Chapter 5: Rebirth

Qin Ming nodded solemnly; it was indeed time to figure out how to achieve "Rebirth."

This was a major event that concerned his entire life and would influence his future destiny.

The ages of fifteen and sixteen were the Golden Period. Achieving Rebirth during this age range yielded the greatest benefits, and missing it would be a profound regret.

However, it was difficult. The elites of Twin Tree Village only achieved Rebirth after the age of twenty, and some only succeeded after they were over thirty.

Even so, in a village of over forty households with more than two hundred people, there were fewer than ten "Reborn" in total.

Lu Ze spoke up, "Er Bingzi from the neighboring village made it, right in the middle of his Golden Period."

Qin Ming had an impression of Er Bingzi—a frail, sallow-skinned, and emaciated youth who always looked a bit sickly. Even his hair was sparse and the color of withered grass.

He was deeply surprised that a boy who looked so unathletic had actually achieved Rebirth during his Golden Period.

"When did this happen?"

"Almost a month ago," Lu Ze informed him. After Er Bingzi achieved Rebirth, he actually managed to lift a four-hundred-pound black donkey in his yard, completely shedding his former weak appearance.

"That’s truly strange." Qin Ming really hadn't expected that while so many boys as strong as bulls had failed repeatedly, Er Bingzi had succeeded in one go.

Lu Ze also felt a bit of emotion. He was strong and healthy, considered a formidable figure among the young adults, yet he was already twenty-three and had still not achieved Rebirth.

"Supposedly, it had something to do with a relative of his," Lu Ze said, privy to some inside information.

That relative, who wasn't particularly close by blood, traveled abroad year-round. Upon returning and seeing Er Bingzi, he determined the boy was good material.

The man said that Er Bingzi had previously suffered from minor physical issues and hadn't been able to lock in his essence, which was why he was so sickly, but his potential was actually quite high.

Most importantly, the man had brought back a High-grade Yiqi Art and had Er Bingzi switch to that method. The results were remarkably effective, eventually leading to his Rebirth.

Qin Ming was lost in thought; a person's fortune was truly unpredictable.

"Afterward, the man said that Er Bingzi’s innate 'foundation' was much thicker than he had originally guessed, and he might go very far."

Lu Ze never would have imagined that someone who looked sickly for years could be so powerful.

"While we don't have a High-grade Yiqi Art, we still have viable paths. Xiao Qin, I think you should change that special training method of yours," Lu Ze advised.

In his view, Qin Ming's physical fitness was excellent—stronger even than his own, and already far beyond that of an ordinary person.

However, despite such good conditions, Qin Ming had delayed his Rebirth for a long time. The problem likely lay in his method of tempering himself; it couldn't nurture the power of Rebirth needed to carry him forward.

He was already just over sixteen. If he continued like this, he really would miss the Golden Period.

Liang Wanqing also urged him, "Xiao Qin, why not switch to your Brother Lu's Night Meditation Technique instead?"

As Eternal Night blanketed the world, the wilderness had become incredibly dangerous. In such an environment, various regions had public power manuals to allow everyone to improve their physical constitution for self-preservation.

Of course, these books weren't considered high-end, and they were a far cry from rare secret volumes.

Qin Ming wasn't stubborn. Knowing they meant well, he nodded. "I'll give it a serious try soon."

Lu Ze sighed, believing Qin Ming had been held back by the "unconventional path" he practiced daily, which was nowhere near as good as his own low-level Introductory Guide to the Night Meditation Technique. However, switching now meant time was extremely tight.

He figured that probably only a High-grade Yiqi Art could help Qin Ming change his current situation in a short amount of time.

Lu Ze exhaled a long breath and said, "Sigh, if only we had even a mid-grade secret manual. It would be a tragedy for someone with your conditions to miss the most precious Golden Period."

However, the only books circulated in this region that could help someone achieve Rebirth were a few titles like the Introductory Chapter of the Floating Life Art and the Introductory Guide to the Night Meditation Technique, all of which were of similar quality.

Qin Ming wasn't anxious. This was primarily because the movements he had practiced for years were finally showing results. His body surface had begun to glow, and although the silver ripples were faint, they had truly manifested, unlike in the past.

His handsome face held a healthy flush, and his eyes were bright as he said, "Brother Lu, Sister-in-law, wait a bit longer. I think I can make it."

Rebirth meant that, based on one's original physical constitution, a surge of vigorous vitality would emerge, as if returning to the womb to re-nurture a burgeoning power of rebirth.

In the turbid air of the mortal world, a person's physical condition usually became fixed. If one's foundation could undergo a second stage of development, it was akin to a postnatal transformation within the womb.

Who wouldn't be tempted by that?

Take Er Bingzi, for example. He was originally physically weak, but after Rebirth, he could lift a living creature weighing several hundred pounds over his head with just his hands.

Such a change was truly startling, no different from changing one's fate.

Imagine Lu Ze: after practicing the Night Meditation Technique, he could already break blue bricks and shatter wooden training posts. If he underwent Rebirth and his strength significantly increased, how fearsome would his strikes become?

"Now that my old ailments are gone, I feel different. My body is in the best state it's ever been," Qin Ming said with confidence.

Before Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing could say anything, five-year-old Wenrui was already nodding seriously. His chubby little face was full of anticipation as he said, "Little Uncle is the best! Once Little Uncle succeeds, catch a mountain beast so we can stew the meat. I... I'm hungry for it."

Little Wenhui, just over two years old, came over with waddling steps to chime in. His words were slurred as he said, "Little Uncle... amazing. Eat meat."

Qin Ming burst into laughter. "No need to wait for later. I can satisfy you today."

As he spoke, he took down the Red Squirrel hanging from the hunting spear.

The mutated squirrel’s large, jewel-like black eyes bulged, and it immediately showed a look of terror.

"Oh, it's alive again. That's even better; the meat is far more tender than when it's frozen." Qin Ming held it up and examined it.

"This squirrel is so pretty and kind of cute." Wenrui blinked his large eyes, feeling a genuine fondness for the furry little animal.

"It'll be even cuter when it's stewed later. I guarantee it'll taste delicious," Qin Ming teased.

Wenrui was instantly conflicted. He was indeed craving meat, as he hadn't eaten any in a long time, but seeing such a small creature with glowing red fur made it hard to look away. He felt a desire to be close to it and wanted to raise it.

Little Wenhui followed behind his brother, mimicking him. His bright eyes reflected the image of the Red Squirrel as he babbled, "Squirrel... cute."

Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing watched the two children and laughed.

Qin Ming nodded in agreement. "It certainly is cute and capable. Look, it has so much winter food: pine nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, red dates... more than ten kinds in total. It even stored mushrooms. This is perfect—squirrel stewed with mushrooms will be tasty and very nourishing."

"Re... really? But I don't want it to die." Wenrui tugged at the corner of his shirt, his little face filled with hesitation, though he didn't forget to swallow his saliva.

"It's such a good ingredient. The meat of mutated creatures is the most delicious," Qin Ming tempted him with a smile.

"Let's not eat it this time. Once Little Uncle achieves Rebirth, you'll definitely be able to hunt big, fierce mutated creatures. I'll wait for Little Uncle to succeed." Wenrui's compassion won out, and he resisted the temptation of food.

The mutated squirrel was extremely nervous. One moment it looked at the knife in Qin Ming’s hand, and the next it chirped at Wenrui as if pleading for help.

Liang Wanqing was surprised. "This little mountain beast is quite spiritual. It seems to understand what you're saying. Look, its little face is all wrinkled with tension."

Qin Ming put away his short blade. Such a small creature didn't have much meat anyway; it was originally meant to satisfy the kids' cravings. Since they liked the live animal, he might as well let them keep it.

Lu Ze frowned slightly. "This winter is different from others. Where will we find extra food for it?"

The mutated squirrel looked expectantly at the bulging animal-hide bag; that was its entire fortune!

Qin Ming also noticed that this little mountain beast was exceptionally spiritual.

He picked out a portion of acorns from the pile of dried goods and said, "These nuts need to be processed before they can be eaten; otherwise, they're slightly toxic and bitter. Let's just leave them to feed the squirrel."

The Red Squirrel didn't make a sound, just stared at him with wide eyes, its breathing a bit heavy.

"You're alive, and you're still not satisfied? Also, if you dare bite anyone, I guarantee I'll stew you," Qin Ming warned as he locked it into an iron cage used for birds.

Lu Ze felt it would be better to sell the mutated squirrel. After all, its brilliant red fur was worth a lot of money, and keeping it would waste both food and energy.

However, when he saw the two children jumping for joy, he stopped voicing his opposition.

When it was time to leave, Lu Ze took the iron cage and a pile of acorns but refused the other dried goods.

Qin Ming didn't argue with him and simply stuffed the cloth bags filled with walnuts and pine nuts into Liang Wanqing's hands for the children to eat as snacks.

...

After temporarily escaping the predicament of lacking food, Qin Ming began to seriously consider the matter of Rebirth.

Lu Ze’s comment that his "unconventional path" was holding him back had indeed stirred some doubt in his heart.

He vaguely remembered blurred fragments from his childhood. Someone had once told him that although those movements had a significant origin, he likely wouldn't be able to master them.

A moment later, he went into the yard. He decided to start at his own pace first; the "unconventional path" he had practiced for over a decade was clearly different now, and there was no reason not to continue.

Qin Ming loosened his joints and stretched his muscles and bones—twisting, spiraling, turning, and flipping with smooth, unhindered movements.

He suddenly leapt from the ground, shooting out as fast as a steel arrow, yet he landed as light as a swallow, making no sound.

He shifted between stillness and motion, sitting like a crouching tiger and walking as if treading through mud, moving with natural, circular grace.

Then he spun his body, swinging his leg with lightning speed. Like a dragon or python lashing its tail through the air, it produced a dull, booming thud.

After a brief warm-up, Qin Ming began performing various high-difficulty movements.

"Exhaling and inhaling, expelling the old and taking in the new, moving like a bear and turning like an owl..."

He stretched his form with powerful rigidity, actually stirring up a fierce wind that whipped up the snow from the ground, causing it to churn and dance around him.

Soon, a familiar feeling arrived. Extremely faint silver threads intertwined within Qin Ming's pores, rippling into waves and forming a very thin glow on the surface of his body.

Gradually, white mist began to steam from his entire body.

A current of heat flowed through his flesh and blood, like life-giving rain falling after a great drought; the parched earth greedily absorbed every drop.

Qin Ming's movements consumed a great deal of energy, yet he felt no fatigue. On the contrary, he was invigorated.

His body seemed to be cheering, as if it had been hungry for a long time and finally wanted to eat its fill, constantly sucking in the silver ripples.

His flesh and blood itched, and his whole body was gaining strength. Could this be the start of Rebirth?

Qin Ming’s body felt hot, and he had an urge to run, to vent his overflowing energy as much as he could. And so, he acted on it.

He sprinted through the wilderness like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, heading far into the distance until he was nearly at the forest region.

In the distance, on the snowy ground, a tall and slender woman stood still. Her black fur cloak flowed with a faint dark light, covering her fair neck and revealing only an exquisite chin, carrying a mysterious air of cold detachment.

A crow perched on a cluster of thorns beside her spoke in a human tongue, "Oh? A self-initiated Rebirth, and there are already abnormal signs in the early stages—as if moonlight is spilling over his body, rippling with layers of golden waves."

"I feel like this is good material. It's rare to see in such a remote place," it said, its body covered in feathers like dark gold. It watched the scene with a pair of purple eyes. "Isn't your teacher looking for a final disciple? This youth might do."

The woman stood on a large blue rock. As the cold wind blew, her loose cloak pressed against her body, unable to hide her exceptionally beautiful curves. However, her voice was somewhat cold. "There are people more suitable than him."

Qin Ming seemed to sense something. He turned his head toward the distance, already holding his bow and arrow.

"A very sharp intuition," the crow evaluated. By now, it was already within the dense forest. It spoke to the woman beside it, "Your teacher's path is very special. Don't you dare miss a seed with the potential to grow so vigorously."

"Not being selected is a regret he will never know. What would I be missing? I already have the best candidate." The mountain wind howled, and the woman's black hair drifted to one side of her pale face. Her black clothes fluttered; amidst her transcendent elegance, she appeared even more cold and glamorous. She walked forward and said, "Investigating the mountains is more important right now."