Chapter 42: Resolving Doubts

Shen Jiayun's body stiffened slightly. She could clearly feel the air vibrations near her ear brought by the trembling spear tip, as if she had been lightly brushed.

This was the first time an outsider had helped her put in that hair ornament. She pulled the glowing blue beaded flower from her waterfall-like black hair and held it in her hand.

Qin Ming withdrew his spear, then turned around to return it.

The owner of the purplegold spear felt somewhat awkward. When he had lent it earlier, he said it was akin to indirectly fighting Nie Rui—an obvious flattery.

Now that he had received the weapon back, how could he praise Nie Rui? Was he going to boast that the spear in his hand had successively defeated Crimson Cloud City's most powerful Twin Stars of the past twenty years?

He decided that he should put the spear away once he got home. Using it again would be a bit too eye-catching, as it would remind people of today's battle every time, which was equivalent to constantly reminding everyone that Nie Rui and Shen Jiayun had both lost to the same person.

Mu Qing dared to speak up, saying, "You should keep this spear safe. It has great commemorative value."

The young noble holding the spear immediately felt like he was on pins and needles, his embarrassment doubling.

Only then did many people snap out of it. It was hard to imagine that Nie Rui and Shen Jiayun had lost to a youth whose physical fitness was inferior to theirs.

"That youth's spear technique has a flavor of returning to simplicity, drawing the line between life and death in plain strokes, fully showing the true essence of fighting methods!"

Several nobles nearing thirty years of age commented. They were already Third Reborn, and their eyes were very sharp.

"His killing intent is restrained. At first, it is like walking leisurely in a courtyard, listening to the spring rain, but suddenly it connects with the lightning from the heavens, the spear shadows exploding like electricity. It is indeed not simple."

The Twin Stars who had astounded Crimson Cloud City tasted defeat in a remote place, and to a peer at that. This matter naturally had a significant impact. If it were to spread, few would probably believe it.

Yet the actual battle results were right here, witnessed by a group of young nobles with their own eyes.

"So heroic and dashing. The charm of that spear strike really dazzled my eyes," some noble girls murmured in low voices.

"Eh, I noticed that Shen Jiayun was holding her beaded flower and fell into a brief daze."

...

Shen Jiayun landed gracefully on the back of the black tiger and left together with the group of nobles as the crowd here dispersed.

Before parting just now, Crimson Cloud City's Twin Stars had made a point to speak a few more words with Qin Ming, saying that the Night Fog world was vast and boundless with countless mysteries, and they looked forward to meeting again in the future when they had each reached higher peaks.

As those young nobles departed, they all cast deep looks at Qin Ming.

Some also came over to strike up a conversation, chatting briefly and saying he could look them up if he ever went to Crimson Cloud City in the future.

This battle was purely accidental and unexpected, but it indeed allowed Qin Ming's name to reach the ears of many before he had even entered Crimson Cloud City.

In the eyes of many, though his physical fitness was not in the strongest tier, his fighting style of turning decay into magic and his ingenious adaptability on the spot left an extremely deep impression. His combat talent was rarely matched, making him quite terrifying and rare; he was already like a brilliant rising star.

"To think he is actually this formidable, completely subduing even Nie Rui. After this battle, Nie Rui is no longer hesitating and is going to take a different path."

In the Black-and-White Mountain, the other young nobles were shocked to hear of this. Some even came drawn by his reputation, wanting to see what Qin Ming looked like.

Cao Long, Mu Qing, and Wei Zhirou stepped forward and managed to deflect a lot of trouble for Qin Ming, and things gradually quieted down afterwards.

"Qin Ming, after the early spring of next year, at the latest by midsummer, you should head to Crimson Cloud City to register. But it's a bit of a pity that your current strength is still somewhat low," Mu Qing said.

"Ah?" Qin Ming was puzzled.

Wei Zhirou explained, "At that time, there might be a chance to access higher-level knowledge. Even the High-level Yiqi Art, which has always been kept strictly secret, is something you might be able to learn a portion of."

Cao Long added, "At that time, representatives from the Great Cities will come to select people. As long as you perform brilliantly enough, you are highly likely to get an opportunity to change the course of your life."

If Qin Ming had not accidentally clashed with and defeated Nie Rui and Shen Jiayun today, Cao Long, Mu Qing, and the others wouldn't have told him this, as it wouldn't have had much meaning otherwise.

"If all else fails, you can travel and study in Crimson Cloud City for a year and wait for the next year's opportunity. If you can achieve Third Rebirth, your chances will be better, and you might be able to enter an even more famous Great City then."

They knew that someone with a Golden Foundation would not take long to achieve Second Rebirth. But even that was not enough; unless one possessed Divine Wisdom, special abilities, or rare innate talents, it was hard to be valued ahead of time.

Xu Yueping and Yang Yongqing knew that once early spring arrived, Qin Ming would likely really have to leave this place.

Qin Ming inquired about the details. Since it was a casual chat, he casually asked quite a few other questions, but they were all brought up in an offhand manner.

For instance, when they discussed what kinds of Spiritual Matter could help people undergo Rebirth, Cao Long mentioned Mineral Essence in passing, and Qin Ming took the opportunity to ask for details.

"Mineral Essence is an active substance extracted from ore veins. Drinking it can improve one's physical fitness, but whether one can achieve Rebirth is entirely up to luck. Even so, it is still extremely expensive."

"Why?" Qin Ming asked.

Cao Long said, "Because, as long as it is your first time consuming Mineral Essence, no matter how many times you have already undergone Rebirth, it can improve your constitution, and there is a fifty percent chance it can trigger a Rebirth."

Wei Zhirou said, "That is its most precious attribute. It is highly favored by those old men whose strength has reached a standstill, because conventional methods can no longer help them achieve Rebirth, yet Mineral Essence brings that possibility."

Qin Ming asked, "Does a second dose have no effect at all?"

Mu Qing said, "It's not completely useless; it would have about one-tenth the effect of the first time. Unless, of course, you can obtain a higher grade of Mineral Essence—like a brilliant, bright red variety that looks like the evening glow, known as the Blood of the Earth. Even in Crimson Cloud City, you wouldn't see more than a bottle or two of it a year."

Judging by her words, there were clearly higher grades of Mineral Essence, which could only be found in the Great Cities.

Qin Ming knew they would likely leave in another two or three days, so he chatted more, discreetly seeking their guidance on various matters.

When they mentioned the mysterious products in the Nodes, Qin Ming inevitably wanted to understand what made Mutton-fat Jade Iron so special.

The three of them were also highly interested in this topic, and the conversation was very lively.

"Every time the Sky Light descends, it nourishes many extraordinary things. Some extremely rare materials, once forged into mysterious weapons, can be passed down through generations, protecting and prospering a family. There are even unparalleled mysterious products that can be used to anchor a nation."

Cao Long's eyes were burning with fervor. This was why he was so active in searching the mountains—the products born within the Nodes could be of any grade.

"Although Mutton-fat Jade Iron is not in the most rare tier, it is still incredibly precious, far surpassing ordinary iron, and has massive uses."

Finally, the three of them mentioned the information Qin Ming wanted to know.

Mutton-fat Jade Iron does not require thousand-fold tempering; even refining it ten thousand times yields no additional benefit. Its quality is superb. Once forged into weapons, it can pierce the scales of giant beasts, and poses a great threat to those who protect themselves with Sky Light.

This was not the most important part, because weapons made of other materials could also be sufficiently tough and peerlessly sharp.

"If weapons forged from Mutton-fat Jade Iron are damaged, as long as it's not too severe, they can be nourished by Sky Light to slowly restore themselves to perfect condition."

Qin Ming was astonished. Such weapons and armor were indeed quite magical.

"The most mystical aspect of Mutton-fat Jade Iron is that holding it allows one to slay certain special entities."

This statement startled Qin Ming. He realized he knew far too little about this world.

Mu Qing said, "In this vast, boundless dark world, how many areas actually have Fire Springs? Though those Great Cities are brilliant, under the endless night, they can only be considered tiny fireflies. The grander territories are just pitch-black, dark as abysses. There are always some inexplicable, indescribable things out there, and sometimes, one needs weapons made of Mutton-fat Jade Iron or other relatively rare materials to deal with them."

Qin Ming asked her to elaborate, as he was truly in the dark.

Mu Qing explained in detail, "For example, there are things you cannot see with your eyes. Stabbing them with an ordinary spear does nothing, the tip just piercing through the air. But if you switch to a weapon forged from Mutton-fat Jade Iron, a single thrust might pierce out a splash of strange blood, killing whatever it is."

Qin Ming sighed, "Living in a remote area, I knew nothing about this. This pitch-black, boundless world is truly too mysterious."

Wei Zhirou spoke up, "Why do some Esoteric Sects worship deities? It is precisely because of all kinds of unknowns and mysteries—some things are unspeakable and inexplicable."

Old Man Liu patted his chest and said, "Fortunately, we don't have those here."

Mu Qing laughed, "How do you know there aren't any, elder? Even if they exist, ordinary people just can't see them."

"Don't scare me. The older one gets, the more cowardly they become. I still want to live for another few decades."

Cao Long said, "Don't worry, even we have never seen them."

Qin Ming thought about it and asked, "Are Transcendentalists all incredibly powerful?"

Wei Zhirou nodded, "The paths of some Transcendentalists can be described as incomparably glorious and peerless."

"Just how strong are they?" Qin Ming asked. He really wanted to know, because the youth who had severely injured him wore feather garments and was likely a Transcendentalist.

Mu Qing spoke up, "Don't think too much about it. Right now, you just need to focus on improving yourself. Once you enter a Great City and raise your strength further, if you are found to possess a special talent, you can also change your path."

Though they didn't say much, it was enough to show how terrifying Transcendentalists were.

Furthermore, listening to them, it seemed they themselves had already changed their paths.

Pondering a little, Qin Ming also knew they were not ordinary Reborn. One had long taken the Giant Spirit Path, one had a tail, and Wei Zhirou, who was with them, was bound to have her own extraordinary traits.

After pulling another all-nighter, Qin Ming finally fell asleep. This gave him complete relief; not being able to sleep had been truly agonizing.

During this time, the giant beasts of Crimson Cloud City pulled grain carts across the snow-blocked mountain roads, finally delivering the grain. The entire region immediately erupted in excitement.

Although the price of the grain was slightly expensive, considering the transportation costs, it was already a very sincere price. At its core, it was meant to relieve their plight.

"No need to panic buy! Rest assured, the grain price won't increase, and more will be delivered continuously hereafter."

...

Cao Long, Mu Qing, Wei Zhirou, and the others were already packing their bags, preparing to head back, when news arrived from deep in the mountains. Multiple special Nodes had been discovered in a grand canyon area, and even more Nodes were being found one after another.

Immediately, the three contingents rushed into the mountains, asking Qin Ming, Old Man Liu, and the others to lead the way.

This time, several of the old fellows were also accompanying the team, such as Cao Long's Seventh Uncle, who had eaten from the Longevity Tree.

When the black goat ridden by Yang Yongqing saw him, it immediately urinated on the spot as a form of "respect."

The big yellow dog ridden by Old Man Liu also had a stress reaction and defecated directly.

When Cao the Seventh saw this, his nose was almost crooked with anger, and he bellowed that he would eat black goat meat and yellow dog meat when they got back.

Everyone else wanted to laugh but had to hold it in.

"After you deliver us to the spot, you don't need to get involved. It's too dangerous there!" Cao Long said.

Undoubtedly, this would be their final operation before leaving, and a massive battle would likely erupt. With the Nodes appearing so densely, all sides would fight to the point of bloodshot eyes.

Indeed, after leading the group to the grand canyon, Old Man Liu immediately grabbed Qin Ming, Xu Yueping, and Yang Yongqing, turned around, and ran straight back to the village.

Old Man Liu said, "We've made it through ninety-nine bows already, staying safe all this way. We're just one final step away from the end. We absolutely must stay far away from there, maintain our safety margin, and ensure nothing goes wrong!"

Although Qin Ming had his own reliance—since entering the Nodes wouldn't expose him to erosion from the Sky Light, allowing him to remain completely unharmed inside—he ultimately held back.

At this juncture, let alone the people from Crimson Cloud City fighting till their eyes went red, even the Heteromorphs in the mountains would likely be drawn over.

However, some of the local organizations were acting inhumanly, ordering the various villages to send people to join them in the mountain operation.

The messenger was a Reborn from Golden Chicken Ridge, riding a fast-running Ground-runner. This time, he was merely a lackey acting on orders; some of Golden Chicken Ridge's real big bandits had arrived.

In this final phase, they had also gone red-eyed, wanting to plunder the mysterious products within the Black-and-White Mountain.

"This isn't a decision made by us alone; we have joined forces with the Three-Eye Cult. Consider the consequences yourselves. If you really don't send anyone, there will be a reckoning afterward!"

This was an obvious threat. If they did not comply, they would face retaliation later.

"Each village must provide men based on their population, but they must be Reborn."

Qin Ming understood immediately. These people feared the Sky Light within the Nodes, so they wanted to find proxies to go in and scavenge for them. They truly did not treat the Reborn of the various villages as human beings and did not care about their lives at all.

"I'll go," Qin Ming insisted, pushing Old Man Liu, Xu Yueping, Yang Yongqing, and the others back. For a small village like theirs, sending one person was more than enough.

He calmly followed the Reborn of Golden Chicken Ridge into the mountains, but the killing intent in his heart was starting to boil.