Night Without End

Cui Family, said to be a thousand-year-old family, has actually spanned nearly two thousand years.

This ancient establishment, with its formidable strength, does not rely on the brilliance of the strongest individual, but rather draws from the majestic foundation accumulated by the entire family over the ages, akin to the roots of towering ancient trees buried underground, invisible externally but unfathomably deep.

The Cui Family, nearing two thousand years in existence, sends a large number of disciples to the Outer World, the Esoteric Buddhism, and the rebirth road every year. They have their people among all major Taoist texts, including Immortal Seeds and Grandmasters.

Furthermore, tracing back many generations, there were ancient sages who became one of the Ancestor Masters of certain cultivation paths.

It can be said that this family, standing through two thousand springs and autumns, has formed a mature system deeply interconnected with the Outer World, Esoteric Buddhism, and others, forming a colossal entity difficult to shake.

Hence, the saying goes, "Flowing dynasty, iron-clad noble family."

In this grand background, Lu Zizai, without any hesitation, accompanied Qin Ming directly to the Cui Family.

"Brother Lu, aside from the 'Golden Crow Illuminating Night Scripture', I've also discovered new chapters in other fragmented scriptures." Qin Ming transmitted his voice through the wind and snow.

Lu Zizai had always been supportive of him, protecting and sheltering him on multiple occasions.

Now Qin Ming wanted to repay, walking the rebirth road together, he hoped Lu Zizai could grow stronger.

Initially, this did not draw enough attention from Lu Zizai, after all, a few new chapters might not hold significant reference value for a person of his level.

However, soon his expression changed.

For someone as exceptional and ambitious in expanding the road, he was directly shocked.

Not mentioning anything else, just the Four-page Jade Book, claimed to be one of the three hardest True Scriptures on the Immortal Road, everyone knows how severely incomplete it was, and now it seemed to be complete?

Lu Zizai was stunned, watching the dense little figures jumping in front of him, and then saw the ancient Furnace of Eight Trigrams, surrounded by a multitude of texts, with firelight burning the sky.

He immersed himself in it, observing the first page's mental battle, was the second page the process of refining the Heart Apes as medicine?

Lu Zizai lost his composure, the follow-up of the True Scriptures was causing him to "sink," the new chapters held extremely important reference value for him.

In a daze, he seemed to see layers of fog depths, where creatures like ghosts lurked, was this touching upon some truth?

...

Outside the Fangwai Heaven Pure Land, Helian ZhaoYu, with a pale face, slightly swaying, walked off the ice field of yesterday's battle.

In an instant, cold wind wrapped in snow particles hit him, making his body somewhat stagger.

He had already consumed treasure medicine and connected the broken bones, but far from recovery, he was mentally and physically shaken this time, hardly believing he would be defeated so miserably.

The Helian Family had experts following behind him, concerned that he might succumb to depression.

Helian ZhaoYu came here to "review," regarding the battle, he couldn't quite understand, could Qin Ming be more formidable than those historical celebrities?

He walked along, reviewing yesterday's battle.

He kept analyzing and "reconstructing" the scenes of the fierce fight, "enhancing" his performance from yesterday, but after deduction, he was still heavily defeated.

This left him in despair, filling him with a sense of helplessness.

Snowflakes fluttered, north wind whistling, Helian Zhao's heart was chilled, icy to the bone.

Suddenly, on the snow-laden ice field, he found another figure standing there as if feeling something.

Someone else came here to "review"?

Helian ZhaoYu passed through the wind and snow, slightly approaching, he already saw from afar, it was Li Qingxu.

"What are you doing here?" He somewhat arrogantly questioned, not thinking much of Li Qingxu, as he heard this person was defeated repeatedly, already known as "Li Bai."

Li Qingxu was very polite and said, "Brother Helian, though yesterday's defeat was honorable. Your four-layered Inner Realm, the Unity of Divine's Pure Land, was truly stunning, possessing Earth Immortal potential."

He had pondered silently all night, feeling something within, coming early to study yesterday's battle.

He was seriously contemplating whether standing in the "Bao Pu" domain, with the advantage of Great Realm, could comprehensively suppress Qin Ming in the "Saint status."

Helian ZhaoYu did not appreciate it, finding the phrase "defeat yet glorious" jarring.

"Such a level of battle is also in your study?" He asked coldly.

Being Cao Qianqiu's direct disciple, Li Qingxu, in terms of identity and status, was not intimidated by him, and immediately frowned at his words, "I did not offend you, right?"

"You can't even touch this domain of battle, hurry and leave!"

Undoubtedly, Helian ZhaoYu's attitude was dismissive to Li Qingxu.

However, the latter did not get angry.

Instead, Li Qingxu laughed mockingly, "I've fought with Qin Ming, though I've lost more than one battle, there was a time when I injured him, even if at that time I wasn't winning fairly…"

With that, he turned and left gracefully.

Snowflakes fluttered, Helian ZhaoYu felt utterly annoyed!

...

The battle of Qin Ming outside the Pure Land naturally spread, with details appearing immediately on the desks of major organizations.

Undoubtedly, such top-tier seed duels drew exceptional attention.

However, amidst the current heavy snow, news spread not so quickly, only those in power knew first.

At the Esoteric Buddhism's important faction—Heavenly God Palace, Grandmaster Wang Jingyan, with a smile, was quite satisfied with his arrangement yesterday.

He happily agreed to Qin Ming's request to view the fragmented Scriptures and had even invited a stunning Goddess to accompany him, with a harmonious atmosphere, and cordial relations between both parties.

It can be said that both host and guest were happy this time. Unlike people from Fangwai Heaven Pure Land who went to challenge guests, which seemed somewhat offensive.

Key point is, that Immortal Seed was defeated quite thoroughly.

Esoteric Buddhism Grandmaster Wang Jingyan laughed, "No need to think, that was the 'Zhili Ape Demon King' who had slain over a dozen Heavenly Demon Species in Shenshang Plain, famous in the Western Territory, and there was actually an Immortal Seed of Third Realm daring to challenge, losing face completely."

He felt that the people of Pure Land were really unwise.

However, he soon stopped laughing.

Because, on his desk, he received the latest news: a top-level divine seed challenged Qin Ming and suffered a crushing defeat!

After reading the details, he was furious and exclaimed: "You dog thief!"

He thought the people of Fangwai Heaven Pure Land were too shameless, spreading false information.

"That Helian ZhaoYu... it seems that he really specializes in our Esoteric Buddhism's skill." His direct disciple said.

Wang Jingyan was eager to slap the table, saying: "He's a seed of the Immortal Control Sect, why didn't they say anything before his defeat, and now they claim he's our Esoteric Buddhism's divine seed? Ling Canghai, you old scoundrel!"

Outside, those responsible for gathering information in various organizations were also somewhat puzzled. Did Qin Ming face off against an Immortal Seed or a Divine Seed?

Wang Jingyan said: "Quickly clarify, we won't take the fall for Fangwai Heaven Pure Land's broken pot!"

No matter what was said, this battle would soon stir up a great disturbance.

...

"Truly worthy of being called a Heavenly Book, one of the three most difficult true scriptures on the Immortal Road!" Lu Zizai exclaimed as he read.

He stood in the snowstorm for a long time, without any clues regarding the last two pages, needing to spend time researching them.

However, regarding the first two pages of the Jade Book, he had some insights. After pondering, he whispered: "Cao Qianqiu might really be a Heart Ape."

Qin Ming was stunned. If this were true, it would indeed trigger a great earthquake.

If an exceptionally powerful ancestor on the Immortal Road was a Heart Ape slashed out from someone, it would be truly terrifying.

Qin Ming couldn't help but ask: "Who might his true form be?"

Lu Zizai said: "It's not certain yet because too much time has passed. If Old Cao still has a true self behind it, it must be an old monster."

The trajectory of Cao Qianqiu's youth could be traced, as before no one ever thought of him concerning the Heart Ape.

The key is, when a strong person cuts out a Heart Ape from their psyche, and if it remolds into a physical body without anyone telling it, it believes itself to be an independent entity, unaware of its roots.

Lu Zizai contemplated, over the years, numerous experts emerged in the Outer World, and some ancestor masters had permanently disappeared, entering the depths of Yewu World.

He was recalling, trying to match identities.

Lu Zizai sighed: "If that person, in their youth, already cut out a Heart Ape - Cao Qianqiu, since then the true self remains hidden and dormant, then it would be extremely terrifying."

Undoubtedly, if such a person truly exists, their Taoist path is bound to be incredibly frightening, aiming to at least step into the Earth Immortal Domain!

Qin Ming spoke: "Could it be a master from the Original Holy Land System of the Demon Monster Civilization side? After all, they were the first to comprehend the "Heart Suppressing Scripture" from the Four Leaf Jade Book."

Lu Zizai's heart shook, and he said: "If you say it like that, I have another extreme situation in mind."

Qin Ming was astonished, saying: "There are even more incredible suspicious targets?"

Lu Zizai nodded, saying: "Hmm, back then, some people even got in touch with even more fragmented Heavenly Books, or perhaps the 'Heart Suppressing Scripture'."

Qin Ming's eyes widened, as images of several figures flashed through his mind, revealing incredulity, "That... can't be possible!"

He already knew whom Lu Zizai was referring to—the Silk Calligraphy Ancestor Master!

"Cao Qianqiu, being so evil, and the Old Ancestor Master who developed the Silk Scripture..." Qin Ming paused slightly at this point. He had a brief encounter with one person, but knew little about the others.

Lu Zizai said: "The Heart Ape is an 'impurity' in a being's heart, an excessively active emotion, a strong yet useless desire, which is why it was cut out, serving as an unparalleled great medicine beneficial to the increase in the true self's Taoist path!"

So, no matter who the original owner is, the Heart Ape they cut out could be malevolent, as it's a negative kind of distracting thought.

Lu Zizai, after serious consideration, said: "In my estimation, the likelihood of Cao Qianqiu being the Heart Ape of the Silk Calligraphy Ancestor Master is less than 10%, the probability of coming from the Demon Monster Civilization is 20%, and originating from the Immortal Road itself has a 70% probability."

"Brother Lu, you have a suspect in mind?" Qin Ming asked.

Lu Zizai said: "Not really, but vaguely there's a feeling that someone back then shouldn't have died prematurely."

Qin Ming had not expected that the fragmented Four Leaf Jade Book would lead to the question of Old Cao's identity.

Lu Zizai said: "The Esoteric Buddhism has an unparalleled strongman who aims to refine several forbidden places outside Yujing. He was truly ruthless and quite powerful at that. In those days, there was a young man from the Immortal Road who seemed to rival him, but for some unknown reason perished prematurely."

...

Outside, the news was fermenting. Beyond the Pure Land, a snowfield battle established Qin Ming's identity and glory as a supreme seed.

At this moment, the core high-level members of the Cui Family had also received the latest information. Everyone present furrowed their brows in silence, and the atmosphere suddenly became quite somber.

Qin Ming and Lu Zizai, braving the snow and wind, had already neared the Cui Family, a thousand-year-old family!

In front, rows of grand and magnificent buildings soared, like palace towers descending from the heavens to the human world.

Before the Cui Family Mansion, the vermilion gates with their golden door nails were neatly arranged, like stars shimmering in the night sky.

"Who goes there? Halt immediately!" As Qin Ming approached, someone shouted to stop him.

"Qin Ming!" He announced his name. Three years had passed, and the former gatekeepers had long changed.

"Qin... Ming?!" Clearly, those people knew who he was and immediately showed expressions of astonishment.

"Qin Ming? Is it really you!" At this moment, two young direct descendants of the Cui Family happened to walk out from the mansion. They were first stunned, then barely able to contain their joy.

One person secretly transmitted a message: "If the elders learn he came in person, they will surely be extremely excited and overjoyed, dispelling all troubles!"

He gestured for someone to report while wearing a smile to stabilize the youth in front.

Another young person was very cautious, secretly transmitting: "Don't act rashly, his identity is somewhat different now, it might be quite shocking later!"

"No worries, we must hold him steady, and when the elders arrive, this should be a great achievement!" said the young person from the Cui Family Main Lineage.

In fact, some major organizations outside had been paying close attention to Qin Ming's movements in recent days. Upon receiving confidential information that Qin Ming might be heading towards the Cui Family, it instantly caused a sensation.