Night without Borders

Chapter 357 Rewriting the Course and Pattern of History
Under the long night, with the snow covering the vast expanse, Qin Ming left the mountains and forests. He had just passed through a village when he overheard two hunters talking about how Yezhou was about to "change its ways".

"Brother, what happened?" Qin Ming walked over and asked.

"Something big has happened! A new world has been discovered!" In the freezing cold, a middle-aged man rubbed his red hands together, his mouth and nose filled with white mist, and ice crystals hung on his beard.

"The sun may be rising in the distance," another old hunter, wearing a sheepskin coat, said in a low voice.

"?" Qin Ming was stunned. What was going on? Had he fallen behind? In just over sixty days, the whole world had become unfamiliar.

The old hunter said, "The specific details haven't reached our remote area yet. A traveling merchant passing through town mentioned it briefly, saying that the major events happening far away are enough to rewrite the course and structure of Yezhou's history."

Qin Ming felt he needed to enter a city as soon as possible. He had only been in seclusion for a short time, but it felt as if a thousand years had passed in the world.

Heavy snow fell, piling up on the ground, reaching up to an adult's thigh.

Under the cover of night, Qin Ming raced wildly through the wilderness, splashing snow everywhere, like a dragon emerging from a lake or sea, parting the surface and creating white waves.

The road wasn't very long, and he didn't ride the eye-catching Thunder King Bird.

Qin Ming sped along, approaching the city where thousands of lights shone.

Behind him, the cold wind carried snowflakes, while in front of him, the city gate was wide open, and a warm yellow halo poured out.

As he stepped inside, the hustle and bustle of the entire city seemed to instantly "squeeze" in, filling his ears with the shouts of vendors and the laughter of children. The lively atmosphere contrasted sharply with the desolate ice field behind him.

At this moment, Qin Ming felt that nothing was more beautiful than the simple joys of everyday life.

For the past two months, he has been living like a wild man, in the desolate mountains and forests covered with ice and snow, with no human habitation in sight, only jackals, deer, pigs, tigers and the like.

He found an inn, took a refreshing hot bath, changed into clean clothes, and entered a popular, brightly lit restaurant.

"What? Sir, you don't know? Tickets to the New World are incredibly hard to come by these days, and prices have skyrocketed. Even so-called immortals and descendants of earth immortals are fighting tooth and nail for them."

Qin Ming said, "Brother, speak slowly and go through it for me from the beginning."

He realized with a deep sense that he seemed to have missed something; some of the common-sense information now sounded completely incoherent.

The waiter said, "Sir, it's like this, our higher-ups here seemed to have been digging a tunnel a while ago, and guess what happened?"

Qin Ming's face immediately darkened, and he said, "Guess, if you make me guess again, what will you do?"

The waiter quickly smiled apologetically and said, "We've unearthed a mysterious world!"

Qin Ming pondered, could it be that the group of experts who returned from Pugong made an amazing discovery? Some time ago, they had been exploring some dangerous places and digging deep into the ruins.

The waiter said, "In that brand new world, the morning glow pierces through the night mist, as if a sun might rise again at any moment."

Qin Ming listened intently, somewhat puzzled. How could digging out of a deadly place lead to another world?

He soon realized that he had been misled by the waiter.

As the "noon" of the night approached, more and more people went to the restaurant to eat, including many practitioners, who inevitably began to discuss recent major events.

Qin Ming quickly ordered the food, silencing the waiter's "nonsense".

A moment later, he learned the truth: the whole "high-ups digging a deep tunnel" thing was complete nonsense. In fact, there had been a breakthrough at the Immortal Tomb, which completely opened up the "situation".

"This matter is truly a stroke of luck. The Golden Light Cave is connected to a new world, rich in resources and imbued with a profound Daoist aura. Many people with powerful backgrounds are vying to go there. That place is mysterious and unpredictable."

As Qin Ming listened to the discussions among the cultivators, he gradually pieced together the situation.

Deep within the Immortal Tomb lies a living Earth Immortal, and the "knowledge" contained there seems to transcend the level of an Earth Immortal, involving the opening of a "gate."

After months of research and analysis, the higher-ups in Yezhou finally broke through the last layer of "window paper" and achieved fruitful results.

Of course, the "gifts" obtained from the Immortal's Tomb alone were not enough. In the past, various paths had reserves and accumulations in this field, mainly by excavating many incomplete books and materials from the area near Kunlun.

The "obtained" from the Immortal Tomb catalyzed this process. After in-depth research, the high-ranking officials of Yezhou successfully opened the mysterious "door" for the first time.

"Currently, its stability is not good enough. When the time comes, the path to the distance will be extinguished. It still needs to be strengthened. Moreover, powerful individuals of too high a level cannot enter, otherwise they will burst the 'door'."

Qin Ming was naturally very interested. He gave the people at the next table two jars of fine wine, ordered several main dishes for them, and asked them for more details.

"After the initial construction of the 'gate' was successful, its shape resembled a tunnel, filled with a large amount of golden light and mist. Therefore, this first path connecting to the distant world was named the Golden Light Cave."

Clearly, the Night State leadership is ambitious and wants to open up more paths to different mysterious worlds. These "doors" will have their own names and even numbers.

Qin Ming looked surprised; this was indeed a major event that could shake up the landscape of Yezhou and rewrite the course of history.

In the past, it was difficult to venture out into new lands, but now with these secret routes, everything will change, making it much easier to explore the unknown world!

Of course, this path is not without its problems, and it is not necessarily all good.

In fact, it is entirely conceivable that it will be accompanied by all sorts of dangers, and no one knows where the deep tunnel will eventually lead.

For example, if the "Purple Cloud Cave" is opened next time, it might penetrate into the Earth Immortal's home, which would be an extremely serious problem.

Even worse, the thought of accidentally leading to the meditation chamber of a deity in seclusion when opening a brand new "Bodhi Cave" is enough to send chills down one's spine.

Qin Ming asked, "Where does the road you've opened lead? Is it beyond your control?"

The people at the next table nodded in agreement, saying that it all depended on "fate," because every time they "dug a hole," a slight change in the runes would lead to a completely different path.

Clearly, this uncontrollability is like opening a "blind box"—whether it's a pleasant surprise or a shock depends entirely on luck.

Therefore, the higher-ups in Yezhou are currently only pursuing the stability of the "gate" and hoping it will last longer, rather than demanding "reinforcement".

Furthermore, a group of founders made strict limitations, stipulating that the "immortality" of a sect would have an upper limit for a period of time, with the highest being no more than the Grandmaster realm.

In this way, it can be considered a form of self-protection.

Even if one accidentally stumbles into the bedroom of a celestial being in some mysterious place, at most the explorer will die, but it won't implicate the Night State.

Although the Yezhou leadership has mastered this "god-level technology" of digging tunnels and widening roads, there are still many aspects that need to be optimized.

At the very least, it cannot be used in Yezhou's territory in the short term, and it cannot connect the two cities. Each time, it can only "open the blind box" in one direction.

"This use of 'doors' has made the Earth Immortals and Seven-Day Stackers in Pugong envious. Although they have profound cultivation, they have not mastered the 'divine skills' in this field."

It is rumored that some of the most important figures in Pugon will be returning.

"Oh, what level of people?" Qin Ming asked, catching up on the information he had missed over the past two months.

"There have been rumors that the senior master of the Buddha in this world, and the senior master of Helian Chengyun, are very likely to return to their homeland."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming couldn't help but drink a cup of wine to calm his nerves. If those old monsters were to return together, the situation in Yezhou might really change!

Leaving aside the pioneers of the Immortal Path and the old fogies in the esoteric Buddhist realm, even just considering the potential returnees of the Tathagata Sect on the New Life Path, they are all undoubtedly prominent figures. Qin Ming knew very well that the current Tathagata's senior uncle practiced the Hunyuan Jin!

During the Western Frontier War, the Buddha's master appeared and single-handedly took away two demon gods. He was extremely powerful, and before his death, he had some thoughts to share.

In the past, he was not the strongest successor. He had two senior brothers who practiced Chaos Force with their master before leaving home.

Qin Ming thought about it for a moment and then got a headache.

This means that the Buddha in this world has two senior masters and one grandmaster, all of whom have gone far away to the Pukung region, and it is still unknown what their current situation is.

Is one of his senior teachers currently living on the path of silk calligraphy?

If not, then that's even more frightening!
Qin Ming even began to suspect that some of the so-called Earth Immortals and Seven-Day Ascension cultivators in Pugong might actually be the ancestors from Yezhou in the past.

Qin Ming was lost in thought. He realized that although he practiced calligraphy with those people, if they stirred up trouble in Yezhou in the future, they would inevitably become strangers.

Regarding silk calligraphy, everyone's final result will be different because the scriptures they incorporate are vastly different and completely different.

For example, he has mastered some classic texts that far exceed the imagination of outsiders, from the first extraordinary skill, "Li Huo Jing", to the "Jin Wu Zhao Ye Jing", which has made the patriarchs of all generations envious, and the complete four-page jade book.

Qin Ming believes, without being modest, that the Chaos Force he has mastered surpasses that of the original masters.

Of course, such words cannot be spoken openly, otherwise, in the past... that old Buddha might say that he was rebellious and defied the Heavenly Gang.

But the fact is, if they are at the same level, he is indeed stronger.

Qin Ming believed that once he had integrated all the true scriptures, the silk calligraphy he had mastered would be completely different from those "sources".

In the past, those patriarchs dared not do this and always "took it easy," which resulted in their bodies exploding time and time again.

Currently, he has almost resolved the hidden dangers and can freely integrate the true scriptures.

"Well, even if the Buddha's senior master in this world, or that living 'sage,' were to return, it wouldn't necessarily mean he would control future generations. Perhaps I'm overthinking it."

The main reason is that Qin Ming is really wary. If someone were to reach the seventh level of the Chaos Force, it would be terrifying, and they might be able to dominate the world.

However, if something changes in Yezhou, it's not necessarily true that no one can restrain them. For example, the master of the Silk Calligraphy that he fished out of the Black Dragon Pool, it's unknown whether he really buried himself.

In addition, there's Old Man Liu; if he can "revive," he'll probably be very strong too.

"Unfortunately, Lao Liu is destined to be 'mediocre' in this life. He is waiting for a perfect ending to his life."

Qin Ming was lost in thought for a long while, while the people at the next table were still talking about the "Golden Light Cave".

"This time, it's a perfect start!"

In the world of night fog, ninety percent of the area is pitch black and there are no fire springs, but this initial "digging" has opened up a piece of "divine land".

Qin Ming frequently consulted with the experts and obtained sufficiently detailed information.

The leaders of Night State were cautious and did not build the "gate" on their own territory, but instead chose to build it in the outer realm, in the territory of a vassal race.

"Minotaur?" Qin Ming had a vague memory of that race's homeland when they were on their way to the Immortal Tomb.

The cultivators in Yezhou mostly engaged in passive land reclamation and never invaded this place. Moreover, the minotaurs there "guarded" the area, acting as "sentinels" and serving a vigilant function.

"The Golden Light Cave needs to draw power from the Fire Spring to maintain its stability, and the consumption is considerable."

In fact, even the first explorers were composed of minotaurs with green hair.

"At the time, when recruiting minotaurs, they were given generous rewards. Who would have thought that, not long after, cultivators from all over Yezhou would start spending exorbitant amounts of money to buy tickets to enter the Golden Light Cave?"

The main reason is that the first batch of minotaurs were all teenagers in the first realm. They went there without any danger and ate a kind of fruit there. Within a few days, some of them broke through to the second realm.

Their once green hair is now turning silver.

Most importantly, their cultivation speed in that region was much faster than in their homeland.

After the people of Yezhou went to investigate, they discovered that the spiritual matter there was twice as much as that in the local area, and the Daoist aura was almost materialized, which any genius could vaguely sense.

This is insane. According to estimates, one day of cultivation there is equivalent to two or three days of cultivation in Yezhou. Who can resist such temptation?
Furthermore, that area has an everlasting sunrise, as if the sun is about to rise from the horizon again.

Qin Ming left the restaurant with mixed feelings of excitement. At this time, he was in Da Rui territory. After the exchange meeting, he chose to live in seclusion nearby.

After leaving the city, he entered the snow-covered mountains and forests and summoned the Thunder King Bird.

"Go to the Buddha Sect and deliver a letter to Xiang Yiwu for me."

Qin Ming planned to call over the door panel from Xinsheng Road, as well as Xiao Wu, to discuss together how to explore that mysterious world that might have a sun.

In fact, during the two months he lay low, the whole country was in an uproar and bustling atmosphere. Xiang Yiwu and Wu Yaozu had already gotten together, thinking about entering a new world.

They were also looking for Qin Ming, but he had been out of contact for a long time.

Two days later, Xiang Yiwu and Wu Yaozu arrived and met with Qin Ming in Ruicheng.

Xiao Wu said, "Brother Ming, you've finally returned from being a missing person. Everyone on every road is going crazy now, all wanting to get into the Golden Light Cave, but you've been missing for so long."

Qin Ming learned more information from the two of them.

The area connected to Jinguang Cave is far more remote than one can imagine.

Because the area within a million miles of Yezhou is also in winter, a time when the land is frozen.

At the other end of Jinguang Cave, the vegetation is lush and verdant, a season of vibrant life.

"Is that really a place close to where the sun shines?" This was the question Qin Ming was most concerned about.

Xiang Yiwu said, "It's hard to say. There are indeed rosy clouds behind the distant mountains, but if it's the sun, why doesn't it rise?"

Wu Yaozu said, "However, that place is truly incredibly valuable; it can be called divine land. Just four days ago, someone found a piece of strange gold!"

Qin Ming was surprised. Even the patriarch would be tempted by this material, and even Earth Immortals would need it. It could be used to forge the most top-tier weapons!
Xiang Yiwu solemnly said, "Two days ago, someone captured a silver-backed golden-striped tortoise. On its snow-white shell, there were strange runes. After analysis by a grandmaster, it was found that it contained astonishing value, no less than a top-level secret manual!"

"Hiss!" Qin Ming gasped. The more he listened, the more he felt that the place was covered in gold, and that sweet-smelling honey was dripping from the lush green leaves in the forest.

Even he is now incredibly tempted, which explains why so many people want to enter the Golden Light Cave, making tickets extremely difficult to obtain.

Qin Ming understood that the real great expansion of Yezhou might have officially begun at this moment.

Those unknown worlds and mysterious countries are unpredictable. If we stumble upon such "fate," it is full of uncertainty, and anything is possible in the future.

(End of this chapter)