Xu Ming looked at the girl beside him, her eyes curved into crescents, and his expression wavered slightly.
Qin Qingwan's gaze was filled with unspoken tenderness as she looked at Xu Ming.
Xu Ming's words, "Why are you so stubborn? You've been like this since we were kids!" made it clear that he had always known Qin Qingwan's true identity.
And Qin Qingwan's response, "I've always been like this since we were kids~," revealed that she no longer intended to hide anything.
In truth, Qin Qingwan had been wondering whether Xu Ming truly believed she was "He Qingqing" or if he had already realized her real identity.
Now, it seemed that this big fool wasn't actually so foolish after all. He had recognized her.
"If you don't leave, you're going to die," Xu Ming sighed.
Just standing there was exhausting for him now, let alone throwing Qin Qingwan off the heavenly ladder. If not for the rule that forbade the person undergoing the trial from stepping down, Qin Qingwan might have already considered throwing him off herself.
"Everyone dies, you know~" Qin Qingwan said lightly. "It's just a matter of sooner or later. Besides, who says you're going to die? What if you make it through?"
Xu Ming smiled and shook his head, feeling the increasingly oppressive force of the thunderstorm above. "That seems a bit unlikely."
"It's not impossible," Qin Qingwan said, her gaze fixed on him. "Open your mouth."
"What for?" Xu Ming asked.
Qin Qingwan pouted. "Just open your mouth."
"Alright." Though Xu Ming had no idea what Qin Qingwan was up to, he complied and opened his mouth.
The moment he did, Qin Qingwan exhaled softly, and a flower emerged from her lips.
The flower turned into a streak of light and entered Xu Ming's mouth.
"What did you make me eat?" Xu Ming frowned.
He wasn't worried about Qin Qingwan harming him; he was worried she would do something foolish for his sake. Sure enough, the moment the flower entered his dantian, Xu Ming felt his spiritual energy gradually recovering, and even his martial energy was growing stronger.
Although his body was still seriously injured, he now had the strength to fight once more.
Qin Qingwan blushed slightly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "That flower is called the Dao Lotus. I got it when I participated in a trial as a child and have nurtured it for eight years. Now, I'm giving it to you."
"Take it back immediately!" Xu Ming didn't know what the Dao Lotus was, but the fact that Qin Qingwan had nurtured it for eight years proved its immense value—it was likely tied to her very path of cultivation.
"It's too late now~" Qin Qingwan smiled, her eyes bright. "Just accept it. If you want to return it to me someday, you'll have to stay alive to do it."
With that, she raised her hand and pointed to the sky.
From the heavens above, a massive thunder dragon was hurtling down, now less than a hundred meters away from Xu Ming.
Xu Ming steadied his mind; there was no more time to argue with Qin Qingwan.
He clenched his fist and struck out.
His martial energy transformed into a giant dragon that clashed head-on with the thunder dragon.
"Ugh!" Xu Ming spat out a mouthful of blood.
The martial dragon he had summoned showed signs of breaking apart.
In his dantian, the Dao Lotus spun continuously.
Each time it supported Xu Ming's body, one of its petals would wither away.
Xu Ming didn't want to completely exhaust the Dao Lotus—he wanted to return it to Qin Qingwan.
But he knew that if he held back now and didn't fully utilize the lotus, he would undoubtedly die, and Qin Qingwan might also meet a tragic end, possibly caught in the aftermath of the tribulation.
"Phew..."
Xu Ming exhaled deeply.
One by one, the petals of the Dao Lotus in his dantian fell, merging into his blood and flowing through his veins.
Until the very end, not even the stem of the Dao Lotus remained.
Xu Ming had never felt his body so light, his spiritual energy and martial qi so abundant.
He even felt as though something inside him was on the verge of breaking free.
"Boom!"
A surge of spiritual energy erupted from Xu Ming's body, scattering in all directions.
The Dao of the heavens transformed into gentle breezes, sweeping across the entire city of Baiwa.
"Cave Mansion Realm..."
Yu Wenxi stared blankly at Xu Ming.
He never expected that, in this life-or-death moment, Brother Xu would break through to the Cave Mansion Realm, officially stepping into the world of cultivation.
With this breakthrough, Xu Ming naturally had more strength to face the heavenly tribulation.
But the question remained:
Was just a Cave Mansion Realm cultivator truly enough?
On the Heavenly Staircase, Xu Ming could feel the changes in his spiritual energy after stepping into the Cave Mansion Realm.
It was an extraordinary sensation.
His divine sense had expanded severalfold, and he was far more attuned to the flow of spiritual energy around him. Xu Ming could even sense some of the profound laws of the world—mysterious and unfathomable.
If his guess was correct, this was likely the Dao Laws.
Not only was his spiritual energy flowing freely, but the martial qi within him was also surging wildly.
Xu Ming had an intense urge to unleash all his strength into a single punch—the strongest punch he had ever thrown in his life.
"Roar!"
From above, the thunder dragon finally broke through the martial dragon formed by Xu Ming's qi and charged down, intent on devouring him.
At that moment, Xu Ming moved instinctively, raising his fist into a stance and punching forward!
"Boom!"
In an instant, the heavens roared louder than ever, and torrential rain poured down. Above Xu Ming's head, the swirling clouds parted, leaving behind a massive void.
"Mountain Shattering Fist—God-Shaker!"
Xu Ming's fist smashed into the head of the massive thunder dragon.
A violent gust, imbued with the power of thunder, swept out in all directions.
Centered on Xu Ming, a blue thunder ring radiated outward, shattering layer upon layer of white clouds. The entire sky seemed to be cloaked in a faint blue hue.
Whether it was the cultivators below the Heavenly Staircase or the common folk of Baiwa City, the blinding brilliance of the thunder left them unable to open their eyes.
No one knew how much time had passed before the radiance in the sky dimmed enough for everyone to slowly open their eyes.
Xia Donghua and the others quickly looked toward where Xu Ming was standing.
At the top of the Heavenly Staircase, Xu Ming stood tall, straight as a blade.
Beside him, Qin Qingwan stood quietly, like a virtuous wife, calm and composed.
"He's alive! Brother Xu is alive!"
"Brother Xu made it!"
"Goose! Goose! Goose!"
Yu Wenxi, Miao Feng, and the big white goose were so overcome with emotion that they nearly cried.
"Wait, this was the final trial. Now that Brother Xu is still standing, doesn't that mean..."
As the initial joy faded, a realization dawned on everyone.
Xu Ming was truly about to become the ruler of this land!
"Wait here. I'll be back soon," Xu Ming said to Qin Qingwan beside him.
Qin Qingwan nodded, reluctantly letting go of Xu Ming's hand.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Xu Ming began ascending the steps once more.
With each step he took, many people's hearts grew heavier with unease.
Human nature is just like that.
Even though they knew that if they had been the ones ascending the Heavenly Staircase, they would likely have perished, watching Xu Ming succeed was still harder for them to bear than death itself.
The irony of it all was that if their lives truly were at stake, they would shamelessly fall to their knees and beg for mercy without a second thought.
With his final step, Xu Ming confidently reached the highest point of the Heavenly Staircase.
At the top stood a platform, and on it rested a scroll.
As Xu Ming reached out to take the scroll, the pearl he carried fell from his body and landed on the scroll, merging into it like a single drop of water dissolving into its surface.
The moment Xu Ming grasped the scroll, an immense surge of spiritual energy poured into him.
The energy wrapped around his body, gradually healing all the injuries he had sustained during the trial and the tribulation.
The charred flesh left by the lightning tribulation peeled away, revealing fresh skin and muscle beneath.
After half an incense stick's time, Xu Ming opened his eyes.
Except for his tattered clothes, his body had been fully restored, thanks to the Baiwa Scroll.
Xu Ming unrolled the scroll, revealing an incredibly long painting. It vividly depicted the lives of the people in Baiwa City, resembling the famous Along the River During the Qingming Festival.
Holding the Baiwa Scroll, Xu Ming turned and walked toward Qin Qingwan.
"It's yours," Xu Ming said with a smile, holding out the scroll to her.
"Mine?" Qin Qingwan stared at the scroll in disbelief.
"Mm, it's for you," Xu Ming nodded. "It's been eight years since we last saw each other. I didn't know what to bring you, so I thought I'd give you this. Consider it my way of repaying you for the Dao Lotus. I just hope it's enough."
Qin Qingwan's eyes curved in delight, but she kept her hands behind her back, making no move to accept the scroll. "It's enough, but do you even know what you're giving me?"
Xu Ming chuckled. "Of course. With the Baiwa Scroll, you'll have access to any treasures it produces in the future. And if the scroll births a prodigious talent, they can become a great ally for you.
"You gave me a Dao Lotus. In return, I give you a world."
Qin Qingwan blinked playfully. "You're giving me a world. Do you think that princess of Wu Kingdom won't get jealous?"
Xu Ming: "…"
"Pfft!" Qin Qingwan let out a light, joyful laugh. "I'm just joking. Fine, I'll keep it for now. When you want it back, come find me."
Without waiting for Xu Ming to remove his ownership mark on the Baiwa Scroll, Qin Qingwan took the scroll and stowed it away.
As long as Xu Ming didn't erase his mark, he would always remain the true master of the Baiwa Scroll. He would retain ultimate authority over everything within it—the people, the land, even the smallest blade of grass. Qin Qingwan was merely safeguarding it for him.
Moreover, Qin Qingwan had her reasons for wanting to keep the scroll safe. Xu Ming's cultivation was still too low, and many would risk everything to seize such a treasure.
But behind Qin Qingwan stood the mighty Tianxuan Sect, and her master, Wangxuan, was someone even the sect leader of Tianxuan showed deference to. No one would dare lay a hand on her.
Although Xu Ming had given the Baiwa Scroll to Qin Qingwan, he never intended to take it back.
Likewise, though Qin Qingwan accepted the scroll, she never saw it as her own.
Just like when they were kids—Qin Qingwan would secretly give Xu Ming a drumstick wrapped in oiled paper so he wouldn't go hungry. Then, later that night, she'd sneak into his room to eat it with him, never once worrying that he might eat it all.
Only now, the boy and girl had grown up. The childhood drumstick had turned into a scroll that held an entire world within it.
After Xu Ming became the master of the Baiwa Secret Realm, he was intimately familiar with every detail of Baiwa City—its every movement, every blade of grass, every tree.
Within Baiwa City, all the citizens had already knelt in the direction where Xu Ming stood.
They didn't know who this person was, but they could sense in their hearts that he was their "Heavenly Lord."
If Xu Ming willed the people of Baiwa City to live, they would live. If he willed them to die, they would not survive.
Looking at the millions of residents kneeling before him, that intoxicating sense of dominion over heaven and earth began to creep into Xu Ming's heart.
He could feel it—just a moment of carelessness, and he might be consumed by the immense power he now held.
This wasn't like being an emperor, who still had ministers to keep him in check. He was the absolute ruler of this realm, the one and only sovereign.
Whatever he wanted to do, no one could stop him.
But in the end, Xu Ming took a deep breath and dispelled those dangerous thoughts.
Raising his hand, Xu Ming pointed toward the heavens and declared, "Today, I will set two rules for the Baiwa Secret Realm."
His voice reverberated throughout the Baiwa Scroll like the sound of divine law:
"First, all the demons of the Baiwa Scroll shall have the right to take human form."
As his voice fell, every demon within Baiwa City who had reached the Cave Mansion Realm suddenly transformed into a human form.
The demons, seeing their new human shapes, were overjoyed.
Having reached the Cave Mansion Realm, they had long felt as though something was missing. Only now did they realize—the missing piece was the ability to take human form.
The human form is the embodiment of innate spiritual perfection. All demons aspire to attain it, for it allows them to cultivate more effectively.
"Second, all disciples of the Baiwa Scroll who reach the Dragon Gate Realm may leave the scroll to see the world outside. However, they must not harm others or injure the innocent, or I will not spare them!"
As Xu Ming's decree ended, a twisting gate appeared in the sky above Baiwa City. This gate led to the outside world, but only those who had reached the Dragon Gate Realm could pass through it.
Having set these two rules, Xu Ming initially intended to open the path to the outside world.
But just as he was about to do so, a scene appeared before his eyes.
Beyond the original gateway lay a molten cavern, within which an ominous formation was arranged. The walls of the cavern were lined with cages, and within those cages, countless ferocious beasts howled and roared.
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