Chapter 25: Second Rebirth

Deep Night arrived. Heaven and earth were like spilled ink, all things lost their color, and the entire village was reduced to a collection of blurred silhouettes.

Qin Ming was currently processing the Blood Snake. The skin of this spiritual creature was incredibly difficult to peel. Its scales were harder than refined iron; hitting them with a Wood-cutting Saber produced a rhythmic clanging.

If one wasn't careful, those crimson scales could slice a finger open. They seemed to be forged from piece after piece of refined gold. If they were crafted into Patroller Armor, the defensive power would surely be astounding.

Qin Ming tossed his Wood-cutting Saber aside, intending to switch to a sharper tool. Two days ago, in addition to the Long-handled Darkgold Hammer, Mu Qing had also given him a short sword.

He tested it. Although it wasn't as sharp as the longsword used by the man with the sallow face, it would suffice to peel the snake’s skin if he gripped it tightly and applied enough pressure.

Focusing intently, Qin Ming used the short sword to slice open one end of the giant snake's skin and then pulled downward with force. This was much easier than trying to cut through it directly.

A few Sun Stones emitted a soft glow, bathing the Blood Snake in a brilliant, translucent red light, making it look like a length of polished jade.

As the crimson skin was gradually stripped away, it revealed meat that was snowy white and delicate. The snake gall was unlike the dark, dull organs of ordinary snakes; it was a glowing blue, as transparent as a gemstone.

Qin Ming could already sense that both the snake meat and the gall contained a dense, vigorous spirituality. They emitted a faint light and were undoubtedly top-tier tonics.

"No wonder those people from Crimson Cloud City immediately tore off their hypocritical masks and didn't hesitate to kill for it."

He used the short sword to segment the meat. After washing the pieces thoroughly, he immediately set a pot of water to boil. He wouldn't wait a single night to achieve his Second Rebirth if he could help it.

In this current environment, he felt a sense of crisis. All sorts of "monsters and demons" were arriving. Great clans and organizations from Crimson Cloud City were appearing one after another, and there was no telling what would happen next in the deep mountains.

These people were all searching for "Nodes" in the mountains. Special regions were always accompanied by anomalous phenomena—especially the Haze-Illuminated Lands, which they craved above all else. They were even willing to offer extremely rare, high-level scriptures as bounties for clues.

Since the magnetic field in the mountains had become disordered, Fire Springs had been extinguished only for new ones to be born, and all sorts of strange events had occurred.

"There's also a group of high-level creatures migrating from afar, bringing their families to seize resources in the mountain range." Qin Ming pondered. Could the so-called migration just be a cover? Perhaps the newly arrived top-tier Mutated Creatures were also looking for something?

The snake meat was already in the pot. As time passed, a rich aroma began to waft out, causing Qin Ming to quickly pull back his thoughts. His appetite was instantly piqued.

Outside, in the Deep Night, the wind and snow raged. Inside, the pot of snake meat smelled heavenly. Qin Ming felt a powerful hunger and waited patiently for it to be thoroughly cooked.

"It’s truly fragrant and incredibly fresh." After taking his first bite, his eyes lit up. This spiritual creature tasted far better than ordinary snakes; they were like two entirely different species.

Originally, he’d felt a bit squeamish about eating snake, but now he didn't care at all. In his eyes, this was "dragon meat" of the earth.

After only a few mouthfuls, Qin Ming felt a surge of warmth rising within his body. The effect was immediate; the Spiritual Matter was already taking effect.

"The snake gall can be steamed, or it can be eaten after soaking in strong, pungent liquor. Sigh, I don't have any alcohol at home, so I don't have a choice."

As he ate the meat, he placed the glowing blue snake gall into a steamer. This contained the essence of the mysterious spirituality, so he needed to watch it carefully.

A moment later, the gall—which looked like a large blue diamond—was cooked through. Qin Ming set the snake meat aside and began to enjoy the true "main course."

"My... Mountain God... Heavens above, my heart is so bitter!" Qin Ming took just one bite and felt his tongue go numb from the bitterness. He looked at his reflection in a mirror and found that his mouth had turned a glowing blue.

He knew snake gall was bitter and had prepared himself mentally, but the concentrated essence of the Blood Snake’s gall was far more intensely bitter than he had anticipated.

In an instant, even the snake meat didn't smell fragrant anymore; he was simply overwhelmed by the bitterness.

He quickly gulped down a mouthful of the savory snake stew to wash the bitterness into his stomach, but it didn't help much. The thick, acrid taste continued to permeate his mouth.

In terms of flavor alone, even a dog wouldn't eat this. It was almost unbearable, even for a Reborn who had established a foundation beyond the Golden Foundation.

Qin Ming didn't swallow it whole, mainly because the gall was quite large. Furthermore, he felt that chewing it would make it easier to absorb the spiritual essence and accelerate his Second Rebirth.

His good mood from enjoying a delicacy all night was nearly ruined by the bitterness. Looking at the remaining half, he gritted his teeth. Since he’d already started, he might as well finish it by chewing slowly.

After Qin Ming finished the entire gall, he looked in the mirror again and saw that his lips looked like they had been painted a flamboyant blue, giving him an indescribably strange aura.

"It’s a good thing I'm eating this in the Deep Night. If it were the Shallow Night, I wouldn't be able to see anyone!"

However, the efficacy of the snake gall was extremely potent. Not long after it hit his stomach, his entire body began to heat up as if he had a high fever.

Qin Ming remained calm and continued eating the snake meat, not only to suppress the bitter taste but also to add more spiritual fuel to his body's internal fire.

Eventually, his body began to scorch, becoming like a vigorous furnace that repelled the freezing cold of the winter season. His entire being began to glow.

"Dietary supplements, medicinal cuisine—the effects are here!" Qin Ming stood up, grabbed his Long-handled Darkgold Hammer, and went into the courtyard to practice the killing moves from the Saber Manual.

Instantly, the snow on the ground swirled up into the night sky. White mist curled around him, and a faint light flowed over his skin. His flesh and blood brimmed with vitality. Each swing of the great hammer brought with it the sound of wind and thunder.

Qin Ming's spirit and energy continued to climb. He knew the Second Rebirth had begun. It was a process, not something achieved in an instant.

But he could clearly feel the changes. His strength was rising, his tendons felt as if they were being stretched, his perception was becoming sharper, and his vision was strengthening.

"The process of each Rebirth is so intoxicating. Feeling myself grow stronger, even the Deep Night that usually seems impenetrable feels a bit lighter."

A massive amount of active energy surged within Qin Ming’s body. Every part of him felt as if it were being purified and baptized. His bones and muscles seemed to vibrate in unison, creating a low rumble.

Under the shroud of night, his body was like a furnace; it was visibly glowing.

It was as if a Secret Flame was burning within his flesh, severing Old Impurities, promoting Rebirth, and tempering his spirit and energy, accelerating the flourishing changes within him.

Qin Ming swung the Long-handled Darkgold Hammer in the courtyard, continuously exerting himself until his hair was soaked and he was covered in sweat. Only then did he return to his room.

He sat quietly, silently sensing the changes within.

He then wondered if his body would grow again after the Second Rebirth. According to Old Man Liu, the physical changes would vary greatly depending on the Yiqi Art and Meditation Technique one chose.

Next, he would verify the quality of the "unorthodox path" he had been practicing and see what kind of changes it would induce in his body.

Qin Ming had originally been half a head taller than average, and he had grown nearly two inches taller after his first Rebirth.

Earlier that evening, when he, Old Man Liu, and Xu Yueping had talked about Rebirth, the two of them felt his height change wasn't very significant, as some people could shoot up by an entire head.

Old Man Liu had a wealth of experience. When he was young, he had been very close to the older generation of Mountain Patrollers and had heard many anecdotes about Rebirth.

"After practicing certain Yiqi Arts, every time you undergo Rebirth, your body expands like a blowing bubble, growing taller and taller. However, only a portion of that is a solid Golden Body; the rest is just a Clay Statue. That's why many who practice these Rebirth methods have to suppress their height once they reach a certain stage," Old Man Liu had said.

He specifically mentioned that some secret Yiqi Arts were extremely precious. Practicing them would result in mysterious changes, such as the birth of a third eye—which was where some sacred legends originated.

Such secret volumes were too rare; even many great clans couldn't gain access to them.

As Old Man Liu drank, he had lost himself in his memories, recounting all the stories the old Mountain Patrollers had told him. He spoke of various special Rebirth methods and their corresponding strange transformations.

Finally, he mentioned a type of Rebirth method that required maintaining the body's "golden height ratio" from the very beginning, preventing the body from growing unchecked.

Old Man Liu had looked at Qin Ming while tipsy and said, "I think your height change isn't that obvious."

Qin Ming was at peace with this. He only needed to wait two days to know which direction his Rebirth method leaned toward.

For the first time, he felt that staying here made him somewhat isolated from information. He imagined the Reborn in Crimson Cloud City were well aware of these things, while he had to piece them together from hearsay.

Moreover, some people didn't rely on Rebirth at all to move forward—there were other paths to take. These things were currently far too distant for him to understand.

Qin Ming sat for a long time until he felt hungry. The changes of the Second Rebirth were very distinct. He immediately began eating the snake stew, replenishing his body's needs with food rich in spirituality.

Finally, after rinsing his body with cold water, he drifted into sleep in the silence of the Deep Night.

Before falling asleep, he dimly saw the "Gold-threaded Jade Suit" appear on his skin again—silver light covering his body and golden threads intertwining. It looked quite miraculous.

Qin Ming moved from light sleep to deep sleep, eventually reaching a state of half-dreaming and half-waking.

He felt himself submerged in sleep, his mind and body completely relaxed and well-rested, yet a part of his consciousness remained active.

In that state between waking and dreaming, he seemed to see a dusty black cloth covering his subconscious, blocking his vision and hiding what lay behind it.

But during the process of the Second Rebirth, those dust motes were gradually blown away. A corner of that black cloth was lifted, and he saw himself from his childhood.

Even in his half-dreaming state, Qin Ming realized that the Second Rebirth was causing a comprehensive upgrade of his body, and even his mental consciousness was growing stronger. This allowed the blurred memories of his youth to resurface.

In a daze, it was as if someone was whispering in his ear: "This kind of path... although it has quite a background, it can no longer be practiced."

Then, through the lifted corner of that black cloth, Qin Ming saw a rough hand holding a very thin ancient volume, opening it to the first page before his younger self...--- Author's Note

There's something wrong with the gall of the Blood Snake. Is it that it tastes too bitter? Or did Qin Ming see something that he shouldn't have after eating it? In fact, the most important thing is that the "Second Rebirth" has brought about a transformation in his spirit and consciousness, which has allowed him to recall some of his childhood memories. This "path" that was mentioned is likely related to his background and his future cultivation.