The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

Zheng Bainiao's mind raced. His gaze swept over the growing crowd below the mountain gate. With a slight movement of his divine sense, he condensed his intent into a sword and tapped the shoulders of several people who were also mixed in with the crowd. Their cotton shirts sank in, forming a number according to the pre-planned strategy, before quietly dispersing into the turbulent flow of vital energy.

"This time, we can let that niece deep in the palace, who considers herself infallible, see clearly—who can stir up the waters of Changling, and who can hold onto the stones at the bottom!"

"...See clearly that beneath your Empress's throne, the main family...is its greatest 'foundation,' not its henchmen to be manipulated at will! What you need to do next, elder brother, is not to 'scouting the way,' but...to act righteously and...with thunderous force, 'following orders'!"

Thinking this to himself, his shrewd businessman's face revealed a disinterest after examining the novel creations in the lead room, mixed with a slight impatience with the clamor of the "troublemakers": "Tsk, it looks exciting, but there's nothing new about it."

Zheng Bainiao gestured with his lip towards a similarly dressed companion beside him, his voice neither loud nor soft, carrying the rough, hoarse quality typical of merchants:

"All this trouble to bring in these lumps of iron, just to 'initiate' these country bumpkins? With this money and supplies, it would be more practical to buy more fine iron to cast arrowheads and expand the army for war!"

"My half-day journey has been wasted."

His companion, a burly man with dark skin, immediately chimed in, but raised his voice even louder, shouting towards the Qin army junior officer not far away, half complaining and half flattering, "Sir! We're from the Nanjun Medicinal Herbs Store!"

"It's getting late, and the mountain roads are difficult to travel. If we delay any longer, we might not make it back to our lodgings in the city! This lead... 'divine machine,' we've truly seen something amazing. May we take our leave now?"

The cadet, annoyed by the persistent questions from several merchants, impatiently waved his hand and said, "Go, go, go! Those who have registered can come back next time according to their number and time! Why are you blocking the road!"

Throughout the conversation, he barely glanced at these "unimportant" businessmen who were just "joining in the fun."

Zheng Bainiao immediately put on the obsequious smile typical of businessmen, repeatedly saying "Thank you for your understanding, General," and led his companion, who was disguised as an attendant, pretending to complain about the difficult mountain road. He then "staggered" towards the edge of the crowded crowd outside the mountain gate, his actions no different from those of the many merchants who were leaving.

Only in the instant he turned and squeezed out of the crowd, his figure swallowed by the shadow of the mountain gate, did a cold, sharp glint flash across his narrow eyes, a stark contrast to his previous mercenary demeanor.

He swiftly disappeared into a grove of remaining hemlock trees beside the road, vanishing completely behind the jagged rocks in a few flashes. His presence vanished without a trace, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, his whereabouts unknown.

……

The commotion on the stone platform did not immediately subside after Zheng Bainiao's departure. Instead, under the impact of Ding Ning's interpretation of the "general trend theory," it split into a buzzing wave of discussion.

Some bowed their heads in shame, some excitedly calculated what kind of pills and talismans they could exchange for, and some remained indignant but lost their backbone and looked around blankly.

Ding Ning didn't need to say anything more; his calm yet penetrating gaze had already suppressed most of the noise.

He ignored Su Qin's venomous and spitting gaze, nodding slightly in response to the two instructors' grateful looks of relief, then turned and walked steadily through the crowd.

A moment later, Ding Ning had passed through half an acre of spiritual field and herb garden, and arrived at a secluded thatched cottage by a cliff. The interior was simply decorated, but it enjoyed a tranquility that was rare for ordinary disciples.

He took out a small handful of dark purple matsutake mushrooms and mulberry twig fragments that had been soaked overnight from a ceramic jar in the corner, measured out some spring water, put them into a finely sandy pot, and began to cook the "jade marrow mushroom porridge" that Xue Wangxu had praised highly.

Thanks to the profound effects of the "Tai Xu Jade Planting Technique" and the Nine Deaths Silkworm, after consuming this one meal, the medicinal power was refined, and its efficacy was no less than that of a spiritual pill worth a thousand taels of gold on the market, without any impurities or side effects—this is even in today's era of widespread "popularization" and the fact that the prices of many cultivation resources have been driven down.

However, in addition to accelerating cultivation, this kind of medicinal power can also be deposited in the body and released when needed, which is equivalent to temporarily raising the strength of true essence by one or two minor realms, similar to the Danjian Dao of the Han Dynasty in the past, which was used for combat bursts.

With Ding Ning's current mid-level fourth realm cultivation, taking this would allow him to reach the peak of the fourth realm, enough to defeat the combined attack of several fifth realm swordsmen. However, in his opinion, this was still far from sufficient.

The enemies he wanted to kill were at least at the middle level of the sixth realm, and they had many subordinates.

The white porridge gurgled in the pot, rising with fine bubbles, and the rich aroma of mushrooms gradually spread, almost condensing into a visible pale purple mist that swirled in the air.

Ding Ning used the "Temperature Measurement Technique," intending to probe with a wisp of true essence to test the heat, but suddenly felt a buzzing vibration emanating from the Spirit Rhinoceros Jade Talisman. He then changed his technique, adjusted the frequency, and read the information brought by the other party one by one. A warning immediately arose in his mind:

"The mountain wind carries a stench! Half an hour ago, Liang Lian, under the pretext of 'protecting the new policy and investigating spies,' dispatched two deputy generals, Zhou Jianlin and Song Ren, along with two thousand Qimen soldiers, to quietly blockade the southern key road of Beijiang Mountain. On the surface, they were checking for contraband, but in reality, they were isolating the inside from the outside. Perhaps they had the intention of 'killing innocent people to claim credit' and framing you!"

"Senior Zhao Qing has vanished without a trace, and there is no news from the deep pool. The situation is urgent and critical. The other party is ruthless and must have a backup plan. Be extremely cautious! Remain hidden for now and do not become bait." With that, the message abruptly ended.

Killing innocent people and claiming credit? How could Liang Lian be so insane?

Although the news was that the area around Beijiang Mountain was sealed off, Miss Shang came to provide assistance in person and informed people nearby, so the target was probably pretty much the same, and she was indeed eyeing Baiyang Cave.

Or rather, they considered Xue Wangxu and others, who had offended the Empress and had little connection with the court, to be easy targets.

Combined with the fact that Su Qin seemed to be acting under orders, Ding Ning quickly figured out the cause and effect. He realized that the other party had dispatched more than two sixth-realm generals for this operation. With just this small force, it was impossible for them to restrain seventh-realm generals like Xue Wangxu and Zhao Qing. The difference in combat power was too great.

To frame someone face-to-face... yet the ringleader is captured instantly? This is clearly illogical! Even if they successfully frame Baiyang Cave, if the cave master confronts them in public or escapes, Liang Lian himself will suffer a crushing defeat and be held responsible for the consequences!

Therefore, it is most likely that a grandmaster is hidden, and not just an ordinary seventh-realm expert, but most likely a top-level master.

Miss Shang specifically instructed me not to act rashly, it seems she intends to take matters into her own hands, block the attack, and prepare for a surprise retreat.

However, she was only at the lower level of the seventh realm, and with that old servant at the seventh realm, although they could hold their own against those at the upper level of the seventh realm, it was all done in the shadows, and the risk of conflict was extremely high.

Ye Celing's identity is not a big problem, but she should be reviewing documents in the courtyard of the Surveillance Bureau right now. There is no reason for her to suddenly rush here, otherwise there is a risk of being exposed.

As for Zhao Yi and Zhao Si, although he had their contact information and might be able to try to ask for help, the fact that these two traitors of the Qin Dynasty and disciples of Zhao Jianlu had actually gotten involved with Baiyang Cave was even more worrying.

Once an investigation begins, Zhao Qing's mysterious "disappearance" will inevitably become known to others.

Ding Ning clearly understood the essence of military tactics by immediately informing Xue Wangxu of the method to restrain the disciples in the cave: in such a nearly enclosed situation, violence is far more important than fame and righteousness, and when a sharp blade is about to pierce down, taking up one's own sword to meet it is the only way out.

Preserving evidence and post-event condemnation would only result in a lose-lose situation, perhaps even worse for one side. Without the resolve and strength to "trade lives for lives," there was no point in expecting the enemy to retreat. A deep sense of powerlessness gripped Ding Ning. His strength was far too insignificant in the face of the impending storm.

No! We can't just sit and wait to die, nor can we place all our hopes on Miss Shang's help. That person already owes her family so much; how can we let her continue to give?
Zhao Qing!

Ding Ning's gaze suddenly fell on the back wall of the thatched cottage, staring intently at the inconspicuous gray-brown mountain wall to his side and rear—there, hidden was a secret entrance that had only been told to him!
"Senior... what exactly did you leave behind?" Ding Ning murmured to himself, a resolute glint in his eyes.

Zhao Qing's sudden disappearance was already suspicious. Given her level of skill and knowledge, it was hard to believe that she would disappear without any preparation when she knew that Baiyang Cave was in a precarious situation. He would never believe it!
Without any hesitation! Ding Ning strode into the depths of the thatched cottage, his fingers flying like lightning, his fingertips glowing with precise true energy, swiftly tapping on several inconspicuous rock patterns—three points above, five points to the left, shifting the center Kun position down two inches, and reverberating the Qian position seven times…

A low, almost imperceptible vibration emanated from deep within the rock, accompanied by a very faint sound of airflow accelerating within it.

Suddenly, the bluish-gray stone patterns lit up, emitting a faint, ethereal blue glow, like a clear spring under the moonlight.

Then, it silently slid open a gap just wide enough for one person to pass sideways.

A cold and heavy aura, yet carrying a faint and strange energy fluctuation, rushed towards me.

Without hesitation, Ding Ning ducked and slipped in.

The stone wall behind them quickly and silently closed, sliding back into place perfectly, as if it had never been opened.

The sight behind the stone gate caused even Ding Ning, who was somewhat prepared, to have his pupils shrink sharply.

This is not a treasure room in the traditional sense; it's more like a research site with a unique and fantastical style!

The narrow space is made of an extremely smooth, black material that is neither stone nor jade, shimmering with a cold metallic light, which may have served to eliminate the echoes from the hollow mountain.
The walls were covered with fine, intricate, silvery-white lines, within which flowed faint streams of red and blue light.

In the very center of the room were a large number of strangely shaped "talismans".

They are composed of countless neatly cut transparent and translucent crystal pillars and plates, with a flowing blue or white luster, layered upon each other, extremely precise and complex.

On the surface of many crystal plates, there were incomprehensible, densely packed characters and images that shimmered dynamically like the surface of water—complex parameter tables that Ding Ning could not understand at all!
The changing light and shadow resemble an astronomical chart of star trails, running and flowing on its own without any human intervention!
There is also a huge crystal screen that occupies almost the entire wall, on which an extremely detailed, yet slowly changing, three-dimensional picture is projected—upon closer inspection, it turns out to be a picture of the energy flow and light and shadow of the entire Baiyang Gorge and its surrounding area!

Countless faint points of light flicker in the painting, representing the gathering and dispersing of different types of primordial energy.

Rows of huge crystal shelves neatly hold countless jade boxes, ice jars, and black gold boxes.

Each container was labeled with a talisman, on which were written in tiny characters a complex and dizzying array of numbers, parameters, diagram fragments, extraction dates, and specimens of spiritual plants, minerals, and beasts.
"Sample No. 3 of the Wu-Si series: The stability and activity curve of the residual phase of the heart pulp extract of *Pterocarya stenoptera* (containing 1.7% impurities) is shown in Appendix VII. The optimal conversion temperature critical point range is 377-380K."

"...Seventh variant sample: Starry Sand Gold Fragment (Number: Guihai-Jinqi; Average Density Measurement: 9.78; Excellent Conductivity); Resonance Spectrum Peak Anomaly Points: Three, Nine, Fourteen..."

"Deep-layered cold jade associated mycelium (No.: Guihai-Xuanqi); Record of spore activity period fluctuation range (attached: simulation diagram of symbiotic crystal nucleus radiation field)..."

Ding Ning glanced at the dense data and unfamiliar terms on the labels and was shocked. An unprecedented sense of bewilderment and immense shock gripped him.

Senior Zhao Qing...who exactly are you? And how should we use these things you left behind?! Time is of the essence, a deadly calamity is imminent!
At the deepest part of the secret room, there was a seemingly "normal" ebony box.

Looking at it, the box was plain and unadorned, without any runes or decorations. It contained some very old jade pieces, cowhide or silk paper, all stamped with unique marks or sealed with lacquer or lead.

However, Ding Ning knew very well that these were all vouchers from ancient money houses for holding things on behalf of others, each representing an astonishing amount of wealth, unimaginable in total! Far exceeding any of the wealthiest merchants of the time! Vast amounts of treasure, as numerous as mountains and seas!

However, Ding Ning's gaze easily swept over these "treasures" that would make even kings and nobles flock to them, without lingering on them for even a moment! He had not come for this!

His gaze was fixed on the largest crystal screen on the wall, which displayed the energy map of Baiyang Mountain and its surroundings!
On that incredibly detailed map of vital energy sensing, there were six moving red dots—one large, one medium, and four small—in the area at the southern foot of Beijiang Mountain, and a medium-sized green dot that kept flashing and wandering on a nearby mountain peak.

Assuming the latter represents Miss Shang, the former should be the invading enemy.

Sure enough, there were two grandmasters, one strong and one weak, secretly supporting them.

But speaking of which, how does this monitoring system identify friend from foe? Does it rely on the characteristics of one's innate vital energy? Can it possibly collect the energy of cultivators from afar?

Ding Ning's heart stirred slightly, and he subconsciously reached out and pressed the large red dot. He immediately realized that he had as if he had come into close contact with the other party's vital energy and obtained a lot of related information.

At the same time, the crystal screen also underwent new changes, displaying a complex chapter on the circulation of qi.

"Based on the 'Tai Xu Seed Jade Technique,' it identifies and cultivates corresponding poisonous qi to restrain powerful enemies—the 'Deadly Lock' seed?! Theoretically, it can cause all cultivators below the eighth realm to quickly fall ill, dissipate their true essence, and greatly reduce their control?"

"Instead of the traditional approach of using moves to counter moves, or sword intent to counter sword intent, it starts from the changes in the form and substance of vital energy? The technique itself has no flaws, yet it still cannot escape the infection of spores."

"So that's how it is! I understand now!"

Not only did he learn this method, which can be described as demonic and strange, but he also gained insights from it, and had a new understanding of the "innate meaning" from another perspective, and created some new cultivation secrets.

Ding Ning discovered a shortcut that greatly shortened the time to reach the sixth realm of destiny and allowed him to occasionally use some of the power at the sixth realm level.

……

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in the northern desert plains.

Beneath the ancestral mountain of Tianliang, in a depths utterly different from that beneath the Baiyangdong Thatched Cottage, filled with ancient taboos and an aura of destruction, everything presented a completely different scene. (End of Chapter)