Night without Borders

Chapter 353 Pilgrimage?

In the early night, on Black and White Mountain, snowflakes drifted down, and patches of blood bamboo covered the ground. From the bamboo joints to the leaves, everything was bright red, as if carved from red jade. Against the backdrop of the white snow, it was truly refreshing and stunning.

Qin Ming sat quietly, pondering the "Refining the Body and Uniting with the Dao Scripture." In this extremely cold climate, he abandoned the protection of the heavenly light and focused on tempering his physique.

As he breathed in a special rhythm, white mist surged, and his whole body seemed to be enveloped in celestial energy.

Within Qin Ming's body, the large tendons transformed into "true dragons," and the so-called secret passage became a "celestial lake." At this moment, the dragons revived and drank "celestial nectar" from the "lake."

His meridians were being stretched, and a real "dragon's roar" was heard, which frightened the nearby strange beasts and birds, who dared not show their faces.

Within the "Fairy Lake," his potential rippled like waves, imbuing his bones with radiance. Then, all his bones vibrated together, accompanied by a thunderous sound.

Qin Ming's body was covered with a golden light like the morning glow, while his bones inside were as white as moonlight, crystal clear and imbued with spiritual charm.

Soon after, he was drenched in sweat, and in the wind and snow, his body was enveloped in a misty haze. He felt completely refreshed, as if he had eaten the ginseng fruit described in ancient books, and as if he were undergoing a cleansing and rejuvenation process.

At this moment, he is transforming into the legendary golden body and jade bones.

Qin Ming exhaled a large breath of white mist, then opened his eyes.

At this time last year, he slew a blood snake with his knife in this blood bamboo forest, and for the first time in his life, he obtained spiritual matter.

After a year away, when he returned to the Black and White Mountains, he was no longer as "weak" as before, and needed to be constantly vigilant against the strange insects and monsters in the mountains.

He gazed into the distance through the wind and snow. Although his own strength had increased significantly, it was still not enough in this turbulent era.

Various systems, such as the Immortal Path, the Secret Sect, the Otherworldly Beings, and the Forbidden Lands, are all expanding their paths. Now, a vast and brilliant human civilization has emerged in the distance, with various factions vying for dominance and a hundred schools of thought contending, showcasing the magnificent and glorious atmosphere of a prosperous age.

Not to mention, deep within the night fog, there are numerous alien civilizations, and even rumors of an Immortal Dynasty, which inspire both longing and awe.

"We need to be even stronger!"

As night deepened, Qin Ming had finished practicing the "Golden Crow Illuminating the Night Scripture." During this period, he had been "exploring" within his body, developing many mysterious pathways.

He clearly felt that his Heavenly Light Force had become even stronger, and his flesh and blood were like a furnace shimmering with divine light, as if a golden crow dwelled there.

As Qin Ming emerged from the mountain, he saw a donkey slowly wading through the snow at the edge of the land, with a snow-white old weasel sitting on its back.

At first, he was extremely wary of this creature and wanted to stay far away from it.

Today, he simply clasped his hands in a fist salute and then drifted away.

The old weasel was taken aback, then nodded in response, its feelings quite complicated. It naturally remembered the boy; last year, when the mountains were blocked by heavy snow, it had seen him from afar, his shoulder covered in blood, fighting a donkey-headed wolf in the forest.

"It's unbelievable that he has grown to this level in just one year."

Late at night, beside the fire spring, on the black and white twin trees, two small creatures transformed into yin-yang eyes, each sitting cross-legged in a seemingly authentic manner, exuding a rich spirituality.

They already knew that there were many benefits to cultivating with Qin Ming. When he was comprehending the Dao, not only did the mysterious substances floating in the night fog increase, but there was also a Daoist aura surrounding him.

Qin Ming was studying the "Geomagnetic Scripture." Although he obtained the scripture that allowed him to slay gods with his own body and four pages of jade books, he did not give up on various extraordinary skills. Instead, he delved deeper to fully understand their true meaning.

This scripture is very compatible with spiritual fields and is suitable for controlling all kinds of objects.

In the blink of an eye, a jade iron knife, a red jade sword, a black jade hammer, and a measuring ruler appeared behind him. In addition, a small amount of scrap copper and iron from the snow also broke through the soil and appeared around him, transforming into weapons.

He then combined this scripture with the "Golden Silkworm Scripture," and a golden net immediately spread outward from him.

In the latter half of the night, Qin Ming's "spiritual field" unfolded. Currently, only those who have mastered special pupil techniques can vaguely see it; it is a tangible field, layer upon layer.

In an instant, the dense black and white particles within the spiritual field vibrated, their power significantly increasing and continuing to expand outward.

Qin Ming was certain that he could directly confront any of them, whether it was the Sumeru Field, the Heavenly Demon Force Field, the inner realm of the Tantric sect for achieving godhood, or the wondrous realm of the immortals, with his spiritual field.

Immediately, the five sacred evils decomposed, turning into particles that were distributed throughout the spiritual field, further enhancing their power.

In recent days, Qin Ming has been comprehending the Dao, summarizing his experiences, and integrating various scriptures. Moreover, he spends his nights in a spiritual journey, venturing into the dark sky to capture "meteor showers" and other phenomena. He was not frightened by the monster from last time.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. Qin Ming's cultivation had improved, and his strength was greater than before. However, after entering the third level of the Spirit Field, he sighed and felt that things were a bit slow.

By quantifying the spiritual realm, he can more clearly perceive the changes within himself, which can also spur and motivate him to cultivate diligently and move forward.

At the current rate, it will take him about a year to advance to each level.

"Continuing to proceed step by step like this is really too slow!"

Qin Ming couldn't wait, because he was comparing himself to the people of the Immortal Path and the Secret Sect, not to mention the glorious human civilization in the distance.

The long night was dark and the world was as dark as an abyss, yet the various civilizations deep within the foggy world were brilliant.

"If you want to speed things up, you have to look inward for solutions or seek them out from the outside."

Unfortunately, after the Western Frontier War ended, the most urgent need in Yezhou was for spiritual items. From the young and strong experts to the grandmasters and even the patriarchs, everyone needed powerful medicines to heal their injuries.

Besides, those special treasure lands, such as the Spirit Nest of Mountains and Rivers and the Aperture of the Earth, are all owned and have long been occupied.

The entire area has been almost fully developed, making it difficult to find any hidden gems.

As for soaring above the heavens and wandering through the misty sea, that would be far too risky. There's no guarantee of encountering a golden palace or divine medicine in the sky. If you go too high, you might be more likely to encounter monsters even paler than Cui Chong and his great-grandmother.

Qin Ming pondered: "No wonder people have left Yezhou every year to explore new worlds. Those who come after them want to rise up, but there aren't enough resources to go around, so they have to find another way out."

He spent over a month in seclusion on Black and White Mountain, and had almost fully understood the scriptures he had been studying. Next, he wanted to try his luck and see if there were any unclaimed elixirs or immortal nests in this dark world.

He was even prepared to set off to see that magnificent human kingdom in the distance if it seemed plausible.

Otherwise, relying solely on arduous cultivation and following the normal path, it would take him many more years to break through the Heavenly Gate of the Fourth Realm.

"Xiao Qin, this 'Black and White Scripture' is indeed very helpful in relieving my symptoms. I seem to have come across it a long time ago, and it feels very familiar. I should be able to get through this long winter. You can travel with peace of mind." Liu Mo saw him off.

Qin Ming had long suspected that this scripture was related to Old Man Liu, and now it has undoubtedly been confirmed.

"Mountain Lord, are you going on another long journey?" Yuque blinked its jewel-like eyes, but ultimately refrained from following. It planned to rely on its parents for a while longer.

"Uncle Qin, come home and visit more often!" The red squirrel is much more obedient than before.

During this time, Qin Ming spent his nights in Black and White Mountain and his nights under the Twin Trees, trying to avoid the local villagers and minimize entanglements. Today, he departed silently.

When he passed through Chixia City, he discovered that Meng Xinghai's serious injuries from the Western Frontier battlefield had almost healed, which put his mind at ease.

"Xiao Qin, you've made great progress. The important thing now is to be steady and not take any risks!" Meng Xinghai said earnestly.

"Uncle Meng, I understand!" Qin Ming only stayed here for one day before riding away on the Thunder King Bird.

Even while traveling, he was also cultivating. His figure appeared in many major cities of Yezhou, as well as famous mountains that had been bombarded by the heavenly light.

Qin Ming couldn't help but sigh. Some places really did possess magical substances. The mountains were filled with colorful divine light, and the cracks in the ground gushed out the light of the sky, making his mouth water.

Unfortunately, deep within these secret passages of the earth, an old monster was in seclusion, and the place had been occupied by esoteric sects and immortal paths a thousand years ago.

Qin Ming refused to believe in superstition and wandered through the deep mountains and marshes, relying on his newly born eyes to try to find the dragon's lair, the nest of the gods, and discover undiscovered wonders.

However, he ended up in a disgraceful situation, having unearthed a mass grave in what appeared to be a peaceful swamp, which later led to bizarre and outrageous events.

Whenever he enters a dream, an old woman bleeding from all seven orifices appears, as if she has taken root in his mental field.

Even the Thunder King Bird suffers from nightmares every day.

Finally, Qin Ming burned himself with the light of the heavens for three days and three nights, and then continuously baptized the Thunder King Bird before he could finally get rid of that bleeding face.

Of course, his immediate escape to the capital of the Great Yu Dynasty also played a role; the stronger the yang energy in a place, the dimmer and faster his old face became.

Although Qin Ming was still somewhat unconvinced, he had to admit that all the good spots had indeed been taken.

Along the way, he heard many stories about visitors from other places.

In the past, batches of experts traveled far and wide to explore new worlds. It seemed that only those who went to the southwest could return safely after entering the realm of Earth Immortals.

"After we discovered that magnificent human civilization, we wanted to return as soon as possible to report back. However, a thick fog blocked our way, and the journey back was a thousand times more difficult than the journey there."

Walking along different paths, one eventually emerges from the fog in different places, straying far from one's original goal. Back then, when they ventured southwest, the main reason was that predecessors had left stone markers before the fog, so most later travelers followed the same path.

Most importantly, the fog on the other side is not stable. It has been appearing and disappearing for hundreds of years. If they want to embark on their journey home, they not only need to try and fail, but also need to wait for a clear fog gate to appear before they can enter.

Lately, there have been many news reports about travelers returning home, so it wasn't difficult for Qin Ming to find out.

"Is there something wrong with this group of people?"

Qin Ming pondered that, given the cunning of those patriarchs in Yezhou, if a serious situation were to arise, they would still take drastic measures regardless of whether the person was a former senior sister or senior brother.

He even felt that, in accordance with the style of some patriarchs, the exploration of the consciousness of some people should have already been carried out and succeeded.

Not long after Qin Ming entered the Great Yu Dynasty, someone came to his door. The person was tall and slender, and although he was wearing crimson armor, it could not hide his beautiful curves. His black hair flowed down to his waist, his skin was as white as ivory, and his appearance was stunning and his beauty unparalleled.

She was none other than Yao Ruoxian, the fourth princess of the Dayu Dynasty.

Qin Ming was not surprised. In the other party's territory, especially since his mount, the Thunder King Bird, was no ordinary bird and was a gift from Yao Ruoxian, it was natural that he would be discovered.

However, he is not worried about his whereabouts being revealed.

Although he did not join the Six Imperial Ancestral Court or the Tathagata Sect, he and Xiang Yiwu now represent the face and backbone of the younger generation on Xinsheng Road. Moreover, Lu Zizai recently stood up for him, so under this background, no one will cause him any trouble.

In the inn with a courtyard, the Thunder King Bird immediately stepped forward to pay its respects, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

At the same time, it looked at Yao Ruoxian's mount—the Thunder Emperor Bird—and its eyes flashed with lightning as it said, "Greetings, Princess!"

Clearly, it was much more enthusiastic when it saw the seed-level royal bird of its own kind than when it faced Yao Ruoxian.

Unfortunately, no matter how much it fawned over it, the Thunder King Bird only nodded reservedly, or responded with the simplest of words: "Hmm!"

Qin Ming rubbed his forehead, not wanting to look at this licking king, and invited Yao Ruoxian into the house.

Yao Ruoxian said, "Where have you been for the past month? You've disappeared completely. There's been a lot of commotion outside, and many people want to invite you out for a get-together, but they can't find you."

She told him directly that the seeds from all the paths were in contact with that group of young people from afar, and had tried to invite him to the meeting many times, only to find that he had lost contact.

"Is it going to be another fight?" Qin Ming looked surprised. He was almost having a stress reaction. Whenever someone came to him, it was usually to ask him to be a "henchman".

Yao Ruoxian shook her head and said, "No, that's not the case. The people from Yezhou have interacted with them several times, and they get along well. They all have a very good impression of each other."

Then she laughed and said, "It seems you've been really out of touch lately, spending all your time in seclusion, haven't you?"

Qin Ming asked, "After they come back, will they leave again? Will they do anything special? It doesn't necessarily mean they want to return to their hometowns, after all, they brought back quite a few young and strong men with them."

Yao Ruoxian said, "Those people were very frank. They said that some of our cultivation techniques might be the introduction to, or the prequel to, some priceless scriptures."

For example, the "Black and White Scripture" from the ancient Taoist temple, although no one has been able to master it, has a truly remarkable origin and is said to be related to a supreme scripture from afar.

"For example, the four broken jade books on the Immortal Path may only be the prelude chapters. The main text should have nine or twelve pages."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming was astonished. If this was the case, then the owner of the four-page jade book had not practiced the original scripture either, so naturally he would not be able to sense anything further.

Yao Ruoxian said, "They found a lot of valuable information over there, so they think that there might be more chapters in the underground ruins here, or even other more remarkable books buried there."

Qin Ming asked, "What are the attitudes of the founders of each path?"

Yao Ruoxian smiled and told them, "The ancestors approve of this, and told them to go ahead and explore freely, and to ask if they need anything. The ancestors have all gone into seclusion to recuperate."

Qin Ming pondered that the patriarchs had the confidence to do so. If these people really made a gain, Yezhou would definitely benefit from it. No one could get the scriptures here for nothing.

He said, "They want to delve deeper into the ruins and find the true scriptures, but that's probably not all. Perhaps they have other purposes as well."

"That's not something you or I need to worry about," Yao Ruoxian said after taking a sip of tea.

Qin Ming frowned and said, "If there were Earth Immortals or those who had reached the Seventh Heaven Realm on the other side, and they came to this land in person, I think the pressure on all the patriarchs would be greatly increased, wouldn't it?"

Yao Ruoxian nodded solemnly and said, "The experts over there are indeed very powerful."

Then, as if remembering something, she said, "You haven't been reading the night report lately, so you may have missed some news. Did you know that among the returning young generation, some people have amazed Yezhou and have been widely reported? Even if ancient sages were to return to their youth, they might not be able to suppress them."

Qin Ming immediately became interested and asked, "How extraordinary was their performance?"

“At the time, the newspapers such as The Daily News, The Evening News, and The World News were full of praise and lauded you to the extreme. How could you be so careless as to miss these things and not even bother to find out about them afterwards?”

Yao Ruoxian mentioned that one of them took the path of rebirth, and in his early years, he had already mastered the Three Powers in the first realm!

Qin Ming nodded calmly and said, "Very outstanding. However, we also have those who have been granted the Three Powers, those who have shaken the heavens, and those who have achieved the Golden Body Nirvana."

Yao Ruoxian carefully observed his expression. Seeing how calm he was, she was deeply shocked. What level had the young man in front of her reached when he was in the first realm?
She continued, "That person is more powerful than a normal Heaven Shaker or Golden Body Nirvana cultivator; he is very likely to have reached the late stage of the Three-Power Technique!"

"Incredible!" Qin Ming exclaimed.

Yao Ruoxian couldn't figure out his situation anymore. What state was he in back then?
She smiled and said, "This person really wants to talk to you."

"Why?" Qin Ming asked.

Yao Ruoxian said, "Because he heard about your achievements, and there were rumors that you relied on your own efforts to cultivate the Chaos Force, which shocked all the returning people."

The Heavenly Light Force developed through silk calligraphy had various names in the past. Some called it Hunyuan Force, others called it Chaos Force, and still others called it Holy Force or Heavenly God Force.

"Oh, they care a lot about the Silk Calligraphy?" Qin Ming's expression changed, and he became alert.

Yao Ruoxian shook her head and said, "What they care about is not the Hunyuan Jin itself, but you as a person. After all, the silk scroll inheritance you mentioned has not been lost in their territory, but has continued to this day."

This time, even Qin Ming was deeply shaken. Sure enough, the founder of the Silk Calligraphy School had once gone to that area. Even though the physical body was prone to exploding, there were still those who persisted in practicing it.

He has been in seclusion recently and has indeed missed a lot of important information.

Silk calligraphy is very special. If it is to be passed down and preserved, it must be guided by predecessors. It cannot be interrupted even once.

Qin Ming said solemnly, "The people over there are very brave. They know that in the end it will all be for nothing and they will explode, but there are still newcomers who dare to join and continue to cultivate."

Yao Ruoxian said, "The cultivation civilization over there is highly developed and extremely brilliant, so it's not necessarily true that there are no ways to alleviate the problem."

Then, she looked surprised and said, "You really mastered it all by yourself?"

In her opinion, this was simply unbelievable and completely defied common sense!

"Who said that? How do you know I don't have a master personally guiding me?" Qin Mingping replied calmly and composedly.

Yao Ruoxian was taken aback; she was genuinely surprised to see his expression.

However, she quickly calmed down. It was impossible for any of the founders of the Bo Shufa school to be alive within the territory of Yezhou. It had been determined long ago that they were either dead or had gone far away.

Her instincts told her that the legendary Chaos Force was something Qin Ming had cultivated himself!

Yao Ruoxian said solemnly, "I have some important news to tell you. Those who wanted to talk to you revealed that in that vast human civilization in the distance, there may still be a patriarch who has mastered the Chaos Force living in the world!"

Qin Ming looked surprised and immediately put down his teacup, asking, "Really?"

This was earth-shattering news, which made him pay close attention and care.

Yao Ruoxian nodded and said, "Yes, it is said that the old master was helped by a friend on the other side and is still alive. Moreover, the person who wants to communicate with you hinted that you can go there to make a devout pilgrimage and you will definitely be highly valued."

Qin Ming's heart was stirred by ripples, which then surged into a huge wave: was there really a living master of silk calligraphy?

His eyes were deep and thoughtful.

He felt that the silk calligraphy he practiced, after being supplemented and perfected by the complete "Refining the Body and Uniting with the Dao Scripture" and the four-page jade book and other true scriptures, would inevitably gradually differ from the original path.

In fact, in the end, as he integrates the Black and White Scripture and the Golden Crow Shining at Night Scripture, as well as the Tathagata Force, Jade Purity Force, and Six Imperial Force that he never forgets, he should become even more domineering and powerful.

“Pilgrimage? The journey is too far and the road too treacherous. Let’s talk about it later,” Qin Ming said.

It's fine to let him communicate with that civilized person, but it's unnecessary to make him kowtow and pay homage with the heart of a pilgrim.

(End of this chapter)