Night without Borders

Chapter 308 The Truth
Still.

Just two words. The night sky was silent. The old monster of the alien race, with his golden beard and hair flowing like a lion, widened his eyes, somewhat unable to believe the not-so-loud voice in his ears.

Under the long night, the fierce birds of prey, flying beasts, and knights clad in cold armor were no longer so violent.

The other alien ancestors on the massive warship were also shocked, their faces showing disbelief as they scanned the area below.

They hadn't acted yet because they were assessing the situation. They had repeatedly investigated the condition of the Earth Immortal's Tomb and had just confirmed that there was nothing wrong. So why was a deceased acquaintance suddenly responding to them?

"The Buddha of this world!" The blond old man's gaze was icy as he saw the broad figure stepping out from the crowd. He recognized this "young and strong" man from years ago.

“Golden Lion, didn’t you say that you would wipe out their five hundred years of accumulation in one battle and send all their ancestors to their graves? How come he is still standing here intact?”

On the massive warship, a sixth-realm powerhouse from the Fire Lizard Clan, newly integrated into the hunting party, spoke, his brow furrowed, sensing something amiss.

The old man, who resembled a lion, had cross-shaped markings in his pupils as he stared intently at the Buddha of this world, before looking at the figure sitting cross-legged before the Immortal Tomb, bleeding from all seven orifices.

He looked at the Buddha of this world and said in a deep voice, "In your battle with the immortals, you shed your old body, were reborn from the ashes, and stepped into the seventh level of the realm."

These words caused a sensation, shocking both sides. Could the Buddha of this world really take that step in a desperate situation and live on the brink of death?
Golden Lion said, “Don’t worry about him, he’s just one person. He’s nothing. Can one Buddha stop our thousands of troops? I can stop him.”

Then, he scanned everyone, then looked at the Immortal Tomb and said, "Those broken bones and flesh, as well as the tattered armor, are all real. Only one Buddha remains in this world, which does not affect the overall situation."

"Are you sure?" The broad figure stood before the immortal's tomb, gazing at the night sky.

"It's just an empty city ploy, who can you fool!" A six-realm expert from the two-headed werewolf clan spoke simultaneously from both mouths. He was tall and imposing, wearing human blue-gold armor.

An elderly man with black hair, clearly a high-ranking member of the hunting civilization, with bright black pupils, not much different from the humans here at the Immortal Tomb, spoke to the alien ancestors around him: "Everyone, those skilled in pupil techniques can carefully observe the Immortal Tomb and discover the truth. Most of their high-ranking members are dead!"

The fire lizards, feathered serpents, and some powerful human warriors with blue and gray eyes who had merged into them during their westward migration immediately began to carefully examine the Immortal Tomb.

For a moment, the desert fell into a rare silence, with both sides silently confronting each other and neither making any rash moves.

On the ground, the cultivators of the Immortal Path, the Secret Sect, and the New Life Path all felt their hearts sink. Was it all just a false alarm?
They looked at the figures shrouded in white mist in the crowd and felt... it might really be an empty city ploy, and they were all illusions transformed from the Buddha of this world.

After all, if they were real, how could those sixth-realm powerhouses in the night sky not have noticed them?

Most importantly, the bloodstains in front of the immortal tomb, the remains of the ancestors, the broken armor, etc., are too glaring. They still exude the faint aura of the sixth realm, which cannot be faked.

“Master, you…” someone’s lips trembled as they looked at the all-knowing “phantoms” around them.

A voice spoke from within the white mist: "Don't be afraid. The Immortal Path, the Secret Sect, and the Path of Rebirth—all the Grandmasters have come. They're trying to break through to the Ancestral Master realm in a life-or-death battle. Fighting them to the bitter end, we might not necessarily lose."

Instantly, everyone's hearts sank.

Can a newly promoted patriarch compare to those veteran powerhouses? Moreover, the opposing team clearly includes an old monster they encountered during the last expedition, who has survived to this day and has probably already made a preliminary glimpse into the seventh realm.

Grandmaster Ling Canghai spoke up: "Ancestor, please explain in detail the foundation of this nomadic civilization. We will fight to the death!"

A figure in the white mist nodded and said, "At this time, it's unrealistic to try to find the weaknesses of each of these powerful individuals, after all, we haven't seen them for hundreds of years. However, we can start by understanding their instincts and habits to get to their mindset, and then target them accordingly."

"Please explain in detail, Master!"

"The nomadic civilization is obvious. Traveling around, plundering cultivation resources, and hunting other civilizations has become an instinct for them. Destruction is always easier than construction."

In fact, such nomadic hunting civilizations are not uncommon in the depths of the foggy world.

They could obtain all the medicinal fields cultivated over a thousand years and the immortal trees transplanted from other people's ancestral temples and blessed lands in the blink of an eye with just one hunt.

What kind of rare treasures have been nurtured in the strange fire spring for hundreds of years, bearing the blessings of nine lifetimes? They could very well obtain them overnight with a single attack.

The figure in the white mist said, "The hunting civilization is ruthless and merciless, and they always shed blood when they go out. Therefore, when facing them, you must not be weak in the slightest. You must be even more ruthless and cold-blooded than them. You grandmasters should put yourselves in a life-or-death situation and treat it as the last battle of your lives. Only then will you have a chance to turn the tide and defy the heavens to change the fate of your race."

All the grandmasters stood still, listening silently.

"The nomadic civilization prioritizes movement. Once they suffer a defeat, they can run faster than anyone else because they have super flying mounts that can help them escape. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to encircle and annihilate them, you must limit their agility and speed."

The grandmasters present listened quietly, feeling somewhat numb. Their lives were hanging in the balance, so how could they talk about encirclement and suppression?
The figure in the white mist seemed to have gone too far, expressing regret about not achieving complete success in the past, and here he reviewed the mistakes.

"In the north, in their ancestral land, there are countless mountains and dense forests. Once they escape back and disappear into the endless mountains, they will be really hard to find."

The founders of the Immortal Path, the Esoteric School, and the New Life Path once pursued the enemy relentlessly for hundreds of thousands of miles, heading north, traversing endless mountain ranges, and reaching the far north, but ultimately had to give up.

The so-called far north is certainly not the end of the world.

Relatively speaking, that was just the limit of what the founders were capable of exploring. Going any further would be extremely dangerous, and going deeper might result in total annihilation.

The nomadic civilization, discovered and driven out of the endless mountains of the north, was forced into a corner and naturally dared to venture forward, specifically seeking out the habitats of powerful races and dangerous alien civilizations, moving close to their territory.

"In the far north, where there are few fire springs, there lives a terrifying non-human race. They are well adapted to the place, and their blood has the attribute of Yin. The place where they stand can create Yin Earth Domain, which is quite dangerous."

The illusory figure of the patriarch in the white mist also introduced the situation in the far north.

"Beyond the frigid permafrost lies an area of ​​endless lava and dense volcanoes, where lush, fire-resistant plants grow, rooted in the lava, teeming with life. Someone once saw an ancient fire sycamore tree there with a nest on it, speculating that a phoenix must have lived there."

Even the grandmasters were shocked. Did the creatures appearing in the farthest regions from them become more powerful?

"Most importantly, there are suspected earth immortals inhabiting that scorching land."

The patriarchs had never set foot there; they learned about it from other tribes.

Beyond the extremely hot lands where lava and fire springs mingle, and continuing northwards, the human race becomes completely extinct, because they cannot compete with the extremely terrifying aliens, making it far too dangerous.

In that far northern land, the patriarchs could not even get close, let alone set foot there. All the rumors they heard from other tribes could not be verified.

"When some Winged Clan members migrated, some powerful individuals from the sixth realm attempted to travel far to explore. It is said that further north, there appears to be a wild and desolate landscape, with ancient trees and wolf forests, and extremely rich resources. There are high-grade fire springs there, as well as exotic fire springs of other colors. The things that grow in those springs are incredibly amazing and of immeasurable value."

However, the powerful winged race member retreated after taking a brief look into the distance, because that vast territory was not suitable for a race that was not skilled in combat.

It was only a fleeting glance, yet it left a deep impression.

It saw a silver rat with a halo around its head, gnawing on a four-tusked white elephant in the wilderness.

It also saw a group of purple flying ants, each as big as a stone millstone, hunting a dragon in the night sky and dragging it back into the cave.

The local species are all very dangerous, and the competition is too fierce, bloody, and cruel.

Even more remarkably, before leaving, the sixth-realm expert of the Winged Clan had seen from above that on a great mountain, a non-human, Earth Immortal-level creature and a blood-red human skin were playing chess.

It fled without looking back, daring not to linger any longer. As for the more distant northern lands beyond the desolate wilderness, they were shrouded in mist, everything unknown, because even the dominant aerial creatures were unwilling to venture deep into them.

Some of the grandmasters present were speechless. With a formidable enemy at hand, the patriarch remained calm and composed, explaining the surrounding environment to them.

The illusory figure of the patriarch sighed, “The territory we are in is really small compared to the vast and boundless world of night fog, as insignificant as a speck of dust. This nomadic civilization first fled north and then moved west. Even if we only consider the straight-line distance, it has only covered hundreds of thousands of miles, not exceeding the limit of a million miles. Its range of activities can still only be considered a corner of the land.”

According to those winged races and other races with whom they had friendly exchanges, the more distant lands may no longer be inhabited by humans, but by mysterious and unknown powerful races.

As for the so-called Earth Immortal Dynasty of the human race, it is just a legend that is suspected to be false.

The illusory figure of the patriarch in the white mist looked at them and said, "You are all Grandmasters. You must shoulder your responsibilities, live and die, break through here, and after you finish fighting the Hunting Civilization, you must return to defend as soon as possible. I am worried that the demon civilization deep in the Divine Grief Plains, as well as those god-like creatures, will also be restless. It is not safe enough to rely on the creatures of the Desolate Land and the few patriarchs who are guarding the place."

Instantly, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

Even the grandmasters were stunned, unable to cope with what was happening, and the patriarch was still putting pressure on them!
In fact, breaking through in the heat of battle is just a legend; how many people can actually do it? Among so many grandmasters, it would be quite good if even two or three of them could come close.

Cultivation requires accumulation, and breakthroughs require enlightenment. If you're blinded by bloodlust during a great battle, how can you talk about having a peaceful mind to break through? You can only rely on sheer courage and brute force to charge through.

"Prepare for battle. It's your turn to take the lead. If you win, you'll go to another battlefield, one that will determine the fate of your clan!" said the illusory figure in the white mist.

"Grandmaster, please stop, we cannot bear this responsibility!" a grandmaster said with a heavy heart.

All the grandmasters from the three paths raised their weapons and unleashed their extraordinary treasures, preparing for a decisive battle against the hunting civilization. There was no way out; their only option was to fight with their blood and courage.

Boom!

Instantly, a soaring killing intent erupted from them.

The other young men and disciples all wore sorrowful expressions. Their emotions had fluctuated greatly today. A Buddha of this era was staging an empty city ploy, but he could not withstand the terrifying force. In the end, he would have to face the hunters on the sky and the ferocious birds and beasts.

At this moment, many of the high-ranking members of the Hunting Civilization used their pupil techniques to carefully investigate and discovered that the Immortal Tomb was covered with bones, all of which were the remains of sixth-realm powerhouses, and were not fake.

"Prepare to annihilate them!" Several old monsters roared in the night sky.

The grandmasters, their eyes bloodshot, immediately roared, "Kill!"

At this moment, the Buddha stopped them and said, "You all, please calm down first."

"To break through this barrier, you need to be resolute and determined, you need that kind of unwavering spirit. Did you experience that just now? Some of you did very well, while others may still be feeling uncertain. Regardless, these are all your genuine experiences. Remember that feeling!"

The figures in the white mist solidified, revealing the figures of many patriarchs.

Immediately, the crowd fell silent once again.

Today, their feelings are beyond words. The patriarchs first perished, then were resurrected, then only one contemporary Buddha performed the Empty City Stratagem, and then they all reappeared!

Many of the young disciples still had tears in their eyes, and the passionate, resolute expressions of some preparing for a bloody battle were frozen on their faces.

One of the patriarchs said, "You are all good children. How could we bear to risk our lives? It's too early for you to face experts of the sixth realm. Prepare to kill those hunters of similar level to you later. Go and hone your skills!"

"This time, have you really been resurrected?" Even a celestial being was somewhat doubtful of life.

"Yes!" replied the female patriarch Yu Shaohua.

Someone asked, "The scene ahead, with its piles of bones and flesh, and shattered armor... even the ancestor of the alien race couldn't see through it?"

Moreover, with so many patriarchs standing here, didn't the alien races in the night sky sense it?
“A month ago, we said we would light the so-called ‘incense of the Dao.’ You didn’t really think we would give such a good thing to the evil immortals in the underworld to enjoy, did you?”

"That's actually 'Mirage Fragrance'!"

With just this simple response, many people guessed what was going on.

Thirty-four years ago, the patriarchs joined forces to kill a seventh-realm mirage immortal. Its greatest skill was to deceive people by creating illusions, making it impossible to distinguish between the real and the illusory.

In fact, the Immortal's Tomb has never been attacked and still stands in front of us.

One of the patriarchs spoke up: "If we want to explore the depths of the Night Fog World, we must first eliminate any disturbances or threats from the surrounding areas!"

This nomadic civilization has always lingered on the periphery, and when humanity is vulnerable internally, they will inevitably take advantage of the situation. A group of patriarchs were still figuring out how to catch them, but the patriarchs took the bait first, and naturally, they followed suit.

"Today, we will slaughter you all to avenge our masters and ancestors, annihilate your lineages, and destroy your ancestral temples and blessed lands!" In the night sky, some powerful alien beings of the sixth realm appeared and pressed forward.

"I heard someone wants to settle this with a three-arrow duel?" Helian Chengyun, now in his youthful form, stepped forward, a red mark between his brows, his crimson-gold armor clanging loudly.
He instantly drew his bow and fired three arrows into the sky.

There stood a powerful two-headed werewolf, his pupils wide with shock. He drew his bow and fired three arrows, each carrying a terrifying Daoist aura!

Rumble!
Between heaven and earth, it was as if several suns had collided, bursting forth with terrifying light that illuminated the entire desert.

As the light faded, the two-headed werewolf's body trembled slightly, covered in blood. Most of the flesh on his strong right arm had peeled away, revealing the bone beneath.

His right side, including his scalp and ears, was ripped off by the terrifying arrow light.

Helian Chengyun said calmly, "You think you're worthy to fight me with arrows? Four hundred and fifty years ago, if it weren't for your brother standing in front of you, you would have been dead long ago!"

"Let's go!" The leaders of the hunting civilization were decisive and led their men to retreat, because the enemy's leaders were not dead and had been waiting for them to appear.

Suddenly, the desert erupted in a frenzy, with endless beams of runic light rising up, and thirty-six divine pillars, like pillars supporting the sky, appeared and stood firm in all directions of the vast desert.

"Golden Lion, didn't you ask me if I'm still alive? I, Leng Mingkong, am here!" A young man with a full head of black hair said as he ascended into the sky.

He was faster than lightning, and charged straight at them.

A deafening explosion echoed through the night sky as he clashed with the lion-like blond elder.

Leng Mingkong's black hair fluttered in the wind, his body was full of vitality, and every inch of his body was flowing with immortal radiance. He stood in the air, like a celestial being descending to earth.

Golden Lion was sent flying far away, coughing up blood. He was sent flying to the horizon by a punch formed from Leng Mingkong's spiritual light.

On the ground, many of the young disciples were about to cheer.

An elder stopped them, saying, "Pioneering is no small matter. Don't let momentary emotions control your mind. Even the elders might die in the coming days. Prepare for battle!"

This is a long chapter. I'll take a break this weekend. Thank you all, readers.

(End of this chapter)