Night without Borders

Chapter 318 The Earth Immortal has regrets
Even the young disciples, who knew nothing of this, trembled and were terrified when they gradually saw a human skin peeling off in the colorful mist; it was by no means a good omen.

Soon, everyone saw that the human skin broke free from the passage and floated in the fierce winds of the sky, looking lifelike.

“It seems to be…smiling at us!” A young girl exclaimed, her face pale.

After the human skin swelled up, blood dripped from the corner of its mouth, and its eyes, like abysses, swayed in the strong wind, as if nodding in greeting.

The night was dark, and everywhere else in the sky was pitch black except for the area with the human skin, which was truly eerie and chilling.

"The old man's smile can mean the difference between life and death," said a renowned figure on the Immortal Path.

"Shut up right now and stop talking nonsense!" Qian Yuan scolded.

At this moment, both spaceships had already sped away from the area behind them. No one expected that waiting for the legendary ancient "grotto-heaven" to collapse, hoping to seize an opportunity, would ultimately result in them receiving a piece of immortal skin.

"It's following us!" someone said in a trembling voice.

The spaceship was fast, but the human skin, dripping with blood, was also moving quite fast, drifting along behind.

Some people with keen senses even seemed to hear a mournful sound, as if someone was calling them to turn around.

Now, people know that the red energy substance found in the passage earlier was indeed blood, and that it was related to immortals and gods.

However, that was not a blessing, but more like a kind of "dirty blood" being expelled.

"That being... someone is coming back. And we just happened to run into one!"

"Why is it chasing us? We haven't done anything malicious to it."

At this moment, many people's voices were trembling.

Jin Yuan swore that he would never speak carelessly again in unknown territories or in mysterious environments, or he might actually come true.

Within the vast, colorful mist, thunder erupted. It was unclear whether the heavenly lightning was striking the evil spirits or whether the unknown entity itself was creating the commotion.

Subsequently, many people saw that broken bones had fallen out and detached from the passage.

"Hiss!" Some of the young disciples couldn't keep their composure when they saw this.

The white bones still had a small amount of flesh clinging to them, and were even stained with blood. They were swaying, and half of the head had its mouth open. Even from a great distance, you could hear a "crack" sound.

"Full acceleration, activate extreme flight mode!" Jin Yuan shouted.

The captain responded, "This is not a warship, but a small rescue boat, and it was damaged before. The hull itself may not be able to withstand the over-limit mode."

Qian Yuan said, "We can't worry about that now, let's speed up and escape!"

With no grandmaster-level figure in charge right now, would they risk their lives to fight? That would be suicide. Their only option is to flee for their lives at all costs.

Not long ago, they were talking about the surrounding environment and had heard that in the wild north, there were earth immortals and people playing chess with human skin.

These are not stories. Now that the legendary things have actually come out, who can be unafraid of that bright red human skin behind them?

The only good news was that the white bones, streaked with blood and bits of flesh, didn't follow; instead, they fell from the night sky.

Moreover, people discovered that the distance between the human skin and them had increased, and it even became somewhat blurry after the spaceship accelerated.

But one thing is certain: it is swaying and drifting, still chasing after them.

Some people even vaguely heard its laughter in their hearts, like the cold laughter of a thousand-year-old vengeful ghost, which was extremely creepy and made some old guys' hair stand on end.

As distance increased, people's tension eased somewhat.

Many people calmed down a bit, and Qin Ming spoke up: "Is it possible that although it intended to approach, it had just been stripped of its original body and its vital energy was depleted to the bottom, so it was actually powerless to pursue. It was just being blown forward by this gale."

"That makes sense." Many people nodded.

Because we are now at the highest point in the sky, the gale is extremely terrifying, and many people would not be able to withstand it without the protection of the runes emanating from the ship's exterior.

The two masters blushed slightly and instructed their men to try changing the location.

Sure enough, the blood-dripping human skin disappeared and did not follow.

"I thought it would be a great opportunity, but it turned out to be a huge shock. If that human skin had been left on the ship, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"It's hard to say what the mindset of those old guys who have just escaped their predicament is. They may still be peaceful, or they may be twisted and abnormal. It's best not to get involved with them."

Everyone felt a wave of fear and quickly left.

A few simple-minded teenagers were slow to realize what had happened and only now understood what was going on. They said, "The true form of that blood-red human skin is very likely an Earth Immortal, or even an even more powerful being? It has returned from a mysterious place to reshape its original true self and walk the path of the past again?"

Seeing the lingering fear on the faces of some of the teenagers, Qian Yuan sighed, "Be content. We were lucky to witness this scene and escape unscathed."

Jin Yuan spoke up: "You see, even a terrestrial immortal has regrets! This further proves that the ancestors' choices were correct. If one step is wrong and one turns back, not to mention the world will change drastically, many people and things will be different. To make up for the past, one must pay more than ten times the price."

Qin Ming pondered it and felt that what he said made sense.

Because he had seen examples of it.

Black and White Mountain, Twin Tree Village, Liu Mo is still not awake. Five hundred years have passed, and he has not been completely reborn.

Only after confirming that there were no bloody human skins following them did Qian Yuan feel relieved. He then ordered the spaceship to descend, adjust its direction, and quickly embark on its return journey.

He said, "Even if there is a fairy flower blooming in the road ahead, do not stop, and do not cause any more trouble!"

After things calmed down, people were still shaken.

"Terrifying. There's a reason why such an existence could reach such heights. It's because they're so ruthless to themselves, digging out immortal bones and peeling off their own skin."

"If I were an immortal, overlooking the world of night mist and roaming freely in the mortal realm, I would not suffer such torment."

Some people refuted this, saying, "The pursuits and ambitions are naturally different depending on the height one stands at. After becoming an Earth Immortal, there are still Heavenly Immortals above to suppress one. Those who can become Earth Immortals must have always stood high above the clouds. If they still have a chance to change their fate, they will naturally not want to bow down to Heavenly Immortals."

Jin Yuan said, "Don't doubt it. Those who can become Earth Immortals or Heavenly Gods all have great courage and are the most powerful figures of their respective eras."

Qian Yuan nodded in agreement, saying, "In ancient times, those who dared to look back like this and sever their immortal or divine bodies were definitely not a minority. For example, where did those immortal sects get the materials to replace the divine bones and repair the immortal skin of their top warriors? Even great sects would probably not be willing to easily capture immortals or hunt gods. Moreover, those gods and immortals were very likely their ancestors. It can only be said that in that era, there were quite a few immortals and gods who voluntarily returned. After the residual consciousness attached to the discarded divine bones and immortal skin gradually faded away, some of them eventually became materials."

Many people nodded in agreement, agreeing that what he said made a lot of sense.

But where are those immortals and gods who returned?
Ultimately, did this existence go a step further, or did it fail and disappear completely?

If you think about it carefully, even in their familiar territory, the water is quite deep.

Suddenly, someone stared in awe at the earth beneath the night mist and said, "Senior, could it be that the Earth Immortal Flower has truly appeared?"

A dazzling rain of light rose from the ground, a celestial flower was blooming, and beams of light shot into the sky, creating an incomparably sacred scene.

Jin Yuan said, "Hurry up! This place is barren, and there are no fire springs within 100,000 miles. How could a flower of earth immortality possibly grow here? We probably... haven't gotten rid of that thing yet!"

Sure enough, as they went away, the location of the fairy flower was nothing but a fog, and a bloody human skin soared into the sky, emitting chilling whispers and laughter.

"Laughter rose from the bottom of my heart!" Some people felt a chill run down their spines and got goosebumps all over.

"The human skin discarded by the Earth Immortal retains some negative emotions, is it filled with resentment? Why doesn't it entangle with the original owner, but instead chases after us!"

Over the next two days, they saw the blood-red human skin, with empty eye sockets and blood flowing from its seven orifices, drifting in the night and following them on their journey.

Qian Yuan reassured everyone, saying, "It's alright. It hasn't become a threat yet, and it probably can't do anything to us, otherwise it would have already made its move." People were still uneasy. There was no patriarch here, nor any Grandmaster at the peak of the Fifth Realm, only two Grandmasters at the mid-stage of the Fifth Realm who were recuperating from injuries. They felt it wasn't safe enough.

On the third day, when some people fall into a deep sleep, they will encounter the blood-red human skin in their dreams, experiencing nightmares that drain their energy and spirit.

"Senior, do you know Senior Liu Mo?" Qin Ming had also seen it in his dream, but trying to establish a connection was completely useless.

Ultimately, it was through his own unwavering willpower that he managed to break free from the torment of nightmares.

On the fourth day, Jin Yuan and Qian Yuan looked ahead from the spaceship, then their expressions changed drastically, and they shouted, "Prepare for battle!"

In the pitch-black night sky, there were more than two hundred strange birds and beasts, riding on them, including humans, two-headed werewolves, and fire lizards.

"There's still a small group of hunters!" Everyone was stunned.

"Could this be another illusion created from that human skin?"

"No, it's an enemy attack! Prepare to break out!"

The blood-red human skin did indeed appear, startling the team that was resting on the road. Then, they took to the air to intercept it.

"Kill them all and avenge our ancestors!" roared a master among the hunters, leading his men in a charge.

In a matter of moments, the two spaceships disintegrated, unable to stop their charge.

This was not a warship, but a small rescue boat that disintegrated and broke into pieces in the night sky.

Qin Ming beckoned Jin Yuan to ride the Thunder King Bird together and burst out of the shattered spaceship.

The two spaceships had many mounts on board, and now they were all carrying people as they fled into the thick night fog. The situation was not good, and if they fought to the death, they would be wiped out.

"Chase them down! Don't let a single one escape!" an old man commanded fiercely.

A brutal melee broke out inexplicably.

Qin Ming's group had a total of over a hundred people, less than half the number on the other side. Most importantly, they were the last group of patients to leave the desert, and naturally, they were also the most seriously injured.

Although many days have passed, the people have not yet fully recovered.

During the battle, Qin Ming roughly understood the situation through emotional resonance.

Several patriarchs, together with the experts of the Sun Elf race, traveled westward, sweeping away the hunters' lair.

However, some hunters who had been out there heard the terrible news were driven to madness, but they were powerless to retaliate against the Grandmaster-level powerhouse.

Ultimately, they split into several groups and set off one after another to the Plains of Divine Devastation, to seek refuge with the demon civilization, and then take revenge on their nemesis.

Qin Ming and his group set off late and encountered a group of people on the way.

This was a brutal and bloody battle. More than a hundred people were seriously wounded, and their bodies already had significant problems. People were constantly being killed along with their mounts.

Some people were even blasted to pieces in the night sky along with their mounts.

"Run! Every person who can escape is a chance!" someone shouted.

Everyone is trying to break through, but only a few succeed.

Experts have keen senses. When Qin Ming broke through the encirclement, a grandmaster-level figure sensed it and locked his gaze on Jin Yuan, who was riding the Thunder King Bird with him.

Furthermore, the master-level hunter approached at lightning speed on his mount, a ferocious beast resembling a bat, its blood-red fleshy wings flapping with lightning speed.

This mount, at the early stage of the fifth realm, was even faster than the Thunder King Bird.

Jin Yuan stood up, perched on the Thunder King Bird, his back to Qin Ming, and said, "Little Qin, prepare to flee far away. Don't look back. You're not such a big target; perhaps you can escape."

"senior!"

Jin Yuan said, "No need to say more. I'll go stop him. At the very least, I'll kill his mount so it can't pursue us. Maybe I can even take him with me!"

Jin Yuan waited for the enemy to approach before launching a direct attack.

He sighed, "Unfortunately, although my shattered physical body has healed, my torn mental field is not so easy to restore. Otherwise, a grandmaster like him could take on three of them with my Five Elements Divine Skill!"

Qin Ming immediately said, "Senior, I have the blood of a mythical beast here!"

Jin Yuan shook his head and said, "On the battlefield, I encountered a grandmaster who was once incredibly powerful, and I was even blocked by a great grandmaster once. My body was torn to pieces many times. What do you think I survived? It was because I drank the blood of the auspicious beast. Now it's not very useful to me anymore."

"Go quickly!" he shouted. Then, as his opponent approached, five elements of divine light appeared beneath his feet. With a whoosh, he traversed the night sky, rushed onto the back of the enormous beast, and directly intercepted the grandmaster.

"Be careful of that ghostly creature ahead—the human skin. It must have been it that alerted the hunters on the ground, causing them to ambush us." This was Jin Yuan's last message.

"Senior!" Qin Ming's eyes were red.

He rode the Thunder King Bird, hiding in the thick night fog, and witnessed the old man's blood splatter across the sky.

Jin Yuan's mental field was unstable, covered with huge cracks, which seriously affected his perception and reaction, causing his strength to be far less than at its peak.

He kept his promise and killed the ferocious beast, but he himself was torn to pieces, his blood splattered everywhere.

At the last moment, a burst of five-colored heavenly light burst forth from his body, transforming into the Five Elements Mountain, which slammed into his opponent.

The Grandmaster Hunter's physical body was also destroyed, and he was furious.

The two clashed several times in the night sky. Jin Yuan's fighting style was one of mutual destruction. He knew that his injuries were serious and that this was the only way to pull his opponent along.

Finally, the hunter roared, his consciousness dimming and almost extinguished, and he began to call upon his followers in the distance to come and meet him.

Qin Ming rode the Thunder King Bird at lightning speed through the night fog, catching Jin Yuan's thigh, his torn torso, and his severed head.

"Senior, are you still there?" he called out.

"Barely still alive." A hazy, five-colored light flew over.

"That's great!" Qin Ming exclaimed excitedly.

"Senior, what about your other leg?"

"After it tore apart, it should have fallen eastward. Stop looking, hurry up and leave, a dozen or so fourth-realm hunters are about to catch up with us," Jin Yuan urged.

Qin Ming rode the Thunder King Bird, swooping down towards the eastern land, finally finding Jin Yuan's mangled old leg, and then disappearing into the distance.

Behind them, a large group of hunters were in pursuit!

"The mission wasn't fully accomplished, and he's still alive!" Jin Yuan looked back and sighed helplessly. The Grandmaster-level hunter hadn't died.

However, after that flying mount, which was at the early stage of the fifth realm, was killed, it became difficult for the opponent to catch up in a short period of time.

Among this group of hunters is more than one Grandmaster. If other powerful individuals were to pursue them, they would still be in danger.

“No grandmasters followed, so they’re probably hunting for money. Old Qian’s injuries are less severe than mine; hopefully, he’ll escape unscathed,” Jin Yuan said.

Behind them, not only was there a group of powerful hunters in pursuit, but the bloody human skin reappeared not far away.

Qin Ming said, "Let them chase us. I don't care if they're human or ghost. In another day, I'll wipe them all out!"

(End of this chapter)