Chapter 153

Chapter 153: I’ll Give You a World (4000 words, combined chapters)

Ming looked at the girl beside him with slightly curved eyes, his expression flickering.

Qingwan gazed back at Ming with an unspoken tenderness in her eyes.

Ming’s comment “Why are you so stubborn? You’ve been like this since we were kids!” revealed he had always known Qingwan’s identity.

And Qingwan’s response “I’ve been like this since we were kids~” showed she no longer intended to hide it.

In fact, Qingwan was also pondering whether Ming truly believed she was “He Qingqing,” or if he had uncovered her real identity.

It seemed this big oaf wasn’t as dumb as he appeared. He really had recognized her after all.

“If you don’t leave soon, you’ll die.”

Ming sighed deeply.

Even just standing now felt exhausting for Ming, let alone throwing Qingwan off the Heavenly Ladder.

In fact, if the Heavenly Ladder didn’t prohibit the person involved from descending, Qingwan might have considered tossing him down herself.

“Everyone dies eventually~” Qingwan said lightly, “It’s just a matter of sooner or later. Besides, who says you’ll die? What if you pass this trial?”

Ming chuckled and shook his head, feeling the thunder’s power growing closer. “It seems somewhat difficult.”

“Not at all.” Qingwan stared at Ming. “Open your mouth.”

“What for?” Ming asked.

Qingwan pouted her lips. “Just open your mouth, okay?”

“Alright.” Though Ming didn’t know what Qingwan was up to, he opened his mouth.

The moment Ming opened his mouth, Qingwan exhaled a flower.

This flower transformed into a streak of light and directly entered Ming’s mouth.

“What did you make me eat?” Ming frowned.

Ming never worried that Qingwan would harm him; instead, he feared she might do something foolish for his sake! Sure enough, the moment the flower entered his dantian, Ming felt his spiritual energy gradually recovering, and even Martial True Qi grew more potent.

Although his body was still severely injured, at least he now had the strength to fight.

Qingwan’s cheeks turned slightly red as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “This flower is called Dao Lotus. I obtained it during a trial when I was young. I cultivated it for eight years. Now, I give it to you.”

“Give it back quickly!” Ming didn’t know what the Dao Lotus was, but being something Qingwan had nurtured for eight years meant it was incredibly precious, possibly even related to her great path.

“It’s too late for that.” Qingwan smiled. “Just accept it. If you want to return it to me in the future, you’d better stay alive~”

As she spoke, Qingwan pointed at the sky.

Above the heavens, a thunder dragon descended, only a hundred meters away from Ming.

Ming focused his mind, realizing there was no time to argue with Qingwan anymore.

Ming threw a punch.

Martial True Qi transformed into a giant dragon, colliding with another dragon head.

“Pfft” Ming spat out a mouthful of blood.

The giant dragon formed by Martial True Qi seemed on the verge of shattering.

Meanwhile, inside Ming’s dantian, the Dao Lotus continuously spun.

Each time the Dao Lotus supported Ming’s body, one of its petals disappeared.

Ming didn’t want to exhaust the entire Dao Lotus and wanted to return it to Qingwan.

However, Ming understood that if he held back now and didn’t fully utilize the Dao Lotus, not only would he surely die, but Qingwan would also face grave danger, possibly being killed by the thunder tribulation.

“Huff”

Ming took a deep breath.

The petals of the Dao Lotus in Ming’s dantian fell one by one, entering his bloodstream.

Until finally, not even the stem of the Dao Lotus remained.

Ming had never felt his body so light, his internal spiritual energy and true qi so abundant.

It even felt like something within him was about to burst free.

“Boom!”

A surge of spiritual energy erupted from Ming’s body.

The heavenly dao manifested as gentle breezes, blowing through Baiwa City.

“Cavern Realm”

Yu Wen Xi stared blankly at Ming.

Who would have thought that at this life-or-death juncture, Brother Ming would break through into the Cavern Realm, officially becoming a cultivator.

After entering the Cavern Realm, Ming naturally had more strength to resist this heavenly tribulation.

But the question remained:

Would merely reaching the Cavern Realm be enough?

On the Heavenly Ladder, Ming sensed the changes in his spiritual energy after breaking through into the Cavern Realm.

It was an incredible sensation.

His divine awareness suddenly expanded several times, making him more sensitive to the flow of surrounding spiritual energy. Ming could even perceive the mysterious rules of the world.

If his guess was correct, this should be the Great Dao Rules.

Not only was his spiritual energy flowing smoothly, but his Martial True Qi inside his body was also surging uncontrollably.

Ming yearned to unleash his full strength with a single punch, a punch he had never thrown before.

“Roar!”

Above the heavens, the thunder dragon ultimately broke through the giant dragon formed by Ming’s Martial True Qi, aiming to consume him.

At this moment, Ming’s heart moved, and he struck a fist stance, followed by a powerful punch!

“Boom!”

In an instant, the heavens roared louder, heavy rain poured down, and above Ming’s head, clouds swirled, forming a void.

“Mountain Splitting Fist – Shake God!”

Ming’s fist slammed into the massive thunder dragon’s head.

A fierce wind carrying the power of thunder swept across.

With Ming as the center, a blue lightning circle radiated outward in all directions, dispersing layer upon layer of clouds. The entire sky seemed draped in a pale blue hue.

Whether it was the cultivators below the Heavenly Ladder or the commoners in Baiwa City, the dazzling lightning prevented them from opening their eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, when the brilliance in the sky dimmed, everyone slowly opened their eyes.

Xia Donghua and the others quickly looked toward where Ming stood.

High up on the Heavenly Ladder,

Ming stood upright, while Qingwan quietly stood beside him like a devoted wife.

“He’s alive! Brother Ming is alive!”

“Brother Ming succeeded!”

“Goose! Goose! Goose!!!” Yu Wen Xi, Miao Feng, and the Big White Goose were so moved they were almost crying upon seeing Ming alive.

“Wait, this was the final trial. Since Brother Ming survived, it means…”

After their joy subsided, everyone realized something.

Ming was truly about to become the master of this land!

“Wait for me a moment, I’ll be right back.”

Ming said to Qingwan beside him.

Qingwan nodded, reluctantly letting go of Ming’s hand.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ming ascended step by step.

With every step Ming took, many people became increasingly envious.

That’s human nature.

Even though they knew that if they themselves attempted the Heavenly Ladder, they would likely perish without achieving anything.

Yet watching Ming succeed made them feel worse than being killed outright.

Ironically, if they were truly to be killed, they would discard all dignity and beg for mercy on their knees.

With Ming’s final step, he steadily reached the top of the Heavenly Ladder.

On the platform lay a scroll.

As Ming reached out to take the scroll, a bead from his body landed on it, merging like a drop of water into the painting.

The moment Ming grasped the scroll, countless streams of spiritual energy converged toward him.

The spiritual energy enveloped Ming’s body, slowly healing all the injuries caused by the trials and tribulations.

Parts of Ming’s body scorched black by the thunder tribulation peeled off, revealing new flesh and skin.

Half an incense stick later, Ming opened his eyes.

Apart from his tattered clothes, Ming’s body had completely recovered thanks to the Baiwa Scroll.

Unfolding the scroll, Ming saw that it was incredibly long, intricately depicting the lives of Baiwa City’s residents, much like the “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” painting.

Holding the Baiwa Scroll, Ming turned around and walked toward Qingwan.

“Yours.” Ming smiled, holding the scroll in front of Qingwan.

“Mine?”

Qingwan looked incredulously at the scroll in Ming’s hands.

“Yes, for you.” Ming nodded. “We haven’t seen each other for eight years, and I didn’t know what gift to bring you, so I gave you this. It’s also a way to compensate for the Dao Lotus. I’m not sure if it’s enough.”

Qingwan’s eyes curved happily, but she kept her hands behind her back, showing no intention of taking it. “It’s enough, but do you know what you’re giving me?”

Ming chuckled. “Of course. With this Baiwa Scroll, whenever it produces any rare treasures, you can use them. If any talents emerge from the Baiwa Scroll, they can assist you. You gave me a Dao Lotus, and I, in return, give you a world.”

Qingwan blinked. “You’re giving me a world. Won’t the princess of Wu Kingdom be jealous?”

Ming: “…”

“Giggles…” Qingwan laughed lightly. “Just kidding! Since that’s the case, I’ll keep it for you temporarily. When you want it back, come find me.”

Upon finishing her sentence, Qingwan didn’t wait for Ming to erase his mark on the Baiwa Scroll. She simply took it, storing it away.

As long as Ming didn’t erase his mark himself, he would forever remain the master of the Baiwa Scroll. Ming had dominion over all the people and plants within the scroll, while Qingwan was merely keeping it for him.

Moreover, Qingwan intentionally wanted to help Ming safeguard the scroll.

Ming’s current cultivation level was too low, and many people would risk everything to obtain this treasure from him.

But behind Qingwan was the Heavenly Profound Gate, and her teacher was Wang Xuan, someone even the sect leader respected.

No one dared to touch her.

Though Ming gave the Baiwa Scroll to Qingwan, and Qingwan was technically keeping it for him, Ming never intended to reclaim it.

And though Qingwan accepted Ming’s scroll, she never intended to claim it as her own.

Just like when they were kids, Qingwan would sneakily give Ming oily chicken legs to eat at night without worrying he’d eat them first.

Now, as boys and girls grow older, those childhood chicken legs had transformed into a scroll containing an entire world.

After becoming the master of the Baiwa Secret Realm, Ming became intimately familiar with every move and detail of Baiwa City.

All the residents of Baiwa City knelt in the direction Ming was in.

They didn’t know who that person was, but they felt in their hearts that he was their Heavenly Lord. Ming could decide whether the people of Baiwa City lived or died.

Seeing millions of people bowing to him, the sense of ruling the world invaded Ming’s heart.

Ming realized that if he wasn’t careful, he might be consumed by this immense power.

Unlike an emperor restrained by ministers, Ming was the absolute ruler of this land. He could do whatever he wanted, and no one could stop him.

But in the end, Ming took a deep breath and dispelled those thoughts.

Ming extended his hand, pointing towards the heavens. “Today, I establish two rules for the Baiwa Secret Realm.”

Ming’s voice resonated throughout the Baiwa Scroll, akin to sacred sounds of the Great Dao: “Firstly, all demon races within the Baiwa Scroll may assume human form.”

As Ming’s voice faded, all demon races in Baiwa City at the Cavern Realm stage transformed into human form.

The demon races of Baiwa City rejoiced at their newfound human forms.

Having reached the Cavern Realm in cultivation, they had always felt something was missing. Now, they realized that what they lacked was the ability to transform into human form.

Human form was the innate spirit, and all demons desired it because transforming into human form allowed them to cultivate more effectively.

“Secondly, disciples of the Baiwa Scroll who reach the Dragon Gate Realm may leave the Baiwa Scroll to explore the outside world, but they must not harm others or innocent beings. Otherwise, I will not forgive them easily!”

As Ming’s sacred sound concluded, a twisted gate appeared in the sky above Baiwa City. This gate was the passage to the outside world, accessible only to those at the Dragon Gate Realm.

After establishing these two rules, Ming originally wanted to open the passage to the outside world.

But a scene flashed in Ming’s mind.

Beyond the original passage was a lava-filled cave, with ominous magic arrays set up on the walls. Numerous cages held roaring monster beasts.

[Got paid today, ordered some barbecue to treat myself.

Eating barbecue, drinking cola, watching movies, it feels pretty good.

Suddenly realized, life is full of unpleasant things. Often, we need to maintain our mindset.

Contentment brings happiness; a positive attitude helps.

These eight words are easy to say but hard to practice.

Hope I can achieve it bit by bit.

By the way, I’m twenty-seven already… almost thirty…]