Night Without End
Chapter 420 - 248 Crossing the Road

Chapter 420: Chapter 248 Crossing the Road

Qin Ming was very rational; the progress after the rebirth path was slow, which was a harsh reality.

This was a significant challenge, where predecessors were often hindered.

Qin Ming furrowed his brows, pondering seriously.

The second realm of the rebirth path required even geniuses to spend ten years to break through a small checkpoint.

If one comprehensively traversed this realm, even a talented youngster might end up with graying temples.

Qin Ming’s talent was extraordinary, allowing him to shorten the time, but it was still difficult compared to the first realm.

The third realm of the rebirth path was more challenging, with a further decrease in speed, and the required time was approximately doubled.

After reaching the fourth realm, the difficulty continued to rise.

...

Qin Ming thought of the Overlord’s Will, which effectively improved cultivation speed starting from the third realm, but only relatively.

"The third realm of the rebirth path, for ordinary geniuses, each checkpoint would require twenty years; if using the method recorded in the will, it could be reduced to seven or eight years, indeed greatly improving efficiency, the Overlord was truly gifted beyond measure."

Yet, several checkpoints still required over twenty years.

Qin Ming felt it was still slow because the time required for larger realms continued to accumulate, which was quite alarming.

Then, he got up, called Xiao Wu, and prepared to visit Yu Gen Sheng and Zhao Ziyan.

In the bamboo forest, in front of the thatched cottage, on the stone table, the scent of camellia wafted.

The two elders sat there with smiles, having consumed the Auspicious Beast Blood with results.

On their heads, near dozens of hairs, there grew a small patch of hair roots, gradually growing, subsequently fluttering there.

"Just this?" Xiao Wu didn’t know how to comment.

"Seniors, how do you feel?" Qin Ming asked.

"Pretty good, there’s an effect." The two smiled, touching the over hundred new strands of hair on their heads, surprisingly quite pleased.

They had extended their life, albeit not much, but in recent years, they no longer had to worry about running out of vitality.

After all, it was not the heart blood of the Auspicious Beast, but for individuals of their tier, having such an effect was already extraordinary.

The two took out spirit crystals the size of human heads and returned them to Qin Ming and Xiao Wu; they each used only half the Auspicious Beast Blood, but it had little effect.

Earlier, Xiao Wu eagerly provide a share too.

"Xiao Qin, I noticed you seem troubled, what’s going on?" Yu Gen Sheng asked.

Qin Ming put down the teacup, saying, "I was distracted, thinking about the rebirth path issue; starting from the second realm, it’s too time-consuming."

Yu Gen Sheng sighed, "Predecessors have exhausted themselves but still haven’t fundamentally resolved the problem."

Qin Ming nodded, not wanting to waste years and hoped to advance bravely as he did in the first realm.

If, in the end, he was stuck and had to compete with descendants of Cui Chonghe and Li Qingxu, it would indeed be somewhat regrettable.

Zhao Ziyan said, "We’ll give you access permissions; go to the top layer of the Book Collection Building and look at some ’celebrities’ introspections on the rebirth path."

Qin Ming’s eyes lit up; although he had plans and methods, if he could absorb a wealth of predecessor experiences, it would naturally be better.

"I want to go too, to improve my path." Xiao Wu was also interested.

In Shanhai Academy, the ninth layer of the Book Collection Building was very quiet; there were many rare "miscellaneous books," from the Nine Questions of Immortality, to the Dark Night World exploration, and to Miscellaneous Talks about god, etc.

Qin Ming didn’t have the energy to read them all; naturally, he chose books related to breaking through checkpoints to study.

"Hmm, many predecessors pondered issues similar to what I’m contemplating; indeed, only by standing on the shoulders of past celebrities can one see further."

For instance, the path of self-seeking he was contemplating, practicing miracle techniques but not refining abnormal materials and focusing on enhancing the Heavenly Light Force’s power, was also being pursued by predecessors.

However, an ancient person sighed, following this path wasn’t bad, as avoiding refining evil, reduced absorption of harmful substances, and increased longevity.

Yet, the Heavenly Light Force thus practiced was ultimately somewhat weaker.

Qin Ming saw the signature; surprisingly, it was the notes of a Great Grandmaster!

This gave him a shock; it was a treasure trove containing insights of figures like these.

Soon, he was greatly startled again, as there were records about Qingtian, Tathagata, the Six Imperial, etc.

"What choices did they make?" Qin Ming quickly flipped through.

He looked very carefully; some pursued the power of the Heavenly Light Force, but their longevity was shortened, eventually requiring time and effort to rebuild their life foundation.

"Ancestor Masters advocated balance, refining evil, integrating abnormal materials, and also diligently practicing miracle techniques for life extension; some removed part of the harmful materials, others fully assimilated."

Qin Ming repeatedly read and studied for a long time.

He gained clearer understanding of his own path.

He possessed the Star Fire Essence, a legendary abnormality with formidable power, and it would be a waste not to utilize it.

He contemplated for a long time, considering that early on, refining evil and abnormal materials could temper Heavenly Light, but without full absorption, focusing primarily on self-seeking; if any issue arose, swiftly "wash away the lead."

"I have no shortage of miracle techniques, only lacking a type of evil that opposes the Star Fire Essence." After all, his search for the Withering and Flourishing Scripture was related to this consideration.

Qin Ming went through one notebook after another, predecessors tried various ways to accelerate cultivation.

"The Dragon Blood from Dragon Water Absorption, the secret medicine from Earth’s orifice... these extraordinary substances, even for those in the Third Realm, have miraculous effects!"

However, those "substances" are exceedingly rare and hard to find.

"There is also the Bone Replacement Technique, which merges with Divine bones, considered as a superior abnormality, causing a mutation in the body, allowing rapid self-enhancement, but there may be future risks of losing control."

A large stack of rare and precious books is piled in front of Qin Ming, with various methods recorded, detailing their advantages and disadvantages, with no perfect method.

"Some have speculated that undergoing a near-death resurrection at each realm to fully realize the true meaning of ’rebirth’ could possibly be the hope of the Newborn Road."

Qin Ming was astonished, for this aligned with some of his own thoughts.

Yet, how could such a path be easy? The key lies in moderation; how to grasp it, a misstep could lead to eternal silence, death.

Most crucially, it’s not universally applicable, as it involves boldly confronting challenges with extraordinary talent, making it unfriendly for the ordinary.

Then, he saw a note left by an ancient sage, which profoundly moved him.

"The Newborn Road, the First Realm allows for physical mutations, which is fundamental, why can’t the Second Realm and the Third Realm continuously mutate?"

This ancient sage believed the cultivation speed on the Newborn Road slows from the Second Realm due to a lack of the most crucial element—mutation.

He thought that in the later grand realms, not every realm needs to undergo nine resurrections, but maintaining it once is necessary, to compensate for the defects of the Newborn Road, which would speed things up.

"I have thought the same, though ancient and modern geniuses are never lonely, there’s always someone who recognizes similar ideas."

Qin Ming smiled, as this was one of his serious contemplations, unexpectedly, others had attempted it too.

However, it’s easy to talk about, but hard to execute; some ideas are simply not feasible.

Just like this ancient sage, in the end, he was filled with a sense of frustration because, in the later grand realms, he only underwent a single rebirth with the aid of ’Heavenly Materials.’

"Achieving it once is already quite commendable, proving it’s not mere talk, worth treading the path."

Qin Ming eagerly flipped through various books here, some obviously unique, and imbued with strong emotional fluctuations of their predecessors.

He saw many novel worlds here; others read a book simply, but he sometimes viewed it as browsing a life, a piece of history.

The mixed books here hold immense value, with many involving "secrets."

Xiao Wu was also diligently studying beside him, like a sponge absorbing the wisdom and experiences of predecessors, comparing it to his own Rainbow Transformation Path, hoping to resolve the ultimate body abandonment flaw.

Lu Zizai arrived, found Qin Ming here, and secretly conveyed thoughts to him.

"Feel free to experiment; follow your own ideas without being constrained by the paths of your ancestors. After all, our paths have flaws; in this era, everyone can try to expand their paths."

This was considered to be in a special great era; skill arises yet needs perfection. Whether it’s the new generation, old monsters, or future people, all have the opportunity to seek truth, transcend gods, become ancestors; everything is still in the process of path expansion.

Qin Ming inquired about the status of several Ancestor Masters’ bodies; how exactly were they?

"Neither well nor ill; some may achieve Nirvana and be reborn, while others might face unknown outcomes. The Great Exploration might be an opportunity for them, or it could completely bury them."

Overall, the future is a foggy mystery; no one can elucidate what will happen, yet the pressure on the Newborn Road hasn’t diminished, demanding successors to keep up and surpass.

However, those on the Immortal Road and Esoteric Buddhism are extremely wary, as they cannot discern the reality of the Ancestor Masters, thus fully softening their attitudes now.

"Once your realm reaches a certain level, you can visit the great ancestral courts on the Newborn Road." Lu Zizai remarked.

As for now, there’s no need for it.

Lu Zizai tossed him a few jade plates, all tokens from the great ancestral courts, advising him to keep them well.

During this period, Qin Ming consulted him on some issues, such as the choices for the Second Realm, and talked about his insights on practicing the Silk Scripture.

"My success in practicing the Silk Scripture, is it related to my near-death experience of the past?"

"The Newborn Road, the name encompasses everything..."

After a brief exchange, Lu Zizai hurriedly left, seemingly busy with many tasks awaiting him.

Qin Ming and Xiao Wu left the Book Collection Building, both feeling they had gained a lot, gradually clarifying their path forward.

"Uncle Meng!"

Upon returning, Qin Ming found Meng Xinghai had come, filled with an immensely affectionate familiarity after a long separation.

"Haha, it’s not just me; Elder Li is here too, visiting friends at Shanhai Academy." Meng Xinghai laughed.

Sure enough, Li Qingyun soon appeared, saying, "You rascal, when you took the spaceship to Kunleng last time and went missing halfway, you scared us!"

Li Qingyun had arrived long ago, having searched for him for a period without success.

Qin Ming was greatly moved, for these two busied themselves for him several times, providing substantial care and protection.

"This time, you’ve stirred up quite a commotion; have you considered your next steps?" Meng Xinghai asked.

Qin Ming replied, "I intend to retreat into seclusion to rapidly enhance my strength."

Meng Xinghai nodded, "Hmm, keep a low profile recently; everything else is mere embellishment. First, elevate your realm, as that’s the foundation."

Li Qingyun offered, "Why not join me in the Hidden Family? It’s very tranquil, avoiding the worldly hustle and distractions."

"Uncle Li, are you trying to recruit a grandson-in-law?" Meng Xinghai teased.

"That... truly seems like a rather good proposition!" Li Qingyun surprisingly nodded in agreement.

The Chapter reserved for the weekend was used today; updates will proceed as usual over the weekend.