Chapter 99 Turbulent Times 【Thank you for subscribing and supporting us】

In the dead of night, Crimson City was shrouded in a hazy mist.

In the quiet courtyard, Qin Ming gazed at the night sky. With his strength greatly enhanced, he was no longer so worried about going to the otherworldly realm, and had a calm confidence. He was experiencing the changes within himself. The increased strength and perception were secondary; the most important thing was the evolution of his Heavenly Light Force, which was somewhat different now.

He tossed a piece of paper into the air, flicked his finger, and it shattered into dozens of pieces, like withered leaves, fluttering down.

Qin Ming walked over, and all the scraps of paper, before they even touched him, were pushed away by an invisible force, or crackled and shattered into pieces. He hadn’t activated the Heavenly Light Force beforehand; it appeared automatically, blocking and swiftly counterattacking anything that approached.

Without a doubt, Qin Ming’s Heavenly Light Force is now not only more powerful, but also full of spirituality.

Now, if anyone still harbors ill intentions towards him and tries to slip a special drug onto him when they get close, they certainly won’t be able to do it.

Several days ago, he had been tricked by an old acquaintance, leaving him with an unpleasant odor that had kept him pinned down by bats, from which he couldn’t shake off. “If this continues, the Heavenly Light Force will continue to evolve, eventually triggering a mysterious qualitative change that will bring me a pleasant surprise!” Qin Ming was filled with anticipation.

Now he has a certain ambition, constantly integrating various techniques, and in the future he may not be inferior to the Sky-Supporting Force or the Tathagata Force, with infinite possibilities. Obviously, after integrating the two extraordinary skills this time, it has played a huge role in the transformation of the Heavenly Light Force.

The next moment, a fire lit up the courtyard in the night. Qin Ming was circulating his Fire Essence, and his body was immediately enveloped in a faint red glow. It was like a divine flame, growing within his flesh and blood, not harming his body but rather nourishing it. It also transformed into Heavenly Light Essence to protect himself. Qin Ming reached out, and a stack of letters turned to ashes after touching him.

He was testing his skills; his current “Li Huo Jin” (a type of internal energy cultivation technique) was already transforming into a special ability.

A series of resounding clangs rang out, and Qin Ming’s body seemed to be covered with a faint layer of golden armor. This was the Vajra Force, which he displayed as a domineering hard skill. Then, his body surface became covered with fine, silken threads, interwoven with golden silkworm silk, forming a dense net that protected him completely. Even the strands of his black hair had golden threads visible. This was the power of the Silk Script—it could fuse various Heavenly Light Forces into one, and could even transform into a specific force technique he had practiced.

Moreover, when the fused Heavenly Light Force circulates along the route of the extraordinary skill it has practiced, these divine flames and golden threads seem to be stronger than the original Fire Separation Force and Golden Silkworm Force!

Qin Ming was very satisfied. These changes delighted him. No wonder an elder had written a single word on the silk scroll: “Melting!” Moreover, that person had used this word to reprimand those who came after him. That night, he fell into the deepest sleep. The Heavenly Light Force automatically appeared and completely covered him in the shape of a jade burial suit.

As night fell, the fire springs of Crimson Cloud City gradually intensified, resembling the rising sun and the morning glow. Qin Ming awoke, feeling unusually energetic, and longed to find a hermit to give him a good beating. “After a nap, it’s like I’ve taken a tonic,” he wondered.

However, he didn’t waste any time and immediately went to tell Meng Xinghai that he had consumed the Five-Colored Spirit Branch and fully integrated the Heavenly Light Force.

“So fast?” Meng Xinghai’s expression froze for a moment. Fortunately, he had recently been “trained” by the young man in front of him, and he always exceeded expectations.

If this were their first meeting, and he knew the outcome, he would definitely have stood up again. He had given Qin Ming two days to absorb the violent essence of heavenly light from the five-colored spirit branch, and the kid finished it in one night!

What is talent? Meng Xinghai felt that the standard of this word needed to be redefined. This young man made him value it more and more. He said, “The sword and arrows are not yet finished. Come on, I will take you to choose a strong bow and take a look at other weapons.”

Qin Ming followed him into the armory. Without any formalities, he took whatever he needed directly. He carried a set of twelve short spears on his back.

When Meng Xinghai saw that he had chosen a large bow with flowing black light, his face twitched slightly. That was a precious bow that required more than 6,000 jin to draw. He only realized now that Qin Ming’s statement that he was a little stronger than other extraordinary people of the same age was not arrogance, but rather too modest!

Even after five rebirths, the young extraordinary person only approached the strength of five thousand jin, falling short of him.

Then, Qin Ming selected a bronze staff, which was actually made of mixed gold and was exceptionally sturdy, belonging to the category of heavy weapons.

He tried it out with the bronze staff. It could be used as a gun, a heavy hammer, or even as a knife when held in both hands. In that case, his skills in the four arts of sword, spear, arrow, and hammer could be fully demonstrated in the great battle in the land beyond.

Of course, weapons are just superficial. Judging from Qin Ming’s current strength, his strongest weapon is still his inner Heavenly Light Force, which has the greatest destructive power. Meng Xinghai said, “There’s no need to choose Jia Qing; the golden armor made by the recluse is quite good.”

Now that everything is ready, and all that’s left is to set off, he felt it was time to urge the people who were forging the swords and arrows to leave. Meng Xinghai asked, “Why did you go out? What were you looking at?”

“It’s going to thunder.” Qin Ming looked at the sky, then threw down a bunch of weapons, turned and ran, pushing his speed to the limit. Meng Xinghai was stunned. Was he… going to the Thunderfire Alchemy Hall again? He really couldn’t stop thinking about that place.

“The lightning wasn’t very large, so it’s unlikely to strike. Besides, your strength has just increased, so there’s no need to rush to receive the heavenly light.” Qin Ming replied, “I’m doing this to practice a special skill!”

“What’s suitable?” Meng Xinghai followed, somewhat worried, fearing that a violent thunder and lightning might strike and injure him before he set off.

“Refining gold with thunder and fire is naturally suitable for practicing the Golden Silkworm Technique,” Qin Ming said.

Snap!

This time, Qin Ming received four bolts of lightning and fire, turning his entire body black. He continued to perform the ritual according to the energy flow path of the Li Huo Jing (Li Huo Scripture). A layer of firelight seemed about to burst forth from his body, forming a special protective divine light.

Immediately afterward, Zou Ming began circulating the Golden Silkworm Technique, which also went incredibly smoothly. He wasn’t just talking nonsense; the so-called “thunder and fire refining gold” was indeed effective. However, he was using the Fire Separation Technique to enhance the Golden Silkworm Technique!

“The secret manual that Ning Siqi found for you is indeed excellent.” Meng Xinghai nodded. These two extraordinary skills working together would greatly help improve Zou Ming’s abilities.

Qin Ming sensed that the total amount of sunlight had increased again.

Those who rely on physical mutations experience the fastest growth in strength during their rebirth period, and he didn’t want to miss any opportunity.

Unfortunately, the highest number of times a student can be reborn is nine. After crossing this major realm, the next realm becomes more difficult, and he needs to find another way.

In the afternoon, when Crimson Cloud City was at its brightest, Qin Ming received a brand-new mutton-fat jade iron knife, far superior to the crudely forged one he and Old Liu had made. No matter how you looked at it, it resembled an outstanding work of art, possessing exquisite beauty.

Furthermore, this is a mother-and-child knife; the “scabbard” is a thicker blade, thus eliminating the need to cover the inscription with mineral pigments.

It is slightly shorter than an arm, with smooth lines and a beautiful curve. The white blade has a soft luster and is engraved with dragon patterns, phoenix seal script, and other designs.

Meng Xinghai told him that he had carved those dragon and phoenix patterns on them, and that they could enhance the killing effect if one encountered something that was inexplicably invisible.

The arrowhead was a vibrant blue, exceptionally sharp, and engraved with numerous characters; the shaft was also forged from a special material.

Meng Xinghai explained, “The rare metal I originally prepared for you, I’ve selected the finest parts and placed them in the arrow shaft. This way, your Heavenly Light Force can extend to the arrowhead.” Qin Ming noticed a metal wire in the center of the arrow shaft leading to the arrowhead, which, like the jade iron, should be able to support the Heavenly Light Force.

During the period when he couldn’t emit sunlight, only rare metals could achieve this. “Let’s pack up, it’s time for us to get going.” The next day, Meng Xinghai decided to set off.

Before his departure, he used esoteric Buddhist methods to help Zou Ming conceal his true appearance, a necessary form of protection for him. After all, the Cui family, a thousand-year-old clan, had declared that no one was allowed to leave in the next few years.

He was allowed to enter that circle.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Qin Ming’s appearance had completely changed, though his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes remained intact. He was now dashing and exuded a sharp and imposing aura.

In the past, he only displayed this temperament during battle; now it’s just his natural state, clearly indicating he’s a combative member of the new recruits.

“Uncle Meng, this is Qin Ming’s training ground in the City Lord’s Mansion. When I first saw that flying mount, I thought it was a giant tortoise with wings.”

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that Meng Xinghai treated this mount exceptionally well, draping it in armor infused with rare metals, its body completely covered.

This is a superior anomaly, with normal light gold feathers all over its body. It is extremely powerful and not only wears armor, but also wears a steel helmet mixed with mithril on its golden bird head.

“Traveling far in the night fog is extremely dangerous. If someone were to attack and kill the mount, the consequences would be unimaginable.” Meng Xinghai admitted that the blue armor on this bird was no less impressive than his own.

Meng Xinghai also changed his appearance, not wanting anyone to know that he had left Chixia City.

This wasn’t his mount; he’d borrowed it from an old friend deep in the mountains. The cover was breached, and he was forced to abandon it.

“The destination isn’t far, about four thousand miles from us.” He explained that it was once an important place for people from other worlds, but a thousand years ago, it was covered by endless heavenly light, making Luofu City far larger than Chixia City.

Even through the thick night fog, the magnificent and dazzling city on the land could be seen, its light shooting into the night sky. (See the fiery spring.)

Although Mount Luofu was abandoned by those who lived outside the secular world, the surrounding area never declined; on the contrary, it became incredibly prosperous. This is because guarding the ruins of a former immortal mountain, it was impossible for it to lack high-ranking officials.

“Back then, the top experts from the outer realms wanted to upgrade the grade of Mount Luofu…” Meng Xinghai shook his head and said no more.

Clearly, the events of the past were of great importance, and the things that the recluse was about to do were quite insane.

“Luofu Mountain was already quite remarkable, considered a sacred mountain beyond the mortal realm, and now they want to upgrade its grade…” Qin Ming could only marvel at the extravagance of those people.

Luofu City has recently become incredibly popular. The competition among the disciples of the secluded sects has spread far and wide, drawing numerous cultivators eager to witness certain events.

The city gate tower stands like a small mountain, very magnificent, and the city wall is tall and stretches across the front.

Qin Ming and his group entered the city and were immediately struck by its brilliance and bustle. The brightness here was no different from that of the sunlit era. On the wide streets of the city, many beast-drawn carriages rode side by side without causing any congestion, and the shops on both sides were bustling with people, indicating that business was booming.

At this stage, most guesthouses are almost full, and many people have no choice but to rent rooms in private homes.

Meng Xinghai had already arranged for two rooms to be booked in advance, both with small courtyards. In this megacity where land is incredibly valuable, the cost must have been exorbitant.

That day, Qin Ming met Li Qingyue, who was staying at the neighboring inn. She came over to see him and Meng Xinghai that evening.

“Qin Ming, I’ll have to trouble you this time.” Li Qingyue’s black hair was like a waterfall, her figure was as slender as a willow, she was dressed in white, without any makeup, her face was exquisitely beautiful, she was clear and elegant, and when she smiled it was like the clouds breaking through the mist, her whole person was glowing.

Qin Ming laughed, “You’ve helped me so much, no need to be so polite with me. Your smile is so dazzling, I can hardly open my eyes.” Li Qingyue smiled and nodded, thankfully, he hadn’t been discouraged after going through so much, and was still the same as before.

“I’ll take you for a stroll around the city, and we’ll grab a bite to eat. I’ll also tell you about some things to be careful about in Luofu Mountain this time,” Li Qingyue said, and called Meng Xinghai to come along.

Meng Xinghai waved his hand in polite refusal, saying, “I’m getting old, and walking with you all makes me look old. I’d better go find my old friends.”

Qin Ming and Li Qingyue went outside, and soon they saw several familiar faces. Many of the disciples of the Fangwai Sect were also staying at the large inn nearby. “What are you looking at? Oh, that’s Wang Caiwei,” Li Qingyue said with a smile.

“No, I saw my ‘younger brother’ Cui Chongxuan. Why is he here too?” Qin Ming said. Li Qingyue said, “He probably wants to help Cui Chongxuan compete for that near-immortal item.”