The Land of Eternal Night

As the shallow night approached its end, Qin Ming awoke. The Sunstone in the copper basin emanated a gentle firelight, and the house was eerily quiet.

His throat was parched, as though it were on fire. He gulped down several bowls of ice-cold water before letting out a deep breath of relief.

But then, he noticed something strange—his clothes felt tighter against his body, no longer fitting properly.

He quickly walked to the doorframe and measured himself against it. Sure enough, his body had grown taller.

Qin Ming was momentarily stunned. He had only slept for a short while, yet his body had undergone astonishing changes. It was as though he had been reborn, and the deep-rooted potential of his innate foundation had once again blossomed.

Stretching his limbs, Qin Ming felt a surge of boundless strength. He stepped into the courtyard and effortlessly lifted the two heavy grinding stones.

Feeling ambitious, he tried balancing them with one hand. It was difficult, and his arm trembled slightly under the weight, but he managed to hold them aloft for a moment.

Even Qin Ming was startled by this feat. With just one hand, he could now barely lift four hundred pounds. Didn't this mean he was already comparable to the famed prodigies of the faraway Bright City?

Removing his now ill-fitting clothes, Qin Ming glanced at his shoulder. The blood scab from his wound had fallen off, leaving behind unblemished skin without even a scar. This too was a sign of his rebirth.

Preparing dinner, Qin Ming boiled a large pot of meat stew and roasted thick wolf ribs. Using the flesh of a mutated beast as food was more than enough to fuel his transformation.

He devoured the meal—large chunks of meat and bowls of steaming broth—until sweat poured from his body like rain. A wave of heat surged within him, radiating throughout his entire being.

Although his rebirth was nearing its end, he wanted to strike while the iron was hot, pushing his body's potential to its limits.

His physical abilities had advanced dramatically. What were once difficult movements now flowed effortlessly, as natural as breathing.

It felt as though a brilliant fire burned within him, ready to burst through his skin and illuminate the world.

Suddenly, something miraculous occurred.

Tiny golden hairs began to sprout from his flesh, piercing through his pores like fine needles. Though subtle, the shimmering glow of the golden threads was unmistakable.

This was unprecedented—Qin Ming had never seen such a phenomenon before.

The emergence of the golden threads seemed alarming at first, as tiny traces of blood accompanied them. However, they caused him no pain. On the contrary, Qin Ming felt an indescribable lightness, as though his entire body were being purified.

He soon realized the truth: his body was expelling impurities, ridding itself of every last toxin and harmful residue.

The golden threads sprouted continuously, glimmering with faint light as they emerged. Like countless golden needles, they intertwined and danced across his skin, forming a breathtaking spectacle.

Together with the faint white mist surrounding his body, Qin Ming appeared otherworldly—almost divine.

Unrelenting, he pushed himself further. When exhaustion set in, he rested briefly, eating roasted wolf ribs to replenish his strength. Occasionally, he would study The Basics of Midnight Meditation, a manual given to him by Lu Ze.

Throughout the night, Qin Ming's body underwent incredible changes, shedding vast amounts of sweat as his metabolism surged to unimaginable heights.

A tingly sensation spread through his limbs, as though fresh buds were sprouting from parched soil. It was the aura of rebirth—the vitality of all creation.

Eventually, an overwhelming drowsiness swept over him. Recognizing the signs, Qin Ming knew he was entering the final stage of his winter hibernation.

After a quick rinse, he collapsed onto the kang bed, unable to keep his eyes open.

As sleep claimed him, Qin Ming saw faint silver light hovering above his skin. The golden threads continued to emerge, weaving an intricate tapestry across his body.

Though half-asleep, Qin Ming was struck by the sight. The golden threads crisscrossed the silver glow, dividing it into countless small sections. From a distance, it appeared as though his entire body had been draped in a Golden Threaded Jade Garment.

His thoughts drifted.

In ancient times, emperors were buried in suits of jade stitched together with golden threads—an extravagant attempt to cheat death and grasp immortality, even in the grave.

Could it be that the ancient rulers had heard rumors of transformations like this? Had their golden-threaded jade garments been crafted as a pale imitation of true rebirth?

He shook his head slightly, dismissing the thought. It was too fantastical.

Unable to resist the pull of slumber any longer, Qin Ming sank into the deepest, most rejuvenating sleep of his life.

When the shallow night returned, Qin Ming awoke once more.

His entire body felt tight, encased in a thin layer of dried residue. The sweat, blood, and expelled impurities had hardened overnight, forming a fragile shell around him.

Breaking the ice in the water jar, Qin Ming boiled a pot of water and washed himself thoroughly. After donning a loose, clean set of clothes, he felt refreshed, his mind and body sharper than ever.

Stepping into the courtyard, he once again lifted the two grinding stones. This time, the task felt much easier. He could balance them one-handed for a long time.

To test himself further, Qin Ming placed a stone lock—weighing over a hundred pounds—on top of the grinding stones.

"Now this is heavy…" Qin Ming muttered, his arms straining slightly. Despite the difficulty, he managed to keep the combined weight—over five hundred pounds—suspended with one hand.

Lu Ze had once told him that the Bright City was home to prodigious youths who could lift six hundred pounds.

Smiling brightly, Qin Ming clenched his fists. His strength was nearing that level already—his arms alone carried the force of a thousand pounds.

As for the distant and mysterious lands beyond the Bright City, where even greater prodigies roamed, Qin Ming could only wonder. How powerful were the golden-aged youths there?

Later that morning, Qin Ming carried half a Knife-Horned Deer and some wolf ribs to Lu Ze's house.

"Qin, this… this is too much!" Lu Ze protested.

"Brother Lu, Sister-in-law, I can't eat all this by myself. Besides, I'll be heading into the mountains again soon. It's good to switch things up," Qin Ming replied cheerfully.

He reached down to pat Wen Rui's head. The boy beamed happily. "Uncle Qin, you're the best! We were about to run out of food…"

"Don't worry. As long as I'm around, you won't go hungry," Qin Ming reassured him.

At that moment, Village Chief Xu Yueping arrived.

The chief, a sturdy man in his forties with thick brows and sharp eyes, smiled warmly. "I knew you'd succeed, lad. This step you've taken—it's a golden milestone."

Xu Yueping's keen gaze swept over Qin Ming. "You've grown taller. Has your rebirth finished?"

Before Qin Ming could answer, a sudden gust of wind rushed at him.

Xu Yueping's hand, sharp as a blade, struck toward Qin Ming's neck without warning. The attack came so quickly and at such close range that it seemed impossible to dodge.

But Qin Ming did dodge—and retaliated. With a resounding thud, he caught Xu Yueping's wrist in an iron grip.

"Your reflexes far exceed those of any other reborn youth," Xu Yueping remarked in astonishment.

Even a cunning mountain beast would have struggled to evade his strike. Yet Qin Ming had not only avoided it but countered with precision.

"Your strength… How much force are you hiding?" Xu Yueping muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Qin Ming released his grip. Xu Yueping's eyelid twitched, recognizing that the boy hadn't even used his full strength.

"I'd estimate your strength is close to six hundred pounds," Xu Yueping declared solemnly.

The crowd fell silent, their shock palpable. In this region, five hundred pounds was already the limit for a golden-aged reborn. Qin Ming had shattered that ceiling.

Soon after, a patrolman summoned Qin Ming to the village chief's house.

"All reborn youths are required to attend. The patrol group has news about the mountains," the messenger explained.

Qin Ming frowned slightly. Why would they need me there?

When Qin Ming arrived, the chief's house was bustling. All seven of the village's reborn youths were present, including the seventy-year-old Elder Liu.

The patrolman, Feng Yian, was a rugged man with a thick beard and a boisterous demeanor. As he spoke, his voice filled the room.

"Strange events have disturbed the mountains—magnetic fields are in turmoil, and ancient springs are failing. It's forcing dangerous beasts out of their dens."

His words cast a shadow over the room. Qin Ming listened carefully, absorbing every detail.

Something big is happening, he thought, his heart heavy with anticipation.