Night without Borders

Chapter 231: Joining the Immortal Sect [Two Chapters in One]

Some people once speculated based on the records in miscellaneous books that the sky tilted to the northwest, the earth sank to the southeast, and the night fog world fell into the abyss.

Therefore, heaven and earth turned into eternal night.

Huangsha City, located in the northwest, is the border of the two great dynasties of Qian and Rui. There is little vegetation here, and once the dry season comes, sand and rocks will fly everywhere, and the sandstorm is thicker than the night fog.

Qin Ming and Xiao Wu arrived on a spaceship and looked at the not-so-large city in front of them.

Its city wall is not very high. It is made of watered and compacted loess, so it can be considered an earthen city.

Normally this place is not prosperous, but recently it has been very lively. Many people from various sects of the outside world and esoteric religions have come here just to explore the mysteries of the "Resurrection Realm" ahead.

It was early in the night, the fire in the city was not very bright, and the light on the street was a little dim.

"Sir, take care. Welcome back next time." A beautiful woman waved her hand from a three-story wooden building.

"What kind of Hongyan Restaurant is this? I'll never come here again. They said they wanted a hundred-year-old Hongyan wine, but it turned out to be wine paired by a hundred-year-old old lady. I just listened to her nagging. It's a rip-off!" A middle-aged man went downstairs cursing.

"We also have Erba Hongyan wine here!" The woman upstairs smiled and called him back.

"I'm afraid even if I have 28 jars of wine, I won't be able to finish them and I'll be cheated again." The middle-aged man walked away without looking back.

Qin Ming and Xiao Wu looked at each other. They were about to go upstairs, but they quickly retracted their feet.

"Don't leave, young men. That man just now didn't know the rules. We are fair to everyone here. Drinking is just a garnish. The main purpose is to sell information. You just came in from the city gate. You must want to know the situation in this area."

The two went upstairs and went straight to the point to find out the latest news.

"Recently, the Kunling area shrouded in fog ahead is really amazing. A place where immortals live has appeared. People on the Immortal Road and the Divine Road are excited..."

Soon, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu felt that these Zhou Jinhua were not wronged, as the information provided by Hongyan Restaurant was very detailed.

In addition to the ruins, there is also a great sect shrouded in mist. People in the present world can actually go and worship at the mountain gate. Although it is very dreamy and they cannot bring their cultivation level with them, it is an opportunity to try and error, verify various methods, and gain cultivation experience and insights, which are all extremely valuable.

Some people even brought out priceless scriptures.

"Are you newcomers? There are also experts stationed in Xinsheng Road, so you can go there without worry."

The century-old lady turned out to be the proprietress of this place. She was the most beautiful woman in Huangsha City back then. She kept chattering and providing the latest news.

Afterwards, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu went to look for a place to stay. They had no hope of staying at the largest inn as it was packed. During the trip, they actually met an acquaintance.

It's true that you can meet Zheng Maoze and Zeng Yuan everywhere. Whenever there's fun and opportunity, these two will definitely participate. Here they are again.

In addition, Qin Ming met Zhuo Ya and Cao Wuji who chose to join the Liuyu Ancestral Temple, and also discovered that Lu Yuzhi from the Yuqing Sect, the core disciple of the most top-level sect in Xinsheng Road, had also come.

"Yuque!" Qin Ming saw a familiar figure. Yuque, who came out of the Black and White Mountain, was following the Purple Lightning Beast.

Finally, he and Xiao Wu chose a B&B.

At night, Qin Ming realized the wonders of the second realm. At this level, his consciousness had increased significantly, and the light of heaven could communicate between heaven and earth.

In the outer saint realm, he needs to accumulate Taoism, and also need to melt away evil, absorb spiritual essence, etc., to enhance the power of heavenly light. These substances are often in extremely dangerous places.

The standard approach is to absorb the energy of the earth, plants, etc., but in that case, the skylight will probably be too mild after the transformation.

When someone integrates the dark evil, the blue dark energy from outer space, etc., the sky light will naturally be very terrifying when it bursts out. It is much stronger than the sky light that is "fed" with conventional substances.

Of course, many of the terrifyingly powerful "evil" and "heterogeneous" things are corrosive and have no benefit to oneself. In fact, the stronger they are, the more they will shorten one's lifespan.

Therefore, the second realm requires a balance.

If you are too greedy for the power of heavenly light, you may end up having a short life or even die young.

How to choose between evil, heterogeneity, spiritual essence, etc. is a big problem. Both harmful and beneficial ones are needed, but in a strict ratio. Therefore, the practice of the second realm is very complicated.

Even more, if you make the wrong choice, you may hurt yourself, damage your cultivation, and even seriously shorten your lifespan.

In the second realm, one must not only practice techniques related to evil spirits and heterogeneity, but also practice health-preserving techniques to maintain vitality, which is extremely important.

Qin Ming felt that even if he did not refine the heterogeneous substances and integrate the rare Nine Heavens Pure Qi, and only improved his Taoism and broke through the realm normally, the quality of his Heavenly Light would not be bad.

However, in order to become stronger, he did have to consider absorbing various extraordinary "evil" and making the skylight even more terrifying.

"Is there any evil spirit that does not reduce vitality and is harmless to the body?" He pondered, but he thought it would be difficult to find even if there was one.

After all, the things he thought of as soon as he entered the second realm must have been thoroughly studied by so many predecessors.

Qin Ming took a deep breath and stood in the second realm. He was already able to capture the spiritual substances that existed naturally between heaven and earth.

Right now, he has not yet reached the stage to absorb foreign matter and capture the pure air of the nine heavens, but he can absorb the beneficial factors that exist normally and improve his strength.

After a moment, Qin Ming frowned. He could clearly see some light spots captured by the skylight and swimming in his body, but the efficiency was really too slow.

At this moment, he felt the helplessness and pain of his predecessors.

The speed of improving one's cultivation on the conventional path of the second realm is simply incomparable to that of the first realm.

If, during the initial stage of practice, he was flying on the back of an exotic bird, then now it was like he was sitting on a broken ox cart, bumping slowly forward.

Qin Ming knew that he was very powerful now, but he also realized the difficulty of the Outer Saint Realm. It was already so difficult before he even melted the strange evil spirits.

It should be noted that his talents and aptitudes were far superior to those of other people on the road to enlightenment, and riding on a bullock cart was not considered slow.

However, I’m afraid that the gap is too big compared to the past.

"Using divine wisdom and consciousness as fuel to help the new path to breakthrough? Anyway, there won't be much accumulation, and it will be melted away in the end. But even so, there are still many problems."

That night, Qin Ming looked ahead and thought about a lot of things.

Finally, he suddenly remembered something. Now that he was in the second realm, perhaps he could study the rags again to see if he could make any new discoveries.

The rag had changed significantly, now slightly larger than three palms. The extra area had mountain shadows and a blurry ruined city that was cut off by the edge of the cloth.

Qin Ming seriously suspected that it was the Kunling Mountains and the legendary Yujing.

"Huh?!" He was surprised. Today was different from the past. When he explored it, the rag had slight fluctuations instead of being lifeless.

Then, Qin Ming released the light from the sky and injected it into the rag. The setting sun suddenly became extremely dazzling, but that was all. It was brighter than before, but not out of line.

Soon, he knew what had changed.

After he broke through, his consciousness surged, and the spiritual light of a newborn began to appear, growing with his cultivation. It was this light that caused the rag to fluctuate.

"Does it require a consciousness stronger than the first level to drive it?" Qin Ming tried.

As expected, the rag began to move again, but he still couldn't use it. He was so angry that he wanted to tear it to pieces.

However, it is woven from exotic gold, and now the color is brighter than before, with several more exotic gold materials, making it look even more solid and immortal.

"This is……"

Suddenly, Qin Ming was stunned. When he used his consciousness to push, one of his hands accidentally penetrated into the rag.

It is a little different after all!
The rags did not show any amazing magic, but were still so "peaceful", and had nothing to do with the "powerful and majestic" that Qin Ming had expected.

However, it can now be used for... storage.

Although there are only a few cubic meters of space at present, it is beyond his expectations and can be considered a pleasant surprise.

This kind of thing can be refined in other places, but it is far from being popular.

Qin Ming put a piece of day gold in it. The next morning, he went to check it first and found that it was still there, without any negative changes such as erosion.

"I won't have to pack so many bags anymore." He smiled.

He had to carry a jade iron knife and a bow and arrow for a long time, not to mention spare clothes. In addition, every time he fought, he was afraid that the gold notes on his body would be torn into pieces.

Now, the gold notes on him are worth more than ten thousand gold coins, which is considered a huge fortune. If they explode, it would be a waste of time and he would have no place to cry.

Qin Ming and Xiao Wu set off immediately after breakfast. This time they were quite confident, not only because they both reached the second realm, but also because there were old seniors from the New Life Road in the revived land.

The whole journey was covered with sandstorms, which made it a very unpleasant journey.

Fortunately, when they entered the Kunling area where black fog was swirling, the yellow sand disappeared, leaving only desolation. They followed the map they got from the Hongyan Restaurant and moved forward smoothly.

Finally, the two of them stared at their destination in a daze.

In front of us, there were large ruins, dilapidated buildings, etc., densely packed together, as if we had arrived at a huge ancient city.

Moreover, in some buildings, there are obvious silver runes lingering, accompanied by the sound of chanting, which is very mysterious.

In recent times, the reason why people from the Immortal Path and the Esoteric Sect have flocked here is because of the extraordinary scene that has appeared here.

Moreover, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu have already understood the nature of this place. It is difficult to comprehend those scriptures directly, and they can only get fragments.

The correct way to open this place is to enter the fog, join the mountain gate, and go to become a disciple!
What you see before your eyes is just an appearance. There is another world inside, as if there is an ancient immortal palace shrouded in fog that stretches across this place.

In the early days, even immortals like Cui Chonghe and Su Shiyun had no way to come here, until they entered and exited through spiritual wandering and entered the ancient great sect’s mountain gate, and finally gained something.

After the news came out, it caused a sensation and countless people wanted to become his disciples.

However, joining the ancient great sect in this way is not without danger. Currently, some people are trapped in both the Esoteric Sect and the Immortal Path and cannot return to reality.

It is said that some people are so immersed in the play that they seem to be assimilated into the ancient times.

Earlier, Qin Ming thought that their real bodies were trapped in the ruins, but he found out at Hongyan Tavern that it was actually their spiritual wisdom and consciousness that were lost.

"There are demons here too!" Xiao Wu said. Along the way, they saw not only many people, but also strange creatures, and even a stronghold occupied by a big demon.

Qin Ming reminded, "Don't talk nonsense. Only those who are hostile to us are called demons, and those who can coexist peacefully are called aliens. Those who are closer can also be called the Holy Elephant Clan, the Fairy Fox Clan, etc."

After several pioneering expeditions, there are still many alien species on this land where humans live, and it is natural that they can coexist.

There is a saying that in the earliest times, when humans were weak, they were able to defeat giant beasts and terrifying plants that took root in the clouds thanks to the aliens that transformed into human form.

Soon after, Qin Ming not only discovered the stronghold of the foreign land and the gathering place of the secret sect, but also saw the old seniors on the road to new life.

When people arrived at the Liuyu ancestral temple, the group of old men were all skin and bones. They were so old that there were only a few hairs left on their heads.

Some people were whispering that Liuyu's young master had come here in person to take charge!

It is reported that disciples directly taught by the ancestors of the Immortal Path and the Esoteric Sect have also arrived.

With the presence of such a group of great masters, this place was originally out of the scope of Yintu and was suspected to be related to immortals and gods. Most of the monsters, which were not numerous, were cleared out.

Not long after, Qin Ming and Xiao Wu showed joy as they discovered two people who were closer to them, Yu Gensheng and Zhao Ziyuan, two senior students on the road of freshmen at Shanhe Academy.

A group of students also gathered here, including Tang Jun, Qian Chuan, Xin Youdao, Liu Hanya, etc., all of whom are acquaintances.

"Shen Wubing, Wu Yaozu, I'm glad you two are okay!" Yu Gensheng was overjoyed. This was the master-level figure who he had high hopes for and would be the pillar of the future.

"Senior, what's the situation in Kunling City?" Qin Ming asked.

Zhao Ziyuan shook his head and said, "I don't know. We left at the last minute and we lost contact with that city completely."

Xin Youdao, Liu Hanya and others all came to greet them warmly. They were people who knew the details of Qin Ming and Xiao Wu.

Qin Ming asked them about the details of this place, how to enter the fog and join the ancient sect.

"People on the Immortal Path can just wander in their spirits. Once they encounter danger, they will instantly leave that state and return automatically. If people from the Esoteric Sect use their divine wisdom, the situation will be similar."

Only newborns need to enter in physical form, and they must reach the second realm, have a qualitative change in consciousness, an explosion of spiritual light, and a high degree of mental concentration before they can enter.

"What benefits can new students get there?" Qin Ming asked.

"It's very frustrating. Do you know what your identity will be after you go in? You have to play the role of a strong man!" said a passionate young man angrily.

"The strong man under the seat of the ancient god?" Qin Ming was surprised.

Another young man was dissatisfied and said, "That's right. After we go in, if we put it nicely, we will be the gods' attendants, and if we put it bluntly, we will be their servants!"

He refused to accept that even this kind of exploration and joining an ancient religion was full of discrimination.

"That kind of strong man is different from us." Yu Gensheng shook his head.

He informed them that those strong men were his subordinates who were promoted after being helped to improve their cultivation by god-like creatures, near-immortal creatures, etc., and they did not walk their own paths.

Some of the strong men were "ripened" by powerful men using their great supernatural powers.

Some strong men are even so-called death warriors, who are refined, have runes carved in their flesh and blood, and are finally marked with slave marks.

"It's not our way, so what are we going in for?" Qin Ming frowned.

Zhao Ziyuan said: "Of course, you don't need to learn the process of refining a warrior, but some of the potions are very important and can be memorized. They will be of great benefit to the newborn's body."

Qin Ming felt that the two old men were desperate to find a cure for their illness and that those medicines and soups might not be miracle cures. How much value could they have if they were given to servants?
Yu Gensheng said: "Take a closer look, maybe there is something worth learning from."

Qin Ming frowned and said, "Some big figures on the Immortal Road have always been obsessed with wanting us from the New Life Road to be their guards, and even want to subdue the ancestors to be their strongmen. Could it be that they are influenced by the ancient gods?"

Zhao Ziyuan nodded and said, "That's true. In fact, the Immortal Path and Esoteric Sect are almost the inheritance of some of the ancient immortals and gods' traditions, but they are not completely the same. They have walked their own paths. Everything here is very suitable for them and can complement their paths."

Xiao Wu opened his mouth and said, "I may not have inherited all of my abilities, but I did inherit all of my bad habits!"

Xin Youdao, Liu Hanya and others were embarrassed. People like them who were either practicing two paths at the same time or just taking the immortal path seemed to have been scolded as well.

The two of them really wanted to say that they had never acted so arrogantly.

Qin Ming decided to "get into the play" himself to see what the situation was and whether there was the opportunity and luck he needed.

With the senior from Xinsheng Road here, he has nothing to worry about.

Yu Gensheng warned: "Don't get too involved in the play. Some people get so absorbed in it that they become assimilated and may never get out."

Qin Ming nodded and strode towards the foggy area deep in the building ruins.

This time, Xiao Wu and he acted separately. The rainbow light in his body left his body, and he wanted to enter in a similar way to the disciples of the Immortal Road.

Qin Ming's mind was highly concentrated, and after reaching the second level, his consciousness was indeed much higher than before.

Soon, the world he saw was different.

Even in ancient times, this area was probably not ordinary.

The black fog dissipated, and the front was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds, just like a fairyland in a painting. It was bright, with clusters of exotic flowers in full bloom and various spiritual trees growing.

Moreover, there is more than one mountain gate in this area. There are extraordinary places in different directions, each with surging fairy mist, flowing auspicious clouds, and lingering purple air.

He chose a mountain gate that looked very large. The atmosphere was amazing, and the auspicious aura transformed into mythical beasts and fairy birds circling in the air.

During this process, Qin Ming was like a bystander, as if he was experiencing someone else's past. He paid homage to the mountain and became a menial disciple. After some effort, he had hope of becoming an outer disciple, but was detected to be unsuitable for the path of immortality. He could work towards becoming a strongman.

He was a little dazed, all of this was happening very quickly, and his body instinctively told him that in reality only a short time had passed, but here it was almost a month.

"Has anyone experienced all this and been temporarily replaced by me? No, this is still my own body. Hmm, maybe I have been temporarily given the vision of an ancient strongman? In this case, it can also be regarded as a kind of practice, having a big dream here and tempering myself?" Qin Ming guessed.

Now that his true self has come in, it is natural that he cannot be content with being ordinary.

When he was about to become a strong man and was about to have runes engraved in his body by the immortal disciples, he rebelled and slapped a disciple of the immortal family away.

"The challenge is successful, and you will become an inner disciple." A voice sounded.

"That works." Qin Ming was surprised. In the ancient immortal sects, strength was respected? Could a strong man also challenge the inner disciples?

Perhaps, he had hit a loophole. After all, this was not the real ancient world. He was just getting into the play, temporarily substituted into and participating in a certain scene.

Qin Ming wandered around the huge mountain gate, ready to find the real immortal medicine prescription. Having come this far, what else did he need from the Hercules' medicine soup? He didn't need a defective one!

Soon, he saw acquaintances - Zheng Maoze and Zeng Yuan.

Qin Ming had a blank expression on his face. Why did he encounter these two guys every time he went on an expedition?
"Are you from Xinsheng Road, and come here to be a strongman? Come here, follow me." Zheng Dazhuang shouted with a very arrogant attitude, as if he had really returned to ancient times and wanted to command servants.

boom!
Qin Ming walked over and "sent him away" with a slap.

It cannot be said that Zheng Maoze is weak.

This time, Qin Ming tried his best just to test how powerful the palm of the outer saint was!
Zheng Maoze exploded, and his wandering consciousness shattered into rain of light, but was reassembled by a mysterious force and sent out of this place.

After getting outside, Zheng Dazhuang's head was still buzzing. What was going on?
Did he see a god or ghost? Just one palm strike and he exploded!
Qin Ming was certain that this was a trial ground left by an ancient sect for its disciples, and the most basic requirement was to ensure safety.

Zeng Yuan, this old friend, is a typical unreliable person. He is usually a fence-sitter. When he saw Zheng Maoze getting into trouble, he turned around and ran away.

Obviously, he couldn't escape either. He was hit by Qin Ming's full-strength kick, disintegrated in mid-air, and turned into rain of light and went back.

"Qingxu, Senior Brother Li, you have to stand up for me. Damn it, a freshman on his way to college might actually be an ancient strongman who beat me to pieces."

Outside, Zheng Maoze was complaining and asking for help. He even wanted to invite a more powerful immortal like Sun Jingxiao. He felt that he had suffered a great humiliation.

Qin Ming ignored all this and strolled in this pure land of the great sect. As an inner sect disciple, he came into contact with some important secret manuals and even obtained some precious prescriptions.

"This is the correct choice for newcomers. What does a wrestler do? Either don't do it, or do it to be the strongest, the best, the most optimal."

Qin Ming felt that it was necessary to improve his status. Being an inner disciple was not enough, he had to be a core disciple, right?

Is there a higher status? For example, Junior Master?

I just don't know whether the disciples with high status here have been replaced by those immortal disciples in the present world.

Qin Ming ignored all this and walked towards the important place of the great sect. According to the rules here, he was ready to take on challenges, gain a prominent position, obtain precious resources, etc.

"Um?!"

Qin Ming stopped in a fiery red forest with maple leaves fluttering in the air. He found a very strong opponent.

It was a woman, dressed in purple, with waist-length black hair, an ethereal air, eyebrows as dark as distant ink, a very delicate oval face, and eyes as clear as autumn water.

"Is this an ancient person, or a modern disciple of the Immortal Path who is wandering in his mind? He seems very powerful." Qin Ming stared at her.

Then he said, "Please give me some advice!"

Then he took action himself.

The woman's expression was strange, her immortal light was surging, and she burst out with astonishing power fluctuations. The spiritual light of consciousness with pure yang attributes rushed towards her like a galaxy.

Qin Ming held the sword horizontally, and the five-colored sword in his hand hummed and shone brightly.

He was very surprised that a disciple of the Immortal Path in the second realm could actually withstand his blade?
Normally, his five-colored sword, transformed from the blazing sun-like skylight, could immediately burn the opponent's consciousness.

The woman was even more shocked and asked, "Who are you? Who among your generation can withstand my attack? Especially, you are a strong man. There is no such person in the world!"

"Ancient people?" Qin Ming felt it was unreal. Was he too immersed in the role? Why did he feel that the aura of consciousness he came into contact with was not illusory at all?
At the same time, deep inside the sect, a crystal coffin slowly opened a crack, revealing a woman with fair skin and delicate bones, who suddenly opened her eyes.

(End of this chapter)