hated. They devoured the flesh, blood, essence, and spirit of other living beings, and were indeed as ferocious as vengeful ghosts.

Therefore, some people call them ghost cultivators, but they are by no means spiritual beings. They all have flesh and blood bodies, and due to the characteristics of this path, their lifespans are relatively long.

In order to prolong their lives, some masters from other paths will inevitably turn to the path of the dead in their later years.

Ghost Roads were among the most hated evil paths in ancient times, thus provoking public outrage and ultimately leading to a multi-pronged effort to eradicate them.

“So, the earlier speculations from the outside world were inaccurate and unreliable. Those nearly decaying vengeful ghosts didn’t devour people from the outside world to find scapegoats to replace them, but simply to restore themselves?”

Xiao Wu nodded and said, “That’s right. According to records, their ancestral temple was sealed in the Yin soil and buried in a certain underground area of ​​Kunlun. Now it can be considered to have broken out of the seal.”

The reason why these people who are walking the ghost path are not in a hurry to come out is because their own condition is extremely bad and they still cannot live without the nourishment of the yin soil.

The Yin Earth is icy cold, enough to keep those vengeful ghosts asleep. Even after being sealed away for so long, they are not all dead yet, and now they have reappeared in the world of night mist.

Moreover, this time, in order to investigate the past, the various sects of Taoism searched through dozens of miscellaneous books such as “Kunling Classified Gods Records” and “Land Near Immortals”, and found out part of the truth.

There are at least nine forbidden lands in the Kunling area, and the Yin Land where people who walk the Ghost Road reside is one of them.

Xiao Wu explained: “In fact, there are more than nine Desolate Lands than we thought. Originally, they were actually a whole, but as the original Kunlun Mountains broke apart, each fragment became a Desolate Land.”

These are all recent research findings from major churches.

Moreover, they believed that the patriarchs were not dead, but that during the great battle, for some unknown reason, certain seals were accidentally opened, and they were temporarily trapped.

The current situation is extremely bad.

Everyone agreed that they must contact the vanished ancestor and seal this area as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable if more forbidden zones appeared.

“In the past, beings that resembled gods and were close to immortals opened all the sealed lands in an attempt to approach the legendary Jade Capital. However, when they faced that city, they encountered trouble and hastily sealed Kunlun Mountain before fleeing far away.”

After hearing this, Qin Ming completely understood the contents of “The Tale of the Kunlun Gods”; those old stories actually had such hidden details.

Immediately, he was taken aback and gasped in the night mist, because the mistakes that the ancestors had unintentionally made at this stage were tantamount to following the old path of god-like creatures and near-immortal beings!

If Yujing were to reappear this time, who knows what would happen?

After all, even the legendary creatures of yesteryear have fled.

Qin Ming believed that even with the Taoist cultivation of the Path-Turning Ancestor, it would be difficult to seal the Kunlun territory a second time.

I’ll take a break this weekend and will continue working hard tomorrow. Thank you all for your support.

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