Night without Borders

Chapter 321 They greatly admired each other.
Two chapters in one.

In the night sky, a tuft of feathers on the head of an iron-winged parrot stood on end as it frantically cried out for help.

"The patriarchs in the main battlefield have launched a major battle." Qin Ming suddenly stood up and looked at the panicked messenger bird.

The iron-winged parrot, its feathers ruffled, said, "No, sir, hurry to Rock Town! My master can't hold out any longer; he's about to die in battle."

The neighboring town of Rock Town is calling for help; a bloody conflict has broken out there, and an elderly guardian is battling demons.

Without any delay, Qin Ming boarded the Thunder King Bird and rushed over.

During the journey, he learned the details from the iron-winged parrot perched on his shoulder.

Recently, the demons have started to stir up trouble, especially in recent days, with demons crossing the border and approaching human settlements from time to time.

According to human speculation, deep within the Godslayer Plains, the hardliners within the demon faction are gradually gaining the upper hand.

These old demons who advocate war are not afraid of the intimidation of the old laws of the Jade Capital.

In their words, since the capital city itself has disappeared, what use is a mere imperial edict?

"The demons are testing us; the real battle is not far off. The storm is brewing!" Qin Ming frowned deeply.

This is not good news for him. He still wants to break through the barrier and enter the third realm on his own. He doesn't know how much more time the other side will give him.

The distance between Panshi Town and Qingfeng Town is more than 20 miles. With the speed of the Thunder King Bird, it did not take long to arrive at the scene of the incident.

Sure enough, the old man was very resolute. Adhering to the principle of keeping enemies at bay, he stood guard alone on a mountain peak a dozen miles outside the town, and was currently holding off two demons all by himself.

On the ground lay a dead demon.

His armor was shattered, his body covered in blood, some wounds so deep they exposed bone, and his spear was broken, leaving only half of it. He was fighting a mantis beast, sparks flying from the broken spear.

In mid-air, a bird demon kept swooping down, causing him great disturbance.

"You trespassing demons, do you want to die?" Qin Ming shouted from a distance to attract the attention of the two demons, fearing that the old man would not be able to hold on.

Sure enough, the two demons couldn't help but be distracted and glanced in their direction a few times.

Boom.

In the night sky, it was as if a thunderbolt had struck. Qin Ming used the Thunder King Bird's extreme speed to reach the mountain peak. The mutton-fat jade iron knife in his hand flashed with a sharp white light, exuding a chilling aura. With a "poof," blood splattered everywhere, and the bird demon's corpse was separated from its body in mid-air.

The bird demon was killed in the first encounter, not even lasting a single move.

On the ground, both the old man and the mantis demon were startled and tensed up, marveling at the speed of the blade and the terrifying killing intent. With just one dive, a powerful demon was killed.

Qin Ming landed and, without pausing for a moment, charged straight at the demon wielding its mantis-like arms.

"Young human expert, wait! This is a misunderstanding. We got lost and stumbled upon your territory!" the mantis beast shouted, and quickly retreated.

Initially, it was murderous, fierce, and domineering. But when it saw its companion being cleaved in two, it immediately chickened out. Knowing that it was going to die, it was not its true nature to fight to the death.

Qin Ming wasn't about to waste words with it. With a swift slash, the mantis beast let out a miserable cry as one of its arms, resembling a serrated blade, fell to the ground.

Terrified, it couldn't stop itself and retreated rapidly, trying to leap into the dense forest.

However, all of this was in vain. When Qin Ming's second blade fell, its other mantis arm, covered in green sap, broke off and fell away. Moreover, the blade continued its trajectory and with a soft thud, severed its head as well.

The old man was dumbfounded. The two demons he had fought to the death were killed by the young man in the blink of an eye with just a few strokes of his sword.

His eyes were wrinkled, and his body and hair were covered in blood. He had almost died in battle. His chest heaved as he gasped for breath. It was truly a difficult situation for him.

The iron-winged parrot was speechless. In its eyes, the sky was about to collapse. Its old master was fighting against a powerful demon of the third realm and his life was in danger, but this young man had dealt with him in an instant.

"Thank you so much for your help, young man. Otherwise, I would have been dead here today." The old man quickly cupped his hands in thanks.

Soon after, a rich aroma of meat wafted from a copper pot on the mountain peak. The two had cooked the bird demon, and its meat was indeed tender and delicious. Paired with aged wine, it was a unique and enjoyable experience.

The two sat on the mountain peak, enjoying the autumn colors as they ate and chatted.

The old man said, "The orders from above are that if any demons cross the border, we should take immediate action."

The day before yesterday, a bird demon from the second realm provoked them by circling over Rock Town, but was shot dead by an arrow. As a result, a demon from the third realm has come to invade today.

"The demons are testing us, probing our reactions." The old man frowned; he was now almost certain that an unprecedented battle was about to begin.

Qin Ming nodded. The shadow of war had already loomed over the border, and it was inevitable.

The old man slapped his forehead and said, "I am Zhao Lei, and I am really getting senile. I have always called you little brother, but I have not yet asked your name."

"Qin Ming".

"What?" Zhao Lei's eyes widened, his expression one of disbelief.

Then he nodded repeatedly and said, "No wonder, I knew it. Who else on Xinsheng Road could achieve such amazing success at this age? It turns out it's Brother Qin."

He was also a member of the New Life Path. In the early stages of the Third Realm, he already had some gray hair at his temples, and was at least over fifty years old.

For cultivators on the path of rebirth, reaching such a level at this age is perfectly normal.

"I am truly fortunate to live in the same region as the future ancestor and become his neighbor!" He said, his face beaming.

Zhao Lei was initially quite bitter, as his opponent slaughtered the two great demons as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, while he fought desperately and almost lost his own life in the process.

Now, he was completely relieved. A person's reputation precedes them, and this future master-level figure was destined to have such a brilliant performance.

"A great battle is about to begin, Brother Qin, you must be careful. We killed a demon from the third realm, and there is a high probability that we will be retaliated against," the old man said solemnly.

Qin Ming nodded and said, "What's meant to come will come eventually. Just kill them. If you can't hold this side, brother, and you encounter danger, you can lure the demons to my side."

Zhao Lei stood up and bowed deeply to him.

After eating exotic bird meat and drinking wine, Qin Ming got up to take his leave, inspected the territory under his jurisdiction, and then entered Qingfeng Town.

The town has a large population, but it now appears somewhat deserted and desolate, with passersby hurrying by.

The restaurant was decorated with large red lanterns, creating a festive atmosphere, but few people entered. Even the shops facing the street were not doing well.

Only a few children were running and playing, seemingly unaffected. Judging from their worn or tattered clothes, their families were not well-off.

The approaching demon army has severely impacted the edges of the world, causing widespread panic. Many wealthy families have already fled and moved to cities.

The children, who were not very big, chased each other and laughed from time to time. Their carefree appearance infected Qin Ming and dispelled his worries about the upcoming battle.

"The demons are coming, aren't you afraid?" Qin Ming stopped and asked the two older children.

"Don't worry, my mother said there are guardians outside the town who will protect us, and there are also experts of the second realm patrolling the town to guard against the invasion of demons. We are very safe."

Qin Ming understood. This must be the child's parents comforting them. Their family, which wasn't well-off, couldn't afford to move to a distant city, so to avoid living in fear and anxiety every day, they could only say this to their child.

He looked at the innocent faces of the children, and nodded, saying, "Your parents are right. Everything will be alright, and you will all grow up happily."

A bright-eyed little girl spoke up: "My dad is a top expert who has been reborn four times. He has joined the patrol team. He said that the immortals and gods from all the paths have personally taken charge at the border. They are very confident that they will drive away the demons. We will definitely be fine."

Qin Ming was surprised and asked, "You also know about Immortal Seeds and Divine Seeds?"

One of the boys nodded and said, "Yeah, I know. There's been a lot of talk about it lately. Even the strongest group of teenagers have come to the border to fight and hone their skills with demon blood. Those big shots will definitely put in even more effort. We're sure to win this battle."

Beside him, a little boy with a dirty face and messy hair chimed in, "My cousin said that there's a very powerful fairy over there, her name is... Jiang Ran, yes, that's her. She's fighting demons on the front lines, battling them with magic, and she claims she'll wipe out the younger generation of demons!"

"Such a thing is true?" Qin Ming exclaimed in surprise.

The boy's dirty little face was full of admiration, radiating a bright light. He nodded like a chick pecking at rice and said, "Yes, there are always demons who cause trouble. She said there's no need to sneak into villages and towns. If you're not convinced, you can go directly to her for a fight."

A boy of about twelve or thirteen nodded and said, "My cousin said that over there, Pei Shuyan, Cheng Sheng, Cui Chonghe and others are also very powerful, and they are currently competing with the most powerful young people of the demon race."

"The disciples of Buddha are also very strong. Oh, and someone is using divine fire to burn the old demon!"

"My grandfather said that a great figure from the Helian family fought a celestial demon in an archery contest, and pierced through his opponent with a single arrow!"

"Great, that's really good." Qin Ming nodded.

The aroma of meat wafted from not far away, and some children couldn't help but swallow their saliva, looking towards the street corner.

"You've told me so much, now let me treat you to something to eat," Qin Ming said with a smile.

"what?"

"Well...we didn't say anything."

"Let's go." Qin Ming led them forward.

A moment later, he left, and a group of children shouted that it was too hot, but then couldn't wait to stuff food into their mouths.

"We should all survive, right?" the two oldest boys whispered.

They were approaching fifteen and were no longer naive. They saw their families' worries and knew how tense the atmosphere was. If they couldn't hold the western border, no one in their town would survive.

Qin Ming looked back from a distance without saying much, because he didn't know how the final battle would end, mainly because the demon alliance was too large.

Most importantly, god-like creatures will appear, and it remains to be seen whether the ancestors can stop them.

That night, Qin Ming received a message from a bird: recently, demons have been frequently crossing the border to provoke him; they must be killed on sight and cannot be tolerated or retreated from.

Clearly, those at the ancestral level are very assertive and have prepared for a major battle.

Many people have realized that the demons are testing the pressure and observing the human side's reaction. If we show any weakness or back down, they will definitely take advantage of us.

Qin Ming returned to the outskirts of town, sat cross-legged on a high mountain, and began his cultivation again, from the Silk Scripture to the Flesh Body Chapter, and then to the Black and White Sutra and the Diamond Sutra.

Afterwards, he began studying the true scriptures of the Immortal Path, wanting to change his field and help himself break through the barrier.

His head glowed with wisps of pure Yang energy, which slowly circulated. Unfortunately, once it reached a certain level, it would be swallowed by his physical body and merge into the heavenly light.

If he hadn't been immersed in the light of heaven, his consciousness and spiritual light would have grown stronger and stronger like a snowball if he had continued to cultivate like this every day.

Even so, he persisted in practicing the true scripture that Li Qingyue had passed on to him in the Mountain and River Spirit Nest. Later, Li Qingyue also gave him the follow-up in the Kunling Secret Realm.

"If I am not mistaken, this should be the chapter corresponding to the first two realms of the fundamental scripture of the Luofu Sect."

He also mastered the laws beyond the third realm, having obtained tattered pieces of strange gold paper with records on them in the ruins of Mount Luofu.

Subsequently, Qin Ming studied a fundamental scripture of Esoteric Buddhism, which also had a very significant background.

Long ago, a giant blue centipede was nearly a god and wanted to devour Crimson Cloud City, but it was stopped by Meng Xinghai's grandmaster uncle, Cao Qianqiu, and others. Qin Ming was also entangled in karma; the tattered cloth on his body had absorbed the centipede's divinity, and its remnant spirit came to him and led him into its divine kingdom.

Qin Ming obtained a golden scale there, which contained an extremely amazing scripture.

Without a doubt, it was not a technique created by the giant centipede itself. The golden scales were made of an extremely special material, resembling dragon scales or unicorn scales.

"The divine wisdom I have cultivated cannot be retained either; it will be swallowed up by the heavenly light within my flesh and blood. The Silk Script is too domineering."

Qin Ming did not give up and kept practicing.

While he was diligently training and trying to break through the major barrier, Thunderbird helped him patrol the territory of Green Maple Town that needed protection, constantly observing the surroundings.

When Qin Ming found his training monotonous, he would occasionally go out and wander around the border.

The demons on the edge of the Godslayer Plains are now in a dilemma. The demon alliance despises them, considering them to be dogs kept by humans who have lost their wild nature.

On the human side, the people living along the border believe that they are demons who frequently commit evil deeds.

Clearly, most of the demons in the buffer zone are opportunists, siding with whichever side is stronger.

However, the demons who have stayed behind are clearly more inclined to be friendly with humans.

When Qin Ming personally inspected the area, a powerful demon of the second realm immediately appeared, personally accompanying him, adopting a very humble posture, singing and dancing, and inviting him to drink.

The Land of Divine Demise is a vast plain covered with dense forests, rich in resources. Although few fire springs can be seen in the darkness of night, if you dig down a few feet, you will see a fiery red light shining through.

Qin Ming stood on the high mountain, gazing at the boundless forest plains. He hoped that the great battle would break out later, giving him time to break through the barrier.

Unfortunately, under these circumstances, peace is no longer possible, and the existing tense atmosphere is difficult to maintain; the two sides could come to blows at any time.

The following day, several strange birds appeared in the area of ​​Qingfeng Town.

What's outrageous is that as they approached the high mountain where Qin Ming was, after circling for a while, bird droppings began to fall.

This is truly a humiliating provocation. The area where Qin Ming is located will no longer be peaceful; demons are up to no good.

The Thunder King Bird flapped its wings, swatting away the evil creatures, and then went after them.

Qin Ming suddenly opened his eyes and said, "No need!"

He immediately drew his bow and aimed an arrow at the night sky.

Four strange birds were shot and blasted apart by iron arrows carrying the light of heaven. Their feathers flew everywhere, all stained with blood, and these not weak birds let out a shrill scream.

Even their spirits and consciousness could not escape, and were burned to ashes by the sunlight.

On that very day, two demons at the early stage of the third realm came to visit, one of which was a black peacock. This race was by no means inferior among demons.

“Young man, we come from the Hanging Ridge, a sacred place that all the feathered tribes in the world yearn for. My master has specially sent us to persuade you to surrender. A wise man submits to circumstances. We hope you will surrender.”

"If you don't want to die, then get lost." Qin Ming looked at it, wondering if the master it spoke of was a rare demon race member, and whether a strange bloodline had been born within him.

"You have offended the Hanging Ridge by killing the Feathered Clan in Rock Town!"

"You didn't even realize that disaster was imminent. You were given a way out, but you chose to cross the Bridge of Helplessness instead!"

Two bird demons flew over and attacked immediately.

Qin Ming thought for a moment, then instead of violently killing them, he maneuvered around them until, after more than a dozen moves, he beheaded them one by one.

His main concern was that he was afraid of alerting the enemy and scaring away the demons behind them, which would eventually lead to the intervention of some powerful demon. He wanted to take things slowly and drag it out as long as possible.

Besides, he was also fishing, and if some young and vigorous creature with extraordinary bloodline came to kill him, that would be wonderful.

Clearly, there were bird demons watching from afar, so he immediately fled to report the news.

Over the next two days, Qin Ming had no peace, having killed four waves of invading demons. Each time, he fought a bloody battle, which was very dangerous.

In fact, on the last two occasions, he and Thunderbird had to team up to barely defeat their opponents.

After several waves, on the fourth day, a young man dressed in a black and white robe appeared, with his hands behind his back, standing on the back of a crane, looking quite otherworldly and ethereal.

Qin Ming realized that this demon probably had some kind of background.

Beside the boy were four demons, who all transformed into human form upon landing, some male and some female, and all revered him.

"So it was you who killed my men?" The young man stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Qin Ming indifferently, as if he were looking at a dead man.

Qin Ming opened his newborn eyes and carefully examined the person. Then he showed a strange expression. He might have really hit the jackpot. The other party was probably a rare bloodline being with a significant background.

"So what?"

"Then die!" the young man in the black and white robe said coldly. He had lost more than a dozen of his men and had come to demand an explanation, intending to take action himself.

"I'm afraid you don't have the ability," Qin Ming chuckled.

The arrogant young man ordered his men, "Trap the Thunderbird and don't let it escape. I will personally kill this human youth."

"If you can't beat them, run away!" Qin Ming said to the Thunder King Bird.

The latter knew that its new owner was unscrupulous and would probably pretend to be a victim, fishing for prey one by one. It said nothing and simply flapped its wings and flew into the air.

The demon youth was a black and white sparrow with exceptional talent. His bloodline contained a portion of Yin and Yang power, and he belonged to one of the powerful clans of the Suspended Ridge.

He strode forward with one hand behind his back and said, "In front of the Heavenly Demon Seed, a human genius like you is just a joke. I can suppress you with one hand!"

Qin Ming immediately realized that this was indeed a big fish, a seed-level figure of the demon race.

He flashed a bright smile, revealing his pearly white teeth, and said, "What seed, what brat? I've never heard of that. All I know is that you're just a bird, and you'd taste delicious roasted!"

In an instant, a fierce wind arose, sand and stones flew everywhere, and the black and white sparrow took a step forward, each step covering twenty meters, and pressed down with one hand. Instantly, its demonic power surged, causing the air to explode.

Qin Ming's expression was serious as he engaged in a fierce battle with him.

In fact, when the Black and White Sparrow Clan youth approached, he used both hands simultaneously. His talk of suppressing with one hand was just empty words. As a Heavenly Demon Seed, he sensed that his opponent was extraordinary as soon as he made a move.

Therefore, he would no longer follow the rules and would immediately launch a decisive attack, displaying his strongest techniques.

Between his hands, black and white light intertwined and swept over continuously; his methods were indeed astonishing, and the power of Yin and Yang was extremely terrifying.

Whether it's grass, trees, or rocks, anything that gets hit by his attack will be torn apart by the power of Yin and Yang. Even refined iron will be reduced to dust in an instant.

Qin Ming nodded inwardly. The other party was in the same realm as him, at the peak of the second stage. To have such extraordinary skills was indeed quite impressive.

He looked at the familiar Yin-Yang power, but instead of using the black and white Yin-Yang diagram, he directly used brute force to confront it.

Instantly, a pale gold color appeared on his body. He unleashed his Vajra Fist, generating a whooshing wind that stirred up broken trees and shattered boulders, causing them to swirl around him.

"When you killed my men earlier, you deliberately concealed your true abilities; you are a seed from the human side!" Black and White Sparrow's face was gloomy.

"Now that you know, then spare your life!"

Qin Ming increased the force of his punch, the Vajra Fist striking like thunder, creating sonic booms and terrifying golden light. This heavenly light energy scorched the black and white sparrow's mind and consciousness, causing excruciating pain.

He was shocked. They were both in the second realm, so why was the other party so terrifyingly strong?
“You’re amazing. You could probably take ten of my punches,” Qin Ming said.

"You..." Black and White Sparrow was both shocked and furious. How could the other party be so contemptuous of him!

Immediately, his eyes changed, because the other party said he could withstand ten punches, and seemed to have the confidence to do so, which made his blood boil and his mind about to be ignited.

However, he noticed that his opponent seemed to be holding back, and soon they had exchanged more than thirty punches.

"He still wants to keep acting and lure others into his trap?" Black Sparrow was furious; he himself had become a tool.

Qin Ming fought fiercely with him, using brute force to confront the black and white light, fighting to the point of "near death and survival," at least that's what people who saw this scene from afar thought.

"I..." The boy from the Black and White Sparrow Clan wanted to shout and tell the truth.

However, during the fight, when his black and white light touched the opponent's fist, an even more powerful black and white light pierced through from the opposite direction. Taking advantage of his cover, the opponent unleashed the Yin-Yang Heavenly Light Force.

The young man from the Black and White Sparrow Clan groaned, feeling as if his divine wisdom had been ignited, causing him excruciating pain and making him feel as if he were on fire.

"I am destined to become a god in the future, how can my divine wisdom be destroyed here?" He was horrified, but he could not make a sound. Moreover, he had no choice but to continue to unleash black and white light to fight back, further concealing the opponent's yin and yang power.

And so, the two fought for more than a hundred moves. Qin Ming took a "trick" and suddenly drew his mutton-fat jade iron knife, which could break divine wisdom and block black and white light. He used the precious knife to severely injure the boy.

Subsequently, Qin Ming reasonably beheaded the black and white sparrow.

In the night sky, the four bird demons, seeing this, all fled in terror. The Thunder King Bird, which was also fleeing for its life, flew to the mountain peak and killed the boy's crane mount.

"As expected, there is extraordinary blood!" Qin Ming smiled broadly.

Then, with a thud, he fell backward to the ground, pretending to be exhausted and panting heavily.

In the distance, several bird demons saw this scene but did not return to fight back. Instead, they immediately went to report it.

"I hope the old monsters won't be so protective of their own, otherwise I'll have no choice but to ask for help." Qin Ming hoped to attract some other creatures of similar bloodline.

"What? There are human seeds there? Good, good, good!" Upon receiving the secret report, some of the other celestial demon species in the Hanging Ridge were greatly encouraged and immediately launched an attack.

Qin Ming's eyes burned with desire as he looked on to hunt the rare bloodline creatures.

In the eyes of demons, aren't human seeds a great medicine?
On the mountaintop, the black and white bird had revealed its true form: a fierce bird with black and white markings.

Qin Ming quickly extracted the extraordinary blood and refined it on the spot. He immediately felt the vitality within his body surging, subtly raising his upper limit and enriching his foundation.

A rumbling thunderclap echoed from the sky, and a terrifying demon flew in, letting out a loud roar.

"You human brat, you killed a Heavenly Demon of my Black and White Sparrow Clan of Suspended Ridge and even dared to devour its ancestral blood! Your crimes are unforgivable! My brother, I have come to avenge you!"

A snow-white alien creature landed and transformed into a white-clad youth with a divine halo behind his head. Although he was shouting and saying he wanted revenge, there was an undisguised joy on his face.

“What a magnificent human-shaped medicinal plant!” he murmured.

He possessed a special eye technique and sensed that this human boy possessed immense blood energy and extremely vigorous vitality, which was very tempting to him.

"A Heavenly Demon Seed of the Third Realm, what a wonderful demon, what a wonderful medicine!" Qin Ming exclaimed. He felt that by fighting to sustain himself and strengthening his foundation, he might be able to break through the major barrier quickly.

It can be said that now both the human and the demon are constantly sizing each other up, and they "admire" each other very much, both feeling that the other is very "potent".

(End of this chapter)