Chapter 9

After drinking six bowls of strong liquor, Qin Ming couldn't hold on any longer. His head throbbed and ached, and he slumped against a pile of hay, falling asleep soon after.

In his dream, he seemed to return to his childhood, back to the distant Thunder Ancient City.

He saw his mother, his father, and his sister, along with many familiar relatives.

The city lord's residence was filled with laughter and joy, a place of happiness and contentment.

Qin Ming ran in excitedly, rushing towards his familiar relatives, but even though they were right in front of him, they seemed not to see him. He shouted and waved at everyone, but his relatives remained unmoved.

In a daze, everyone fell silent, looking up at the sky with blank expressions, their gazes empty.

Rain began to fall, drizzling over everyone, cold enough to make them shiver.

Suddenly...

The scene shattered, like a broken mirror, pieces scattering everywhere, and everyone vanished in the cold rain.

The rain grew heavier, and the world turned dark.

The ancient city was gone, and so were the relatives. Qin Ming felt as if he were standing on a vast battlefield.

Endless beings were fighting fiercely, their cries of battle shaking the heavens. Various mysterious beasts roared in the blood and fire.

Heavenly fire and hurricanes covered the world.

The earth was cracking, the sky collapsing, as if the world were coming to an end.

In the vast expanse of the world, a bright red light cut through the darkness, tearing apart the heavenly fire, shining like the sun. The light pierced through the battlefield, spreading an overwhelming aura of killing, causing all beings to wail and the heroes to tremble.

Qin Ming walked dazedly on the battlefield, as if chasing that fierce and unparalleled light. Suddenly, the light stopped, locking onto Qin Ming from a distance. An endless aura of killing surged, enveloping Qin Ming.

Qin Ming was startled and sat up abruptly.

A dream! A nightmare!

Qin Ming was drenched in cold sweat, mostly sobered up by the shock. He panted heavily, taking a while to swallow hard.

Why would he have such a dream?

He hadn't dreamed for many years.

Qin Ming wiped away the cold sweat, feeling parched and his head throbbing. He got up and went to the courtyard to fetch some water to drink.

In the cold courtyard, the old man sat under an old tree, turning a black, pitch-dark knife in his hand. It was made of an unknown material, resembling black iron or black rock, completely black and emitting a cold, chilling aura.

"Huh?" Qin Ming was drawn to the black knife, shaking his head, thinking he might still be dreaming.

"Old man?"

Qin Ming called out twice.

The old man ignored him and slowly lifted the black knife.

As Qin Ming watched, a bone-chilling coldness rose in his heart. In a daze, he felt as if he were back in the dream, submerged in endless killing, and the black knife was staring at him, yes, it was definitely staring at him.

Qin Ming cautiously moved, but still felt as if he were being watched.

The black knife seemed to have a strange spirit, making him shiver, but in the old man's withered hand, it was as obedient as a pet, flipping and turning with the flick of a finger.

Qin Ming was completely sober now, carefully watching the old man and the black knife. He had seen the old man use throwing knives before, using iron pieces as throwing knives in the courtyard. He practiced for two days, feeling it was quite good, and then made nine throwing knives, training for three years to use them for self-defense.

When he faced Zhao Min that day, he gained the upper hand by using the throwing knives to catch Zhao Min off guard.

"The knife is named Asura." The old man spread his withered right hand, the black knife floating in his palm, the tip pointing down, the body emitting a chilling aura, distorting the surrounding space.

"This knife..." Qin Ming's hair stood on end, stepping back involuntarily, looking at the black knife with shock.

Suddenly, the old man's right hand trembled, and in an instant, the black knife hummed, vibrating and shooting out.

A terrifying aura of killing spread through the courtyard, enveloping the sky and earth.

At that moment, the elders of the thirty mountains of Qingyun Sect opened their eyes, sensing a killing aura that made their hearts tremble.

Qin Ming stepped back in shock, but the black knife instantly pressed against his forehead, moving as fast as lightning, impossible to track.

It neither retreated nor advanced, lightly touching Qin Ming's skin.

The sharp tip was extremely cold, as if it could freeze his soul.

"Old man... you..."

Qin Ming didn't dare move, sweat covering his forehead. He felt a real threat of death, as if embraced by death, his body shivering, his breathing labored.

"Do not use it recklessly before reaching the Xuanwu Realm." The old man pushed the black knife into Qin Ming's forehead with a wave of his right hand. In an instant, Qin Ming felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, the bone-chilling cold spreading through his body, each cell emitting a chill, his breath freezing.

His consciousness spun, unable to distinguish between pain and dizziness. Qin Ming sat on the ground, about to say something, but his body suddenly emitted black mist, enveloping him.

In a daze, the old man walked towards him, and he only saw the old man's eyes, like an endless abyss, ready to swallow him.

"Am I dreaming again?" Qin Ming whispered, lying down on the ground.

Everything felt so unreal, surreal, and terrifying.

Dreaming? It must be a dream.

When Qin Ming opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning. He was really lying in the courtyard, warm sunlight shining on him, making him feel very comfortable.

"Why am I lying here?"

Qin Ming stretched, feeling light and refreshed, with no trace of the cold discomfort.

"I must have been dreaming. The alcohol was too strong. I'll drink less in the future."

Qin Ming jumped up, stretching and exercising as usual.

He punched the air, generating electric arcs and using the first three stages of the Vajra Force.

But as he continued, he stopped, staring at his right arm, where the electric arcs were more numerous but less smooth.

What's going on?

Did I drink too much last night?

Qin Ming circulated his meridians, generating electric arcs, and punched again. This time, he was truly stunned.

"Did I... break through?"

"Spiritual Martial... Fourth Heaven?"

"How is that possible!"

Qin Ming was incredulous, having broken through to the Spiritual Martial Fourth Heaven without realizing it.

But soon, another issue arose. Not only had his realm advanced, but his meridians had widened, and there was something new in his dantian, a black, pitch-dark knife, emitting black mist, floating above the quiet sea of qi.

"What's going on?"

"Wasn't it a dream last night?"

Qin Ming carefully examined, confirming that his realm had indeed advanced. However, due to the mysterious breakthrough, his spiritual energy in the meridians was still at the Third Heaven level, needing replenishment. There was indeed a black knife in his dantian, identical to the one the old man gave him in the dream.

Not a dream? Not a dream!

This mysterious black knife is from the old man!

"Old man! Thank you!"

Qin Ming was delighted, running back to the warehouse to thank him.

But strangely, no one was in the warehouse, and the old man was not there.

Qin Ming returned to the courtyard, but the old man was still not there.

For the past eight years, the old man had either been staring blankly under the tree, mourning at the grave, or sleeping in the warehouse, never leaving the warehouse.

"Where did the old man go?"

Qin Ming suddenly had a bad feeling, searching the warehouse and the courtyard thoroughly, even the surrounding hills, but found no trace of the old man.

"Did he leave?"

"Impossible, right? He left without saying goodbye?"

"But the old man was acting strange yesterday."

"Could it be because of the girl yesterday?"

Qin Ming returned to the warehouse and went to the old man's wooden bed.

An old cotton blanket, a few patched clothes—this was all the old man had, and he hadn't taken any of it.

"Is this a message?"

Qin Ming's hand touched the old clothes, feeling something inside. He slowly lifted the blanket, revealing a piece of paper with one word—Fate!

Under the paper was a sword manual and an ancient sword.

A sense of ancient and grandeur enveloped him. The sword manual and the ancient sword seemed to emit real sword qi, making the surrounding air sharp and cold.

"Did the old man really leave?" Qin Ming held the paper, feeling a sense of loss, as if something was missing from his heart.

Gone?

Really gone?

For eight years, the old man's presence made the humble warehouse feel like a home.

No matter how difficult or hard it was, he always felt he could return home to rest.

He knew the old man was extraordinary, but he never expected him to leave so soon.

Fate! My fate? Whose fate?

Why did the old man deliberately leave this word?

Qin Ming carefully put away the paper, keeping it close, and picked up the sword manual.

The Great Derivation Sword Canon!

No elaborate introduction, just the first move—Mountain and River Sword! A single strike that splits the mountains and rivers!

The concise sword technique and the simple meridian diagrams were clear but blurry, requiring intense focus to see clearly. This was just the first move; the second move was completely unclear, even the name was indistinct, giving him a strange sense of resistance.

Qin Ming's current realm and mental strength barely qualified him to study the first move!

"What level of martial technique is this?"

Qin Ming looked at the sword manual in his hand, amazed by its mysterious and extraordinary nature.

He had always longed for martial techniques and hoped to have his own weapon. Today, his wish came true, but holding the sword manual and the ancient sword, thinking about last night's drunkenness, he couldn't feel happy.

"Qin Ming!" A sharp voice called from outside.

Qin Ming put away the sword manual and the ancient sword, hiding them deep in the warehouse.

"Qin Ming! Where are you!" Zhang Dong rudely pushed open the iron gate, waving a list and shouting, "I posted it at dawn, and it's already noon. If you don't deliver it now, do you still want to work?"

"I'll go right away." Qin Ming quickly tidied up and took the list.

Zhang Dong stood by the gate, shouting, "Don't think you can ignore the rules just because you're at the Spiritual Martial Realm. You're still a servant, under my control! I won't hold it against you today, but if you don't deliver on time again, I'll report to the chief, and see what happens to you!"