Chapter 34: Truth and Deception
Qin Ming's exhaustion vanished the moment he entered the fissure. His feeling from outside hadn't been an illusion; the place where he had once nearly died was now completely different.
He looked up toward the exit, which was only about four meters above. Near him, silver light like spider silk intertwined and spread through the underground. When it touched his body, he felt a slight warmth.
Holding his short sword in one hand and his long-handled darkgold hammer in the other, Qin Ming walked forward. He hadn't ventured deep the last time he had accidentally fallen in, but now he wanted to explore.
The ground was uneven, scattered with stones of various sizes. It was very damp, and water droplets hung from the stone walls on either side, occasionally dripping down.
The path ahead was rugged and gradually narrowed until he was almost touching the walls. Soon, he reached a narrow slit that only one person could squeeze through.
Although it was underground, it wasn't dark. The crisscrossing silver threads were woven together in a chaotic web, providing a faint glow. Qin Ming remained unharmed after coming into contact with the silver light.
He scraped slightly against the stone walls, getting a bit damp, and entered an open area. There were fewer rocks on the ground here, and it was much smoother.
In this zone, the silver threads grew thicker, filling the entire space like a massive spider had once spun its web here.
Furthermore, some threads emerging from the stone walls had a pale golden tint, and white mist was rising into the air.
Standing here, Qin Ming’s perception became even clearer. His body felt light and agile; his tense muscles relaxed on their own, and he felt a warm sensation as if soaking in a hot spring.
He frowned. Was this caused by a sudden upheaval in a specific node within the mountain? Or had he simply adapted to this place after his previous ordeal?
Qin Ming still had a vivid memory of that terrifying experience. Back then, his heart had pounded as loudly as a frantic drum, his chest felt like it was going to explode, and his blood flow was so fast he could vaguely hear the sound of a rushing waterfall.
He thought about the various changes he had undergone since leaving this place. The most unusual was undoubtedly his "wild method." It had shown no signs of progress for years, yet after he survived that brush with death, it had finally produced a special reaction when he practiced it.
He now knew that his wild method wasn't "wild" at all. It was recorded in a Silk Book, and he had been obsessively practicing it since childhood.
"Someone told me the Silk Book couldn't be practiced, that most of it had been torn out and burned..."
The remaining dozen or so pages of the Silk Book could still be practiced, but it required someone who had already mastered it to guide a beginner. Those people, however, were likely long dead.
"I couldn't find such a person, and yet I eventually succeeded without help. Is it related to this place?" Qin Ming wondered, his mind racing with possibilities.
"Could it be that practicing the techniques in the Silk Book originally required the protection of a predecessor while entering an extremely dangerous node like this..." Qin Ming pondered deeply.
Then, he moved forward to observe this special area, cautiously making contact with the thick, pale-golden threads.
As he ventured deeper, he even saw glowing threads of purple mist piercing through the stone walls. It was an extraordinary sight, yet they did not harm his physical body.
In the dense forest outside the mountain, the Purple-eyed Crow was flying when a large patch of black mist suddenly rose ahead, blocking its path.
"Who is it?" It immediately became alert, mystic symbols swirling in its purple eyes as it peered into the mist.
A massive owl, as tall as a person, stood on a large tree. Its two wings were as flexible as human hands, and it was currently flipping through a book bound in beast-hide.
"It’s been a long time. Care for a few drinks?" the owl asked. The fog did not dissipate as it tucked the book under one wing.
"I’m on patrol. I don't have time," the crow refused, clearly wary of the owl.
"What's your status now? This isn't even your territory. You’ve really made something of yourself, haven't you? Acting as a gatekeeper for some old geezer?"
The owl blocked its path, seemingly dissatisfied with its behavior and intent on lecturing it. The black mist grew even thicker, blanketing the forest.
The Purple-eyed Crow said, "Old Cat, I have business to attend to. I’ve recently found a decent prospect and need to go check on him. Don't block my way."
If Qi Huaien had known, he would have broken out in a cold sweat. Like You Liangyun, he had not yet been fully accepted and was still being tested and observed.
The owl said, "Are you really not returning to the black mist world of the wilderness? You come from a prestigious lineage, a great clan among birds. You have the blood of a high-level being and a very solid foundation. How can you let yourself sink so low? Do you intend to re-visualize your True Form and turn into a two-legged beast to live in a city forever?"
The Purple-eyed Crow nodded and said, "Mm, it's not out of the question. I have the talent to change my True Form. Aren't there humans who wander near the forbidden zones in the deep mountains and marshes and transform into heteromorphs? Why can't we do the opposite and find a path that suits us?"
The owl scolded, "How scandalous! Neither human nor beast! You are a crow of a prestigious clan, yet you want to be a human? I'll tell your grandfather, and he'll pluck every feather from your body to help you turn into a bald two-legged beast manually!"
The two began to argue.
"Mind your own business! Get out of my way! You might delay my work. If they test that kid too early and something goes wrong, it'll be a disaster. If he's pliable, I'll need him in the future to retrieve something for me from the mortal world. It concerns my future path. You know how important this is, so get lost!" the crow shouted.
You Liangyun had told it that he would test Qin Ming in about two days, but he might act earlier if the opportunity arose.
"Master Wu, are you back from the depths of the mountain? Something big happened! It’s bad! Those people are all dead!" A mutated Speech Sparrow cried out, flapping its wings.
The Purple-eyed Crow broke free from the black mist and appeared outside. "What happened?"
"Master Wu, I did as you instructed, but a three-meter-tall bear led a group of two-legged beasts to hunt me down. I was chased away for only a moment, and by the time I returned, that group of people had already become corpses. I smelled the blood they left behind, but I don't know how they died."
The Purple-eyed Crow followed the sparrow to the scene. It was exceptionally sensitive to the aura of life and death. It closed its eyes for a moment, then opened them and muttered, "Qi Huaien is dead, but there is no death aura from that youth here. Interesting. Was Qi Huaien killed by an outsider, or did he die fighting that boy?"
It waved its wings, signaling the Speech Sparrow to leave.
"If that boy is truly this powerful and reached this step on his own, it’s fine if he doesn't go to Crimson Cloud City. I don't need to get involved now." The Purple-eyed Crow flew away.
Meanwhile, You Liangyun was reporting to the woman in the snow: "Qi Huaien tested Qin Ming and said he was still a bit short. The mountains are in chaos. Before I left, a fierce conflict broke out in that forest..."
The Purple-eyed Crow flew back and landed on a low tree. "Qi Huaien rushed over to save someone but died instead. A pity."
"You stay," the woman in the black fur cloak said to You Liangyun.
"Huh?" You Liangyun froze, then immediately performed a deep bow, his expression filled with immense excitement.
In the depths of the mountains, the five-colored haze that had been piercing the sky gradually began to dim.
Ling Xu and Wei Mo both stood up, casting aside their wine cups and jars.
Ling Xu tapped his long blade against his foot, causing his beast-hide boot to tear slightly, exposing a bit of his toe. Then, he struck his own chest lightly. His white robe tore, revealing a slender but well-defined physique. Under the light of the distant haze, his muscle lines were smooth, looking as if they were outlined in gold.
He made himself look disheveled and ran his fingers over his skin, instantly creating fake bloodstains with expert skill.
Wei Mo spoke up, "To think that City Lord Ling, who is usually the most pristine and well-groomed, would turn himself into this. People outside will certainly have a lot to talk about if they see you."
Even as he spoke, Wei Mo was busy himself, removing several red plates from his armor and stashing them in his robe, making himself look incredibly battered.
In another part of the mountains, the Tabby cat had captured a large black mountain cat. It disdainfully smeared some of the black cat's blood on itself and sprinkled some glowing spiritual matter around.
Not far away, the Mantis Beast was doing the same.
There was no doubt that the high-ranking officials of Crimson Cloud City and the heteromorphs of the mountains were unwilling to let other experts compete with them for the rare resources of the special node. The two sides had joined forces once again.
If they simply ambushed those experts, it would spark public outrage and lead to retaliation from major organizations.
Earlier, when they had teamed up to drive away the high-level beings who wanted to migrate in and seize their territory, they had killed a very powerful heteromorph. They extracted its rich spirituality and used it to trigger a specific node, artificially creating a fake Haze-Illuminated Land to lure the various factions into a struggle.
Meanwhile, Ling Xu, the Tabby cat, and the other high-level beings were "fighting" each other, engaging in fake battles outside the main battlefield to keep one another occupied.
Of course, not all of them were faking it. For instance, the old Yellow weasel had been intercepted by a real opponent, and the mysterious Mountain Lord had personally joined the fray at the center of the battlefield.
The plan had worked reasonably well; some experts had already died near the fake Haze-Illuminated Land, and several foreign high-level heteromorphs and experts from major organizations were severely injured.
Deep within the fissure, Qin Ming began to practice the techniques from the Silk Book. He felt his entire body becoming increasingly transparent and comfortable, as if a mysterious warm current was washing over him from head to toe.
The various glowing threads here were highly dangerous even for someone like Wang Nianzhu, who had undergone a Second Rebirth, and would normally require the consumption of Blood Snakes to replenish oneself.
Yet, despite staying here for so long, Qin Ming was not only unharmed but felt his physical constitution subtly improving.
"Is the technique in the Silk Book better suited for practicing in a place like this?" he wondered.
However, there was no one left to answer him. Those from back then were dead, crippled, or missing. The Silk Book was yellowed with age, a relic of unknown antiquity.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently, and Qin Ming nearly tumbled over.
Outside, at the center of the fading five-colored haze, the high-level heteromorphs and experts from mysterious organizations were facing off. Everyone was in poor condition, and no one had managed to enter the node.
At that moment, all the light within the node suddenly vanished. Simultaneously, a brand-new five-colored haze erupted fiercely in the distance, far more spectacular than the previous one.
"Why is there another one?"
"No, the rare resources have moved along the spiritual leyline! They’ve changed locations!"
Ling Xu, the old Yellow weasel, and the others, who had been prepared for the "next phase" of their plan, were now just as stunned as everyone else. They didn't even need to hide anything anymore—a real Haze-Illuminated Land had appeared!
BOOM!
Suddenly, the entire mountain range shook violently, even more intensely than before. Accompanied by blinding radiance, the pitch-black night sky was torn asunder and fully illuminated. An even more massive and extraordinary phenomenon had emerged.
"What am I seeing? Ten colors... those beams of light are like giant pillars propping up the night sky. This is an unheard-of miracle! What kind of peerless resource is about to appear?"
Even the high-level beings were dumbstruck; this far exceeded their imagination.
In an instant, regardless of how badly they were injured, all the experts vanished from their positions. They didn't even spare a glance at the real five-colored haze, charging instead toward the place where the even more magnificent phenomenon was occurring, where endless rain of light was rising and falling, capturing the attention of everyone.